Should I become a Vegetarian??

When I attended the Institute for Holistic Nutrition, I thought one of the very first things we would learn is “What is the best diet for health and weight maintenance?”. I was very shocked to learn that there isn’t one!!! We are all the same yet very different. We all have different needs, deficiencies, health concerns, intolerances, etc., etc. When we discussed vegetarianism we discussed all the different variations of vegetarianism, along with the potential health concerns, and we learned the reasons why someone would choose this diet (lifestyle).

“I will not eat anything that walks, swims, flies, runs, skips, hops or crawls”   

~Anonymous

Here are the types of vegetarian diets we learned, which was all the diets we knew of at that time. I am sure things are changing everyday, but I think we have captured most of them in the following chart:

There have been many studies around blood types and DNA that may affect one's decision as well. Many books and journals have been published around these topics but if you want more information, please feel free to reach out to me. I can provide the names of a few good books on these topics.

In summary, vegetarians must really pay attention to their diet in order to avoid many deficiencies such as B12, protein, iron, low stomach acid, calcium, zinc, vitamins A and D, riboflavin, iodine, taurine and omega 3 fatty acids. If a vegetarian diet is well balanced, there are many health benefits such as consuming a very nutrient dense diet, high in phytonutrients, high in fibre and much better for the environment. 

So the answer to the burning question, “Should I become a Vegetarian?” is really only your decision and no one else's. Whether it be for ethical reasons, health reasons or both, my best advice it to make sure you are educated on what you need to consume to keep your body well-balanced and healthy. 

For more information on this topic or anything else, please feel free to reach out to me!

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Colbin, A.: Food and Healing: How What You Eat Determines Your Health, Your Well-Being, and the Quality of Your Life (1986)

For any questions or more information on this topic please contact myself, Tammy at 

Tammy@myinnerself.ca or (416) 428-4661. 

I am happy to answer any questions you may have.