A vegetarian diet is based on the consumption of foods from plants . It eliminates animal based foods like meat, fish , shellfish and Crustacea such as prawns or crabs

A vegan diet eliminates foods from animals and animal-derived products such as dairy, eggs , whey protein, gelatinous , casein , albumin and honey

Why do people opt for these 2 diets ?

1. Health reasons
2. Environmental reasons

Significance of these 2 diets :

1. They are low in saturated fats and cholesterol . However I want to reiterate that not all saturated fats are evil and neither is all cholesterol. The brain needs fat and cholesterol. Cholesterol is needed to produce some sex hormones
2. They are usually rich in nutrient-dense foods which can be found in fruit , veg , whole grains , legumes nuts , seeds and soya . However when it comes to soya it’s safer to consume only FERMENTED SOYA like Miso and Tempeh
3. They are rich in most of the micronutrients ( vitamins and minerals )

However in both these diets , even though there’s an elimination of animal and animal products which may be good for health reasons such as cardiovascular health , lower blood sugar levels , lower cholesterol levels . I tend to recommend them to people with cancer . However here are some disadvantages , such as :

Vegans tend to be low in Vitamin B12 which is derived from animals and animal products. Hence they need to take Vitamin B12 supplements .

Both diets can lead to a deficiency in omega-3, and some fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D, although there are a few plant sources like purslane , a weed .

One thing I’ve noticed with both diets is that some on the diet tend to consume fake substitutes like fake meat and chicken these tend to be processed foods with lots of additives that can be unhealthy and end up being more unhealthy than the animals and animal products they are trying to avoid . Natural foods are much safer that synthetic foods like synthetic meat , synthetic chicken , cheese etc

It’s important that those in both diets need to plan their meals well so they get all the nourishments they require . For example most plant foods don’t contain all the 9 essential amino acids that make a protein COMPLETE except quinoa and soya beans that are complete proteins . It then becomes important for people on both diets especially vegan to combine their foods very well

I do practice vegan diet once or twice a month where I replace animal products with mushrooms , tempeh and jackfruit

If moving into any of these 2 diets , do consult with your doctor if you have any health issues . If no health issues , get the support of a health professional. I am here to support . Remember that your health is your greatest wealth