The vegetal regime
Find out below the explanations and advice if you are thinking of adopting this diet ...
The principle
Vegetalism is the most extreme form of vegetarianism. Refuse the consumption not only of animal meat (meat, fish, seafood ...), but also derived foods, namely dairy products, eggs, butter, honey ...
The motivations of the vegetarians can be of a different order: to eat healthier, contribute to respect for the environment, respect animal rights, promote fair trade or respect religious precepts.
The only foods authorized are fruit and vegetables, legumes (peas, broad beans, beans ...), soy, cereals (rice, corn, spelled ...), nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts), the seeds and all the resulting products (especially milk and oil): the vegetalian diet requires a lot of imagination to compose balanced dishes and menus, and is difficult to respect in society (invitations, restaurants ...).
Nutritional characteristics
By eliminating all animal products from the diet, the vegan diet can cause severe deficiencies in proteins, essential amino acids, vitamin B12, iron and Omega 3 fatty acids. By banning the consumption of dairy products, it also exposes you to a deficit of calcium and vitamin D.
On the other hand, it involves a diet that is less rich in saturated fatty acids (bad fats contained in meat, cured meats, cheeses, butter ...) than the traditional diet. For this reason it can help limit overweight, bad cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Rich in fiber, it ensures satiety and helps regulate intestinal transit.
Tips to balance your diet
The vegetal diet is very restrictive and can be dangerous: some precautions are necessary. For this reason, it is not recommended for children, adolescents, pregnant or breastfeeding women.
To avoid deficiencies that are harmful to the body, it is essential to compensate in other ways:
- For proteins. Those obtained from vegetables are incomplete: it is therefore essential to associate cereals and legumes with each meal so that all the essential amino acids are brought together.
- For vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is necessary for red blood cells and is completely absent from products of plant origin. It is advisable to favor the foods that are enriched: yeast, soy or rice drinks ... and think about a food supplement.
- For the iron. Legumes, tofu and whole grains are less well assimilated than animal products. During meals, it is therefore necessary to take vitamin C which improves assimilation and limit the tea which has the opposite effect.
- For vitamin D. Also in this case it is advisable to use enriched foods or a food supplement.
- For football. In the absence of dairy products, you should opt for enriched vegetable drinks (soy and almond "milk"), drink water rich in mineral salts and eat the fruits and vegetables that contain them (cabbage, broccoli, citrus fruits ... ).
- For Omega 3. Vegetable oils and nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds ...) allow, if consumed regularly, to compensate for the absence of fatty fish in the diet.
