October 1 has been World Vegetarian Day since 1977. The Vegetarian Society of North America chose this date as a vindication of this type of diet and the following year the International Vegetarian Union made it the world day. To have a broader spectrum, regarding the decrease in meat consumption, “Vegan Week” is celebrated during the first week of October. And even “Vegetarian Month”.
Without a doubt, the objective is to purify our body with products from the earth. Beyond the days established by a calendar, it is important not to consume meat or meat products once a week or one weekend a month. Our health will thank us for the cleanliness of our body.
Vegetarianism is not a fad, it already existed in ancient Greece and illustrious people from then and famous people today are vegetarians. Leonardo da Vinci, Pythagoras, Voltaire, Rousseau, Miguel de Cervantes, Charlotte Brontë, Louisa May Alcott, Tomas Alva Edison, Nietsche and Einstein were fervent defenders of this type of healthy eating. They were defenders of animal rights or criticized animal consumption. Today well-known figures such as Paul McCartney, Novac Djokovic, Lewis Hamilton, Stella Mc Cartney, Natalie Portman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Brad Pitt, Brigitte Bardot, Jane Goodall, Bryan Adams, Dani Rovira, Alaska or Alejandro Sanz are just a few examples of changes from food and thinking towards the personal and healthy well-being that this type of diet entails. The number of famous vegetarian people shows that whatever activity you do: physicists, scientists, writers, elite athletes, singers, actors or actresses, designers or cooks, they are the best in their field. even being vegetarians.
In the sixties, when vegetarianism began to be consolidated and there was talk of environmentalism, the hypothesis already appeared – later demonstrated – that a diet low in meat is capable of preventing and even reversing some chronic diseases such as coronary heart diseases. From then on, a food trend was generated that advocates taking care of animal welfare to look for the health and future of the planet.
In the eighties, more associations were generated in favor of animal rights. Also at the same time, environmental associations came into force in which vegetarianism was seen as a way to reduce the ecological footprint.
Since then, fresh organic products and plant-based products have proliferated in supermarkets of all types with sections that are increasing. Restaurants also add vegetarian dishes to their menus and menus. Vegetarian and vegan restaurants have already become normalized in our society. And starred restaurants introduce vegetarian dishes with the best style as well as sustainable practices that are awarded the green Michelin star. Schools already offer vegetarian options on their menus. The vegetarian phenomenon is becoming regularized and growing by leaps and bounds, as the numbers show.
According to the Spanish Vegetarian Union in 2021, 1.5% of the Spanish adult population was vegetarian; 0.8%, vegan and 10.8%, flexitarian. Today, 7.8% are vegetarian or include some animal products from time to time. The reason for being vegetarian is for ethical and animalistic reasons, for sustainability and for health reasons. In the world, between 5% and 8% are vegetarians and the most vegetarian country in the world is India.
The climate emergency has highlighted the need to consume less meat and thus make our planet more sustainable. The WHO already recommended reducing its consumption. Excessive red and processed meats are carcinogenic products. Furthermore, with the growing increase in the world’s population, there is a real protein self-sufficiency problem that we must take into account when making our food and, consequently, health decisions. We must remove meat a little so that it is something unusual in the daily diet and transform our beliefs towards a healthier life with vegetable proteins.
Choosing this type of diet is a very personal choice of which doctors and specialists point out numerous advantages: decreased cholesterol and circulatory diseases, lower blood pressure, prevention of osteoporosis, weight loss, prevents diabetes, improves asthma or prevents cancer among others. Although it also has drawbacks such as a lack of vitamin B12, a sufficient amount of protein, calcium or iron, but these can be easily achieved with a good knowledge of the vegetarian diet. Understanding how food works, and this one in particular, is essential today to avoid falling into deficiencies. Something that also happens in the traditional way of eating.
Have a nice vegetarian day!
https://www.lantern.es/papers//the-green-revolution-entendiendo-el-auge-del-mundo-veggie
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