Vegetarians Who Eat Fish

Pescatarians are not Vegans

A vegan is someone who abstains from the use of animal products. Their’s is more a philosophy to living that demonstrates a great love towards animals in every way possible. Veganism is gaining in popularity as people become more conscious of humans responsibility towards responsible stewardship of this planet and all living creatures within it.

History of Veganism

Veganism is believed to have started in the Indian sub-continent as far back as the Indus Civilization of 3300 BC. In the 19th century, it started becoming commonplace in the United States. In 1843 the Alcott House members formed the first Veganism society in Europe.

Since then, many variations of Vegan Associations have come about from the members of these societies and religions. The associations have different objectives and rules. In the modern world, there are people who have taken the diet up due to its healthy lifestyle. They do not subscribe to any religion or cultural view but they are vegetarians for purely health reasons out of personal choice.

Distinctions of Veganism

There are 3 broad distinctions of veganism. They are as follows:

Dietary Vegans – These are the strict vegetarians who do not eat meat, eggs or any dairy products and any other product that is derived from animals.

The manufacturing process of synthetic vegan leather involves the bonding together of a plastic coating to a unique fabric base. The types of chemicals and plastics used in the coating process are what defines whether it will be eco-friendly or not. PVC is more damaging to the environment, but there are a few cases where it’s necessary to use.

Ethical Vegans – These are people who follow the vegan philosophy and extend their beliefs to other spheres of life by opposing the use of animals for any purpose.

 Environmental Vegans – They are vegans who avoid the use of animal products because they believe that modern farming techniques damage the environment. They advocate for traditional methods of keeping animals.

Vegans who eat fish

You may have probably heard of people who observe vegetarian diets with the exception of fish. These people are referred to as Pescatarian. They do not partake of any other meat except fish and they observe the vegetarian diet in totality. They source their protein needs from other sources such as beans, grains, and vegetables.

Reasons for being a Pescatarian

There are many reasons why people choose to observe the Pescatarian diet.

One of them is when one has health concerns such as the presence of high cholesterol in the body. When the body has high cholesterol, you run the risk of ailments such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart diseases. High cholesterol increased by eating food that is high in fat and processed foods.

Meat is one of the sources of protein for our bodies and some types of meat have high-fat content which increases our levels of cholesterol in the body. To avoid a situation where your cholesterol levels are in an uncontrollable state you can choose to do away with meat completely and live on a purely vegan diet.

However, with a vegan diet, you will still need animal protein as it is important to your health. Hence the reason people choose to take fish as the only animal protein. This is the Pescatarian diet.

More Reasons for Pescetarianism

Another reason for choosing this diet is the animal cruelty concerns that come from slaughtering animals that offer red meat such as cows, goats, sheep. There is a common belief that animals are often tortured before they are put to the knife unlike fish which automatically die whenever they are put out of the water. Some believe that this is a mild way of putting them to death and is almost a natural process that does not use knives, hooks, and other tools used to slaughter animals.

Finally, the benefits of fish are immense to the human body. The moderate consumption of fish is important for our health. It is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which provide the human body with optimal conditions for its operation. Fish is also rich in vitamin B12 which helps the body keep the nerve system healthy.

Benefits of Pescatarian Diet

There are many benefits of observing a Pescatarian diet and some of them are listed below:

 Healthy Heart

The heart is often considered the heart of all living creatures. It is the epicenter of all the bodies’ activities and it controls all the bodies’ functions through the circulation of blood.

Fish’s richness in omega 3 acid has unsaturated fat helps in the reduction of blood pressure to optimal levels that are required for the functioning of the body. Eating fish also reduces the chances of heart attack and other heart-related ailments such as Atherosclerosis which occurs when the arteries are blocked and restrict the flow of blood.

Reducing the chances of cancer

Cancer is one of the major leading causes of death in the world today. While it has many possible cures, the best way to avoid it is through prevention. After all, prevention is better than cure.

Taking fish is known to protect human beings from getting colorectal cancers (colon and rectum cancer) which were the 2nd leading cancer deaths in a study done in 2015 in America. The study showed that the consumption of fish reduced the chances of colorectal cancer by about 10%.

Diabetes and inflammation

Diabetes occurs when there is too much blood glucose in the blood. There is evidence that the intake of fish significantly reduces the chances of getting type 2 diabetes. The omega 3 acids contained in fish provide the body with high insulin resistance levels which is good for the prevention of diabetes. For those already living with the condition, a fish diet reduces blood sugar in the blood thereby maintaining it at an optimal level which will help in reducing the chances of diabetes complications.

Diets that are rich in plant foods are also great for the reduction of anti-inflammation through antioxidants that are contained in plant foods.

Conclusion

A Pescatarian diet ensures that you have the right balance of nutrients in your body. A pure strict vegan diet does not have animal protein and one would have to depend on supplements to get these nutrients in the body. Taking fish provides this alternative and it is also healthy.

This diet ensures general fitness for your body. It can help in the reduction of body weight and therefore an option when you want to shed weight which is disastrous for your health.