What is a vegetarianThe Vegetarian Society defines a vegetarian as: "Someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with, or without, the use of dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish* or by-products of slaughter.“ When the vegetarian society say shellfish what they mean is a sea animal that is covered with a shelf for example crustaceans and most molluscs.

There are a number of different types of vegetarian :

Pescatarian :The word pescatarian is occasionally used to describe someone who completely refrains from eating all meats and animal flesh except from fish. This word is not so commonly used anymore however, a lot more people are adopting this type of diet. Some for health reasons and others use it as a stepping stone to becoming a full vegetarian.

Flexitarian :Flexitarian is a word coined by the vegetarian society to describe those who are not actual vegetarians but still enjoy vegetarian diets. There are a large number of people who prefer to eat a vegetarian diet whilst occasionally still eating meat. Some vegetarians disagree with this lifestyle whilst others think it is a step in the right direction.

Lacto – ovo – Vegetarian :This is the most common type of vegetarianism, if you were to think about what a vegetarian is, this term would back that up. These are people who eat no meat or shellfish but will consume eggs and dairy products . A slight variation of this is the Lacto Vegetarian who will not eat eggs but will consume dairy products.

Vegan :Vegans will refuse to eat any sort of meat however they differ from vegetarians in the fact that they will also not consume eggs, dairy products or any processed foods that may contain animal derived ingredients such as gelatin. Many vegans also take a strong standing on making sure they do not have products that are made with animal products, despite them having no animal in the final product, for example sugar and some wines. There are some items of food that cause debate in the vegan society, a commonly debated food item is honey.

Raw Vegan :A raw vegans diet consists of the same things as a regular vegan diet, however they will not eat any unprocessed vegan foods that have been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. ‘’Raw foodists ‘’as they are known believe that if food is cooked above that temperature that it begins to lose most of its nutritional values. They also believe that it makes the food harmful to he body. There are a lot of small variations of the raw Vegan diet such as :- Fruitarianism juicearianism, and sproutarianism

Macrobiotic :The macrobiotic diet is revered by some for its healthy healing qualities. The macrobiotic diet creates an ideal combination of a few of the other sections of vegetarianism. They eat vegan foods such as whole rains, fruits and vegetables whilst still being allowed to consume fish. Sugar and other refined oils are avoided. What makes this diet incredibly unique is its emphasis on the fact you are allowed to consume Asian vegetables, such as daikon, and sea vegetables, such as seaweed.

Opening quote reference : http://www.vegsoc.org/page.aspx?pid=698

Table 2 shows that 67% of individuals (out of 110) start the vegetarian diet due to ethical beliefs and other specific reasons. This could be to do with several controversial subjects, one being the unethical mistreatment of animals in society “The act of unnecessary killing of sentient beings and opposition to certain agricultural practices surrounding the production of meat.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_of_eating_meat. Or some religions worship upon animals and find it morally wrong to eat them, an example being that in religions such as Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, cattle are considered sacred. Also in states like India, the slaughter of cattle is forbidden and their meat may be taboo.

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Table 2 also shows that 17% of individuals (out of 110) start the vegetarian diet for health reasons. Studies taken place in the year 2012 (http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/vegetarian.htm) have shown that a vegetarian that also follows a well-balanced, low-fat, high-fibre diet – often have lower incidence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity and some forms of cancer. Overall a vegetarian diet does tend to be significantly lower in fat than the traditional diet.

Finally, table 2 shows 8% (out of 110) begin the vegetarian diet for environmental reasons. A term often used when discussing the vegetarian diet with environmental causes is “sustainable agriculture”. This is the idea that farming should be self-sustaining, as the vegetation and vegan lifestyles require significantly less water and also prevent pollution. It is also believed that choosing the vegetarian lifestyle can all prevent other environmental concerns such as global warming and deforestation.

Table 1 shows that out of 111 samples the medium age is 27 years old. Research conducted as University of Virginia reported in the academic journal Neurobiology Of Aged, scientists

found that out mental abilities start of deteriorate from the age of 27 after the reaching the peek at 22. This was proclaimed after studying 2,000 men and women aged 18-60 over

seven years, individuals were of good health and well educated. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1162052/Old-age-begins-27--scientists-claim-new-research.html )

In today’s society in is traditional that an individual begins to think more cautiously about their health and diet at the age of 27. They may also already have or be expecting children

which can also create a dramatic impact of how a people controls their eating habits and regular diet. This can be a logical reason for turning to the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, to

maintain the body’s health as well as children and other family member etc. A lot see it a more of a lifestyle choice rather than a forceful nature.

Table 1 also shows that 86% (out of 111) vegetarians are females, meaning the remaining 14% are males. In both men and women, traditionally the primary reason for becoming a

vegetarian is for health benefits, in society health concerns play a big role when converting to vegetarianism, it is commonly shown that there are currently more female than male

vegetarians. Also in statistics according to Men’s Health magazine, women choose to visit there local GP an average of 6.2 times per year where as men only 4.5 times a year. These results

show that women take a more proactive approach to their health rather than men.

An outline of various reasons that people become a vegetarian

Health reasons

• Excessive eating of meat along un-balanced, high-fat and salt diet can be technically linked to causes of cancer and circulatory systems.• Meat is significantly high in cholesterol and too much can be bad for the health, especially in the US where portions are larger and meat is eaten in greater

quantities.• The majority of cases of food poisoning are consumed from animal products. Recently in the last century factory farms, slaughterhouses and meat packing

plants have become exceptionally unhygienic and contaminated places.• Choosing the vegetarian lifestyle often results in a reduction in the risk of gaining weight and developing cancers, it also promotes a longer life spam. The

Ornish diet (a low fat vegetarian lifestyle) is proven to reverse the effects of heart disease. Also the thought of the time taken for meat to be externally digested can push people to turning vegetarian.

For environmental reasons

• The production of meat produce can destroy endangered rain forest environments, as the process produces excessive amounts of methane (a greenhouse gas) and water pollution in the form of sewage solution.

• Breeding and raising livestock can produce significantly more greenhouse gases than the majority of motor vehicles. Growing and maintaining vegetarian produce uses considerably less water than that of raising livestock.

• Half of all water used in US is used to raise livestock, this seen as a dramatic waste of valuable nature resources.• It takes several pounds of vegetarian product to produce one pound of meat.• It is proven that in the UK over half of all food grown goes to the production of livestock.• Consuming meat can create around half of the world’s pollution, where as traffic only causes 11%.

For political reasons

• If all the resources provided for meat production were diverted; there is believed that there could be enough food to feed everyone on the earth.• The production of meat produce is considered wasteful; it takes several pounds of grain to produce just one produce of meat.• An even distribution of food and valuable resources in the world is considered possible if the produce fed to farm animals was used to feed people instead.

A large percentage of the food grown in the world today goes into feeding livestock for meat.

For psychological reasons

• Some individuals just find meat unappealing.• People can often be put of from eating meat due to stories in the media and turn to vegetarian labels e.g. 2013, The Horse Meat Scandal. http

://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/05/horsemeat-scandal-sales-vegetarian-alternatives• Some people can be allergic or have phobias of meat produce.

For religious/philosophical reasons

• People choosing the vegetarian lifestyle believe that the treatment and prolonged cruelty of animals in the meat industry is “inexcusable”.

• Individuals also believe that animals are no different from the human race and society denies their natural rights and that they should not be raised for

slaughter.• Religions such as Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism worship cows and consider

them sacred, there for it is considered morally wrong and insulting to eat meat within those religions. An example being in states like India, the meat is taboo

and slaughter houses are prohibited from society.• It is scientifically proven that animals have individual personalities and feelings,

although they made not be as thoroughly in-depth as the humans– vegetarians believe that putting an animal through fear and pain is intolerable.

• Eating meat is believed to create “bad karma”.

JainismIn this particular Indian religion, the concept of Jainism is to promote ahimsa; meaning “non-injuring”. This relates to achieving a goal of very little violence to living organisms. In the community it is mandatory to obtain a vegetarian diet with members either been lacto-vegetarian or vegans. Any consumption or intake of meat or substance taken from a dead animal is forbidden, this goes roughly the same for the unnecessary injury of plants and minuscule organisms.

Ahimsa is considered to be the most essential duty in the Jainism religion, they do not pose any beliefs in the sacrifice of animals and consider all living forms to be equal amongst the community. People following the religion also have a strong belief in the effects of karmic influences and that the suffering of animals and other living organisms will later arise and effect the human population due to their actions of slaughtering for food.

“Hinduism holds that such influences affect he who permits the slaughter of an animal, he who cuts it up, he who kills it, he who buys or sells meat, he who cooks it, he who serves it up, and he who eats it. They must all be considered the slayers of the animal.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_and_religion

HinduismFollowing the vegetarian diet is a fundamental part of most school communities in the Hindu religion. Over the course of time the range of beliefs and practices has expanded and changed due to what individuals believe is true and fair. Overall only a minor percentage of Hindus are vegetarians as the majority do not take into consideration the aspects of vegetarianism.

In the Hinduism, based in India – a land where agriculture was easy and the idea of living of a vegetarian diet became popular. The process of animal sacrifice was scrapped in Vedic rituals and was further replaced by integrating a vegetarian diet. Also, due to the heavy heated climate that varies over the seasons – which enables them to grow a great amount of vegetation produce. This enabled the community to create a variety of meals that don’t include meat produce, India produce some of the world’s most famous herbs and spices to create a range of different flavours to add to simple meals. As previously stated, not all Hindus are vegetarian. It is believed that the beliefs and overall nature of diet is set out across different areas of India. Communities living in the costal areas or in the river deltas of Ganges and Brhamaputra east fish as it is a traditional element of their diet, due to been surrounded by fresh water.

Communities from warrior/rajput caste tend to eat meat as a matter of course and to show an element of strength and power amongst their fellow neighbours.

Communities in the lower castes have little religious injunctions and eat meat if it is available to them, if and when they can.

Hindus who moved to India across from Africa, Trinidad, Fiji and Europe, USA etc. are often very restricted to eat a vegetarian diet. Often very little vegetation was available to them in the later stages of the year so this again pushed them to eat animal produce rather than a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarian CompaniesQuorn :Quorn are the leading brand in imitation meat mycoprotein in the United Kingdom. The mycoprotein that Quorn uses to create their product is expanded from a type of fungus. Quorn is produced as a type of ready meal and as a brand of ingredients. It is sold as a health food and also as an alternative to meat. Quorn received the vegetarian seal of approval when they made sure that only free range eggs were used in their products. Quorn was first introduced into retail in 1994 and was introduced into the US in 2002. The initial advertising included sports personalities including Ryan Giggs, Will carling and Sally Gunner.

Redwood :Redwood are a company that specialise in creating meals that are completely free from any kind of animal ingredients. They can create animal free meats, fish and dairy free cheeses. They pride the fact that they create food products that save not only animals but also help people and the environment.

‘’ What makes our foods special? The fact that they're just that little bit different. From fish-style fingers and spicy falafel to meat-free ‘bacon', nuggets and schnitzels, Redwood foods are inspirational, healthy and nutritious and a great source of protein. We've even picked up a few awards along the way. And been awarded ethical company status.’’

Vegan Society :The Vegan society is an educational charity that promotes and support the vegan way of life. Whilst the Vegan society differs from quorn and redwood in the fact that it doesn’t directly sell food or produce food for retail it does promote the lifestyle and give people a lot of avenues to research meals and look up the nutritional values. The website provides a great outlet for people to discover all of the facts and information that they need about veganism. There are even support and help tips on how to make the transition to becoming a vegan.

Quorn products still remain the go-to brand from people following a vegetarian diet. They appeal strongly to their target demographic

because of their overall appeal to satisfy the taste and consistency of meat, but without it actually been included in the product. The

products are made with a product called mycoprotein, which is a healthy form of meat free high quality protein which is also a good

source of dietary fibre, this means it is naturally low in fat. There are 100 different Quorn products in the line available in most UK

supermarkets.

Vegans and vegetarians are incredibly limited to what they can have at mealtime. Here is a list of foods prohibited from vegans and vegetarians.

Canned Goods and Non-Perishable

Soup base/stock/bouillon: meat or fish fatVegetable soup: meat or poultry brothWorcestershire sauce: anchoviesLard: solid animal fatCaesar salad / dressing: anchovies, possibly baconRefried beans: lardBeans in tomato sauce: pork

Bakery, Bread and Crackers

Crackers: may contain animal-derived enzymesAmino L-cysteine: derived from animal hair or feathersWhey protein: a milk productOmega-3 enriched bread: may contain fish oil

Candy, Desserts and Confectionary

Marshmallows: gelatin (made from animal bones)Hard / chewy candies like Skittles or Starburst brands: gelatinJell-o or gelatin desserts: gelatinWhite sugar: filtered using animal bone charPie crusts: store-bought and some homemade contain lard and/or butterGlazed/candied cherries: cochineal/carmine (insect colouring)Candies made with red food colouring: cochineal/carmineCandies made with shellac or confectioner's glaze: insect-derived ingredients

Produce

Apples, candy apples: shiny read coating made from beetles (cochineal/carmine)Caesar salad (pre-packaged): anchovies, possibly bacon

Dairy/Frozen/Refrigerated Products

Frozen hash brown potatoes: some contain lardYogurt or sour cream (especially low-fat brands): gelatinDHA-enriched products (for example; milk, orange juice, margarine, cheese, bread but not omega-3 eggs): gelatinCheese: rennet (scraped from the stomachs of cows)Margarine: gelatin, whey powder, caseinSoy cheese: most contain casein (a milk protein) to help them melt

Beverages

BeerWine

Gelatin: The protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water. The substance is usually obtained from

cows or pigs. Gelatin is also used in shampoos, face masks, and other cosmetics; as a thickener for fruit gelatins and puddings (such as Jell-

O); in candies, marshmallows, cakes, ice cream, and yogurts; on photographic film; in vitamins as a coating and as capsules; and it is

sometimes used to assist in "clearing" wines.

Not all beers and wines are made using animal products. Whether a beverage is made using animal products or

not, this information is not listed on the label. No animal ingredients are present in the final product (beer, wine) but some are filtered with animal products like isinglass.