So I've been calling my Bestie a vegetarian for years now because she abstains from eating meat although she does eat seafood. On Thanksgiving, my cousin's Godsister informed me that she does the same and that they are actually called Pescatarians - Who knew?!? But thanks for the insight! It makes a lot of sense to me especially since I was once barked at by a woman who was in her eyes a 'true' vegetarian and not my Bestie (whatever lady). Because of this information I decided to look it up and I noted that according to About.com there are 7 types of Vegetarian - Get out of here!
1. Pescatarian - Those who don't eat meat or animal flesh with the exception of fish. Although the word is not commonly used, more and more people are adopting this kind of diet, usually for health reasons or as a stepping stone to a fully vegetarian diet. My Bestie, My Cousin's Godsister, and my girl's boyfriend.
2. Flexitarian/Semi-vegetarian - You don’t have to be vegetarian to love vegetarian food! “Flexitarian” is a term recently coined to describe those who eat a mostly vegetarian diet, but occasionally eat meat. This would be my girl. I thought that she was going to go fully vegetarian but when she's ready to have her meat - she throws it down. This is probably a good philosophy though - only to indulge in heavy meats every once in a while. I might venture into this one...
Vegetarian - People who do not eat beef, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish or animal flesh of any kind, but do eat eggs and dairy products are lacto-ovo vegetarians (“lacto” comes from the Latin for milk, and “ovo” for egg). See the variations below:
3. Lacto-vegetarian is used to describe a vegetarian who does not eat eggs, but does eat dairy products.
4. Ovo-vegetarian refers to people who do not eat meat or dairy products but do eat eggs. Who knew that there were so many variations?
5. Vegan - Vegans do not eat meat of any kind and also do not eat eggs, dairy products, or processed foods containing these or other animal-derived ingredients such as gelatin. Many vegans also refrain from eating foods that are made using animal products that may not contain animal products in the finished process, such as sugar and some wines. There is some debate as to whether certain foods, such as honey, fit into a vegan diet. ***Everything tastes better with butter and I guess you guys don't want any skittles either - LOL!
6. Raw vegan/Raw food diet - A raw vegan diet consists of unprocessed vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). “Raw foodists” believe that foods cooked above this temperature have lost a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body. **** Key word is RAW - no thank you
7. Macrobiotic - The macrobiotic diet, revered by some for its healthy and healing qualities, includes unprocessed vegan foods, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and allows the occasional consumption of fish. Sugar and refined oils are avoided. Perhaps the most unique qualifier of the macrobiotic diet is its emphasis on the consumption of Asian vegetables, such as daikon, and sea vegetables, such as seaweed.
This came to mind today on my weight loss journey - I decided to take a break from meat today and I think that knowing the differences and possibly chosing to lead a flexitarian/pescatarian lifestyle could be very beneficial with the increasing rates of heart disease and diabetes in the black community.
Kisses!
