Veg or non-veg - to stay fit

This is a debate that has been raging for decades now. Are foods from plant sources better than those from animal ones there are pros and cons to each side of the story.

Let’s look at the special advantages of vegetarian and non vegetarian diets here :

Calcium vs Protein: Milk products & green leafy vegetables are rich sources of calcium. On the other hand, meat contains large servings of healthy fat & proteins which are critical for growing children.

Potassium vs Vitamin B12 : Sodium and potassium are needed to help the nerves and muscles to work normally as well as to keep the body hydrated. A non vegetarian food has plenty of zinc & vitamins especially B12, which is found only in animal products.

High cost vs low cost : As is well known, vegetarian food costs much lesser than meat products and is more easily available too. However, in the long run, a meat rich diet helps maintain strong teeth, healthy skin, promotes good vision and brain development.

Even taking all of the above into consideration, a vegetarian diet still wins hands down because it helps you to:

Stay away from heart diseases :   Fat from meat causes a rise in cholesterol which in turn clogs up the arteries and veins. Instead, a high fiber diet of whole grains, nuts & legumes having a low glycemic index can help keep the heart healthy; a recent study found that vegetarians were 25% less likely to die of heart disease.

Burn those extra calories : A high fiber vegetarian diet helps lower body weight while also keeping depression, hypertension, anxiety & allergies at bay.

Beat the big C: Cancer has reached the heights of being classified as a global epidemic in recent years. A healthy serving of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis means you are typically putting in lesser amounts of cancer causing substances into your body. While any drugs or hormones given to animals to promote their growth can get transmitted to the human body and end up causing mental& physical disorders.

Defeat that diabetes :   A vegetarian runs half the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes when compared to a non vegetarian. Since a meat rich diet can lead to high alkaline salts getting secreted through urine, an individual may run risk of suffering from a salt deficiency in the blood. Also since animals live in an environment of fear & stress, these negative emotions can get transferred to the human body as well.