Food Habits – Vegans, Lovegans, Vegetarians and others

Just as we have persons who belong to some religious sect or other or none at all, humans can be divided on the basis of their food choices in broad categories – vegans, lovegans, vegetarians or others who eat fish and meat from various animals without any philosophical compunctions but with some preferences for the animals they choose e.g. some will eat cats and dogs too but others will not eat them. Many in India will consider eating or even killing a cow a most unholy thing to do a because it too is a loved domestic pet and a motherly one at that  since it provides milk for children and others. The prohibition on eating or killing a cow is because that is unholy, repugnant and unsacred act not especially because a cow is sacred. All life is sacred. The assertion that cows are not eaten merely because they are sacred is a western twist. Cows roam about in Indian neighborhoods just as cats might in western one. However, in  recent years it has been restricted in cities since it is not conducive to the welfare of the cows or humans in modern crowded, paved and motorized urban settings. Let us now briefly review the different food habits of contemporary humans.

Vegans

Such persons not only avoid meat in their diet but also food of all animal origins including milk and eggs. Their contention is that cruelty to animals is involved in commercial production of milk and eggs. However, although vegans prevent violence caused to animals they remain unconcerned about violence caused to food producing plants.Vegans may compromise their health unless they take special care to balance their diets.

Vegetarians

Such persons avoid all flesh foods including eggs but will consume vegetables and milk products since these are not flesh products. Their basis is the same as vegans of avoiding violence to animals but they feel that milk production need not involve violence.

Lovegans

These are perhaps the most compassionate and their diet also appears to be the healthiest. They avoid meat but not eggs and milk products since both may be procured without violence to animals. In addition lovegans also worry about violence to plants and would prefer vegetables such as leaves of spinach or tomatoes where the entire plant does not have to be harvested and can go on to complete its life cycle. However, they also eat seeds such as nuts and food grains realizing that even though they are seeds for new life, they are far in excess of the propagation needs of the plant.

Some lovegans avoid meat completely but others may eat it on occasions believing that full and complete violence cannot be avoided in procurement of food and one is justified as long as one contributes some good to the world besides looking after oneself and one's own.. However in no case is meat a frequent and regular part of their diet. A nation as a whole that comes closest to the lovegan diet is Ikaria. The Ikarians also appear to be the healthiest and longest lived humans on the planet. It appears that Buddha the compassionate one was a lovegan food eater too.

Are vegetarians and lovegans healthy? Sure enough!  Some of the strongest persons in the world are from amongst them. You can read about one of them here:

http://someitemshave.blogspot.in/2012/08/are-vegans-and-vegetarians-healthy.html

A detailed description of lovegan food is in an older post here: http://someitemshave.blogspot.in/2010/07/lovegan-food-is-better-than-vegetarian.html

A more detailed post on the Ikarians is here:

http://someitemshave.blogspot.in/2013/01/vegetarian-food-for-good-health-ikaria.html

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