Types of Dietary Practices

Food is a subject many of us love to talk about. There are many different types of dietary practices being used today. Some eat everything while others only eat from gardens or wild plants. Our dietary practices depend on many factors including religious beliefs, cultural, ethical, environmental, social, economic, or health.

Vegetarians prefer not to consume any animal products. Some vegetarians exclude eggs and dairy from their diet as well. The use of leather, silk, and fur are frowned upon because they are harmful to animals.

The varieties of vegetarians consist of lacto-ovo, lacto, ovo, and vegan. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs, dairy, and honey. They do not eat fish, beef, chicken, or another form of flesh. Lacto vegetarianism is the diet of not ingesting eggs or meat products. They do eat honey and eggs. Ovo vegetarians eat eggs and honey but not dairy. People who are lactose intolerant may choose to be an ovo vegetarian. Veganism is the strictest of the group and doesn't consume meat, dairy, or eggs. Vegans may partake of honey though.

There are eight other dietary practices associated with vegetarianism. Fruitarianism is a diet where the goal is not to harm plants or animals. They only eat nuts, seeds, and fruit as long as the source is maintained. Macrobiotic diet is mostly whole grains, beans, and sometimes fish used to fuel the body. Natural hygiene or Raw veganism consist of eating only raw foods such as fruit, seeds, vegetables, and nuts. Freeganism is the act of not purchasing food. Freegans eat from gardens, wild plants, or any source that doesn't cause violence. Some freegans eat meat.

In the middle of the spectrum are neologisms. They eat the same as a vegetarian would plus accepts some subset of meat. Pescetarianism is the act of consuming only fish or seafood as meat sources. Pollotarianism is a diet in which the only animals consumed are fowl. Flexitarianism consists primarily of vegetarian food, but allows occasional exceptions.

The opposite of veganism would be a carnivorous diet. Carnivores mostly eat meat whether it's from a living or dead animal. Carnivorous animals are forbidden to be eaten by humans according to Jewish and Islamic dietary laws. Humans are considered an omnivorous species due to their physiological adaptations to eating a varied diet of vegetation and animal products. This giving us the freedom to choose a dietary plan that suits our needs.

The suffix -vore can be placed on the end of almost any word should you choose to develop a unique dietary plan. Detritivores eat decomposing matter. Folivores eat leaves. Limnivores devour mud. Sanguinivores consume blood. The list of -vores is endless and very interesting. Having so many options of food in modern times should leave you no difficutly choosing a dietary practice.