A vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish, and eggs, focusing instead on plant-based foods and dairy.

Many people ask: Is a vegetarian diet healthy?

According to Ayurveda, the answer depends on the individual. A vegetarian lifestyle should be aligned with your constitution and current state of health.

For some — especially those with a Pitta-Kapha constitution — going vegetarian for a time can increase vitality and clarity. But for others, particularly those with Vata or Vata-Kapha tendencies, a vegetarian diet may lead to harmful imbalances. In our clinic, we often see long-term vegetarians who, despite a strong understanding of nutrition, become anemic or protein deficient.

A vegetarian lifestyle is generally more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Still, from an Ayurvedic and ancestral perspective, humans have consumed small amounts of meat for thousands of years. For some, especially during times of weakness or recovery, a little animal protein may be necessary for strength and stability.

In general, Vata types have the hardest time staying healthy with a vegetarian diet. However there are exceptions! Pitta Kapha people, on the other hand, often need less meat than they think.

Transitioning to a Vegetarian Lifestyle

Suddenly adopting a vegetarian diet can cause irreparable damage to the intestines.

The transition to a vegetarian diet can take years, even generations. Even if your intentions are perfect, your body is still attached to the earth, and has a natural design that cannot be changed by the mind.

If you intend to go vegeterian, start slowly to keep your metabolism stable and cravings at a minimum.

For example, trying cutting out red meat gradually (over a few years). See how you feel. Get bi-annual blood tests to monitor nutritional deficiencies.

Try reducing the quantity and frequency of other meats slowly, instead of cutting them out 'cold turkey!' For example having a piece of chicken once a week and then once a month might be a more stable way to transition.

Recommendations for vegetarian based protein sources include sunflower seeds, hemp seed, quinoa, mung beans, and tofu. Beans are an excellent source of protein in general but may provoke Vata. Cheese is a great protein source but is more difficult to digest and Kapha provoking.

Vegan Diets

Vegans are vegetarians who don't eat dairy products or eggs. This diet is especially challenging to Vata individuals, and often healing for Kaphas. Taurine levels were found to be significantly lower in vegans, and may reduce bile acid pool.

Typically Pitta Kapha individuals are the best fit for a vegan diet. A vegan diet can be challenging to Vata and Kapha individuals, depending on the strength of their blood (rakta dhatu).

A vegan diet, because it is such a strict and austere diet, can degenerate into orthorexia, hypersensitivity, and anxiety over food choices.

Some individuals may find a vegan diet depleting. This can be especially true if you are a Vata predominant person living in a predominantly dry and cold climate. Taurine amino acid levels were found to be significantly lower in vegans. A vegan diet may also reduce the bile acid pool.

Some of the conditions that may indicate your body is overly depleted due to a vegan diet include:

• Amenorrhea
• Anemia
• Vitamin B deficiencies

For other individuals, a vegan diet may support health. There is research showing that a vegan diet may prevent heart damaging inflammation for example.

The intention behind adopting a vegan diet is often benevolent, however the consequences may be harmful. From an Ayurvedic perspective, it's important to consider whether your body can handle a vegan diet.

Finding A Middle Ground

Those who can't tolerate a vegetarian diet, but still wish to have a vegetarian lifestyle, can try the following compromise:

• Livers - The animal is rarely killed for its liver. So you don't have to feel guilty that the animal died for you.
• Bone broths - Same reasoning as livers.
• Minimizing meat consumption - Seeing meat as an herb rather than a macronutrient. Eat a meatball sized portion of meat once a week on the weekend.

Augment your diet with these specially chosen ingredients below which may be useful for 'Vegetarian'. Individual results vary depending the cause of your imbalance and by constitution. Please research the ingredients below to find which are most helpful for you, and check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine. Please check with your medical doctor before making any changes to your health & wellness routine, and for the proper use of these products.

DIET TIPS

DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care. Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.

Heart & Circulation:

Blood Tonic

BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:

Protein,

Vitamin B12

VITAMIN-B12

An enzyme in every cell of the body, that aids metabolism, fat & protein metabolism, and DNA synthesis. B12 comes from animal course, and is commonly deficient in vegetarians.

SEE ALL 'VITAMIN-B12' FOODS / HERBS

Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

AVOID ACCUMULATION IN STAGE OF DISEASE 0

VEGETARIAN IS IN STAGE OF DISEASE 0 - POTENTIAL CAUSE

Potential causes increase and disturb your imbalanced doshas and biocharacteristics, causing them to accumulate and spiral out of control. For example, if you're overheated and eat a chili pepper, heat may become excessive and cause disease. As a dosha or biocharacteristic accumulates in your body according to your dietary and lifestyle habits, it is more and more likely to cause disease. You can reduce an imbalanced dosha or biocharacteristic in two ways, by removing, or lessening the frequency of aggravating causes from your diet and lifestyle, as well as by favoring balancing diet and lifestyle practices. For example, try eating something as cool as a cucumber when you're overheated, instead of a chili pepper. (See all disease stages on JB)

GET MY FREE AYURVEDA BODY MAP 'Vegetarian' is likely to aggravate the following doshas and biocharacteristics. If you have a systemic imbalance of one of these doshas or biocharacteristics, Ayurveda would generally recommend removing, substitute or lessen the frequency of 'Vegetarian'.

Are you prone to a problem with 'Vegetarian'? Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Diet by taking the free diet quiz:

TAKE THE DIET QUIZ

The following symptoms & habits may be related to 'Vegetarian'. See your quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type. Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them. On average the biocharacteristics of people reporting Vegetarian were less aggravated than 96% of other symptoms. From the 13,417 people who reported Vegetarian average deviation in biocharacteristic levels were the following:

Risk Factors of Vegetarian

Complications of Those Reporting Vegetarian

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