This is the time to see everything green, eat everything green as the color green is very important for us. No, don't be surprised or shocked... I am not out for an advertisement campaign for the color Green, I am just talking about going green... in other words Vegetarianism. The concept of vegetarianism has been around for quite a number of years now, and is still gaining in strength. The world has opened up to the possibilities and benefits of adopting a green diet.



As it is commonly known, vegetarianism is the practice of not consuming any kind of meat or diary products. Some people also choose not to wear any products made from leather or fur. Vegetarians are found all over with various motivations inclusive of religious, ethical, environmental and health concerns. Adopting to a vegetarian diet has been in vogue in the Indian subcontinent from a very long time. Hinduism preaches that it is the ideal diet for attaining spiritual progress and Jainism enjoins all its followers to to be vegetarians. The West is not far behind with Europe, where the philosopher Pythagoras and his followers abstained from meat. They followed this diet for nutritional and ethical purposes. In 1847, the first vegetarian Society invented the term ?vegetarian?... from the Latin 'vegetus' and the English word' vegetable'. By 2000, most western and developing nations had reverted to vegetarianism significantly.

Apart from the ethical and spiritual values of, vegetarianism is on the rise also due to it's nutritional benefits. A vegetarian diet offers a greater number of nutritional benefits such as lower levels of cholesterol and saturated fats and higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins such as C and E.

Scientific studies prove that vegetarians suffer from much less from illnesses like cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and other common health problems. Along with these healthy aspects, vegetarianism can also boast of being humane by advocating the non-slaughter of animals. Animals suffer tremendous pain apart from death as the conditions where they are kept from transporting to slaughter houses are mostly unfit and unhealthy for their proper growth. A green diet is also economical and environment friendly too. Meat is expensive both economically and agriculturally. About 70% of crop grown is fed to animals, specifically bread for meat eaters and not for humans, where else a child dies of starvation in some part of the world every two seconds. In many places, entire forests are being felled to gain land for grazing cattle. Being hard hooved, these cattle erode the top soil and hence lead to greater stretches of de-forestation. As a result sometimes large lands go waste to a number of these reasons.

Understandably, there has been a long standing disagreement over the benefits of eating meat and that of going vegetarian. Most meat lovers are skeptical of the benefits that can alone come from adopting a meatless diet. It is also true that there is no such proof, where foregoing meat increases life expectancy. The consumption of meat and diary products may cause certain ailments that get removed by eating vegetables, so a well designed vegetarian diet does provide the body with all the proteins and nutrients needed for a healthy lifestyle. So, whether you go vegetarian overnight or over a period of time, doesn't matter. The important thing is to get on the track. Cutting down in meat consumption will make a big difference in ever way, let's Go Green... it's high time !