Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes all animal flesh, including poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, and slaughter by-products. The reasons for choosing vegetarianism may be related to morality, religion, culture, ethics, aesthetics, environment, society, economy, politics, taste, or health.There are several variants of the diet, some of which also exclude eggs and/or some products produced from animal labor such as dairy products and honey. Veganism, for example, excludes all animal products from diet. By some strict definitions, animal products are not used for attire either, whether or not the production of clothing or items has involved the actual death of an animal (dairy, eggs, honey, wool, silk, down feathers, etc.) A generic term for both vegetarianism and veganism, as well as for similar diets, is "Plant-based diets".Vegetarian diets have been found to satisfy the nutritional needs for all stages of life, and large-scale studies have shown vegetarianism to increase longevity, improve health, and significantly lower risks of cancer and other diseases.

A vegetarian diet has been advocated by everyone from philosophers such as Plato and Nietzsche, to political leaders such as Benjamin Franklin and Gandhi, to modern pop icons such as Paul McCartney and Bob Marley. Science is also on the side of vegetarianism.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when becoming vegetarian, is eliminating meat from their meals without changing their normal diet. To maintain a healthy vegetarian lifestyle, you must make sure your diet compensates for vitamins and minerals you would normally receive from meat or animal products.

A Sarasota filmmaker's life-changing discovery - Jenna Norwood confesses to having been a "junk-food vegetarian." That was before her conversion to raw foods. Today, she's 30 pounds lighter, and a confirmed healthful eater and chef who celebrates food in its natural state. See her documentary, "Supercharge Me!" http://www.SuperchargeMe.com

"There are numerous reasons why athletes choose to follow a vegetarian diet, including ecological, economical, humanitarian, and health. Regardless of why athletes choose to become, or remain vegetarians, the various health benefits have been well documented..."

Is a vegetarian diet optimal for health? Not if you go by what primitive humans eat and have eaten almost from the beginning of time. This is a review of native diets that compares them to the effects of modern diets and to each other. Interesting fact that none of these groups were vegetarian.