How Healthy is Your Diet, Really?

Photo by: R29

Vegetarian

What It Is
Not eating meat and poultry - so no red meat, chicken, turkey, pork, or fish. However, there are subsets and breakout classifications, i.e. pesceterian (those who eat fish).

Pros
If you stick to the core of vegetarianism, you'll load up on fruits and veggies. This means a high-alkaline diet, which many experts say is the perfect environment for fighting disease. Depending on where you fall on the vegetarian... more 

Photo by: R29

Vegetarian

What It Is
Not eating meat and poultry - so no red meat, chicken, turkey, pork, or fish. However, there are subsets and breakout classifications, i.e. pesceterian (those who eat fish).

Pros
If you stick to the core of vegetarianism, you'll load up on fruits and veggies. This means a high-alkaline diet, which many experts say is the perfect environment for fighting disease. Depending on where you fall on the vegetarian spectrum, you aren't necessarily skipping animal by-products entirely, so you can still load up on calcium, iron, and protein from eggs - also a great source for B12, experts say - as well as calcium-rich dairy. And if you want to top off your iron intake, Williams suggests not only eating iron-rich foods such as dark leafy greens, but also using this easy iron-boosting trick when cooking: Make veggies in a cast-iron skillet - some iron leaches out into the food that you are cooking. Sneaky!

Cons
"Eating meat in moderation isn't bad for you, plus it's a great source of protein and iron," says St. Pierre. "And animal-derived iron is easier for the body to digest than plant-based sources." Many experts don't suggest substituting tofu or soy-based products to get protein because so many can be either GMO or high in estrogen-like compounds. Swap in smart protein subs such as eggs, seeds, nuts, cheese, yogurt, peas and asparagus.
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