Although I do not see the point in voluntarily abstaining from food consumption, many people find refusing to eat certain foods is beneficial to their health and coalesce with their religion. Vegetarianism, pescetarianism, and veganism are all examples of different practices of refraining from the consumption of certain foods.
But people often get confused when it comes to the specific limits that each diet requires. In my past experiences, people always say they are vegetarian however then add, “but I eat fish,” “but I still eat chicken” or “but I eat turkey.” That is not what being a vegetarian means. So to the people who are labeling themselves as “vegetarian,” here is a short guide to each diet. And to the people reading this who are just plain old confused with all these terms, please educate yourself. It’ll save you the embarrassment of misinterpreting the word pescetarianism and think that it means abstaining from turkey. Wrong.
Vegetarianism is the practice of refusing to eat meat. Any meat. Including fish, which for some people does not count as meat. But trust me, fish is a meat. Not all vegetarians avoid eating meat only for animal rights; some also choose vegetarianism because it is a healthy option. Vegetarians benefit from avoiding certain diseases, keeping their weight down, having more energy, living longer, building stronger bones, avoiding toxic chemicals and reducing pollution.
Veganism is actually quite similar to vegetarianism. The only difference is that vegans do not eat any animal products. This means that along with meat, vegans do not eat dairy or eggs. Some vegans may even avoid wearing leather or other animal skins. They believe that mankind should not be exploiting animals in any way.
Pescetarianism is basically a vegetarian diet that includes fish. Why, you ask, do they only eat fish? Let’s be real. One piece of good sushi and you’re hooked on the delectable Japanese cuisine that is slowly taking over the world. Diet-wise, fish gives them the necessary nutrients of omega-3 fatty acids and helps them fight heart diseases.
