Vegetarian Diet

There are three main types of vegetarian diets, these are:

· Lacto-ovo (includes eggs and dairy)

· Lacto (includes dairy)

· Vegan (includes no animal products at all)

A vegetarian diet can offer the following health benefits:

· Lowers cholesterol levels and BMI

· Decreases overall risk of kidney/gall stones, type II diabetes and hypertension

· Decreases risk of heart disease by over 30%

· Decreases risk of cancer by up to 40%

· Decreases risk of constipation, diverticular disease, appendicitis and irritable bowel syndrome

· Avoiding fatal diseases such as mad cow, E coli and some food poisonings

It is important when following a vegetarian diet to make sure that your body is getting the required nutrients that it needs. It is common for vegetarians to be deficient in one or more essential nutrients such as protein, zinc, calcium or iron.

For more information on how to improve your current vegetarian diet please contact Michelle at 0433 342 280 or email michelle@sydneydietitian.com