Because what you eat has such a major impact of your health and how you feel, many people choose to only eat certain types of foods. Indeed, some people can only eat certain foods because they have allergies to other foods. Choosing foods and a daily diet that works for you is really important. Below are some of the diets that people follow for a life that is best for them.

Pescatarian:

A pescatarian is a  person who does not eat meat or poultry but does eat fish and seafood, as well as dairy and eggs. 

Vegetarian:

“A vegetarian is someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, fungi, algae, yeast and/or some other non-animal-based foods (e.g. salt) with, or without, dairy products, honey and/or eggs.”

(Source: https://www.vegsoc.org/page.aspx?pid=508)

That’s the official definition from the vegetarian society website, but a little simpler definition that many people would use is that vegetarians don’t eat meat, poultry or fish. However the degree to which vegetarians will eat eggs and dairy (animal products) varies. Some will eat both, but some will only eat eggs (ovo-vegetarians) and others only dairy (lacto-vegetarians). Vegetarians that do not eat fish or eggs are…

Vegan:

Vegans do not eat or use animal products. According to the Vegan Society website veganism is:

“A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose… In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.” 

So preventing cruelty to animals is a key factor for many people in choosing veganism. However, multiple reasons exist to choose such a lifestyle, such as:

– Health reasons, as much research shows the benefits of a plant-based versus animal-based diet (see previous sub-post).

– Environmental concerns, because for a variety of reasons eating animals causes stress on our environment. 

Vegans eat only plant products and do NOT eat products that are produced by animals such as milk, eggs and honey. This means that many foods, such as bread, that someone might not think of as an “animal product” are not eaten in a vegan diet.

Gluten free:

Gluten is the general term for the proteins found in wheat, rye and barley. However, for people with celiac disease, gluten can not be eaten as it causes damage to their small intestines, causing both long term damage and a variety of really uncomfortable symptoms such as gas, nausea, stomach pains and vomiting (only to name a few).

Hence, people with celiac disease and some other people who feel gluten is not beneficial to their health, do not consume any products with gluten. Common foods that contain gluten are pastas, noodles, breads, baked goods, cereal, crackers, tortillas, yeast—anything derived from wheat, barley or rye. Many foods can contain traces of gluten that are not so obvious, such as potato chips, soy sauce, soups and energy bars, so people who follow a gluten free diet must be very careful and inquisitive about what is in the foods they are eating. (Source: https://celiac.org/live-gluten-free/glutenfreediet/sources-of-gluten/)

Peanut, tree nut and/or shellfish free:

What do shellfish, tree nuts and peanuts have in common? (And just what are tree nuts anyway? Hang on…) For some people, these three food groups can cause anaphylaxis—a life threatening allergic reaction that can have a rapid onset. When someone has this type of allergic reaction, his/her throat can swell shut and they can die from a lack of oxygen. 

A person can be allergic to peanuts, but not tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pine nuts…) but between 20-45% of people that are allergic to peanuts will also be allergic to tree nuts. But in general, having an allergy to one of these foods does not mean you will have an allergy to the others. They are just grouped together because they are the three most common foods that can cause anaphylaxis.