We all happen to know the most popular diet categories in the food spectrum, vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian and Mediterranean are some of them. Εach of those are defined by different food choices and restrictions. There are so many categories that only a specialised professional could know. That's why, we are here to introduce you to some of them and present you with one new one, we have just discovered!
So here are some of the common ones:
Vegan: Excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey. Focuses on plant-based foods.
Vegetarian: Excludes meat, but may include dairy and eggs. There are subcategories:
Lacto-vegetarian: Includes dairy products but not eggs.
Ovo-vegetarian: Includes eggs but not dairy products.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Includes both dairy products and eggs.
3. Pescetarian: Excludes meat but includes fish and other seafood, along with plant-based foods. May or may not contain dairy and eggs.
4. Flexitarian: Primarily plant-based but occasionally includes meat, fish, and other animal products. It's a flexible approach to vegetarianism.
5. Carnivore: Focuses exclusively on animal products, mainly meat. Sometimes includes eggs and dairy.
6. Mediterranean: Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and lean proteins like fish and poultry. Reduces red meat and processed foods.
7. Gluten-Free: Excludes gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Essential for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
8. Raw Food: Consists mainly of uncooked and unprocessed foods. Includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains.
9. Fruitarian: Consists mainly of fruits, sometimes including nuts and seeds, but excludes other plant-based foods.
10. Beegan: Excludes all animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs. Includes honey, distinguishing it from a traditional vegan diet.
But let us dig a little deeper into the philosophy of the beegan diet...
After explaining "what's a beegan?" the right question is "Why is there a special category that allows you to consume bee products while vegan doesn't include animal by-products?" Well, the answer is simple! The products produced by bees are a source of many essential nutrients in our diet. Those goods are honey, propolis, beeswax and royal jelly. With these, there are so many more products that people produce and consume as food and/or cosmetics. To be more specific, royal jelly is low in sugars and at the same time has a lot of protein, more than honey. Propolis is a mixture of essential oils, resins and wax. So goods, food or beauty, created from the above ingredients help boost the immune system and make the skin look fresh and younger.
Furthermore, being a beegan has benefits not only for you but also has a good impact on the environment. By supporting local and sustainable beekeepers, beegans can help reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting alternative sweeteners and contribute to the health of local ecosystems. Moreover, ethical beekeeping practices can help sustain and even boost local bee populations, crucial for pollinating many crops and maintaining biodiversity.
The Beegan Ethos
Many might raise arguments against beegans for ethical considerations. Many beegans argue that when sourced responsibly, honey can be a sustainable and ethically sound product. What's very important when buying bee derivatives is to choose small local beekeepers that you know and trust so as to be sure that they practice sustainable and humane beekeeping, contrasting this with the industrial-scale practices that harm bee populations.
In conclusion, as dietary practices continue to diversify, terms like "beegan" highlight the importance of individual choice and the complex interplay between ethics, health, and the environment. Whether you embrace the beegan lifestyle or adhere to traditional veganism or even none of these the underlying goal remains the same: to make conscientious choices that promote health, sustainability, and compassion.
Comments