Pescetarianism

Pescetarianism is following and maintaining a diet that consists of seafood and fish being the only meat one consumes. The majority of pescetarians consume dairy and seafood, but no flesh of a land or air creature, it is also not uncommon for pescetarians to only consume free range or ethically raised fish. Pescetarianism was widely considered as a form of vegetarianism, however recently it’s beginning to be seen as a sort of “faux Vegetarianism” or in other words wannabe/fake vegetarianism. Pescetarianism is from the Italian word “Pesce”(meaning fish) and the English word vegetarian.

Diet tips

Becoming a Pescetarian

Becoming a pescetarian can be quite easy with willpower and knowledge of great seafood dishes. There are tons of great pescetarian cookbooks with great recipes that I urge you to try. When making the transition try to avoid cravings by eating seafood dishes and reminding yourself of the health benefits of a seafood diet. Begin to substitute meat for fish and eventually cutting red meats and poultry out of your diet completely. It helps to create a meal plan weekly and visit vegetarian or vegan restaurants. Meat should soon become less important and cravings for meat should go away.

Moving Away From Meats

Some people struggle with getting over meats like beef and pork but they tend to overlook the great possibilities for fish in their diet, and they great seafood dishes out there. Getting a pescetarian cookbook or attending vegetarian cooking classes are a good way to open up to new recipes that don't include meats like pork or beef. Try to recreate your favorite meals but with fish as a protein. Share your new diet with others and try out their suggestions and recipes. Falling in love with fish is a great way to get over other meats and soon enough you'll be a full pescetarian.

Keeping a Balanced Diet

Be sure to keep a proper diet that includes protein, dairy, grains and strach, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Decide on whether or not you'll eat eggs and dairy, many people choose to include them in their diet but some don't so seek out alternative foods that contain nutrients to replace them. Eating fruits and vegtables is always important, try to have roughly 50% of every meal be fruits or vegtables. Properly balancing your diet is the key to living happy and healthy. Be sure to consume three meals a day and snacks.

Reasons Why

Health

Health concerns and health benefits are a major reason why some people turn to pescetarianism. Some pescetarians,vegans and vegetarians will cite that red meat causes colon cancer and is in fact detrimental to health. With the IARC classifying red meats and processed meats as a carcinogen many people see other dietary options as good alternatives. It has been known for a long time that fish is extremely healthy compared to red meats. Fish (if farmed properly and in good conditions) can be beneficial to health. Packed with nutrients and a convenient source of of omega 3 fatty acids, fish has many health benefits. Places like Japan, India, France and China which consume tons of fish and follow diets without meat tend to have generally low mortality rates and generally better health records.

Religion

Pescetarianism has history in both Judaism and Hunduism. In Judaism pescetarianism is supported as Kosher fish is parve meaning neither milk or meat. Fish is never served with dairy and all non fish seafood is non-kosher. Many Hindu communities follow the lacto-vegetarian diet but some communities allow seafood eating and sometimes poultry.Diets change from area to area but usually many shun red meat.

Ethics

Many people turn to things like veganism, vegetarianism and pescetarianism for ethical reasons. It’s not uncommon for pesecetarians to only consume free range or wild seafood rather than farmed for ethical reasons. A pretty common reason many people become pesecetarian is because they were vegetarian at some point but they made a sort of compromise and began to eat fish. For people who value the lives of animals equal to the lives humans pescetarianism isn't a very appealing diet, diets like vegetarianism and veganism are probably more suited for those causes.