Flexitarians: How healthy is this diet?

Flexitarians
How healthy is this diet?

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Unlike vegetarians, flexitarians do not completely do without meat, but they rarely eat it. Here you can find out how healthy this type of diet is.

What is a flexitarian?

Flexitarians live a kind of “gentle” vegetarianism. This means that they basically eat everything, but reduce their meat consumption. The consumption of fish is also likely to be scaled back. There are several reasons for flexitarianism, which can range from animal welfare to health considerations. Flexitarians are also known as flexible vegetarians or part-time vegetarians (from English: flexitarian = flexible + vegetarian).

Reasons for a flexitarian diet

There are many motives for becoming a flexitarian. These include:

  • Ethical reasons (e.g. animal welfare, environmental awareness)
  • Religious reasons
  • Health reasons (e.g. reducing excess weight, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of various diseases)

How do flexitarians eat?

Unlike vegetarians and vegans, flexitarians basically eat everything, including meat. But meat consumption is very conscious, for example such products are only consumed three times a week. In addition, the foods used are usually of very high quality, e.g. B. often in organic quality or from the nearby farm with species-appropriate husbandry. Many flexitarians are also expanding conscious consumption to include fish in order to counteract overfishing of the seas. In general, the menu of a flexitarian is based more on that of a vegetarian. The following foods are eaten more often:

  • grain
  • fruit and vegetables
  • nuts
  • Seeds
  • legumes

What distinguishes a flexitarian?

Currently around twelve percent of all Germans can be viewed as flexitarians – but many of them are not even aware of this. For them, a conscious diet is simply part of a life in which you pay attention to your health, and they therefore cook more freshly and regionally. Studies show that meat consumption tends to be lower with a higher level of education and income than in lower income groups.

Unlike vegans, who are often said to have a kind of religious attitude towards food, flexitarians seldom vocalize their diet outwardly. They have only decided for themselves that the flexitarian diet suits them, but do not criticize any other style.

What criticism do flexitarians experience?

The fact that the principle is so flexible ensures that vegans in particular criticize it as “undercooked”. According to this, flexitarians supposedly only want to calm their conscience with the restricted meat consumption, but do not care whether something can actually be changed socially. In addition, there is always the risk of “relapsing” and becoming an excessive meat eater again due to the only partial renouncement of meat.

Is It Healthy To Be Flexitarian?

The President of the German Nutrition Society (DGE), Prof. Dr. Helmut Heseker, assumes that flexitarians tend to live healthier lives. The DGE recommends eating around 300 to 600 grams of meat per week – this amount can be easily achieved with a flexitarian diet. At the same time, a lack of nutrients and vitamins is avoided. According to Heseker, those who generally make sure to eat little meat – especially red meat – also lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer.

What should I watch out for if I want to eat flexibly?

Actually, you can’t go wrong with a conscious, flexitarian diet – a nutrient or vitamin deficiency is not to be expected. However, there are some nutrients in which not only flexitarians, but many Germans in general are deficient – this includes, for example, vitamin D. Whether the corresponding nutrient store is empty can be clarified by a test at the doctor. To counteract this, it usually takes around 15 minutes in the fresh air – ideally in the sunshine. If that is not enough, after consultation with the doctor, supplementation can also be useful.

A similar case that occurs especially in women, even if they are not flexitarians: iron deficiency. Here, too, a medical test helps to clarify how full or empty the body’s memory is. But no matter how this test turns out – nobody should start on their own to compensate for a supposed deficiency with dietary supplements. A close consultation with the doctor is the best way to do this.

Flexitarian – and beyond?

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Brigitte

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