Yeah, But Im a Vegetarian.

When someone proclaims that she or he is a vegetarian, the meaning of which is vague at best, or a vegan, who supposedly eats no animal products whatsoever including dairy products and eggs, she often thinks that that label is an automatic ticket to good health, and there is no need to make any more changes.

Once we think that we know everything there is to know about good health and we have incorporated what we know into our own lives, then it is easy to sit smugly back and stop trying to build on our knowledge and continue to upgrade our eating and lifestyle habits.

We are all human beings, and we can always improve, especially since we have been raised in a food culture that constantly tempts us to eat very appealing, yet unhealthy foods.

Vegetarians and vegans are no different. There is always room for improvement and sometimes more than they think. They may have made the conscious decision to not eat meat of any kindbeef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, fishbut they often continue to eat foods that are not good for them.

You can eat Twinkies and drink Coke every day and call yourself a vegetarian. You can eat refined, white pasta with heavily olive-oiled meatless sauce three times a week and fool yourself into thinking that you are eating better than most because the sauce is meatless.

It doesnt matter what you call yourself.

What matters to your health and your life is that you fill up on nutrient-dense, calorie-low, fiber-filled plant foodsprimarily whole, fresh fruits and vegetables, along with raw, unsalted nuts and seeds, and unrefined, whole grains and beans.