Former White House press secretary Snow dies (Reuters)

Reuters - President George W. Bush's former press secretary Tony Snow, known for his genial jousting with reporters, has died of cancer, the White House said on Saturday.

Vegetarianism is an invariably a choice that people for one reason or another. And some people stay vegetarians for only a period of time, while others stay that way for the rest of their lives.

But there are actually several kinds vegetarian diets, indicating several layers of commitment to thriving only on the vegetable kingdom. There are "vegans" or pure vegetarians who eat only vegetables, fruits, seeds, legumes, grains and nuts. Some vegans step up the vegetarian philosophy by not patronizing leather products.

On the middle ground of the vegetarian spectrum are the lacto vegetarians and lacto-ovo vegetarians. Lacto vegetarians consume milk and other dairy products just as they do vegetables. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, on the other hand, also consume eggs apart from dairy products. There are also the hybrid vegetarians or the semi-vegetarians. They are basically people who eat fish and chicken alongside vegetables.

Most people think that the vegetarian diet is a healthy diet. With less cholesterol and fat in their diets, vegetarians generally enjoy lower incidences of heart diseases, obesity, diabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer.

However, if it is not planned properly, the vegetarian diet can actually be deficient in specific nutrients, specifically the nutrients that can only be found in decent amounts in meat products. This concern has led to some website to dedicate some pages on vitamins for vegetarians and their areas of nutritional concern.

Proteins The major sources of protein are meat products, but thankfully for vegetarians, it can also be found in the same quantity as soy. Amino acids can also be found in legumes, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and seeds as well. If you're not getting enough protein in your diet, then you might want to consider consuming protein supplements.

Iron Vegetarians actually have a higher risk of becoming iron-deficient because the major sources of this nutrient are a no-no for vegetarians- liver and red meat, although this can also be found in egg yolk and also in spinach, dried beans, dried fruits, and brewer's east. Iron supplements can also be a great help.

Vitamin B12 This vitamin is only found in thiamine mononitrate reviews side effects dosages amounts in yeast, soy products and fortified cereals, but this can be found naturally in animal products. Hence, it is a must for vegetarians to take nutritional supplements for B12.

Zinc The major sources of this nutrient are shellfish, legumes, grains, and nuts. If you decide on taking zinc supplements, you should make sure that the brand of supplement contains less than 15 to 18 mg of zinc, because at that level the zinc can actually lower your HDL cholesterol.

Vitamin D This vitamin is necessary for absorbing calcium and hence, is also necessary for maintaining strong bones. Vegetarians will always need Vitamin D, because this nutrient is found only in small amounts in dairy products, but it is found in respectable amounts in liver oil, salmon, tuna, mackerel, liver and beef.

Check out the website http://essential-vitamin-supplements.com/ for more information.