Generally speaking, a vegetarian diet covers different eating models with one thing in common; to avoid eating meat
Beyond the purely dietary reasons that may influence each vegetarian, their food choice is usually based on empathy towards non-human animals, as well as ecological and natural health principles.
Pythagoras and his disciples followed a light frugal diet that brought about well-being in body and mind”.
Motivated by ethical reasons, combined with the possible health benefits of a diet rich in vegetables, many historical characters adopted a vegetarian diet.
Among others are Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Marguerite Yourcenar, San Francisco de Asis, San Agustin, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi), Voltaire, Miguel de Cervantes, Thomas Edison, Lev Tolstoy, Arthur Schopenhauer and Franz Kafka.
In order to understand what underpins their motivation, we begin this journey by looking at the main pioneer of vegetarianism in our civilisation: Pythagoras.
“As long as men continue to slaughter their animal brothers, war and suffering will reign over the earth.” Pythagoras
Pythagoras (Island of Samos, now Greece, h. 572 B.C.; Metapontum, now Italy, h. 497 B.C.) was the first pure mathematician in history; he is credited with the theory of the functional significance of numbers in the objective world and in music.
Pythagoras was also an ardent defender of a diet based on vegetables, so much so that “Pythagoran” diet is used as synonymous of “vegetarian” diet .
According to the philosophy of this great man from Classical Greece it was virtuous to be compassionate and eat without causing the shedding of blood.
Apart from Pythagoras, there are many famous vegetarians such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Marguerite Yourcenar, San Francisco de Asís, San Agustín, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi), Voltaire, Miguel de Cervantes, Thomas Edison, Lev Tolstoy, Arthur Schopenhauer and Franz Kafka”.
Based on this belief, Pythagaras and his disciples followed a light frugal diet that brought about well-being in body and mind. Since food of animal origin is rich in fats and proteins, they understood that a heavy digestion harmed mental clarity.
Tree of Pythagoras. This is a fractal set characterized by the formation of right triangles. For Pythagoras,” of all things numbers are by nature the first “
Vegetarianism for the Pythagoreans is the way of nourishing oneself in harmony with nature”.
Pythagoras encouraged a holistic understanding that intertwined science and mysticism; in order to understand the universal order which we are a part of, he considered numbers, music, ethics and the cosmos to be interrelated and inseparable
For the Pythagoreans, things are numbers, a connection that they observed in the cosmos, astronomy and music.
For Pythagoras, spiritual perfection requires human beings to show empathy towards non-human animals”.
Vegetarian food can be full of micro and macro nutrients. In the image, Moringa Guaraní trees the “trees of life”, whose leaves contain complete protein, complete carbohydrates unsaturated fats and 7 vitamins and 15 minerals.
