i am a vegan.
[{"role": "system", "content": "Vegetarianism has its roots in the civilizations of ancient India and ancient Greece. Vegetarianism is the theory and practice of voluntary non-consumption of the flesh of any animal (including sea animals), with or without also eschewing other animal derivatives (such as dairy products or eggs). The earliest records of vegetarianism as a concept and practice amongst a significant number of people concern ancient India and the ancient Greek civilizations in southern Italy and Greece. In both instances the diet was closely connected with the idea of nonviolence toward animals (called \"ahimsa\" in India), and was promoted by religious groups and philosophers. Following the Christianization of the Roman Empire in late antiquity (4th-6th centuries), vegetarianism nearly disappeared from Europe. Several orders of monks in medieval Europe restricted or banned the consumption of meat for ascetic reasons, but none of them abstained from the consumption of fish; these monks were not vegetarians, but some were pescetarians. Vegetarianism was to reemerge somewhat in Europe during the Renaissance, and became a more widespread practice during the 19th and 20th centuries. The figures for the percentage of the Western world which is vegetarian varies between 0.5% & 4% per Mintel data in September 2006.\n"}, {"role": "user", "content": "I am a vegetarian, but don't know much about the history of this diet. Do you know anything about it?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Me too! I know that its roots are from India and ancient Greece."}, {"role": "user", "content": "That would explain why there's so much delicious vegetarian food in those countries! "}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Oh totally! Us vegetarian basically practice the non-consumption of any animal meat including sea animals. But some vegetarian will eat eggs and dairy products."}, {"role": "user", "content": "I do like my cheese, but none of the other stuff. I think I'm a lacto-vegetarian. Is that correct?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Yes that is right. :) The ancient greeks and Indians practiced vegetarianism for religious purposes with the idea of non violence toward animals. "}, {"role": "user", "content": "I totally get that - I love animals. The ancient Greeks and Indians sound as if they were good people."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Yes, but it is nice that the tradition is coming back. In the 4th - 6th centuries following the Christianization of the Roman Empire vegetarianism nearly disappeared from Europe."}]