Can You Lose Weight By Becoming a Vegetarian?

There is no doubt there are many benefits to the vegetarian lifestyle.  Maybe you are contemplating taking it up yourself.  Perhaps you are wondering if you can lose weight by becoming a vegetarian.

Well there’s not a simple answer to the question “will I lose weight by becoming a vegetarian?”.  If you eat more than your body needs you will place on weight.  This can be said for vegetarians and meat eaters too.  Similarly, you can lose weight on both types of diet too.

But, having said that, the facts show that someone on an everyday vegetarian diet consumes around 500 calories less than someone on a meat included diet.  But, and here’s the fascinating part, the vegetarians really eat more food.

The reason for this is that a healthy vegetarian diet is high in complex carbohydrates.  These are the foods which are high in fibre and starch and low in stout and calories, things like legumes and whole grains.

For every 3500 calories you cut from your diet you will lose one pound.  So, losing the 500 calories a day from meat is a fantastic start to your diet of at least one pound per week.  But you still might not lose any weight at all simply by cutting out meat, especially if you replace it with things like cheese and milk.

To successfully lose weight on a vegetarian diet you should plot all your meals in advance and include a excellent variety of vegetables, grains and fruit.  This way you will be less likely to reach for the junk food , scupper your diet and your health in general.

Don’t go thinking you are going to be tied to your cooker or peeling vegetables for all eternity either.  These days there are a fabulous range of vegetarian convenience foods available if you are in a rush.  Most supermarkets will have their own range as well as the better known brands.  Those of you in the UK will probably already be familiar with the Linda McCartney range of ready meals.

A word of caution here.  Remember to keep an eye on the way your veggies are cooked.  You can’t just choose fries as the “vegetarian option”.  Fried is still fried!  Try to stick to boiled, grilled, steamed or sautéed vegetables wherever possible.  Oh, and hold the mayo!!

I hope this article has been of interest to you .  If you are considering becoming a vegetarian and would like some fantastic recipe thoughts please visit www.myvegetarianlife.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why is vegetarianism better?

All of us in our hearts desire to look younger, slimmer and fitter. One major factor is the food we eat. If we go on eating animal products which have high stout content, we can not achieve that goal. We will remain stout and sluggish. But if we shift to vegetarianism, we will become leaner and fitter with a longer anticipated lifespan. Believe me, it is a case where “better late than never” fully applies. Remember, it is never too late to change what you’re doing and increase your chances for a longer, fitter life.

When we switch to a vegetarian diet, we become less stout and less prone to many diseases. Our cholesterol will go down. When we become leaner by eating fewer or no animal products, then many other health and fitness problems get automatically solved. The incidence of Type II diabetes is reduced. Blood pressure comes within normal ranges. If you take medicines on a regular basis, your intake of  medicines also goes down.

If your parents or siblings suffer from high cholesterol or high blood pressure, then it become all the more necessary for you to revise your eating habits. Adopting a vegetarian diet has been shown statistically to reduce the incidence of so many diseases. Vegetarians are statistically healthier than omnivorous persons; they’re leaner and live longer.

The other category for whom vegetarian diet can prove to be a boon are persons suffering from diabetes. They have to be very very careful in choosing the food they eat as each food choice they make has a profound impact on their overall health on a meal-to-meal basis. Reaching epidemic proportions and affecting more than 250 million people worldwide, this disease inhibits the body from properly processing foods. The food we eat is digested and converted to glucose, a simple sugar which is carried by the blood to all cells in the body to give energy. The hormone insulin then helps glucose to pass into the cells. But in diabetics the system which converts sugar to energy does not work properly. Insulin is either absent, present in less quantities or not potent enough. As a result glucose accumulates in the bloodstream and leads to problems such as weakness, inability to concentrate, loss of co-ordination and blurred vision. Diabetes also adversely affects the heart, kidney and other internal organs, and is therefore known as the silent killer.

Diet is perhaps the most vital way of controlling diabetes, and a vegetarian lifestyle with its emphasis on low stout, high fiber, and nutrient-rich foods is very effective in this respect. Though incurable, diabetes can be successfully kept under check through diet and exercise, oral medicines, insulin injections, or a combination of them. Instead of counting calories diabetics must calculate their total carbohydrate intake so that no less than half their food is made up of complex carbohydrates. Many diabetic vegetarians have learned that as a result of their meatless diet, they’ve had to use less insulin injections, which gives them a lot of relief.

A word of caution here is necessary. The contents of vegetarian diet is also of vital importance because some vegetarian food are also rich. Choose whole-grain products like whole wheat bread and flour, instead of refined or white grains.  Try to eat as wide a variety of foods as possible, and never be worried to try vegetables, fruits, grains, breads, nuts, or seeds that you’ve never tried before. If you choose to eat dairy products, stick to non-stout or low-stout varieties.

It’s been a well researched and established fact that vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters. Vegetarians are less likely to be obese, or to have diabetes andrheumatoid arthritis. They are less likely to die from heart disease. Vegetarians have lower blood pressure even when they eat the same amount of salt as meat eaters and exercise less. There are many reasons for this. Vegetarians consume two to three times more fibre than meat-eaters, which has been shown to reduce cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and protect against colon cancer. They also consume more antioxidants, which are found in a wide variety of plant foods and protect cells from oxygen-induced hurt and reduce the risk for heart disease, arthritis, cancer, etc. Vegetarians also consume much less saturated stout and cholesterol than do meat eaters, resulting in significantly lower levels of blood cholesterol, decreased instances of heart disease and possibility of diabetes and cancer.

And lastly, vegetarianism is not only optimally healthy for your body, but for your environment and the planet’s animals.  It allows you to live more harmoniously with the world around you, which improves mental and emotional health accordingly.

Interested? Then go to the sites below and get to know a lot more about vegetarianism and tasty vegetarian dishes.

http://nunus-behealthy.ucoz.com

http://vital-traffic.com/link/vegetarian

Vegetarian Yeast Free Diet – What to Eat on a Yeast Free Diet Program For Vegans & Vegetarians

Are you a vegan or vegetarian and want to know what you should be eating on a vegetarian yeast free diet? If so then today you’ll find out about how to do the anti- candida yeast diet for vegetarians & vegans. Best of all the Vegetarian diet is the best type of yeast free diet a person can attempt.

The Vegetarian Yeast Free Diet

The first thing you need to know is that if you’ve gone the route of vegetarianism and you’re dealing with chronic yeast infections somewhere along the way it would seem you may have lost sight of what vegetarianism is all about. A right vegetarian diet is one of the best ways to not only prevent, but eliminate yeast infections. The best thing you need to start doing is get away from all the processed foods that are vegetarian approved but no less perilous and deadly for your body and get back to eating whole, raw foods. This is your health after all, and vegetarianism is all about being healthy!

Get back to eating whole foods again, especially raw vegetables! If you haven’t already, buy a quality juicer and start juicing every day. Constantly eat fruit? If you want to eat fruit all the time stop calling yourself a vegetarian and join up with the fruitarians. Vegetarianism is all about eating veggies! Fruit although fantastic for the body when you don’t have a candida overgrowth can be detrimental in your improvement if you eat a large quantity of it every day.

Eat raw garlic every day! I can’t believe some vegetarians suffer from candida and still haven’t tried eating garlic every day, it’s one of the best possible ways to get relief from yeast infections, period! Don’t say, oh garlic is yucky, we’re talking about a health condition that is destroying your life, does it really matter that your breath is going to smell for a small bit?

Cut out the starches and filling up on pastas, breads, cookies and garbage. It’s time to get back to the roots of vegetarianism here and it starts with the exclusion of all grains that are not quinoa, amaranth, millet and buckwheat. Plus you should be sprouting all your grains too and eating at least 50% raw!

Are you a Chronic Yeast Infection Sufferer? Take our FREE Candida Test & Mini-Guides!

Eliminate Candida for EXCELLENT by clicking http://www.howtocurecandida.com

Easy Vegetarian Meals that Taste Great to Lose Weight

Simple Veggie Meal Plans is not only a vegetarian diet plot for vegan diets, it is also offers a lifestyle for healthy living. According to the author, vegetarians have the lowest rate of coronary disease of any group in the country and have only 40 percent of the cancer rate. The vegetarian lifestyle endorses the power of eating living foods and using food as medicine to cleanse and detoxify the body naturally. This program promotes a healthy, budget-friendly, and effective raw vegan diets that will help you lose abdominal stout and increase your energy level at the same time. Click here to obtain free Ten Vegetarian Foods Not to Eat.

Kardena Pouza is a personal trainer and certified nutrition expert that specializes in raw vegan diets. She has been teaching about the vegetarian lifestyle for about 7 years and is the owner of “Edge Personal Training” in Orange County, California. Kardena Pauza was the winner of Ms. America Fitness 2007.

The vegetarian diet plot for vegan diets consist of two main parts: One part is the 31 page “Vegetarian Lifestyle” document. (See Table of Contents below). This document gives advice on how not only to eat vegetarian – but how to eat in a way that is healthy and lose weight at the same time. Exercise is suggested, but not required. The “Deluxe” version of the program includes exercise routines, developed by expert trainer Craig Ballantyne, author of  “Turbulence Training” along with other information and recipes.

The second part of the program consists of the 90-Day Meal Plans – one for women and one for men. Each of plans are about 175 pages. Kardena provides veggie recipes for 5 meals per day – two of which are snacks. The recipes are simple to assemble and take a modest amount of time to prepare. Some affinity for cooking is required. Membership includes access to her blog where she provides additional information and new recipes.

Also included to subscribers is the “Quick Start Guide”, which comes in both a 17 page document and 45 minute video. Here, Kardena is interviewed by Craig Ballantyne, well-known trainer, nutritionist, and author of “Turbulence Training” and other books. This material discusses common questions to getting started in switching to the vegetarian lifestyle. In addition, subscribers receive the “Quick Action Bonuses” which include “Defend You Diet – How to Deal with Veggie Haters” and smoothie recipes.

Simple Veggie Meals Plans is packed with information and numerous recipes for a vegetarian diet plot for vegan diets.  This program does require some assembly for the meals – so some kitchen skills are required. But, the recipes are simple and they taste excellent. Even for someone not on a diet or not a vegetarian, the vegan veggie recipes are well worth having – (no animal products). I recommend Simple Veggie Meal Plans for anyone interested in losing stout and weight while eating nutritious, excellent-tasting, simple vegetarian meals.

Some Useful Tips to Select the Right Diet Plan

The right diet plot means intake of a balanced quantity of all of the food groups. Diet can include any food category, as long as the overall diet is hale, hearty and balanced. You need not have to exorcise all cookies, chips jellies and ice cream. You can still eat them occasionally, but foods from the foot of the Pyramid will make a excellent foundation and you can consume every day for healthy diet.

Sugar free foods: Sugar-free does not always imply low-calorie or calorie-free food. If you prefer sugar-free products, read the marks. Several sugar-free foods include more stout and salt than regular foods in order to enhance flavor of the food. You can always balance a meal by low consumption of sugar free diet. It is nearly impractical to make your meal healthy. You will need to cut down on the amount of added sugars and fats in your diet and eat ample quantity of fruits and vegetables especially the leafy vegetables which are rich in iron thus your overall eating habits reflects the balanced health and will help you maintain a healthy weight long term.

Pure Vegetarians: Vegetarians are people who do not intake fish, meat, poultry, and beef in their diet. Only source of vitamins, minerals and proteins is through vegetables and fruits. The eating styles of vegetarians vary depending from person to person. These category people are generally known as Vegan and are strict followers of their diet which is purely vegetarian.

Lacto Ovo vegetarians: are vegetarians, who never consume any type of meat, poultry or fish but they do eat dairy products which signifies lacto and ovo vegetarians are those who consume eggs in their diet.

Semi Vegetarians: Semi Vegetarians are people who eat meat occasionally such as one or twice in a week, but generally stick to a vegetarian diet

Non-Vegetarians: Non Vegetarians as the word states are people who consume meat, fish and poultry regularly. The source of all rich and healthy food is through various types of meat, sea food and poultry.

Snacks as part of a meal plot:

Never feel guilty if you consume right snacks at right time. There are two methods of healthy snacking that are both beneficial but can be used in different situations. Firstly, snacks can be consumed to replace heavy meals by eating healthy snacks more frequently throughout the day and including snacks in daily diet. This is especially for adults who are too busy to eat three large meals a day and also for kids who cannot eat a large meal in one sitting. Snacking should be plotted ahead of time to avoid overeating. Snacking can temporarily reduce hunger and exhaustion when you need to work late hours or don’t have time to eat a full meal.

You can select balanced and tasty snacks and avoid eating oily and fried snacks which will increase the risk. Smaller parts of energy-dense foods like meats breads, or low stout cheeses with fruits and vegetables to provide calories and help you feel full. Make sure the type of snacks you choose is beneficial to your diet. Avoid choosing to indulge in high stout and high sugar foods such as cookies, ice cream, fried snacks and potato chips. You may try few of them for a balanced diet like Whole wheat crackers with peanut butter, Nuts Low stout beef or turkey jerky with crackers and applesauce, Raisins and peanut butter on celery sticks, Fresh/dry fruit, such as apples, bananas, and oranges with cheese.

Protein is the first nutrient that comes to mind since animal products are a major source of protein in a traditional diet. Plants can also be an brilliant source of protein along with soy products, nuts, and beans. Egg and milk also are excellent source of protein and no doubt that meat, fish and poultry are richest source of protein. A healthy diet plot will always make you healthy and wise.

Vegetarianism and Cancer: The Evidence

Vegetarianism has the reputation of being a healthy diet because it is low in stout and high in vegetable products and fiber. An increasing number of scientific studies are showing that a vegetarian diet can help to prevent cancer and can help the body to recover from cancer when combined with chemo-therapy or radiation therapy.

A vegetarian diet is not an alternative to conventional forms of treatment. It would be unwise to reject medical treatments that have been shown to work. Only the irresponsible would recommend a cancer patient to reject conventional medical treatment.

What a vegetarian diet can do for a patient who is undergoing cancer treatment is to help their body cope with the side effects. A diet high in natural fruit and vegetable juices will provide the body with vital nutrients that help the natural healing process.

Patients who adopt a vegetarian diet often report an improvement in their general outlook and their attitude to the disease. In part this may be because they are eating a nutrient rich diet.

But the psychological effect of switching to a vegetarian diet can be as vital as the nutritional value. Cancer patients suffer from a feeling of loss of control because their whole life becomes dominated by a complex regime of treatment that is in the hands of specialists. When they change to a vegetarian diet they regain their sense of control over their own lives.

The effect of psychology on disease should never be underestimated. It is well documented in the medical literature as the placebo effect. Feeling better should not be dismissed in cancer treatment. Vegetarianism will not harm and it may do some excellent.

But it is in cancer prevention that the benefits of vegetarianism are most thoroughly documented. A diet which contains many soya based products has been shown to be associated with a low risk of cancer. Breast cancer in particular is very rare among women who eat a soy based diet. Vegetarianism is the soy based diet par excellence.

For more information about vegetarian benefits, click link here

Why Yoga Diet Is An Alternative Dietary Pattern

Yoga diet is a balanced diet chart that helps the individual achieve spiritual and material goals. You don`t need to be a `Yoga Practitioner` to implement it in your everyday life, but a desire to live a better, healthy life.

Over thousands of years, it is a proven way of building strong body and mind. In fact, it`s a way to achieve spiritual balance along with reducing your calories. It has been proved that food can literally enhance your looks, your state of mind and your physical health. Since yoga diet is highly nutritious food and a spiritual diet, it can nurture your spirit and nourish your body.

The common misconception about it is that they are tasteless, boiled foods without any spices or flavors. But, really they are utterly tasty food that redefines your dieting pattern and your relationship with food. It is not a complex menu plotting, but a simple and strategic dietary pattern for better living. It is not only about boiled vegetables and fruits, but tasty, mouth-watering dishes.

Although they are vegetarian food, you can add spices to prepare aromatic Indian curry, use ginger and coconut for a tasty Thai dish, or add herbs to give a Mediterranean flavor. You can try hundreds of tasty, healthy and simple-to-prepare dishes for your diet.

A complete spiritual diet:

A vegetarian yoga diet can help you attain a higher level of spirituality. They consist of fresh fruits and vegetables and some dairy products. It is not essential for you to be a complete vegetarian to practice Yoga. But, with continuous awareness about the body you will feel that vegetarian foods are better for your health and mind. It helps you maintain an energized and light feeling that you achieve through it. On the other hand, if you are going a spiritual way you will develop a feeling of like for everyone, even for the animals. Vegetarian foods help you attain spirituality by generating positive energies.

Switching to yoga diet:

Many people feel that it is hard to switch to vegetarian diet. But if you are determined to give a healthy twist to your life, it will be simpler for you to get familiar with the tasty alternatives. You don`t have to stop eating meat and fish all at once, and turn vegetarian overnight. But you can gradually reduce these foods from your diet and ultimately choose the vegetarian food.

These days many people are changing their diet pattern and switching diet for different heath reasons. Foods like fish and meet have been found responsible for cardio-vascular diseases and some other diseases as well. So, isn`t it better to choose yoga diet before the non-vegetarian foods do much harm to your health?

Even there is a misconception that vegetarian foods lack the amount of protein that the flesh foods have. But the fact is legumes and grains contain lot of proteins. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, places fruits, vegetables and grains above the meat in the list of vital and healthy food. Scientific evidences have found that vegetarian food diet is also a kind of treatment for some diseases and offers a wealth of health benefits.

Moreover, it is not just vegetarian food, but a disciplined way of living life. If you browse across the web, you will find many tips yoga diet. The foods are simple to prepare but excellent to taste. They can arouse a feeling of spirituality in you. After continuous eating of vegetarian food with yoga diet you will feel a significant change in your behavior. Now that studies have proven the scientific benefits, it is worth given a shot.

Non Vegetarian

Non Vegetarian:

Vegetarians are those people who do not eat meat while non vegetarians are those who include meat in their diets. The following essay will clarify the benefits of being a non vegetarian over a vegetarian.

The first aspect to consider is the issue of nutrition. Eating meat comes with numerous health benefits that cannot be derived from any vegetarian meal. To start with, meat contains high quality proteins with all the essential amino acids. Proteins are very useful in body building and thus persons relying only on plant foods for proteins are more vulnerable to retarded growth and a weak body than a non vegetarian. A well cooked chicken provides amino acids that protects from common influenza and enhances a person’s immune system against common ailments and allergies. Meat contains creatinine which is necessary for building the body muscle mass for locomotion and other physical practices. Most vegetarian infants exhibit stunted growth (Brown, 2008).

Iron which is a crucial mineral in hemoglobin formation and the consequent blood level sustenance especially for menstruating women is present in huge quantities in red meat than from any plant source. Animal liver for instance, contains 6000 mcgm per every 100 grams as opposed to 325 mcgm per every 100 grams of carrots. Bone marrow and soup is also a very rich source of iron as compared to green vegetables. Vegetarians are more likely to suffer from iron-deficiency anemia due to a low iron level.

The phosphorus content found in cereals and legumes is normally in the form of phytic acid. This means this kind of phosphorus has to be hydrolyzed first before it can be absorbed into the body. On the contrary, the phosphorus found in meats is easily absorbed in body tissues indicating that non vegetarians are more likely to have the desirable levels of phosphorus in the body than vegetarians. Meat also contains high levels of vitamin B12 which is absent in plant foods. Deficiency of vitamin B12 may lead to Macrocytic Anemia in infants of vegetarian mothers. Strict vegetarians face the risk of nutritional deficiencies such as riboflavin, zinc, iron, calcium and essential amino acids like lysine and methionine. Vegetarian children face the risk of energy deficiency in calories (Brown, 2008).

Fish, milk and milk products are very rich in calcium which is vital for ensuring strong bones and teeth. Children lacking meat in their diets normally have problems in teeth formation and their bones are weak often resulting to frequent breaks and limb deformations and rickets due to lack of vitamin D. The calcium quantities in plant foods are minute and unreliable when it comes to proper bone and teeth formation. Osteoporosis may result due to calcium deficiency and cause bone demineralization

Some fish types such as tuna and salmon contains omega 3 acids which are very useful in mental health and general physical health. Omega 3 acids also have excellent anti-cancer properties. Fish also contains vitamin A well known for its ability to boost human memory and thus intelligence. Children fed with fish supplements are found to perform better academically than those who depend entirely on plants for their food.

The nutrients concentration in meat is high as compared to that in plant foods and hence small quantity of food is required in non vegetarian diets than in the vegetarian ones. This has the advantage of reducing the cases of food shortages if all people would adopt the concept of having meat as part of their diets and the resultant savings on food would be channeled to other financial needs. The excellent thing with non vegetarians is that they consume both plant foods as well as meat thus it is simpler for them to attain a balanced diet than those who cannot eat meat. Patients who eat meat are found to recover more quickly than those who don’t since meat helps to speed up the repair of hurt body cells and formation of new cells.

Vegetarians face a higher rate of lack of food choices since restaurants still do not provide a wide range of vegetarian foods and preparing the food separately may be time consuming and expensive. Also a person is more likely to miss vegetarian food options when they drop at a friend’s house for dinner. On the contrary, a non vegetarian cannot suffer such food option limitations since they can feast on both plant foods as well as meat.

Vegetarians will have more hard times eating out with friends since it is much simpler to arrange meals for everyone in the group rather than making separate meals for people who don’t eat meat. A non vegetarian will find it uncomfortable to eat from the same table with people eating meat which is not the case with a non vegetarian who can eat any kind of food on the table (Brown, 2008).

Ecological issue is another aspect to consider when thinking of the benefits of being a non vegetarian. Man makes part of the ecological food web that is responsible for balancing the natural occurrence of living things; animals and plants. If all people were to stop eating meat from animals, the population of herbivores would drastically increase resulting to lack of pasture and fodder for the domestic animals due to over competition. This would in turn result to starvation of the livestock and their eventual death. This clarifies the essence of man having to include animal meat in their diet to maintain a balance on the number of herbivores feeding on plants at any given time.

Animal products such as skins, hides, fur and bones are useful in production of leather items, clothing and adhesives. This implies that having meat as part of the human diet comes with other benefits of the by products. It is ironic that people are against non vegetarian practices yet they are quick to use leather products obtained after these animals are slaughtered.

Most of the religious beliefs that make people not to eat meat are based on the belief of reincarnation. Most Asian religious groups that do not eat meat believe that when a person dies, they reincarnate in form of an animal. This makes them believe that eating meat would mean eating their ancestors or those who have just died. The truth about this belief is very questionable since their mythical theory cannot clarify why the animal population is still low in comparison to the number of people who have died. Animals are born and develop just like humans do and never do they emerge from reincarnation as alleged.

In a biblical point of view, God made man and gave them dominion over all animals. He did bless the animals for human consumption and hence eating meat should not be considered as sin. The Quran also allows its followers to have meat as part of their food. Animals cannot be fully personified to possess “human rights” of not being killed for human consumptions.

Owing to the above benefits associated with eating meat, it is therefore more logical and beneficial for all people to become non vegetarians, and assume the full benefits that come with the consumption of meat.

Reference:

Brown E. (2008). Nutrition Now: Cengage Learning, 2008

The Best Foods To Eat When Pregnant For Vegetarians

Vegetarians are often concerned with their chosen diet when they get pregnant. During pregnancy, a woman’s diet requires a 30% increase in protein intake and some vegetarians reckon that their diet is not enough for their baby’s development. Aside from protein, calcium intake is also a huge concern for vegetarians, especially among vegan vegetarians who completely exclude dairy produce in their diet which are a primary source of calcium. The purpose of this article is to identify the foods to eat when pregnant for vegetarians who wish to continue their healthy vegetarian diet.

As mentioned above, protein is very vital during pregnancy as protein helps in building human cells and for the fetus inside the womb, cells multiply rapidly. Thus, adequate supply of protein is needed to keep up with the quick cell production of the baby. Aside from animal sources, vegetarians can get their protein from plant sources like soya, tofu, beans, lentils, tempeh, legumes and chicken peas. For lacto-ovo vegetarians, pregnant women can get protein from eggs.

If pregnant vegetarians are concerned that their alternative protein sources are not enough, they can combine their protein intake with foods rich in amino acids which also helps in cell generation. Foods rich in amino acids that also comply with the vegetarian diet are grains and brown rice.

Calcium is also essential when pregnant. This mineral is vital for the baby’s bone and teeth development and for the mother to prevent osteoporosis. A pregnant woman must consume 4 parts of foods rich in calcium a day. Calcium intake is not a huge issue among many types of vegetarians since most of them include dairy products in their diet. But it is a concern for vegetarians that exclude diary products.

Foods to eat when pregnant that are excellent sources of calcium are yoghurt, dried fruits, nuts, seeds and dark green vegetables like broccoli and spinach. Vegetarians can also get calcium from soya drinks and margarine fortified with Vitamin D. All vegetarians can supplement their calcium intake by sun exposure during the early morning and late afternoon.

Another nutrient that is vital for pregnancy and for vegetarians is Vitamin B12. This vitamin is needed for the baby’s cell and tissue production and for mothers who wants to breastfeed their baby. Vegetarians can get this vitamin from cereals and vitamin B12-enriched soya milk.

In conclusion, pregnancy should not stop a vegetarian from their healthy diet as being vegetarian can help in producing a very healthy baby and having a distress-free pregnancy. Consult your doctor for the daily recommended allowance of the foods to eat when pregnant for vegetarians, as well as other supplements to achieve enough protein, calcium and Vitamin B12 nutritional requirements.

Diet: What Do I Eat?

Food constitutes 5 main elements. Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats, Vitamins and Minerals. All five elements are vital for the growth and maintenance of our body. Lack of any one for an extended length of time can mean the onset of some disease. Excess of one or more of them also translates into other problems like obesity & other problems.

It is therefore vital to know what are these components & how much do we need each of them for leading healthy & distress free life. Diet is the cornerstone of excellent Health. 

 

A typical distribution of major three components in the diet can be:

 

Carbohydrates:  45 to 65 % of total calories intake

Stout:  20 to 35 % of total calories

Protein: 10 to 35 % of total calories

 

Acceptable ranges for children are similar to those for adults, except that infants and younger children need a slightly higher proportion of stout (25 %-40%).

(Reference: IOM – Institute of Medicine).

 

There is a general consensus among health professionals that the Mediterranean Diet is healthier than the North European and American diet because more grains, such as spaghetti, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and olive oil are consumed. 

 

Mediterranean diet is a modern nutritional model inspired by the traditional dietary patterns of some of the countries of the Mediterranean basin, particularly Southern Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Turkey and Spain.  A main factor in the appeal of the Mediterranean Diet is its rich, full flavored foods. Mediterranean diet is known to help longevity & keeps away heart disease and other diseases.

 

As a monounsaturated fatty acid, olive oil, in Mediterranean diet, does not have the same cholesterol-raising effect of saturated fats.  Common to the diets of these regions are a high consumption of fruit and vegetables, bread and other cereals, olive oil and fish; making them low in saturated stout and high in monounsaturated stout and dietary fiber.  Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats found in some fish such as salmon and herring and in smaller amounts in eggs and chicken. 

 

 

Carbohydrates

 

Balancing Fats, Carbohydrates, and Proteins is a very vital part of a healthy diet.  If you are diabetic, your dietitian and doctor will help you focus on low-to-moderate carbohydrates along with healthy fats.  If you have kidney disease, you should get most of your calories from complex carbohydrates.  In other words, you should tend to consume carbohydrates instead of proteins. 

 

One gram of carbohydrate generates 4 calories.

 

The low-carb diet was best for reducing levels of terrible cholesterol, while all three diets had the same beneficial effect on liver and inflammation function, the researchers said.  A balanced diet is one which contains carbohydrate, protein, stout, vitamins, mineral salts and fiber in the right proportions.  Complex carbohydrates, such as starches (pastas), are basically high energy sources that are simple for the digestive system to break down. 

 

Thus, during digestion, carbohydrates are immediately converted into energy instead of being stored as fats at the end of the process like most foods.  In theory, eating carbohydrates provides the body with ready-to-use energy sources.  So, the more carbs you eat, the less stout you need to burn in order to make energy.

The low carb diet movement is based on the assumption that “all carbs are terrible for weight control”. Therefore the less carbs we eat, the better. But this notion is misleading. The truth is, the leanest and longest living people in the industrialized world are the Japanese whose diet is dominated by carbohydrates and is low in stout.

High carb foods like grains, rice, and vegetables are daily staples of the Japanese diet, and intake of high protein, high stout animal products are minimal.  This means that the body does not need to burn stored fats (how most food ends up after going through the digestive system) in order to make energy for bodily functions and activity. 

 

 

Stout

 

There are three types of fats: Saturated stout, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. From health point of view mono & polyunsaturated fats are preferred.

 

One gram of stout generates 9 calories.

 

Vegetarians do not have to be overly concerned about combining proteins and consuming multiple vitamin supplements because a well-rounded vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, n-3 fatty acids and iodine. 

 

But, eating primarily plant-based foods doesn’t guarantee keeping total stout or calories in line.  To keep health risks low and optimize benefits, it is vital to continue to read food marks, control part sizes, limit total stout and limit calories.

Liver converts saturated stout into cholesterol. While some of the branded food items may not have cholesterol per say but may contain saturated stout which ultimately gets converted into cholesterol. We need to read marks.

 

Calories from fats should be from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.  Balancing Fats, Carbohydrates, and Proteins is a very vital part of a healthy diet. 

 

But, the growing problem of obesity is really due to too much sugar and starches in the diet and not enough naturally occurring excellent fats in food.  But, pure natural fats in the form of butter, cream, cheese and dairy in conjunction with unprocessed meat, poultry, fish, nuts, vegetables and fruit is the way to a truly healthy diet. 

 

The largest benefit of this, is when you are running on stout for fuel, you usually do not see as huge of hunger fluctuations as when you are on carbohydrates therefore it makes the dieting process much more tolerable.  If on the other hand you find energy goes up when you are eating more stout rich foods and have been lower in carbohydrates, then this diet is likely the excellent option for you. 

 

 

Protein

 

Typically we need 1 gram of protein daily per kg of our weight. One gram of protein generates 4 calories. We need to eat enough carbohydrates and fats daily so that protein is not used as fuel. Protein has very special job of regeneration / repair of body & cells.

 

Protein is especially vital to a growing child, it is essential to seek the advice of your dietitian if you are bringing up a child on a gluten-free vegetarian or vegan diet. 

 

In a well-balanced vegetarian diet, the best sources of proteins come from foods like beans and peas, seed and nuts, and fungi (mushrooms).  Tofu is a well known soy bean meat substitute that is high in protein. 

 

Pasta and whole wheat breads are also excellent sources of proteins essential for cellular growth and virtually all biological processes.  Some gluten-free flours are low in protein, because they have had the gluten removed, which is itself a protein.  Vegetarians can get protein from nuts & seeds, pulses, the non-gluten containing cereals, soya products, milk, cheese and free range eggs.  Make sure some protein is included in each meal, and practice protein complementation with the vegetable proteins, for example, combine a nut or pulse dish with a suitable cereal. 

 

 

Meat

 

Meat that is processed and sold through retailers has been exposed to a number of chemical agents. 

 

While vegetarian diets span a range from simply excluding red meat to excluding all animal products from meat, poultry, and fish to dairy, and eggs (vegan), any level of increasingly plant-focused eating can be appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence.  Tofu is a well known soy bean meat substitute that is high in protein. 

 

Veggie burgers are an alternative – their producers don’t try to imitate meat texture and are comfortable with “veggieness” that is more palatable to some.  People should also limit red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats. 

 

A major study from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) found that an estimated 39 per cent of 12 major cancers could be prevented by cutting down on red meat and alcohol while eating more fresh fruit and vegetables. 

 

Eating red meat sparingly seems to also increase health.  A balanced diet would include:-proteins: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, …-veggies & fruits: especially broccoli, spinach, berries, …-whole grain carbs: oats, rice, potatoes, breads, grains,…-healthy fats: omega 3/6/9 (no transfats except junk food)-low junk food consumption (one or two meals a week)-lots of water-for everything: try to eat things in their most natural state, unprocessed, avoid anything coming out of a box. 

 

 

Vegetarian Diet

 

Rich in grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, a plant-focused diet provides a host of phytonutrients or plant-based chemicals that do hundreds of things to promote health including boosting the immune system, fighting inflammation and repairing cells.

 

Plants provide dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals needed to maintain health.  In addition to reducing heart disease risk, people who follow a vegetarian diet have reduced their risk of high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and digestive disorders. 

 

Vegetarians do not have to be overly concerned about combining proteins and consuming multiple vitamin supplements because a well-rounded vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for protein, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, n-3 fatty acids and iodine. In a well-balanced vegetarian diet, the best sources of proteins come from foods like beans and peas, seed and nuts, and fungi (mushrooms).  Cooking food in cast iron pans can also add iron to the diet. 

 

Learn more about supplementing a healthy and well-rounded vegetarian diet with wild foods you can find in your front yard garden.  Over 40 per cent of breast and bowel cancer cases could be avoided be eating a healthy diet, a report has claimed.  Professor Mike Richards, the Government’s cancer tsar, said: “The evidence linking diet, physical activity, obesity and cancer has become stronger over the last decade and this report can play a part in people adopting healthier lifestyles.

 

 ”After not smoking, it is clear that diet, physical activity and weight are the most vital things people can do to reduce their cancer risk.  “And even more are linked to poor diets, drinking too much alcohol and not doing enough exercise. 

 

By: Pradeep Mahajan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Page »