Vegetarian Diet - Group of Foods That are Low in Saturated Fats & Cholesterol but High in Fibers

Vegetarian diet, which lowers saturated fats and cholesterol but increases fiber, is a very good eating plan for both maintaining a healthy body and for losing weight. This can supply the body with the recommended daily intake of major nutrients if carefully planned.

Some types of vegetarian diets include animal products; others have no animal source at all. Some nutrients that animal products provide are calcium, iron, vitamin D and B12, and zinc. These nutrients may not always be found in these diets.

There are non-animal food groups that are rich in these nutrients, while at the same time, low in cholesterol and high in fiber. These are oats, nuts, and soy.

Oats are a good source of fiber and these foods are proven to reduce cholesterol content in the body. Examples of foods belonging to this group are oat bran, whole oat flour, and oatmeal.

Nuts are healthy alternatives to junk food. It is also filled with different nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and plant sterols. Recommended nuts are almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, and especially walnuts, which have high omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid or lessen salted nuts or chocolate-coated nuts, and some nuts, which are high in fat content, like Brazil, cashew, and macadamia.

Soy, made of soya beans, is highly effective in cholesterol level reduction. It is also a good substitute for milk and meat products. Miso, soy flour, soymilk, soy nuts, and tempeh are foods that fall into this group.

Vegetarians, although healthy in living, must not forget to include these food groups in their diet to continually lessen cholesterol level and enrich fiber content in the body while at the same time replenishing protein. Any diet always needs wise, healthy, and balanced choices of foods.

By Faviano Torres

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A Vegetarian Diet - The Importance of Carbohydrates and Avoiding Saturated Fats

Carbohydrates form an important part of your vegetarian diet. The principal energy source in the diet is carbohydrate. The vital role carbohydrates play cannot be underestimated as they provide fuel for both the muscles and the brain. Carbohydrates occur in the form of starches and sugars from grains and their products (e.g. flour, bread, pasta) as well as potatoes, legumes, fruits, and to a lesser degree, nuts.

Wherever possible, choose carbohydrates that are the least refined. For instance, use brown rice rather than white, go for wholemeal instead of white bread, and rolled oats in the form of porridge or muesli at breakfast rather than processed cereals. These wholegrain products are broken down slowly by the body and therefore give a more sustained release of energy.

The fats most commonly linked to health problems are saturated fats. They are usually derived from animal sources - meat and dairy foods - but they are also found in coconut and palm oils. Most processed and fast foods such as hamburgers, pies, pizzas, cakes, biscuits, french fries, potato chips, corn chips etc. are high in saturated fats and should be avoided.

When we make the change from eating meat to a diet based on vegetarian foods, our cholesterol levels drop, our body fat changes, we are less prone to many known types of cancers, the likelihood of contracting diabetes reduces, our blood pressure lessens to a normal range and in most cases, our overall health and fitness improves. Moving towards a more vegetarian way of life has been shown statistically to reduce the happening of so many of the diseases of industrialized countries.

The best result is to delete red meats from your dietary habits altogether. By doing this you are disposing of the biggest offender of all when we refer to diseases of the digestive tract and many other body functions. Apart from decreasing your cholesterol or blood pressure, you may reduce the danger of cancers including colon, breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. All of these conditions have been linked in studies to western style meat-based eating habits. As soon as you have conquered the knack of vegetarian preparation it's possible the family, apart from discovering these meals to be mouthwatering, will be contemplating why it's taken ages to unearth this healthy and nutritious way of eating.

There is a lot of information available on the internet to help you understand the advantages of the new lifestyle you are about to introduce. Please make a point of reading as much as possible to acquire an in depth knowledge of the foods required to set you on the path to a healthier and more energized body.

By Bill Hansen

About Author
Bill Hansen is a writer and researcher on vegetarian foods and recipes. If you want to know more about how to follow a healthy vegetarian diet please visit:- http://www.aboutvegetarianrecipes.com.

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Is a Vegetarian Diet Good for Teens? - Know How to Get Vitamins and Minerals with This Plan

People turn to vegetarianism for different reasons. It might be for economical reasons or religious beliefs, but still, it is a healthy choice that is beneficial to the body. There are different types of vegetarian diets, and many, including teens, are turning to this.

Since vegetarian diet has no meat at all, people ask if this eating plan will work for them, especially the teens. Vegetarians are continuously growing in number, and their diet can be nutritionally adequate if one is educated about it. This diet must be carefully planned in order to get the most out of it.

Vegetarians might lack calcium, iron, protein, vitamin D and B12, and zinc in their food intake, but there are alternatives that can supplement these key nutrients. For calcium, which is very much needed by growing teens, milk and yogurt can supply this nutrient. For those vegetarians who don't eat dairy products, dried figs, green leafy vegetables, orange juice, soymilk, and tofu are excellent sources of calcium.

Iron, another nutrient much needed by the teenagers especially girls, can be acquired from sea vegetables dulse, nori, and wakame. Other choices would be broccoli, iron-fortified cereals, dried fruit, legumes, molasses, soybeans and tofu. Citrus fruits and juices can help for a better absorption of iron.

For vitamins B12 and D, supplements may be needed, although fortified cereals and soymilk can provide some. Sunshine can also give vitamin D and aid in the development of bones.

Protein can be found in eggs and dairy products. Protein consumption doesn't have to be complicated, like consuming a combination of red beans and rice. Beans, cereals, grains, nuts, soy products, and vegetables can supply all the protein that one needs.

By Faviano Torres

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Benefits of Soy protein

Soy protein is very healthy: it is very low in fat, contains no cholesterol and contains phytochemicals. The main phytochemicals in soy protein are isoflavones, saponins and phytc acid. These phytochemicals are strong antioxidants but have many other properties. Soy protein and its associated phytochemicals seem to reduce heart disease, osteoporosis and risk of cancer. Soy protein has a lot of many unique benefits that makes it a top notch protein. It is probably one of the most important aspect of a vegetarian diet.

Since vegetarians do not consume meat. But it doesn't mean only vegetarians uses soy protein. A lot of people uses soy protein in their diets and soy protein supplements.

But why is it a terrific substitute for animal protein? That is because it offers a complete amino acid profile. Soy protein contains all the amino acids that is essential to human nutrition. They are essential since thay cannot be synthesized by our bodies, but must be obtained from the foods we eat.

Soy protein has its benefits. They are the best substitutes for meat protein. Soy protein are proven to have reduce cholesterol levels. Soy protein reduces the risks of heart related diseases. And they helps to increase nutritional value of other foods. This is because of its complete amino acid profile. And it also contains extra amounts of various amino acids.

Epidemiological studies suggest that soy protein may reduce the risk of certain cancers, including breast cancer and prostate cancer. Japanese women, who eat a lot of soy protein (mainly from soy tofu and miso), have a much lower risk of breast cancer or prostate cancer than Western people have. The anti-cancer effect of soy protein could be explained by the phytochemicals, which are associated with the soy protein. These phytochemicals include the isoflavones genistein, daidzein and glycitein, phytic acid, saponins and protease inhibitors. Isoflavones and phytic acid have strong antioxidant properties and can prevent oxidative damage by free radical to our DNA and cells. Shu X.O. et all suggest that high soy intake during adolescence may reduce the risk of breast cancer in later life (Soyfood Intake during Adolescence and Subsequent Risk of Breast Cancer among Chinese Women. Cancer Epid Biomarkers Prev. 10: 483-488). The inverse association between soy protein intake and reduces risk of breast cancer was observed for each group of soyfoods examined.

FDA determined that diets with 4 servings of soy per day can reduce LDL cholesterol by up to 10%. Another benefit of soy protein is that it reduces LDL cholesterol without affecting HDL cholesterol. Studies shows that soy protein reduces plasma concentrations of LDL cholesterol but not affecting HDL cholesterol. Other than these well known benefits, soy protein also reduces risks of other ilnesses such as prostate cancer, colon cancer and osteoporosis.

So where can we get soy protein in our daily diet? Well you can get plenty from tofu, soy cheese and soy milk etc. Alternatively, you can get soy protein supplements. Soy protein supplements can be purchased online or retail.

By Aziz Omer

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The author is an expert on weight loss training and healthy diets. To learn more about health and fitness, please visit http://www.taftclub.com/.

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Can I Build Muscle if I am Vegetarian?

Just before I tackle the main purpose of this article which is to show how to build muscle vegetarian style I will briefly outline the different types of vegetarians.

Vegans won't eat dairy products or any other products of animals, pesco-vegetarians will consume fish and other dairy products whereas lacto-ovo vegetarians will both consume milk and eat eggs but won't eat meat. There are a few more sub categories but that is enough detail for the purposes of this article.

Because of the nature of the food vegetarians do not eat, things like red meat and so on they have a lower risk of certain diseases including but not limited to hypertension, coronary artery disease, a variety of cancers and diabetes mellitus.

As you may agree the reasons for changing to be vegetarian are compelling indeed and that is before we even begin to discuss the idealistic side of things such as being less cruel to animals, saving food for starving others, conserving the rainforest, becoming more friendly to the environment and such like.

So, if I am vegetarian how can I get enough protein to pack on muscle mass? The answer to this question very simply is Soy. Soy in reality has higher levels of protein than beef and also contains all eight of the essential amino acids.

Soy can easily be gotten from sources like: textured soy protein, soy milk, seitan, miso, tempeh, and of course tofu. These can all be included in a variety of tasty recipes and dishes. Beans, rice, seeds, legumes, nuts and even vegetables are another great supply of amino acids which together should ensure you never get short on protein.

Alright so that is protein dealt with but what about vitamins and minerals, particularly zinc, vitamin D, calcium, iron and vitamin B12? Well, supplements should be taken by vegans for this.

Vitamin B12 is found in dairy products so is not an area of concern for other types of vegetarians. The others can easily be gotten from a decent meal replacement powder. Of course however many minerals and vitamins are easily available in the form of leafy green vegetables and fruit that you should not overlook if you wish to build muscle up vegetarian style.

So, overall there are many health benefits to being a vegetarian and being a vegetarian need not prevent you from achieving your bodybuilding goals. Of course a key factor to your diet success will be the ability to plan, however this is just as crucial for meat eating bodybuilders also. With the above guidelines in mind go ahead and build muscle vegetarian style!!

By Ricardo d Argence

About Author
We shot the lid off of the body building and supplement industry to reveal the honest and unbiased truth about building muscle, gaining strength and melting away unwanted body fat. Visit us if you want to read more Bodybuilding Articles

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A Healthy Vegetarian Diet Reduces Many Known Health Risks

Many people see their vegetarian and healthy lifestyle as tools to cope with their busy lives and often long working hours. They are careful what they eat and often make sure they include some nuts with their meal and will be conscious of how much protein they are getting.

Over the past five to ten years it is noticeable that many restaurants are now venturing past the vegetarian lasagna or stuffed eggplant meals which used to be the only options available. Now many chefs are taking up the challenge, with fresh, seasonal produce, and can see that there is a lot of scope for innovative vegetarian meals.

A healthy vegetarian diet can be quite low in total and saturated fats, which can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, assist with weight management, lessen the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. The high intake of fiber usually associated with vegetarian diets can also reduce the risk of colon cancer, diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

People thinking of taking up a vegetarian diet should seek advice from an accredited practicing dietitian.

Some other reasons that people make the switch to a healthy vegetarian diet are:-

* A dislike for the taste of meat or preferring the taste of vegetarian food

* Concern for animal welfare

* Religious grounds

* Growing up in a vegetarian family

* Budget reasons - meat can be more expensive

* Feeling heavier after eating a meal

* Environmental concerns

* Many health benefits
A vegetarians' essential ingredients include:-

* Protein found in eggs, dairy and soy-milk products.

* A high intake of vitamin C can convert iron in green leafy vegetables and whole grains into the readily absorbed harm iron form.

* Zinc can be found in nuts, seeds, legumes, cheese, eggs and cereals.

* Eggs and dairy are a rich source of vitamin B12.

* Look for foods fortified with vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids.

The American Dietetic Association agree that a well planned vegetarian diet, with a wide variety of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, whole grains, legumes, dairy products or alternatives and nuts and seeds can be nutritionally adequate and healthy.

A well-planned vegetarian diet provides essential nutrients including protein, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin B12, iodine and essential fatty acids, and is suitable for all ages, including infants and children, and also breastfeeding and pregnant women.

Studies have shown that non-vegetarians have a 54 percent increased risk of developing prostate cancer and an 88 percent increased risk of developing bowel cancer.

By Bill Hansen

About Author
Bill Hansen is a writer and researcher on a healthy vegetarian diet. If you want to know more about how to follow a healthy vegetarian diet, please visit: http://www.aboutvegetarianrecipes.com.

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Vegetarian Diet to Your Rescue - Best fuel for our Immune System

Our immune system mounts such an exceptional coordinated defense system against invaders that it still continues to baffle scientists! The best fuel to boost our immune system is to maintain a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits.

Despite the marvels of modern science, no substitute can be found for the immune system. Our immune system is the best doctor in the world – it is most powerful and effective than any drug. To keep this internal army in prime condition, vegetables and fruits diet is the answer.

In war, the stronger army wins while the weaker army quickly succumbs to invasion. Our body works in the same way. When germs attack, a healthy immune system instantly fights them. Only when our immune system is malnourished or weak do we fall seriously ill or even die from infections.

Take the example of two people exposed to the same recent swine flu break out. One falls seriously ill but the other doesn’t. Although they face the same viral threat, only the person with a weak immune system becomes sick with the flu.

Studies by World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show that as developing countries become increasingly urbanized, even traditionally vegetarian societies such as the Chinese and Indians are choosing high-fat, meat-rich diets over high-vegetable ones. The report also mentioned that the prevalence of heart disease in China and India is higher than all developed countries put together. India is thought to have the world’s largest diabetic population.

In contrast, South Korea, which still follows a high-vegetable diet, shows lower fat intake and lower rates of chronic diseases than countries of similar economic status.

The statistic above is due to the fact that our immune system thrives on a healthy diet and good rest, poor nutrition and stress can make us fall ill more easily.

Wholesome plant foods are rich in vitamins and minerals. Certain plant foods, like soy are also rich in protein. Experts have stated that vegetables and fruits provide approximated 40 nutrients or more. For example, an orange provides us with a healthy amount of vitamin C, in addition to beta-carotene, d-Limonene, folic acid, potassium, calcium and many other nutrients.

Scientists attribute the disease-fighting capability of plant foods to an arsenal of compounds – antioxidants, phytochemicals and polysaccharides. Antioxidants and phytochemicals give fruits and vegetables their color, flavor, aroma and a strong disease-fighting capability. For example, an apple a day may really keep heart doctors away as it provides 20% of our daily fiber needs. A medium stalk of broccoli has more than double the recommended quota of vitamin C and calcium comparable to an equal serving of milk. Cactus fruits are said to have seven times more antioxidant effect than vitamin C.

All of us would like to live long, healthy lives, free of chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke and osteoporosis. But an overwhelming majority of us still eat unhealthy foods whenever we want and as much as we want, without considering the consequences.

If we choose the best fuel for our vehicles, why don’t we do the same for our bodies?

By Sara Marshall

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I am a software programmer by profession. However, currently I am a happy full time stay-home-wife.

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The Vegetarian Diet and Its Benefits

Just because vegetarians don't eat meat they still must have protein in their diet. A good source of protein is beans and nuts. There are numerous ways to prepare beans and nuts. To find out more read the following article.

The vegetarian way of eating can be a very healthy style of eating. But the rules of healthy eating still apply. You still need to add variety with balance, and moderation.

A vegetarian is someone who avoids all types of meat, whether it is hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, or even fish. Vegetarians are sometimes classified by the type of food they are or aren't willing to eat. For example, Lacto-ovo vegetarians will avoid animal flesh, yet they will eat eggs and most dairy products. A Vegan on the other hand, will avoid all food that has any trace of animal origin.

Because vegetarians don't eat meat they often wonder if they are getting enough protein. Although you may not realize it, the average American consumes more protein than he actually needs. For the lacto-ovo vegetarian, dairy products are an excellent source of protein. Vegans on the other hand, get their protein from nuts, seeds, and soy products.

A staple for vegetarians is the bean. There are several types of beans to choose from, including peanuts, split peas, pinto beans, soy beans or nuts, kidney beans, and many more.

Some of them you are already familiar, such as kidney beans in chili, refried beans in Mexican dishes, red beans and rice, and pinto beans. Although some beans taste good as they are, others are available with different flavors to help enhance their taste.

Nuts are high in protein, although they deliver a lot more fat than beans, which means you should enjoy them in moderation. One cup of cooked beans supplies the same amount of protein as eating two ounces of meat!

Since vegans avoid all types of animal food they should be concerned with getting enough vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. In the average North American diet, the primary source for B12 is animals. To have an adequate intake of B12, vegans should regularly consume vitamin B12 supplements or foods which contain vitamin B12, such as soy products or milk.

Vegans can rely on orange juice or soy milk for calcium as they are calcium fortified. Beans and leafy green vegetables also contain some calcium as well.

Although all types of vegetarians rely on simple food groups, controlling your vitamins and calcium intake is something you should always do. This is very important for eating healthy, as well as staying healthy. If you control what you eat, you'll have many years of healthy eating ahead of you.

By Paul Webb

About Author
Paul Webb is the owner of several websites concerning health and fitness. He is a firm believer in exercise and health and has more articles, and information on health and fitness on his websites. You can visit him at http://seniorshealthinfo.com or http://trymyrecipes.net

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The Importance of Vitamin B-12 Supplementation in a Vegetarian Diet

It's something we read or hear about all the time: people, in general, do not eat healthy. The average diet contains too much saturated fat and simple carbohydrates, elements that can lead to heart disease, obesity and other serious conditions. While not all people who follow a vegetarian diet do so for health reasons, such a diet is beneficial to the health.

There are three main types of vegetarians. Lacto vegetarians do not consume any meat, but instead live on fruits, vegetables and dairy. The lacto-ovo vegetarian diet is similar to the lacto vegetarian, with the exception that individuals who follow this diet consume eggs. As the name implies, fruitarians follow a diet restricted to fruits, but they may also eat nuts and seeds. Considered the most strict vegetarian diet, vegans do not eat meat, eggs, or dairy.

The only negative aspect of the vegetarian lifestyle is the high probability of vitamin deficiency. Depending on the type of vegetarian diet followed, an individual may not obtain the proper nutrients their body needs to function properly. One vitamin that is absent in most vegetarian diets is B-12. Vitamin B-12, which exists in meat, dairy, eggs, and poultry and is essential in the development of red blood cells and a healthy central nervous system. The common symptoms of B-12 deficiency include dementia, fatigue, hallucinations, balance problems, and vision disturbances.

People who have followed a vegetarian diet most of their life are more at risk of B-12 deficiency. Since B-12 can be reabsorbed, people who become a vegetarian later in life will typically do not display any symptoms of deficiency for as many as five years. It is a good idea to prevent deficiency from occurring because it is relatively difficult to reverse the effects of vitamin B-12 deficiency.

Vitamin B-12 deficiency can also result in increased levels of homocysteine in the body. Homocysteine is an antioxidant that when in high levels can have a toxic effect on the body. This is an important issue because as many as 20% of the people diagnosed with heart disease have elevated levels of homocysteine in their blood.

The recommended dosage of vitamin B-12 is 10 micrograms. If you follow a vegetarian lifestyle, it is recommended that you have your blood checked to check for deficiency. If your doctor detects that you have a B-12 deficiency, they will provide additional information about the amount of B-12 you should take.

By John Gibb

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John Gibb runs a series of health websites, We offer a free health book for subscribers to our websites newsletter. We cover everything you need to know on nutrition and how to improve your general overall health. Check out our nutrition e-book, for more information on our nutrition book.

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How to Obtain All Vital Nutrients from Your Vegetarian Diet

When you are beginning the process of converting to a vegetarian diet it is important to plan carefully. You need to make yourself familiar with the nutrient value of your food and how foods interact with one another.

A vegetarian diet can be lacking in five essential nutrients unless it is planned. These are protein, iron. calcium, zinc and vitamin B-12. In a meat based diet these are easily obtained from animal products. If dairy produce and eggs are included in a vegetarian diet these essential nutrients should not be in short supply.

If you have decided to eat a vegetarian diet, whether for reasons of health or because of ethical considerations, you need to consider where you will obtain these nutrients. It is perfectly possible for a vegetarian to derive these nutrients from vegetable sources with a little thought.

A vegetarian can obtain protein from beans, peas, lentils and other pulses. These vegetarian staples need to be mixed with grains such as rice, barley or wheat, which also contain protein, because only together do they make what is called a complete protein. A complete protein contains all the essential amino acid that are found in meat and other animal products.

Soya beans are unique among beans in containing all the essential amino acids without the addition of grains. Soya products make up an important part of a vegetarian diet for that reason. Soya milk, soya yoghurt, soya cheeses, tofu and soya meat substitutes make up an important part of a healthy vegetarian diet.

A vegetarian diet need not be lacking in protein if it contains a variety of pulse, grains, nuts and seeds. Sprnkling a few sesame seeds on a meal will increase its protein content.

It is not even necessary to include different incomplete vegetable proteins in the same meal to create a balanced protein. The body is capable of storing amino acids and combining them later.

Many of the commercially available soya products have calcium, zinc and vitamin B-12 added in the manufacturing process. But a vegetarian should also ensure that these nutrients are present in the rest of their diet.

Soya beans are also a good source of iron as are seeds such as pumpkin seeds. Quinoa, a seed that cooks like rice and can be used as the starch component of a meal contains iron.

Zinc is vital for growth and cell division. It is essential for reproductive health, for liver function and insulin activity. It is present in dairy foods as well as beans, lentils nuts and seeds. Chick peas are a good source of zinc, as is tahini paste. A hummous dip is more than a tasty snack it is valuable source of a nutrients in a vegetarian diet.

Calcium need not be a major problem in a vegetarian diet. If a vegetarian diet includes dairy produce it will provide enough calcium. Even for vegans it is possible to obtain calcium from plant sources. Wholemeal bread is a fairly good source of calcium as are dried apricots. Baked beans and broccoli are both good sources of calcium.

Where vitamin B-12 is concerned it is only necessary to resort to supplements if eggs and milk are excluded from a vegetarian diet.

By Abhishek Agarwal

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Abhishek is a full time Internet Marketer. But more than that, he is passionate about setting goals and achieving them. He is action-oriented and has a strong work ethic.

He enjoys reading, writing, socializing, meeting people, and traveling. He is also fond of good Hollywood movies.

Abhishek has got some great tips on becoming a Vegetarian Download his FREE 108 Pages Ebook, "The Advantages of Being a Vegetarian!" from his website http://www.Health-Whiz.com/81/index.htm Only limited Free Copies available.

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