Friday, December 25, 2009

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.

Vegetarian DietThe 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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