Eat Healthy Without Meat
Alex Fir

As concerns about healthy eating have grown, so has the interest
in vegetarianism. Numerous nutrition experts recommend eating
low on the food chain. In plain language this means eating more
grains, vegetables and fruits, and fewer meats, cheeses and
other animal based products.

There are various levels of vegetarianism, and each type has its
own unique health benefits and some health challenges as well.
Of course vegetarians, like meat eaters, must still make healthy
food choices. Simply pigging out on French fries while avoiding
the burger will not make you a healthy vegetarian.

Some people who consider themselves vegetarians still eat
poultry and seafood, while others avoid all animal flesh, even
fish and chicken. Most vegetarians still eat milk, dairy
products and eggs. In nutritional circles these people are
referred to as lacto-ovo vegetarians.

Vegans, on the other hand, avoid all animal products, including
eggs, milk and dairy products, and even fabrics like silk,
leather and wool. It is vegans who face the largest challenges
and risks when trying to follow a healthy diet. Most vegetarian
diets provide more than enough nutrition, as long as smart
dietary choices are made.

The key to eating a healthy vegetarian diet is much the same as
eating a healthy diet that includes meat. It all boils down to
making smart food choices, understanding nutritional labels, and
cooking your vegetables to maximize their nutritional value.

Choosing the foods that make up the bulk of a vegetarian diet is
very important. For most vegetarians, vegetables, grains,
lentils and soy products will make up the bulk of their diet,
and these staples are included in many vegetarian recipes.

When cooking with soy, however, it is important to remember that
tofu is relatively high in fat. The fat content of tofu dishes
is often comparable to that of dishes that are made with lean
cuts of meat. Those vegetarians following a low fat diet may
want to limit the amount of tofu based products they eat.

The same caution applies to the nuts and seeds that can make up
a large part of a vegetarian diet. Nuts and seeds are excellent
sources of dietary protein, but they can be high in fat as well.

Many newly minted vegetarians worry that they will not be able
to get enough protein and iron without eating meat, but for most
vegetarians this is not a problem. Most diets today actually
contain too much protein, and there are many non animal derived
sources of protein for vegetarians to enjoy.

Proper cooking techniques are of course very important to any
healthy diet. Avoiding high fat cooking methods is important, as
is avoiding the use of high fat creams, butters and sauces. A
vegetable stir fry cooked in healthy olive oil can be a great
addition to any vegetarian menu. And a great fruit salad is both
easy to make and delicious as a snack or a meal.

The only real area of concern when it comes to vegetarianism and
health is the B-complex vitamins, particularly vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 is almost exclusively derived from animal based
sources, so vegans, who avoid all animal products, should take a
high quality vitamin B12 or B-complex vitamin supplement. It is
also important for vegans to discuss their diet and lifestyle
with their family physicians. As vegetarianism becomes more
widespread, the amount of information on the nutritional needs
of these two groups continues to grow.

The bottom line is that vegetarians can enjoy a very healthy
lifestyle. Making vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans the
centerpiece of the diet is a smart move for many people, and a
good low fat vegetarian diet can be a great way to enjoy a
healthy lifestyle. As with a meat based diet, however, it is
important for vegetarians to follow common sense eating
guidelines and make smart choices when creating meat free meals.

About the author:

A lot of people eat foods that are generally deficient in the
vitamins and minerals. Visit Nutri
tional Supplements Center to learn why it is vital that you
take nutri
tional health supplements.

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Many people think of vegetarians as one homogeneous group that just doesn’t eat meat. But nothing could be further from the truth. There are different categories of vegetarians as diverse as the reasons for going vegetarian in the first place.

A vegetarian is generally defined as someone who doesn’t eat meat. But someone who is vegetarian could conceivably eat dairy products such as milk, eggs and cheese. A lacto ovo vegetarian doesn’t eat meat, fish or poultry, but does consume eggs, milk or cheese. A lacto vegetarian consumes milk and cheese products, but doesn’t consume eggs.

A vegan is someone who doesn’t consume any animal product or by-product, including dairy food. They eat only vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and legumes. They also don’t use animal products, such as leather. Vegans also don’t use white sugar because it’s often processed with a substance derived from animal bones that whitens the sugar.

There are other categories within the vegetarian community. Fruitarians, for example, eat only fruit. Their rationale is that fruits, including fruits such as tomatoes, are self-perpetuating and don’t need to be planted to create the food source. They consider it a way of eating that’s most in balance and harmony with the earth, the most natural.

All of the above will eat cooked vegetables, fruits and legumes. There is also a growing movement towards eating only raw or living foods. This based on the assumption that cooking food processes most of the nutrients out of it, and to get all the nutritional value, vitamins and amino acids from food, it’s best consumed raw, or juiced. If cooked at all, it should only be cooked to slightly over 100 degrees, so the nutrients are still retained.

The more restrictive you become with your diet, however, the more educated you need to become to be sure you’re getting all the necessary proteins and vitamins that you need to maintain good health, especially muscle and heart health.

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Are you unique of the many that have a weight trouble? Are you unrivaled of the many who is dealing with obesity with the related issues that are related with being overweight such as the risk of colon problems and heart disease? Well do not feel alone there are over 60 % of Americans are either overweight or obese.

A balanced diet tends to leans towards the vegetarian lifestyle. This morale of diet can aide you in regulating your digestion as well as maintaining healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels. You need to be aware though that being a vegetarian is not a short term diet its a complete lifestyle change. The good thing is that crackerjack is research that proves a relationship between vegetarian life style, more physical activity, decreased white and drinking; are related to a healthier liveliness style. Being a vegetarian also lowers the dying rates from chronic disorders.

There several different types of vegetarians and you need to be aware of them.

1. Vegans and Strict Vegans – These are the ones that do not eat or use portion animal products. They also avoid all fur and leather along with edible products of animal origin such as honey. Their staple diet includes such things as vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, and seeds among others.

2. Raw Vegans – These are the vegetarians who rely largely on the raw vegan foods. These include such foods as sprouted grains and fermented foods among others. Just recently this habit of diet has become popular among people because it provides a simple yet tasty weight to earn weight loss. These types of foods also are high in fiber so people on this diet do not have attacks of voracity.

3. Lacto – ovo vegetarians – This will include your dairy products and eggs in your diet as well as the fruit and vegetables. This is a great way for you to transition from being a non vegetarian to a vegetarian diet because it is not as righteous as most vegan diets.

4. Pesco – and Pollo – Vegetarians – The Pesco vegetarians will include fish into their diets where considering the pollo portion also includes chicken. Therefore these two categories cannot be considered equal vegetarians but they are strict advocates of healthy and organic food choices for a form of detoxification and also health reasons.

Regardless of the form of a vegetarian diet it gives weight loss benefits due to the calorie density that is involved. Therefore a diet that is rich in fiber will fill you up quicker and helps you curb your appetite.

You need to be aware though that even vegetarians need to keep an viewpoint on their overall calorie intake in order to remain healthy. But it is reposing one of the best ways for anyone to lose weight if it is used in the correct form.

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