Let’s face it. Vegetarians have always been considered a little odd. The domestication and slaughter of animals for food was, after all, one of the man’s great achievements. In the past those who shunned meat for religious reasons were tolerated. But most people thought you had to be a nut to exclude such foods on mere dietary grounds.
Not any more, says nutrition expert Jane Brody. In recent years, the meatless way of life has surged in popularity, largely because increasing evidence indicates that a sensible vegetarian diet is better for you than a meat-heavy one.
Consider three potential reasons for switching to a menu emphasizing on vegetable foods:
1.To protect your heart:
A comparative study of diet and heart disease in 7 countries showed that the death rate from coronary heart disease was highest in countries where the most animal products including diary foods where consumed. The Finns who consumed the most had highest death rate. Americans were next (except for 7th-day Adventists, most of who eat no meat or poultry; the have only have the amount of heart disease that other Americans have). In Japan, where very little fat is eaten, the heart disease death rate is lower than in any other industrialized nation. Scientists at University of Milan found that, on diets equally low in fat and cholesterol, people eating animal protein had higher levels of cholesterol in their blood than who fed on a diet containing primarily vegetarian protein. Recent research indicates that certain types of fibers found in plant foods can actually help to lower blood cholesterol.
2.To control your weight:
In view of today’s obsession with slimness, its surprising that most people haven’t switched to a vegetarian diet. A test group of 116 vegetarians weighed on average almost two and a half stones less than comparable meat eating group. Why should this be so? Because vegetarian diet is bulky and filling, its difficult- unless you gorge on cake or cheese- to consume as many calories in bacon, for example, fat exceed those in a whole cup of cooked porridge. And for the calorie value of a six-ounce steak (with its fat), a vegetarian could almost eat a pound of cooked pasta. In addition to the social social and psychological rewards of a trim figure, the health benefits of maintaining a normal body weight include a reduced risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Many diets like the Acai berry diets are available for weight loss.
3.To reduce the risk of cancer:
Research over the past decade suggests that same kind of high animal fat and cholesterol diet that may set the stage for heart disease may also contribute the growth of cancers of the colon, breast and uterus. Among 7th -day Adventists and Japanese, these cancers are relatively uncommon but they are leading type of cancers among people who eat a lot of meat. There are several possible explanation for this relationship. With the cancer of colon, diets rich in saturated fats and cholesterol may result in large accumulations of cancer-promoting chemicals in the gut. The relatively low fiber content of such diets may also result in slow moving bowels and prolonged contact o cancer promoting chemicals with the body tissues. Finally, the growth of breast and uterine cancers can be stimulated by estrogen hormones – and diets high in fats and cholesterol tend to produce estrogen like hormones in the gut and in the body fat.A variety of vegetable foods- Brussels, sprout, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, cabbage and spinach-can stmulate the production of anticancer enzymes in the body. In a study at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Professor Saxon Graham found that people who regularly consumed large amounts of vegetables in the cabbage family had lower than expected rate of cancer of the colon and rectum.
But wait a minute! Weren’t we designed to be meat-eaters?? And don’t we require animal fat for strength and energy?
Answer to both these questions is a resounding no! Although we are historically omnivorous(both plant and animal eating), our anatomical equipment- teeth, jaws and digestive system favors a diet that emphasizes plant foods. Most of the mankind for much of human history has substituted on near vegetarian diets. Much of the world still lives that way. Faced with constant opportunity we are probably eating more animal food than our bodies were designed to handle. (The average Briton eats more than 125 pounds of meat and poultry annually.)
As for energy, hosts of studies have shown that its not protein but carbohydrates, mostly from vegetables, grains, legumes and fruit that fuel our muscles. To be a god vegetarian you don’t need a lot of time, detailed knowledge of nutrition or elaborate charts and formulas.
But there are several important facts you should know:
Most animal proteins are “complete”. Most vegetable proteins are “incomplete”. Since your body requires complete proteins to function properly, you must combine vegetable proteins in a way that makes them complete. Two or more incomplete vegetable proteins can be combined in a meal to form complete protein, or small amounts of complete animal protein can be used to supplement an incomplete one. Here are three sample ways to do it: combine legumes (dried peas, beans, peanuts, lentils) with grains(barley, buckwheat, rice, rye). Combine legumes with nuts and seeds. Combine eggs or diary products with vegetable protein.
If the protein you eat is to be used t meet your protein requirement, your diet must contain enough calories to support your ideal weight. Otherwise, the body will use the protein for fuel and there won’t be enough for growth and building the body tissues.
As a vegetarian you must also meet your vitamin and mineral needs. Strict vegetarians who eat no animal food, get inadequae amounts of vitamin B12,unless they take B12 supplement. But even if you eat mlk or eggs as well as plant products, ou should eat a ariety of vegetable vegetable foods since different kinds provide different essential nutrients. If you choose your foods properly, you don’t have to take vitamin or mineral supplements.
Select your daily menu from each of the following food groups in addition to dairy products or eggs:
Legumes, nuts and seeds- 2 or more servings. Whole grain and enriched breads and cereals- 3 or more servings.
Vegetables and fruits- 1 or more servings of the following- citrus fruit, potato, melon, tomato, raw cabbage, strawberries, broccoli and spinach.
2 or more servings of dark- green and deep- yellow vegetables and fruits. Fats (vegetable oil or margarine) about 1 or 2 tablespoons.
If you are pregnant or nursing a baby, your requirements of protein, vitamins and minerals increases significantly. Consult a doctor or a dietitian.
Despite evidence that adults can live healthy on a strict vegetarian diet, some infants and very young children fed on this regimen suffer from growth retardation and even malnutrition. This is not the case when diary products (besides breast milk) are included in child’s vegetarian diet.
MEAT PRODUCTS
% OF FAT
MEAT PRODUCTS
% OF FAT
Fried steaky bacon
45.00%
Roast leg of pork
20.00%
Grilled steaky bacon
36.00%
Fried beefburgers
17.00%
Grilled lamb chops
29.00%
Grilled rump steak
12.00%
Pork pie
27.00%
Casseroled pig liver
8.00%
Luncheon meat
27.00%
Stewed steak
7.00%
Liver sausage
27.00%
Casseroled chicken
7.00%
Roast lamb(shoulder)
26.00%
Fried lambs kidney
6.00%
Fried pork sausages
25.00%
Tinned ham
5.00%
Even if you have no interest in becoming a vegetarian, there is no reason why you should have animal protein at every meal, or even every day. By adapting the vegetarian approach to your daily -menu planning, you can greatly reduce our dependence on animal protein- especially on high- fat high- calorie meats. For example, you prepare a vegetable casserole containing a substantial percentage of balanced vegetable protein an ounce or meat, poultry or fish, will be more than enough to complete your meal.
We would be all be better off if we stop thinking of vegetables and grains merely as side dishes to embellish a chunk of meat. Meals based on vegetables can provide sound nutrition for everyone.
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