Vegan and your Weight

Think about it, have you ever seen a fat vegetarian? Probably not. In fact, for most of us, vegetarian is almost synonymous with lean and healthy, isn’t it? And when you start any diet, what’s the first thing the experts tell you? Generally it’s to increase the amounts of vegetables you’re eating and to eat limited amounts of meat, especially high-fat red meat and pork. And what happens when you resume your old eating habits? Generally the weight will come right back on. Even the greatest will-power can’t overcome the unhealthy effects of eating high-fat meat. When you eat a diet that’s higher in dietary fiber, that’s primarily if not totally vegetarian, you’re naturally healthier. You’re feeding your body and getting it the nutrition it needs to run efficiently. You have more energy and stamina; you wake up more easily and more refreshed. It’s easier to exercise, because you’re not so weighed down by digesting the high fat and excessive protein that comes from eating a carnivorous diet. Many diets fail because we think of them as depriving ourselves of food we love. The trick is to change that thinking. There are so many compelling reasons to eliminate meat from our diet, so why not forget about losing weight? Focus instead on eating healthier, or eating in a way that’s in balance with the earth, and that doesn’t need to subsist on the suffering of animals. You’ll probably find you’ll start to lose weight without even thinking about it! And when you do lose weight, so many other health risks can fall by the wayside as well. You’ll find your blood pressure falls into a healthier range and your risk for Type II diabetes can decrease. You’ll look better and feel better and probably never go back to your old ways of eating!

Vegan helps Bowels and stomach digestion

Many of the health benefits derived from a vegetarian diet have to do with creating a healthy environment in the bowels and stomach. Our digestive systems, from prehistory on, were designed to metabolize vegetable matter, more than animal products. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts provide the kind of dietary fiber our digestive systems need to function properly. The Western diet that’s high in processed and refined flour and sugar, and in animal products that are laden with hormones and antibiotics, are actually anathema to our insides. When the digestive system doesn’t function and work as it’s intended to, that leads to opportunistic diseases or changes in the DNA of cells in the stomach and colon. And there are more practical considerations as well. When we don’t get enough of the fiber we need, we incur a host of digestion and elimination problems, such as constipation and hemorrhoids that are a result of straining. These diseases and syndromes are much less evident in a vegetarian population than in a meat-eating population. Other diseases of the bowel that occur less frequently in a vegetarian population include irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic ulcerative colitis, mostly likely due to the increased fiber content in a vegetarian diet. And of course a diet that’s higher in dietary fiber that comes from a vegetarian diet will decrease the likelihood or risk of colon cancer. When you consider the risks that come with a diet that includes meat and animal products, and the benefits that come from a vegetarian diet, does the prospect of a steak or burger or bacon really sound that good to you? Doesn’t it at least make sense to reverse the portion sizes and proportions of meats to vegetables and side dishes? In other words, if you must continue to eat meat, then make meat your side dish, or just incidental to your meal, such as in a stir fry. Increasing the proportion of fruits and vegetables in your diet can only be good for you.

Vegetarians and cancer

You might have a general idea that eating a vegetarian diet is more healthy for you. But do you really know how much less the incidence is of certain types of cancers among vegetarians? Vegetarian diets—naturally low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and replete with cancer-protective phytochemicals—help to prevent cancer. Large studies in England and Germany have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters. In the U.S., studies of Seventh-Day Adventists, who are largely lacto-ovo vegetarians, have shown significant reductions in cancer risk among those who avoided meat. Similarly, breast cancer rates are dramatically lower in nations, such as China, that follow plant-based diets. Interestingly, Japanese women who follow Western-style, meat-based diets are eight times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who follow a more traditional plant-based diet. Meat and dairy products contribute to many forms of cancer, including cancer of the colon, breast, ovaries, and prostate. Harvard studies that included tens of thousands of women and men have shown that regular meat consumption increases colon cancer risk by roughly 300 percent. High-fat diets also encourage the body’s production of estrogens. Increased levels of this sex hormone have been linked to breast cancer. A recent report noted that the rate of breast cancer among premenopausal women who ate the most animal (but not vegetable) fat was one-third higher than that of women who ate the least animal fat. A separate study from Cambridge University also linked diets high in saturated fat to breast cancer. One study linked dairy products to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. The process of breaking down the lactose (milk sugar) evidently damages the ovaries. Daily meat consumption triples the risk of prostate enlargement. Regular milk consumption doubles the risk and failure to consume vegetables regularly nearly quadruples the risk. Vegetarians avoid the animal fat linked to cancer and get abundant fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals that help to prevent cancer. In addition, blood analysis of vegetarians reveals a higher level of “natural killer cells,” specialized white blood cells that attack cancer cells.

Vegetarians and heart disease

No matter what your reasons for eating a more vegetarian diet, there’s no denying the obvious health benefits that are derived from the elimination of red meat from your diet. On average, vegetarians have lower levels of the blood fats, cholesterol and triglycerides than meat eaters of similar age and social status have. High levels of blood fats are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, those who eat eggs and dairy products, which contain cholesterol-raising saturated fats and cholesterol, have higher cholesterol levels than do vegans, as those who abstain from all animal foods are called. But even among lacto-ovo vegetarians, cholesterol levels are generally lower than they are among meat eaters. Researchers have found that older men who eat meat six or more times a week are twice as likely to die of heart disease as those who abstain from meat. Among middle-aged men, meat eaters were four times more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack, according to the study. As for women, who are partly protected by their hormones and generally develop heart disease later in life than men do, the risk of fatal heart disease has been found to be lower only among the older vegetarians. In a 1982 study of more than 10,000 vegetarians and meat eaters, British researchers found that the more meat consumed, the greater the risk of suffering a heart attack. Though eliminating meat from the diet is likely to reduce your consumption of heart-damaging fats and cholesterol, substituting large amounts of high-fat dairy products and cholesterol-rich eggs can negate the benefit. To glean the heart-saving benefits of vegetarianism, consumption of such foods as hard cheese, cream cheese, ice cream and eggs should be moderate. And the introduction of more vegetables, fruits and raw foods will definitely enhance the benefits of abstaining from eating meat.

Different types of vegetarians

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.

Why switch to vegetarianism

If you’ve eaten meat and animal products your whole life, you might think, why switch to a vegetarian diet? You’ve lived your whole life eating eggs, hamburgers, hot dogs, poultry, so why switch now? There could be many reasons to switch. Start by looking in the mirror. Are you at a healthy weight? Do you look and feel good most of the time? Do you wake up energized? Or do you wake up tired and sluggish? How is your general health? Is your blood pressure within a healthy range? Are your cholesterol and blood sugar ranges normal? If they’re not, consider what you’re eating on a daily basis. How do you feel after eating? Do you feel energized, as if you’ve fed your body what it needs? Or are you tired and dragged out? Do you often need a nap after eating? Is that what food is supposed to do for us, make us tired and sleepy? Not really. Food should nourish and feed the body and leave us energized and refreshed. The human body is a machine and needs fuel that keeps it running in peak condition. When we’re fat, with high blood pressure, Type II diabetes, high cholesterol and other unhealthy conditions, it’s like a car engine that hasn’t been tuned or isn’t running on the optimal type of gasoline it needs to run efficiently. Your body is the same way. It needs the right kind of fuel to run at peak efficiency, and when you’re eating high-fat meat, or meat that’s been fed antibiotics throughout its life, that’s simply not the kind of fuel the human body evolved to run on. Try eating vegetarian for a week or a month. See if you don’t feel different, more mentally acute and more physically fit and energized. At least reverse the portion sizes you’ve been eating, and make meat more of a side dish, if you can’t stop eating meat altogether. Even that change can make a big difference in your overall health and well-being.

You are what you eat

You’ve certainly heard the expression many times, “You are what you eat.” Have you ever really thought about what it means? And do you think about it when you’re making food choices? In some ways, we do become what we eat, literally. Have you ever seen an example of your blood plasma after eating a fast food hamburger? What was previously a clear liquid becomes cloudy with the fat and cholesterol that’s absorbed from eating a high-fat hamburger. And when you think about it, we also become what we don’t eat. When we switch from eating meat to a vegetarian-based diet, we become less fat, less prone to many types of cancers. Our cholesterol can improve. When we’re leaner and eating fewer animal products, then many other health and fitness issues are reduced. The incidence of Type II diabetes is reduced. Blood pressure falls into normal ranges. When you’re healthier, you’re taking fewer medications. Even if you have a prescription drug benefit in your health plan, you’re still saving money with fewer co-payments on medications. If you have a family history of high cholesterol or high blood pressure, then it’s particularly incumbent on you to revise your eating habits. Moving towards a more vegetarian diet has been shown statistically to reduce the incidence of so many of the diseases of industrialized countries. Vegetarians are statistically healthier than omnivorous persons; they’re leaner and live longer. Isn’t it time to think about what you want to be and to eat accordingly? Do you want to be sluggish and fat? Do you want the risk that goes with eating animal products, with their high fat content? Or do you want to look like and be what vegetarians are? Leaner and fitter with a longer anticipated lifespan. It’s never too late to change what you’re doing and increase your chances for a longer, fitter life.

Top Tips for Vegan Cooking

In the beginning, you might discover that Vegan cooking is more of a pain and hassle than it is a benefit. If you discover yourself in this position, you are not alone. However, there is help available for you. Taking some time to really look over all of your options is best to ensure that you are able to get the biggest benefit possible from the healthier lifestyle. Vegan cooking is something that will typically require you to think carefully as well as plan ahead, in this spirit it is extremely important to be sure that you are getting everything planned out ahead of time to ensure you have what you need. One of the biggest suggestions to get the biggest benefit is to look into cooking with the fruits and vegetables that you like the most. If you have a serious objection to eating okra for example you should never dash out and look for a stack of okra recipes. Instead, you need to focus on the recipes that involve ingredients that you like. Of course, a bit of trying new foods is always good, but building a base of foods that you like is a great starting point. To ensure that your new Vegan diet is as affordable as possible you need to look for fruits and vegetables that are in season to cook. If you are constantly having to purchase expensive fruits and vegetables for your meals you will quickly discover that your budget is blown far before it is time to even work on the next months budget. Spreading your money around as much as possible will demand that you buy only foods that are in season as much as possible. If you are truly interested in living the ultimate Vegan lifestyle, it is time to start investing in a garden for your house. You do not need to dedicate acres of space to the garden, but a small area to raise at least the basic vegetables would be considered essential. If you can spare some additional space to add some more vegetables then go right ahead, however never feel as if a garden is wasted if you only have a few feet. To start with you need to look towards tomatoes and even peppers. These are both extremely easy to grow, take very little space and can save a bundle of money. Having your own fresh vegetables to eat is a huge perk. Look for ways to save as much money as possible. If you are going to embrace a Vegan lifestyle, you should reap all of the benefits. This means looking for some pick your own farms, which will allow you to pick your own produce at a significant savings. If you are only buying small batches of produce you will discover that it can quickly turn expensive. Purchasing larger supplies can provide you ample stock to enjoy fresh foods as well as allow you to can or freeze additional supplies to have for the off-season months. A final suggestion to follow as you are getting started with Vegan cooking is to look for some great cooking classes designed to start teaching from the very basics. This will allow you to learn numerous ways to cook without the problem of your meals tasting plain and boring. If you are truly interested in exploring a delicious Vegan lifestyle then the cooking classes are something that you will have to venture into. An alternative to the classes would be to stop by a friend’s house and get some cooking tips from them, this however is only effective if your friend is also a Vegan and can teach you some of the best tips and tricks for retaining flavor and producing delicious meals. Working to live a healthy lifestyle does not involve boring meals that you suffer through; rather with some practice you can create truly remarkable dishes.

Starting Children with Vegan

Most of the time when you hear of someone changing to a vegan diet you typically think of adults. Have you ever stopped to consider how many children change to vegan each year as well? Most people tend to easily forget about the children who make the transition and this is perfectly normal. The adults are typically who receive the most attention but there are some unique issues that kids tend to have which can be assisted. Getting your child to successfully convert to a vegan diet is possible, but with a few tips in hand, it will be much easier than you imagined. The actual age of your child will have a huge impact on how simple the process is. Of course, if you are starting with a very young baby they are not going to know what they are missing. However, older children and even teenagers can be extremely stubborn and difficult to accepting change. This means you might need to attempt at bribery in order to have them look at vegan as a great opportunity. If your child has been raised accustomed to meat and other animal products for years it is best to start slowly omitting these foods from their normal diet. Making a sudden change that is drastic will almost always find kids rebelling and quite unhappy. You should also take a few minutes to sit down with the children to explain what you are doing, plus how it can help the animals. This small amount of information is often all that is needed in order to really get the desired impact from many kids. For other children this could be a cause of disaster. Try to consider the exact personality of your child before taking this step to ensure that it will be a wise move for your situation. Another key element is looking for ways to really involve your child. If you ask for their advice on picking out fruits and vegetables that they enjoy you will find that they are much more receptive to the change. However, if you instead are busy forcing them to accept the new diet you will again be met with large amounts of resistance and a lot of stress. Getting your child excited about the change is something that will really help to smooth the entire process. You should also look for some specific chores that your child can do. From helping to select some meals for the menu to assisting you with shopping to even doing research for new recipes. If your child feels as if they are involved and have a specific say in the meals that are prepared they are more likely to be open minded to the new foods that you want them to try. Simply putting dishes on the table that your child has never seen before is not likely to get a great response after a while. It is also important to remember to go slow. Not all children handle change very well. If your child is like this you should certainly expect to go very slow. Taking the time to move at your child’s comfort will help to ensure that you avoid as much additional stress as possible during the complicated transition period. Proving to your child that you understand how they feel will help you to significantly improve your overall household experience as well.

Should Children Eat Vegan?

With so many people around the world adopting a Vegan lifestyle, it is no wonder that a lot of parents are starting to ensure that their children are raised to eat a Vegan diet as well. If you find yourself trying to determine whether a Vegan lifestyle is suitable for your children you are certainly not alone. Each year there are thousands of people who switch to Vegan diets and children are included in this frequently. I you are completely confused it is best to talk to your doctor but in general most children do quite well with a Vegan diet as long as a few precautions are considered. Your first step should be taking a good look at all of your nutritional knowledge. If you have a poor knowledge of nutrition then it will be extremely difficult for you to determine if you are capable to meet your child’s nutritional needs. While most parents worry about giving their children adequate nutrition if you feed your child a Vegan diet, it is even more important because many nutrients can be easily overlooked if you are not meticulous in your nutritional pursuit. If you are not certain exactly what your child needs nutritionally it is time to enroll in either a nutritional class or start looking online for some clear information on exactly what you need to focus on for your children. A proper emphasis on nutrition will allow your children to eat a Vegan diet while still getting all of the nutrients that are needed. It is extremely important to watch nutritional intake closely, many beginner Vegans do tend to overlook and skip over essential nutrients that are critical to basic nutrition. If you are determined to live a Vegan lifestyle then frequently a vitamin supplement is extremely helpful. It is extremely important to ensure that you are encouraging children to eat plenty of delicious foods. Many children tend to shy away from eating ample fruits and vegetables in normal life, however if you are encouraging a healthy lifestyle of Vegan eating you will need to ensure that children are consuming enough fruits and vegetables to give them ample nutrients. This is not always easy to do, particularly if your children are in the habit of consuming meats. However, if you start your children with a Vegan lifestyle in the beginning as your baby is first starting to eat solid foods you will find that it is much easier to do. Many parents discover that children trying to give up meat is much harder to do and complete than anything else that they have ever tried to do. This is a sad reality but many children do not handle change well. Even something as small as what they are used to eating can create a huge chaotic problem, in order to assure that you are getting the best results possible you should work to enlist the help of your children rather than trying to force them to eat a diet that they are not fond of. Small things such as a positive attitude can have a huge impact when it comes time to actually ensure that you are giving your children the benefits that they really need. A proper venture into a Vegan diet can allow your children to eat exactly as you are eating without any major problems and complications. However, it is also important to realize that you are providing your children with ample nutritional supplements to fully protect them from nutritional deficiencies. Small problems in nutritional habits can become huge complications if you are attempting a Vegan lifestyle without properly paying attention to the special needs that you are likely to have. A well-planned lifestyle can effectively allow you to incorporate a Vegan lifestyle for even children while still staying healthy. There is no reason why you should feel as if you must feed your children meats in order for them to be healthy, a bit of time and effort can resolve all deficiencies.