The debate over the positive effects of a vegetarian diet on the health of people and the society at large is increasing exponentially these days. There are more and younger Americans – about ten million, who claim to be vegetarians and many others who have turned to vegetarianism.
Vegetarian diet has proven to be very beneficial for the body with studies indicating that consumption of vegetarian diet leads to lower levels of blood cholesterol, lower risk of heart disease and hypertension, and appropriate blood-pressure levels. These people also have lower risk of type-2 diabetes, have a lower body mass index, and lower overall cancer rates. Vegetarian diet is known to be rich in dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals; and lower in saturated fat and cholesterol.
A
balanced vegetarian diet provides good source of essential nutrients that reduce the risk of death due to heart disease or cancer. It is also very beneficial during pregnancy, resulting in positive outcome both for the mother and the baby.Moreover, vegetarians are less likely to contract chronic diseases and also have the following benefits:
• Low body weight – Meat-eaters generally tend to put on more weight over a period of five-years in comparison to people who switched over to a Vegetarian Diet.
• Better cholesterol levels - Vegetarian Diet is known to reduce the level of cholesterol and is as effective as medicines that are meant for this purpose. Certain vegetarian diet reduces levels 'bad' cholesterol that causes clogging in coronary arteries.
• Live longer – Vegetarian diet helps in reducing the risks of obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases that limits one’s life expectancy. Therefore, you can live a long and healthy life by being on a vegetarian diet.
A vegetarian diet usually consists of low saturated fats and is high in fiber content compared to non-vegetarian food. However, a vegetarian needs to check the calorie intake especially from junk food, snacks, and whole milk dairy products.
A healthy Vegetarian Diet consists of fruits and vegetables, whole gains, seeds, nuts, and legumes. To keep your Vegetarian Diet on track, you may use a vegetarian food pyramid that outlines various food groups and food choices that eventually result in
weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.
Vegetarian food options like tofu dogs, soy burgers, nut loaves or texturized vegetable protein, almost tastes like meat, but are less fattening. Many of these products are prepared from soybeans and is a good source of nutrients. According to The American Dietetic Association, a good vegetarian diet consists of whole grain products such as wheat bread, wild/brown rice, whole grain cereals, and low or non fat dairy products. Some tips for vegetarians given by the association are as follows:
• Eating more than three or four egg yolks per week is not advisable
• It is good to plan ahead when you go shopping
• Make sure your diet is varied
• Read the food labels carefully when you are out shopping and find out where your specialist stores are.
No matter what your age is, you can meet your nutritional needs through a well-planned and balanced vegetarian diet. Plant-based diet is suitable for everyone including children and teenagers as well as pregnant and breast-feeding mothers. If you do not know what diet is appropriate, you can consult a doctor to help you plan the right vegetarian diet for you.
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