A vegetarian diet is a diet that contains food plants such as vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas, seeds and nuts, and grains. A well-balanced, carefully planned vegetarian diet (comprising of protein, vitamins and minerals) can provide numerous health benefits including reducing risk of obesity, diabetes, coronary artery disease and several other chronic diseases. It also lowers the risk of illness due to degenerative diseases. Read on to find out what makes up a healthy vegetarian diet.
Foundations Of A Vegetarian Diet And Other Considerations
1. Protein
Protein is essential for numerous inner body functions such as building and repairing tissues. A completed protein molecule is normally made up of many amino acids. However, plant based foods do not offer such proteins as they do not have many amino acids.
Some food plants that are good sources of protein include nuts and seeds, legumes (like beans, lentils and peas, soy products (soy beverages and tempeh) and whole grains. Soy is a complete vegetable protein. These foods also provide the body with other essential nutrients.
2. Minerals
Vegetarians should ensure they get sufficient zinc, iodine, iron and calcium. In fact, experts say that a balanced vegetarian weight loss diet plan is one that meets the current recommendations for these nutrients. For calcium, make sure that you consume enough dairy products such as milk. In addition, try eating leafy greens such as bok choy and kale or calcium-fortified fruit juices since they contain bioavailble calcium (calcium in a form that the body can use immediately).
Plant foods like nuts, legumes, grains and soy products have high levels of zinc. However, iron in plant foods is not the same as that found in meat based foods. How much iron gets absorbed into your body will also depend on what other things that you consume. For instance, absorption of iron will be increased with vitamin C but will be decreased with coffee or tea. Sources of iron to consider includ tofu, lentils, spinach, beans and oatmeal. Get your doctor's advice first before taking iron supplements.
3. Omega 3 essential fatty acids
These fats are necessary for the heart to function properly. In general, certain diets that avoid eggs or fish (like the vegetarian diet) have minimal amounts of essential fatty acids in their active forms. Ground flaxseed, soy oil, soybeans, canola oil and walnuts are great sources of omega 3 fats.
However, the conversion of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids to the type used by human beings is usually inefficient, so you may consider taking fortified products or supplements like algae extract supplements. These will ensure that your body get the 2 forms of omega-3 which plant foods don't have.
4. Vitamin D and B12
Vitamin D plays a key role in development and health of bones. Eating foods like milk, certain brands of soy and some cereals will ensure your body is supplied with adequate vitamin D. You may also consider consuming breakfast cereals as most of them are normally fortified with the vitamin.
In contrast, vitamin B12 is required for the development of red blood cells and for the prevention of anemia. Normally, it is quite difficult to obtain this vitamin for non-meat eating people as this vitamin is found almost only in animal products. As such, those on a vegetarian or vegan diet plans should think about taking additional vitamins, supplement, cereals with vitamin B12 or fortified soy products to get sufficient vitamin B12.
Foundations Of A Vegetarian Diet And Other Considerations
1. Protein
Protein is essential for numerous inner body functions such as building and repairing tissues. A completed protein molecule is normally made up of many amino acids. However, plant based foods do not offer such proteins as they do not have many amino acids.
Some food plants that are good sources of protein include nuts and seeds, legumes (like beans, lentils and peas, soy products (soy beverages and tempeh) and whole grains. Soy is a complete vegetable protein. These foods also provide the body with other essential nutrients.
2. Minerals
Vegetarians should ensure they get sufficient zinc, iodine, iron and calcium. In fact, experts say that a balanced vegetarian weight loss diet plan is one that meets the current recommendations for these nutrients. For calcium, make sure that you consume enough dairy products such as milk. In addition, try eating leafy greens such as bok choy and kale or calcium-fortified fruit juices since they contain bioavailble calcium (calcium in a form that the body can use immediately).
Plant foods like nuts, legumes, grains and soy products have high levels of zinc. However, iron in plant foods is not the same as that found in meat based foods. How much iron gets absorbed into your body will also depend on what other things that you consume. For instance, absorption of iron will be increased with vitamin C but will be decreased with coffee or tea. Sources of iron to consider includ tofu, lentils, spinach, beans and oatmeal. Get your doctor's advice first before taking iron supplements.
3. Omega 3 essential fatty acids
These fats are necessary for the heart to function properly. In general, certain diets that avoid eggs or fish (like the vegetarian diet) have minimal amounts of essential fatty acids in their active forms. Ground flaxseed, soy oil, soybeans, canola oil and walnuts are great sources of omega 3 fats.
However, the conversion of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids to the type used by human beings is usually inefficient, so you may consider taking fortified products or supplements like algae extract supplements. These will ensure that your body get the 2 forms of omega-3 which plant foods don't have.
4. Vitamin D and B12
Vitamin D plays a key role in development and health of bones. Eating foods like milk, certain brands of soy and some cereals will ensure your body is supplied with adequate vitamin D. You may also consider consuming breakfast cereals as most of them are normally fortified with the vitamin.
In contrast, vitamin B12 is required for the development of red blood cells and for the prevention of anemia. Normally, it is quite difficult to obtain this vitamin for non-meat eating people as this vitamin is found almost only in animal products. As such, those on a vegetarian or vegan diet plans should think about taking additional vitamins, supplement, cereals with vitamin B12 or fortified soy products to get sufficient vitamin B12.
About the Author:
Get healthy with more great diet plans and exercises for weight loss at http://weightlossdiets.org.
Various kinds of juices, granola bars, whole wheat rolls, and other such item are available and every juice are good for health.
ReplyDeleteRegard,
Mangosteen Juice