Is a Vegetarian Diet Best for Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease that affects millions of people worldwide. But diabetes can also be caused by autoimmunity, known as type 1 that develops early in life. Pregnant women are at risk for gestational diabetes from hormones released during pregnancy that raise blood sugar levels. Can diabetes be avoided or controlled with a vegetarian diet?

Diabetes risk lower with less meat before pregnancy

According to a finding from the NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, published January, 2012 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who ate a high animal fat diet prior to becoming pregnant had a higher risk of gestational diabetes that persisted even for women who exercised to thwart high blood sugars during pregnancy.

Study author Cuilin Zhang, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., of the Epidemiology Branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) said in a press release, "Our findings indicate that women who reduce the proportion of animal fat and cholesterol in their diets before pregnancy may lower their risk for gestational diabetes during pregnancy.”

The recommendation from the researchers is that women who are planning pregnancy reduce their intake of animal fat and cholesterol to 5% of total daily calories. Less animal fat in the diet was associated with a 7% lower risk of gestational diabetes.

Vegetarians at lower risk for diabetes from metabolic syndrome

An April 2011 study published in the journal Diabetes Care indeed suggested vegetarians have a 36% lower chance of developing metabolic syndrome that leads to heart disease, stroke and diabetes, compared to meat eaters.

Vegetarians can still develop metabolic syndrome but eating a plant based diet was found to lower the chances from 39% for meat eaters to just 25% for vegetarians. Semi-vegetarians risk for metabolic syndrome was 37% per the study results.

Lead researcher Nico S. Rizzo, PhD said the finding, which came from a long-term study lifestyle and health of almost 100,000 Seventh-day Adventist Christians across the United States and Canada, was a ‘surprise’.

"I was not sure if there would be a significant difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and I was surprised by just how much the numbers contrast," he continues. "It indicates that lifestyle factors such as diet can be important in the prevention of metabolic syndrome”.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the two most important risk factors for metabolic syndrome that can lead to diabetes and complications of stroke and heart disease are increased waist circumference and insulin resistance.

Gary Fraser, MD, PhD who headed the Adventist Study 2 says, "Trending toward a plant-based diet is a sensible choice."

Switching to a vegetarian diet, combined with exercising at least 3 times a week might also offer significant protection against diabetes for African-Americans who are at greater risk for developing the disease.

Blacks are also more likely to experience type 2 diabetes complications that include kidney disease and amputation of the extremities, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Humana Services.

"These findings are encouraging for preventing type 2 diabetes in the black population, which is more susceptible to the disease than other populations," said Serena Tonstad, MD, a professor at Loma Linda University and lead author of the research, published in the October, 2011 issue of Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

Just adopting a Mediterranean diet that includes plenty of plant-based foods such as olive oil, grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables, fish and is low in meat, dairy products and alcohol might cut your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 35%, according to findings published in 2008 in the British Medical Journal.

Plant based food could cut risk of type 2 diabetes complications

Eating nuts, such as almonds, fiber food that include oats and barley, plant sterols and soy proteins that are part of a vegetarian diet can help keep cholesterol levels in check. High cholesterol is a major contributor to heart disease for people with type 2 diabetes.

A 2003 report published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition also suggested reducing meat in the diet can protect the kidneys from harm and “could produce very significant metabolic advantages for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications.”

Eating a plant-based diet is also humane, considering current factory farming methods, found by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP) to “…threaten public health, the environment, animal health and well-being, and rural communities.”

If you’re considering a vegetarian diet for preventing or managing type 2 diabetes, speak with your doctor first.

Studies show vegetarians have less chance of developing type 2 diabetes from metabolic syndrome and that eating a plant based diet has benefits for controlling the disease that is expected to affect 1 in 10 people by the year 2030. Women might also cut their risk of gestational diabetes by lowering their intake of meat before getting pregnant.

Resources
NIH News
“High animal fat diet increases gestational diabetes risk”
January 25, 2012

Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/vegetarian-diet-best-diabetes

Plant-Based Diets: Facts and Fiction II

Myth 5: Certain combinations of foods have to be eaten at the same meal to get the right amino acids (the building blocks of protein).

FACT: There is no need to combine foods at meals to get right proteins in the diet. If one follows the recommended amounts and number of servings of the Vegetarian Food Pyramid, one will be getting adequate amounts of the protein..

Myth 6: All vegetarian diets are low in fat.

FACT: Vegetarian diets may or may not be low in fat. It all depends upon the choices one makes. Some high fat foods commonly used by vegetarians are avocadoes, olives and olive oil, nuts, nut and soy based milk type beverages and seeds. These fats are moderate to low in saturated fats. They can also choose cheese, egg yolks and cream which are foods high in saturated fat.

Myth 7: Vegetarian diets are dull and boring.

FACT: A diet can become boring when one eats the same foods every day. With the abundance of foods to choose from and the variety of ways to prepare them, a diet without meat need not be either dull or boring.

Myth 8: Vegetarian diets can cure cancer and heart disease.

FACT: Because most lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets are nutritionally sound, higher in fiber, lower in cholesterol and contain more fruits and vegetables, this diet pattern can reduce a person's risk of many cancers and certain types of heart disease. However, even vegetarians must follow all the precautions physicians prescribe for decreasing the risk of these diseases.

Plant-Based Diets: Facts and Fiction Part I

Source: http://www.sdada.org/plant.htm

Plant-Based Diets: Facts and Fiction I

In our meat and potatoes or hamburger and fries American diet, there is often concerned about the health of those who eat mostly plant-based foods.  The following will help separate the fiction from the facts.

Myth 1: All plant-based diets are about the same.

FACT: No. Vegetarians who eat milk or eggs are called "lacto-ovo-vegetarians".  Those who eat no animal products are called "vegans", or strict or total vegetarians.  There are many variations of these two main types of plant-based diets.

When someone declares himself/herself a "vegetarian" it is best to ask the person exactly which foods are eaten and which are avoided.  Most likely, the person is a"lacto-ovo-vegetarian".

Myth 2: There are very few vegetarians.

FACT: Recently it is estimated that about 10% of the USA is vegetarian.  Restaurants report that about 27% of the customers want a vegetarian option when they order.

Myth 3: A diet without meat is nutritionally deficient.

FACT: All vegetarian diets can provide all the essential nutrients to a person choosing from an abundant food supply.  However, as a diet becomes more restrictive, it may be more difficult to get all the necessary nutrients.  Following the guidelines outlined in the Vegetarian Food Pyramid provides most nutrients in adequate supply. Remember that the adequacy of any diet depends on the variety and the amount of foods that are included.  Consult a registered dietitian for accurate diet instruction.

The nutrients of greatest concern in the vegan or macrobiotic-type diets are vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and zinc.  Nutrient needs are greatest during periods of growth.

Myth 4: One can't possibly get enough protein without meat and/or milk and eggs.

FACT: It is difficult not to get enough protein if one eats sufficient amounts and variety of food to maintain a healthful body weight. All foods, except sugar and oil, contain some protein. Plant-based diets get protein from legumes (dried peas and beans), seeds, nuts, whole grains, and for the lacto-ovo-vegetarian, also from milk and eggs.

Plant-Based Diets: Facts and Fiction Part II

Source: http://www.sdada.org/plant.htm

Vegans Don’t Get Enough Nutrition?

Compared to many mammals on the planet, humans are tiny with much less muscle mass. However, these giants animals, like hippos and giraffes and horses and cows are vegans. They eat plant-based diets and they grow strong and heavy muscles without the addition of meat to their diets. This is because protein is found in plant foods. Every plant food has protein in it in varying amounts. The same goes for calcium. By eating meat and dairy, we are just consuming the middleman, while taking out all the fiber and adding a lot of fat. Even if you don’t follow the ethics part of veganism, the diet speaks for itself. It’s healthier because there is less fat and more essential nutrients in plants.

B12 deficiency can cause blindness. But it is very rare and there are lots of foods that contain B12. But as a measure of protection against the unlikely possibility that this might happen to a vegan, Dr. John McDougall suggests taking a B12 supplement.

The vegan diet is healthier than the Standard American Diet, regardless of what omnivores want to believe. In ten years when you are running marathons and have almost no cholesterol (except what your body naturally produces) while they’re obese and lying on the couch, ask them again.

An Apple a Day May Help Fight Obesity

A compound found in apple peels called ursolic acid may protect against obesity, a new study in mice suggests.

In the study, mice that ate a high-fat diet over several weeks that included ursolic acid developed more muscle mass, and more calorie-burning brown fat, than mice eating the same diet without the chemical.

"Since muscle is very good at burning calories, the increased muscle in ursolic acid-treated mice may be sufficient to explain how ursolic acid reduces obesity," said study researcher Dr. Christopher Adams, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Iowa.

However, the increase in brown fat — an unexpected finding — may also help protect against obesity, Adams said, noting that researchers don't know how the compound might exert this effect on brown fat.

Previous studies by these researchers showed that ursolic acid increased muscle mass and strength in healthy mice. In the new study, they tested the compound in mice likely to develop obesity and metabolic syndrome. In people, having metabolic syndrome means having at least three major risk factors for heart disease, such as too much abdominal fat, high triglycerides and high blood pressure.

The researchers found that the mice that consumed ursolic acid gained less weight and were less likely to develop conditions similar to pre-diabetes and fatty liver disease, despite the fact that they ate more food than the mice that did not consume the compound. There was no difference in physical activity between the groups, the researchers said.

The researchers have not tested the compound in people, and research in rodents often doesn't produce the same results in humans. "We don't know if ursolic acid will benefit people," Adams said.

Still, he said, it's possible that the compound could someday be used as treatment for muscle wasting, which occurs in healthy people during aging, and also in some conditions such as cancer.

Some studies have linked increased levels of brown fat with lower levels of obesity, and healthier levels of blood sugar and fats, according to the researchers. The researchers measured the mice's energy expenditure, and found that those fed ursolic acid burned more calories than mice that didn't consume the chemical.

Some evidence suggests brown fat may be helpful in preventing obesity and diabetes.

"Brown fat is beneficial and people are trying to figure out ways to increase it," Adams said. "Our next step is to determine if ursolic acid can help patients."

The study was published June 20 in the journal PLoS ONE, and was funded by the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at the University of Iowa, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of Iowa Research Foundation.

How to Have a Balanced Vegan Diet

A vegan diet is the strictest form of vegetarianism. While a vegetarian might pour milk on cereal or eat cookies made with eggs and butter, a vegan avoids all animal products including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, even honey.

The motivation to adopt such a hard-core diet varies. Some do it for ethical reasons, not wanting to harm animals for human consumption.

Others like the fact a vegan diet is better for the environment than one based on meat. Large-scale meat production is thought to contribute as much as 22 per cent of greenhouse gases in the world each year.

The health benefits are a draw as well. A vegan diet has been shown to improve blood sugar in people with diabetes, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood pressure, and promote weight loss. It may even help prevent colon cancer and heart disease.

The key to a healthy vegan diet is variety. If you’re considering becoming a vegan, the following tips will help you adopt a meal plan that includes adequate protein, carbohydrate, fibre, vitamins and minerals. You might also think about consulting with a dietitian to ensure your diet is balanced and complete.

Protein

Vegans get protein from lentils, beans (e.g. chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, soy beans), tofu, tempeh, seitan (a protein made from wheat), soy beverages, nuts and seeds. Whole grains and vegetables also supply some protein. Rice, almond and oat beverages are low in protein.

Vegans can easily meet daily protein requirements providing their calorie intake is adequate. If calorie needs aren’t met, some protein from the diet will be used for energy rather than muscle repair and making body proteins such enzymes and immune compounds.

With the exception of soy beans, vegetarian proteins are missing, or low in, one or more essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Essential amino acids must come from food because the body can’t make them on its own.

It was once thought vegans needed to pair certain protein foods together at meals to form a complete protein. It’s now understood that as long as a variety of protein foods are eaten over the course of the day, protein combining is not necessary. Include at least one protein-rich food at each meal.

Vitamin B12

Naturally-occurring only in animal products, vegans need to include three servings of B12-fortified foods in their daily diet. One serving equals: fortified plant beverages (1/2 cup), nutritional yeast (1 tablespoon), fortified breakfast cereal (30 grams), or fortified soy products (42 g).

To ensure B12 needs are met, take a B12 supplement or multivitamin with 5 to 10 micrograms of B12.

Vitamin D

Children and adults require 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D daily; at age 70 requirements increase to 800 IU. Some people may require more vitamin Dto maintain a sufficient blood level.

Food sources in the vegan diet include fortified plant beverages and orange juice (1 cup provides 100 IU).

To meet vitamin D needs, a supplement is required. Most multivitamins contain 400 IU vitamin D. Separate vitamin D supplements may be needed. Choose vitamin D3 over D2 as it’s the more active form. The safe daily upper limit is 4,000 IU.

Calcium

Good food sources include fortified plant beverages and juice, tofu made with calcium sulphate, beans, cooked green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach), cooked broccoli, almonds, tahini, and blackstrap molasses.

To meet daily calcium requirements, a supplement may be required.

Iron

Vegetarians require almost twice as much iron than meat-eaters each day since the body absorbs iron from plant foods less efficiently. Good sources include beans, lentils, nuts, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, breakfast cereals (non-sugary)and dried fruit.

Iron absorption can be increased by eating plant foods with vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruit, strawberries, red pepper and tomato juice.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Women need 1,100 milligrams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per day and men require 1600 milligrams.

The best food sources of this omega-3 fat include ground flaxseed (2 tablespoons has2400 mg), flax oil (1 teaspoon has2,400 mg), walnuts (7 halves have 1,280 mg), and soybeans (1/2 cup has 514mg). Soy beverages fortified with ALA provide about 300 mg per 1 cup serving.

Want to be a Vegan on the Cheap?

By : Imogen Reed

Becoming a vegan is a personal choice that isn’t always supported by food producers out there. Finding alternatives to foods that contain animal products can be difficult at times, and often specialist alternatives can be rather expensive. Staying true to veganism while keeping in mind the money you spend on food is a problem that most vegans have experienced. Perhaps this fact has put some people off becoming a vegan, or knocked them off the wagon. Most people around the world are feeling the pinch of hard economic times, so any money that can be saving on the weekly groceries is a help, whether you’re a vegan or not.

Victoria Moran and Main Street Vegan

Inspired by the innovative ways she came up with to stay on her vegan diet, author Victoria Moran wrote a book title ‘Main Street Vegan: Everything You Need to Know to Eat Healthy and Live Compassionately in the Real World’. She hopes that it will inspire people to switch to veganism, and help all the vegans out there to keep eating a vegan diet on even the smallest budget. It is full of tips, encouragement, insight, and guidance to help people make the switch to veganism, and to keep tested vegans on track.

Victoria has some early memories of why she became a vegan. She remembers her grandmother telling her there were people who did not eat meat, and that she would buy her a hamburger made out of peanuts to prove it. Not long after, she hooked a fish at an outdoor show, and witnesses the attendant beating the fish around the head until it died. When she was at high school she was faced with having to dissect animals, and when asking to change class, being asked, “Well, you eat meat don’t you?”

In her teens she became a vegetarian, and during this stage managed to survive on nothing but cottage cheese and fruit salad for four months. Later she became a vegan, not eating meat, fish, dairy products, or eggs, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Top Tips for a Budget Vegan Diet

You may hear that a vegan diet is an expensive diet, but this really couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s all down to picking the right foods and finding the best deals whether you eat meat or not. To help you keep the costs of being a vegan down, we’ve come up with some helpful tips to make your money stretch.

Avoid Meat Alternatives

Don’t buy into the false promises of all the meat substitute products out there. Sure, they might taste similar to the real thing, and have the same texture, but the amount of crap that food producers use to make food seem like something they are not id probably worse than eating the real thing. What’s more, they are overpriced for what they are, and will definitely make you weekly grocery bill larger than it should be.

Buy Fresh and Natural Produce

Buying fresh vegetables and fruit is the easiest and cheapest way to fufil your vegan diet. Ok, so if you buy all your food from scratch, you have to be more inventive when you get to the kitchen, but this will pay off in the long run. By learning some good recipes and experimenting with all the different food out there, you will create some delicious dishes that won’t put a dent in you bank balance. There are plenty fresh produce delivery companies out there that will bring fresh fruit and veg straight to your door if your local supermarket doesn’t have a great selection.

Invest in Some Handy Cooking Equipment

There are some great kitchen appliances that can make your life as a vegan much easier. The top three have to be a rice cooker, a slow cooker, and a food blender. Rice is full of nutrition and a great accompaniment to a variety of meals, so make life easy on yourself when it comes to cooking the stuff. Try to get one with a steamer basket if you can. A slow cooker is the perfect way to have dinner waiting for you when you get home from work. Just chuck all ingredients in the pot, switch it on before you leave in the morning, and a delicious meal is waiting for you when you get home. The release of nutrient and mineral from food works very well when it is slow cooked, and it sure beats frying. With a food blender you’ll save loads of time when it comes to chopping and grinding up all those fresh and natural ingredients you have to put in the slow cooker.

Plan your Diet

It really isn’t that hard to be a vegan on the cheap, all it takes is a bit of planning. There are plenty of books out there, and doing some research into what foods you need to eat to get the nutrients your body needs is important. Even though it will take a bit of work at the beginning, it will all be worth it in the end if you a passionate about being a vegan.

Key to a Healthy Vegan Diet II

The key to a healthy vegan diet is variety. If you’re considering becoming a vegan, the following tips will help you adopt a meal plan that includes adequate protein, carbohydrate, fibre, vitamins and minerals. You might also think about consulting with a dietitian to ensure your diet is balanced and complete.

Calcium

Good food sources include fortified plant beverages and juice, tofu made with calcium sulphate, beans, cooked green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach), cooked broccoli, almonds, tahini, and blackstrap molasses.

To meet daily calcium requirements, a supplement may be required.

Iron

Vegetarians require almost twice as much iron than meat-eaters each day since the body absorbs iron from plant foods less efficiently. Good sources include beans, lentils, nuts, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, breakfast cereals (non-sugary)and dried fruit.

Iron absorption can be increased by eating plant foods with vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruit, strawberries, red pepper and tomato juice.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Women need 1,100 milligrams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per day and men require 1600 milligrams.

The best food sources of this omega-3 fat include ground flaxseed (2 tablespoons has2400 mg), flax oil (1 teaspoon has2,400 mg), walnuts (7 halves have 1,280 mg), and soybeans (1/2 cup has 514mg). Soy beverages fortified with ALA provide about 300 mg per 1 cup serving.

Read More :  Key to a Healthy Vegan Diet I

Key to a Healthy Vegan Diet

The key to a healthy vegan diet is variety. If you’re considering becoming a vegan, the following tips will help you adopt a meal plan that includes adequate protein, carbohydrate, fibre, vitamins and minerals. You might also think about consulting with a dietitian to ensure your diet is balanced and complete.

Protein

Vegans get protein from lentils, beans (e.g. chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, soy beans), tofu, tempeh, seitan (a protein made from wheat), soy beverages, nuts and seeds. Whole grains and vegetables also supply some protein. Rice, almond and oat beverages are low in protein.

Vegans can easily meet daily protein requirements providing their calorie intake is adequate. If calorie needs aren’t met, some protein from the diet will be used for energy rather than muscle repair and making body proteins such enzymes and immune compounds.

With the exception of soy beans, vegetarian proteins are missing, or low in, one or more essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Essential amino acids must come from food because the body can’t make them on its own.

It was once thought vegans needed to pair certain protein foods together at meals to form a complete protein. It’s now understood that as long as a variety of protein foods are eaten over the course of the day, protein combining is not necessary. Include at least one protein-rich food at each meal.

Vitamin B12

Naturally-occurring only in animal products, vegans need to include three servings of B12-fortified foods in their daily diet. One serving equals: fortified plant beverages (1/2 cup), nutritional yeast (1 tablespoon), fortified breakfast cereal (30 grams), or fortified soy products (42 g).

To ensure B12 needs are met, take a B12 supplement or multivitamin with 5 to 10 micrograms of B12.

Vitamin D

Children and adults require 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D daily; at age 70 requirements increase to 800 IU. Some people may require more vitamin Dto maintain a sufficient blood level.

Food sources in the vegan diet include fortified plant beverages and orange juice (1 cup provides 100 IU).

To meet vitamin D needs, a supplement is required. Most multivitamins contain 400 IU vitamin D. Separate vitamin D supplements may be needed. Choose vitamin D3 over D2 as it’s the more active form. The safe daily upper limit is 4,000 IU.

Read More : Key to a Healthy Vegan Diet II

The wonders of Pineapple! 7 Benefits of Pineapple

The next time you cut up a pineapple, rub the leftover juice onto your clean skin with a cotton wool ball, leave for 5 minutes up to a maximum of 15 minutes, then gently wash it off and apply extra virgin coconut oil.( This only works with fresh pineapple. The enzyme papain that dissolves dead protein is not present in canned pineapple as heating destroys it.)

7 Benefits of Pineapple

1. It lessens risk of hypertension. Hypertension occurs when too much force is exerted on the artery walls while the blood circulates. One of the best ways to combat this is to infuse a high amount of potassium plus a small amount of sodium in your diet to lower blood pressure. Pineapples are the perfect for hypertension because a cup of pineapple contains about 1 mg of sodium and 195 mg of potassium.

2. It helps you lose weight! Eating pineapple can highly cut down your sweet cravings because of its natural sweetness, saving you from a lot of sugar-induced calories. Incorporating a lot of pineapple in your meals will also help a lot in weight loss because pineapples can make you feel full without giving you an ounce of fat.

3. It maintains good eye health. Time and again, studies have found that pineapples protect against age-related eye problems because it is rich in antioxidants.

4. It fights a lot of diseases, being rich in Vitamin C. Pineapples are known to be a very good source of vitamin C, which protects our bodies from free radicals that attack our healthy cells. Lots of free radicals in the body can lead to major diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and various cancers. Vitamin C is considered the most important water-soluble anti-oxidant that fights against disease-inducing substances within the body. It is also an excellent fighter against flu and a great enhancer of the immune system.

5. It prevents plaque and keeps teeth healthy. Another benefit of the high amount of vitamin C in pineapples is that it prevents formation of plaque and gum diseases.

6. It cures constipation and irregular bowel movement. Pineapple is rich in fiber, making it effective in curing constipation and irregular bowel movement.

7. It keeps your skin beautiful! Pineapple contains enzymes that make skin elastic, improve skin hydration, and remove damaged and dead cells. Thus, it helps us achieve a clear and glowing complexion. The enzymes in pineapples also fight free-radical damage and can reduce age spots and fine lines.

Balance is Key in a Good Vegetarian Diet

The American Dietetic Association took a position in 2009 that "appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases".

It said: "Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence and for athletes."

Our Health Promotion Board states that "a well-balanced and healthy vegetarian diet" is associated with a lower Body Mass Index, lower blood cholesterol levels and reduced risk of death from heart disease.

One of the oldest persons in Singapore was Ms Teresa Hsu, a lifelong vegetarian, who died last year at the age of 113.

Singapore's record holder in a marathon, Mr M Rameshon, is a vegetarian.

Another Singapore vegetarian, Mr Ang Hwee, has won medals in weight-lifting competitions overseas. One of our top blood donors, Mr Goh Joo Heng, who has donated whole blood or platelets more than 100 times, is a vegetarian.

Protein is probably people's biggest concern when they begin to substitute animal food for plant food. However, many plant foods, including beans, other legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains, contain large quantities of protein.

Among plant foods with iron are green leafy vegetables, lentils, legumes and dried fruit.

There is calcium in soy products (including tempeh, tofu and soy milk), foods fortified with calcium, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, sesame seeds and almonds.

Vegetarians obtain Omega 3 from flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts.
Millions of people in India have been vegetarians for generations. How can that be if we need to eat fish?

Vegetarians can take vegetarian B12 supplements, which are available at reasonable cost, and some foods are fortified with B12.

Health is complicated. Each person is different, and the same person differs at different times in their life. Consultation with a health professional is essential.

Will You Lose Weight As a Vegetarian?

If you read weight loss advice in diet books, magazines, or on the Internet, you might conclude that a vegetarian diet is a guaranteed way to lose weight. Although surveys show that vegetarians tend to weigh less than meat-eaters, you may not experience sustained weight loss by turning vegetarian.

A recent study compared the eating habits of people before and after they began eating vegetarian. After following a self-selected vegetarian diet for six months, the calorie consumption of these people dropped by almost 200 calories per day.

Their weight did not change, but people seemed to be leaner. There were reductions in their waist and hip measurements, as well as their skinfold measure of body fat stores.

A British study did find weight differences between vegetarians and meat-eaters. This study divided more than 65,000 participants into four groups: meat-eaters, fish-eaters, lacto-ovo vegetarians (who eat eggs and dairy products but no meat), and vegans (who eat no animal products).

The body mass index (BMI), which is the most common way to measure body fatness, was at a healthy level in all groups.

But the meat-eaters had the highest BMI as a group, which brought them closest to being overweight. Fish-eaters and lacto-ovo vegetarians had similar, intermediate BMI averages, while vegans had the lowest. Among meat-eaters, 7 percent of the men and 9 percent of the women were obese. In the fish-eater and lacto-ovo groups, 3 percent of the men and 4 percent of the women were obese. Only 2 percent of the men and women vegans were obese.

Top 5 Healthy Carbohydrates that Should Be in Your Diet

Here's the deal: aside from animal flesh and pure fats, most every other food has carbs. The good news, though, is good, really. Carbs are not only important for brain and muscle function, energy and strength, but they help keep your cells healthy so you can fight off diseases. Here is our top 5 carbohydrate list:

1. Fruits: Nature's candy is so good for you; it's kind of unbelievable. A great source of healthy carbohydrates, fruit fiber slows sugar absorption so you burn it off more efficiently. And fruit is loaded with lots of super vitamins like my favorite, vitamin C.

2. Vegetables: There's a reason Mom insisted you eat all those Brussel sprouts. Many veggies are carbo rich and also an energy and fiber powerhouse meant to be consumed daily.

3. Beans and Legumes: Beans gets such a bad rap, but here's a secret: rinse off the water beans were cooked in to reduce gas. Beans and legumes are a super source of carbs as well as protein for your Meatless Monday. Plus, they're so versatile and tasty; you're missing out if they're not a regular staple in your diet.

4. Nuts and Seeds: Chestnuts roasting on an open fire….are actually so good for you it's kind of like another Christmas present. All nuts and seeds are a source of good carbohydrates. My favorites are walnuts and pumpkin seeds, which are both also loaded with healthy omega fats.

5. Whole Grains: Brown rice is full of good carbs, fiber and minerals and vitamins found in the hull. The same goes for other whole grains like wheat berries, quinoa, millet and oats. Be careful with grains, though. Allergies to wheat and gluten are sprouting up.

Eat A Vegan Diet To Save Money On Food And Health Care Costs

Eating a plant-based diet will save on food costs and health care costs. Ellen Jaffe Jones, Author of "Eat Vegan On $4 A Day," shares how in this video: A half-cup serving of beans cooked from scratch costs about a dime. The same serving from a can of beans is about twice that much. The same size serving of the cheapest hamburger meat—which is 30% fat—costs fifty to sixty cents, or at least 5 times more than beans. When you look at more expensive cuts of meat, such as beef tenderloin at 85 cents an ounce and that equals $3.40 for 4 ounces or $6.80 for 8 ounces! And that is 34 times more expensive than beans! Another way to save money is by avoiding the hospital. Meat consumption causes cardiovascular disease. And a bypass surgery in the US can cost between $100,000-$200,000.

Ellen Jaffe Jones is "THE VEG COACH." She is a personal trainer, running coach, author, and teaches healthy cooking classes designed by respected doctors and registered dieticians.

Interviewee:
Ellen Jaffe Jones
Author of "Eat Vegan On $4 A Day"
The book is available on Amazon.com and at health food stores and major bookstores. Visit http://vegcoach.com for more information.

Video Producer
Larry Cook
Author of "The Beginner's Guide to Natural Living"
http://www.thenaturalguide.com

Dietary Guidelines: Pushback from the Sugar, Salt, and Meat Industries

Following a "Government" food pyramid?? Remember the old one? And now there is an improved Food Pyramid/or Plate and this is some of the Food Industry's response. These are the people influencing government of our "daily food requirements". Sigh........Whenever something makes zero sense at all, usually you can just follow the money and find out why. From NutritionFacts.org the best site on the web for new information regarding nutrition!

Have a question for Dr. Greger about this video? Leave it in the comment section at http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/dietary-guidelines-pushback-from-the-sugar-s... and he'll answer it!

VIDEO DESCRIPTION: The Sugar Association, Salt Institute, and American Meat Institute all railed against the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Dairy and Obesity

Stomachaches are only the beginning of the problems that your kids may face if you give them dairy products. Studies suggest that milk consumption may contribute to asthma, constipation, recurrent ear infections, iron deficiency, anemia, and even cancer.

Consuming dairy products can also make kids overweight. There is a reason why dairy products are so fattening—they're packed with fat and calories. In fact, calves can gain almost 500 pounds by the time they are weaned from their mothers. The calories from the fat and sugar in cow's milk will add to your child's waistline and detract from his or her health.

On the other hand, many plant foods contain calcium but don't have all the cholesterol or come with the adverse health effects that are associated with dairy products. Plus, despite what the powerful dairy industry lobby might claim, independent scientists have found that the calcium in plant-based sources is more easily absorbed by human bodies than is the calcium in cow's milk.

In fact, drinking milk may actually weaken our bones! Ironically, American women have one of the highest rates of dairy consumption in the world, yet they also suffer from the highest rates of osteoporosis.

A study funded by the National Dairy Council found that women who drank three glasses of milk a day for two years actually lost bone mass at twice the rate of women who did not drink milk. Furthermore, the Harvard Nurses' Health Study confirmed that women who received the majority of their calcium from dairy foods also suffered more broken bones than women who did not drink milk. Research has clearly shown that children should avoid milk and should fill up on calcium-rich plant foods to build strong bones.

Numerous studies have also shown a link between milk consumption and the development of various types of cancer. For example, a major study of nearly 5,000 children found that a high intake of dairy products was associated with nearly triple the colon cancer rate of children with a low intake of dairy products.

Do Vegans Burn More Calories?

Vegans are stereotypically skinny. But according to Neal Barnard, MD and his research team, it may not be because their diets are nutritionally skimpy. Vegan bodies may just learn to burn calories faster.

Dr. Barnard, who’s the president of the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and a professor at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, noticed that in one of his studies, after transitioning a group of individuals with chronic weight problems onto an entirely plant-based diet that was low in oils, their metabolic rates (or how fast their body turned fuel into energy) seriously soared.

“We found that not only did their calorie-burning speed jump up after a meal—but that extra burn was significantly higher than it had been when the study started,” Dr. Barnard writes in his book,The 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart.

To find out why this had happened, Dr. Barnard peeked inside some muscle cells and came up with this theory:

Insulin escorts sugar and protein from your bloodstream into your cells, where calorie-burning mitochondria metabolize (or burn) fat.

But in people with high-fat, meaty diets, tiny fat droplets crowd the cell and inhibit the insulin’s ability to shoot the nutrients in. It’s like the 6 train during rush hour: the commuters are fat droplets, and you, the insulin, are just trying to fit inside the car so that you can get to work.

What does this have to do with burning calories?

“You want to get sugar out of your blood and into your cells,” says Susan Levin, MS, RD, the director of nutrition education at PCRM. “The less fat there is, the faster this process happens.”

If the sugar can’t get into the cells, your body can’t convert it into energy fast enough, and it starts storing it. This is what happens if a cheeseburger is your go-to snack.

Vegans eat mostly plants, grains, and legumes, which are just generally way lower in fat than animal products. So, their cells are clear of metabolism-slowing fat globules. A vegan’s mitochondria burn fat at the speed of the Acela train.

So is it worth changing your diet (rather than your personal trainer)? It will certainly be less painful than upping your burpee reps. “You could pretty comfortably assume that if you change from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet full of plant-based whole-foods, right away your cells are going to be able to function better,” says Levin.

And high-functioning cells equal a humming metabolism; your cells will be burning broccoli at lightning speeds. —Lisa Elaine Held

Source : Well + Good nyc

Vegetarian Diet Could Make You Happier And Less Stressed, Study Shows

By Elizabeth Nolan Brown, for Blisstree.com

Omnivores, take note: Embracing a vegetarian diet could make you happier and less stressed, according to new research published in Nutrition Journal.

The reason comes down to fatty acids: Diets that include meat and fish are higher in arachidonic acid (AA), an animal source of omega-6 fatty acids. Much of the meat Americans eat today is quite high in AA: The average omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid profile of modern grain-fed meat is 5 times higher than grass-fed meat, like our ancestors ate. And previous research has shown high levels of AA can cause mood-disturbing brain changes.

High-fish diets also mean higher levels of long-chain, or omega-3 fatty acids, like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Both EPA and DHA combat the negative effects of AA. High dietary levels of omega-3 fatty acids are linked to better brain health, better mood and a host of other health benefits. Most health experts recommend an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of about 4:1.

In theory, then, frequent fish eaters should have be protected against the damaging effects of AA because of their higher intake of omega-3 acids. But an earlier study found omnivores reported significantly worse moods than vegetarians, despite higher intakes of EPA and DHA.

In this follow-up study, 39 meat-eating participants were assigned to one of three diets. A control group ate meat, fish or poultry daily; a second group ate fish 3-4 times weekly but no meat; and a third group ate strictly vegetarian. After two weeks, mood scores were unchanged for the fish- and meat-eating groups, but vegetarians reported significantly better moods and less stress.

“Restricting meat, fish, and poultry improved … short-term mood state in modern omnivores,” the researchers concluded.

After two weeks on a vegetarian diet, participants had “negligible amounts” of EPA, DHA and AA in their bodies. Fatty acid levels in the control group were unchanged. Participants in the fish eating group showed 95 to 100% higher levels of EPA and DHA fatty acids—but their omega-6 to omega-3 ratios were still heavily skewed toward omega-6′s.

To work plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids (called ALA) into your diet, try chia seeds, hemp seed, cauliflower and purslane.

Source : Huffington Post

Study: Vegetarian Diet May Help Children Stay Fit, Avoid Obesity

With the poor quality of many of today's conventional meat products, a vegetarian diet just might be an appropriate fit for some modern children, one of three that are now overweight in the US.

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that people of all ages, including children, that adhere to a vegetarian diet generally have lower average body mass indexes (BMI) than others, and are generally leaner than their meat-eating counterparts.

The report explains that obesity is less prevalent among vegetarians, and that average BMI increases progressively higher depending on how much meat a person eats. Vegans, for instance, generally have the lowest BMI, while vegetarians that eat dairy and eggs have a slightly higher average BMI. Meat eaters, suggest study authors, have the highest average BMI of all.

Besides simply the visible weight benefits, adhering to a vegetarian diet may also improve lipid profile, say the authors, which means that a person is less likely to experience coronary heart disease. This means that vegetarians may have a lowered risk of developing high cholesterol, or having a heart attack or stroke.

Because a plant-based diet can contain far more nutrients, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and water, than a meat-based diet, it is more likely to promote lean body mass rather than added fat, says the team. The extra fiber found in plant-based diets also contributes to making a person feel "full" more quickly than a meat-based diet would, which results in less food being eaten.

"[O]besity represents a significant threat to the present and future health of children and leads to a wide range of physical and psychological consequences," write the study authors. "(A) plant-based diet appears to be a sensible approach for the prevention of obesity in children."

The report does not, however, differentiate between meat-based diets that include pastured meats, and meat-based diets that include conventional, feedlot-derived meats. The two differ greatly, as pastured meat contain higher levels of beneficial nutrients than does conventional meat, and is also higher in healthy fats and amino acids like omega-3s (http://www.naturalnews.com/027199_meat_fat_cattle.html).

Also, when choosing a vegetarian diet, it is important to carefully select foods, especially when children are involved, that contain a full profile of necessary vitamins and minerals. Some vegetarian diets lack crucial nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc, iron, and calcium, as well as protein, which is essential for the growth and development of healthy muscle mass.

Source : Natural News

Junk Food Diet Puts Children at Higher Risk of Allergies

Children who have junk food diets are at greater risk of allergies as well as obesity, according to a new study.

Scientists compared youngsters from a rural African village who had diets rich in fibre with another group living in Florence in Italy and found a dramatic difference.

The African children had less obesity-linked bacteria and a greater abundance of fatty acids which protect against inflammation causing asthma, eczema and other allergic reactions.

The diet of the children living in the small village of Boulon in Burkina Faso was similar to that of people living in the modern Western world thousands of years ago, shortly after the birth of agriculture.

It consisted mainly of cereals, beans, nuts and vegetables.

But the Italian children ate higher quantities of meat, fat and sugar.

Only those who were still breast-feeding harboured bacteria resembling the African children's - indicating diet may dominate other factors such as ethnicity, sanitation, geography or climate, say the researchers.

The trillions of microbes that inhabit the human gut are considered an essential 'organ' that helps to digest food, protect against disease-causing bugs and limit inflammation.

Paediatrician Dr Paolo Lionetti, of Florence University, and colleagues said children in industrialised countries who eat low-fibre, high-sugar 'Western' diets may reduce microbial richness - potentially contributing to a rise in allergic and inflammatory diseases in the last half-century.

They said: "Western developed countries successfully controlled infectious diseases during the second half of the last century, by improving sanitation and using antibiotics and vaccines.

"At the same time, a rise in new diseases such as allergic, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) both in adults and in children has been observed, and it is hypothesized that improvements in hygiene together with decreased microbial exposure in childhood are considered responsible for this increase.

"The gastrointestinal microflora plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of IBD and recent studies demonstrate obesity is associated with imbalance in the normal gut microbiota."

The researchers, whose findings are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, added: "The lessons learned from the Burkina Faso children's microbiota prove the importance of sampling and preserving microbial biodiversity from regions where the effects of globalisation on diet are less profound.

"The worldwide diversity of the microbiome from ancient communities, where gastrointestinal infections can make the difference between life and death, represents a goldmine for studies aimed at elucidating the role of gut microbiota on the subtle balance between health and disease and for the development of novel probiotics."

Source : The Telegraph