Vegetarianism; Is It Good For You?

Vegetarianism has grown in popularity in the last few years with greater numbers following it part time or full time. Restaurants and food stores have expanded their selection of meatless dishes and products. The range of Commensal and Yves Veggie products available at Metro shows the impact of vegetarianism on our eating habits. No matter how we feel about vegetarianism, we've all eaten "vegetarian" dishes like salads, cheese sandwiches or pasta with tomato sauce.

Why Do People Become Vegetarians?
There are many reasons and everybody has their own. Some are vegetarians because of their religious beliefs, others for ethical, moral, ecological or economic reasons. Still others become vegetarians to protect or improve their health. But is vegetarianism really better for you than a diet that includes meat? You be the judge.

Basic Principles
Depending on the school of vegetarianism, different foods are stressed: whole grains (wheat, rice, corn) or grain products (pasta, bread, whole grain cereals) and fresh fruits and vegetables. Legumes, nuts, dairy products and eggs are allowed in moderation. Finally, consumption of some foods like sugar, honey, butter, alcohol, coffee is minimal.


Types of Vegetarianism
People practice various degrees of vegetarianism depending on their beliefs and willpower. Here is a summary of the various types of vegetarians.

Semi-vegetarians - Eat no read meat, but will occasionally eat poultry and fish.

pescatarian - Eat no red meat or chicken, only fish and seafood.

Lacto vegetarians - Eat dairy products, but no meat or eggs.

Ovo vegetarians - Eat eggs, but no meat or dairy products.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians - Eat eggs and dairy products, but no meat.

Vegans or strict vegetarians - Eat absolutely no animal products, including honey! Their diet consists mainly of vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, sees and fresh or dried fruits.

Macrobiotics - An oriental-style vegetarian diet based on elements of ancient Chinese philosophy.

Fruitarians - Eat only fresh or dried fruits, although some also eat seeds and nuts.

Vegetarianism's Benefits
First, an essential truth that cannot be stressed enough-a poorly balanced vegetarian diet can be just as injurious to your health as a heavily meat-centred diet. Just because a food is labelled "vegetarian" doesn't mean that it's healthy. Vegetarian foods swimming in oil are anything but "healthy"!

Eating a balanced vegetarian diet however can have definite health benefits. Because it stresses fruits, vegetables and grain products, a vegetarian diet ensures significant quantities of dietary fibre and antioxidants like vitamin C, which are known to help fight various diseases, such as heart disease and certain cancers. However, a balanced regular diet (i.e. non-vegetarian) that includes fruit, vegetable and whole grain products every day can be just as helpful in fighting disease.

Some people believe that it's easier to control one's fat intake, especially of saturated fatty acids, with a vegetarian diet because it's meat-free. This is true if the diet includes only limited quantities of eggs and dairy products since they are high in fat. The chief rule to a healthy, balanced diet; whether vegetarian or regular, is to eat a wide variety of foods in moderation.

Isolating the benefits resulting solely from a vegetarian diet is difficult because most vegetarians have a very healthy lifestyle, shunning alcohol, tobacco, sometimes even coffee and tea. So the benefits noted in various studies of vegetarianism cannot be attributed solely to a meat-free diet but to the overall lifestyle

Vegetarianism's Risks
Practising vegetarianism wisely requires a reasonable knowledge of the subject. Becoming a vegetarian doesn't just mean eliminating meat from one's diet but changing one's eating habits. Simply replacing meat with eggs and cheese isn't enough. Some people mistakenly believe that they've got fat beat because they avoid meat completely while eating large quantities of pastries, cakes and oil.

Vegetarianism doesn't guarantee good nutrition. Even vegetarians can suffer dietary deficiencies. For example, vegetarians run a greater risk of iron, vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin A and D deficiencies, especially vegans and others who eat no dairy products. These deficiencies can lead to various health problems such as anemia. Vitamin B12 deficiency can even result in developmental delay in children. So knowledge of nutritional needs is essential to ensure a well-balanced diet, especially for children and pregnant women. These two groups may need to take dietary supplements to guard against such deficiencies.

Put Tofu on the Menu!
When people think of vegetarianism, they think of tofu. Made from soymilk, tofu is rich in high-quality protein. But compared to meat, tofu has two times less protein, less fat and no cholesterol. Tofu is a good source however of essential fatty acids. There is a lot of talk about tofu's benefits from the phytoestrogens it contains, inactive substances similar to estrogens produced by the ovaries and that intestinal flora turn into active estrogens. They are found in linseed as well as in soybeans, where they are present as isoflavones. According to various studies, isoflavones could reduce menopausal hot flashes and help keep bones and arteries strong and healthy. These benefits can be obtained only through regular consumption of soybean products (tofu, soymilk). Enriched soymilk (calcium, zinc, vitamins B2 and B12) and tofu with calcium (calcium sulphate) deliver maximum nutrients.

Meat delivers complete protein, so foods containing vegetable proteins, such as tofu, are a vegetarian's best friends. Nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy products and eggs are excellent sources of protein.

Combining Proteins
Unlike animal protein, no vegetable protein contains all 8 essential amino acids, so-called because they cannot be produced by the body but have to be obtained from the food we eat. That is why the theory of "protein complementarity" was developed, whereby various foods from plant sources are combined to complete amino acids. It is widely accepted nowadays, with the proviso that it does not have to be strictly applied to each meal, except for children and pregnant women. People who eat a balanced and varied diet will automatically get their recommended daily allowance of protein. Proteins from dairy products, seeds and nuts, legumes and grains are complementary. Two examples of complementary combinations are a slice of bread (grain) spread with peanut butter (legume) or pasta (grain) with cheese (dairy product).

Conclusion
Eating more fruit, vegetable, complete grains and legumes is good for everyone, not just vegetarians. These foods provide many vitamins and minerals that help maintain good health. Variety is the key to a healthy diet. So even meat-eaters should consider adding lentils, tofu or chickpeas to their diet as a great way to increase their intake of dietary fibre and reduce their fat intake.

There are good vegetarian diets just as there are bad ones. Whatever a person's diet, the important thing is to get enough food energy, proteins, carbohydrates and fat.

Article courtesy of Metro.ca

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You Really Are What You Eat

Recent dietary research has uncovered 14 different nutrient-dense foods that time and again promote good overall health. Coined "superfoods," they tend to have fewer calories, higher levels of vitamins and minerals, and many disease-fighting antioxidants.

Beans (legumes), berries (especially blueberries), broccoli, green tea, nuts (especially walnuts), oranges, pumpkin, salmon. soy, spinach, tomatoes, turkey, whole grains and oats, and yogurt can all help stop and even reverse diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and some forms of cancer. And where one might have an effect on a certain part of the body, it can also affect the health of other body functions and performance, since the whole body is connected. With these 14 foods as the base of a balanced, solid diet, weight loss gimmicks and other fly-by-night programs can become a thing of the past in your life.

Conversely, the ill-effects of an unbalanced diet are several and varied. Low energy levels, mood swings, tired all the time, weight change, uncomfortable with body are just a few signs that your diet is unbalanced. An unbalanced diet can cause problems with maintenance of body tissues, growth and development, brain and nervous system function, as well as problems with bone and muscle systems.
Symptoms of malnutrition include lack of energy, irritability, a weakened immune system leading to frequent colds or allergies, and mineral depletion that can trigger a variety of health concerns including anemia.

And since the body is connected, realizing that an unhealthy body will result in an unhealthy spirit only makes sense. When we nourish our body with these superfoods and complement them with other nutrient-dense and healthy fresh foods, our spirit will be vitalized and healthy as a direct result.

Many modern diets based on prepackaged convenience foods are sorely lacking in many vitamins and minerals, which can affect our mental capacities as well, and cause irritability, confusion, and the feeling of 'being in a fog' all the time.

Superfoods can be the basis of a sound, healthy, nutritious solution to curing many of these ailments and more.Lastly don't forget to drink plenty of water. That is also very important since the human body is made up of nearly 90% water. Most of the time we get hunger pains, its because our bodies crave water not food at the time. It is especially important when you lose water such as sweating and urination, you must put that water back in to stay hydrated.

My Fitness Forever is the number 1 directory for everything fitness. We cover it all from Sports, Health, Weight Training, Vitamins & Supplements.

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How to make risotto

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10 Really Good Reasons Why to Buy Organic

1. ORGANIC FOOD TASTES GREAT!

It's common sense-well-balanced soils grow strong healthy plants which taste better. Simply try an organic orange or vine ripened tomato for a sweet and juicy flavor treat! Recent research indicates organic foods may contain more nutrients as well.

Great chefs just can't get enough of it. Across the continent many leading restaurant chefs are using organic produce. Many have joined together in "Chefs Collaborative 2000" designed to encourage production of superior tasting foods through sound environmental practices

You get delicious, nutritious foods when you buy certified organic products- an everyday practice that's also good for Mother Earth

2. CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCTS CARRY A GUARANTEE

Starting in 1996, all food products labeled organic must be in compliance with the US organic law. Certification is the public's guarantee that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without toxic chemical inputs. Farmers and processors alike must keep detailed records. All practices and procedures are annually inspected by a third-party certifier. All farms and handlers are required to maintain organic management plans. No prohibited substances are applied to the land on which organic food is grown for at least three years.

3. ORGANIC PRODUCTION REDUCES HEALTH RISKS

Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency considers as potentially cancer causing 60% of all herbicides (weed killers), 90% of all fungicides (mold killers), and 30% of all insecticides (insect killers).

Children, farmers and farm workers are particularly vulnerable. According to the 1933 National Academy of Sciences study Pesticides in the Diet of Infants and Children, pesticide regulation and monitoring are outdated and flawed. Risk assessment is based on adult consumption, assuming exposure to only one pesticide at a time. IT does not take into consideration our multiple exposures to chemicals in water, rug shampoos, common household cleaners, flea powders and dozens of substances common in our modern environment. The 1993 report Pesticides in Children's Food stated that, "the average child exceeds the EPA lifetime on-in-a-million risk standard [of cancer] by his or her first birthday."

Reducing the number of exposures to all toxic chemicals should be everyone's goal.

4. ORGANIC FARMERS BUILD SOIL

Soil is the foundation of the food chain and the primary focus of organic farming. By building healthy soil, plants are better able to resist disease and insects. Each small piece of living soil contains thousands of microorganisms which help retain water and provide nutrients to the plants. Organic farmers foster soil fertility through proper tillage and crop rotation.

Chemical-intensive agricultural practices result in farms with deal soil so lacking in nutrients it requires large amounts of fertilizer. Reduced organic matter diminishes the soil's ability to retain moisture. The result is expensive irrigation using ever larger amounts of water. The resulting runoff takes the soil and chemicals with it.

We're facing the worst topsoil erosion in history due to our current agricultural practice of chemical intensive, mono-crop farming. The U.S. Soil Conservation Service estimates over 3 billion tons of topsoil are eroded from the U.S. crop lands each year, 25 billion tons globally. "Sediment loading" in streams is a major factor in the decline of our fish population. One third of all fish species nationwide are threatened or endangered.

5. ORGANIC FARMS RESPECT OUR WATER RESOURCES

Water makes up two-thirds of our human body mass. It covers three-quarters of our plant. While it may seem that there's and unlimited supply of clean water, consider the current status report:

The EPA has found 98 different pesticides in the groundwater of 40 states, contaminating the drinking water of over 100 million people. The agency has identified agriculture as the number one non-point polluter nationwide.

The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, coupled with soil-building efforts, protects and conserves water resources from nitrogen contamination and sediment loading. Organic agriculture requires less water because the humus in its living soil retains moisture.

6. ORGANIC PRODUCERS LEAD IN INNOVATIVE RESEARCH

Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticides and minimizing agriculture's impact on the environment. Organic agriculture's best known production techniques include:

Cover cropping (green manure)
Use of beneficial insects
Crop rotation and diversification
Botanical and biological pest control
Composting
Close observation of natural soil, plant and wildlife systems
Cultural and mechanical weed control

Organic farming is not taught in standard textbooks. Farmers trying to shy away from the 42 billion pounds of petrochemicals applied each year on food and fiber crops could find it difficult. Fortunately, a network of thoughtful farmers share on-farm research through journals, conferences, electronic mail and, in some states, through the Land Grant colleges.

7. ORGANIC FARMING HELPS KEEP RURAL COMMUNITIES HEALTHY

Rural communities across the nation have watched employment shrink, family farms nearly disappear and a sense of future for the young move towards the cities. Many organic producers are independently owned and operated family farms- a nearly extinct breed in this country. In the last decade the U.S. has lost more than 650,000 family farms- 175 farms per day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts that by the year 2000, half the US farm production will come from 1% farms.

Organic farming, often done on smaller acreage farmed more intensively, is one of the few survival tactics left for the family farm and the rural community.

8. ORGANIC PRODUCERS STRIVE TO PRESERVE DIVERSITY

President Clinton has placed the loss of biodiversity (the existence of a large variety of species) at the very top of his environmental concerns. Just a few years ago, the biodiversity was not a common topic. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been aware of the problems for decades, collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties. "This living treasures of seeds", says Kenny Ausubel in Seeds of Change, "comprises billions of years of evolution and at least twelve thousand years of human selection for agriculture."

9. ORGANIC FARMERS WORK IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

We are just beginning to understand the impact of chemical-intensive agricultural practices on the environment. Organic agriculture represents the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: birds and beneficial insects control pests; wild life is an essential part of a total farm and encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands and other natural areas.

When you buy organic produce, you're helping farmers build a healthy environment for wildlife.

10. ORGANIC ABUNDANCE - FOODS AND NON FOODS ALIKE!

In the past decade, we've seen exciting developments in organic production of many food items, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains to name a few.

The most visible non-food item is cotton. the one crop most experts said could not be grown organically. Cotton is sprayed with more toxic pesticides, in greater amounts, than any other crop in the nation. In California's San Joaquin Valley alone, 100,000 acres are sprayed annually. Yet, once again, organic farmers are showing that it can be done, and done profitably.

Purchasing organic today ensures more organic choices tomorrow.

Article written by living-foods.com

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Tips For Using A Popcorn Machine

The taste of popped kernels from a popcorn machine is an extra special treat. Many organizations and schools keep these machines on hand for special events. They are often taken out of storage to sell bags to make money as a fundraiser. There are basics that need to be known to properly utilize these machines.

A great deal of the time these machines are used at events where children are present. It is sometimes children who are selling the tasty treat. The unit should never be used without adult supervision. It produced quite a bit of heat during the popping process. Touching the metal can cause burns to the skin. The metal does not cool down quickly between cycles.

The placement of the popper is important. It needs to be placed on a level surface or it could tip over. The surface must also be able to handle the heat produced from the unit. The area must also be one where if oils or popcorn are spilled that it will not cause permanent damage. The table must be strong enough to hold the weight of the unit.

These poppers have different needs than those of a small home based unit. They will work better if only specific products are used in them. There are companies that sell packages of oils and kernels for them. They are measured to meet a specific kettle size. They also have the unique flavorings and salty taste people expect.

The kettle and holding area needs to be kept clean. Kernels that did not pop and scraps of popcorn need to be removed. Oils that are left overtime can make it unsanitary to use it. Cleaning is part of proper maintenance that will keep in it functioning properly. Directions should have come with the popper which explains how to keep in clean.

The adult who is in charge of using the machine for an event will want to be properly trained on its use. The technique is not difficult to master. Someone who has used it before ought to take to the time to go through the basic of its operation with someone new. Proper training will help to make sure that the tasty treat is made without anyone getting burned.

Selling bags of fluffy popped kernels can be an effective an easy way to raise funds or just to provide a special treat to a large group. A popcorn machine is not hard to use once someone has gotten proper instruction. Using the right products and caring for it properly are important to the effectiveness of using it.

If you want to find out more about the popcorn machine or the popcorn popper, please call us or visit popcornmachine2go.com

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