Don't Be A Lazy Vegetarian

Vegetarianism has become big business. The shelves of our supermarkets are full of products aimed at the vegetarian. They all look so convenient and we all need to save time. We are inevitably tempted to be a bit lazy sometimes and cut corners.

But vegetarians need to be aware what is in those handy little packages or they could be putting their health at risk. So don't be a lazy vegetarian in the supermarket: read those labels.

You need to check how much sugar is in the product, how much fat and whether refined carbohydrates have been used. A little bit of refined flour, the occasional sweet or fatty treat are not in themselves bad for a vegetarian. But these substances become a problem when they make up a large part of the vegetarian diet.

Even a vegetarian can get fat if they eat enough fat, sugar and refined carbohydrate. As a vegetarian, you should train your palate and that of your children to expect less of these foods and the instant sugar rush that goes with them.

Many of the fats used in commercial vegetarian foods are what is called transfatty acids. These are associated with an elevated risk of cancer. So even if the fats used in a vegetarian product are derived from vegetable sources they may have been modified so much in the manufacturing process that they are no longer healthy.

Of course, vegetarians lead busy lives and there are times when we need a quick snack or a meal in hurry. In these situations opt for healthy alternative. A bowl of whole meal cereal will fill that hungry gap before the evening meal when you come home. Keep a good range of fresh fruits on hand. This is natural grab and go vegetarian food.

Vegetarian food does not always take a long time to cook and prepare. Red split lentils take 10 minutes to cook and can become the basis of all kinds of curries, soups, stews and burgers.

If you keep some cooked pulse on hand in the fridge you can rustle up a vegetarian meal very quickly. Or cook twice as much as you need when you have the time and freeze it for later. A little planning allows a vegetarian to be lazy in a healthy way.

May be when you feel that vegetarian cooking it just too slow you should ask yourself "What's the hurry?" Vegetarian food should not be a quick refueling stop. Set out a platter of vegetable sticks and olives with a hummous dip. Cut up a loaf of whole meal bread. Take time to discuss the events of the day. By the time you have done that your main vegetarian meal of the evening will be ready.

The Importance Of Eating A Healthful Vegetarian Diet

So often when people say they are vegetarian they mean that they do not eat meat. But being a vegetarian is about more than just not eating meat. It is possible to be a vegetarian in the sense of not eating meat and eat a very unhealthy diet indeed.

A vegetarian diet may be high in cholesterol if it relies too much on cheese and eggs. It may be low in fibre if it is based on refined grain products like white bread, white pasta and white rice. If it lacks fresh vegetables you diet will be deficient in vitamins and minerals. You may vegetarian but you may not be eating a healthful vegetarian diet.

Going vegetarian is about more than just not eating meat. It means taking a positive decision to eat a wide range of foods that provide a balanced mixture of nutrients.

It is important to plan the change to a vegetarian diet. This may mean buying some new equipment for your kitchen. If you are used to eating convenience foods you may need to buy some basic items.

The next step is to plan your meals. Not all vegetarian meals rely on cheese, eggs and milk for protein. These are useful ingredients in a vegetarian diet but not by any means essential. It is perfectly possible to get enough protein by combining grains with pulse such as peas, beans and lentils. A bowl of lentil soup with a slice of bread provides all the essential amino you need. Chili beans and rice combine in the same way to create what is called a complete protein.

A diet based on pulses and whole grains has the immense of advantage of providing you with enough fibre. This is important to maintain colon health. Cancer of the colon is most common among people who eat a diet based on over-refined processed foods. Fibre is one of the key ingredients in a healthful vegetarian diet.

Switching to a high fibre diet takes a little time. Your body needs to adjust. So take things slowly at first.

A healthful vegetarian diet based on whole grains, pulses, nuts, fruits, and vegetables will also be good for your heart as it is low in fat. The fats you use in vegetarian cooking should be vegetable fats and oils such as olive oil, coconut oil or groundnut oil. There is no reason to exclude butter from a vegetarian diet especially if most of the fat you are consuming is of vegetable origin.

One of the great things about a healthful vegetarian diet is that it helps to maintain you weight at the right level. You will still pile on the pounds if you binge on ice cream but a really healthful vegetarian diet leaves you feeling satisfied so that you are less likely to overindulge in sweet things.

When Milk Is Not A Healthy Food

Milk is often praised as a perfect food which contains all the protein, fats and minerals that are needed for a healthy life. It is often recommended that we drink a pint of milk a day.

Milk is, after all, the only food for the young of mammals. It seems natural that we should rely on it and other dairy produce manufactured from milk as a source of nutrition.

But matters are not so straightforward. Cows' milk is not a natural food for human beings. For human infants it can be harmful unless modified as it is infant formula.

Older children can often tolerate milk, but many adults lose the stomach enzyme that allows them to digest milk. In northern latitudes many adults retain that enzyme and they can digest milk. But in other parts of the world adults seldom have the ability to do so. As societies become more diverse it is not uncommon to encounter individuals who cannot tolerate milk in their diet.

Even those of us who can drink milk need to be aware of health concerns that are linked to a high consumption of milk and dairy produce. Full cream milk can help to raise the body's level of cholesterol because it contains animal fat. This is even more true of cheese, butter and cream, which contain a higher proportion of fat.

Skimmed milk may be answer to this problem but a high consumption of dairy foods has been associated with various forms of cancer. Breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer have all been linked to dairy foods. A Harvard study showed that if too much dairy produce is consumed the body's enzymes may not be able to break down the lactose that milk contains. This can build up in the blood stream and contribute to cancer formation in the body's organs.

Milk produced under modern factory farming conditions is a long way from the milk that used to be available. Cows do not necessarily graze on grass. They may be kept indoors and fed on concentrates. This has several consequences for their milk. Milk from grass fed cattle is typically high in vitamin D. But milk from cattle reared indoors is not.

Vitamin D is essential if we are to utilize calcium in bone growth and repair. We may be drinking milk in the belief that it helps us avoid osteoporosis when in fact it does not. Milk is not a reliable source of either vitamin D or calcium.

Milk can also contain high levels of hormones such as IGF-I. This substance has been linked to a number of cancers.

It is possible to avoid milk and still obtain sufficient nutrients from a variety of other sources. Leafy green vegetables and whole grains are a good source of calcium. Vegetables such as carrots are a good source of vitamin D. Soya products contain no animal fat and are often fortified with both vitamin D and calcium.

Can You Really Switch To Vegetarianism During Your Pregnancy?

Pregnancy brings a new responsibility. You have charge of the health and well being of another human being. For many of us it is the time when we give up high risk activities like drinking and smoking. A major change in diet sounds risky too, but changing to a vegetarian diet in pregnancy really should not be seen in that light. Taken slowly and sensibly changing to vegetarianism during pregnancy is quite safe.

You should, of course, discuss your diet and any changes you plan to make to it with your health care professional. If they see that you are taking the process seriously they will probably be supportive of your decision to change to vegetarianism during pregnancy.

If you approach becoming a vegetarian seriously it will benefit both you and your baby. A typical vegetarian eats far less junk food than most people. They are more likely to prepare meals from basic ingredients and to consume a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts, pulses and grains than people who eat processed food. If you are not totally vegan then you will also be eating dairy produce such as milk and cheese and eggs. That should ensure you a balanced diet.

In pregnancy a woman has special dietary needs. A pregnant woman only needs about 300 extra calories a day and between 10 and 16 grams of extra protein. But it is important to ensure that you get enough folic acid, iron, zinc and vitamin B-12. Leafy green vegetables are useful here. As a vegetarian you will probably get more of these than on a typical modern diet. Your health professional will be on the look out for deficiencies. It will help them to know that you are vegetarian. Discuss whether you need dietary supplements.

Going vegetarian presents your body with many challenges. So it is important to take it slowly. This is true at any time, but it is especially true when you plan to go vegetarian during pregnancy. The best advice is to take it slowly. Make the transition gradually by eating vegetarian one or two days a week at first. This allows your body to detoxify itself slowly.

Taking things step by step also allows you to introduce new sources of protein into your diet gradually. It will give you chance to learn how to use plant based proteins like soya. There's an art to making a good tofu burger or a tasty lentil soup. Changing your shopping habits takes time too.

Something else to consider when changing to a vegetarian diet during pregnancy is the need for exercise and sunlight. Sunlight is necessary for your body to manufacture its own vitamin D. A dietary supplement may be necessary depending where you live and the time of year.

At any time the transition to vegetarianism should be about achieving a healthy life style. This is especially true when the change to vegetarianism is made during pregnancy. Going vegetarian during pregnancy is perfectly possible provided that you do so carefully and in consultation with your health professional. Above all listen to your own body. The transition to vegetarianism during your pregnancy can be beneficial to both you and your baby.

Vegetarians and Non-Vegetarians can Enjoy Tofu

Tofu is often a object of fun. Those who have never eaten it often laugh at it. Even some vegetarians hesitate to try it because they fear that they may be ridiculed or simply do not know how to cook it.

But tofu is a highly nutritious food that can be cooked in variety of delicious ways. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians can enjoy it. What is more it has proven health benefits.

Tofu comes in two forms. There is silken tofu which you will find on the supermarket shelf with oriental foods. Silken tofu can be kept for a long time without refrigeration if the packet is unopened. Once opened it must be stored in the fridge.

You will find regular tofu in the chiller department of you supermarket. It usually comes in a plastic vacuum pack.

Both kinds of tofu come in a white block. It looks something like cheese. Silken tofu is widely used in Japanese cooking but both kinds of tofu can be used in most dishes that call for tofu.

When you taste tofu you will discover that there is no comparison with cheese. it tastes of nothing. That is the secret of cooking tofu. You are adding the flavor. The advantage is that tofu is endlessly adaptable. It takes on the flavor of the herbs, spices and vegetables with which it is cooked.

You can use it in stir fries by cutting it into little cubes. Flavor it with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, chilies or whatever you like to add to your favorite stir fry. If you keep a block of silken tofu in the store cupboard you will always have something make a stir fry in a hurry.

Tofu can also be used for salad dressings and creamy sauces for savory or sweet dishes. Throw either kind in the food processor with the flavorings you want to use. For a salad dressing choose garlic, lemon juice, honey or herbs. if you make the same dressing thicker it can be used as a spread or dip.

You might like to try it as a filling in baked potato. Roasted vegetables with a tofu dip make a delicious first course or snack meal.

A thick paste of tofu can even be made into a burger and served in a bun. It is an ideal vegetarian option for the barbecue.

For a sweet sauce add some honey, cinnamon perhaps, nutmeg, even chocolate or pureed fruit. You can use the same mixture for a cheesecake recipe if you make it a little stiffer than you would for a sauce. A few chopped nuts sprinkled on top add a variety of texture.

Tofu is a very healthy food. It is low in fat and contains no animal fat at all. It will not raise your cholesterol levels and is reputed to play a part in raising the level of "good" cholesterol.

The isoflavones found in soya based products such as tofu are thought to play a part in reducing the risk of cancer because they combat free radicals in the body.

Whether you use tofu as part of a vegetarian diet or a non-vegetarian diet it is a food worthy trying.

Vegetarianism And Cancer: The Evidence

Vegetarianism has the reputation of being a healthy diet because it is low in fat and high in vegetable products and fibre. An increasing number of scientific studies are showing that a vegetarian diet can help to prevent cancer and can assist the body to recover from cancer when combined with chemo-therapy or radiation therapy.

A vegetarian diet is not an alternative to conventional forms of treatment. It would be unwise to reject medical treatments that have been shown to work. Only the irresponsible would recommend a cancer patient to reject conventional medical treatment.

What a vegetarian diet can do for a patient who is undergoing cancer treatment is to help their body cope with the side effects. A diet high in natural fruit and vegetable juices will provide the body with important nutrients that help the natural healing process.

Patients who adopt a vegetarian diet often report an improvement in their general outlook and their attitude to the disease. In part this may be because they are eating a nutrient rich diet.

But the psychological effect of switching to a vegetarian diet can be as important as the nutritional value. Cancer patients suffer from a feeling of loss of control because their whole life becomes dominated by a complex regime of treatment that is in the hands of specialists. When they change to a vegetarian diet they regain their sense of control over their own lives.

The effect of psychology on disease should never be underestimated. It is well documented in the medical literature as the placebo effect. Feeling better should not be dismissed in cancer treatment. Vegetarianism will do not harm and it may do some good.

But it is in cancer prevention that the benefits of vegetarianism are most thoroughly documented. A diet which contains many soya based products has been shown to be associated with a low risk of cancer. Breast cancer in particular is very rare among women who eat a soy based diet. Vegetarianism is the soy based diet par excellence.

Diets which are high in meat, especially red meat like beef, has been shown to be associated with a higher incidence of colon cancer. Animal fat may also be associated with a higher level of breast cancer in younger women. Dairy products may be associated with an elevated risk of ovarian cancer.

A vegetarian diet alone can never eliminate the risk of cancer because there are so many environmental and genetic factors involved. But it can reduce the risk because it is high in fruit and vegetables that contain substances called flavonoids and other antioxidants that destroy the free radicals which can cause cancer.

Free radicals are molecules that damage the DNA of cells. We are exposed to free radicals through pollution as well as diet so they are almost impossible to avoid. But by eating a vegetarian diet that is rich in fruit in vegetables we can help our bodies to resist their effects.

What Does A Vegan Use Instead Of Gelatin

So many dishes are made with gelatin. They include many summer favorites. Both sweet and savory dishes have been based on gelatin.

Children love fruit flavored gelatin based dishes such as jello. A more adult dinner table can be graced with a salad in a gelatin mould. Mousses and cheesecakes can both call for gelatin.

So what can a vegan or a strict vegetarian use who wants to avoid animal products? Even meat eaters may wish to use an alternative to gelatin for health reasons.

Gelatin is derived from beef or pork. Cooks sometimes make their own by boiling bones or pigs' trotters but most often it is bought in powder form ready made in packets. It can then simply be added to water that is just below boiling point. This provides the basis for a whole range of jellied dishes.

A vegan or vegetarian can use rice starch, arrowroot or potato starch for some of these dishes. A fruit or vegetable flan can be covered in a jelly like glaze by blending a little of one of these products with water and then adding it to boiling water. It is important to stir the mixture vigorously to prevent lumps forming. If lumps do form use a food processor to remove them.

But for a molded jelly shape you will need something different. A seaweed based product called agar-agar is the thing to use here. This can be bought in powder form and added to hot water just like gelatin. It is even available to buy it in flavored forms that will make the traditional jello that children and many adults love.

Be careful not to keep an agar-agar jelly too long. They should be eaten on the same day as they are made because they provide an ideal environment for bacteria to grow.

But they are quick to make and quicker than gelatin to set. So it is not really a problem to make one quickly just before you need it.

In powder form agar- agar will keep for months. That makes it a good stand by to keep in your store cupboard.

Many non-vegetarians will find it useful to keep some handy for visiting vegetarians. In many ways it is easier to use than gelatin which can easily go "stringy" if the water used is too hot. Agar-agar is almost fool proof.