Healthy eating for vegetarians and vegans
Zaak OConan

Study after study has revealed the importance of a balanced diet to good health. Eating a balanced diet, one that is rich in all the various minerals and vitamins needed for a healthy body, can present quite a challenge for vegetarians and vegans.

That is because maintaining a good balanced diet in the absence of one entire food group, such as meat and poultry, can be difficult. Meat and other animal products contain significant amounts of important nutrients, such as protein, calcium and B vitamins.

Vegan diets present an even larger problem, since vegans go a step farther and eliminate dairy products and eggs as well as meat. Vegans in particular often have trouble getting the vitamin B12 they need and often must rely on vitamin supplements for this important nutrient.

Of course that does not mean that vegetarians and vegans cannot enjoy good health. Many vegetarians and vegans can and do enjoy levels of health much better than their carnivorous peers. It simply means that vegetarians need to pay somewhat closer attention to their dietary needs, and to be on the lookout for signs of dietary deficiencies. The key to a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet, as with all types of diets, is practicing moderation, eating a variety of foods, and keeping nutritional needs in balance.

One of the most frequently cited concerns by family members and friends of vegetarians and vegans is how they will get the protein they need from a diet devoid of animal flesh. However, getting sufficient protein is usually not a concern for vegetarians, since most American diets tend to contain more protein than they need.

Vegetarians who eat dairy products can get all the protein they need from dairy products, from soy based products and from beans, nuts, lentils and seeds. There are many non animal sources of protein, so most vegetarians should not have a problem getting sufficient protein.

Even vegans, who eschew all animal based products, even milk and dairy products, typically do not have a problem with protein deficiency. That is because nuts, seeds, lentils, pinto beans, split peas, soybeans, garbanzo beans, black beans, white beans, kidney beans, navy beans and many more all have lots of protein.

Vegan meals are often rich in tofu and other soy based products, and these products contain sufficient protein to meet the needs of most vegans. In addition, the many bean based vegan recipes are excellent sources of protein. For instance, a cup of cooked beans contains the same amount of protein as a two ounce serving of meat.

As with protein, nutritional deficiencies are generally of no more concern to vegetarians than they are to the general population. Vegetarians who follow a balanced, nutritious diet should have no problem meeting their daily nutritional needs.

Vegans on the other hand, are more susceptible than vegetarians to nutritional deficiencies, particularly vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D. That is because the most common sources of these important nutrients are all animal based, either meat or dairy products.

Of these three nutrients, the hardest to replace on a vegan diet is vitamin B12. The primary sources of vitamin B12 in the diet are all animal based. For this reason, vegans are generally advised to take vitamin B12 supplement, or to eat foods that have been fortified with vitamin B12. There are a number of such foods on the market, including nutritional yeast and soy milk.

Calcium is also a concern for vegans, since the primary sources of dietary calcium are milk and other dairy products. Again, calcium fortified foods such as some soy milk and certain cereals are important to maintaining a healthy vegan diet. The same is true of vitamin D, another primarily animal based nutrient.

The bottom line is that it is possible to maintain excellent health while avoiding meat and dairy products. The key is to follow a well balanced diet, get plenty of exercise, and make smart food choices.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

Tags: Absence Of One, American Diets, animal based products, Animal Flesh, Animal Products, Animal Sources Of Protein, Author, B Vitamins, dairy products;, Dietary Deficiencies, Eating A Balanced Diet, Food Group, food;, Good Health, Importance Of A Balanced Diet, Lentils, Meat And Poultry, Minerals And Vitamins, Nutritional Deficiencies, protein deficiency, Smart Food Choices, Sources Of Protein, Vegan Diet, Vegan Diets, Vegans, Vegetarians, Vitamin D, Vitamin Supplements —

Healthy Dieting Tips
Elizabeth Harfleet

Effective dieting is all about changing long term eating habits
rather than cutting down excessively on food in intermittent
bursts. As well as eating a healthy and balanced diet that is
low in fat and refined sugar, there are a number of other things
that you can do to help you shift those extra pounds and ensure
that they stay gone for good.

Here are some top tips to help you do just that:

1.Avoid going shopping when you are hungry. 2.When you go
shopping write a list in advance and stick to it so that you do
not buy calorific treats.

3.Always eat breakfast containing complex carbohydrates to help
fight mid morning sugar lows

4.When you feel peckish drink a glass of water instead of
reaching for a snack; you may find that it stops you feeling
hungry.

5.Avoid going shopping when you are hungry

6.Watch fat content in prepared foods. Try not to eat food with
more than 4% fat.

7.Take some form of exercise every day. It is very easy to fit
this into your daily routine by looking for opportunities to
walk rather than drive.

8.For the best results, exercise early in the morning (ideally
before lunch). Aim to exercise for twenty to thirty minutes at
least three times a week.

9.Ask friends to give chocolates a miss on your birthday or at
Christmas. 10.Alcohol is full of calories. You can try and limit
your alcohol intake by interspersing alcoholic drinks with soft
ones on nights out.

11.Weigh yourself no more than once a week in the morning before
eating or drinking.

12.Avoid going shopping when you are hungry

13.Take a Vitamin B complex as B vitamins are used for efficient
fat metabolism.

14.Don’t set yourself unrealistic targets, they will only make
you feel depressed. Stick to the weight height guidelines set
out by the NHS.

15.Watch out for food claiming to be fat free or virtually fat
free. Although they might not contain much fat they are often
loaded with sugar.

About the author:

Elizabeth Harfleet is a nutritional therapist based in Manchester
UK

Tags: Alcohol Intake, Alcoholic Drinks, Author, B Vitamins, Christmas, Complex Carbohydrates, Daily Routine, Eating Habits, Elizabeth Harfleet, Fat Content, food claiming, food;, Glass Of Water, Going Shopping, Healthy And Balanced Diet, Healthy Dieting Tips, Intermittent Bursts, Least Three Times, Lows, Manchester, Metabolism, Mid Morning, NHS, Nutritional Therapist, Prepared Foods, Refined Sugar, United Kingdom, Vitamin B Complex —

Balanced Diet: Know More on Healthy and Nutritional Balanced Diet!
Jasdeep Singh

In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very simple but it is indeed really difficult to practice it. We eat too many processed foods or we tend to miss some meals. Some of us even smoke or drink alcohol. We also choose food on the basis of the taste. This not only make us overeat but also we ignore rich nutrient food items which we feel have bad taste. Foods lose substantial nutritional value during storage. There are many such factors which rob us of the nutrients we need for the maintenance of general well being.

We all talk of balanced diet, but how many of us really know the actual meaning of the balanced diet? Balanced Diet is a diet which has adequate amount of all nutrients required for healthy growth and activity. Sounds simple!

We have divided food into five groups on the basis of their nutrient content which are the most integral part of balanced diet.

Group One :

Wheat, Rice and Cereals. They are major sources of starch, carbohydrates, B-Vitamins and fibre.

Recommended Servings : 6-8 servings daily.

Group Two :

Dairy products. They are major sources of calcium , protein and vitamins (A,B2, B6, B12 and D).

Recommended Servings : 2-4 daily.

Group Three :

Fruits and Vegetables. They are major sources of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fibre.

Recommended Servings : 4-6 daily.

Group Four :

Meat, Fish, Poultry and Pulses. They are major sources od protein, Vitamin B12 , zinc and iron.

Recommended Servings : 2-3 daily

Group Five :

Fats, Oils and Sugar. They are major source of energy in our body.

Recommended Servings: Should be barely adequate.

Recommended servings of each group daily comprises a balanced. Now does it still look simple? To make it worse, our hectic life schedules make it more difficult for us to achieve this goal. Hence it has become a challenge now. We cant ignore this vital part of our life too. So we should better gear up for it!

Random Tip: Eating fruits increases your immunity against the development of age-related maculopathy and eye diseases.

About the Author

About the Author: Jasdeep Singh

For http://weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.

Also get free sample low carb recipes at http://weightloss-health.com/low_carb_recipes.htm

Tags: Author, B Vitamins, Bad Taste, Balanced Diet, dairy products;, Diet Group, Drink Alcohol, energy;, Fast Paced World, Fats Oils, Food Items, food;, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Good Nutrition, Hectic Life, Nutrient Content, nutrient food items, Nutritional Value, Processed Foods, Source Of Energy, Sources Of Calcium, Sources Of Starch, Vitamin B12, Vitamins Minerals —