vegetarian world
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Do Vegetarians Need Extra Nutrients
Believe it or not you can eat a vegetarian diet and still not be healthy. After all, there are no meat products in Ring Dings, I think. If you have chosen a vegetarian diet because you want to eat healthier you will have to work a little harder to get the nutrients you need. There wont be many changes that have to be made, just a few to make sure that your vegetarian nutrients are healthy.
Sometimes people who hear of your vegetarian diet will criticize your food choices and try to advise you of your nutritional intake. Be assured though that you should only have to make some minor adjustments to ensure all your nutritional needs are met. Keep in mind that you will need protein and other nutrients in amounts large enough so that leaving out meat products will not have an adverse effect on your diet. .Protein is necessary for our body to grow and to repair itself. Nutritionists tell us that twenty percent of our diet should be protein.
What are some of the ways a vegetarian can get protein into their diet without meat? The most well known vegetarian food is probably the versatile soybean. Soybean is used in the production of soymilk, tofu and tempeh. These products are a wonderful addition to any vegetarian diet and contain no animal products at all. You can find many products made from soy that can be a wonderful replacement for their meat counterparts.
Soy chicken and soy meat products have come a long way from the old days. Many of the chicken products are indistinguishable from real chicken. You can probably even pass some of these off as chicken to your non-vegetarian friends and they wont be able to tell. These products are perfect for someone who has come to vegetarianism after living a diet that includes meat. There will be a relatively easy transition with the use of these fake meat products.
A lot of people think you need to eat meat to get an adequate amount of iron in your diet. Iron is a vital nutrient and it can be found in spinach - think Popeye. Unless you are extremely low in iron, you don't need to supplement your diet with an iron pill. Excess iron can be harmful to your health. Caution should be used when adding any dietary supplement. Your diet should supply you with all the necessary nutrients.
Supplements can be a good way to make sure that you are getting everything you need in your diet. Of course, they are not necessary if your diet is rich in everything that your body requires. A good multi vitamin is a solution if you are lacking in any particular vitamin or mineral. You do not have to go to the vitamin store and purchase one of everything they have for sale. You can get away with taking a daily multivitamin that is formulated for vegetarians and you should be fine.
If you are careful and plan your diet to be healthy and filled with vegetarian nutrients rich foods then you should have no problem getting the daily requirements of your body fulfilled.
Visit vegetarian diet to learn more about being vegetarian at www.vegetariandiet.us We cover a lot of information on this topic.
source : http://www.free-articles.neutronmarketing.com
Sometimes people who hear of your vegetarian diet will criticize your food choices and try to advise you of your nutritional intake. Be assured though that you should only have to make some minor adjustments to ensure all your nutritional needs are met. Keep in mind that you will need protein and other nutrients in amounts large enough so that leaving out meat products will not have an adverse effect on your diet. .Protein is necessary for our body to grow and to repair itself. Nutritionists tell us that twenty percent of our diet should be protein.
What are some of the ways a vegetarian can get protein into their diet without meat? The most well known vegetarian food is probably the versatile soybean. Soybean is used in the production of soymilk, tofu and tempeh. These products are a wonderful addition to any vegetarian diet and contain no animal products at all. You can find many products made from soy that can be a wonderful replacement for their meat counterparts.
Soy chicken and soy meat products have come a long way from the old days. Many of the chicken products are indistinguishable from real chicken. You can probably even pass some of these off as chicken to your non-vegetarian friends and they wont be able to tell. These products are perfect for someone who has come to vegetarianism after living a diet that includes meat. There will be a relatively easy transition with the use of these fake meat products.
A lot of people think you need to eat meat to get an adequate amount of iron in your diet. Iron is a vital nutrient and it can be found in spinach - think Popeye. Unless you are extremely low in iron, you don't need to supplement your diet with an iron pill. Excess iron can be harmful to your health. Caution should be used when adding any dietary supplement. Your diet should supply you with all the necessary nutrients.
Supplements can be a good way to make sure that you are getting everything you need in your diet. Of course, they are not necessary if your diet is rich in everything that your body requires. A good multi vitamin is a solution if you are lacking in any particular vitamin or mineral. You do not have to go to the vitamin store and purchase one of everything they have for sale. You can get away with taking a daily multivitamin that is formulated for vegetarians and you should be fine.
If you are careful and plan your diet to be healthy and filled with vegetarian nutrients rich foods then you should have no problem getting the daily requirements of your body fulfilled.
Visit vegetarian diet to learn more about being vegetarian at www.vegetariandiet.us We cover a lot of information on this topic.
source : http://www.free-articles.neutronmarketing.com
Gluten-free Vegan Diet May Protect Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients From Heart Attack, Stroke, Study Suggests
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who eat a gluten-free vegan diet could be better protected against heart attacks and stroke. RA is a major risk factor for these cardiovascular diseases, but a gluten-free vegan diet was shown to lower cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and oxidizedLDL (OxLDL), as well as raising the levels of natural antibodies against the damaging compounds in the body that cause symptoms of the chronic inflammatory disease rheumatoid arthritis, such as phosphorylcholine.
The idea that we can influence our health by changing our eating habits has become a fashionable idea among lifestyle and consumer magazines. There is evidence that dietary changes can bring about health benefits but specific results are not widespread.
Now, Johan Frostegard of the Rheumatology Unit at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm and colleagues divided sixty-six RA patients randomly into two groups. They randomly assigned 38 of the volunteers to eat a gluten-free vegan diet, and the other 28 a well-balanced but non-vegan diet for one year. They analysed the levels of fatty, lipid molecules in blood samples using routine analytical methods at regular periods. They also measured oxLDL and anti-phosphorylcholine (antiPC) factor at the beginning of the experiment, at 3 months and again at 12 months.
The researchers found that the gluten-free vegan diet not only reduced LDL and oxLDL levels and raised antiPC antibodies but lowered the body-mass index (BMI) of the volunteers in that group. Levels of other fatty molecules, including triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) stayed the same. In contrast, none of the indicators differed significantly for the control groups on the conventional healthy diet.
AntiPC antibodies are studied within CVDIMMUNE, an European consortium led by Dr Frostegard with the hypothesis that such antibodies can protect against cardiovascular disease and can be used as diagnostic and therapeutic factors.
Frostegard and colleagues have now shown that diet could be used to improve the long-term health of people with rheumatoid arthritis. They concede that a bigger study group will be needed to discern which particular aspects of the diet help the most.
Journal reference: Ann-Charlotte Elkan, Beatrice Sjoberg, Bjorn Kolsrud, Bo Ringertz, Ingiald Hafstrom and Johan Frostegard. Gluten-free vegan diet induces decreased LDL and oxidized LDL levels and raised atheroprotective natural antibodies against phosphorylcholine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis- a randomized study. Arthritis Research & Therapy (in press).
Adapted from materials provided by BioMed Central/Arthritis Research.
source : http://www.sciencedaily.com
The idea that we can influence our health by changing our eating habits has become a fashionable idea among lifestyle and consumer magazines. There is evidence that dietary changes can bring about health benefits but specific results are not widespread.
Now, Johan Frostegard of the Rheumatology Unit at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm and colleagues divided sixty-six RA patients randomly into two groups. They randomly assigned 38 of the volunteers to eat a gluten-free vegan diet, and the other 28 a well-balanced but non-vegan diet for one year. They analysed the levels of fatty, lipid molecules in blood samples using routine analytical methods at regular periods. They also measured oxLDL and anti-phosphorylcholine (antiPC) factor at the beginning of the experiment, at 3 months and again at 12 months.
The researchers found that the gluten-free vegan diet not only reduced LDL and oxLDL levels and raised antiPC antibodies but lowered the body-mass index (BMI) of the volunteers in that group. Levels of other fatty molecules, including triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) stayed the same. In contrast, none of the indicators differed significantly for the control groups on the conventional healthy diet.
AntiPC antibodies are studied within CVDIMMUNE, an European consortium led by Dr Frostegard with the hypothesis that such antibodies can protect against cardiovascular disease and can be used as diagnostic and therapeutic factors.
Frostegard and colleagues have now shown that diet could be used to improve the long-term health of people with rheumatoid arthritis. They concede that a bigger study group will be needed to discern which particular aspects of the diet help the most.
Journal reference: Ann-Charlotte Elkan, Beatrice Sjoberg, Bjorn Kolsrud, Bo Ringertz, Ingiald Hafstrom and Johan Frostegard. Gluten-free vegan diet induces decreased LDL and oxidized LDL levels and raised atheroprotective natural antibodies against phosphorylcholine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis- a randomized study. Arthritis Research & Therapy (in press).
Adapted from materials provided by BioMed Central/Arthritis Research.
source : http://www.sciencedaily.com
Vegetarian Gourmet----Meatless Makeovers
Three years ago I decided to go "meatless." It wasn't a difficult decision as I wasn't a voracious carnivore to begin with, however there were a few dishes that I missed that contained meat and wondered how I was going to live without these favorites.
Rather than resign myself to the notion that these dishes could never be converted over to a meatless status, I decided to pull myself up by my vegetarian bootstrings (cotton, of course), and see if I could find a way to convert these meat-ies to meatless.
The first was my Grammy's recipe for American Chop Suey, actually, almost everyone's Grammy made this or some variation of it. I tried different ways but this one comes the closest:
Meatless American Chop Suey
1 vidalia onion chopped
1-2 tbsp. butter
1/2 pkg Quorn (brandname) veggie grounds frozen
2 cans Campbells Tomato Soup
1 tblsp. catsup (yes catsup, you can't really taste it, it just adds a rich color to the sauce)
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 lb of your favorite fancy pasta in its rigati form, that means with lines, or something like like gemelli or rotini
Melt butter in a medium sized skillet over low heat. Add vidalia onion and gently saute until translucent. Add frozen Quorn grounds and heat till thawed. Add 2 cans soup and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add catsup salt and pepper and cook an additional 102 minutes.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain thoroughly and add sauce to pasta. Stir to incorporate completely. Serve. Serves 4-6 people as a side.
This next one is an adaptation of a Greek-Middle-Eastern recipe for Dolma. I loved this dish as a youngster summering on Cape Cod. A wonderful Lebanese family "turned me on" to this dish and I have finally found a way to make it meatless and spectacular!
Veggie Dolmas
1 jar of Grapeleaves in brine
Filling:
2 cup basmati rice cooked
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup of pine nuts ground
1/2 cup quorn grounds thawed
2 tbsp. dried mint (or 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped fine)
1 tbsp. dried parsely (or 1/4 cup fresh parsely chopped fine)
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1/8 cup fresh oregano chopped fine)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp pepper
1 small can tomato paste
Juice of 2 lemons
Remove the grape leaves from the jar, rinse and unfold carefully and rinse again. Lay paper towels and pat dry. Gently remove any stems that are still on the leaves.
In a large bowl mix the filling ingredients together till they are well incorporated.
Carefully separate a few of the leaves and line the bottom of a 1-2 gallon stock pot.
To roll take a leaf, place 1 heaping tsp of filling in the center of the leaf about 1/2 inch up from the bottom edge. Fold 1/2 inch up over the filling, fold each side toward the middle, then beginning at the bottom again roll the whole package up till you have a 1-2" "log.
Continue with the rolling process till you use up all the filling.
Line the rolled leaves up in a circular pattern in the stock pot till all are in. Pour the juice of both lemons gently over the rolled leaves. Place a dinner plate on top with a stone in the middle to keep in place. Gradually add cold water till it just covers the leaves.
Bring contents to a boil then reduce and simmer for abount 1/2 hour till tender. Drain water by holding on to stone to keep plate in place and gently pour out cooking water. Leave plate on till almost cool.
Remove plate and serve with plain yogurt, yummy.
These can be frozen in 1-2 serving sizes for later. I like to do it this way then microwave them for a minute and a half for a quickie meal.
Cathy O is a successful author who provides information on gourmet gift baskets, gourmet food, and gourmet recipes. "In addition to being a freelance writer, I also dabble in Aromatherapy, Herbalism and painting when I am so inspired. Living in the Lake region of Western Maine has been of tremendous inspiration to me and I am proud and happy to call it home."
free article source : http://www.adzines.com
Rather than resign myself to the notion that these dishes could never be converted over to a meatless status, I decided to pull myself up by my vegetarian bootstrings (cotton, of course), and see if I could find a way to convert these meat-ies to meatless.
The first was my Grammy's recipe for American Chop Suey, actually, almost everyone's Grammy made this or some variation of it. I tried different ways but this one comes the closest:
Meatless American Chop Suey
1 vidalia onion chopped
1-2 tbsp. butter
1/2 pkg Quorn (brandname) veggie grounds frozen
2 cans Campbells Tomato Soup
1 tblsp. catsup (yes catsup, you can't really taste it, it just adds a rich color to the sauce)
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 lb of your favorite fancy pasta in its rigati form, that means with lines, or something like like gemelli or rotini
Melt butter in a medium sized skillet over low heat. Add vidalia onion and gently saute until translucent. Add frozen Quorn grounds and heat till thawed. Add 2 cans soup and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add catsup salt and pepper and cook an additional 102 minutes.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain thoroughly and add sauce to pasta. Stir to incorporate completely. Serve. Serves 4-6 people as a side.
This next one is an adaptation of a Greek-Middle-Eastern recipe for Dolma. I loved this dish as a youngster summering on Cape Cod. A wonderful Lebanese family "turned me on" to this dish and I have finally found a way to make it meatless and spectacular!
Veggie Dolmas
1 jar of Grapeleaves in brine
Filling:
2 cup basmati rice cooked
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup of pine nuts ground
1/2 cup quorn grounds thawed
2 tbsp. dried mint (or 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped fine)
1 tbsp. dried parsely (or 1/4 cup fresh parsely chopped fine)
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1/8 cup fresh oregano chopped fine)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp pepper
1 small can tomato paste
Juice of 2 lemons
Remove the grape leaves from the jar, rinse and unfold carefully and rinse again. Lay paper towels and pat dry. Gently remove any stems that are still on the leaves.
In a large bowl mix the filling ingredients together till they are well incorporated.
Carefully separate a few of the leaves and line the bottom of a 1-2 gallon stock pot.
To roll take a leaf, place 1 heaping tsp of filling in the center of the leaf about 1/2 inch up from the bottom edge. Fold 1/2 inch up over the filling, fold each side toward the middle, then beginning at the bottom again roll the whole package up till you have a 1-2" "log.
Continue with the rolling process till you use up all the filling.
Line the rolled leaves up in a circular pattern in the stock pot till all are in. Pour the juice of both lemons gently over the rolled leaves. Place a dinner plate on top with a stone in the middle to keep in place. Gradually add cold water till it just covers the leaves.
Bring contents to a boil then reduce and simmer for abount 1/2 hour till tender. Drain water by holding on to stone to keep plate in place and gently pour out cooking water. Leave plate on till almost cool.
Remove plate and serve with plain yogurt, yummy.
These can be frozen in 1-2 serving sizes for later. I like to do it this way then microwave them for a minute and a half for a quickie meal.
Cathy O is a successful author who provides information on gourmet gift baskets, gourmet food, and gourmet recipes. "In addition to being a freelance writer, I also dabble in Aromatherapy, Herbalism and painting when I am so inspired. Living in the Lake region of Western Maine has been of tremendous inspiration to me and I am proud and happy to call it home."
free article source : http://www.adzines.com
Flavor-filled Fennel For Salads and More
If there has ever been an overlooked vegetable, it would definitely be fennel. Some people have an aversion to its licorice-like scent, while others feel as if fennel is a bizarre and obscure vegetable that they have no interest in learning how to prepare. However, those who have discovered it know that ignoring fennel is a waste of a versatile vegetable’s amazing flavor and healthful benefits. Even those who already cook with fennel might find that they aren’t taking advantage of its versatility. For example, many people use only the delicate, lacy parts of fennel as a flavor-enhancing garnish for soups or salads. Others stick to just using the green-white bulbs, while tossing the remaining pieces aside. However, there’s no season like now to start using and enjoying all the parts of fennel.
Fennel is available from autumn until early spring and both its stems and bulbs have been found to contain many nutrients. Fennel spice, which is made from the vegetable’s seeds, can be found year round, as it is one of five spices in Chinese five-spice powder. One cup of raw, sliced fennel is a huge source of vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and potassium. History has shown that fennel can be taken to alleviate bad breath, indigestion, intestinal spasms, cramps, and gas. It is thought that Puritans chewed the seeds in order to tame hunger during fasts. Recently, scientists have found that fennel contains antioxidants which promote good health.
In order to gain these healthful benefits, be sure to purchase white or pale-green fennel that has clean, firm bulbs. The bulbs should not be split, bruised, or spotted, while the stalks that grow from the bulb should be relatively straight. Additionally, the vegetable’s fronds would be green but not flowering because blooms indicate that the bulb is past maturity. When consumed right away, fennel is at its best. But, it can be kept in the crisper for up to four days. Be sure to wash it before using its base in hors d’oeuvres, salads, and gratins. Also, make sure to reserve its fronds in order to enhance dishes in a potent way. With such versatility in the kitchen, there is absolutely no excuse not to include fennel in your meals this season.
Once you discover that fennel is both crunchy and slightly sweet, you will want to incorporate it into many of your daily meals. Thankfully, fennel can enhance many dishes and make them extraordinary. Here are some quick ideas for using fennel this season. You can thinly shave the desired amount of a fennel bulb and toss it with a bit of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a small amount of Parmesan cheese to make a fennel salad at moment’s notice. Another option is sauté sliced fennel with equal parts of onion and bell pepper in order to make a simple vegetarian side dish. One can take advantage of fennel’s ability to enhance flavors by adding fennel with tuna or grilled sea bass. Fennel can also be cut vertically, leaving bulb, stalk, and leaves intact and then brushed with olive oil and grilled until lightly browned. Another idea is to garnish your favorite vegetable soup with coarsely chopped fennel fronds.
More information on the herb fennel is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/
source : http://www.thehealthyvillage.com
Fennel is available from autumn until early spring and both its stems and bulbs have been found to contain many nutrients. Fennel spice, which is made from the vegetable’s seeds, can be found year round, as it is one of five spices in Chinese five-spice powder. One cup of raw, sliced fennel is a huge source of vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and potassium. History has shown that fennel can be taken to alleviate bad breath, indigestion, intestinal spasms, cramps, and gas. It is thought that Puritans chewed the seeds in order to tame hunger during fasts. Recently, scientists have found that fennel contains antioxidants which promote good health.
In order to gain these healthful benefits, be sure to purchase white or pale-green fennel that has clean, firm bulbs. The bulbs should not be split, bruised, or spotted, while the stalks that grow from the bulb should be relatively straight. Additionally, the vegetable’s fronds would be green but not flowering because blooms indicate that the bulb is past maturity. When consumed right away, fennel is at its best. But, it can be kept in the crisper for up to four days. Be sure to wash it before using its base in hors d’oeuvres, salads, and gratins. Also, make sure to reserve its fronds in order to enhance dishes in a potent way. With such versatility in the kitchen, there is absolutely no excuse not to include fennel in your meals this season.
Once you discover that fennel is both crunchy and slightly sweet, you will want to incorporate it into many of your daily meals. Thankfully, fennel can enhance many dishes and make them extraordinary. Here are some quick ideas for using fennel this season. You can thinly shave the desired amount of a fennel bulb and toss it with a bit of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a small amount of Parmesan cheese to make a fennel salad at moment’s notice. Another option is sauté sliced fennel with equal parts of onion and bell pepper in order to make a simple vegetarian side dish. One can take advantage of fennel’s ability to enhance flavors by adding fennel with tuna or grilled sea bass. Fennel can also be cut vertically, leaving bulb, stalk, and leaves intact and then brushed with olive oil and grilled until lightly browned. Another idea is to garnish your favorite vegetable soup with coarsely chopped fennel fronds.
More information on the herb fennel is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. http://vitanetonline.com/
source : http://www.thehealthyvillage.com
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