Tuesday 21 July 2009

Helpful information for a healthy vegetarian diet.




Hi everyone, it has been three days since i started this i love the food and i am getting vital vitamins that i wasn't before, one of the thing i noticed is that i do feel hungry a couple of hours after eating but i put that down to my body getting used to a new routine, it is the same if someone were going on a diet (to lose weight, which isn't what i intend to do but if i do yippee!) they would have to get used to a new eating routine which would be giving up some old habit's in my case meat as with anything you have to give up your body has to get used to the routine so it can be quite difficult for the first week.




After a few days making sure you are getting all the essential protein, vitamins, calcium and calories that your body needs your body will get used to the new routine and you will feel fuller from your meals it just takes time to adjust which is normal.




Some helpful information on what foods to keep in your diet would be:


(i am not ruling out the following milk, eggs and cheese from my diet because i see no harm in them and your body needs calcium and fat to run efficiently!)




Calcium — Good sources of calcium are milk or cheese, fortified cranberry, orange, or apple juice, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, broccoli, blackstrap molasses, tofu processed with calcium sulfate, and tempeh.
Vitamin D — Exposure to sunlight ensures
vitamin D production by the body. For those who do not get regular sun exposure or live in northern areas, fortified foods and supplements (such as any common multivitamin) are required.
Protein — A diet drawn from varied plant sources easily satisfies protein requirements, providing all essential amino acids, even without intentional combining or “protein complementing” as long as calorie intake is also adequate. Good protein sources include cooked beans, tofu,
soy yogurt, tempeh, seitan, nuts, seeds, and [[whole grain]s.
Calories — Nuts and seed butters, avocados, dried fruits, and added fats (e.g., vegetable oils) can provide additional concentrated calories without bulk.
Vitamin B1 2— Produced by microorganisms in the small intestines of humans and animals, vitamin B12 made by humans is not well absorbed and retained. Plant foods contain little of this nutrient. However, it can be easily obtained from vitamin B12 fortified breakfast cereals and nutritional
yeast.
Iron —Diet consisting of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and nuts provide adequate iron. Consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as orange juice, with iron-rich foods enhances the absorption of iron. Some foods are naturally rich in both iron and vitamin C, such as broccoli, Swiss chard, and other dark green leafy vegetables.
Zinc — Good sources include
legumes, nuts, and zinc fortified breakfast cereals.




These are from the group of needed daily to keep a balanced healthy diet! You just need to combine them taking from each food group for a very balanced meal.




Eggs: eat occasionally or in small quantities.



Nuts and seeds; Egg whites; Dairy products; Plant oils -- Eat daily
Fruits and vegetables;
whole grains; beans, peanuts and other legumes -- eat at every meal.




This should help you along with meal ideas and how to combine to ensure a safe vegetarian diet, but if you want to know more your doctor can provide you with information that will help you as well and they can make sure you are eating a varied diet that will keep your body in great health.




Some of the meals i have eaten over the last few days or that i plan to make up over the course of this week are: Vegetarian lasagna: made with courgettes, red and green peppers, onions, aubergines, garlic, chillies and spinach (to go with this i made a large rosti: with carrots potatoes and spinach and cheese with egg mixed in to hold it together then i fried the bottom and grilled the top (to avoid turning mishaps) : mushroom ravioli, from tescos and Arrabiata sauce i added to this peppers onions and garlic and we had garlic bread to the side of it (you can add cheese to it Parmesan works well.




My meals lined up for today will be, egg mayonnaise in a white baguette, tea will be salad with a baked potato with cottage cheese and maybe tuna -which is another thing i am not yet ruling out (but may decide not to eat it at all! i very rarely eat tuna anyway) fish has essential fatty oils that the body needs, however i will rarely be eating any kind of fish as i only enjoy tuna and may end up ruling it out of my diet if i feel i am getting all the right food groups






I hope this gives you some good ideas should you decide to try a vegetarian diet.






So far as i have not been a vegetarian for long i cannot write much about what difference i have felt, for now i hope that these ideas have been helpful.






If you decide to give vegetarianism a try make sure you properly look up all the vital food groups so that you maintain a healthy balanced diet.




Thanks.

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