Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian diets can lead to health problems in children and deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals if the diet is not well planned. And the more restrictive the diet, the higher the risk of problems.1 Vegetarian diets tend to be high in fiber and low in fat and calories. That may be good for people who need to lose weight or lower their cholesterol but it can be a problem for kids and teens who are still growing and people who are already at a healthy weight.2 Vegetarian diets can be very healthy, but eating a balanced diet when you are vegetarian usually requires a little extra attention. Because vegetarians eliminate certain foods from their diets, they often need to work to add foods into their diet that will provide the nutrients found in meat products.3

Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and higher in fiber, magnesium, folate, potassium, and antioxidants than the typical American diet. Vegetarians, like others, should seek necessary medical care.4 Vegetarian diets may help you control your weight and may prevent some cancers. This diet may also help to lower the cholesterol (ko-LES-ter-ol) in your blood.5 Egg yolks contain cholesterol, but they also provide vitamin D, vitamin K and vitamin A. In moderation, eggs are an excellent source of complete protein and nutrients.6 Eggs and dairy produce are very poor sources and the niacin in cereals is largely unavailable to cats. A diet based on cereals, milk and eggs will always be deficient in niacin for cats.7

Lower systolic blood pressures in elderly vegetarians has been reported to be best accounted for by their lower body weight (27). Vegetarians living in northern Mexico, were found to have lower body weights, higher potassium and lower sodium intakes, and lower mean blood pressures than non-vegetarians (28).10 Lower cholesterol - Good fats in nuts and seeds in vegetarian recipes help to lower bad LDL cholesterol and raise good HDL cholesterol. Vegetarians tend to eat more soya protein which contains iso flavones which also lower cholesterol.11

Eating a diet heavier in read meat -- about 50 percent of a diet's calories -- results in a carbon footprint of 3.57 tons. Eating a diet where 25 percent of the calories come from fish, but no other meat, results in a carbon footprint of about 1 ton.12 Eating plenty of zinc-rich foods can help you maximize the amount your body absorbs. Good sources include milk, cheese, whole-grain breads, nuts, soy foods, and legumes, such as chickpeas.13 Eat foods or take supplements that are a source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), from which the body can manufacture EPA and DHA. These foods include flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, walnuts and canola oil.14

Eating live food is living. Live food is not dead animal or animal products.15 Eating one pound of hamburger does the same damage as driving your car for three weeks! 16 Eating meat, he felt, wasn't doing anything for him. As a kid, his dad would often make fresh-squeezed juice for the family, having been swayed by the infomercials of Jay "The Juiceman" Kordich.17

Eating satisfying, meatless meals is getting easier and more convenient. Many restaurants and supermarkets now offer items specifically for vegetarians.18 Eating them, rather than respecting and caring about them, simply hardens our hearts, moving this goal beyond our reach. 19 Eat many small meals and snacks instead of a few large meals. Cut out all of the processed funk and stick with the freshest food.20

Iron is also more bioavailable when it is in haem form. Haem iron only exists in animals.21 Iron can be obtained from dark greens, figs, and dried fruit. B-12 is produced by soil microbes.22

Milk products and eggs are also good protein sources for lacto-ovo vegetarians. 23 Milk cows are forced to produce more milk. Many animals are injected with steroids, hormones, and other drugs to make them grow bigger so that more meat can be produced.24

Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products. It is important to note that vitamin B12, in addition to being important to the production of red blood cells, is essential for the normal growth of children.25 Vitamin drops should be given from the age of one month to two years and preferably until five years of age. 26Vitamin needs of these vegetarians are like those of the lacto-vegetarians. 27

Meat is a good source of many nutrients. Personally, I mix vegetarian days with omnivore days.31 Meats, eggs, and dairy foods provide the bulk of most people's daily protein needs. Cutting some or all of those out will lower your protein intake, unless you make the effort to include higher protein plant foods.32Meat is not the only food with high protein levels. There are many high-protein beans, with soybeans at the top of the list.33

Meat and dairy products from ruminant animals are supported by lower quality, but more widely available, land that can support pasture and hay. A large pool of such land is available in New York state because for sustainable use, most farmland requires a crop rotation with such perennial crops as pasture and hay.34

Apo B levels are often high in individuals with familial hypercholesterolemia. Additionally, having high apo B levels may cause heart disease if not addressed.35 Approximately 20% to 42% of India´s population is vegetarian. 36

Protein doesn’t discriminate; it’s found in both animal and plant foods. Low-fat dairy and eggs can provide generous amounts of protein for vegetarians who dare to eat them, and the vegans in the crowd should become close pals with tofu, nuts, seeds, lentils, and tempeh.37 Protein is made up of amino acids, often described as its building blocks. We actually have a biological requirement for amino acids, not for protein.38 Protein, composed of chains of molecules called amino acids, plays an important role in the building, maintenance, and repair of the tissues of the body, including muscle. There are 20 different amino acids in the foods we eat, but our bodies can make only 11 of them.39

Agricultural sustainability is a positive aspect of vegetarian diets. The industrial food production system, heavily focused on meat production (beef, pork, sheep, and poultry, etc.), is not sustainable.41 Again, you can be a vegetarian and be very unhealthy, if you eat junk food. Being a vegetarian is not a license to eat junk food (although you can probably indulge yourself a little more often now that you’re not eating meat).42

Vegans eat no animal meat and no foods that come from animals, such as dairy products and eggs. Other types of vegetarian diets may allow dairy products and eggs.43 Vegan in Volume by Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD is for everybody who wants to make vegetarian food in quantity. This 272-page quantity cookbook is loaded with terrific recipes serving 25.44 Vegans do not eat any animal products or by-products. 45

Vegans respect the environment. Some vegans are animal activists.46 VeganBodybuilding.org states that vegetarians can get B vitamins from soy, miso and seaweed. 47 Vegetable proteins purchased in dried form can last a while, but these need to be stored in a dry place away from sunlight. 49 Vegetarians around the world have long believed that a vegetarian diet is a healthier choice than a meat-based one. Scientists now agree, citing several important health benefits of vegetarian diets .50 Vegetarian or vegan dogs and cats enjoy their food and good health, and a vegetarian diet for your companion animal is ethically consistent with animal rights philosophy. 51

Vegetarian raw foods are alive; uncooked nutrient and enzyme-rich. Just as salad is raw, JUVO vegetarian is raw.52Vegetarianism generally involves not using or eating anything that comes from an animal, with the exception of dairy products. In some case, vegetarians also eat fish in their diet.53 Calcium interferes with the absorption of iron, but calcium and iron are both essential nutrients. To overcome this, increase your iron intake to increase the opportunity for uptake.55 Calcium for vegans is available in vegetables like broccoli. 56 Calcium is important because it strengthens our bones. Most people associate calcium with milk and cheese, but these are not the only sources of the important mineral.57

Nuts and soy are great sources of protein, so you could add more soy into the mix. What you are mainly missing is fiber (other than your boxed cereal, which probably contains sugar and salt).64 Nutrisystem® Select™ Program customers must return two weeks of non-frozen foods only. Frozen food items are not returnable.65

Animal protein causes the carcinogen to grow and spread. Even so-called lean cuts of meat, as well as fish and chicken, are high in fat and protein, and as Dr.74 Animal agriculture, a major source of water pollution and deforestation, has become one of the biggest culprits in global warming. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations released a report this year showing that farmed animals are a top contributor to today's serious environmental problems, including greenhouse gases.75

Depending on the type of vegetarian diet chosen, kids may miss out on some of these important nutrients if the diet isn't monitored by the parents. The less restrictive the vegetarian diet, the easier it will be for your child to get enough of the necessary nutrients.76 Depending on climate, terrain, and other production factors, 16 pounds of grain require much less time and space to grow than 16 pounds of meat. A diet constituted of more plant source foods can contribute to world hunger relief as well as natural resource conservation.77