Becoming a Vegetarian

Vegetarian lifestyle is becoming the trend of healthy living that were increasingly followed a lot of people. In America was recorded 4 million people live as the vegetarian. Compared to the public generally, vegetarians have body mass index (BMI) is low, low cholesterol levels, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Sounds interesting is not it?

Kinds of vegetarian

There are many types of vegetarian diets. By definition, a vegetarian does not eat meat, poultry, or fish. There are vegans who eat eggs and dairy products, some are eating dairy products but do not eat eggs. The most type is that they only eat vegetables. They do not eat something derived from animals such as milk, eggs and honey. Whatever the choice, nutrients such as protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12 should be remain a priority.

Selecting protein

Animal proteins contain various essential amino acids the body needs and a vegetarian certainly not always get it. To get various kinds of proteins, a vegetarian should consume a variety of nuts, legumes and grains. For example, beans are rich in amino acid lysine but poor in sulfurthat contain amino acids. The converse are applies to the types of grains. So, eat foods that contain beans and rice is the best way to get a balanced intake of protein.

Substitute with soy

Soybean and its processed products are the source of protein. Even the protein produced by soybeans, almost similar to the proteins in meat. Various kinds of food can be made from soybeans such as tempeh, tofu, and others.

Replacing food menu

One easy way to switch into a vegetarian is to enrich your food menu with foods substitute derived from plant.

Advantages vegetarian diet

A vegetarian tend to have a slim body and the risk of suffering from dangerous diseases dropped dramatically. This is because vegetarian diet increases intake of phytochemicals. This substance is found in many fruits and vegetables that are colorful. Lutein, found in broccoli while lycopene found in tomatoes. Phytochemicals are powerful antioxidants and is believed to protect the body from cancer.

Shortage of vegetarian diet

If they are not concerned about properly nutrition, a vegan can be deficient in many essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. A vegan prone to iron deficiency, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium and vitamin D. Try to always learn about the nutritional content of each food you consume if you decide to be a vegetarian.

Vitamin D and of calcium

If you consume milk, cheese and yogurt, you will not have to worry about lack of of calcium to strengthen your bones. Well, this problem occurs if you are a vegetarian. You should look for alternative the source of calcium. Several alternative the source of calcium from plants include fortified soy milk, orange juice, grains, nuts and some green vegetables. People who refuse to drink milk will also lose the source of vitamin D. Vegetarians can get vitamin D from sunlight, and if still less can be added by taking supplements.

Zinc

Although zinc are often found on the vegetarian menu, but zinc absorption in the intestine are not as good as zinc derived from beef. The solution is, they should be consume foods that contain zinc in large quantities. Good sources of zinc include milk, cheese, wheat, peanuts, soy, legumes.

Iron

Red meat is the main source of iron, as well as green vegetables, fried beans, fortified cereals and grain. Like zinc, iron from plants is also not easily absorbed by the body so that it takes food in large quantities or in combination with vitamin C that can facilitate iron absorption.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are good fats that are very useful for lowering blood pressure and good for the heart. These fatty acids found in fatty fish and eggs. If you do not consume both these foods then you should look for alternative sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, walnuts and soya oil is the right choice.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause muscle weakness and fatigue. This vitamin is only sourced from foods derived from animals such as meat, eggs and milk. Thus, a vegetarian should consume vitamin B12 supplements to avoid deficiency of this essential nutrient.

Vegetarian in children

Some parents wondered whether vegetarianism allowed in children or adolescents? The experts argue, vegetarian lifestyle in children is not only allowed but also has some advantages. In a study of 5,000 children, researchers found that the vegetarian diet is much healthier than non-vegetarian diet. However, the adequacy of nutrition, especially protein and fat must be considered.

Part-time vegetarian

You do not have to be a vegan for seven days in a week to get some benefits of vegetarian lifestyle. Not eating meat one day or two days a week is enough to reduce consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol. Life became a vegetarian for the current begin easy to do, because it has many vegetarian house-eating spread across several major cities.