The Main Aspects Of A Vegetarian Diet Plan

By Lula Hanchett


A vegetarian diet is a diet that contains food plants such as vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas, seeds and nuts, and grains. A well-balanced, carefully planned vegetarian diet (comprising of protein, vitamins and minerals) can provide numerous health benefits including reducing risk of obesity, diabetes, coronary artery disease and several other chronic diseases. It also lowers the risk of illness due to degenerative diseases. Read on to find out what makes up a healthy vegetarian diet.

Main Ideas Related To The Vegetarian Diet Regime

1. Protein

Protein is essential for numerous inner body functions such as building and repairing tissues. A completed protein molecule is normally made up of many amino acids. However, plant based foods do not offer such proteins as they do not have many amino acids.

In any case, certain plant foods do contain substantial levels of protein, for example legumes (like soy products, tempeh, beans, peas and lentils) as well as whole-grains. In actual fact, soy products is one of the non-meat sources of complete proteins. Consuming these kinds of foods is essential in a well-balanced vegetarian diet.

2. Minerals

Those on a vegetarian diet should make sure that they get adequate iodine, zinc, calcium and iron. Actually, scientists say that a good vegetarian diet weight loss plan is a diet plan that complies with recommended intake of such nutrients. For instance, you should regularly consume dairy products like milk to ensure that you ingest enough calcium for your daily intake. Additionally, leafy green vegetables like kale and boy choy, and even calcium-enhanced juices are also good alternatives. These sources also contain bioavailable calcium that can be utilised by your body straight away.

Plant foods like nuts, legumes, grains and soy products have high levels of zinc. However, iron in plant foods is not the same as that found in meat based foods. How much iron gets absorbed into your body will also depend on what other things that you consume. For instance, absorption of iron will be increased with vitamin C but will be decreased with coffee or tea. Sources of iron to consider includ tofu, lentils, spinach, beans and oatmeal. Get your doctor's advice first before taking iron supplements.

3. Omega 3 essential fatty acids

These fatty acids are vital for the proper functioning of the heart. Generally speaking, diet plans that exclude fish or eggs (like a vegetarian diet) offer very low amounts of such fats that are in an active form. Soy oil, soybeans, ground flaxseed, walnuts and canola oil are excellent source of omega 3 essential fatty acids.

However, the conversion of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids to the type used by human beings is usually inefficient, so you may consider taking fortified products or supplements like algae extract supplements. These will ensure that your body get the 2 forms of omega-3 which plant foods don't have.

4. Vitamins D and B-12

Vitamin D is important for the health of your bones as well as for general development. Consuming foods like milk, cereals and soy products will make sure that you get sufficient vitamin D. In addition, also consider eating cereals enriched with extra vitamins or other nutrients, like omega 3 and protein.

Vitamin B-12, on the other hand, is important for the formation of red blood cells and prevention of anemia. It may be pretty difficult to get enough of this vitamin on a vegetarian diet since it is almost exclusively found in animal products. Vegetarians should consider taking vitamin supplements, fortified soy products or vitamin-enriched cereals to get enough B-12.




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