Posts tagged ‘Vegetarianism’

Bowels and Stomach Digestion

By pinky, 1 April, 2010, 5 Comments
Légumes
Image via Wikipedia

Many of the health benefits derived from a vegetarian diet have to do with creating a healthy environment in the bowels and stomach. Our digestive systems, from prehistory on, were designed to metabolize vegetable matter, more than animal products. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts provide the kind of dietary fiber our digestive systems need to function properly. The Western diet that’s high in processed and refined flour and sugar, and in animal products that are laden with hormones and antibiotics, are actually anathema to our insides.

When the digestive system doesn’t function and work as it’s intended to, that leads to opportunistic diseases or changes in the DNA of cells in the stomach and colon. And there are more practical considerations as well. When we don’t get enough of the fiber we need, we incur a host of digestion and elimination problems, such as constipation and hemorrhoids that are a result of straining. These diseases and syndromes are much less evident in a vegetarian population than in a meat-eating population.

Other diseases of the bowel that occur less frequently in a vegetarian population include irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic ulcerative colitis, mostly likely due to the increased fiber content in a vegetarian diet. And of course a diet that’s higher in dietary fiber that comes from a vegetarian diet will decrease the likelihood or risk of colon cancer.

When you consider the risks that come with a diet that includes meat and animal products, and the benefits that come from a vegetarian diet, does the prospect of a steak or burger or bacon really sound that good to you? Doesn’t it at least make sense to reverse the portion sizes and proportions of meats to vegetables and side dishes? In other words, if you must continue to eat meat, then make meat your side dish, or just incidental to your meal, such as in a stir fry. Increasing the proportion of fruits and vegetables in your diet can only be good for you.

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Principles Of The Rawfood Diet

By pinky, 11 January, 2010, 3 Comments

The rawfood diet has been taken up by millions of people, including several celebrities, who are seeking the weight loss or health benefits that following a raw regime is said to bring. Some people switch to raw permanently as a way of life, others go raw temporarily to lose weight or give their bodies a break while they fight disease. Either way, if you are considering going raw yourself, you need to know something about the rawfood diet.

Enzymes Present In Living Foods

Foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit contain enzymes which are the life force of the food. The enzymes will die at high temperatures, like any living thing. This is why raw food is often called living food. Advocates of the raw diet point out that before the use of fire for cooking, we would always have eaten raw foods and this is what our bodies are designed for. They consider that we need these enzymes to be truly healthy and help our bodies to heal.

While it is true that these enzymes are destroyed in the process of digestion, it may be that they can be absorbed in their living form in the mouth during chewing and in the upper stomach before they reach the digestive acids in the intestines.

In dried foods, the enzymes are often deactivated by growth inhibitors which puts foods such as seeds and grains into hibernation until conditions are wet enough for the plant to germinate or sprout. For this reason, even if you plan to eat these foods without sprouting them, it is a good idea to soak all seeds, beans, grains etc before consuming them, to reactivate the enzymes. Throw out the soaking water because this will contain the discarded growth inhibitors.

Is Cooked Food Poisonous?

Some advocates of the rawfood diet talk as if cooked foods were poisonous. Although this is probably an exaggeration, research has shown that some toxins are produced in certain types of cooking. For example, some oils and other fats will produce trans fats when heated above certain temperatures. Burned and even browned fatty food such as barbecued or fried meats has been shown to contain substances which are harmful to the body. And heating sugars together with proteins or fats (cakes, cookies, candy etc) is believed to produce glycotoxins. There are also many unnatural substances and additives in most processed foods. So if you do eat cooked food, it is better to prepare plain and simple boiled, steamed and stewed dishes from fresh ingredients.

What If I Cannot Be 100% Raw?

More and more people are adopting raw as their only food source these days but you do not necessarily have to buy into the 100% raw philosophy in order to benefit from eating more rawfood. Just increasing the amount of rawfood in your diet can have an extraordinary effect on your health and wellbeing even if you still have some cooked food too.

So if you do not want to go all the way, consider replacing two meals a day with raw foods. You could have a large fruit based smoothie with some leafy greens added for breakfast, and a large green salad with avocado and sunflower seeds for lunch. Or try grated carrot or celery root with pumpkin seeds. There are many delicious dishes you can make as part of your rawfood diet.

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What’s a Sproutarian?

By pinky, 28 December, 2009, 2 Comments
Mixed organic bean sprouts
Image via Wikipedia

Vegetarianism and raw food enthusiasts fall into many different groups with different theories of what kind of natural foods are best. Most vegetarians eat fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Vegans eat no animal by-products at all, including dairy or eggs. Fruitarians eat primarily fruits. And some vegetarians eat only sprouts.

Sprouts are very nutritious because they contain all the elements a plant needs for life and growth. The endosperm of seed is the storehouse of carbohydrates, protein and oil. When the seed germinates, these become predigested amino acids and natural sugars upon which the plant embryo feeds to grow. This life force we eat is filled with energy which is capable of generating cells of the body and supplying us with new vigor and life. For this reason sprouts can slow down the aging process.

Sprouts contain great amounts of male and female hormones, as well, in their most easily assimilated form. Research shows that sprouts are among the highest food in vitamins. They are not only a low cost food but are also tasty and easy to grow. Children and the elderly can make sprouting a profitable hobby. All of us can profit from the boost to health they provide.

Almost any seed, grain or legume can be sprouted though some are tastier than others. You may try mung beans, alfalfa, wheat, peas, fenugreek, chickpeas, radish, fennel, celery seed, etc. These are most readily found in health food stores. Remember to soak small seeds only for 4 hours and beans for 15 hours. You also can mix these seeds. Get a 2 liter wide-mouth jar and a piece of cheesecloth or old nylon stocking to fasten as a cover with a rubber band. Put seed into the jar as follows:

2 Tsps alfalfa, 2 Tsps radish or fenugreek, 1/4 cup lentils, 1/2 cup mung beans. Soak these seeds for 15 hours and drain the water. Afterwards rinse and drain well twice daily for about 3-5 days. If you wish to make larger amounts of sprouts, so you may share with others, place 2 cups of mixed seed into a large porcelain pot, in the bottom of which holes have been drilled for easy rinsing. Simply place underneath the faucet and rinse morning and evening with warm water. Cover with a plate. The seeds grow beautifully and abundantly in a few days.

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Vegetarianism and the pH Miracle Diet

By pinky, 24 December, 2009, No Comment

Vegetarianism and the pH miracle diet

The pH miracle diet is a program for restoring balance in the body by eating alkaline foods. The body’s cells are slightly alkaline and by eating alkalizing foods you can support your body’s natural function. In addition to eating alkalizing foods, Dr. Robert Young, the creator of the diet, also recommends avoiding acidifying foods like meat, wheat and dairy. Those that want better health, according to Dr. Young, should become vegetarians.

The standard American diet certainly isn’t alkalizing and definitely isn’t vegetarian. Animal protein is a mainstay of most people’s diets. However, the necessity for animal protein is a not.

There is a prevailing belief in our society that consuming a lot of protein encourages health and especially physical fitness. Men especially are expected to eat massive quantities of meat in order to have strength and vitality. This myth has prevailed as far back in history as many can remember. In the beginning of the twentieth century, scientists began to believe that consuming meat equaled physical strength, especially in the world of sports. This specific belief, the link between sports and protein, has been one of the driving forces behind meat consumption in the last 100 years.

In actuality, the body’s need for protein is actually a lot less than many people think. There are plenty of sources for vegetarian protein that are alkalizing, and acceptable on the ph Miracle diet.

But why does the program specifically forbid animal protein? Animal protein, like meats, eggs and dairy products all have acidifying effects on the body. These effects become even more prevalent when you consume non-organic meats. Consuming conventionally processed meats can expose you to hormones, drugs and other chemicals that have been given to the animals before they were killed. There are no conclusive studies about the safety of hormones, but there are perceived risks. Animals are routinely given antibiotics as well, which will increase your consumption of antibiotics and will reduce helpful bacteria in your body. The reduction of these helpful bacteria will allow more metabolic acid to accumulate in your system, and create disastrous health effects.

The elements in meat that are good for you (protein, vitamins and minerals) can be obtained from vegetarian sources without all of the dangers. Just one cup of tofu, an alkalizing protein source, has 20 grams of protein. The average man or women needs less than 40 grams per day. Protein needs can easily be met without eating acidifying meat.

Making the switch to vegetarianism is more of mental struggle than a physical one. The body runs much more efficiently without the acidifying presence of animal protein. Eating meat is a habit and the benefits of eating it are a culturally propagated myth. There is no physical need for meat. The most difficult part of eliminating it from your diet will be opening your eyes to the wide variety of new foods that can replace meat.

When you follow the pH miracle diet, you’ll notice that Dr. Young recommends a balance of 70% alkaline foods and 30% acid foods. This means that there is some leeway for eating foods on the acidic list. Although it may be tempting to eat animal protein as part of this 30%, your body will be in better balance if you choose something that is just slightly acidic, like eggs, oats or pasta, instead of highly acidic meats.

Becoming a vegetarian on the pH miracle diet is certainly your choice. But you owe it to your health to start reducing the amount of  animal protein in your diet.

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