Vegetarian Place

Finding the Elusive Complete-Protein Source

2009-04-11T06:29:00.001-07:00

Images of “protein powder” containers with accomplished bodybuilders on their labels help inform consumers that protein is a critical macronutrient in strength training success. Yet what is sometimes lost in this protein-bodybuilding link is that protein is an essential component for everyone, regardless of physical activity. Even those who live sedentary lives must ensure that their protein intake is complete and balanced.

The importance of protein in diet is undeniable. Protein creates digestive enzymes, transports other vitamins and nutrients, builds and repairs body tissue, and helps keep harmful bacteria at bay[i]. These are bodily system function that all people need – not just bodybuilders and other athletes.

Eating the appropriate composition of protein in meals is, however, proving to be an unusually difficult challenge for many Americans. To begin with, many protein sources are not considered “complete” because they do not provide all of the required amino acids necessary in order to build newer proteins. These incomplete proteins are often derived from fruit, grain, vegetable, and nut sources[ii]. However, the alternative to these incomplete protein sources – such as meats and dairy – present their own unique dietary challenges.

The first challenge with respect to these meat-based sources of complete protein is that they are not an option for vegetarians. While the number of US vegetarians is difficult to pinpoint, educated estimates suggest that there are about 6 million adult vegetarians in the US, and the number is growing annually[iii]. Therefore, 6 million adult Americans cannot access complete protein through meat sources.

The second challenge is that many meat- and dairy-based meals in the US are excessively high in saturated fat, calories, sodium, and other unhealthy elements. As such, while those who frequent fast food restaurants for their source of complete protein may not suffer from protein deficiency, a disconcerting number of these people will suffer from poor health. This includes: obesity, clogged arteries, high blood pressure, and other adverse consequences what medical experts call the “social irresponsibility” of the fast food industry[iv].

The clear challenge for nutritional experts is to identify a protein source that is both healthy and complete. The consequences of not finding a suitable protein source range from underperforming digestive systems and chemical imbalances to the ill effects of a condition called “Kwashiorkor”. More frequent in developing countries but with reported incidinces in the US, Kwashiorkor occurs in extreme protein-deficiency situations when when the body cannibalizes itself in a desperate attempt to find a source of protein.

Several attempts have been made to find the ideal complete protein source: one that is healthy, accessible to all eaters, and convenient. Indeed, this last criterion of convenience is of particular importance, because many Americans in the 21st century evidently have less time to eat than ever before.

Some of these attempts to find the ideal complete protein source hearken back a few generations. The classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich has been adopted as a complete protein source by some, but rejected by many more. While peanut butter does provide a good source of protein, the sodium content of most grocery store peanut butter brands, and the high carbohydrate and fat levels of the average “PB&J on white” keep it from being an ideal choice[v].

Other proposed solutions are more recent inventions. These include the range of nutritional powders and “energy” bars available in most health food stores, and in a growing number of grocery stores. With respect to protein powders, while some of them do provide a decent source of protein, it is simply not a convenient source for most people. With respect to energy bars, many of them have been criticized for their high calorie and carbohydrate levels.

Another solution – and one that is garnering some serious acclaim from within the health community – is fluid nutritional supplements that are easy to transport, and offer a complete protein source suitable for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike[1]. At the same time, these products are specifically designed to be low-calorie (and therefore diet-friendly), and offer additional nutrients and vitamins that the body needs in addition to complete protein.

These innovative, complete protein products are a positive sign in a nutritional sector that has struggled with misinformation. Regrettably, many so-called energy bars and protein powders are laden with calories and carbohydrates. Some of them – in particular many energy bars – hardly offer any protein, which is a curious omission that most consumers do not realize as they ingest these products.

Fortunately, as noted above, there are scientifically engineered products on the market that deliver the complete protein and nutrition that consumers expect when they purchase something with the words “nutritional supplement” on the container.

Why You Should Be Vegetarian

2009-02-13T06:39:00.001-08:00

A Vegetarian Lifestyle is Not Only for Animal Activists
Some of the most prevalent problems confronting the world are disease, hunger, environmental devastation, and the unethical treatment of the world's inhabitants. Every one of these matters is directly connected to the practice of animal agriculture. Therefore, in order to alleviate the world's problems and be healthy and ethical people, the imposition of vegetarian diets should be practiced by every person that has the means to do so. Primarily, one must identify what is meant by stating the word "vegetarian". The word simply refers to someone that does not indulge in directly eating anything that was once alive. Therefore, all animals are included in the vegetariandiet, including fish and seafood. The vegetarian diet in this proposal does not have any limits on items like milk and eggs.

One must first ask: How can a vegetarian diet benefit me? The American Dietetic Association (ADA) believes that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. It is now known that plant foods contain all the vitamins and minerals essential for good health. Meat includes too much saturated fat, cholesterol, excess protein, hormones, drugs and salt. According to the American Heart Association, eating foods that contain high levels of saturated fats raises your cholesterol and your risk of heartdisease and stroke. Meat is a main contributor to atherosclerosis, a vascular disease causing heart attacks and stroke where a blockage occurs to the arteries that supply oxygenated blood to the body's vital organs. Diets laden with salts promote water retention and blood volume, leading to hypertension, as well as to the rupturing of blood vessels. Meat is keystone to the high levels of obesity in developed countries.

Vegetarian Lifestyle

2009-01-27T07:07:00.001-08:00

Being vegetarian is one of the greatest things in the world. From good health to sufficient energy in your daily life. Eating healthy is one of the easiest ways to ensure both your mood and physical wellbeing remain at their positive peek.

Uplift Your Mood

If you have an attack of the blues, try drinking some tea made from walnut. Walnuts are plentiful with the mood boosting chemical serotonin. Brew this wonderful little food in hot water (easier for the body to acquire the serotonin) and drink away much of your blues. The recipe is simple, use half a shell walnut for each cup of hot water and steep for 3 minutes and drink 4 to 6 cups daily.

Apart from uplifting your mood, walnuts also protects your heart from coronary disease, lowers cholesterol, boost your memory, fights cancer, enhance blood flow and of course lifts your mood.

Best Salad Dressing

Researchers recommend using salad dressing with full fats in salads to gain the full benefits of carotenoids. Their research showed that people that ate low fat dressing, absorbed very little of the carontenoids, people that ate none fat dressing, absorbed almost zero of the nutrients, but those who ate full fat dressing, absorbed the most of these little wonders. It should be noted that eating cheese, nuts and avocado do allow you to absorb as much carontenoids as possible according to researchers.

Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea has long been known for the numerous benefits it provides. As a vegetarian, it's important not to overlook this tea as part of your daily or regular diet. The tea aids in the fight of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection and impaired immune function. But what about the negative effect of insomnia since it contains caffeine? What about it, the fact that it makes you a little sleepy far out weights the benefits. Also, the caffeine in it contains 30 to 60 milligrams per 8 ounces of tea. Compare that to over 100 milligrams in 8 ounces of coffee.

If that's not enough to convince you of making green tea part of your diet, lets look at the Japanese study of the benefits of green tea against dioxin. Dioxin is a byproduct of paper and plastic manufacturing. It is released into the air and settles in the soil which finally makes its way into your food. Dioxin causes birth defects, increases your risk of cancer and suppresses your immunity. The Japanese researchers say that several antioxidant compounds in green tea prevent dioxin from destroying DNA and cells. Epigallocatechin gallate is one of the antioxidants that does a fabulous job in preventing dioxin's effects. Epigallocatechin gallate also makes up for one-third of green tea's antioxidant compounds.

By now you should be convinced of all the positives of green tea being a staple in your vegetarian diet.

Vegetarian Cooking - Three Basics

2009-01-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

For any of the many reasons people choose to eat
vegetarian food - religion, politics, finances, or health -
one thing in common is that everyone prefers food that
tastes delicious and provides good nutrition. There are
some basic techniques to vegetarian cooking which will
accomplish that.

There is a range of vegetarianism. From the vegan to the
person who eats meat on rare occasions. Some people
consider themselves basically vegetarian if they never eat
red meat, but do eat fish and chicken once in a while.
Other vegetarians eat animal products like eggs and dairy,
but never the animal itself. A vegan is at the far end of
the continuum, rejecting animal products entirely. Vegans
won't eat mayonnaise because it's made using eggs, for
example.

Wherever you are on the continuum of vegetarianism, you
want your food to taste good, be satisfying, and provide
good nutrition. Here are some methods for cooking
vegetarian to meet those basic requirements.

To begin, if you are making some dish that is actually a
meat-based recipe, such as chili con carne, stop
substituting textured vegetable protein for the meat and
leaving the rest of the recipe unaltered. The result never
tastes quite right, and you've been robbed of the pleasure
of good food: it's neither meat nor properly vegetarian.
Furthermore, you haven't gained in terms of health or
economy. Soy is the primary ingredient of textured
vegetable protein, tofu, and tempeh. These are usually
high in fat, high in processing, and fairly high in cost.
Not much better than organically raised meat, if at all.
So if chili con carne is what you want, buy organic meat
and enjoy it! Otherwise, cook a delicious soup using red
beans that doesn't pretend it's chili con carne.

The key to good vegetarian soup is to use oil. Even if
you prefer low fat, your body does require fats for healthy
metabolism. And it definitely enhances the quality and
flavor of any vegetarian soup when some of the vegetables
(onions in particular) are saut~ed. Use an oil that's
liquid at room temperature, such as olive, vegetable, or
grape seed.

The next critical ingredient of vegetarian food that
tastes fabulous is really simple: use sea salt. Although
any kind of salt will enhance the flavor of most foods, sea
salt is best. It naturally contains minerals, while it
doesn't contain the nasty chemicals of regular processed
table salt. Important to note~ use salt *during* the
cooking instead of waiting until after serving the food.
This makes a difference in the final quality of the dish
because cooking is chemistry. Remember back to your high
school chemistry classes: the order of combining the
elements, and the application of heat to the mixture could
make a tremendous difference to the results of the
experiment!

The third tip for vegetarian cooking is obvious, yet needs
emphasis. Use lots of vegetables! You can't over-do
vegetables in your diet - the greater the range and color,
the better. Use leafy veg (lettuce, spinach, and chard),
root veg (yams, carrots, potatoes, turnips), and the stems
and seed carriers of veg (for example celery, eggplant,
peppers, zucchini). Buy organic veg if you can because
they really do taste better, and of course they provide
better nutrition because they are gown in healthy, 'clean'
dirt.

Take any vegetable and bean soup recipe, and follow these
three simple principles: saut~ the veg in the right oil,
cook the beans in sea-salted water, use a variety of
organic vegetables, and you'll have a rich delicious soup.
These simple tips make a big difference. Take my word for
it, or do a little test. Use the same list of ingredients,
but don't saut~ in oil, add the salt at the table, and use
conventionally grown veg. The result will be inferior -
still nutritious, but bland rather than satisfying, and
that's a shame because the few simple techniques described
here can make your vegetarian cooking consistently
terrific.

Hello!

2009-01-24T04:46:00.001-08:00

Hello and thanks for visiting my blog! I am a vegetarian for 15 years and I am extremely happy with that. I decide to make this blog, just to inspire people to became vegetarians and share my success with you. I will post a few recipes that I have and good ways to start. By becoming a vegetarian you will have a lot more energy and you will be able to live without health problems. I will trying to updating this blog every day so make sure that you visit it often!