Healthy eating for vegetarians and vegans

Lacto-ovo vegetarians

• Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat both dairy products and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian diet.

Lacto vegetarians

• Lacto vegetarians eat dairy products but not eggs.

Vegans

• Vegans don't eat dairy products, eggs or any other animal product.

Follow our advice on healthy eating for vegetarians and vegans to ensure you have a balanced and varied diet.

If you're a vegetarian or vegan, you should eat a wide variety of foods and have a healthy balanced diet to ensure you get all the nutrients your body needs.

Vegetarians and vegans don’t eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea (such as crab or lobster) or animal by-products (such as gelatine).

Vegetarians eat a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables, dairy products and eggs. 

Vegetarians who also don’t eat eggs and dairy products are called vegans.

Some people who call themselves vegetarians may eat different combinations of these foods. For example, some may consume milk but not eggs, while some may eat fish but not meat.

There are three main types of vegetarian:

Around 2% of the UK population is vegetarian, which is more than 1.2 million people. Teenagers make up the highest proportion.

A vegetarian or vegan diet can be suitable for everyone, regardless of their age. However, you may need to consider specific needs at different stages of life, for example if you're pregnant.

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Vegetarianhealth/Pages/Goingvegetarian.aspx

What Is A Vegan? Definition Of 'Vegan' And General Information

What is a vegan? What is the definition of 'vegan?' What does the word 'vegan' mean? Many people have heard a little bit about "vegans", or perhaps have an acquaintance who is a vegan, and they are curious about what this word really means. The following article will provide you with answers and will also inform you about various aspects of veganism such as food consumed, health benefits and related terminology.

Definition of vegan: A vegan is a person who excludes all animal-based products from their diet. This means a total elimination of red meat, chicken, duck and turkey, fish and seafood, honey, cheese, eggs, butter, cream and any other product that is of animal origin.

A vegan is similar to a vegetarian in the respect that both persons exclude meat from their diet. The diet of a vegan however not only excludes meat but also excludes all animal-based products (ex: dairy products and eggs)

Also known as: Plant-based diet; animal-free diet; meat and dairy-free diet; animal-friendly diet.

Terminology:
Veganism - refers to the lifestyle of a vegan and the set of beliefs that they adopt. This is the belief that they should not consume any animal-based foods for personal reasons and beliefs.

Diet of a vegan: A vegan can eat anything that does not contain (or is processed by means of) meat, dairy or other animal based products. Their diet will by based on fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, whole-grains, tofu, "mock" meat and dairy products (or meat and dairy 'clones'), dairy-free treats such as cakes or brownies, and vegan chocolate.

Contrary to popular belief, foods on this lifestyle have the capability to be flavorsome and satisfying (rather than dull and boring). There are many amazing vegan recipes available nowadays to create 'clones' of your favorite meals, desserts and snacks. It has often been said that vegan foods and meals are tastier and more enjoyable than their standard counterparts!

Why people choose to become vegan:

A person will generally become a vegan for one of the following reasons:
· Detoxification of a sick, lethargic body
· Increased energy
· Health benefits (weight loss, skin, allergies, etc.)
· To prevent, treat or reverse chronic disease (diabetes, cancers, arthritis, high-cholesterol, high-blood pressure etc.)
· Longevity
· To look younger (a vegan lifestyle has been known to make a person look younger, make their hair and nails healthier, make their skin softer and their eyes whiter)
· Animal rights
· Environmental issues
· Vegan food tastes great



http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-A-Vegan?-Definition-Of-Vegan-And-General-Information&id=8265739

Raw Food Promises Longevity

Do you ever wonder what the cliché, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" really means? According to book aficionados, the phrase came from a Welsh folk proverb dated 1866 that means eating an apple before bedtime will keep the doctor from earning his money.

The writer of that phrase was not just referring to apple per se, but to all kinds of fruits because these are beneficial to the body, especially when eaten raw.

Fruits help our bodies flush out toxins. This is why vitamins have a fruit base.

Best Eaten Raw

Doctors specializing in end-stage cancer and other terminal diseases recommend eating raw food over cooked food, as the former will helps the body resist cancer cells. In fact, they would classify food cooked at high temperature as dead food that feeds the body's bad bacteria and nourishes its cancer cells.

Moreover, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation will not improve the health condition of a cancer patient who refuses to eat healthy food according to specialists.

The only way to destroy the bad bacteria that nurtures cancer cells is by opting for organic food that did not undergo multilevel food preservation methods, which are designed to destroy the microorganisms of a food product including its good bacteria that aides the body in fighting diseases.

A survey of 10 women with breast cancer reveals that three of them decided to change their diet to fruits and vegetables, and after three months with no meat and just raw fruit and vegetable recipes, their disease vanished.

According to three successful women who almost succumbed to cancer, their macrobiotic diet helped them beat the cancer cells. While a macrobiotic diet only constitutes of fruits and vegetables, one of them heeded the advice of her doctor to include raw beef liver and pork pancreas in her daily menu. She was the first to be cleared of the disease.

Natural Cure for Cancer

Actress and thigh trainer Suzanne Somers is another breast cancer survivor who opted out of chemotherapy in favor of the natural healing process. She grew vegetables in her backyard and had them every day apart from Iscador, an extract from mistletoe, and just like that, her breast cancer was gone.

It is not wrong to have faith in modern medicine, but even the best doctors advise their patients to match their radiation and chemotherapy sessions with a healthy diet. They added that bromelain and pexoxidase, which are enzymes found in pineapple, are among the best nutrients that can kill cancer. Broccoli, on the other hand, is rich in phytonutrients that prevent prostate cancer.

Meanwhile, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are rich in ellagic acid that reduces the risk of heart and liver diseases.

Take your fruit whole or extract its juice. No matter what your preference is, just make it a point to include a fruit in your daily diet to keep cancer and other deadly diseases away.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Raw-Food-Promises-Longevity&id=8665538

Detoxification and Why You Will Get Sick on a Raw Vegan Diet

Detoxification is the process of the body cleaning itself out and eliminating toxins. The body is constantly detoxifying itself through the liver. However, there are many toxins in the Standard American Diet (SAD) and the liver can not handle all these poisons, so the body stored them in the fat and muscle tissues. This is in order to protect the body from further damage. When you start eating a clean high or full raw vegan diet, your body will be given a chance to play catch up in sense with the detox process. When you begin to eat a high or full raw vegan diet and eliminate toxic foods that are not meant for the human body, such as dairy and processed foods, your body will start cleanse and eliminate those toxins no longer entering the system. This is often an unpleasant experience with uncomfortable symptoms. However detoxification should be celebrated because this means you are eating healthy enough to start this process, and you will feel and look better and healthier after. If you eat high or full raw vegan, you are pretty much guaranteed to start this process. Assuming you have not been raw vegan your whole life.

Some common symptoms of detoxification are colds, a flu, headaches, low energy, moodiness, aches, going to the bathroom a lot, cravings, acne breakouts, nausea and more. The intensity of your detox depends on your past diet. The worse your diet was, the longer and more intense the detox process. As a rule of thumb, you will detox for 1 month for every year of unhealthy eating, if you were to eat a raw vegan diet. Also detox comes in waves. For example, you may detox for a few days, then all of a sudden have amazing energy levels for a week, and then you'll start to feel detox symptoms again. Generally the worst of it happens in the beginning and it will take many years to fully detox. Like anything, the beginning is the hardest part. Detoxification is to be expected when starting a high or full raw vegan diet.

Detoxification is important to understand when starting a clean and healthy raw vegan diet. If you didn't know any better you would think that the raw vegan diet is causing the problems or that there is deficiency. Detox is due to all the toxic food choices of the past, which you must pay for now. But once again it is something to celebrate. It means that after you've gone through it, every wave, you will feel lighter, healthier, more energetic, and just better. Not to mention you will probably lose fat and look better as well. You hot raw vegan, you!

It may be discouraging though, I understand. You are eating raw vegan which is challenging enough to get adjusted to, and not experiencing benefits right away but rather what seems to be punishments. I encourage you to stick with it as it is well worth the effort. Also go easy on yourself in any way you can. Take out more time to yourself to relax, take a bath or a walk and rest up. Any energy, time, money and effort you invest in your health is never wasted and always well worth it.

A raw vegan diet is ideal and meant for the human body but most people have not eaten anything close to that their whole life. Imagine all the meats, cheeses, processed foods, sodas, refined sugar that you've eaten over the years and how long that will take to eliminate. Not to mention pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, drugs, unclean water, and toxins that have been building up in your system, being stored so that they don't cause further damage. When you eat raw vegan you are giving your body a chance to clean out these toxins and you will feel so much better after. Not to mention that a raw vegan diet is super nourishing and healing.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Detoxification-and-Why-You-Will-Get-Sick-on-a-Raw-Vegan-Diet&id=8779238

How to Incorporate More Raw Foods Into Your Diet

Not everyone wants to be a full raw vegan. However, even adding in more fruits and veggies into your diet can create amazing changes, such as increased energy and weight loss. Here are some tips to add more raw foods into your life on a daily basis.

1) Make a raw food rule such as having a raw breakfast each day. You can do a green smoothie of bananas, water or coconut water, and kale or spinach. It's quick, will jumpstart your energy for the day, and set you off on the right foot. You can also just grab some fruit, peel it, and eat it. Fruit is the ultimate fast food and very portable. Most people aren't too hungry at breakfast and eat alone. This would be the best meal to eat your raw.Make sure you eat enough though. Two bananas is only 200 calories and won't cut it. You'll be ravenous by lunch and overeat. This will lead to a slow metabolism and weight gain. Eat at least 500 calories for breakfast and get used to the abundance.

2) Pack raw foods such as fruit, dried fruit, and some nuts with you on the go, so you can always have a healthy choice. What's really frustrating is if you want to eat something healthy, but don't have any options. That's a major bummer. Our society is so out of touch with how to eat properly. There are often not many healthy raw options available when you are eating on the go. It's no wonder we have an obesity epidemic and 1 out of 2 Americans die of heart disease. It always helps to pack some raw healthy choices with you so you can always be prepared.

3) Have a healthy attitude about healthy foods. There could be all the organic raw foods underneath your face, but if you are having negative thoughts about them, you won't eat them. Focus on the benefits of raw foods. Get excited about all the amazing changes that are going to happen. Some examples would be weight loss, increased energy, clearer skin, and feeling better! Don't think that you are depriving yourself. This is an abundant lifestyle, with large portions, and you can eat as much as you want! On the other way of eating you'd always have to portion control your food anyways or else you'd balloon up. Plus, what are you depriving yourself of really? Toxins and chemicals that will make you gain weight, cause premature aging, and lethargy? Remember, it's just a different way of eating that will taste better overtime and deliver amazing changes in your life. Every time you have a negative thought about raw foods, try to create a counter argument that addresses the flip side. Such as if you think raw foods aren't as tasty, the counterargument could be that they will taste better over time and that life will be more tasty. You will have more energy, look and feel better, and have a greater vitality which will make your daily life more exciting and pleasurable. And yes your taste buds regenerate over time and acquire a taste for the raw foods.



http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Incorporate-More-Raw-Foods-Into-Your-Diet&id=8762975

The Meat Debate: Carnivores and Colon Cancer

Regardless of your dietary preference, humans are (by nature) omnivores. This means that your body depends upon a healthy mix of nutrition from meat and plant foods. Animal flesh -- meat -- is one ready source of protein that your body uses to grow and repair almost every tissue in your body. Your muscles, organs and even your skin is made from types of protein. It is a nutrient that we cannot live without. Unfortunately, you might need to re-examine your weekly protein source and intake. Research continues to support a link between eating a diet rich in red and processed meats and developing colon cancer.

If you are eating red meat three or more times weekly you might be inadvertently increasing your risk of colon cancer. In fact, most studies only show an increased risk for serious red meat eaters, whereas poultry and fish have not been proven to increase a risk of cancer. For the most part, these studies include people who eat some form of red meat almost daily -- and usually consume much more than the recommended four ounce serving.
There is good news for the occasional steak lover -- your risk increases exponentially by how often and how much red meat you consume. Meaning, someone who occasionally enjoys a cut of beef isn't significantly increasing their cancer risk over time.

The Good News: Why We Love Meat

We love meat. There, I said it, so now hopefully the hateful responses to this article will be limited. You can grill it, stew it, fry it, or even broil it -- meat is a very versatile ingredient that gives immediate texture and flavor to a dish. It also has a few dietary benefits that you won't find in plant foods. In particular, red meat contains a complement of B vitamins, selenium, iron, zinc and vitamin D.

You might even be surprised to learn that beef is not the only type of red meat out there. The following choices are also considered "red meat":

• Goat
• Lamb
• Pork
• Venison

Certain cuts of red meats are also considered "worse" for your health than others, including the marbled, fatty cuts.

Why Red Meat Might Not Be a Healthy Choice

Aside from vitamins and minerals, red meats also contain compounds that are considered potentially carcinogenic -- or cancer causing. These chemicals, including carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (CHA) and N-nitroso compounds, help to mutate cells in your colon that precede cancer development, but the concentration of these compounds is minimal in regularly cooked (not charbroiled or grilled) meats.
Certain cuts of meat also contribute to a high fat diet, which has been directly linked to an increased risk of many different types of cancer, not just colorectal cancer. Likewise, the carcinogenic properties of red meat can be amplified by cooking methods. As mentioned, grilled or blackened meats are worse for you than boiled or slow-cooked meat.

Smoked, Cured, and Processed Meats

There's meat -- and then there's processed, man-made concoctions that look like meat. Does it come from a can with a decade long shelf life or from a butcher? Studies linking meat to colon cancer include eating processed, cured, smoked and salted meats as potential risk factors. When you consider your weekly meat intake, include the bacon, ham and any other processed meats, such as cold cuts on sandwiches.

Making Better Choices

Studies suggest that it is okay to eat one to two servings of red meat each week without increasing your cancer risk. However, make sure that you stick to the four ounce portion -- that's one serving of red meat and choose lean cuts, not fatty ones such as chuck or ground beef.
Dietary sources of protein are found in both animals and plants. As the vegans out there already know, legumes and tofu are just two examples of lean proteins that originate from plants.If you're looking to mix up your menu and cut down on the red meats during the week, poultry, fish and plant proteins are healthy substitutes. If you like things on the wilder side, you can include pheasant, rabbit, and duck, which are also not red meats.
http://coloncancer.about.com/od/preventionandrecurrence/fl/The-Meat-Debate-Carnivores-and-Colon-Cancer.htm