Vegetarian Diet Secrets - Vegan Foods Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease

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The major source oh heart disease is called cholesterol circulating in the blood stream. Scientists agree that the levels of cholesterol should stay balanced in order to avoid serious health conditions, like heart attacks or blood pressure problems. If you suffer from heart disease your doctor will prescribe all sorts of chemical medication to reduce cholesterol.

Now scientists have come up to the conclusion that eating vegan foods like vegetables, seeds, nuts and other "Green Foods" may be as effective at reducing cholesterol as medicines. Experiments involving different types of vegan foods proved that a balanced vegan diet with vegetables, soy products, bread, fruits and nuts could be a possible drug-free alternative to reduce cholesterol and protect your body against heart threats.

What is really important when implementing this diet is to combine all sorts of food. Researches proved that a combination of vegan foods can cut cholesterol by up to three times more than when you insist on eating a single vegan food (e.g. only vegetables and soy products).

Here's the diet I recommend for a typical weekday.

- In the morning consume soy milk, cereals, fruits and nuts. You can also eat some bread with vegan butter and honey.

- For lunch you can have a vegetable soup with lots of bread and fruits for dessert.

- For dinner you can have a fruit salad or a vegetable salad combined with nuts like almonds or walnuts.

A similar diet was adopted by a dozen of people during experiments done by Canadian scientists. The results were amazing. Their cholesterol levels had dropped by almost 30% in just a few months. This combined diet could be as effective as medication according to the researchers.

Even though a lot more experiments and research are needed before the diet could be recommended to people, one thing is certain. There is hope for a natural treatment that doesn'r involve chemicals, for people with heart disease or high cholesterol.

A Vegetarian Diet Plan - How to Get Started

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Perhaps you're worried about the health effects of eating fatty meat. Or maybe the idea of animals dying so you can eat them really bothers you. Whatever the reason, you've decided to start a vegetarian diet plan. So, now what?

It's all too easy to fall into the trap of eating lots of pasta, bread, and cheesy pizza when you first start eating vegetarian, but that's no better for you than the fatty diet you're trying to get away from. For a truly healthy vegetarian diet, you'll need to learn to incorporate whole grains, leafy greens, and fresh fruits and vegetables in a way that's satisfying and varied. It's easiest to balance your vegetarian diet plan if you continue to incorporate eggs and dairy (called ovo-lacto vegetarianism). Strict veganism requires some supplementation, notably with vitamin B12 and the fatty acids DHA and EPA, in order to meet minimum nutritional requirements. For this reason, if you are set on becoming a vegan, it's wise to consult with your doctor or a qualified nutritionist to make sure that your diet is healthy.

If you have concerns over the factory farming of eggs and dairy cattle, consider frequenting your local farmers' market, where you will find sustainably produced eggs, milk, and cheese which are free of dangerous hormones and antibiotics, produced by happy animals eating appropriate, natural feeds. To many consumers, the difference in quality between these sustainable animal products and their supermarket counterparts is nothing less than shocking.

Once you've decided on the type of vegetarianism you wish to pursue, it's time to devise a weekly meal plan. Write down ideas for seven breakfasts, seven lunches, seven snacks, seven suppers, and seven desserts. Possible breakfasts include low-sugar, whole grain cereal (hot or cold), buckwheat pancakes with real maple syrup, whole grain waffles (can be made ahead, frozen, and reheated in the toaster), omelets, and fruit salad. Possible lunches could be vegetable fried rice, fritattas, soup made with seasonal vegetables, or a roasted vegetable wrap. Snacks might be nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, or trail mix. Supper might be stuffed squash with a side of steamed asparagus and a salad, grilled portabella with a baked sweet potato and sweet-sour kale, or vegetable stew with fresh garlic bread and corn on the cob. Dessert might be baked apples drizzled with honey, fresh strawberries, peaches and blueberries topped with freshly whipped cream, or a homemade rhubarb pie.

Browse the cookbook section at your local bookstore and pick up a couple of vegetarian cookbooks that appeal to you, then use them during your brainstorming session to set up your weekly vegetarian diet plan. Learn about the seasonality of vegetables and fruits in your area so that you can get the best prices, eat local foods, and support local farmers.

Once you have your meals and snacks planned, go through and list the ingredients for each one, then combine that information to make your weekly shopping list. Check your kitchen to make sure that you have enough of all of your staples, and narrow the list down to things that you are almost out of, plus the foods you will be buying fresh. Some things, like soups and stews, lend themselves to large batches which can be frozen in individual containers for easy meals on busy days. Get in the habit of setting aside a weekend afternoon for cooking slow foods in big batches, then freezing them. Then you'll never be caught flat-footed if an emergency comes up or company arrives.

A vegetarian diet plan can be simple and stress-free; it just requires a bit of forward planning.

Vegetarian Food Diet

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What we eat determines a lot about who we are and how we behave, apart from the basic fact that it also determines how healthy we are. In recent times an increasing number of people have been turning towards professional help and guidance where there daily in take is concerned. And most of such people are those recuperating from an ailment - chronic, major, or minor. That is the problem with people, they wait for disaster to strike in order to take control of their life.

In fact, while many overlook the need to follow a healthy dietary routine; experts insist that one can prevent any kind of disease by following a proper food intake regime. This would include proper eating timing, proper meals in the day and most importantly following a vegetarian diet.

The physiology of the human body is such that it can easily digest any kind of vegetarian food, as well as fruits and nuts. Any other kind of food remains in the digestive system longer, creating disease in the body. One should realize that the human body is required to follow a normal process of eating, digesting and excreting. And this process will happen undisturbed with vegetarianism being a way of healthy living.

According to food experts, by eating right and light, one can also control their stress levels. Obviously, along with a good diet regime, one needs to also practice stress control methods such as varied breathing techniques, yoga, aerobics, meditation, etc.; whatever keeps the mind healthy, permitting flow of oxygen into the mind and body.

In fact, a vegetarian diet helps one eat the required six to seven small meals a day, instead of large and heavy two to three meals. These six mini meals could include:

Breakfast: a bowl of cereals with a glass of milk, or juice, or tea or coffee
Between breakfast and lunch: A bowl of fruit salad; or a bowl of any one fruit of preference (preferably the fruit of the season)

Lunch: Vegetables with rice or bread along with some salad

High Tea: Sprouts, or a vegetable sandwich, or a handful of dried fruits and nuts

Pre-dinner: A vegetable soup with some salad

Dinner: Vegetable with rice or bread

Along with this one can add tender coconut water along with the fruit (mid-morning). Also one should have two to three liters of water (Note: those with a water retention problem should ask a medical practitioner about the amount of water intake).

Following this kind of a vegetarian routine can prevent all kinds of health related problems. But then, one should also bring into this eating routine some kind of daily physical recreational activity. As this, as mentioned earlier is fresh flow of oxygen, as well further activates the body's digestive and circulatory system.

Also, one should make it a habit to stroll for about five to ten minutes after every mini-meal and twenty minutes after every major meal. This should be a light brisk walk.