Peta's somewhat gruesome reasons to be a vegetarian. Some very good points.
Mike
Showing posts with label Vegetarian Diet/Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetarian Diet/Lifestyle. Show all posts
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Jim Gaffigan on Vegetarianism - Funny
Funny stand up comedian Jim Gaffigan. This is what everyone that is not a vegetarian is thinking about you as a vegetarian. Every once in a while we have to laugh at ourselves.
Mike
Mike
Vegetarian Diet/Lifestyle - Review
I was a vegetarian for 1.5 years, well not a full blown vegetarian I did eat some fish. It was the perfect lifestyle for me with high bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol. The first year I also cut out drinking soda. I must say that I recently before becoming a vegetarian I did the Atkins diet and the first month and a half I also did the Cinch inch loss plan. Becoming a vegetarian was more for cholesterol reasons and it didn't hurt matters that the environmental damage from the large amount of animals meant for consumption causing issues for the planet.
I really didn't find being a vegetarian that difficult. Everywhere I went there were always options for vegetarians. Although that may have been because I did eat fish. I did find all the Boca burgers and all the imitation brats, hot dogs and hamburgers were awful. Tofu is good. Tofu takes the flavor or whatever seasoning it is cooked in and is good mixed with other foods in the amount that you would put as a topping on a salad.
I come from a real meat and potatoes background and used to refer to salad as the food you feed the food I eat but there are a lot of great vegetarian meals and so ofter meat is added to foods when it doesn't really make the food taste better. It also seemed like my tastes changed over time and starting liking broccoli and other veggies.
About 6 moths before I stopped being a vegetarian I started drinking soda again. At that point I had lost about 18 lbs. but started gaining weight when I started drinking soda and I also was a big fan of pasta and pizza along with the constant IV of ranch dressing hooked up to my arm didn't help with my weight.
The biggest downside to vegetarianism isn't the lifestyle or cravings its family and friends. When I told friends I was now a vegetarian they looked at me like I was the Anti-Christ. Most of the people I told always asked the barrage of questions that they tried to tell me how wrong I was and how right they were. They wanted to turn it in to some argument like religious debate between an Atheist and a born again christian. There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian but some people are deeply offended. After awhile I stopped telling people and just told them I wasn't hungry or just ate what veggies were available followed by a stop on the way home at McDonald's for a salad, by the way McDonald's doesn't offer a plain salad they feel they have to put some meat on everyone. Then you ask for no meat and then they still put the meat on and you sit there hungry from missing a meal and hours later picking of little chicken pieces from your salad, but I am going off track.
Another complaint people have with being a vegetarian is that they say you won't get all the protein you need but I was in a unique position. I donate plasma twice per week which is when your blood is drawn out from your body and the plasma is separated from the red blood cells and the red blood cells are returned to you and they keep the plasma for research or to help people with certain blood disorders. When I go in they check your protein levels and I never was anywhere close to having low protein levels. As Americans we feel we have to eat so much protein but you really don't need much at all. I do think large amounts of protein is good though especially when dieting but tofu, nuts and many other foods have high protein levels.
Below are the reviews I have given for the vegetarian lifestyle but it is a bit misleading because there are different reasons to become a vegetarian and I really reviewed it as a diet, so please keep that in mind.
Please leave your comments of your experience with being a vegetarian.
Best Regards,
Mike
Perfect Circle Remedies, LLC
Perfect Circle Community
I really didn't find being a vegetarian that difficult. Everywhere I went there were always options for vegetarians. Although that may have been because I did eat fish. I did find all the Boca burgers and all the imitation brats, hot dogs and hamburgers were awful. Tofu is good. Tofu takes the flavor or whatever seasoning it is cooked in and is good mixed with other foods in the amount that you would put as a topping on a salad.
I come from a real meat and potatoes background and used to refer to salad as the food you feed the food I eat but there are a lot of great vegetarian meals and so ofter meat is added to foods when it doesn't really make the food taste better. It also seemed like my tastes changed over time and starting liking broccoli and other veggies.
About 6 moths before I stopped being a vegetarian I started drinking soda again. At that point I had lost about 18 lbs. but started gaining weight when I started drinking soda and I also was a big fan of pasta and pizza along with the constant IV of ranch dressing hooked up to my arm didn't help with my weight.
The biggest downside to vegetarianism isn't the lifestyle or cravings its family and friends. When I told friends I was now a vegetarian they looked at me like I was the Anti-Christ. Most of the people I told always asked the barrage of questions that they tried to tell me how wrong I was and how right they were. They wanted to turn it in to some argument like religious debate between an Atheist and a born again christian. There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian but some people are deeply offended. After awhile I stopped telling people and just told them I wasn't hungry or just ate what veggies were available followed by a stop on the way home at McDonald's for a salad, by the way McDonald's doesn't offer a plain salad they feel they have to put some meat on everyone. Then you ask for no meat and then they still put the meat on and you sit there hungry from missing a meal and hours later picking of little chicken pieces from your salad, but I am going off track.
Another complaint people have with being a vegetarian is that they say you won't get all the protein you need but I was in a unique position. I donate plasma twice per week which is when your blood is drawn out from your body and the plasma is separated from the red blood cells and the red blood cells are returned to you and they keep the plasma for research or to help people with certain blood disorders. When I go in they check your protein levels and I never was anywhere close to having low protein levels. As Americans we feel we have to eat so much protein but you really don't need much at all. I do think large amounts of protein is good though especially when dieting but tofu, nuts and many other foods have high protein levels.
Below are the reviews I have given for the vegetarian lifestyle but it is a bit misleading because there are different reasons to become a vegetarian and I really reviewed it as a diet, so please keep that in mind.
Please leave your comments of your experience with being a vegetarian.
Best Regards,
Mike
Perfect Circle Remedies, LLC
Perfect Circle Community
Friday, July 11, 2008
Vegetarian Diet/Lefestyle
Next I will be reviewing a vegetarian diet/lifestyle. I was a vegetarian for a year and a half.
What is a vegetarian diet?
Some people follow a "vegetarian" diet, but there's no single vegetarian eating pattern. The vegan or total vegetarian diet includes only foods from plants: fruits, vegetables, legumes (dried beans and peas), grains, seeds and nuts. The lactovegetarian diet includes plant foods plus cheese and other dairy products. The ovo-lactovegetarian (or lacto-ovovegetarian) diet also includes eggs. Semi-vegetarians don't eat red meat but include chicken and fish with plant foods, dairy products and eggs.
Are vegetarian diets healthful?
Most vegetarian diets are low in or devoid of animal products. They’re also usually lower than nonvegetarian diets in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Many studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease (which causes heart attack), high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and some forms of cancer.
Vegetarian diets can be healthful and nutritionally sound if they’re carefully planned to include essential nutrients. However, a vegetarian diet can be unhealthy if it contains too many calories and/or saturated fat and not enough important nutrients.
What are the nutrients to consider in a vegetarian diet?
Protein: You don't need to eat foods from animals to have enough protein in your diet. Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs.
Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts all contain both essential and non-essential amino acids. You don't need to consciously combine these foods ("complementary proteins") within a given meal.
Soy protein has been shown to be equal to proteins of animal origin. It can be your sole protein source if you choose.
Iron: Vegetarians may have a greater risk of iron deficiency than nonvegetarians. The richest sources of iron are red meat, liver and egg yolk -- all high in cholesterol. However, dried beans, spinach, enriched products, brewer's yeast and dried fruits are all good plant sources of iron.
Vitamin B-12: This comes naturally only from animal sources. Vegans need a reliable source of vitamin B-12. It can be found in some fortified (not enriched) breakfast cereals, fortified soy beverages, some brands of nutritional (brewer's) yeast and other foods (check the labels), as well as vitamin supplements.
Vitamin D: Vegans should have a reliable source of vitamin D. Vegans who don’t get much sunlight may need a supplement.
Calcium: Studies show that vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium from foods than nonvegetarians do. Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products, are good sources of calcium from plants.
Zinc: Zinc is needed for growth and development. Good plant sources include grains, nuts and legumes. Shellfish are an excellent source of zinc. Take care to select supplements containing no more than 15-18 mg zinc. Supplements containing 50 mg or more may lower HDL ("good") cholesterol in some people.
What meal plans are recommended?
Any type of vegetarian diet should include a wide variety of foods and enough calories to meet your energy needs.
* Keep your intake of sweets and fatty foods to a minimum. These foods are low in nutrients and high in calories.
* Choose whole or unrefined grain products when possible, or use fortified or enriched cereal products.
* Use a variety of fruits and vegetables, including foods that are good sources of vitamins A and C.
* If you use milk or dairy products, choose fat-free/nonfat and low-fat varieties.
* Eggs are high in cholesterol (213 mg per yolk), so monitor your use of them. Limit your cholesterol intake to no more than 300 mg per day.
Why I did it?
I became a vegetarian because my bad cholesterol was high and my good cholesterol was low. I did not eat red meat even though I love the taste. I did not eat pork because of the fattiness. I didn't eat chicken more so because I figured if I was eliminating the others I cut out chicken mostly for treatment of animal reasons. So many chickens live their lives in small cages. I did eat some fish which is not a traditional vegetarian but that was my compromise. Fish oil (Omega 3) is good for you and unbreaded fish is healthy and a good source of protein.
Also, for the first year I cut out as much refined sugar as possible, I ate honey and about three cafe mochas a week (my other great vice).
Best Regards,
Mike
What is a vegetarian diet?
Some people follow a "vegetarian" diet, but there's no single vegetarian eating pattern. The vegan or total vegetarian diet includes only foods from plants: fruits, vegetables, legumes (dried beans and peas), grains, seeds and nuts. The lactovegetarian diet includes plant foods plus cheese and other dairy products. The ovo-lactovegetarian (or lacto-ovovegetarian) diet also includes eggs. Semi-vegetarians don't eat red meat but include chicken and fish with plant foods, dairy products and eggs.
Are vegetarian diets healthful?
Most vegetarian diets are low in or devoid of animal products. They’re also usually lower than nonvegetarian diets in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Many studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease (which causes heart attack), high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and some forms of cancer.
Vegetarian diets can be healthful and nutritionally sound if they’re carefully planned to include essential nutrients. However, a vegetarian diet can be unhealthy if it contains too many calories and/or saturated fat and not enough important nutrients.
What are the nutrients to consider in a vegetarian diet?
Protein: You don't need to eat foods from animals to have enough protein in your diet. Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs.
Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts all contain both essential and non-essential amino acids. You don't need to consciously combine these foods ("complementary proteins") within a given meal.
Soy protein has been shown to be equal to proteins of animal origin. It can be your sole protein source if you choose.
Iron: Vegetarians may have a greater risk of iron deficiency than nonvegetarians. The richest sources of iron are red meat, liver and egg yolk -- all high in cholesterol. However, dried beans, spinach, enriched products, brewer's yeast and dried fruits are all good plant sources of iron.
Vitamin B-12: This comes naturally only from animal sources. Vegans need a reliable source of vitamin B-12. It can be found in some fortified (not enriched) breakfast cereals, fortified soy beverages, some brands of nutritional (brewer's) yeast and other foods (check the labels), as well as vitamin supplements.
Vitamin D: Vegans should have a reliable source of vitamin D. Vegans who don’t get much sunlight may need a supplement.
Calcium: Studies show that vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium from foods than nonvegetarians do. Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products, are good sources of calcium from plants.
Zinc: Zinc is needed for growth and development. Good plant sources include grains, nuts and legumes. Shellfish are an excellent source of zinc. Take care to select supplements containing no more than 15-18 mg zinc. Supplements containing 50 mg or more may lower HDL ("good") cholesterol in some people.
What meal plans are recommended?
Any type of vegetarian diet should include a wide variety of foods and enough calories to meet your energy needs.
* Keep your intake of sweets and fatty foods to a minimum. These foods are low in nutrients and high in calories.
* Choose whole or unrefined grain products when possible, or use fortified or enriched cereal products.
* Use a variety of fruits and vegetables, including foods that are good sources of vitamins A and C.
* If you use milk or dairy products, choose fat-free/nonfat and low-fat varieties.
* Eggs are high in cholesterol (213 mg per yolk), so monitor your use of them. Limit your cholesterol intake to no more than 300 mg per day.
Why I did it?
I became a vegetarian because my bad cholesterol was high and my good cholesterol was low. I did not eat red meat even though I love the taste. I did not eat pork because of the fattiness. I didn't eat chicken more so because I figured if I was eliminating the others I cut out chicken mostly for treatment of animal reasons. So many chickens live their lives in small cages. I did eat some fish which is not a traditional vegetarian but that was my compromise. Fish oil (Omega 3) is good for you and unbreaded fish is healthy and a good source of protein.
Also, for the first year I cut out as much refined sugar as possible, I ate honey and about three cafe mochas a week (my other great vice).
Best Regards,
Mike
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