What is Harmful in Non Vegetarian Diet?
As more and more studies are coming up about the detrimental
aspects of non vegetarian food, many people are anxious to know
how they can stay healthy without giving up their favorite non
vegetarian delicacies. The following points list the demerits as
well as ways you can circumvent the harmful effects.
1. Non Vegetarian foods are fibreless: The roughage portion is
missing in non vegetarian diets, therefore one should make a
conscious effort to eat foods high in roughage. The foods high
in roughage (insoluble fiber) are wheat bran, whole cereals like
brown rice. Oat fiber is particularly beneficial for cardiac
cholesterol related disorders. Oats have soluble fiber which
dissolves in the body fluids and helps the body to decrease the
cholesterol buildup.
2. Non Vegetarian foods are high in cholesterol: Since non
vegetarian foods contain cholesterol, it is important to avoid
other foods which can have additive affect on the cholesterol,
like dairy products, particularly cheese. Besides these, one
must avoid foods which have trans-fatty acids.
3. Non Vegetarian foods which are processed and preserved may
contain high amounts of chemicals. Therefore, it is important to
limit the quantity of non vegetarian food products which may
contain preservatives.
4. Non Vegetarian foods are devoid of many vitamins. To keep up
a healthy level of Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C, it is
important to eat fruits and vegetables in adequate quantities to
prevent any deficiency from coming up. Fruits should be eaten in
their natural state and drinking packed juices is not the
solution. Similar is the case with eating vegetables destroyed
by deep frying beyond recognition.
5. Non vegetarians need strong digestive enzymes to be able to
digest proteins. Hence, it is important to include sources of
natural digestive enzymes in the diet to help the body keep its
digestive capability high. Foods rich in enzymes are raw papaya
(can be eaten as a salad) - rich in enzyme papain; pineapple -
rich in the enzyme bromelene, and basic salads which are rich in
natural enzymes.
6. Many authorities claim that people should be cautious while
consuming fish found near industrial zones as they may be toxic.
7. Red meat should be consumed sparingly if you have increased
incidence of hypertension and heart problems. Once a week, detox
by eating fruits, sprouts, vegetable juices, salads and
non-roasted nuts.