So You Want to be a Vegetarian

Science has proven time and again that vegetarians are among the healthiest people on the planet. They live longer and are less prone to chronic diseases. Eating a low fat vegetarian diet can also help in losing excess weight. Obesity can lead to adult onset diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. Eating a vegetarian type diet can reverse heart disease and other health complaints such as arthritis. In addition, the vegetarian diet can lower blood pressure. Because potassium is plentiful in fruits and vegetables, the vegetarian diet lowers blood pressure by helping the kidneys abolish sodium and modify blood pressure-regulating enzymes. Why go vegetarian? Vegetarianism ranks as one the best ways to eat a healthy diet, as simple as eating more salads and another apple every day. Fanatic devotion, near religious status. Deeply into the animal rights movement, some dedicated vegetarians won't even eat in restaurants that serve animal products. How do I get started? It does not matter how you start, a vegetarian diet will produce benefits, so don't worry about doing it wrong, just take that all important first step ! The typical vegetarian diet meets or exceeds the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals, but if required there are ways of increasing your intake through dietry supplements. Tips for success There are various levels of vegetarianism detailed below, choose the one that best suits your lifestyle or start off making small changes and see how it goes. Vegan (total vegetarian) - Diet includes only food from plants: fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds, and nuts. Lactovegetarian - Diet as for vegan plus the addition of cheese, milk, yoghurt, and other dairy products. Lacto-ovovegetarian - Diet as for Lactovegetarian plus the addition of eggs. Semi-vegetarians - Basically diet consists of everything except Red Meat. So the decision is yours, gradually eliminate meat products, starting first with red meat or take the plunge and become a vegan. Try switching your meat and vegetable portions. Make meat the side dish and feature vegetables as the main course. Asians typically eat this way, especially in stir fry dishes. Watch your calorie consumption, limit sweets and fatty foods, don't let your vegetables swim in cream sauce or cover your fruit in sugar or syrup. Plan your menu. A Simple Menu would include - basic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. Three vegetable side dishes make a meal. Eat a large salad with shredded vegetables. Serve fresh fruit in a fancy dish for dessert. A more complex Menu would include - experiment with exotic items such as tempeh, tofu, wheat gluten, or seitan. Buy most of your groceries in the produce aisle. Visit the dairy aisle if you decide to consume cheese, milk, eggs, or yogurt. Serve a colorful plate: yellow corn green spinach salad with red tomatoes light brown whole grain bread red cherries orange oranges A great place to shop for vegetarian food is a farmer's market, they will have the freshest produce available, find out if there's one near you. So now you have read what and how to do it you just need to get started, don't delay start today. Your body will thank you for it