Being Vegetarian

Being Vegetarian - Vegetarianism? You mean like scraping meat off your plate and eating whatever is left?

For some people, vegetarian food sounds like an oxymoron. To others, it is more like the normal pursuit of a hardcore nutritionist. “Scary,” meat lovers would probably say. “Just another fad,” cynics would comment.

But there is more to vegetarianism than just avoiding meat. The whole diet is really more complex than that and encompasses not only physical health but the spiritual as well. In order to ensure that you are meeting your daily nutritional needs, you need to take extra steps.


Which Type of Vegetarian Are You?

Some people are not aware that the term “vegetarian” is actually a broad word used to refer to types of vegetarians – the purists (or “vegans” as they are often referred to) and regular vegetarians.

While both observe a diet which consists primarily of plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seed, the distinction between the two lies in the types of animal-derived foods they eat.


Vegans

As purists, vegans eat only plant products. They don’t eat meat, honey, dairy products, eggs, or just basically any food that comes from animals, whether processed or not. As such, veganism represents the toughest form of non-meat diet.

Vegetarians

As compared with vegans, vegetarians are more liberal, so to speak. Liberal in the sense that some vegetarians eat fish or shellfish, dairy and eggs.

Apart from vegans, there are different kinds of vegetarians:

• Lacto Vegetarians – Diet consists only of fruits and vegetables and dairy products, like milk, cheese, and butter.

• Lacto Ovo Vegetarians – Diet consists of fruits, vegetables, dairy, and eggs.

• Fruitarians – Diet consists of fruits (includes tomatoes and courgettes), nuts, and seeds. No roots of plants like carrots and potatoes.

The Vegetarian Food Pyramid

If you have been a meat-lover for so long, you might find it hard to suddenly eat only plant produce. Any sort of drastic change in habits like that may have the effect of turning you off vegetarianism completely or destroying your resolve to eat only vegetables and fruits from now on. The key is to take it one step at a time.

Adopting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is a major change for most people. Deciding whether or not you should become a vegetarian is already so hard. Much more if you finally do what you have set out for yourself.

While you can always decide to become vegan or vegetarian right away, it might be easier if you take it slow at first. For instance, for the first two weeks, you may want to forego only eggs and meats. Then, the week after that, forego dairy products, before you go entirely vegan.

That way, the change will not be as shocking. And you give yourself a chance to adapt to this new change.

To keep your vegetarian diet on track, it helps if you follow the vegetarian food pyramid. Like a regular food pyramid, a vegetarian food pyramid outlines various food groups and food choices that, if eaten in the right quantities, form the foundation of a healthy vegetarian diet.

• EAT SPARINGLY: Vegetable fats and oils, sweets and salt

• EAT MODERATELY: Low-fat or non-fat milk, yogurt, fresh cheese or fortified alternative group (2-3 servings) and legume, nut, seed, and meat alternative group (2-3 servings)

• EAT GENEROUSLY: Vegetable group (3-5 servings) and fruit group (2-4 servings)

• EAT LIBERALLY: Whole grain, bread, cereal, pasta, rice group (6-11 servings)


Also, try the following vegetarian alternatives to certain forbidden food groups:

• Milk: Fortified soymilk, rice milk or almond milk

• Butter: Olive oil, water, vegetable broth, wine or nonfat cooking spray; canola oil (for baking)

• Cheese: Soy cheese or nutritional yeast flakes

• Eggs: Commercial egg replacers (made mostly of potato starch); Or use this recipe: ¼ cup whipped tofu or 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water



The Vegan Food Pyramid

The above food pyramid may not work for vegans since they contain dairy and eggs. So use this guide instead:

• Vegetables: Dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard and turnip greens, chicory, bok choy; dark yellow and orange vegetables such as carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkin

SERVING SIZE: 1 cup raw vegetables or ½ cup cooked vegetables (3 or more servings per day)

• Whole Grains: Bread, rice, pasta, hot or cold cereal, corn, millet, barley, buglar, buckwheat, groats and tortillas

SERVING SIZE: ½ cup hot cereal or 1 ounce dry cereal, one slice bread (5 or more servings per day)

• Fruits: Citrus fruits, melons and strawberries. Be sure to choose whole fruit instead of fruit juices.

SERVING SIZE: One medium piece of fruit or ½ cup cooked fruit, 4 ounces juice (2 or more servings per day)

• Legumes: Beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, baked and refried beans, soy milk, tempeh, and texturized vegetable protein

SERVING SIZE: ½ cup cooked beans or 4 ounces tofu or tempeh, 8 ounces soy milk (2 or more servings a day)


Get Adequate Nutrition

Vegetables and fruits are foods that belong to the health food category. However, this does not automatically mean that you are getting enough nutrients just because you are on a vegetarian diet.

In fact, there are many nutrients that you may be deficient in as a result of your vegetarian diet. Here is how you can get these nutrients even from non-meat sources:

Protein

Protein is important to maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles, and organs. The biggest sources of protein in our diets are meat. But since you are on a vegetarian diet, that is really not an option. So what are your alternatives?

Vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy products should not have any problem regarding protein. For vegans, they use the following foods as convenient sources of protein:

• Soy products

• Meat substitutes

• Legumes

• Lentils

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Whole grains

Calcium

To maintain strong teeth and bones, you need lots of calcium. This mineral is often found in milk and other dairy products. For vegetarians, consider low fat dairy foods and dark green vegetables as rich sources of calcium. Specifically, be sure to include the following foods in your diet:

• Spinach

• Turnip

• Collard greens

• Kale

• Broccoli

• Tofu enriched with calcium

• Fortified soymilk and fruit juices

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 is important in the production of red blood cells and prevent anemia. The problem is that this vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, including milk, eggs, and cheese. For vegans, they have the following alternatives:

• Enriched cereals

• Fortified soy products

• Vitamin B-12 supplements

Iron

Aside from Vitamin B-12, your body also needs iron in order to produce red blood cells. In fact, iron forms a crucial component of red blood cells, the lack of which would result in anemia. For iron sources, consider the following foods:

• Dried beans and peas

• Lentils

• Enriched cereals

• Whole grain products

• Dark, leafy green vegetables

• Dried fruits

Note that your body may not be able to easily absorb non-animal sources of iron. To help with absorption, eat foods that are rich in vitamin C, including strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage, and broccoli.

Zinc

This mineral forms an essential component of many enzymes. It also plays a role in cell division and in the formation of proteins. Whole grains, soy products, nuts and wheat germ are good sources of zinc.

Bacterial Vaginitis

Bacterial vaginitis, or yeast infections, is not something that many women want or need at any point in their lives, but it is unfortunately something that over 75% of women will get in their lifetime. And of this number a great many women will have recurring bacterial vaginitis as well.
To help put a stop to recurring bacterial vaginitis there are a few simple things that can be done. Some of these might involve a lifestyle change, but most of these preventative measures are simple things that can be done if only you exercise a little care and forethought.
For instance, abstaining from sexual relations entirely while you have bacterial vaginitis can help to prevent not only the spread of the infection to your partner, but it can also prevent your partner from giving it back to you.
And if you use things like douches, feminine deodorants, or scented feminine hygiene products like scented pads, panty-liners and tampons, you should look at changing these habits.
Instead look to using unscented feminine hygiene products and try to avoid all use of feminine deodorants and douches as these can destroy the delicate balance of the vagina.
Other preventative measures includes avoiding prolonged contact with semen, and if you’re particularly susceptible to recurring bacterial vaginitis, avoiding the use of spermicides.
And if you also take antibiotics to cure yourself of other maladies, you might want to look into using a few preventative measures like changing your diet to include such things as unsweetened yogurt, and garlic.
Both of these options are good if you’re taking a course of antibiotics, as antibiotics can sometimes kill some of the good bacteria in your body along with the bad leaving you wide open to get bacterial vaginitis.
Another thing that you might want to do if you’re taking antibiotics is to fully finish that course. Most people will stop their medication the minute a change occurs for the better, but this in turn can leave your body open to other infections, and immune to the effects of the medication if needed a second time round.
Factors like dietary habits and stress also come into the equation, and by changing these to healthier options you can help your body to gain the strength to fight off any infections.
There can also be times when no matter how diligently you take precautionary measures you might still get recurrent bacterial vaginitis. In these cases it is almost definitely best if you get a proper medical diagnosis.
The recurrence of bacterial vaginitis could be the herald of another underlying medical condition and if you are forever treating only the bacterial vaginitis, you could be laying yourself open to unwanted risks and complications.

Causes of Yeast Infection

Causes of Yeast Infection: Yeast infections are a very common and most women, about 70% of them, will get a yeast infection at least once in their lifetimes.

And some of these women will get recurring yeast infections. To help prevent and cure this though, the first thing that should be known is, what is the cause of yeast infection?

Well, to begin with it should be stated that there is no one cause of yeast infection, there are many and they run the gamut from simple stress in life to hormonal changes to transference through sexual intercourse.

And since there is no actual one cause of yeast infection that can be pinpointed and isolated to avoid getting a yeast infection, it’s best if you can be aware of most of them. In the long run this can help you to avoid getting a yeast infection.

One of cause of yeast infection is if you take antibiotics. This includes, if the overuse of antibiotics, and even normal usage of antibiotics. In brief, antibiotics are taken to kill off any bad bacteria in your body.

Sometimes however it can also kill off some of the good bacteria thereby causing an imbalance in your body and promoting the growth of yeast producing bacteria.

Another cause of yeast infection occurs due to stress.

A stressful lifestyle can and will change your hormones around and this can sometimes result in a yeast infection.

This same hormonal change is a prime factor in the cause of yeast infection of pregnant or lactating women, and women who are menopausal. The same applies before and after menstruation cycles as this also promotes a significant hormonal upheaval.

For men, the most common cause of yeast infection is through sexual intercourse with a woman affected with a yeast infection. This includes oral sex as well as vaginal sex.

Other factors that can be a major cause of yeast infection in women include the use of douches, scented feminine hygiene products, feminine sprays, and the regular use of spermicides.
The use of any or all of these will imbalance the delicate balance of the vagina and can bring about an onset of yeast infection.

Another cause of yeast infection that is largely overlooked is clothing. This includes the use of such items as pantyhose, tight jeans and synthetic fiber underwear. Tight fitting clothes such as jeans won’t allow the vagina to breathe, and articles of clothing made from man made fibers will also do the same thing.