Why Do People Eat Vegetables?

When talking about healthy diet, you cannot ignore fruits and vegetables, which are good sources of fiber that are required by our body. Fiber is good at lowering blood cholesterol, which will in turn reduce the risk of heart disease.

However, people eat vegetables for different reasons. For instance, George, a 54-year-old man, has his wonderful reasons for eating vegetables. He chose to be vegetarian since he was 28 not because of health or religious issues.

Why he does not eat meat is that he felt that eating meat is very inefficient because human beings have to feed lots of plant food to the other animals which we later eat. Plant-based diets are more efficient since we eat plants directly. This also means that more food available for people without enough food. Is his argument valid? It is up to you to judge.

Nevertheless, he does admit many studies have linked animal-based foods to most of the health problems like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and some cancers.

For example, research showed that vegetables like red onions, chili peppers, carrots, cruciferous vegetables, berries, garlic, and turmeric are anti-cancer vegetables. It is also believed that garlic can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke in humans.

Another interesting research, published online by the British Medical Journal, showed that children with high IQs are more likely to be vegetarians when they grow up. The researchers claimed that these findings were consistent with other studies showing people who are more intelligent tend to eat a healthier diet and exercise more.

They further said that there is quite a lot of evidence linking vegetarianism to a lower risk of heart disease. Vegetarians tend to have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. They do have a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease.

Of more than 8000 men and women aged 30, who’s IQs were measured when they were 10, more than 33 percent of these subjects described themselves as vegetarians but said they ate white meat and fish. Just over 4 percent were strict vegetarians and 2.5 percent were vegans, who eat no animal products at all, including eggs and dairy products.

Whether you want to show that you are smart or for whatever reasons you believe, eating vegetables do benefit you in many ways. It is recommended that at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to help prevent heart disease.

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About Ng Peng Hock:
Feel free to use this article on your website or ezine as long as the following information about author/website is included. Heart Disease Prevention - 8 Simple Ways You Can Do Immediately, Go to: www.howtopreventheartdisease.com

Vegetarianism And The Vegetarian Movement Beliefs

With the growing interest in the health benefits of the vegetarian diets, it is easy to forget why vegetarianism was invented in the first place. The vegetarian websites are full of information why vegetarianism is good for us – it lowers our Body Mass Index, makes us healthier and better-looking. In this flood of information it is easy to miss the fact that the first vegetarians weren't interested in their health at all. There were other, more serious, reasons to quit eating meat.

Roots: ethics

Though it is said that Buddha never ate meat, the first vegetarians we know of for sure were the philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome. They were the first to notice the ultimate cruelty connected with killing animals only to feed humans. Pythagoras, Plutarch, Seneca – everyone of them became a vegetarian because of ethical reasons. This notion was also visible in many various religions, including Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and several Christian churches.

Though now we tend to think that vegetarianism was brought to the Europe and the USA from India and Tibet, the first modern vegetarians were Christians horrified by the idea of eating other living creatures. It is true, however, that the vegetarian movement gained momentum in the seventies thanks to growing popularity of traditional Chinese, Indian and Tibet culture. It was no more than 50 years ago when vegetarianism became also a matter of health.

Today: health

The recent years were the time of a considerable shift in the vegetarian movement ideas. Instead of the outrage caused by unnecessary deaths of animals, most vegetarians tend to be fueled rather by the health benefits of the vegetarian of and diets.

For good or for ill, the ethics fades into the background. However, it is still good to remember that being a vegetarian is, above all, about not killing innocent beings.

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About Samantha Brown -:
Samantha Brown has been a vegetarian since her teens both for cultural and health reasons. Visit her ever-growing Web site Benefits of Vegetarianism to read more about the benefits, advantages, and even disadvantages of vegetarianism.

Mix It Up! A Salad Boost Can Keep You Healthy

by: Donna Monday
All the health experts agree that you need to eat lots of vegetables to benefit from a variety of nutrients that your body needs to stay fit and strong. Many people often skip eating vegetables because maybe they don’t like the taste, or just don’t want to bother cooking them.

A fast and easy way to eat your veggies is just a bag away. There are many pre-made salads available at your supermarket that makes it easy to add fresh greens to your diet.

I like romaine lettuce because the deeper the green color the healthier it is for you. However, good ole iceburg lettuce is good too. Often these bags of salad contain carrots, radishes, and cabbage - all immune system boosting foods. You can add tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, croutons, peas, cheese, and anything else you may have in the fridge.

These days, you can literally make a healthy salad side dish in under five minutes!

Chicken Ceasar Pasta Salad

3-4 chopped boneless chicken breasts
Caesar or Italian Caesar salad dressing
2 cups broccoli florets
handful of cherry tomatoes (optional)
pimientos (optional)
4 cups Rotel pasta noodles
1 tsp. olive or vegetable oil

Directions

Cook chicken breasts until they are tender and chop into bite size pieces.

Cook Rotel noodles in boiling water for 7 minutes or until tender in water with oil.

Steam broccoli florets (over stove or in microwave) until slightly tender (do not overcook!).

Cut tomatoes in halves and wash thoroughly.

Mix noodles, chicken breasts, broccoli and optional ingredients(pimentos and tomatoes). Drizzle salad dressing until pasta is slightly covered and stir salad until covered in dressing.

Serve either chilled or warm, accompanied by a bottle with extra dressing at table.

You can store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to two months.

If you enjoy making your salad from whole fresh lettuce, make sure you wash it thoroughly to remove dirt and any pesticide residue before cutting it up.

With a little more effort, you can make a nice pasta or potato salad. Some popular meat salads are chicken salad and tuna salad. These salads include a serving of protein and can often be substituted as a deliciously nutritious lunch or dinner.

If you’re a vegetarian, you can subsitute beans and chick peas for the meat without missing out on flavor and texture.

Salad made with fresh fruit also makes a great breakfast or lunch treat.

Remember, you don’t have to make the same bland salad every time. Mix it up with various flavors and ingredients. Salad should be a regular part of your meal plan. There’s a salad combination to suit everyone’s taste buds. Go ahead and try out a new salad recipe today.

About The Author

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Why Vegetarian Nutrition Stands Out

A vegetarian diet is considered to be the best among all types of diets. Many studies can prove this claim. A Columbia University study has shown that the human body’s structure is actually not suited for animal meat consumption. It was found that the small and large intestines of carnivores are both short. Humans, however, have small and large intestines that are long.

When humans consume meat, especially in huge proportions, it stays in the intestines for longer periods, which can decay and lead to the formation of toxins. These toxins have been found to be trigger diseases such as colon and rectal cancer, liver and kidney problems and many others. Excessive consumption of meat can also increase saturated fat and cholesterol counts that can slow down the body’s metabolic functions, thus leading to cardiovascular problems.

Even when you think the meat has been inspected for cleanliness and safety, you can still never tell whether it is really free from disease carriers. Moreover, the presence of antibiotics, hormones and other drugs in animal produce can pose a serious threat to human health as well.

With a vegetarian diet, you may not have to worry about these possible health risks. Plant food is a direct source of more nutrients compared to animal food. Especially when vegetarian diets are well planned, you can be sure that you will be getting proper nutrition that you need, which is necessary for good health.

Too often, it has become a common misconception that nutrition from meat consumption is better than vegetarian nutrition, which may not always be the case. In fact, a study in Yale University showed that vegetarians have more endurance than those who eat meat. Vegetarians can still get adequate amounts of protein by increasing intake of wheat, whole grains and vegetables without ever resorting to meat.

Moreover, the nutrition that a vegetarian diet provides can give you a leaner physique, a healthier body, a sharper focus, which in totality can lead to a better quality of life. In fact, vegetarians are known to live longer lives than meat eaters. Of course, while modern science may have already introduced approaches to prolonging life, perhaps nothing can top up with the health benefits that a vegetarian diet can give.

Above all else, your health should be your topmost priority. Without it, you may never live your life at its best. Now that you know what vegetarian nutrition can give you and why it is the best option for your health, all you need to do is to make the switch.

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By: Margo Tuazon

Margo Tuazon is a dermatologist and an expert author who writes for HealthContent.net. A site specialized in health information & tips. Visit us to read more Nutrition, Diet and Wellness articles.