Understanding the Vegetarian Food Pyramid   

by Sylvia J Patterso

For people who are just starting out on the path to becoming a vegetarian, getting the right mix of nutrients can be quite a challenge. That is why the Oldways Preservation Trust created the Vegetarian Food Pyramid in 1997, which was presented at the International Conference on Vegetarian Diets in Austin, Texas, that same year. The vegetarian pyramid provides an excellent guideline to help people make the right food choices in order to eat a healthy, balanced vegetarian diet. Below are a few tips on understanding the Vegetarian Food Pyramid to help new vegetarians ensure they are getting all the essential nutrients their bodies need to stay healthy and active.

Fruits and Veggies

Just like with the non-vegetarian food pyramid, the foundation of the vegetarian diet and the base of the vegetarian food pyramid is fruits and vegetables. Aim for 7-10 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day to ensure your body is getting a good mix of nutrients.

Whole Grains

Whole grains make up the next rung on the food pyramid for vegetarians. Whole grains may include rice, barley, millet, oats, quinoa, breads, cereals, and pasta. You should try to eat 5-8 servings of healthy whole grains every day.

Beans, Peas, Lentils & Soy

The next level of the pyramid includes beans, peas, lentils and soy-based products. Shoot for 3-6 servings of these high-protein and high-iron legumes each day.

Nuts, Seeds & Nut Butters

The next food group on the vegetarian pyramid consists of nuts, peanuts, seeds, and peanut/nut butters. It is recommended that vegetarians consume 1-3 servings of these healthy foods every day.
Herbs, Spices and Plant Oils
According to the pyramid, vegetarians may consume as many fresh or dried herbs and spices as they'd like, but should limit plant-sourced oils to up to 5 teaspoons per day.

Eggs and/or Dairy

The very top level of the pyramid only applies to certain vegetarians. Some vegetarians are lacto-vegetarians, meaning they eat dairy products. Others are ovo-vegetarians, meaning they eat eggs. Still others are lacto-ovo vegetarians, which means they eat both. These types of vegetarians should limit their egg intake to 4-6 per week and their dairy intake to 1-3 servings per day. For vegans, this top triangle of the pyramid should be omitted altogether.

There you have it - a guide to getting the right mix of nutrients when consuming a vegetarian diet. Preparing healthy vegetarian meals using the guidelines above should ensure that the vegetarian foods you're eating are balanced and nutritious. For a wide selection of delicious vegetarian food options when dining out, simply stop by your local Pita Jungle, a vegetarian restaurant with locations throughout Arizona and Southern California, today. Come discover €The Art of Eating Healthy®€!

http://goarticles.com/article/Understanding-the-Vegetarian-Food-Pyramid/8883518/

Essential nutrients!

Heart Healthy Diet: Your Ticket To Health   

by Moaz Derfasi

Today, women as well as men are susceptible to heart disease. The scary thing that many teenagers and even children are obese and subject to developing heart problems. The main guilty party is a diet overloaded with convenient fast foods, sugary, and starchy junk foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle.

A Heart Smart Diet first and foremost seeks to significantly reduce, if not totally eliminate the saturated and trans fats from everyday diet. The second objective, which is like two peas in a pod, is lowering cholesterol. The Mayo Clinic recommends having no more than 300 grams of cholesterol daily (200g if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol), and reducing your saturated fat intake to less than 7% of your daily diet. Any trans fat should be less than 1% of your diet. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are allowed. They can be found in olive oil, avocados, flax oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and nuts and seeds. These oils should be used on a daily basis because they are rich in essential fatty acids (Healthy fats), especially virgin olive oil. As much as possible, eliminate the use of shortening, butter and lard in cooking. Use Smart Balance margarine and mayonnaise or other heart-healthier margarine and mayo substitutes. Creamed soups, dressings, gravies and coffee creamers are also things to avoid. Unfortunately, so is chocolate.

A Heart Smart Diet also includes white chicken, turkey and legumes (beans), or fresh fish only, however, lean red meats must not be consumed more than once a week. Always boil, bake or grill meats and fish, never fry them. Shell fish such as shrimp, crab and lobster should be only eaten occasionally and never breaded or fried. Pork sausage, bacon and ham should be avoided. One good alternative to significantly reduce your cholesterol is to substitute meat for soy protein. There are excellent soy products out there that mimic sausage, chicken and hamburger, but be careful. They are often high in salt content, which is another thing to limit on the heart smart diet plan.

Why limit salt? Salt encourages the body to retain water and can raise the blood pressure. Often, people with high blood pressure are more prone to have heart disease. The two go hand in hand. Limiting your salt intake is like a double insurance policy. Be very watchful of the amount of salt hidden in frozen and packaged foods, even the so called weight-conscious dinners. Trade canned for fresh whenever possible. Limit the cheese, and if you must have it, have lower fat white cheeses instead of cheddar or American cheese. Cheese is saltier than you think. Use salt substitutes and herbs or pepper to flavor your dishes. If eating out, tell them you are on a salt free diet. Most restaurants can now accommodate that request.What about garlic? Garlic is a natural cholesterol lowering herb. There are garlic supplements you can take now that is released in the intestinal tract so your breath and taste buds do not seem garlicky.

Include natural black honey in your daily diet and avoid late night snacking. Eat fresh or freshly frozen fruits and vegetables, experts suggest that you keep slices and bite sizes handy in the fridge for quick snacking instead of cookies, crackers and chips. Have a bowl of grapes and bananas, apples and peaches out on the table. Good raw veggie snacks include carrots, celery and broccoli. Super charge your health by consuming soluble fibers found in fruits, vegetables and oatmeal with healthy microbes found in fermented dairy products such as low fat yogurt and butter milk. It's highly recommended including Acai Berry, Pomegranate juice and Cranberry in your diet. (ingest them as fresh fruits or can be replaced by supplements if they're difficult to find in your local store).

http://goarticles.com/article/Heart-Healthy-Diet-Your-Ticket-To-Health/4915014/

More about supplenents

Nutritional Vitamin Supplements   

by Anthony Antolics BSN, RN

Nutritional Vitamin Supplements have become necessary for life in America. The average American diet is sorely lacking in appropriate nutrition. In fact, approximately 9 out of 10 Americans do not get enough vitamins in their diet. High quality nutrition vitamin supplements are the only answer to fill in the gaps. The best way to experience a nutrition revolution is with Shaklee Vitalizer Nutritional Vitamin Supplements.
All nutritional vitamin supplements will contain the vitamins plus minerals necessary for minimal physiological function. Ideal nutritional vitamin supplements will contain not only these, but other ingredients such as antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and phytonutrients necessary for optimal absorption and utilization of all of the ingredients. Perfect nutritional vitamin supplements will have all of these qualities and be manufactured from whole foods in a natural way, not by using artificial processes to chemically extract and simulate vitamins and minerals.
Vitalizer Nutritional Vitamin Supplements by Shaklee are the perfect nutritional support product and if one is looking for perfect nutritional vitamin supplements with minerals, Shaklee’s Vitalizer plus Iron is the answer. Shaklee has confirmed in 12 separate clinical studies that Vitalizer is the most complete nutritional vitamin supplement available with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, probitiotics and phytonutrients to provide complete nutritional support, resistance to disease and fight the ravages of aging.
Unlike many other nutritional vitamin supplements, Shaklee is convinced you will be satisfied it you purchase Vitalizer or Vitalizer plus Iron as they provide the entire spectrum of vitamins and minerals needed which have been bio-optimized for maximum absorption and activity including all 8 active forms of Vitamin B to ensure health nutritional support and reduction of nutritional stress. The Vitalizer nutritional vitamin supplements have 26 natural antioxidants including all 8 natural forms of Vitamin E to provide superior cell, tissue and organ protection against free radical damage from both the environment and the process of aging.
Vitalizer and Vitalizer plus Iron also contains 7 different Omega-3 fatty acids including the important EPA and DHA forms in an ultrapure, high potency, pharmaceutical grade formula. The Vitalizer line is one of the only products to contain superactive probiotics to ensure healthy digestion and provide immune support along with phytonutrients such as carotenoids and flavonoids to prevent DNA degradation making Vitalizer products the most complete nutritional vitamin supplements available today.

Shaklee has also revolutionized vitamin absorption with the Shaklee Micronutrient Advanced Release Technology (SMART) delivery system which allows different vitamins and minerals to be released into the digestive system and absorbed at the exact location in the gastrointestinal tract to ensure maximum utilization of nutritional vitamin supplements.
Shaklee is confident that you will experience a wide spectrum of benefits including increased energy, enhanced immunity and better nutritional health from your hair, skin and nails to organ systems such as the heart, brain, lungs and reproductive organs. Shaklee is the only company to offer an absolute 100% money back guarantee, no questions asked if you are not completely satisfied with Vitalizer nutritional vitamin supplements.

Vitalizer is available from your independent Shaklee Distributor at [http://www.shaklee.net/nutrivit_nurse]

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

http://goarticles.com/article/Nutritional-Vitamin-Supplements/1848066/

How have you started? 

Lemonade – A Healthy Diet   

by S Koda

Obesity has been a problem for modern day people. Luxurious life has been the major cause of this growing problem. Not only obese people, but also, ordinary people also like to take care of what they eat. This is because of the growing importance of your physical appearance. So, in view of this, many diet plans and programs have been seen to have emerged in the recent past. Internet is full of these methods and techniques. This has become even a whole industry and the business is on a go. But, there are a few techniques and tips that cost nothing and still, they are the most effective ones. Lemonade diet is among those easy tips and techniques that are really substantial in order to lose a few quick pounds of your weight. This easy lemonade diet has been widely adopted and the people who have used it are full satisfied with the results that it showed.

Lemon is the fruit that has been used traditionally not only in various recipes but also for making a number of medicines. Lemon has the properties of cleansing the inside of the body and this easy lemonade diet makes use if this property of lemon. Lemonade diet is not harmful at all and you can even practice it for two or three times a year. This would really help you lose your weight and look younger, fitter and fresher. Now let us have a look at the recipe of lemonade diet which is very simple. First of all, you need to make sure that the lemons that you use are fresh. Then you have to put lemon juice, maple syrup and a little amount of pepper. Sea salt can also be added to taste. Also, some people prefer mixing laxative tea in it which makes you digestive system work more efficiently.
This will enable you to lose your weight quickly without having any side effects so if you plan to lose weight ahead of some occasion or ceremony; this is one of the best methods that can be adopted. In contrast to other diets, this is not a fad-diet. Unlike all the other diet plans that are in the market claiming to reduce your weight, the easy lemonade diet does not cause weakness of your body and does not make you feel light headed. Instead, it gives you a fresh sensation and your day is even brighter and more energetic when you are on the lemonade diet. So, it is a one stop solution for you if you are willing to drop a few pounds. The easy lemonade diet will ensure that your weight gets reduced while keeping the level of your health intact.

http://goarticles.com/article/Lemonade-A-Healthy-Diet/5535946/