Did you know that Spirulina….
Vitamin B12 is deficiency more common in vegans and some vegetarians because B12 is found in animal products. If you are feeling really tired and rundown, you might not be getting enough.
But you already knew that. What I did not know that there is no whole food source of B12 for vegans, except for spirulina which is blue green algae that also has iron in it.
What is Almond Milk?
Almond milk is a dairy substitute that is made by mixing finely ground almonds with water and is low in calories and fat.
Almond milk contains more vitamins and minerals than soy and rice milks. Because almonds are rich in vitamins and minerals, it does not need to be fortified like dairy, soy and rice milks.
Why is almond milk a good alternative to dairy milk?
- Almonds contain vitamin E, manganese, selenium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, fiber, phosphorous and calcium.
- Almond milk is great for those who are lactose intolerant, because it has no lactose in it.
- Almond milk has no soy, so it is good for those who suffer from soy allergies.
- Almond milk contain no casein, which make it suitable for those who suffer from gluten allergies.
- Almond milk does not contain saturated fats or cholesterol, but it does contain omega-3 fatty acids, making it good for your heart.
- Almond milk for an 8-ounce (one serving) cup of almond milk there is about one gram of protein and about one gram of dietary fiber.
- Almond milk is low in calories; it has only about 40 calories per serving, and it is low in carbs at only two grams per serving.
- Almond milk has about three grams of fat per eight ounce serving.
- The flavonoids in almond milk help prevent cancer. The high levels of antioxidant vitamin E found in almond milk make it very effective in the prevention of cancer.
Choose the Wrong Carbs and Risk Your Health
We’ve all been there. We’ve just come in from a long day at work and the last thing on our minds taking the time to prepare a healthy, nutritionally sound vegetarian meal. However choosing a refined or enriched carbohydrate over the beneficial carbohydrates that a solid, well-balanced vegetarian diet offers defeats the purpose of your decision to live a vegetarian lifestyle, and that is for optimal health. Consuming refined carbohydrates presents different hazards to your health.
The over-consumption of refined carbohydrates and sugars can result in excess insulin in the bloodstream. In the presence of excess insulin, glucose, the blood sugar, is converted to triglycerides and stored in the fat cells of the body.
According to one study, consuming refined grains may also increase your risk of getting stomach cancer. The research found that a high intake of refined grains could increase a patient’s risk of stomach cancer.
Furthermore, refined sugars and carbohydrates have been implicated as a contributing factor in increased gallbladder disease, according to a recent study. It showed a direct link between the amount of sugars eaten and the incidence of gallbladder disease. Another study looked at the role carbohydrates play in the incidence of heart disease. The researchers noted that as carbohydrate consumption increased, so did the level of triglycerides in the blood of the participants. Diets low in fat and high in carbohydrates not only dramatically raised triglyceride levels but significantly reduced levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol.
And lastly, refined white sugars increase the rate at which your body excretes calcium, which is directly connected to your skeletal health. Simply put, as your sugary and refined carbohydrate intake increases, your bone density decreases.
So don’t be lazy! Do your body right and take the time to prepare a nutrient-dense and delicious vegetarian meal. Your body, and your conscience, will thank you for it in the long run.
Three Steps to Switching to Vegetarianism
So you want to become a vegetarian yet finding it challenging to transform in your diet and your lifestyle, here are some suggestions on how to make the switch a smoother ride.
You can do this…
Get your head into this healthy life style by committing to be a vegetarian for three days per week for the first months. Start substituting ingredients in your favorite dishes to make them truly meatless. By making simple replacements in your favorite recipes can inspire you to stay on the vegetarian track once you see how delicious it can be. You see you can do this – just three days out of seven days.
Stepping up…
No more riding the fence now commit to five days per week for the next two weeks. Yes, that is correct five days out of seven. You are ready for this my friend. Find and surround yourself with other vegetarian for support, tips and guidance. Walk through and study the natural foods aisle at your local grocer, or make it a point to introduce yourself to the local health foods store. Try a few new vegetarian products in your next meal. Create your own vegetarian recipes cookbook of things you want to try that you believe will taste good. The internet is a great source of “free” vegetarian recipes. Do not limit yourself to being vegetarian only at home. Make it a date night or group outing because there are some restaurants that offer delicious vegetarian entrées. HEY! You are doing it. This is working out for you.
Own it…
No more denying those two days a week of weakness – you own them now. You control what goes in your body. You are a converted vegetarian all week-long! After all, you have done it for 45 days now; you are a seasoned rookie in the game. Take pride in your accomplishments, because you have made positive changes in your lifestyle and eating habits. You done it – you own this.
The Anti-Estrogen Diet
Men may be surprised to learn that their bodies produce estrogen. Researchers at the Mayo clinic have found that estrogen is essential in preventing osteoporosis in men and creates hormonal balance. But when that balance is tipped by too much estrogen, feminization can occur resulting in loss of muscle mass, increased fatty tissue, lower sperm counts and don’t forget man-boobs! According to Ori Hofmekler, author of The Anti-Estrogenic Diet: How Estrogenic Foods and Chemicals Are Making You Fat and Sick, “Our bodies are not equipped to handle excessive amounts of estrogen […] Men, women and children are becoming noticeably fatter and the rate of estrogen induced cancers in both sexes have reached almost epidemic proportions”.
Where is this excess estrogen coming from?
Estrogenic chemicals exist both in nature (phytoestrogens) and synthetically (xenoestrogens). Phytoestrogens are found in soy products like tofu and tempeh and spices like cinnamon. Xenoestrogens are found in everything from plastic products to shampoo. Note the differences between the two, one is natural the other is not. Daily staples such as meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables are ridden with synthetic estrogen in the form of hormones and pesticides. Synthetic hormones and pesticides mimic estrogen in our bodies then store it in fatty tissue (they love beer guts and beer!). Since estrogen is naturally inflammatory an overproduction can lead to inflammatory ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis and testicular cancer!
Hofmekler believes we are “eating ourselves into extinction” and he may be right. Researchers in Colorado found that male fish have developed both male and female sex organs as a result of too much estrogen in rivers and streams. At the University of California, Berkeley scientists found that atrazine, a common weed killer, causes sterilization in frogs. If estrogen affects human males the same way it affects animals, future generations will be at high risk of being born sterile.
If you notice a change in mood, muscle mass, sex drive, low sperm count, and are having difficulty losing weight you may want to watch your intake of foods containing natural estrogen such as: alfalfa, meat, apples, carrots, dairy foods, and olive oil. I for one can’t live without milk in my cereal so if you must eat an estrogen rich food try to pair it with an estrogen blocking food like: berries, broccoli, buckwheat and cabbage. A full list of estrogenic and estrogen inhibiting foods can be found at: www.holisticonline.com
A typical day’s meal on the anti-estrogen diet will look like this:
Breakfast: Grapefruit, coffee or tea, 1 boiled egg.
Snack: Handful of berries and yogurt.
Lunch: Organic vegetables on a bed of kale and vinaigrette dressing
Dinner: Millet mushroom pilaf, broccoli, and a salad.
Dessert: Rice pudding made with coconut milk
Not so bad right? The beauty behind this diet plan is that you don’t have to completely give up the food you love. By limiting your intake of meat, buying organic, and pairing estrogen blocking foods with estrogenic foods, you can lose weight and get your hormones in check! Always check with your primary care physician before starting a new diet plan.
CHOCOLATE – NATURE HEART MEDICINE
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A daily ration of dark bitter chocolate could help prevent heart disease, according to a study realized by a team of Swiss researchers. The Swiss researchers say that the antioxidants from chocolate could prevent the blood veins from becoming smaller and less wide.
The research team came to this conclusion after testing on a group of 20 volunteers, which were smokers without health problems. The subjects were asked not to eat any types of
(something that nourishes or sustains the body or mind) rich in anti-oxidants such as apples, onion and cabbage and after that they were given 40 grams (1.41oz) of different types of chocolate.
Two hours after consuming the chocolate, the echo-graph showed that dark chocolate, with a cocoa percent of at least 74%, significantly improved the blood flow. Additionally, ulterior tests showed that the risk of encountering blood accidents and blockages had decreased to half of the initial risk. However, white chocolate did not achieve similar effects. The researches that performed the study say that dark chocolate contains the biggest quantity of antioxidants for one gram than any other products like red wine, green tea or forests fruits.
Chocolate is indeed an aliment that has many antioxidant elements in it. But it also has fats and glucose in huge quantities. So, it can cause weight problems if excessively consumed. (Dark Chocolate)
If you adjust your chocolate portion to your actual weight and to the amount of physical effort you make every day it will balance out the good and bad. Active people can consume chocolate without fearing weight problems. But the ones that don’t, like people working in offices, sitting all day on a chair and not doing any kind of sports are confronted with a big problem if they eat too much chocolate. If the organism doesn’t call for sweets, like it does when we are cold, tired or worn out, then the chocolate use should be reduced to a minimal portion a day.
Weclome Ms. Cymbalines
I would like to publicly welcome our new author for this blog Ms. Cymbalines.
She is an awe-inspiring editor, researcher and writer. I believe that Ms. Cymbalines skills will enhance this blog greatly. I look forward to reading her educational and self-improvement articles.
Thank you Ms. Cymbalines
Fruitarian
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Fruitarians, as the word implies, eat primarily fruits, with nuts and grains as well. A fruitarian diet may also include foods like tomatoes or avocados, which are fruits.
Fruits are nourishing and refreshing for your health. Fruit does not clog the body’s vital arteries; better still, it actually flushes and cleanses. A fruit diet also lightens our bodies and spirits, in line with the general lightening of our “planetary vibration rate” which many higher sources tell us is taking place at this time.
A person on a fruitarian diet needs to eat carefully, because it can be more of a challenge to get enough essential protein in your diet. A fruitarian eats nothing which has been killed or stolen. That replaces meat, dairy, and plants with the thousands of fruit and nut combinations on the planet. Fruitarians can eat an avocado sandwich, a coconut milk shake or the purest coconut ice cream made from the milk and meat of the fruit, veggie burgers made of lentil or bean paste or tofu, a succotash of corn, peas, and tomatoes, sweets made with pure maple syrup or date sugar, pecan pies made with fruit sugars, fruit shakes made of a mixture of orange and banana, pear and peach, pomegranate, papaya, and plum. A pizza of tofu, tomato, and pepper (not pepperoni), salads of tomato, cucumber, green and red peppers (but not lettuce, cabbage, or celery), nut butters such as almond butter or tahini, hummus {chickpea paste}.
In other words, fruitarians may eat fruits 99.9% of the time, but occasionally do indulge in the delicacies of other food groups.
My Journal from Carnivore to Meatless 