Vegetarian A Good Way Of Living

The word vegetarian means something that should be good for your whole being and long-term health and growth. At this point in time a vegetarian diet goes against the cultural conditioning of the West. It also goes against all the diseases (cancers, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, impotence, etc.) associated with this conditioning. Instead a vegetarian diet aligns itself with your body's natural instinct to shun raw meat, fish and eggs, and to welcome fresh fruits and vegetables (at least some). The body also craves fat and primarily for this reason many vegetarians also enjoy modest (or large) amounts of organic milk, butter and cream (Dragonwagon, p.15).

Fruits & Seeds

The key ingredient in all vegetarian diets is fruit - fruit of all kinds (not just the fleshy, sweet and juicy variety that perhaps immediately springs to mind), for all tastes, and all nutritional elements, including all three macro nutrients: carbohydrates, fat and protein. Outside of milk these nutrients are not found together in efficient quantities in other foods.

Fruit is also directly or indirectly a comprehensive source of micro nutrients including vitamin C (healthy blood vessels and immune system), antioxidants such as vitamin E and selenium (protection against premature aging and coronary artery disease), and folate (breathing and new cell formation and growth). Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin not present in fruit. Compared with folate only very tiny amounts of this vitamin are needed and although fruits do not carry this vitamin within them, organically cultured or naturally grown fruits may, thanks to natural fertilization, come with just the right amounts on their skins.

Common Fruits

Common fruits are the easily picked fleshy and usually somewhat sweet parts of seed-bearing plants. Many common fruits contain high levels of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), a vitamin required for growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. Fruits extra rich in vitamin C include guavas, lychees, kiwis and oranges. Vitamin C is also needed for the absorption of iron.

While common fruits tend to be poor sources of iron some such as red peppers and strawberries contain low doses of iron along with highly efficient doses of vitamin C. Most common fruits are also low on fat, but there are exceptions as avocados and olives make really good sources of monounsaturated fats (the kind in greatest demand by the body). The tomato is an especially healthy fruit. Natural genetic variation has given rise to a genetic treasure trove of genes that produce lycopene, carotene, anthocyanin, and other antioxidants. Tomato consumption has been associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, head and neck cancers and might be strongly protective against neurodegenerative diseases (Saxena, p.12-19).

Grains

Grains are the dry fruits or seeds of cereal grasses. The most common vegetarian diets around the world all include grains, such as rice and wheat, as their main ingredient. Wheat can be a significant source of protein and for women whole-grain wheat can also be an important source of iron. Grains are often a primary source of ...