Monday, June 2, 2008

Vegetarian Recipes - A Way To Eating Healthy

by: Kelvin Hall

More and more people are choosing to eat a vegetarian diet because they know that veggies are healthful food. Using low calorie and vegetarian recipes is one of the most important things you can do to protect your heath and the health of your family since obesity is now an epidemic in the United States and other developed countries. Cooking them is still better than the alternatives to a vegetarian lifestyle or a vegan lifestyle, but we receive the most nutritional benefit from ingesting whole and organic raw foods. They will often include many of the vitamins, minerals, and sources of nutrition that every body needs. These low calorie recipes, usually high in fiber, protect against digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and may offer protection from colon and lung cancers. Many low calorie and vegetarian recipes use soy, tofu, dried beans and peas to add protein to meals. Using low calorie recipes will provide a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes, adding high amounts of all the essential vitamins and minerals. Subscribing to vegetarian magazines, scouring newspaper food sections, and visiting veggie websites will bring you a respectable number of recipes, but it's more convenient to have hundreds and hundreds in one place.

Including a few vegetarian recipes into your diet can quickly improve how you feel and can be part of an overall health plan that will improve your life. And contrary to popular belief, these recipes are full of the taste and enjoyment of many other foods you eat. Incorporating vegetarian recipes into any diet will bring variety and give healthy eating options. Plus, vegetarian cuisine is chockfull of dishes that are robust and flavorful, and a match for any standard meat dish. Such treats as squash with tofu, vegetarian paella, and baked figs with dried fruit and anisette may well convert some confirmed carnivores to part-time vegetarians. Many of these recipes cook faster than those made with meat.

As more people juggle trying to eat healthier with their busy lifestyles, they may find that Vegetarian slow cooking provides an answer. What I like best about slow cooker Vegetarian recipes is that the long, slow-cooking process enriches the flavor of the dish in a way that other cooking methods can't match. The gentle slow-cooking process actually draws more flavor out of the ingredients. In addition to convenience, slow cooking also scores high marks for taste and nutrition since the long cooking time allows both flavors and nutrients to concentrate in the food. While the slow cooker was once synonymous with cooking pot roasts and other meat dishes, just as my friend discovered, the Vegetarian cook will find a vast number of ways to use it.

Exploring vegetarian recipes is great simply to spice up the kitchen with something new. Whether you are choosing to eat vegetarian dishes as a permanent diet or as part of a healthier lifestyle, Vegetarian Recipes is packed with ideas to tempt the most committed carnivore.

About The Author:
Kelvin Hall is a professional writer who writes about the vegetarian lifestyles, for more information visit: http://www.vegetarianfacts.net

Thursday, May 29, 2008

The Benefits Of Fish Oil Continue To Grow!

Omega-3 Fish oil continues to grow in popularity with mounting research to back it; even main stream doctors are recommending this oil to help improve cardiovascular health. The active properties that give fish oil its benefit are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Research has demonstrated that these components of fish oil can support the health of the heart, eyes, skin, digestive system, immune system, joints, and the brain.

Omega-3 fish oil was originally discovered by researchers who noticed that a particular group of people had little to no heart disease in all its population. This group of people was the Inuit Indians in Greenland near the North Pole. They consumed high amounts of cold water fish which are rich in DHA and EPA.


Omega-3 fish oil can protect the heart in many ways starting with lowering triglycerides in those who consumed it on a daily basis. Triglycerides are fats that can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and dementia. Fish oil can reduce the risk of these as well as lower blood pressure and relax arteries allowing the flow of blood to circulate freely. Also, DHA and EPA have anti-inflammatory properties which may benefit those suffering from inflammatory disorders.

Furthermore, research has been mounting on the importance of DHA in the diet of expecting mothers both for the developing fetus as well as the mothers themselves. DHA is a major component of the brain and other neural tissue including light sensitive cells like the areas in the eyes. Infants that are born premature or still developing in the womb cannot adequately produce DHA in the body so it is critical that mothers consume fish oil on a daily basis for the health of their baby.

DHA is abundant in a mothers breast milk; studies have shown that breast fed babies have an IQ advantage over babies fed formula that lack DHA. Also, mothers who have just given birth can experience postpartum depression because of separation from the baby as well as the over abundance of hormones still flowing through the blood. DHA can ease this form of depression and help mothers move on to the next stage of life, the care of their new born child.

Adults who experience depression, memory loss, dementia, visual problems, and loss of energy may be lacking DHA and EPA in their diet. DHA and EPA are found in high concentrations around the cerebral cortex, mitochondria, synaptosomes, and synaptic vesicle. Supplementation of fish oil may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by as much as 70%. Those who are already experiencing Alzheimer’s disease may also benefit even thought they have already been diagnosed.

The most important benefits of fish oil may be experienced by those with inflammation issues. Inflammation, clotting, and exaggerated immune responses are seen in heart disease, cancer, arthritis, allergies, asthma, psoriasis and other chronic disorders which maybe linked to a DHA and EPA deficiency.

One may ask why not use another source for essential oils? Why don’t other oils work as well such as flaxseed oil or a marine algae source? Flaxseed oil contains the omega-3 alpha linolenic acid but does not contain any DHA or EPA. The cardiovascular and cognitive benefits of fish oil cannot be derived from alpha linolenic acid very well by the body so a direct supplementation of DHA and EPA gives the most benefit. Marine algae does contain DHA and EPA but in smaller amounts thus making one consume more marine algae making this type of product quite a bit more expensive than a pure fish oil supplement.

With all the benefits of fish oil being discovered, everyone with or without health issues can benefit from supplementing once each day with this important oil. If you are considering fish oil, remember that eating some fish will not give you the benefits listed above. One would have to consume 2 ½ - 3lbs of fish each day to reap the benefits of the DHA and EPA found in cold water fish. Consider a fish oil supplement 1000mg once daily. When shopping for fish oil, make sure that you find a fish oil that is pure and free from heavy metals, PCB’s and contaminates. Have you had your fish oil supplement today?

By: Darrell Miller-1603
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More information on omega-3 fish oil is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. vitanetonline.com/