Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism
Why Beans Beat Beef
Let's cut right to the meat of the matter here: If you're a typical American woman, you're eating too much fat. And you're getting most of it from foods like meat loaf, burgers and pepperoni pizza.
The result can be an age-erasing disaster. Diets heavy with added fat can lead to elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and digestive tract problems. And then there are other problems like flabby thighs and growing hips that you didn't have to worry about just a few short years ago.
If you're searching for a way to regain a little vigor, lose weight and help ward off serious health problems down the road, you might want to take a look at a meatless lifestyle.
"Very simply, vegetarians tend to be healthier people," says Reed Mangels, R.D., Ph.D., a nutrition adviser to the Vegetarian Resource Group in Baltimore. "You get much of your fat through animal products, and the fewer animal products you eat, the better you're probably going to feel."
Leaner, Lighter, Livelier
Study after study shows that vegetarians are better off than their meat-eating sisters. Researchers in Germany, for instance, found that a group of 1,904 vegetarians had about half the overall mortality rate of meat eaters over an 11-year period.
The German study showed that vegetarian women suffered about 25 percent fewer cases of digestive tract cancer than would have been expected in people eating normal diets. They also had less than half the expected amount of heart disease.
Other studies conducted on Buddhists, Seventh-Day Adventists, people in the developing world and Westerners show that vegetarians generally have lower blood pressure than meat eaters. Vegetarians also may have less risk of developing diabetes.
Vegetarians also report less trouble with constipation and gallstones. And people who switch to vegetarian diets say they just plain feel better--with more energy and vigor--after dropping meat from their diets.
What's behind all these magic results? For one thing, vegetarians tend to weigh less--partly because they eat less fat, Dr. Mangels says, and partly because they tend to lead more active lifestyles.
Vegetarians also smoke less. "Many of them have made a serious long-term commitment to their health," says Dr. Mangels. "It's reflected in their lifestyles, not just in the food they eat."
Most vegetarians eat diets that are much lower in fat than the typical American diet. On average, Americans eat 36 percent of their calories in the form of fat.
Less fat, less weight, more exercise and fewer cigarettes can have a ripple effect on your health, according to Dr. Mangels. "It all goes hand in hand," she says. "You eat better, you feel better, your heart may be stronger, so you feel like doing more. The end result is better overall health."
There's even some evidence that vegetarian diets can help fight arthritis pain. Symptoms of the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, may be relieved because people who weigh less don't put so much stress on joints like their knees, Dr. Mangels says.
And people with rheumatoid arthritis may get relief from a vegetarian diet tailored to their needs, researchers in Norway report. They put 27 people with rheumatoid arthritis on a fast, then introduced vegetarian foods slowly to their diets, rejecting the foods that resulted in pain flare-ups. After a year, those in the study said they felt less tenderness in their joints, less morning stiffness and greater strength in their grips.
A World without Meat When you were a kid, you learned all about the four basic food groups: meat, dairy, vegetables and bread. As you grew up, you switched to new groups: steaks, shakes, chips and cheesecake. It may be time to regroup. "You don't need to eat meat to be healthy," says Suzanne Havala, R.D., a nutrition adviser for the Vegetarian Resource Group in Baltimore and a dietitian who co-wrote the American Dietetic Association's position paper on vegetarianism. Here's a quick vegetarian primer, courtesy of Havala. And those food groups are: Breads, cereals and pasta. Eight or more servings a day. Examples of serving sizes include one slice of whole-grain bread, half of a bun or bagel, one-half cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta and one ounce of dry cereal. Vegetables. Four or more servings a day. Serving sizes are one-half cup cooked vegetables or one cup raw. Be sure to include one raw serving that's rich in beta-carotene, such as carrots. Legumes and meat substitutes. Two to three servings a day. Examples of serving sizes include one-half cup cooked beans, four ounces of tofu and two tablespoons of nuts or seeds. Fruit. Three or more servings a day. Serving sizes are one piece of fresh fruit, three-quarters cup of juice and one-half cup cooked or canned fruit. Dairy or alternatives. Optional, two to three servings a day. Examples of serving sizes are one cup low-fat or skim milk, one cup low-fat or nonfat yogurt, 1 1/2 ounces low-fat cheese and one cup calcium-fortified soy milk. Eggs. Optional, three to four yolks a week. This includes eggs in baked foods. Note: Strict vegetarians, or vegans, do not eat eggs. Egg substitutes work fine in most recipes. |
Steering Away from Red Meat
Sounds good, huh? But give up meat? Forever?
Maybe not entirely. You don't have to cut out meat completely to reap most of the health benefits of vegetarianism. "If you can keep your meat intake to a small portion, like a side dish, you're probably all right," says Suzanne Havala, R.D., a nutrition adviser for the Vegetarian Resource Group and a dietitian who co-wrote the American Dietetic Association's position paper on vegetarianism.
Besides, Havala says, by the time you discover what variety vegetarian meals can offer, you may start missing meat less and less. "From my experience, people find vegetarian meals so delightful that they would just as soon forget about the meat altogether."
Here are some tips to get you started.
Lower the steaks. You don't have to eliminate red meat all at once, Havala says. "It's easier that way for some people. But lots of people like to taper off until they're not eating any meat after a few weeks or months," she says.
Try starting with one meatless day a week. How hard is that? As hard, Havala says, as eating cereal and a piece of fruit for breakfast, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a piece of fruit for lunch and pasta tossed with steamed veggies and a salad for supper.
Work your way up to two, then three or more meatless days per week. At that point, you can easily make the jump to full vegetarianism, if you want.
Fake it. Health food stores and some supermarkets sell products called meat analogs. You've probably heard of them--tofu burgers and meatless hot dogs are the most common. "Some people need to see something that looks like a meat dish at first," Dr. Mangels says. "Try them for a while. They might help you make the transition."
Don't fixate. People used to think that vegetarians had to plan their meals right down to the last gram to get adequate nutrition. "If you just make sure to get enough calories to meet your energy needs by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, you should be fine," says Havala.
Something to avoid: picking a favorite food and eating it five times a day. "Balance is the key," Dr. Mangels says. "Don't eat only grapefruit for two weeks straight, then switch to baked potatoes for half a month."
B careful. Vegans--strict vegetarians who eat no animal products, including eggs or milk--must make sure they get enough B12, a vitamin that aids in nervous system function. The vitamin is found mainly in animal products and in supplements. The Recommended Dietary Allowance is two micrograms.
If you drink low-fat milk, eat low-fat cheese or cook yourself an omelet, you're all set. But if you don't, try a whole-grain breakfast cereal or soy milk.
Junk the junk. No diet, meatless or otherwise, needs to include lots of junk food. "To reap the most benefits from a vegetarian diet, limit or eliminate sugar and fat-filled foods," Havala says.
Ferret out the fat. Meat is loaded with fat. But it's not the only place you'll find those nasty mono- and polyunsaturated and saturated fiends. To lower your fat intake, Dr. Mangels suggests steaming foods, sautéing them in water, broth, juice or wine and going easy on the cheese and mayo. "Low-fat salad dressings aren't a bad idea, either," she says.
Power up the proteins. Meat isn't the only food that's packed with protein. You'll get more than enough with a balanced vegetarian diet. "There's plenty of protein in grains, vegetables and legumes. Common meatless dishes such as bean burritos, vegetarian chili and stir-fried vegetables with rice are packed with protein," Havala says.
C your way to enough iron. Again, a balanced vegetarian diet provides plenty of iron. But the best source of absorbable iron is still found in meat. You can increase the absorption of the iron found in vegetables by taking vitamin C. Havala suggests eating a vitamin C source at every meal. Foods high in vitamin C include tomatoes, broccoli, melons, peppers and citrus fruits and juices.
Don't have a cow over calcium. You'll get plenty of calcium in a balanced vegetarian diet, Dr. Mangels says. If you drink milk and eat low-fat cheeses, you're in good shape. Calcium also can be found in collard greens, seeds and nuts, kale and broccoli.
Hit the road. "You don't have to be a stay-home eater just because you're a vegetarian," Dr. Mangels says. "You can eat out all you want. Just find a place with a good salad bar and you're set." Most restaurants will give you a plate of steamed vegetables on request, too.
"Or try a Chinese restaurant. You can eat meal after meal there and never even think about missing meat," adds Dr. Mangels.