5 Vegetarian Health Benefits!

1. A Vegetarian Diet Can Help Prevent, Treat, and Reverse Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America. Those who are non vegetarians are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease. The reason being is that vegetarians consume less animal fat and cholesterol and also consume more fiber and antioxidants. 



2. A Vegetarian Diet Will Help Keep Your Weight Down

The average diet of an American today is high in processed foods and low in plant-based food and complex carbohydrates. This diet is making our country overweight and slowly killing us. The CDC states that 64% of adults and 15% of children are at risk of weight-related health issues. A vegetarian diet contributes to weight loss and also to keeping the weight off. 




3. You Will Live A Longer Life

The author of The Real Age Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat, Michael F. Roizen, states that switching from the standard American diet to a vegetarian diet can add 13 years to your life. In addition to living longer, you can decrease the chance of disabilities as you grow older. He also states that those who consume meat experience sexual dysfunction at younger ages. 





4. A Vegetarian Diet Can Provide Complete Nutrition 

The American Dietetic Association found that a vegetarian can provide complete nutrition. "A vegetarian diet can meet protein requirements, provide all the essential amino-acids (the building blocks of protein), and improve health." In addition to this, the USDA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations stated that meat is not an essential part of a balanced diet. 

5. A Vegetarian Diet Can Help Put You In a Better Mood

In a 2012 study, participants were split into three groups with three different diets. These diets included all meats being allowed, only fish being allowed, and a vegetarian no-meat diet. After 2 weeks, the researches found that the people who were on the no-meat diets reported being in better moods than those on the other two diets. 



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Health Risks When Becoming a Vegetarian

While becoming a vegetarian has amazing health benefits when done successfully, there are certain health risks that you should keep an eye out for. Below are 5 health risks that all vegetarians should know when planning their diets.

1. Low Cholesterol Levels that are TOO LOW.

There was a study completed by the Honolulu Heart Program where they focused on the cholesterol levels of 3,500 Japanese men. They found that the group that had constant levels of low cholesterol were the only group who showed any relation to mortality. This study concluded that having continuously extremely low cholesterol levels can lead to an earlier death.

2. Lower bone density.

It is possible to be able to extract all of the calcium, proteins, iron, and vitamin D from a vegetarian diet, the problem is making sure that you are planning out your vegetarian diet accordingly to be able to reach proper nutrition levels. A study was completed and the results concluded that vegetarians have 5% lower bone-mineral density.

3. Lower levels of vitamin B12.

B12 is a vitamin that helps your metabolism, convert food into energy, produces red blood cells, and has been used as part of various weight loss programs. Vegetarians are at a greater risk of having low levels of B12 and these low levels can result in a high risk of arteriosclerosis, which is the hardening of the arteries. Vegans are more susceptible to lower B12 levels while lacto-ovo vegetarians should be consuming enough B12 through their diets.

4.  Just because you're no longer consuming protein from animals, does not mean you are not at risk of protein overload.

Many of us believe that we need more protein in our diets than we actually do. The Huffington Post listed a way to calculate the amount of protein that you actually need as well as some examples of vegetarian protein rich foods. First, you divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to convert it into kilograms. You take that number and multiply it first by .08 and then multiply it a different time by 1 to get your protein range.

EX. If you weigh 150 pounds.
150 / 2.2 = 68.18
68.18 * .08 = 54.54
68.18 * 1 = 68.18
Range is 54-68 grams of protein per day

5.

Vegetarian Spotlight - PETA

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

PETA

PETA is the largest supporter of animal rights in the world and has been supported by many A-List celebrities over the years including Khloe Kardashian, Alec Baldwin, Cindy Crawford, Ryan Gosling and many more. PETA is completely against animal cruelty and advocate for a vegan diet/lifestyle and also against the use of products that were tested on animals or have animal byproducts. PETA supports the vegan lifestyle and has many resources, videos, and tips to living a great vegan lifestyle. 

Below is a clip from PETA's website and is an interview with a 77-year old bodybuilder who is also vegan. Most bodybuilders focus on lean meats in order to gain muscle mass, but Jim Morris proves that he is able to do the same thing by eliminating all meat, dairy, and eggs from his diet. 

Which is Better? Lacto-Ovo vs. Veganism

Lets take a side by side comparison between the two vegetarian diets. A Lacto-Ovo diet is a vegetarian diet allowing the consumption of dairy and egg products while being a Vegan is staying clear from any animal by products.

Pros
Lacto-Ovo	Vegan
*Consumption of milk reduces risk of bone diseases	*Tend to have lower body mass index (BMI) scores
*22% reduced chance of dying from cancer	*Tend to have lower cholesterol and blood pressure
*Can reduce atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries.	*Reported to have 19% reduced risk for heart disease
*23% lower risk of death compared to meat-eaters	*26% lower risk of death compared to meat-eaters
Cons
Lacto-Ovo	Vegan
*Increased amount of dairy intake can contribute to prostate and ovarian cancer.	*Vegans tend to have lower intakes of protein, vitamin B12, zinc, and calcium.
*Compared to vegans, Lacto-Ovo vegetarians have a higher riss of heart disease.	*Low amounts of B12 have been linked to cancer, memory loss, depression, and insomnia.

Sign Of The Times suggests that the reduced risks for cardiovascular disease in vegans compared to lacto-ovo vegetarians is a good reason to try an all vegan diet. They recommend that you make sure to find ways to provide yourself with the calcium and vitamin B12 that is reduced when you adapt a vegan diet.

5 Myths About Vegetarianism

Myth 1: Being a vegetarian is not safe if you are pregnant.

False. Health.com says that you probably should try to go into experimenting with vegetarianism after you become pregnant if you have no experience, but if you have already been following this lifestyle, there is no problem with continuing to do so throughout your pregnancy. Sticking to a vegetarian diet while pregnant can actually reduce the amount of pregnancy weight that you will gain and can also lower your risk for gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. They suggest that you should eat more nut, soy beans, and dry fruits. 

Myth 2. Being a Vegetarian is expensive.

Every time that I experiment with new diets and eating plans, I always find myself saying that is proving to be more costly than the standard American diet would cost me. However, Health.com points out that meat is one of the most expensive items in your grocery cart. They also suggest that if buying fresh produce is getting expensive than you should consider substituting fresh plants with frozen ones. 

Myth 3: Being a Vegetarian decreases your energy.

According to Health.com and Dr. Ramsey, once you are able to cut out all processed foods from your diet you should actually see an increase in your energy levels. If you should see a decrease in your energy, it could be due to the fact that you are not getting enough iron or B12 through your diet and should incorporate plant foods such as spinach, lentils, beans, oranges, and tomatoes. 

Myth 4: You will never feel full.

Being a vegetarian means that you are loading up on a lot of fiber rich foods and fiber fills your stomach and curbs your appetite. In addition to that legumes also help make you feel satisfied. Often times, we confuse the feeling of hunger when we are actually just thirsty. Staying hydrated is important to feeling full and energized.

Myth 5: Milk is necessary to build strong bones

Dr. McDougall states that plants are sufficient to grow strong bones. "Where does a cow or elephant get the calcium needed to grow its huge bones? From plants, of course." Humans are the only living beings who continue to consume milk after being weaned off of it as infants. In addition, dairy products contain a large amount of proteins from animals and an excessive amount can cause major health risks. While we are able to survive off of a wide variety of foods, it does not mean that they are good for us.