Recipes: March 2014

Monday, March 31, 2014

Become Vegetarian Guide

You may have visited the Vegetarian Food Pyramid...

It is basically the same as the non-vegetarian food pyramid except all the animal foods are replaced by plant foods. You simply follow that as a guide to ensure you are getting the right nutrition on a daily basis.

It really is that easy to Become Vegetarian!

But if you are the type of person that requires a little more information, keep reading.

The two biggies are Protein and B12.

Vitamin B12 is required for your red blood cells - red blood cells work extremely hard in your body and it is vital that they are replenished. Vitamin B12 also helps with your immune system and can help with nervous, mental and emotional disorders.

Vitamin B12 is found mostly in animal products but can also be found in Nutritional Yeast (cheesy tasting flakes that you can add to your recipes). A lot of products are also B12 fortified and you can also take a B12 supplement.

Excess B12 is simply flushed out of your body. B12 deficiency on the other hand can be hard to spot. Deficiency can lead to anemia, constipation, weakness, appetite loss, weight loss, depression and so on.
Be sure to check with your physician.

The protein is the other big question a vegetarian will be asked - continuously! As most of us are raised as meat eaters, suddenly dropping it from your diet can plunge you into a level of confusion and may make you wonder 'why did I Become Vegetarian!'

It is important for you to know though that a vegetarian or vegan diet can provide your protein needs. In fact it is not difficult at all.

Protein is found in all plant foods - vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts. There are formulas to get bogged down with to determine how many grams of protein you should have per kilogram or pound of your body weight. But I have never personally used this method and most vegetarians don't. As long as you eat a well-balanced diet your needs should be met. Be sure to add legumes, nuts, seeds or soy products to each meal and don't forget that vegetables, fruit and wholegrains contain protein also.

The biggest thing I hope you realise when you Become Vegetarian is that is not a deep, dark, scary place! You have to look after yourself and make sure you are eating a well balanced diet. Just because you have Become Vegetarian doesn't automatically make you a healthy person.

Tags: cylinder, Classes, Services, laser, solder, river, lessons, hollywood, Hotels, Vacations, Accidents, Celtic, portrait, Sailing, laser, lessons, Bathroom, photography, interior design, dental,
tennis, scandinavian, Liquidations, massage, Box, Rentals, bathroom, Planning, tools, flood damage, fast cash, structured settlement, web hosting, trailers, repair, interior, lessons, Mississippi,
bridge, copyright, License, lawyer, Gourmet, bad credit, Repair, custody, therapist, obedience, staffing, investigator, Therapy, Beach, dentist, precision, wedding, critical thinking, Plumbing
business, drug addiction treatment centers, bail, relationship issues, read more, unsecured personal loans, Photography, taxi, heavy equipment, pens, resistor, dental, veterinarian, anti
microbial, fishing, boarding, software, antenna, advertising, printing, sports, boarding, fishing, golf balls, flight, bullying, used car, Films, Adventure, Twitter
Follower, shower stalls, nursery plants, ford dealer, homeowners insurance, air jordan, casino,relationship issues, read more, unsecured personal loans, Photography, taxi, heavy equipment,
pens, resistor, dental, veterinarian, anti
microbial, fishing, boarding, software, antenna, advertising, printing, sports, boarding, fishing, golf balls, flight, bullying, used car, Films, Adventure, news, SEO, las vegas, Pregnancy, feed
hoppers, time, caregiver, boat, cartilage, autos, Vacations, organic

Monday, March 24, 2014

The Yoga Vegetarian Diet - Tips For Getting Started

Yoga is a philosophy, an approach to living developed thousands of years ago and passed down through the generations by wise sages who lived austere lives. One of the primary concepts of the eight-limbed path set forth in The Yoga Sutras, by Patangalis, the ancient foundational yogic text, is that of Ahimsa, or non-harming. It's the principal of living with compassion for all living things in a non-violent, cruelty-free way. The tradition of yogis and yoginis being vegetarian springs from this verse. However, most westerners who have whole-heartedly embraced yoga for its life-affirming qualities do not feel compelled to embrace the vegetarian diet.

Whether you practice yoga because it's a great form of exercise, or because you want to embrace the whole philosophy, eating a health diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables and grains will only serve to support your yoga practice.

Because there are really two approaches to the vegetarian philosophy--the ethical stance and the nutritional stance on the issue, for our purposes, we are looking at the nutritional reasons for becoming a vegetarian. We are going to share some tips and ideas for easing into a vegetarian lifestyle, or, if you don't think you'd ever want to give up eating meat completely, at least add more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet.

o Try a vegetarian diet for just 30 days

o Get a good vegetarian cookbook and find a few recipes that look appealing to you

o Start slowly by 'making over' your current meals by adding more vegetable dishes

o Take a vegetarian cooking class

o Spend some time in the produce section of your grocery store and make it a point to try some of the vegetables that you've never tasted before

o Eat fresh fruit for snacks instead of chips or crackers

o Use ground veggie burgers instead of ground beef in your pasta recipes

o Prepare a big salad at the beginning of the week with lots of leafy greens in it

o Bring a salad to work with you each day

o Skip the meat when you order pizza and add vegetables like broccoli and peppers and tomatoes and mushrooms. Then try it without the cheese.

o Try brown rice instead of white rice

o Switch to multi-grain or whole wheat pasta

o Look for whole grain foods and eat more of them

Most of all focus on being mindful of everything you eat and of the choices you make about what you eat. It's not about making you feel guilty for eating meat. The vegetarian lifestyle is about abundant health and eating living foods that our bodies thrive on. The quality of the food you eat will dictate the quality of your life. After you've switched to a vegetarian diet or even just added more fruits and vegetables and grains to your current food choices, you will notice that you will have increased energy and vitality, your yoga practice will be richer, and you may even drop a few pounds.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes and Menu Ideas

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. On a nice lazy Saturday, or Sunday, I like to get up and cook a nice brunch for everybody. Since I have become a vegan/ vegetarian due to food allergies, I have had to rearrange my menus, and redo my favorite recipes. These recipes are so fast and easy, and they are all very tasty.

Here is a typical items you can include for your vegetarian/ vegan breakfast menu:
Hash browns
chocolate pancakes
very berry oatmeal
various fresh fruits
altered biscuit recipe
juice
soy or almond milk

Don't forget, you can make several kinds of baked breakfast items by substituting milk for soy or almond milk. I do this often when I make biscuit.

When I make hash brown, I do not peel my potatoes. I have a little scrub brush that I use just for food, and I thoroughly wash the potatoes with that. Then, I shred them. I mix in a little olive oil, salt and pepper and that's it. I have made an herbal version before with some rosemary and oregano added. It was quite tasty. Then, you heat up some vegetable oil in a pan and place a few heaps of potato shreds in a circle. You can see the sides of the bottoms start to brown, then you take spatula and flip them over.

For the chocolate pancakes here's my recipe:

1 C all purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 C soy or almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS vegetable oil
2 TBS margarine
2 oz 100% cocoa

1. In one bowl I mix the first three ingredients.
2. In another small bowl I put the margarine and chocolate pieces. Melt the margarine and cocoa together, then stir till smooth.
3. Add the milk, margarine mixture, oil, and vanilla extract and stir till it is all incorporated but still slightly lumpy.
4. Then I cook them on a lightly greased, or buttered pan.

Oatmeal is such an easy breakfast. I buy a huge tub of instant 1 minute quick cook oatmeal. I don't ever measure anything out, I just add whatever I want to my hearts content. I pour some oatmeal in my bowl, add a little salt, a little sweetener of my choice, top it off with frozen or fresh fruit, and some cinnamon. Then I pour in some soy or almond milk until the grains are covered. I then microwave the bowl for about 2 minutes. I take it out, stir it, and I have a delicious nutritious meal, in about 3 minutes from start to finish!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Tips on Adding Variety to Your Vegetarian Lifestyle

Don't limit yourself when planning a healthy vegetarian diet. Variety is very important if you plan on maintaining a vegetarian lifestyle. It's important to include a wide variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds and nuts in your meals. Your vegetarian diet needs to be nutrient-dense, interesting, and fun! When you serve your favorite dishes, add variety by serving different side dishes, snacks and desserts.

Sample a wide variety of grains such as barley, quinoa, couscous, bulgur, and wheat berries. Try vegetables and fruits from different cuisines, such as bok choy. Try new foods frequently. This will keep your diet interesting.

You can ask the produce manager of your local grocery store if you are not sure how to prepare a new food. The internet can also be a great resource for new recipes and preparation ideas. Be creative in planning meals. A vegetarian diet can get boring if you aren't creative.

You can plan meals around a vegetable. A baked potato, for example, can be a hearty entree. Serve it with a sauce of stewed tomatoes or some salsa, add some baked beans and you have a tasty and creative meal. You could also make a simple meal of pasta and sauteed vegetables.

Don't worry too much about getting enough protein. As long as calories are sufficient and the diet is varied, most vegetarians easily meet protein requirements. Grains, beans, vegetables, and nuts all have protein. Vegetarians do not need to eat special foods to meet protein needs. Surprisingly however, it is important to be aware of fat. Even vegetarians can get too much fat if the diet contains large amounts of nuts, oils, processed foods, or sweets.

There are many mouth watering, delicious and easy to prepare meals that make eating a heart healthy diet really easy. By adding variety to your vegetarian diet you'll find it much easier and enjoyable to stick with it for the long haul. Try something different today. See you on the produce aisle.