Increasingly larger numbers of people confronted with abnormal blood cholesterol levels eventually require treatments with statins or other similar cholesterol-lowering pharmaceutical drugs. While such medications are considered to be effective in preventing and reducing high blood cholesterol levels, they don’t produce dramatic results, generating less satisfactory effects in certain categories of people. In addition, most cholesterol-lowering drugs are known to cause serious side-effects, rendering long-term treatments with such medications very unsafe. Statins work by interfering directly with the activity of cholesterol-producing body enzymes and hormones, preventing the overproduction of cholesterol inside the organism. By altering the activity of enzymes and body hormones, such medications can lead to a wide range of undesirable effects, ranging from mild to very serious.
The good news is that cholesterol-lowering pharmaceutical drugs can be successfully replaced by vegetarian regimens. After accumulating and analyzing a vast amount of data regarding blood cholesterol and its risk factors, a team of Canadian medical researchers and nutritionists has come up with a very effective natural cure for high cholesterol: a special vegetarian diet. Although it may seem surprising, the food regimen established by the Canadian medical scientists has proved to be a very powerful and not to mention safe alternative to common cholesterol-lowering drugs. Combining the curative effects of various natural ingredients, the vegetarian diet established by the Canadian research team produces effects that are equal to those of statins and other similar medications. A recent study has revealed the fact that the special vegetarian diet can reduce bad cholesterol by up to 30 percent, beating most cholesterol-lowering pharmaceutical drugs and matching the results produced by statins.
The medical study conducted by the Canadian research team involved the participation of 13 volunteers, male and females, with ages between 43 and 84. The subjects were divided in two separate groups: the first study group received statin drugs, while the second group followed the vegetarian diet. In order to maximize the accuracy and relevancy of the study, the group that followed the vegetarian regimen had to respect certain eating patterns imposed by the researchers, receiving their meals in equal quantities and at the same time. Similarly, the group that received statins had to take their medications in equal doses and at the same time intervals. By the end of the experiment, all subjects in both groups experienced a decrease of their bad cholesterol levels by around 30 percent. Impressed by the efficiency of the special vegetarian diet, the researchers have made their obtained results public, revealing the ingredients of the “special natural recipe” for lowering cholesterol.
The cholesterol-lowering vegetarian regimen includes lots of fresh fruits, nuts, leafy legumes and seeds. The efficiency of the diet lies in natural ingredients such as plant sterols, substances contained by leafy vegetables and vegetal oils, soy proteins and soluble fibers. Some of the cholesterol-lowering foods used over the course of the study were: soy milk, cereals, oatmeal bread, vegetal margarine, jam, tofu, leafy non-starchy vegetables and fruits. Although such a vegetarian diet may become quite boring after a while, it has a pronounced positive effect on one’s overall health and it greatly contributes to the elimination of excess cholesterol. Considering the fact that this special vegetarian diet is healthy, cheap and effective in overcoming cholesterol problems, nutritionists recommend it as the best natural alternative to cholesterol-lowering pharmaceutical drugs.
By: Groshan Fabiola
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Filed under Health And Fitness by on Aug 26th, 2010. 
By: Black Princezz
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Filed under Vegetarian & Vegan by on Aug 26th, 2010.
Lasagna is one of my favorite foods ever! I am a vegetarian and have found a good way of making it. Hopefully you will like the recipe too and try it out some time soon!
Here are the ingredients:
1 pound of fresh spinach
3 medium sweet potatoes
9 oz tofu
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon of basil (chopped)
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1 clove minced garlic
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz shredded nonfat mozzarella
3 tablespoons of wheat germ
Here is how to do it:
1. Lightly steam the spinach and then drain it and leave it aside. Slice and peel the sweet potatoes thinly too.
2. To make the filling of the lasagna, drain the tofu a little but do not squeeze the water out. Then blend the tofu and ricotta together in a food processor until smooth. Once you’ve done this, add it to a bowl containing the oregano, basil, parsley and garlic and mix it all up well.
3. Put the lasagna together in a 10 by 14 inch backing tray (or a similar size if you don’t have this). Start with a thin layer of sauce at the bottom and then cover with a layer of potato slices. You should next spread about half of the ricotta and tofu mix over the potatoes. Now it is best to sprinkle about half of the mozzarella over the current composition. Layer the spinach over the mozzarella evenly and continue to layer the remaining ingredients similarly. Make sure to end with some sauce and use wheat germ right on the top.
4. Bake this for about 50 minutes at 180C and let it cool for about 8 minutes before serving.
To change things up a bit, you could chop up the spinach and add it to the ricotta and tofu mix. This does give the end product a different texture which some people actually prefer.
Hope you give this a go – if you are a lasagna lover I guarantee you’ll be impressed. You can also adapt this mixture by adding things like chillies if you like your food spicy.
This style of recipe also works well with the less popular pasta cannelloni. Again the texture and end product is different as it is less pasta heavy. This may appeal to people who prefer more filling to pasta in their dish.
By: Greggory Hammond
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Filed under Food And Drink by on Aug 26th, 2010.
This vegetarian homemade pasta sauce recipe is based on top quality ingredients. It not only helps the dish to taste as well as it does, but also provides the greatest health benefits.
EASY VEGETARIAN PASTA SAUCE
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil
2 crushed cloves organic garlic
2 14.5oz cans fire roasted crushed organic tomatoes
Filed under Food And Drink by on Aug 26th, 2010.
Vegetarian Lasagne
A great vegetarian lasange is about having strong and distinct flavors so the whole thing does not turn into a flavorless mush.
This recipe is great for beginers and for the more experienced.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 cup Carrots, grated
1 cup Zucchini, grated
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch Fresh Spinach (or 1pkt of frozen spinach)
1tbsp Black Olives, sliced
500gm Ricotta
500gm Tasty Cheese, grated
2tbsp Tomato paste
1/2 jar Italian style Tomato Sauce
1 cup Vegetable Stock
1 slurp Dry Sherry
1 pkt Pre-cooked Lasagne Sheets
Method: Cook fresh spinach or microwave frozen spinach and set aside to cool. Place oil in large saucepan. Saute onion in oil until soft, add garlic then carrot, zucchini, mushrooms and olives and stir for approximately 3 mins. Add stock. tomato paste, sauce and sherry, bring to boil, simmer for 3 mins then remove from heat.
To Assemble:
Line base of lasagne dish with pasta sheets. Spoon or ladle one third of sauce over pasta sheet (just thinly). Spread thin layer of spinach over sauce (difficult to do so just dollop small blobs over the sauce). Spread ricotta over spinach. Sprinkle with tasty cheese. Repeat assembly steps until the dish is full (should end up with three layers). Bake at 180-200C for 35-40 mins. Serves 6-8.
By: Tony Milton
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Filed under Food And Drink by on Aug 12th, 2010.
But can you please tell me what kind of foods i can still eat that have protein, and even though i am a vegeterian i still eat fish.so please help.
By: KimmyRox
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Filed under Vegetarian & Vegan by on Aug 12th, 2010.
In order for vegetarian cookbooks to be great I believe they need to have seven very important ingredients…
1. Large colorful photos of the finished recipes – I don’t know about you but one of my favorite past times is laying around on the sofa or a deck chair and flicking through vegetarian cookbooks and magazines looking at photos and getting inspired to cook one that looks great.
2. Measurements in cups and spoons as opposed to weights – nothing frustrates me more than going to cook a recipe and having to weigh 10g of this and 100g of that. I find it so much easier when recipes say 1 cup of flour or 1/2 cup of Tahini or a handful of broccoli.
3. Small ingredients lists – I love cooking and I do enjoy cooking elaborate recipes but most of the time I want recipes that can be cooked with the least amount of time and fuss. I love vegetarian cookbooks that have recipes with ingredient lists of no more than 10 ingredients, preferably with just 6, and quick and easy steps in the cookery method.
4. Breakfast, lunch/dinner and sweets – I’m not into entree, starters, mains and desert type vegetarian cookbooks. I’m about being practical, we eat breakfast lunch and dinner every day and most of us have a sweet tooth so I like vegetarian cookbooks that have a table of contents categorized into breakfast, lunch/dinner (most vegetarian meals can be either lunch or dinner) and sweets.
5. I also like reading short notes about where the author found the inspiration for the dish. I think it personalizes the cookbook and makes a very interesting read.
6. A good index – Recipes need to be listed by more than just the name of the dish. French Fries need to be listed under “F” for French Fries as well as “P” for potatoes. By listing recipes under their name and the main vegetable makes it easy to search for something to make with the fresh seasonal produce you just picked from the garden or purchased from the local farmers market. It also helps at the end of the week when you are wondering how to use up the left over vegetables in the fridge.
7. I also like vegetarian cookbooks that are categorized into seasons. After all, that is the way nature intended us to eat. Fresh seasonal produce is the healthiest and most environmental way to eat.
By: Adam D Guthrie
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Filed under Book Reviews by on Aug 12th, 2010.
By: Farisha
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Filed under Diet & Fitness by on Aug 12th, 2010.
By: ~CarterRose~
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Filed under Vegetarian & Vegan by on Aug 12th, 2010.
While making the decision to become a vegetarian is a personal choice and can be done for physical, mental, or spiritual reasons, here are some great reasons that can make the decision to become a vegetarian easier.
Many vegetarians choose this lifestyle for ethical reasons. They are animal lovers and do not want to take any part in harming a living creature. When a person chooses not to buy and eat meat products, they are sending out a message to the corporations that operate “factory farms”, that they will not support inhumane treatment of animals. When animals are slaughtered, it is violent and usually done by hanging the animal upside down and slitting its throat. Animals contained on these so-called “farms” are also enclosed in cramped quarters where they cannot move and have no access to fresh water and sunshine. Many of these unfortunate creatures die either in cages or on their way to be slaughtered. When you learn of these things, you realize that by not eating meat, it is a small sacrifice compared to what the poor animal must endure.
A plant-based diet is also wonderful for health reasons. Acne can clear up and be replaced by glowing skin. You will be more fit and trim compared to someone that eats meat. There are few, if any, obese vegetarians. Coronary disease risk is cut almost in half. The risk of diabetes is reduced. Type II diabetes is a serious, growing problem among adults and youth in the United States.
Plants contain the majority of vitamins and minerals that are essential for our bodies to be strong and healthy. From omega-3’s to complex carbohydrates, plants have it all. Plants contain fiber and that is something that is sorely lacking from the American diet. Fiber is needed to help move wastes through the body so they can be eliminated. Elimination is important and this function helps reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Many meat products have been found to contain parasites and bacteria. It wasn’t too long ago that Mad Cow disease made headlines around the world. Who hasn’t heard of foot and mouth disease? These are some scary things to face for a meat-eater, even if the risk of being affected by them is low.
Let’s not forget about the environmental benefits that leading a vegetarian lifestyle includes. It takes three or more times as much water for animal products to be made than plant-based products. That is a huge water savings alone and considering that several parts of the world are facing a water shortage, there is no better time to begin water conservation. More plant-based food can be produced, feeding more people. This is because for just one pound of beef to be produced, sixteen pounds of grains must be used. That’s sixteen pounds of edible plants that could be sent to a third-world country to feed starving people there. We also save trees, by not cutting them down for livestock grazing land.
If all of these things were not reason enough to become a vegetarian, there is the financial savings of it. Being a vegetarian is even good for your pocketbook. Health costs will go down because you will be in better physical and mental health. Try to buy fruits and vegetables in season, when they are fresh and plentiful and will cost less too.
There are so many reasons to become vegetarian and these were just a few. You can see what a change to this type of lifestyle can produce and how it can help benefit not just yourself, but others as well.
By: Michael Russell
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Filed under Health And Fitness by on Aug 12th, 2010.