Healthy Foods For Vegetarians

Unlike meat, vegetables do not contain cholesterol or any saturated fat but just nutrients and vitamins. That is why models and celebrities in entertainment and sports choose to minimize or even refrain from meat and preferred vegetables since their careers require them to stay fit and healthy. Based on their interviews, here is their common list of ingredients found in healthy foods for vegetarians.

1. Antioxidants

Strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and blueberries are known to be rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to reduce a person's risk of being infected with heart diseases as well as reducing stress and high blood pressure.

Other foods containing antioxidants are tomatoes, red bell pepper, prunes and green tea. The same goes for fruits containing high amount of water like apples, honeydew, pears and watermelons.

2. Fibre And Protein

Dry nuts like almonds, pistachios and walnuts are another healthy foods that will keep your heart and body healthy as they contain good amount of fibre and protein which helps to prevent heart-related ailments.



Compared to salted peanuts, they are free from cholesterol and monosaturated fats. They can be served as wholesome cereal meals together with fresh milk, flax, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

3. Calcium And Magnesium

Green veggies like broccoli and spinach serve as excellent sources of calcium and magnesium that protects you against heart attacks.

4. Vitamin B And Folate

White chickpeas and red kidney beans are believed to be healthy sources of vitamin B and folate since they help to build up your immune system and keep your energy levels high for a longer period of time.

5. Vitamin E

A good proportion of coconut, mustard and olive oils can beneficial to you in terms of Vitamin E.

They are also said to keep any sicknesses in check as well as preventing stroke and heart attack.

6. Vitamin C

For those who are addicted to desserts like ice cream and cakes, you might want to consider fruits as your alternative.

As we are told by our parent and teachers since young, fruits are the primary sources of vitamin C. They can be eaten as whole or slices like apples, grapes, honeydew, pears and pineapples. Or they can be served and mixed as iced fruit juices or even hot tea as both drinks and desserts.

Superfood - Healthy Foods Abounding in Medicinal Value

Research suggests that some types of foods such as walnuts, oatmeal, oat bran and fatty fish as well as foods fortified with stanols or sterols can control the cholesterol levels in the blood. Many studies reveal that a diet consisting of these superfoods are just as effective as cholesterol lowering medicines in the reduction of "bad" cholesterol.

An effective way of improving health:

The product makes good news for millions of adults diagnosed with high cholesterol. Therefore, making good choices on a diet is an easy and effective way of improving health. Furthermore, this proves less strenuous to the budget. A visit to the local grocery store will no doubt be cheaper compared to a visit to the pharmacy. It is a good idea particularly for persons who are unwilling to endure the side effects associated with cholesterol drugs.

It is important to appreciate the fact that these foods, including walnuts and oatmeal may not achieve their purpose if you continue eating foods high in fat content. To benefit, you need to be committed to a diet that is strictly low in fat content. In addition, you need to keep your weight in check and do more exercise.



Managing cholesterol levels:

If your cholesterol levels fall within 5.5 and 6.5, your chances of getting a heart disease increase by a small margin. Nevertheless, you do not have to panic. By taking moderate changes to the diet by majoring on low cholesterol foods can improve your health drastically. However, if you have a heart condition then you may need to be concerned. The same applies; your parent was diagnosed with heart disease before they turned 55 years.

Anyone diagnosed with cholesterol levels that are higher than 6.5 needs to take major changes in their diet. In case an individual's cholesterol levels remain above 6.5 in spite of changing their diet to include cholesterol lowering foods your health care provider need to be informed. In many cases, you will be required to take medication.

A change to a diet rich in these kinds of foods can prove helpful. Nevertheless, subscribing to a healthy diet does not entail limiting your consumption patterns to a few special meals or foods. There is need to endorse moderation by eating a variety of healthy foods.

    The levels of cholesterol can be managed in the following ways
    Choose low-fat milks
    Reduce the intake of cheese and substitute with low-fat varieties
    Lose weight if you are overweight
    Use monounsaturated/ polyunsaturated oils or margarine instead of butter
    Eat fish, beans and skin less chicken
    Minimize the consumption of pies, chips, commercial cakes and pasties
    Bake cakes using polyunsaturated fat
    Cook chips using monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oil
    Changes in lifestyle

A high cholesterol level in the blood is a risk factor leading to coronary artery disease. Therefore, good exercise can also prove useful in the lowering of cholesterol. However, when you are diagnosed with a heart condition, adhering to an exercise program can be difficult. Before starting any form of exercise regimen it is advisable to consult with the doctor.

Foods To Eat For Staying Healthy

There is a widespread perception that excluding unhealthy foods from your diet is the way to healthy life but mostly people forget that healthy diet is not all about cutting what you should not eat but also its about including some foods which are beneficial for your health. There is a long list of foods which are excellent for improving our health and well-being and protect us from many diseases. In this article let us discuss about some of the foods which we must eat regularly to stay healthy.

Nuts

They are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats which are highly beneficial for our body. They help in reducing bad cholesterol and prevent heart diseases. Nuts are also an excellent source of protein and naturally contain antioxidants. It is advised to eat Nuts in moderate quantity as they are high in calories.

Beetroot

Recent studies have confirmed that drinking beetroot juice during exercise regime helps in improving stamina as well as it is helpful in lowering cholesterol levels and control blood pressure. It is the most recent food to be hailed as a Super food.



Onions

Studies have revealed that onion and garlic are an excellent remedy to lower cholesterol levels in the body as well as they have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

Green Leafy Vegetables

It has been always suggested and recommended by our elders to eat a lot of green leafy vegetables and there is reason behind it. These vegetables are a rich source of many nutrients like calcium, iron, vitamin c, potassium and so on. Spinach is also rich in estrogen hence serves as a good nutritious food for women. If you want to improve your heart, eye and overall health include lot of green vegetables in your diet.

Oats

We are well aware that grains are excellent for maintaining our health but to derive maximum benefit from them it is advised to eat them in their natural state that is why oats have become so popular. They are rich in minerals like iron, zinc and calcium and vitamins. It is one of the most commonly eaten breast fast item these days. It helps in controlling blood pressure, reduce chances of diabetes, lowers cholesterol levels and are easy to digest.

These were some of the foods which should be in your regular eating menu. We are what we eat hence to remain healthy and disease free in today's changing environment it is very important to keep a close watch on our daily dietary intake.