HealthCalling Choose Well: Eat More Plant-Based Foods Categories: Diabetes, Diet/Nutrition, Digestive Health, Men's Health, Population Health Management, Senior Health, Women's Health Apr 17, 2015 Contributor: HealthCalling Team About 20 million Americans are vegetarians, from partial vegetarians who limit the amount of animal flesh they eat, to vegans, who eat only plant food -- no meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, or eggs. Most physicians and nutritionists agree that switching to a low-fat vegetarian or even vegan diet that includes fruits, vegetables and nuts can be a huge benefit to your health. A vegetarian diet may take a little extra planning—especially at first—but it is easy to learn how to ensure your diet is healthy. As with any diet, you have to make the right choices: Eat a variety of plant-based foods every day, including fortified whole grains, fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, tofu, and fortified soy milk. Make sure you know how to get enough iron, calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and zinc, especially if meat, dairy products and eggs are not going to be part of your diet. Chickpeas and lentils are among iron-rich foods and are also good sources of protein, for example. And you can get calcium from broccoli, mustard greens, kale and other vegetables as well as calcium-fortified orange juice. People who follow a vegetarian diet are relatively healthier than those who don't. Vegetarians tend to have a lower incidence of obesity and fewer chronic health problems, including some cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Previous Next Find a Provider Subscribe to HealthCalling Please enable JavaScript to view the <a href="http://disqus.com/?ref_noscript">comments powered by Disqus.</a> comments powered by Disqus People Are Reading Foods that Make You Want to Overeat-and What to Eat Instead Living Your Best with Blood Thinners This is Why You Shouldn't Brush Your Teeth with Activated Charcoal Healthy Hiking Head to Toe Talking to Children About Sept. 11 and Terrorism: A Parent's Guide to Difficult Conversations 6 Truths About Lupus That You Should Know Alcohol Abuse in the U.S. Has Reached Crisis Levels New Laser Surgery Provides More Precision in Treating Sensitive Conditions How To Soothe Sun-Damaged Skin
HealthCalling Choose Well: Eat More Plant-Based Foods Categories: Diabetes, Diet/Nutrition, Digestive Health, Men's Health, Population Health Management, Senior Health, Women's Health Apr 17, 2015 Contributor: HealthCalling Team About 20 million Americans are vegetarians, from partial vegetarians who limit the amount of animal flesh they eat, to vegans, who eat only plant food -- no meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, or eggs. Most physicians and nutritionists agree that switching to a low-fat vegetarian or even vegan diet that includes fruits, vegetables and nuts can be a huge benefit to your health. A vegetarian diet may take a little extra planning—especially at first—but it is easy to learn how to ensure your diet is healthy. As with any diet, you have to make the right choices: Eat a variety of plant-based foods every day, including fortified whole grains, fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, tofu, and fortified soy milk. Make sure you know how to get enough iron, calcium, protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and zinc, especially if meat, dairy products and eggs are not going to be part of your diet. Chickpeas and lentils are among iron-rich foods and are also good sources of protein, for example. And you can get calcium from broccoli, mustard greens, kale and other vegetables as well as calcium-fortified orange juice. People who follow a vegetarian diet are relatively healthier than those who don't. Vegetarians tend to have a lower incidence of obesity and fewer chronic health problems, including some cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Previous Next Find a Provider Subscribe to HealthCalling