Plant- Based Diet
Our task must be to free ourselves...by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." "Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." —Albert Einstein
There are many categories that encompass the term vegetarian. True vegans follow a diet that avoids animal flesh and emphasizes plant based foods that consist of whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
The New Four Food Groups
WHOLE GRAINS
5 or more servings a day
This group includes bread, rice, pasta, hot or cold cereal. corn, millet, barley, buglar, buckwheat groats, and tortillas. Build each of your meals around a hearty grain dish -- grains are rich in fiber and other complex carbohydrates, as well as protein, B vitamins, and zinc Serving size: 1/2 cup hot cereal, 1 ounce dry cereal, 1 slice bread.
FRUIT
3 or more servings a day
Fruits are rich in fiber, vitamin C, and beta carotene. Be sure to include at least one serving each day of fruits that are high in vitamin C -- citrus fruits, melons, and strawberries are all good choices. Choose whole fruit over fruit juices, which do not contain very much fiber. Serving size: 1 medium piece of fruit, 1/2 cup cooked fruit, 4 ounces juice.
LEGUMES
2 or more servings a day
Legumes -- which is another name for beans, peas, and lentils -- are all good sources of fiber, protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and B vitamins. This group also includes chickpeas, baked and refried beans, soy milk, tempeh, and texturized vegetable protein. Serving size: 1/2 cup cooked beans, 4 ounces tofu or tempeh, 8 ounces soy milk.
VEGETABLES
3 or more servings a day
Vegetables are packed with nutrients; they provide vitamin C, beta carotene, riboflavin, iron, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients. Dark green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard and turnip greens, chicory, or bok choy are especially good sources of these nutrients. Dark yellow and orange vegetables such as carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin provide extra beta-carotene. Include generous portions of a variety of vegetables in your diet. Serving size: 1 cup raw vegetables, 1/2 cup cooked vegetables.
TYPES OF VEGETARIAN DIETS
LACTO-OVO VEGETARIAN: Eats no meat, poultry, or fish, but includes dairy products and eggs in the diet along with plant based foods.
LACTO VEGETARIAN: Excludes all animal products except dairy products. Includes all plant based foods in the diet.
OVO VEGETARIAN: Excludes all animal products except eggs. Includes all plant based foods in the diet.
FRUITARIAN: The fruitarian has a simpler diet consisting only of seed bearing fruits that include whole fresh fruits and some vining foods that are technically considered fruits, but have been used as vegetables. These vegetable/fruits comprise cucumbers, tomatoes, squashes, peppers and olives. Avocados, technically a tree fruit eaten as a vegetable, are also embraced. Fruitarians may also include coconuts, nuts, and seeds and some greens that they carefully harvest in a manner that allows the plant to continue producing leaves.
LIVING FOODS DIET: Those who follow the living foods diet call themselves live fooders or live foodists and eat a broad variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, soaked nuts and seeds, soaked and sprouted grains and legumes, and sea vegetables. They also include cultured foods such as live vegetable krauts, fermented nut and seed cheeses, and other cultured foods that contain friendly bacteria. Green drinks and soups, along with wheat grass juice are encouraged, while stimulating and salty foods may be consumed sparingly. Food combining is important to maintain good digestion and a vigorous constitution. In addition, live fooders will warm some of their foods in a dehydrator with a temperature regulator. In order to preserve the valuable enzymes that raw foods contain, some foods may be warmed to temperatures no higher than 105 degrees, while others will tolerate a little higher heat up to 115 degrees.
NATURAL HYGIENE DIET: Those who follow the natural hygiene regimen consume a diet of whole, organically grown fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds in their raw, natural state, often eating only one food at a meal until sated. They place a strong focus on proper food combining for optimal digestion and employ occasional water fasts. Natural fats such as avocados, nuts and seeds are eaten in small quantities, while extracted vegetable oils are discouraged. Certain strong tasting foods are eschewed, such as: garlic, onions, sea vegetables, salt, fermented foods, and super green foods, such as blue green algae. Other principles important to the lifestyle include fresh pure air, pure water, moderate sunshine, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and fasting when ill.
RAW FOODIST: Proponents of the raw food diet often refer to themselves as raw fooders or raw foodists. Included in their regimen are all fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds (raw as well as soaked and sprouted), and soaked and sprouted grains and legumes. Many enjoy low temperature dehydrated crackers, cereals, sprouted raw breads, and fresh fruit and nut based desserts. Those who follow the raw food diet are more flexible and inclusive of flavor enhanced foods such as marinated fruits and vegetables. Surprisingly elegant gourmet foods have emerged from the raw food kitchen, yet many prefer simpler foods that require little preparation. Further, the raw foodist never cooks or warms the foods on a stove, but eats them only in their natural, raw state in order to preserve their valuable enzymes.
VEGAN:
A dietary vegan (or strict vegetarian) is one who eliminates animal products (not only meat and fish, but also dairy products, eggs and often honey, as well as other animal-derived substances) from their diet. The term ethical vegan or lifestyle vegan is often applied to someone who not only follows a vegan diet, but extends the vegan philosophy into other areas of their life. Another term used is environmental veganism, which refers to the rejection of animal products on the premise that the industrial exploitation of animals is environmentally damaging and unsustainable
What do you really need to run a human body?
You need six nutrients:
ENERGY- Comes from carbohydrates and fats. Those abound in grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, starches, and oils.
PROTEIN- Abounds in grains, legumes, and green vegetables.
VITAMINS and MINERALS- used to metabolize all these nutrients and are found in green and yellow vegetables.
WATER- water is freely available.
This is all you need to run a human body, and all of these are available in the plant foods that grow out of the ground.
VEGETABLES- 3 or more servings a day
Vegetables are packed with nutrients; they provide vitamin C, beta carotene, riboflavin, iron, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients. Dark green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard and turnip greens, chicory, or bok choy are especially good sources of these nutrients. Dark yellow and orange vegetables such as carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin provide extra beta carotene. Include generous portions of a variety of vegetables in your diet. Serving size: 1 cup raw vegetables, 1/2 cup cooked vegetables.
The Human Body has NO requirements for animal flesh, eggs or cow's milk & products, It functions superbly without them.
The Essential Nutrients to run the Human Body:
Carbohydrates
Fats
Protein
Vitamins
Minerals
Water
Carbohydrates and Fats are energy calories. It is easy for a Vegan person to get enough each day found in natural sugars, starches, and vegetable Oils (olive oil). It is abundant in grains, vegetables, nuts, cooking, fruits,ect.. Proteins are the building block for making muscles, blood, hormones, hair, fingernails, immune antibodies. The building blocks are called amino acid. they are found in Vegan foods such as grains, legumes, green vegetables, nuts and seeds. There are two families of vitamins, that dissolve in water and those that dissolve in oil. The water soluble vitamins- which are not stored in the body, and so they must be consumed everyday. (vitamin C, B, Folic Acid) They are found in green leafy vegetables as well as in citrus fruits and nutritional yeast. The oil soluble vitamins- which are stored in the liver, so they need to be consumed only a few times a week (vitamin A, E). They are found in yellow Veggies, like carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, melons, kale, and broccoli. Minerals like potassium, sodium, iron, zinc, selenium, calcium, and iodine are requirements for the body. They can be found in green leafy veggies, grains, mushrooms, nutritional yeast, and sea veggies (nori, kelp, dulse). Water is essential for body function. Which you can find in pure water, fruit, fruit juices, veggie juices, watery fruits, vegetable soups and salads.
Protein: Is found in Grains- Legumes- Greens- Nuts & Seeds.
Calcium: Is found in Greens (broccoli, collards, kale,romaine lettuce, celery)- Legumes- Seeds & Nuts (especially sesame). One cup of cooked collards or broccoli contains as much usable calcium as a 6oz. glass of milk.
Iron: Is found in Raisins- Greens- Whole Grains- Nuts- Seeds- Legumes- Molasses- Dried Fruit.
Vitamin C: is found in Broccoli- Turnip Greens- Brussels Sprouts- Potatoes- Sweet Potatoes- Peppers- Tomatoes- Cabbage- Citrus Fruit.
Zinc: Is found in Whole Grains- Green Leafy Veggies- Mushrooms- Nuts- Seeds- Legumes- Tofu- Miso- Wheat germ- Nutritional Yeast-.
Vitamin B-12: Is found abundant in Healthy soil, If you have an Organic Garden eating Vegetables will be covered with B-12. Other sources are fortified Soy milks- Soy Based Un-meats- Nutritional Yeast- Vegan B-12 Supplements-
Vitamin D: Is not really a vitamin, but is actually a hormone made with our own bodies. We make this when Sunlight activates a fatty substance called ergosterol. This is transformed into vitamin D and flows into the blood, muscles and bones. 15 min a day in the Sun is all we need.
Folic Acid: Is found in Dark Greens- Leafy Veggies- Nutritional Yeast- Dates.