The vegetarian diet is to consume plant foods while avoiding animal products. However, some vegetarians also eat eggs, cheese and fish.

Vegetarian diets can provide all the nutrients you need at any age, as well as some additional benefits to health. Vegetarian diets often has lower rates of total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than a diet of meat, in addition to providing more fiber, magnesium, potassium, folic acid and antioxidants like vitamins C and E. The vegetarian diet can reduce blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels and help maintain a healthier weight, while reducing the incidence of type 2 diabetes, factors that reduce the risk of heart disease and of cerebral vascular accident (stroke).

When you adopt a vegetarian diet, it is good to familiarize yourself with the four food groups as outlined in Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. These four groups: grain products, vegetables and fruits, dairy and protein-rich alternatives such as beans, soybeans, nuts and seeds. The Guide recommends that Canadians:

* To eat a variety of foods
* Emphasize cereals, breads and other grain products, vegetables and fruits
* To choose foods low in fat, especially saturated fats and trans fats
* To achieve and maintain a healthy weight through regular physical activity and adopting healthy eating
* Limit consumption of salt, alcohol and caffeine

Dietitians of Canada have produced a version of vegetarian and vegan food guide (PDF 365 KB).

As with any food program, it is important to the plan to meet all your nutritional needs. Here’s what you should consider:

Protein
The plant foods can provide all the protein you need. The plant foods rich in protein are the following:

* All products with soy as tofu, tempeh and beverages
* Beans, peas and lentils cooked
* Peanuts and peanut butter
* Most nuts and seeds

No need to combine proteins, for example, beans with grains in a meal to maximize absorption of proteins. Other choices rich in protein are eggs (which also contain zinc and iron) and milk (rich in zinc). Whole grains and vegetables also provide protein and are excellent sources of minerals.

Iron
Vegetarians are more exposed than the carnivores to iron deficiency. Although the variety of iron which is found in meat (heme iron) is more easily absorbed than non-heme iron plants, absorption can be improved by combining choices of non-heme iron with foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli and berries. Good plant sources of iron are green leafy vegetables, dark beans or legumes, iron-enriched products (check the label), nutritional yeast and died fruit. A good idea would be flat romaine lettuce with mandarin oranges. (See our healthy recipes vegetarian).

Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium is important for strong bones and vitamin D is essential for the body to absorb calcium. Dairy products, almonds, sesame seeds, dark green vegetables (like broccoli, bok choy cabbage and kale) and black molasses contain calcium. Other products are rich in calcium, such as soft soy and rice, tofu and orange juice (check the ingredient list). We often add vitamin D to milk (but not cheese or yogurt), soy drinks and rice and fortified margarine. Although the sun allows us to produce our own vitamin D through the skin, we often lack in the Canadian winter. Therefore, these sources of supplements are becoming essential, especially for infants, children and the elderly.

Vitamin B 12
This vitamin is necessary for cell division and blood formation. It is found in fortified cereals, soy beverages and fortified rice and some types of nutritional yeast. It is important to read labels to ensure you consume enough vitamin B12. If you are vegetarian or vegan, consult your health care professional for a vitamin B12 supplement if you are not sure of getting enough.

No need to become a vegetarian to enjoy the benefits of increased consumption of plant foods and reducing your consumption of meat.

Food is one of the main factors implicated in the onset of cancer for the following reasons:

- Supply current is too high in fat and calories and low in fruits and vegetables. Obesity causes food decrease dietary fiber are involved in the development of gastrointestinal cancer.

- Alcohol is one of the most important factors of cancer, as shown cancer rates in areas heavy consumption of spirits, as the region of Calvados. Alcohol is particularly implicated in cancers of the throat and esophagus.

- Hot drinks like tea (especially in Asian regions), are a risk factor.

- The meats are barbecued at the root of many carcinogens, like nitrosamines.

- Dyes and food additives, now well controlled, have long been a source of concern carcinogens.

- Food toxins and many mycotoxins are carcinogenic effect, particularly in the liver (aflatoxins), kidney, lung and intestine. Several studies have documented the relationship between mycotoxins and increases in certain cancers observed in the workplace. The risk seems less obvious to the general population, but scientists have found a rate of greater carcinogenic mold in homes in which live cancer patients compared to those in which people live without the disease. Mycotoxins are toxins produced by molds present in food, particularly cereals, milk and meat.
A direct link between diet and cancer, not so easy to establish

It is difficult to make a direct link between diet and cancer, because of difficulties specific evidence of this type. It is nevertheless admitted that the link between overweight and food various diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer is plausible, which requires a genuine food re-education should emphasize the consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins, moderate consumption of meat Grilled and alcohol and consumption of dietary fiber.

Many studies are underway to understand the real interest of many dietary components in cancer prevention, especially vitamins C and E, flavonoids (wine, chocolate) or the lycopene found in fruits such as red tomatoes. For cancer specialists, wine consumption is not recommended, and they believe the risk of cancer increases, even when consumption of wine or alcohol is minimal.

A healthy balanced diet should be accompanied by adequate physical activity and continues because the sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor of lifestyle today. Regular physical activity helps control weight, improve performance of the cardiovascular system, preventing many diseases, including, in some cases, cancer. The sport is particularly useful in preventing breast cancer.
Sweeteners

If artificial sweeteners containing saccharin, sodium cyclamate prove harmful at high doses in experimental animals. They are safe at usual doses. However, this is not the case for a number of products such as aspartame (a sweetener used in many health food or not). Numerous studies in recent decades have attempted to prove that aspartame is a carcinogen or toxic to the brain. The findings from studies on rats are alarmist, but do not for human consumption at the doses usually recommended.

While some early potatoes are available regardless of season of the year, some of them are waiting and rendezvous with our taste buds only during certain seasons.

Discovery Health has compiled a list of the best fruits fall to the health food with using FoodFit founded by Ellen Haas. Not only these 15 fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals essential to the body, but most are easy to store and prepare.

Apples fall from trees during moisd’automne. They can be gathered with family, or be purchased at the market. Apples are an excellent source of vitamin C and carctérisent by their high content of fiber (pectin). The apple will keep for six weeks with refrigeration or a free week. Easy to cut, they can be eaten plain or with fresh cheeses, in salads or vegetable dishes, added to meat dishes, or baked as a dessert.

Oranges provide an important input in vitamin C and fiber. In the case of traditional oranges, mandarins, clementines, they usually last a week or maybe two to three weeks in the refrigerator. The oranges are a refreshing snack, and also fit well in many salads.

Banana is available all year in most parts of the country, but fall is a particularly good season for this fruit. Full of vitamin B-6, fiber, potassium and vitamin C, it is a consistent result that can be incorporated into any diet. The color of the banana is a matter of taste, some love them less ripe and green, while others prefer darker and thus more mature. If your bananas have become brown, you can still enjoy performing with them in breads or cakes.

Pears in the spotlight in the fall, they are a good source of vitamin C and are not very expensive compared to other fruits. Once the pears soften, they should be kept only for a few days and can only be stored for a day or two in the fridge. Pears are easy to consume, or sliced in salads, with fresh cheese, or even with some poultry dishes.

The quince fruit is rarer but not impossible to cross them on the shelves of some markets. Fruit juice made from apples, pears and quinces, in addition to its high vitamin C, you will also riboflavin. The quince wines are excellent for health, although the taste is milder when cooked.

The red grapes and cranberries are the flagship fruit of autumn, and they both provide vitamin C essential to any program of diet, cranberries also provide fiber. These two fruits can be stored up to one week in the refrigerator and be quick snacks for adults, married to cheese, nuts or added to salads.

The Pomegranate and grapefruit are commonly used in juices, but can also be consumed in the state. Both fruits provide an excellent source of vitamin C, but also offer offer iron (grenade) and fiber (grapefruit). They can be kept several weeks in refrigerator.

The kiwi fruit are rich in vitamin C and fiber. They keep almost a week without refrigeration. The kiwi may be added to nombrex dishes, in salads, pies, or to tenderize meat, ham and sausages.

In addition, fiber intake with this diet is based tends to give the feeling of satiety allowing less hungry to get the next meal. But most important of this diet is that it also facilitates the evacuation and thus, those who have difficulty using the toilet can go lighter on this diet.

For this diet is quite effective, it is very useful to combine this diet with daily consumption of at least two liters of water.

Procedure:

For breakfast:

* 1 orange into segments
* 1 egg mixed with potato peel
* 1 tortilla
* 1 coffee or 1 tea

For lunch at mid-morning:

* Vegetable juice
* 5 prunes

To eat:

* 1 lentil soup
* Average or 1 chicken breast fillet of fish baked or grilled
* Nopales salad
* 2 guavas in syrup

Snack:

* 1 packet fiber bars

For dinner:

* 1 cup high fiber cereal
* 1 cup skim milk
* 1 banana