Choosing On A Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet

By Alexis Martin

These days being vegetarian is becoming more and more popular. People are beginning to realize there are many health benefits associated with consuming a low fat vegetarian diet. There are also more vegetarian options available in supermarkets and in restaurants these days, so being a vegetarian does not mean sacrificing flavor and taste.

First and foremost, ditching meat and becoming a vegetarian brings several important health benefits. Since most vegetarian diets are much lower in saturated fats, vegetarians rarely have problems with obesity or develop type II diabetes. It is estimated that vegetarians consume around 25 percent less fat in their diets than meat eaters.

Since vegetarians consume less animal fats, they also tend to avoid many problems such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, angina, heart attacks and strokes. Lower cholesterol levels keep the blood circulating through the body more easily and it does not place undue pressure on the heart.

It has been shown over and over again that a vegetarian diet can protect the body from certain types of cancer. Cutting meat out of the diet can reduce the risk of some cancers by at least 50 percent. Many fruits and vegetables are enriched with vitamins that have antioxidant powers capable of eliminating free radicals and toxins from the body. Cruciferous vegetables are especially powerful.

People who have digestion problems should seriously consider changing to a low carb vegetarian diet. Heavy and dense meat products take a long time for the body to digest, this can lead to a sluggish digestion system that is unable to fully eliminate waste. After a while, the inability to get rid of waste effectively can lead to stomach, colon or intestinal cancer. Vegetarians eat foods that are much more easily digested and therefore can avoid many digestive problems.

Eating meat can not only cause health problems for you, but it can also be detrimental to the environment. Beef and other meat production have a serious impact on the environment. For example, much of the Amazon Jungle is being cut down and destroyed to make space for cattle farms and stations. If you cut out meat, then you are reducing the total global demand for meat. Your contribution may not seem like much, but if many of us make a change we can make a real impact in a positive way.

Recent environmental reports have stated that meat production is one of the largest contributors to environmental pollution and habitat destruction in the world. It produces water and air pollution, land quality degradation and the loss of various endangered species. This is a clear and compelling reason to scale back your meat consumption or stop eating meat completely. - 30414

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here