Vegeterian Diets --Let Me Count The Ways There are several types of vegeterians: Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat plant foods, milk, milk products and eggs, but avoid flesh foods (meat, poultry and fish). Lacto-vegetarians eat plant foods, milk and milk products, but avoid eggs and flesh foods. Ovo-vegetarians eat plant foods and eggs, but avoid milk, milk products and flesh foods. Pesco/pollo-vegetarians eat meats like seafood and chicken, but do not eat other meats, such as beef, lamb, and pork. Total vegetarians, also called vegans, eat plant foods only. Read the Source Article |
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DIET AND FITNESS
Sugar--The Disease Connection
By Susan M. Callahan, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist
Sugar Content of Common Foods
Ideal Breakfast for Diabetics
How Much Sugar Do Americans Consume
Beat the Lows-Ideal Breakfasts for Hypoglycemia
Glycemic Index
Diabetes
My Heart Attack-A Personal Story
Curbing Your Taste for Sweets
Erectile Dysfunction Linked to Diabetes
Artificial Sweeteners-What's Really In Them?
What do porcupines spikes and sugar have in common? Plenty. Sugar
molecules are actually spiky, like porcupine needles. And, when you
ingest sugar, you are doing just about as much damage to your body
as you would if you swallowed tiny spiky porcupines. Let's follow the
connection between sugar and disease.
The first connection is inflammation. Inflammation inside the body
creates conditions which lead to heart disease, stroke and cancer (See
Inflammation –The Secret Cause of Disease). But which foods cause
the greatest amount of internal inflammation?
Sugar is one of the chief causes of internal inflammation. When we
ingest table sugar, the body produces insulin in order to metabolize,
transform, the sugar into a form useful for energy. Insulin and sugar
levels strike a perfect balance when we eat only that amount of sugar
that will be converted to the exact amount of energy we need. When
that balance is struck, no excess sugar hangs around in the blood
stream.
When excess sugar hangs around in the bloodstream, the body
produces excessive amounts of insulin. The extra insulin molecules
are like tiny porcupine balls. They are jagged. When they travel down
the blood river flowing through our bodies, they cut into the banks of
the river—our arteries. They nick the walls, creating injuries.
A nick here and there is no problem for the body. But create enough
nicks and you’ve got a major repair job to fix. Bad cholesterol –LDL—
handy for patching the nicks and holes in the artery walls, creates
uneven bits and pieces of plaque which can break off, float further
down the blood river, and cause stroke or heart blockage. High levels
of insulin also can cause diabetes, which can lead to organ failures
such as kidney disease, heart disease, nerve damage and circulation
problems, all of which can lead to premature death. Higher levels of
insulin also trigger the body’s fat controls, telling the body to hang on
to fat reserves. In a real sense, sugar makes you fat. (See Diabetes—
The Silent Killer )
Sugar, at least table sugar, is not actually food.
Foods contain nutrients needed by the body. Even salt, which in excess
can cause its own problems (click here for more on salt), is a nutrient
which the body needs. But table sugar is not a food. The body could
get along just fine on the levels of sugar found in foods containing
carbohydrates --- breads, starches, fruits even some vegetables
contain high levels of carbohydrates. In fact, the levels of
carbohydrates in the average diets of Americans, the British and
growing numbers of people around the world – far exceed what you
need daily.
To make sure you are not eating excess insulin-producing
carbohydrates, you should follow a “low glycemic” diet. The Glycemic
Index tells you which foods raise sugar levels in the body. High
glycemic foods raise the levels highest and produce injury-causing
insulin. Low glycemic foods keep the levels of sugar in balance with
insulin production. They help in controlling diabetes if you already
have it. They help in preventing diabetes if you don't. Click here for a
list of low glycemic, anti-inflammatory foods.
Sugar can shorten your lifespan. Eating with a natural balance of
sugar and insulin in mind can’t guarantee that you won’t develop life-
threatening disease –but eating excessive amounts of sugar almost
guarantees that you will shorten the amount of good, healthy years
you will live. Studies estimate that untreated, uncontrolled diabetes
may be the one of the key reason Africans Americans have lifespans
almost a full five years shorter than white Americans. (click here for
more on lifespans of Americans). And, the higher incidence of
diabetes and obesity may be the reason Americans in general only
rank 41st in lifespans as compared with our fellow humans in Europe,
Japan and elsewhere.
Related Links
Ideal Breakfast for Diabetics
Diet and Exercise-A Simple Plan
Bowels Movements-Great Indicator of Your Overall Health
Why Americans Read in Bathrooms--The Hidden Epidemic of
Constipation
Snoring Increases Your Risk of Stroke 67%
Six Pack Abs--Step By Step
Erectile Dysfunction Linked to Diabetes
Beat the Lows-Ideal Breakfasts for Hypoglycemia
TODAY'S FEATURED
VEGETERIAN MEAL
RED CABBAGE SALAD
One head of red cabbage
One yellow onion
One apple
Two hard boiled eggs (For Ovo Vegeterians)
Olive Oil
Walnuts, 1/4 cup
Dried Cranberries or Raisins
(Your selection of Fish or Chicken
1. Chop the head of cabbage, sautee with
olive oil and 1/4 water until wilted
2. Dice the onion, carmelize in olive oil
3. Dice the apple
4. Dice the hard boiled egg
5. Prepare the fish or chicken, steamed with
a teaspoon of olive oil
Mix the cooked cabbage with the diced
apple, carmelized onion, cranberries(or
raisins) and walnuts. Add fish or chicken on
top.
Health News Get Daily Health News from AP, a leading global news organization. Diet and Fitness Current and best sources of nutrition advice and recipes. How Much Is Too Much Salt? How Much Salt Is In My Food? Sodium Content of Common Foods Isolation-TheSilent Killer I Have High Blood Pressure! Foods That Lower Your Blood Pressure Quinoa-The New Superfood Bowels Are Key to Health Intestines-Keep Them Healthy Olive Oil-Drink and Live Longer Onions Prevent Heart Disease Coffee Fights Cancer 10 Easy Tips To Turn Inflammation Fat--It's Alive! TasteBuds--The Secret to Losing Weight Diabetes Lifespans of Americans Glycemic Index Links Why We Go Soft In the Middle Why Europeans Are Thinner Brain Health Ten Signs He's Leaving You Links Stategies on improving cognitive function, memory, acuity, including crossword puzzles Links and Resources |
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