Well it's been 3 weeks...

Image via Wikipedia

Very interesting 3 weeks!!  So far I am really enjoying the change of my eating habits but still getting use to my food choices. 

I find I am eating too much starchy foods such as pasta, rice, potatoes in order to fill me.  I have found tons of Vegetarian recipe websites which have been very helpful but find that I am shopping more often to replenish the fruits that go bad, I guess I have to buy smaller amounts and shop more often!

My girlfriend that joined with me becoming a Vegetarian is doing awesome as well!!  It is so much easier to do this with support of friends and family. 

Just the other day my friend cooked spaghetti meat sauce for her family.  I was visiting and we were going to eat the sauce but without the meat, then we thought, we cannot do that as the sauce was cooked with meat so that is defeating the purpose, silly us!

A few days after going Vegetarian I was researching on vitamins and supplements (which I have posted the information on previous posts).  So I started taking a B12 vitamin and found that I could not sleep!!.  I was wide away at 3:00AM and was getting very frustrated.  I was wondering, WOW, did meat have something in it that made me sleep as soon as I hit the pillow?  Nope, it was the B12 tablet I was taking, I was taking too late in the day around 3:00PM.  Recently I have switched my vitamin intake to the morning as soon as I get up and I have found a difference in my sleeping, thank goodness!!  I have found the B12 gives me TONS of energy and LOVE the feeling!!

This weeks task is spending more time on balancing my food choices so I will not be eating to many fattening foods.  I will post some tips/ideas really soon!!

Importance of taking B12 while on a Vegetarian diet...

While searching the Internet for the vital nutrients and minerals that my body needs which I would be losing out on not eating meat and or fish.  I found information on the importance of taking a B12 supplement and posted the information below.
No vegan or vegetarian can afford to take the kinds of risks with their health that a B-12 deficiency can create. Simple to prevent, and impossible to repair once the damage is done, a vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, fatigue, low memory function and depression. Other symptoms of a B-12 deficiency are hallucinations, personality changes like irritability and confusion, bodily sensations like tingling and numbness, blurred vision and coordination difficulties that result in an abnormal gait.

Vitamin B-12 is a unique and essential water-soluble vitamin important for regulating the nervous system, the function of the brain and the formation of red blood cells. It contains the element cobalt and is also known as cobalamin. It is responsible for cellular metabolism, rapid DNA synthesis during cell division and for energy production. It also helps in the metabolizing of fatty acids, which are needed to create the protein myelin that surrounds the nerve fibers. Without this coating, the nerves can become irreparably damaged.

Vitamin B-12 is found naturally in shellfish and fish, all meats especially liver, poultry, dairy and eggs- in other words, in animal foods. B-12 is produced by bacteria that contaminate the animals and plants we eat, and not by the plants and animals themselves. The B-12 that does exist in small amounts in plant-based foods is not enough to supply the vitamin effectively.

Vegans, who consume no foods from animal sources, are the most at risk for developing vitamin B-12 deficiency. Enriched cereals, some yeasts, certain soy products, daily or weekly vitamin B-12 supplementation and b-12 injections are the best means for vegans to get enough Vitamin B-12. Although the structure of this vitamin can only be biosynthesized by bacteria, the human body can create a conversion between different forms of B-12 making supplementation possible.

Vegetarians may consume some of the foods that naturally contain B-12, but in some cases these foods, like eggs, will include another substance that blocks the absorption of B-12. The side effects of a deficiency in this vitamin are not to be taken lightly, so the same course of fortification and supplementation recommended for vegans applies to vegetarians as well.

The recommended daily intake of B-12 is 2-3 micrograms per day, with different standards if you are pregnant or lactating. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, begin to check the labels of the foods you consume to see how much B-12 is already present in your diet. Visit your doctor regularly to test your levels of vitamin B-12. Additionally, test your folate levels, as Vitamin B-12 helps regenerate folate, and test for methylmalonic acid and signs of anemia, which can be caused by a lack of B-12.

Conversation or heated debate....

                                                                    

Since turning to a vegetarian diet I have had to decline some food when I am over at my family functions or friends houses.  When you say, "no thank you" and try to leave it at that they always ask "why are you not hungry"?  Then I tell them that I do not eat meat anymore.

WOW!  It's funny to watch the reaction on peoples faces, they look at you like you have just pulled your own finger nails off.  Then all the meat eaters all start congregating I start feeling like they are ganging up on me saying oh not me, taste too good, bring on the steak etc. etc.  Then they start talking about makeup (tested on animals) and the clothes I wear such as leather shoes or plastic flip flops (oil from animals that make the plastic)  like hello, why do I keep having to defend myself? 

I feel I am making a healthy choice of staying away from meat, btw I only wear makeup on special occasions and it is not a daily application and I have never worn fur but when I made the decision to stay away from meat is based on two things.  The major one was because of all the garbage that is put into meat in order for it not to go bad and secondly was for the inhuman way the animals are treated and slaughtered.  It seems that you can never just say you are a vegetarian then the conversation stops.  This is something I will have to get used to and may use the option of "I'm not hungry" so I will not have to get into a heated debate.

I have always been conscious of products that I purchase such as soaps, lotions, lip gloss etc to see if their is a note stated *not tested on animals, so off I went searching on google for this information and found it on the peta website.  I have attached the link that shows all the companies that do not test on animals...

http://www.caringconsumer.com/pdfs/companiesDontTest.pdf

Foods that are high in Protein...

Image via Wikipedia

In order to find out how much Protein your body requires per day, take your weight and divide in half, that is approximately how many Kilograms you are

Weight divided in half = kilograms then x by 0.8

Eg:  150lbs = approximately 75kg 

75g x 0.8 = 60g of protein your body requires per day

FYI:  1 cup of soy beans equals the same amount of protein as 1 steak provides :)
Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw 1 cup 1.32

Artichokes, (globe or French), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 medium 4.18

Asparagus, canned, drained solids  4 spears 1.54

Asparagus, cooked, boiled, drained  4 spears 1.55

Asparagus, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 5.31

Avocados, raw, California  1 oz 0.60

Avocados, raw, Florida  1 oz 0.45

Beans, baked, canned, plain or vegetarian  1 cup 12.17

Beans, baked, canned, with franks  1 cup 17.48

Beans, baked, canned, with pork and sweet sauce  1 cup 13.43

Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce  1 cup 13.05

Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 15.24

Beans, Cowpeas (Blackeyes), immature seeds, boiled, without salt  1 cup 5.23

Beans, Cowpeas (blackeyes), immature seeds, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup
14.43

Beans, Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds,  1 cup 13.30

Beans, great northern, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 14.74

Beans, Kidney beans, red, mature seeds, canned  1 cup 13.44

Beans, Kidney beans, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 15.35

Beans, Lima beans, large, mature seeds, canned  1 cup 11.88

Beans, Lima beans, large, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 14.66

Beans, Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 2.52

Beans, Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw  1 cup 3.16

Beans, Navy beans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 15.83

Beans, Pinto beans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 14.04

Soybeans, mature cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 22.23

Soybeans, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 28.62

Beans, Snap beans, green, canned, regular pack, drained solids  1 cup 1.55

Beans, Snap beans, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 2.36

Beans, White beans, mature seeds, canned  1 cup 19.02

Beet greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 3.70

Beets, canned, drained solids  1 cup 1.55

Broccoli, raw  1 cup 2.62

Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 4.65

Beets, cooked, boiled, drained  1 cup 2.86

Beets, cooked, boiled, drained  1 beet 0.84

Cabbage, Chinese (pak-choi), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 2.65

Cabbage, Chinese (pe-tsai), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 1.79

Cabbage, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 1.53

Cabbage, raw  1 cup 1.01

Cabbage, red, raw  1 cup 0.97

Cabbage, Savoy, raw  1 cup 1.40

Carrots, baby, raw 1 medium 0.08

Carrots, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 1.70

Carrots, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 1.74

Carrots, raw  1 cup 1.13

Cauliflower, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 2.28

Cauliflower, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 2.90

Cauliflower, raw  1 cup 1.98

Celery, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 1.25

Celery, raw  1 cup 0.90

Corn, sweet, white, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 ear 2.56

Corn, sweet, yellow, canned, cream style, regular pack  1 cup 4.45

Corn, sweet, yellow, canned, vacuum pack, regular pack  1 cup 5.06

Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 ear 2.56

Corn, sweet, yellow, frozen, kernels cut off cob, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 4.51

Corn, sweet, yellow, frozen, kernels on cob, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 ear 1.96

Cucumber, peeled, raw  1 cup 0.68

Cucumber, with peel, raw 1 cup 0.72

Dandelion greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 2.10

Endive, raw  1 cup 0.63

Garlic, raw  1 clove 0.19

Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 17.86

Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw  1 cup 0.91

Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw  1 cup 0.56

Lettuce, looseleaf, raw  1 cup 0.73

Mushrooms, canned, drained solids  1 cup 2.92

Mushrooms, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 3.39

Mushrooms, raw  1 cup 2.03

Mushrooms, shiitake, cooked, without salt  1 cup 2.26

Mushrooms, shiitake, dried  1 mushroom 0.34

Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 3.16

Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 2.99

Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 3.83

Olives, ripe, canned (small-extra large)  5 large 0.18

Onions, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 2.86

Onions, dehydrated flakes 1 tbsp 0.45

Onions, raw  1  1.28

Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw 1 cup 1.83

Parsley, raw 10 sprigs 0.30

Parsnips, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 2.06

Peas, edible-podded, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 5.23

Peas, edible-podded, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 5.60

Peas, green, canned, regular pack, drained solids 1 cup 7.51

Peas, green, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 8.24

Peas, split, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt 1 cup 16.35

Peppers, hot chili, green, raw  1 pepper 0.90

Peppers, hot chili, red, raw  1 pepper 0.90

Peppers, sweet, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 1.25

Peppers, sweet, green, raw 1 cup 1.33

Peppers, sweet, green, raw 1 pepper 1.06

Peppers, sweet, red, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt1 cup 1.25

Peppers, sweet, red, raw 1 pepper 1.06

Potato pancakes, home-prepared 1 pancake 4.68

Potato, baked, flesh and skin, without salt 1 potato 5.05

Potatoes, baked, flesh, without salt 1 potato 3.06

Potatoes, boiled, cooked in skin, flesh, without salt 1 potato 2.54

Potatoes, boiled, cooked without skin, flesh, without salt 1 potato 2.31

Potatoes, boiled, cooked without skin, flesh, without salt  1 cup 2.67

Potatoes, hashed brown, home-prepared  1 cup 3.78

Pumpkin, canned, without salt 1 cup 2.70

Pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 1.76

Radishes, raw  1 radish 0.03

Spinach, canned, drained solids  1 cup 6.01

Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 5.35

Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 1 cup 5.97

Spinach, raw 1 cup 0.86

Squash, summer, all varieties, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt  1 cup 1.64

Squash, summer, all varieties, raw 1 cup 1.33

Squash, winter, all varieties, cooked, baked, without salt 1 cup 1.82

Squash, winter, butternut, frozen, cooked, boiled, without salt  1 cup 2.95

Sweet potato, canned, syrup pack, drained solids 1 cup 2.51

Sweet potato, canned, vacuum pack 1 cup 4.21

Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, without salt  1 potato 2.51

Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin, without salt  1 potato 2.57

Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, stewed  1 cup 2.42

Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, whole, regular pack  1 cup 2.21

Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average  1 cup 1.53

Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average 1 cherry tomato 0.14

Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average 1 tomato 1.05

Tomatoes, sun-dried  1 piece 0.28

Tomatoes, sun-dried, packed in oil, drained  1 piece 0.15

Watermelon, raw  1 wedge 1.77

Buckwheat flour, whole-groat  1 cup 15.14


Buckwheat groats, roasted, cooked  1 cup 5.68

Bulgur, cooked  1 cup 5.61

Bulgur, dry  1 cup 11.70

Cornmeal, degermed, enriched, yellow  1 cup 17.21

Cornmeal, whole-grain, yellow 1 cup 9.91

Noodles, chinese, chow mein  1 cup 3.77

Oat bran, cooked 1 cup 7.03

Oat bran, raw 1 cup 16.26

Peanut butter, smooth style, with salt 1 tbsp 4.03

Quinoa, cooked - 1 cup 11

Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked 1 cup 5.03

Rice, white, long-grain, regular, cooked 1 cup 4.25

Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, enriched  1 cup 13.19

Spaghetti, cooked, enriched, without added salt  1 cup 6.68

Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked 1 cup 7.46

Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked  1 cup 7.46

Tempeh 1 cup 31

Tofu, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride  1/4 block 6.51

Tofu, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride  1 piece 7.86

Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched, bleached  1 cup 12.91

Veggie burger 1 patty 1 patty 5.24

Wheat flour, whole-grain  1 cup 16.44

Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched  137 16.41

Whole wheat bread 2 slices 2 slices 5

Foods that are high in iron....

Image via Wikipedia

Well it's been one full week that I have become Vegetarian!! 

This week tasks are finding out more information on the foods that I eat to ensure that I am receiving the same benefits of iron that I received when I was eating meat.  Below is a chart of foods in measurements and the mg of iron it provides.

The RDA for iron age    19 - 50 for adult men is 8mg
                                      19-50 for women is 18mg
                                      50 - over for w/m is 8mg

* Both calcium and tannins (found in tea and coffee) reduce iron absorption. Tea, coffee, and calcium supplements should be used several hours before a meal that is high in iron

Bran flakes, 1 cup 11.0

Oatmeal, 1 packet 6.3

Pasta, 1 cup, cooked 1.7

Samolina, Cream of wheat, 1/2 cup cooked 5.5

Wheat germ, 2 tablespoon 1.2

Whole wheat bread, 1 slice 0.9

White bread, 1 slice 0.7

Iron in Vegetables (1/2 cup cooked)

Sea vegetables 18.1- 42.0

Swiss chard 2

Turnip greens 1.6

Sweet potatoes, canned 1.7

Turnip greens 1.6

Pumpkin, cooked 1.7

Potato, baked with skin 1.7

Turnip greens 1.6

Prune juice, 4 oz 1.5

Spinach cooked 1.5

Beet greens cooked 1.4

Potato, 1 large 1.4

Bok choy cooked 0.7

Peas, cooked 0.65

Green beans, cooked 0.60

Tomato juice 0.6

Broccoli, cooked 0.55

Watermelon, 1/8 medium 0.5

Iron in Legumes (1/2 cup cooked)

Lentils 3.2

Black eye beans 2.6

Navy beans 2.5

Pinto beans 2.2

Lima beans 2.2

Kidney beans Rajmah 1.5

Chick peas (200 g) 6.2

Iron in Soy foods (1/2 cup cooked)

Tofu 6.6

Soybeans 4.4

Tempeh 1.8

Soy milk 0.9

Iron in Nuts/Seeds (2 Tablespoon)

Pumpkin seeds 2.5

Figs, dried, 5 2.0

Dried apricot, 5 1.6

Almond, 1/4 cup 1.3

Tahini 1.2

Sesame 1.2

Sunflower seeds 1.2

Cashew nuts 1.0

Soybeans, cooked 1 cup 8.8

Black strap molasses 2 Tbsp 7.2

Lentils, cooked 1 cup 6.6

Spinach, cooked 1 cup 6.4

Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 6.3

Tofu 4 ounces 6.0

Bagel, enriched 3 ounces 5.2

Tempeh 1 cup 4.8

Lima beans, cooked 1 cup 4.4

Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup 4.0

Black beans, cooked 1 cup 3.6

Pinto beans, cooked 1 cup 3.5

Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup 3.2

Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup 3.2

Potato 1 large 3.2

Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup 3.0

Prune juice 8 ounces 3.0

Beet greens, cooked 1 cup 2.7

Tahini 2 Tbsp 2.7

Veggie hot dog 1 hot dog 2.7

Peas, cooked 1 cup 2.5

Black-eyed peas, cooked 1 cup 2.3

Cashews 1/4 cup 2.1

Brussels sprouts, cooked 1 cup 1.9

Bok choy, cooked 1 cup 1.8

Bulgur, cooked 1 cup 1.7

Raisins 1/2 cup 1.6

Almonds 1/4 cup 1.5

Apricots, dried 15 halves 1.4

Veggie burger, commercial 1 patty 1.4

Watermelon 1/8 medium 1.4

Soy yogurt 6 ounces 1.1

Tomato juice 8 ounces 1.0

Green beans, cooked 1 cup 1.2

Kale, cooked 1 cup 1.2

Sunflower seeds 1/4 cup 1.2

Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 1.1

Millet, cooked 1 cup 1.1

Sesame seeds 2 Tbsp 1.0

GREAT website I found!

While searching the Internet for vegetarian dishes for me to try, I found an awesome website called "Fresh 365 online".

She has everything on her website regarding appetizers, meals, deserts and you can even sift through by ingredients!

Here is her website link...http://www.fresh365online.com/

I will be trying out a few of her dishes in the near future and will post some feedback on here.

Benefits of drinking lemon water and other healthy info....

1.Good for stomach

Lemon can help relieve many digestion problems when mixed with hot water. These include nausea, heartburn and parasites. Due to the digestive qualities of lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, bloating and belching are relieved. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently. Lemon acts as a blood purifier and as a cleansing agent. The intake of lemon juice can cure constipation. It is even known to help relieve hiccups when consumed as a juice. Lemon juice acts as a liver tonic and helps you digest your food by helping your liver produce more bile. It decreases the amount of phlegm produced by your body. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones.

2.Excellent for Skin Care

Lemon, being a natural antiseptic medicine, can participate to cure problems related to skin. Lemon is a vitamin C rich citrus fruit that enhances your beauty, by rejuvenating skin from within and thus bringing a glow on your face. Daily consumption of lemon water can make a huge difference in the appearance of your skin. It acts as an anti-aging remedy and can remove wrinkles and blackheads. Lemon water if applied on the areas of burns can fade the scars. As lemon is a cooling agent, it reduces the burning sensation on the skin.

3.Aids in Dental Care

Lemon water is used in dental care also. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the areas of toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain. The massages of lemon juice on gums can stop gum bleeding. It gives relief from bad smell and other problems related to gums.

4.Cures Throat Infections

Lemon is an excellent fruit that aids in fighting problems related to throat infections, sore throat and tonsillitis as it has an antibacterial property. For sore throat, dilute one-half lemon juice with one-half water and gargle frequently.

5.Good for Weight Loss

One of the major health benefits of drinking lemon water is that it paves way for losing weight faster, thus acting as a great weight loss remedy. If a person takes lemon juice mixed with lukewarm water and honey, it can reduce the body weight as well.

6.Controls High Blood Pressure

Lemon water works wonders for people having heart problem, owing to its high potassium content. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea as well as provides relaxation to mind and body. It also reduces mental stress and depression.

7.Assist in curing Respiratory Disorders

Lemon water assists in curing respiratory problems, along with breathing problems and revives a person suffering from asthma.

8.Good for treating Rheumatism

Lemon is also a diuretic and hence lemon water can treat rheumatism and arthritis. It helps to flush out bacteria and toxins out of the body.

9.Reduces Fever

Lemon water can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fever by increasing perspiration.

10.Acts as a blood purifier

The diseases like cholera or malaria can be treated with lemon water as it can act as a blood purifier.

How much should I drink?

In case you are in good health and weigh 70 kg or less, it is advisable for you to have juice of one-half of the lemon squeezed into one glass of water, twice daily. However, if you weigh more than 70 kg, juice of one whole lemon in a glass of water should be preferred. For maximum benefit, this mixture should also be taken two times a day, though you may dilute more lemon juice according to your taste if you wish.

Do not just remain oblivious to the gifts of nature such as this, for you should always try to make the most of them. So, make it a part of your daily routine to drink a glass of warm lemon water in the morning and then open your gateway to enjoy its health benefits.