Tuesday, March 6, 2007

The Vegetarian Diet: Important Nutrients And Supplementation For The "vegan" To Consider

Folks unfamiliar with vegetarianism think of vegetarians as people who are missing out on tasty and nutritious foods. Some of the more enlightened people know that many vegetarians rely on discount vitamins to help supplement essential nutrients for their bodies. To the vast majority, however, vegetarians are all as pacifists who are unable to choose or enjoy tasty and nutritious foods. The truth is that vegetarians come in as many different shapes and forms as there are diets. This means there are so many varied forms of vegetarian diet that it would make any one contemplating vegetarianism go nuts. Nuts do form an important portion of a vegetarian diet, but the point is there is much more dichotomy to a vegetarian diet than meets the eye. There are those vegetarians who consider milk and milk products as acceptable and then there are those that do not. There are those that consider eggs as an acceptable part of a vegetarian diet and others that do not. The diversity is mind-boggling. However, all vegetarians should consider discount vitamin supplements as an essential part of vegetarianism. In some ancient cultures vegetarianism arose due to economic, religious or social issues. In South East Asia and the Indian subcontinent, vegetarianism is based on religious traditions and economic reasons. The centuries of vegetarianism in that part of the world has produced a wide variety of herbs, spices and vegetable extracts that are now commonly used in western cultures. Recent studies have shown that the old-world ingredients such as garlic, turmeric, ginseng, capsaicin, psyllium, cayenne, fenugreek, various oils, nuts, etc. have great positive dietary benefits. In western cultures, vegetarianism is embraced more as a healthy alternative to weight-loss or weight-control diets. Whatever the reason behind one being a vegetarian, it is absolutely essential that proper nutrients be included in one's diet. Many animal products are main sources of key nutrients like vitamin-B12 and other essential vitamins. Any diet that avoids animal sources of such nutrients must find alternative sources to incorporate these into the diet. A common source for such nutrients is fortified cereal. However, the high sugar levels in cereals make fortified cereal an unattractive alternative. The sugar content in a typical American diet is extra-ordinarily high and is a leading cause of many diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, etc. These diseases in turn lead to other life threatening conditions, especially as we grow older.The average life-span in the United States and other developed nations has been steadily increasing. As we age, more and more of us are facing many diseases that come with age. Everyone knows that prevention is better than the cure. As a result, following a well-balanced diet cannot be stressed enough. A good diet is like stopping smoking. Just as it is never too late to stop smoking, it is never too late to start following a balanced diet. Obviously, the earlier one starts in one’s life in maintaining a healthy diet, the better the long lasting results. Children's vitamins have now become the norm rather than the exception. Pre-teens and teens find vitamins as an accepted form of daily nutrition. Who has not heard the phrase, "Have you taken your vitamins today?" Young adults, middle-aged people and even those in their sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties are now beginning to understand the importance of adding discount vitamins and dietary supplements to their diets.Vegetarians are especially at risk at being deficient in vitamins and important nutrients. The vegetarian is likely to avoid all animal products including eggs, milk, yogurt, fish, fish oils, meat, poultry, etc., which are the main sources of important nutrients. The only alternative source for such nutrients for the vegetarian is discount vitamins and dietary supplements. To help vegetarians develop a healthy diet and include key nutrients in their diets, some online discount vitamin dealers are providing in depth information and a wide range of vitamins and diet supplements. Even as diets come and go, the importance of incorporating discount vitamins and supplements to a vegetarian diet must be a constant. In a fad filled society, where a brand new diet is introduced almost every week to the public as the latest fix-it-all to health and weight issues, a good diet is one regimen that is here to stay.Most people do not have the time to keep up with the latest health news and developments. To assist, online discount vitamin dealers offer detailed articles and latest health news to keep the public abreast of key trends and happenings. Articles range from the latest bills in Congress that may affect the sales and distribution of vitamins to the latest research on organic vitamins and foods. For those interested in further information on the vitamins and supplements they are taking, additional articles are available as well. The recent developments of combining bottled water with infused vitamins are a hot topic. The FDA's classification of various forms of water based on its origin; such as spring water, purified water and mineral water are also addressed on these sites.In matters of diet, health and wellness, one must bear in mind that it takes time to see noticeable changes. It is no different when one is trying to see noticeable changes due to intake of vitamins and supplements. There are no overnight cures or instant healing. Diet is a lifestyle. It is a habit, something one does without thinking. Good diet is a habit. It is a matter of life-style and something that has become a part of one's daily life. Long lasting lifestyle changes take time to develop. Ours is an instant gratification society where getting people to stick to a diet with discipline is a challenge. Results of a diet take time to become clearly noticeable. The advantage of incorporating discount vitamins and supplements into one's diet is that it does not require any drastic changes. It is just a matter of taking the vitamins as a matter of daily routine.As the ranks of vegetarians grow, so does the need for information about a proper well-balanced diet. Many celebrities who practice a vegetarian diet like Olympian Edwin Moses, tennis great Martina Navratilova, actors Orlando Bloom, Brad Pitt, actress Naomi Watts, music stars Shania Twain, Prince, Paul McCartney, etc., all take vitamin supplements. To maintain one’s vegetarian life-style and yet at the same time follow a good diet, discount vitamins and supplements are an absolutely critical part of the diet. In most instances, a vegetarian is a vegetarian for one reason, which is to achieve the goal of a healthy and long life. With such a goal in mind, it would only make perfect sense to ensure that no essential nutrients are missing in one's diet.

For over ten years now, I have been a drug-free competitive bodybuilder, and I can tell you first hand what it takes to develop a muscular physique. In this article, I want to discuss with you my top 5 tips for increasing strength and building lean muscle.Tip #1 Stick with the basic exercises! You heard me correctly. Do exercises that place a higher demand on your body and involve more muscle groups then just one. Examples include squats, presses, dips, chins, rows, and deadlifts. If you don't know how to do them properly, hire a personal trainer or if you have pain seek an orthopedic, chiropractor, or physical therapist. These exercises will give you more "bang for your buck."Tip #2 Vary your repetitions and weight loads! The human body possesses different types of muscle fibers, and in order to recruit these different types, you need to work with higher repetitions and lower repetitions. Rest intervals between sets, tempo, within the set, and how hard you workout will all greatly affect your end results. What I mean by that is if you want just strength, generally workout with loads between 3-5 repetitions, and rest up to 3 minutes or more between sets. If it's strength and size train with loads between 8-15 repetitions and rest 90-120 seconds between sets, and pay close attention on how fast you move the weight (a bit slower here). And lastly if it's endurance, seek extremely high reps, 30, 50, or more. This may be good for say boxers and swimmers who need tons of endurance.Tip #3 Increase your Carbohydrates to at least 2x's your Body weight! If for example you weigh 200lbs now, aim for at least 400grams in carbohydrates per day. This may sound like a lot, and you may not be able to do it right away, but trust me this is one of the KEYS to increasing lean muscle mass. I'm not talking about carbs from ice cream and pizza, but "clean carbs" from oats, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and whole-wheat pastas. By doing this you store a lot of sugar in your muscles, known as glycogen and that gives you killer workouts. Also gives your body a constant flow of the hormone insulin, which is critical in obtaining more muscle.Tip #4 Eat about one to one and a half grams of quality Protein per lb. of bodyweight! Eating this amount of protein will ensure that you are getting in enough. Remember, your not a sedentary person and your body demands more of this macronutrient in your diet to help keep the building process growing. I find that a lot of individuals are lacking when it comes to protein. You can get some through quality foods like lean steak (filet, flank, london broil), chicken breast, turkey breast and fish. You can also supplement with a high quality whey and casein protein, which is ideal for before bedtime. Keep in mind protein has a high thermic effect on the body, meaning it helps raise the metabolism because it requires a high amount of calories just to break it down.Tip# 5 Get Enough Sleep! I understand this may be a hard one, but is very critical for you if you want to get more muscular. You see your body releases it's repair hormones at a higher level at night, usually between 10p.m. and 2a.m. It's the peak time when your body is regenerating and repairing. This is a big factor in you gaining the quality muscle your want to obtain. I suggest 7-8 hours each night. If you can't get that in, try taking a 30 minute nap at sometime during the day before sleep to allow the body to recover from the day's stress and workout.Copyright (c) 2007 Brian Gurneak

No comments: