One Step At a Time...
You Can Go Meatless
One Day For All Three Meals
Okay, so you’re environmentally inclined, but not exactly ready to embrace a vegan lifestyle. Still, you know juicy hamburgers, a succulent T-bone and meatballs with your spaghetti are not the most healthful choices for dinner. But forgoing meat doesn’t have to be an all or nothing proposition. Try this to improve your health, as well as the health of the environment: Eat less meat, especially red meat, by making your Mondays meatless.
Skip Meat for a Day…or More: The germ of this concept was born in response to a report called "Healthy People 2010," issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. One of the report’s health goals is to reduce saturated fat intake by 15%. Nutritionists at Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future wanted to be even more specific than that. They discovered everyone is willing to forgo meat one day a week. And thus was born a concept: Meatless Monday.
"We found that a campaign to get consumers to skip meat and other saturated-fat-containing foods one day a week would naturally get them to the recommended intake," said Robert Lawrence, M.D., professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Why Go Meatless? In the1960s, Americans ate less than 160 pounds of meat per person per year. By 2002, meat consumption had burgeoned 37% to 220 pounds per year—that’s more than half a pound of meat per person per day, every day! Why aim to eat less meat? Research shows that vegetarians have lower rates of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers (breast, colorectal and prostate). Plus eating less meat can help control body weight, because the additional bulk produce and whole grains add to your diet helps keep you fuller on fewer calories. Indeed, vegetarians weigh less, on average, than meat-eaters.
Besides reducing the saturated fat content of your diet, there are other benefits to a meatless day or two each week. Vegetarian diets are lower in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, plus they include more of the beneficial nutrients found in plant foods, like vitamins A and C, potassium, fiber and phytonutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene.
Meat contributes a large percentage of the day’s total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, making it hard to adhere to healthy heart dietary recommendations. The traditional Mediterranean diet contains little meat and has been linked to less risk of cardiovascular disease.
Research has found that some cooking methods (grilling, broiling) may turn compounds in meats into cancer-promoting chemicals. Moreover, the saturated fat in meats may reduce insulin sensitivity, though more research is needed to understand how meat is linked to diabetes.
Earth Benefits, Too. There are major environmental advantages to eating less meat. The amount of grains and sheer energy demands required to produce a pound of meat far exceeds what it takes to grow edible plants. According to Lawrence, it takes seven tons of grain to produce one ton of beef, four tons to produce a ton of pork and two tons to produce a ton of chicken. Moreover, livestock produces waste, which pollutes both air and water.
LQ Wellness Urges Experimentation. While many people have some meatless evening meals, it helps to make the practice part of a dietary routine and thus more ingrained. Be sure to follow through with the plan for the entire day, by making your breakfast and lunch meatless as well. Meatless Monday is a simple step you can take to improve your health and the health of our planet. Don’t be afraid to experiment; start perusing vegetarian cookbooks to find recipes that will entice the whole family. Once you’ve mastered the art of no meat on Mondays, add another day of the week.
Healthy Meatless Recipe:
Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
(Courtesy of Robyn Fuoco)
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped red bell peppers (about 2 medium)
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
- 1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Sour cream
- Grated Monterey Jack cheese
- Chopped green onions
Preparation:
- Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes.
- Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Mix in beans, 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid, and tomato sauce.
- Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Ladle chili into bowls. Pass chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, and green onions separately.
Enjoy and Bon Appetit!
Healthy Weekly Motivator:
Secure Some Sleep
Regular physical activity at the right times may help your sleep better. People who exercise 4 days a week report improved sleep quality, longer sleep, and less time falling asleep. That being said, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that you finish your workout at least 3 hours before you plan on going to bed.
Sleep soundly this week by adding exercise to your morning, afternoon or early evening. Track your progress by keeping a sleep journal and noting how you feel when you wake up in the morning.
Have a great week everyone and remember a better tomorrow starts with what you eat today!
Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!
Do you have a favorite meatless recipe you would like to share with us? Send it my way!
Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,
Lisa
LQ WELLNESS
Professional Wellness Coach
973-383-0955
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“A Strong Positive Attitude Will Create More Miracles Than Any Wonder Drug.”
~ Patricia Neal ~
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