One Step At a Time...
You Can Go Meatless
For All Three Meals
Sample
a Semi-Vegetarian Lifestyle with a Flexitarian Diet
Q. What does it mean to be a flexitarian, and is it a good thing?
A.
Today’s
buzzword is flexibility, which also applies to eating styles. A
flexitarian is someone who is a flexible vegetarian or a
semi-vegetarian, one who limits animal protein intake without giving
it up completely. This lifestyle is becoming more popular as people
become more health-conscious, as well as eco-conscious, considering
that livestock production is responsible for an estimated 18 percent
of greenhouse gas emissions.
The
best of both worlds.
The debate about whether the vegetarian way is the healthiest way to
live rages on. In a study published in the April 2006 issue of
Nutrition Reviews,
vegetarians were found to have a lower body weight, and also reduced
risk of hypertension, cancer and diabetes. In contrast, some evidence
suggests that vegetarianism may be linked with increased risk of
osteoporosis. Vegetarians, especially vegans, were found to have
lower bone mineral density than non-vegetarians, according to a study
in the October 2009 American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
It can be challenging for vegetarians and vegans to get important
nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty
acids. The flexitarian diet is one way to marry the benefits of
eating less meat and more plant-based foods.
Sampling
flexitarianism.
If you’d like to give this lifestyle a try, take the advice of Dawn
Jackson Blatner, R.D., L.D.N., dietitian and author of The
Flexitarian Diet (McGraw-Hill, 2008.) Start by going for your own
flexible eating level. If you’re a beginner, you might want to go
meatless only two days per week; more advanced flexitarians might
enjoy up to four meatless days per week. The key to flexitarian
success is to consider meat as a condiment in your dishes, not as the
main event. And it’s not just about what you don’t eat, it’s
about what you do eat—a variety of healthy plant foods such as
whole grains, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Blatner’s book
also includes delicious vegetarian recipes to put flavor and appeal
into meatless meals. Remember, whatever diet you decide to
follow—whether it’s vegetarian, flexitarian or omnivorous—make
sure that it’s well-balanced and provides good sources from all of
the major food groups: protein (meat, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy
foods), dairy (or high-calcium foods), whole grains, fruits and
vegetables.
Healthy
Meatless Recipe:
Delicious
Black Bean Burritos
(Courtesy
of Jessie )
Ingredients:
- 4 (10 inch) flour tortilla
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 2 small onions chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (15 ounce ) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno peppers
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
- Wrap tortillas in foil and place in preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.
- Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapenos in skillet, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour beans into skillet, cook 3 minutes stirring.
- Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro into mixture.
- Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla and roll tortillas up. Serve immediately.
- Serve with your favorite tossed green salad.
Enjoy
and Bon Appetit!
Healthy
Weekly Motivator
Resolve
Emotional Issues
Many
if not all of us have unresolved emotional issues from sometime in
our lives. Working through these issues can help reduce the impact
they will have on your physical health. Seeing a therapist or
counselor is one way to bring emotional issues to resolution. Some
other ways include breath work (such as yoga breathing), meditation,
prayer, journaling and visualization.
To
help prevent unresolved emotional issues from having an impact on
your physical health, take the time to address them. Making your
emotional health as much a priority as your physical health will
serve you well in the long run. Your relationships will benefit and
you’ll be healthier and happier.
Remember
Green Goes With Everything
Clean
Conscience
Are
you poisoning your home?
Fact:of
all injuries to young children caused by cleaning products, exposure
to chlorine bleach is the most common.
Fact:The
most common types of injury from bleach and other cleaning products
are poisoning ( 68.4% ), chemical burn (15 % ), and skin/eye
irritation ( 10.4% ).
Fact:
According to the American
Association of Poison Control centers, bleach is responsible for more
than 38,000 reported poisonings per year.
Fact:
As many people die from
chlorine bleach poisoning as from rattlesnake and spider bites
combined.
For
a safe alternative for you and your family click here.
Have a great week 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!
Wishing you health and wellness from the inside out,
Lisa
LQ WELLNESS
Professional Wellness Coach
973-383-0955
lisaquinnwc@embarqmail.com
Make sure to follow me on Twitter @lq_wellness
Like me on Facebook
Follow me on Pinterest
“Wisdom
is nothing more than healed pain.”
~
Robert Gary Lee ~
No comments:
Post a Comment