Vegetarian Information

For women, calcium is one of the most important nutrients required during all
stages of life. It is essential to the health of our bones, teeth, skin, heart, muscle,
nerves and for proper blood clotting. Between age 12 through 35, the body
accumulates most of the calcium it will use to prevent bone loss common in post-
menopausal women. During this time intake should be between 1000 and 1500
mg/day (adolescent and pregnant woman requiring the most).

Meeting these requirements through our diet can be difficult. Vegetarians tend to
assimilate calcium more efficiently therefore their daily requirement may be lower.
Factors such as a diet high in phosphorus and refined sugar (pop, junk, and
convenience foods) and high protein intake lead to calcium depletion. Caffeine
tends to interfere with absorption as does hormonal changes such as a drop in
estrogen during menopause.

During pregnancy, a woman’s body ensures that the baby receives an adequate
amount of calcium. Throughout weeks 20-40, the fetus will accumulate up to 28g
of calcium daily. Luckily the body develops the ability to retain greater amounts of
calcium from our diet as well as absorb more through the intestinal lining.

Well known for preventing bone loss, this mineral also has a relaxing effect on
muscle. Leg cramps, menstrual pain, and back problems all benefit from calcium.
Some studies show that it lowers blood pressure and helps to strengthen the heart
beat. It also strengthens the transmission of nerve impulses and can there fore be
used in the treatment of stress-related illnesses and nervous disorders. It has a very
calming effect and works well when taken at bedtime for insomnia.

Good vegetarian sources of dietary calcium include broccoli, kale, almonds,
blackstrap molasses, sesame seeds, kelp and tofu. Non-vegetarian sources include
dairy products, salmon (with bones) and sardines. Because dairy may contain
residual amounts of hormones and antibiotics, and fish has a possible risk of heavy
metal and toxic chemical (PCB’s, DDT) contamination, vegetarian sources are
recommended, (especially during pregnancy).

Calcium supplements can help protect against deficiency. Look for calcium citrate
on the label and avoid bone meal, dolomite, and oyster shell as these may contain
high lead levels. Liquid supplements are absorbed well and are recommended if you
take calcium to prevent cramping and insomnia. Make sure it contains equal or half
the amount of magnesium. The addition of vitamin D is good, but don’t exceed
400mg of it per day. For best absorption, divide doses of calcium throughout the
day and take no more than 500mg at a time for best absorption.

It is important to look toward good nutrition to provide the bulk of your daily
requirements, then supplement the remainder. 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup tofu, 1/4
cup almonds, 1 tbls basil, plus a 600mg supplement furnishes enough calcium for
one day - and your body benefits from the countless additional nutrients your meal
provides!

Stacelynn Caughlan is a Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Herbalist who specializes
in pregnancy, birth and childhood. She is currently the editor of http://www.motherandchildhealth.com an online resource for women looking for
information on natural health and healing for themselves and their families.

Tags: calcium, diet, healing, health, herbs, natural, nutrient, nutrition, pregnancy, supplements, vegetarian, womencalcium, diet, healing, health, herbs, natural, nutrient, nutrition, pregnancy, supplements, vegetarian, women

Share This

Posted by admin under Vegetarian Tips | No Comments »

Can a child thrive on a vegan diet? The answer is yes! Far more studies show that a
typical ‘Western Diet’ has deleterious effects on health compared to the risks of a
vegan diet. In fact, vegetarian diets are associated with disease resistance and even
higher I.Q.’s in children. (1-5)

With proper planning and a bit of self-education, parents should feel confident in
giving their child a diet free of animal products.

Healthy food choices include the following:

Protein dense foods: beans, soy, whole grains, nuts, etc.

Calcium sources: beans, leafy greens, figs, blackstrap molasses, fortified beverages,
etc.

Iron sources: grains, dried fruit, coconut milk, blackstrap molasses, soybeans,
beans, etc.

Zinc sources: nuts, seeds, grains, chickpeas, soybeans, etc.

Avoid wheat and nuts until after one year of age, to avoid possible food sensitivities.

Supplementation may be necessary for children who are picky eaters, but most
nutritional needs can be met through diet. Vitamins D and B12 may be the
exception, and parents should ensure an optimal supply through fortified foods or
supplements.

Finding community support can be very important in helping your child maintain
healthy eating habits, as vegan diets are often misunderstood and even feared by
well-meaning family members, neighbours, and teachers. Many excellent resources
exist that can help educate those in your child’s life who have concerns, and
possibly alleviate any misconceptions they may have.

Raising a child on a vegan diet can be challenging in today’s world of hot-dogs and
ice cream, but parents should be assured that research is on their side.

The following sources are particularly supportive of vegan diets for children:

The Vegetarian Society UK http://www.vegsoc.org

The Vegetarian Resource Group http://www.vrg.org

European Vegetarian Union http://www.ivu.org

Physician’s Committee For Responsible Medicine http://www.pcrm.org

Becoming Vegan Brenda Davis, R.D., and Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.

1. O’Connell JM, Dibley MJ, Sierra J et al: Growth of vegetarian children: The Farm
Study. Pediatrics 1989;84:475-481.

2. Fisher M, Levine PH, Weiner B, et al. The effects of vegetarian diets on plasma
lipid and platelet levels. Arch Inter Med 1986;146:1193-1197.

3. Chang-Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R, Eilber U. Mortality pattern of German
vegetarians after 11 years of follow-up. Epidemiology 1992;3:395-401.

4. Thorogood M, Mann J, Appleby P, McPherson K. Risk of death from cancer and
ischaemic heart disease in meat and non-meat eaters. Brit Med J 1994;308:1667
-1670.

5. Dwyer JT, Miller LG, Arduino NL, et al. Mental age and I.Q. of predominately
vegetarian children. J Am Dietetic Assoc 1980;76:142-147.

Stacelynn Caughlan is a Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Herbalist who specializes
in pregnancy, birth and childhood. She is currently the editor of http://www.motherandchildhealth.com an online resource for women looking for
information on natural health and healing for themselves and their families.

Tags: child, children, dairy, diet, healthy, kids, meat, natural, nutrition, parenting, vegan, vegetarianchild, children, dairy, diet, healthy, kids, meat, natural, nutrition, parenting, vegan, vegetarian

Share This

Posted by admin under Vegetarian Tips | No Comments »

Today’s lifestyle leaves us open to a daily chemical assault, from the air we breathe to the water we drink, and the skincare and haircare products we use daily.It is not known what the long-term effects of these chemicals will be, but one thing’s for sure, it can’t be good.

Some people are unaware of the huge amounts of additives in their food, water and personal care products. Some are too busy to care, and others have the attitude ‘ Yes I know, it’s awful,
but what can you do?’

The informed, wise people out there though, are taking a different view. Any species that fails to live in harmony with it’s natural environment will eventually make itself extinct. Fact. It’s nature. If human beings carry on the way they are going, they will indeed end up extinct..

For instance, 100 years ago, cancer affected approximately 1 in every 50 people. Now it strikes 1 in 3. It won’t be long before it is striking half the population. It doesn’t take a genius to realise that our lifestyle is the biggest factor influencing this increase.

Diet especially, is of paramount importance when it comes to maintaining good health, but so many people ignore this fact and fill their bodies ( and their kids) with low-nutrient , chemical and additive filled junk.

When people eat meat, they are consuming the same chemicals and hormones that the animal ate. Obesity is on the sharp increase,
and it’s not surprising considering that the majority of obese people are meat-eaters. They eat the meat, the meat is full of growth hormones and chemicals, the growth hormones are absorbed into the human body, so the person gets fatter. Want my advise -if your are overweight and seriously want to lose weight - go on a low fat vegetarian diet.

If your body had a choice, it would ask for lots of fresh organic fruit and vegetables, preferably raw. Your body would choose clean , fresh water ( I mean pure bottled spring water, not the stuff that comes out of your tap at home). Think about how much fresh water you consume in a day, and by that I mean water not mixed with squash, tea , coffee or anything else. I bet it’s not much. Do your body a favour, next time you reach for the fizzy drink, reach for the mineral water instead.

Tap water is just another way that we are being poisoned on a daily basis. It contains chemicals, hormones and in a lot of areas it also contains fluoride. Yes, sodium fluoride , that old favourite. The stuff they put in toothpaste is the same stuff they use to make rat-poison ! Surprised. Sodium fluoride is not the same as naturally-occuring calcium flouride. People tend to think calcium flouride is what goes into toothpaste and the water supply, wrong.

Sodium fluoride is a by-product of aluminium smelting and other industries. It’s nothing more than toxic waste. For years it was very expensive to dispose of, until someone decided to make up some rubbish about it being good for our teeth, so they could get away with disposing of it in our water supply.

This of course was done without public agreement.Nice, thanks for that, I’ll stick to the bottled stuff.

Sodium fluoride builds up in the body over time, and causes cancer, it makes bones softer so they fracture more easily, and it doesn’t protect your teeth, in fact it has the opposite effect. Sodium flouride is a main ingredient in anesthetic,
hypnotic, and psychiatric drugs as well as military nerve gas.

Sodium fluoride promotes mental disturbances. The Nazi’s added it to the water supply at the concentration camps during the war, to help sterilize the prisoners and force them to be calm
and submissive.

Sodium Fluoride has a poisonous and narcotic effect on a certain area of the brain, which makes the person submissive and less able to resist those who wish to control him. It’s a way of controlling of the masses. Hmmmm, makes you wonder what the government have in mind for us today……

When we look at the skincare and haircare products we use daily, most contain sodium lauryl ( or laureth ) sulfate.This is a foaming agent which is so harsh that it was first used as engine degreaser! Fancy that, washing your skin and hair in something harsh enough to strip oil off a garage floor. No wonder we’re all spending a fortune on moisturisers! Hmmm, am I just paranoid or do you think there could be some method in their madness……

So they put this SLS in your shampoo,shower gel, bath foam, toothpaste etc, and then add moisturising ingredients to the same products to counteract the drying effects of the SLS. Why not just buy products without SLS? That’s what the smart people are doing. That’s what I do.

Since I stopped using commercial shampoos and skincare products, and switched to all natural skin care products,and natural hair care products, my skin and hair are gorgeous.My hair that was once frizzy and dry is now curly and shiny.

Since I began using organic, aromatherapy based skin care, my skin that was once so shiny from all the grease and additives from my previous moisturiser, is now so soft , much younger looking, and I don’t need powder or foundation because my skin is great!

I use non-flouride toothpaste, and I take vitamin and mineral supplements every day. I eat organic fruit and vegetables only, I drink only bottled water, I am vegetarian so I eat a very natural , low fat diet, that’s full of nutrients. I have never felt so healthy.

If you value your body, your health and your life,as well as your children and other loved ones, you owe it to yourself to change your lifestyle right now.

Debi Harris is owner of http://www.staynatural.co.uk
A website aimed at promoting a natural, cruelty-free,
environmentally-friendly way of living.

Check out http://www.staynatural.co.uk for articles,products and resources for natural health,natural lifestyle,
all natural skin care, natural pet products, and information
for vegetarians and vegans.

Tags: natural, natural health, natural lifestyle, natural pet care, natural skin care, vegan, vegetariannatural, natural health, natural lifestyle, natural pet care, natural skin care, vegan, vegetarian

Share This

Posted by admin under Vegetarian Tips | No Comments »