Fitness School

Whether to become a vegetarian or not is a question many people face on a regular basis and the answer to this is not always clear to them. Although in the scheme of things you may wonder just what effect one person can make. With sufficient people changing their eating habits, it will make a huge difference for huge numbers of animals that would have otherwise died. A classic example of this is illustrated by the amount of heart disease in the USA that meat-eaters suffer from.

Many of today’s heart conditions would not be so commonplace if people did not eat so much food with high levels of cholesterol, such as dairy products and eggs. According to Earth Save, the average vegetarian has about a quarter of a chance of having a heart attack as the average person. Those individuals that have gone one step further an become vegans have around a ten percent chance of a heart attack as opposed to people on regular diets. But these are not the only health benefits of choosing to be a vegetarian.

Normal, everyday food contains a whole host of preservatives (especially common in meat) that has shown links with many types of cancer. Vegetarians will also benefit from knowing they will not be consuming many of the hormones cattle ingest as part of their feed; which can cause hormonal problems in people. Another substance, lactose, is also missing from their diet which has causal links with digestive conditions. Ok so there are obvious health benefits to becoming a vegetarian but it will also mean that many animals will not be harmed either.

The appalling death toll statistic suggested by Vegan Out-Reach is that over 2,700 animals will be eaten by an average American during their life. If you quit eating meat now, you could literally prevent the suffering and death of hundreds of animals over the course of a couple decades. Continuing along this line and by giving up eggs and milk, many hens and cows will be saved from the degradation of just being alive to feed us. It is difficult to ignore the impact that eating meat has on the planet and makes the case for becoming a vegetarian stronger. This commitment matters to each individual for their health, the health of the planet and those of the animals which will not need to be slaughtered to provide food.

The benefits of antioxidants are many, including the prevention of cancers, Found in various forms in fruits and vegetables, they contain nutrients that work with our own nutrients to combat many common but serious illnesses in addition to disease. Research into these fantastic compounds continues with over nine hundred compounds discovered already,huge advances in preventative health care and nutrition are advancing at an almost daily rate. Recent studies have indicated the phytonutrients found in fruit provide a whole host of natural health benefits,the anti-aging power of blueberries, the joint pain relieving properties of cherries and a whole host of powerful properties in pomegranates are just a few examples.

But is doesn’t stop there as blueberries also contain a lower sugar content than most other fruits as well as many antioxidants. Currently the most efficient and pleasurable way to get the benefits of these fruits is by drinking their juice,some of the many benefits have been improvements in the body’s capacity to heal itself and benefits to circulation. The antioxidants are also efficient at fighting disease and dealing with infection. Even the humble apple is not immune with properties to help ward of heart problems.

The likes of many citrus fruits also have health benefits associated with the phytochemicals they contain. The health benefits of tart cherries are now being researched as a way to help those who suffer with joint conditions because they contain anti-inflammatory properties. We have all been informed of the essential health benefits of certain vitamins and minerals but these are being looked at in depth as well. Other types of antioxidants are found in mulberries, blackberries and blueberries, called resveratrol, Phytoalexins have anti-viral and anti-fungal properties.

Many aging conditions, including Alzheimer’s, can be treated with some of these. Nutrients contained in tomatoes have also been recognized to reduce the incidents of heart disease and help ward of certain cancers. There are a number of ways you can use tomatoes to gain the greatest antioxidant benefit from them and these include pureed, juice concentrate and sauce. More recently the refreshing watermelon has been discovered to contain some of the most beneficial phytonutrients yet seen. With all the natural goodness fruit contains and now the health benefits as well, isn’t it time for you to start having more fruit in your diet.