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Vegetarians Should Take Fax Seed As A Fatty Acid Supplement

It is very important to get enough essential fatty acids at they definitely affect your physical and mental healthy. Many people find taking fish oil supplements is a good way to ensure they get all the fatty acids they need. However, most vegetarians don't want to use fish oil. A great alternative for them is flax seed. It is a great supplement for the Omega 3 fatty acids yet it is derived from a plant.

Flax seed oil contains ALA that is broken down into EPA and DHA. These are the three essential fatty acids also found in fish oil. Most diabetics and schizophrenics find that they are not able to convert ALA into EPA and DHA. If you suffer from such ailments then you will also need to take DHA and EPA supplements as well.

There are several ways to add flax seed to a vegetarian diet. Raw flax seed offers the best option because in addition to the fatty acids it offers Lignan, Mucilage, vitamins, and minerals. These types of essential fatty acids are broken down when you cook, causing it to contain less Lignan and Mucilage. You can consume raw flax seed by grinding it and sprinkling it on cereal or salads. Some people enjoy it in smoothies, or adding it to water and then drinking it. If you choose this method then drink it quickly or the Mucilage will solidify in the water. It is also a good idea to take flax seed oil supplements.

Vegetarians will find flex seeds offer many benefits to their health. They can reduce the chances of heart disease, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, assist with depression, and reduce the effects of Attention Deficit Disorder. Lignan is a known antioxidant and it also contains properties that can help prevent cancer. Mucilage offers a natural laxative as well as a way to remove toxins from the body.

Adding raw flax seed and flax seed supplements to your vegetarian diet, you will get all the essential fatty acids you need. Remember that this is not true of vegetarians who also have diabetes or schizophrenia. Flax seed is a great alternative to fish oil for those who want to stick to their vegetarian regiment.


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Easy Vegan Recipes For Vegetable Side Dishes on Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick Day is just around the corner so why not take a healthful approach to what you serve with these easy vegan recipes for vegetable side dishes. Celebrating with holiday parties is fun and since there will be plenty of green beer to sip on make sure to include some fresh healthful food for your event.

It's easy and cool to offer shot glasses filled with celery or asparagus soup. Asparagus soup is one of the many easy vegan recipes that you can do the night before and then after work, simply take the soup out of the fridge, fill your shot glasses and serve on Saint Patrick Day.

How about green olive tapenade on a toasted sourdough baguette? For holiday parties on Saint Patrick Day this dip can be made a few days in advance and again, just pull it out of the fridge prior to guest arrival and serve either already topped on the baguette or as one of your vegetable side dishes. (Recipe for olive tapenade can be found on page 83 in Budget Bash.)

Other vegetable side dishes your friends would enjoy on Saint Patrick Day are a cucumber salad with balsamic vinaigrette, Waldorf salad, fennel and mint salad or a cucumber and seaweed salad.

Of course, keeping it vegan and real let's not forget a bowl of edaname either cold or warm with or without salt. All of these easy vegan recipes mentioned for your holiday parties won't take much time and some can be made well in advanced, refrigerated overnight and then quickly transferred into fun and simple serving dishes as vegetable side dishes.

Roasted Asparagus Soup Recipe

2 1/2 lbs. thin asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2" pieces 
2 leaks, white & light green parts only, cleaned and finely chopped 
2 T. Olive Oil 
salt & pepper to taste 
2 1/2 C. vegetable broth 
Chives for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a heavy roasting pan, combine asparagus, leeks, olive oil, slat and pepper. Mix to combine.

Roast, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 35 minutes or until leeks are golden brown & asparagus are tender.

Transfer the vegetables to a blender and add the broth. Process until completely pureed, taste to adjust seasonings.

Pour soup into shot glasses & garnish with chives if desired.

Waldorf Salad Recipe

3-4 Granny Smith Apples 
2 Celery stalks, thinly sliced 
4 oz. walnut pieces or pecans chopped 
Mixed greens if desired 
French vinaigrette dressing

Cut a few slices of apple with the skin on for decoration and then peel and core the rest of the apple and cut into thin strips. Toss the apple slices in lemon juice to prevent apples from turning brown.

Add the chopped celery, apple slices, nuts and mixed greens and toss with French vinaigrette.

French Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

2 tbs. Dijon mustard 
2 tbs champagne vinegar 
6 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil 
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix ingredients in a cruet and serve with salad.

I hope you found these easy vegan recipes for vegetable side dishes fun to make for your holiday parties on Saint Patrick Day. Until next time, remember the Budget Bash mantra: make it simple, delicious, stylish, fun and economical to all!


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The Paleo Dieter Eats Breakfast

Breakfast is fairly easy to do Paleo - with plenty of eggs and meats to choose from, making a scramble is quick and easy. One of my favorites I call the Frasier breakfast - tossed salad and scrambled eggs (from the Frasier Show theme song).

Another way is to take leftover veggies and sauté them then add your beaten eggs. Either let them set-up (or stick under the broiler) for frittata or stir them up for a paleo version of Migas.

If you eat bacon or ham (with no nitrates, from organically feed animals), you can fry up the meat and cook eggs in the fat. Very tasty!

And, there's always the power smoothie:

Packed with good fats, proteins, antioxidants and flavor, very satisfying and will keep you going for hours. The possibilities are plentiful; don't limit yourself to the basic egg white protein powder and banana. You can throw into the blender:

Coconut milk, usually a whole can, some coconut cream if you want extra calories and flavor.

Add any whole fresh or frozen fruit. I like frozen berries either mixed or individuals: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries even cranberries (very tangy). The berries add lots of color to the smoothie and antioxidants.

Add one or two whole raw eggs. Don't worry about raw if you use free range, naturally fed organic eggs. Try some duck or ostrich eggs if you can get them from your local co-op or farmer's market. The eggs add protein and fat.

Or, add a spoonful of your favorite nut butter. It will add a subtle taste of the nut to the finished smoothie. If you want crunchy, add the whole nut instead.

Add a spoon of pure vanilla extract and, there you go!

This is a pretty simple recipe, but it's tasty, quick and powerfully good for you.

But let's be honest; sometimes you really miss pancakes. So here's a way to stay paleo and have your (pan) cakes too!

The Paleo Diet Quick Pancake Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 Large eggs 
½ Cup Cashew Nut Butter 
¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon 
½ Cup Apple Sauce (sugarless) 
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 
Coconut oil

Directions:

Combine ingredients 1 - 5 in a bowl and stir the mixture until smooth.

Add a little coconut oil to a frying pan - just enough to lightly cover the bottom. Turn the heat on medium. When the oil starts to pop (or a drop of water dances on the surface), pour the batter and spread it into a pancake shape.

Cook for a minute or two, until the edges start to brown and flip to fry the other side.

Serve with a Paleo-friendly topping of your choice (I prefer Blueberries warmed and mashed into a spread) and enjoy!

Add a Paleo breakfast beverage if you're really hungry.

Paleo Vaninut Milk Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 Cups of That Coconut Water 
1 Cup Raw Almonds 
A pinch of sea salt (if you still use salt) 
Seeds from 1Vanilla Bean 
¼ Cup of Agave Nectar or honey equivalent.

Directions:

Put the coconut water and almonds in a blender and run on high until the mixture looks smooth. Use a nut-milk bag or cheesecloth and strain the mixture, disposing of the pulp.

Return the strained milk mixture to the blender and add the sea salt, vanilla bean seeds, and agave nectar and blend at high speed until smooth.

Want more quick, easy and tasty paleo recipes? Visit The Paleo Dieter blog.

The Paleo Diet may be simple but that doesn't mean you have to eat boring food!

With 21st century technology we can turn bland into exciting, complicated into easy.

==>>CLICK HERE<<==

For Paleo Breakfast Recipes

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Superfoods - Quinoa and Amaranth

Quinoa and Amaranth are great additions to your whole foods diet. These grains are traditional foods of Mexico, Bolivia and Peru. Both were sacred grains to the Native people. Amaranth was the sacred food of the Aztecs, and quinoa was the sacred food of the Incas. When Latin America was conquered by the Spaniards, these grains were outlawed! Fortunately they have been rediscovered and are now grown in Latin America and the U.S.


Amaranth is a gluten free grain that is not a true cereal grain. It's actually a seed from a leafy annual plant related to spinach. The greens of the amaranth plant can be eaten, and the seeds are used like a grain. the grain like seed is great for folks who are allergic to grains. Amaranth is very nutritious and the United Nations Food and Agriculture organization has noted that wherever amaranth is eaten, there is no malnutrition. Amaranth can survive in poor soil and in drought conditions.


Amaranth has a high protein content, about 18 %, and contains the amino acid lysine, which is usually low in whole grains. It's also high in calcium; 1/2 cup serving of amaranth has as much calcium as an 8 ounce glass of milk! Amaranth is a good source of fiber, vitamin E, and minerals. It contains more calcium, magnesium and silicon than milk.


But, truth be told, this grain is an acquired taste. The texture is gooey, like porridge, and it can be a bit bitter. You can cook it with onions, which adds sweetness, or you can add a few tablespoons of amaranth to another grain and cook them together. The amaranth will blend in fairly well. I like the combinations of amaranth with millet, rice, quinoa or sweet corn. Combining amaranth with another grain creates a high protein profile, as high as meat.


According to author Marjorie Hurt Jones, in her book "The Allergy Self Help book," Amaranth flour is nice for baking. She recommends combining 25% amaranth flour with brown rice flour or oat flour for wheat free baking.


The other superfood grain, Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, is nutritionally similar to amaranth, but it has a light fluffy texture and, well, it tastes better! Quinoa is gluten free and easy to digest. It is popular with whole foods cooks.


Quinoa is not a true grain but is treated like a grain in our meals. It has the highest protein content of any grain-like food, and is a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus, B vitamins and Vitamin E. And it cooks quickly, in about 20 minutes. To cook quinoa, add 1 cup grain and 2 cups pure water to a pot, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and steam for 20 minutes. One cup dry grain will create 3 cups of cooked grain! You can also sometimes find quinoa pasta at the natural foods section of the grocery store.


Quinoa can be a substitute for rice, couscous, bulghur or other fluffy grains. It makes a nice grain salad. For a tabbouleh salad, cook the quinoa, then put in a salad bowl. Add in diced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, black olives, a handful of mint, sliced red bell pepper, and good quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice. I like to add garlic as well. Toss the grain and vegies and add sea salt if desired.


I love both these grains for their nutrition boost and taste. Add herbs, vegetables and a sauce and you have a nice vegetarian dish.






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MEAL PREP FOR FAT LOSS!

How to Become a Vegetarian - Simple Guide to a Healthy Vegetarian Lifestyle

Becoming a vegetarian is indeed a challenging choice and if you want to learn how to become a vegetarian, you may need to learn some tips and strategies to help you in making the big shift towards cutting down and totally avoiding animal meat. Whatever reason you have in going for the vegetarian lifestyle, here are a few things that you may find useful.

-Make sure that you are in good shape to be a vegetarian. Some health issues also need to be considered if you want to go for a vegetarian diet. This includes anemia. If you have anemia, it may not be advisable to go for a vegetarian diet. Indeed, you need to consult your doctor if you can go for a vegetarian diet.
- Learn everything you can about being a vegetarian. Being a vegetarian is not just about avoiding animal meat but it is also about respecting animals and standing for the environment as well. Some who want to become vegetarians also do so for the environment. Whatever it is your reason for going vegetarian, it is important that you know what you are doing. Of course, it does not make sense if you invest your time and effort in something that you just know a little about.

Learn how you can get the same nutrition even without animal meat and animal products in your diet. If you think there are limited choices, there are actually a lot of things you can do with plant food. You can even get a good resource or recipe book for vegetarian diet. One thing that you may find useful on how to become a vegetarian is to learn some substitutes that will give you the same nutrients that you need for your body.
Learn the benefits of tofu, which can be a good source of protein. Also explore alternatives for milk, cheese and meat. You can also explore protein powders, veggie burgers as well as nutritional yeasts and other alternatives especially for cheese or other sources of protein and nutrients.

It also helps to find someone or a group that also lives by the same principle of respecting animal lives and protecting the environment as well by being a vegetarian. It helps a lot to have a buddy and someone who also shares your principles as well to make your efforts easy and attainable. It can also help you to be motivated as well. You can actually find a lot of groups who are into a vegetarian diet and this can be helpful in your quest on how to become a vegetarian.

Take everything slow. This is important in your quest on how to become a vegetarian as this will put your health at risk if you do it abruptly. Of course, abrupt change to your food or diet is not good for your health.
Find some resources that will help you learn some recipes and menu on plant foods. This will help you plan your meals and will help you in never running out of vegetarian recipes or menus.
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What If The World Went Vegetarian?

Considering a Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet?

Tired of feeling unhealthy, heavy, and somewhat bulky? Do you feel like you should go for a healthier lifestyle than the one that you are leading today? Did you just consider a vegetarian weight loss diet? With all the diets out there that are up for grabs, creating hype on the market, the vegetarian way is often overlooked, and that is quite unfortunate since it is one of the healthiest, natural ways of wellness.
An Overview on Veganism

Basically, when one says "vegetarian", it means having a plant-based diet. However, there are 3 types of vegetarians, and these classifications are determined through what they eat. Lacto-ovo vegetarians include dairy products and eggs to their plant-based diet; lacto-vegetarians only include dairy products to their plant-based diet; and vegans only consume a plant-based diet.

The Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
This means not only the benefits of a vegetarian weight loss diet, but conceptually, a vegetarian way of living. Based on scientific studies, it has been discovered that individuals following a plant-based diet (aka veganism) have a significantly low tendency to become obese or overweight, even by having unlimited amounts of fruits and vegetables to keep them from getting hungry.
It is also discovered that a plant-based diet, is an effective way for women to lose weight, thus improving insulin sensitivity. This is true for both total plant-based (vegan) and partial plant-based diets (lacto-ovo and lacto-vegetarian). However, for omnivorous diets, the effectivity isn't nearly as high. This was shown in a new study of The American Journal of Medicine (September 2009 issue). So not only does women end up looking good on the outside with a vegetarian weight loss diet, but they also end up becoming healthy on the inside as well.
However, do note that not all vegetarians and vegans are spared from being overweight or obese. There are a number who are too - but they are significantly lower than those who include meat regularly in their diets. It is also worth noting that worldwide, vegetarians have lower rates of heart diseases, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Vegetarianism and Losing Weight
Everyone who has been overweight or obese that has used a vegetarian weight loss diet to become healthier and fit can tell you that it did let them lose a lot of weight while keeping them healthy and strong.
By eliminating meat from their diet they end up with less fat, less sodium, but more fiber because of their new plant-based diet. Hence, you can say that a plant-based diet, plus some exercise will shape a healthier, happier you.



























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The Best Protein Sources

Every single diet which is considered healthy and balanced has to contain proteins. Normally, we get all the necessary proteins from food, and we need them for the health and development of our muscles. We also need them for weight loss. In this article, we are going to discuss more about the best protein sources.

We have two different types of proteins: complete and incomplete. The first type, complete proteins, includes the essential amino acids. Complete proteins are usually found in foods like eggs, meat, poultry, fish, milk and dairy products. Of these all, eggs contain the largest amount of proteins. Besides the proteins of animal origin, complete proteins can be found in plans like, soybeans. The other type, incomplete proteins, includes a small selection of some essential amino acids. These proteins are generally found in plant foods, vegetables, seeds and nuts, grains, etc.

Below we will describe some of the best protein sources today.
One of the best protein sources is seafood. It doesn't contain too much fat. Also, fish like salmon, is in the group of fatty fish because of the high amount of fat it contains. However, it is known for its concentration of essential omega-3 fatty acids. As you may already know these acids are extremely beneficial for our heart.
Another great source of proteins is dairy products. Milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream are loaded with proteins and some important vitamins and minerals. Their function in the prevention of bone-related diseases, like osteoporosis, and the health of our teeth is undeniable. If you are planning to lose some weight, you can always choose low-fat or skim milk.
We have already mentioned that eggs are a great source of proteins, especially complete proteins. One egg a day is usually recommended for adults.
Meat is also full of proteins. We especially recommend consuming white poultry meat because of the lean proteins it contains.

If you are a vegetarian, you can easily obtain the necessary proteins from beans. At the same time, they are full of fibers. We would like to highlight the value of soybeans. They contain complete proteins and more than six essential amino acids. In this group, we would like to include legumes and nuts since they are very rich in proteins.
If you include all these foods into your diet, you have all the chances to enjoy a healthy and balanced diet. This is very important for proper growth and development and proper functioning of our body.

Source:  by John M Dotox