This report examines the various factors in a vegetarian diet that account for most of the energy required by the human body. The purpose of this report is to find out if a vegetarian diet can maintain normal physiological energy levels. In this day and age, many misconceptions arise regarding vegetarians. Some believe that vegetarians are lethargic and physically weak because they do not get enough nutrients from their diet. Having been a vegetarian my entire life, I can say that I haven’t had issues with low energy or any nutrient deficiencies. Some people might say that vegetarians eat vegetables and nothing else. In actuality, vegetarians cannot be placed into a single group. There are five main types of vegetarians: lacto vegetarians, lacto ovo vegetarians, pescatarians, pollotarians, and vegans. Lacto vegetarians eat vegetables and dairy products, whereas lacto ovo vegetarians, such as myself, eat vegetables, dairy products, and eggs. Pescatarians consume vegetables and fish products, avoiding all other meats. Pollotarians eat vegetables and chicken as their source of animal product. Vegans only eat vegetables and avoid all dairy and animal products. Maintaining physiological energy in all diet groups depends on various factors such as:
• A good metabolism
• Complex carbohydrate consumption
• Adequate protein consumption
• Consuming vegetable oil and fats
• Getting enough vitamins and minerals
• Getting quality sleep and exercising daily
It can be seen that energy
When I was growing up I was taught how to hunt, fish and trap animals for food as well as being fed an omnivorous diet, but today I have found that I no longer need animals in my diet. The Vegetarian Times recently found that out of the 311 million people in the US, 7.3 million eat a vegetarian based diet and 22.8 million eat a vegetarian inclined diet. Over the past century people have begun looking into the health implications of plant based diets as a way of improving their health and increase their longevity. This research paper is intended
Today, many Americans are not doing a great job taking care of themselves and their well-being. As a result, the rates of obesity of many Americans continues to increase. Many are suffering from diseases that not only is affecting their health but also their lifestyle. Many believe that by consuming a healthier vegetarian diet not only will it help individuals maintain a healthier body but by reducing the amount of foods that contain fertilizers can protect the planet from further damage to the environment.
When analyzing the comparison of the percentages intake of carbohydrates, the dietary recommended intake (DRI) in iprofile was 45-65%. The outcome of the three-day process displays that I am within an acceptable range of 57%. However, the foods that were part of the three-day diet consisted of various carbohydrates such as complex, simple, and fiber. Despite, that many people try to avoid or cut starches, they are vital to an individual health for several reasons. However, the body used carbohydrate as the primary source for providing energy, to protect against diseases, controlling weight, which all factors are important in a healthy diet (Mayo Clinic, 2016). An importance of carbohydrates in the diet, it can easily store in both the muscles and liver for future use and plays a role in the organs such as the kidneys, brain, and the heart for operating properly (Medline Plus, 2016).
The field of nutrition science has yet to understand many factors that allow it to optimize nutrition for every-body. The very nature of the human body is subjective; it cannot be narrowed down to one factor, as science demands and varies from person to person. Pollan (2008) further delineates this point in his critique of reductionist science saying: “there is nothing very machinelike about the human eater, and to think of food as simply fuel is to misconstrue it” (p.
Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. The relevance this phrase has is stronger than ever because nutrition is an underlying theme for just about every health concern one may experience today. An account of two nutritional doctors, many farm animals, and a multitude of human illnesses, Lee Fulkerson’s “Forks Over Knives” makes a convincing case for eliminating dairy and meat from the dinner table. With care and devotion, while it may be possible to obtain adequate nutrition on a vegetarian diet and decrease chronic illnesses, when it comes to a healthy diet, balance is the key to getting it right.
Hung, Pei, Kuo et al. measured the effect of a vegetarian diet on metabolic syndrome; often used for identifying people at risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The study used 71 vegetarian and 388 omnivores. Measurements were taken such as waist and hip circumference, weight, height and BMI. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured using sphygmomanometers on the
I chose to track degree of fatigue because of the recurring emphasis on the importance of diet in correlation to the overwhelming lack of energy associated with the standard American diet. I hypothesise, that the ongoing sense of fatigue among American society can be combatted most efficiently through a whole food carbohydrate based diet.
Some may believe, that vegetarians are more likely to be anemic due to the lack of meat in their diet. But in fact, all eleven necessary vitamins and minerals are easily obtained by consuming either
The subject data displayed in table 1 shows the energy intake (EI) and Energy Expenditure (EE) over 2 consecutive weekdays. The mean EI for day 3285kJ/day : mean EE 4200 kj/day. As the mean increases the standard deviation decreases. Figure 1 the pie chart distributes the energy protein, fats and carbohydrates intake mean average over two days. The intake classifies healthy diet intake of macronutrients. This is concluded that the 16% protein, 56% of carbohydrates and 26% of fats.
The objective of this study is to examine the differences between the vegan and omnivore diet and to study the relationship of these diets to body composition, blood lipids, and the serum hormones vitamin D and parathyroid hormone. As seen previously, those eating an omnivore diet consumed significantly more dietary protein than those consuming a vegan diet (2; 3). The values we observed for dietary protein in both the vegan and the omnivore groups were similar to those seen by Hadded et al. (3) and Janelle and Barr (2). The women in our study eating an omnivore diet exceeded the RDA for protein. In contrast to other studies of vegetarians and vegans, our
Food is a necessity for survival in our everyday lives. But have you really thought about the energy that is put in to make the delicious meals? What we eat matters. A vegetarian meal has a lower embedded energy compared to a meal with meat yet we often chose the meal with meat. One of the perks of having more vegetarian meals is the health benefits that come with it. The energy input for meat foods are higher than plant based foods because these foods requires machinery that uses a lot of electricity.
. . Mullie, P. (2014). Comparison of nutritional quality of the vegan, vegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and omnivorous diet. Nutrients, 6(3), 1318-1332. doi: 10.3390/nu6031318
Research shows that there are approximately one million Americans who are 100% vegan (Harris Interactive Service Bureau, 2013). It is unfortunate that the majority of the population is missing out on the opportunity to easily better their health and wellness, especially when the rate of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes has drastically increased over the last fifty years. It is completely within one’s power to prevent those specific illnesses and diseases, as well as many others. Learning about one’s body and what nutrition it actually needs to function is the most important knowledge to obtain when one is trying to better his or her health. Too often, the foods ingested as a population are lacking in essential ingredients which would nourish everyone’s bodies in the most efficient way. In the long run, humans will deteriorate at a much faster pace if they lacked the proper diet throughout life. In order for a person to maintain his or her best overall health, he or she needs to choose a plant-based diet which focuses on a surplus of fruits and vegetables while excluding animal proteins and processed foods.
Having a healthy dietary method can reduce the chances of receiving many health diseases. These health diseases include obesity, heart disease, and cancer. By consuming certain foods and nutrients in one’s diet the risk factors for these health diseases can be reduced. A healthy dietary method that is beneficial to reducing and/or improving these health diseases is the vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet follows a dietary pattern that is characterized by the consumption of plant-like foods and the avoidance of flesh foods (meat, poultry, and fish). The foods in this diet provide the body with many essential nutrients. This is why many health benefits have been associated with the vegetarian
According to a recent poll 6 to 8 million American’s do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. From these studies, they have been researching about the effects of a vegetarian diet on the body. Compared to most meat based diets, vegetarians consume less saturated fat and cholesterol from not eating meat. Choosing this route will have a person what would be considered a better quality of life and overall good health. Research so far has shown that a vegetarian diet reduces the risk of heart disease. In recent years a study was done using different participants and the results showed that vegetarians were 25% less likely to die from heart related problem. “This is because vegetarians tend to consume more high-fiber, whole grains, and legumes which have a low glycemic index and the body digests slowly. This keeps blood sugar levels steady. Another food item that helps reduce the risk of heart disease is walnuts” (Sixwise). This is because the omega-3s in walnuts help reduce total cholesterol. There is some controversy over this specific topic, thus, are they really that healthy? What does it mean to be a vegetarian, and what do professionals have to say about being a vegetarian?