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| Tia Mowry promotes veganism--"Don't knock it before you try it" Source: www.peta.org |
“I’m
like hold up, who you smacking on?/ I’m only trying to eat what you snacking
on.” If you are truly a Jay-Z fan, you
would know this famous line from his song, “Dead Prez’ Hell Yeah” remix.
And, I think it fits perfectly with his
new 21-days vegan challenge.
In case you haven’t heard, Queen
Bey and Jigga are going vegan for 21 days.
What’s the noise about being “veggie vegans?” First, being vegan requires a full
commitment to a 100% plant-based diet. It means everything you eat, must be grown from the ground up—from
seeds, beans, soy, oats, to fruits and vegetables. You get the picture.
Extreme veganism requires that an
individual must not wear products or clothes derived from any animal source. Therefore, your favorite
leather shoes, fur coat, or non-organic make-up must go!
However, if you
decided to take on the 21-days vegan challenge like the Carters, I want to
offer a few nutrition tips and resources as you plan nutritious meatless
meals throughout the day!
Make
Sure You’re Eating Well Balance Meatless Meals!
Let’s be clear,
going vegetarian or vegan does not always make you healthier than your meat-eating
friends. You have to make sure that your
body is getting the recommended servings of protein, fat carbohydrates, water vitamins and minerals for daily
maintenance. I bolded the word
“protein” because eating enough high-protein foods seem to be the biggest issue
with veganism, since no animal-source foods are consumed. I recommend that you try eating:
- Beans/lentils
and rice
- Bean
burritos
- Bean
chili or soup
- Vegetable
hummus wraps
- Peanut
butter, soy milk, banana smoothies
Check out ChooseMyPlate.gov
for vegetarian/vegan recipes that are high in proteins and those essential nutrients.
Don’t
Forget About Bone Health!
Don’t believe the news hype that soy causes
breast cancer! There has not been any link to soy and cancer. In fact, fortified-calcium soy products are convenient
ways that vegans and vegetarians can get their recommended servings of proteins
and calcium. Actually, research has shown that consuming soy products can lower
your risk of cancer, and also add variety to your meals. So drink your soy milk my fellow veggie vegans!
However, soy is not
the only food that provides calcium for your bones. Kale, broccoli, bok-choy, to name a few, are
vegetables that can give your body calcium.
However, some vegetables such as spinach and rhubarb are good sources of
calcium, but they are high in oxalates, which decrease calcium absorption, so
include a wide variety of other green vegetable more often.
Remember, calcium, Vitamin
D and protein works together to build strong bones. To ensure that you get the recommended 1,000
mg of calcium daily intake, I suggest that you spread your green veggies intake
throughout the day and choose calcium-fortified foods such as non-dairy milk,
ready-to-eat cereals, orange juice and tofu.
In addition to following a
nutrient-rich diet, weight-bearing exercise such as yoga, running, walking and
strength training is an essential component for increasing bone strength.
Good luck with your
meatless challenge everyone! You will definitely
be snacking on a whole lot of fruits and vegetables…and that’s a good thing!
Great article... Food Jonezi is back!!!
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