5 tips for vegetarian health

Although many people are vegetarians for health reasons, on compassionate grounds and as a way of life, it does not suit everybody. The reason is that a sense of deprivation defeats the object of any diet.

The crux of the matter is that a person should try what is good for him and if it is a vegetarian life style, so be it. To the vegetarian, the restrictions he places on himself express commitment to a healthy, natural and simplified way of life. 

Vegetarian diets in general have certain advantages. They are usually lower in kilojoules and in saturated fats and refined sugars in particular. But, if eggs, cheese and butter are too freely used, much of these advantages may be lost. Due to the large amounts of vegetables, fruits and whole grains in vegetarian diets, they are automatically high in fibre content. 

Lacto-ovo and lacto vegetarian diets can all provide adequate nutrition, if the contribution of the various food groups is well understood and if the person eats according to that understanding. A must here is to have consideration of the total amount of protein needed by the body. The RDA is not difficult to obtain if milk products, or eggs or both are included in the vegetarian diet. The protein in milk and eggs is more efficiently used than that of protein in meats and fish, so a little goes a long way.

In a pure vegetarian diet, the RDA intake of protein may be a problem. But, the total protein needs can be met efficiently only if legumes (peas, beans, peanuts) are a daily staple. Soy beans contain the highest percentage of protein amongst all vegetable foods. 

It is therefore quite clear that the diet itself does not pose any health risk to the vegetarian. The main thing here is that with any diet, the person should always consult professional opinion and obtain assistance with a basic diet and menu plan that is to be followed. 

The following 5 tips for vegetarian health can be part of this plan:

• Avoid the so-called dead food – this is foods that are refined, such as white flour, cereals made with white flour and polished rice. Rather go for whole-wheat and whole-rye bread, or bread made from mixed whole-wheat and brown bread flours. Unpolished or brown rice is the healthiest.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Excessive weight is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and a host of other ailments. A too low body weight can also be dangerous.
• Exercise regularly. Inactivity puts you at risk for ailments ranging from heart disease to osteoporosis. Any activity from walking to gardening will help.
• If you smoke tobacco, stop. If you don’t, do not start.
• Regular check-ups are a must. Visit you physician regular to have a general check-up but specifically for any vitamin deficiencies you may have.

Love,

Engela

Cheese and Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

·         200 g noodles

·         4 cups water

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 onion, peeled and sliced

·         8 bacon rashers cut into pieces

·         1 tsp. sunflower oil

·         250 g smooth cottage cheese

·         1 tomato cut into thin slices

·         4 tsp. dry breadcrumbs

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180⁰C.

2. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water until they are tender. Drain.

3. Saute the onion and bacon in the sunflower oil until they turn golden and crisp.

4. Combine the noodles and the onion-bacon mixture and cottage cheese.

5. Place in an oven-proof casserole, cover with the tomato slices and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes and serve.

Enjoy

Love

Engela

5 simple steps to lower the fat in your cooking

The question that many people struggle with is whether fat should be avoided all together in a diet? The answer is NO! The human body needs fat for a number of reasons. It helps to maintain healthy skin and hair; it transports the crucial fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K; it helps a person feel satisfied after a meal because it slows down the emptying of food from the stomach and it supplies some of the essential fatty acids – the structural components of fat that the body needs, especially for manufacturing of certain hormones.

The question then is how much dietary fat does the body need? In lay-person’s terms; the body needs only about 1 tablespoon of dietary fat a day. But unfortunately, it is not that easy. Most people are taking in way too much dietary fat. The reason is that much of it is hidden in processed meats, pastries, other commercial baked goods and prepared foods such as French-fried potatoes, ready-made dinners, fast-foods, etc.

Taking into consideration that dietary fat is a necessity, the only objective then is to simply manage and control the intake of dietary fat by lowering the fat in your cooking. 

Here are 5 simple steps to lower the fat in your cooking:

1. Polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils can help to reduce the cholesterol levels in the blood and therefore even health specialists recommend the use of these type of oils as the best choice for salads and for cooking. It is a proven fact that Safflower oil (family of the sunflower) is the most polyunsaturated of the many types of cooking oil. Others in descending order are sunflower, soybean, maize and sesame oil.  Commercially produced salad dressings may be loaded with saturated oils and therefore home-made salad dressing can be made by mixing 4 parts polyunsaturated vegetable oil  with 1 part yoghurt and 1 part lemon juice; adding seasoning to taste.

2. The yolk of an egg already contains a day’s quota of cholesterol. Therefore, limit egg yolks to three or four a week. Contrary to yolks, egg whites can be eaten as much as a person wants. They are a low-kilojoule source of protein. In preparing recipes containing eggs, discard every second yolk – this means for instance, make an omelette with two whites and one yolk. The same with pancake recipes, French toast, etc. You won’t notice the difference.

3. Instead of frying food, use low-fat cooking methods such as poaching, roasting and grilling.

4. Switch to leaner meats and other sources of protein. Instead of mince, sausages or fatty steaks; choose fillet, or rump or veal. Include more fish and poultry without skin in menus.

5. Select condiments with care. Try to avoid tartare sauce and mayonnaise, which is high in fat. Replace mayonnaise with mustard or plain low-fat yoghurt with crushed garlic added.

Healthy love,

Engela

Eggs and Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a must for every human body. The secret of success is that cholesterol levels should be at appropriate levels. With cholesterol on appropriate levels it plays a life-giving role in many functions of the body. When cholesterol is at a good level it works to build and repair cells, produces hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, and produces bile acids which are proven to aid in the digestion of fat.

On the other side of the coin, too much cholesterol in the body causes the cholesterol levels to increase which in turn can cause damage by clogging the arteries. This puts a person at serious risk for diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. In fact, the major cause behind heart attacks and strokes is clogged arteries resulting from high levels of cholesterol.

With the discovery that there is a link between high blood cholesterol and an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, it was therefore just logical to conclude that any food high in cholesterol should be avoided to prevent an increase of blood cholesterol levels. When you eat saturated foods such as dairy, meat and eggs your cholesterol elevates. On the other hand when you eat foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains you can maintain optimal health as they do not contain cholesterol.

Unfortunately, with this in mind the image of the egg as wholesome food is tarnished. Eggs are rich sources of dietary cholesterol and have therefore been labelled as a "bad food". Eggs have been widely known for their high fat and high cholesterol content, providing about 200 mg of cholesterol per egg. Cholesterol from the egg comes mainly from the egg yolk. May be that is the reason why some people only eat the white of the egg – but fun is in that! Unfortunately eggs are still high in protein which the body also needs very much. As a compromise, health gurus are advising us to limit the intake of eggs to only one a week.

It is especially athletes who include eggs in their preparing diets for body build-ups. However, the crux of the matter is that when eggs are a necessity for a special diet always ensures that a qualified dietician is consulted. It is also good to know that what is most important when you have to take in eggs is the way in which eggs are prepared. The healthiest way is to cook or poach eggs, and when scrambled or baked as little oil as possible should be used. The spray type or vegetable oil is preferable.

Whatever the case, the bottom line is that cholesterol is a given and with this given, high blood cholesterol levels are a fact of live. Live or die with it!

Love,

Engela

How to press your own tofu

Many vegetarians rely on tofu for its high protein content and praise it for its versatility, pleasant consistent and mild creamy flavor. 

By itself, tofu has no taste. Usually it is used with vegetables or soups. It is also versatile enough to be used in salads, with eggs, in omelets, or as a stuffing for celery stalks, tomatoes or green peppers.

Tofu is not only a rich source of protein but provides vitamin E, calcium and phosphorous. It contains no saturated fat. 

Traditionally tofu can be prepared in three different ways – by blanching, stir-frying or deep-frying.

Blanching: This method improves the flavor and texture of tofu and the method is mostly used to prepare it for serving cold. The slices are placed in a large strainer and then lowered into boiling water for about thirty seconds. It is then drained and cooled. The slices can be added to a salad or a mixture consisting of soy sauce and safflower oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, can be poured over the slices and be enjoyed.

Stir-frying: Cut three blocks of tofu into cubes and stir-fry with spring onion pieces in a little bit of safflower oil. When the tofu is hot, season with soy sauce and serve immediately.

Deep-frying: Cut three blocks into cubes and deep-fry in hot safflower oil until it is puffy, crisp and golden.

Tofu, also sometimes called soy bean curd, is made by soaking minced soy beans and then pressing it to obtain a milky fluid. This milky fluid is then treated with a coagulant to form it into blocks. In this case the coagulant can be vinegar, or lemon juice or calcium chloride. It is then sold fresh.

Without adding any coagulant, the curd can also be allowed to ferment naturally in a warm place. The curd, or tofu, is hung in cheesecloth to dry. It is then washed in water to wash away the extra acid. After draining it can be packed tightly in a dampened mould. It should be firm enough to be cut into slices. 

Those who have trouble handling tofu due to its fragile texture, or those who want a less custardy, more chewable product might want to press the tofu before using it in any of the three preparation methods. Here is what to do:

1. Wrap each tofu block separately in cheesecloth.

2. Place the wrapped blocks next to one another between two boards – cutting boards will do the trick.

3. Put them on the drain portion of the kitchen counter and put some weight on the top board with something heavy.

4. Leave for six hours or until sufficient moisture has run out and the cakes feel firm when touched.

5. The tofu is now firmly pressed and can be cubed or sliced without falling apart.

Love,

Engela