In 1956, the United States department of Agriculture created the basic 4 food groups and included meat and dairy not to keep America healthy, but to keep the meat and dairy industries healthy and in turn, the economy. After much research on the subject, past and present studies confirm what I knew all along - the body has no nutritional requirement for animal products. So that's why I always felt bad when I ate it and good when I didn't. Go figure. And just when America started to put down the glass of milk and stop frying the burgers - a slue of ad campaigns came out saying "milk, it does a body good" or "eat beef" and "pork, the other white meat." All in an effort to keep America consuming so these markets could make money and in turn the economy could keep chugging along. Remember when Oprah said she would never eat red meat again? Can you imagine if we all stopped? Would we get sued too?
Read more at Suite101: No Meat, No Dairy: A new approach to weight-loss. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/trends_diet_exercise/103969/3#ixzz0f1DRdoKa
What is Fasting?
Fasting is to go at least 12 Hours without eating or chewing solid foods.
A HEALING FAST- To go at least 24 hours without
eating or chewing solid foods. I highly recommend a healing fast over a 12-hour fast.
There are 3 types of fasting
A. Water
Fasting—This is done with distilled water or mineral water
B. Juice Fasting – Vegetable drink, Chlorophyll (Green Drink), Master
Cleanse, or Fruit drink
The following fruits are recommended during a fast (drinking fruit juice is optional during a fast)
· Apple Juice- A natural Laxative, Cleanse Gall Bladder, Good for riding the
body of radiation from X-Rays, internal inflammation, Lowers Cholesterol
· Cranberry Juice-
Bladder Infections, Diabetes (Lowers Blood Sugar), Cancers
· Grape Juice- Edema, Cancer,
Fights Toxins, Blood Cleanser fruit.
· Papaya Juice- inflammation, heartburn, ulcers, back
pain, and digestive system
· Lemon Water- Excellent Blood Purifier, restores pH in the colon,
cleanser the body of mucus, heals the stomach.
· Watermelon- Cleanse the Blood, Natural diuretic,
excellent for canker sores and tissue inflammation. WATERMELON JUICE FAST CONSIST BLENDING WATERMELON WITH ITS SEEDS.
C. Dry
Fasting – No Drinks of any kind. Nothing enters the mouth. (This fast is more spiritual and only recommend for one day only)
What
is the purpose of Fasting?
PHYSICAL- Fasting cleanse the blood of toxins, waste, dead or diseased cells, acid crystals, calcified tumors,
and mucus. Fasting keeps the body young regardless of years. It also rid the body of pain and irritation.
MENTAL- Cleanse the thoughts
and allows the mental consciousness to bring to surface unresolved emotional issues for releasing. Anger, Guilt, Resentment,
Hatred, etc.
SPIRITUAL- Removes negative or low vibration from the spirit. This will allow full awareness of the connection to “the
Divine.” The God in you, Holy Spirit
Tofu seems to have been invented by Taoists, but soon it became very popular with Chinese Buddhists, who were strict vegetarians and didn't eat meat or milk. Tofu can taste something like meat, and it has a lot of protein like meat, but it is made out of soybeans.
To make tofu, you take soybeans and soften them by soaking them in water. Then you squash them into a soybean mash - that mixes with the water to make bean milk. Then you add sea salt to the bean milk, and that makes it coagulate (clump together) into something that looks like plain yogurt, which is tofu.
Tofu can be cooked lots of different ways. You can fry it, or bake it, or eat it raw.
The Chinese god of war, Kuan-Ti, was supposed to have been a tofu-seller when he was a child (before he became a god). But Kuan-Ti was a child during the Han Dynasty, so either tofu was invented earlier than most historians think, or Kuan-Ti must have been selling something else.
Be aware that the regular vegetarian food pyramid is not suitable for strict vegans since the dairy products listed are not within their guidelines. Replacing dairy with soy products, for example, is an alternative. The main difference between the vegan food pyramid and the vegetarian food pyramid would be the addition of breads and grains instead of dairy or egg products.
The food pyramid is an excellent reference for those trying to determine their nutritional needs. If you are concerned about getting the right foods in the right amounts, you should take a look at the pyramid and plan your diet accordingly. The vegetarian pyramid gives you serving amounts daily just as the traditional food pyramid does so you will be able to determine if you are getting the right amounts.
Just as the traditional one does, the vegetarian food pyramid provides you, not only with serving the right amounts, but also the limits. Oils, fats, sweets and salts should be sparingly used as they are right on the pyramid's top. This then can be the best healthiest diet.
The food pyramid that a vegetarian follows is a graphic representation of the healthy compenents of their diet. When the food pyramid is followed religiously, you can be assured that your diet is as nutritious as it could be. This is a great way for dieters, who also follow a vegetarian diet, to design their food plan to get the proper nutrition while they are trying to lose weight.
People choose a vegetarian diet for many reasons and healthy nutrition is right at the top of the list. It can be a little more difficult for a vegetarian to get the nutrition they need without the inclusion of meat, but as the pyramid shows, it can be done. The effort that is expended on planning your food consumption will be rewarded with a greater degree of health and longevity. Most vegetarians are noticeably healthier than their meat eating counterparts.
The vegetarian food pyramid can be a helpful resource and diet planning aid for those who are just beginning the vegetarian lifestyle. The newcomer will have a greater understanding of the nutritional aspects of the diet as well as being more aware as to what is needed to maintain this healthier lifestyle. The transition towards a healthier diet is easier than ever, due to the amount of information that is available. You will discover that an all around improvement in your health by becoming a vegetarian is delicious and easy.