Guest guest Posted April 20, 2003 Report Share Posted April 20, 2003 http://www.vegsoc.org/ http://www.vegetariantimes.com/ online recipe cards books & products restaurant directory association search message board our favorite links magazine archives food substitutions glossary nutrition know-how weekly recipe sign-up recipe search fast food wellness naturally yours terre ve wellness center about us submit a recipe ask the editors letter to the editor change your address purchase back issues customer service Natural Remedies Whaddaya Know? by Abigail Chipley Take this pop quiz and find out. 1. Who were the first vegetarians? a. Prehistoric peoples b. Pythagoras and his followers c. Paul and Linda McCartney d. The Bible Christians of England Answer: D. The term " vegetarian " wasn't even coined until the Bible Christian church established the British Vegetarian Society in the 1840s. Of course, the English didn't exactly invent the concept. By the 6th century B.C., the Greek philosopher Pythagoras was touting a vegetarian diet as necessary for both physical and spiritual health. And our earliest vegetarian ancestors ate a mostly vegetarian diet supplemented with a few leftovers from animals killed by predators. Needless to say, cuisine has improved considerably since then. 2.True or false: Vegetarians live longer than meat eaters. Answer: True. Several studies show that vegetarians do have longer lifespans than their meat-eating counterparts. One 20-year study, conducted by Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif., found that vegetarians live, on average, a full 10 to 15 years longer than meat eaters. What's the explanation? Read on. 3. Eating a plant-based diet helps reduce your risk for: a. Hypertension and heart disease b. Cancers (especially of the lung and colon) c. Type 2 diabetes d. Kidney disease e. All of the above Answer: E. Vegetarians have lower rates of all these diseases. Researchers suspect the reason is that plant-based diets tend to be lower in fat and higher in fiber and other key disease-fighting antioxidants (including vitamins C, E and beta-carotene) than typical meat-eaters' diets. Some major findings: • Eating a diet high in saturated fat, which is abundant in animal products, increases the threat of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. • Excess dietary protein—much more common among non-vegetarians—is linked to kidney stones (as well as osteoporosis). 4.To get enough protein, vegetarians (especially vegans) must: a. Carefully combine beans and grains at every meal b. Eat a lot of energy bars c. Eat soy products every day d. Eat a wide variety of foods Answer: D. Getting enough protein shouldn't be a problem for anybody who eats a wide variety of foods. If you still think that getting " complete " protein from a plant-based diet involves cumbersome combinations of beans and grains, forget it. Scientists now know that the body can store essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. In other words, the protein from the bean chili you ate for lunch will complement the kind in the barley-corn salad you have at dinner. Voila: complete protein. What's more, plant-based sources of protein are healthier, since they don't contain all the saturated fat and cholesterol that animal products do (not to mention all the hormones, antibiotics and bacteria often found in meat) .. And in the last 10 years, the protein options for vegetarians have exploded: Grocery aisles are bursting with soy burgers, protein drinks and much more. 5. Which of the following provides the most calcium? a. One cup of milk b. A stir-fry of broccoli (1 cup) and tofu (1/2 cup) c. One cup steamed spinach d. A grilled cheese sandwich Answer: B. The stir-fry contains a whopping 508 grams of calcium— compared to about 360 in the grilled cheese, 300 in the milk and 244 in the spinach. Broccoli, like several other green vegetables (kale, collards, Swiss chard) is a good source of calcium. So is tofu, when it's made with calcium sulfate (check the label). And recent studies show that the calcium from vegetable sources is better absorbed than that of dairy products. Sea vegetables also pack decent amounts of the mineral. They include alaria, wakame, nori, kombu and hijiki. 6. Seitan is: a. Another name for the Fallen Angel b. A Japanese warrior c. A protein substitute d. Huh? Answer: C. Seitan (pronounced SAY-tan), also called " wheat meat, " is a protein-rich food with a firm and chewy texture (much like portobello mushrooms) that was invented by Chinese and Japanese Buddhist monks more than a thousand years ago. It's easily found at natural food stores and Asian markets. 7. How does soy milk differ from cow's milk? a. Soy milk is lower in saturated fat and higher in B vitamins b. It's higher in overall fat and cholesterol c. It has zero cholesterol d. It is digestible by lactose-intolerant folks e. a, c and d Answer: E. Regular soy milk has about the same amount of fat as 2 percent cow's milk, but less of it is saturated. And reduced-fat soy milk has even less fat—with none of it saturated. 8.True or false: Vegetarians need more iron than non-vegetarians. Answer: True. That's because the iron in animal sources, called heme iron, is better absorbed than the iron in plant sources, called non-heme. To increase absorption, eat iron-rich foods—such as legumes, soy, avocados, oatmeal and sea vegetables—with foods high in vitamin C. (Think oatmeal and a glass of orange juice or a soy milk smoothie with strawberries). And watch out for foods like tea, coffee and dairy, all of which can leach iron from your body. 9.True or false: Vegetarians are thinner than meat eaters. Answer: True, for the most part. Studies in such journals as the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have shown that vegetarians have the edge on meat eaters when it comes to staying slender. That may be because vegetarian diets are generally lower in fat and calories and higher in fiber than most meat-based diets. And fiber-rich foods, besides deterring heart disease and possibly cancer, have another advantage—you feel full on fewer calories. Of course, lots of vegetarian foods are high in both fat and calories, like cheese, nuts and olives. You just need to keep fatty foods to a minimum. 10.True or false: Vegans need more sun than vegetarians or meat eaters. Answer: True—sort of. Vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium, is found in just a few foods (fish, eggs and fortified foods like milk). But the body can manufacture its own vitamin D with just a little fun in the sun. Studies indicate that it takes about 10 to15 minutes of sun exposure, two to three times per week. Of course, vegans can also obtain this vitamin from supplements, some soy milks and many breakfast cereals. 11.Which of the following restaurant offerings are likely to be made with animal products? a. Refried beans and flour tortillas b. Bean soups c. Caesar salad d. Stir-fries e. Biscuits and pie crusts f. All of the above Answer: F. Although many of the world's cuisines use far less meat than American fare does, most use small amounts of animal products as flavoring. For example, Mexican food is often cooked in lard. Many bean soups (including spilt-pea) may harbor bacon or ham. Caesar salad dressing traditionally includes anchovies. Chinese stir-fries often contain oyster sauce. And some restaurants still make biscuits and pie crusts the old-fashioned way—with lard. 12.Which of the following foods do not contain animal products? a. Worcestershire sauce b. Ketchup c. Jell-O or other gelatin-based desserts d. Marshmallows e. McDonald's french fries Answer: B. However, Worcestershire sauce sans anchovies is available in natural food stores. Jell-O brand gelatin is a food that most of us would rather leave in the past, but a vegetarian version can be made with the agar or kudzu. So far, though, nobody's come up with a vegetarian marshmallow (they also contain gelatin). As for McDonald's fries, besides being cooked in artery-clogging hydrogenated oil, they also contain a secret flavoring agent—beef extract. Abby Chipley is the former news editor of Vegetarian Times. 2000-2003 Vegetarian Times, Inc. and RCL, Inc. All rights reserved. On Sunday, April 20, 2003, at 08:25 AM, wrote: > 8 essential amino acids > > hi as you all know I been a vegetarian for quite sometime. I > understand soybeans do contain all 8 essential amino acids. see > unfortunately I have become anemic which could also be from the > diabetes I have. now when I started out I heard that if you combine > beans other than soy and rice you will get all the amino acids. I > used to do that all the time until I was informed that soybeans > contain all of them. now would it be better to still consume rice > with the soybeans to make sure I get them all? sorry for all the > questions. also I heard quinoa and amaranth contain all of them too. > please if you can tell me how it all breaks down I would appreciate > it cause my crazy foot doctor keeps trying to get me to eat meat > again cause I also have charcot disease where the bones break down > but that is healing but I been told I would heal better if I ate > meat I dont want to do this. and worse yet my nurse who is a full on > hippie is telling me to eat meat to. so bottom line if I could get > some info about combining it would be appreciated. thanks Dave pbf We should be quick to defend the right to any speech, no matter how offensive, and to condemn any repression, no matter how socially popular. Anything less fails the standard of eternal vigilance. --Bu T'san Da, Roshi, Tenshin Monastery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.