Go (mostly) vegetarian ~ vegetarians live longer!

In most studies over the years, vegetarians tend to have the lowest rates of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Recently, a study using the 7^th Day Adventists (a religious group that has a high vegetarian population) found that the all-cause mortality rate for non-vegetarians was significantly higher than for vegetarians (spit up into semi-vegetarians [mostly vegetarian with some poultry & fish], pesco-vegetarian [fish], lacto-ovo-vegetarian [dairy + eggs], and vegan [no animal products]). The study found that only 5-6/1,000 vegetarians died over one year compared to 7/1,000 for non-vegetarians. Furthermore, men in the study who were vegetarian were significantly less likely to die of ischemic heart disease or CVD.

These findings, again, go along with the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines that recommend a “mostly plant based diet” for optimal health. People eating a mostly plant based diet tend to have much lower rates of heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes compared to those that eat meat. This particular study followed over 70,000 individuals over the course of 5 years and those vegetarians that also include seafood in their diet (pesco-vegetarians) had the lowest mortality rates of any group. Being an extreme vegetarian or vegan didn’t seem to confer any additional benefits than being lacto-ovo or pesca-vegetarian.

My recommendations:  There is no need to go completely vegetarian in order to get major health benefits. Eating a “mostly vegetarian” diet or a “flexitarian” diet (as people now like to label themselves) is a very healthy way of eating that allows for you to enjoy lean meats in small quantities. For those of you who do love meat, try to limit the amount of fatty and processed meats you eat, and try to keep your meat-based proteins to a minimum each day (no more than 6 oz for the day for most people). There is no need to eat an 8 oz steak for dinner- replace at least ½ of that with more vegetables or beans! Another benefit, aside from health, is that by cutting down on your meat portions you will cut down significantly on your food bill which is emphasized in my blog post on healthy eating on a budget.

I only advise going vegan if you are doing so for a valid moral or ethical reason. If you plan on going vegan, you must be willing to do the research and learn about ways you can get in all the necessary nutrients (like Vitamin B₁₂)… and actually eat those foods! When one chooses to go vegetarian, they must be open to eating high quality plant-based proteins like soy, hemp, quinoa, and include lots of fruits and vegetables in their diets. A bread, pasta, and cheese based vegetarian diet is not a healthy one. As far as vegetarianism goes, I would recommend trying lacto-ovo-pesca vegetarian since that is the best way to get in all of your necessary nutrients and allows for more options when eating out.  This type of diet will help to ensure that you can easily get in all your necessary nutrients and high quality sources of protein.

Reference: Orlich MJ, Singh P, Sabaté J, et al. Vegetarian Dietary Patterns and Mortality in Adventist Health Study 2. JAMA Intern Med.2013;():1-8.  

My Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget!

Most people seem to think that it is very expensive to eat healthy. I beg to differ. If you adopt a “mostly plant based diet” for optimal health as emphasized by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, it is not very difficult to lean out your food bill. Meat is expensive and time consuming to prepare, so that is where a lot of the American food budget goes (and some estimate about 50% of the food is wasted by being thrown out!). I am not advocating that you become completely vegetarian*, but I guarantee you can be healthy and have more money in your wallet if you cut down on your meat intake (yes, chicken does count as meat!). 

Also, if you also set aside some time each day to prepare your breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you will save hundreds to thousands of dollars each year otherwise spent eating out. If you are looking to lose weight, cutting down on meat portions (and increasing veggies!), and leaving eating out for special occasions will be your best tools in losing those extra pounds. DO NOT buy into all the prepared food diet programs with specialty shakes, supplements, and meals, because that will derail your budgeting (and eventually, weight loss) efforts!! Below are some tips to help you cut your food costs and get more creative with your meals!

My Tips:

1.    Use your freezer! As a rule of thumb, freeze anything you won’t eat or drink in the next 3 days that will go bad. Examples:

·         Freeze ½ loaf bread, milk/soymilk (almond doesn’t work!), leftovers from dinner, berries, cooked vegetables, even hummus!

2.    Buy frozen vegetables & berries: Frozen veggies tend to be MORE nutritious than fresh since they are picked at the peak of ripeness and flash frozen immediately. Recs:

·         Frozen spinach, mustard greens, chopped peppers, veggie blends- add to omelets, pastas, stir fries, etc!

3.    Make cottage cheese (reduced sodium or no-salt added) a staple food! Cottage cheese is a very cheap protein and super versatile

·         Add cottage cheese like you would cheese in omelets and pastas, or on potatoes

·         Use in salads mixed with salsa as the “dressing” or in Mexican dishes as a sub for the sour cream & cheese

·         Blend in smoothies or mix with fruit or pumpkin butter as a delicious dessert

4.    For the most part, only buy things when they are on sale. Shop around looking at store circulars to identify foods you need and where you can get them the cheapest

·         Bread products, yogurt, cottage cheese, frozen veggies, and most other food items are on sale at any given moment- so stock up when they hit a price low.

5.    Use coupons! Though it may be a hassle, using coupons can save you tremendous amounts of money on your bill.

·         Look in the middle of your weekend newspaper for the “Smart Source” and other manufacturer coupon flyers- these often have $1.00 coupons (even if they are $0.55, most stores double that, so you’ll get over $1.00 savings!)

·         Search for coupon websites and look at your product website- oftentimes they have coupons available for their products.

6.    Shop in the bulk bins. Shopping at Whole Foods can get expensive, or it can be super cheap if you shop in the bulk bin section!

                 ·         You can often get nuts, cereals, grains, and other foods for a 
                        huge price reduction in the bulk bins. 
                        My favorite things to get in bulk are oat bran, walnuts,
                         pumpkin seeds, and quinoa.         

By following my simple tips, I guarantee you will cut down your grocery bills by a hefty percentage. Now you can use that extra money to buy yourself a pair of spin shoes or a personal training session!


*I'm not discouraging going veg either! Read this article and you may want to consider it! The fact vegetarians are healthier than meat-eaters is ‘one of the most consistent findings of nutritional epidemiology’