Friday, April 15, 2011

Vegetarians may be at lower diabetes, heart risk


(Reuters Health) - A new study finds that a meat-free diet seems to lower a person's likelihood of having certain risk factors for diabetes or heart disease -- and therefore may lower the risk of one day developing those illnesses.

Researchers measured a suite of factors -- blood sugar, blood fats, blood pressure, waist size, and body mass - that when elevated add up to "metabolic syndrome," and found that vegetarians were lower than non-vegetarians on all counts except cholesterol.

Having metabolic syndrome puts people at a greater risk of developing diabetes or heart disease in the future.

In the study, 23 out of every 100 vegetarians were found to have at least three metabolic syndrome factors, compared with thirty-nine out of every 100 non-vegetarians and 37 out of every 100 semi-vegetarians.

"I was expecting there should be a difference," said Nico Rizzo of Loma Linda University, the lead researcher on the study. "But I didn't expect that it would be that much."

Rizzo and his colleagues analyzed the diet, health and lifestyles of more than 700 adults.

Using questionnaires on eating habits, the researchers categorized participants as vegetarians (eating meat of any kind less than once a month), semi-vegetarians (eating meat or poultry less than once a week), and non-vegetarians.

The researchers also measured sugar, fat and cholesterol in the subjects' blood as well as blood pressure, waist size, and body mass index (BMI -- a measurement of a person's weight relative to height).

Vegetarians' average BMI of 25.7 was four points lower than that of non-vegetarians, who, on average, had BMIs close to 30.

A BMI greater than 25 is considered overweight, and greater than 30 is considered obese.

Semi-vegetarians fell in the middle, with a BMI and waist size smaller than non-vegetarians, but larger than vegetarians.

The pattern held when the measurements were combined to determine the presence of metabolic syndrome.

Rizzo told Reuters Health he is not sure what's behind the differences.

"Is it primarily the meat intake, the plant food intake or a combination of both?" Rizzo said.

It's also possible that diet is not the cause; the research showed only an association between food choices and health factors, not cause-and-effect.

BABY FOOD RECIPES

BABY FOOD RECIPES - CHICKEN HEARTS APPLE
Baby food recipes

Material:
250 grams of chicken liver
2 apples, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and cut into pieces
3 pieces potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 tablespoons green peas

Directions:
1. Cook all ingredients until cooked.
2. Drain and puree (or chopped finely for children ages 8 months and up)

BABY FOOD RECIPES - FISH APPLE
Baby food recipes

Material:
2 pieces of fish fillets
2 apples, peeled, cut into pieces

Directions:
1. Boil the ingredients until cooked. Drain and puree.

Note:
For children 8 months, the food should not be crushed but only finely chopped. It is good to stimulate the growth of teeth and to train the muscles of the mouth and gums to bite.

BABY FOOD RECIPES - CARAPPEAR
Baby food recipes

Material:
2 stalks carrots, peeled, cut into pieces
2 apples, peeled, cut into pieces
2 pieces of pear, peeled and cut into pieces

Directions:
1. Kl Boil carrots for 10 minutes, then amsukkan apple and pear. Cook until soft.
2. Drain and puree (or chopped finely for children ages 8 months and up)

BABY FOOD RECIPES - steamed fish
Baby food recipes

Material:
1 snapper fillet (or other fish species, according to taste)

Directions:
1. Steam the fish until cooked and then mashed.
2. Can be mixed with pureed vegetables (carrots, broccoli, etc.).

BABY FOOD RECIPES - Broccoli POTATO
Baby food recipes

Material:
7 broccoli florets, discarding the stem
2 potatoes, peeled, cut into pieces
Chicken broth / meat taste (only boiled water chicken / meat, without salt or other seasonings)

Directions:
1. Steam the broccoli and potatoes until cooked.
2. Blend the two ingredients with the processor / blender.
3. Give the broth to taste.

BABY FOOD RECIPES - VEGETABLE INTERFERENCE
Baby food recipes

Material:
1 carrot, peeled, cut into pieces
1 piece of potato, peeled, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons green peas (can be replaced other green vegetables, eg broccoli,
zuchini, celery, etc.)
Chicken broth / meat taste (only boiled water chicken / meat, without garammaupun other seasonings)

Directions:
1. Boiled / steamed until cooked all the ingredients and puree.
2. Give the chicken broth / meat taste.

BABY FOOD RECIPES - CHICKEN SOUP
Baby food recipes

Material:
1 piece of chicken thighs, remove skin, cut meat into pieces (bones were not removed)
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled, cut into pieces
1 stick carrot, peeled, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons green peas
500 ml water

Directions:
1. Cook all ingredients until cooked.
2. Discard the chicken bones, then puree all ingredients

BABY FOOD RECIPES - puree CARROT
Baby food recipes

Material:
2 medium carrots, peeled
Boiled water to taste

Directions:
1. Steam the carrots until tender then puree. Add water as needed.
2. Presentation: Give the carrot puree as single or mixed foods
with pulp POTATO / SWEET POTATOES porridge.

BABY FOOD RECIPES - pea puree
Baby food recipes

Material:
250 grams of fresh or frozen peas

Directions:
1. Boil peas until cooked and then mashed.
2. Strain the rough skin so do not take part inedible.
3. Presentation: Give peas puree as a single food or
mixed with porridge POTATO / SWEET POTATOES porridge.