Facts That Nobody Told You About Health.

I’ve finally given up on “healthy” food, even if that means no meat. Not because it’s bad for my health or that I don’t like eating certain foods. It’s just that some things are so much better made elsewhere, so I won’t buy them for now. The other day when I was at Target, there was a new salad bar called Eat Here Now that had avocado dressing in its sandwiches. Well, they might want to think about it and try one out, but I don’t think you can have a sandwich without it. And anyway, there were three different kinds of salads available, all with avocado dressing in between them. So, I ordered an extra large one from the deli counter and couldn’t wait to try it. But when we got home, I told myself, why would they make such a fuss about it when most people actually have more than enough avocados? Of course I knew that what I thought was plenty would probably be more than enough, but it didn’t seem fair if I had to pay a premium, especially since the cost of buying a single avocado was only 2 cents (which is pretty expensive). So I left them. But now that it’s gone the full eight pounds, I think it’ll stay the same size, right? Because, yeah, this was as good as avocados could get. My problem was that I ordered too many avocados already this year. For years I have been trying to cut back on everything we ate. Just a few months back I started doing cardio and stopped counting calories. Then I tried intermittent fasting and lost weight in the first week. Only two weeks ago did I start cooking meals again, but only the ones that I used to make for myself or make for my kids. Plus I had to stop drinking water before bed, because then I was getting dehydrated.

But maybe that’s where having a vegetable bowl really helped me. When I thought about making a big meal from vegetables, I looked down at my plate at least nine different kinds of vegetables when suddenly I was looking at just five of them at once. If we all had different amounts of vegetables in our diets, which could vary from person to person, then we wouldn’t need the gym, right? That is until the point I realized that I might be wrong. As I’ve grown older I’ve learned more about vegetables, and their nutrients, but I still prefer to see them as the main ingredient in every dish I prepare. This is a tiny bit easier to do if I have a lot of other ingredients in the mix.

And one thing I’m sure you don’t want to know is that vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals. According to studies, vegans especially need B vitamins, and B12 is especially important for healthy growth and development. We also need vitamin E and C, and these are needed when developing cell and tissue growth in the brain, heart, kidney, immune system and eyes. Potatoes are loaded with both of those, too. Eating potatoes makes your body more efficient at producing energy.

Vegetables are also good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, which is important for vision since they can protect against macular degeneration, age spots, night blindness and cataracts. These are produced by the retina, and both lutein and zeaxanthin don’t exist in animal sources. They’re also crucial for eye health, as they help prevent macular degeneration and night blindness.

But you may wonder why vegans don’t eat beef? Some people believe that eating beef is good for them because beef contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are also considered essential and have anti-aging properties (because they reduce inflammation and protect body organs). Scientists, however, have found that omega-3s may boost your risk of dying from strokes, not heart attacks.

That said, there are a few interesting facts about soybeans and milk. In terms of soybean products, tofu and tempeh are considered “complete” proteins: they provide everything you need in a tasty bite and are a great source of protein. While cow’s milk contains lactose, soy is considered a gluten-free ingredient and doesn’t contribute lactose to lactose intolerance. Also, soy milk has been shown to be nutritionally similar to the dairy milk that most Americans drink. Soy milk has almost twice as much calcium (about 1,300 mg per 8 oz cup) than cow’s milk (about 700 mg per 8 oz cup.) It delivers 6 grams of protein per 8 cups of soy milk, compared to 0.5 grams per pound of fat. A one ounce serving of tempeh contains 8 grams of protein. Although tempeh may be more versatile than beef, I like tempeh over steak because it’s a healthier choice.

Another interesting fact is that soybeans and milks are excellent cholesterol-lowering food options. One tablespoon of soy milk provides 150 milligrams of manganese and 4 grams of fiber. Two tablespoons of tempeh yields 90 milligrams of copper, 200 milligrams of magnesium and 7 grams of polyphenols, an antioxidant group that can lower blood pressure. One and a half ounces of tempeh also contain over 500-times the number of EPA (the major type of fat in fish oil) than regular tuna, but you can buy that kind at any grocery store. Both tempeh and soy milks are delicious additions to a vegan diet.

I hope this post did you any good. Maybe if you had lots of spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage or squash — any sort of vegetable that everyone else seems to enjoy eating. Don’t worry, though — they’re all here. Or are they? I didn’t think the last time I went shopping, but I’ve learned that there are really good alternatives. What if soy-based and rice-based milks and tempeh weren’t the best for you? What if you wanted something that wasn’t vegan? Is there anything to replace tofu? There’s no reason to eat tofu as a replacement for tofu any longer, of course, but tofu makes it easier and cheaper to find the veggies you want. And one thing that has remained true over the past 5 decades is that vegetables are so much better if you have them. Even now, going to supermarket stores in your neighborhood to choose carrots isn’t great; it usually brings back happy memories for me, especially when those yellow peppers ripen like crazy. Who wants a bunch of red carrots and no brown toothcorns?