The Social Vegetarian

Lifestyle changes are the most difficult ones to make and one of the biggest lifestyle alterations that anyone can make voluntarily is to become a vegetarian. Frequently people find it easier to become part of a support group when attempting lifestyle alterations; think of Alcoholics Anonymous, Weight Watchers or giving up smoking. Joining a support group can help the novice vegetarian too.

The advantages of being a member of such a support group are many, yet some of them are encouragement, advice and friendship. You may not require the friendship, but you may like to socialize with other vegetarians so that you can see how they deal with eating out and basically simply fitting into a society designed by and for meat-eaters.

However, whether you intend giving up your old friends or not, you may find yourself gravitating away from them after a while quite naturally. Remember the old expression: 'Birds of a feather flock together'? This is quite standard.

You will have problems substituting something else for meat; you will become worried that your diet is lacking in some nutrient; you will be wondering which restaurants serve truly vegetarian food and lots more.

Your newly found support group friends will become a great source of encouragement and advice in this sphere. You may not like the concept of a 'vegetarian support group', but you could just as easily join a vegetarian dining club or vegetarian cookery group, the impact will work out the same - you will learn and you will make new friends.

If you have difficulty locating such a group by the standard methods of your local Yellow Pages and an Internet search, try going to the local community centre, where there may be yoga classes - a couple of the attendees will be vegetarians that you can ask. Or go to you local health food shop and ask there Likewise you could enquire at a martial arts club or a Hindu Indian restaurant. If all else fails, you could begin your own club.

If you organize your own club, find a sympathetic bar or restaurant that will cook your meal suggestions for that night at a reasonable cost. After a time, I am sure you could build up a nice little club of twenty people and the landlord might let you have your own room to dine in once a month like the Masons.

If you think that this is too much in the early days, you could simply set up a blog. A blog is an interactive web site, where you and others can post relevant knowledge. If you keep the name of the blog relevant to your town and vegetarianism, you ought to find that other people looking as you once did will find you, whereas you found no one. Once you have built up a circle of local, on line vegetarian sympathizers, you could suggest meeting once a month in the flesh and take the dining idea from there. An advertisement in the local paper would help too.

About the Author

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on several subjects, and is currently concerned with quick vegetarian recipes. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our site at Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes.

Vegetarian Delights: Mushrooms Stroganoff

Reducing the amount of meat you eat or eliminating meat from your diet entirely is not only one of the healthiest things you can do, it's also one of the easiest. Armed with the right recipes, you'll never miss the flavor of meat - nor will you miss the fat, calories, or artery-clogging cholesterol.

Mushrooms Stroganoff is a savory, filling, and hearty alternative to traditional Beef Stroganoff. Mushrooms barely contain a fraction of beef's fat, calories and cholesterol, and are a good source of riboflavin, niacin, and minerals. Portobello mushrooms lend themselves particularly to this recipe because they're flavorful and have a chewy texture similar to that of cooked beef. White or button mushrooms are far less expensive and, although lighter in flavor and less substantial in texture, also work quite nicely in this recipe.

Vegetarian Delights: Mushrooms Stroganoff

3 tablespoons butter or dairy-free butter substitute, such as Butter-Flavored Crisco

1 large white or yellow onion, chopped

3/4 pound portobello or white mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups sour cream or dairy-free sour cream alternative

3 tablespoons flour

Generous 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste

8 ounce package dried egg noodles (egg-free varieties are available in most supermarkets)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a pinch of salt to the water to prevent noodles from sticking together. Add the package of egg noodles and cook for about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

While the noodles are cooking, melt the butter product in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until limp, stirring frequently. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are softened and browned. Remove the mushroom and onion mixture from heat, dump into a medium-sized bowl, and set aside.

In the same skillet, stir in the vegetable broth, being sure to stir in any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture has reduced by about a third. Reduce the heat to low, and carefully stir the mushrooms and onion back into the skillet.

Stir together the sour cream and flour, and fold into the mushroom mixture. Continue cooking over low heat, until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the parsley, and season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika. Serve over the cooked egg noodles.

Check out my diet cookies, or another of my healthy living articles, 5htp benefits for fibromyalgia.

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Vegetarianism and Whole Foods: A Simple Way to Improve Health

Vegetarianism is the lifestyle that involves the exclusion of animal meat from the diet. Some vegetarians also exclude animal byproducts, which include dairy products, eggs and even honey. However, there are types of vegetarians who are either ovo-vegetarians, those who include eggs in their diet, lacto-vegetarians, those who include dairy products in their diet, or ovo-lacto vegetarians, those who include both eggs and dairy products in their diets.

Vegans are a type of vegetarians who strictly exclude both eggs and dairy products, along with animal meat in their diets. For those with vegetarian diets, what they eat and what their food is composed of matters a lot. The reasons these people become vegetarian are many. Religion, politics, ethics and health-related issues are among the several primary reasons why. Religious and ethical circumstances may force one to strictly comply with the exclusion of meat from diet. To some others, life is sacred and should be respected. This would even apply for microorganisms. Other religions are not specific, however, therefore, certain plant sources and byproducts are allowed for consumption.

As for health-related circumstances, most people are becoming even more aware of the risks involved in the consumption of animal meats, most especially processed ones. Processed meat contains certain preservatives and chemicals that can be harmful to the human body, some of which are even carcinogenic. Some certain meat products also contain unhealthy fats, which can cause cardiovascular diseases. So, why is it that people still consume foods they know that can be potentially dangerous to their health? They say things should be taken in moderation. However, those who now follow vegetarian diet would rather stay on the safer side. Taste is important in food, which is why food should always be enjoyable. The trick to enjoy vegetarian diet is to make the food as palatable as possible.

A simple way to improve health is by consuming natural, non-animal meat foods. These contain dietary fibers, which have several positive effects towards the human body. For one, it helps regulate the blood sugar levels and helps relieve constipation. Dietary fiber is a natural laxative, and it is also believed to help facilitate the removal of harmful substances, such as carcinogens, through excretion. Food rich in these dietary fibers include fruits, vegetables and other plant sources. Other examples of healthy, whole foods for a vegetarian's needs are whole grains, beans and legumes. Whole grains contain sufficient amount of carbohydrates needed by the body. These whole grains can come in certain forms such as cereal and oatmeal. However, ovo-vegetarians and vegans probably would not consider these forms due to the addition of milk. Beans and legumes can come in the form of tortillas in able to provide sufficient amount of essential amino acids. Some sources of certain amino acids cannot suffice to provide the necessary amounts of the required essential amino acids. To compensate for this, a combination of these sources can provide all the essential amino acids needed by vegetarians. Certain common combinations include peanut butter with wheat bread and tofu with rice. Not only are these food healthy, but they are palatable as well. When looking for a simple way to improve health, try considering a vegetarian-based diet, even if you are not vegetarian.

There are several easy ways to start a healthy eating habit and improve your overall health. Access more detailed information, yummy recipes, and learn simple daily steps that you can follow by visiting my website at http://EverydayHealthGirl.com

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