Why a Vegetarian Diet Is Good for Your Health and the Health of the Planet

Here's an interesting article written by Rachael Moeller Gorman concerning eating healthy:

 As a journalist, I’ve been following news on the health benefits of meatless eating for years. Recently I started toying with the idea of shifting toward a meatless diet myself. Some people skip meat for spiritual reasons. Many go vegetarian to help the environment (the United Nations determined recently that livestock is one of the top contributors to the world’s most serious environmental problems, for example). But today, there’s something else driving people—including me—to move toward a plant-based diet: health.

Science is showing that cutting back on meat is healthier for just about everyone, and more and more people are doing just that: today, 3 percent of American adults—over 7 million people—never eat meat, fish or poultry, up from less than 1 percent in 1994. The Meatless Monday campaign—a successful voluntary reduction effort in the U.S. during both World War I and World War II that was relaunched in 2003 at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to help Americans cut down on saturated fat—has become a full-blown movement. Cities like San Francisco have made official Meatless Monday proclamations; public school systems and college dining halls have adopted the philosophy; celebrity chefs like Mario Batali are leading the charge in restaurants. Meatless Monday programs are thriving in countries such as Korea, Brazil, Croatia and Canada. You probably know several people who’ve given up meat—maybe dairy and eggs too—every day of the week. Maybe you’re one of them.

 

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10 tips to cut cancer risk

Here is a great article for tips to reduce the risk of cancer:

January 09, 2007|By Dr. Sanjay Gupta Chief Medical Correspondent

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A smoker in London, England, watches a presentation on how to quit smoking.

The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 560,000 Americans died from cancer-related causes in 2006. Some cancers are preventable, and people can cut their risk by maintaining some positive health steps.

Here are my top 10 tips for avoiding cancer:

1, 2 and 3) Do NOT smoke. If you're one of the more than 40 million American smokers, you need to stop. Smoking is linked to at least three in 10 cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. That's more than 165,000 deaths a year.

4) Stay active. Inactivity and obesity are linked to cancer. Half an hour of exercise a day will significantly help your odds.5) Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. The American Cancer Society recommends at least five servings each day. In general, the most colorful fruits and vegetables have the most nutrients.

6) Limit the amount of red meat and processed meats in your diet, and make sure the meat you do eat is lean.

7) Avoid deep-fat frying. Instead, use low-fat cooking methods like roasting, baking, broiling, steaming or poaching. Also, choose low-fat or non-fat milk and yogurt.

8) Limit your alcohol consumption or avoid alcohol altogether.9) Protect yourself in the sun. Wear sunscreen to limit your exposure to damaging ultraviolet rays.10) Girls should get the HPV vaccine before they are sexually active to help prevent cervical cancer.

 

Click here to go to the article page.

Posted via email from lifemelusa's posterous