There are numerous amounts of people converting to vegetarianism by choice. It could be due to health reasons, combating obesity or simply for the love and respect for their fellow mammals and animals. Whatever the inspiration, it goes without saying that following a vegetarian diet leads to a healthy lifestyle. It provides the body with all the nutrition it needs including carbohydrates, vitamins and fats, all without harming animals.

Most people have the wrong idea about being a vegetarian. Thinking that vegetarians and vegans only eat salads, peas, and mashed potatoes. This is not true! There are a variety of vegetables, grains, beans, proteins, and meat alternatives available to the modern day vegetarian which will make any meatless meal very tempting.

It would be perfect if you could start your day with fresh juice. I am not talking about juice from a carton, but from a juicer. Delicious juices can be prepared from a variety of fresh fruits like oranges, lemons, grapefruit, grapes, melons, etc. If you don't really care to have fruit juice in the morning, you can opt for a more healthy, nutrition filled vegetable juice made from spinach, beets, carrots, cucumber, radish, and any other veggies you can think of. Fresh vegetable and fruit juices helps in detoxifying your body and aids in giving an energized start to your day. Healthy versions of juices are when you don't add in extra sugar or salt to it. Try to drink the juice in its most natural form. You can even have a mock-tail by drinking a mixed vegetable or fruit juice which can contain a whole lot of wholesome health.

A healthy vegetarian diet involves eating a lot of vegetables especially in their raw form. If you can't eat raw vegetables, then slightly steamed veggies will be just fine. Try eating at least 1 salad a day to get several servings of raw produce in your diet. Vegetables like radish, carrot, broccoli, cucumber, tomato, beetroot, provides the most nutrition in the raw form. In fact, cooking them reduces their nutritional quality to a great extent. You should be careful about the quality of vegetables you select to cook with as most of them are grown by adding harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Opt for the organic produce by growing your own or purchasing them from a local produce stand to really maximize the benefits of fresh vegetables. Ionizing vegetables also aids in killing any microbes present in them. A vegetarian diet moreover aids in digestion and will give your body all the essential building blocks for a healthy body and mind.

Over the years, potatoes have caught a bad rap and have been often linked to being bad for health and will result in obesity. Actually, potatoes are full of nutrition and give you a lot of carbohydrates and energy you need to focus and complete tasks. It is just that you have to be careful about the way you cook it. Boiled or baked potatoes with skin are perfect when eaten in moderation. It is when you fry them that the potatoes begin to have added fats and can become unhealthy.

Although some veggies with hard peels have to be skinned before enjoying them, most of them with thinner skins can be eaten with peel. You only have to make sure that they are cleaned properly in running warm water and scrubbed with a brush.

The vegetarian diet has evolved beyond being bland and tasteless foods. There are several meat alternatives that you can purchase from your grocery store to help you replace the meat in your diet. Seitan is a great meat alternative to help meat eaters transition to a meatless diet. Vegetables don't have to be boring either. Try "sprucing" up your vegetables by adding herbs or natural flavorings which is a much healthier way to season your foods because with herbs and spices, you will use less salt in your food. Herbs not only taste great but, they also have antioxidants and vitamins that your body can use to support a healthy lifestyle.

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