Vegetarian? 5 facts you need to know right now!

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates

You only have to do a quick Google search to find thousands of delicious vegetarian recipe ideas to make your mouth water.

There are many positive benefits of being a vegetarian. It begins with choosing a diet that includes legumes. tofu, grains, nuts, dairy products and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Studies have found vegetarians tend to have less coronary heart disease, less chance of strokes, fewer bowel and prostate cancers, less constipation and reduced chance of type 2 diabetes to name a few.

But what about the disadvantages? Here are a list of 5 facts that a vegetarian needs to be aware of if eating a predominantly plant based diet:

1. Vitamin and mineral deficiency:

Vitamin deficiency such as B12 plays a vital role in supporting the nervous system and brain cells, so a lack of it is a potentially serious problem for vegetarians. Minerals such as iron, zinc or calciumor mineral deficiencies can potentially mean the body is not receiving adequate 'fuels' for full body functioning.

2. Vegetables during heating process can loose their nutritional value
Boiling, frying, roasting and steaming, it doesn't matter how you cook it.  Virtually all nutrients in food are susceptible to damage from heat. Up to 80% of the folic acid in carrots, for example can be lost from boiling.

3. Depleted soils where fruit and vegetables are gown

Components which contribute to fertility are removed and not replaced, and the conditions which support soil's fertility are not maintained. This leads to poor crop yields. In agriculture, depletion can be due to excessively intense cultivation and inadequate soil management. Therefore the foods you are eating don't contain the vitamins and minerals as they once did 50 or 100 years ago!

4. Solution: Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

There appears to be a growing trend to switching to a 'green raw diet'. But what can you do if the soils your food is grown in are depleted and your losing nutritional value via heating? 

Holistic supplementation may be the perfect answer to maximise the potential for optimum wellbeing. We use The Modere Natural Solution, a natural mineral drink containing a multitude of minerals to assist normal bodily functions. A simple and effective way to include plant derived phytonutrients in the diet.

5. Weight Loss:

Going on a fruit and vegetable diet plan can help you lose weight. Raw fruit is always the best choice for the nutritional value. To lose weight properly, you need to eat several small meals a day to keep your metabolism working at its best all day.

The good the bad in brief. Ultimately if you are planning on a vegetarian lifestyle, be sure to take these points into consideration. For more information please click here for a list of natural supplementation to work in conjunction with a healthy balanced diet.