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One of the most well known diets around the world consists of abstaining from eating meat. Whether it is for religious purposes or because a person is against the consumption of eating meat from an animal due to animal cruelty, the reasons for choosing this diet are vast. Recently it has become more of a fad to experiment with the vegan diet or vegetarian diet because of its supposed health benefits and it’s proven weight – loss effects in most cases; however I have actually adhered to this diet for almost two years and have done so because of my respect for animals. My choice to follow this diet started off with not eating meat, however consuming fish products, also known as a pescatarian diet; this choice was purely out of pressure from others about still receiving protein from animal products, and a pure lack of knowledge about the whole entire diet. After learning more about the diet and methods of obtaining the proper necessities to live a healthy lifestyle, I slowly transitioned into also abstaining from eating fish products. Since then, I have lived fully off of vegetable products and grains that provide a plentiful amount of carbohydrates, protein, fats and lipids, and so forth.
There have been several political and controversial debates about this specific diet, and whether or not a person can fully obtain all of the necessary nutrients and vitamins that are proven to be necessary to live a healthy lifestyle. Depending on the specific type of vegetarian diet you are adhering to, the process of understanding where to get the necessary nutrients from differs. I believe that through proper research and following a strict diet, it can prove to bring forward the same health benefits, but in different ways.
Typically, throughout the week on an average day, I would consume healthy fats from vegetable products such as avocados, coconuts (oil and butter), nuts and plenty of choices of nut butters (almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, etc.). Protein is extremely easy to consume in a vegetarian diet, being able to receive this from lentils, chickpeas, tofu, soy, grains (Bread, potatoes, etc.), and from vegetables such as sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens such as spinach, broccoli, etc. Abstaining from dairy products as well, means that in order to receive my calcium, I consume calcium from soy products, such as soymilk and rice milk, kale, almonds, and even from tahini (Which is a favourite of mine – Hummus, or even spread onto toast or rice crackers!). Most of the legumes that I consume as well contain iron which contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Mixing and matching many of these products in meals makes it extremely easy to consume a lot of the requirements that are necessary to eat and maintain a healthy lifestyle; these provides fuel for my body to function and process on a daily basis, as well as engage in extremely gruelling body workouts, exercises, and long distance running. I’ve actually found that since I’ve adhered to a vegetarian diet, my exercising has become easier, as well as my stamina and endurance have increased.
Because I have been doing so for quite some time, I think that my health and overall breach on exercising and other physical activity has actually increased. It becomes easier to work out for longer periods of time, and just doing any physical activity like lifting boxes or moving things around has become less hard to do so. I find myself feeling better and more energized, and maybe this is a result of knowing what effects what, and being able to manipulate that. When I was eating meat I did not research where to get certain nutrients and so forth, hence I was unable to cater to what my body needed. Now that I know the specifics more, I believe that I'm catering to my own specific needs better and this is overall improving my health and morale in a more positive way.
There are so many ways to eat within a vegetarian diet or vegan diet and still be creative. There are so many new vegan and vegetarian restaurants popping up all around the world, specifically in Toronto, which goes to show that catering to niche markets is still doable. I believe that maintaining a vegetarian diet and being a chef is completely cohesive, and one has the ability to be just as creative as a regular chef.
Something I began making for myself, and is now demanded by my entire family, is a Cauliflower base Pizza. The crust is made of cauliflower making it a ton more healthy, and the toppings are endless, letting it be up to your creative imagination. I don't put any cheese as a topping of mine, but if you're the type of vegetarian (Lacto - Vegetarian) that consumes cheese and dairy products, then by all means this would also work. The recipe is as follows:
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
CRUST:
1/2 Head of Cauliflower
1 Flax Egg (1 Tbsp of Flax Meal + 5 Tbsp Water)
Salt, Paprika, Garlic + Onion Powder
TOPPINGS:
1/2 Cup of Tomato Sauce
1/2 Red Onion (Caramelized)
Handful of Cherry Tomatoes
Handful of Torn Spinach
1) Pre - Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2) Pulse handfuls of cauliflower to rice like consistency, or use a hand grater (Same result)
3) Place in boiling water to blanch; drain and squeeze out all excess water - pat dry
4) Mix in any of the seasonings that you desire, and pat onto a pizza tray into a pizza shape; bake this for approximately 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown
5) Remove the pizza from the oven and place all of the toppings that are desired on to the pizza; place back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until all of the toppings are warmed and cooked through
6) ENJOY
There have been several political and controversial debates about this specific diet, and whether or not a person can fully obtain all of the necessary nutrients and vitamins that are proven to be necessary to live a healthy lifestyle. Depending on the specific type of vegetarian diet you are adhering to, the process of understanding where to get the necessary nutrients from differs. I believe that through proper research and following a strict diet, it can prove to bring forward the same health benefits, but in different ways.
Typically, throughout the week on an average day, I would consume healthy fats from vegetable products such as avocados, coconuts (oil and butter), nuts and plenty of choices of nut butters (almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, etc.). Protein is extremely easy to consume in a vegetarian diet, being able to receive this from lentils, chickpeas, tofu, soy, grains (Bread, potatoes, etc.), and from vegetables such as sweet potatoes and dark leafy greens such as spinach, broccoli, etc. Abstaining from dairy products as well, means that in order to receive my calcium, I consume calcium from soy products, such as soymilk and rice milk, kale, almonds, and even from tahini (Which is a favourite of mine – Hummus, or even spread onto toast or rice crackers!). Most of the legumes that I consume as well contain iron which contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Mixing and matching many of these products in meals makes it extremely easy to consume a lot of the requirements that are necessary to eat and maintain a healthy lifestyle; these provides fuel for my body to function and process on a daily basis, as well as engage in extremely gruelling body workouts, exercises, and long distance running. I’ve actually found that since I’ve adhered to a vegetarian diet, my exercising has become easier, as well as my stamina and endurance have increased.
Because I have been doing so for quite some time, I think that my health and overall breach on exercising and other physical activity has actually increased. It becomes easier to work out for longer periods of time, and just doing any physical activity like lifting boxes or moving things around has become less hard to do so. I find myself feeling better and more energized, and maybe this is a result of knowing what effects what, and being able to manipulate that. When I was eating meat I did not research where to get certain nutrients and so forth, hence I was unable to cater to what my body needed. Now that I know the specifics more, I believe that I'm catering to my own specific needs better and this is overall improving my health and morale in a more positive way.
There are so many ways to eat within a vegetarian diet or vegan diet and still be creative. There are so many new vegan and vegetarian restaurants popping up all around the world, specifically in Toronto, which goes to show that catering to niche markets is still doable. I believe that maintaining a vegetarian diet and being a chef is completely cohesive, and one has the ability to be just as creative as a regular chef.
Something I began making for myself, and is now demanded by my entire family, is a Cauliflower base Pizza. The crust is made of cauliflower making it a ton more healthy, and the toppings are endless, letting it be up to your creative imagination. I don't put any cheese as a topping of mine, but if you're the type of vegetarian (Lacto - Vegetarian) that consumes cheese and dairy products, then by all means this would also work. The recipe is as follows:
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
CRUST:
1/2 Head of Cauliflower
1 Flax Egg (1 Tbsp of Flax Meal + 5 Tbsp Water)
Salt, Paprika, Garlic + Onion Powder
TOPPINGS:
1/2 Cup of Tomato Sauce
1/2 Red Onion (Caramelized)
Handful of Cherry Tomatoes
Handful of Torn Spinach
1) Pre - Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
2) Pulse handfuls of cauliflower to rice like consistency, or use a hand grater (Same result)
3) Place in boiling water to blanch; drain and squeeze out all excess water - pat dry
4) Mix in any of the seasonings that you desire, and pat onto a pizza tray into a pizza shape; bake this for approximately 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown
5) Remove the pizza from the oven and place all of the toppings that are desired on to the pizza; place back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until all of the toppings are warmed and cooked through
6) ENJOY