Why hasn't obesity been avoided? Five dietary misconceptions about vegetarianism!

Strictly speaking, vegetarianism refers to the prohibition of animal based ingredients and the prohibition of "five spice" and "five meat" temple dishes and Taoist dishes. However, for modern people, any food that can be directly used or processed from plants grown on land and water can be collectively referred to as vegetarianism. For example, vegetables, fruits, soy products, gluten and other materials used to make vegetarian dishes.

Misconception 1: There is no limit to the amount of processed food

Many vegetarians believe that as long as there are no animal food ingredients, it is a food with high nutritional value. In fact, many processed foods are made from plant-based ingredients, but most of them are made from refined white rice and flour, which remove dietary fiber and add a lot of oil, sugar, or salt, and cannot replace the health benefits of fresh natural foods.

In view of people's preference for vegetarianism and vegetable foods, some products even use "vegetable cream", "vegetable shortening", etc. as promotional selling points. As far as the impact on blood lipids is concerned, this kind of "vegetable oil" is worse than animal oil. Several studies have confirmed that the "hydrogenated vegetable oil" contained in these products will introduce "trans fatty acids", which will greatly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and may also harm brain health. The recipe appears in the middle of the hall. Due to the relatively light natural flavor of vegetarianism, some people add large amounts of oil, sugar, salt, and other seasonings to cook.

For example, they often eat pastries and cakes with fat, often eat Fried Rice and fried noodles, add a lot of fat when frying vegetables, add a lot of sugar when mixing drinks, add a lot of salt and MSG when seasoning, and so on. These practices bring too much energy to vegetarianism and increase the content of simple sugars and sodium salts. Many people have a serious misconception that meat and oil make people fat, and that it doesn't matter how much vegetable oil they eat. Little did they know that vegetable oil, white sugar, and animal fat, like animal fat, can easily raise blood lipids, promote obesity, and induce fatty liver. In terms of making people gain weight, there is almost no difference between meat, oil, vegetable, and oil.

Misconception 3: Eating too much fruit without reducing staple food

Many vegetarian enthusiasts love fruits and eat a lot of them in addition to their three meals a day. But they often find that although fruits are known for their health, they do not bring them slimness. This is because fruits contain over 8% sugar, and energy cannot be ignored. If you eat more than half a pound of fruits, you should reduce the amount of main meals or staple foods accordingly to achieve energy balance throughout the day. Otherwise, adding an extra one or two hundred calories of energy, how can one not gain weight over time.

In addition to fruits, it is also important to pay attention to the same issue when drinking extra milk or yogurt every day. Many egg and dairy vegetarians like to eat cheese and add a lot of cheese powder when seasoning, which can also increase the calories in the diet.

Misconception 4: Thinking that all vegetables are equally good

For strict vegetarians, the nutritional significance of vegetables is more important. They not only have to bear the responsibility of supplying vitamin C and carotenoids, but also contribute to iron, calcium, folate, vitamin B2 and other aspects. Therefore, they should try to choose vegetable varieties that are rich in these nutrients. Green leafy vegetables are the best among them, such as mustard greens, cauliflower, amaranth, spinach, rapeseed, chrysanthemum, etc. In order to increase protein supply, mushroom vegetables and fresh leguminous vegetables are excellent choices, such as various mushrooms, edamame, fresh peas, etc. If you only like a few so-called "weight loss vegetables" such as cucumber, tomato, winter melon, bitter melon, etc., it is difficult to obtain sufficient nutrients.Misconception 5: Vegetarianism must focus on raw and cold foods.

Some vegetarians believe that vegetables only have health value when eaten raw, so they rarely eat cooked dishes and are fond of cold salads and salads. In fact, many nutrients in vegetables require the addition of fats and oils to be well absorbed. After heating, the integrity of the cell wall is disrupted, resulting in a significant increase in absorption rate. For example, vitamin K, carotenoids, and lycopene are nutrients that are more easily absorbed after cooking. Vitamin K is essential for bone health, carotenoids are precursors of vitamin A, and lycopene is an important health ingredient for antioxidant and cancer prevention. At the same time, it should be noted that salad dressing has a fat content of over 60%, and using it for cold dishes does not lower the calorie content compared to cooking with oil.

It should also be noted that raw and cold foods often weaken the digestive and absorption functions of the human body, and are not suitable for some people who already have indigestion. For example, some people are prone to bloating and cold diarrhea, so they should not eat too much raw and cold food. They can consider cooking until cooked before eating vegetarian food. Generalized vegetarians not only need to obtain calcium from dairy products, but also need to supplement protein, B vitamins, and vitamin AD from them; strict vegetarians need to supplement calcium from tofu and obtain protein and B vitamins from staple foods with added beans. Many women are fond of fruits and vegetables when starting a vegetarian diet, but often overlook the source of protein and forget that vegetarianism also has the issue of ensuring adequate nutrition.