3 Reasons to Eat Vegetarian One Day a Week

Vegetarian One Day A Week?
A movement called Meatless Monday is catching on. According to their website, they are a nonprofit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health and their goal is to help reduce meat consumption by 15%. Some vegetarians would not call it vegetarian at all if it's just one day a week, but there are surprising health and environmental benefits to eating meat free once a week, regardless of what you call it. Read on to learn how a little moderation can go such a long way.

Vegetarian Benefits
The first reason may surprise you, but it is actually better for the environment. Meatless Monday cites The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, estimating that the meat industry generates nearly a fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions. That's more than transportation effects our climate! Eating meatless one day a week can reduce your carbon footprint!

The second benefit is that you can reduce your saturated fat intake and your cholesterol intake if you replace the meat in your diet with the right things. Reducing your saturated fat and cholesterol can have tremendous health benefits. According to Meatless Monday, going meatless one day a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease diabetes and obesity. The key word here is preventable. Yes, some of our health woes here in the good old US of A are preventable.

The third benefit is a boost in your intake of antioxidants, bioflavanoids, fiber, polyphenols, micronutrients and the list goes on and on. According to an article on Medscape Today, "Polyphenols in fruits, soybean, vegetables, herbs, roots, and leaves act as bioactive components related with prevention of cancer, heart diseases and diabetes." So not only do you reduce saturated fat, but you also increase your consumption of nutrients proven to fight for you if you go vegetarian one day a week. You have to replace that meat with something and if you reach for the right things, you can boost all of these nutrients. Look for colorful fruits and vegetables which are known to contain more of these benefits.

The pitfalls? As in all things, moderation is key. If you replace meat with full fat cheeses and refined breads, you may not receive all of these benefits, so go easy on these and reach for those vegetables and whole grains! Ideas for your meatless day? Pasta with tomatoes, onions and artichokes, or spinach and red onion quesadillas with Monterey Jack soy cheese.

References:

www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/ 162433419

Kim MJ; Kim YJ; Park HJ; Leem KH; Kim HK, Apoptotic effect of red wine polyphenols on human colon cancer SNU-C4 cells, Medscape Today

www.meatlessmonday.com/why_meatless/

Steinfeld, H., et al., Livestocks long shadow: Environmental issues and options. 2006, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Rome, Italy.

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