Types of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
Vegetarian diets include:
- Vegan
- Lacto-vegetarian
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian
- Flexitarian (semi-vegetarian)
According to the American Heart Association guidelines, adults who are trying to lose weight and keep it off should eat no more than 30 percent of total daily calories from fat and less than 7 percent from saturated fat, which is difficult or impossible with many high-protein diets.
Foods rich in protein include:
Vegetarian diets include:
Examples of shellfish high in protein include:
A four-ounce serving of shrimp contains 24 grams of protein and is 112 calories. There are four ounces (20 grams) of protein in a seafood filet, for example, salmon.
Shrimp contains a muscle-building protein that is a great source of betaine. The body needs betaine because it helps maintain normal levels of homocysteine (an amino acid) in the blood. High (elevated) levels of homocysteine promotes inflammation of the lining of blood vessels.
Salmon and other shellfish may higher in calories; however, they contain omega-3 fatty acids, which is healthy for your heart.
One cup of plain Greek yogurt has 23 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat and 133 calories.
Beans are rich in in protein and are high in fiber and water so they make you feel fuller faster, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Wellness Institute in Chicago and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. This allows you to add protein to your diet without the extra calories and fat.
One-half cup of beans contain about 24 grams, which is the same amount of protein in an ounce of steak.
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White meat is a great source of dense, lean protein in your diet, for example:
A three-ounce serving of boneless, skinless turkey breast and a 3-ounce serving of boneless skinless chicken breast contain 26 grams of protein (180 calories).
Elevated homocysteine levels in the blood called hyperhomocysteinemia, is a sign that the body isn't producing enough of the amino acid homocysteine. is a rare and serious condition that may be inherited (genetic). People with homocystinuria die at an early age. Symptoms of hyperhomocysteinemia include developmental delays, osteoporosis, blood clots, heart attack, heart disease, stroke, and visual abnormalities.
There are other causes of hyperhomocysteinemia, for example, alcoholism.
Supplementing the diet with folic acid and possibly vitamins B6 and B12 supplements can lower homocysteine levels. Currently there is no direct proof that taking folic acid and B vitamins lower homocysteine levels and prevent heart attacks and strokes. Talk to your doctor if you feel you need to have your homocysteine blood levels checked.
Cholesterol is naturally produced by the body, and is a building block for cell membranes and hormones. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol. High levels of LDL and low levels of HDL cholesterol put a person at risk for heart attack, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA or mini stroke), and peripheral artery disease.
High cholesterol can be lowered by eating foods that lower cholesterol, for example, eat more high soluble fiber foods (oatmeal, oat bran, vegetables, and certain fruits), use olive oil, eat foods fortified with plant sterols and stanols, soy, nuts, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Foods that raise LDL or bad cholesterol include foods high in saturated and trans fats, fatty meats, limit egg yolks, limit milk products, limit crackers, muffins, and snacks, and avoid unhealthy fast foods that are high in fat and sugar
High cholesterol treatment includes lifestyle changes (diet and exercise), and medications such as statins, bile acid resins, and fibric acid derivatives.