Are We Born Vegetarian Or Non-vegetarian

The natural features of an animal are considered to define its vegetarian of non-vegetarian instinct. The cattle eat grass, plant leaves and soft branches rich in cellulose. Cellulose is digested by these animals as their digestive system secrete cellulase enzyme required for the breakdown of cellulose. So, cattle are vegetarian in nature as they are capable of digesting cellulose rich food due to the presence of cellulase in their stomach where as cellulose is not produced in our stomach, so, we are not vegetarian. On the contrary the teeth of non-vegetarian animals are pointed and sharp but human beings do not have such teeth, so, we are not non-vegetarian also. If you go through the theory of evolution you would find that man had been evolved out of monkey, so our dietary habits and instinct should be like those of monkeys. Monkeys eat fruits and are fruitarian, so we are also fruitarian like our ancestors.

If we eat only fresh fruits like monkeys, we would be more healthy, active and energetic. Fruits are rich in good quality sugar, the fructose which is quickly metabolized. Fruits are the natural and the richest source of minerals and vitamins. Citrus fruits like orange and lemon are rich source of vitamin-C. Red and yellow fruits and vegetables like papaya, tomatoes and carrots are rich in vitamin-A. Vitamin-B, C, folic acid and minerals are almost in all fruits. Bananas are rich in calcium. Grapes are a natural source of calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, sugar and antioxidants. If you go through the history of mankind, you would find that ancient saints used to live in forests and eat lot of fresh fruits and raw vegetables (salad) instead of cooked food and lived longer than us. Antioxidants present in fruits are known to slow down the ageing process, so it is always beneficial to eat fruits for health and longevity.

Eating fruits is better than drinking fruit juice since the chewing action would add saliva to the fruit pulp in our mouth and initiate digestive process. Eating fruits is good for the health of our gums and teeth since fruits are non sticky. Dry fruits are rich source of good fat and minerals also. Diabetics can eat dry fruits and less sweet fruits like melons and oranges in addition to salad (tomatoes, cucumber, onions, radish and cabbage). Apples and guavas are available through out the year and are rich source of vitamin-C, iron and other minerals. People suffering from chronic constipation should eat fruits and salad before any cooked meal for the beneficial effect of fruits in alleviating the constipation.

Food For Health And Fitness

Health is not mere absence of disease or infirmity but a state of complete physical, mental and social well being. An optimal amount of balanced diet is essential for individuals of all age groups. Environmental factors do influence our dietary requirements. Food is essential to build up the body to make it fit for wear and tear and cope with environmental conditions and infectious agents. Food acts as fuel for the production of heat and energy in our body. Our nutritional requirements include adequate proportions of protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, minerals and vitamins.

Daily requirement of an adult is in the range of 60 to 80 grams of protein, 300 to 400 grams of carbohydrates (starches and sugars), 70 to 100 grams of fat, 3-5 grams of salt and minerals and some milligrams/units of vitamins. Vitamins are an integral part of some food stuffs. Proteins are of two types. Animal proteins are rich in essential amino-acids, but plant proteins lack certain essential amino-acids. There are 8 essential amino-acids and a complete protein food should contain at least 5 of them. We require a mixed diet that is a diet consisting of foodstuffs derived from animals and plants as no single article of food contains all the essential proportions of diet materials cited above. Milk and cheese are rich source of casein, a protein. Eggs and meat are rich source of essential amino-acids containing proteins. Other sources of proteins are Soya beans, pulses and agar-agar. Water constitutes 80 to 85 per cent of our daily diet intake. Fruits and vegetables are rich source of carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. Vegetable oils are source of fat with unsaturated fatty acids. Different foodstuffs have different heat generating value that is Caloric value. One gram of protein has a heat value of 4 Calories, 1 gram of carbohydrate also has 4 Calories and 1 gram of fat has a heat value of 9 Calories. The Caloric value of a balanced diet for an adult male per day should be 2500 to 3000 Calories. A woman needs about 2200 Calories daily for good health and fitness.