Hello Everyone,

On July the 12 I’m doing a presentation for My TOPS Group and I was hope some of you could help me with some veggie facts I concentrating on the health benefits of the life style. I plan to talk about what a vegetarian is. Why people become vegetarian. How vegetarians get all the proper nutrition you need. Then the health benefits and I thought I’d end with what a Vegan day looks like compared to a SAD (Standard American Diet) looks like.

If you could help or have suggestions please feel free to let me know.

Thanks G

I am a born vegetarian and so are 50% people in my country (India). its a myth that vegetarian foods have lower nutrition values.

my vegetarian day: 7:00 am- 1/4th bowl of cheerios with 1/4th cup fat free soymilk. 1 fruit usually a tangerine/few strawberries.

10:00 am- V8 low sodium vegetable juice/1/2 cup puffed rice sauted with onion /fruit.

1.00 pm- 1 serving of fat free plain/vanilla soy yogurt.
rice+lentil steamed with some veggies/beans like carrots/tomatoes/ indian flat bread (roti)+veggies sauted in 1tsp fat free oil.

4.00 pm- cucumber slices/apple/tea

7.30 pm- same as lunch.

I think vegetarian diet is wholesome,tasty and gulitfree!

You might consider looking at vegsource.com for stats and scientific support for plant-based eating. On their site, I watched a video: "7 simple steps to a healthy vegetarian diet" that was very interesting. Of course, you will have a different audience than she did. I believe that some others are scared of becoming a vegetarian b/c they have the old prejudices and view it as a hippy lifestyle. You don't have to be a hippy to eat healthy and eating healthy means means more veggies/grains, legumes, etc. Even our messed up govt's food guide pyramid is more inclined that way in spite of the adverse influences (dairy, meat industries.) I think Harvard created a pyramid that more closely resembles vegetarian one. Which reminds me, you could show them the vegetarian pyramid as part of your presentation. For this southern girl, the biggest thing is trying to retrain my brain not to demand meat at every meal. My husband is a candidate for heart disease so it's vital that I change our eating practices. I don't care if you want to call it vegetarian, I just call it eating healthy. Eat more beans! Sorry I rambled, good luck on your speech!