Sooo... You want to be a vegetarian? (Part 2- Nutrition- a very broad overview)

This is going to be long. But informative. Here we go!

There are 3 macro nutrients that your body requires

• Carbohydrates- broken down into simple sugars called glucose used by the body as energy
  
• Protein- The building blocks of the body, much of your body is made of amino acids or protien
  
• Fat- Necessary for brain function and building cell walls, also females need 10-15% body fat for normal menstruation function (to have babies safely)
  

All are necessary for proper body function (as you can see)

You also need a number of micro nutrients- these are the vitamins and minerals and phytoshemicals you find in mostly whole foods. These are like the switches that turn certain body functions on and off so it works right.

Soo... how does this affect vegetarians? Here are a few nutrition issues that you should be aware of--

• Protein- There are 22 amino acids that make up protein- some your body makes, 9 it doesn't. But only certain foods have all the necessary amino acids. These are meat, animal products, and soy (our good friend tofu)--they are called complete proteins. Lots of other things have protein (leafy green veggies, beans, nuts, grains, etc) but you need to eat a veriety to make sure you get all your amino acids in-- these are incomplete protiens. 
• Fat-- You need fat. You need fat. You need fat. Got it? Often fat is the bad guy in society because the saturated fat in meat clogs arteries and causes unhealthy fat storage in the body. But in reality 15-30% of you total calories should be from fat. Vegetarians generally don't need to avoid fat like meat eaters. Make sure your eating foods with fat in them such as vegetable oils (olivee, canola, sunflower, etc.), avacados, dairy products, eggs, flax, etc.
• Calsium- If you don't eat diary make sure you do your research and make sure you are getting enough calsium. While vegetarians don't generally need as much as meat eaters, calsium is used in most vital body functions as well as strong bones and teeth. 
• Other things nutrients that vegetarians need to make sure their getting are Vitamin D, Iron, B-12, and Folic Acid.

Now that your mind is dazed and confussed.... ON TO APPLICATION!!!