Consider going veg...

At least one night a week! Vegetarianism definitely isn't for everyone, but we can all benefit from consuming less meat. And when I say vegetarian, I mean proper vegetarian...not just a meal that doesn't include meat, but one that includes a complete protein (for example, beans and rice are a complete protein...supplying all the essential amino acids).

There are lots of great reasons to reduce your consumption of meat and here are just a few:

• reduces your consumption of saturated fat, which helps improve your cardiovascular health.
• increases your fiber intake; veggies, fruits, beans and whole grains are all high in fibre and are the basis of a vegetarian diet.
• help cut cholesterol; by eliminating food that comes from animals, you will be cutting cholesterol. Just remember, all cholesterol isn't bad, the saturated fats in meat can increase your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels (see reason #1)
• environmental reasons; conserves natural resources, reduces deforestation, reduces pollution.
• also, it will help cut your grocery bill! Lentils and beans are far cheaper than meat.

I am not a vegetarian, I mostly eat only chicken, turkey and fish and limit my consumption of red meat or pork to maybe once a month. I also try to make two of our dinners each week, vegetarian. I like the variety it adds (eating chicken all the time can get pretty boring) and it saves us money. I also find that it is quicker to whip up a veg meal...no defrosting meat, or cooking it...

So, maybe this week give it a try....switch up one of your meat meals for legumes, veg and whole grains...your body will thank you for it!

In good health,

Wendy