Top 5: Exclusive lip-smacking vegetarian recipes!

The non-veggies may not agree but vegetarian dishes can indeed be yummy. We bring you an exclusive excerpt from The Heart of the Matter by Gitanjali Gurbaxani with five recipes, which the author has kindly shared with us. A healthy vegetarian diet supports a lifetime of good health and provides protection against numerous diseases including heart diseases, cancer and strokes. A well-planned vegetarian diet provides us with all nutrients that we need, minus the saturated fat, cholesterol and contaminants found in animal flesh, eggs and butter. A wholesome vegetarian diet offers distinct advantages as compared to the one with meats and other foods of animal origin. This demystifies the age-old myth that a pure-vegetarian diet lacks proteins and essential minerals. Fibre content in vegetarian food prevents synthesis of very low-density lipoproteins, which can lead to heart diseases. Red meat in particular contains high amount of saturated fats, which are bound to increase cholesterol levels leading to heart attacks. This roughage also helps to eliminate faecal matter from large intestine easily. Meat eaters usually suffer from constipation, as it does not contain fibre. This is the reason why diseases like ulcerative colitis and colon cancer are more common in meat eaters. An unbalanced non-vegetarian diet can lead to heart diseases, cholesterol problems, high blood pressure, cancer and obesity. But the paradox is that even an unbalanced pure vegetarian diet can lead to the same problems. Convenience vegetarian foods can be just as fattening as non-vegetarian foods. In fact, some vegetarian products like deep-fried Samosas, Bhajiyas and Chaats etc may contain more fat than meat-based foods. Overconsumption of these high-calorie convenience foods or vegetarian fast food leads to weight gain just like meat-based foods. Heart ailments and heartaches both have become a part and parcel of modem man’s life. Heartaches can be well cured by care and love, but not heart ailments. Heart ailments need adequate medical help apart from love and care for proper treatment
Heart ailments like hypertension, high blood pressure etc, though are not normal health conditions but have come to assume the place of a common and normal happening. The various properties of fruits and vegetables help in providing possible protection against cardiovascular diseases. These factors include folic add, dietary fibres, potassium, magnesium, carotenoids, phytosterols, fiavonoids and other polyphenolic antioxidants. Avegetarian diet is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Vegetarians typically have lower blood cholesterol levels as they consume plant diets, which are rich in soluble fibre. These are found in dry beans, oats, carrots, apples and citrus fruits, and are useful for lowering serum cholesterol levels. The yellow, orange and red carotenoid pigments in fruits and vegetables are powerful antioxidants that can quench free radicals and protect against cholesterol oxidation. Persons with high levels of serum carotenoids have a reduced risk of heart disease.
A number of studies have shown that lentils reduce the blood-cholesterol levels, improve blood-sugar control and lower triglyceride levels. Since beans are good sources of soluble fibre, vegetable protein, saponins, phytosterols and polyunsaturated fat, consuming a diet rich in lentils will lower the risk of heart diseases. The consumption of a generous supply of whole grains, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables provides protection against chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. A plant-based diet is rich in its content of health-promoting factors such as the many phytochemicals. Garlic, onions and other members of the allium family, contain a variety of ajoenes, vinyldithiins and other sulfide compounds that have antithrombotic action to lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
A balanced diet along with physical workout and a disciplined lifestyle is important for one’s well-being. Being a vegetarian is thus considered as the new fitness mantra, which could enhance the health of your body.