Perhaps, no other diet can compare with a vegetarian diet. When coupled with exercise, a vegetarian diet can put you in the pink of your health and allow you to be in tiptop condition. Although most people consider vegetarian eating a diet, the truth is that it is not considered one at all, as it is said to be a natural form of eating. If you think of it, gorging out on a lot of vegetables may do more wonders for your health and body than do other food groups. Time and again, health professionals have stressed the importance of eating vegetables on one’s health. Here are some reasons why a vegetarian diet is good for you.

High endurance. While it has been a common notion that loading up on meat and other animal products provide protein to sustain energy for muscle endurance, it has now been found that the body actually uses glucose to produce energy and not protein. In fact, vegetarians are found to be more upbeat and energetic than do meat eaters.

Longevity – Studies have shown that those who maintain a vegetarian diet live longer than those who do not. A vegetarian diet is filled with more nutrients, minerals and fiber that promote longer life.

Lower risk of cancer. There have been studies that link the occurrence of cancer to unhealthy diet. In fact, a diet that is high in fat and low in fiber has been reported as a major factor in cancer related deaths. A vegetarian diet can lower your chances of getting certain types of cancer such as breast, colon and prostate cancer.

Lower risk of heart disease. A vegetarian diet is low in cholesterol and saturated fat, which, when taken in by the body in huge proportions can increase cholesterol levels in the blood and can lead to heart disease. A vegetarian diet can significantly lower the risk of this rather fatal disease. It can also lower the risk of hypertension as well.

Lower risk of obesity. With a vegetarian diet, it is easier to devise a low fat plan than it is for those who eat meat. Vegetables are rich in fiber, which is essential in giving the body energy without the unwanted calories as well as sweeping out toxins in your system. Moreover, a vegetarian diet can also reduce obesity related diseases such as diseases. People who are able to control their weight and keep it off are less prone to developing obesity and other related diseases.

So live a longer, healthier and happier life with a vegetarian diet.

Russel Esquibel is a nutrition oriented expert. He is a writer of Eat-Raw-Food.com, a site where you can find information, tips and advice about raw food, raw food diet, vegetarian, vegan and more.

Absinthe has a colorful history attached to it. Absinthe’s journey from glory to decadence is an interesting one. From drinking it as a medicine, absinthe was believed by people to be death itself. The sudden rise in fame and popularity of absinthe and its equally sudden exit is intriguing. This is what makes the absinthe story worth retelling.

How Absinthe became the flavor of the moment

It may be difficult for us to imagine that absinthe started off as a medicine. French soldiers fighting in Algeria were offered the drink as a tonic. It was given as a remedy to cure stomach aches. Whether it made them all right or not, they developed a liking for the drink and drank it without prescription. The drink grew bigtime and slowly started gathering a following.

Slowly it got an image as an inebriating drink. People described wonderful experiences they had with the drink. They reported it to give them hallucinations. It made reality as they wished it to be, as Oscar Wilde famously put it. The drink was also stated to bring on a state of reverie.

This brought many artists to experiment with the drink. After taking the drink, they passed their own judgment on the drink. They believed it improved their imagination. Taking the drink was said to spur their creative energies. It gave them fresh ideas for their work. It also began to find a place in their work. Poet Rimbaud began mentioning it in his writings. Van Gogh made it the subject of his paintings.

Association with people of such class gave the drink a bohemian image. It also drove high the popularity of the drink. It became the stuff everyone wanted to taste and try, to say the least.

Absinthe’s journey to decadence

Soon circumstances ran out of favor for the drink.
The wine industry suffered a setback. A disease had ruined the crop and affected production of wines. People who were addicted to drinking wine, saw a replacement, in absinthe. They took to the drink like water.

This coupled with the popularity enjoyed by absinthe gave more reasons for people to take it. People began drinking it indiscriminately, even though the drink contained extremely high levels of alcohol. They probably drank it as they would wine and suffered the consequences. Side by side, people also began experimenting with the original recipe of the drink.

All this lead people to die due to over-consumption or suffer from symptoms like convulsions. It also gave rise to social problems associated with alcohol abuse.

It drove people to murder their own. One such incident proved to be the last nail on the coffin. A farmer in Geneva brutally murdered his wife with a hatchet. This incident sparked off wide-spread antagonism for the drink. The hues and cries became louder and louder. The government finally responded to the cries of the people and banned Absinthe to prevent the situation from worsening. An era for the drink had ended and it was going to be lost in oblivion for some time to come.

Absinthe

Absinthe is a drink that is enjoying a revival the world over. It used to be preferred over alcohol at one stage. Then due to uncontrolled production, it had to be banned to curb unscrupulous practices. The drink became hugely popular in the late 19th century. It was initially taken as a prescription for curing stomach ailments. The taste caught the imagination of the public to such an extent that they began consuming it indiscriminately.

As the rage caught on, people began ascribing many magical qualities to it. Particularly amongst artists, it was believed that consuming the liquor was the best therapy to ward off creative blocks. They began using it and also started popularizing it through their work. Through them it became a symbol of a new movement and people began to like being seen drinking it.

The drink became famous for giving hallucinations and reveries. Later it was seen to induce homicidal behavior as well. Vincent van Gogh, the famous Dutch artist, is said to have cut his ear off under the influence of this drink.

Real nature of Absinthe

The effects of the real absinthe are far from making a person homicidal. A major part of its effects are due to the high alcohol content in the drink. Normal alcohol beverages do not contain high percentage of alcohol. Absinthe contains a minimum 70 per cent of alcohol content. This large percentage of alcohol is responsible for the effects of the drink. As drinking alcohol does not give one hallucinations, so is the same with absinthe.

The rest of the effects of the drink was found to be caused by additives which some manufacturers added to make the drink more popular. It is to stop such unscrupulous use that a ban was placed on the drink across the world.

True absinthe tastes like anise or licorice. It is unlike the taste of other alcohol drinks. A taste for it is developed gradually. After it has been introduced some producers have attempted to reduce the thujone content in the drink further. It faced opposition with regulars who say that it would make it very unlike original absinthe.

Absinthe: Absinthe a drink which has been shrouded with mystery for all times, has made a come back.