Healthy way to celebrate Vegetarian Festival (Jae Festival)

Jae diet has become popular among those who want to improve their health. When you are on this diet, you have to plan your meal properly because there can be nutrient deficiency if you do not have comprehensive knowledge about it. Here are some simple tips to help your properly plan your meal in a healthy way along with some clarification on what you can eat on Jae diet.

Jae diet is when you abstain from consumption of all kinds of meat, animal products, and 5 pungent-odor vegetables, i.e., garlic, onion, rakkyo, chives, and tobacco. You can only eat vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and plant-based products. When you are on this kind of diet, you get more of certain nutrients from fruits and vegetables like increased fiber and less saturated fat. Studies have revealed that increased consumption of vegetable, fruits, and grains can help reduce the risk of developing illnesses such as colorectal cancer, heart, and vascular disease, and they can also help with weight management. Besides the health benefit, plant-based food is good for the environment. Studies have found that plant-based food uses 10-50 times less water and emits only 29% of CO2 when compared to meat products.

Jae diet or plant-based food provides us with a number of nutrients including carbohydrates -- from root vegetables like potato, sweet potato, and pumpkin -- protein -- from nuts and grains--, and fat -- from soy, olive, or cholesterol-free rice bran oil. They are also rich in fiber and antioxidants which are beneficial for our health. However, there can be deficiency in some of the essential nutrients on Jae diet like essential amino acid, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, zinc, and omega-3.

Eating tips for Jae Diet to get the nutrients you need

Here are some nutrition tips for Jae diet to prevent you from nutrient deficiency and stay healthy in the long term.

1. Consume varieties of grains because different plant provides different amount of essential amino acid which cannot be synthesized within our body. 

• Soybean is low in methionine.

• Corn is low in lysine and tryptophan.

• White rice is low in lysine and threonine.

• Wheat is low in lysine.

To avoid deficiency of these amino acids during Jae Festival, you should consume varieties of grains, and you may choose to eat oats, beans, chickpea, and goji berry to receive protein and amino acid more comprehensively, because when we are deficient in these amino acids, we may experience certain symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, and mood swing.

2. Increase vitamin B12 intake because meat is source of vitamin B12, an essential nutrient for red blood cell production and nervous system. An adult need 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12. Deficiency in vitamin B12 can cause anemia and affects functions of brain and nervous system. Plant-based food containing vitamin B12 are, for example, fermented beans, miso, bean paste, vitamin B12-fortified soymilk, and vitamin B12-fortified cereal bar.

3. Add some salt to increase iodine intake: One of the most deficient nutrients on Jay diet is iodine as it is commonly found in seafood and sea plant. An adult needs about 150 mg of iodine a day, but make sure you do not consume more than 2000mg of sodium daily. When iodine intake meets daily requirement, it can prevent iodine deficiency, which can increase the risk of developing goiter, cause easy tiredness, inactiveness, and reduced working performance. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has therefore enforced a regulation that iodine must be added to salty condiments to prevent such symptoms.

4. Increase Omega-3 intake for your heart and arteries. Studies have shown that people who are on plant-based diet has lower level of Omega-3 than people who eat regular food. Benefits of Omega-3 include 

• Lower level of triglyceride and prevent platelet aggregation 

• Boost function of immune system 

• Support normal functions of brain and nervous system 

Recommended dose of omega-3 is 0.5-2% of total daily calories intake, and the recommended dose of EPA and DHA is about 0.25-2.0 grams. Sources of omega-3 are, for example, soybean oil, canola oil, flax seed, walnut, and chia seed. You may choose to eat food containing omega-3 or drink soymilk cereal beverage with chia seed as an alternative way to improve your health on Jae diet.  

These tips can help you celebrate Vegetarian Festival in a healthy way because overconsumption or underconsumption of something can negatively affect your health. In addition to eating varieties of food, you should exercise regularly for 30 minutes a day, 3-5 day a week, and maintain healthy emotion. Everyone should start paying attention to their health with health tips from 3EMeStyle here in the way the best suits your lifestyle.