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May 22nd, 2010

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED AMONG THE HEALTHY ONES: LIVING AS A VEGAN

Written by SupportVegans

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED AMONG THE HEALTHY ONES:  LIVING AS A VEGAN. What do people like iconic Indian superstar, Amitabh Bachchan, sexy Richard Gere, Anthony “Hannibal Lector” Perkins, athletic Carl Lewis, Tobey “Spiderman” Macguire have in common? That they are famous and that they are role models? No doubt. But more fundamentally they are vegetarians or vegans.

Tobey, for example, bulked up for his role in Spiderman by eating lots of tofu. He turned vegetarian in 1992 because, he said that even when eating chicken, he would imagine the live bird. Shania Twain, who won the first Sexiest Vegetarian Alive given by PETA, says that she has more energy since she turned vegetarian.

Oprah Winfrey, who has tried numerous diets, and is perpetually trying to lose weight, is now trying a vegan diet after her recently acknowledged and publicly admitted weight gain.

“Once I became vegan, my nails were stronger, my skin was glowing, I lost a lot of weight. … Going vegan is the single best thing I’ve done in my life. I am so much happier and more confident. I made a decision based on my moral beliefs,” says Alicia Silverstone, who is now in the process of getting her book, “The Kind Diet” published by Rodale. The book will include a three-step diet plan and macrobiotic and vegan recipes.

Natalie Portman launched a line of vegan shoes and all the profits from that will go to “The Nature Conservancy” as she is very concerned with ecology and the environment.

It is not just adults who are turning vegan or vegetarian. Now there is an animated series for children called “Veggie Tales” where the animated protagonists are vegetables. The producers have released videos, songs and even a movie. Another movie, The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything is in the pipeline. This series is pro vegan… (more…)

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May 21st, 2010

Is Vegan Food Boring? New Insights for Adventurous Animal-Free Eating

Written by SupportVegans

Is Vegan Food Boring? New Insights for Adventurous Animal-Free Eating. Doesn’t Vegan food get boring? Just the opposite—veganism opens the door to new adventures in eating. If you enjoy cooking your own meals, you’ll discover that bookstores have shelves filled with cookbooks containing imaginative vegetarian recipes from around the world. Try Ethiopian lentil stew, eggplant parmesan, or bean quesadillas for a satisfying meal that’s inexpensive and delicious.

Looking for ways to fight climate change while improving your health? You can do both by trying a meat-free diet. Plant-based food production takes less water and energy than animal products like meat, dairy and eggs, so vegetarianism is better for our fragile ecosystem. Raising cattle and pigs also produces carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change. Raising plants, by contrast, reduces carbon dioxide and puts more oxygen into the atmosphere.

When you reduce or eliminate your consumption of animal products, you’ll not only help the earth but also do your body a favor by reducing your intake of saturated fats, artificial hormones and antibiotics while increasing your consumption of vitamins, minerals and fiber. You’ll be healthier and so will the environment… (more…)

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May 16th, 2010

Being Vegan is Not Restrictive: Veganism frees from Disease & Death

Written by SupportVegans

Being Vegan is Not Restrictive: Veganism frees from Disease & Death. Eating healthy is a hot topic these days.  It is more important than ever that everyone eat healthy.  While someone might look at a vegan diet as very restrictive, a vegan diet is a healthy diet, if properly designed.  There are many benefits of a vegan diet.  There are benefits of for the earth, for the animals, and most importantly, for the vegan.

First, a vegan is a vegetarian that does not eat anything that comes from an animal: not meat, not eggs or milk, or any related products.

The health benefits of being a vegan are many. Vegans tend to have a lower body mass, less heart disease, less hypertension, lower cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.  Vegans also have less incidents of type 2 diabetes.  The reasons for these health benefits is that vegan foods are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and have higher levels of carbs, fiber, magnesium and antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E.

Animals that end up as meat at the store do not have a pleasant life.  They are kept confined, and denied veterinary care.  They are mutilated without slaughtered while fully conscience.  The photographs of these living conditions are horrid.  The farm is simply not what it used to be.

Being a vegan benefits the earth because meat factories are, when all is said and done, factories.  They pollute the environment and consume large amounts of diminishing resources, including water, grain, petroleum, and pesticides. (more…)

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May 15th, 2010

Research Exposes the Truth About a Vegan Diet: Is being Vegan Dangerous?

Written by SupportVegans

Research Exposes the Truth About a Vegan Diet: Is being Vegan Dangerous? Every year millions of Americans resolve to take better care of themselves; to eat better, exercise, lose weight, and become healthy. Every year millions of Americans cope with the devastating effects of disease and cancer. Every year billions of dollars are spent studying populations with low rates of cancer, heart disease and stroke. One of the populations being studied are Vegans. Vegans have a plant based diet and do not eat meat, dairy products or eggs.

Researchers have learned that Vegans live 6 to 10 years longer than the average American, are 50% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 60% less likely to develop certain cancers. Vegans have lower blood cholesterol, lower levels of saturated fats and lower blood pressure. Vegans also have a reduced risk of hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes. Vegans have a stronger immune system than people who eat meat and are less susceptible to common illnesses like colds or flu. Vegans also have a higher level of “natural killer cells”. These are specialized white blood cells that attack cancer cells. Another benefit: Vegans who develop cardiovascular disease, cancer or have a stroke have lower mortality rates and recover more quickly than people who eat meat.

Research also suggests children who get their nutrition from plants have a health advantage over children who eat meat. Children in Vegan households tend to have higher IQs, grow taller, have less weight problems, and go through puberty later… (more…)

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May 14th, 2010

Vegetarianism or Veganism? Religion or Health? Is it all Hype or Does Veganism have True Benefits? Finally Exposed!

Written by SupportVegans

Vegetarianism or Veganism? Religion or Health? Is it all Hype or Does Veganism have True Benefits? Finally Exposed! Are you a vegetarian by choice or is it due to your religions beliefs?” That is one question that I frequently ask when I come across a vegetarian.  Many people could never fathom how their meals would be like should there not be beef, chicken, pork or seafood.

However, through the years, things have changed. With my hectic lifestyle and to manage the expectations of a self obsessed calorie watcher, I find myself picking up the following items on a regular basis when I do my grocery shopping; tofu, mushrooms, baby carrots, lettuce, tempeh and legumes. I don’t pick meat as I will need to think of how to season and cook them. I substitute rice with Tofu as they are an excellent source of protein, are a form of complex carbohydrates which are healthier and ideal for dieters like me and are rich in iron, calcium and Vitamin B. Firm tofu which is also known as Tau Kwa is my favourite ingredient in a vegetable curry. Tofu is a great substitute for vegetarians as there is plenty of calcium. Now, let’s get to know a little bit more about Tempeh. It tastes a little nutty probably from the fermentation process and yields great benefits. Firstly, it is easily digestible. People that have a hard time digesting plant based soy food will find this easy on the digestive system. It has a high fibre content that fulfils one’s daily requirements.

Tempeh contains natural antibiotics which are recognized as a medicine for dysentery… (more…)

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May 13th, 2010

Vegan Benefits that Make a World of Difference: When Living without Animal Products Goes Right

Written by SupportVegans

Vegan Benefits that Make a World of Difference: When Living without Animal Products Goes Right

When most people think of vegans (pronounced vee-guns), they imagine someone subsisting on sprouts and lentil stew. But veganism is a rich lifestyle that encompasses not just diet but a host of choices that an individual makes to reduce cruelty toward animals and harm to the environment.

Vegans avoid any food, clothing, or other products that use or harm animals. Like vegetarians, vegans don’t eat meat, chicken, or fish but they take it a step further and steer clear of all animal products or byproducts. That means no milk, eggs, or honey in the refrigerator. It means no clothes or furniture that contain wool, down, silk, leather or fur. It also means no soap, shampoos, cosmetics or other personal products that are tested on animals.

Even those who are not yet ready to fully embrace the vegan lifestyle can benefit from learning about the way vegans eat. Because vegan diets are plant-based, they are healthier than more typical American diets filled with processed and high-fat foods with few nutrients. Vegan eating has many advantages, including: (more…)

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April 28th, 2010

Donate to Support Vegans!

Written by SupportVegans

A small donation can go a long way! If you enjoy our vegan community and would like to help our cause, we ask that you contribute a small amount. Even $1 goes farther than you think. We thank you for any and all donations appreciate your continued support.







Write your comment within 199 characters.

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April 26th, 2010

Videos: Animal-Rights

Written by SupportVegans

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April 25th, 2010

Support Vegans Product Store – Your One-Stop Vegan Shop!

Written by SupportVegans
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April 13th, 2010

Why Vegans Do It – The True Benefits of Veganism – What they don’t Want you to Know!

Written by SupportVegans

Why Vegans Do It – The True Benefits of Veganism – What they don’t Want you to Know!

Before I say anything about how great it is to be a vegan, I want to stress how important it is to educate yourself about the food you choose to eat.  Save millions.  Become your own doctor.

No matter what “ism” or “vore” you decide on, try learning about the nutrients your body needs and what foods your body can get them from.  Remember that you are the only one who can hear the messages your body is trying to send to you.  Listen to the messages your body is sending.


When you are hungry, your stomach lets you know.  When you are thirsty, your mouth will become dry.  This is your bodys way of saying, “Hydration Please!”  If you ate greasy French fries, your stomach may let you know, perhaps in the form of heartburn.  When you eat healthy food, like a plate of steamed dark leafy greens, your body will let you know.  You may start feeling better and more energized.  Now of course you can get suggestions from people and books about what food is “good for you,” but it ultimately comes down to having a conversation with your own body.  Experiment until you find the types of foods that make you feel good.


After switching to a vegan diet, many report having stronger immune systems… (more…)

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I love Being Vegan. Here’s Why! Benefits, Benefits, Benefits!

Written by SupportVegans

I love Being Vegan. Here’s Why! Benefits, Benefits, Benefits!

Maybe you’ve been wanting to pursue a cruelty-free lifestyle. Maybe you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint. Maybe you want an alternative to factory farming, tainted food, and a food-production system out of balance—or maybe you just want to be healthier and lose weight. For all of these, going vegan might be the path for you.

Vegans have made a conscious choice to eliminate all sources of animal products in their life, from shoe leather to butterfat to hot dogs. Instead, through a carefully-designed diet, they get all of their required protein and all necessary clothing through plants. It’s a kinder life, a gentler life, and a much more sustainable life. It’s also a life with a lot fewer calories and a lot more vitamins and antioxidants.

The first and most basic benefit of veganism is health. People who eat a vegan diet—no meat or fish, no eggs, no cheese, no milk—have less heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Their blood pressure is lower, as is their cholesterol level. They have less colon cancer, prostate cancer, and diabetes, and the way they achieve this better health is simple: fruits and vegetables. Vegans are far more likely to be getting more of their daily recommended allowance of fiber, magnesium, potassium, folates, and the antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin E; they’re also taking in far less of the unhealthy saturated fats, salt, and sugars that typify the standard American diet.

Many vegans supplement their diet with a variety of soy products and other protein alternatives, like soy milk, soy burgers, tofu, and textured vegetable protein. Soy products are as protein-rich as meat and dairy products, but contain no cholesterol, no saturated fat, and no galactose, the sugar that causes lactose intolerance.

Along with the health benefits of the vegan way of life is an obvious side benefit: vegans typically weigh less than either vegetarians or meat eaters. The recent widely-praised book by Mark Bittman, Food Matters, describes how he lost 35 pounds just by going vegan for two meals a day. Imagine how much weight you could lose by eliminating animal products altogether!

Vegan food is also much cheaper than a meat-heavy diet. Everyone knows that shopping the produce aisle is far cheaper than shopping the meat and cheese departments; what’s more, vegan milk and protein alternatives, like Silk Soymilk or White Mountain Tofu, are the same price or cheaper than their animal originals.

Finally, vegans can sleep better at night, knowing that their lifestyle is far easier on the planet than that of animal eaters. Animal farming is widely acknowledged to be unsustainable; the earth simply cannot produce enough cows, sheep, chickens, and goats to feed a world population of over six billion. Globally, animal agriculture has been shown to contribute to global warming, deforestation, species loss, and water pollution. Why continue to be a part of that, when by simply changing how you eat, you can help be part of the solution?

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Find Out the Health Benefits Awaiting Those with a Vegan Lifestyle – It’s Not what you Might Think

Written by SupportVegans

Find Out the Health Benefits Awaiting Those with a Vegan Lifestyle – It’s Not what you Might Think

People might adopt a vegan lifestyle for several different reasons. Considering the variety of benefits of such a choice, the range of reasons for vegan living should not be surprising. Most vegans have a specific goal in mind when adopting a new diet free of animal products, but no matter what their main goal might be, every new vegan will reap all types of benefits. For example, those who simply want to lose weight also tend to feel healthier and gain peace of mind once they start their vegan diet. It is important to consider the array of benefits of going vegan before making the decision.

Health benefits are one large attraction of the vegan lifestyle. Those at risk for high cholesterol and high blood pressure are also more susceptible to strokes and heart attacks. In such cases, veganism can save lives, as a life free of animal products tends to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Forget taking medications to prevent such health issues; veganism allows those at risk to improve their health the natural way. A vegan lifestyle can also decrease risk of cancer, since many animal products are processed, and contain harmful chemicals and preservatives. Hence, many harmful side effects of animal products can be avoided through a vegan lifestyle. (more…)

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Vegan and Vegetarian Living IS for Everyone – Even your Mother!

Written by SupportVegans

Vegan and Vegetarian Living IS for Everyone – Even your Mother!

“Super size me”, “I’ll take a whopper, please hold the pickles and the lettuce”, “How about a bucket of chicken from KFC kids?”  Does this sound familiar? These are some of the lines you might hear on a typical Friday or Saturday night in an American family’s household.  America thrives on fast food which is the unhealthiest food you can possibly eat. Fast food is not the only culprit we face when we decide what to eat everyday.

Red meat, which typically takes several days to digest and rots in your stomach while it’s waiting, and pork, which comes from one of the nastiest animals on this earth. These types of food contributes to several different life threatening diseases such as, heart disease, some forms of cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes, just to name a few.  A lot of these diseases can be prevented if we would change our eating habits and adopt a healthy eating lifestyle.  This is where vegetarianism comes in… (more…)

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A Date Turned Vegan: Educational and Enlightening to Boost Your Spirits.

Written by SupportVegans

A Date Turned Vegan: Educational and Enlightening to Boost Your Spirits. So, your son is bringing his girlfriend home for the weekend.  He’s completely smitten with her, and he can’t wait for her to meet his family.  You think she might be “the one.”  He’s raved about what a great cook his mom is, and wants to show off her skills.  It sounds like a perfect opportunity to welcome a new member of the family, right?  There’s just one catch: your son’s beloved is a vegan, and she’s coming to visit dedicated meat-and-potatoes folks.

Your first thought is, of course, “What am I going to feed her???”  Salads are great, but they get boring very quickly.  Eggs, right?  Nope, no omelettes or pancakes for breakfast.  Cheese, that’s it, I can serve cheese!  No, sorry … no cheese.  No butter, no milk, not even honey … vegans will eat no animal products whatsoever.  Admittedly, you are tempted to let out a primal scream.  But as you start poring through cookbooks and doing some research on the vegan diet, you are amazed not only by the health benefits, but also by the surprising variety in what seems at first to be a very restrictive system of eating.

Vegans show significantly improved health when compared to the average, thanks to eliminating the saturated fats found in meat, eggs, butter and shellfish; a life-long vegan could have more than a 50% reduction in his or her risk of heart disease1, the leading cause of death in the United States.   Increased fiber intake from fruits, vegetables, and legumes also helps to lower cholesterol, as well as lowering the risk of colon cancer.  Not ingesting dairy products can contribute to an easing of both arthritis and menstrual symptoms, in addition to reducing some allergic reactions (such as rhinitis).  Wow … the information you’re finding about this diet is starting to persuade you of its benefits.  All of these diseases tend to run in your family.  Perhaps there is an easy alternative to carrying on that family tradition … a modification of diet.

Accommodating the vegan lifestyle is much easier than at first presumed.  There are numerous products available which both taste and act as their traditional counterparts do; these can be used to produce delicious meals and treats.  Milk and yogurt both come in fortified soy varieties; there are several different meat substitutes that come in patties and crumbles to use as you would ground beef; and extra-virgin olive oil is an ideal substitute for melted butter.  Sure, cheeseburgers aren’t going to be a part of the family barbecue to welcome the girlfriend; but the vegetable kabobs and grilled flatbreads you’ll serve instead will be fabulous!   Branch out into international fare, and you can enjoy traditional French ratatouille; Indian curried garbanzo beans over rice, with optional “serve yourself” toppings of cashews and coconut and raisins; Cuban fried plantains and yams; or even a simple Chinese-style stir fry.  Truly, the vegan diet is only limited by your imagination.

So, instead of panicking at the thought of what to feed your son’s girlfriend, suddenly you’re excited by the possibilities … a veritable gourmet tour of the world awaits as you experiment with new dishes.  Maybe there’s a little something to this diet she’s chosen, which you can use to modify your own family’s eating habits in an effort to improve everyone’s health.  You now feel comfortable welcoming your guest with both a warm heart and some amazing food.  The intimidation factor is gone — you can now embrace the beneficial and delicious vegan diet!


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Is there a Place in Religion for Vegans? Nutrients, Morals, and the Optimal Diet

Written by SupportVegans

Is there a Place in Religion for Vegans? Nutrients, Morals, and the Optimal Diet

Many have become Vegans for moral reasons, ethical reasons, health reasons and/or environmental reasons. However, no matter what the reason, being a vegan does not in any way limit a person’s lifestyle choice or deprive a person of anything that a non-vegans might have.

Being on a balanced diet can be the healthiest thing on earth and a vegan diet proves to be that kind of diet from the few, and is the only diet so very good for the heart, body, mind and soul. Vegans have a slightly higher metabolic rate during rest, meaning that they burn up more calories as body heat rather than storing them as body fat. This small increase in the rate of caloric expenditure means a huge amount of calories burned with no additional effort. This in turn secludes one from obesity, cancer, heart disease and many other ailments attributed to consumption of meat. A vegan diet is also likely to be a high fiber diet and an important ingredient for life longevity.

What about nutrients? How on earth do vegans get their nutrients if they are not eating meat anyway? One would be surprised how easy it actually is to have a very healthy well balanced vegan diet from familiar tastes one knows and loves, and may also be inspired to explore many new foods, opening oneself up to discover a new world of taste sensations. One may notice the great variety of grains, nuts, nut butters, beans, rice, pastas, breads, fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices one may not have cooked with before.

There are daily alternatives such as soymilk, almond milk, rice milk, nondairy ice creams, margarine, dairy-free cream and many more, and the diet can never be boring as most people would speculate. Many familiar favorites and international specialties are naturally vegan like the Italian spaghetti with marinara sauce, the Middle Eastern falafel, Indian rice biriyani, Chinese stir-fry veggies, Japanese vegetable sushi; and French fries, to mention but a few… (more…)

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Veganism – It’s a Lifestyle – Your Life, Your Choice

Written by SupportVegans

Veganism – It’s a Lifestyle – Your Life, Your Choice

There is a popular slogan, “Be vegan in every sphere of your life.” A short survey was conducted by a team of well experienced healthcare consultants in New York to know the public interest about vegan lifestyle. To be frank, the response was very positive. Therefore, the magnitude of the importance of vegan living can’t be denied.  A guy who opts for vegan diet will have to take lot of fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains inclusive of legumes.    In actuality,  it is considered to be the powerful source of collecting vitamins and proteins. It is also much conducive to control the calorie percentage of the body.  Micronutrients such as vitamin A, Riboflavin, Biotin, ascorbic acid including Vitamin B12 and so on are available through green leafy vegetables, carrots, squash, peanuts, hiziki, fresh yeast and nori.  Macronutrients like protein and fat can also be collected from Avocados, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.

Therefore, sufficient intake of vegetables will prevent a number of lethal diseases as well.  Frankly speaking, it is a type of fat free dietary program which will energize human beings boosting up the level of resistance power in men. According to experts, this type of vegan lifestyle is also helpful to persons to check the possibility of the attack of cancer or any type of incurable chronic disease.  Those who want to undergo such dietary program must avoid taking meat and fish.  There are a number of reasons of opting for the vegan living.  Many think that by being habituated to take fruits, vegetables and grains, it is possible to assist the ecological balance. It teaches persons to let other animals live comfortably on the earth. It is also very significant from the philosophical point of view.  This concept germinates the seeds of humanity and philanthropic love in the mind of man… (more…)

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Many have become Vegans for moral reasons, ethical reasons, health reasons and/or environmental reasons

Written by SupportVegans

Many have become Vegans for moral reasons, ethical reasons, health reasons and/or environmental reasons. However, no matter what the reason, being a vegan does not in any way limit a person’s lifestyle choice or deprive a person of anything that a non-vegans might have.

What about nutrients? How on earth do vegans get their nutrients if they are not eating meat anyway? One would be surprised how easy it actually is to have a very healthy well balanced vegan diet from familiar tastes one knows and loves, and may also be inspired to explore many new foods, opening oneself up to discover a new world of taste sensations. One may notice the great variety of grains, nuts, nut butters, beans, rice, pastas, breads, fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices one may not have cooked with before. There are daily alternatives such as soymilk, almond milk, rice milk, nondairy ice creams, margarine, dairy-free cream and many more, and the diet can never be boring as most people would speculate. Many familiar favorites and international specialties are naturally vegan like the Italian spaghetti with marinara sauce, the Middle Eastern falafel, Indian rice biriyani, Chinese stir-fry veggies, Japanese vegetable sushi; and French fries, to mention but a few.

Being on a balanced diet can be the healthiest thing on earth and a vegan diet proves to be that kind of diet from the few, and is the only diet so very good for the heart, body, mind and soul. Vegans have a slightly higher metabolic rate during rest, meaning that they burn up more calories as body heat rather than storing them as body fat. This small increase in the rate of caloric expenditure means a huge amount of calories burned with no additional effort. This in turn secludes one from obesity, cancer, heart disease and many other ailments attributed to consumption of meat. A vegan diet is also likely to be a high fiber diet and an important ingredient for life longevity.

When you choose a vegan diet, you are choosing more than a different way to eat; you are choosing to be more environmentally friendly. You are choosing to reduce on the twenty-seven (27) times the petroleum it takes to produce a hamburger than it takes a soy burger, saving on the dangers of burning petroleum to the environment. Livestock production also utilizes more than eight percent of global water use, primarily for feed crop irrigation, hence veganism being a way to help in the conservative use of this important necessity for life support on earth. Also, In the Amazon, approximately 60-70 percent of deforestation results from cattle ranches and soybean cultivation, (ref:vegnews); only veganism would help as much in combating this environmental catastrophe.

Ethically, in all the major religious groups such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism look at veganism as a way of some sort of spiritual purity. No faiths or religious traditions force a meat diet. In fact the scriptures such as the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagvad Gita encourage their aspirants to live with respect for all living beings.

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The BIG “3” for Veganism – Why We Do It – Don’t Worry, Animal-Rights are #4

Written by SupportVegans

The BIG “3” for Veganism – Why We Do It – Don’t Worry, Animal-Rights are #4

Yes we’re a fourth of the way into the year and let’s face it, that New Year Resolution you made to go on a diet, live healthier or go green is just a blimp on your radar.

Well at the risk of sounding like an infomercial-no offense to Ron Popeil.  Love his infomercials at 2:00 in the morning- but I have the magic answer to those resolutions.  The all-in-one solution to all your life’s dilemmas (And no it wont cost you 3 easy monthly payments of $19.99 thank you very much).  Introducing-cue the music- Veganism!  Yes folks I have found the answer to solving your health problems, your weight problems and good ole mother nature’s problems.

Okay, let me back up for a second.  For those who might not be familiar with the terms vegan or veganism, Wikipedia defines it as “a diet and lifestyle that seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”  Although there are different degrees of veganism, generally living the life of a vegan requires a lot of diligent work and.  For example, you have to know how and where the products you are buying are being manufactured.  However, the benefits often outnumber the labor involved.   Here are just three ways veganism can be beneficial to your everyday life:

Health Benefits

Since vegan diets do not contain heart-clogging cholesterol and, for the most part, are low in fat, the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease is reduced.  In fact, a British research published in the July-August, 2005 Vegetarian Journal compared 21 vegans to 25 non-vegetarians similar in age and BMI (Body Mass Index).  Not only did the vegans have lower blood pressure, they also had lower blood triglycerides levels and lower fasting blood glucose levels than the non-vegetarians.

Weight Loss

In 2005 the American Journal of Medicine conducted a study on low-fat, plant based diets.  Not surprisingly, the study showed these diets were more effective at helping the participants lose weight.  Vegan diets are primarily made of fruits and veggies, combined with protein rich foods like tofu and nuts which help regulate the blood sugar in your system.  What does that mean?  No more mid-morning crashes.  Your tummy feels full and your mind remains on other things beside the box of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts your coworker brought in this morning.

Environment

Let’s face it we ALL need to start thinking about our carbon footprint.  A vegan lifestyle tends to take Mother Nature into consideration.  According to the UN “the livestock sector emerges as one of the top 2 or 3 most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems.”  Simply eliminating the consumption of animal products can reduce one of the most sizable environmental problems.  If that is not an enough of an eye-opener just think about the following stats Earthsave International compiled:

  • Over 80% of the corn and oats grown in the U.S. are fed to livestock;
  • An acre can produce either 165 pounds of beef or 20,000 pounds of potatoes;
  • It can take 50 times more fossil fuels to produce a meat-centered diet compared to a    meat-free diet;
  • It takes 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat and 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat.

The effects of living a vegan lifestyle can have an impact on your health, your diet and the environment as a whole.  There are endless ways a vegan lifestyle can improve your well-being.

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Veganism is Going Green! Time to Get on Board and Save!

Written by SupportVegans

How to “Go Green” and Save More!

The possibility of going green can help you save money at the same time as well. The drastic climate changes have shifted the attention of people towards the planet, deservingly so. Through simple steps the carbon footprint can be reduced enabling people to live in greater harmony with the planet.

One way to go green is by saving energy, conserving energy can help reduce the energy bills hence save money. Adjusting the thermostat ever so slightly can help save on the costs of cooling and heating. Installing compact fluorescent light bulbs can help save energy. Appliances which are not in use should be unplugged. A smart power strip can be used on appliances like computers to reduce the power drained by the appliances. Heating the water in washing machines requires a lot of power hence washing clothes in cold water helps save energy.

Water is a precious commodity; most people in the world do not have access to clean water. Simple steps such as shorter showers and installing low-flow showerheads can help save water. Faucet aerators can help conserve heat and water… (more…)

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Going Vegan in Today’s Fast-food, Meat-Eating Industrialized Social Experiment

Written by SupportVegans

Going Vegan in Today’s Fast-food,  Meat-Eating Industrialized Social Experiment

A Vegan lifestyle can be a simple way to improve your body, budget and the planet. The benefits of a Vegan diet include a diet filled with fiber, rich in natural vitamins and minerals from fruits, vegetables and anti-oxidant plant oils. The cost of living both for the consumer and the planet also drops. This basic way of eating is sustainable  because farmers grow crops and produce energy through plant food products and then animal products. Our grocery bill can be cut drastically when we cut out this second step of animal food production and rely on the energy plants provide. On many levels the economic and health aspects of Vegan eating just make good common sense.

In fact, it is surprising how many of us live a lifestyle that is nearly vegan without knowing it. If you eat oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, enjoy high- protein soy milk, have a peanut- butter and jelly sandwich on whole grain bread and an apple for lunch, maybe baked beans or stir fry with rice and broccoli for dinner, you are already half- way to being a vegan – without even realizing how much you prefer vegan dishes!.

The need for more fiber, found in basic fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes in our diet today has changed how we shop and cook- even down to airline menus and fast food menus that now offer tasty salads and fruit options.

With an economic downturn affecting the way we shop and cook, it is now possible to save hundreds of dollars on food, bringing us back to the basics- for our health and our family budget. The variety of protein-rich and low- priced dry beans available in any supermarket is quite surprising. These staples of Vegan cooking are also easy to make: soak a few cups of beans overnight and turn on the crock pot while you are at work. A healthy Vegan lifestyle is surprisingly easy once you have some basic foods stocked in your kitchen.

Vegan diets generally omit dairy products such as cheese, milk and butter as well as eggs, fish, meat and chicken. The reasons for doing so are complex and may even change in the course of an individual’s vegan career. Some people begin experimenting as vegetarians and find they do not miss meat at all. The step to avoiding dairy and eggs can sometimes involve a food sensitivity on many levels- feeling better, healthier, less congested when these things are removed from the diet. Others feel strongly that the plant kingdom supplies all the nutrition we need as humans by processing sunlight and water with minerals from the earth and air.

Another reason to take up a Vegan diet comes from the principle of protecting animal life and animal rights. The idea of taking an animal life, removing honey from the honey comb or eggs (chicks) away from a broody hen makes a good argument for eating food based on plant production. As a source of energy for humans, animals represent an extra step, since the cow eats the grass and grains first, then we eat the cow. Humans can consume the grains, saving the planet from a large and unnecessary production cost.


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Healthcare for Free – Vegan Lifestyles Provide a free from of Preventative Healthcare

Written by SupportVegans

Healthcare for Free – Vegan Lifestyles Provide a free from of Preventative Healthcare

Are YOU interested in YOUR Health? If not, stop reading and go on to something else, as what follows won’t be of interest to you. Otherwise . . .

What are your ‘Heath Goals?’ If they include the loss of weight; lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol; possibly reducing the necessity, expense or use of medications; feeling more energized; perhaps taking on a ‘more healthy glow’; or maybe you are interested in avoiding possible surgeries and potential cancer threats. There is NO MAGIC PILL to accomplishing these health goals, and any recommendations should be reviewed with your doctor, BUT, consider the following.

The world of “Diet Fashion” has resulted in an untold number of publications and gimmicks on healthcare and diets. And there is usually a nominal cost associated with these remedies and systems.

“Veganism” has been around longer than any other diet known to man. Basically, it requires an individual to eat healthy foods. Veganism goes back in history to when nature first created fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts.

With a vegan lifestyle you do not have to cut back on your eating portions. By mainly consuming fruits, which have very little fat; vegetables, which have no fat; grains, which take more calories to digest then they have in them; and nuts, which have a good kind of fat but can become fattening if eaten all the time… (more…)

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January 21st, 2010

Does living a Vegan Lifestyle go Beyond Health? Complex Carbohydrates, Cosmetics and Livestock Waste

Written by SupportVegans
Image of a manhole cover blown off by a June 2...
Image via Wikipedia

Does living a Vegan Lifestyle go Beyond Health? Complex Carbohydrates, Cosmetics and Livestock Waste

Vegan living is a lifestyle choice that has gained much popularity in the United States of America. Those who prefer to live this lifestyle over normal living are individuals who choose to miss out on meat and dairy products. As an alternative, their diets comprise exclusively of plant-based foods. They go so far as to excluding eggs, dairy and even honey from their diets. Animal skin and fur are further excluded from their closets. Down comforters and cosmetics that have been tested on animals are forbidden from their lives as well.

Why Do People Become Vegans?

The reasons behind individuals becoming vegans go far beyond health. At times their sole aim is to live a cruelty free life. They believe that by not including animal products, plant foods are grown and consumed more for human consumption more willingly than livestock which results in a better world.

Individuals are further interested in becoming vegans due to the health benefits that this lifestyle offers. Scientific research that has been carried out proves that vegans and vegetarians tend to have lower rates of cancer and heart disease, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and less incidence of diabetes. Vegan diets have proven that they have a vast number of benefits to individuals that have autoimmune diseases for example multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

What Does Vegan Living Provide?

Vegan diets offer complex carbohydrates that break down in the body to provide unrelenting energy levels. Foods rich in complex carbs include oatmeal, bran, brown rice, pasta, corn, potatoes, peas, beans and lentils. There is a general notion that vegan lifestyles are boring and do not provide essential nutrients. This is not true at all! Those who follow this lifestyle have multiple food choices that include fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Fruits and vegetables which they consume offer an excess of vitamins and minerals, as well as the most significant dietary fiber. It is believed that people who utilize high fiber diets can considerably decrease their risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and diverticulitis which is a disease of the colon.
Further Benefits of Vegan Living

Taking up vegan living is far more than making a dietary choice. The vegan lifestyle is based on the philosophy of “gentle-living”, which makes them commit to make the world a better place before they leave it. All of them are against animal cruelty; for the most part factory farms in which animals are usually mistreated and abused.
It is believed by the Natural Resources Defense Council that the major source of water pollution is livestock waste and tends to pose a threat to human health and the natural environment. Upon decomposition of manure a number of harmful chemicals are released including methane gas; a greenhouse gas that has been connected to climate change. Unluckily, we live in a toxic world. Even though we cannot shun every chemical and environmental pollutant, the adaptation of vegan lifestyle can considerably decrease our contact with detrimental toxins.


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January 6th, 2010

The Vegan Detox: Cleanse your Body and Mind Naturally

Written by SupportVegans

The Vegan Detox: Cleanse your Body and Mind Naturally

In recent years there has been a lot of hype surrounding “Detox” diets such as the Master Cleanse. These cleanses are not what you would characterize as pretty. Personally, everyone I have ever known that decides to live off of lemon juice and cayenne pepper for a week end up reverting back to their old, bad habits. So, how much of a cleanse can that really be?

For years, I have always believed that a vegan diet is a true detox for your body. Vegans and vegetarians probably know what I mean. If you aren’t eating foods that your body considers toxic in the first place, such as animal products, your body will not have anything to “detox” from. Some might argue that there is no such thing as a detox vegan diet plan. If you eat a vegan style diet, you are likely benefiting from the natural detoxifying benefits that a vegan diet provides. Another argument to advocate that a vegan diet is detoxifying would be the idea that the majority of the population normally do not eat as a vegan does, so following a vegan diet in order to detox is detoxifying for a healthier life.

Picture sitting at breakfast when you have just had a blueberry and almond smoothie and wheat toast only to look across the table to see your friend holding their stomach as if it is going to combust after downing a stack of bacon and pancakes. I am sure you can guess who feels healthier at that moment. Yet, that same person who just ingested a pound of cholesterol and fat will be the one to argue that a vegan diet is not “healthy” because it lacks nourishment. A common misconception. (more…)

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December 18th, 2009

7 Golden Rules for Talking with Meat Eaters

Written by SupportVegans

Two kinds of people exist in the world: those who want answers to their questions and those who don’t. More important than knowing the answers to questions is having the skill to tell the difference between these people.

Conversations may be one way that meat eaters learn about vegetarianism; but they are also the most stubborn way that meat eaters hold onto their lifestyle. Indeed, conversations themselves are functioning differently from eaters than for vegetarians. Frequently, meat eaters are trying to find ways to dull the impact of our words, while we are constantly finding ways to sharpen those words.

Numerous vegetarian organizations, books, and Web sites provide definitive answers to every possible question a meat eater might throw a vegetarian. “Be Prepared,” these answers suggest. They imply, “if you are prepared, your conversations will be easier, less stressful.” The intentions of these answers to frequently asked questions are admirable, but they misunderstand a basic dynamic: you cannot argue with a people’s mythology.

Meat Eating is one of our culture’s mythologies. Atlas will fling the world on his shoulders before we dislodge the mythology through argument alone. Moreover, the questions meat eaters asked may not be a questions meat eaters need answered. Often, the content of the conversation itself is the least important aspect of the conversation. You need to learn how to identify the question behind the question.

You should assume that for the meat eater, conversations with you function to distort and block your perspective as much as they function to convey information. This perspective accounts for our basic rules for talking with meat eaters. (more…)

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December 17th, 2009

Chocolate or Sex? Sensual Madness Q & A!

Written by SupportVegans
Moonstruck chocolates
Image by eszter via Flickr

Chocolate or Sex? Since sex itself, the universal satisfier, as it were, leaves many in a state of want, could that be extended to mean that, given exquisite, knockout sex and idyllic economic lives, chocolate would fade as a back-up, elegaic comfort food?

A recent survey out of the metro-based DietSmart dot-com people (who serve up information on fitness and nutrition) uncovered in the sine curves of their daytime talk-show comparison that women watching “Oprah” were “seven times less likely to crave fattening foods,” than when the same respondents watched other daytime talk shows.

What can we glean from this, other than to jitter ‘round the edges of the differences between Oprah herself, a generously sized woman famously hyper-aware of her weight, and the other talk-show hosts, hanger-thin women and men who occasion head-shaking in the easily dismayed among observers. Leeza, Ricki, Jerry, Regis and the women of The View are all notably thinner than the queen-size queen of daytime talk. Apparently, watching them induces massive bingeing. Not so when we peer at Oprah.

Is looking at Ms. Winfrey the equivalent of looking, perhaps, in the mirror: Beware of stuffing your face. Behold the result …? (more…)

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December 16th, 2009

Vegans are Better than Vegetarians – Plain and Simply

Written by SupportVegans
if rachel was tan, she'd look like that painti...
Image by sean dreilinger via Flickr

Vegans are Better than Vegetarians – Plain and Simply

This is a very simple subject, and it literally comes down to, where do we begin? Of course, as anyone would say, lets begin from the beginning, and so we shall.

As everyone knows, the heart of being a vegan is becoming a vegetarian. But it goes deeper than that because many vegetarians will consume dairy and egg products, while a vegan passes these foods by. The food chain here between animals and humans has been effectively abolished, and only good things can come from this.

By not eating animals or their byproducts, you have just removed from your diet the biggest problem for a healthy body in saturated fats and cholesterol. By doing this, you have automatically reduced your risk of heart disease, stroke, and adult onset diabetes simply by just changing your diet.

But it gets better! It is proven that while following a vegan diet filled with whole grains, fruits and nuts, you have naturally increased your own fiber intake. These foods are incredibly beneficial in lowering blood pressure, and studies have confirmed that a diet rich in fiber will greatly reduce your risk of colon cancer.

What’s not to love here? So far we have seen that being a vegan is an incredible way to remain healthy from the inside out. So, lets see what it’s like from the outside in. (more…)

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December 13th, 2009

The Reason for the Season is Vegan!

Written by SupportVegans

The Reason for the Season is Vegan!

A Vegan refers to a person or diet that follows a “Vegan” lifestyle.  A Vegan diet is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients and meats of any kind. A large number of vegans do not eat foods that are made using animal products but may not contain animal products in the finished process, such as refined white sugar and some wines and honey. Some liquors are made with a vegan diet in mind. A number of vegans also avoid the use of all products that are tested on animals, as well as animal-derived non-food products, such as leather, fur and wool.

Following a vegan diet should be a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, protein, minerals, vitamins, legumes, beans, omega-3 fats, calcium, and iodine. A vegan diet can consist of beans, peas, whole-grain breads, spinach, raisins, apricots, peaches, nuts, seeds, and iron-fortified cereals as well as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli.

Another category of a vegan diet is a “raw vegan diet” which consists of eating unprocessed vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). Vegans who go “raw” believe that foods cooked above this temperature lose a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body. (more…)

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December 10th, 2009

Introducing – Stuff Vegans Like™

Written by SupportVegans

Stuff Vegans Like™ is the pioneer manufacturer and distributor of unique vitamins, minerals, and food supplements that are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Our high-quality product line includes Vegan Glucosamine, Vegan Omega-3 DHA, Vegan Flaxseed oil, Vegan Multivitamins and,we are adding new vegan products to our product portfolio everyday. Our guiding mission is to deliver the highest quality vegan/vegetarian vitamins and supplements with the best value to our customers.

Stuff Vegans Like™ is committed to protecting animal rights and supports all the organizations that try to make our world a less painful place for all living beings.

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December 7th, 2009

Sweet and Sour Vegan Nutmeat

Written by admin

Sweet and Sour Nutmeat
Nut – Almond – –

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sunflower seads or almonds
1 1/2 cups completed kush
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 – 1 1/2 cups sweet ‘n’ sour sauce, as desired

METHOD
First, finely grind sunflower seeds or nuts in a food processor using the “S” blade. Mix the kush with sunflower seeds or almonds in a blue tub. Add the onion and pepper. Add the sauce a little at a time. Should not be too moist nor too dry. Should resemble meat loaf.

Nutmeat – A Vegan Treat

Written by SupportVegans

Nutmeat
Nut – Varied – –

INGREDIENTS

1 large tomato
1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds or nuts of your choice
2 cups completed kush
1 T chili powder
3/4 cup delights natural bar-be-que sauce

METHOD
First puree the tomato in a food processor. Clean the food processor and then, using the “S” blade, finely chop the sunflower seeds or nuts. In a large bowl, combine the kush with the chopped sunflower seeds. Add the chili powder and stir together with a large spoon. Finally cut the sauce and pureed tomato into the kush-seed mixture.

NOTES
For those of you avoiding the high fat content of nuts, we make our nutmeat without even actually using nuts.

December 2nd, 2009

Saving Lives with Animal Testing…… Do We?

Written by SupportVegans
Vegan Monkey

There are no real alternatives to animal experimentation, as alternatives are those options that arise in order to replace something of somewhat the same worth, and there is nothing else in the world that is quite as useless, harmful and misleading as animal experimentation. This is why animal rights activists all over the world should start declining medicines that have been tested on animals.

“I have studied the question of vivisection for thirty-five years and am convinced that experiments on living animals are leading medicine further and further from the real cure of the patient. I know of no instance of animal experiment that has been necessary for the advancement of medical science; still less do I know of any animal experiment that could conceivably be necessary to save human life.”
-H. Fergie Woods, M.D.

Clearly, it is pretty much impossible to ‘untest’ a particular drug. Now that the knowledge of its use is already with us, most individuals don’t even bother looking into the means through which it was initially obtained. Yes, of course a person may very well regret the fact that insulin came about only after experimenting on dogs, but they are basically powerless when it comes to changing the fact. What we need to know is that animal testing doesn’t have a monopoly on the existence of insulin or on the existence of any substance being used to treat some kind of illness.

On the other hand, it would be very wrong to state that animal testing has no scientific merit to it. However, the practical and humanitarian justification of animal testing must be called into question when you consider other similar evil practices like imperialism and slavery, which were at one time most certainly acceptable and useful to their perpetrators.

The most commonly held perception (or rather misconception) of animal testing is that it is necessary for the development of cures, vaccines and other treatments for human illnesses.

Supporters ask a very important question – what would happen to research on cancer, heart disease and AIDS if animal experimentation were to be completely stopped? Will the progress in treatments and cures for such illnesses also come to a stop? (more…)

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December 1st, 2009

Mad science? Growing meat without animals

Written by SupportVegans

Pork chops or burgers cultivated in labs could eliminate multiple problems

Winston Churchill once predicted that it would be possible to grow chicken breasts and wings more efficiently without having to keep an actual chicken. And in fact scientists have since figured out how to grow tiny nuggets of lab meat and say it will one day be possible to produce steaks in vats, sans any livestock.

Pork chops or burgers cultivated in labs could eliminate contamination problems that regularly generate headlines these days, as well as address environmental concerns that come with industrial livestock farms.

However, such research opens up strange and perhaps even disturbing possibilities once considered only the realm of science fiction. After all, who knows what kind of meat people might want to grow to eat?

Advantages touted
Increasingly, bioengineers are growing nerve, heart and other tissues in labs. Recently, scientists even reported developing
artificial penis tissue in rabbits. Although such research is meant to help treat patients, biomedical engineer Mark Post at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and his colleagues suggest it could also help feed the rising demand for meat worldwide.
(more…)

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November 30th, 2009

The Coolest Vegan T-Shirts – EVER!

Written by SupportVegans

We are very excited that you want a Vegan shirt! The more you can show off what you believe, the more others will stop eating animals. Please browse below for our recommended T-Shirts for Vegans and animal lovers alike.

[AMAZONPRODUCT=B002TT3JAS]

[AMAZONPRODUCT=B002MJRH30]

[AMAZONPRODUCT=B002EJVMNO]

[AMAZONPRODUCT=B0025GAQRO]

(more…)

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November 23rd, 2009

Importance of Iron for Vegans

Written by SupportVegans

Do Vegans need Extra Iron?
Iron is a trace element which is needed by the body for the formation of blood. The human body normally contains 3-4g of iron, more than half of which is in the form of haemoglobin, the red pigment in blood. Haemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. Iron is a constituent of a number of enzymes. The muscle protein myoglobin contains iron, as does the liver – an important source during the first six months of life. The body’s iron balance varies mainly according to dietary intake, as losses from the body are generally small – although women lose iron during menstruation.

Iron Requirements
In 1991 the UK’s Department of Health recommended Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNI) for iron was as follows. The RNI is a daily amount that is enough or more than enough for 97% of people. The RNI is similar to the Recommended Daily Amount used previously in the UK.

Type of Person Amounts Required (mg/day)
infants from 0-3 months 1.7
rising at 12 months 7.8
children 6.1-8.7
teenagers 11.3-14.8
men 8.7
women 14.8

The US Recommended Dietary Allowances are similar at 10mg a day for adult men and post-menopausal women; 15mg for adolescents and pre-menopausal women, and an additional 15mg a day for pregnant women.
(more…)

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Calcium for Vegans

Written by admin

How important is Calcium intake on a Vegan diet?

Calcium is a major mineral: the average adult is made up of just over a kilo (around 2% of total body weight). 99% of this is found in the bones and teeth, and the remainder is used for the contraction of muscles, nerve function, enzyme activity and blood clotting.

Calcium Requirements

The UK Department of Health’s Reference Nutrient Intakes (the daily amount that is enough for 97% of people: similar to RDAs used previously in the UK) are as follows.1

Calcium Requirements Table

Age/Sex Calcium requirement (mg/day)
0-12 months 525
1-3 years 350
4-6 years 450
7-10 years 550
Teenage girls 800
Teenage boys 1000
Adult men & women 700
Breast-feeding women no increase

Vegan Sources of Calcium

Good plant sources of calcium include:

  • Green leafy vegetables: spring greens, kale, broccoli, parsley.
    It is important to note that spinach is not a good source of calcium. It is high in calcium, but the calcium is bound to oxalates and therefore poorly absorbed
  • Fortified foods such as soya milk
  • White flour (as calcium is added by law) and white flour products
  • Calcium-set tofu
  • Oranges
  • Ground sesame seeds (tahini)
    The calcium content is high but variable and absorption of calcium from tahini is not proven so tahini should not be relied upon as a main source
  • Figs and black molasses
  • Drinking hard water can provide 200mg of calcium daily, although soft water contains almost none2

(more…)

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Vitamin B12 for Vegans

Written by SupportVegans

How important is it to get adequate B12?

Very low B12 intakes can cause anemia and nervous system damage.

The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms.

Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anemia and nervous system damage, but many do not get enough to minimize potential risk of heart disease or pregnancy complications.

To get the full benefit of a vegan diet, vegans should do one of the following:

  1. eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three micrograms (μg or mcg) of B12 a day or
  2. take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms or
  3. take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 micrograms.

If relying on fortified foods check the labels carefully to make sure you are getting enough B12. For example, if a fortified plant milk contains 1 microgram of B12 per serving then consuming three servings a day will provide adequate vitamin B12. Others may find the use of B12 supplements more convenient and economical.

The less frequently you obtain B12 the more B12 you need to take, as B12 is best absorbed in small amounts. The recommendations above take full account of this. There is no harm in exceeding the recommended amounts or combining more than one option.

Good information supports vegan health, pass it around.

If you don’t read another word about B12 you already know all you need to know. If you want to know more, read on. (more…)

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November 19th, 2009

Are there Different Degrees of Veganism?

Written by admin

Are there Different Degrees of Veganism?

Vegan living is the purest form of vegetarianism.  There are multiple degrees of vegetarianism, including some levels that do not eat meat but do eat byproducts such as diary.  A vegan is someone excludes any animal product or byproduct from their lifestyle.  A vegan does not eat any type of meat or any type of animal byproduct, nor do they purchase anything made from animals (like leather coats).  Many people are concerned that without any type of animal product, their diet will be devoid of the appropriate amount of protein but there are many healthy alternatives in a vegan diet, such as beans, nuts or any type of soy product.

Vegans do not include anything in their life resulting from an animal – this includes clothing, honey, gelatin, meat, eggs or dairy.  Vegans have very strong convictions regarding animal rights and believe that using anything derived from animals is ethically wrong.  By refusing to eat or use any animal derivative, vegans make a very strong political statement, one of the many benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

In addition to the ethical benefits of veganism, there are many health benefits to this kind of lifestyle.  Vegans are typically not overweight and if they do have weight gain are usually able to quickly reduce their weight and thereafter maintain it.  Maintaining a healthy weight greatly reduces risk of stroke or heart disease.  Heart disease is still the number one killer in the United States and there is a 40 percent greater chance that meat eaters will have cardiovascular disease than a vegan.  On average vegetarians live 7 years longer than a non-vegetarian and a vegan lives 15 years longer than someone who eats meat or other animal byproducts.  That, in itself, is a significant benefit. (more…)

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Vegan Living is More than an Eating Choice – it is a Lifestyle

Written by admin

Vegan Living is More than an Eating Choice – it is a Lifestyle

Vegan living is more than an eating choice – it is a lifestyle.  While vegetarians decline eating meat products, vegans refrain from eating meat and food stuffs derived from animals like dairy products, eggs and even honey. They also exclude wearing animal skin such as leather and fur. Even animal tested cosmetics are forbidden.

Eating a plant based diet that is naturally low in fat and cholesterol and high in fiber offers significant health benefits. Vegan living lowers the risk of developing many chronic diseases such as cardiac ailments, high blood pressure, some forms of cancer, diabetes, arthritis, diverticulitis (disease of the colon) obesity and visual impairment.

Consuming a meat free diet significantly increases the quality of life and allows a greater life span to the extent of six to ten years. Medical research has revealed that a vegan lifestyle builds a more efficient immune system and is beneficial for multiple sclerosis patients. It helps to gain more energy as it eliminates chronic fatigue syndrome.

Vegan lifestyle rids the internal health system of all irritable allergens that causes food allergies, ADHD and asthma. This form of regular diet also creates an aesthetically pleasing healthy hair, lowers body weight and builds a clearer, taut and glowing skin. People generally convert to vegan life style for reasons beyond health. (more…)

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November 13th, 2009

What’s a LACTO-OVO VEGETARIAN ?

Written by SupportVegans

What’s a LACTO-OVO VEGETARIAN ?

Many people who are concerned with cruelty to animals and the environment are choosing to eat a vegan diet.  Today, animals are kept in crowded, unnatural environments and killed in a horrible way to provide meat. Chickens no longer roam freely, but are trapped in cages where they are feed antibiotics and other chemicals. Cows are force- fed, crowded, and slaughtered in a brutal fashion. Also, animals eat vast amounts of grain that could be saved to feed the world’s starving people. If you are thinking of eating a vegan diet to help the planet and your health, there are three kinds of vegan eating you can choose from.

The following website is a good resource for your options: http://www.celestialhealing.net/physicalveg.htm

LACTO-OVO VEGETARIAN”: Eats no meat, poultry, or fish, but includes dairy products and eggs in the diet along with plant-based foods.

LACTO VEGETARIAN: Excludes all animal products except dairy products. Includes all plant-based foods in the diet.

OVO VEGETARIAN: Excludes all animal products except eggs. Includes all plant-based foods in the diet.”

FLEXITARIAN EATING

Some of the difficult aspects of being a purist vegan are the fact that you may miss meat dishes that you have had in the past such as turkey at Christmas, ham at Easter, your mother’s pot roast, or a chicken dinner on Sunday.  The Vegan Nook suggests that you could try being a “flexitarian” by eating 80% vegan and allowing yourself  20% for eating what you fancy, even if it is meat. The Vegan Nook is located at: http://www.vegetariannook.com/advantages-of-vegetarian-diet.html.  The author says: (more…)

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November 11th, 2009

The Vegan Family – Now Better than Perfectly Nuclear!

Written by SupportVegans

The Vegan Family – Now Better than Perfectly Nuclear!

The vegan family will continue to expand as quality information circulates the globe and more people get acquainted with the concept of veganism and its benefits both to us humans and to the planet as well. Veganism, which refers to a lifestyle that abstains from animal foods and products in order to protect animal life and rights has weathered various storms of criticism and of course, has only evolved stronger and more refined. Even critics cannot deny the overwhelming benefits of vegan living being uncovered on a regular basis.

If there was a world where the inhabitants could get all they need without hurting their co-tenants; would that not be a pleasant place to live in? Habits we form in the closet have their involuntary mechanism of affecting our outward lifestyle. What this means is that our disposition towards lesser animals may determine to a large extent how we interact with members of our species and how much value we place on their lives.

The benefits of veganism are numerous and keep increasing with more research. A few of them will now be listed.

Can you live a vegan life?

Of course! The cuisines of most nations contain dishes suitable for a vegan diet, including ingredients such as tofu, tempeh and the wheat product seitan in Asian diets… (more…)

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November 10th, 2009

Nuts! That’s Right – Vegans

Written by admin

Nuts! That’s Right – Vegans

The Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet

It used to be that vegetarians were considered nuts. Now they’re just another part of a vegan diet. The nuts, that is. That’s because Vegans are the strictest of vegetarians. They abstain from eating all animals and animal products including poultry and fish. Therefore, nuts are a substitute source of protein along with lentils and a variety of beans—like kidney, soy, pinto, navy and lima.

But a dietary lifestyle that used to be thought a little crazy is now becoming cool. In other words, vegan is in vogue. Why? Because research demonstrates that a vegan diet is extremely beneficial to your health. Especially in regards to three major health issues: cardiovascular, cholesterol and cancer.

You Gotta Have Heart

It’s the providing pump. The muscle with moxie. The beat that begins and ends it all. And a Vegan diet helps keep it going for a long time. To begin with, vegetarians generally have lower blood pressure. That’s because vegetables and fruits are rich in potassium, which lowers blood pressure. Also, plant products are lower in fat and sodium and contain no cholesterol at all. In addition, cutting out meat and dairy products lowers fat content which reduces the blood’s thickness. In fact, nutritionists have discovered that within two weeks a vegetarian diet can significantly lower a person’s blood pressure.

Along with lower blood pressure, research supports the fact that (more…)

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Q & A on the Benefits of Vegan Living

Written by SupportVegans

Q & A on the Benefits of Vegan Living

Going vegan (pronounced VEE-guhn) has a lot wonderful benefits, but there are myths and misconceptions that keep people from even considering it as a lifestyle option. Here are some answers to common questions.

Q: Aren’t vegans some sort of radical, tree-hugging, hippie wannabees?

A: Nope, vegans are simply people who choose not to eat animal products such as meat, fish, milk products or honey. Many vegans also avoid fur, leather, wool and any animal products used in the manufacture of cosmetics, toiletries or anything else they may use.

Q: So what’s left that you can eat?

A: A healthy, balanced vegan diet is rich in beans, nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables as well as some vitamin supplements, such as B12 and D.

Q: Is that good for you? Don’t you need the protein and calcium that comes from meat and dairy products?

A: A balanced vegan diet can be extremely healthy. Benefits include weight loss, lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars as well as a reduction in your risk of cardiovascular disease and some common cancers.

You do need protein and calcium to stay healthy and there are many delicious vegan options that can be substituted for your current diet.

Q: Substitutions? Like what? (more…)

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Vegan Pride: The Stuff America’s Made of

Written by SupportVegans

Vegan Pride: The Stuff America’s Made of

A vegan is someone who eliminates all animal products – including milk, eggs and anything that comes from an animal source – from the diet. There are many reasons you might want to consider becoming a vegan including providing benefits to animals, our environment and to your own health. Here are ten reasons that will make you think before you put another chicken leg, beef tenderloin or turkey breast in your mouth:

Cut cardiovascular disease

Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and whole-wheat pasta as well as nuts like almonds and peanuts helps to reduce cardiovascular disease. Eating limited portions or eliminating animal products completely have been shown to help in the fight against this prevalent disease.

Fit into your skinny jeans

A result that is typical from a vegan diet is significant weight loss. Foods that generally contribute to obesity are in the animal product family, so omitting these foods will help keep a healthy figure.

Live long enough to be a grandma or grandpa

Research has shown that following the rules of a vegan diet contribute to a longer, healthier life. To be exact, researchers say that you can add an extra six years onto your lifespan if you follow such a diet.

Steer clear of mercury

Most fish have traces – some with alarming levels – of mercury. Mercury has been blamed for brain and kidney damage, nervous and digestive system damage and adverse effects on developing fetuses.

Be an animal lover

Animals are brutally treated and then executed before they become dinner. Let your conscience rest easily by removing animal products from your daily fare. (more…)

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October 28th, 2009

Vegan Lifestyle Decreases Health Risks

Written by admin

Vegan Lifestyle Decreases Health Risks

The stereotypical image of vegans as hemp-wearing hippies protesting at animal rights’ rallies has come a long way since the movement first became realized in the 1940s and heightened with the counter culture movement of the 1960s. Today, nearly 2.8 percent or approximately 8.5 million of the U.S. adult population currently subscribe to a vegetarian lifestyle, according to a 2006 poll conducted by the Vegetarian Journal.

Understanding the significance of a vegan lifestyle means more than the simple act of cutting out meat and dairy products from the daily diet. Vegan living is an opportunity for individuals to reinvent themselves particularly in their philosophies and politics as well as on the plate.

A vegan diet, also known as veganism, consists of vegetables, fruits and legumes while excluding fish, dairy products including butter, eggs, fowl, honey, animal gelatin and other food products deriving from animal origin, according to the American Vegan Society (AVS). (more…)

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Vegan Basics Everyone Must Know

Written by admin

Vegan Basics Everyone Must Know

Vegan living is a lifestyle choice that has gained much popularity in the United States of America. Those who prefer to live this lifestyle over normal living are individuals who choose to miss out on meat and dairy products. As an alternative, their diets comprise exclusively of plant-based foods. They go so far as to excluding eggs, dairy and even honey from their diets. Animal skin and fur are further excluded from their closets. Down comforters and cosmetics that have been tested on animals are forbidden from their lives as well.

Why Do People Become Vegans?

The reasons behind individuals becoming vegans go far beyond health. At times their sole aim is to live a cruelty free life. They believe that by not including animal products, plant foods are grown and consumed more for human consumption more willingly than livestock which results in a better world.

Individuals are further interested in becoming vegans due to the health benefits that this lifestyle offers. Scientific research that has been carried out proves that vegans and vegetarians tend to have lower rates of cancer and heart disease, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and less incidence of diabetes. (more…)

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Vegan Results – Healthy Food for the Healthiest People

Written by admin

Vegan Results – Healthy Food for Healthy People

While animal cruelty is a great reason to switch to a vegan lifestyle, by no means is it the only reason, nor does it need to be your main priority.  In fact, the number one reason to go vegan should be your own health.  Its true; billions of animals are abused and neglected each year, and while their short-lived existence may have been in inhumane and sickly conditions- do you really want them to end up on your plate?

Anyone who has read, “The Jungle,” or “Fast Food Nation” has probably thought twice about where their meat comes from, yet continue to eat at their favorite burger joint.  Why would we keep eating meat we know is unhealthy when there are so many far superior animal-free alternatives that are better for us but taste the same?

However, our intent is not to make you feel bad about your food.  We’re not going to tell you how poor little Bessie the calf never got the chance to see her mother, before getting wrenched away to live out her life-long prophecy of becoming a milk-machine.  While we want you to know where your food comes from, you should feel good about the food you eat and the choices you make- and have the knowledge to make easy substitutions- usually with foods you already have in your home. (more…)

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Benefits of Being Vegan

Written by admin

Benefits of Being Vegan

Are you an animal lover, global activist or veggie enthusiast? If you fell into the 4% of Americans that reportedly maintain a vegan diet, you would probably identify with all of these roles to a degree. Whether the motive is ethical, environmental, or nutritional, adopting a vegan diet provides benefits across the board not only for humans, but for the animals and ecosystems of our planet.

A vegan, not to be confused with a vegetarian, is a person that does not consume any foods that have been produced by animals. Ultimately, this form of vegetarianism eliminates not only meat, but also eggs, dairy, and any other animal by-products from the diet. The impact of adopting a vegan diet is extremely beneficial to animals. By eliminating meat from their diet, vegans are taking a stand against the inhumane treatment of livestock and other farm animals by skewing the demand for meat and thus the unnecessary killings to supply it in the American market. While there is no killing involved in the production and distribution of eggs or dairy, vegans have similar ethical grievances towards the practices and treatment of the animals. Many vegans will explain the main reason for eliminating eggs and dairy from their diet is the conditions and circumstances under which the animals are kept to produce the goods. As you can clearly tell, animals benefit greatly from the thoughtful dietary choices of vegans, but they’re not the only ones. (more…)

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