Vegetarian

The Benefits of Going Vegetarian, Greek-Style, for 200 Days a Year

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 05:05:49 PDT

For years now we have been hearing how healthy the Mediterranean diet is. The recent study in New England Journal of Medicine confirmed what we already knew: This type of eating is good for the heart.

A component of the diet we don't hear much about is how the Greek diet, which served as a prototype for the Mediterranean diet, was in essence a vegetarian and even vegan diet for 200 days out of the year. Most people associate Greek food with souvlaki and lamb, when in fact Greeks were for the most part vegetarians.

Greeks basically followed their religious fast for those 200 days. While the word "fasting" is usually associated with liquid-only diets or other strict ways of eating, this type of fasting is a bit more lenient and tasty. The Greek fasting practice is unique in that you can actually eat real food. The basic rules are pretty simple: No animal products with the exception of animals that do not contain blood, such as octopus and squid.

Growing up in the states, my mom would have us follow the traditional Greek fasting diet, but there was such variety in the food that we really didn't notice any difference. Dishes that do not include animal products and adhere to the rules of the fast (called nisteia in Greek) are called nistisima, so for many dishes there was a nistisimo version, for example spinach pie without the feta cheese. This is one of the reasons why Greek cuisine has hundreds of vegetarian and vegan traditional recipes -- they needed variety for all those days of fasting.

I remember back then my mom would serve pasta, sometimes accompanied with little pieces of cooked octopus in tomato sauce, rice and spinach, green beans or peas lathera (made with tomato and olive oil), lentils cooked with olive oil, Greek potato salad, spanakopita (spinach pie) or leek pie without cheese, taramosalata (fish roe dip), skordalia (garlic sauce), olives, vegan Greek cookies made with olive oil (koulourakia) and cakes made with olive oil.

Research suggests individuals who follow a Greek Orthodox fast have a lower intake of saturated fat, total fat and calories and a higher intake of fiber, a combination that protects from heart disease and cancer. In addition, the non-animal protein sources such as legumes and nuts are healthier than animal protein sources due to their fiber and antioxidant content but also effective for weight loss due to their low fat content. Deficiencies are rare with this pattern of eating. A study by British and Greek researchers showed that individuals who were following a Greek Orthodox fast actually had higher levels of iron intake compared to those who were not fasting.

Religion aside, this pattern of eating can be healthy (and cheap) for anyone who wants to move away from meat as a main course and go vegetarian.

Use these rules as a guide:

Allowed: beans, vegetables, bread, fruit, honey, nut butters, rice, pasta (no egg noodles), cereals, octopus, squid, olive oil, honey, and basically anything that does not contain animal products.
Not Allowed: meat poultry, pork, game, fish, dairy, eggs, butter.

For more Greek vegetarian dishes visit olivetomato.com

Source : Huffpost

Processed meat 'early death' link

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:42:31 PDT

Sausages, ham, bacon and other processed meats appear to increase the risk of dying young, a study of half a million people across Europe suggests.

It concluded diets high in processed meats were linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer and early deaths.

The researchers, writing in the journal BMC Medicine, said salt and chemicals used to preserve the meat may damage health.

The British Heart Foundation suggested opting for leaner cuts of meat.

The study followed people from 10 European countries for nearly 13 years on average.

Lifestyle factors

It showed people who ate a lot of processed meat were also more likely to smoke, be obese and have other behaviours known to damage health.

However, the researchers said even after those risk factors were accounted for, processed meat still damaged health.

One in every 17 people followed in the study died. However, those eating more than 160g of processed meat a day - roughly two sausages and a slice of bacon - were 44% more likely to die over a typical follow-up time of 12.7 years than those eating about 20g.

In total, nearly 10,000 people died from cancer and 5,500 from heart problems.

Prof Sabine Rohrmann, from the University of Zurich, told the BBC: "High meat consumption, especially processed meat, is associated with a less healthy lifestyle.

"But after adjusting for smoking, obesity and other confounders we think there is a risk of eating processed meat.

"Stopping smoking is more important than cutting meat, but I would recommend people reduce their meat intake."

Source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21682779

Am I Contributing to a Better World?

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

Raised in a country village in Holland killing chicken and pigs was as natural as drinking too much beer on a Saturday night.

So programming for the pig-industry was a normal way of progressing in life.

The South part of Holland was relatively poor due to sandy soil, compared to the rich clay of the northern part back in the 50ties. Business people as they are, help from the EU (Called Brussels at that time) was used to grow ever bigger farms and cattle. Both ICT and farmers were booming. Nothing wrong so far.

Most of my friends were farmers, working in an office supporting them with new technology seemed a fair choice, and well-paid at that time.

Visiting the farms I slowly noticed that the traditional red cheeks of the people who worked the lands got traded for the pale cheeks of the stable farmers. Some started to die from until then unknown diseases, lung problems, cancers, the works... all normal it seemed, progress comes with a price tag.

One day I asked myself: "Am I truly contributing to a better world?"... The answer was... I have no idea, but it doesn't seem right to produce more and more cattle in ever shorter time with less quality of life for both animals and care takers.

The business model of farming seemed too much focused on quantity of money and too little on quality of life.

Working in a slaughter house for a few weeks to install new software finally opened my eyes to the inhumane conditions, first for the workers and then for the animals. I saw no life in the eyes of the people doing the killing (day in and day out), it scared the hell out of me.

My father in law had a farm with some land, cows and pigs. One day I met him and a few neighbors in a field and asked what was going on. A truck was coming to the field and from all cows present, only one ran off, broke through various fences and halted about a mile further. My father in law explained... that one has to go to the slaughterhouse today. He said it happened like this almost every time. Stupid cows... they don't have feelings and do not know things... think again human! They know. They feel in advance...

So I quit my job and started searching for alternatives.

Thanks to a meditation group I can now claim to "cook with love" and without blood on my hands.

It feels like one of the smallest things one can do to help bring more harmony and well being to this little planet.

Warm regards,
Wim Minten, Portugal

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Viva Vegetarian

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

By : M Raghavendra

One day, we hope no animal will suffer or die for the reason to satisfy the taste bud of others. We held great respect to every human being in the world. But let us think for a second. Every single day, billion and million of innocent animals lose their precious lives because of eating meat. (Not to mention they lose their freedom all of their life).

There are many reason involved. Many people grow up as meat eater and did not recognise this is wrong, and some choose not to see their truth. Regardless what is the reason; there is a great suffering and cruelty behind that piece of chicken, steak for their dinner. Let us not judge others, but Let us help other by share more Benefits/knowledge of Veggie Diet to them. (In a nice and respectful way). So they can discover and learn that Vegetarian/Vegan foods can also be delicious, healthy and easy to make too~!!

"All beings fear before danger, life is dear to all. When a man considers this, he does not kill or cause to kill."~Buddha

Let’s spread compassion and peace~ Viva Vegetarian / Vegan !!!

Source : Vegetarian Friend

Fresh Food – Rainbow

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

HEALTH TIP: We eat with our eyes first, don’t we? God made food attractive so we would choose to eat what’s good for us. The truth is that foods with vibrant and rich colors aren’t just “pretty” … they’re also “healthy.” There are literally thousands of health promoting phytochemicals found in plants, and that’s why it is essential to eat a wide variety of colorful yellow, red, orange, green, purple, and blue fruits and vegetables every day!

Eating plenty of healthy vegetables and fruits helps prevent heart disease and strokes, diverticulitis, control your blood pressure, prevent prostate cancer, colon cancer, and protects against cataracts and macular degeneration or vision loss.

By eating fruits and vegetables from each color group, you will benefit from the unique array of phytochemicals, as well as essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that each color group has to offer. Colorful fruits and vegetables are chock full of “flavonoids” and “carotenoids” (powerful compounds that bind the damaging free radicals in your body).

Green veggies (like asparagus, zucchini, kale, and spinach) are rich in “chlorophyll” which pumps the body with oxygen, heals wounds, fights infection, and keeps the immune system strong. Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli contain indoles and isocyanate, which protect from cancer.

The onion/garlic family contains allicin, which fights tumors; while white/green foods like pears and celery contain quercetin and kaempferol, which are potent flavonoid antioxidants.

Mushrooms contain nutrients such as beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG, and lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity. These nutrients also activate natural killer B and T cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers.

Red fruits and vegetables (such as beets, tomatoes, watermelons, and red peppers) get their color from “lycopene,” which is an antioxidant that helps prevent cancer.

Blue and purple fruits or vegetables (like dark cherries, grapes, blueberries, and eggplant) contain natural pigments called anthocyanins, which help protect your body from free-radical damage and fight heart disease and cancer as well as helping with inflammation (like arthritis).

Orange and yellow foods (such as carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, mango, pineapple, and tangerines) are typically colored by pigments calls “carotenoids,” such as lutein and zeaxanthin, many of which your body can convert to Vitamin A. The most common carotenoid found in fruit and vegetables is beta-carotene, which not only boosts the immune system, but also promotes proper cellular communication.

My favorite fruits and veggies are definitely cherries, watermelon, blueberries, and yellow/orange sweet peppers.

What are you waiting for, Dads? Go get you and your family some bright colorful food! And “NO” … Skittles don’t count!! ;-)

Source : CancerTruth

New Vegetarian, Body Changes?

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

When most people give up meat, they are loosing a number of vital nutrients that need to be replaced in other ways through diet. usually, you're loosing fat, protein, heme iron (which is more absorbable than non-heme found in vegetables), b12, and a myriad of other micronutrients.

So, in your diet, you need to make certain that you're getting enough protein (beans, nuts, seeds, pulses), and enough fats (nuts, seeds, oils such as olive, coconut, flax seed, hemp, etc). If you don't consume any animal products (eggs and dairy), you'll need to consume more vegetables rich in non-heme iron and possible increase your vitamin C intake to increase absorption. You'll also need to fortify your diet with b12 fortification, the best of which is to take a 1000 microgram sublingual tablet daily.

Your body is probably processing and passing the food more quickly because of your new-found higher fiber content. This may also be leading to stomach pains, as the body learns to process this amount of fiber. It will pass in a few days/weeks.

If you are experiencing hunger pains frequently, it is likely because you aren't getting enough fat and protein with your meals. Many new vegetarians practice 'nutrition by subtraction'--eating what they would normally eat without the meat. So, for example, if you normally eat chicken with rice and broccoli, you would eat just rice and broccoli. Well, no wonder you're hungry--that's not a balanced meal. Instead, practice 'nutrition by addition'--start with a whole grain, then add beans, nuts, or seeds to it (sometimes, i add all three--for example, curry with mixed veggies, chick peas, cashews, and watermelon or pumpkin seeds). next, add in your vegetables. make sure that you add some fats to your meal (at least 1 tbsp. of fat with each meal). If you're ovo-lacto, consider adding a moderate amount of dairy (for example, 1-2 tablespoons of cream is great in curries; or add a chopped hard boiled egg to your salad).

This will help you feel more satisfied and make certain that you're getting enough nutrients.

What Am I eating??

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

"We stopped eating meat many years ago. During the course of a Sunday lunch, we happened to look out of the kitchen window at our young lambs playing happily in the fields. Glancing down at our plates, we suddenly realised we were eating the leg of an animal who had until recently been playing in a field herself. We looked at each other and said "Wait a minute, we love these sheep - they're such gentle creatures. So why are we eating them?" It was the last time we ever did."
~ Paul and Linda McCartney

It takes a moment to change lives..

It takes a moment of thought to see and realize the truth! sadly most people can't afford even that!

6 Reasons to Go Vegan

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

Take this 6 facts:

Worldwide over 852 million people go hungry.
79% of annual world cereal + soy harvest is consumed by the 20billion "farm- animals".
To produce 1 kg of meat, you need 7-16 kg corn or soy beans+ 15.000 litres of water.
On the surface, which is needed to harvest 1 kg of meat, could generate, in the same period, 200 kg of tomatoes or 160 kg of potatoes.
50% of water pollution in Europe are caused by factory farms.
The contribution of livestock to the greenhouse effect is the same as that of the entire global, auto, air and waterway together.

GO VEGAN ! ♥

Redirecting even a portion of the grain used to fatten cattle could feed every hungry mouth on the planet.
- Forks Over Knives

Original Here!

Say NO to animal Exploitation

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything

~ Albert Einstein

Imagine what our world would be if no one care about this. Where is the human morality? Please say NO to animal exploitation of any kind. Be Vegetarian and save our world, save human’s moral!

We are the Ones

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

By : Richard Deboo

Posted on Vegetarian Friend By Debbiedeboo

The following is the text of the speech that I gave at the TW VegFest event in Tonbridge Wells, England on Saturday 19 November, 2011.

From childhood’s hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone

Those words of course are the opening lines to Edgar Allen Poe’s masterful “Alone“, one of the finest, most lyrical short poems of the 19th century. I sometimes feel, as someone deeply committed to the protection, the welfare, the rights of my animal companions in this world, that I am somewhat different, somewhat …alone.

It is only when coming to an event such as this that one realises that … I am not alone, that … we are not alone … we are not alone in the universe, there are other, similar life-forms just like us out there … there are, in fact, lots and lots of us but even so, our differentness is often exaggerated by the indifference of a society that refuses to play its part in the beautiful drama of compassionate living.

Here are but a few telling tales from my own recent past. Last year when the football World Cup was on in South Africa, a few of us decided to go to the pub after work to watch one of the games – 16 of us went in total. As it was after work, people wanted to get some food as well; 15 of us ordered a burger and chips. I didn’t order the burger; I didn’t even order the chips – they looked a bit rank to me! I subsisted that evening entirely on the nutrients to be extracted from a large number of bottles of Peroni, and I think that I rather well really… but the point was made, that I was the different one…

At Christmas time, we had a party at work and much was made of the catering that was going to laid on for us – on the evening there were great long tables filled with food, people eagerly picking at the goodies on offer … except that there was nothing there for me. One of the catering staffcame over and said, “oh – you’re the one. Your food is out the back, I’ll go and get it.” Apparently I was the one … but not, unfortunately, in the same way as Keanu Reeves in The Matrix… back she came with a plate, looking quite pleased with herself. I took the plate and looked at … well, some soggy green things (it was difficult to tell exactly what they were) not so much drizzled but drowned in oil, limp leaves hanging over the edge of the plate, looking for all the world like the melted clocks in Dali’s The Persistence of Memory, except that this was no work of art … my mate sniggered and snorted as he drank from his beer and yes, once again I was the different one…

A few years before that I was working at a major investment bank in the City of London and as an investment bank they of course had great wads of cash to flash around spending it on whatever they liked. This was before the credit crunch … and I find it interesting that following the credit crunch they’ve ended up with even more cash to splash now for failing than they ever had when they were apparently succeeding … such are the mysteries of global capitalism…

Anyway, back then the bank decided to throw some cash down at the lower orders who workedthere, such as myself, and they sent us on a ridiculously expensive 3-day residential training course at a terrifyingly posh hotel out in the Kent countryside … I’m sure this hotel had never had to put up with the likes of me before and if I hadn’t have had my company pass I’m sure I’d have been shotat the gates as a peasant intruder… but I did have my company pass so there was nothing they could do about it and they had to let me in…

We did the training during the day and that was all very boring, but it was in very fine, oak-panelled surroundings, every detail a deliberate expression of a place luxuriating in its own exclusivity and opulence … but it was in the evening, at dinner, that the hotel really wanted to impress …

From early evening drinks we were ushered through to the dining-room, a space perfectly dressed in exquisite finery, the other guests already making delicate chinks of sound as cutlery met china under the murmur of soft conversation… a piano player made gentle tones at the grand piano … a full grand piano, no baby stuff for this place … we were seated at a long table for the eight in our group, plus our two trainers. I had, of course, explained my dietary needs to the hotel beforehand – as a vegan one learns very quickly to seek to pre-empt any major confusion at the mere mention of that apparently alien-sounding word…vegan. Even so, when the hors d’oeuvres when brought through mine was a piece of a fish … I explained this problem to one of the waiters who said, “oh you’re a strict one?” before taking it away. Maybe I didn’t want a starter anyway.

Then the main event. The main course. This was where the chef was going to demonstrate his creative brilliance, his culinary genius… and this was full silver-service.

We each had a waiter dedicated to us with the maitre d’ in full command of his staff. Each of the waiters stood at our side, holding the silver platters in their hands, the silver domes sparkling in the evening light. With a nod the maitre d’ gestured to the pianist who paused his playing, the room fellsilent and the waiters placed the platters before us. A moment to savour as we waited for the revelation of what was in front of us. With an orchestrated wave of the maitre d’s finger the waiters reached over in perfect synchronisation and lifted the silver lids – my colleagues to a one “ooh-ed” and “aah-ed” and “wow-ed”, gasps of delight as they looked on in wide-eyed wonder at their plates. I looked at my … risotto in something less than wonder. “Is that it?” one of colleagues said as she gazed across at the sorry-looking damp rice splodged on my plate. What could I say? At least the chef had managed a vegan risotto. But they feasted well, my colleagues, that evening on their varieties of so-called “game”, the chef’s speciality, naturally, the hotel’s speciality, naturally, and I was once more “the one”…

The second evening we had the same service, the same dedicated attention to our needs, the same sliver platters, the same nod to the pianist, the same ritual with the team of waiters, the same revelation of the chef’s virtuosity and remarkable talent … and I had the same risotto. And I saw the same, pained sorrowful looks from my colleagues.

The final evening after a third day’s training, and for the last time the ceremony unfolded as before, themaitre d’ ushering us through to the dining room for one more meal … one more example of the chef’s magnificence, one further chance to sample the pleasure of his genius; one further pause by the pianist as the waiters raised the polished, silver domes one last time and once more the same “oohs” and “aahs” and “wows” from my colleagues and .. oh yes, once more the same risotto for me! Once more I was singled out, I was different, I was alone.

I complained of course although the hotel was completely unconcerned; they make plenty of money by filling plates with plenty of so-called “game” birds, reclining afterwards in the rich rewards from so much praise from so many well-fed, well-satisfied guests.

I mention these incidents not because I felt bad about any of them, not because I felt embarrassed by what happened, and not because I felt that I was in any way wrong for being “the one”, for being “singled out” in that way … on the contrary, the very opposite was true then and is still true now …

I seriously could have cared less about being “the one”, and I would only have preferred more “ones” to make us into a many… but I was fine without the burger and chips in the pub that day, looking around the table and seeing their hands greasy with the stain of flesh dribbled with oil to burn away the blood; I was fine, really, with those limp leaves at the Christmas party – how else could I ever enjoy a party, a festiveoccasion, if I had corpse parts on my plate? And I was massively unfazed by the pained looks of my colleagues in that hotel as they looked sadly at my plate, and I looked at them and saw their cheeks fat with the torn shreds of the violently slaughtered, their faces reddening and bulging with the stuffed remnants of an eviscerated life.

They may have laughed and joked at the table, at the party and in the pub but when I smile I do not have the tattered flesh of the slain hanging from my teeth, my skin does not ooze the rotten grease of death and when I breathe I do not exhale the swallowed scream of the viciously killed.

There was nothing wrong with being “the one” … but the one thing that is wrong in all of this is that it is the wrong way around – it is the one who rips into the bodies of the dead who should be singled out; it is the one who demands that others die for his or her gratification who should be the one who receives the quizzical, confused glance as we ask, “but why would you want that?” and it is the one whose pleasure is found in the sufferance and destruction of the weak and undefended who should feel isolation from his or her peers, the silence that folds like a shadow that comes from being the odd one out.

There should have been fifteen in the pub that evening who were uninterested in any flesh-based burgers, the xmas party should have been heaving, swinging with the many who could eat whatever they wanted from the long tables, crowded with vegetables, fruits and all manner of non-animal cuisine, and below those silver domes should have been riches aplenty for those whose appetites are sated not by blood and death but by the plant-based offerings of a world of food bursting with goodness, and so they would have been if that chef was worth even a fraction of the cost of a meal held under the glittering light of the chandeliers in that dining room.

So why is it not the right way around? Why is it so wrong?

Because we are led to believe lies. The world is warped, the truth is twisted, the facts are falsified, and the lies are laid out before us for our delectation and consumption – if we choose the lazy way and ask no questions, challenge no assumptions, and suppose that every presumption is promoted for the best of intentions, for the noblest of reasons, with everyone’s best interests at heart.

No. This is a dark heart of corruption and distortion; the truth is crushed and lies roll over us; we are led to believe not only that animal body parts and their secretions are essential to human health – despite the irrefutable scientific evidence that disproves this categorically, but also that it must be so hard to live as one who has no animal products in the diet; people are made to feel that it’s just too difficult to change, that it’s just so hard to adapt to a life free from meat and dairy.

We should not be surprised that this is so. The animal farming industry is worth billions of pounds in profit and those companies – whether producers, distributors or retailers – engaged in “feeding the masses” have a vested interest in everything remaining the same, in keeping the population pacified and docile, the mass of humanity leaning backwards, eyes rolling, tongues lolling and mouths agape as tons of rubbish is poured down their throats. But we don’t have to take their rubbish, we don’t have to fill our bellies with the bloody remains of the cruelly killed, we don’t have to stain our lips with the stolen milk of worn-out, run-down traumatised cows bellowing for their calves, now lying dead with a bullet in the head, shot within hours of being born.

We don’t have to do any of that and stopping doing it is one of the easiest things we can do … as well as one of the most profoundly compassionate and beautiful acts we can ever perform.

All that we have to do is to see them, those farmed animals, and see them all for who they really are, and see ourselves for who we really are and then just to modestly adjust our behaviours and live our life slightly differently, so that we can live a life whose every moment is devoted to compassion. This is all that we have to do, to adapt to a life of kindness and consideration for others.

We are an adaptable species. We can adapt to anything. You’d be surprised what people can get used to, you would. It’s amazing really, our ability to adapt. There were men, and it was only men, who were taken as prisoners to Auschwitz-Birkenau in the Second World War and were forced to “work” in the murder chambers and crematoria as what the Nazis called Sonderkommando, a “special” team whose task it was to remove the dead bodies from the gas chambers, remove any gold teeth and jewellery – including intimate examinations for any hidden items, and then burn the bodies, either in open pits or in the crematoria. Often, these men saw and had to deal with the bodies of their families from whom they had been separated only hours before – and now they had to destroy them, utterly and completely. Some of those men “worked” in that horror, that abyssal nightmare, for months even in some cases years.

Even under this most extreme of psychological tortures and trauma they survived, they maintained their decency and their dignity … they … adapted. That is a testament to their courage, the strength of their humanity and their determination to bear witness to this most grievous of evils. But they adapted.

All that I ask is that we all adapt to soya milk instead of cow’s milk, adapt to tofu instead of ham, adapt to … letting other lives live. I ask only that we all live without the factory farm with its cages and chains, live without the weekly livestock market selling animals to their death, and that we all live without the slaughterhouse as the backdrop to our daily rituals, its walls running with blood, spilt just for us.

We can have Weetabix for breakfast instead of sausages and bacon; we can have pizza, curry, burgers just the same … just without the animal pieces, and we can have life all around us not death in us and surrounding us.

We can so easily live in a way that harms no-one, that causes no-one to suffer, no-one to feel pain, no-one to die, to lose their life just for us. From the moment we raise our head from the pillow in the morning until we rest it down again at the close of evening we can live and we can know that everyone else lived and no-one died because of us … no-one was shot because of us, no-one was stabbed in the heart because of us, no-one was anally-electrocuted because of us, no-one was kicked in the face, and punched in the eye, and beaten on the head and burned and scalded, and yelled at and cursed and hated and pushed and pulled and thrown and … … no-one screamed in pain because of us, no-one bowed their head and cried and died just because of us …

And we can live so well!

There’s a reason why heart disease, and diabetes, and obesity and dementia and cancer and so many other desperate afflictions are so rare amongst those who have no animal-based foods in their diet – certainly when contrasted with the meat-eaters in our society. Even taking everything else into account – lifestyle, exercise, age, gender, ethnicity, family history – all of the medical data all point the same way: that a plant-based or vegan diet is not only a healthy choice but the healthiest choice …

It allows us as human beings to live long and healthy lives, with a much, much lower risk of so many diseases that terrify so many. It is not inevitable that 1 in 3 of us must contract cancer as is suggested by so many cancer charities; heart disease is not an inevitable fact of life that can only be held at bay at best by surgery and a lifetime of popping pills; we do not have to spend the majority of our later years debilitated, in chronic pain, with worn and diseased bones, bereft of energy, vitality, the very life sapped from us even as we live … and wheeze and stagger, bent-double towards a cold, early grave.

The one who is considering, but hesitating, about whether to make that choice and absent all animal products from their life – from their food, their clothes and furniture, cosmetics and household products, should ask themselves the simple question – what’s the worst that can happen?

Will their arms fall off? It seems unlikely. Will their eyeballs boil in their heads and explode outwards in a shower of tissue and membrane? That’s not expected to happen. Will their stomach erupt in a spasm of fiery rejection of fruits and vegetables, and be ripped asunder in a bloody horror of self-evisceration? That’s doubtful too.

The worst, the very worst that can happen is that going shopping might take a bit longer as they scan the ingredients list of items on the supermarket shelf … that’s how bad it will ever get …

Now what’s the best that can happen? The person will feel healthier, more full of energy, and will know that their new diet is one that is most definitely more friendly to the environment, knowing that the precious limited water and food available on Earth is not poured into the mouths of livestock animals but is still there for the billion humans who are desperately parched and hungry. And they will know too that they are not responsible for any pain, any suffering, any violence, any cruelty, any beating, any bloodshed, any killing…

They will know that they are living a truly compassionate life, one that respects all life, one that cherishes life, one that really offers hope to those who hunger and thirst in our world, and offers safety and sanctuary to those who deserve our mercy, and protects and cares for the natural world, that safeguards the rainforests, the mangroves, the coral reefs, the rivers and seas and oceans, the savannahs and the forests, the fields and the wetlands, all secured for future generations to treasure the richness of the variety of life lived therein, and one that offers care and kindness to those who are undefended, that looks after the weak and the fragile, a life that expresses love in fullness and without hesitation, concession or compromise, a live of love lived completely and absolutely, a life of goodness, decency, kindness and compassion offered to all without exception…a long, healthy, wonderful life of joy and love …

That’s how good it can be.

And we can all do it. We can all live that life. The power is ours, to change our lives and the lives of so many others.

We do not have to wait for anyone to tell us what to do; we do not have to wait to be given permission to do what we want to do; we do not have to wait to change the world. We can do it now.

We are often made to feel powerless, by lobbyists, by Governments, by big business, but they’re wrong -they don’t own this world; we do. They’re not in control; we are. They don’t have the power; it’s ours. In truth, they’re running scared from us, terrified that we won’t show our loyalty by always shopping at the same supermarket, always buying the same brands, always voting the same way … if we take away our loyalty, if we refuse to buy into what they want us to do, then there’s nothing that they can do about it … and they know it.

They want us to feel weak, but we are strong; they want us to feel helpless and hopeless but hope is ours to offer and help is ours to give. They want us to feel that we can change nothing, but we can change everything. The power is ours; we are in control – of our destiny and the destiny of those billions of others in our world … and we can change the world … by thinking differently, by acting differently, by choosing to live differently, we can change the world.

It doesn’t matter that we get “singled out”, that people regard us as “the one”, because we’re the ones that are taking a stand, we’re the ones that are making a difference … and we are the ones that the world has been waiting for!

Some People Refuse To See Fact

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

By : Lauren Woods

How come even when you present people with fact about the vegan lifestyle, people don't believe? It is so frustrating! I don't push it in anyone's face, because I'm fresh as a vegetarian and still learning myself- but the more I learn, the more I want to share.

All those years I was drinking milk I was feeling so good about it... I just can't see how myself, and so many people remain ignorant about nutrition.

http://saveourbones.com/osteoporosis-milk-myth/

The milk myth has spread around the world based on the flawed belief that this protein and calcium-rich drink is essential to support good overall health and bone health in particular at any age. It is easy to understand that the confusion about milk’s imaginary benefits stems from the fact that it contains calcium – around 300 mg per cup.

But many scientific studies have shown an assortment of detrimental health effects directly linked to milk consumption. And the most surprising link is that not only do we barely absorb the calcium in cow’s milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it actually increases calcium loss from the bones. What an irony this is!

Here’s how it happens. Like all animal protein, milk acidifies the body pH which in turn triggers a biological correction. You see, calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer and the biggest storage of calcium in the body is – you guessed it… in the bones. So the very same calcium that our bones need to stay strong is utilized to neutralize the acidifying effect of milk. Once calcium is pulled out of the bones, it leaves the body via the urine, so that the surprising net result after this is an actual calcium deficit.

Knowing this, you’ll understand why statistics show that countries with the lowest consumption of dairy products also have the lowest fracture incidence in their population (there’s more on this later).

Source: Vegetarian Friend

Vegan as Fuck

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

By : Richard Deboo

Posted on Vegetarian Friend By Debbiedeboo

The image, a logo if you like, that accompanies this note represents an ethical philosophy made manifest in the visual form, and is something newly made from a design on a t-shirt promoted by a pop band way back in the day, way back in the late 1980s. That design pictured a cow with the slogan above it reading “cool as f**k”. At the time, people thought that it was a cool t-shirt, lots of people liked it, and lots and lots of people were wearing that t-shirt way back in those days.

This image creates something new from that design. It is a “readymade”, in the conception of Monsieur M Duchamp, which is why I have “signed” it R Nott, because we (the collective “I”) are not “copying” something, but creating something new; this is transformative, emblematic of the power of art to convert by subversion one thing into something else; it is new because I say it is.

And this image is created to be deliberately provocative. It can be seen as being quite offensive, casually swearing like that. So why do it, and what on earth does “vegan as f**k” mean anyway?

It is for both vegans and non-vegans to see. But let’s deal firstly with the non-vegans.

It’s a deliberately challenging statement, it’s supposed to be a bit in-your-face, and in a very real way, I really do not mind if it is seen to be offensive, I am content to offend non-vegans with it.

Why? Well, it’s only words, it’s just a phrase, it’s merely a logo, simply an image, and if people can be offended by that, then why are they not offended by all of the cruelty, bloodshed and killing done to non-human animals in their name every moment of every day of every year?

If someone is not a vegan (and the desperate truth alas is that the sheer, overwhelming majority in society are not vegans), then these people are the consumers of the products that I despise so much, they are the supporters of the practices that make my blood boil so intensely, and it is they who provide profit to those companies and individuals who directly commit the acts that shatter my sensibilities so comprehensively.

If someone is not a vegan then that person is for the violence in the slaughterhouses, for the brutality of the dairy industry, for the horrors of the poultry industry, for the ferocious violence of the factory farms,for the devastation of the seas and the emptying of the oceans, they are for the destruction of the rainforests, for the filthing and pollution of the land and marine environments and they are for the appalling waste of scarce water and food when a billion people are profoundly parched and malnourished, on the brink of starvation… and, finally, they are for the vicious killing of billions upon billions of suffering, pained and fearful individuals year after year.

Now that is something that I find offensive.

When I walk down the aisle of a supermarket and I see the serried rows of freshly packed sliced dead flesh, knowing full well the horror and the misery, the fear and the pain endured by those animals in their deliberately foreshortened lives and violent deaths, and I see people absent-mindedly browsing the tidy packaging, casually, indifferently, selecting their cuts of “meat”, then I find that offensive.

When I go to my local tube station on the London Underground first thing in the morning on my way to work and I see the local shop selling sandwiches listed as ham, cheese, ham and cheese, chicken, turkey, and prawn, and the bored commuters lazily making their casual purchases of bits of the dead and their drained fluids, then I find that offensive.

When I read in the morning paper that all of this damned nation’s five favourite sandwiches contain “chicken” as an ingredient, then I find that offensive.

And because I have allowed myself to know the staggering cruelty behind all of these simply packaged products, so ubiquitous, so easily and readily accessible and available, with their names (“ham”, “pork”, “cheese”, “lamb”, “beef”, “veal”) and pictures so nonchalantly displayed everywhere I turn, everywhere I look, shops, newspapers, television, and I see and I watch so many buying into it, perpetuating – by their very and every purchase – that shattering cruelty against those defenseless animals, then I find that offensive.

So really, I’m quite happy to go on the “offensive”, and to be deliberately provocative; I really do not mind if non-vegans are offended by the wording on this image… I am tired of having to tip-toe oh so delicately around the issues, to be all quiet and meek and mild about why I am a vegan and must instead be careful to protect and not offend the soft sensibilities of the meat-eater; and I am tired of having to be apologetic about it, a “mistake” of mine, apparently, a bit “weird”, this being a vegan. But I’m having none of it. No more. The abuse, torture and killing of billions of non-human animals is a horror of searing proportions; it’s disgusting, it’s sickening, and I’m frankly appalled that so many people can be so damned casual about it, can act like it’s no big deal at all, and don’t seem to be offended by it, at all, not a bit of it, at all.

And so. By mixing the word vegan with the word f**k, I want to shock people, I want to shake them out of their slumbering complacency, to rouse them from their idle docility.

I know that for people to be so unmoved by the intense horror, savagery and waste of the so-called “animal product industry” should not surprise me and it does not surprise me; too often too many have behaved in this way. In a very different situation, but for very similar reasons, Wilfred Owen, the great poet of the first World War, was compelled to write:

“But cursed are dullards whom no cannon stuns,
That they should be as stones.
Wretched are they, and mean
With paucity that never was simplicity.
By choice they made themselves immune
To pity and whatever mourns in man”

(Wilfred Owen, Insensibility, 1918)

He was compelled to write that because he was shocked and deeply morally affronted that people “back home” in the UK were utterly unmoved by the carnage, the horror, and the waste of the war on the Western Front… this jarring fact that many were left untroubled, untouched and indifferent to the torment, the violence, and the hell endured by men in those trenches was for Mr. Owen nothing less than the complete debasement of humanity.

And now, in a very different situation but for a very similar reason must I state the stark, bloody fact that, by choice, the non-vegans in our society have made themselves immune to all of the extreme, vile violence done daily to millions of non-humans in the name of profit, of pleasure (“I love a bit of steak!”) and the alleged pursuit of knowledge (in the barbarity of our “bio-medical research” institutions). To satisfy the desire for a bite to eat, for a new pair of shoes or a coat, or a new version of an old pill, people choose to remain as dullards, as stones, in the face of the cry of agony – they have no pity.

I do not understand the value systems of those who remain immune to the suffering of the innocent, the defenseless, those animals who are utterly at our mercy and are shown no mercy but instead get a kick in the face and a knife in the throat. I do not understand how those people can sanction and be satisfied with such horror. So: if anyone were to see this image and be offended, I seriously could care less.

But this is also there for vegans to see too. What message does it convey to vegans?

What I hope is that it serves as to signify who vegans are, and what we can and do represent. For too long the media image of the vegan, and the stereotype that most carry around in their heads, is of someone who’s a bit scatty, possibly terribly middle class or a tad “alt” with black clothes and dyed hair, someone with too much time on their hands so that they meddle their minds and fiddle their fingers with twee little things like a thousand and one recipes for lentil soup.

As far as society in general is concerned, vegans are bit daft; a bit weird, best left alone, too odd and dull for company, people who spend too much time thinking about little fluffy rabbits, who would be tedious killjoys at parties and would drink only carrot or orange juice whilst stood in the corner flowering the wall, smiling weakly and dreaming wistfully of hemp clothing.

But they’ve got it all wrong. We’re cooler than that. We’re far, far cooler than that.

We don’t go around supporting and lapping up the spilling of blood on a global scale, the violent confinement and beating, punching and kicking of the innocent, we don’t accept and nod our heads at the slashing and stabbing of throats, the boiling and grinding up alive of conscious, sentient, pain-sensitive beings. We’re too cool to go along with crap like that.

We don’t sit back and let ourselves be pacified by a foul pack of lies about how farming is now so good for animals, or swallow wholesale the mind-vomit alleging that organic farming is so welfare-centered and the animals are so happy; we’re not taken in by corporate lies and the lies of food industry lobbyists about how we should all be eating so much fish or other “meats”, and drinking so much milk and gobble up so many eggs, because it’s all apparently so good for us, whilst those who tell us to do so line their pockets with money as people line their hearts with cholesterol. We don’t fall for a word of it because we’re not that stupid.

We don’t stuff our faces and over-fill our bellies with the foods that we know are the single biggest cause of climate change and are the number one reason why we’re tearing down the rainforests and burning them and all who live within them into oblivion; we don’t obsess at the desire to rip up the ocean floor to grab every living thing that swims and crawls below the waves, leaving only a desert bereft utterly of the abundance and magnificence of life that once thrived there and survives no more either there or anywhere. We’re far too smart to trash the only planet that we have.

We don’t slop and slurp at the lactation fluid of ruminants, salivating over milk designed for a new-born whilst that new born is slashed and slaughtered for cheap meat and the grieving mother is impregnated yet again in an unending cycle of reproductive misery that all too quickly crushes the life from her, done to death for the sake of a splash of liquid in a bowl of cereal or a cup of tea. We don’t do that because we’re just not that heartless and cruel – to steal the life-food of infants and tear the young from their mothers, and the mothers from their new-born young.

We don’t believe for one minute the outrageous untruths peddled by the medical and pharmaceutical industries, who’ve got billions of pounds in profits riding on perpetuating the old lies about how useful to human health are those millions of animal experiments whilst at the same time, despite those millions of animal experiments, the fourth biggest killer in the country is people dying from popping animal-tested pills. Sorry, but no: we’ve read the research, we’ve analyzed the data, we’ve counted the staggering number of animal and human corpses, and we can work out the truth for ourselves.

We’re too smart, too independently minded, too aware, too ethical, too moral, too caring, too compassionate, too decent, too radical, too revolutionary, too damned cool to be suckered into any of that crap. We’re vegan, and we’re vegan for literally bloody good reasons. We’re vegan and we’re vegan as fuck.

What 2012 Means to My Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

By : Lauren Woods

I was so happy to find this site :)! Everyone has been sowonderful and supportive.

Up until around 2011, however, I was a HUGE meat eater. It was all I had ever known, growing up. The only veggies I knew were: salad, kiwis, maybe broccoli every once and a while. Focus at breakfast lunch and dinner was always meat meat meat.

My grandma had diabetes, and as she began to struggle with cancer, I heard that a raw diet can reverse diabetes, possibly even cancer. Then my mom began to develop diabetes, along with a whole round of other health issues, just like HER mom... I decided right then I wasn't going to be the same. She constantly disobeys her doctor's orders as to her diet- and watching her health decline is very sad.

I got REALLY fat eating all that meat. By cutting back on meat and exercising (No one moves an inch in my family lmao) I lost 55 lbs. This year I hope to get down to 118. I ran from obesity, toward the light! Lol. It wasn't until 2012 when I made my resolutions, that I began to make some BIG changes.

January 1st, I became a pescetarian. At first, I was orbiting all my meals around fish, overeating fish- compensating for all the other meat I was ripping clear from my diet. As of today, Jan 30th 2012- I am lacto-vegetarian. Though really- I haven't had sushi OR eggs for two days, but I made the conscience decisiontoday. I still drink milk- but this week I'm going to buy a milk substitute at the store, and begin my transition to dairy free. I haven't put cheese on anything in days, hoorah.

My birthday is in July, and by then I'd like to be vegan, and bake my own delicious vegan cake :)!! I'm finally excited about foods again... And since my diet change, MY INSOMNIA IS GONE!! I couldn't believe it. I'd suffered from insomnia for years, and was diagnosed very young. I'd tried everything, from pills to rigorous exercise- but even 3 hours at the gym wouldn't wipe me out, or at least give me a FULL night's sleep. It was as simple as changing my diet.

2012 for me is the year of regaining my life back- the life I SHOULD have, but has been denied to me through my family's bad habits. I'm also beginning volunteering at the Humane Society, so wish me luck!

Source : http://www.vegfriend.com/profiles/blogs/what-2012-means-to-my-diet

More Fruit, More Veggies, More Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

A new study reveals that a higher daily intake of fruits and vegetables results in a greater sense of happiness and mental well-being.

Feeling blue? Perhaps you need more reds, greens, and yellows in your diet. According to a new study from the University of Warwick and Dartmouth College, upping your fruit and veggie intake to seven servings daily from the typically recommended five servings promotes happiness and improved mental health.

Researchers studied the dietary habits of 80,000 people in Britain and surveyed participants on life satisfaction, mental well-being, history or presence of mental disorders, nervousness, feelings of depression, and personal self-reported health and happiness.

As subjects' daily intake of fruits and vegetables increased, so did their sense of happiness and well-being. The dose-dependent pattern peaked at seven servings per day; eating more yielded no additional mood enhancement.

Though experts recommend five servings of fruits and vegetables per day for optimal health, the authors of the study report that 25 percent of British people consume one or no servings each day, and only a tenth of the entire British population meets the seven or more a day goal.

And according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 14 percent of adult Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables, with 33 percent getting the recommended two or more daily servings of fruit, and 27 percent meeting the recommended three or more daily servings of vegetables.

“The statistical power of fruit and vegetables was a surprise. Diet has traditionally been ignored by well-being researchers,” says Sarah Stewart-Brown, MD, professor of public health at Warwick Medical School and study co-author. However, she stresses that there is still more to learn regarding the link between serving size and its effect on mood and well-being.

Source: Everyday Health

Eat the Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:42 PST

No Body wants to eat meat after reading this Heart Wrenching Poem except If one is heart-less

When mum gave birth to a baby,

All chorused, 'Well done mum!'

But mother didn't say a word

Because this mum was dumb.

When baby was a few days old

Their mouths began to water

The innocent little baby would

Very soon be gone for slaughter.

When baby was but two weeks old

They put her on the scales

From there into a wooden box

Made fast with iron nails.

They took the baby to a place

Which had a crimson floor,

The walls were coated too of course

With crimson guts and gore.

They dragged the baby from the box

Onto the bloody ground

And when the shocks were sent through her

She didn't make a sound.

They hung the baby by her feet

Onto a moving chair

But no one stopped to ask about

The excruciating pain.

The baby traveled upside down

And met a bloody knife

And when the knife plunged into her

She parted with her life.

The baby hung there motionless,

Her entrails swam below

The reason for her violent death?

The lamb would never know.

They ripped the skin, clean off her back

And hacked her into two

The reason for the baby's death?

was simply HOT LAMB STEW!!!!

Source : Vegetarian Friend

Compassion and Kindness to Animals

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:43 PST

I’m having a day where I’m just fed up with the defensive nonsense people come up with.

I can understand people not knowing, we were all there once. We’ve all been conditioned to eat other animals flesh and milk and see it as normal.

I can understand people finding it hard to change, that’s not always easy and it’s a process for everyone.

People who are acknowledging the obvious suffering and trying to change, are sane kind people doing their best to overcome a lifetimes indoctrination and habits, and respect to you for that.

But the people who can look at these images, see the footage of what’s happening to animals on factory farms and slaughterhouses, find out that they don’t have to eat animals to meet their nutritional needs, once you know these things combined, to continue to justify your violence towards these innocent animals – I’m sorry, you’re subhuman. You’re a psychopath. A culturally sanctioned very normal psychopath, but here, this page, is not the best place to come and share how much you intend to continue with your violent tendencies.

Animals need help and compassion is not another way of saying - unless they’re animals who you particularly like the taste of – then you can abuse, mutilate, confine and stab to death all you like.

What someone else just said on another thread was to see this kind of behavior in people as a ‘shortcoming’ to be forgiven and accepted. I don’t forgive or accept your violence, this is not a ‘shortcoming’ some idiosyncratic characteristic which I am to tolerate, any more than if you took my cat or dog, or my grandmother and hacked them to pieces would be.

This is brutal horrendous violence. This is having your throat slit open and bled to death. Or rather, not you, but these innocent gentle animals who have done you no harm who have no voice to protest and who suffer as much as you would in the circumstances.

If you can’t empathize with that suffering enough to stop paying someone to do that to innocent gentle animals – honestly you need therapy.

What you don’t need, is to be coming on this page and expressing your opinions. They won’t be welcome here, and arguing with us is only another way of defending against seeing your own violence. That’s not what we are here for either.

This page is about compassion and kindness to animals, and we show a great deal of respect to one another, those of us who genuinely care about animals and avoid harming them wherever possible.

Those who don’t care, or pretend to care whilst still gratuitously slaughtering them, will get no such respect from me. You’ll get the cold hard truth, and I can help you find a good therapist if you’d like. Whenever you are ready to stop being violent, you have my friendship. But until then, you’re a violent lunatic and not one I want to hang out with.

Source : Loving Animals, Healing Our World

Simple Ways to Deal with Stress

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:43 PST

If we can integrate a few healthy habits and basic social attitudes in our daily lives, there’s a good chance the stress demons will leave us well nigh alone. To start with, let’s try getting enough sleep, making a little time to pamper ourselves like indulging in a relaxing soak (think aromatherapy oils!), maintaining a social network of friends who will listen when we need venting (nothing de-stresses like letting it off your chest!), exercising moderately, sustaining a healthy physical relationship which allows for lots of hugs and cuddles, and eating a balanced diet.

If however, you do feel strained under certain situations, there are several things you can do to relax.

Breathing exercises
This basic bodily function works wonders in releasing tension and calming the mind. If you’re unable to remove yourself from a stressful situation like when you’re driving or are in an important meeting, breathing exercises can be your saving grace. They can make you feel better straight away by oxygenating your blood to help wake up the brain and relaxing the muscles. There are many different breathing exercises you can try, but a quick and easy one involves slowly inhaling through your nose and counting till five in your head while sitting or standing in a relaxed position. Then, exhale from your mouth and count to eight as the air leaves your body. Remember to engage in a more relaxed way of breathing by letting your abdomen expand outward rather than raising your shoulders as you breathe in, allowing the lungs to be filled more fully with fresh air. Repeat this exercise several times to release tension.

If you’re unable to remove yourself from a stressful situation like when you’re driving or are in an important meeting, breathing exercises can be your saving grace.

Progressive muscle relaxation
PMR works by tensing and relaxing the muscle groups in the body to relieve tension and leaves you feeling calm in no time. We all have tried the stress-busting technique of clenching and releasing our fists. To take these benefits further start by tensing all your facial muscles into a scowl, hold this contorted expression for ten seconds and then relax completely for ten seconds. Repeat with the neck, shoulder and arm muscles, etc. As you practice PMR regularly it becomes easier to de-stress more quickly.

Meditation
If you are feeling emotionally stretched in a situation, it is liberating to give yourself a mental break. Snatch a few moments of peace and quiet, and treat yourself to visualization and guided imagery to restore your mind to its optimal level. Meditation is an extension of breathing exercises in which the brain enters a state similar to sleep, but with added benefits like the release of certain hormones. The mental focus remains on nothingness to discourage the mind from working overtime, thus decreasing stress levels. One basic meditation technique involves sitting in a comfortable position and thinking of nothing. This could be easier said than done, but practice will get you there. The idea is to quiet the mind. You can begin with considering yourself as an observer of your thoughts which will invariably creep in, particularly at the start of the session. Listen to the thoughts but don’t delve on them, let them go. Think of yourself as an outsider watching the thoughts materialize and fade away. As you master the technique of quieting your mind, stress-busting will become much easier.

It’s a proven fact that any activity that uses your physical energy results in relaxing the muscles and reducing stress.

Exercise
Exercise is by far the best way to combat stress. It’s a proven fact that any activity that uses your physical energy results in relaxing the muscles and reducing stress. It can provide an outlet for wrestling with frustrations and worries. There are a variety of different exercises you can engage in depending on your physical fitness and the availability of time and means. The easiest would be a quick walk in the park, a run around the block or a jog down the street if you’re keen on the outdoors, otherwise a treadmill is a good option as well. These exercises increase the amounts of ‘feel good’ hormones like endorphins and serotonin in the brain, making you feel better instantly. They relieve muscle strain and lower anxiety by metabolizing adrenaline. Maintaining a good posture and aiming to exercise at least four times a week gives the best results and keeps stress at bay.

Yoga, tai chi and qi gong
These gentle techniques combine the benefits of exercise and meditation to restore peace and calm to the mind, and get rid of tensions by letting go of negative energies. Initially, you would require some training to properly practice and benefit from these, but there are DVDs and books to help even if you’re unable to join training sessions.

Foods to stave off stress
Include some of the foods listed below in your diet to remain stress free.

Fresh fruits like blueberries, oranges, bananas and avocados are rich in vitamin C, potassium and fibre, which are known to reduce stress levels.
Vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale and sweet potato are loaded with vitamins that helps reduce stress
Dried fruit and nuts like almonds, apricots, pistachios and walnuts contain vitamin B and E, plus magnesium, which is a muscle relaxant.

Taking Your Dog to Work is a Stress-buster, Finds Business Study

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:43 PST

In an important study that all employers should note, business researchers find positive health benefits for allowing people to take their dog to work. According to the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) study, taking your dog to work could be good for you and your co-workers. Your pooch might even like going to work with you instead of lying around on the couch with the cat.

Four-legged friends at work good for productivity

For the study, VCU researchers measured employee stress levels from saliva samples at a company that had 20 to 30 dogs on the premises each day. The workers answered survey questions at regular intervals.

Randolph Barker, a professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University's business school in Richmond and colleagues performed the study at Replacements Ltd.in Greensboro, North Carolina. The company has approximately 550 employees and has been allowing dogs to come to work with their owners for over 15 years.

The researchers looked at 3 groups of 76 employees – those who don’t own pets, those that do but leave their pets at home and a third group that brought their pooches to work.

People who brought their dog to work reported lower stress levels by the end of the day, though there was no different in saliva cortisol levels among the groups. Compared to two other group death levels were 11% lower among the employees who have their dogs with them at work. Not having a dog was associated with 70% higher stress levels, based on the surveys that were taken four times throughout the day.

Employees who didn’t have dogs were observed asking employees who did if they could take their co-workers pet for a walk.

At the company dogs can be seen napping at their owner’s feet in the call center, in in work areas where employees handle glassware like crystal and china and even in corporate offices.

Sandra Barker, director of the university's Center for Human-Animal Interaction co-authored the study, which though preliminary, suggests having dogs or other pets in the workplace is a stress-buster that can lead to better wellness and increased productivity and enhanced employee communication. The researchers plan to study whether dogs enjoy going to work with their owners.

Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/taking-your-dog-work-stress-buster-finds-business-study

Is a Vegetarian Diet Best for Diabetes?

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:43 PST

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease that affects millions of people worldwide. But diabetes can also be caused by autoimmunity, known as type 1 that develops early in life. Pregnant women are at risk for gestational diabetes from hormones released during pregnancy that raise blood sugar levels. Can diabetes be avoided or controlled with a vegetarian diet?

Diabetes risk lower with less meat before pregnancy

According to a finding from the NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, published January, 2012 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who ate a high animal fat diet prior to becoming pregnant had a higher risk of gestational diabetes that persisted even for women who exercised to thwart high blood sugars during pregnancy.

Study author Cuilin Zhang, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., of the Epidemiology Branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) said in a press release, "Our findings indicate that women who reduce the proportion of animal fat and cholesterol in their diets before pregnancy may lower their risk for gestational diabetes during pregnancy.”

The recommendation from the researchers is that women who are planning pregnancy reduce their intake of animal fat and cholesterol to 5% of total daily calories. Less animal fat in the diet was associated with a 7% lower risk of gestational diabetes.

Vegetarians at lower risk for diabetes from metabolic syndrome

An April 2011 study published in the journal Diabetes Care indeed suggested vegetarians have a 36% lower chance of developing metabolic syndrome that leads to heart disease, stroke and diabetes, compared to meat eaters.

Vegetarians can still develop metabolic syndrome but eating a plant based diet was found to lower the chances from 39% for meat eaters to just 25% for vegetarians. Semi-vegetarians risk for metabolic syndrome was 37% per the study results.

Lead researcher Nico S. Rizzo, PhD said the finding, which came from a long-term study lifestyle and health of almost 100,000 Seventh-day Adventist Christians across the United States and Canada, was a ‘surprise’.

"I was not sure if there would be a significant difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and I was surprised by just how much the numbers contrast," he continues. "It indicates that lifestyle factors such as diet can be important in the prevention of metabolic syndrome”.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the two most important risk factors for metabolic syndrome that can lead to diabetes and complications of stroke and heart disease are increased waist circumference and insulin resistance.

Gary Fraser, MD, PhD who headed the Adventist Study 2 says, "Trending toward a plant-based diet is a sensible choice."

Switching to a vegetarian diet, combined with exercising at least 3 times a week might also offer significant protection against diabetes for African-Americans who are at greater risk for developing the disease.

Blacks are also more likely to experience type 2 diabetes complications that include kidney disease and amputation of the extremities, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Humana Services.

"These findings are encouraging for preventing type 2 diabetes in the black population, which is more susceptible to the disease than other populations," said Serena Tonstad, MD, a professor at Loma Linda University and lead author of the research, published in the October, 2011 issue of Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

Just adopting a Mediterranean diet that includes plenty of plant-based foods such as olive oil, grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables, fish and is low in meat, dairy products and alcohol might cut your chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 35%, according to findings published in 2008 in the British Medical Journal.

Plant based food could cut risk of type 2 diabetes complications

Eating nuts, such as almonds, fiber food that include oats and barley, plant sterols and soy proteins that are part of a vegetarian diet can help keep cholesterol levels in check. High cholesterol is a major contributor to heart disease for people with type 2 diabetes.

A 2003 report published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition also suggested reducing meat in the diet can protect the kidneys from harm and “could produce very significant metabolic advantages for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications.”

Eating a plant-based diet is also humane, considering current factory farming methods, found by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP) to “…threaten public health, the environment, animal health and well-being, and rural communities.”

If you’re considering a vegetarian diet for preventing or managing type 2 diabetes, speak with your doctor first.

Studies show vegetarians have less chance of developing type 2 diabetes from metabolic syndrome and that eating a plant based diet has benefits for controlling the disease that is expected to affect 1 in 10 people by the year 2030. Women might also cut their risk of gestational diabetes by lowering their intake of meat before getting pregnant.

Resources
NIH News
“High animal fat diet increases gestational diabetes risk”
January 25, 2012

Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/vegetarian-diet-best-diabetes

7 High-Protein Meat Substitutes for Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:43 PST

Whether you’re a vegetarian or a flexitarian , cooler weather makes this the perfect time to start thinking about stews , stir-fries, and other main dish meals made with meat substitutes.

But making sure you get all the flavor and protein “bang for your buck” can be a challenge. Last year I was served a “seitan turkey” in the shape of a bird for Thanksgiving dinner. It was delicious, and the meat substitute made a very credible poultry!

More recently I’ve whipped up a great tempeh “steak” with fried potatoes (no complaints from the carnivores at the table!), but a subsequent tofu stir-fry, with a bottled teriyaki sauce, ended up mushy and too sweet.

If you’re experimenting with going vegetarian, vegan, or flexitarian, this guide to meat substitutes can help you make smart choices.

Tofu
Tofu is the mild, soft, white curd make from the soybean. Subtle in flavor and very versatile, it can be stir-fried, deep-fried, pureed, cubed and tossed into soups or stews, or even whipped into mousse. Best of all, it packs a whopping 10 grams of protein per half cup, for fewer than 100 calories. Tip: If you are new to tofu, try the “firm” kind (it’s easier to slice than the silken variety).

Health.com: What Can You Make with Tofu?

Tempeh
Tempeh will never win any beauty contests. The traditional soy product, made of cultured and fermented soybeans, looks like a little bit like rocks bound together with white fungus. Don’t look, eat! Tempeh is revelation, packed with protein (15 grams per half cup), meaty and mild, versatile and highly digestible. Use it anywhere you would tofu; it holds up especially well between two slices of bread or stir-fried.

Try these recipes:
Spicy Asparagus-Tempeh Stir-Fry
Tempeh Fajitas

Seitan
This meat alternative, more popular in Asian countries than in the United States, looks a lot like duck meat and tastes, well, like chicken http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20336762,00.html. Also called wheat gluten, seitan is made of powdered whole wheat flour mixed with water, pulled and processed, and well-seasoned with salt and other savory flavors. It has less protein than the other meat substitutes on this list, but you can sneak it into any recipe that calls for poultry.

Try this recipe:
Sweet and Sour Seitan

Edamame
Quick…what bean has the most protein? Soybeans of course, with nearly 20 grams per cup. And edamame are nothing more than fresh soybeans (you knew that right?). Tip: Buy em frozen and shelled, then toss them into any soup or salad.

Health.com: 3 Ways to Cook With Frozen Edamame

Beans
Beans are amazingly high in fiber and protein, and they’re meaty and delicious enough to sub for steak and chicken in most meals. The highest protein beans are fava and kidney, but any bean you crave will be a healthy meat-free choice.

Try these recipes:
Black Bean & Zucchini Quesadillas
Warm Two-Bean Chard Salad
Baked Chickpeas with Paneer

Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP)
That crumbly quality you get in your veggie burger? Probably comes from TVP, a product made from soy flour. It packs the same amount of protein as tofu, but some find it a little easier to digest.

Quorn
Quorn is a controversial meat substitute widely available in the United Kindom that takes the shape of chicken patties or nuggets. It tastes pretty good, but is made from a fungus in fermentation tanks and has been linked to allergic reactions. If you try it, let us know what you think!

Source: http://news.health.com/2012/10/04/high-protein-meat-substitutes-perfect-for-fall/

Sources of vitamin D for Vegetarians

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:43 PST

Weak muscles and poor bone density are some of the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. But there are chances that lack of this vitamin can cause asthma in children, cognitive impairment at an older age, intolerance to glucose and multiple sclerosis.

Quite serious illnesses, but they can be prevented. However, the rules differ for vegetarians. What are the healthy vegetarian sources of vitamin D? Let's find out.

Recommended daily allowance for vitamin D
For those between 1 - 70 years, the daily allowance is 15 micrograms, that is, 600 International Unit (IU).

For those older than 70 years, it is recommended to have 800 IU daily that equals to 20 microgram.

Soy products:
Soy products like tofu and soy chunks are a healthy source of vitamin D. These products are easily available at a supermarket. Tofu may be a new ingredient for some, but Indians have been using soy chunks for a long time.

Fortified cereals:
Oatmeals and breakfast cereals are fortified with different vitamins. Check the label to ensure that you are getting the right amount of vitamin D in your body.

Mushrooms:
You can eat mushrooms as starters or prepare a side dish for dinner; mushrooms are a favourite with the kids. This goes for non vegetarians too. If your child makes a fuss about eating, then try some delicious mushroom preparations.

Sunlight:
Science textbooks highlight this fact - sunlight is the biggest source of Vitamin D. But remember to bask in the sun for 10 -15 minutes before 8am and at dusk. Beyond that you are asking for trouble, you don't want skin ailments to plague your skin.

Fruits:
Most fruits lack vitamin D with the exception of oranges. A glass of orange juice is rich in calcium and vitamin D.

Fortified margarine:
Word of caution: Use margarine like a miser, large portions of margarine can be unhealthy. Before purchase, check if the margarine is fortified with vitamin D.

Alternative milk:
Opt for alternative milk like soy, rice and coconut. Most mothers use coconut and rice milk with food, but what about soy? Dairy products like yogurt are now made from soy milk.

Source: Times of India

Riskiest Foods

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:43 PST

Safe handling and cooking of food are highly recommended and significantly cuts the risks, but won't guarantee that you'll always avoid contamination.

Leafy greens
Lettuce and other leafy greens are super healthy but also susceptible to contamination through improper processing or handling. Most of the bacteria are in the outer leaves, discard and rinse the rest a few times. Bagged salad should also be washed.

Potatoes
Food poisoning linked to this popular vegetable is often caused by dishes like potato salad that are improperly refrigerated. Potatoes can also be contaminated during agricultural processing. Scrub well and cook thoroughly.

Tomatoes
Salmonella can live in the raw fruit, but multiply when tomatoes are cut and left in a warm environment. Store items like fresh salsa in the fridge.

Beansprouts
The warm, moist conditions that are ideal for growing beansprouts are also great for cultivating bacteria. It’s recommended that children, the elderly, and anyone with a compromised immune system avoid consuming raw beansprouts.

Berries
Most cases of illnesses associated with berries occur from fruit that is contaminated by sick farm workers or exposed to dirty water. Rinse berries thoroughly and find trusted local source for in season fruit.

Source: http://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/11-riskiest-foods.html

Want Better Health? Your Eating Environment Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:43 PST

Food choice, nutrition and diet have been growing topics hotly debated in the public arena.

But despite increased public awareness that food choice plays a vital role in health, most Americans continue to eat too few fruits, vegetables and whole grains (USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion).

The Obesity Epidemic

With more than two-thirds of American adults either overweight or obese, what American’s eat is a topic that cannot be dismissed lightly. Studies on obesity in America have found that rates of obesity among adults has more than doubled since 1980 and that rates among children, even those as young as 2 to 5, are alarming. Obesity rates for adolescents have tripled, while those for children aged 6-11 have quadrupled.

Along with what many have begun to refer to as an epidemic of obesity, has also come an increased focus on healthy eating behaviors and lifestyle choices. The questions researchers and health advocates ask include: what contributes to unhealthy lifestyle choices and which interventions lead to successful behavior change, weight loss and improved health?

Education about nutrition has been finding its way into the public domain. Magazines and newspapers, advertisements on television and information in our children’s classrooms are a few of the ways health educators have increased the knowledge of the public at large.

Environment Matters

But this fight to educate the public about a healthy lifestyle can get lost in the wealth of unhealthy products American’s encounter throughout daily life. Fast food restaurants, shopping malls, workplaces, and corner stores make eating healthy a challenge.

Not only are we surrounded by unhealthy food options, we are also surrounded by unhealthy messages about food. The environment in which we live and work has a significant impact on what we view as healthy and on how much food we believe we need to eat.

We may not pay close attention to the billboards with coffee drinks heaped with whipped cream being consumed by happy and thin models, or commercials in which physically fit sports fans watch a game with a bucket of fried chicken, but they do have an impact on how much we believe we can and need to eat.

Effective nutrition education and behavior change requires multifaceted interventions. Education alone has not lead to great behavior change. Lasting change appears to require education, individual intervention and changes to our environment to make the healthy choice the easy (and obvious) choice.

Individual differences in our beliefs and attitudes about food have an impact on what and how much we eat, but so does our environment. The people around us, the messages we see at work, on TV and in our communities and, yes, even information about the calories in a Big Mac can have an impact on the food choices we make.

If we want better health, we may need to change how we think about food; increasing your awareness about how your environment influences your thoughts about food is one place to start.

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/09/25/want-better-health-your-eating-environment-matters/

10 Benefits of Carrots

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:43 PST

Forget about vitamin A pills. With this orange crunchy power-food, you get vitamin A and a host of other powerful health benefits including beautiful skin, cancer prevention, and anti-aging. Read how to get maximum benefits from this amazing vegetable.

Benefits of Carrots

1. Improved Vision
Western culture’s understanding of carrots being “good for the eyes” is one of the few we got right. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A is transformed in the retina, to rhodopsin, a purple pigment necessary for night vision.

Beta-carotene has also been shown to protect against macular degeneration and senile cataracts. A study found that people who eat the most beta-carotene had 40 percent lower risk of macular degeneration than those who consumed little.

2. Cancer Prevention
Studies have shown carrots reduce the risk of lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. Researchers have just discovered falcarinol and falcarindiol which they feel cause the anticancer properties.

Falcarinol is a natural pesticide produced by the carrot that protects its roots from fungal diseases. Carrots are one of the only common sources of this compound. A study showed 1/3 lower cancer risk by carrot-eating mice.

3. Anti-Aging
The high level of beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant to cell damage done to the body through regular metabolism. It help slows down the aging of cells.

4. Healthy Glowing Skin (from the inside)
Vitamin A and antioxidants protects the skin from sun damage. Deficiencies of vitamin A cause dryness to the skin, hair and nails. Vitamin A prevents premature wrinkling, acne, dry skin, pigmentation, blemishes, and uneven skin tone.

5. A Powerful Antiseptic
Carrots are known by herbalists to prevent infection. They can be used on cuts – shredded raw or boiled and mashed.

6. Beautiful Skin (from the outside)
Carrots are used as an inexpensive and very convenient facial mask. Just mix grated carrot with a bit of honey. See the full recipe here: carrot face mask.

7. Prevent Heart Disease
Studies show that diets high in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. Carrots have not only beta-carotene but also alpha-carotene and lutein.

The regular consumption of carrots also reduces cholesterol levels because the soluble fibers in carrots bind with bile acids.

8. Cleanse the Body
Vitamin A assists the liver in flushing out the toxins from the body. It reduces the bile and fat in the liver. The fibers present in carrots help clean out the colon and hasten waste movement.

9. Healthy Teeth and Gums
It’s all in the crunch! Carrots clean your teeth and mouth. They scrape off plaque and food particles just like toothbrushes or toothpaste. Carrots stimulate gums and trigger a lot of saliva, which being alkaline, balances out the acid-forming, cavity-forming bacteria. The minerals in carrots prevent tooth damage.

10. Prevent Stroke:
From all the above benefits it is no surprise that in a Harvard University study, people who ate more than six carrots a week are less likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate only one carrot a month or less.

Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-benefits-of-carrots.html

Vegetarian Diet May be Necessary to Prevent Global Water and Food Shortage

noreply@blogger.com (Vegetarian) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:15:44 PST

If you’ve ever considered being vegetarian but just couldn’t cut it, you’re not alone. I myself have struggled with going completely meat-free. However, a new report is sending a strong warning that may force us all in that direction.

Findings from water scientists at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SWIW) suggest that if the world’s population neglects to adopt a vegetarian diet over the next 40 years, we may face a global food and water shortage crisis.

Although U.S. meat consumption has reportedly seen declines – estimated to down more than 12 percent by the end of this year since 2007 – that amount still equates to about 165.5 pounds per person per year; or around one half pound per day.

As reported by the Huffington Post, the SIWI suggests that around 20 percent of the protein in our diets comes from animal-based sources. Additionally, unless that drops 5 percent by 2050, there may not be enough food to feed the additional 2 billion people estimated to be alive by that time.

The surprising solution to this global issue? Water supply. All of these warnings stem from the world’s water supply, which is rapidly declining. At the annual world water conference in Stockholm, Sweden, the UN predicted that “we must increase food production by 70 percent by mid-century” to feed the world’s growing population, which will place additional stress on our already-low water supply.

In a statement issued by Torgny Holgren, executive director of the SIWI, the heightened need to conserve our water is becoming all-the-more urgent. “More than one-fourth of all the water we use worldwide is taken to grow over one billion tons of food that nobody eats. That water, together with the billions of dollars spent to grow, ship, package and purchase the food, is sent down the drain,” he said. “Reducing the waste of food is the smartest and most direct route to relieve pressure on water and land resources. It’s an opportunity we cannot afford to overlook.”

The SIWI contends that a vegetarian diet will help alleviate some of the strain on our water supply since animal-rich protein consumes five to 10 times more water than a vegetarian diet. In fact, an article from Guardian reported that one-third of the world’s dry land is currently used to grow crops that feed animals.

In addition to reducing the amount of meat we consume, the SIWI also recommends making a concerted effort to save water by reducing food waste, plant breeding, waste water recycling, and increasing trade between countries in food surplus and those in short supply.

For those unfamiliar with alternative protein sources, plant-based proteins include foods like quinoa, edamame, black beans, nuts and seeds. For information on how much protein our bodies need as well as how many grams of protein plant-based sources provide, check out this all inclusive vegetarian protein guide. It’s amazing to think that making small changes in our diet now could have such a huge impact on future generations’ food and water supply.

Source: http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/08/vegetarian-diet-may-be-necessary-to-prevent-global-water-and-food-shortage/