Diet Novelties .com

…„A PASSING GLANCE at news media, restaurant menus and supermarket shelves is enough to convince anyone that vegetarianism has an established presence in today’s world.

Once thought of as fringe, a vegetarian diet of nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits and nuts is now recognized as a “healthy” dietfor Americans by the U.S. government. The shift in thinking is also evident in the predominantly vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid of the USDA, where meat plays a lesser role.

These days, many people are taking a vegetarian diet to the next level - by becoming vegan. Often mispronounced (it’s VEE-gun) and misunderstood (it’s not a resident of a planet called Vega), a vegan differs from a vegetarian in a number of ways.

The American Vegan Society offers this definition for veganism: “Veganism means living solely on the products of the plant kingdom, to the exclusion of flesh, fish, fowl, animal milk and all dairy products (cheese, butter, yogurt, etc.), eggs, honey and all other foods of animal origin.”

The definition also excludes use of animal products such as fur, wool, leather and silk. Veganism encourages finding alternatives for all materials derived from animal sources.

Although ethical issues are important considerations, health is another reason why people go vegan. Dairy consumption has been linked to allergies, sinus trouble, migraine headaches, psoriasis and much more. Many people are concerned about the antibiotics, pesticide residues and growth hormones that can be found in meat, eggs and dairy products, as well as food contamination by meat and eggs tainted with e. coli, salmonella and other bacteria.

Of primary concern, however, is the artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fat found in animal products that are linked to eight of the top 10 causes of death. Studies show conclusively that higher levels of cholesterol are linked to greater risk for heart attack. But a vegan diet is naturally free of cholesterol.

Thanks to soy foods such as tofu, tempeh and textured soy protein, along with other beans, nuts and seeds, a well-balanced vegan diet easily provides adequate protein. It can also provide ample calcium, which is found in abundance in tofu, nuts, vegetables such as broccoli, dark leafy greens and sea vegetables.

In addition, the USDA now says that eating soy protein each day can significantly reduce the chances of heart disease, including heart attacks, stroke and circulation problems. Studies show that consuming sufficient amounts of soy protein can decrease cholesterol concentrations and can dramatically reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

The change to a vegan diet can begin as simply as swapping the meat and dairy in your diet for plant-proteins such as soy foods, supplemented by lots of fresh seasonal vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Going vegan is also a great way to explore ethnic diversity as you achieve variety in your meals. Many Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern dishes are inherently vegetarian, consisting of flavorful combinations of grains, beans and vegetables.

Whether an individual adopts a vegan diet for health or ethical reasons, it is clearly a personal lifestyle choice that can have far-reaching benefits. …”