VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS BECOME POPULAR

GOING VEGAN GETTING
EASIER, MORE POPULAR

www.foxnews.com - Actress Alicia Silverstone added a dose of star power to the vegan cause more recently with “The Kind Diet,” a No. 1 best-seller. Vegan diets also have been touted by other celebrities, including Emily Deschanel in “Bones” and Lea Michele of “Glee.” Veganism has been buoyed by the same health-conscious wave that has drawn Americans in unprecedented numbers to low-fat, vegetarian and organic foods. The idea of eating lower on the food chain is especially attractive to environmentally conscious consumers, since large-scale meat production is a major source of greenhouse gases.
Veganism also provides a safe harbor for the growing number of people concerned about where their supermarket meat comes from. 

Critics of industrial-scale food processing like writer Michael Pollan have been gaining a wider audience in recent years. And - sign of the times - some famous guys are eating vegan now, too. Bill Clinton, known for his burger-loving ways when president, has credited his trim build at his daughter Chelsea's wedding this summer to a “plant-based diet” (though he eats a little fish sometimes). Even former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has talked up his vegan diet.
Tracye McQuirter, a vegan for 23 years and author of "By Any Greens Necessary," a vegan guide aimed at black women, said things were different until about a decade ago. "People did not know what it meant," McQuirter said, but that's changed today.

Abstaining from animal products is an ancient practice found in cultures worldwide. But veganism never got traction in meat-loving America; however, today the new tendecies are on the rise. More than half the 1,500 chefs polled by the National Restaurant Association for its new "What's Hot in 2011" list included vegan entrees as a hot trend. There is evidence of veganism making inroads beyond urban strongholds like New York City and Los Angeles. Some chain restaurants like Souplantation and Pizza Fusion even mark vegan items on their menus. For some, this is not just a change on their dietary habits, but veganism is a moral imperative.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In its 1996 position paper on vegetarian diets, the American Dietetic Association reported that vegan and vegetarian diets can significantly reduce one’s risk of contracting heart disease, colon and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity, and a number of other debilitating conditions. ... Vegan foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are rich in fiber and nutrients. Vegans can get all the protein they need from legumes (e.g., beans, tofu, peanuts) and grains (e.g., rice, corn, whole wheat breads and pastas); calcium from broccoli, kale, collard greens, tofu, fortified juices and soymilks; iron from chickpeas, spinach, pinto beans, and soy products; and B12 from fortified foods or supplements.

Stephen Knapp (Śrīpad Nandanandana dasa) :
“Health and Nutrition” - “Is a Vegan Diet Healthy?”
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/ - http://www.stephenknapp.info/
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/frequently_asked_questions_about_veganism.htm

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/