Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Livestrong - Vegan

I was excited once I read this article, I am on the right track !
 
 
The article also includes some great meal ideas and vegan ingredients you should use.


Out of all the diets championed by health experts these days, veganism can seem like the most intimidating. The name almost sounds like a religion. And perhaps that’s fitting: Many vegans cite ethical reasons for why they only eat plant-based foods.

Values aside, the lifestyle can be a pretty big commitment: Vegans skip any animal-derived product, including meat, dairy and eggs. This extends to foods processed with animal products, like refined sugar. Add up all of the dietary restrictions, and you have a nutritional plan that only the most committed people can sustain. It’s precisely these reasons that scare some people off of veganism altogether.

The good news? You don’t have to become a full-fledged vegan to reap many of the benefits of the diet. In fact, a growing number of health experts believe that simply eliminating meat and dairy for a few days a week can make you healthier.

One reason: Cutting out animal-products makes more room in your diet for fruits and vegetables—a goal that most people fail to meet. According to the CDC, nearly three out of four people eat fruits and vegetables less than five times per day –which is a shame, since a study in the European Heart Journal found that with each serving of produce a person consumes, their risk for ischemic heart disease declines by 4%. Those who had eight daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowered their risk for the disease by a whopping 22%.

Skipping animal products can also help you reduce your saturated fat and cholesterol intake, says Nicole Geurin, MPH, RD. This in turn can help boost your HDL (good) cholesterol and lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides—all of which may reduce your risk of heart disease.

So if you’re considering dabbling in Veganism, here are a few easy meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Include them in your diet a few times per week and reap the nutritional benefits.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/558068-the-health-benefits-of-a-vegan-diet/#ixzz29ZXHpR5Y

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