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Go vegetarian, Says Bryan Adams

Ahead of his India tour this week, Canadian rockstar Bryan Adams has a message for Indian fans: go vegetarian. Adams joins a long list of celebrities - including Lara Dutta, R Madhavan, Sir Paul McCartney and Shahid Kapoor -- who have teamed up with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India to promote vegetarian lifestyle.

"If you love animals, don't eat them," Bryan told PETA India in an interview, PETA said today.

As part of 'Bryan Adams Live Full Band Show World Tour', the international singer-cum-songwriter will deliver four live performances in four cities in India - Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad between February 12 to 16.

Bryan said in the interview that he has been a "vegetarian since 1988 but stopped eating dairy food long before I became vegetarian."

Vidya Balan, Shashi Tharoor are hottest vegetarians!

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan and former union minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor have been voted as the hottest celebrity vegetarians in an online poll by animal rights organisation PETA.

Vidya and Tharoor beat out actors R. Madhavan and Lara Dutta to claim the title. They faced competition from Mallika Sherawat, Kareena Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor, and even international names like Natalie Portman and Bryan Adams.

"Vidya Balan and Shashi Tharoor embody many admirable qualities, but their commitment to a vegetarian diet that's as kind to animals and the earth as it is to their own health makes them true royalty in our book," Poorva Joshipura, chief of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, said in a statement.

"All our nominees are winners because there's nothing more beautiful than a caring heart to go along with an attractive appearance," she added.

Living and eating with appreciation| The Japan Style

Author Elizabeth Andoh on her latest book and Japan's ancient vegetarian tradition

By ROBBIE SWINNERTON

Special to The Japan Times

A writer, author and longtime authority on Japanese cuisine, Elizabeth Andoh has been even busier than usual since the publication of her latest work, "Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions." Beside the extra demands of promotional commitments, for the past several years she has also split her time between Tokyo and Osaka, where she now lives. She travels regularly between the two cities while continuing to teach and run other culinary programs through her A Taste of Culture organization.

Last week, The Japan Times caught up with Andoh to chat over lunch at Itosho, a restaurant specializing in shojin ryori (temple cuisine) in Tokyo's Azabu-Juban district. This was absolutely appropriate, given that the precepts of Buddhism underscore the ancient tradition of vegetarian cooking in Japan — and that the concept of kansha, the sense of appreciation for life, is the central driving concept of Andoh's new book.

Even after more than four decades living in Japan, cooking, eating out and writing about washoku (Japanese food culture), Andoh remains a student of the culinary arts. As Itosho's chef, Hiroharu Ito, lays the first dishes on the low tables, she takes out a notebook to sketch each course, its composition and balance of ingredients. She also has a keen eye for the tableware on which the food is presented.

"I'm forever amazed at the truly infinite variety that's possible from (just) a few ingredients," she says. "A lot of (chef Ito's ceramics) are really antique, wonderful. And his version of shojin ryori is a little different — there are many different styles — and Hida Takayama (Ito's home town in mountainous Gifu Prefecture) is landlocked and very different from other places."

Interestingly, Andoh reveals that the original concept for her book was not purely vegetarian or vegan.

Rather, it was based on the age-old Japanese approach to cooking, eating and living in which meat and other animal foods played little or no part. It was a celebration of this mindset of appreciation — of the seasons, of the bounty of the fields and of life in general: "(The title) was purposefully not an exclusively culinary word, because I was talking about a much larger approach and this was the culinary take."

It's a way of life that has largely vanished now, even in rural Japan. But when Andoh first arrived in the mid-1960s it was still very much alive — as she discovered in the household of her future husband, in rural Shikoku.

"My mother-in-law, who was my kitchen role model, was vegetarian, in the sense that women born in the Meiji Era (1868-1912) were vegetarian," she says. "She didn't eat anything that lived and moved."

Andoh explains that the book was originally to include a definitive discussion of the various styles of shojin cuisine, describing the regional differences and the specific cooking styles of each Zen sect. Unfortunately, the bean counters at her publisher ruled that the manuscript was too long, and that was one section that had to be cut.

"The paragraph that came out also talked about 'mottainai,' she says, citing a Japanese expression commonly used to mean "don't be wasteful" but with older, deeper religious connotations. It actually has Buddhist roots and is very unique to Japan.

"I had so much material that didn't end up in the book," she says.

Is there a chance the excised text could end up in a future book? It's possible, she grants. But in the meantime it — together with all her archives — forms the core of her new website at http://www.kanshacooking.com/ .

Vegetarian diet good for kidneys

A new study has suggested that sticking to a vegetarian diet can help kidney disease patients avoid accumulating toxic levels of phosphorous in their bodies.

Kidney disease patients must limit their phosphorous intake, as high levels of the mineral can lead to heart disease and death.

While medical guidelines recommend low phosphorus diets for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), phosphorus content is not listed on food labels.

Sharon Moe (Indiana University School of Medicine and Roudebush Veterans' Affairs Medical Center) and her colleagues studied the effects of vegetarian and meat-based diets on phosphorous levels in nine patients with CKD.

Patients followed a vegetarian or meat-based diet for one week, followed by the opposite diet two-to four- weeks later. Blood and urine tests were performed at the end of each week on both diets.

Despite equivalent protein and phosphorus concentrations in the two diets, patients had lower blood phosphorus levels and decreased phosphorus excretion in the urine when they were on the vegetarian diet compared with the meat-based diet.

The authors concluded that their study demonstrates that the source of protein in the diet has a significant effect on phosphorus levels in patients with CKD.

The study appeared in a recent issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).

TOI

Vegetarian Way of Life: a New Year Resolution

By Vlad Mazak, Vancouver Sun

This has not been a good year for the meat, dairy, and egg industries.

In January, ABC News provided extensive coverage of cow abuse by the dairy industry. The BP oil spill in April called attention to an even-larger Gulf "dead zone" caused by the massive amounts of animal waste dumped every day by the Mississippi River. A month later, a UN report urged a global shift toward a vegan diet to reduce world hunger and climate change.

In June, FDA asked factory farms to stop routine use of antibiotics that lead to drug-resistant bacterial infections in humans.

August witnessed the largest-ever recall of more than a half-billion eggs harbouring salmonella.

Finally, this month, President Obama signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act to replace fatty animal products and other junk foods in school lunches and vending machines.

According to the School Nutrition Association, 65 per cent of U.S. schools now offer vegetarian lunch options.

Vlad Mazak
Vancouver

Are Muslims allowed to be vegetarians?

By Arwa Aburawa

“Are Muslims allowed to be vegetarians?” and “Why would any Muslim want to be a vegetarian?” usually follows the polite explanation that I don’t eat meat. Over the years my responses to these questions changed but I now usually respond with a rather non-committal ‘well, it depends on the person’. I have been asked to speak as a Muslim vegetarian on a couple of occasion and whilst I was more than happy to do it, I often felt uneasy ‘representing’ Muslim vegetarians due to the diverse views and opinions we hold.

For some Muslims, the decision to become a vegetarian has been a truly personal experience with no relation to their religion whilst for others it stems directly from their Islam faith. Caring for the environment may have been a root concern whilst for others protecting animals was the primary motivation. In the spirit of showcasing this diversity, I have asked three Muslim to answer set questions about their vegetarianism and I hope you find their responses as fascinating as I did!

1. Eco-Warrior Vegetarian
Munqeth Mehyar- Jordanian Director of Friends of the Earth Middle East, Jordan

1. How long have you been a vegetarian and what encouraged you to become a vegetarian?
It’s been 14 years now and I became a vegetarian as the result of a personal experience.

2. Would you advocate that all Muslims consider and take up vegetarianism?
I would advocate that everyone consider becoming a vegetarian when they pass the age of 40.

3. Did Islam play a big part in your decision to become a vegetarian?
No.

4. What have the reactions to your vegetarianism been like from the Muslim/non-Muslim community?
I would say that in our culture eating meat is a must, hearing that some one does not eat meat out of choice was considered to be unusual and weird.

5. Finally, what is your favorite vegetarian meal?
Salads and vegetable spaghetti

2. Vegetarian of Faith
Rianne ten Veen- Green Muslim and author of ’199 Ways To Please God‘ a faith-based green guide
1. How long have you been a vegetarian and what encouraged you to become a vegetarian?
Not sure there was a single moment (or that full time vegetarians would be happy with me considering myself vegetarian – my intention and preference is clearly to be vegetarian, but sometimes it’s not appropriate to push your preference, so I do end up eating some fish or chicken). Whilst living in Argentina I’d eat quite a bit of meat as part of existing local culture; in the Netherlands I ate much less for this same reason. When living in Belgium I never bought meat as I couldn’t consider cooking animals, it felt too cruel.

Now in the UK I still never buy meat as I know vast majority of meat on sale is from animals raised in ‘non-fitra’ situations (as Muslims we shouldn’t just care about how animals were killed, but also have a responsibility to ensure that animals have a chance to live their life as God intended them to live, and definitely not locked up in tiny cages being fed a non-natural diet, e.g. grains or soy to grass-eating cows) and do not want to have contributing to that system too much on my record for Day of Judgment.

2. Tell me one piece of information that you would like others to know about being a Muslim vegetarian?
Maybe more a question: all vegetables are halal, by definition, and the Quran and hadith mention many good qualities of vegetables; how come they are so scarce then at many a Muslim event where food is provided?

3. Would you advocate that all Muslims consider and take up vegetarianism?
It is not up to me to say what others, Muslim or not, should or should not do. For environmental, health, animal welfare and so many other reasons, I would suggest people do try to give meat a break more often.

4. Did Islam play a big part in your decision to become a vegetarian?
Most definitely. Just read how positively the Qur’an mentions vegetables (e.g. 6:99, 6:141, 16:10-11, 50:9-11) but just tolerates meat (e.g. 6:142); note how rarely Prophet Muhammed PBUH ate meat. With global grain prices going up to feed our (increasingly cloned or artificially inseminated) cattle and chickens out-pricing the poorest; with intensive farming contributing increasingly to climate change; with meat generally having a significantly higher eco-footprint than vegetables contributing need to over-exploit arable land; with fish demand leading to species collapse and genetically modified farmed fish… a more vegetarian diet seems much more Islamic to me.

5. What have the reactions to your vegetarianism been like from the Muslim/non-Muslim community
I’ve been quite surprised at the negative response from Muslims – as if choosing not to eat meat equated to making it ‘haram’ (forbidden) and sounding surprised when I replied with a question whether they’d made haram all the vegetables they never ate?

6. What is your favourite vegetarian meal?
A big mixed salad: fresh raw spinach leaves, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, red onion, fresh garlic; sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds (the ‘good cousin of the naughty cousin’: no marijuana, but very healthy), slightly roasted pine nuts; a dressing of organic olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard… delicious!

3. Animal Rights Vegetarian
Summreen Sheikh- Founder of Vegetarian Muslims Group on Facebook and works in the environmental sustainability sector in the UK

1. How long have you been a vegetarian and what encouraged you to become a vegetarian?
Since I was five, I learnt about animals at school and decided not to eat meat anymore as every time I saw the meat I thought of the animal.

2. Tell me one piece of information that you would like others to know about being a Muslim vegetarian?
It’s very normal and halal.

3. Would you advocate that all Muslims consider and take up vegetarianism?
No, I would encourage them to think about where their meat comes from. To learn about what is required for their food to be truly halal and question if they genuinely think that the meat industry meets all these requirements. I would also suggest that they look into the consumption of meat in the time of our Prophet and see how eating meat was treated. We are encouraged to think for ourselves as Muslims, not follow the masses.

4. Did Islam play a big part in your decision to become a vegetarian?
No.

5. What have the reactions to your vegetarianism been like from the Muslim/non-Muslim community?
Muslims especially have a problem accepting something that is not common in their culture. Often people will say its haram (forbidden) to be vegetarian- obviously this is quite insulting and ignorant and requires a lot of self restraint from me! Non-muslims are more open minded to the diversity of my lifestyle choice.

6. Finally, what is your favourite veggie dish?
Daal chaaval – lentils and rice- yum!

Courtasy: http://www.greenprophet.com/

Vegetarian diet can prevent cancer

Cambridge: It's a known fact that vegetarian diet helps fight cancer, but a new research suggests that plants may protect us from cancer in a far more novel way – they may block a cancer's ability to grow.
 
Populations that consume less animal food and more plant food have a lower risk of cancer and the risk of cancer in vegetarians is about 50 per cent lower than among people who eat meat on a regular basis.
Plant foods are high in antioxidants, and antioxidants can protect DNA from damage that can lead to malignant transformation.

As per the new study, vegetarian food can block cancer's ability to grow via a process called angiogenesis, a tissue's ability to grow new blood vessels, reports the Age .

If the process of angiogenesis goes awry, new blood vessels don't form when they are needed, or blood vessel formation continues out of control.

Researchers have developed some drugs that can help to shrink tumour growth or even reduce the spread of cancer by inhibiting angiogenesis.

Scientists like William Li, a researcher who heads the Angiogenesis Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are looking at the power of certain foods to block angiogenesis.

The plant chemicals in the foods like apples, oranges, blackberries, vegetables like tomato pumpkins etc. seem to be able to inhibit angiogenesis so that a single cancer cell or cluster of cancer cells is never able to grow enough to cause any mischief. Some plants also contain tumour-suppressor proteins, which help to curb the growth of cancer cells.

Studies in the past have shown that men who eat cooked tomato products two to three times a week reduce their prostate cancer risk by about 50 per cent.

Up to 35 per cent of cancers may be caused by poor diet, and cancer risk is also much higher among people who are obese -ANI

Eggless Challah Bread

Angel Flinn

This is one of my favorite bread recipes for any time of year, but if you’re visiting family for the Jewish holidays (or hosting a vegan at the family meal), hopefully this recipe will be helpful for your Hanukkah spread.

Traditional Challah bread is made with eggs from chickens, but this vegan recipe creates a soft, delicious bread that is highly enjoyable, while also being egg-free.

If you have a breadmaker, you can prepare the dough in the machine, then remove it for the braiding and baking (see directions below). You can also add a cup of golden raisins or sultanas to the dough just before shaping.

Eggless Challah Bread
yields 1 loaf (or 2 small loaves)


2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. sweetener
2 1/2 tsp. powdered egg replacer mixed with 1 cup water
2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup oil
4 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, sifted

Topping
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds (optional)
To make dough with a bread maker, do so according to your machine’s directions. The water should go in first and the yeast last to keep it dry. Begin here at step 4.

1.  Dissolve yeast with sweetener in warm water (not hot) and let sit for at least 15 minutes in a warm place until yeast bubbles and is doubled in size.
2.  Mix egg replacer with water in a bowl and add risen yeast along with sea salt and oil. Add flour slowly to the wet mixture and mix together well. Place on a floured board and knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as needed. Dough should be smooth and elastic yet not sticky. Cover and let rise for 1 1/2 hours, then punch down.
3.  Divide the dough into thirds making three equal ropes. Pinch together at one end and braid together. Pinch at the other end to secure the braid. Let rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes). Brush lightly with oil and sprinkle poppy seeds on top.
4.  Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350° for 25 minutes until golden-brown.
…
This information has been reproduced from Incredibly Delicious: Recipes for a New Paradigm by Gentle World, which includes over 500 recipes and all sorts of tips to help make the transition to veganism easy and delicious.


Gentle World is a non-profit educational organization, whose core purpose is to help build a more peaceful society, by educating the public about the reasons for being vegan, the benefits of vegan living, and how to go about making such a transition. Visit www.GentleWorld.org for more information.

Indian Curry Recipes| Udipi Sambar Recipe

                        Silpa Surendran

Udipi Sambar (Udupi Sambar) A hot, spicy dal that acts as an accompaniment to dosas)


Ingredients for Udipi Sambar - (Udupi Sambar) Recipe
Red gram(Thuvaraparippu) - 1/2 cup
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
Groundnut oil - As reqd
Fenugreek seedss(Uluva) - 1/2 tsp
Black gram(Uzhunnuparippu) - 1 tbsp
Dried red chillies - 6 nos
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coconut(grated) - 1/4 cup
Small onions(Kunjulli) - 25 nos
Green chillies - 2 nos
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida(Kaayam) - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind(Puli) - 1 small lemon sized ball
Salt - 1 tsp
Jaggery - 1 tsp
(crumbled)

Preparation Method of Udipi Sambar - (Udupi Sambar) Recipe 1)Cook the red gram till done and mash well.
2)Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
3)Add the methi seeds and fry till light red.
4)Add 1/2 tsp black gram and fry till it too is light red.
5)Add the red chillies and coriander seeds and fry till well roasted.
6)Add curry leaves and grated coconut and fry for a few minutes.
7)When cool, grind in a mixer to a fine paste, adding a little water.
8)Clean and peel the onions (keeping them whole).
9)Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
10)Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds.
11)When they splutter, add 1/2 tsp black gram and asafoetida and fry for a minute.
12)Add sambhar onions, green chillies and curry leaves.
13)Also add vegetables of your choice.
14)Fry well till you get a nice aroma.
15)Add a little water, cover and cook till the vegetables are done.
16)Soak the tamarind in a little water and extract the pulp.
17)Add it to the cooked vegetables.
18)Bring it to a boil.
19)Add salt and jaggery and cook till the raw smell of tamarind disappears.
20)Add the mashed dal and the ground masala paste.
21)Mix well, add a little water if required.
22)Simmer Udipi Sambar (Udupi Sambar) for a couple of minutes.
:- Serve Udipi Sambar (Udupi Sambar) hot with rice or dosa.
:- Can add vegetables like lady fingers, brinjals, pumpkin and drumsticks to the Udipi Sambar. 
  

Benefits Of Becoming A Vegetarian

By Gregg Hall

As a prospective vegetarian, you probably question whether or not it really matters if you stop eating meat. You might wonder how much of a difference one additional vegetarian can make.

And while it might be true that one vegetarian won't make huge statistical difference in a world of meat-eaters--and while it is also true that one more vegetarian probably isn't going to turn the tide in the movement-- you can do a lot as an individual that will be good for you and good for hundreds of animals.
Take, for instance, the number one cause of death in the United States and other countries with meat-centered diets: heart disease.

If it weren't specifically for meat, eggs, and dairy products--which are the three largest sources of cholesterol--heart attacks and other heart and circulatory problems would be far less prevalent. According to EarthSave, the average vegetarian has about 1/4 the chance of having a heart attack as the average non-vegetarian. As for people who are pure vegans, it gets even lower: they have less than 1/10 the chance of having a heart attack as non-vegetarians.

In addition to heart health, you will get a number of other health benefits as a vegetarian. For instance, you won't be exposed to nearly as many preservatives, which are common in meat and are linked to cancer. You won't be exposed to various hormones (that are packed into animal feed), which often disrupt normal hormonal processes in the body. And you won't consume as much lactose, which most people cannot digest properly--and which some dietitians have suggested is a cause of digestive problems.

In addition to health benefits you will receive as an individual, you will also reduce your share of the suffering human beings inflict on animals.

According to veganoutreach.org, the average American consumes 2,714 land animals in their lifetime. If you quit eating meat now, you could literally prevent the suffering and death of hundreds of animals of the course of a couple decades.

In addition to this, if you stop eating eggs and drinking milk, you will also reduce your share in the suffering and death of battery hens and their offspring, as well as dairy cows and their offspring, too.

So the answer is yes: it does matter whether or not you become a vegetarian. It matters to the thousands of animals you could potentially save and it matters to you as an individual because you can greatly reduce your chances of getting cancer and heart disease.

Can My Child Be Safe on a Vegetarian Diet?

By Daniel J Lesser

If you are a vegetarian parent you have probably considered putting your child on a vegetarian diet. Not only would it save you time and make meal planning easier, but for dietary reasons or ethical reasons you may believe it is the best choice for your child.

Conversely, you may not be a vegetarian but you may have a child who is at a vegetarian phase where he or she is rejecting meat but doesn't eat enough healthy foods to compensate for the nutritional gap.

Whatever the case may be, you may be wondering if a vegetarian diet is a sustainable, healthy choice for your child. Or, perhaps you have heard that a vegetarian diet could potentially stunt the growth of your child.
These concerns probably prevented you from putting your child on a vegetarian diet up to this point.
You should be aware that these concerns are in-fact legitimate issues and that if a vegetarian diet is poorly planned, it can cause serious long term and short term deficiencies especially in children who do not have sufficient stores of vitamins and minerals in their bodies as yet.

If you have not done sufficient research and are not well-prepared for the task of putting your child on a vegetarian diet, then you probably should not. However, if you've done your research and are aware of the kind of nutrients that vegetarian diets lack, then you know that these problems can easily be over-come with some meal planning.

You will probably be aware that putting your child on a vegetarian diet can greatly improve his or her health and limit the exposure to animal products that are often linked to hormones and preservatives.

To begin your child on a vegetarian diet you should make sure that you your meal-planning ensures enough of the following elements that vegetarian diets lack:

1) Protein - make sure that your child is getting enough protein from additional sources such as nuts and soybeans.
2) Calcium - ensure that your child is getting enough calcium in his diet by including lots of green leafy vegetables to his diet.
3) Iron - add more iron to your child's diet by increasing beans, soybeans, tofu and cereals.
4) Zinc - enhance your child's Zinc intake by increasing, nuts, peanut butter, and mushrooms.
If you concentrate on compensating for all of these common deficiencies that vegetarian diets lack, then, you can absolutely put your child on a vegetarian diet without any negative consequences.

How To Lose Weight With The Vegetarian Lifestyle

By Vegetarian New Be

Today, people are willing to do anything to achieve weight loss. There are so many new diets added on to the market everyday. The result is that in their quest to become thin, many people are starting to take such drastic measures that it ends up harming their health. The weight loss effects of such fad diets or products, which claim to be "miracle diets", have short term results and have many side effects. This makes it extremely important that we choose ways of weight loss methods which are healthy. The Vegetarian lifestyle is well known to help people lose weight.

If a person is overweight, and has a bad diet then this is not their only problem. There are many health conditions that come along as a consequence of a bad diet;
Diabetes,
High blood pressure
High Cholesterol
Reduced energy level
Poor skin
Heart disorders
But with the vegetarian diet you can have these benefits;
Weight loss
More Energy
Better Mental Concentration
A Relaxed Mind
Radiant Skin
Helps to detoxify the body

The vegetarian diet includes many low fat, low sugar and low calorie recipes which are used by many people in the world for various reasons. Depending on what kind of vegetarian they are people are trying to create different low fat vegetarian recipes. People are turning towards these low fat vegetarian recipes because they are nutritional, help reduce cholesterol and also help people mentally concentrate better.

A vegetarian diet has benefits of its own.  With this diet you can eat as much healthy food as you want to but the calorie intake would be real low as compared to a meat diet with the same fraction. In no time your energy level will increase and you will start losing weight over a long period of time.

The Vegetarian Lifestyle is a healthy option to lose weight by becoming a semi vegetarian.

So what is a Semi Vegetarian?
A semi vegetarian is someone who reduces  the amount of meat they eat but , but can continue to consume some amount of white meat like fish, chicken, lobsters and other sea foods but include more healthier food options like fruit and vegetables into their daily diet. The number one question that most people ask are "why and how to start a vegetarian diet"? First of all, it provides more nutrients, vitamins, minerals to your body and increasing our daily recommended nutrition.

As you can see, going vegetarian can really help you to lose weight, become more energetic and look radiant.  Below are simple steps to begin a semi vegetarian diet-:

1. Remove junk foods from your refrigerator. When you don't see these junk foods, your desire to eat them gets diminished and gradually you can adapt to the vegetarian diet.

2. You should seek help from your physician before you make any decisions to change your diet or lifestyle. He or she will advise you which vegetarian food items are best for your health and how to take them to lose weight effectively.

3. You should try new and tasty vegetarian dishes from all parts of the world. You can take help from cook books, search websites in the internet to make some finger licking dishes for you and your family. This way you won't miss those non-vegetarian junk food items.

4. Start to include meat alternatives into your diet like tofu, seitan, TVP textured vegetable protein and quorn which are very tasty and low in calorie as no fat is included.

5. Start regular exercise routine in combination with a healthy diet.

Creating healthy eating habits are absolutely necessary for a healthy weight loss. A properly planned diet, along with exercises is the best possible weight loss program. Going vegetarian is the first step in developing these healthy habits. .

They are so many fast food products which have a large amount of animal fat, which increases your calorie intake causing people to gain weight and can cause many health conditions in the future. Invest in your health today, take a step in the right direction  and start the vegetarian lifestyle with simple steps.

Article Coourtasy: Article Base

Become A Vegetarian With These 3 Simple Steps

-By Vegetarian EJ

We are all striving to lead healthier lifestyles.  It is not always easy and what usually separates the ones who are actually healthy from the ones who only dream about being healthy are two things; knowledge and a plan.  As you may have heard, becoming a vegetarian or vegan is the fastest way to achieve optimal health and if you are a vegetarian or may be thinking about eliminating meat from your life then let me congratulate you in making this decision and committing to finding information to help you leverage this healthy lifestyle.  It is by far the wisest choice you have ever made in your life regarding your health. For those of you switching to a vegetarian way of life, you are focusing a change through the number one factor why so many people have developed certain kinds of illnesses and that's our dietary routines. Truth be told, you don't have to be afraid if this new decision will or won't work and it doesn't matter if this is your first time trying to go meatless. There is that great chance that this dietary change will work and change your life forever. Transition in everything works with a gradual and progressive way of dealing with something. It can also be applied for a vegetarian change.  Let me show you how to successfully switch to a vegetarian lifestyle with these 3 simple steps.

Add Vegetarian Recipes To Your Meals Gradually
This is the gradual way of handling the big change in your life;   this approach helps ensure that you stick with the new meatless life you committed to.   In this case you don't have to prepare a feast of varied vegetarian recipes right away. You can start by adding one vegetarian meal a day or even once a week.  From there you gradually start to add more meatless meals to your routine.   Not only would you know what you like best but you can create your own vegetarian recipes that are not only healthy but are also delicious as well.   It will be much easier as you progress, in replacing your meat based meals with a variety of vegetarian cuisines. Select several meals that you like that are vegetarian and you can start adding replacing these meals for the meat filled meals you eat now.  Always strive to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables too.  Do this and your body will notice the difference and love you for reducing your meat consumption.  From there, it will be easy to eliminate meat entirely.

Substitution is a Big Factor
A big factor in transitioning to a vegetarian lifestyle is pleasing your senses.  Your taste buds and mouth have to be having and will have become used to "meat substitutions."  I have often asked people if they have ever tried tofu and I always get the same response, "Yes I have tried it and I will never try it again."  Most people do not like the "soft" texture of tofu.  The beauty of meat alternatives is that there are more options available then just tofu.  Tempeh, TVP, and Seitan are just an example of the variety of meat substitutions that are available.  Most supermarkets carry these in the produce or "natural foods" aisle.

Identify Your Vegetarian Resources & Support
Now that you have decided to go meatless, you want to make sure you commit to your plan and diligently be aware of the food choices you are making.  Don't know where to start?  Having vegetarian resources available at your fingertips to help you with your transition and improve your "vegetarian" success rate.  Get yourself a couple of vegetarian cookbooks (you can never have just one), surf the internet for downloadable recipes that you can print from your computer, and even seek out vegetarian online communities, blogs, and forums to get your questions answered and for support!

It may difficult for you at first, but remember the long-term benefits of adapting a vegetarian lifestyle.  Once you have your vegetarian regimen and you start to experience the impact that healthy eating has on your mind, body, and soul, your meat eating days will become a distant memory that you will want more than ever to forget.

Article Courtasy: Article Base

Sodexo Earns 'Most Vegan-Friendly College in America' at Northwestern University

Northwestern University is named top pick by PETA2 for the second time in the category of small colleges

GAITHERSBURG, Md., Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ --

With thousands of votes cast for the country's Most Vegan-Friendly College in America, Sodexo helped client Northwestern University emerge as the top pick for 2010 in the small college category by PETA2, the world's largest youth animal rights organization.

The university's dining services, managed and operated by Sodexo, beat out 31 other schools from across the country. Serving a range of entrees such vegan seitan tacos, pumpkin chowder, vegetarian barbeque riblet sandwiches and Thai green curry with tofu helped clinch the top position, which Northwestern also held in 2007.

"Offering clients, student customers and the campus population at-large menu options that are varied and balanced -- to include vegan options -- is a natural outgrowth of our corporate health and wellness and sustainability objectives," said Tom Post, president, campus dining services, Sodexo. "It is exciting to see how our contributions work in concert with those of our clients to meet their needs in such a rewarding way."
In addition to offering vegetarian and vegan options Sodexo promotes choices with reduced sugar, salt, fats, and wherever possible, it sources local, seasonal and sustainably grown products.

John Ferraro, Sodexo menu manager at Northwestern believes that it is important for young adults to understand that today's vegetarian and vegan alternatives are nothing like the tasteless faux-meat concoctions of the past. He adds that tomorrow's parents should be especially cognizant of the appetizing, healthier options given current statistics on childhood obesity and related health issues. His popular recipe Vegan Burritos (www.sodexousa.com/usen/newsroom/resources/resources.asp) frequently drives that point home.
The voting process for the Most Vegan-Friendly College in America was held on the PETA2 web site in a March Madness-style bracketed competition. Visitors to the site cast their votes to help PETA2 select a winner.

Sodexo is a business partner to clients in various industries, offering strategic counsel and solutions that make it possible for them to meet any number of objectives, including sustainability goals. Guided by the Better Tomorrow Plan, its roadmap to sustainability, Sodexo has identified 14 specific commitments in the areas of health and wellness, the environment, and support for local communities.

About Sodexo
Sodexo in North America
Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $13 million in grants to fight hunger in America.

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions
Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations.  Based on this conviction, Sodexo is the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo's 380,000 employees, in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled range of On-site Service Solutions and Motivation Solutions. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates and to the fulfillment of its employees.

America goes vegetarian in India

By Sreerupa Mitra & Jayashree Maji 

Leading American fast food chains, which globally are known for their non-vegetarian offerings, are
raking in more moolah from their veggie delights in India following the lead of organized retail supermarkets which tend to avoid stocking non-vegetarian fresh produce items.

Cashing in on the rising fitness awareness among Indian consumers, players such as McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut and Domino’s are seeing over 50 per cent of their sales coming from their vegetarian spread. In contrast, the global average of sales split for Domino’s is 95 per cent from non-veg offerings, while the non-veg contribution to Pizza Hut’s sales globally is 70 per cent of overall revenue.

“Consumers are making smarter and healthier choices these days and are looking for leaner food, trying to avoid red meats and fats as much as possible. This is a growing trend not only in India but also globally,” said Anup Jain, marketing director of Pizza Hut. The company positions itself as an affordable casual dining restaurant as opposed to quick service restaurant formats chains such as KFC, McDonald’s and Domino’s.

For Pizza Hut, which at present operates a total of 120 restaurants across India, the vegetarian menu contributes about 70 per cent to its overall sales. The company is famous for its classic margherita and its signature ‘kadai paneer’ pizzas as well as its creamy stroganoff pastas. An analyst said, “It helps that the vegetarian options typically are the entry-level products and these therefore represent the bridge to indulgence for many aspirational consumers.”

“Our vegetarian pizza menu contributes close to 60-65 per cent to our overall pizza sales,” said Harneet Singh Rajpal, general manager, marketing, Jubilant Foodworks, the India master franchisee of Domino’s Pizza. “Even in the pasta offerings, 70 per cent of sales come from the vegetarian offerings,” said Dev Amritesh, head-marketing at Domino’s India.

Vikram Bakshi, managing director (north & east) of McDonald’s India, said that if menu across the company’s stores are taken into consideration, vegetarian offerings account for 45 per cent of total sales. “The vegetarian menu has always done very well since we started in the domestic market. Our Indian innovation such as McAloo Tikki burger has also taken off in markets outside India since the last four years,” he said.

Chicken specialist KFC is seeing 20 per cent increase in footfall following the introduction of its vegetarian offerings. The Veg-Zinger burger is also a big contributor to the company’s same-store sales revenue growth which means customer conversions too are high, said experts.

“The vegetarian zinger has beaten our expectations and since its introduction we are seeing a lot of demand as well as a marked increase in our consumer base,” said Unnat Varma, director-marketing at KFC.

On same-store level, sales per month at KFC have grown around 20 per cent driven by new product introductions, especially the new vegetarian menu. “Earlier vegetarian products used to contribute 5 per cent to monthly sales, but post the introduction of the Veg-Zinger, it has doubled to over 10 per cent,” he said.

During the first half (April-September) of 2010, Domino’s India has clocked revenue of Rs 298.9 crore.

Now, like many organized retail chains, which have gone completely vegetarian in many stores reflecting the largely Hindu-dominated vegetarian populace of India, the American restaurant chains too are contemplating vegetarian only outlets.

Domino’s already has seven restaurants, which offer completely vegetarian menu. Four of these are in Gujarat, one in Haridwar, one in Amritsar and one in Shirdi. This is similar to Café Coffee Day, which has some outlets which only stock vegetarian food options.

Prisoner compensated for non-vegetarian meals

BBC News

A Polish prisoner has been awarded 3,000 euros (£2,500) in compensation because he has not been provided with vegetarian meals.

Janusz Jakobski, who is serving eight years for rape, is a Buddhist and follows rules about not eating meat.
He appealed to the European Court of Human Rights after his requests for vegetarian meals were repeatedly refused.

The court ruled that his religious freedom had been violated.

The Polish government had argued that vegetarianism could not be considered an essential aspect of the practice of Jakobski's religion. The prison service said it lacked the resources and money to deal with different dietary requests.

There are numerous schools and traditions of Buddhism and while many Buddhists choose not to eat meat, it is only a few groups of the Mahayana school who require followers to be strictly vegetarian.

The 45-year-old is a Mahayana Buddhist.

Jakobski says his repeated requests for vegetarian meals have been rejected, and he says he has been unable to refuse to eat prison meals as authorities would then have considered him to be on hunger strike and they would have punished him.

The Strasbourg-based court ruled that the Polish prison service had violated Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

While taking into account that providing special meals might cost more, the court still concluded that the authorities had "failed to strike a fair balance between the interests of the prison authorities and those of Mr Jakobski."

A spokesman for the prison service told The Daily Telegraph that Jakobski had previously claimed to be an ardent Catholic and fought to have a cross in his cell.

"We are not entirely inclined to believe that he is sincere and that his demands were not related to a desire to annoy the prison service and the justice system," said spokesman Captain Artur Bojanowicz.

Cracking the Myths of Vegetarianism

Not long ago, rumors of Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow¡¯s diet caused a bit of a stir in Korea. Much to everyone's surprise here, it was revealed that the famously slender movie star's new favorite food was the Korean dish bibimbap. Paltrow, a vegetarian, had recently given birth to her second child, and her personal chef prepared for her the mix of bean sprouts, tofu and some not-so-spicy kimchi. The dish is well-known for helping new mothers lose weight while still providing much needed nutrients.

Vegetarians seem to have a special air about them, inspiring an impression of a chic and leisurely lifestyle. But beyond that image, medical research provides some surprising facts about vegetarianism. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, a vegetarian diet is 97 percent effective in preventing blood vessel blockage. Many other studies show that an all-veggie diet can remarkably reduce the risk of cancer.

But is living on vegetables really as healthy as some people claim it to be? What about pregnant women -- can a vegetarian diet provide the proper nutrition the baby needs? To answer these questions, the Chosun Ilbo examined some myths about vegetarianism.

¡ß Can a vegetarian diet provide enough protein?

The most obvious question is whether veggies can supply enough of the protein we need, and it's an issue that medical experts say bears careful consideration. Dr. Kim Cho-il of the Korean Health Industry Development Institute(KHIDI) said that lacto-ovo vegetarians, who allow themselves to eat milk and eggs, should have little problem taking in enough protein, but he advised against pursuing total vegetarianism. ¡°It's not recommended that pregnant women try to eat only vegetables," he said. "It's very important that pregnant women monitor their nutrition levels, because neglecting to do so can have possibly fatal effects on the baby," he added.

While it is commonly believed that children need animal protein to grow, some vegetarians say that isn't true. The Life and Environment Saving Vegetarian Group (www.veg.or.kr) claims that it is possible to take in the recommended amount of protein through vegetables. They point out that a bowl of rice contains 7 to 10 grams of protein and 100 grams of beans has 35 to 41 grams of protein. That's almost twice the amount of protein (21 grams) in 100 grams of beef. Even the essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized in the body, they claim, can be supplied by eating grains and vegetables like lettuce, strawberries, rice, barley, wheat, and beans. But Dr. Kim said that animal protein is different from vegetable protein in its amino acid composition. ¡°In fact, animal protein is better than vegetable protein,¡± he said.

¡ß What about Vitamin B12 and Omega-3 fatty acid?

What puts vegetarians at a disadvantage is the fact that vitamin B12, which is essential in developing brain cells and synthesizing protein, can only be found in meat. According to Park Hye-kyung, a director of nutritional evaluation at the Korea Food & Drug Administration, for pregnant women in particular, it is important to consume nutrients such as vitamin B12, A, and D, iron and folic acid to prevent anemia. These can best be supplied by eating meat. Omega-3 fatty acid, found in fish, cannot be supplied by a pure vegetarian diet.

In response, vegetarians argue that those nutrients can be taken through alternative foods and health supplements. The Vegetarian Society in Britain claims that a study found that vitamin B12 is contained in soybean milk or rice milk. Furthermore, other nutrients can be supplied through multi-vitamin pills or synthetic omega-3 fatty acid supplements. But Dr. Kim from the KHIDI said that it is easier and more desirable to get these nutrients through food rather than supplements.

¡ß Is a vegetarian diet good for skin problems?

Some people have suggested that too much meat and fast food can cause skin problems like atopy. Others claim that poor-quality fat is another cause. But experts say that a vegetarian diet is not necessarily the solution to the affliction. Home economics Prof. Jeong Sun-hwa of Korea University said, ¡°Atopy has little to do with whether a person is vegetarian or not. Rather, many studies showed that it is an allergy to an environment, chemical, or a specific food.¡±
¡ß Vegetarianism gives rise to new trends?

The idea of chic vegetarians has given rise to some new food trends in Korea. For example, only recently have vegetables like broccoli and asparagus become popular in Korea. Now, with more people eating them, their prices have gone down and they can be found in more supermarkets than ever before. Among the new popular vegetables is sprouts, which are used in a variety of dishes from salads and bibimbap.

Also climbing in popularity are meat substitutes. Vegefood, which specializes in soy-based meat substitutes, has seen its sales grow over 100 percent in recent years. ¡°Vegetarian meat is popular with housewives because it tastes similar to real meat and children like it,¡± a company staffer said.
(englishnews@chosun.com )

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