Asian Ginger-Peanut Slaw

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The following article was written by Vanessa Cunningham.

Although summer is on its way out, a refreshing salad is a yummy treat year round. This Asian slaw is easy to make, healthy, and undeniably delicious! Even those of us who are total novices in the kitchen (including me!) can put this recipe together in a flash. It has quickly surpassed all others to become my favorite salad recipe. Try it today—you won't be disappointed!

Asian Ginger-Peanut Slaw

Adapted from OnceUponAChef.com

1/2 cup vegan ginger dressing (try Makoto)
4 cups of shredded coleslaw
2 cups shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup cooked and shelled edamame
2 medium green onion stems, finely sliced
1/2 cup crushed or chopped salted peanuts
1/2 cup cilantro
Sriracha, to taste (optional)

• Combine all the ingredients except the Sriracha in a large bowl and toss.
• Place in the fridge for at least 10 minutes so that the vegetables have a chance to soak up the dressing.
• Add the Sriracha
• Serve cold.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Vegan Chinese Takeout Guide

Although not everyone is lucky enough to live near a big city that has a vegan joint on every corner, most of us can name at least one Chinese restaurant in our town. Although you might think all that Chinese food places have to offer are Kung Pao chicken and sweet-and-sour pork, they are also full of vegan options!

Almost every Chinese restaurant has tofu, a versatile vegan staple, which can replace meat in pretty much any dish—making any menu item a potentially vegan one.

Even if you're not a big fan of the soy stuff, fear not, because there are tons of other options for you to order. Check out our Chinese food guide below!

Drinks

• Bubble tea, aka "the Miracle of Boba"

Appetizers

• Vegetable spring rolls with sweet-and-sour sauce
• Vegetable steamed dumplings
• Hot or cold sesame noodles
• Salad with ginger or sesame dressing

Main Entrées

(Just ask for any meat to be replaced with tofu, and check for fish sauce.)

• Garlic tofu
• General Tso's tofu
• Sweet-and-sour tofu
• Cashew tofu
• Tofu and broccoli
• Mapo tofu (Specify no pork since traditionally this dish is cooked with it.)
• Mongolian tofu
• Orange tofu
• Kung Pao tofu

Noodles and Rice

• Veggie chow mein
• Tofu chow mein
• Steamed rice
• Vegetable fried rice (Specify no eggs.)
• Tofu fried rice (Specify no eggs.)

Vegetables

• Steamed vegetables with a side of sesame sauce
• Sautéed green beans
• Garlic eggplant

As you can see, your typical Chinese restaurant is brimming with delicious vegan eats. If you don't have these options at a restaurant near you, you can always politely request them! 

Weight Loss On The Raw Vegan Diet: Wise Or Dangerous? By Loren R Antonios

Most people these days have heard of the raw vegan diet, since it has been around for quite a long time. Because more and more are looking into this kind of lifestyle for weight loss purposes, the question arises: Does the raw food diet pose any real health dangers or side-effects, or is it a healthy, sensible diet that will reap bountiful benefits?

The Dangers

After a person ventures into the raw food lifestyle for the first time, some side-effects will occur. These are not dangerous, they are merely symptoms of the body detoxifying. Normally a person will break out with a rash on their body, often their chest area, but this will not last longer than one or two weeks. This is simply the body re-healing itself. A person will usually get hungrier than usual during the first week or two of the diet. This is just because the body is no longer getting fed heavy foods, and it will take some time to get used to the new type of water-based foods. You need to eat a lot more food on the raw food diet than you normally would, since raw foods are very low in calories. Therefore, you need to be very diligent in ensuring that you reach your daily energy needs. Most people love the freedom of being able to enjoy eating more food on this diet. So if a few weeks of a growling stomach and a detoxifying rash are deemed to you as dangers, then perhaps the raw food vegan diet is not for you! But if realize that these are not dangers, but merely symptoms of the body re-healing and repairing itself, then you will go a long way with this diet. You will reap the many benefits that it has to offer.

100% Raw Food - Is This Dangerous?

 Some people will choose to go 100% raw. This poses the next question for some people: Are there any dangers in eating a 100% raw food diet? To put simply, NO - providing that you venture into this diet in a sensible manner. If you decide to merely eat a few sticks of cucumber and celery each day, clearly you are going to suffer from large nutritional deficiencies. This is where the danger arises, not because of the diet itself, but because of the person's unwise decision-making. One must eat a large variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, juices, avocado, seeds and nuts in their daily diet to fulfil their nutritional requirements and daily energy needs. This can easily be achieved. Therefore, as long as you eat an adequate amount of food on the raw vegan diet, there are no real dangers, only benefits, including weight loss!

The Benefits

Long-term benefits on the raw vegan diet include weight loss, weight maintenance, and a healthy attitude towards food. The reason why a person can easily lose weight on the raw food vegan diet is because: · The diet is low in calories · Raw food is nutrient-rich · There are no fatty, hard-to-digest meats · There are no high-calorie dairy products · Raw vegan food is easy to digest · Cravings are kept to a minimal due to the nutrient-quota being fulfilled Many have successfully achieved weight loss on the raw vegan diet, including Angela Stokes and Carlene Jones. These women were once morbidly obese, but after becoming raw foodists, the weight loss between these two women equaled 133kg (294lbs)! Clearly, these women reaped amazing results from this diet and YOU CAN TOO!

Wise or Dangerous?

The raw food vegan diet is clearly an ideal regime to lose weight. The benefits are endless and weight loss is inevitable! Based on the amazing success stories on the internet, I would say that by following this diet you are both wise and body-intuitive!

 

Meat: Not Suitable for Children

Meat: Not Suitable for Children

Learn how easy it is to be a vegetarian with this great book from Amazon.comEveryone wants to do what's best for their kids, but many well-meaning parents don't know that meat can contain dangerous toxins and that feeding meat to their children increases the odds that their kids will become obese and develop life-threatening diseases.

Toxic Shock
The vast majority of meat and fish in supermarkets today contains one or more of the following types of contaminants: antibiotics, hormones, heavy metals, or other toxins. These contaminants are bad enough for adults, but they can be especially harmful to children whose bodies are still growing and developing.

Cattle raised on U.S. factory farms are dosed with hormones and other animals are fed large amounts of antibiotics in order to make them grow more quickly and to keep them alive in filthy, severely crowded conditions that would otherwise kill them. Feeding the drug-tainted flesh of these animals to our kids is risky—children's small bodies are especially vulnerable to antibiotic and hormone residues.

The risk to children is so great that many other countries have banned the use of antibiotics and hormones in animals who are raised and killed for food. In 1998, for example, the European Union outlawed the use of growth-promoting antibiotics in farmed animals. In the U.S., however, most farmers continue to administer powerful growth-stimulating steroids to cattle and antibiotics to all animals raised for food, and it is very likely that our children are ingesting these drugs every time they take a bite of chicken, pork, fish, or beef.

Hormones
Confidential industry reports to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration show that beef contains high levels of hormones and that these hormones are especially dangerous to children. The Cancer Prevention Coalition warns, "No dietary levels of hormones are safe, and a dime-sized piece of meat contains billions of millions of [hormone] molecules."

The negative consequences of feeding meat to children were clearly shown in the early 1980s when thousands of children in Puerto Rico experienced premature sexual growth and developed painful ovarian cysts. The culprit was meat from cattle who had been treated with growth-promoting sex hormones. Meat-based diets may also be to blame for the early sexual development of young girls in the U.S.: Nearly half of all African-American girls and about 15 percent of Caucasian girls now enter puberty when they are just 8 years old.

Antibiotics
Feeding meat to children exposes them to powerful drugs that have not been prescribed by their pediatricians. Roughly 70 percent of the antibiotics used in the U.S. each year are given to animals on factory farms. On factory farms across America today, the antibiotics that we depend on to treat human illnesses are being used to promote growth in animals and keep them alive in horrific conditions.

The fact that people are exposed to these drugs whenever they consume meat is not the only cause for concern: The American Medical Association and other health groups warn that the overuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. In other words, the abuse of powerful pharmaceuticals has spurred the evolution of countless new strains of antibiotic-resistant "super-bacteria." This means that when you get sick, the drugs that your doctor prescribes may no longer work.

Children are particularly vulnerable to antibiotic-resistant bacteria because their immune systems are not fully developed. As new antibiotic-resistant bacteria spread into the meat supply, we can no longer count on antibiotics to fight common childhood illnesses.

Bacterial Contamination
While the hormones and antibiotics in meat may slowly sicken your children, the bacteria found in animal products can strike quickly and unexpectedly. If your children consume bacteria-contaminated meat, it will at best make your children sick; at worst, it can kill them.

If you're giving animal flesh to your children, you're potentially exposing them to pathogens such as E. coli, listeria, and campylobacter. Meat recalls and news stories about children who have died after eating contaminated animal flesh are now commonplace. Much of the meat from the 10 billion cows, pigs, and birds who are slaughtered for food in the U.S. every year is contaminated with fecal bacteria. Children are especially vulnerable to bacterial infections from meat because their immune systems often aren't strong enough to muster a defense.

The Spread of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Our intestinal tracts are home to healthy bacteria that help us digest our food, but eating meat that is tainted with antibiotic-resistant bacteria can cause our own "good" bacteria to turn against us. Scientists at the University of Birmingham Medical School in the U.K. found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria from contaminated meat can cause the normal bacteria in our intestines to mutate into harmful strains. These harmful bacteria can survive in our guts and cause illness many years later.

What the Government Doesn't Tell You
Meat recalls are voluntary and the meat industry is vastly underregulated, so you can't count on the government to watch out for the safety of your children. According to an investigation conducted by The Philadelphia Inquirer, "The United States' flawed meat-inspection system, which relies heavily on self-policing by the industry, discourages aggressive enforcement by government inspectors and often fails to protect consumers until it is too late."

There have been countless cases of children who died after eating contaminated meat, and their grieving parents often find themselves pitted against an industry that apparently cares more about profits than consumer safety. Suzanne Kiner, whose 9-year-old daughter endured three strokes, 10,000 seizures, and a 189-day hospital stay after she ate a hamburger contaminated with E. coli, says, "You just want to tell the meat producers and the Department of Agriculture to shape up. The industry needs to make wiser decisions—not ones solely based on chasing the corporate dollar."

Industrial-Strength Toxins
You would never feed your child a meal laced with mercury, PCBs, lead, arsenic, pesticides, or industrial-strength fire retardants. But if you're serving tuna, salmon, or fish sticks to your family, you could be dishing up all these toxins—and more. The U.S. government has already issued advisories warning parents about the many dangers that fish flesh poses to children.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 600,000 of the children born in 2000 are at risk for developing learning difficulties because their pregnant or nursing mothers were exposed to mercury through the consumption of fish. Fish flesh is a veritable toxic-waste dump, and feeding fish to children can have tragic results.

Obesity
Today, 9 million American children over the age of 6 are overweight, and two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese. We all know that excess weight takes a toll on our physical health, but overweight children also face the psychological trauma of being teased and excluded by their peers. The physical burden and emotional stress of being the "fat kid" can have devastating effects on your child's well-being.

Fortunately, feeding children a balanced vegetarian diet can help them maintain a healthy weight and feel and look their best.

Brain Health
Research shows that meat consumption may also adversely affect children's mental abilities in both the short and the long term and indicates that a meat-free diet can give children an academic edge in their grade-school years. A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that while American children have an average IQ of 99, the average IQ of vegetarian children is 116.

Dr. Antonia Demas, a world-renowned researcher and president of the Food Studies Institute, is a longtime advocate of a meat-free diet for children. Dr. Demas' "Food Is Elementary" nutritional program now provides healthy, plant-based foods to kids in 60 schools in 12 states.

Officials at one school district in Florida that implemented the program were astounded by the positive changes that they saw in students who eliminated meat from their diets.

According to an article published in The Miami Herald, some students at Bay Point School, a public school for troubled youth, saw substantial increases in their grades after they went vegetarian—one student's GPA jumped from a 1.6 to a 3.4! Speaking about his new meat-free diet, another student said, "I'd look at a rib, and I'd look at a vegetable, and I'd think, 'Why is my mind picking the vegetable?'"

Mary Louise Cole, the founder of Bay Point School, agrees that vegetarian diets have increased the physical and mental stamina of her students. She says, "They seem to have a lot more energy—they don't have the down times."

The students also saw dramatic improvements in their athletic performances after they cut meat out of their diets. Gabriel Saintvil, a senior at the school, was astonished by the improvement in his athletic ability. He says, "I used to get tired when I ran laps or lifted weights. Now I get endurance and keep on doing it." Several students even spoke about the positive impacts of their new meat-free diets at the school's graduation ceremony.

Dr. Demas' nutritional program demonstrates what vegetarian parents have long known: Kids often speed to the head of the class when they eliminate meat from their diets.

Make a difference for your kids and yourself today! Take PETA's Pledge to Be Vegan for 30 Days and try a vegetarian diet for yourself and your family for one month. We can provide all the tips and recipes that you'll need to get started.

How to Become a Vegetarian

By Abhishek Kumar Khandelwal

If you're planning on becoming a vegan or just a normal vegetarian, it's going to be really difficult, especially if you love meats; but, no one said it's impossible. If you've got the right motivation on your side and perseverance within you, you would be able to achieve this task easily.

Are you sure you want to change your diet?

The first thing that you need to ask yourself is whether you're really sure you want to change your diet? What's the main reason as to why you want to switch over to a totally vegetarian diet? Is it because you want to end all forms of animal slaughter or are you just looking for a way to save money?

Well, that doesn't matter a lot, but it does help motivate you a bit. So, think about it and that answer would help you stick to your goals. It could also be environmental issues that have changed your mind.

Look for support

If you want to successfully switch over, you're going to need a lot of support on your side and constant reminders that certain food isn't meant for you. Therefore, tell your family and closest friends that you're changing your diet.

They'd be able to help you stick to your plan. Also, there are plenty of blogs and websites that are built to help people realize this goal of theirs, so join them and sign up for their forums - you'd never know you may receive a lot of motivation through people you've never even met before.

Find substitutes

Now that you're going to be changing your diet you need to make sure that the food you eat (the vegetarian food) has all the essential nutrients and vitamins as well as proteins that your body needs.

Therefore, before you switch your diet, you need to make sure that you research the various possible foods that you could eat as well as recipes that would make those dishes yummy!

Slow and steady wins the race

Now that you've decided that you want to convert to a vegetarian diet, you should not suddenly give up on all forms of non-veg. Instead, start slow; reduce the number of days in a week that you consume non-veg and then the amount that you eat. If you do this you won't feel the heat. However, if you skip it all of a sudden you would not be able to last long and you'd give up on your quest.

VEGAN NUTRITION 101 Pt2

BASIC VEGANS- Most of these Vegans may have chosen to become vegan for health reasons. They may or may not be activists for animal rights. They do not eat meat, Fish, poultry, pork, eggs, cheese, milk or dairy products. Some may choose to consume honey, were leather and other animal products.

LIVE/RAW FOODIST- These vegans consume mostly raw foods (no cooked foods) or foods that have not been heated over 118 degrees. They believe that the greater percentage of raw food within your eating habits, the healthier you are, and that raw food can heal and prevent disease. Raw foods also contain enzymes that help aid in the digestion and assimilation of nutrients. there diet contains mostly raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Some raw foodist eat raw meat and dairy products, but many are vegan. some may choose to consume raw honey, as well as wear leather and other animal products.

So whats the difference? Vegetarians do not consume any meat, including but not limited to chicken, pork or fish, but they may eat eggs, milk, cheese or dairy products. Vegans do not consume any animal products including but not limited to meat, chicken, pork or fish, eggs, milk, cheese or dairy products of any kind.
 (above infomation taken from The Soulfood Guide for the Galaxy by Afya Ibomu)
NUTRITIONAL FACTS

Being vegetarian alone is not enough. It is not enough to simply eat fruits, vegetables and grains and think all is well. We need to also understand the nutritional values of the food that we eat. We do this so that we do not do things like over eat while we are thing that we are eating properly. As Vegans or Vegetarians we must be sure that we are getting the proper amount of vitamins, minerals and protein or bodies need to maintain themselves in optimum health. Its really simple to maintain good health while on a Vegan or Vegetarian diet. All we need do is follow the daily recommended allowances for vitimines and minerals as well as protein.

Protein is a big issue with some vegetarians and vegans. Many people think that you need to eat meat to get the recommended daily allowance of protein the body needs. This thought is simply not true. Plants such as beans and nuts carry lots of protein. In fact many vegetarians can find themselves over weight do to eating to much protein in there vegetarian diets. What we are not told is the fact that an over abundance of protein turns to fat. So we need to take heed of our protein intake.The Vegan Soulfood Guide to the Galaxy has an excellent chart showing protein intakes that are healthy as well as a great breakdown of the different vegetables and there vitamin and mineral content as well as protein. I recommend  adding this book to your library. But for now I have a chart here to help you.

PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS

Infants about 10 grams a day
Teenage boys about 52 grams a day
Teenage girls about 46 grams a day
Adult men about 56 grams a day
adult woman about 46 grams a day

As long as we keep in these ranges in our diets we will be fine where protein is concerned.

Vegan Nutrition 101

The purpose of this short course is to show the SDA who are vegetarians for the most part a proper way to eat that will ensure we are healthy and living long lives according to Gods will.

What will we learn:

WHAT/WHO IS A VEGAN
THE DIFFERANCE BETWEEN VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN
NUTRIONAL FACTS
HOW TO SHOP LIKE A VEGETARIAN
MENU PLANING
VEGAN RECIPIES