Smoothies can be packed with protein; pre-workout energizers, hydrators, and post-workout recovery accelerators can deliver performance-enhancing nutrients; herbal teas can soothe or energize — all of these beverages have a functional purpose to meet specific wellness needs. And then there’s a less obvious, simple, blender-free drink that serves a mighty wellness-enhancing purpose. Providing more than just hydration, fresh lemon juice and water can deliver surprising benefits.

Starting every morning with a glass of warm lemon water is actually a ritual in Ayurveda or Yogic traditions, used to stimulate digestion for the day and clear the body of any toxins that may have settled in the digestive tract overnight. While it is tricky to apply the strict burden of evidence expected by Western science to traditional practices (often called “folk medicine”) that originated long before modern medical science standards were developed, research on the nutritional elements found in lemons suggests the numerous health benefits traditionally associated with drinking fresh lemon water daily may have merit.

We tend to reach for those warm beverages in the morning like coffee and tea, but try starting your day with some warm lemon water first to kick-start digestion. The water doesn’t always have to be warm, but it should be purified. Simply use half a fresh lemon per large glass of water or to taste and sip throughout the day. On a simple level, fresh lemons take plain old water up a notch. Here are 5 health benefits of drinking lemon water that elevate drinking it for reasons beyond just taste:

1. Support immune function: Lemons are high in antioxidant vitamin C, known for its supportive role in healthy immune function^1,2 which may reduce the risk of respiratory infection³. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) found in lemons demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects, and is used as complementary support for asthma and other respiratory symptoms^4,5. Lemons also contain saponins⁶, which show antimicrobial properties that may help keep cold and flu at bay. Last but not least, ascorbic acid enhances iron absorption in the body; iron plays an important role in immune function⁷. 
   
   
2. Alkalize the body: Although the tartness of a lemon may make them seem acidic, lemons are actually one of the most alkalizing foods for the body. Lemons contain both citric and ascorbic acid, weak acids easily metabolized from the body allowing the mineral content of lemons to help alkalize the blood.
   
   
3. Aid digestion: Citrus flavonols⁸ are believed responsible for lemon’s traditional use as a digestive tonic. Believed to stimulate and purify the liver, lemon juice is traditionally understood to support digestive hydrochloric acid in the stomach further aiding digestion. Vitamin C status has been associated with reduced risk of peptic ulcers caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori⁹. 
   
   
4. Clear skin: Vitamin C and other antioxidants in lemons combat free radical damage. Free radical damage — especially as caused by UV exposure and environmental toxins — is responsible for many symptoms of aging. Antioxidant intake can help offset this damage, minimizing wrinkles. Further, lemon juice can be applied topically to scars and age spots to help reduce their appearance. Traditionally used as a liver stimulant, lemon water is also believed to help purge toxins from the blood, helping to keep skin clear of blemishes. 
   
   
5. Promote healing: Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), found in abundance in lemons, promotes wound healing, and is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue, and cartilage¹⁰. As noted previously, vitamin C also displays anti-inflammatory properties. Combined, vitamin C is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of good health and recovery from stress and injury.

Read More»

By Kristin Barton

While public understanding of veganism is growing, there are still a lot of people who either aren’t aware of what is a vegan or who falsely think that veganism is a radical, extremist diet that isn’t healthy. The fact is, veganism is not only a healthy dietary choice for individuals, it’s also a healthy choice for the planet!

I remember how it was before I was exposed to veganism. I considered myself a “pretty healthy eater.” I ate lean chicken, fish, high quality cuts of red meat, salads, and fresh veggie “side dishes.” I was in pretty good shape and I was proud of it. For an American, I ate a “healthy diet.” No Burger King, no deep fried anything, and no soft drinks. I thought I was a prime example of healthy eating.

Fast forward a few years. My daughter was around 14 years old. She had always been a healthy eater, and I would brag to my friends that when she was three, she gave a woman whiplash in the grocery store when she innocently asked, “Mommy, can we have some broccoli?” I thought the lady was going to faint on the spot. Of course, I played it up. “Only if you are very good,” I said in my best mom voice. I still get a giggle out of that one. So my daughter at 14 announced that she wanted to be vegetarian. Not vegan, mind you, but vegetarian. Her dad and I were concerned. How would our child get enough calcium without drinking cow’s milk? How would she get enough protein without eating animal flesh? We were genuinely in a dither about how to support our teenager without causing her ill health. Boy, if I had only known then what I know now! If I had only known how much healthier I would be on a plant-based diet, and how my health would improve further when I went from vegetarianism to veganism along with my child. So, what is a vegan, what’s veganism really about? Here are the facts:

1. Veganism is a lifestyle, not just a diet. Vegans eat plant based diets that contain no animal-derived products (that means no meat, dairy, or honey), and they also refrain from purchasing, using, or wearing animal-derived products (such as leather and wool).

2. Veganism supports human health. It has been shown in scientific studies that vegans are healthier than meat and dairy eaters. The list of diseases that vegans sidestep is a very long one. The single healthiest thing a person can do is to become a vegan. Some of the worst diseases suffered by Americans today can be virtually eliminated by choosing a vegan diet. These include cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, diverticulosis, and E. coli infections.

3. Veganism supports animal health. We are blissfully ignorant about the real conditions in which animals that are raised for food live and die. Often farmed animals are treated brutally, mutilated without pain interventions, left to die slowly of disease, and slaughtered inhumanely. When we become aware of the truly horrific experiences of these innocent animals, often we cannot turn a blind eye and continue to eat meat. Do you want to be a party to animal cruelty? Unless you stop eating meat, you are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

4. Veganism supports the health of our planet. Here’s a quote from the peta.org website:
“A recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change. And the U.N. is not alone in its analysis. Researchers at the University of Chicago concluded that switching from a standard American diet to a vegan diet is more effective in the fight against climate change than switching from a standard American car to a hybrid. And a German study conducted in 2008 concluded that a meat-eater’s diet is responsible for more than seven times as much greenhouse-gas emissions as a vegan’s diet is. The verdict is in: If you care about the environment, one of the single most effective things that you can do to save it is to adopt a vegan diet.”

5. Veganism is simple to adopt. It’s a common misconception that vegans have to eat a lot of “special food” that “replaces meat and dairy.” This isn’t true at all. As meat and dairy are not necessary for human health, there’s no need to “replace” them to begin with. The idea is that if one eats a rounded plant based diet, one will have optimal health. Calcium and protein, the two dietary elements that people express the most concern about when switching to a vegan diet, can be gotten easily by drinking almond or soy milk and by eating lots of green leafy vegetables. There’s protein in almost all plants, so the idea that one needs meat to get protein is silly. There is actually twice as much calcium in almond milk than there is in dairy milk, too!

6. Veganism is quite financially wise. Not only are vegetables cheaper than meat, purchasing fresh local vegetables and fruits will support the local economy. Many staples of healthy vegan diets are very affordable and can be purchased in bulk, such as brown rice, chickpeas, lentils, grains, and nuts.

7. Veganism is socially conscious. The amount of natural resources that it takes to produce one pound of meat for human consumption can feed over 100 people on a plant based diet. A large percentage of the human population on this planet is underfed while the rich nations, such as the U.S. and the U.K. bask in excess, wasting resources and food. Isn’t it time we became enlightened enough to refuse to accept a world where children still starve to death?

8. Vegan food is delicious if you know how to prepare it. One of the things people often say about veganism is that they “hate tofu” and “hate salads.” Well, vegans often answer that a chicken that isn’t prepared with spices tastes bland and boring. It’s only good if the person preparing the food knows how to do it correctly. Tofu and other common vegan foods are the same. Tofu can be delicious if properly prepared, and vegans don’t just live on salads. They eat wonderful pastas, breads, soups, stews, desserts, and tempting entries from all over the world. Vegan diets are often rich in whole grains, seeds and nuts, leafy greens, fruits, and beans. Vegans often enjoy cooking with exotic spices and experimenting with plant based foods from different cultures.

9. Veganism is frugal. Because vegans don’t wear or use animal derived materials, they wear natural fibers and synthetics such as “pleather.” These materials are vastly cheaper than leather, wool, and silk. And with veganism catching on more and more, there are some fabulous clothing designers who are emerging with fashionable vegan alternatives that are more affordable and cruelty free!

10. Veganism keeps our water clean. The waste from animal processing plants, not to mention the waste from the animals themselves, is poisoning our water supply. These waste products seep into groundwater and contaminate it with antibiotics, hormones, and rotting flesh. The world’s water supply is precious. Animal products may not be the only contaminants we have to worry about, but if a large part of our population switches to a vegan diet and lifestyle, the amount of contamination in our water will decrease dramatically.

Read More»

Vegan Alive’s Take: 4 of MANY. 

BY ALI BERMAN

Anyone who hasn’t noticed the ever-increasing number of studies that show how meat and dairy increase one’s chances of developing a variety of serious health problems just isn’t paying attention. Whether is Bill Clinton advocating for a plant based diet to fight heart disease or Dr. Oz turning a cowboy vegan to reverse his Type 2 Diabetes, the data all points to fruits and veggies as powerful preventative medicine.

Here are four health problems a plant based diet can help prevent or even reverse. Now, each time you eat your delicious veg meals, you can think to yourself crisis averted.

1. Heart Disease

Don’t just take Bill Clinton’s word for it. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) also sings the praises of a plant based diet to prevent or even reverse heart disease. CNN’s resident physician Dr. Sanjay Gupta notably declared that a vegan diet makes the human heart “heart-attack proof.” What makes a vegetarian or vegan diet so adept at maintaining a healthy heart? PCRM writes on their website, “Vegetarian diets also help prevent heart disease. Animal products are the main source of saturated fat and the only source of cholesterol in the diet. Vegetarians avoid these risky products.”

2. High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can start or be worsened by a diet high in salt, fat, cholesterol and by eating too many calories. Thankfully, a vegan diet tends to be low in all of those things. Although you certainly can consume a bunch of salt, it’s pretty difficult to load saturated fat and cholesterol into a plant based diet. Live Strong reports that a “vegetarian diet that is high in a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes that are prepared in a healthy way can help to bring high blood pressure numbers down or prevent high blood pressure from developing.” And of course a whole bunch of studies back up the info including one dating back to the early nineteen hundreds. The ADA lists lower blood pressure as a perk of the diet. Want numbers? Check out this study discussed on The Vegetarian Resource Group.

3. Type 2 Diabetes

Studies show that a vegan diet helps to prevent Type 2 Diabetes, and, miraculously, can even help to reverse the condition. A few years ago PCRM’s study showed that a low fat plant based diet was more successful at preventing Type 2 Diabetes than the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association. PCRM writes, “Forty-three percent of the vegan group and 26 percent of the ADA group reduced their diabetes medications. Among those whose medications remained constant, the vegan group lowered hemoglobin A1C, an index of long-term blood glucose control, by 1.2 points, three times the change in the ADA group.” Perhaps our favorite real-life turn around story comes from Dr. Oz and the Texas cowboy he turned vegan for 28 days. What a transformation!

But if you want more data, Live Strong has this to say: “Research by scientists at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami in Florida and published in “Ethnicity and Disease” in 2003 discovered that the prevalence of diabetes is lower among long-term vegetarians.”

4. Various Types of Cancer

Whether it’s breast cancer, colon cancer or prostate cancer, a vegan diet has the scientific data behind it to show that it works as preventative care. Kathy Freston writes on the findings of T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study, “In fact, these findings indicate that the vast majority perhaps 80 to 90% of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented, at least until very old age, simply by adopting a plant-based diet.” Bill Clinton cited The China Study when he gave up meat and dairy. Campbell isn’t alone in his findings. Live Strong reports, “According to a study published in the December 2008 issue of “Urology,” men with early-stage prostate cancer were able to avoid or delay conventional treatment by consuming low-fat, plant-based diets, engaging in exercise and reducing their stress levels.”

——————-

While we discuss four benefits to dropping the animal products from your diet here, it really is just the beginning. Whether it’s weighing less, lower cholesterol or a lower risk of hypertension, a healthy plant based diet really can do it all. One word of advice: stick to whole foods like nuts, whole grains, fruits and veggies. Potato chips may be vegan, but it doesn’t mean they are good for you.

Read More»

A very large international study has found that vegetarians live longer than meat-eaters. The Adventist Health Study, which has been tracking tens of thousands of people since the late 1950’s indicates that even limiting meat intake can provide protection against chronic diseases that tend to shorten lives.

The Adventist Health Study is being conducted by Loma Linda University School of Public Health in California. Included are more than 96,000 Seventh-day Adventists from the US and Canada. This group of Christians believe that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and should be cared for diligently with the most healthful diet possible. Therefore, most follow a vegetarian diet in addition to practicing other positive lifestyle choices, such as avoiding alcohol and tobacco use.

The most recent data from the study indicates that Vegetarian Adventist men live to an average of 83.3 years – 9.5 years longer than other Californians. Vegetarian women live an average of 85.7 years which is 6.1 years longer than non-vegetarians.

There are several ways that the vegetarian diet is health-protective, promoting longevity:

1. Vegans (strict vegetarians) are, on average, 30 pounds lighter than meat eaters. Obesity can cut a person’s lifespan by 6.2%.

2. Consuming a vegetarian diet can reduce the risk for Type 2 diabetes. Vegetarians and vegans are less insulin resistant than meat-eaters, thus reducing the need for medication.

3. Those who eat vegetarian foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains have fewer risk factors for heart disease, the number one killer of both men and women in the United States.

4. Vegetarian diets may protect against cancer, including lung and breast cancer and colorectal cancer. The positive nutrients, such as antioxidants, found in plant foods help reduce inflammation that can be damaging to the body leading to certain types of cancer.

5. Vegetarians tend to have a wider variety of foods that they eat, leading to a greater intake of nutrients such as dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, and phytochemicals. These can help ensure proper functioning of all body tissues and organs, and when they stay healthy, you live longer!

Is it necessary to be vegan or vegetarian to reap these benefits? Not necessarily, say researchers. Pesco-vegetarians (those that eat fish) and semi-vegetarians who limit animal products to once a week or less (sometimes called “flexitarians”) also have “intermediate” protection against lifestyle diseases.

Source: Loma Linda University School of Public Health

Read More»

By Becky Striepe, Care2.com

My husband and I are having a baby, and we are both over the moon about it! Ever since we started trying to get pregnant, I’d been steeling myself for the questions and concerns from my doctors about my vegan diet. I was ready for them to try to pressure me into drinking cow’s milk for calcium or eating red meat for iron. Now that I’m in the second trimester of my vegan pregnancy, I wanted to share some of my experiences and some of the advice from the nurses and doctors I’ve talked to.

Because of a childhood illness, my pregnancy is not as straightforward as I wished it could be. Home birth is out, and we are one of those couples that’s going to need our doctor in the delivery room. I am not interested in getting into the specifics of my medical history here, but because of my history, I have seen more than my share of doctors since conceiving, so I’ve had lots of chances to bring up my vegan diet and get reactions and advice. You know what shocked me?

Not a single nurse or doctor has batted an eye about my veganism.

In fact, my diet puts me ahead of the game in some respects. Our health plan includes phone consultations with an OB nurse, and in my first call with her, I told her that I was vegan. When the time came to talk about forbidden pregnancy foods, she took a long pause and said, “You know, since you’re vegan, you don’t eat any of these things anyway.” Forbidden foods for pregnant women include things like certain types of fish, unpasteurized dairy products, sushi, and cold cuts.

She did have a few pieces of dietary advice for me:

• Avoid pre-packaged unpasteurized juices. Just like unpasteurized cheese and dairy, your risk of contamination is higher. Fresh-squeezed juice is OK.
• Eat plenty of leafy greens. She recommended several servings a week of greens like kale, collards, Swiss chard, etc for calcium.
• Wash your produce well. This doesn’t just get off pesticides, but it can also remove pathogens.

That was pretty much it from her. When I’ve asked my doctors about my vegan pregnancy, they have all basically said, “Pshaw! Just eat lots of healthy food, don’t drink, and get a little bit of exercise every day!”

Vegan Prenatal Vitamins

Like all pregnant women, I’m taking a prenatal vitamin and at 20 weeks, I’m planning to start taking DHA.

You don’t need animal products to make a good prenatal vitamin. There are plant-based sources for all of the vitamins and minerals that you and your baby need during this time.

The prenatal vitamin I’m taking is called Prenatal One, and it comes from a company called Rainbow Light. It’s totally plant-based, and it even has the VeganGuard certification, verifying that it’s animal ingredient free. This isn’t the only vegan prenatal vitamin on the market, but this one is very easy to find. We found out that I was pregnant while we were on vacation in a tiny beach town, and the local CVS carried this brand. The Target by my house carries it, as well, and you can find it on Amazon.

We haven’t picked up our DHA supplements yet, since we’re about a month and a half away from needing them. My doctor recommended DHA starting at 20 weeks, and she said she recommends the same to all moms-to-be, not just vegan ones. Vegan DHA comes from algae, and I’ve had a harder time tracking this one down in regular stores. I did find this vegan DHA supplement that we’ll probably end up ordering if I can’t find any in stores.

Your prenatal vitamin will have plenty of nutrients to supplement your diet, but it’s still a good idea to eat foods rich in calcium, iron, and B vitamins when you’re pregnant. Here are some tips for vegans looking to get more of these nutrients:

Calcium

Worried about getting enough calcium without dairy products? Don’t you fret! There are lots of vegan calcium sources, and they often are easier for your body to use than cow-based calcium sources. Check out 25 Vegan Sources for Calcium for a great list of calcium-rich foods.

Iron

You might be worried that you need to eat meat to get sufficient iron, but this isn’t the case at all. Check out these vegan iron sources for more.

The real trick to getting enough iron is making sure your body can absorb it. Pair your iron sources with vitamin C to help your body use the iron available in your food. Some things inhibit iron absorption, and you should avoid the following when you’re eating your iron-rich foods:

• Caffeine
• Tannins – found in things like coffee, tea, and red wine
• Phytic Acid – in undercooked beans and in raw seeds, spinach and chard. Combining with a good source of vitamin C can help!

B Vitamins

Two words, ladies: nutritional. yeast. Nutritional yeast has an excellent balance of vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid. Sprinkle nutritional yeast on savory dishes like pasta, rice, and soups. It adds a mild cheesy flavor and plenty of B vitamin goodness! You can find nutritional yeast in the bulk bin at most health food stores. I highly recommend buying this in bulk. Pre-packaged nuritional yeast tends to be wildly overpriced, and it’s the same stuff as in the bins.

Other great vegan sources of B vitamins include:

• asparagus
• broccoli
• spinach
• bananas
• potatoes
• dried apricots
• dates
• figs
• nuts

I’d love to hear from other vegan moms or vegan moms-to-be! What did and didn’t work for you during your vegan pregnancy? Were your doctors as progressive as mine turned out to be!

Read More»

By Paul Graham

“Imagine there are two people who are identical in every way–except one.  One is a vegan and the other is a meat-eater.  All things being equal, which individual is more ethical?  The vegan or the meat-eater?  The answer is blindingly obvious to everyone.”   Philip Wollen

I would have to agree with Philip Wollen.  In case you have not heard of Philip Wollen, he is an Australian Philanthropist and a former Vice-President with Citibank.  He is the founder of the Winsome Constance Kindness Trust, a global initiative whose mission statement, “to promote kindness towards all other living beings and enshrine it as a recognizable trait in the Australian character and culture,” has certainly been a part of the rise of plant-based eating and conscious living in Australia and beyond.  The Kindness Trust emphasizes ethics, compassion, and co-operation and opposes cruelty to humans and non-humans.  His talk recently at the St. James Ethics and Wheeler Center Debate has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people on YouTube and other outlets and is one of the most eloquent arguments for the conscious and ethical lifestyle of veganism as the way that we should consider living.

By definition, ethics can describe the moral principles of either an individual or culture.  It is a system of moral principles and how that should impact individual and collective behaviors.  There are those ethics that are related to a particular belief system or profession that should be a benchmark for the behavior of those connected with them. Ethics can be seen as a branch of philosophy, dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.  There can be great debate when the ethics of one group or individual conflict with that of another.  That is possible when dealing with various belief systems that might not be congruent with one another or the tone of the culture at that particular time. Unfortunately, people will go to great lengths to justify behavior that might seem unethical to so many others.

There is a fundamental level of ethics that I believe transcends those of any individual, belief system, or culture.  These are the ethics that influence every human being in relation to our treatment of one another and every living creature and how we dwell upon this planet.  It is an ethic to preserve and encourage the life of every human and other sentient being.  The scientific community has recognized animals as sentient beings, meaning they have qualities such as recognition and feelings not unlike that of human beings.  This ethic of the preservation and respect of life should extend to animals.  The fact that we hunt, torture, and murder over 60 billion animals for our own pleasure each year is in direct conflict and violation of an ethic that is so fundamental to our existence that it cannot be ignored.  It should not be our decision to which living creatures lives should be preserved and which should be eliminated.  If we violate this ethic, that I believe is fundamental to all life, then the resulting actions of doing so cannot be deemed as anything other than unethical.

I know that there will be a great number of people who would disagree with that assertion.  By their actions, that is obvious.  There are far too many people who must be unconsciously living in this regard.  They cannot be thinking through the entire process of the desires and actions of their lifestyle and the impact that it has on all living beings, including their own, and even how it impacts the health of the planet that we share. Whatever belief that one could hold on to to support a lifestyle apart from an ethic supporting life for all living creatures must be seriously evaluated and altered.  I believe that conscious eating and living is a part of the evolutionary process that find ourselves in.  The decision to become vegan is to align ourselves with the most fundamental of ethics we should adhere to. It is one that will have a greater impact upon all living creatures, our health, and the vitality of our planet than any other decision that we can make in our lives.  Do you want to change the world? This is a great place to start.

Read More»