Vegan Diet Plan -New study shows high-carb, vegan diet causes major weight loss

Diposkan oleh Unknown on Sunday, September 11, 2005

New study shows high-carb, vegan diet causes major weight loss

Diet effective with no limits on portion size

WASHINGTON -- A low-fat, plant-based diet is more effective at helping women lose weight and improve insulin sensitivity than an omnivorous diet, shows a new study appearing in the September issue of The American Journal of Medicine. The study, involving 59 overweight, postmenopausal women, was conducted by Neal D. Barnard, M.D., president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), together with colleagues at Georgetown University Hospital and George Washington University. Half of the study participants followed a vegan diet; the other half followed a control diet based on National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines.

"The study participants following the vegan diet enjoyed unlimited servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other healthful foods that enabled them to lose weight without feeling hungry," says Dr. Barnard, the lead author. "As they began to experience the positive effects, weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity, the women in the intervention group became even more motivated to follow the plant-based eating plan."

Scientific studies show that obesity and overweight are far less prevalent in populations following a plant-based diet. In a recent study of more than 55,000 Swedish women, Tufts University researcher P. Kirstin Newby and her colleagues found that 40 percent of meat-eaters were overweight or obese while only 25 to 29 percent of vegetarians and vegans were. Worldwide, vegetarian populations experience lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other life-threatening diseases. A new study appearing in September's Journal of Urology shows that a low-fat, primarily vegan diet may slow the progression of prostate cancer.

The simplicity of a vegan diet appeals to people who are busy with work and family, and many familiar recipes are easy to adapt. At least four studies published in peer-reviewed journals show that patients give the low-fat vegetarian diet a high rating in terms of acceptability, and that the transition only takes about three weeks or less.

Yvonne Bishop Weston Says "Once again this is a diet that may be as much to do with calorie restriction as nutrition. I'm wary of low fat diets as it's the type of fat that's important not fat generally. Your body needs good fats for optimum health so it's important to find reliable plant sources such as nuts, seeds and purslane."

PCRM - Neal Barnard M.D. - Report in Scotsman - Daily Mail
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Healthy innovation attractive to investors

Diposkan oleh Unknown on Friday, September 9, 2005

Healthy innovation attractive to investors: "09/09/2005 - Developing healthier foods is not only key to stronger sales for food makers but it also boosts a firms financial value, as investors increasingly consider it an important element of corporate sustainability.



You cannot look at it in an isolated way but it is clearly a factor,says Pierin Menzli, research analyst at the SAM group, an asset management company specialising in sustainability investments that compiles the Dow Jones Sustainability Index ( DJSI).

This year, for the first time, R&D in health and nutrition was included as one of about 20 criteria used by SAM to assess the sustainability of food companies for the index. It is among the three criteria with the highest weighting. "
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World Vegan Day 1st November

Diposkan oleh Unknown on Thursday, September 8, 2005

Eat more fruit and veg on World Vegan Day Following a statement by UK Food expert Professor Tim Lang, of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, London Nutritionists Foods for Life are urging food manufacturers, supermarkets, schools and journalists to exploit World Vegan Day on November 1st to highlight the benefits of eating more fruit and veg.

The BBC reported Professor Lang’s message that “the healthy eating drive is at risk of failing because the public is getting contradictory messages.”

Top London nutritionist and tutor at The Institute of Optimum Nutrition Yvonne Bishop-Weston agrees “Eating more plant based foods is essential for better health. So many people I see in my London clinics can be helped with simple changes in their diets rather than expensive drugs. Fertility, heart health, cognitive function, digestion and weight management can all usually be improved through rebalancing the body and a healthy optimum nutrition program.”

“World Vegan Day 1st November is the perfect awareness day to unite governments, manufacturers, health professionals, chefs and retailers to encourage higher awareness about plant based solutions to many of the world’s problems” says husband Tony.
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