Experts vote Vegan Diet Best for Diabetes

Complete Book of Vegan Cooking

A panel of 22 health experts including Doctors, registered nutritionists and specialists in diabetes, heart health, human behavior, and weight loss, reviewed detailed assessments prepared by U.S. News of 20 diets. The experts rated each diet in seven categories, including short- and long-term weight loss, ease of compliance, safety, and nutrition.

A vegan diet was voted as joint second in US News Rankings Best Diets section for Diabetes.

Presumably it fell short of first place due to compliance, despite the science, people are hooked on meat and addictive fatty cheese and are yet to discover the delicious alternatives.

Vegan Cookbook - Vegan Diets

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Vitamin B12 Crying Babies & Pregnancy

Crybabies may lack vitamin B12 mothers advised

The meat manufacturing, production, processing and industry is now clutching at straws following the UK Government's announcement that we should eat no more than the equivalent of a small lamb chop and restrict our meat consumption to the bare minimum to avoid increased risks of cancer.

Once again ignoring the facts that there are safer plant based sources of all of the handful of nutrients that are found in meat, and that meat is not only missing most anti-oxidants, fibre and many other essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals but is also implicated in thwarting our ability to attain a healthy synergistic balance of these nutrients.

Once again it's the essential vitamin B12 that meat industry lobbyists have got their blood stained mitts on.

Acording to FIGO The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics almost 3,000 pregnant women took part in the study, in which researchers in the Netherlands measured the levels of vitamin B12 in the bloodstream of the mothers-to-be.

The Dutch researchers found the women with the least amount of the vitamin B12 nutrient in their blood had babies who were eight times more prone to crying.

Leading UK Nutritionist, London Yvonne Bishop-Weston explains the implications of the new findings.

The new study (reference) has shown a link between the level of vitamin B12 in the mother and excessive infant crying (more than 3 hours a day for more than 3 days a week for more than 3 weeks). The reasons for this are not fully understood but it could be due to the fact that a lack of vitamin B12 and folic acid hinder the foetal development of the nervous system before birth and also that in the first 6 months after birth lack of these vitamins can affect the development of the protective myelin which surrounds the nerve cells and helps them communicate.

Excessive infant crying is also called infant colic and may also be due to B12 deficiency. Excessive infant crying was found to be stronger when the mother experienced high levels of psychological problems so could affect the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm of the body controls the sleep/wake cycle, the development of which starts in the womb.It also takes about 3 months after birth to settle into a rhythm. As lack of B12 has been seen in people with sleep disorders it is suggested that lack of B12 may the infant circadian rhythm interfere with serotonin melatonin and trigger gut cramps and crying.

The developing baby relies on the mother to provide B12 and if it is deficient in her diet and her stores are too low the baby is likely to be deficient too. B12 is made by bacteria in the gut and meat, fish and eggs the usual source recommended by NHS dietitians.

Plantarians and Vegans maintain there are healthier, safer, more sustainable sources of vitamin B12  that come without the extra calories and detrimental effects of saturated animal fat and natural hormones but with essential fats and a range of useful vitamins, minerals,  anti oxidants and fibre.

Yvonne seems to agree;

I would be cautious in recommending women eat more animal foods as meat and dairy comes along with saturated fats which can hinder the body's use of essential fats which are needed for the baby's brain and nervous system development. Due to the potential levels of toxicity in fish no more than 2 portions a week should be eaten in pregnancy and egg consumption tends to be lower in pregnancy as they can only be eaten fully cooked. If anything this study is a strong argument for basic nutrient testing at the start of women's pregnancies and addressing any deficiencies as well as of course more promotion of either better, more nutritious diets or the need for effective, easily absorbable prenatal supplements.

Vitamin B12 is made by mimicing the human digestive system's ability to produce B12 from yeasts and bacteria in the gut and is then added to a number of foods from breafast cereals and plant milks to fruit juice.

Unfortunately, most natural plant sources of vitamin B12 have been proven to contain biologically inactive vitamin B12 analogues (non absorbable pseudo-vitamin B12) , inadequate for human supplementation.

Algae seems to be the most reliable plant based source of true Vitamin B12 so far. Following a research study in France in 1978 (Greiko et al) scientists in Finland (Rauma et al ) and  Japan (Watanabe et al)  have found true vitamin B12 in Nori and Chlorella (but only non-absorbable pseudo-vitamin B12 in Spirulina) whilst Italian researchers say a strain of Klamath blue green algae appears to be, in a preliminary study, an adequate and reliable source of vitamin B12 in humans (L Baroni et al , published in The International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research 2009)

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Must Have Cookbook This Christmas

Must have addition to a cookbook shelf : Formally the domain of eccentric celebrities, now polititions, business men such as Richard Branson, and mainstream health professionals are recognising the benefits of eating less meat for both optimal health and the environment.

It's getting to the stage where you'll soon be branded a food fascist or culinary racist if you can't provide a delicious and innovative healthy vegan dish at your restaurant.

The chance of a vegan guest at your Christmas celebration or dinner party is now greater than at any time in history - there has been a massive surge in interest in vegan diets and swanky new vegan restaurants such as Saf in London have helped to destroy preconceptions about limitations on cooking with plant foods.

If you are thinking "where do I start" then this cookbook is the book for you. If your friends are frightened by cooking without meat then this is the cookbook for them.

If you you are short of a Christmas Present for someone this cookbook may bring a sigh of relief to someone with a hole on their kitchen shelf.

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Livestock’s long shadow - Environmental UN Report

Livestock’s long shadow - Environmental issues and options

Paul McCartney appeared on News at Ten highlighting the grave repercussions for us if we continue to eat as much meat as we currently do.

As if you needed anymore reasons to avoid saturated animal fats in your diet he added scarcity of water, land degradation, and polution to the list.

Sir Paul McCartney has a point. When meat eaters start admitting that Donald Watson was right, back in 1944 when he predicted catastrophe if we failed to change our diets, you know times are changing. The United Nations report is clear about apportioning blame. Cattle farming is worse than cars and planes. We must drastically change the way we eat or face responsibility for a horrifying legacy for our children.

More - Paul McCartney Interview, News at 10

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Night Mare Before Christmas?

Gluten Free Vegan Christmas ?



Are you having your very own nightmare before Christmas? Knee deep in Christmas decorations, underneath the Christmas tree, yet to find the perfect Christmas card and gift idea for your daughter in law, dreading the Christmas party and the inevitable Christmas games and Christmas songs. As the Christmas carols begin to play you discover it’s looking like a black Christmas and Christmas eve will indeed be a nightmare before Christmas as one of your guests has just confirmed and warned you they are not just vegan but gluten free too!!!

A vegan Christmas is bad enough but gluten free Christmas cake too – how’s that possible??

Here's Foods for Life Nutritionists, London to the rescue! Check out these life-saving Christmas Links and suggestions and avoid panic on Christmas morning

Zedz Foods
Gluten Free vegan Christmas Pudding – Gluten free Vegan Christmas Cake – Gluten free Vegan Mince Pies – Christmas goodies that everyone can enjoy.

Redwoods Foods
Not much Gluten free but a range of healthy and delicious pates, vegan fish alternatives including vegan smoked salmon pate, vegan turkey, sausages and all the trimmings. They also have a range of outstanding vegan dairy free cheeses including a cheddar and cranberry flavour - great for a Christmas cheeseboard

Plamil Foods
Go here for the vegan mayonnaise and the dairy free vegan chocolate including a sugar free hempseed chocolate. They also do a range of nuts and seeds with chocolate drops a healthier gluten free alternative to Crisps and Twiglets.

For The Vegan who has everything think about a Yaoh hemp raw milk maker, hemp oil, hemp seeds or perhaps the world’s only pure omega 3 algae based DHA and EPA from non fish sources.

Try also Lush cosmetics who are an alladin's cave of vegan cruelty free bathroom products and firmly against animal testing

More online Vegan Products at Goodness Direct including what's probably the healthiest ice cream in the world, the award winningbooja booja 's stuff in a tub. Only 4 ingredients - cashews, filtered water, cocao and agarve syrup. Absolutely amazing - a must this Christmas.

See also Gluten Free Christmas Cake

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Daily Mail Trials Vegan Diet

Could lentils save your life? Meet the man who became vegan for a month the Daily Mail - More coverage that eating less meat and dairy can have positive health benefits.

Weight loss, improvements in digestion, and cholesterol levels down by almost a quarter!

After a month on a vegan diet Daily Mail journalist EDWARD BATHA had this to say;

At the end of the month I went back to BUPA. Despite the huge quantities I'd been eating and my failure to exercise, I'd lost two kilos, which was welcome.

More surprising was a reduction in blood pressure, from good to excellent.

But most unexpected for the doctor was the superb 23 per cent drop in my cholesterol levels to 4.9.
This was much greater than had been anticipated and had I done some exercise, it could have been still lower.

Still, my risk of a heart attack in the next ten years has dropped significantly.

By the end of the month I was also sleeping better than as a carnivore.

It's not so bad, this vegan thing. And I seem to have lost that desperate urge for dairy produce, which surprises me.

For guidance on a healthy vegan diet see Yvonne Bishop-Weston, Gareth Zeal or Penny Crowther at Foods for Life London Nutritionists clinics.

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