One of the longstanding myths about a diet that avoids dairy foods is that it can lead to osteoperosis. A new study not only proves that this isn't true, it also reports that vegans, specifically those that follow a raw food diet, are overall healthier than the average American, have strong bones, lower BMI, lower markers for disease and have high levels of Vitamin D, which was surprising to researchers since dairy products are normally fortified with Vitamin D.

The interesting part about this study is the expectations the doctors had, particularly that they expected raw food vegans to have low levels of Vitamin D. This shows how flawed the dairy industry is in promoting "milk for strong bones".

Additionally, although the study clearly shows that following a raw, vegan lifestyle is much healthier in all aspects tested (weight, disease prevention, BMI - and by a good margin), the lead doctors don't advocate a vegan, raw food diet.

They do recommend eating more fruits and vegetables, which is a good start, but I think they are missing the point. Fruits and vegetables are only one part of a raw, vegan diet. Adding a variety of legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds is also essential to a well balanced diet. Additionally, if someone eats more fruits and vegetables (and no legumes, whole grains, nuts or seeds) but still eats red meat, a variety of dairy products and processed foods regularly, this will do little to improve their health. Apparently facts don't make enough difference to make a recommended lifestyle change!

Read more about the study at: Yahoo! News - Raw Food Vegans Thin But Healthy, Study Finds

To your best health!

Mark
vegandiet.blogspot.com

With all the parties during the holidays, there are many temptations and opportunities to get cooked.

I like to look at it a little differently.

Since this time of year is for celebration, giving and appreciation, I see it as an opportunity to grow stronger in your convictions and celebrate them... celebrate your path to awesome health through a vegan raw lifestyle.

By growing in your healthy relationship with yourself, you not only grow into better health, your relationships with others blossom as well.

And in addition to sharing gifts with friends and loved ones, what better time to give yourself a gift... the gift of awesome health (only you can do it).

Here are some ideas to thrive during the holidays:

• instead of attending a party, throw your own. Include raw and healthy alternatives to the normal heavy and fattening dishes.
• when attending dinner parties, bring your own dish. You can always eat your own dish if there are no healthy alternatives.
• if the topic of why you may not be eating something comes up, mention that this is what you feel like eating (the raw and healthy alternative).
• eat more fruit!
• focus on the social part of the events rather than the eating.
• take some time out for yourself and celebrate your life and raw journey.
• have plenty of fruit and salads handy to eat and share during the holidays.
• find raw potlucks or meetups in your area and visit with link-minded friends.
• eat a raw meal or snack before attending an event so you won't be hungry. Gives you more time to visit.

Celebrate and enjoy the holidays, vegan and raw!

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and yours!

Mark

A followup study on eating habits confirmed the relationship between higher fruit and vegetable consumption and lower cardiovascular disease and death.

Specifically, consuming fruits and vegetables 3 or more times a day versus less than 1 time a day resulted in:

• 27% lower stroke incidence
• 42% lower stroke mortality
• 24% lower ischemic heart disease mortality
• 27% lower cardiovascular disease mortality
• 15% lower all-cause mortality

With studies like this, evidence in support of a vegan and vegetarian diet for better health is growing daily. Keep them coming!

Read the study summary at PubMed.

Go Vegan!

To your best health,

Mark
http://vegandiet.blogspot.com

Being vegan, many people ask where I get my calcium if I don't eat dairy foods (among other nutrients).

For years, I've studied the available research on milk and other dairy products and have always believed that milk, especially in it's current form, is not an essential part of a healthy diet that I would recommend, and can actually be harmful to your health.

Case in point. Some years ago I was speaking with a mother that complained about how many reoccuring ear infections her daughter had and that she was constantly on antibiotics. She also suffered from colds and was sick more often than what she would consider normal. After asking some questions about the girls diet, I found that she drank milk more than several times a day, and consumed other dairy foods and foods containing dairy by-products. I recommended she cut out all dairy products and substitute unsweetened soy or rice milk, fresh vegetables and when she had a craving for something sweet, a non-dairy frozen dessert (made with soy or rice milk).

In less than a month, the mother reported that her daughter hadn't been sick at all during that time, and over the next two years, she had only been sick once or twice with a minor cough or cold. This was a major relief for the mother and a blessing for the girl since she not only felt better, but felt good not having to take medicine all the time.

Now comes evidence that the calcium benefit the dairy industry claims is vital to growing children... well, really isn't. In one of the most comprehensive review of over 27 studies looking into the benefits of calcium from milk sources found that only three out of the 27 studies found any benefit, and very little benefit at that. Read an article detailing the studies here.

Some of the existing research notes that fruit and vegetable sources of calcium are better absorped by our bodies, and that after milk is pasturized and fortified, the calcium is no longer in a form that is easy for us to assimilate and thus not much of a benefit. Studies note that getting out, staying active and exercising will do more for strong bones than drinking milk, a powerful statement that the dairy industry doesn't want you to hear.

Dairy products have been know to cause excess mucus, carry growth hormones (in almost all non-organic milk and dairy products) and cause allergic reactions to a large portion of humans that can't digest or are in some way allergic to dairy products (dairy allergies are one of the top allergies we may have - but most don't know it).

The way I look at it, why go through all the problems associated with dairy products when you can get plentiful calcium in other fruits and vegetables, bio-available vitamin supplements and get stronger bones by exercising and staying active?

Peace.

Mark
http://vegandiet.blogspot.com

Several times this past week I have been attacked for making suggestions and encouraging the raw food diet. One in particular was from a 'fitness professional' that lashed out at my so called criticism and promptly removed my comments from her blog.

What was my crime?

Read more...

I'm often asked for low fat or no fat raw vegan recipes. Here's one we came up with today and it was delicious. It's satisfying, tastes great and takes just a few minutes to make. Most importantly, it has no overt fat!

Read more...

In the beginning, before fire, there was raw! In 1931 a team of Swiss medical researchers proved that the body's immune system treats dead, burnt, factory food (cooked food) as a disease and raw living foods as an ally. The cooking process removes the water and ruins the nutrients in food leaving a toxic, indigestible, addictive and ultimately fatal substance. The words "alive" and "living food" mean that the food has THE POWER OF PRO-CREATION! A SEED! Every piece of fruit and every leaf further contain an active, functioning immune system, a life force & according to equipment designed to look at brainwaves, a consciousness as well! Where living food has intricate readings, processed foods & flesh have no reading at all, a complete flat line (dead)! (You are what you eat!)

Long after fruits have been picked, sit at the market and then in your fridge, it's still alive! ... it continues to possess a life force, water still pumping through its veins, one of its tiny seeds still able to pro-create more then billions of giant fruit baring trees! Dead foods are dead, and they spoil and rot deep in your guts, finally becoming some vicious mold (cancer) which in a delivery of excruciating pain eats you from the inside-out! just like you're going to be if you eat it!... but not before. Imagine what we would be like on a diet of life and perfection!

This is an introduction to Juliano's 'Raw In Denver' video where he demonstrates preparing raw dishes as well as the benefits of raw foods. Insightful piece. You can see the video online at 'Raw Food How-To'.

Be Rawsome!

Mark