VEGAN DIETS

 

In our Current world it is becoming popular to try and consume non meat diets. One such diet is called Vegan. It is estimated that in America there are 6.5 million people who are Vegans as opposed to India where the majority are all Vegetarians. The difference is that Vegans do not use any animal products which include milk and milk by products, eggs, fish, or poultry. One well known person in the world who is vegan is Bill Clinton. Using Vegan food is very good for the environment. It takes 100 times more water to produce 1lb of protein from animal than 1lb of protein from plant source. It is good as in some parts of the world we are getting short of water. Vegan diets are useful for weight loss, preventing many diseases, such as heart, diabetes and cancers.  Vegan can get their supply of Vitamin B12 from fortified plant milk and cereals it is important to make sure one gets adequate vitamins from other sources that one cannot get in a Vegan diet. The other vitamin which lacks in a Vegan diet is Vitamin D. For this it is best to sit in the midday sun for about half an hour at least three times a week, to get the UVR rays, as it turns the skin cholesterol to vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency can cause bone pain, fatigue, muscle weakness, mood changes and even depression. B12 deficiency can also cause this. The other side effects of B12 are red tongue mouth ulcers, tingling and numbness and instability in walking. The other deficiency in a vegan diet is Omega 3. This is very important for body function, cell membranes, hormone production, contraction and relaxation of arteries, blood clotting regulation, decreasing inflammation in the body and heart function.                                                                                                 This can be obtained from flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts. These little seeds can be eaten with salads or cereals. The protein sources for vegans are dried peas, chickpeas, kidney, fava, black, and   adzuki beans. These sometimes are hard on GIT and cause bloated feelings and dehydration, it is best to hydrate the beans well when cooking. Eat in proportion. There are some Indian spices when used with lentils and beans help in preventing bloating.

Vegan diets over all, are very useful for individuals, hip pocket and environment; please take care of missing elements such as VitaminB12, Vitamin D, and Omega 3’s.