Archive for January, 2013

Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis

by on Thursday, January 31st, 2013

Book Description
Every day, more people are shifting towards a plant-based diet without meat, eggs, and dairy products due to concerns about their health, the environment, or animal ethics. Two of North America’s foremost vegetarian dietitians present up-to-date findings on how to meet all of your nutritional needs eating a nutritious, vegan diet. From infants and toddlers to seniors – as well as the special needs of athletes and pregnant women, -you’ll discover the information you need to stay healthy and enjoy a balanced diet. Also includes a section on how a vegan diet can protect against cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. Considered the definitive work on vegan nutrition, anyone interested in becoming a vegan should read this book.

Who wrote Becoming Vegan?

The author named in the title is Brenda Davis. The description speaks of “two of North America’s foremost vegetarian dietitians” without naming them.

What does the description claim about health?

It says the book includes a section on how a vegan diet can protect against cancer, heart disease and other chronic illnesses, and calls it the definitive work on vegan nutrition. Those are the description’s claims and are not confirmed here.

Who is the intended reader?

It says the information covers people from infants and toddlers to seniors, as well as the special needs of athletes and pregnant women.

What kind of book is Becoming Vegan?

The Amazon description says the book presents up-to-date findings on how to meet your nutritional needs on a vegan diet, which it describes as a plant-based diet without meat, eggs and dairy products.

This summary of the book description is not medical advice.

Which nutrients need planning on a vegan diet?

Vegan diets exclude all animal foods, so a few nutrients need a deliberate source. ODS vitamin B12 fact sheet states that only animal foods have vitamin B12 naturally, so fortified foods or a supplement are the usual route. Vitamin D, calcium, iodine, omega-3 and zinc also deserve a look.

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet on omega-3 fatty acids says ALA, the plant omega-3, is found mainly in plant oils such as flaxseed, soybean and canola oils, while DHA and EPA come from fish and seafood.

Needs differ by age, pregnancy and health. A registered dietitian or doctor can review your diet and blood tests, and adjust supplements to your situation.

Related on this blog: Vitamins and Your Health: Do You Need a Supplement? and Antioxidant Foods: Why Colorful Plants Beat Supplements

Book: Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Vegetarian Lifestyle by Abby Brooks

by on Monday, January 28th, 2013

Book Description
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vegan diet, going vegan, benefits of being a vegetarian, becoming vegan, veganism, what is a vegan, what is vegan,then the Vegetarian Lifestyle: How To Be A Vegeterian Bible [Newly Revised] is all you will ever need.

Who is Vegetarian Lifestyle meant for?

It speaks to readers who want more information about veganism and vegetarian living, including how to become one. It says nothing about the contents or recipes.

What is this book about?

The description is mostly a long list of search terms, such as vegan diet, vegetarian lifestyle and vegetarian weight loss, and then names the book as Vegetarian Lifestyle: How To Be A Vegeterian Bible [Newly Revised].

Everything above comes from the book description on its Amazon page. The description is short, so check the Amazon page for the full contents.

What is the difference between vegetarian, vegan and plant-based?

Search terms like “vegan living” and “vegetarian lifestyle” hide real differences. The MedlinePlus vegetarian diets entry distinguishes them: vegans eat only plant foods, lacto-vegetarians add dairy, lacto-ovo vegetarians add eggs, and semi-vegetarians eat some animal foods.

“Plant-based” is looser and can mean mostly plants or only plants. People choose these diets for health, ethics, religion, cost or the environment, and the reasons shape how strict they are.

Whichever pattern you choose, check the nutrients that animal foods supplied. The ODS vitamin B12 fact sheet notes that only animal foods have it naturally. A doctor or dietitian can recommend supplements and tests.

More on this blog: Diet and Fitness: How Carbs, Fat and Protein Fit Together and Vitamins and Your Health: Do You Need a Supplement?

Book: Vegetarian Lifestyle by Abby Brooks
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

The Gluten-Free Vegan by Susan O’Brien

by on Friday, January 25th, 2013

Book Description
Ideal cookbook for many health conditions: The Gluten-Free Vegan is a groundbreaking cookbook, combining both special diets for healthier, allergy-free eating. Millions of Americans have health conditions like celiac disease, fibromyalgia, or food allergies that require a gluten- and/or dairy-restricted diet. In addition, going vegetarian/vegan is fast becoming mainstream, and many vegans are also looking to cut gluten from their diet. The Gluten-Free Vegan offers solutions for anyone seeking a tasty approach to healthier eating. Quick, easy, and delicious recipes: Written by a food-allergy sufferer and gourmet cook, this collection includes more than 150 healthy recipes for a wide range of dishes that are both gluten-free and vegan. The cookbook also includes guidelines of each dietary restriction, information on sugars, raw foods and organic foods, advice on ingredient preparation, quick-cooking tips, and resources for easily finding ingredients.

What is this book about?

The description calls it a cookbook that combines two special diets, gluten-free and vegan, for allergy-free eating.

Who is The Gluten-Free Vegan meant for?

According to the description, it is for people whose health conditions or food allergies require a gluten-restricted or dairy-restricted diet, and for vegans who also want to cut gluten.

What can readers expect to find inside?

The collection has more than 150 recipes that are both gluten-free and vegan. The description also lists guidelines for each dietary restriction, information on sugars, raw foods and organic foods, advice on preparing ingredients, quick-cooking tips and resources for finding ingredients.

Who wrote The Gluten-Free Vegan?

The author is Susan O’Brien. The description says the collection was written by a food-allergy sufferer and gourmet cook.

This is a summary of the book description, not medical advice.

What is coeliac disease?

Gluten-free cooking is essential for some people and optional for others. The NIDDK (NIH) facts about celiac disease describes celiac disease as an immune disease in which gluten damages the lining of the small intestine, and it is treated by strictly avoiding gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

Symptoms vary and can be confused with other conditions, so avoid cutting out gluten before you are tested, because that can interfere with diagnosis. If you suspect celiac disease or a food allergy, see a doctor.

For people who need to avoid gluten, hidden sources such as sauces, stock cubes and cross-contact in shared kitchens matter. A plant-based diet that is also gluten-free should still include B12 and enough calcium and iron.

More on this blog: Healthy Diet: A Guide to Weight Loss and Popular Diet Plans Compared: What Each One Asks of You

Book: The Gluten-Free Vegan by Susan O’Brien
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide by Lisa Dorfman

by on Monday, January 21st, 2013

Book Description
Exercise, train, and compete at your best on a vegetarian diet.

Few segments of the population are more mindful of their food intake than athletes and vegetarians. This book combines the unique demands of sports with a healthy vegetarian diet that can help you build energy and endurance and reduce body fat. Whether you are carbo-loading before a marathon or fine-tuning nutrition to get the most out of your workout, registered dietitian and elite vegetarian athlete Lisa Dorfman provides step-by-step information on how to customize your own sport-specific nutrition program and calculate a personal dietary plan for training The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide includes personal stories of athletes who have made the switch to vegetarian diets from football players and wrestlers to ice skaters and marathoners, some of whom have beaten life-threatening illnesses with the help of this lifestyle. Lisa Dorfman provides a rich array of tasty and diverse vegetarian recipes, menus, easy-to-use charts, and food guides for vegetarians of all types, from the semi-vegetarian to the fruitarian. She also shares the training secrets of seventeen Olympic and world-class athletes who have used their vegetarian diets to achieve peak performance in their careers and optimum health in their lives.

Book: The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide by Lisa Dorfman
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Vegan Indian Cooking by Anupy Singla

by on Friday, January 18th, 2013

Book Description
This beautiful follow-up to Anupy Singla’s widely praised first cookbook, the Indian Slow Cooker, is a unique guide to preparing favorite recipes from the Indian tradition using entirely vegan ingredients. Featuring more than 50 recipes, and illustrated with color photography throughout, these great recipes are all prepared in healthful versions that use vegan alternatives to rich cream, butter, and meat. The result is a terrific addition to the culinary resources of any cook interested in either vegan or Indian cuisine.

Singla–a mother of two, Indian emigre, and former TV news journalist–has a distinctive style and voice that brings alive her passion for easy, authentic Indian food. Some of these recipes were developed by her mother through the years, but many Singla developed herself, including fusion recipes that pull together diverse traditions from across the Indian subcontinent. She shows the busy, harried family that cooking healthy is simple and that cooking Indian is just a matter of understanding a few key spices.

As Singla sees it, acquiring and using the proper spices is the key to preparing her healthful recipes at home. Singla has recently brought to market her own line of traditional Indian spice trays (also known as a masala dabba), which is being sold by retail outlets like Williams-Sonoma. Vegan Indian Cooking builds off of Singla’s vast expertise in simplifying and perfecting Indian spices and unique, custom spice blends, making delicious Indian cooking accessible to even the most hurried home chef.

Book: Vegan Indian Cooking by Anupy Singla
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)