Climate Change is Killing Our Beautiful Earth

Global warming is causing air pollution, droughts, floods and hurricanes across the world. Animals, and people across the world are suffering...

What we eat every day has an impact on our environment. People can combat global warming by eating plant-based food every day. United Nations is urging people to eat less meat and dairy products.

Today, I read a very interesting "Questions and Answers" about Global Warming, Solar Energy,  and Electric cars in New York Times.

Here is the link ...

 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/climate/what-is-climate-change.html

Maneka Gandhi - Inspiring and Motivating Indians to Follow Vegan Diet

Maneka Gandhi is an amazing woman.  Maneka Gandhi has dedicated her life for the welfare and protection of animals,  unfortunate Indian women and our beautiful Earth, from past twenty years . She has been in politics for more than two decades. At present, Maneka Gandhi is the Cabinet Minister of Women and Child Development.

Maneka Gandhi has loved animals from her childhood. Maneka Gandhi has written a couple of books about animals . From past few years she has been writing about animal cruelty, vegan diet and environment for leading Indian newpapers such as The Hindu, The Times of India, and Deccan Herald . In 1992 Maneka Gandhi started People for Animals, an organisation to protect  the wild and domestic animals of India.

Recent surveys has shown that the number of vegans is increasing in India. I strongly feel that Maneka Gandhi is one of the reasons for growing number of Vegans in India.

Here are some interesting articles, interviews and videos about Maneka Gandhi

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjYZnsOuuUo&t=22s

2. http://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/columns/faunaforum/silver-foils-are-not-vegetarian!-maneka-gandhi-1.1485911

3. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/developmental-issues/Being-vegetarian-is-the-only-way-to-save-the-planet-Maneka-Gandhi/articleshow/19650129.cms

4. http://www.peopleforanimalsindia.org/

Breakfast - Nutritious and Delicious Plant-based Smoothies

Unprocessed Vegan food(plant-based) is very good for our health and environment. With some planning, it is possible for everyone in the family to eat wholesome plant-based food. Start your day with fruit smoothies...

For breakfast, indulge in delicious FRUITS. Make smoothies with seasonal fruits.  Make smoothies with banana, dates and mango. You can also make "green smoothies" by blending few curry leaves, ripe mango and banana. If you don't have curry leaves, you can make smoothies with spinach, banana or strawberries. There are so many choices...

Recently, I read few interesting articles about nutritious plant-based food.

1. https://www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2016/05/12/whole-food-plant-based-lifestyle

2. https://sharan-india.org/recipes/green-smoothies/

3. http://kamalkitchen.com/green-smoothie-recipe-beginners-newbies/

4. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7956/5-delicious-green-smoothies-for-beginners.html

Ayurveda and Vegan Diet

Ayurveda is ancient healing system from India. According to Ayurveda, cow's milk and ghee(clarified butter) are some of the most nutritious foods. This is the reason most of the Indians end their lunch with some curds(yogurt). Indian moms get paranoid if their kids don't finish their milk!

From past few months, I have been following so many Ayurveda principles. And I feel so NICE...

These days many people who follow Ayurveda principles, are going Vegan...

Here are some interesting articles...

1. http://kripalu.org/blog/thrive/2013/08/15/five-ayurvedic-tips-for-vegans/

2. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Ayurvedic-vegan-diet-for-good-health/articleshow/11217615.cms

3.  http://jeevalifestyle.com/

4. http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/11/ayurvedic-veganism-surviving-the-winter-lisa-hicks/

Plant-based Diet is Healthy Diet

Dr.Sujata Kelkar Shetty,  a popular Life Coach and Wellness Consultant says that eating plant-based is good for our health and environment.

I recently read a wonderful article, Go Vegetarian , written by Dr Sujata Kelkar Shetty.

http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/zu3gQ16odk9eurDah1JOIK/Go-vegetarian.html

An Open Letter to Prime Minister of India

Dear Prime Minister,

Wish You A Very Happy Independence Day . India is really very fortunate to have you. I'm confident that you will take India to a higher horizon of peace and prosperity.

I was so happy to know your inclination towards plant-based diet. I read in an interview that you like Vegan fare - Khichidi, Bhakri, Poha, Idli and Dosa . I felt very uncomfortable when I read that "curds" is part of your diet. Unfortunately, all the milk products, everything from butter to ghee and curds to paneer causes pain and suffering for the innocent cows. In India milk producing cows are induced with oxytocin harmone to produce more milk. In short, the condition of cows is heart wrenching.

Mahatma Gandhiji , Father of the Nation, stopped consuming cow's milk after he came to know about a cruel process known as "Phooka".  Gandhiji in his autobiography writes, "Since I had come to know that the cow and the buffalo were subjected to the process of Phooka, I had conceived a strong disgust for milk." Gandhiji started to drink goat's milk because plant-based milk such as soya milk , almond milk , rice milk was not available.

Last year, I visited Hagalavadi, a village in Karnataka. My cousins told me that farmers regularly inject cows with oxytocin harmone to cows so that they can produce more milk. The lifespan of the animals injected with oxytocin is drastically reduced. In short, cows are treated as "milk machines" in India and across the world.

Dada J.P.Vaswani , a spiritual leader from India , in a interview says, "I now take soy milk instead of cow's milk because the cows are very cruelly treated in factory farming. Ever since I learned about it nine or ten years ago, I gave up milk. I believe it's the food of violence. The cows are confined to a small area. They can't move and are just milk manufacturing machines,"

Recent studies have shown that dairy milk is causing everything from common constipation to Cancer. The dairy milk available in India is brimming with chemicals. I roll my eyes whenever Ayurveda doctors say that cow's milk and ghee is nectar. Please read the book, The China Study to know more more about the negative health effects of milk and milk products such as milk , yogurt, ghee and paneer. Also please visit the PCRM website to know more about the benefits of plant-based diet. http://www.pcrm.org/

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) agree:Well planned vegetarian and vegan eating patterns are healthy for infants, children and adults. Recent studies have shown that a plant-based diet (Vegan diet) reduces the risk of heart disease , stroke and cancer.

Dr John Mc Dougall , a Physician and nutrition expert says that dairy is "liquid meat". People generally have the notion that dairy milk is rich in calcium and other nutrients. Actually, it is possible to get all the nutrients - calcium, proteins, vitamins in a plant-based diet. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and legumes is best for the body. Healthy Eating Plate developed by Harvard Medical School will show the importance of plant-based food items in a diet . http://www.health.harvard.edu/plate/healthy-eating-plate

Milk and milk products is  not only bad for our health, but it is also bad for our environment.
According to United Nations, Livestock Long Shadow report, meat and dairy industry is causing global warming. United Nations is urging people to eat less meat and dairy. Meat industry, egg industry, leather industry and dairy industry is not only causing pain and suffering to million of animals, but also causing everything from water pollution to land degradation.

Many people assume that I thrive on salads and fruits, whenever they come to know about my vegan diet. I love food! Growing up in Bangalore, I relished eating "curd rice". These days I made dairy-free curd using peanut milk or cashew milk. I really enjoy eating dairy-free curd rice. Dr. Rupa Shah has a youtube video on making vegan yogurt using peanut  milk and rice milk. Harini Prakash on her blog Tongue Ticklers has a recipe for vegan yogurt. http://tongueticklers.com/2010/10/vegan-kitchen-basics-vegan-yogurt-curd/

At present I'm in United States and it is really easy to thrive on vegan diet. I make kheers and carrot halwa with home-made almond milk. I sometimes use coconut milk or rice milk to make kheers, and variety of Indian sweets. I also make awesome vegan cakes, cupcakes and muffins without eggs and dairy products. Vaishali's blog Holy Cow http://holycowvegan.net/ ,  Richa's blog Vegan Richa
http://www.veganricha.com/  and Harini Prakash's http://tongueticklers.com/ is awash with yummy vegan recipes.

At stores I get variety of icecreams made with coconut milk and soy milk. I also enjoy eating delicious vegan chocolates. My husband and son relish eating pizza  with vegan cheese.
http://us.daiyafoods.com/ These day the number of people going vegan is increasing in united States. In short, it is so easy to thrive on cruel-free diet (vegan diet) in United States.

Many of my friends and relatives in India have stopped consuming dairy products after they watched a very sad documentary , The Plastic Cow . I'm sure you will stop consuming cow's milk and curds after seeing this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SifRIYqHfcY

It is great to know that the concept of vegan diet (meat and dairy free diet), is growing slowly in Indian cities.  Thanks to the social media - blogs, facebook and twitter, the suffering of cows and other millions of animals is exposed, and people are looking for meat and dairy alternatives.
Please visit the blog - Vegan India , http://vegan-india.blogspot.com/ .

I think the number of vegans in India will increase by many-folds if meat alternatives and dairy alternatives, such as tofu, tempeh , seitan (wheat meat), soy milk, rice milk, and vegan butter is easily available across Indian towns and villages.

The world is moving towards vegan diet (cruel-free diet). For centuries India has been known as Vegetarian Paradise. I hope under your leadership, India will become a "Vegan Paradise".

Thank you!

Regards,
Kumudha

Veggietorials

Veggietorials  , a food blog is brimming with many plant-based recipes. Cobi, a vegan in Hawaii blogs about healthy plant-based recipes and has so many healthy plant-based recipes in youtube .

Cobi recently traveled to Alaska, and she posted so many vegan-friendly restaurants and natural food stores in Alaska. I love visiting Veggietorials , as Cobi posts so many healthy recipes and amazing nature pictures .

Dr.Neal Barnard in Michigan

Dr. Neal Barnard, a popular nutrition researcher, author and health advocate will be in
Detroit area to talk about his book - Power Foods for the Brain
I have read so many of his health  books, and I'm really thankful that he has written such amazing books, which inspire people to try plant-based diet.

Dr Neal Barnard will be in Novi, on april 22, 2013
4-5.30 P.M
Better Health Market
42875 Grand River Avenue
Novi, MI 48375

Monday, april 22
7-8 P.M
Adat Shalom Synagogue
29901 Middlebelt Rd
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

Contact Shaina Chimes at 202-527-7314 or schimes@pcrm.org for more information

Healthy Vegan Diet

Whenever I tell people that I eat vegan food every day, they assume that I'm health concious and come to the conclusion that vegan diet is always nutritious.

I may be a vegan, but my food is not nutritious on some days. I eat chips and drink coke - vegan food. In short, a bag of chips and and a bottle of coke is vegan, but it's bad for your body.

If you want to eat nutritious food, which is good for you body and the planet, then you should read the book - The Kind Diet. I recently read the book - The Kind Diet written by Alicia Silverstone. The book - The Kind Diet was very interesting.

Alicia's writing is so good. It will inspire you to become vegan. Even if you are not keen on becoming a vegan, you will learn so much from this great book. You should read this amazing book if you want to be healthy and strong for a very long time.

It also has some great recipes. I made Moroccon couscous with Saffron , and Chocolate peanut butter cups from this book. They were so tasty.

Vegan Pantry

Vegan diet is not only good your health, but it's also great for our beautiful Earth.

You don't have to shop at Whole Foods Market to thrive on a vegan diet. You can get most of the vegan food staples such as - Brown rice, oats, quinoa, pasta, fruits, vegetables, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, peanut butter, nuts and cooking oils in Costco or in your regular supermarket.

If you have decided to become vegan , then I think this blog post - Stocking a Vegan Pantry will be very useful.

Vegan Diet

Decades ago it was considered that meat is absolutely required for a healthy body. Vegetarians were considered to be pale and sick. Everyone from doctors to dieticians discouraged people not to be a vegetarian.

These days everyone seems to endorse vegetarian and even vegan diet. Vegan diet is not only good for you but it also helps our beautiful planet - Earth. Vegan diet is considered to be "Green"

The American Dietetic Association states that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes.

Barack Obama and Vegan Diet

Barack Obama, the young president of United States is inspiring youngsters from Boston to Bangalore. Barack Obama eats meat, but feels that plant-based diet is great for our environment and economy.

Visit youtube to hear what Obama has to say regarding vegan diet

Simple Steps to Save the Earth

I recently read a book, 50 simple steps to save the earth from global warming.

Step number 4 states, "Go vegetarian for a day"

How can vegetarian diet reduce global warming?

According to a report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.

A vegetarian diet devoid of animal products, is the most eco-friendly diet. A plant based diet, also known as vegan diet is not only good for our health, but also great for our planet because, factory farms intensively confine millions of animals, the toll of such industrialized practices weighs heavily on the environment, depleting resources and contaminating habitats across the world. Toxins, chemicals, gases, and huge amounts of manure from these facilities pollute the soil, water, and air, causing massive environmental degradation.

To know more about vegetarian diet visit CNN website, International vegetarian union, and Science daily

To find eco-friendly recipes visit, Fat free vegan, vegan chef , and VRG