By Madeline Wells, SFGATE

Toriano Gordon is the owner of Vegan Mob, a Vegan BBQ and soul food take out restaurant in Oakland.

Toriano Gordon is the owner of Vegan Mob, a Vegan BBQ and soul food take out restaurant in Oakland.

Photo: Douglas Zimmerman/SFGate

Toriano Gordon is the owner of Vegan Mob, a Vegan BBQ and soul food take out restaurant in Oakland.

Toriano Gordon is the owner of Vegan Mob, a Vegan BBQ and soul food take out restaurant in Oakland.

Former rapper's latest hit is serving vegan BBQ with a side of dance videos

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Oaklands Lake Park Avenue vibrates with activity.

A neon green structure that used to house the neighborhoods iconic Kwik Way Drive-In beckons Oaklanders to line up down the block for heaping plates of barbecue brisket, ribs and shrimp. A DJ pumps hip hop music out of loudspeakers onto the street, which waiting customers nod their heads to.

People order at the window, then eat gumbo on barstools or hunch over po boys at a handful of tables and chairs outside. Set up on the sidewalk is local artist Tony B. Conscious, freestyling and selling his graffiti-style artwork, which includes aprons baring the new hot spots name.

The scene is quintessentially Oakland. Theres just one element thats a little different every single morsel of barbecued goodness here is vegan.

Vegan Mob, which opened in October, is San Francisco-raised Toriano Gordons first restaurant, which he opened with the help of Seor Sisigs Evan Kidera. Gordon specializes in taking familiar barbecue and soul food recipes and swapping their meaty, heavy ingredients for plant-based, healthy ones.

I dont even see it as vegan food, because for me to think like that, it causes the consumer to think like that, too. I just want them to feel like theyre eating good food, said Gordon. I flavor it as if it were the same food my grandmother used to cook, just using plant-based ingredients.

If the word vegan conjures images of sad salads and depressingly bland grain bowls, thats not what youll find here. On the contrary: Vegan Mobs menu is pretty much the definition of fun. And thats why Gordon hasnt had any trouble attracting non-vegans as well as hardcore vegans to his new spot.

RELATED:How a shrimp falafel food truck became the hottest club in Oakland

I think that the funness of the food helps spread the culture of veganismbecause people like to have fun. They want to know they can have fun and be safe at the same time, said Gordon.

On the playful menu is a shrimp po boy with vegan BBQ fried shrimp, a Barbequito (a burrito stuffed with smoked plant-based brisket and BBQ baked beans), Impossible Mob tacos (made with Impossible Foods meat), nachos and gumbo. Ordering a Mob Plate gets you a vegan protein plus a choice of sides including smackaroni and cheese, creamy Cajun potato salad and collard greens.

Gordon is definitely having fun with his flourishing new spot not just with the menu, but also his social media presence. Alongside drool-worthy Instagram shots of the food, hes constantly promoting his business with videos featuring goofy dance moves and his catchphrase delivered in a half-sung, comical voice: Pull up on us baby! Its da Mob. In one video, he urges his whole staff to dance around the kitchen and chant ay! with him. His nearly 23,000 Instagram followers eat it up.

Gordon says his savvy social media presence comes from his background as a rapper in the Bay Area.

I kind of treat my page as if it were a page where I promoted music, but instead, its food, explained Gordon. With music you have to constantly be seen and put out new stuff and be in peoples faces, and I feel like I took that culture over to the restaurant business.

Gordons infusion of hip hop culture into Vegan Mob extends even further next month, the restaurant is shooting a music video for a Vegan Mob-themed song featuring local rappers King Cydal and B-Legit.

With lines that only grow as the months go on, Vegan Mob has definitely succeeded in making vegan food cool in Oakland. But its important to note that Gordon wasnt the first to introduce vegan gumbo and po boys to the area.

Souley Vegan, another black-owned vegan restaurant specializing in Louisiana cuisine, opened in Oaklands Jack London Square in 2009. Back then, the climate wasnt so hospitable to vegans.

RELATED:A vegetarian restaurant for carnivores? This Michelin star couple is opening one in the Haight

People did not understand the word vegan, said owner Tamearra Dyson. Nor did they think my Louisiana Creole vegan food was even possible because they thought it was an oxymoron. We got some laughs.

But despite the fact that veganism wasnt trendy yet, Dyson persevered with her restaurant and the community eventually caught on.

With a lot of Southern hospitality, we made it friendly, unlike the market prior to us opening people thought that vegans were uppity, she explained. But we trailblazed the industry and made vegan approachable and kind of cool. Now its cool to be vegan.

Thanks to Souley Vegan and other pioneering vegan restaurants in the East Bay, 2019 was the year Oakland was ready for a hip hop-themed vegan barbecue joint.

As San Francisco Chronicle reporter Justin Phillips put it in his Vegan Mob review, Vegan Mob shows how vegan food is modern and can be served steeped in hip-hop and black culture [...] So, are black people making vegan food in Oakland cool? The answer is yes. But, honestly, black people have always made vegan food cool. Most of us just needed a reminder.

Madeline Wells is an SFGATE associate digital reporter. Email: madeline.wells@sfgate.com | Twitter: @madwells22

Read more:
Former rapper's latest hit is serving vegan BBQ with a side of dance videos - SF Gate

If you had asked me three years ago if I would ever go vegan, the answer would have been a polite but firm no. I would have told you how I could never give up cheese and how I worried about a vegan diet being healthy. I knew that they werent the strongest nor the most informed of reasons, so I would have added that I only bought meat when I could afford to buy organic and British, and always bought free-range eggs. I would have wanted you to know I was informed about what was good or bad farming practice, and I shopped accordingly.

I had been a vegetarian on and off since I was a teenager, and cared deeply about the planet. I recycled diligently, carried a reusable water bottle, signed petitions to address the climate disaster and joined protests. I bought cruelty-free makeup, was fervently against animal testing. I was a conscious and conscientious shopper and consumer: I considered the planet when I made choices.

For almost my whole life I had been concerned about the planet. As a child, Id lecture my hairspray-wielding nan about CFCs; in primary school I held a bake sale to raise money for the RSPB, the British bird-protection charity, after the Shetland oil disaster in 1993. I was mindful of the environment, and proud of it.

Just not mindful enough to make a huge lifestyle change that would be disruptive. Even these days, veganism is frequently inconvenient in that you are always having to check packaging (items you think are safe may have changed their ingredients), trust other people when they are preparing food for you and check everywhere you go in advance for vegan options.

So how did I end up a vegan? It all started when I met my friend Sophies partner, Rey. We were having a barbecue in Burgess park in south London, and Sophie and I had to wait to eat because Rey and his friends wanted to cook first as they were vegan. They werent righteous or aggressive about our food choices, and we didnt roll our eyes or make jokes about theirs. We had a nice day out.

When Sophie and Rey announced they were expecting a baby, she told me she was going vegan, and would raise their child as a vegan. Im embarrassed about it now, but I was concerned all my knowledge of veganism came from random snippets of internet lore. What about calcium? What about protein? What about vitamins? Wasnt it dangerous? Sophie very patiently told me what she knew, and directed me to look things up for myself.

So, I did; visiting websites, reading leaflets, watching documentaries and filling in the gaps of my knowledge. What I learned started to stick: I became vegetarian again, lapsed and then went back to it. I couldnt reconcile what I had learned about the realities of the meat and dairy industries with the person I believed myself to be. I asked Sophie for the first time why she decided to become a vegan. She wasnt like me, a so-called advocate for the planet and animal rights. In fact, she was probably the last person Id expect to become a vegan. Because I dont need to eat meat, eggs or dairy, she told me. Things dont have to suffer or die for me to live well.

I love experimenting and finding ways of 'veganising' food I used to eat.

That was the moment it clicked. Consuming meat and dairy was admitting I was OK with animals suffering and dying for my pleasure/convenience/survival. But I could choose something different. So I did.

I became vegan two years ago. Of course, I am in a position where being a vegan is easy: no food allergies or relevant health issues, enough money to buy speciality vegan ingredients to liven things up, no dependents, time to cook. The impact that it has had on me has been huge. I have seen an improvement in my overall health an unexpected benefit; tighter friendships with vegan friends (its the new smoking in terms of social connection). Before I became vegan, I was never much of a cook, but now it has become a hobby. I love experimenting and finding ways of veganising food I used to eat.

More than that, it has begun to change every aspect of how I live as I try to always minimise suffering, and do my best for the planet. I am lucky to live in a town with eco-friendly refill shops. I have started making my own body moisturiser, cleaning spray, laundry detergent and toilet fizzers to cut down on disposable plastics and chemicals. I question where things I buy come from: who made them? How did they get here? How long will they last? I am trying to be a better consumer, even if it is inconvenient sometimes.

In the end, what it came down to was having the courage of my convictions to embrace veganism. Now I am proud to be walking the walk.

Hold Back the Tide by Melinda Salisbury is published by Scholastic in March (7.99). To buy a copy for 7.03 with free UK p&p for orders over 20, visit guardianbookshop.com or call 0203 176 3837

See the article here:
I dithered over veganism for years until a friends simple message convinced me - The Guardian

In case you hadnt noticed, theres been a lot of discussion in recent times about veganism, its nutritional benefits and environmental advantages. In this Netflix documentary, several world-famous athletes and bodybuilders have their say

See below for everything you need to know about Netflixs The Game Changers

The documentary follows British UFC fighter James Wilks as he travels around the world to discover the optimal diet for human performance, particularly looking into the benefits of a plant-based diet. Along the way, he interviews scientists, special ops soldiers, action stars and some of the biggest names in sport.

The Game Changers makes some pretty big claims, suggesting that a plant-based diet is actually better for improving performance and strength than eating meat.

Its not one set of dietary guidelines for improving your performance as an athlete, another one for reversing heart disease, reversing diabetes, said Dr Dean Ornish.Its the same for all of them.

The documentary also shows several burly world-class athletes who have achieved astonishing feats which they attribute to a plant-based diet.

When I made the switch to a plant-based diet, I qualified for my third Olympic team, I broke two American records, said weightlifter Kendrick Farris.I was like man, I should have done this a long while ago!

During the film, Wilks discovers that the Roman gladiators were mostly vegetarian, and after taking part in a seven-day vegan challenge New York firefighters find they had apparently reduced cholesterol and blood pressure.

It has also hit the headlines recently as the documentary allegedly convinced the CEO of Greggs to turn vegan, surely guaranteeing that vegan sausage rolls are here to stay (sorry Piers Morgan).

The documentary is available to watch now on Netflix. You can also watch The Game Changers on Amazon.

Appropriately for a documentary about strength, the film features several heavyweight action stars and athletes.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic and James Cameron all feature to discuss the ideal diet for peak human strength and performance.

The Game Changes is on Netflix now.

Excerpt from:
What is The Game Changers about? Why everyone is talking about the vegan documentary - RadioTimes

2020 is poised to be the biggest year yet for veganism, with projected product launches, fast-food partnerships, and more. And the cookbooks and literature coming out this year reflect that mainstream shift. People are more interested in plant-based living than ever before, and these 10 books are the perfect way to get your foot in the door or expand your knowledge of all-things vegan.

1. Living LivelyThe incredible eighteen-year-old activist and motivational speaker Haile Thomas is releasing her debut cookbook, packed with 80 vibrant recipes and a manifesto to inspire the next generation of leaders to take care of their health. Her inspiring work and voice is why we interviewed her in our 2019 Wellness Issue, and why we cant wait to read her book in 2020!

2. BOSH! Healthy VeganThe superstar team at BOSH!the largest and fastest-growing plant-based food channel on the webhas revolutionized plant-based cooking on the web. And with videos racking up millions of views, you can bet the recipes in their fourth book will be more stellar than ever. Plus, this book goes beyond the recipesboasting meal plans, nutrition hacks, and lifestyle tips that are perfect for both plant-based beginners and seasoned vegans.

3. Voices for Animal LiberationThis book is filled with the words and stories of longtime animal activists from Gene Baur (founder of Farm Sanctuary) to Jo-Anne McArthur (photographer and founder of We Animals Media), all with the intention of inspiring and educating readers to pursue a more ethical world. We cant wait to be empowered by the hard work and compassionate hearts of the activists in this book.

4. Vegetable KingdomFood justice activist, author, and James Beard Award-winning chef Bryant Terrys fourth book is full of stunning imagery and incredible Afro-Asian inspired recipes. Plus, each recipe comes with a suggested song pairing to listen to while you cook, so you can jam out in the kitchen. The book is organized by ingredients, encouraging readers to eat with the seasons and utilize whats fresh on the market.

5. More Plants Less WasteMax La Manna, a zero-waste chef and sustainability advocate, is soon dropping a book we all need to read this year. He ties together plant-based eating with a no-waste approach that helps vegans transform their eating habits into sustainable routines and practices. With a simple 21-day, zero-waste challengenot to mention easy eco-hacks that readers can do at homethis book is helping us further green up our eating routines.

6. In Search of the Wild TofurkyThis book tells the amazing story of Seth Tibbott, a self-described hippie with no business trainingand founder of vegan brand Tofurkywho grew a $2,500 startup into a global brand that transformed plant-based eating forever. This book proves that a good idea and a hard work ethic can change the world for the better.

7. Love is ServedLong-time plant-based eatery Caf Gratitudes new cookbook by Seizan Dreux Ellis, executive chef at the restaurant chain, brings its most popular recipes into the comfort of readers homes with un-fussy methods and accessible ingredients. We cant wait to whip up the I Am Passionate (Black Lava Cake) for a special Valentines Day treat!

8. Your Body in BalanceWritten by acclaimed vegan doctor Neal Barnard, MD, this book provides step-by-step guidance for understanding the root of your health problems and what you can do to feel better fast (hint: it has to do with your diet). Barnard ties together the connection between food and our hormones and offers menus and recipes to help readers take control of their health via nutrition.

9. Plants Only KitchenGaz Oakley (aka @avantgardevegan) has amassed over a million followers on social media with his impressive-looking vegan dishes. And now, in his third cookbook, hes bringing the focus back to plant-forward dishes that celebrate the versatility and taste of plants. Plus, with symbols flagging whether recipes are high-protein, take less than 15 minutes, or are suitable for meal prep, this cookbook makes plant-based cooking easier than ever.

10. The VegNews Guide to Being a Fabulous VeganLast but not least, in December we will all be treated to the much-anticipated debut of VegNews first book! Authored by VegNews editor Jasmin Singer (author of the memoir Always Too Much and Never Enough), this pocket-sized guide promises new and practiced vegans alike to do good, be good, and feel good in 30 days or less. This dynamic, accessible, and witty book covers everything from the protein question, to whether or not its true that vegans have better sex (spoiler alert: we do!), to whether or not veganism is a moral imperative when it comes to taking action for the planet (spoiler alert: it is, and this book helps you get started). Each chapter ends with a delectable recipe, which will make this all-in-one manifesto easy to digest. Stay tuned at VegNews.com for much more about this incredibly exciting addition to the VegNews platform!

Sarah McLaughlin is the New Products Editor at VegNews and is excited to continue expanding her knowledge of veganism through all of these books in 2020.

Want more of todays best plant-based news, recipes, and lifestyle?Get our award-winning magazine!

See the original post here:
10 Vegan Books Coming Out in 2020 We Are Already Obsessed With - VegNews

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Plenty of Joaquin Phoenixs Best Actor in a Drama acceptance speech at Sundays Golden Globes was bleeped out due to obscenity, but at least you heard him sing the praises of the evenings all-vegan meal. I would like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press for recognizing and acknowledging the link between animal agriculture and climate change, he began. Its a very bold move, making tonight plant-based. According to Variety, thats because Joaquin himself made that all-vegan awards show happen. According to them, the actor reportedly prevailed on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to go for a meat- and dairy-less meal, which included chilled golden beet soup, mushroom risotto with faux scallops, a chocolate opera dome and vegan snacks at the bar.

Phoenix continued his praise of the nights nod to veganism in the press room after the function. Ive never been so proud to attend an awards ceremony as I am tonight, he raved to reporters, pointing to staggering statistics indicating our global meat consumption is one of the earths biggest sources of pollution. Its coming to a point now where the evidence is irrefutable and undeniable, the actor explained, Now, consuming animal products is no longer a personal choice. Its having drastic consequences around the world.

And if it seems like Joaquin Phoenix is going on about the Golden Globes cuisine too much, forgive him. Hes been on that Joker press tour for so long, it seems like hes burned out. This is old news, the actor told a reporter who asked him how he approached playing the super villain, a role which, you know, won him a Golden Globe. Ive answered this for six months.

Read this article:
You Can Go Ahead And Thank Joaquin Phoenix For This Years Vegan Golden Globes - Vulture

Source: svetikd / Getty

I was a vegan for three years and some change. I read this book about how our bodies were not made to consume any animal productsabout how dairy was causing me to be constipated and causing mucus buildup, eggs were something my body literally rejected, and meat rotted inside of our intestinesand I was hooked on veganism. I also didnt mind the drastic weight loss I experienced when I first became a vegan (it was really just because I didnt know what to eat, so my refrigerator wasnt stocked enough). I thought Id be a vegan for life. I was certain there was no going back for me.

Today, Im a full dairy-eating, meat-consuming, egg-gobbling individual. Veganism, it turned out, almost killed me. Im sorry if thats hard for some people to hear, but it did. I confirmed this was my physician. A vegan diet was so lacking in important nutrients, that my blood tests came back nearly toxic. That explained the insane headaches, muscle pains, fatigue, and depression Id been experiencing.

I understand veganism has its merits. Im not blind to the ethical and health reasons behind it. I mean hi, hello, I was a vegan for three years. I did see the light on many of the reasons people stop eating animal products. It was not easy for me to just flip a switch and stop being a vegan. I put a lot of thought into it, and I had to ease my body back into animal products slowly. But I did ultimately decide, without a doubt, that it was the right choice for me. I think everyone should be able to decide whats best for their body. We seem to accept that surrounding things like birth control and abortion, so why not diet? Heres why I stopped being a vegan, and how it saved my life.

Source: mixetto / Getty

B12, zinc, proteinthese are all nutrients that can be hard to get on a vegan diet. B12 exclusively exists in animal productsat least in a natural way. You can buy vegan products fortified with the stuff, but even then, they wouldnt have naturally contained it. It had to be added. Zinc is another food thats tough to find in plant-based foods. It exists in them, but you must eat massive quantities of the stuff to get enough zinc.

Source: Moyo Studio / Getty

Migraines. Depression. Bruising easily. Three to four colds a year. Fatigue (sleeping 14 hours a day, and still tired). Being low on these important nutrients destroyed my body. I had blood work done, and my doctor told me that had my B12 levels dropped any lower, I would have had to be hospitalized. My blood was nearly toxic. P.S. if youre wondering if youre low on B12, there are signs.

Source: Towfiqu Photography / Getty

You may say, So, just take supplements. Supplements are a great thingno doubt. But I did get to thinking: shouldnt my diet provide me with the supplements that I need? If the foods I am choosing leave me so deficient in vitamins that, if I dont take the artificial stuff (aka supplements) Ill die, perhaps thats a sign that that diet isnt meant for my body.

Source: Granger Wootz / Getty

I know what some may say here: that a diet full of animal products can still leave a body slightly deficient in nutrients, and even non-vegans need to take some vitamins. Yupthats absolutely true. But the nutrient deficiency caused by a meat-eating diet is minimal. The consequences of not taking vitamins, while eating meat products, are puny compared to the consequences of not taking vitamins on a vegan diet.

Source: mixetto / Getty

Its right in the name: supplements. That means that they should give your nutrient profile a little boost, but they shouldnt be your entire nutrient profile. Your food should do most of that work. Lets put it this way: vitamins are to an omnivore diet as the cherry on top is to a cake. On a vegan diet, the supplements are the whole cake and youre screwed without them.

Source: Moyo Studio / Getty

I didnt want to rely on vitamins and supplements in order to just function. I did try staying a vegan and taking supplements, and the supplements helped a lot! They really did. But if I forgot to take my B12 for three days, migraines and fatigue would come back. If I forgot to take my zinc for a few weeks, Id get a cold. I didnt like being so reliant on something (supplements) created in a lab. What would happen if I went on a multi-week trip and didnt have access to a place to buy said supplements?

Source: LauriPatterson / Getty

Look, this isnt a pretty thought. Its not. I understand that. But heres the thing about me not eating animals, so the animals can live: I was dying. My body was falling apart so that I could theoretically save animals. If you really want to get macro about it and analyze it to death, if I had to choose between saving the life of a human and a chicken, Id choose the human. Humans do things like cure cancer and develop solar energy products.

Source: Moyo Studio / Getty

Heres another thought that may not be appealing but is true. As humans, we are cursed with consciousness and empathy. When we kill animals for food, we feel bad about it, so many of us dont want to do it. But umdo you think that animals in the wild give a sh*t what their prey feels when they hunt them for food?

Source: skynesher / Getty

Do you think a lion sees a goat and says to his lion friend, Leave him alone. Hes a living being. We shouldnt hurt him. Im just saying: the food chain is one of the oldest systems in the history of life. We as humans are just cursed with empathy, so we struggle with the concept. But just because we, people, stop eating other living things doesnt mean that we in any way will stop the fact that out there, in the wild, animals eat each other all of the time.

Source: Karen M. Romanko / Getty

You know how humans actually do get the whole food chain thing right? When we push for humanely-raised livestock and fish. Death is inevitable, but at least, in these circumstances, we ensure the life was good. And we also make sure the death was peaceful and humane.

Source: skynesher / Getty

Do you think a lion who rips his prey to shreds in the wild concerns himself with the peaceful and humane death of his meal? Absolutely not. At least when I buy humane animal products, I gain some control over the controllableaka the quality of life of the animalwhile understanding that the food chain is something I cant stop.

Source: raquel arocena torres / Getty

Hello there you pet-owning vegans. Yes, Im talking to you. What do you feed your pet? Is your German Shepherd eating kale and chickpeas? What about your cat? Is she happy to eat pureed carrots all day? The insane hypocrisy of it all is that many vegans do, without realizing it, acknowledge that the food chain is essential because they feed their pets animal products.

Source: Lucia Romero Herranz / EyeEm / Getty

I understand there are pet owners who keep their pets on a vegan diet. But if youre one such pet owner, then you know that that diet has to be so precariously and specifically prepared, and typically is most safely prepared by a professional, rather than yourself, if you dont want to put your pets health at a huge risk. And thats because, once again, pets arent really meant to be vegan. If the tiniest mistake in this direction or that direction in a vegan diet could mean fatal consequences for Fido, its because hes not supposed to be a vegan.

Source: miodrag ignjatovic / Getty

When I was a vegan, I dropped from a healthy 122 pounds to a terrifying 108 pounds. It happened in a matter of six weeks or so. If youre going to eat healthy vegan foodaka dont just pound tofu and fake cheeseyou need to eat massive amounts of food. Eating a truly balanced vegan diet required immense quantities of food. Its like all I did was eat all day, and I could still barely keep weight on.

Source: miodrag ignjatovic / Getty

I cannot surround my life around eating. As a vegan, I had to. I had to pack all of these carefully prepared snacks to bring everywhere. It ruled my life. I need a meal that is so densely and overwhelmingly packed with nutrients and calories that I can just eat a few times a day and move on with my life. You know how they say veganism is a lifestyle? Yeah, its more like your whole damn life because preparing the food takes so much time that you have to give up on other pursuits.

View post:
I Quit Veganism And It Saved My Life - MadameNoire

You mightnt happen to have a piece of cheese about you, now? No? Well, manys the long night Ive dreamed of cheese toasted, mostly.Marooned for three years on Treasure Island, Ben Gunn may be desperate in his yearning for cheese, but plenty of people will sympathise as they reluctantly try veganism this January.The organisers of Veganuary estimate that 350,000 people will be switching to a plant-based diet this month. Many, including myself, will have been panicked into action by the threat of irreversible climate change, or shamed into it by brilliantly single-minded young people.

In fact, ever since Extinction Rebellion, Greta Thunberg and millions of school children took to the streets to demand climate action, I have been attempting to change my diet. Every time I switch out dairy or meat, however, I question whether the alternatives really are better for the environment.

Dr Adrian Williams, who specialises in environmental systems at Cranfield University, says: That all sounds very noble and almost impossible to answer. The hint of mockery is fair. My question undoubtedly stems from a love of cheese, and dislike of tea made with milk alternatives.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Originally posted here:
Veganuary: Will going vegan really save the planet? - The Independent

A vegan diet could help cut the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a new study has shown.

Medichecks, which supplies at-home medical test kits, said analysis of its data on more than 21,000 UK residents had identified several benefits for those who had become vegans.

Among the Nottingham-based company's findings were lower average blood glucose levels, increased levels of HDL cholesterol, known as "good cholesterol", and lower levels of unhealthy cholesterol.

Meat

These factors, taken together, could help lessen the risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to researchers.

After comparing bio-markers from 943 vegans with 20,607 non-vegans, from data collected over the past 12 months, the company's medical experts said vegans could "legitimately claim to be healthier".

The study comes during Veganuary, with more than 300,000 people pledging to eliminate animal products from their diet this month.

Overnight, there were 20-minute queues outside Greggs, in Newcastle, as the bakery's branch hosted the launch of the eatery's new vegan steak bake.

KFC and Subway are also among firms releasing snacks free from meat and animal products.

Lifestyle

Responding to the study, GP and head of clinical excellence at Medichecks Dr Natasha Fernando, said the evidence showed the risk of developing diabetes was lower in vegans, adding that she had seen firsthand how it could benefit those already diagnosed with the disease.

Dr Fernando said: "I met a patient in November 2018 at my GP clinic when she described feeling unusually tired and low in energy.

"Blood tests revealed a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes which was incredibly disheartening for her.

"She feared she would end up like her diabetic uncle, who was on over 10 different medications and also unfortunate enough to develop further complications from this condition such a heart attack in his early fifties and nerve damage to his limbs.

"Being keen to avoid medication, I pointed her in the direction of a few studies which showed successful treatment of diabetes from diet and lifestyle changes.

Fad

"This led her to implement a wholefood, plant-based vegan diet.

"Within two months she lost over 5kg and progressed from having an overweight BMI to a normal BMI, and after three months of this wholefood plant-based diet, she was even more ecstatic to find her follow-up blood test was normal.

"Her diabetes had been reversed."

Dr Fernando said the popularity of veganism could no longer be passed off as a fad.

"Vegans have almost 14 percentlower non-HDL cholesterol," she said.

Nuts

"This is a measure of all the unhealthy forms of cholesterol within the blood such as LDL and VLDL cholesterol which are associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease.

"Vegans were also found to have five percenthigher levels of HDL cholesterol, which is a good cholesterol that removes other forms of cholesterol from the blood stream."

She added that by cutting back on certain food groups, vegans did need to watch their vitamin B12 levels and particularly make sure they were getting enough iron.

Dr Fernando said: "While there's no need to start taking iron supplements unless there is a proven deficiency, vegans should ensure that they have very good iron intake.

"This includes eating lots of dark green vegetables, lentils and beans, tofu, nuts and seeds."

This Author

Richard Vernalls is a reporter withPA.

Go here to read the rest:
Vegans 'reduce diabetes and heart risks' - The Ecologist

If you're considering going vegan in 2020, you're in good company. Theres growing interest in going vegan: the number of people following a vegan diet in Great Britain quadrupled between 2014 and 2019, according to Ipsos Mori surveys commissioned by The Vegan Society, and The Food & You surveys by the Food Standards Agency and the National Centre for Social Science Research. Nearly half of UK vegans (42%) had made the change in the past 12 months, a 2018 study by GlobalData revealed.

But whether your motivation is animal welfare, environmental, health driven, dietary, or a combination of these and other factors, what do you need to know to become vegan, and whats the easiest way to go about it? We have the answers.

Find recipes and more foodie know how in our dedicated hub.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A vegan diet is plant based. So, thats yes to eating beans, pulses, nuts, grains, seeds, vegetables and fruit. Out are meat, fish, shellfish, insects (no, us neither, but they have been proposed as a way to satisfy the needs of a growing world population).

Other foodstuffs on the list to avoid for vegans are dairy products like milk and cheese, eggs, and also honey.

You can swap to a vegan diet between one day and another if you get your kitchen organised. However, it can be easier to make the change more gradually, giving you time to try out ingredients and recipes and find new favourites.

Many of the foods we eat every day arent plant based, and unless you are going to radically alter your diet so you dont add anything to tea, put a spread on your bread and so on, youll need to plan in swaps for these.

There are vegan alternatives for milk, butter, and cheese with plant milks, non-dairy spreads and vegan cheese now widely available. It may take a bit of experimentation to find out which soya or nut milks are your preference. Likewise, finding cheese substitutes that please your palate, and work for sandwiches, as a garnish, and for cooking could involve some trial and error.

Eggs might seem challenging to replace. For recipes, aquafaba the water in which legumes like chickpeas have been cooked can replace egg whites so you can whip up a meringue or mousse. For baking, some supermarkets plus Amazon offer Orgran No Egg or Free & Easy Egg Replacer. Meanwhile, if the idea of giving up scrambled eggs and omelettes is getting you down, you can check out Follow Your Heart VeganEgg from Amazon and other stores. It can be used in baking, too.

If you still like the idea of the flavour and texture of meat, there are plenty of substitutes in high street supermarkets that seek to taste like the real thing. Want an authentic appearance? The Beyond Burger at Tesco even bleeds although its actually beetroot juice that creates the effect.

One of the biggest concerns for many people contemplating going vegan is whether their new diet will contain enough protein. Sources of plant-based protein include beans, chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, tofu, and nuts and seeds. A serving of protein in most meals is suggested.

A non-dairy diet doesnt include calcium from this source, although you can still obtain it from dark, leafy greens, of course. Look out, though, for calcium-fortified vegan products such as soya milk, orange juice, and tofu to meet daily requirements.

You can find detailed nutritional advice from dieticians plus books via The Vegan Society.

Being vegan used to mean scrutinising food labels for animal-based ingredients even when a product appeared to be free of them, but times have changed. Prompted by the growth of interest in veganism as well as the demand for plant-based meals from non-vegans who want to reduce meat consumption, the supermarkets have launched plentiful plant-based ranges including both individual products like vegan pies, sausages, burgers, mince and so on, as well as ready meals.

The ranges offer an amazing choice and make life easy when youre busy, but do be aware that prepared vegan food could still result in the consumption of more salt, sugar and fat than is healthy. The lesson? You do need to check the labels to be health aware.

If you want to cook from scratch some or all of the time, there are plenty of great resources online including our recipe pages. These are our favourites:

There are over 50 pages of vegan recipe books from the UK alone on Amazon.

If you dont already have a slow cooker, think about investing in one of these as an easy way to produce tasty vegan meals.

Being Vegan | 12.99 on My Favourite Magazines

Whether you are trying to cut down on meat, or are a vegan looking for fresh dinner ideas, here you will find over 30 recipes to try in Being Vegan from Future Plc.View Deal

Although diet is a major part of veganism, embracing it fully also means avoiding materials derived from animals leather, for example products tested on animals, and also places that use animals for entertainment, think horse racing, or zoos, for example.

Read this article:
How to be vegan - Real Homes

I have spent much of the past week trying to figure out how I am going to take care of my clients over the coming days, weeks, andperhapsmonths without being able to sit with them physically. I have deliberated over whether a trip to or from my office on mass transit could expose me to an illness Id be unable to recover from. I have listened to a client lament over how the coronavirus robbed him of his job. I have watched the beginnings of a crisis that will test the social and economic framework that undergirds life as we know it.

Ask a journalist about the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease known as covid-19 that is running rampant across more than 140 countries, and youll hear: whether it is racist to call it a Chinese virus, how it has shuttered kindergartens to universities, fitness facilities, world-class museums, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs; and how city, state, and federal government officials are scrambling to manage the outbreak before it overtakes our medical and financial infrastructure.

You wont hear (many) journalists describe how the virus is thought to have jumped, most likely from a bat to a pangolin and then to a human, amid a wet market in Wuhan, China. There, vendors who traffic in both domesticated and undomesticated animals such as tigers, civet cats, bears, ducks, and chickens sell meat as well as live creatures. Many animals are caged in tiers, such that any manner of fluidblood, feces, urinecan fall from animals in upper tiers onto those below. Amid this filth, animals are also killed and their flesh is sold to buyers with little or no regard for sanitation.

Most vegans know that the crowded, disgusting, and abusive conditions that animals endure in such markets are not limited to China. Markets selling fish, chickens, and rabbits exist in the United States. At egg production facilities, huge numbers of hens also live in stacked cages, where those in lower tiers are drenched with waste from above. Broiler chickens spend their entire brief lives standing and falling in their own waste as their weight steadily balloons beyond the point that their legs can support them. Slaughterhouse and meat processing conditions also promote the spread of disease. According to a 2012 History Channel statistic, a single pound of ground beef can contain parts of as many as 1,700 individual cows.

It saddened me to hear that among the items at grocery stores across the county that ran out first were chicken and ground beefand both people and other animals are suffering the consequences. As the spread of the novel coronavirus has rapidly changed the picture for humans, for animals in horrific circumstances, life remains unchanged. For a chicken struggling and falling in feces, for a frightened cow thrown onto a truck bound for the slaughterhouse, and for a pangolin itching to escape a cage in a Chinese market, the misery continues. For all of them, I will make an extra donation to my favorite animal rights nonprofit pronto.

See the rest here:
Could the Coronavirus Start Here? | Exploring Veganism - PsychCentral.com

Adele's weight loss sparked online debate

Is media coverage of weight loss transformations inherently fatphobic?

In this video, Plant Based News founder Klaus Mitchell discusses recent coverage of musical icon Adele's weight loss - and rumors that she lost around 100lb on a predominantly plant-based diet.

When the article was shared on Instagram, it provoked not only fierce debate, but abuse.

"To be clear, no one is saying they love Adele more because of her weight loss - and if they do, we don't condone that view," says Mitchell in the video. "What came as a surprise to me, was when the article we published was met with criticism and demands to take it down."

He discusses some of the responses - including one that accused PBN of 'equating a woman's worth with her weight' by reporting on the information.

"My question to you is whether PBN should feel guilty for reporting on body transformations?" he asks, pointing out that the story published the fact of Adele's weight loss, without offering a moral view on that.

When this video was shared on PBN's Instagram, it garnered many responses, with one commentator saying: "Adele was one of the most famous, popular and loved artists on earth before she lost all that weight. Not sure how people can say she became more loved and got more media attention after losing weight. Her media attention has been enormous throughout her career independent of her body shape."

Another suggested: "When people start throwing the fat-shaming card on any fitness-related content. Its because they are critiquing their own roadblocks and fears."

But some felt that discussion of weight loss is inherently problematic, with one Instagram user saying: "Yes, it is a gendered issue and that's why the article is problematic, answered your own questions there really. I also hate veganism being seen as a quick diet to thinness. That's not why people should be going vegan and no one be promoting diet culture [sic]."

Excerpt from:
Are Weight-Loss Transformation Success Stories Fat Shaming? - Plant Based News

The vegan lifestyle becomes more and more popular. Why should you do it?

The documentary The Game Changers shows it all: the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. No more meat, no more milk, no more cheese. No animal products at all. Eat a lot of vegetables and beans and you will have more energy.

More people step into this lifestyle. Not only to lose weight. Studies have reported that vegan diets tend to provide more fiber, antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds. They also appear to be richer in potassium, magnesium, folate and vitamins A, C and E. It is a reason why many people who visit the gym regularly don't bring any nutrition bar, or something like it with them in their Eastpak rugzak. They don't need it.

It also seems to lower blood sugar levels and protects against some forms of cancer. Also the risks of a heart disease lowers. All this healthy benefits go together with more energy during the day. It makes people enjoying life, they are more energetic. For example: man do more sports, woman go out on active vacations with a weekendtas dames. Children play more outside after they put their school bag (translated to Dutch: schooltas) away. It really seems to be a healthy lifestyle.

From recycling our household rubbish to cycling to work, we're all aware of ways to live a greener life. The production of meat and other animal products places a heavy burden on the environment. From crops and water required to feed the animals, to the transport and other processes involved from farm to fork. One of the most effective things an individual can do to lower their carbon footprint is to avoid all animal products.

Just like veganism is the sustainable option when it comes to looking after our planet, plant-based living is also a more sustainable way of feeding the human family. A plant-based diet requires only one third of the land needed to support a meat and dairy diet.

See the original post here:
The Benefits of a Vegan Lifestyle - University Herald

Dear Non-Vegans,

18,559 mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, grandmothers, grandfathers, uncles, aunts, cousins, sisters, brothers and friends have died from COVID-19 AKA the Coronavirus as of today.

Because of those selfish enough to not only take the lives of innocent animals but to think its normal or even healthy to dismember them and eat their body parts.

Because those ignorant enough to perpetuate myths, traditions, and many other excuses 18,559 people have died, sacrificed at the altar of human stupidity.

This disease is zoonotic in origin meaning that its a disease spread between humans and animals so its scientifically proven that our use of animals is responsible.

Reports still vary as to where COVID-19 originated but whether it was from bats, snakes, cats, wildlife markets or factory farms its true origin is still caused by humanitys exploitation of and consequently our consumption of animals or what comes out of them.

Our treatment of the 50 billion-plus land animals, the 47 trillion-plus sea animals, the 4 million domestic cats, the 600 million turkeys, the 50 billion hens used to produce eggs, the 300 million pigs, the 600 million calves ripped from their mothers so you can have their milk and so many more untold billions raised for food per year is a tragedy beyond any measure in history.

We train them to do tricks for entertainment keeping them in cages and tanks for a lifetime throwing them away like any other inanimate object when weve gotten our use from them.

Committed to my memory is a Leo Tolstoy quote that has also been my guiding ethos since going vegan 7 years ago.

As long as there are slaughterhouses there will be battlefields. Leo Tolstoy

Read it and read it again. Process it, understand it.

The battlefields Tolstoy spoke of were those of men killing one another but now that battlefield is in the body of everyone youve ever loved and its a result of our inability to stop harming innocent animals for our own pleasure.

Tolstoys battlefields where human killed human were made possible because people are so easily persuaded that they are not like us. When people stop seeing others as having the same feelings, the same equality as themselves they will do unspeakable things to one another.

Speciesism is the word we use in the animal rights community and its no different than racism, homophobia, sexism, ageism or any other bigoted frame of mind that allows one group to denigrate and harm another.

Non-human animals have feelings where it counts most, in their hearts and from their bodies. They feel pain and pleasure the same as you or I, as hard as that may be to understand for some of you think back to pets youve had or may have right now.

Your dog or cat loves you, each other and other members of their family, right? That is not limited to only your pets but to all animals and you know deep down inside thats the truth you do not want to acknowledge because it means admitting all you do and know is wrong.

Every vegan has been there and fought through that hurdle and you can too. Its a scary thing to upend and change all youve ever known, been taught, or done; we know it.

Is that change scarier than this pandemic? Is it scarier than losing those you love? Is it scarier than losing your job, your car, or your house?

Maybe this pandemic will pass and things will go back to normal but this pandemic isnt the first caused by our draconian exploitation of animals and it will not be the last.

There will be stronger and deadlier ones as we continue to breed animals in their own filth causing us to feed them over 80% of the antibiotics consumed in the United States alone.

That usage of antibiotics is breeding deadly superbugs that get worse and kill more every year. From MRSA to the common flu, we are training these diseases to get stronger and stronger every time we raise a pig, turkey, chicken, cow, goat or other animals for consumption.

The WHO (World Health Organization), The NHS (National Health Service) in the UK, The Canadian Governments Health System, The Australian Governments Health System, and many other countless countries, nutritionists, doctors, and organizations across the globe all agree that a vegan plant-based diet is healthy for any stage of life.

Keep in mind that raising beef for example is a 16 to 1 ratio meaning that it takes 16 pounds of plant material usually corn or grains to equal just one pound of beef. That same one pound of beef also requires an average of 2,500 gallons of water or six months of 10 minute showers to produce.

We could instead be growing 1 pound of a vegetable crop and consuming 1 pound of that vegetable crop easing not only our conscience but our collective strain on resources like fossil fuels or the rainforests where the majority of beef is raised.

In fact, over 20,000 human children die every single day as a result of our use of animal agriculture to primarily feeding the western world. Those children dying each and every day are from third world nations where their ancestral farmlands have been stolen to grow animal feed.

Your so-called choice to consume animal products damages not only the lives of animals or the lives of you and your loved ones but the lives of millions of other humans even outside of normal life without this pandemic.

We as a species are on a precipice and its time to choose. The earth is dying from animal agriculture as its responsible for more than 50% of greenhouse gas emissions and now we are dying from animal agriculture as we fall sick to a disease of our own making.

Its time to wake up. Its time to step up. Its time to go vegan.

We can continue to be the architects of our own demise or we can begin living with compassion towards all fellow earthlings.

Who knows, maybe living with compassion towards the most vulnerable and innocent will rub off to how we treat each other and the battlefields can disappear forever with the slaughterhouses.

So now you have a choice to make that affects you and your loved ones life or death? Life is veganism and respecting others. Death is to keep exploiting.

Help keep Vegan News Independent by becoming our Patron!

Like Loading...

Related

Original post:
Dear Non-Vegans, Its Your Fault - Vegan News

Uk vegan Restaurants Seeds for the Soul, Peppercorn, The Place to VE, and Excalibur Certify Vegan and Join the Global BeVeg Vegan Only Establishments!

BeVeg international is a vegan certification firm with standards managed by lawyers. As the only law firm in the world to specialize in vegan certification, regulation, and advocacy, BeVeg is paving a path forward for veganism that is clearly defined and trusted.

While BeVeg focuses on vegan product certification, the restaurant vegan certification process is a service for the consumer who is searching for vegan only establishments, rather than places with just vegan friendly options. That means a vegetarian restaurant with vegan options will not be considered for BeVeg vegan restaurant certification. That also means a restaurant with a shared kitchen, which chances cross-contamination will also not be considered.

The purpose behind the global vegan network and free consumer restaurant app is to encourage vegans to patronize other vegan establishments to drive a vegan economy, which will ultimately drive the kind of change vegans wish to see in the world.

BeVeg exists to raise the standard for consumer transparency and is on a shared mission to make this world more compassionate and kind through legal advocacy and analysis. BeVeg demands honest information and only licenses use of its logo to conscious companies in alignment with the set out BeVeg vegan standards, as outlined at http://www.beveg.com.

BeVeg continues to be mentioned as the GOLD STANDARD for vegan certification in well- known news outlets like Forbes, California Winery Advisor, PETA, CBS, NBC, Social Life Magazine, LiveKindly, and the MinnesotaGrowler, VegNews, to name a few. In addition, BeVeg is used by celebrity supermodel, Christie Brinkley, and vegan icon from What The Health documentary, KipAnderson.

Likewise, our Founder and CEO is a former professional ballet dancer, turned super lawyer, TV legal eagle and vegan from birth and has been featured in many publications for her efforts in developing laws around veganism. Apart from her book: Vegan Law Know Your Rights, Carissa is also co-authoring a Vegan Law book with another vegan legal expert in Europe who is working with BeVeg, PETA, the ISO, and other organizations to develop a legally binding vegan standard.

You can download the BeVeg vegan restaurant app online. For more information about BeVeg International vegan certification and its free consumer app, visit http://www.beveg.com.

Here is the original post:
Four Restaurants in the UK Certify Vegan with BeVeg - VEGWORLD Magazine

A market report published by Transparency Market Research onthe cashew milk market includes the global industry analysis and opportunityassessment for2019-2029.Revenue generated from the globalcashew milkmarketwas estimated to be valued at~US$ 91 Mnin2019, which is projected to rise at aCAGR of7%, to reach ~US$ 193 Mnby2029.

Cashew milk is a non-dairy beveragemanufactured from whole cashew nut and water. The cashew milk has a creamy andrich consistency. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and otherbeneficial plant compounds. Cashew milk is available in regular and flavoredvarieties and can replace cows milk in most recipes. It also helps in boostingimmunity and improves heart, eye, and skin health.

ConcernsRegarding Food Safety Making Consumers Drift Toward Cashew Milk

Consumers are opting for safer plant-based beverages due tothe rising food safety concerns associated with the usage of hormones andantibiotics in dairy-based products.

According to a report by The Humane Society of the UnitedStates (HSUS), there is a growing demand for animal-based products without anytrace of antibiotics or hormones. The increasing use of antibiotics andhormones may adversely affect human and animal health. Thus, several leadingfood companies are implementing policies to eradicate or lessen the use intheir supply chains. For instance, popular brands such as Starbucks, PaneraBread, Chipotle, and McDonalds, are switching to plant-based alternatives.

Consumers are turning toward a healthier lifestyle and areinclining towards vegan or vegetarian diets. People mention one or more ofthree key reasons for going vegan or vegetarian personal health, animalwelfare, and environmental concerns. This is accompanied by a never-endingarray of new business startups, YouTube channels, popular events, anddocumentaries, all in some way or the other promoting the health benefits ofplant-based alternatives.

In2018,Just Eat, an international delivery service said that veganism tops theconsumer trend, due to a94%risein healthy food ordered.

According to research commissioned by the Vegan Society andVegan Life magazine in the year2016,the number of people who follow a vegan diet in the U.K. increased to350%as compared to the past 10years. Owing to these factors, the cashew milk market is expected to witnesspositive growth over the forecast period.

Major PlayersInvesting in Smaller Plant-Based Brands and Companies

Several consumers continue to be interested in morenutritious and healthy food offerings. Across the globe, buyers areincreasingly demanding natural and nutritious products. Consumers are cuttingback on certain foods that are typically high in sugar, fat, or sodium.Consumers are accepting basic mind-set, concentrating on simple ingredients andless processed foods. More than half of the consumers say that they areavoiding artificial ingredients, antibiotics or hormones, bisphenol A (BPA), andgenetically modified organisms (GMOs).

To know more about this research report, pleasevisit our latest research report on https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cashew-milk-market.html

About Transparency Market Research

TransparencyMarket Research is a global market intelligence company, providing globalbusiness information reports and services. Their exclusive blend ofquantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insightfor thousands of decision-makers. Their experienced team of Analysts,Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various toolsand techniques to gather and analyze information.

Original post:
Increasing Vegan and Vegetarian Population to Boost Cashew Milk Sales - VEGWORLD Magazine

The future is plant-based read the sign above the Katjes' booth at this years ProSweets/ISM conference in Cologne, perfectly illustrating the main trend at the sweets and snacks fair and also capturing the wider zeitgeist of a worldwide consumer movement in confectionery.

Irina Beule, insights & innovation manager at Innova Market Insights, told ConfectioneryNews it is describing the trend as the plant-based revolution.

Plant-based is already here, but now it is really taking off, consumers are preferring plant-based, but vegan is growing as fast, especially with younger consumers who want a more healthy lifestyle, but also with a lot of other generations, who want to do something good for the planet, she said.

Katjes, a German sugar confectionery firm, made its debut in 2019 in the chocolate category with the launch of Katjes Chocjes, a vegan chocolate bar in two flavours (Original and Hazelnut) made from oat milk instead of cows milk.

At ISM 2020, it launched four new vegan flavours and attracted thousands of visitors to its booth a clear indication that vegan chocolate is on the rise.

Alex Cramer, brand manager at Katjes, said the new category had been a great development for the company and that plant-based is the future and that chocolate also tastes good without cows milk theres lots of dairy alternatives and we have chosen oatmilk because it is the most sustainable alternative.

Commenting on the launch of its vegan chocolate, Katjes CEO Tobias Bachmuller said: With the expansion of our product line through the launch of Chocjes, we are strengthening our commitment to create great things. Obviously Katjes is an expert at vegetarian fruit jelly sweets. But with Chocjes, we are also catering to a growing consumer audience that is seeking out alternatives to cows milk.

The latest major brand to jump on the vegan bandwagon is Cadbury, announcing it is launching a new plant-based version of its Dairy Milk chocolate bar.

Although owner Mondelz International has not yet confirmed a launch date, ConfectioneryNews understands it has spent two years developing the bar.

We are very aware of the rise in consumer interest towards vegan products. We have a brilliant R&D team who are focused entirely on new products and innovation to enable us to offer more great-tasting choices to consumers. We only launch products when we have achieved the best taste and texture that consumers expect from Cadbury, and there are lots of exciting developments in the pipeline, a spokesperson said.

The ISM trade fair was held at beginning of February, a month after Veganuary, a global organisation encouraging people to adopt a vegan lifestyle in January and beyond. Organisers said this years response has been astounding and over 400,000 people signed-up, compared to 250,000 in 2019, far exceeding the groups 2020 target of 350,000.

In his Oscar-winning acceptance speech, A-list actor Joaquin Phoenix championed veganism and also highlighted the movement at The Golden Globes. February was also the month that Ben & Jerrys launched a trio of new vegan ice creams, while along came RAR from passionate challenger brand Froneri, who also introduced a brand new plant-based ice cream suitable for vegans.

Tiia Morsky, an ingredients research team leader at market analysts Campden BRI, told ConfectioneryNews: The rise in veganism and flexitarian diets requires products to be free from animal-based ingredients. The food industry is responding by seeking to develop or reformulate products with plant-based protein ingredients, but this is no easy task. Manufacturers can become confused about which plant-based proteins are available to them, which are most suitable for their product and how they will function during new product development.

Cocoa and chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut also chose ISM2020 to launch its new 'Plant Craft' range that spans chocolate, cocoa, nut products, fillings and decorations to cater for dairy-free and vegan trends.

Original post:
Cadbury set to launch vegan chocolate bar, as trend steals the show at ISM2020 - ConfectioneryNews.com

Lord Sugar is pinning his latest hopes for business success on vegan pastries sold in a bakery in a railway arch in south London.

The Apprentice star said he hopes to tap into the rapidly expanding vegan market, after backing 30-year-old bakery owner Carina Lepore in last years series of the reality show.

However, the Amstrad founder said he has no plans to go vegan himself anytime soon, as Ms Lepores Dough Bakehouse launched its new vegan range.

Lord Sugar said he wants Carina Lepores bakery business to challenge Greggs (Dough/PA)

Although Dough currently has one site in Herne Hill, south London, Lord Sugar said the new range is part of its attempts to compete with high street giant Greggs, as it eyes a nationwide expansion.

Shes promised me that shes going to open 100 stores and were going to give Greggs a run for their money, the TV personality said.

And what I can see so far, I think shes got a good chance. Theyre doing excellent stuff, and the food quality, the cakes and the patisseries are excellent.

Ms Lepore received 250,000 investment from Lord Sugar after winning the show in 2019, which she said will be pumped into the bakery she opened with her parents in 2018.

She said a second Dough site is set to open in Beckenham in April, with the company lining up more openings in 2020.

It comes amid stiff competition in the bakery sector, as rivals such as Gails open more London sites.

Ms Lepore said she will prioritise keeping prices low as the bakery cafe chain continues to grow.

Carina Lepore secured 250,000 from Lord Sugar (Dough/PA)

She said: There is definitely space in the market to grow. With veganism, that is one of the big trends, and for us, it is just key that we are always ahead of the curve.

In the past year, rival Greggs grew its portfolio by 97 stores, as it was boosted by the popularity of its vegan sausage rolls.

Lord Sugar said the vegan trend provided a strong business opportunity, even if he will not be changing his own diet soon.

He said: No, Im certainly not going vegan. Im happy with my diet but I dont have a lot of meat.

Im very impressed with the new vegan range, because obviously this vegan stuff is becoming more and more popular as time goes by, especially with young people.

Read the original post:
Lord Sugar hopes bakerys vegan expansion will bring in the dough - Yahoo Finance UK

Having my card declined whilst attempting to make the modest purchase of another 1 vegan sausage roll was a blaring sign from the universe/Halifax to stop.

To stop and think about my decisions and addictions, financial or otherwise. Perhaps it was also an indication to stop and think about what on earth that sweet gristly fake meat is made of. Upon looking this up, I am more confused than ever as to why on earth fungi fermented in a giant metal vat in Darlington and engineered to taste like a dead pig is so delicious.

Regardless, it is, and we will continue to give Greggs a considerable amount of our money, particularly when its raining.

The unrelenting pace of a Greggs lunchtime queue needs no explanation. If we could carry this rolling forward momentum into all other aspects of life (think the self-checkouts at Lidl/ Ryanair airport security/ womens toilets in clubs), we could be living in a radically different society.

In the midst of this chaos and a flurry of contactless payment, the weak or indecisive can fall behind. I was both that day in a moment of delusional hesitation even considering the vegan steak bake as a viable option.

I had made a foolishly premature exit, a crisp parcel of goodness in hand. Yet the paper hadnt even begun to leave its signature greasy sheen on my hand when the woman from behind the till was forced to run out after me and onto the cruel streets of East Didsbury. At this point, I would like to formally apologise to this woman for making her run out and shout at a literal stranger. It is surprisingly hard to get somebodys attention when you dont know their name and they are in the midst of an oil-induced daze. Fortunately, a dear friend and her Monzo account were at hand to resolve the flaky situation.

But the incident got me thinking. What was it about the vegan sausage roll that keeps us coming back for more? There is the excess of oil and salt of course, which when combined with garlic comes together to form a holy trinity and the basis of all vegan student cooking. The sausage roll provides a quick fix, an instant dopamine hit, buttery and addictive in an age of instant coffee and Instagram, binge drinking and binge-worthy shows.

Of course, theres a valid argument against ever going into Greggs as a vegan, and financially supporting a business that continues to profit directly off of the meat and dairy industry (despite the owner of Greggs himself being vegan). On principle, we should all be aiming to be more mindful consumers. But in reality, every person; vegan or not, will have lazy days.

For the lazy vegan, the sausage roll is the ultimate comfort food. The crumbling pastry that flakes everywhere should be stressful but is in fact endlessly comforting in its familiarity, harking back to a time before veganism was the mainstream and before we acknowledged how dangerously warm the planet was. It hails back to a time of childish innocence when the words pineapple and leather had never sat next to each other in my mind.

The vegan sausage roll is a hug, wrapped in a sleeping bag. Its what we turn to for comfort, the dietary equivalent of calling a friend for advice and simply wanting excessive sympathy, not a practical solution. A good friend would tell us to go to Lidl, buy some butter beans, and meal prep your way through the week like a real and functioning human being. But a better friend would give you a warm hug, an awkward pat on the back, and ask all too-knowingly: Shall we go and get a vegan sausage roll?

Follow this link:
Unwrapping the Greggs vegan sausage roll - The Mancunion

(Denis Makarenko/Shutterstock.com)

by Alix Coe | February 27, 2020

In the wake of his recent viral Oscars acceptance speech, Joaquin Phoenix has been criticised for impacting the mental health of farmers.

President of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Minette Batters claims that Phoenix and other celebrity vegans are causing enormous damage to the wellbeing of those in the livestock industry.

Celebrities have to be carefulthere are real-life consequences for others, said Batters.

Joaquin Phoenix, hes had a really challenging life, and you really feel for him and a lot of the things he was saying, but he has to remember there are people at the end of this, there are small family farms and they get hurt too.

Veganism is something of an easy target at the moment, said a spokesperson for the Vegan Society.

There are many causes of mental health issues and stress in farming and I havent seen evidence, a piece of research, showing that veganism is one of them.

PETA responded to the NFU claims to point out that animals are the ones who are truly suffering.

We cant turn a blind eye to the visible fear and distress shown by animals raised for their flesh, milk and eggs, said Dawn Carr, the director of vegan corporate projects at PETA.

They have no choice, but farmers do: instead of sending sentient animals to slaughter, they can sow oats or soya beans or grow vegetables, grains, nuts or fruits instead, depending on the quality of their land.

In his Oscars acceptance speech, Phoenix spoke of how humans go into the natural world and plunder it for its resources.

We feel entitled toartificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, he said, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakeable.

Then we take her milk thats intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.

Do you think vegans should be held accountable for the emotional wellbeing of farmers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

See the original post:
Pro-Vegan Joaquin Phoenix Accused Of Harming The Mental Health Of Farmers - Raise Vegan

With so much buzz around plant-based and vegan diets, thanks to campaigns such as Veganuary, documentaries like The Game Changers and the significant uptick in consumers avoiding meat and dairy products for the planet, its easy to get the two terms mixed up. If youre caught up in the confusion and wondering what the difference is between being vegan and being plant-based, youre probably not alone. But not to worry: below is Green Queens comprehensive yet digestible overview of the actual differences between these two popular terms to set the record straight.

In 1944, the term veganism was officially coined by Donald Watson, a former leader of a branch of the Vegetarian Society, who alongside several colleagues felt the need to distinguish between simply meat-free and those who ditched all products with animal derived ingredients and formed The Vegan Society.

Veganism is therefore different from vegetarianism, whose adherents exclude animal meat and seafood from their diet. In addition to ditching meat products, vegans avoid consuming all animal by-products such as eggs, dairy and honey in their diets, and also advocate to exclude as much as possible all animal-derived or animal cruelty associated products, which include things like consumer goods that have undergone animal testing or leather in fashion.

For many decades, veganism was thought of as a hardcore or radical lifestyle reserved for extremists. Today, were seeing veganism on a serious uptick as scientists reveal the negative health and environmental impact associated with excess consumption of meat and dairy.

Amid the rise in eco consciousness across the world, especially from younger generations, more people are not only choosing a vegan lifestyle because of animal concerns, but because of environmental and health-related worries too. Nowadays, the concept of ditching all meat and animal by-products from diet to fashion and homeware is becoming more popular than ever before.

Plant-based, on the other hand, refer to diets that consist of plant ingredients. The term first appeared in 1980, when Dr T. Colin Campbell at the National Institutes of Health was researching the potential benefits of a vegetable-based diet on cancer and sought a term to encompass this eating pattern without invoking ethical issues. His book The China Study helped to put the term on the map.

While some users of the term understand plant-based as allowing a small percentage of animal products, most users today agree that plant-based diets are free of all animal meat products and by-products. Because plant-based diets are divorced from ethical associations, such as animal welfare considerations, and refer to only ones dietary habits, it does not encompass any exclusion of products in other aspects of ones lifestyle, such as animal-based fashion, beauty or other consumer goods.

Recently, with many celebrities choosing a plant-based diet and the record-smashing movie The Game Changers promoting the physiological and mental benefits of eating plant-based, weve also seen a rise in the term whole-food plant-based, specifically whole food plant-based diets.

This diet, which can be broadly defined as the kind of diet most health practitioners recommend, is one that is centred on whole, unrefined or minimally refined plant ingredients and foods and eschews meat, dairy and other highly processed foods, such as white sugar, hulled grains and hydrogenated oils.

In this case, even some vegan products that are overly processed, such as refined vegan biscuits or some plant-based meat alternatives, would be avoided. Those who adopt a whole-food plant-based diet will therefore be eating primarily fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers, whole grains, nuts and seeds and legumes in their whole form.

Basically, veganism is more than a diet it emcompasses ones lifestyle habits and choices, and is likely motivated by ethical considerations such as animal welfare and environmental concerns.

Vegans therefore not only eliminate all animal meats and by-products, but all other products that may contain animal-derived ingredients or involve any form of animal exploitation and cruelty, for example silk and fur.

By contrast, plant-based is simply a kind of diet that excludes all forms of animal meat and by-products, but does not include restrictions in other aspects of ones lifestyle, and usually promotes choosing whole plant ingredients over overly processed foods.

Therefore, a plant-based meal may by definition be a vegan-friendly meal, but a person who follows a plant-based diet may not necessary be following veganism. Plant-based diet followers may, for instance, wear and use products that have animal derivatives or have undergone some form of animal testing.

At the end of the day, there are serious benefits to be had with both veganism and plant-based (and whole-food) diets, and it all comes down to individual choice and preferences.

Given the wide ranging research that has revealed the plethora of advantages of reducing meat and dairy consumption, from offering a health boost to significantly cutting our carbon and environmental footprint on the planet and promoting a more sustainable global food system, what is clear is that both vegan lifestyles and plant-based diets can drive positive change.

No matter what our individual motivations are, our dying planet needs our help and all the little changes we make to reduce our impact can make a difference to bring about a kinder, healthier and more sustainable world.

Lead image courtesy of Adobe Stock Images.

Read the rest here:
Plant-Based Versus Vegan: Whats The Difference? - Green Queen Media