The 30-Minute Vegan - Mark Reinfeld [105]
Love and gratitude to Malana Fiore, for her assistance with the food styling.
Thanks to Dawn Reinfeld for the Hanalei Kitchen photos.
Special thanks to Deborah Madison, for her kind generosity in contributing the foreword. Deborah is a pioneer in the vegetarian movement and we are honored to have her participation in this book. You can visit her online at www.deborahmadison.com.
Appendix A:
Supplemental Information
Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.
—ALBERT EINSTEIN
Why Vegan?
A vegetarian diet is one that does not include meat, fish, or poultry. There are three types of vegetarian diets. A “lacto-ovo vegetarian” diet includes eggs and dairy products. A “lacto-vegetarian” diet includes dairy products, but not eggs. “Vegan” is used to describe a diet and lifestyle that does not include the use or consumption of animal based products. This means vegans also avoid wearing leather and silk, and products tested on animals. The phrase “plant-based” is often used instead of the word “vegan.”
Far from being a fad diet, there is a rich history of vegetarianism dating back to the ancient Brahmin priestly class in India. It is reputed that Pythagoras, the famous ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician, brought Brahmin knowledge to the West after traveling to India. Since then, countless visionaries, deep thinkers, and healers have adopted this form of diet. Today we find many celebrities, models, world-class athletes, body builders, physical trainers, physicians, and everyday folks have turned to vegetarianism as a way of life.
All have their own reasons for including plant-based foods in their diet. A majority do so for health reasons and the positive benefits they experience, such as weight loss and increased energy. Others do so as an effort to conserve the earth’s limited resources. Some restrain from eating animal products for moral, ethical, or religious reasons.
Optimal Health
There is somewhat of a revolution occurring in the medical world, surrounding the benefits of a plant-based diet. Renowned doctors such as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. and Dr. Dean Ornish have successfully reversed instances of heart disease with programs that incorporate vegan foods. Dr. John McDougall and Dr. Gabriel Cousens have likewise had success reversing certain forms of diabetes.
The evidence continues to mount that overconsumption of the saturated fat and cholesterol in animal products leads to serious health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, gout, kidney stones, and certain forms of cancer.
In addition, animals raised on factory farms are routinely given hormones to accelerate their rate of growth for maximum profit. Antibiotics are used to protect their health as they are housed and transported in less than sanitary conditions. These drugs inevitably make their way into the bodies of the humans that consume them.
In their 1995 report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services affirmed that all of the body’s nutritional needs can be met through a well-planned plant-based diet. The American Dietetic Association and Dieticians of Canada likewise state that “well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence.”
May this forever dispel the myth that a vegan diet is nutritionally lacking in any way. For all concerned parents, rest assured that a vegan diet provides all of the protein, calcium, iron, and all other vital nutrients needed for us to thrive.
Preserving the Environment
We live on a beautiful planet with a limited amount of resources. Fortunately, now more than ever there is public awareness regarding “going green” to preserve our environmental heritage for future generations. Earth Day celebrations, rainforest preservation,