Plant-based diet is better for your body and the environment, experts say

By Galia Myron
April 24, 2009

Not only do thin people consume fewer resources, transporting slim people takes less energy, say British experts who compared the toll that slim populations versus overweight populations take on the environment. The study, by researchers Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, will appear in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Because food production is a key contributor to global warming, the authors decided to examine the effects of lean versus heavy peoples on their environments. A lean population, they argue, such as that in Vietnam, consumes 20 percent less food and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a population that is 40 percent obese, such as the United States.

Furthermore, because it takes less energy to transport lighter people, Edwards and Roberts add, transport-related emissions are lower in slim populations. A lean population of one billion people, they calculate, would emit 1,000 million tonnes less than an overweight one.

“When it comes to food consumption, moving about in a heavy body is like Read the rest of this entry »

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Technorati Tags: becoming vegan, eating for the earth, vegan, vegan diet, vegan eating

February 24, 6:40 PM

by Mila Lowery, Baltimore Healthy Living Examiner

The latest diet generating buzz is the Engine 2 Diet created by Texas firefighter Rip Esselstyn. Determined to get his co-workers into better shape, Esselstyn created this diet plan to help them lower their cholesterol levels and lose weight. Everyone who participated was successful; one person’s cholesterol went from 344 to 196.

Impressive? Sure. But is it groundbreaking? Not really. This diet is essentially the vegan way of eating, just repackaged with a firefighter angle. Veganism is nothing new. It’s been around for quite a while — since 1944, in fact.

It’s no secret that plant-based foods are healthy and can help you lose weight and lower cholesterol levels. But can the average person stick with this diet plan in the long term?

The diet challenges you to try it for 28 days. For people who already embrace the vegan lifestyle, this diet would be a piece of (vegan) cake because they are already used to this way of eating. Diligent dieters, too, will likely be able to stick with it for 28 days, which isn’t such a long time in the grand scheme of things.

But then what? If you are truly ready to embrace the idea of eating only plant-based foods for the rest of your life (sans even olive oil), this book would be a good start. However, if you’re just looking for a quick way to lose the pounds (as the vast majority of dieters are) it’s likely you’ll grow tired of the plan’s  restrictions and soon be on your way to the next diet book you see. In  a few years, this book will likely end up in the bargain bin at the bookstore for $1. Such is the vicious cycle of dieting, and it’s what keeps the diet book industry humming along.

What do you think? Do you plan to try this diet? Leave a comment or send me an e-mail at healthylivingexaminer@gmail.com.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Technorati Tags: eating vegan, vegan, vegan lifestyle, veganism