Healthy weight as a vegan is not exclusive to adults. Plant-based diets can help children too, says The Vegan Society. The experts at the BDA - the Association of UK Dietitians - agree that well-planned vegan diets can support healthy living throughout childhood, from weaning to teenage years. This is timely advice since it was confirmed that teen obesity rates in the UK are still rising(1).
Jasmijn de Boo, The Vegan Society CEO, said: "A well-planned vegan diet is an excellent start to life for children. What better way to tackle the obesity crisis in the UK than by setting healthy eating habits for our children at an early age? With the planet our children will inherit in peril due to the greenhouse gas emissions from farming animals, plant-based diets for children are more crucial than ever. "
Vegans on average have a healthier weight than health-minded meat-eaters. According to two large studies in the UK and US(2), vegan obesity rates are under 2% compared to over 5% in health-conscious meat-eaters. Obesity significantly increases the risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Vegans also have the lowest body mass index (BMI) of any group, ranging between 22 and 23.5. This compares to BMI of 23.5 to 29 for health-conscious meat-eaters(3). Meat and dairy and other animal products tend to be more energy-dense than fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes. These staples of a plant-based diet are rich in nutrients UK children currently lack, such as vitamin C, good Omega 6 fats and fibre. There is no dietary fibre in animal products.
The UK Government this week has also drawn attention again to the major greenhouse gas emissions due to farming cattle, sheep and other animals(4). The planet is currently on track for dangerous global temperature rises, with the risks of extreme floods and droughts, harvest failures and habitat loss which accompany it.
Vegan children tend to form excellent eating habits, and make better food choices through to adulthood. We all teach the children in our care not to harm animals unnecessarily, so it makes sense to put this compassion into practice at the dinner table.
A recent study has now uncovered that consuming the oil may have potential benefits that go well beyond helping us to slim down however…
Coconut Oil, Olive Oil and Walnut Oil – the three oils at the top of the healthy oil food chain will go head-to-head to finally see which one comes out on top.
Surely many readers have had thoughts such as, I wish my tummy was flatter, or how can I get rid of that pouch....I want to loose weight around my waist....well, here are some tipps to aid these goals with some nutritional advice and a list of DOS and DONTS
To facilitate the myriad of biochemical processes that go on inside us each and every day we all need a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. To get these nutrients we need to eat a wide variety of different kinds of food, but, alarmingly, many of us eat a very restricted diet in which we repeatedly choose our favourite meals. In contrast, in Japan people eat a far more varied diet, often consuming around 100 different varieties of food each week. Is it any wonder, therefore, that the United Kingdom finds itself at Number 37 in the world rankings for life expectancy, while Japan finds itself at Number 3?
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Fats, also called lipids, are provided in the diet from such sources as animal protein, butter, oils, nuts, and many refined products. Fats are often thought of as bad, a myth perpetuated by the many fat-free products flooding store shelves.
Do you still think that nuts are a snack to stay away from, because of their high fat content? Well let us show you something you might not have known!