Why to skip out on the turkey this Thanksgiving

Eating consciously just means being aware of how the food is getting to your plate. Tal Ronnen's definition of being "vegan" is "eating everything in the world except animal products. A positive spin, for sure, but this is a positive way to eat." Most if us question the morality of eating animals and many people who feel it's absolutely wrong do it anyway, simply- out of habit. Eating with a clear conscience and feeling good about everything you put in your body can have the power to lighten up your life. Why Veganism? It is important to help others; the grain fed to livestock could feed at least twice as many hungry people in third-world countries. Weakening the livestock industry by purchasing less or no meat is a step forward to rearranging our resources to save lives. The planet needs our help; factory farming of animals consumes and pollutes huge quantities of water and demands so much feed that it threatens forests. The greenhouse gases from animal emissions are destroying the atmosphere.

Beginning to eat vegan gives you a taste for it, and then there's a good chance that if you do it part-time, you'll want it to go further. So ease in. Even if you cut out animal products just two days a week, you can make a huge difference in your health and the health of our planet. Switching over, even part-time, to vegan eating is about getting acquainted with all the wonderful plant-based proteins available.

Cutting out animal products means eliminating the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and several types of cancer. There is a common misconception that meatless meals are short on protein but this couldn't be further from the truth; it is easy to get protein without eating animal products. Most of us eat way more protein than we need anyway. The FDA says we need about 50 grams a day, and many nutrition experts say it's more like 30 grams.

There are many hearty elements in a vegan diet, such as pasta, crusty bread and meaty mushrooms. A lot of people have an image in their heads of plates full of raw vegetables; vegan eating is not that at all. Find inspirations in recipe books, good vegan restaurants and vegan friends. Try something new and have fun with it. Truth is, you will not be starving all the time and it's not boring to eat vegan, as much as people may think.

If you have decided to not eat chicken, the other half step is not to eat eggs. The cholesterol in just one egg pretty much exceeds you out for the day. Cheese is harder to give up, it is probably the worst thing you can put in your body. Most of us can't comfortably digest dairy, which is why so many people are lactose and tolerant. It can clog us up and make us feel slow. It's so high in cholesterol and saturated fat. Cultures that don't rely on dairy for calcium often get it through leafy greens like arugula, dandelion greens, red chard, spinach, collards, and Tuscan kale. Raw greens are packed with iron and very nutritious.

Lentils, which include beans, split peas, and nuts, provide a tremendous amount of protein. They're a major source of iron, calcium, zinc, and B vitamins. Spinach is high in calcium; flaxseeds are known for fighting al sorts of diseases; broccoli is full of calcium. Mushrooms have a dense flavor and meaty texture; they're also a good source of B vitamins, potassium and vitamin D.

Even though, herbs can be very subtle, they can have a huge effect on a dish. The sense memories attached to certain herbs call to mind meat dishes- sage reminds people of sausage, and rosemary of roast chicken. That's a trick for bringing "meaty" flavor to vegetable bases cooking.

Gardein has the bite and texture of real meat-most people can't tell it from the real thing. The name "gardein" is a combination of garden and protein. It is a meat-like food made from vegetables and grains that appeals to meat lovers and veggie-lovers. It's high in protein, low in fat, cholesterol-free, and contains no animal products.
Seitan is gluten (the protein that's left after the starch is removed from wheat.) Because of its chewy, stringy texture, it's suggestive of meat. It also takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in. it is really high in protein with about 30 grams per serving and its near the top of the list of plant-based sources.

In the next 30 years, the Earth's population is forecasted to reach 10 billion people, and demand for protein is expected to double. How are we going to feed all of these people and protect our environment? Plant-based protein is a crucial part of the solution. Everyone should have access to choices to make the world a better place now and for future generations.