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The Vegan Advantage: Health, Environment, and Lifestyle Benefits Explained

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Go Vita

The trend towards following a vegan diet continues to grow, thanks to the
benefits it provides to health and the environment.

November is World Vegan Month, and a busy time for The Vegan Society, founded in 1944, when its founding members first coined the word ‘vegan’ to show a more compassionate way of living where non-human animals are not exploited for the benefit of humans. World Vegan Month is an excellent opportunity to learn about veganism and the Society’s plans to work with policy makers on issues like sustainable agriculture and climate change, to protectthe rights of vegans and to provide nutritional guidance.You can find vegan food and products being promoted in Go Vita stores this month, so it is a great time to get involved, ask questions and try something new.

Health Benefits

A vegan diet avoids all animal-sourced foods, including eggs, meat, honey and dairy products, and includes only plants and plant-based food products. People who follow a vegan lifestyle will also avoid clothing, shoes, soap and personal or household care products that use animal-derived ingredients, such as leather.

Research also indicates that a vegan diet has positive benefits for the environment.Thanks to the increased demand for tasty and nourishing vegan foods whichare enriched with vitamins and minerals, there are now many exciting newchoices. These include plant-based milk alternatives, or ‘mylks’, plant-based cheeses, yoghurts and butters, meat substitutes and plant-based protein foods based on tofu, seitan and tempeh as well as on pea protein and wholefoods like beans, chickpeas, lentils and mushrooms which have a ‘meaty’texture.

The latest generation of plant-derived meatsubstitutes, such as burgers,minceand patties, help you to feel fuller for longer and therefore avoid therisk of overeating. Many people are finding that, even if they do not wish tofollow a vegetarian or vegan diet, meat alternatives and vegan foods canbe a healthy way to cut down on eating meat for health or environmental reasons.

Sensory Mill High Nutrition Plant Based Meat Range has an extensive range of delicious, all natural, gluten-and soy-free plant-based food alternatives for a vegan diet. A vegan diet is lower in saturated fat than an omnivorous diet, because meat, cheese and butter are the main sources of saturated fat. A higher intake of plant-based foods will also provide more nutrients,considerably more fibre (both soluble and insoluble), antioxidants, trace minerals and phytonutrients, which are plant compounds with unique actions in the body, such as the phytosterols which naturally lower cholesterol in the body.

A vegan diet also equates to a lower intake of kilojoules, resulting in a healthier body mass index (BMI) and a reduced likelihood of obesity. Research has consistently demonstrated that a vegan diet can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke,and significantly decrease your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. A vegan diet can reduce the delivery of certain nutrients to the body, so it is important to ensure an optimal intake of them to avoid nutritional deficiencies, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions.

Nutrients which may require topping up via supplements or fortified foods include iodine (which is required for thyroid function), zinc (for immunity), omega-3fatty acids and calcium. Plant-based sources for all four of these nutrients include seaweed for iodine, nutritional yeast, nuts and oats for zinc, walnuts, flax seed and algae supplements for omega-3s (try Green Nutritionals Green Omega 3–100 percent plant sourced DHA/EPA sourced from sustainably grown marine microalgae), plus tofu, tahini and leafy greens for calcium. It is also important to ensure that dietary levels of amino acids are maintained. Amino acids are the ‘building blocks’ of protein, and are present in meat and eggs.

Vegan-friendly sources of complete proteins includehemp and chia seeds, buckwheat, edamame, tofu, amaranth and quinoa.

Easy Vegan Food Swaps

Go Vita Loves
NiulifeOrganic Coconut Milk Powder (contains MCTs) Natural Road Savoury Yeast Flakes Niulife Fysh Sauce (FODMAP Friednly) Niulife Organic coconut Syrup Niulife*Organic Coconut Milk Powder (contains MCTs) Niulife Organic Ghee–tastes like butter not coconut-perfect for roasting potatoes, frying, baking, bullet proof coffees, and drizzling over veggies. Sensory Mill High Nutrition Plant Based Meat Range Hemp Foods Australia Hemp Seed Oil Green Nutritionals Green Omega 3 capsules

Go Vita Loves

Niulife*Organic Coconut Milk Powder (contains MCTs)

Natural Road Savoury Yeast Flakes

Niulife* Fysh Sauce (FODMAP Friednly)

Niulife Organic coconut Syrup

Niulife*Organic Coconut Milk Powder (contains MCTs)

Niulife Organic Ghee–tastes like butter not coconut-perfect for roasting potatoes, frying, baking, bullet proof coffees, and drizzling over veggies.

Sensory Mill High Nutrition Plant Based Meat Range

Hemp Foods Australia Hemp Seed Oil

Green Nutritionals Green Omega 3 capsules

*Niulifegive 100 percent of the profits from the sale of every one of theircertified organic coconut oil-derived products back to the villages that maketheir oil

Health benefits of hemp seeds for Vegans

Hemp seeds contain excellent quantities of protein, which is important for vegans and vegetarians; hemp is one of the few plant-based foods which provides all nine essential amino acids that the body requires in order to build protein. Hemp is also a rich source of arginine, an amino acid which has well-documented benefits for heart health; magnesium, which is needed for muscle, nerve and brain health; highly bio available iron and zinc, to improve resistance to infection. Hemp Foods Australia has been around since 1999 and is one of the largest wholesalers of hemp in the Southern hemisphere, which means they know hemp! Their hemp seeds are ACO Certified Organicand their range includeseeds, oil and capsules.

Information presented is for information purposes only and is not intended to replace advice or treatment from qualified healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to treat or diagnose. Always consult your healthcare professional before taking nutritional or herbal supplements. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have any allergies or diagnosed conditions, or are taking prescription medications, always consult your healthcare professional before taking nutritional or herbal supplements.