Mark Reinfeld has been preparing inspired vegan and live food cuisine for over 15 years. He is the founding chef of Blossoming Lotus Restaurant and the recipient of a Platinum Carrot Award given to Americas top “trailblazing and innovative chefs." He is a recognized authority in the field of healthy cuisine. His first book, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine has won 9 international awards including a Gourmand Award for ‘Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the USA.' His latest book is The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw.Have a question for the natural chef? Please email mark@veganfusion.com

Mark Reinfeld--

Who are these vegans and what is the vegan diet about?

A vegetarian diet is one that does not include meat, fish or poultry. Vegan food contains no animal products or byproducts. It’s vegetarian without the dairy or eggs. The lifestyle of a vegan is also free from animal products. This means no leather handbags, no silk shirts, no products tested on animals, and so on. Because vegan foods do not include any animal products, they're often referred to as plant-based foods. The reasons people choose to become vegan are many, as you will discover as you read this article.

A Little History

The Vegetarian Society was formed in England in 1847 to provide a forum for vegetarians to share their love of all things vegetarian. One hundred and forty people from diverse backgrounds and social positions attended the first meeting, and the society has grown into a robust movement with branches around the world.

In 1944, members of the Vegetarian Society who wanted to focus solely on veganism formed the Vegan Society. Donald Watson was the first president, and he actually first coined the word vegan. Today, the Vegan Society is a vibrant international organization that continues to promote its message.

Famous Vegetarians

Throughout history, great thinkers, philosophers, artists, and musicians have embraced a vegetarian lifestyle. Pythagoras, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, and Nikola Tesla were vegetarians. Woody Harrelson, Alicia Silverstone, Demi Moore, Natalie Portman, Joaquin Phoenix, Casey Kasem, and so many other celebrities also eat meat-free. Even musicians such as and Bob Dylan and Natalie Merchant are vegetarians. The list also includes Vincent Van Gogh, George Bernard Shaw, Dr. Jane Goodall and even the original Ronald McDonald.

Albert Einstein, best known for his famous, mind-bending E=mc2 equation, thought a vegetarian diet was the key to health for us and for the planet. He even went so far as to say, "Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

Whether they're members of the Vegetarian or Vegan Society or your next-door neighbor, each vegetarian and vegan has his or her own reasons for eating meat-free. Most people embrace the veggie way because of health, environmental, or ethical reasons.

Meat-Free for the Health of It

A great deal of evidence exists linking the consumption of animal products to heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Other studies suggest that over-consuming animal products leads to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, gout, and kidney stones. In addition, animals raised on factory farms are routinely given hormones to accelerate their rate of growth, and antibiotics to protect their health when housed in less than sanitary environments.

Go Veg, Walk Lightly

Following a vegetarian lifestyle is a great way to help the planet. Today, people are becoming more aware of environmental issues. Earth Day celebrations, rain forest preservation, and global warming initiatives are becoming more widespread. But how does eating meat-free help the earth?

The environmental impact of a vegan diet is a fraction of the impact of the standard American diet (SAD), with its high consumption of animal products and processed foods. Going veg for the planet returns a lot of positive effects. Check out this list for a few of the biggies:

· Feed the hungry. Animals are fed more than 80 percent of the corn and 95 percent of the oats grown in the United States. Each year, the U.S. livestock population consumes enough grain and soybeans to feed more than five times the U.S. human population. Less than half of the harvested agricultural acreage goes to feed people.

· Preserve the rain forests. To support cattle grazing, Latin American countries are deliberately destroying their rain forests. These rain forests contain close to half of all the species on Earth and many medicinal plants. For each acre of forest land cleared for human purposes, 7 acres of forest is cleared for grazing livestock or growing livestock feed.

· Pure and clean water. The factory farm industry causes a tremendous amount of groundwater pollution due to the chemicals, pesticides, and waste runoff inherent in its practices.

· Efficient land use. The human population is increasing at a dramatic rate. How we use land to produce food is more of an issue as the human race proliferates. According to the USDA, 1 acre of land can produce 20,000 pounds of vegetables. This same amount of land can only produce 165 pounds of meat.

There are many more benefits, of course, including soil preservation, the rights of indigenous people, and promoting sustainable agriculture. Insuring the integrity of the plant kingdom as our sole food source is one of the greatest challenges humankind faces today.

Vegetarian by Personal Conviction

Many people become vegetarians because of religious or ethical convictions that prohibit the killing of animals. Some simply don't think it's cool to kill and believe we are meant to be stewards and caretakers of the earth and its inhabitants. These people do not wish to support practices that inflict harm or suffering on any creature who has the capacity to feel pain.

The small family farm where husbandry practices engendered a certain respect for animals used for food is becoming a thing of the past. Today, most of the world's meat, dairy, and egg production occurs on massive factory farms owned by agribusiness conglomerates. Farming has become big business, and profits dictate how the animals are treated - which means they're often kept and transported in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.

It's Getting Hot Around Here!

World scientists agree that global warming poses a great risk to humanity and life as we know it. The key to reducing global warming is to reduce activities that produce the greenhouse gases that cause the earth's temperature to rise. To help achieve this goal, we must carefully examine the amount of resources it takes to support our lifestyles. One way is by looking at our carbon footprint - a measure of how much greenhouse gases our actions produce in terms of carbon dioxide.

According to a 2006 UN Report ‘Livestock’s Long Shadow,' raising livestock for food consumption is responsible for 18 percent of all greenhouse gases emitted. That's more than the entire transportation industry around the world combined!

As you can see, there are many reasons people choose to go veg. So don’t be intimidated if someone you know adopts this form of eating. Ask a few questions. You might be surprised at the answers.

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