Generally when discussing the benefits of vegan cuisine, I tend to focus on the health issues. For good reason! This is why most people are inspired to eat more vegan foods. Losing weight, and protection against diseases like heart disease and diabetes definitely top the list of reasons people decide to go meatless.  It's become common knowledge that our health is a lot better off with the inclusion of these life giving foods and all major health organizations now recommend including more fruits and vegetables to preserve health and prevent disease.

After health reasons, protecting the environment is another main reason people choose to go vegan. It's cool to be green these days and eating your veggies is about as green as it gets. The environmental impact of a meat-centered diet compared to a plant based one is staggering. For instance, it takes roughly 2500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat, and approximately 30 gallons for a pound of potatoes. As far as carbon emissions, a 2006 UN Report, "Livestock's Long Shadow" reports that over 18 percent of all green house gases come from the livestock industry! 

Mark Reinfeld has been preparing inspired vegan and live food cuisine for over 15 years. He is the founding chef of The Blossoming Lotus Restaurant and the recipient of a Platinum Carrot Award given to America's 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.' He is the coauthor, along with Jennifer Murray of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw. His latest book, also coauthored with Murray is The 30 Minute Vegan. Have a question for the natural chef? Please email mark@veganfusion.com

30-Minute Vegan Zucchini Roll Ups

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