The road to becoming a Vegan is often a long and for some even a difficult path to take. For many becoming a Vegetarian is quite simple, but to become a full vegan is often very difficult for many people. When many people first begin their journey, they cut out red meat, and continue with white meats such as seafood and chicken.

The next step is to cut out the white meats as well, many then replace the protein with the variety of fake meats available or the variety of tofu's that are available.  A lot of people don't like tofu, but it is usually because they are trying to cook the wrong style of tofu or cook the tofu that already comes prepared ready to consume. Really when it comes to tofu, you just have to seek some advice from someone who is good and experienced at preparing meals utilising tofu.

The next step and often the most difficult step is to remove dairy and eggs from your diet, this can be so difficult for a lot of people as they simply don't understand or know about the substitutes. Cheese can be extremely difficult to cut out of your diet if you are a cheese lover as many people find the substitutes nothing like cheese and quite terrible to taste. One excellent substitute for cream cheese is "Tofutti" it is available in many countries throughout the world and is a good substitute for a dip or a spread. Another cheese alternative worth experimenting with is the Follow Your Heart cheese, it is not great cold, but if you add some garlic salt and nutritional yeast to it and cook it on a pizza or in lasagna it is pretty good, however you do have to heat it to around 450 degrees to melt it.

If you really want to become a Vegan, plan the transition slowly and believe in what you are doing and why you are doing it. If you believe it is going to be difficult, then it will in deed be difficult for you. However if you make up your mind that it is going to be easy and enjoyable and maybe even an adventure, then it will indeed be that for you. Play around with your foods and experiment with herbs and spices, you will be amazed at the flavors you discover. Get advice from someone who has travelled the road before you and there are plenty of people, places and resources available.

Eating naturally, learning and experimenting with how to cook to suit your new healthy lifestyle can be a very exciting and rewarding journey. I suggest that you invest in a few of the best vegan recipe books that are available from people who have taken the journey before you, then once you get the art behind your new style of cooking, experiment more with the ingredients and spices. You will rediscover food, which is probably much healthier for you anyway and feel much more alive and energetic. Remember "You are what you eat" if you eat fresh and healthy you will be fresh and healthy.

Google have just released their own new web browser "Google Chrome" It is free and you can download it from http://www.google.com/chrome  I have just downloaded it and had a bit of a play with it and from what I can see it seems pretty good.

It seems very fast and you can enter either a search or a web address into the address bar, saving time searching by not having to go to google to preform a search first. it uploaded all of my favorites from Firefox and appears really easy to manouver around.

One feature that Google Chrone has that I like is the "New Incognito Window" which means you can go in and browse around and the pages you view will not appear in your browser history nor will you have to worrying about having spy cookies left on your computer. Any files you download or bookmarks you create will still remain however, very clever thinking, I am sure this will be a big hit and catch on fast. 

I suggest you download it and give it a try. It is quick and easy to download and learn your way around. If you spend a lot of time online, Google Chrome is worth a look, I feel with the speed it appears to have it could save you a lot of time.  Download and Try Here now for FREE

So how can you lose weight? First of all, to be clear, there isn't a miracle drug, or immediate fix. There is not a miracle way to shed tons of pounds and keep them off. Weight loss management lies in an individual's ability to develop a new way of thinking. You must train you brain. Success lies in your ability to develop and maintain healthy eating habits, integrate regular forms of activity and change to a healthy active lifestyle.

It is a choice to be made for your entire family. Unless you are the king or queen of will power, cooking two meals: one for yourself and one for the family won't work. You have to do everything in your power to curb temptation at every corner. Besides would it hurt that much for your whole family to integrate to healthier lifestyle? Imagine the benefits. First of all you'll be extending your life, that of your spouse and your children's lives. Secondly, you'll be giving your children the building blocks to promote learning, better sleep and decrease moodiness. Secondly, by beginning a family activity plan, you are not only promoting exercise and assisting in the development of important motor skills, you are laying the foundation for a lifelong love of activity and health.

Furthermore, family activities like riding bikes, walking, rollerblading or playing baseball, gives your family that all important time together to enjoy one another's company. It keeps you connected with your loved ones. Finally, you may even see yourself saving money, because you'll be spending less money going to the doctor, because your family and exercising more thus reducing the costs of your doctor bills. You will feel better because not only are you living healthier lifestyle, and weighing less because you are eating better, you can finally wear those "skinny jeans". But in the end, you have improved the health of your family unit.

"Eat your vegetables" as mothers we say it to our children just as our mothers said it to us. I've never read about the important qualities that vegetables hold in the prevention or at least the reduction of risk for some diseases. I'd like to share some of those with you.

First of all, tomatoes. Tomatoes contain an antioxidant called Lycopene. Lycopene has been linked to the reduction of pancreatic and cervical cancer. Tomatoes are a tough one to "mask" for children, but as adults we can throw it into a salad, and have a daily serving.

Then there are the vegetables which fall into the Crucuferous famiy, also known as your broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and tunips to name a few. There is an enzyme called Sulforaphane, which blocks the growth of tumors. My favorite variation with the broccoli is to throw some cheese on it, it takes away that scary green, and makes it different for the kids.

Finally, soybeans, yeah the thought of tofu doesn't register well, but there are several other ways to get a daily serving of this cholesterol lowering vegetable. For example, soy milk, and veggie burgers. Soybeans have also been linked to the prevention of certain types of cancer. It is a compound in the soybeans called genistein that prevents the growth of certain cancer cells. Amazing.

So at least now we know WHY mom always made us eat vegetables.

Psyllium Husk is becoming a well known dietary fibre for everyday use which has been a life saver for many. The fibre is purely Vegan and aids our daily relief of bodily functions. Psyllium seed husk comes from a common plant that helps increase movements through our bowel system leaving you a comfortable and natural response.

If you are looking for a more natural and comfortable fibre source for intake, Psyllium Husk is a wonderful experience for everyone who wants to feel balanced and regular every day of their life.

Phyllium Husk normally comes in a dry form which becomes soluble in water and other fluids, expanding up to six times of it's original volume. Psyllium Husk has no real taste however attaches itself to added items such as muesli, rice, oats, yoghurt and / or stewed fruit.

Simply sprinkle on cereal and foods or add to smoothies and milkshakes or even add to your baking adventures.

 Begin adding Psyllium Husk sparingly to your foods and / or drinks and see how this wonderful substance works in your body. If you need more then simply add more each day until you feel it works naturally for you.  Be careful don't use to much to fast, ease yourself in gently or you could end up with extremely over active movements and that can also be very unpleasant.  Start with no more than one teaspoon per day and gradually increase if required.

Supplied by our Vegan Consultant – Cas Willow.

Restricted by the Atkins diet, there are many alternatives to try and I would like to share this simple but yummy little cooking option for those who might be trying the Atkins approach to weight loss. Parmesan breaded chicken. Since all bread products are a definite no-no on the Atkins diet, you can coat your chicken with parmesan cheese instead. First take your boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and rinse them. Cut off all the fat, and cut in half, across like a filet (makes it easier to cook). Next, fill a plastic baggie with a cup or so of parmesan cheese and your favorite spices. Next, one by one shake your chicken in the baggie until thoroughly coated. You can now either bake at 350 degrees F until done or fry it in a pan with butter and serve with your favorite vegetable. I like to serve with sautéed zucchini and squash, coated with parmesan cheese as well. Again Atkins does not permit breaded foods, but coating your zucchini with parmesan and cooking on the stove in butter, makes for a nice alternative to tempura style.

It's a yummy, healthy meal that really fills you up.

Most times dieting is about healthy portions sizes, get into the habit of stopping before you feel that over full sensation. This is a good place to start.

Instead of the normal Vegemite off the shelf there is a new taste to try out with no yeast or animal products. How yum is that? I know that when I found something that I loved to eat, the ingredients was mostly full of animal products.

This is a quick, easy and tasty recipe that I have just noticed our Vegan Consultant eating, I asked her what it was and whether she would part with the recipe. So here it is to share with you.

Cook one whole cauliflower, two small onions, one spring onion until soft. Cool. Then put all the cooled ingredients in the food processor with pepper, salt, a touch of chili and cooked corn kernels. Add two slices of fresh ginger with at least a small head of basil. Process until smooth creamy, approximate four minutes. Serve with fresh snow peas and sliced carrots.

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