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Source: MADAMENOIRE / MadameNoire

A new show putting a spotlight on plant-based cooking done a famous Black chef has made its debut, with veteran MC Styles P joining in the fun for the first episode.

Veganism in the Black community is in the midst of a resurgence, and a new cooking show capitalizes on that with a passion. The Black Vegan Cooking Show, presented by MADAMENOIRE, made its debut on Tuesday (March 22nd). Hosted by Chef Charlise Rockwood, The Black Vegan Cooking Show is the next step in a journey that the London-born chef, model and entrepreneur began with her Vegan Soulicious platform on Instagram. Rockwoods first guest in the kitchen was none other than one-third of iconic Hip-Hop group The Lox and entrepreneur Styles P. The Good Times rapper has been a proponent of the vegan lifestyle for quite some time himself, partnering with fellow Lox member Jadakiss to open and run the Juices For Life chain of juice bars in their native Yonkers as well as the Bronx and Brooklyn.

The pair kicked off the episode savoring a delectable smoothie with a tropical touch, which was constructed with pink guava nectar, coconut milk, lime, soursop, and sparkling water. That set the stage for the keynote dish of the episode, Jamaican Red Pea Soup that is beefless. Chef Rockwood gives viewers important tips on the preparation throughout, and she along with Styles P also made cornmeal dumplings to complement the hearty dish.They also talked at length about their reasons for adopting the healthy lifestyle. I like to say Im plant-based and not vegan and heres the reason, Styles P said. Love to the vegan community. Love to all the people who fight for the animals. One day I aspire to beas great as Dick Gregory, so I like to say Im plant-based and Ive been plant-based for nine years.

For Rockwood, her mission with the show is simple. I really wanted to keep The Black Vegan Cooking Show as intimate, organic, and as personal as it is on Instagram, she said in an interview with VegNews before the premiere. Most of them are not vegan, so Im going to veganize something for them and try to change their perception [of plant-based food]. The Black Vegan Cooking Shows first season will also feature Chyna Love, founder of the plant-based Caribbean company Bad Gyal Vegan.

New episodes of The Black Vegan Cooking Show will air every Tuesday on Madame Noires YouTube channel and their Facebook page. Check out the first episode below.

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Eat To Live: The Black Vegan Cooking Show Debuts With Styles P As A Guest - HipHopWired

The vegan diet, which is a diet free of animal products, has become more popular in recent years, offers potential benefits both for health and the environment, as well as animal welfare.

The vegan diet does not include any animal products. That means no meat, dairy or eggs. Many vegans do not consume honey either due to the practices used that are thought to harm bee health. It can sometimes be tricky to know whether certain foods are vegan. Bagels are one example, and this post helps you better understand whether bagels are vegan.

Consuming a plant-based diet has potential benefits for health, as plant-based foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, heart-healthy fat, and fiber. A body of research supports a diet that includes sufficient plant-source foods for health.

A vegan diet may also benefit the environment, as animal-source foods generally require more resources to produce. Much of agricultural land is used for livestock rearing, and consuming less meat may have a positive environmental impact.

The vegan diet also takes into account animal welfare. Mistreatment of animals on factory farms is one reason vegans cite for deciding not to consume animal products, among others.

There are several nutrients of particular concern when going vegan, and its important to know how to get enough. A vegan diet can potentially be nutrient-poor if you do not consume foods in all of the food groups and rely on a lot of processed snack-type foods.

Some nutrients are not as readily absorbed when coming from plant-based vs. animal-based foods, and its important to be aware of the recommendations for intake.

Of note, it is generally possible to get enough calories as a vegan if you include a mix of high- and low-calorie foods. Plenty of vegan foods contain a good deal of calories, particularly those that are high in fat. Examples are nuts, dried fruit and sesame seeds. This post provides a list of high-calorie vegan foods.

While many vegan foods contain iron, the iron in plant-source foods is not as easily absorbed as that in animal-sourced foods. Thus, the recommendations for iron intake for vegans are almost twice as high as those for people who eat meat. Its important to include foods such as beans, tofu, grains and vegetables like spinach to be sure you are getting the right amount.

As dairy is one of the main sources of calcium in the American diet, vegans need to find alternatives. Some ideas are fortified plant-based milk such as soy or almond milk, as well as leafy greens like collard greens. There are lots of other types of plant-based milk as well, such as oat and macadamia. Its important to read labels carefully, as not all are fortified with calcium. The calorie content also varies quite a bit. Sesame seeds and dried fruit are also sources of calcium.

Vitamin B12 is found in animal products. Vegans can get B12 by consuming nutritional yeast, fortified foods like breakfast cereals and plant-based milk. You can also consider taking a supplement.

There are only a few vegan sources of protein that are considered complete proteins, which means that they contain all of the essential amino acids. Soy is one example, and vegans have lots of options when it comes to soy products, including tofu, tempeh and edamame. Vegans need to be sure to get protein from different sources to be sure they are consuming all of the essential amino acids. Beans and rice is an example of a dish that contains all.

Fish and fish oil are commonly consumed as a source of omega-3 fat and are not included in the vegan diet. Vegans can make sure they get enough by consuming walnuts, flaxseed oil, tofu and chia seeds.

As its important to be sure your diet will be acceptable for you in terms of taste and culture, you can start by taking a look at what you usually eat and consider where you might be able to make substitutions to start consuming more plant-based foods.

For example, if you eat tacos, you can consider substituting meat with a plant-based alternative. I have had some really tasty tacos that were entirely plant-based and involved seitan rather than chicken or beef. To further make your tacos plant-based, you could explore different options for vegan cheese and see how you like the taste.

Youll want to make a plan for your meals based on your preferences and make a shopping list. This will help you to be intentional about your choices in the supermarket.

This list will give you some ideas of foods to purchase in each of the food groups. As vegans do not consume dairy, some vegan alternatives will be listed in this group.

Fruit

Raspberries

Cantaloupe

Pears

Vegetables

Spinach

Green peas

Broccoli

Bell pepper

Grains

Quinoa

Brown rice

Whole-grain bread

Protein

Beans

Tofu

Seitan

Tempeh

Dairy

Soy milk

Almond milk

Soy yogurt

If you are going vegan, its important to plan your diet carefully to be sure youre getting all the nutrients you need. A vegan diet can be nutritionally complete, but it can also be lacking in nutrients if you choose a diet mainly made up of nutrient-poor processed foods such as candy or chips. When shopping, its good to make a list and make sure you purchase foods from all the food groups.

Jinan Banna, PhD, RD, is a registered dietitian and professor of nutrition. She helps working women to lose weight so that they can feel confident and energetic and enjoy food without dieting. She offers free information on weight loss and plant-based eating on her blog, as well as individual and group nutrition coaching.

Read this article:
Veganism for Beginners - Massage Magazine

Vegums, the rapidly growing UK vegan vitamin and supplement brand will make its U.S. debut in January with three of its Ve-ssentials gummy products, Vegan optimized Multivitamins, Fish-Free Omega-3 and Vegan Iron.

HOBOKEN, N.J., January 04, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vegums, the multivitamin and supplement gummy for vegans and those adopting a plant-based lifestyle, announced today the launch of Vegums USA. Founded by John Rushton and Abdul Sharief, two UK pharmacists in 2018, Vegums was created to address the vitamin and mineral deficiencies associated with rapidly growing vegan and plant-based lifestyles as well as staying passionately committed to sustainability and animal welfare.

"As pharmacists, Abdul and I just couldnt find vitamins for our families that were committed to the true vegan cause, so we created one!" said John Rushton, Co-Founder of Vegums. "We saw the meteoric rise of veganism as well as plant-based diets coupled with the huge concern about the planet and animal welfare and decided there was a great opportunity. We set about using our health, wellness, and pharmacy skills to design vitamins and supplements that not only have completely vegan ingredients none of this 'suitable for' rubbish!" He continued, "The vegan diet can mean that people become deficient in certain nutrients which in turn can lead to health issues, so we adjusted levels to compensate for this. We also care greatly about the planet we live on and animal welfare, so we built the brand to give back for the next generations future. We feel that our whole ethos is best summarized by Vegums tagline 'Conscience tested'."

Certified by the Vegan Society, Vegums vitamin gummies comprise genuine, easy-to-grasp, vegan ingredients. Citrus peel is used as a gelling agent as opposed to animal-based gelatin. Natural colors and flavors are always employed and where a touch of sweetness is required, it is with unrefined cane sugar to avoid the use of bonemeal common in refining. "We also went the tasty gummy route why not make vitamins pleasant to take and digest?" said Rushton. "And, for the adults as well as the kids, weve created bear families."

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"There are so many benefits to following a vegan diet, but it can be easy to fall short of some important vitamins and minerals," said Dr. Nicole Avena, Ph.D., a research neuroscientist, author, and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet, and addiction. "Vegans need to pay extra special attention to a few vitamins and minerals like vitamin B12, iron, or Vitamin D (among others) because the best sources of these nutrients come from animal foods. A supplement optimized for vegans could target these nutrients that vegans are likely missing out on, and help someone following a vegan diet feel secure knowing that they aren't lacking important vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy."

Winner of the 2020 World Plant-Based Awards, Vegums will initially be available in the U.S. via three "Ve-ssentials":

Vegan Multivitamin: Specifically optimized for the vegan diet. It contains vitamins B12, B6, and D3 plus folic acid, selenium, and iodine on the premise of everything you need and nothing you dont. The gummies come in a tasty strawberry flavor and get their vibrant red color from natural black carrot extract.

Fish-Free Omega-3: Fully vegan Omega-3 from sustainably sourced marine algae, provides a huge 80mg DHA per daily dose. Omega-3 is considered to help build and maintain healthy eyes, skin, heart, and brain. It is especially important during childhood development. Vegums have the natural sweetness of oranges and are absent of the fishy taste.

Iron: A daily dose of two naturally flavored blackberry gummy bears results in an amazing 14mg of easier-to-absorb ferrous iron. A good iron level is essential to prevent anemia, which manifests as tiredness and a lack of energy.

"Were passionate about the planet and have built sustainability into the framework of our brand," said Abdul Sharief, Co-Founder of Vegums. "All Vegums ingredients have been traced back to their source to ensure that no animal products were used at any stage. Additionally, unlike many vegan competitors, weve abandoned plastic packaging. All Vegums products come in biodegradable cellulose and recycled cardboard, designed to be stored in our custom reusable tin. We will not contribute to landfill waste. Importantly, in the UK, Vegums has achieved carbon-negative status; we aim to do the same in the U.S. We know its a big place, but we are ready for it and by all accounts, the vegan population is ready for our products."

Vegums are available for purchase directly from http://www.vegums.us, and via Amazon, in addition to a growing number of selected local vitamin and health and wellness stores across the country. A one-month adult or two-month childrens supply of the Vegan Multivitamins and the Iron retail for $19.95 with a subscription; with Fish-Free Omega-3 retailing for $21.95, again with a subscription. The brand will be offering large introductory discounts around the launch.

With every purchase, Vegums donates a percentage of its profits to Vitamin Angels, a charity that assists pregnant women, infants, and children who live beyond the margins. Additionally, for every review on TrustPilot, the brand has partnered with MoreTrees to plant trees in local communities, helping improve opportunities for work and to offset the CO2 the business emits. To date, the brand has planted trees for local and tribal communities in Madagascar, for local farmers in Haiti, and with the Kijabe Forest Trust in Kenya.

Visit http://www.vegums.us to learn more.

About Vegums

Vegums was founded in 2018 by two UK pharmacists, John Rushton and Abdul Sharief, to address the vitamin and mineral deficiencies associated with rapidly growing vegan and plant-based lifestyles. Certified by the Vegan Society and winners of the 2020 World Plant-Based Awards, Vegums has formulated the perfect blend of vitamins and minerals specifically to complement a plant-based diet. Upon entering the US market in the fall of 2021, Vegums offers a range of vitamin gummies including: a Vegan Multivitamin specifically optimized for the vegan diet; Fish-Free Omega-3, a vegan Omega-3 from sustainably sourced marine algae, and Iron, 14mg of ferrous iron. All Vegums products subscribe to the core vegan spirit and avoid animal-based ingredients such as gelatin or sugar refined with bonemeal. Ingredients such as citrus peel are used as a gelling agent as opposed to animal-based gelatin and natural colors and flavors are used together with a pinch of natural, unrefined cane sugar for sweetness. Advocates of a better planet, Vegums only use biodegradable and/or recyclable packaging. All Vegums products are available on http://www.vegums.us and Amazon. Join the plant-based conversation with @Vegums.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220104005931/en/

Contacts

Press: AMC Consulting Annmarie Mercieri Colonnaannmarie@amccomms.com press@vegums.com

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Vegums Conscience-Tests the American Vegan and Plant-Based Eater With U.S. Launch - Yahoo Finance

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VEGANZONE, an indispensable "super app" for those who adopt a vegan - vegetarian lifestyle, completed the Beta Process and started its launch in 196 Countries to grow the Vegan Community.

Launched in the World to connect nearly 100 million vegans around the world, VEGANZONE is a super-app platform where plant-based users can enjoy sharing common values, discover nearby restaurants, products, events, news, recipes and people!

Vegan & Cruelty-Free Product Scanner, Vegan Calculator, Nutritions, Nearby Restaurants, Recipes, Vegan News are among its most liked features.

No Vegan in the world will feel alone anymore!

Veganzone is here to make sure everyone who is interested in a plant-based lifestyle feels at home, can ask questions, can learn easily and share their experience because we want Veganism to be accessible for everyone, said Veganzone's Founder & Entrepreneur Murat Aksu.

The app is promoted to vegetarians, too, because so many of them are considering going all-out cruelty-free and turning vegan, and that's why the numbers of vegans across the world is showing a meteoric rise. Veganzone is available free of charge on Google Play Store and App Store. Come and join us! he added.

#3 Best Product of the Month within 2.880 products on Producthunt.com

Veganzone was named the best product of the day, the best product of the week and the third best product of the month, respectively, out of 2,880 products on Producthunt.com in March.

Veganzone was founded in New York in March 2021, by Selin Tuyen, Murat Aksu, and Ogous Chan Ali. Veganzone, which received its first investment from Focus Global Project with a Valuation of $3 million in March, is organizing a new investment round for new investors in February 2022.

VEGANS IN NUMBERS

If the movement maintains its current rate of growth, in ten years time, at least one in five people will be vegan.

A survey conducted for Veganuary found that 32% of Americans plan to eat more plant-based foods in 2022.

Latest estimates claim there are 100 million vegans in the world, and 800 million vegetarians.

The total number of vegans, vegetarians, and all related categories, is close to 14 per cent of the world population - and growing every day.

HIYPERLINK

http://www.veganzone.com

https://www.vegansociety.com/news/media/statistics

https://www.vegansociety.com/news/media/statistics/worldwide

https://thevou.com/lifestyle/2019-the-world-of-vegan-but-how-many-vegans-are-in-the-world/

Read more here:
VEGANZONE Will Grow Vegan Community in 196 Countries! - Business Wire

If youve tuned into Chicago Med, Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, or Pretty Little Liars, chances are, youve seen Torrey DeVitto grace the screen. The incomparable actress makes waves on TV shows and films with her acting chops, but shes also doing amazing things behind the scenes with her activism work. Aside from advocating for womens rights, DeVitto speaks out for the animals and regularly supports organizations such as PETA and The Humane Society of the United States. She practices alternative medicine, veganism, and holistic wellness. DeVittos plant-based lifestyle extends from her plate to the clothes she wears and the beauty products she uses. Heres a behind-the-scenes look at actress Torrey DeVittos cruelty-free lifestyle.

Torrey DeVitto (TD): I have been in-between vegan and vegetarianism for the last 13 years. I was inspired toward vegetarianism at first by my love for animals. I realized early in my 20s that I wanted to live a cruelty-free life. I understood why at certain points in time, or in certain locations, the use of animal skin and animal meat for food workedbut living in a modern world with endless possibilities, I didnt believe that eating meat was necessary anymore and wanted to give that up to live in alignment with my morals and beliefs.

TD: I normally have to specifically request vegan options, but I have started to notice that it is becoming the norm to have those options around. I normally ask for good vegan protein bars, salads, yogurts, or anything vegan. Im not very pickyso as long as its vegan, Ill most likely eat it!

TD: Yes, all the time. But as I already mentioned, and luckily for me, there are so many options now. I just did a film where I had to eat pancakes and a bunch of different casseroles. [The crew] was able to use vegan meat and vegan products to make all those food items look like meat. I am always so grateful when production is willing to do that extra work for me because eating meat, even for a role, is not an option.

TD: I have noticed that more people are going the vegetarian/vegan routeor at least trying it out! Id still say its a 70/30 vibe on most setsmaybe even 80/20. We still have some work to do.

TD: I love finding new cruelty-free and sustainable brands to support. I mostly live in dresses and cute jackets. Some of my staples are Christy Dawn dresses, Immaculate Vegan faux leather jackets, and Stella McCartney sneakers. I also love a good vegan bag from brands like Matt & Nat and Angela Roi. This winter, I have been looking for good vegan winter jackets and winter boots. Some of my favorite brands for this gear are Save The Duck, Native Shoes, and NOIZE.

TD: To me, it is just as important what I put on my body as what I put in my body. It makes my soul feel lighter when I go throughout my day knowing that no living creature was harmed in anything I am wearing or eating. My makeup routine is pretty minimal, however my skin care routine is not! I love skin products. Elina Organics is my favorite. She has so many delicious vegan skin care products that I just absolutely love. If I am going to wear makeup, I will use a Soft Beauty counter blush with some eyeshadow (I like using Jane Iredales highlighter as my eyeshadow) and mascara by Elina Organics. And, if Im getting really crazy, Ill use a tinted moisturizer by Jane Iredale as well and maybe Elina Organics black eyeliner and a lip pencil.

TD: I always tell people to go easy on themselves. I get that it can feel overwhelming [to try veganism], but just like with anything else, once you get into the groove and slowly educate yourself, the easier it gets! Dont be so hard on yourself if you mess up here and there. Just do the best you can and be happy with the changes you did make throughout the dayand maybe try something new thats vegan the next day!

To keep up with Torrey Devittos professional projects, activist work, and more, follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Photo credit: Collin Stark

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A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Actress Torrey DeVitto's Cruelty-Free Lifestyle - VegOut Magazine

The big day has finally arrived - McDonald's first vegan burger, the McPlant, has arrived in Nottingham.

The plant-based burger was originally trialled in ten restaurants last year - none of them local - but today it's being rolled out nationwide.

The patty has been created using pea protein in conjunction with vegan company Beyond Meat. It's topped with vegan cheese, vegan sauce, ketchup, mustard, onion, pickles, lettuce and tomato in a vegan sesame seed bun.

It has taken three years to research and develop and costs 3.39 at Nottingham's Victoria Centre McDonald's - the same price as a Quarter Pounder (prices may vary at other restaurants).

Although McDonald's has previously introduced vegan-friendly veggie dippers it's the first time it has put a vegan burger on the menu, lagging between other fast food big guns Burger King and KFC which already sell plant-based burgers.

It is cooked separately from other McDonalds burgers using colour-codes to avoid any contact with meat.

The burger chain says it's confident that the new menu item will appeal to all burger lovers, adding: "It's everything you love about our iconic taste only this time it's vegan!"

Nottinghamshire Live roped vegan of four years Paul Hodgson, of Sherwood, to test out the new burger and give his verdict.

Paul, who who works as a video creator at the University of Nottingham and vlogs under the name Falcore on Instagram, said: "I turned to veganism after considering it for some time, but it was looking into the ins and outs of the dairy industry and the environmental impact of the meat industry that really triggered me to do make the change. It wasn't a difficult swap for me really.

"My favourite things to eat are real home cooked plant-based foods, I actually tend to avoid processed meat free alternatives generally, but when new ones appear like the McPlant I like to give them a try to see what my options are."

It's more than two decades since the 33-year-old last had a McDonald's burger after turning vegetarian at the age of 13.

Tucking into the burger he said: "It's been a really long time since I had a real McDonald's burger but the taste does really remind me of that.

"The texture is very light - it doesn't have the same firmness as a proper burger but it's really nice. I approve."

Even the vegan cheese - which can be notoriously unpleasant both in terms of taste and texture - won him over.

"The worst thing with vegan cheese is when it's melted - like on a pizza they go gloopy and weird - but that's in there and just warm from the burger, it's really nice. I'm a fan of that.

"It's really nice to have a proper option now. I go on long journeys all the time and we always go to McDonald's. I have veggie dippers which are really nice but now I can have an actual burger which is great."

Nottinghamshire Live's Lynette Pinchess also tested out the burger to give the view of a life-long meat eater.

She said: "I was secretly not expecting to like it. I've an inherent dislike of fake meat after trying different kinds but this shocked me.

"The patty had its differences - the texture seemed lighter but it still had a meaty taste. If I'd a blindfolded test taste between this and Quarter Pounder I don't think I'd have known the difference.

"I'm genuinely surprised. Would I have a McPlant again? Yes, definitely."

The McPlant has 429 calories, which is less than a Quarter Pounder that has 518.

Paul said: "I'm impressed. I'd say it's 10/10.

"It's affordable as well. There's a lot of conversation around vegan food not being affordable for everybody.

"I don't eat a lot of meat alternatives so I see it as a bit of a treat.

"I think it's important for big players like McDonald's to give options and support plant-based alternatives to bring it to the masses and make it seem more affordable.

"Many vegans would string me up for that, I know lots of people are against supporting brands like McDonald's but I think balance is important and having a sensible approach."

Mark Potter, who looks after the Victoria Centre McDonald's expects the McPlant to be popular.

"We've sold six already within the first ten minutes.

On the length of time it's taken in development, he added: "I think it's important to get it right and not just rush it out for the sake of it.

"Giving people more options can only be a good thing. I'm not an expert by any stretch but you go shopping now and see the range that's building and building all the while."

Every January supermarkets and restaurants introduce new specials for Veganuary - the month where people pledge to give up meat and dairy for 31 days - but come February they sometimes disappear.

However the McPlant is a permanent fixture of the menu.

Other restaurants launching new vegan offerings this month include Burger King's vegan nuggets.

Wagamama is introducing vegan fish and chips called Tempura F-ish + Bang Bang Yaki-imo. The F-ish (soy, rice and pea protein) is served with chips sweet potato and red onion, coated in the brands firecracker sauce.

Tortilla, which has branches in Clumber Street and Victoria Centre, Nottingham, has teamed up with Applewood vegan cheese to launch a vegan quesadilla.

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McDonald's launch first vegan McPlant burger - and here's the verdict - Nottinghamshire Live