The Deadly Truth About Veganism

This is a guest post by Mishka Thomas, a food and beverage blogger

This article caught my attention so I thought it might interest you

The tragic death of an infant is among the many cases that shed light on the consequences of vegetarianism/veganism, among which are fatal vitamin deficiencies.

 Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou of France fed their 11-month-old daughter Louise breast milk alone– one day in March 2008 the baby became listless and the couple called emergency services. The baby died of a vitamin deficiency.

According to the autopsy report, the baby suffered from a vitamin A and vitamin B12 deficiency, which experts say raises a child’s vulnerability to infection. The deficiency may have been due to an unbalanced diet, and that the couple did not heed the doctor’s advice for hospitalization when Louise contracted bronchitis and had dropping weight during her nine-month checkup.

While breast milk is a near-perfect food that proves to be the best nourishment you can give your baby, its nutritional value is influenced by the mother diet. Louise’s mother is a vegan, and it apparently created vitamin deficiencies in the breast milk that she was fed on exclusively.

Are you convinced that a strict vegan diet is the healthiest way to go? Read on and be enlightened about the potential deadly dangers of this practice.

The Health Setbacks of Going Strictly Vegan
Many individuals go down the vegetarian/vegan route based on their ethical or spiritual convictions. However, this dietary choice often leads to serious effects, as avoiding all animal foods may deprive you of the critical nutrients needed for optimal health and well-being. Even Angelina Jolie, a vegan for so many years, was quoted as saying “It nearly killed me.”

Vitamin B12 deficiency is the  thing to watch out for. Vitamin B12, one among the eight B-complex vitamins, is naturally found in animal foods such as meat, fish, milk, milk products, and dairy.
Researcher Michael Donaldson, PhD, of Cornell University reveals his study on the Hallelujah diet, a strict vegan diet:
“Our study revealed early signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in 26 of the 54 people tested, after following the Hallelujah Diet for as little as two to four years…
Based on the published studies and our results, adequate vitamin B12 status of vegans cannot be taken for granted. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and small children are particularly vulnerable to B12 shortages. Ensuring adequate B12 is critical for normal neurological development and maintenance, with shortages resulting in permanent damage.”

Another concern: even if vitamin B12 is water-soluble, it does not go out of your body quickly like other water-soluble vitamins do. It is stored in your kidneys, liver, and other bodily tissues. As a result, vitamin B12 deficiency many not manifest until after a number of years.
Saturated fats, animal-based omega-3 fats like krill oil, and vitamin A are other nutrients that a growing child may be missing out on with a strict vegan diet.

Know Your Nutritional Type, Too!
If you are currently following a vegetarian or vegan diet, it may be beneficial for you to add a number of animal-based proteins to your eating choices, like raw organic eggs and dairy. However, its sufficiency largely depends on your Nutritional Type, which determines the ratio of fats, carbohydrates, and protein you need.

Here are the three groups under Nutritional Typing:
1. Protein Type – High amounts of healthy fats and protein, lower amounts of vegetables
2. Carb Type – High amounts of vegetables, lower amounts of protein and fat
3. Mixed Type – somewhere between Protein and Carb Types
Your body needs some of each of these categories above, but individuals require different ratios of each. While some may thrive on large vegetable amounts and very little animal protein, this ratio would spell disaster for some people.

You fare worst on vegetarian and vegan diets if you are a natural Protein Type, as sticking to such diet deprives of your body’s essential fuel, as dictated by your genetic and biochemical makeup. Consider these facts for yourself and your family, and especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

About the Author
Mishka Thomas is a food and beverage blogger, favoring healthy, organic finds and restaurants found in his hometown in Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with vitamin
B12 deficiency a year ago, and this forced him to reevaluate his dietary and lifestyle choices. He is currently living with his partner of five years and their daughter, Belle.
View the original article here

Weight Lifting Doesn't Work, But Body Weight Exercises Do - The Truth

Take a moment to consider - when people begin weight lifting, what is it that they really want?

You may think a more muscular upper body, stronger legs and of course a defined mid-section, and at first glance yes this is what many will cite as their reason for doing weights, however at a deeper level, what anyone who performs any type of physical activity really wants is simply to "feel good".

To feel good about themselves, and their body. To live up to the masculinity of the heroes in action movies and to look as good as the cover models on the magazines that we're perpetually bombarded with. In a nutshell, for a lot of people its simply about approval and acceptance, from themselves, from those they love, from everyone.

The truth is this has nothing to do with weight lifting and everything to do with it.

Weight lifting is a bit like carbonated drinks and fast food. Deep down we know that it doesn't really do us any good. Weight lifting simply doesn't "feel good." Sure, we get an endorphin rush while doing the exercises, but consistent weight lifting practise simply puts too much stress on muscles and joints, typically increasing the muscle imbalances that manifest with bigger arms and chest, but chronically sore shoulders and back.

For most, the pain eventually outweighs the pleasure, and training stops. Instead of "feeling good," ultimately many become frustrated because the training system (ie weight lifting) that they bought into simply doesn't do it. I know this from experience, and you probably do too.

If you're really interested in a long-term training system that makes you leaner, stronger and of immense importance makes you "feel good" by conditioning your whole body, and in particular that all important abdominal area, while at the same time enhancing and correcting body alignment then you must check out bodyweight exercises.

Here's the secret to life. Do things that make you "feel good," and again in my experience body weight exercises will.

Body weight exercises are a series of movements that use your own body weight plus gravity to make your body strong and lean, and develop incredible endurance. The abdominals are used with pretty much every single movement and become toned and defined in a very short time.

In a nutshell body weight exercises are the ultimate training system. However, you must remember that the ultimate test is - "do they make you feel good" not just when you're in the zone but the next morning, the following day, the rest of your long and healthy life?

Bodyweight exercises often work when no other program will.

To learn how to master your physical fitness and "feel good" go to [http://www.truecorestrength.com] for Stevey's FREE Tips on Bodyweight Exercises to build Strength, Endurance and exceptional levels of Energy.

No Weights, No Special Equipment, No Excuses!

The Deadly Truth About Veganism

Welcome to My DoFollow Blog! As a Big Thank You, I'd Like to Give You FREE Access to my "19 Tips to Build Muscle & Gain Weight" Report That Gives You The Key Ingredients For Success in YOUR all your workouts! ~ Marc David; CPT

This is a guest post by Mishka Thomas, a food and beverage blogger

The tragic death of an infant is among the many cases that shed light on the consequences of vegetarianism/veganism, among which are fatal vitamin deficiencies. Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou of France fed their 11-month-old daughter Louise breast milk alone– one day in March 2008 the baby became listless and the couple called emergency services. The baby died of a vitamin deficiency.

According to the autopsy report, the baby suffered from a vitamin A and vitamin B12 deficiency, which experts say raises a child’s vulnerability to infection. The deficiency may have been due to an unbalanced diet, and that the couple did not heed the doctor’s advice for hospitalization when Louise contracted bronchitis and had dropping weight during her nine-month checkup.

While breast milk is a near-perfect food that proves to be the best nourishment you can give your baby, its nutritional value is influenced by the mother diet. Louise’s mother is a vegan, and it apparently created vitamin deficiencies in the breast milk that she was fed on exclusively.

Are you convinced that a strict vegan diet is the healthiest way to go? Read on and be enlightened about the potential deadly dangers of this practice.

The Health Setbacks of Going Strictly Vegan

Many individuals go down the vegetarian/vegan route based on their ethical or spiritual convictions. However, this dietary choice often leads to serious effects, as avoiding all animal foods may deprive you of the critical nutrients needed for optimal health and well-being. Even Angelina Jolie, a vegan for so many years, was quoted as saying “It nearly killed me.”

Vitamin B12 deficiency is thing to watch out for. Vitamin B12, one among the eight B-complex vitamins, is naturally found in animal foods such as meat, fish, milk, milk products, and dairy.

Researcher Michael Donaldson, PhD, of Cornell University reveals his study on the Hallelujah diet, a strict vegan diet:

“Our study revealed early signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in 26 of the 54 people tested, after following the Hallelujah Diet for as little as two to four years…

Based on the published studies and our results, adequate vitamin B12 status of vegans cannot be taken for granted. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, and small children are particularly vulnerable to B12 shortages. Ensuring adequate B12 is critical for normal neurological development and maintenance, with shortages resulting in permanent damage.”

Another concern: even if vitamin B12 is water-soluble, it does not go out of your body quickly like other water-soluble vitamins do. It is stored in your kidneys, liver, and other bodily tissues. As a result, vitamin B12 deficiency many not manifest until after a number of years.

Saturated fats, animal-based omega-3 fats like krill oil, and vitamin A are other nutrients that a growing child may be missing out on with a strict vegan diet.

Know Your Nutritional Type, Too!

If you are currently following a vegetarian or vegan diet, it may be beneficial for you to add a number of animal-based proteins to your eating choices, like raw organic eggs and dairy. However, its sufficiency largely depends on your Nutritional Type, which determines the ratio of fats, carbohydrates, and protein you need.

Here are the three groups under Nutritional Typing:

1. Protein Type – High amounts of healthy fats and protein, lower amounts of vegetables

2. Carb Type – High amounts of vegetables, lower amounts of protein and fat

3. Mixed Type – somewhere between Protein and Carb Types

Your body needs some of each of these categories above, but individuals require different ratios of each. While some may thrive on large vegetable amounts and very little animal protein, this ratio would spell disaster for some people.

You fare worst on vegetarian and vegan diets if you are a natural Protein Type, as sticking to such diet deprives of your body’s essential fuel, as dictated by your genetic and biochemical makeup. Consider these facts for yourself and your family, and especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

About the Author

Mishka Thomas is a food and beverage blogger, favoring healthy, organic finds and restaurants found in his hometown in Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency a year ago, and this forced him to reevaluate his dietary and lifestyle choices. He is currently living with his partner of five years and their daughter, Belle.

View the original article here

The Truth About Bodybuilding Clothing And Apparel

Are you among those individuals who want to wear bodybuilding clothing and apparel and don't know where to begin? Well take a moment and think back to what it was like in high school years ago. Do you remember using the weight room if you participated in sporting events or taking gym class? Back then, there were no alternatives to wearing a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, such as the fashions of today in bodybuilding clothing and apparel. No one was searching for any particular type of style or brand of bodybuilding and fitness clothes, since they were not available at that time.

Everyone looked the same in their cut off jeans and tee shirts, concisely; they wore what they found to be personally comfortable to wear, while working out. Actually, the only clothing that may have even come close to being considered bodybuilding clothing and apparel were wearing clothes in their school colors or even their school sports jersey. Back then, clothes were simply clothes. However, today, many individuals who prefer to work out have the option of wearing certain types of clothing that shows off all their muscles or makes them look younger in appearance.

Physique Body Wear is one company that provides some of the best quality in bodybuilding and fitness clothing to be found anywhere. This company features many different and comfortable designs for both men and women while they workout, such as workout clothes, active wear, bodybuilding gear and athletic cut gym apparel from stringer tank tops, big tops, muscle shirts, gym shorts, lace-up shorts, posing suits, men's baggy pants & karate pants. As well as aerobic wear, tops, shorts, bootleg fitness pants & yoga clothes for women.

Physique Body Wear offers a wide range of bodybuilding clothing and apparel as well as anything else you may need while working out and looking your very best while you stay in shape. Since they do offer such a great line of work out and fitness clothing as well as plus size exercise and bodybuilding apparel for both women and men, you should be able to find exactly what you need. You might also want to check out their discontinued and clearance items, as you may be able to find the bodybuilding clothing and apparel that you need while saving some of your hard-earned money.

However, you must keep in mind that fitness or bodybuilding do cost a considerable amount of money, although, they will never be able to produce muscle content on their own, this is something that the individual must attend to himself or herself. Of course, there are people who wear what they wear because someone else is wearing the same outfit or the same type of clothing, because they want to fit in and belong. They will normally do what everyone else does to uphold their reputation and their high profile.

There are other reasons for wearing bodybuilding clothing and apparel.

The world is full of individuals who are vain and expect everyone to consider their body as a masterpiece of perfection, with the notion that everyone around them should be mesmerized and magnetized to the experience of their very being. A lot of them like to wear bodybuilding clothing and apparel, since they make them look great; this however is their true goal. They want to look good and fit in so that other people pay them attention and then they do not feel so very lonely.

Even though some women will of course attract attention while working out in a gym, they do not necessarily want to make a point or aim to impress anyone at all, rather they enjoy wearing their own bodybuilding clothing and apparel while they are training or working out.

Overall, there is nothing wrong with wearing bodybuilding clothing and apparel. When the right individuals wear bodybuilding and fitness clothes, they will attract attention since they look and feel great while wearing them. Some people may look down their nose at those who wear bodybuilding clothing and apparel, however, if the truth was told, they would wear bodybuilding clothing and apparel also if they have the proper shape to do so. It only makes sense that if a person looks great, they will also feel great and they should wear bodybuilding and fitness clothes. Although, wearing bodybuilding clothing and apparel while not in shape can draw negative attention.

Download the free Bodybuilding Weight Training Secrets e-book. Discover incredible body building weight training techniques, find bodybuilding clothing and apparel and get free weekly tips that that will improve your training. Go to http://www.bodybuildingwiz.com right now before we end this free offer.

The Truth About Natural Bodybuilding

Over the decades, bodybuilding has evolved tremendously but it is generally understood that there are two main factions or philosophies of the lifestyle; natural bodybuilding and pharmaceutical bodybuilding. Around the time drug use entered the sporting arena, the lines between the two were more blurred and it wasn't particularly easy to spot an enhanced athlete. Today however, the line between the two can be more clearly defined. Those who take the chemical alternative have perfected the dosage combination's to develop muscles that far exceed even the most gifted of natural lifters. Just watching a natural bodybuilding show and comparing the contestants to it's professional counterpart, it's easy to view them as completely different sports, which they really are.

All bodybuilding associations promote natural bodybuilding, yet it is seldom practiced by the world's top bodybuilders. In fact, none of those at the peak of competitive bodybuilding are natural bodybuilders. The IFBB Mr. Olympia, considered by many to be the greatest bodybuilding title in the world, is an excellent example of pharmaceutical bodybuilding. In competitive bodybuilding, it seems that winning has everything to do with how you play the game. Pharmaceuticals such as diuretics, growth hormone, beta-blockers, insulin, EPO, amphetamines, steroids and countless other doping substances are the rule, not the exception. One thing that is often ignored is the damage that can result from using these substances.

Natural bodybuilding is an art and a science. The objective is to create a body that is beautiful to behold, resilient, strong, graceful, flexible, lean and highly functional. Natural bodybuilding represents a positive life-giving phenomenon. It is a form of training that creates and preserves form, function and health. Natural bodybuilding uses exercise, dietary supplements and a healthy diet to enhance immune function and increase resistance to degenerative disease. With each repetition, cells are flushed with life-giving oxygen and micro-nutrients. Waste is removed efficiently and quickly. When practiced correctly, it does not destroy or eliminate. It adds much more than symmetry and quality muscle, but gives you benefits beyond what can be seen with the naked eye.

Natural bodybuilding represents the truest element of bodybuilding by requiring a clean lifestyle which promotes the achievement of optimum health. Optimum health gives us the opportunity and insight to define our goals and the motivation required to achieve them. Once truly well, we are able to adapt to change and stress without significant damage. A healthy person is well-nourished and physically fit inside and out.

Those who lift weights or use their own body as resistance to achieve any degree of muscle tone, strength or power are engaged in "building" their body. This practice has numerous names - body-shaping, body-sculpting, resistance training, weight-lifting, weight training or working-out. Whatever you call it, if you pump iron you are bodybuilding to some degree. Competition level bodybuilders simply take the same process of training and dieting to an extreme level.

Natural bodybuilding avoids any chemicals or toxic substances. Natural athletes avoid banned substances for two reasons. First, the rules of natural bodybuilding clearly state that they are not permitted and second, crossing the pharmaceutical line reduces health, and health is what natural bodybuilding is all about. Therefore the destructive use of performance enhancing drugs is deemed unacceptable.

The idea of natural bodybuilding is to take your genetic potential to the maximum using supplements, training and high quality food. Health is never compromised for aesthetic value; rather aesthetics are altered in response to controlled exercise performed faithfully and always progressively. This creates a natural cause and effect, facilitated through both hard and smart work and constant vigilance. Biological bodybuilding provides us with the opportunity to challenge ourselves, outperform ourselves and demonstrate our potential. It is not about looking better than anyone else. The lifestyle encourages wellness and provides a reliable means of extending health span.

Craig is a top Vancouver personal trainer and owner of Transfigure - Physique Transformation Services in Vancouver, B.C.

Please visit his blog for more articles like this and more physique transformation strategies.

Craig's put together a bodybuilding program for those who are interested and live in Vancouver BC.

Simple Truth About Successful Weight Loss

Nowadays and all around the world, there is a growing trend and number of people getting overweight or obese. As a result, countless weight loss products and programs come into being and weight loss has become a multi-billion dollar industry. However, despite the claims of some of the fad diets or pills, there are no miracles in weight loss. Stay away from products and diet plans that promise fast results with minimum effort. These promises are too good to be true. The simple truth is: there is only one way to lose weight successfully and keep the weight off - through a balanced diet and regular exercise.

A balanced diet does not completely exclude any food type from your meals but promotes the consumption of carbohydrates, protein and fats in proportion appropriate to the dieter's circumstances. All these nutrients are essential for a healthy body. There are a number of diet plans on the market that focus on eating or eliminating one type of food. However, it is better to eat a well balanced diet that includes a wide variety of food types.

To build a balanced diet, aim to include a mix of the following foods daily: vegetables (3-5 portions), fruits (2-4 portions), grains and potatoes (4-6 portions), calcium-rich foods (2-4 portions), protein-rich foods (2-4 portions), healthy fats and oils (1 portion). Examples of healthy fats include: olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish. In addition, follow these principles:


Avoid saturated fats (e.g. fatty meat, full-fat dairy products, butter).
Avoid trans fats (e.g. margarine, fried foods, commercially manufactured baked goods and any food with partially hydrogenated oil on its list of ingredients).
Eat more plant based foods and fewer animal based foods.
Eat only as much food as your body needs, preferably stop when you feel 80% full..
Eat foods as close as possible to the way they come in nature.

Regular exercise is the other half of the formula for successful weight loss. Aim to include the following these two types of exercise in your weekly schedule:


Cardiovascular exercise (eg. cycling, running, swimming, walking and using cardio machines) for a minimum of 20 minutes each session, three times a week. This will burn fat and shift your metabolism into higher gear; and

Strength training (weight lifting and resistance training exercise) for three times a week. These should be total-body workouts and the exercises will help you build more muscle tissue, which will help you burn more fat.

In planning the exercises, please take note of the following:


Leave at least 48 hours between weight workouts of the same body parts. Your muscles need time to recover and repair after a workout.
Take a day each week with no formal exercise.
Warm up for 5 minutes before starting to exercise to avoid injury.

So, if you want to lose weight successfully and keep the weight off, I would highly recommend you follow the principle of a combination of a balanced diet, regular cardio plus weight lifting exercises. You would have a much better chance of success.

The author started the website http://HealthyWealthyClub.com/blog which is a website about building and leading a healthy and wealthy life. Check out the website for ideas, suggestions and products in your journey towards a healthy wealthy life.