Protein for the Vegan Athlete
By Robert Cheeke, Vegan Bodybuilder
"When I was 15 years old as a sophomore in high school I too became vegetarian, and then 10 months later I went vegan. I also ran track and cross-country during my high school years and ran for a year in college after high school. When I initially became vegan I had a lot of the same concerns about protein intake and specific nutrients needed to help me maintain my athletic abilities and to maximize my athletic potential..."

Skim Milk vs. Soy Milk: Head to Head
By Dr. Michael Greger
"Researchers in Brazil studied the effects of skim cow milk consumption compared to soy milk consumption using what's called a double-blind randomized crossover study. People were randomly split into two groups and given four cups of either soy milk or skim milk to drink every day..."

Amenorrhea
Q & A by Dr. Greger
"I haven't had my period for one year now. Is this normal? Should I be concerned? I was just wondering if you had any advice in this area. I eat a very balanced diet and have also seen a natural doctor..."

Dieting Danger
By Nina Anissimov, age 16
"The fattest country in the world is drowning in diet plans, chomping down fatty steaks with greedy, hopeful smiles and tossing bread and grains in the garbage. In this article, we will delve into the inner workings of popular high protein diets in America, touching on the most popular Atkins and the Zone diets, both of which carry the fad diet tradition to a new level of endangerment..."

Iron Status of Young Vegan Women
By Dr. Michael Greger
"Iron deficiency is considered the most common nutrient deficiency in the world. In the United States, up to 1 in 25 menstruating women are so iron deficient that their bodies can't produce enough blood and they become anemic..."

The Hunza's Give Us Helpful Hints for Health
By Anna Hays, age 18
"Ah, to be young again! Millions of people all over the world bask in the idea of eternal youthfulness. It makes sense in a world like today’s, where to be young often means to be physically attractive and energetic. Men and women go to great lengths to hide the process of aging, from wrinkle creams to special volume enhancing shampoos. Despite all of the potions and lotions, the aging process is inevitable. Or is it?"

Starving Budgets, Obese Students
By Angelina Drake, age 15
"Standing in line amid the crowded clamor of lunchtime, eagerly awaiting the crunch of potato chips, or plop of a Twinkie at the vending machine, we don’t often consider what we’re doing to ourselves, or how our school may be sponsoring dangerous lifetime eating habits..."

New Foods
By Anna Hays, age 18
"Wouldn’t it be amazing if the healthiest foods on the planet tasted just as good as junk food? Don’t we all wish we craved kale salad and cucumbers instead of potato chips and pizza? Eating a healthier diet can be quite a task at first, but as your body begins to assimilate the new found nutrition in whole foods, your tastes will begin to change..."

Essential Fatty Acids: What they are, how they work, and where to find them
Anna Hays, age 18
"Essential fatty acids are one component of a healthy, well balanced diet. Healthy fats seem to be getting more press lately, especially in the vegan/vegetarian world, as many people find that they don’t feel their best eating a low fat, high carbohydrate diet. This may be because many people, even vegetarians, are healthy-fat deficient. .."

Health Reasons to Avoid Dairy
An excerpt from John Robbins's book Food Revolution
A list of fascinating facts about the dairy connection to disease, reprinted with permission from the author

Health Reasons to Become a Vegetarian
An excerpt from John Robbins's book Food Revolution
From saturated fat, cholesterol and blood pressure to cancer and obesity...everything you need to know presented in a simple, easy-to-read fact format.

Making the Transition
By Erin Folley, age 15
"Some people decide to switch to a plant-based diet instantly; others move to a vegetarian diet gradually or go through stages. If you're not keen to give up your favorite food, try changing everything but that..."

Why Veg Out? For Your Health!
By Erin Folley, age 15
"A well-balanced plant-based diet can be healthy for everyone, no matter what stage of life they're at...."

Stay Healthy Even if You're Parents Aren't Convinced
By Melanie Mobbs
"I wanted to become a vegetarian at age 12 but was forced to eat meat because of family pressure. At age 18 I finally became a vegetarian and even then faced lots of family resistance..."

Lunchtime: Answering Questions as a Friend
By Angelina Drake
One teen shares her advice for answering questions about vegetarianism, from getting vitamins to eating out.

Veg Teens: Making Smart Choices
By Michelle Smith
"Teens are into music. Teens are into expressing their individuality. Teens are into hanging out with their friends. Teens are into nutrition? Well, I'm finding that vegetarian teens are..."

Planning and Variety are the Keys
By the American Dietetic Association
"Can children's growing bodies meet their needs for nutrition and calories without meat or dairy products? According to experts with The American Dietetic Association (ADA), the answer is: with careful planning, yes..."

Eating Disorders and Vegetarianism: Are They Connected?
By Carol LaLiberte
"If you are a parent of a teen, particularly a vegetarian teen, then perhaps reading the opening line that appeared in a recent newspaper article left you stunned, confused, or concerned. It read, 'Teenage vegetarians may be at greater risk of eating disorders and suicide than their meat eating peers, according to researchers.' You might be wondering if it is, in fact, true..."

How to Move from Vegetarianism to Veganism as a Family
By Melanie Wilson
"Whatever the details of your family's meat-reducing journey and regardless of how long it took to travel the path to full-time vegetarian eating, the switch to veganism will be much the same."

Resources to Educate Yourself on Nutrition
By Leena Isac
"I am 29 years old. I first went veg when I was 12, and I gave in to my mother's pressures to go back to meat-eating. Then I went veg again at 16, and only then did I have the strength to stick with it despite my parents."

Healthy Tips for Children Who Veg-Out
From the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions
"While focusing on what a vegetarian teen eats is important, Phillips also advises parents to pay attention to their teen's weight..."

Adolescent vegetarians: how well do their dietary patterns meet the healthy people 2010 objectives?
From the National Library of Medicine
"RESULTS: Vegetarian adolescents were significantly more likely than nonvegetarian adolescents to meet the Healthy People 2010 objectives. This was particularly noteworthy for total fat (70% vs 48%), saturated fat (65% vs 39%), daily servings of vegetables (26% vs 14%), and 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables (39% vs 28%)..."

Vegetarian Nutrition for Teenagers
From the Vegetarian Resource Group
"More and more teenagers are choosing not to eat meat, poultry or fish. They are becoming vegetarians. Teenage vegetarians are often faced with pressures -- pressures from parents concerned about their health, and pressures from within to continue on the path they have chosen..."

Why Honey Isn't Vegan
From the Vegetus.org website
Are bees smart? What about pain? Stealing honey, and more, including links to other articles on honey.

Veg Nutrition Q & A
From experts Mark and Virginia Messina
"Do teen vegetarians need to take a nutrition supplement? Does my daughter, who is 14, need to get more protein?"

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