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It is always nice to see your fellow vegetarians standing up for what is right, but it is even more exciting when it is a celebrity who makes a statement about the vegetarian lifestyle. This is not to say that celebrities are any more important that the average vegetarian, but celebrities have a certain amount of influence that the “regular Joe” simply does not.  That’s why it was nice to read that the Pretenders have decided to serve only vegetarian choices at their concert taking place later today and tomorrow.

Apparently, the band is putting on a concert at the Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, NJ today and another tomorrow at the Central Park SummerStage in New York, NY. At both venues, all meat products will be removed from the menu. Why? Because the lead singer of the band, Chrissie Hynde, is a vegetarian and has asked her promoter, Live Nation, to support her vegetarian initiative.

According to sources, all meat products will be removed from the venues and a special vegetarian BBQ will be served to a group of radio contest winners who will be attending the show in Central Park.

Hyde has long been a supporter of the vegetarian lifestyle as well as a PETA activist, having said in a recent interview with Scotland on Sunday, “I’m always surprised when I meet meat eaters. I just think, why on earth do you do that? You could put a gun to my head and say, ‘If you want to live, you have to eat steak,’ and I’d say, ‘Time to go.’ I don’t want that kid of blood on my soul.”

Several more dates are on the Pretenders’ tour schedule. Let’s hope Hyde is able to make even more of the venues meat-free along the way.

One of the biggest problems that vegetarians face is trying to get their friends and family to understand their decision to go meatless. So, unless you are lucky enough to live in one of the rare communities where vegetarianism is common, you may sometimes feel a bit ostracized and otherwise uncomfortable around certain groups of people. This is particularly true if you are eating at a restaurant with some friends or colleagues, as finding a vegetarian choice on the menu can sometimes be a challenge. For these reasons and more, it is always interesting to see how our fellow vegetarians handle feeling as if they are outcasts.

According to BusinessWeek, one vegetarian found a unique way to share his frustrations while also reaching out to other vegetarians through his business. Daniel Berman, who is a real estate broker in the San Francisco Bay area, recently launched a new blog on his website at VeggieReeltor.com on which he wrote an “Open Letter to My Fellow Vegetarians.” It said, in part:

“Why would it matter that you, as a vegetarian, have a real estate agent who is also a vegetarian? Simply stated, it’s a matter of shared values, an approach to life and a way of relating to others. If you’ve been a vegetarian (or vegan) for any length of time, you know what I mean.”

He went on to say, “I believe there is a need for people with my perspective, values and sensibilities, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to offer an alternative…”

Berman isn’t the only one who is publicly sharing his views. The San Francisco Chronicle also recently reported that 5-year-old Beatrice McCartney, who is the daughter of Paul McCartney and vegetarian Heather Mills, was shunned while vacationing in the south of France because of her views.

Apparently, the little girl was lecturing other guests about the foods they were choosing to eat. Said Mills, “Beatrice questions everybody who eats animals. When we were in the south of France, there was a buffet for kids, and by the end of the week no one would sit near us because she would go over and say, ‘Why are you eating that cow’s bottom?’ or ‘Oh, look at that little shrimp with little eyes.”

It’s good to see young vegetarians feeling so passionate about eating healthy and observing the rights of animals.

Although there are undoubtedly many benefits to following a vegetarian diet, including staving off obesity, preventing heart disease and lowering your risk of certain types of cancers, a recent study found that people who follow vegetarian diets have slightly weaker bones when compared to those who consume meat.

The study, which was conducted in a joint effort between Australian and Vietnamese researchers, took a closer look at over 2,700 people. In the end, the researchers found that vegetarians had a bone density that was 5% less than that of those who eat meat. For vegans, the news was even worse, as their bone density was 6% weaker than those who eat meat. When it comes to ovolactovegarians, which are those who do not eat seafood or meat but who do include dairy and eggs in their diets, the bone density was almost the same as those who eat meat.

“The results suggest that vegetarian diets, particularly vegan diets, are associated with lower bone mineral density,” said lead researcher, Tuan Nguyen, in the report that he wrote for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “But the magnitude of the association is clinically insignificant.”

Although the study determined that vegetarians and vegans have a lower bone density than meat eaters, the study did not look at whether or not the lower bone density puts vegans and vegetarians at a greater risk of experiencing bone fractures. According to Nguyen, this is certainly something that is worth exploring further.

“Given the rising number of vegetarians, roughly 5% in Western countries, and the widespread incidence of osteoporosis, the issue is worth resolving,” Nyguen continued.

Of course, the findings of this study are certainly no reason to give up the vegetarian lifestyle, as the benefits of following this type of diet far outweigh this possible downside.  What it does mean, however, is that you should make an effort to make certain to include foods that are high in calcium within your diet.  This way, you can enjoy the benefits of vegetarianism while also avoiding the possibility of experiencing a lower bone density.

Are you looking for a little help with putting together some tasty, meatless dishes? If so, you might want to pick up a copy of “Meatless Dishes in Twenty Minutes” by Karen A. Levin.

In her cookbook, which was actually published back in 1993 by Contemporary Books, Inc., you will find about 100 different meatless recipes that will be sure to whet your vegetarian appetite. As an added bonus, since meat is usually the most costly component of a recipe, the book offers yummy alternatives to those who are looking for less costly meals to prepare during these difficult economic times.

The book is divided into 7 sections, making it easier to select the type of meal you are interested in having. These categories include:

·    Vegetable, grain and potato dishes
·    Egg and cheese recipes
·    Salads
·    Sandwiches
·    Soups, stews and chili
·    Pasta
·    Pizza

Based on the categories listed above, it is obvious that the book is not exactly geared toward vegans or hardcore vegetarians, as some recipes do include eggs as well as dairy products. In addition, some of the recipes call for adding chicken broth as well. Many of these recipes do offer substitute options for vegans, however, that can be easily made to accommodate other diet preferences.

With  this being the peak of produce season, you can also add a little more nutrition and flavor to these recipes by using fresh vegetables. Vegetables such as eggplant, onion, tomatoes and squash are all abundantly available during this time of the year and they all make a great addition to any recipe.

British researchers have good news for those of us who have decided to stay away from meat:  vegetarians are 12% less likely to suffer from cancer than those who eat meat. In particular, the researchers found that vegetarians are far less likely to develop cancers that affect the blood than those who eat meat.

Experts have long known that people who eat a great deal of processed meat or red meat are more likely to develop stomach cancer, but the new study demonstrated that vegetarians suffer from lower rates of bladder cancer, stomach cancer and cancers of the blood.

After studying 61,000 people over a 12 year period, the most surprising finding was that vegetarians are 45% less likely to develop cancers of the blood, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma, than people who eat meat.

Throughout the study’s timeframe, 3,350 of the 61,000 participants developed cancer.  In the end, the researchers determined that the results were independent of other known cancer risk factors, such as obesity, alcohol intake and smoking.

Although the researchers have concluded that more research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the reason for these differences, these results, which were published in the British Journal of Cancer, are just one more reason for vegetarians to celebrate embracing the vegetarian lifestyle!