An announcement from Vaishali Honawar, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
The Washington-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is bringing its popular 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program to India on November 7—just in time to lose those Diwali pounds. The program is designed especially for the Indian diet by PCRM president Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D. It is absolutely free for anyone who signs up online. Participants have access to 21 days of dairy-free and meatless Indian recipes that will not only help whittle off the weight but also reduce risks of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.Statistics
Obesity: Overweight rates in India increased by 20% between 1998 and 2005, according to a study released last year by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Another study by the University of Maryland and the National Council of Applied Economic Research found that 22% of Indians living in cities were overweight and 7% were obese.
Type 2 Diabetes: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes in urban India has shot up from 3-4 percent in the mid-1980s to 11-12 percent today. In some parts of south India, experts say, that the number is as high as 18 or 19 percent.
Kickstart coaches
The debut edition of the Kickstart will feature a number of Indian celebrity coaches including Amala Akkineni, Madhavan, Jackie Shroff, Celina Jaitley, and Murali Krishnan among others. They will offer their best nutrition tips and favorite recipes, and you can chat online with PCRM dietitians and ask nutrition questions via an online forum. There is also an interactive restaurant guide for vegans and online cooking demos by Dr. Nandita Shah of SHARAN, one of our Kickstart coaches.
This is a great way to get access to information on making your own vegan diet healthy and to get those reluctant friends and relatives to try out a delicious vegan lifestyle for a few days—chances are they will stick with it.
Signing up
You can sign up for the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart at www.21DayKickstartIndia.org. And, don't forget to “like” it on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/KickstartIndia.
Thank you so much for inspiring people to try vegan food. I feel that if Iskcon organizations talk about the cruel condition of cows in Indian and across the world there will be increase in the number of vegans
ReplyDeleteTrue, Kumudha! Right now the human race, by and large, is in denial! The truth is too jarring, too much for the collective consciousness of the society to handle. To accept would mean to take responsibility, so most prefer to look the other way! However, let's all of us keep nudging at this wall of resistance; each person on this planet is destined to listen to their repressed higher selves.
ReplyDeleteIskcon and other organizations do talk about animal cruelty and ways to prevent them. Some areas see a fairly decent gathering and number whereas other such as ours in Hyderabad lacks morals, values and principles :(
ReplyDeleteI am an Iskcon follower and we raised awareness via save the cow movement. However, very few people support a cause where there is no fame, limelight or personal gain. If you are ever in Hyderabad please let me know I would gladly be a part of any mission that promotes awareness on these levels.
Regards