First Post

I started this blog because of the lack of information I have found on the web about vegan resources in India. Having recently moved to Bangalore for a few months from the very vegan friendly city (New York) I am slowly learning what it's like to stay true to my values and the options available here.

Let's start with some statistics and information.

There is no concrete number available for the vegetarian population in India. According to veganforum.com the number can be anywhere from 20-42%. These vegetarians eat dairy products and many eat eggs. Making them lacto-ovo-vegetarians.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, a press release from October 19th 2009 suggests that 285 million people worldwide have diabetes. The majority of all diabetes is type 2 which in many cases can be prevented through diet and exercise.

"India is the country with the most people with diabetes, with a current figure of 50.8 million, followed by China with 43.2 million. Behind them the United States (26.8 million); the Russian Federation (9.6 million); Brazil (7.6 million); Germany (7.5 million); Pakistan (7.1 million); Japan (7.1 million); Indonesia (7 million) and Mexico (6.8 million)."

Shame on us. Not only is this affecting our health....but our pockets as well.

"India, which has the largest diabetes population, spends US$2.8 billion or 1% of the global total. In most LMCs, people with diabetes must pay for their care out of their own pocket because public medical services and insurance are lacking. The diagnosis of diabetes in a low or middle-income country can often drag entire families into poverty."

I'd like to explore throughout this blog what kind of solutions we have available to us to combat this epidemic.

And fun things like vegan food, pictures, quotes, and everything else I can come up with.