8 Ways Diabetes Can Raise Your Heart Attack Risk—and How to Lower It

From verywellhealth.com

Type 2 diabetes is closely linked to heart health. When left unmanaged, it can lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular-related events, such as a heart attack or stroke. However, knowing how diabetes affects your risk can help you take proactive steps to protect your heart.

                                             Having diabetes can increase your risk of certain heart problems.  Halfpoint Images / Getty Images

1. Damages Blood Vessels

Having high blood sugar over time can cause damage to the blood vessels, as well as the nerves that regulate your heart and blood vessels. Over time, this damage can cause heart disease, raising your risk of heart attack and stroke.

The good news: Keeping your blood sugar within your target range as much as possible can help protect your blood vessels and reduce your risk of heart disease.

2. Causes Inflammation In the Body

Diabetes is associated with inflammation throughout the body. Having this inflammation for a long time starts to cause damage in the blood vessels, which makes it more likely for plaque to build up. Over time, the plaque becomes hardened, causing the arteries to narrow. This affects blood flow to the heart and other organs.

You can manage inflammation by controlling your blood sugar, making lifestyle changes, and taking your medications as directed.

3. Raises Blood Pressure

Diabetes causes kidney scarring, which leads to salt and water retention and eventual high blood pressure (hypertension). Blood vessel damage, as mentioned above, also contributes to high blood pressure.

People who have both diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) have about twice the risk of heart attack and stroke, when compared to people who have high blood pressure but do not have diabetes.

You can take steps to control your blood pressure by following a healthy diet with limited salt, exercising regularly, and taking your blood pressure medication as prescribed.

4. Causes High Cholesterol

Having diabetes can lower your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol and increase your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides. This is called diabetic dyslipidemia, and it raises your risk of heart disease and stroke. Studies have found that this can even occur before an official diagnosis of diabetes.

Talk to your healthcare provider about steps you can take to control your cholesterol levels, such as dietary changes, increased exercise, and taking cholesterol-lowering medication.

5. Increases Risk of Obesity

About 86% of people with type 2 diabetes have obesity or are overweight. Having obesity is a risk factor for ischemic heart disease. This happens when arteries narrow and reduce the movement of blood and oxygen to the heart. This can lead to a heart attack.

Losing 5% to 10% of body weight can significantly improve heart health. Talk to your healthcare provider about ways to accomplish this goal, such as through dietary changes, exercise, and possibly medication.

6. Can Damage the Kidneys

Kidney damage is one of the long-term complications of diabetes. Having high blood sugar for an extended period can lead to damage to the blood vessels and other small structures in the kidneys, as well as kidney failure. People with diabetes and high blood pressure can also have kidney damage, as mentioned above.

Having kidney disease increases your risk of heart disease, and vice versa.

You can take steps to protect your kidney health by keeping your blood sugar under control, managing protein intake, and taking medications that help manage your blood pressure. Talk to your healthcare provider about your options.

7. Increases the Risk of Blood Clots

People with diabetes are more likely to have heart disease and blood clots, which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Up to 80% of people with diabetes are considered at risk of dying due to a clot-related cause, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE).

There are ways to reduce your risk of blood clots if you have diabetes. Keeping your blood sugar in range, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and avoiding smoking and vaping can help lower your risk.

8. Increases the Risk of Heart Failure

Heart failure can happen when the heart cannot pump blood forcefully enough, causing symptoms like fluid retention, difficulty breathing, and fatigue.

People with diabetes are more than twice as likely to develop heart failure and have worse outcomes in terms of hospitalization and prognosis.

You can reduce your risk of heart failure by maintaining a healthy haemoglobin A1C Level, taking your medication as prescribed, following a balanced diet, and engaging in regular exercise.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-diabetes-cause-heart-attack-11853363

Vegan Athletes Share Protein Secrets At One Of The Largest Vegan Festivals

From plantbasednews.org

The only thing vegan athletes seem to lack at this festival is tolerance for protein myths 

Think plant-based athletes struggle to get enough protein? Think again.

At one of the world’s largest vegan festivals, lifters, nutrition experts, and long-term vegans came together to share how they meet their protein needs and maintain impressive physiques on entirely plant-based diets.

In a video created by Dénes Marton, known as Daynesh on YouTube, the content creator explores common questions and misconceptions about plant-based living, including protein sources, diet variety, soy safety, and affordability.

At the festival, Marton interviews athletes who have followed vegan diets for years, some for over three decades, offering first-hand insight into how a plant-based lifestyle supports strength, endurance, and overall health.

Addressing persistent myths and practical concerns, the video highlights a range of high-protein vegan foods and shows that meeting nutritional needs on a vegan diet is both achievable and sustainable for athletes and everyday people alike.

How long-term vegans think about food, cravings, and protein

The first thing Marton establishes is just how long many of these athletes have been vegan. Interviewees share timelines ranging from eight to more than 30 years. One attendee says, “10 years as of June,” while another notes, “I’ve been vegan for 16 years.” One of them, who was a vegetarian before going vegan, has gone “31 years without meat.”

When asked whether vegans “only eat vegetables,” the crowd laughs the myth away. One athlete jokes, “Not quite. Just grass. Not even vegetables. Just hay.” Another pushes back by listing an entire spectrum of foods: “Tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentils, beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, whole grains.”

Several note that going vegan actually expanded their diet. One athlete says, “I used to just eat to eat, and now I get like really excited about certain new dishes or trying new plant-based restaurants while I’m here in London and so on.”

Do you have to eat soy, and is it healthy? Doctors weigh in

Marton interviews two medical professionals on the soy question. A naturopathic doctor explains, “You can definitely be vegan and not eat soy. I know a lot of vegans who don’t eat any soy products. Definitely possible.”

Another doctor, board-certified in family medicine, directly addresses the safety debate: “Isn’t soy bad for you? If you want to look at actual, high-quality research, like a meta-analysis of randomized control trials? No.”

He adds nutritional context: “Soy is high in those [isoflavones], but they’re actually good for you.”

Both professionals stress that soy is optional, and that fears about phytoestrogens persist despite robust evidence showing soy is safe and beneficial.

This athlete, interviewed by Daynesh, has been vegan for nine years and has not eaten meat for 31 years - Media Credit: YouTube/Daynesh

Do vegans miss meat? For these athletes, the answer is clear

When Marton asks whether they miss meat, the answers are emphatic.

One participant says, “In the last 16 years, I have never once missed eating meat.” Another adds, “I eat vegan meat, so it’s like it’s the same thing.”

For some, the aversion has grown stronger over time. One athlete says, “None because I’m so disgusted by dairy now. I’m good. I’m good.” Another explains, “It’s not food anymore to me. It’s the flesh of an animal, [a] sentient being. So I don’t miss eating meat.”

The biggest misconceptions about veganism

Across interviews, the same myths surface again and again.

One athlete is blunt: “I think the biggest misconception people still have to this day is that you won’t get enough protein on a vegan diet.”

Others mention the idea that vegan diets are limited. One participant says, “I have not eaten such a broad diet in my entire life.”

Another highlights cultural assumptions: “A lot of people in India believe that it’s either too expensive or that it’s a Western concept. And that’s so untrue because religions like Jainism and Buddhism that originated in India have their roots in veganism.”

Another adds, “That it’s really, really difficult. It isn’t that difficult. Literally within a month of being vegan, you will be a master of it. It isn’t like some PhD you need to aspire to.”

Is veganism expensive? Athletes say the opposite

The affordability question comes up repeatedly. One long-term vegan says, “I have actually been a low-income vegan, and your staple foods are not expensive.”

Another corrects the misconception more sharply: “It is incredibly cheap to be vegan.”

One interviewee summarizes what many echoed: “You can eat so much great food that doesn’t require a significant investment of money.”

Marton also encounters someone who jokes about “hitting the lottery.” Still, the message across the board is consistent: whole foods like rice, beans, lentils, and vegetables remain some of the most cost-effective foods available.

So, where do they actually get their protein?

The athletes offer long lists of high-protein vegan staples. One explains, “It’s tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans… soy is a complete protein… You do get complete plant proteins as well.”

Another says, “I eat the high protein vegan foods like beans, legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan, TVP… I do have a protein shake once a day as well.”

One athlete, who consumes 160 to 180 grams a day, says, “Vegetables, rice, legumes, like this stuff has protein in it.”

The message: protein isn’t hard to find on a plant-based diet, and plenty of athletes hit their targets without issue.

Staying vegan for life? These athletes are not going back

When Marton asks whether they’ll stay vegan long term, the responses are unwavering.

One participant says, “I will be vegan until the day I die.”
Another points to their tattoo: “I got it tattooed on my arm, so I’m kind of screwed if I don’t.”
One adds, “The only regret that I have as a vegan is that I didn’t go vegan sooner.”

Others echo the same sentiment almost word for word:
“Not doing it sooner.”

Marton’s video captures something rarely shown in mainstream discussions about veganism: plant-based athletes who thrive not despite veganism, but because of it. Their diets are diverse, their protein intake is adequate, and their commitment is long-term.

Instead of struggling, many describe a lifestyle that is easier, cheaper, healthier, and more fulfilling than what they left behind.

And for those still worried about protein? As one athlete puts it, “I’m telling you, when you go vegan, you become so mindful of what you’re eating. You almost become like a health coach, but for yourself.”

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/health-and-fitness/vegan-athletes-share-their-protein-secrets/

The simple vegan lifestyle guide that makes going plant-based effortless

From vegoutmag.com 

By Avery White

Going vegan doesn't require perfection or a complete life overhaul; it asks only that you begin where you are and trust the process

I remember standing in my kitchen at 35, staring at a carton of eggs like it held some kind of answer.

I'd just finished reading about factory farming practices, and something in me had shifted. Not dramatically, not with fanfare, but quietly and irreversibly.

The question wasn't whether I wanted to go vegan. It was whether I could actually do it without turning my entire life upside down.

Five years later, I can tell you this: the transition was far simpler than I'd feared. Not because I had exceptional willpower or unlimited time, but because I stopped treating veganism like a test I could fail.

What if going plant-based could feel less like deprivation and more like coming home to yourself?

Start with curiosity, not restriction

When I left my finance career after burnout, I learned something valuable about change. The shifts that stick aren't the ones born from punishment or rigid rules. They come from genuine interest in something better.

Instead of cataloguing everything you can't eat, get curious about what you can. Wander through the produce section like you're exploring a new city. Pick up a vegetable you've never cooked. Ask yourself what flavours you actually love, then find plant-based versions that satisfy those cravings.

I started by adding rather than subtracting. More beans in my soups. More leafy greens on my plate. More experimenting with spices I'd ignored for years. The animal products naturally took up less space as the plants moved in.

Build a foundation of simple meals

Here's what nobody tells you about sustainable veganism: it doesn't require elaborate recipes or Instagram-worthy bowls. It requires about five to seven meals you can make without thinking.

My rotation includes rice and beans with whatever vegetables are in the fridge, pasta with marinara and sautéed greens, stir-fry with tofu, and big salads loaded with chickpeas and tahini dressing. None of these take more than 30 minutes. All of them keep me full and satisfied.

Think about the meals you already love that happen to be vegan or could easily become so. Oatmeal with fruit. Vegetable curry. Bean tacos. You likely have more plant-based favourites than you realize. What would it look like to build your week around those familiar comforts?

Address nutrition without obsession

I'll be honest: when I first went vegan, I worried constantly about protein.

Coming from a world where I analysed spreadsheets for a living, I wanted to track every nutrient. That approach lasted about two weeks before it started feeling like another job.

The truth is simpler. Well-planned vegan diets are nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits for disease prevention. Focus on variety: legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables in different colours. Take a B12 supplement, since that's the one nutrient you genuinely can't get from plants.

Beyond that, trust your body. If you're eating enough calories from whole foods, you're likely getting what you need. Save the detailed tracking for situations where it's actually warranted.

Navigate social situations with grace

The hardest part of going vegan wasn't the food. It was the conversations.

Family dinners where my choices felt like criticism of theirs. Work lunches where I worried about being difficult. Dating Marcus in those early months, wondering if our different eating habits would become a wedge.

What helped was releasing the need to convert anyone. I stopped explaining unless asked. I started bringing dishes to share so there was always something I could eat. I learned to say "I'm good with what I have" when someone fretted over my plate.

Most people care far less about your food choices than you imagine. And the ones who do? Their reactions usually say more about their own discomfort than anything about you.

Expect imperfection and keep going

During my first year, I accidentally ate something with butter at a restaurant.

I spent the next day feeling like a fraud, wondering if I should even call myself vegan. That kind of all-or-nothing thinking was a holdover from my finance days, where mistakes had real consequences.

But this isn't a balance sheet. Research on behaviour change consistently shows that self-compassion predicts long-term success far better than perfectionism does. One meal doesn't define your commitment. A hundred imperfect vegan days matter more than waiting for conditions to be perfect.

What would change if you gave yourself permission to be a work in progress?

Final thoughts

Going vegan five years ago didn't transform me overnight. It was more like trail running: you don't conquer the mountain in a single stride. You take one step, then another, adjusting your pace as the terrain shifts.

The lifestyle that once seemed impossible now feels like the most natural thing in the world. Not because I figured out some secret formula, but because I stopped making it harder than it needed to be. I ate plants. I learned as I went. I forgave myself when I stumbled.

You don't need to have it all figured out before you begin. You just need to begin. The rest reveals itself along the way.

https://vegoutmag.com/lifestyle/s-bt-simple-vegan-lifestyle-guide-plant-based-effortless/

Veganuary Launches Two New Cookbooks Featuring Celebrity-Backed Festive Vegan Recipes

From deccanchronicle.com

The cookbooks provide a perfect opportunity to enjoy festivals and family gatherings while supporting better health

Ahead of Christmas and New Year festivities, Veganuary has released two new digital cookbooks that contain vegan recipes which are both healthy and delicious and feature endorsements from celebrities for holiday cooking. The Veganuary Celebrity Cookbook and Veganuary Plant Protein Cookbook have been published at a time when people worldwide, including Indians, are leaning towards sustainable dietary practices. The cookbooks provide a perfect opportunity to enjoy festivals and family gatherings while supporting better health.

The collection of vegan recipes includes contributions from Hollywood actors, world-class athletes, celebrated comedians and nutrition experts who want to help people start their New Year with healthier and more compassionate eating. Their plant-based creations demonstrate how holiday dishes can become flavourful main attractions for family gatherings. These celebrity recipes help you prepare fun and plant-forward meals for your Christmas feast and New Year’s celebrations.

From the Veganuary Celebrity Cookbook 

Evanna Lynch’s Three-Bean Shepherd’s Pie 

Evanna is an actor, animal advocate and beloved star of the Harry Potter films. Her recipe is a hearty, comforting baked pie loaded with aduki, kidney and borlotti beans, herbs, carrots and peppers, topped with velvety vegan mashed potatoes – perfect for a festive family dinner. 

Ingredients 

For the mashed potatoes:  750 g peeled and coarsely chopped potatoes

1 tablespoon vegan butter  Black pepper, to taste 

For the bean filling:  2 tablespoons olive oil  1 peeled and chopped onion  2 peeled and crushed garlic cloves  150 g sliced mushrooms  1 deseeded and diced red pepper  1 deseeded and sliced yellow pepper  2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and finely chopped  200 g aduki beans  200 g kidney beans  200 g borlotti beans  1 teaspoon dried thyme  1 handful fresh parsley, chopped  A glug of vegan red wine (optional)  375 millilitres vegetable stock  1 heaped tablespoon cornflour  1 tablespoon tomato paste or purée 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

2. Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water until they are tender. Drain, then mash with the vegan butter and season with black pepper. Set aside. 

3. Meanwhile, soften the onion by gently frying it in the olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. 

4. Add the herbs, beans, carrots and peppers. Stir well. 

5. Pour in the stock and a glug of wine, if using. Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, until the carrots are tender. 

6. To make a rich gravy, combine the cornflour and 2 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl and stir. Add the tomato paste or purée and mix, then stir this into the pan. 

7. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spoon the mashed potato on top and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. 

Kellie Bright’s Favourite Raw Vegan Bajadera Cake 

Kellie is a celebrated British actor known for her role in EastEnders. This is a decadent, no-bake festive dessert inspired by Balkan flavours – layers of an almond–hazelnut–date base, a cashew–almond middle layer and a silky cacao–coconut oil topping. 

Ingredients 

For the base layer:

 ½ cup almonds  ½ cup hazelnuts  ¾ cup dates  1 tablespoon almond butter 

For the middle layer: 

 1 cup cashews, soaked in warm water for 8 hours or overnight  ½ cup almonds  1 tablespoon almond butter  3 tablespoons coconut oil  ½ cup maple syrup 

For the upper layer:  3 tablespoons organic cacao  1 cup coconut oil  3 tablespoons maple syrup Method 

1. In a food processor, combine all the base-layer ingredients to create a thick paste. Press this into the bottom of a cake pan and place it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. 

2. Using a food processor, blend all the middle-layer ingredients to create a smooth, creamy paste. Spread this over the base layer and return to the freezer for approximately 30 minutes. 

3. Combine all the upper-layer ingredients, then pour over the cake to cover it completely. Chill until set before slicing. 

Carl Donnelly’s Turkish Delight Chocolate Cupcakes 

Carl is an award-winning British comedian with a love for indulgent vegan bakes. This recipe is for soft, fragrant cupcakes infused with rose water and cocoa, ideal for Christmas gifting and party dessert tables. Makes 12 large cupcakes 

Ingredients 

For the cakes: 

 200 ml soya milk  20 ml cider vinegar  170 g self-raising flour  30 g cocoa powder  200 g caster sugar  ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda  ¼ teaspoon baking powder  A pinch of salt  80 ml vegetable oil  1 tablespoon rose water (add a little extra if you prefer a stronger Turkish Delight flavour) 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). 

2. Combine the soya milk and cider vinegar in a jug or bowl, stir gently and set aside to curdle slightly while you prepare the remaining ingredients. 

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Create a small well in the centre. 

4. Pour in the wet ingredients – including the milk–vinegar mixture and the vegetable oil – and gently fold until the batter is just combined. Avoid over-mixing. 

5. Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases arranged in your baking tray. 

6. Bake for 15–18 minutes, checking around the 15-minute mark. If needed, bake for an extra minute or two until cooked through. 

7. Once baked, remove the tray from the oven and allow the cupcakes to rest for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

8. Tip: If preparing cupcakes ahead for a party, bake them in advance and freeze them. Ice them straight from the freezer on the day of the event – this helps the icing set faster as the cakes thaw. 

https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/veganuary-launches-two-new-cookbooks-featuring-celebrity-backed-festive-vegan-recipes-1925591