Vegan Alive

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Sat, 04 May 2013 08:19:36 -0400

"You can close your eyes to the things you don´t want to see, but you can´t close your heart to the..."

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 07:56:00 -0400

“You can close your eyes to the things you don´t want to see, but you can´t close your heart to the things you don´t want to feel.”

- Johnny Depp

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Sun, 10 Mar 2013 19:41:23 -0400

Must see! Horrible what circus elephants must endure…. I...

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:17:39 -0500

Must see! Horrible what circus elephants must endure….

I feel so helpless….

Unless she dies prematurely from injury or disease, every single American dairy cow will get her...

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:47:04 -0500

Unless she dies prematurely from injury or disease, every single American dairy cow will get her throat cut…. every single cow…. every single throat… cut

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Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:10:03 -0500

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Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:32:15 -0500

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Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:56:12 -0500

6 Shocking Facts About Pesticides in Your Food Supply

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:55:12 -0500

6 Shocking Facts About Pesticides in Your Food Supply:

What’s Hiding In Your Produce?

Many consumers are aware that conventionally farmed fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides to thwart critters, but do you know how many of those harmful chemicals remain after your food leaves the field? The Environmental Working Group has released its Dirty Dozen list, and their findings are shocking. Pesticides pop up on everything from celery to blueberries.

Want to know more? Read on to find out exactly how many pesticides researchers found in foods that likely have a place in your refrigerator. And remember: If you want to steer clear of these worrisome chemicals, the answer is simple. Buy organic.

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Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:24:31 -0500

Steve O became a vegan in a bid to get saved

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 18:22:05 -0500

By WENN.com

The prankster and stuntman gave up drugs and meat after a stint in rehab and he admits the decision to become a vegan was more spiritual than health-related.

The star tells RollingStone.com, “I was doing so many drugs that I literally started hearing voices. I considered the voices my spirit friends, and they were telling me to kill myself. Some of them were nasty characters, but other ones told me they were worried about me… One of them told me I was going to have to answer for s**t.

“One time I did something particularly nasty - I tried to really hurt someone’s feelings with a text message. I heard a voice in my right ear say, ‘You’re going to have to answer for that’. Later I came across a YouTube video where this Krishna consciousness guy in India was talking about how it’s difficult for Westerners to be saved because there’s such little respect for life on the planet.

“This guy said, ‘How can you expect to be saved if you eat meat?’ I put that together with the voices I was hearing and I became afraid of having some kind of spiritual punishment.”

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Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:26:04 -0500

We Raise All Our Beef Humanely On Open Pasture And Then We Hang Them Upside Down And Slash Their Throats

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:19:00 -0500

NOTE: This is from The Onion - a satirical website - funny too!

Consumers today are more conscientious than ever about the choices they make at the supermarket. They want to know that the food they put on the table for their family is all-natural, environmentally friendly, and humane. And that’s why we here at Nature’s Acres Ranch hold ourselves to a higher standard and produce only the finest grass-fed and 100 percent additive-free beef. We guarantee that our cows are ethically raised on sustainably grown pastures before we hang them upside down from a moving conveyor and slice their throats wide open.

Our independently owned family farm is committed to one guiding principle: making sure that you, the customer, receive the best-tasting, highest quality beef from cows that are healthy, active, and eventually suspended fully conscious inside a facility thick with hot, blood-choked air and the frantic bellows of dangling, profoundly fearful animals.

That’s our pledge to you.

As owner and president of Nature’s Acres and a lifelong rancher myself, let me assure you that our animals are treated with exceptional care using only traditional methods from the very second the calf is born on our farm, to the moment a cascade of blood showers from its gaping, half-severed neck, to the day our award-winning beef reaches the grocer’s case in the organic section.

When we shackle a chain to a hind leg of each of our cows and hoist its terrified, quivering frame 12 feet up to the rafters, we can see firsthand just how tender, meaty, and well-marbled its entire body is—and that means exceptional flavor for you and your family!

While frail and pharmaceutical-laden factory-farm cows just droop lifelessly while awaiting their deaths, our healthy, GMO-free cattle thrash about wildly in the air, very often tearing their own delicate flesh and shattering their leg bones in a hopeless attempt to flee to the nearby 100 percent organic grassland pastures where they were free to roam during their unnaturally truncated lives.

You can rest easy with the knowledge that our cows are never, ever confined or cramped, and are entirely free-range until the day they turn 20 months old or hit 1,300 pounds, whichever comes first.

We here at Nature’s Acres know that the best quality meat comes from the best quality cows. That’s why our line of Angus and heritage Galloway cattle—hand-selected for superior taste and texture—provide ideal, gourmet cuts of beef, which we begin to extract from their still-gurgling and twitching bodies in the 20 to 120 seconds it takes from the initial incision to the moment their brains finally cease functioning. And of course our award-winning beef is flayed and butchered fresh on the spot, allowing the animal’s dangling, inverted brethren to look on with dilated, terror-filled eyes as they slowly advance one-by-one toward an identical and incomprehensibly traumatic fate.

And all of our meat—as well as the unfathomable amounts of blood, body fluids, and trimmings that drain from our cows into the vast 50,000-gallon collecting tank beneath our facility’s floor grating—is 100 percent hormone and antibiotic-free!

Now, that’s great for you and the environment!

There are certain things you can truly count on when you see that Nature’s Acres label at your local supermarket. One, our products are USDA certified organic. Two, every cut of Nature’s Acres beef is minimally processed and contains absolutely no artificial hormones or antibiotics—ever! Three, all of our cows were grasped by the nostrils using cast iron nose tongs and had their heads violently wrenched backward so we could slash right through their carotid artery and windpipe with an 18-inch blade. And four, you’ll experience a rich beef taste you just can’t beat. Mmm, mmm!

And you can take heart knowing that Nature’s Acres has earned the “Animal Welfare Approved” and “Certified Humane” seals of approval from independent inspectors.

So next time you choose a steak or ground chuck to throw on the grill, consider a healthier, more humane, and tastier option, and look no further than the Nature’s Acres Ranch line of products. We’re the one with the smiling cow on the label!

BUSTED: Top Vegan Nutrition Myths

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 10:07:00 -0500

by Nil Zacharias

Gloria Steinem summed up one of the challenges of life very well when she said, “The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.”

This quote rings especially true when it comes to what we choose to eat. Our food choices are influenced by a range of factors that make it almost impossible to entertain change. Growing up, I was told that I needed to consume dairy for calcium, eat meat to get strong and fish to get smart. Imagining food without animal products on my plate seemed almost unimaginable.

However, I always felt a sense of nagging unease about my food choices — what if everything I knew about food and nutrition was wrong? What if I truly had no valid justifications for choosing to consume animal products? What began as a path of unlearning — about taste, tradition and nutrition — ultimately culminated in me choosing a vegan lifestyle.

But unlearning in the age of information means having to sift through an avalanche of Internet articles discussing conflicting scientific reports and marketing propaganda (often indistinguishable from each other) that are largely fueled by billion dollar industries whose bottom lines depend on our uninformed food choices. Some anti-vegan rhetoric is delivered with so much conviction that, at times, I still have difficulty separating fact from fiction.

The problem, however, is that the longer you let myths go unchallenged, the greater is their ability to masquerade as truths. So, I decided to put my mind (and hopefully the minds of many others) at ease by reaching out to One Green Planet’s expert community and getting their input on the top vegan nutrition myths.

This is what I uncovered in my discussions with some prominent voices in the plant-based nutrition space:

1. Is it true that plant protein is inherently inferior to animal protein?

Brenda Davis, RD and co-author of “Becoming Raw”: In reality, people have no greater need for animal protein than do gorillas or elephants, both of whom have far bigger muscles than we do, yet are plant eaters. It comes as a surprise for people to learn that essential amino acids are made by plants, not by animals. We can get them from animals, but somewhere along the food chain they originally came from plants. Generally, if vegans eat a variety of plant foods (legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits and grains) and consume sufficient calories, protein needs will be met. However, if protein intakes are marginal, legumes become especially important.

2. Do I need calcium from dairy products to maintain strong bones?

Joseph Keon, nutritionist and author of “Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth about Cow’s Milk and Your Health”: Milk offers no guarantee of protection from bone fracture while at the same time burdens the body with additional saturated fat and cholesterol, hormones and growth factors and, frequently, antibiotic residues. Millions of people the world over maintain fracture-resistant bones into their seventh and even eighth decade of life by consuming calcium largely from plant sources. The calcium we need may be easily obtained from leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, legumes and some nuts and seeds.

3. Should I be worried about B12 deficiency?

Vesanto Melina, RD and co-author of “Becoming Raw”: B12 originates from bacteria, not animal products. The reason this nutrient cannot be obtained from plant-foods is because of our sanitary methods of food production. In contrast, meat eaters obtain vitamin B12 that is produced by bacteria present in the flesh of the animals. This lack in sanitary plant foods does not mean that all vegans are deficient in this nutrient, because they can easily obtain the recommended levels of B12 via foods that are fortified with B12 (non-dairy milks, soyfoods, veggie “meats” and breakfast cereals) or via B12 supplements. In fact, all people over the age of 50, on any diet, are advised to use fortified foods or supplements as their B12 sources, as these forms are better absorbed by many seniors than the B12 from animal products. Many seniors develop deficiency of vitamin B12 due to diminished intestinal absorption. Like people on any diet, vegans simply need to make sure they have a reliable source of this essential nutrient.

4. Can I get adequate amounts of Omega-3 fats without consuming fish oil?

Ginny Messina, MPH, RD and co-author of “Vegan for Life”: Vegans aren’t at higher risk for heart disease than people who eat fish, but many experts suggest erring on the side of a little insurance by supplementing, especially for those who suffer from depression. Vegans who want to include DHA and EPA in their diets can get it the same way fish do, which is from algae. In fact, from an environmental perspective, it makes sense for everyone to choose algae-derived supplements over fish oil.

5. As a vegan, don’t I have to consume too much soy to meet my nutritional needs?

Lauri Boone, RD and raw food nutritionist: You don’t need to fill your plate with tofu or other soyfoods for your diet to be nutritionally complete. Soyfoods — which include tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soymilk, among others — certainly provide a simple way for vegans to meet their protein needs. But you can easily obtain all of the essential amino acids — along with fiber, antioxidants, minerals and phytochemicals — your body needs by eating a variety of grains and legumes each day. Add to that a few servings of nuts and seeds and plenty of fresh vegetables, and you will begin to see how easy it is to get all of the nutrients your body needs — with or without soy. However, if you are going to consume soy, choose organic soyfoods to ensure that the soy you consume is not genetically modified and is not grown using pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals.

6. While vegan diets may be okay for adults, aren’t they unsafe for infants and children?

Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, LDN and co-author of “Simply Vegan”: Babies and children grow and develop normally on vegan diets and can have significant health advantages — vegan children often eat more fruits and vegetables, are typically leaner and don’t develop a taste for meat, dairy products and eggs — foods that are linked to health problems later in life. As all parents should know, it is important to give children the nutrients they need. For parents of young vegans, this means making sure that infants’ and children’s diets have good sources of vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, protein and enough calories to support growth.

To round up my discussion on vegan nutrition, I chatted with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, co-author of the best-selling book, “The China Study” and most recently featured in the documentary “Forks over Knives” about his No. 1 tip for maintaining good health and preventing disease. According to him, “The consumption of whole plant-based foods is the best strategy for health maintenance and disease prevention. Wholeness means foods having the natural proportions of nutrients and nutrient-like chemicals. As a consequence, the whole effect is greater than the sum of its parts — thus allowing for the countless natural biological interactions to take place.”

So there you have it: not only is a plant-based (vegan) diet not restrictive in terms of providing us with adequate nutrition, but if we also focus on a diet rich in whole plant-based foods, getting the right nutrients and maintaining good health should be the least of our concerns!

Thanks to the great work of these experts, it turns out the unlearning curve for vegan nutrition is no longer as steep and treacherous as it was in the past.

“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” — Galileo Galilei

Healthy Gourmet: Way of the vegan

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 08:43:00 -0500

Andrea Oschetti

healthpost@scmp.com

Although we know some things are bad for us - like hydrogenated fat or too much sugar - there is no scientific agreement that one kind of diet is better than another.

Whatever you like to eat, knowing how to cook it properly makes a big difference to your health. For the next three weeks this column will look at the worlds of vegans, carnivores and piscivores, and provide some tips on how to cook in the healthiest way.

My cousin Simona Ferrante has been a vegan since she discovered a few years ago that she has diabetes. On top of this our family has a history of kidney failure. She did not want to become dependent on medicines, so she started looking for solutions on how to eat healthier.

She was drawn to veganism after reading studies that found that cholesterol from animal-derived products can stay in the body, affecting the liver, intestines and kidneys. As a result Simona has managed to keep her diabetes under control. Her two children, Gabriele, six, and Federico, three, have been on vegan diets since they were born. They have never been vaccinated, nor have they ever had antibiotics. They have never fallen ill.

Simona says you can eat with satisfaction, even with the restrictions of a vegan diet - and you can convince your children to do so too. This is how she does it.

1. Take time to explain to your children why one diet is healthier than another

“They do respond and also get used to what they are given: it becomes a habit to eat legumes and dried fruits every day. Federico’s favourite food is zucchini, says Simona. “They don’t even reach the table because he eats them before they are served.”

2. Look for variety and try new things

“At the start, I knew what I wanted to eat but not how to cook it. So I bought books, searched the net and experimented. Little by little, I learned how to make better choices. Last week I made a chocolate cake with boiled beetroot. The beetroot made the cake moist and soft and provided additional nutrients.”

3. Make your dishes interesting

“My children love olives, so I make them focaccia with olives and onions. I use olives instead of cheese when making pizza.”

4. Everything can be done at home

“Make stock cubes by processing vegetables with oil and spices. Cook over low heat until it has reduced. Freeze them in an ice-cube tray.”

5. Use only fresh ingredients

“Don’t even walk down the supermarket aisle where processed and ready-made products are kept. Make mayonnaise at home without eggs by using soya milk, oil, lemon and salt. The biscuits I make contain hazelnuts, flour, oil and fructose, rather than refined sugar.”

Create flavours and depth in vegetarian dishes by roasting seeds and nuts, adding the acidity of lemon or vinegar and using fresh chopped herbs and spices. Keep the nutrients by using a pressure cooker and avoid overcooking them. Always beware of dressings.

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Sun, 20 Jan 2013 17:09:04 -0500

The Vegan Stereotype No Longer Applies: All Kinds of People are Going Animal-Free

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:14:00 -0500

by Piper Hoffman

Veganism is becoming a more diverse movement, changing in the face of its reputation as a stronghold of hippies in Birkenstocks eating bean sprouts, granola and bird seed. In particular, and like the environmental movement, veganism has been seen as a diet for whites. The blog Stuff White People Like includes Vegan/Vegetarianism as #32 on its list.

But African-Americans are beginning to make the shift to a plant-based diet, according to the Toledo Blade. Some are redefining “soul food” as food that nourishes the spirit rather than more traditional and familiar heavy foods.

A wave of vegan and vegetarian cookbooks aimed at African Americans illustrates the shift in eating patterns. The Toledo Blade mentions “By Any Greens Necessary” by Tracye Lynn McQuirter; “Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, & Creative African American Cuisine” by Bryant Terry, and “The Ethnic Vegetarian” by Angela Shelf Medearis. Blogs like Vegans of Color and Sistah Vegantackle issues of interest to this growing population.

The Grio identifies another sign that African Americans are growing more interested in dropping meat from the menu: “Traci Thomas, founder of the Black Vegetarian Society of Georgia, which organizes the annual Meat Out-Vegetarian Food and Wholistic Health Fair in Atlanta, says attendance has trebled in just five years, with more vegetarians and vegans coming through the doors.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer has also noticed the trend. Its website quotes Stephanie Daniel, who attends a weekly vegan brunch and believes “More and more black people, and everyone else, want to turn their diet around.”

The growing number of black vegans counters not only a stereotype of vegans, but also a stereotype of African Americans. Black vegan Evelyn Redcross says she has been told that “black vegans don’t exist.” Redcross and her husband run the vegan brunch Daniel attends and offer a wide variety of foods — including collard greens in a healthy vegan version.

One African American community that has long eschewed animal products is the Black Hebrews. They are vegan in accordance with Genesis 1:29, which says “Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”

According to Redcross, the rise in veganism correlates with a growing interest in health in the African American community. There are also many role models for black vegans, including “athletes Hank Aaron and Carl Lewis; Hollywood’s Cicely Tyson, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Williams; entrepreneur Russell Simmons, and musician Lenny Kravitz.”

The Grio observes that “surprisingly,” veganism is becoming more popular even among black men. In 2012, the site reports, pro football player “Arian Foster joined the likes of rap artist Andre 3000, former NFL running back Ricky Williams and boxer Mike Tyson by changing his diet to a vegan one.” The Grio quotes Constance Brown-Riggs, national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic, who says that “Years ago vegetarian diets were synonymous with tofu and bean sprouts. But, proponents of plant based diets have now made it more ‘sexy’ and socially acceptable.”

(Pat on the back to us, fellow vegans, for making our diets sexy!)

The diversification of veganism is good news for the movement, the animals, and the individuals embracing a healthier diet. The more varied vegans are, the stronger we are, and the less easily dismissed as a fringe element. The diet will also spread faster with representatives in a larger variety of communities. And of course, the more people who stop eating animal products, the fewer animals suffer and die. Everybody wins.

Vegan Venus Williams talks about food and tennis

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 14:58:31 -0500

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Venus Williams has made the dietary leap from steak lover to vegan but admits that in times of weakness she is a “cheagan.”

That’s Venus-talk for a cheating vegan.

“If it’s on your plate, I might get to cheat. If you’re sitting next to me, good luck. You turn your head once and your food might be gone,” Williams said, in good spirits after starting her Australian Open campaign Monday with a quick 6-1, 6-0 win over Galina Voskoboeva.

“I think it’s pretty well known I’m a cheagan, “the seven-time Grand Slam winner said, laughing. “I’m not perfect, but I try.”

On her website the 32-year-old American refers to this phase of her life as “Venus A.D.” — Venus After Diagnosis.

Food is not the only difference between then and now, but it is one of the big lifestyle changes Williams has made since being diagnosed in 2011 with an immune system illness that had caused her years of mysterious symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue and muscle pain.

Williams went public with her illness after withdrawing from her second-round match at the 2011 U.S. Open and then took seven months off tennis, skipping last year’s Australian Open as she learned how to manage the disease known as Sjogren’s syndrome.

Her website, www.venuswilliams.com, says Williams’ vegan diet is designed to decrease inflammation in her body and reduce the energy-sapping symptoms of the disease “by not overloading her body with excess calories, pesticides or sugars.”

“No more of her favorite cherry pies, as sugar is strictly,” forbidden, the website says, adding that Williams also has changed her training regimen to allow more rest days.

Her comeback has been impressive. Williams had the biggest jump of any of the top players in 2012, moving from outside the top 100 to finish the year at No. 24.

“She’s back and she’s fiery!” the announcer told the crowd as the 25th-seeded Williams warmed up on Hisense Arena, the second of the main show courts at Melbourne Park. Fans welcomed her back with extended applause and cheers.

Playing with power and determination, Williams took command of the match early with a steady stream of winners and powerful serves.

She served two back-to-back aces — both over 180 kph (112 mph) — to take a quick 5-1 lead and then broke to win the first set in 31 minutes.

The next set went faster. Williams didn’t drop a game, wrapping up the match in an hour flat with a beautiful backhand passing shot.

“Obviously it’s nice to spend less time on the court, and not be in long sets,” Williams said after the match. She was happy with match statistics that included a first-serve percentage of 70 percent. She also took advantage of six of 11 break-point opportunities.

“I don’t think my opponent quite got the hang of — you know, it’s hard to play the first match in a major, first thing of the year, and that can be a lot of pressure.” Williams said about the 80th-ranked Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan. “I did my best to just close it out.”

At 32, Williams is a veteran on the women’s circuit. This is her 13th Australian Open and her 58th Grand Slam tournament.

She is regularly asked when she plans to retire, and routinely says not yet. Despite her star power, Williams has not produced the results lately that she did a few years ago. She hasn’t made it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam since the 2010 U.S. Open.

It’s been a decade since Williams’ best showing at the Australian Open, which came in 2003 when she lost the final to her younger sister, Serena, who is a favorite to win this year in Melbourne. Still a powerful pairing, the sisters won gold at the London Olympics in doubles.

No. 3-ranked Serena cheered her sister from the stands on Monday. The younger Williams won Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and an Olympic gold in 2012.

Now that the elder Williams sister is back on the tour and feeling fit, she hopes to extend her career, which started in 1994, into a 20th season.

“Yeah, trying to celebrate the 20th anniversary,” she said. She reflected on her illness, which she said has helped her to “to focus on the things I can accomplish and not to think about the things that I can’t do.”

She also reflected on her career, and the difference between her teenage mentality and now.

“When you’re a young person, you just don’t think it’s ever going to end, and you’re on top of the world,” Williams said. “Now, I realize, all these opportunities, I try to make the best I can of them.”

Her focus for now remains on tennis, starting with a second-round match against Alize Cornet of France and possibly a third-round match with reigning French Open champion Maria Sharapova, who is ranked No. 2.

“I love the game,” she said, “and while I’m here, I’m going to go for it.”

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Sun, 13 Jan 2013 08:29:14 -0500