Summertime will soon be here and that means vacation time for a lot of us. Time to unwind and relax. No one wants to be stressed out over a vacation and they shouldn’t have to be. However, us vegans know that our diet can sometimes be a challenge, especially when traveling. Cole Millen, avid traveler and foodie, knows too well the difficulties eating vegan while on the road; that’s why he came up with a few simple tips to make mealtime a cinch while on vacation.
Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate and warmly recall all the love mothers provide and all the lessons they teach. We treasure every moment we have with our mothers and we appreciate them being there for us. The love of a mother isn’t just limited to humans either; animals across species rely heavily on their mothers for protection and affection. Farmed animals feel that same natural desire to rear their children…unfortunately, the food industry has no interest in allowing the mother/child bond to grow.
Few animals have motherly instincts as strong as cows do, yet the dairy industry is unapologetic in restraining those instincts. Within 48 hours of birth, male calves are dragged away from the embrace of their mothers and are either slaughtered or placed in a veal crate where they will spend the entirety of their short lives. Naturally, this leads to severe distress for both mom and son, as cows are intelligent beings that thrive on family bonding. The mother cow (and any daughters she may have) will spend her entire life being subjected to artificial insemination for milk that is supposed to be for their young, but instead is placed in grocery stores all over the country.
Pigs don’t have it any easier. Although sows are usually able to at least nurse their babies for a short time, they are forced to do so in a farrowing crate; a crate that does not allow basic movements such as standing up or turning around. While the mother lays immobile in her crate, she’s forced to view cruel acts committed on her children including castration and tail docking without anesthesia and even worse, death by very unethical means such as being thrown against a concrete floor. Ultimately, after a mere two weeks, the piglets are taken away from their mother to begin fattening for slaughter, never to feel their mother’s love again.
We sometimes hear the term “mother hen” as a common idiom, a testament to how protective hens can be over their children. In the egg industry though, the idea of hens protecting their children is an illusion; they never even get to meet their babies. Male chicks born in the industry are of no use no profit, so they are either ground up alive or thrown out like garbage in huge plastic bags where they suffocate to death. As for the female chicks, they are destined to a life similar to their mother. Caged hens are crammed five to seven birds into wire mesh cages stacked one on top of another. The hens live in physical and psychological misery, unable to turn stretch, flap their wings, or preen their entire lives. The birds are forced to stand on a sloping wire-mesh floor, which cuts and deforms their sensitive feet, while the wire-mesh walls rub off their feathers and bruise their skin… and for the sake of egg production.
This Mother’s Day, let’s truly honor all mothers by making simple changes to our diet. By opting to purchase products that are not the result of an inherently cruel system, we’ll be making a statement: we believe in the bond between a mother and child is strong, and it should be respected.
To find out more about changing your diet this Mother’s Day, check out LiveVegan.org.
These are the four stages of nonviolent activism, and right now, the animal rights movement has reached the third stage – the fight. Society is done ignoring us…they no longer can. They’ve had enough fun mocking us, though you still have a few carnivorous comedians (you know who I mean). And so now, the movement has reached a turning point…a chance to make history and win this battle for the animals, the planet and the people.
Spring is here! Or so the calendar says…I think Mother Nature is sleeping in late here in the DC area, but nonetheless, this is a time to celebrate life, fertility, abundance, and all things new. Trees are budding, flowers are breaking through the soil and baby animals are taking their first breaths on this beautiful planet. This is a time of year to rejoice as we awaken from the Winter.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a happy time for millions of newborn chickens, ducks and rabbits who will most likely never see another spring. These poor babies are taken from their mothers (if they ever saw their mothers), shipped to stores across the country (birds and other small animals are permitted to be shipped through the mail), dyed bright colors and sold as novelty items for Easter. Many won’t make it out of the hatchery or breeding facility alive, more won’t survive the extreme conditions of being transported over long distances and some will die at the store due to malnutrition, extreme temperatures, disease, lack of veterinary care and improper handling.
Love is in the air and we’ve got some great ideas to help you and your loved one celebrate without breaking the bank.
Spend the day with new friends. Plan a day trip (or even a weekend trip) for you and your special someone to visit a nearby farm animal sanctuary or other animal rescue shelter. There’s nothing more rewarding than volunteering your services to an organization in need. Spend the day surrounded by loving animals who will never again know cruelty, only kindness.
Give a tribute donation. Make a donation to your favorite organization in honor of a loved one. When you make a tribute donation to FARM, we will send a personalized thank you card recognizing the person being honored. Or create your own card for that special touch.
Create a delicious home-cooked vegan meal. Start planning your special dinner today with our easy-to-follow recipes from LiveVegan.org and MeatoutMondays.org. Your partner will thank you for a spectacular night in, when they taste these Vegetable Lasagna Cupcakes or how about Grilled Jerk Tofu Steaks? And don’t forget dessert! Try this chocolate-lovers’ recipe for a Raw Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganche.
Enjoy a night out. Make reservations at your favorite vegan hotspot and maybe even catch a movie or live music.
And for gift givers try these items that should guarantee some extra snuggle time (and they’re all vegan of course): chocolates and other sweets (Rescue Chocolate, Allison’s Gourmet, Sweet & Sara), perfume, body products (Vibrant Naturals, EcoBella), flowers, soy candles, a good book.
Regardless of how you spend time together, make sure your mate knows just how much they are loved. Happy Valentine’s Day!
The Super Bowl is just around the corner and in case you need some quick and easy menu ideas for the special occasion, we’ve got you covered. These tasty vegan recipes will have everyone at your party on their feet…even your carnivorous guests will be asking for seconds, and thirds!
For entrees and snacks try:
7-Layer Party Dip
Sloppy Joe Lentil Sliders
Veggie Pizza
Tasty Tacos
Black Bean Burritos
And for dessert try:
Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Root Beer Float Cupcakes
Best Brownies
And if you don’t have time to prepare a dish, there are lots of on-the-go meal ideas to choose from. Try Gardein’s delicious buffalo wings, BBQ riblets, or crispy chick’n tenders . Or pick up some veggie burgers and dogs and spice them up with all your favorite fixin’s.
So whether you’re expecting a crowd or just hanging out at home with a few close friends, these vegan recipes will make this year’s big game day one to remember (even if your team doesn’t win). For more recipes, visit LiveVegan.org or MeatoutMondays.org.
The latest news buzz surrounds the flu epidemic that is sweeping the U.S. Currently, 47 states have wide-spread flu activity, with increasing cases and death tolls climbing. The most affected population is infants, the elderly, and those with already compromised immune systems. However, we ALL (as in the the entire world) should be concerned with this recent outbreak because according to the World Health Organization, “We know another [influenza] pandemic is inevitable…It is coming. And when this happens, we also know that we are unlikely to have enough drugs, vaccines, health-care workers and hospital capacity to cope in an ideal way.”
The tv show, The Doctors, did a special episode yesterday regarding the outbreak, reporting that hospitals are over-flowing with patients, people are becoming “sicker” than usual and more deaths are occurring. The show’s host Dr. Travis Stork and his guest doctors all pushed prevention by way of getting the flu vaccine, with only one doctor recommending healthy habits all year by advising individuals to eat right, exercise, properly manage stress and to get plenty of sleep.
As I watched the show, I just kept thinking about that lone doctor that mentioned healthy habits year-round to combat illness and I recalled a chapter from Jonathan Safran Foer’s book, “Eating Animals,” in where he discusses influenza and worldwide pandemics. Health authorities have come to a consensus that an influenza pandemic is inevitable and that it will stem from new viruses that move between farmed animals and humans, zoonotic diseases.
And when you stop and think about it, the notion of an influenza pandemic being borne from the world’s farmed animals is not hard to imagine. The world’s birds (domestic and wild) harbor the full spectrum of flu strains and when you look at the current ways of raising these animals for food – genetically manipulated, deformed, drugged, over crowded, and stressed living in waste-coated cages/rooms with no access to fresh air, sunlight, or natural food sources – these practices are anything BUT healthy.
Studies show that chickens and turkeys consumers are purchasing at grocery stores are contaminated with E. coli, salmonella, and campylobacter (a deadly pathogen), among other nasty things like feces, chlorine and antibiotics. Overwhelmingly, food borne illnesses come from animal products, with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reporting poultry as the largest culprit. Studies show that even organic and antibiotic-free chicken have pathogens present at the time of consumer purchase. The CDC reports, 76 million cases of food borne illnesses in the U.S. every year.
On the other side of the coin, we are feeding livestock 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics every year for nontherapeutic reasons, and most of those are illegal in the European Union. America’s food system is the perfect breeding ground for creating drug resistant pathogens or “superbugs.” Not to mention, we are a sicker nation more prone to illness with heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity at all time highs (all of which have been linked to diets consisting heavily of animal products). The country’s increase in demand for animal protein has come at the ultimate price – our health. Jonathan Safran Foer sums it up best, “When we eat factory-farmed meat we live, literally, on tortured flesh. Increasingly, that tortured flesh is becoming our own.”
Fortunately, the good news is there’s a cure! Adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet improves human health, eliminates animal suffering and improves the health of the planet. Reducing your intake of saturated fat, animal hormones (and antibiotics), and cholesterol found in animal products and increasing your intake of vitamins and minerals found in plant foods, you fuel your body for optimal health so it can effectively fight off disease. Coupling a vegan diet with regular exercise, proper stress management and plenty of sleep is what the doctor ordered in preventing the flu and other illnesses. Live well this cold and flu season and all year. For more information on adopting a vegan diet and taking back your health, please visit LiveVegan.org.
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Safran Foer, Jonathan. Eating Animals. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 2009. Print.
So if you haven’t heard, the Cooking Channel has gone vegan! Chef Jason Wrobel is cooking up plenty of delicious and easy vegan recipes on his new show “How to Live to 100.” Known as the “King of Superfoods,” which are powerful ingredients proven to increase your longevity, Jason dishes up plenty of food and humor that will have you tuning in for every episode.
Jason is a world-renowned leader in organic raw vegan cuisine and culinary education. He focuses on radical simplicity and artful presentation using fresh, local, organic produce and the healing properties of raw superfoods. Jason’s dishes have received rave reviews from a long list of celebrity clients including Woody Harrelson, Jeremy Piven, Sigourney Weaver, and Russell Simmons.
Wrobel says, “My goal as a culinary artist is to use organic raw and living foods as a catalyst to heal our bodies and increase our longevity. Through food, music and entertainment, I inspire people’s creativity, tantalize their imaginations and turn them on to how fun, easy and incredibly tasty healthy organic cuisine can be.”
So the next time one of your friends of family members asks you what you eat, tell them to tune into Jason’s new cooking show to find out! The next episode airs this Saturday; check your local listing for times. Bon Appetit!
It’s that time of year again, when most of us are thinking about the New Year ahead and reflecting on the decisions we made in the year passed. It’s the perfect time for resolutions and establishing goals to create a brighter future. The most common New Year’s resolution is to get healthier by losing a few pounds, exercising more, and eating better. And with the country’s obesity epidemic, diabetes epidemic and heart disease and cancer on the rise, making health a top priority in the coming year is the perfect resolution and anyone can do it!
But before you get started, there’s one thing to keep in mind…traditional ways of losing weight have consisted of fad diets that require starving your body and your taste buds. Yes, you might lose a few pounds in the beginning, but it usually comes back, leaving you frustrated and setting you up for failure. Instead, try something new this year; start by really looking at the food fuel you are feeding your body. This is the easiest and most important step towards success…and one that is guaranteed to keep you committed to living healthy.
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FARM Urges San Diego School District to Adopt Meatless Mondays
Executive Director and California native, Michael Weber wrote a letter to the San Diego Unified School District urging its board members to adopt a Meatless Mondays program. In a city where nearly 28% of children are overweight or obese, Michael says, “Now is the time for community leaders to speak out about proper diet and healthy habits. And this public health initiative, begun by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is a great start.”
Being overweight or obese increases a person’s risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and many cancers. The economic costs associated with obesity and physical inactivity in California are estimated at $41.2 billion. The state (and the country) is at a turning point in the battle with chronic disease, and we have a choice…we either take steps to improve our overall health or we continue down the current path of disease and premature death.
In his letter, Michael also points out the devastating environmental impacts animal agriculture has on the planet and the inherent cruelty and suffering that comes with raising animals for food. According to the United Nations, reducing the amount of animal products we eat is one of the simplest ways to lower our carbon footprint, since animal agriculture is “responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a bigger share than that of transport[tation].” Not to mention, that raising billions of animals for food to produce massive quantities of meat, dairy, and eggs has taken a major toll on the animals themselves. Standard industry practices include intensive confinement, mutilations without painkillers, and a horrific slaughter – practices that shock nearly every- one who views them.
Michael says bringing one meat-free day a week to school students is “an easy, effective way for our children to start the week off right.” With an abundance of readily available vegetarian and vegan options, the number of schools and colleges that have successfully adopted similar programs is steadily increasing. And for those looking to eliminate all animal products from their diet, FARM offers 100% vegan recipes through our Meatout Mondays program and additional vegan resources through our Live Vegan website.
FARM applauds the San Diego Unified School District for considering implementing such a life-saving program, and we hope they take Michael’s recommendation into account.