| Previous | Home | Next |
Page 9
EVEN News Blog
- Page Summary ▼
- Eugene Mayor Declares Vegan Awareness Weekend!
- Eating for Health, Not Weight
- Celebrities Speak Out: Walmart Pork is Cruelty on a Fork
- Vegan Power Balls
- Report: Water Scarcity Necessitates Near Vegetarian Diet
- Howard Lyman - Exclusive EVEN Interview
- USDA Closes Slaughterhouse After Video Showing 'Sickening' Animal Cruelty
- Global Warming: A Case for Inner Change
- The Story of Change
- Life on the Front Lines of the Food Revolution
- Best Black Bean Burger
- MORE Americans Eating MORE Vegetarian Meals!
- California Foie Gras Ban Takes Effect
- Monsanto Nation: The Worst Farm Bill in History
- Ruth Heidrich, Ph.D. - Exclusive EVEN Interview
- Ecological Footprints of Nations
- Dating Vegans
- Animals Should Be Off the Menu!
- Free From Harm
- Dan Piraro - Exclusive EVEN Interview
- John McDougall, MD - A True Believer
- Chew on This!
- The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book!
- 5 Interesting Facts About Plant-Based Food Choices
- Conscious Eating Conference
- Ruby Roth, Author of 'That's Why We Don't Eat Animals,' Chats With PETA
- Mercy for Animals Exposes Meat Industry Corruption and Rotten Practices to Global Audience
- Still a Fast-Food Nation: Eric Schlosser Reflects on 10 Years Later
- The 8 Most Nutrient Dense Foods
Eugene Mayor Declares Vegan Awareness Weekend!
Hooray! Eugene Mayor, Kitty Piercy, has officially declared September 29 and 30 as Vegan Awareness Weekend in the City of Eugene Oregon.
Thank you, Mayor Piercy, for your consideration and fulfillment of EVEN's request for this special proclamation. We sincerely appreciate your support of EVEN's ongoing education and outreach efforts to raise awareness about the benefits of veganism!
Click to Enlarge
Hello, everyone! How exciting is this!?!
Although you most likely have ideas of your own, EVEN would like to propose some ways to celebrate Vegan Awareness Weekend at the end of this month. Go vegan! Whether for the weekend, the month, or for the rest of your life, just give it a try.
We can send you a Veg Starter Kit. We can send you recipes. And you can find more of the tools you need on www.eugeneveg.org
For example, if you would like to cook vegan at home, you will find thousands of recipes on our site.
If you want a good cookbook, you will find some of the best on our Recommended Readings page. The library and the used book stores, as well as EVEN's library, have many healthful vegan cookbooks to offer, so don't think you have to buy new.
Or perhaps you'd like to eat a vegan meal or two out at a restaurant, you can find a list on our Eugene Restaurant page or you can view the pdf of Where to Eat Veg in Eugene. And when you go out, bring a friend! Keep in mind that so many restaurants nowadays offer vegan options, eating out is easier than ever before. Just ask.
Looking for inspiration ? Motivation ? EVEN's site has those, too. What about a picture being worth a thousand words? Make a stop on our Videos page for more.
Is all of this too much for you and you feel overwhelmed, but still want to give veganism a try? Email me and tell me what you need. I'll help in whatever way I can.
If you are already a seasoned vegan and not a newbie, how about cooking a vegan meal for some of your non-veg family and friends? Throw a party, a picnic, refer someone to EVEN's website, hold a potluck, help EVEN table. There are many ways to celebrate this special occasion, so as the proclamation encourages, "explore and educate" yourselves about this healthful and compassionate alternative. EVEN is here to help.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Eating for Health, Not Weight
NY Times Op-Ed by Dr. Dean Ornish
Perhaps the biggest misconception is that as long as you lose weight, it doesn't matter what you eat. But it does....
What you eat affects which diseases you may develop, regardless of whether you're thin or fat. Some diets that may help you lose weight may be harmful to your health over time. >> MORE
Source: Dr. John McDougall,
McDougall Breaking News
Send this to your friends by social media.
If possible, write a letter to the editor to counteract some of the reaction that is expected from the low-carb camp (Paleo and Atkins followers).
Send a letter to the editor by e-mailing letters@nytimes.com or faxing (212) 556-3622.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Celebrities Speak Out:
Walmart Pork is Cruelty on a Fork
by Mercy for Animals
In a letter fired off today to Walmart's CEO Mike Duke, on behalf of Mercy For Animals, Ryan Gosling, Kristen Bell, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Deschanel, Tom Morello, Kim Basinger, David Boreanaz, Ed Begley Jr., John Francis Daley, James Cromwell, Steve-O, and Loretta Swit wrote: "We implore you to help end the needless suffering of these animals by ending the sale of pork from producers who confine pigs in cages so small they can't even turn around for nearly their entire lives." >> MORE
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Vegan Power Balls
Comet, HealthForce Nutritionals associate and Power Ball expert, kindly offers us her recipe that was so popular at EVEN's Vegan Fair:
1. One cup Dates and 1 cup Nut Butter (mash into a paste)
(If you use the bulk organic dates rolled in coconut- they have no pits!)
2. 1 Cup of vegan chocolate chips
3. add 1 Tablespoon HealthForce Vitamineral Green and 3 Tablespoons Warrior Food Protein Powder
4. Roll into balls (If too dry, add a little rice milk.)
5. Roll in the coconut and freeze
Supplies you need: dates, nut butter, vegan chocolate chips, Healthforce Vitamineral Greens, Warrior Protein Powder and shredded Coconut
Comet using So Delicious coconut milk to whip up some of her other Vitamineral Green specialties.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Report: Water Scarcity Necessitates Near Vegetarian Diet
by Common Dreams
By 2050 there will not be enough water in the world to continue the global trends of a Western-style, high animal protein diet. Rather, a primarily vegetarian diet is necessary to address growing water insecurity, according to a report released to coincide with the 2012 World Water Week in Stockholm from August 26-31. >> MORE
Nature makes a drought, man makes a shortage.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Howard Lyman - Exclusive EVEN Interview
Animal Welfare Activist, Author, Mad Cowboy
Read an exclusive EVEN interview HERE with Howard Lyman, Activist, Author and Mad Cowboy.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
USDA Closes Slaughterhouse After Video Showing 'Sickening' Animal Cruelty
by Common Dreams - Building Progressive Community
Video documentation of "sickening" animal cruelty has prompted the USDA to suspend operations at a California slaughterhouse, another revelation of the industrial food system's cost to animal welfare and public health.
Video taken by an undercover worker from the DC-based animal advocacy organization Compassion Over Killing shows workers at the Central Valley Meat Co. (CVM) slaughterhouse in Hanford, Calif. repeatedly abusing cows, treatment the group says violates state and federal animal welfare requirements. >> MORE
by John Robbins - Could Anyone Find This Animal Abuse Tolerable?
"More than 70% of Americans support undercover investigative efforts by animal welfare organizations to expose animal abuse on industrial farms. While the industry might call the investigators criminals, I would be more inclined to call them heroes." - John Robbins
Read more here.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Global Warming:
A Case for Inner Change
by Deepak Chopra
Human life isn't set apart from life on earth.
We must live in balance with Nature.
Consumerism isn't unlimited and doesn't lead to happiness.
Toxic pollution harms life and cannot be justified.
As a conscious species, humans must be stewards of the ecology... >> MORE
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
The Story of Change
by Annie Leonard
You all loved the Story of Stuff,
and you will love the
Story of Change, too!
It's not easy to change a dysfunctional system that puts corporate profits above the health and happiness of people. It takes more than just "voting with our pocketbooks"; it takes political involvement. In her latest film, Annie Leonard gives us a simple formula for social transformation: CHANGE = a big idea + collective identity + action.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Life on the Front Lines
of the Food Revolution
Interview with John Robbins on AlterNet
This interview focuses on soy, modern meat production, grass-fed beef, our "disease care" system, and how M.L.K., Jr. has influenced John's life and work.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Best Black Bean Burger
What an Easy and Tasty Treat!
It's not quite as easy as thawing out a package of frozen veggie burgers, but it's the next best thing. If you've never tried making homemade veggie burgers before, this foolproof recipe is the place to start.
1/2 onion, diced
1 can black beans, well drained
1/2 cup flour
2 slices bread, crumbled
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying
Preparation: Sautee the onions till soft, about 3-5 minutes. In a large bowl, mash the beans until almost smooth. Add sauteed onions and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, adding the flour a few tablespoons at a time to combine well. Mixture will be thick. Form bean mixture into patties, approximately ½ inch thick and fry patties in a small amount of oil until slightly firm. Make veggie burgers and enjoy!
Source: About.com
EVEN NOTE: We love this recipe, but we omit the frying oil. Who needs it?! (Use a non-stick pan or a non-stick spray.) We also have a lot of fun experimenting with the fixin's we add: pickles, avocado, vegan cheese, nayonnaise. We even might add corn sometimes right into the burger mix before frying. Variations are always endless on burgers and sandwiches and they make filling and satisfying meals. Choose a healthy bun and have fun with this simple, healthful and delicious recipe. Thank you, Jolinda!
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
MORE Americans Eating
MORE Vegetarian Meals!
by Mercy for Animals
Two recent news items by NPR spotlight the health risks, environmental damage, and animal cruelty associated with raising animals for food. NPR also reports that in addition to the growing number of vegetarians in the United States, many more Americans are simply eating more vegetarian meals.
>> MORE
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
California Foie Gras Ban Takes Effect
Foie gras is produced by cruel and inhumane farming practices. At just a few months old, ducks are confined inside dark sheds and force-fed enormous amounts of food several times a day. A farm worker grabs each duck and, one by one, thrusts a metal pipe down their throats so that a mixture of corn can be forced directly into their gullets. In just a matter of weeks, the ducks become grossly overweight and their livers expand up to 10 times their normal size. >> MORE
Sources: Farm Sanctuary and About.com
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Monsanto Nation:
The Worst Farm Bill in History
Monsanto's attacks on the law's ability to protect farmers and consumers from unwanted, dangerous GMO contamination may be the boldest example of its power over Congress. But there's a lot more in the House Farm Bill that benefits biotechnology and Big Ag at the expense of family farmers and organic and sustainable food and agriculture. The House Farm Bill includes >>MORE
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Ruth Heidrich, Ph.D. - Exclusive EVEN Interview
Vegan Ironman Triathlete
Read an exclusive EVEN interview HERE with Dr. Ruth Heidrich, vegan ironman triathlete.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Ecological Footprints of Nations
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Dating Vegans
by Anne Dinshah
Recipes for Relationships
Better than a romance novel that whisks you away to fantasy, Dating Vegans is genuine. It is a catalyst for reevaluating your own interactions with other people whether you are the vegan or the other person. Where am I now? What is certain? What might I compromise? What would I do if I met a person like that? Will I make a recipe? This powerful function of the book can appeal to anyone, regardless of relationship situation. The author has applicable tips for getting a date or keeping together long-term. Learn how to share information, so that vegan values get just consideration, without being socially abrasive to those not yet holding these ideals.
This book will not sit on your shelf for long—you might read the dating portion once or twice, but you or your date can cook the recipes over and over for each other. >> MORE
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Animals Should Be Off the Menu!
Philanthropist Philip Wollen speaks out for animals, planetary responsibility, and a vegan diet. He tells it like it is!!
Philip Wollen OAM (born 1950) is an Australian philanthropist. He is a former vice-president of Citibank and was also a general manager at Citicorp. At age 34, Australian Business Magazine named him in the top 40 executives in Australia. In 2005 he received the Order of Australia and in 2007 he won the Australian of the Year award.
The following was said about Philip by the National Australia Day Council
"Through his kindness and generosity, Philip Wollen brings crucial help to many charitable causes and inspires others to share his humanitarian values and ideals. His achievements in the business world mark him as a man of action and he channels this energy into practical outcomes for the causes he champions through the Winsome Constance Kindness Trust. Philip promotes kindness towards all other living beings and strives to enshrine this as a recognisable trait in the Australian character and culture. The measure of his support can be seen in the extraordinary list of organisations the Winsome Constance Kindness Trust supports, benefiting children, animals, the ill, the environment and aspiring youth. Essentially a private man, he seeks no personal publicity but is not afraid to step into the limelight for a just cause."
See Philip Wollen's 10 minute debate at St James Ethics Centre and the Wheeler Centre debate in Australia on May 16, 2012.
See Philip Wollen World Vegan Day Special Interview
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Free From Harm
Empowering the Conscious, Vegetarian and Vegan Community
We're all somewhere on our own path. We all aspire to do the right thing to protect the earth and the animals that inhabit it. Free from Harm is your online hub to empower you with the best information, tools and resources to guide you on that path.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Dan Piraro - Exclusive EVEN Interview
Cartoonist, Comic, Artist, Ethical Vegan
Read an exclusive EVEN interview HERE with vegan, Dan Piraro, award-winning Bizarro cartoonist.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
John McDougall, MD -
A True Believer
Santa Rosa physician John McDougall, who suffered a stroke at age 18, became a household name in the 1980s after writing a string of best-selling diet and cookbooks. He has a new book out, The Starch Solution.
Growing up in Detroit, John McDougall ate bacon and eggs for breakfast, cold cuts for lunch and lots of beef, pork and other meats for dinner. This typical midwestern diet caught up to him when he suffered a massive stroke at 18.
"I was in the hospital for two weeks," he recalled. "By the time I was 22, I weighed 235 pounds. At age 24, I had major abdominal surgery."
Now, more than 40 years later and 60 pounds lighter, the physician and nutrition expert lives an active life in Santa Rosa with his wife, Mary.
Read the entire PressDemocrat article.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Chew on This!
30 Reasons to Go Vegetarian
Because a vegan diet reverses heart disease.
Because it takes a small person to beat a defenseless animal...and an even smaller person to eat one.
Because eating meat and dairy products makes you fat.
Because the grain used to feed animals could be used to feed hungry people.
Because no animal deserves to die for your taste buds.
Because you can't eat meat and call yourself an environmentalist.
Because more than half the water used in the U.S. is used to raise animals for food.
Because when animals feel pain, they scream, too.
Because it isn't fair...
Need more reasons? Click here.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
THE EVERYTHING VEGAN
PREGNANCY BOOK!
All You Need to Know for a Healthy Pregnancy that Fits Your Lifestyle
by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Nutrition Advisor to the Vegetarian Resource Group
The Vegetarian Resource Group is happy to announce The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book by The VRG's Nutrition Advisor Reed
Mangels, PhD, RD.
Do I need more protein?
Am I getting enough nutrients for the baby?
How do I defend my decision to stay vegan?
These questions and more are on the minds of vegan moms-to-be who want to maintain their lifestyle but still nurture a healthy baby. Well, you can breathe a sigh of relief because a vegan pregnancy is not only possible, it's also healthy and completely safe.
With this helpful guide, you will learn about all aspects of vegan pregnancy from conception to bringing home baby, including:
Which foods to eat (and avoid!) to get optimum nutrients for you and baby
How to deal with disapproval from family and friends
Methods to ensure a vegan-friendly hospital birth
Setting up a vegan nursery for the baby
Packed with information for both moms and dads, including 150 nutritious and healthy recipes for the whole family, this book is the ultimate resource for parents who want the best for their baby--without sacrificing the vegan life!
This reassuring volume is sure to be a vital resource for families, to be used at any point on one's journey before, during, and after their vegan pregnancy. Offering insight to planning, nutrition needs, shopping, social issues, delivery, plus 150 vegan recipes, and an appendix stuffed with additional resources, this is a book that will help you embrace your vegan lifestyle and provide the tools for you to ensure you are nurturing a healthy life!
Book Review by Virginia Messina - "...answers any question that a pregnant woman and her family could possibly have—including meeting nutrient needs, choosing supplements, eating safely while camping, dealing with skeptical family members, and writing up a birth plan...."
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
5 Interesting Facts About
Plant-Based Food Choices
by Nil Zacharias: Co-founder, OneGreenPlanet.Org
People can debate all they want about whether a vegan diet is good for everyone, but there's no disputing the fact that the market for vegan food is booming. While vegans still account for only 2.5% of the population in the U.S. (an impressive doubling in size since 2009), what's really interesting is that 100 million people (approximately 33% of the U.S. population) are eating vegan/vegetarian meals more often, though they are not vegan or vegetarian.
But what exactly are they eating when they choose vegan? Soy dogs or kale? Moreover, what are people's thoughts on desserts with unlabeled sugar or the prospect of eating in vitro meat? A new survey by the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) set out to tackle these very questions.
The VRG commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a national telephone poll of a representative sample of 2,030 respondents, including vegans, vegetarians and those interested in vegetarian meals. The respondents were asked what they would purchase when buying a vegetarian product, and were presented with multiple options to choose from.
The survey revealed the following interesting (and some surprising) details about food choices that vegans/vegetarians and the veg-curious are making:
1. Everyone Wants More Greens: Three fourths of survey respondents (including, vegans, vegetarians and those interested in vegetarian meals) mentioned that when looking for a vegetarian product they would purchase a dish containing leafy greens such as broccoli, kale, or collards. 77% of the vegans surveyed said that they would choose greens and the other groups were not far behind.
Takeaway: Contrary to what some may assume, people who are interested in choosing plant-based meals are not necessarily thinking about processed foods or vegan imitations of their favorite meat dishes and are in fact more likely to choose a healthier option with greens when eating vegan. So, yes, based on this survey, it is safe to assume that eating vegan for most people means eating healthier!
2. Vegans Prefer Whole Plant Foods: While the overall results in this category are also positive, the survey revealed that vegans in particular are overwhelming choosing healthier whole foods such as lentils, chickpeas or rice when compared to the other groups. What is interesting, however, is that 40% of the vegetarians surveyed revealed that they would not choose whole foods while eating. Even those that only eat one or more vegetarian meals per week, fared better in response to this question.
Takeaway: Although the market for processed vegan foods has grown significantly in the past few years, it appears that vegans generally prefer whole foods and are likely to make the healthiest food choices, when compared to the other groups surveyed. Vegetarians on the other hand seem to be eating the least amount of whole foods. Too much cheese, perhaps?
3. The Need for Sugar Labeling: Less than half the survey respondents indicated that they would purchase their favorite dessert containing sugar, if the source of the sugar isn't specified. Only 25% of vegans indicated that they would purchase unlabeled sugar, which is not surprising because not all sugar is vegan. What is surprising, however, is that there was also a high level of concern around sugar sources amongst meat-eaters that choose one or more vegetarian meals per week.
Takeaway: The survey results definitely highlight the broad need for better labeling or products containing sugar by food manufacturers and restaurants.
4. A Growing Market for Vegan Sandwiches: Almost half of all the respondents indicated that they would purchase a vegetarian/vegan deli slice sandwich in Subway. While this choice didn't exceed people's interest in choosing greens and whole foods, it was definitely an area where all the groups surveyed had the same moderate level of enthusiasm.
Takeaway: As the Vegetarian Resource Group points out, most chains and restaurants have added vegetarian burgers and it probably makes sense for restaurants and food services offering veggie burgers to take this next step and add and promote another convenient sandwich product.
5. Almost No Interest in Eating Lab Grown Meat: With rising populations and growing demand for meat in the developing world, several scientists are currently working on more environmentally friendly ways to produce meat in labs. Even some animal advocacy groups support these efforts, because it could mean an end to exploiting animals for food. However, when the survey respondents were asked if they would purchase a meat alternative grown from animal cell DNA obtained ten years ago, which does not currently involve raising animals, the response was overwhelmingly negative. Only 2% of the vegans surveyed said yes and only 11% of all the groups surveyed (including meat eaters) seemed interested in such products.
Takeaway: It's going to take a lot of effort to get consumers warmed up to the idea of eating a meat product that was grown in a lab, instead of a farm. This is another area where accurate labeling is going to possibly be a crucial factor, along with price, safety and taste. A quality plant-based meat substitute may in fact stand a better chance for mass-adoption, when compared to anything grown in a lab from animal cell DNA.
While this new survey by the Vegetarian Resource Group is a great first step towards understanding people's veg-focused dietary choices, there is a lot more information that could be gathered in future surveys. For example, it would be interesting to learn about people's attitudes towards processed vegan food products, plant-based meat and dairy alternatives as well as organic produce, GMOs and palm oil.
As the market for vegan food grows and matures, along with overall awareness around health, animal welfare, food safety and environmental concerns, these consumption trends are likely to change over time. It's going to be fascinating to watch this space develop as the U.S. goes through a large-scale shift to more plant-based food options.
Stay tuned!
See additional links for this article >> HERE
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Conscious Eating Conference
Videos Available for Viewing - FREE!
On February 18, 2012, United Poultry Concerns, In Defense of Animals, Food Empowerment Project, and Berkeley Organization for Animal Advocacy hosted a successful conference at the University of California-Berkeley campus examining the relationship of our food choices to our planet, our communities, our health, and the animals who share our planet.
View presentations here. Watch them all or view each separately.
Source: United Poultry Concerns (UPC)
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Ruby Roth, Author of 'That's Why We Don't Eat Animals,' Chats With PETA
In an exclusive interview, Ruby discusses her inspiration and offers advice on how parents can get active for animals.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us! How long have you been vegan, and why did you make the decision?
In 2003 a friend challenged me to go vegan as a health experiment. I tried it for a few months, and I stopped getting colds, I lost weight, I woke up early full of energy, and I could feel my body running off of clean fuel. It was like taking off a heavy jacket and starting to run ... so I never went back! Then when I started researching our food and animal agriculture systems, my world was really blown open. Everything in my life—from my grandparents' experience in the Holocaust to my progressive upbringing and alternative education, to my interest in social justice should have led to my having been vegan already. But until my friend opposed my thinking, my values didn't match my eating habits. They do now.
That's Why We Don't Eat Animals is an immensely popular kids' book. What was the inspiration behind the book?
I was teaching art at an elementary school when the kids began questioning why I didn't eat the string cheese and milk they were served at recess. As I quietly and gently shared my reasons (I got braver later), I was shocked to find that they were interested, curious, inquisitive. Right away, I looked for a book I could bring to them, but I couldn't find one that wasn't about a talking animal or vegetable—I felt these kids were too cool and smart for that, they wouldn't pay attention to silliness. With degrees in American studies and art, I decided to create the book myself.
You have a new kids' book, Vegan Is Love, coming out on April 24. How is this book different from That's Why We Don't Eat Animals?
Where the first book is about the "why," the second is about the "how." Vegan Is Love is about sending our love across the world through everyday choices. From the food we eat to the dollars we spend to the clothing and entertainment we choose, anyone and everyone can make a vegan choice. This book shows children how. I consider it a kid's guide to "occupying" the world!
When you aren't writing wonderful children's books, what can we find you doing?
When I'm not developing books, researching and blogging, prepping food for my family, graphic designing, fashion illustrating, and being the woman-of-the-house, you can usually find me at a farmer's market! I kid you not, there are three nearby me during the week, and sometimes I go to ALL of them! It's joy, church, community, my social life, and grocery shopping rolled into one.
As I'm sure you would agree, kids are integral to creating a kinder world. What would you suggest for how parents can get their kids active for animals?
Wanting to help animals—or the environment, people, and Earth—comes first from having a sense of the world and our place in it. Have fun diving into analytical, interesting conversations with your child—at the grocery store when you're buying cruelty-free shampoo, at the farmer's market when you're handing over dollars for fruit, when you're reading homework textbooks and see the food group charts, when you see an ad for chicken nuggets during Sesame Street. Ask your children for their opinions on important subjects so they begin formulating morals and values on their own. It's fun and enlightening, their answers can be so insightful. And it's this kind of education in critical and compassionate thinking that lasts a lifetime.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Mercy for Animals Exposes Meat Industry Corruption and Rotten Practices to Global Audience
"This is an industry that's proven time and time again to be incapable of self regulation, and no other industry has these kinds of protections. You could imagine these laws being passed to protect daycares so that people couldn't expose child abuse or sexual assault at a daycare or a senior home - that wouldn't fly." But unfortunately, the factory farming industry "has so much money and so much power,"...
MFA denounced American meat industry corruption and rotten practices to a global audience in an interview with RT Network, the second-most watched foreign news network in the U.S., which broadcasts internationally in over 100 countries. Hear Matt Rice, Director of Investigations for MFA in his interview with RT Network.
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
Still a Fast-Food Nation: Eric Schlosser Reflects on 10 Years Later
I hope that 10 years from now this book really is irrelevant—and that the world it describes, so full of greed and lacking in compassion, is just a bad memory.
- Eric Schlosser, Author Fast-Food Nation
Ten years after his seminal book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser reflects on how little has changed in the production, safety, and consumption in America—but why he's still hopeful.
...Throughout the United States, parents are working to kick fast food, junk food, and soda out of their children's schools. The sale of fruit and vegetable seeds for home gardens is soaring. Idealistic college kids often dream of becoming chefs or farmers, instead of doctors and lawyers. The Food Network has turned cooking into a form of mass entertainment and transformed people who cook well into celebrities. The frozen, reheated, salty, fatty foods served at McDonald's and Burger King and KFC are the antithesis of what this new movement wants. >> MORE
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog
The 8 Most Nutrient Dense Foods
by Jill Ettinger
We all know which foods we do best to avoid (right?). Despite the alluring appeal of Oreos, Mountain Dew or McAnything, processed foods provide little nutrition and a whole lot of risks. But when it comes to the good stuff—what are the best foods to put into our bodies? While experts all agree we need a variety of foods for a healthy diet, do you know which are the healthiest of the bunch? The answers may surprise and delight you.
1. Spirulina: While the thought of eating lake algae might gross you out, spirulina is actually pretty tasty, especially blended into a smoothie or hidden in a chocolate bar. It has more antioxidants than any other food on earth and is loaded with protein and minerals making it the most nutrient dense food.
2. Kale: According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, kale is the most nutritious food, loaded with minerals, vitamins, fiber and amino acids, as well as important antioxidants that reduce inflammation and can prevent cancer. It's also delicious and an easy to prepare, versatile food.
3. Hemp Seeds: What do you get when you combine protein, fiber, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals? Hemp, of course. This easily digestible seed is versatile, easy to use and extremely tasty, too.
4. Chocolate: Yes, you read right. Cacao beans are so nutrient-dense that scientists haven't even begun to identify all the benefits in the little bean yet. Don't grab a Snickers though—the good stuff is found only in raw cacao beans or nibs (or really, really dark chocolate). Minerals, vitamins and tons of antioxidants are great for your heart, skin, and release chemicals in the brain that make you feel like you're in love.
5. Broccoli: Mom was right, you should eat your broccoli if you want a healthy digestive system and to decrease your risk of cancer. Broccoli has a wide range of yumminess too, from soups and stews to stir fry.
6. Spinach: Popeye was onto something with that spinach fixation. But skip the canned stuff and stick with fresh or frozen for an antioxidant, protein and fiber-rich burst of healthy goodness. Fresh or cooked, spinach's sweet and hardy flavor brightens any meal.
7. Chia: The Aztec warriors may have died out, but their legacy is alive and strong in the chia seed. This yummy, unassuming ancient favorite is loaded with omega fats, protein and fiber. Dr. Weil says it's a better choice than flax because "chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid."
8. Berries: Unlike other fruit, berries tend to be less sugary and full of vital vitamins, minerals and those free-radical avenging antioxidants. Wild berries are always a great choice, especially black raspberries.
Source: Organic Authority
EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog---EVEN News Blog