If You're Going to be a Vet, You Can't Eat Your Patients!

There are many things I love about my husband.  Besides being a loving, supportive, and funny man, he’s also smart, handsome and incredibly humble about it all.  With this humility, he isn’t likely to express his opinion very loudly, unless he’s among his closest friends – he just assumes that everyone has their own path, and it’s not his place to barge in and tell them how to live.

So I was more than a little surprised when he told me recently that he challenged a patient of his who said she was going to be a vet.  “So you must be a vegetarian?” he asked the young college girl.  “Ummm … no…” she said hesitantly.  “Hmm.”  He paused.  “Well, I’m a doctor and I’m not a cannibal – how can you be a vet and eat your patients?”

At this point of the story, I was on the floor rolling – mainly due to his comment, and also due to his bravado in standing up for the veg*n diet.  Like I said, he’s generally pretty quiet about his opinions when he’s with strangers.  I can imagine this poor girl who came in for a routine eye exam, only to have her doctor nail her to the wall about eating her future patients!  But I’m sure he made a point that stuck with her.  YAY, husband!!

So, for today’s blog, I simply ask you:  “Do you stand up for your veg*n diet?”  You don’t need to throw blood on fur-wearing opera fans if that’s not your style, but can you at least stand up for what you believe?  Can you proudly tell people that you eat this way, and briefly explain why?  If not, then practice your elevator speech.  You never know when you might say something that sticks.a

Why You Can't Seem to Quit Eating Cheese

If you’re having a hard time going vegan because you just can’t seem to give up cheese, you’re not alone!  Many of us have felt the pull to cheese like a crack addict to crack.  In fact, you may even feel like you’re … addicted. 

Believe it or not, it could very well be that you are addicted to cheese!  Cheese contains casein, which breaks apart in digestion to release naturally occurring opiates called casomorphins.  Astonishingly, casomorphins mimic the reaction of morphine on our brain!  These opiates in dairy products may be responsible for the calming effect of nursing in infants, and also for the addictive qualities in cheese.

Before I was vegan, my four personal food groups were Swiss, Havarti, Cheddar and Chocolate.  In college, I was always a cheap date because I’d choose fettuccine alfredo over steak or lobster any day.  Interestingly, when I wanted to lose weight, I fantasized about someone putting padlocks on my refrigerator so I simply couldn’t get to the food.  (Sounds like the fantasy of an addict to me.)  I remember when I first read the advice in a Susan Powter book to give up dairy, it seemed like it would be easier to give up everything else except for dairy, and specifically cheese. I think I might have been one of those cheese addicts.

So what do you do if you suspect you are a cheese addict?  Don’t despair!  You won’t have to put yourself in lockdown if you really want to give up cheese.  You simply have to clean out your taste buds for about 30 days before whole, natural foods start tasting amazing once again, and foods like cheese, ice cream and chocolate start to sound unappealing.  I know this sounds impossible, but trust me, I’ve seen it happen to many people, including myself.  In fact, in Tina’s Blog (see my last blog post,) she surprisingly announced that this started happening to her around Day 15 or so of the 30 Day Challenge in Vegan in 30 Days.  Food just wasn’t tasting very good anymore – things she used to love were becoming too salty now.  All she wants to eat now are fruit smoothies made with ripe, juicy, natural fruits.  Now that’s an improvement!

To learn more about the 30 Day Vegan Challenge and how to clean out your taste buds for a lifetime of good health, you can read more in Vegan in 30 Days.  To learn more about the chemical effects of how casein turns into casomorphins, you may want to google Neal Barnard or Bill Harris, both of whom are medical doctors that I have heard speak to this topic.  Neal Barnard’s book Breaking the Food Seduction, specifically speaks to this topic.  To read Tina’s humorous blog, click here.

Tina Goes "Vegan in 30 Days!"

Raspberry lemonade does NOT count as two servings of fruit and caramel corn does NOT count as a serving of vegetables!!  If you love a good laugh, read Tina's Blog as she goes “Vegan in 30 Days.” 

Modeled after my book, Vegan in 30 Days, Tina takes the vegan challenge and decides to follow the 30 day plan to slowly give up all meat, dairy and eggs, and go 100% vegan.  However, with her incredible humor, she’ll have you rolling!  Here are some excerpts:

Day 3 – The Fruit & Veg Cleanse

“So, I'm not what you would call a "go-getter" first thing in the morning.  I wake up gradually.  Consciousness sneaks up on me with little cat feet; it doesn't drop on me like Queen Latifah ...  Keeping all this in mind, my morning started with me actually getting out of bed (as all mornings do), taking a shower, going on Facebook to harvest my Cityville crops, and then grabbing 3 leftover Bottle Caps from last night's Blockbuster snack pack.  I ate them before I even realized what day it was.  So, within 15 minutes of getting out of bed, I'd already violated the Fruit and Veg Cleanse with Willy Wonka candy.  Oops.”

Day 5 – Find Substitutes

“I do frequent the health food store in Chelan, probably 5 times a year or so, even though it's 60 miles one way and gas is like $85 a gallon.  I do this because it makes me feel trendy and green, and because I figure there's going to be some single men there.”

Read more from Tina’s Blog here!

I'd Like to Be Vegan ... But I Just Can't Seem to Give up Dairy!

After I give a lecture, the number one comment people make to me is, “I’ve been vegetarian for years, but I just can’t seem to give up dairy!”  If this sounds like you, read on. 

I always joke that, before becoming vegan, my four food groups were Swiss, Havarti, Cheddar and Chocolate.  As soon as I went to college and began making my own food choices, I naturally gravitated to all things dairy – Melted Cheese Hoagies, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Macaroni and Cheese, Fettucine Alfredo, Frozen Yogurt with M&Ms on top…  I know how much you love your dairy!

Yet when you face the reality of what dairy cows must go through to produce dairy products, it becomes hard to look yourself in the mirror and still eat them.  Many vegetarians explain their dairy consumption by saying, “Well, the cow didn’t have to die to give me this cheese.”  However, if you think about it, at least a beef cow has a short life before it is slaughtered in terror; the dairy cow lives about 5 long years of misery and pain in inhumane conditions … and then she is slaughtered in terror. If she had a conscious choice, I expect a dairy cow would prefer to be slaughtered early than to live out her days in such pain.

Others try to justify their dairy consumption by saying, “It’s just a small amount of creamer for my coffee,” or “It’s just a little sprinkling of cheese,” but the fact remains that we vote with our wallets:  Every time we choose a small amount of creamer or a little sprinkling of cheese we are directly responsible for the pain and misery of these animals.

Laurelee Blanchard is very familiar with the atrocities that happen in factory farms, dairy farms and egg farms.  As the founder of Leilani Farm Sanctuary, she has made it her life’s mission to teach people about farmed animals, and encourage them to start loving the animals and stop eating them.  She has kindly provided most of the following information on dairy cows. 

Dairy cows on large factory farms are typically housed indoors or on dry feedlots year round and lactating cows are often kept restrained in tie stalls or stanchions. Most dairy calves are removed from their mothers immediately after birth. The males are mainly sold for veal or castrated and raised for beef. “Bob veal” calves are killed as soon as a few days after birth; those used to produce “special-fed veal” are typically kept tethered in individual stalls until they’re slaughtered at about 16 to 20 weeks of age. The female calves are commonly subjected to tail docking, dehorning, and the removal of “extra” teats. Although they don’t reach mature size until at least 4 years old, dairy cows first give birth at about 2 years of age and are continually bred again beginning about 60 days after each birth. Each year, approximately one quarter of the cows who survive the farms are sent to slaughter, most often due to reproductive problems or mastitis. Cows can live more than 20 years; however, they’re usually killed at about 5 years of age, after roughly 2.5 lactations.

If the anti-cruelty laws that protect pets were applied to farmed animals, many of the most routine U.S. farming practices would be illegal in all 50 states. Disregard for farmed animals persists because few people realize the ways in which these individuals are mistreated, and even fewer actually witness the abuse. Once aware, most people are appalled.

I think we don’t want to face the cruelty of the dairy industry because we don’t want to give up our favorite foods.  Once you realize that most of those foods are still available to you under new brand names, you will realize what all vegans do:  Being vegan is actually easy!  Shifting away from dairy products and toward healthier, cruelty-free foods is easy – and tasty – with so many amazing alternatives available today.  I defy any skeptic to make a grilled cheese sandwich using Daiya brand cheese with Earth Balance buttery spread, or scoop up a helping of Coconut Bliss Ice Cream for dessert. 

Look for these types of vegan products and more at your local health food store.  I highly recommend going to a good health food store (as opposed to a national grocery chain with a health food section) and asking the staff there what the best-selling vegan products are.  They will be happy to steer you toward the brands that customers and staff rave about.

If you are vegetarian and would like to go vegan, but feel overwhelmed, I offer you a challenge:  Commit to being vegan for just 30 days.  During that time, you will find vegan dairy substitutes, learn to ask for vegan entrees at restaurants, and learn to pack your own food if you need to.  For more assistance, you can look for my book, Vegan in 30 Days, which will step you through the process day by day.  Once 30 days has passed, you’ll realize – like the rest of us – that being vegan really is easy!  Yes, you can be vegan!

Eggs - What's the Big Deal?

Those of you who know my story know that I, like many of you, went vegan overnight after reading John Robbin’s book, Diet for a New America.  As an animal lover, my husband knows to pull the car over instantly if a cute dog is sitting on the sidewalk that looks like it needs a good petting (they all do!)  But after reading Diet for a New America, I had to ask myself, “Other than my personal familiarity with them, what distinguishes a dog from a chicken?  A cat from a cow?”  In looking at photos like the one below, with egg-laying chickens crammed into cages for their entire lives, poop falling on them from chickens above, stepping in their own excrement and fighting with their cagemates, I had to ask myself, “If these were puppies instead of chickens, we’d be outraged!  Why aren’t we outraged for the chickens?”

It is, of course, a matter of familiarity, cultural norms, and probably, the “cuddle-factor” of puppies.  But none of these arguments really holds up against the ultimate question:  Does not every animal (and human) deserve to live its life out under natural conditions, free from pain and suffering at the hands of others?

To me the answer is clearly “yes.”  I may not feel as strong a connection to chickens as I do to puppies, but that doesn’t make them less worthy of love or more worthy to be abused.

Laurelee Blanchard is a compassionate woman who has dedicated her life to rescuing farm animals that were either destined to become dinner, or were in other abusive situations.  Running Leilani Farm Sanctuary on Maui, she provides tours to locals and tourists alike, teaching them that all animals - not just our house pets - have personalities and intelligence, and all creatures deserve our love and protection.  

Laurelee has offered to provide information for our blog on farm animals, for which we are very grateful.  If you are moved by what you read, please visit Leilani Farm Sanctuary's website!

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People who know chickens as friends know that chickens are not “all alike.” They know that, like all species with certain traits in common, chickens have individual personalities, distinctive identities, and unique ways of expressing themselves.

Chickens have memory and emotions, and a keenly developed consciousness of one another and of their surroundings. Researchers have recently published findings on chicken intelligence that have challenged old notions about avian cognitive abilities. For instance, scientists have found that chickens clearly understand cause-and-effect relationships, an advanced comprehension skill that puts their intellect beyond that of dogs. In the book The Development of Brain and Behavior in the Chicken, Dr. Lesley Rogers, a professor of neuroscience and animal behavior, concludes, “It is now clear that birds have cognitive capacities equivalent to those of mammals, even primates.”

More than half a billion eggs originating from two factory farms were recalled earlier this year because of salmonella outbreak.  Eggs are our number-one cause of salmonella poisoning, not surprising given the conditions in which they’re produced.  Egg factory farms consist of a series of warehouse-like sheds that house 200,000 or more birds in each windowless building. Inside, hens are crammed into thousands of wire battery cages, stacked several tiers high and extending in rows for the length of the building. The stacked cages force chickens to live in the bacteria-breeding excrement of those above them—causing ammonia burn to their eyes, which can lead to blindness.

Within the cages, each hen has about 67 square inches of space, less than a sheet of paper; not even enough space to spread her wings. Many hens raised under these conditions die of stress or disease.  Since only female chickens produce eggs, about 280 million male chicks per year are shoved into plastic bags to suffocate, or are ground up alive.

But what about free range eggs?  No government laws regulate the use of terms like "free-range" on egg cartons, so some "free-range" eggs may actually be produced by hens who spend their lives in small, conventional battery cages. Often "free-range" hens, though uncaged, are confined in crowded sheds, with little or no access to the outdoors. Once their egg production wanes, “free-range,” “cage-free,” and “organic” hens are slaughtered, the same as factory-farmed hens.

Healthy and humane alternatives to eggs are available at natural food stores, including powdered egg substitute for baking, tofu scrambler, and eggless mayonnaise.

Vegan Leadership

One of the potlucks I went to a couple of weeks ago on Maui was at the amazing Spirit of Aloha Oceanfront Botanical Gardens.  The owner, Frederic Honig, is a dedicated vegan, and called together top vegan leaders on Maui for a vegan strategy meeting to help promote veganism on Maui.  Held on 11 acres of gorgeous oceanfront property, representatives from raw food retreats, a farm sanctuary, locally renowned vegan cooking teachers, vegan/raw authors, and others – all gathered to discuss ways to maximize veganism on Maui.  Topics included:

·     How to spread the word about veganism on Maui

·     How to promote local vegan and raw businesses

·     How to encourage all restaurants on the island to offer vegan options

·     How to bring conscious eating to local schools

·     How to help local Hawaiians adopt a vegan diet, and

·     How to help people connect their food choices with the animals. 

As I sat at this auspicious meeting of incredible leaders in the vegan community, I looked out over the ocean and thought, “Where else are people doing this?  Where, across this country and across this world, are people actively meeting in an effort to reduce the suffering of animals, the destruction of our environment and the health of our communities?”  There are state vegetarian and vegan societies, meetup groups, and others who are planning similar meetings. Have you investigated where those meetings are taking place near you? Have you been to one?  If none are close by, perhaps it’s your turn to step up and be a leader!  The power of one is mighty, but the power of a dedicated and passionate group has no limits.

Maui Vegan Potlucks

As new homeowners on Maui, I have come to know and love the island, and especially the North Shore for its amazing vegan community.  One of my very favorite things that I have learned there is the value of potlucks.  If potlucks don’t get you excited, stay with me – this is something that really could change your life!

What I love most about Maui, but especially Haiku, is the strong sense of community.  In less than a year, I feel like a have friends there that I can truly call family.  I think people who move to Maui are very unique:  Not only do they have the courage to up and leave everything they know and love on the mainland, but they also leave all of their friends and family an entire ocean away.  I have a theory that, because so many Maui residents have left their loved ones on the mainland, they end up creating a second family amongst their friends on the island.  The sense of community is like no other place I have ever been.

One of the ways in which people in Haiku become as close as family is by having regular potlucks at each others’ homes.  And I mean regular!  It’s not uncommon to be invited to 3 or 4 potlucks every week – many, if not most of them, vegetarian or vegan!  Potlucks are a huge part of the culture on Maui.  The great thing about this is that you get to choose from so much delicious vegan food while you get to connect with your “family.”  Just like in a large family gathering, food is everywhere, and everyone is chatting and laughing, so happy to see each other. 

In Washington, potlucks are rare amongst my friends, but I plan to change that!  One of the many things I’ve learned from the people on Maui is that our connection with one another is more important than anything.  Therefore, instead of slaving over the kitchen twice a year to host the perfect four course meal, I’ll be more likely to loosen up, and just tell everyone to show up once a month with a vegan dish.  Because it will be so easy, I can host dinners many times a year without feeling any pressure that my meal has to be perfect or impressive.  After all, do my friends really care?  Hopefully, they just want to share my company, as I do with them. 

If you yearn for a closer connection to your friends, neighbors, colleagues or family, take a lesson from Maui – make your relationships stronger easily, by inviting people over for a vegan potluck.  Your hassle time is extremely low, but the paybacks are great.  And the food … delicious!

Maui - The Vegan Capital of the World!

I just returned from Maui, where we bought some property earlier this year.  I have always yearned for a place on Maui, but had just assumed that if we ever bought a place, it would be a small condo somewhere near Kihei – the touristy side of the island that I was most familiar with.  In a surprising and seriously synchronistic chain of events, Mark and I ended up buying 8 acres in Haiku with a Vegan Farm Sanctuary on it (www.LeilaniFarmSanctuary.org) … and I anticipate that it will be one of the best things we have ever done.

Why do I bring this up here, in my vegan blog?  I bring it up because I consider Maui to be the “Vegan Capital of the World,” especially the North Shore, where the towns of Pa’ia and Haiku are famous for their vegan and raw food populations and their focus on spirituality. 

Just about all restaurants in the area actively offer vegan options, and there are three restaurants in Haiku/Pa’ia that are 100% vegan - The Fresh Mint, Veg Out and Prana Nui.  Even in large cities, 100% vegan restaurants are hard to come by, much less in small towns like Haiku and Pa’ia.  Non-vegan restaurants here almost always offer vegan options – the Pa’ia Burrito at Maui Tacos is perfect when you’re starving after a long day at the beach, and the Vegan Pizza at Flatbread is to die for.

Local tourist shops carry a lot of vegan clothing, hats and gifts, reflecting Maui’s natural focus on preserving our resources and being kind to the earth.  You’ll see a lot of people hitchhiking – many who are young surfers that can’t afford a car, but others who simply choose not to own a car and contribute to polluting our air.

The grocery store in Pa’ia – Mana Foods – is literally crammed with vegan options, and you’ll bump into people as you squeeze between the vegan frozen soft-serve and the hot-from-the-oven vegan scones.  They don’t just carry a few brands of soymilk – they carry pretty much all brands, and the same goes for all other types of vegan substitutes.  For those feeling a little lazy at dinner time, Mana’s vegan frozen food section goes as far as the eye can see, and their produce section is packed with straight-from-the-trees/ground produce that is delivered fresh from local farmers.  Their deli is a vegan smorgasbord, making it very difficult to decide what to eat for lunch, and includes a fantastic salad bar with all your naughty favorites – macaroni salad, potato salad, etc – all done vegan! 

While you’re in Mana Foods, spend some time reading the community bulletin board.  Here, you’ll find information on vegan cooking classes, raw food retreats, yoga and meditation classes, and a multitude of spiritual gatherings.  If you’re in need of a serious health cleanse, take up residence at The Temple of Peace, where they’ll feed you raw food and juice you for several days.

I never found it that challenging to travel as a vegan … I can always find a salad, some veggie sushi or a veggie pizza with no cheese.  But on the other hand, I rarely find vegan culinary delights when I travel.  Maui is different.  If you’re looking for an amazing getaway, lots of sun, activities and like-minded vegans, head to Maui.  To really get enmeshed in the vegan community, stay at the North Shore and immerse yourself in the community by going to classes, gatherings and meetups.  Who knows … if Maui calls to you, you too, might soon call Maui home!

Vegan Athletes

I have had a rash of questions lately about how to use the vegan diet to optimize athletic performance.  While I have race-walked marathons and played competitive tennis as a vegan, I have never paid particular attention to my diet while competing – I just ate my regular vegan diet.  However, if you are interested in optimizing your athletic performance, I do have some advice…

First, google vegan athletes in your area of interest.  Robert Cheeke is famous for vegan bodybuilding.  Scott Jurek is a world-champion vegan ultra-marathoner.  Martina Navratilova – the tennis player with the most grand slam championships in the world – was vegan before most people even knew what vegan was.  See what vegan athletes in your area of interest have to say on their websites about how they get the best performance out of their diet.

Second, check out books about vegan athletic performance.  There are not many out there, but my favorite is Thrive by Brendan Brazier.  As an Ironman Triathlete, Brendan began tweaking his diet in small increments in his teens, in an effort to maximize his performance.  As he deleted items and added items in and out of his diet, he finally came to a diet that he felt absolutely allowed him to perform at his peak.  As it turned out, that diet was 100% vegan, and nearly fully raw. 

Finally, experiment yourself.  Try eliminating fat for a week.  Try eating small meals throughout the day, versus eating three larger meals.  Try wheatgrass shots, different hydration methods, and varying your protein intake.  Take notes and notice how you feel when you wake up, before you work out, after you work out, and throughout the day.

With a little extra effort, your vegan diet can catapult your performance.  Just ask Carl Lewis, Mike Tyson, or Tony Gonzalez!

Quick and Easy Meals

If you are a busy person or can’t stand spending your time in the kitchen, you always appreciate a really quick meal.  One of the easiest I’ve found is lettuce wraps.

To make a lettuce wrap, you simply buy romaine lettuce (or endive, or any type of lettuce that you can make a little cup out of,) take a favorite filling and put it inside the lettuce cup.  Roll it up and eat it like a burrito! 

Do you have leftover Mexican dip from yesterday’s party?  Leftover veggie ceviche (see January 20^th blog)?  Leftover couscous?  Many types of leftovers can easily be wrapped up in lettuce leaves and made into a quick meal.  Here are a couple of easy ideas, in case you don’t have leftovers handy:

Black Bean Lettuce Wraps

Take a can of black beans, 2 tablespoons of salsa, 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro.  Mix together, put into lettuce cups and serve.

Hummus Lettuce Wraps

Spread hummus on lettuce leaves, top with sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, chopped basil and chopped kalamata olives.  Roll up and serve.

Kid’s Lettuce Wraps

Spread almond butter on lettuce leaves, slice banana on top, and serve.  This is a fantastic way to get your kids to eat greens!

How to be a Classy Vegan Guest

“HELP!  I’ve been invited to someone’s home for dinner!  How do I tell them I’m vegan?”  This is one of the biggest conundrums for vegans – eating at other people’s homes.  But it doesn’t have to turn into drama.  Follow these steps to make sure you are a respectful guest … and get a great meal!

1.      Tell or remind the host/ess that you are vegan.  You may think the person knows or that they remember you are vegan, but you really don’t want to show up and find that they didn’t know or didn’t remember after all, and have them become horribly embarrassed that they don’t have anything appropriate for you, or feel that they have to scramble in the midst of all of their other preparations to make you something vegan.  Unless you are 100% sure they know that you are vegan, it’s best to pick up the phone and politely remind them.

2.      Offer to bring a dish.  When I call the hostess, I always offer to bring a dish.  I say something like, “I just wanted to call because I wasn’t sure if you remembered that I eat a vegan diet.  I really don’t want to put you to any more work, so would it be helpful if I brought a vegan dish to supplement your meal, and I’ll bring enough for everyone?”  I usually throw in something like, “Many people have found this makes life much easier for them!” which lets them assume that most other hostesses accept this offer, and they feel like they can too. 

3.      Make it easy.  If the hostess tells you not to worry about bringing your own dish, then you may want to offer to help.  If she sounds a little clueless about how to go about making a vegan meal, “Don’t worry about bringing a dish – I’ll figure it out,” then I either offer again to bring a dish, or ask if it would be helpful if I e-mailed over any recipes.  If your hostess is really excited to experiment in the kitchen, then just sit back and enjoy!  But …

4.      Make sure your hostess understands what a vegan diet is.  This is the most important step.  If your hostess is definitely going to cook for you, then make sure that she really knows what a vegan diet is.  A family member of mine got Italian take-out when I came over, which should have had tons of options, but came back with Eggplant Parmesan, pasta with cream sauce and salad with cheese.  She was horrified when my cousin pointed out that none of it would work for me.  I could have prevented her that embarrassment if I had been really clear about what I could and could not eat.

It can be tricky to eat at someone’s house as a vegan, but it doesn’t need to be.  The important thing is to remember to be proactive about what you can and cannot eat, gracious about whatever works best for them, and thoughtful about how you can help.

3 Easy Steps to Vegan Entertaining

“HELP!  The neighbors are coming over for dinner – how can I feed them a great vegan meal that they will love?” The idea of serving a vegan meal to friends or family can seem daunting, but it doesn’t need to be.  Just follow these simple rules:

1.        Know your house rules.  Are you okay having meat and/or dairy products in your house?  Are you okay cooking them?  Do you keep a strict vegetarian or vegan house, and no exceptions are made for guests?  Know this ahead of time.  If your guests offer to bring a dish, you may need to let them know of your house rules in a very kind and respectful way.

2.        Know your best recipes.   I have a recipe for vegan paella that’s amazing.  I also have a recipe for vegan risotto that is to die for.  Same for Veggie Ceviche (find that recipe in my book, Vegan in 30 Days!)  Vegan chili is an easy dish that most people won’t even notice doesn’t have meat, especially if you include ground tofu in it.  These are the types of recipes that I pull out when I plan to entertain. 

When you are having guests over, this is not the time to try brand new recipes, and it’s probably not the time to trot out something like low-salt, low-fat vegan tofu quiche.  You might think it’s great, but someone used to eating the standard America diet will probably not like it.  As you try new recipes, always put a notation in your cookbook that reminds you of whether it’s good enough for carnivorous guests.  I rate all my recipes 1-5 stars.  If it’s 5 stars, I know I can serve it to my Dad!  Also, try recipe sites (like VegWeb.com) where dozens of people have rated the recipes.  If a recipe for Shephard’s Pie has 39 ratings and an average rating of 5 stars, it’s probably a winner!

3.        Offer several choices.  I have been vegan for so long that I forget how different food can taste when your palate is cleansed of animal foods.  Things that you think are delicious really might not taste that great to someone who still eats meat and dairy.  So, just in case your signature dish is not as memorable to your guests as you’d hoped, I suggest offering a few dishes.  For example, if you’re making vegan chili, also make vegan fajitas.

4.        Enjoy!  Many people (myself included) get so worried that their guests will like their food, that they don’t really enjoy the meal themselves!  But it’s like any food – meat based or not … sometimes your guests will love your food and sometimes maybe not.  You must get the idea out of your head that just because it’s vegan they will automatically hate it.  If you know your best recipes and offer two or three selections, you’re bound to make everyone happy!

Every couple of years I hold a fundraiser at my house for one of my favorite charities.  After I went vegan I had to decide what concessions I was willing to make for my guests.  I struggled and struggled that first year I was vegan about whether to suck it up and serve them non-vegan food.  I thought about it long and hard and asked friends and family for advice, but when I turned the question into, “How many animals will I let die so my guests can eat?” the answer became so incredibly obvious:  absolutely none.  So I spent the week before my party planning out my menu and really pulling out all stops to make the food amazing.  No kidding – that year I had more comments on how delicious the food was than any other year before!

The Power of One

I was sitting in an office the other day, and the calendar had an adorable picture of a puppy and kitten together with the caption, “April: Prevent Animal Cruelty Month.”  Who knew?  But what a great topic for my blog!

Animal abuse is horrific.  I can’t even watch the Animal Planet anymore because they are forever airing shows about the SPCA going into homes and saving animals from the most terrible conditions.  I would cry so hard that my husband finally said, “No more Animal Planet – you’re too tender hearted.”  He’s right.  I only like to see puppies and kitties doing cute or funny things, and the people who adore them so happy to be in their presence.  With practically no willpower over my diet my entire life, I read one little book (Diet for a New America, by John Robbins) and was so upset by it that I went vegan absolutely overnight. 

Which brings me to the topic of today’s blog:  What’s the most effective way that you can help prevent animal cruelty?  Well, unless you’re abusing animals regularly, the most effective way to help prevent animal cruelty (and it is extremely effective) is to quit eating them, eating their products, wearing them and using them. 

Most every animal sold for its meat is kept in absolutely deplorable conditions, and usually sent to the slaughterhouse under terror and pain.  I really want you to take a moment and imagine this scenario: You live in an elevator your whole life with 5 other people.  You are all fed the same disgusting food every day, and you defecate and urinate all over your elevator and have to step in it and sleep in it all the time.  The fumes from your waste are so bad that you all get respiratory illness, the filth so bad you get infections and diseases, and rats are running through your elevator, biting you.  You are crammed into such a small place that you get into huge fights with the 5 other people in the elevator.  You bite each other, scratch each other and kick each other.  Many of you go crazy, becoming quite dangerous to the other people in the elevator.  You become afraid to sleep.  On top of that, the people who own the elevator put antibiotics and hormones and other things in your disgusting food, making you grow too fast for your bone structure, resistant to bacteria, falling further ill, sick and sore.  At some point, a couple of you in the elevator can’t even stand anymore, you are so beaten down by your conditions.  This is what it is like for chickens stuffed into tiny cages together, or pigs in a hoghouse. 

I don’ t need to go into gorry detail here about the atrocities of factory farming.  However, I bring this up specifically so that you can imagine what it might be like yourself to live a life of confinement, pain, disease, emotional trauma and fear … and then contemplate why you might expect an animal to go through this type of cruelty – and much worse – only to become your dinner, your jacket or your shoes.  I highly recommend the video Earthlings if you haven’t heard about all of the sources of animal products before.

Ask yourself, why would I treat a dog any differently that I would treat a chicken?  They are all lives, and I argue that no one type of life – even a human life – is more worthy than any other.  If you wouldn’t want to be treated in such inhumane conditions, then don’t expect another animal to do it for your sake either.

PETA says that a vegetarian saves 100 land animals a year by not eating them.  That doesn’t include fish and shellfish, nor does it include the raw suffering of dairy animals and laying hens that aren’t killed for our meat, but suffer endlessly to give us dairy and eggs. 

So, it’s April – Prevent Animal Cruelty Month.  What will you do for the rest of this month to help prevent animal cruelty?  Go vegetarian?  Go fully vegan?  Choose to buy the car that doesn’t have leather seats?  Take your nephew to the beach instead of the circus or zoo?  Rescue a cat or dog that is headed for the gas chamber tomorrow?  Or maybe it’s time for you to reach out and become more vocal about why you are vegan?  It doesn’t take much to make a huge difference. 

The Power of One is amazing.

Honey, You Don't Love Yourself Enough!

I have an amazing life coach.  I hired her a couple of years ago when I was going through a very rough time in my life.  In one of our first sessions together, as I was spilling out all the wrongs that were happening to me (yes to me – I saw myself as a victim,) she cut me off and said, in an amazingly direct way said, “Honey?  You know what your problem is?  You don’t love yourself enough!”

WHAT???  “Of course I love myself!” I shot back.  “In fact, people often comment that I have great self-esteem and confidence.  Those things come from loving yourself!”  But she was just starting on me, on a journey that would last two years.  “Honey, you’re not listening,” she said.  I didn’t say you don’t love yourself.  I said you don’t love yourself enough.” 

Wow.  That stopped me cold.  It never occurred to me that I didn’t fully love myself, but I knew something had to be right in that statement, because it just hurt too much to hear it.  If it really wasn’t true, it wouldn’t bother me at all.  Like if someone accused me of being purple with orange polka dots, that wouldn’t hurt – it’s simply not true.  But this hurt.  Bad.

Over the coming months, I went to work on myself.  I put aside everything else – desires to achieve, accomplish, acquire more, look great, gain publicity … and just read and read about how to love yourself more.  And an amazing thing happened.  I quit overeating.  Not that I ate huge amounts before, but I certainly overate almost every day, defined as eating when I was not truly hungry.  As I began to love myself more and more, I didn’t want to overeat.  I wanted to treat my body and my spirit better.  Sugary foods started sounding awful.  What an amazing discovery! 

But then, when life started to happen again and another hard time hit, I began hitting the vegan cookies again, and overeating.  My great friend (whom I won’t name here – she’s somewhat well-known) had not eaten an unhealthy bite for years, yet hit a really rough period around the same time, and started downing treats and fatty foods like nobody’s business.  As we discussed this we had this amazing discovery:  It’s a blessing when you start to overeat.

Here’s why:  Most of us have overeaten for years – every day we eat more than we need, downing salty crackers, chips and sugary treats, eating half a bag of cookies or chips before we even realize that we have opened the bag.  We are absolutely unconscious - unconscious of what is hurting our hearts so badly that we are overeating so much.  In this state of unconsciousness, we turn to food (or for some people, alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, etc.) to numb us from experiencing our pain.  We simply don’t love ourselves enough to face what is hurting and deal with it head on.  When you love yourself enough, you will face things head on, knowing that you will get through whatever it is, and grow from it all. 

When you begin to overeat, you will start to recognize it for what it really is – a hurting heart that needs to be heard and loved.  Perhaps you are fearful that someone you love is going to leave (or that it’s time for you to leave them) and you will be all alone.  Perhaps you are fearful that you are not good enough in some way.  Perhaps you are supremely angry about something, and not letting yourself acknowledge that anger.  Perhaps you feel wronged, and are not speaking your truth to the person who wronged you.

Nowadays, when I overeat for a meal, it’s no big deal – perhaps it was just too tasty and I couldn’t stop myself from going back for seconds or thirds.  But if I’m overeating for 2 or 3 days in a row, I sit on my meditation cushion and ask myself over and over again, “OK Sarah.  What’s hurting inside?”  Usually the reply back is, “Nothing!  That’s the weird thing about it - nothing’s wrong at all!”  But if I sit quietly and just ask over and over, “What’s hurting?  What’s hurting?  What’s hurting?” an answer will all of a sudden appear from nowhere.  That’s usually when I’ll burst into tears, or scream out in rage over something that I was completely unconscious about, until I started overeating.

So after 39 years on this planet, many of them baffled and upset over the mystery of why I overate, I finally embrace my overeating.  When I overeat, it’s a sign that I am not right; that I need to sit on my meditation cushion and love myself enough to go deep inside and face whatever it is that is hurting or upsetting me.  When I’ve faced it and dealt with it, not only am I done overeating, I am also at peace with whatever was causing me to hurt in the first place.  And I feel amazing.  Ahhhh, the beauty of overeating.  It’s simply a sign to wake up and be conscious … and to love yourself enough.