Mike Tyson is now a vegan!

That's right. Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson revealed during a taping of CenterStage that he's gone vegan. (The interview is scheduled to air on May 26.) I'm sure they were all ears to learn why the aspiring reality show star (Tyson is starring in a reality TV series on Animal Planet in which he races pigeons) has selected the diet of choice but..I wish him the best and hope his diet lasts!



--Mike Tyson said he’s become a vegan and has “no drama” in his life right now, which he concedes is an odd feeling for an athlete notorious for his brushes with the law.

BURBERRY: WHEN PLAID GOES BAD

I just read this article on PETA.ORG and had to post it. I like my designer labels just like the next person but this is really sad..check it out.

BURBERRY: WHEN PLAID GOES BAD


Burberry may be best known for its distinctive plaid, but its use of real fur is making the design house synonymous with cruelty to animals. Burberry continues to use fur in its designs despite the fact that leading clothing retailers like J.Crew, Ann Taylor, Polo Ralph Lauren, and others have pulled fur from their stores forever.

Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages, where they are exposed to all weather conditions. They often go without adequate shelter, clean water, and veterinary care, and they are denied the opportunity to engage in natural behaviors like climbing, burrowing, and swimming. The intensive confinement causes many of them to go insane.

Fur farmers use the cheapest and cruelest killing methods available, including suffocation, electrocution, gassing, and poisoning. Many animals are electrocuted by having rods inserted into their rectums and 240 volts sent through their bodies. The animals convulse, shake, and often cry out before they have heart attacks and die. Crude killing methods aren't always effective, and sometimes animals "wake up" while they are being skinned.

Burberry knows about the suffering that goes into every fur-trimmed coat, hat, and bag, yet the company continues to use fur in its designs. With so many fashionable, comfortable alternatives available, there is no excuse for Burberry to continue using dead, tortured animals in its designs. Go to peta.org to find out what you can do to help.

The Farmers Market

Saturdays from 8am to noon is the Irvine Farmers Market right next to UCI. Its a great place to get fruits, nuts, and vegetables from local farmers. Every farmer is certified by the county agricultural commissioner to make sure that they actually grow the commodity being sold. Almost every city throughout OC holds a farmers market one day a week. I usually swing by the Irvine location and pick up fruit and walk around. It's a lot of fun so if you get a chance stop by one...and it's always good to buy locally!


A little trick to keep your strawberries fresh!....

For strawberries to stay fresh, do not wash them right away. Store them
in the refrigerator in a large container with a dry paper towel at the
bottom. Separate the berries by layering them with paper towels to
maximize freshness. Just before using, wash strawberries with caps
attached under a gentle spray of cool water. For best flavor, allow
strawberries to reach room temperature before serving.

MCCRUELTY

Chickens killed for McDonald's are slaughtered using an outdated method that results in extreme suffering. As one of the biggest sellers of chicken meat, McDonald's has the responsibility—and the ability—to reduce this abuse by demanding that its U.S. and Canadian suppliers use a less cruel slaughter method.



McCruelty: I'm Hatin' It--Learn More.


I always read up on things at peta.org and thought I should post this because I know a lot of people eat at McDonalds so maybe if the word spreads less people will eat their food. And honestly I hardly consider their food actually food. Watch Super Size Me...the food they serve isn't good for you anyways.


WWW.PETA.COM

PIGS

Many people who know pigs compare them to dogs because they are friendly, loyal, and intelligent. Pigs are naturally very clean and avoid, if at all possible, soiling their living areas. When given the chance to live away from factory farms, pigs will spend hours playing, lying in the sun, and exploring their surroundings with their powerful sense of smell. Considered smarter than 3-year-old human children, pigs are very clever animals.1 Learn more about the intelligence of pigs.

Most people rarely have the opportunity to interact with these outgoing, sensitive animals because 97 percent of pigs in United States today are raised on factory farms.2 These pigs spend their entire lives in cramped, filthy warehouses, under constant stress from the intense confinement and denied everything that is natural to them.

Piglets' tails are cut off and their teeth are pulled out without the use of painkillers.

As piglets, they are taken away from their mothers when they are less than 1 month old; their tails are cut off, some of their teeth are cut off, and the males have their testicles ripped out of their scrotums (castration), all without any pain relief. They spend their entire lives in overcrowded pens on a tiny slab of filthy concrete.

Breeding sows spend their entire miserable lives in tiny metal crates where they can't even turn around. Shortly after giving birth, they are once again forcibly impregnated. This cycle continues for years until their bodies finally give out and they are sent to be killed. When the time comes for slaughter, these smart and sensitive animals are forced onto transport trucks that travel for many miles through all weather extremes—many die of heat exhaustion in the summer and arrive frozen to the inside of the truck in the winter.

According to industry reports, more than 1 million pigs die in transport each year, and an additional 420,000 are crippled by the time they arrive at the slaughterhouse.3, 4 Many are still fully conscious when they are immersed in scalding water for hair removal.

Vegan Fashion and Hollywood

So we all know that Hollywood sets major trends that many follow.....and if a celebrity is doing it more then likely the public is reading about it and copying it. So I found some info for you trendy Vegans!

Vegan handbags and Vegan shoes have become top Google search and UK vegan designers such as Natalie Dean and Stella McCartney have won a string of awards. Stella was named Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards having previously won an award from Elle for BEST international designer. Her partnership with Adidas has brought a whole vegan fashion range into the mainstream. Wanna know if one of your favorite celebs is a vegan? The list below is off some of the most popular vegan celebrities.


Alicia Silverstone
Alyssa Milano
Carrie Anne Moss
Casey Affleck
Casey Kasem
Daryl Hannah
Demi Moore
Daniel Negreanu (professional poker player)
Elijah Wood
Ellen DeGeneres
Emily Deschanel
Gillian Anderson
Ginnifer Goodwin
Heather Mills
Jennifer Connelly
Joaquin Phoenix
Keenan Ivory Wayens
Kevin Nealon
Mayim Bialik (Blossom)
Mutt Lange
Natalie Portman
Pamela Anderson
Portia de Rossi
River Phoenix
Sandra Oh
Tea Leoni
The Artist, formerly known as Prince
Toby Maguire
Vanessa A. Williams
Weird Al Yankovic
Woody Harrelson
Zooey Deschanel

High Cholesterol

The better the foods taste, the higher the chance that they're high cholesterol foods. This is one of the irony's of life.

If you've been told to reduce the high cholesterol foods, it's a small comfort you're not alone. While nobody tells you to become a vegetarian (which would help ;)..), it's a good idea to be aware of your high cholesterol foods you eat – and take steps to control the eating of foods high in cholesterol.

Many medical professionals will tell you that shellfish are definitely on the NO list for anyone who has raised blood cholesterol levels. The debate goes on as to whether it is the cholesterol in the foods or are we taking in to much saturated fat?

Doctors do agree however that increasing your HDL or 'good' cholesterol can be beneficial in reducing your chances of being a stroke victim or having heart failure.

Researchers for the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky found that LDL 'bad' cholesterol can be reduced by up to twenty per cent just by eating a cup full of cooked beans every day. Lentils, chick peas and even baked beans all help to boost your HDL cholesterol levels.

One Israeli team found that people who ate avocados everyday for twelve weeks made big reductions on their LDL cholesterol levels. It is assumed that the high levels of mono-saturated fats in Avocados were the reason for the success.

For people known to have high levels of LDL cholesterol in their blood, possibly the best addition to their diet would be oats. Oats contain a fiber called beta glucans and this sticks to the walls of your intestines and so blocks the LDL cholesterol from absorbing into the blood stream. It can also boost HDL levels.


A List Of Foods That Are High In Cholesterol
* Eggs (mainly the yolks)
* Shrimp
* Liver
* Crab
* Beef
* Pork

LA Vegan

Over the weekend I ate at LA Vegan located at 4507 S Centinela Ave, Los Angeles and it was delicious!

I had the best orange soy chicken! It's been a while since I have had orange chicken (over 3 years!) so the fact that I was able to have it soy style was great! So if you are in LA anytime soon and are looking for a good Vegan restaurant you should try LA Vegan. The menu is packed with good dishes...I can't wait to go back!

Oh and I love their Thai Iced Tea with Soy..mmmm!

http://www.laveganthai.com/ (check out their menu)

Fast Food

In today’s age of convenience, fast food needs no introduction. Everyone from a 2-year-old toddler to a 60-year-old grandpa seems to be enjoying it every chance they get. It’s filling, is really affordable, and readily available any time of the day, being only a drive through or phone call away. However, you might be paying a bigger price, health wise.

Fast food is loaded with calories from refined sugar and fats (especially, the artery-clogging saturated and hydrogenated fats, which are repeatedly reheated to high temperatures for frying purposes).

It is also very high in sodium, coming from common salt and other additives. On top of all this, fast food is deficient in dietary fiber and essential micro-nutrients like vitamins and minerals.

To make matters worse, heaps of fast food are normally guzzled down with gallons of sugar-rich colas – which many fast-food restaurants serve free with food as an incentive.

To make a long story short, all this results in piling up of unused empty calories in the body, which get stored as body fat – till one day you look in the mirror and realize that your great figure has been replaced by this creature in the mirror.

So think twice when you see those golden arches and make a wiser choice! ;)

On a non vegan note...women are kicking butt in education but not the work force. Think it's fair?

Soy Versus Milk...more fun milk facts!

Let’s compare 100-gram portions (3.5 ounces) of soymilk vs.
cow’s milk:

Cow’s milk has 61 calories. Soymilk has 33 calories. Cow’s
milk contains 3.34 grams of fat. Soymilk contains 1.91 grams
of fat.

Cow’s milk has 14 milligrams of cholesterol and no dietary
fiber. Soymilk contains 1.3 grams of fiber and has zero
cholesterol.

Cow’s milk contains a full range of amino acids. Soymilk
also contains a full range of amino acids.

Both contain plenty of protein. Cow’s milk actually has one-
half gram more protein than the 100-gram portion of soymilk.

Soymilk contains greater amounts of certain amino acids
including arginine, alanine, aspartic acid, and glycine.

Arginine slows the growth of cancers by strengthening the
immune system. Alanine aids in the metabolism of sugars.
Aspartic acid increases stamina and plays a vital role in
metabolism, acting as an anti-oxidant. Glycine is necessary
for brain and nervous system functioning and muscle/energy
metabolism.

When milk is pasteurized, Vitamins A, C, and D are
destroyed. The same can be said for those vitamins when
soymilk is manufactured. Soymilk does contain more than four
times the amount of thiamin (Vitamin B-1) and nearly twice
the amount of niacin (Vitamin B-3) as does cow's milk.

Soymilk also contains more magnesium, copper, and manganese
than does cow’s milk. In order to absorb calcium, one needs
magnesium. Copper also aids in bone formation. One early
sign of osteoporosis is a deficiency in copper. Soymilk
contains twelve times the amount of copper as does cow’s
milk. Soymilk also contains 42 times the amount of manganese
as does cow’s milk. Manganese is also needed for bone
formation. People with anemia rely upon manganese for iron
storage. Trace amounts of manganese are essential for neural
transmissions, protein metabolism, and many other body
functions.

Say No To Milk!

We were raised to think of cow’s milk as a perfect food. The National Dairy Council advertises that “milk is natural” and if you don’t drink milk, the council will tell you that your bones will become brittle and your strength will fade due to a lack of calcium. Drinking milk will not make you big and strong, nor will it prevent osteoporosis.

Cows do not drink cow’s milk. Calves stop drinking cow’s milk between the ages of six to eight months. Humans are the only species that drink the milk of another animal. You will never see a kitten drink milk from a goat, or a doe drink milk from a bear. However, we have been conditioned to think that we must drink milk from cows. We are told that we must drink milk from cows. We are told that we must drink cow’s milk for the rest of our lives. No adult animal continues to drink milk after they are weaned. We, as humans, drink milk from an adult animal that do not drink their own milk after they reach 7 months of age.

Human milk is made for human consumption for a specific period of time. It has the appropriate nutrients dedicated to building and maintaining our bodies. After 22-24 months, humans no longer need their mother’s milk. So why are we still drinking cow’s milk as adults? Not to mention giving it to our children. Cow’s milk is meant to turn a 200-pound calf in to a 2,000-pound cow. This reason alone is why America is the leading country in the world of obesity.

The Biggest problem with cow’s milk is that the protein in the cow’s milk damages the human immune system. Amino acids, the units that make up proteins, are building blocks for all living cells. When amino acids in our food are properly broken down by the digestive system into protein, it does no harm to the immune system. Protein from milk, however, is absorbed into the blood fully indigested, provoking an immune response. Repeated exposure to these proteins disrupts normal immune functions and may eventually lead to diseases.



Here are some of the disease that milk can cause.



Crohn's Disease

Asthma

Early Sexual Maturation

Early Breast Growth

Diabetes

Breast Cancer

Colon Cancer

Leukemia

ADD or ADHD

Prostate Cancer

Osteoporosis

Arthritis

Sinuses

Autoimmune Disease

Lung Cancer

Childhood Anemia

Diarrhea & Constipation

Hummus...YUM!

I absolutely love hummus..I eat it with chips, celery, pita bread, etc. Here is a really good recipe.

Walnut-Flaxseed Hummus
Instead of sesame tahini, this hummus recipe uses walnuts and flax seed, which are rich in important Omega-3 fatty acids. The result is milder-tasting than traditional hummus, but equally delicious.

1 16-ounce can (or 1 1/2 cups) cooked chickpeas, drained
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) walnuts
1 tbsp. ground flaxseeds
1/4 cup water or chickpea cooking liquid
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika
dash cayenne or chipotle chili powder

Toss the garlic into a running food processor, and process until thoroughly chopped. Add the walnuts, and process until they are in tiny pieces. Add the chickpeas, flaxseed, and 1/4 cup of water (or cooking liquid). Begin blending and add the lemon juice. Continue blending until the mixture is smooth, adding a little more liquid if necessary. Add 1/8 tsp. of the cumin, the paprika, and dash cayenne, and blend for another minute, and taste to check the seasonings. If needed, add more cumin and lemon juice.

Serve as a dip for veggies, a filling for pita bread, or on top of a salad. ENJOY!

Chemicals in Meat. Scary!

Dangerous Chemicals in Meat

Numerous other potentially hazardous chemicals, of which consumers are generally unaware, are present in meat and meat products. In their book Poisons in Your Body, Gary and Steven Null give us an inside look at the latest gimmicks used in the corporate-owned animal factories. "The animals are kept alive and fattened by the continuous administration of tranquilizers, hormones, antibiotics, and 2,700 other drugs," They write. "The process starts even before birth and continues long after death. Although these drugs will still be present in the meat when you eat it, the law does not require that they be listed on the
package."

One of these chemicals is diethylstilbestrol (DES), a growth hormone that has been used in the U.S. for the last twenty years despite studies that have shown it to be carcinogenic. Banned as a serious health hazard in thirty-two countries, it continues to be used by the U.S. meat industry, possibly because the FDA estimates it saves meat producers more than $500 million annually.

Another popular growth stimulant is arsenic. In 1972 this well-known poison was found by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to exceed the legal limit in fifteen percent of the nation's poultry.9

Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, chemicals used as preservatives to slow down putrefaction in cured meat and meat products, including ham, bacon, bologna, salami, frankfurters, and fish, also endanger health. These chemicals give meat its bright-red appearance by reacting with pigments in the blood and muscle. Without them, the natural gray-brown color of dead meat would turn off many prospective consumers.

Unfortunately, these chemicals do not distinguish between the blood of a corpse and the blood of a living human, and many persons accidentally subjected to excessive amount have died of poising. Even smaller quantities can prove hazardous, especially for young children or babies, and therefore the United Nations' joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee of Food Additives warned, "Nitrate should on no account be added to baby food." A.J. Lehman of the FDA pointed out that "only a small margin of safety exists between the amount of nitrate that is safe and that which may be dangerous."

Because of the filthy, overcrowded conditions forced upon animals by the livestock industry, vast amounts of antibiotics must be used. But such rampant use of antibiotics naturally creates antibiotic - resistant bacteria that are passed on to those who eat the meat. The FDA estimates that penicillin and tetracycline save the meat industry $1.9 billion a year, giving them sufficient reason to overlook the potential health hazards.

The trauma of being slaughtered also adds "pain poisons" (such as powerful stimulants) into the meat. These join with uneliminated wastes in the animal's blood, such as urea and uric acid, to further contaminate the flesh the consumers eat.

Diseases in Meat

In addition to dangerous chemicals, meat often carries diseases from the animals themselves. Crammed together in unclean conditions, force-fed, and inhumanely treated, animals destined for slaughter contract many more diseases than they ordinarily would. Meat inspectors attempt to filter out unacceptable meats, but because of pressures from the industry and lack of sufficient time for examination, much of what passes is far less wholesome than the meat purchaser realizes.

A 1972 USDA report lists carcasses that passed inspection after the diseased parts were removed. examples included nearly
100,000 cows with eye cancer and 3,596,302 cases of abscessed liver. The government also permits the sale if chickens with
airsacculitis, a pneumonia-like disease that causes pus-laden mucus to collect in the lungs. In order to meet federal standards,
the chicken's chest cavities are cleaned out with air-suction guns. But during this process diseased air sacs burst and pus seeps
into the meat.

The USDA has even been found to be lax in enforcing its own low standards. In its capacity of overseeing federal regulatory agencies, the U.S General Accounting Office cited the USDA for failure to correct various violations by slaughterhouses. Carcasses contaminated with rodent feces, cockroaches, and rust were found in meat-packing companies such as Swift, Armour, and Carnation.10 Some inspectors rationalize the laxity, explaining that if regulations were enforced, no meat-packers would remain open for business.

Digesting Meat

MEAT-EATER
-Has claws
-No skin pores, perspires through tongue
-Sharp front teeth for tearing, no flat molar teeth for grinding
-Intestinal tract 3 times body length so rapidly decaying meat can pass out quickly
-Strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest meat

HERBIVORE
-No claws
-Perspires through skin pores
-No sharp front teeth has flat rear molars
-Intestinal tract 10-12 times body length
-Stomach acid 20 times less strong than meat-eaters

MAN
-No claws
-Perspires through skin pores
-No sharp front teeth has flatrear molars
-Intestinal tract 12 times bodylength
-Stomach acid 20 times less strong than meat-eaters

Once within the stomach, meat requires digestive juices high in hydrochloric acid. The stomachs of humans and herbivores produce acid less than one-twentieth the strength of that found in carnivores.

Another crucial difference between the meat-eater and the vegetarian is found in the intestinal tract, where the food is further digested and nutrients are passed into the blood. A piece of meat is just part of a corpse, and its putrefaction creates poisonous wastes within the body. Therefore meat must be quickly eliminated. For this purpose, carnivores possess alimentary canals only three times the length of their bodies. Since man, like other non-flesh-eating animals, has and alimentary canal twelve times his body length, rapidly decaying flesh is retained for a much longer time, producing a number of undesirable toxic effects.

One body organ adversely affected by these toxins is the kidney. This vital organ, which extracts waste from the blood, is strained by the overload of poisons introduced by meat consumption. Even moderate meat-eaters demand three times more work form their kidneys than do vegetarians. The kidneys of a young person may be able to cope with this stress, but as one grows older the risk of kidney disease and failure greatly increases.

Further evidence of the unsuitability of the human intestinal tract for digestion of flesh is the relationship established by numerous studies, between colon cancer and meat-eating.One reason for the incidence of cancer is the high-fat, low-fiber content of the meat-centered diet. This results in a slow transit time through the colon, allowing toxic wastes to do their damage.

Native Foods Cafe

Attention all vegans...if you are looking for a good restaurant to grab some grub at..try Native Foods Cafe. Check out some of the yummy items they have on their menu. I'm a big fan of the Native Nachos but honestly I haven't had anything from there that wasn't good!




http://www.nativefoods.com

Ice Cream

I'm an ice cream freak! So when I changed my diet to non-dairy I went through ice cream withdrawals! BUT....there are substitutes and really good ones. My favorite is Soy Dream's Butter Pecan and also soy delicious which makes tons of different kinds of ice cream including sorbets and also ice cream made with coconut milk. YUM! You can find these brands at your local grocery stores.

Aspartame...the devil!

I recently have been reading more on the ingredient Aspartame. It is an artificial sweetner used in soft drinks and many other things. It is something that should be avoided at all costs! It amazes me that ingredients like this one gets approved by the FDA and is allowed to be put in our food and drinks for us to consume. So it is really up to us to look out for these things and take care of ourselves because no one else is.

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death.(1) A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

How aspartame was approved is a lesson in how chemical and pharmaceutical companies can manipulate government agencies such as the FDA, "bribe" organizations such as the American Dietetic Association, and flood the scientific community with flawed and fraudulent industry-sponsored studies funded by the makers of aspartame.

Aspartame can be found in thousands of products such as:

instant breakfasts breath mints cereals sugar-free chewing gum cocoa mixes coffee beverages frozen desserts gelatin desserts juice beverages laxatives multivitamins milk drinks http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/dangers.htm MUST READ http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/hidden_dangers.htm

pharmaceuticals and supplements, including over-the-counter medicines shake mixes soft drinks tabletop sweeteners tea beverages instant teas and coffees topping mixes wine coolers yogurt

Toast

I can smell the fresh cornbread as I walk into my favorite vegan friendly LA restaurant, Toast. I try and eat here at least once a week because the menu is too good for words. I'm sitting at my usual table (yes, I come here often enough to have a usual table) sipping my ice tea. I always order the lentil soup to start with...so I'm anxiously waiting...and here it is and no surprise it's delicious as usual! It's by far the best lentil soup I have ever had! Up next is my falafel burger...on it is hummus, tomatoes and little cucumbers on a wheat bun. My mouth is filled with flavor on ever bite and the sweet potato fries are cooked just right..which I dip in tobasco sauce of course. I am stuffed as always and fully satisfied....

....I'll be back in a few days!

The Vegan Pyramid

I am constantly looking up vegan nutrition and approved vegan foods and found this pyramid that I thought was cool and it is helpful to see what vegan's should be eating and what amounts.

The Vegan Food Pyramid may look somewhat familiar. You've likely seen one very similar that's designed for non-vegans. But the cool thing about the Vegan Food Pyramid is that all the animal foods found in the original pyramid have been replaced with plant foods that contain key nutrients that are very similar to those found in animal products -- without a smidge of cholesterol, of course!!

Yes, it's THAT easy to eat a balanced vegan diet that provides the nutrition you need!

Yummy Vegan Cherry Torte

Dessert is my favorite..so here is a delicious vegan dish that everyone can enjoy!

This recipe originally called for 1 package of Dream Whip Whipped Topping, made according to package directions. But it was recently brought to my attention that Dream Whip is no longer vegan (it contains casein and whey).

For a vegan version of Dream Whip, use Soyatoo Whipping Cream. Please note this is found in a small aseptic-type box (like the one on the right) that you whip up with a mixer, not the stuff in the spray can. If you cannot find it locally, you will find it atVeganEssentials.com.

*CRUST*
• 2 sticks non-dairy butter (preferably non-hydrogenated too)(1 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 Tablespoons Sucanat, or other granulated sugar
*FILLING:
• 1 package Dream Whip -or- 2 packages Soyatoo Soy Whip, made according to package directions
• 1 (8 oz.) package dairy-free cream cheese
• 1 cup organic powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 can prepared cherry

1. Crust: Combine ingredients in a bowl. Pat into 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 20 min.

2. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.

3. Prepare whipped topping according to package directions. Fold into cream cheese mixture.

4. Spread cream cheese/whipped cream combo over cooled crust. Cover with cherries. Refrigerate overnight, or at least several hours. Cut into squares and serve.

Serves: 16

Variations:

• Try it with blueberry or other fruit filling
• Sprinkle dairy-free chocolate chips over the just-from-the-oven warm crust -- OMG!!!

Vegan Men

I've said before that the book Skinny Bitch was the reason I turned vegan and it became like a bible to me. The authors have come out with a book to relate to men called Skinny Bastard. It has tips on getting rid of...the ever so hard to get rid of gut and also helps to explain the effects of eating a lot of protein and animal meats...so ladies...if your man is fillin out in all the wrong places this might be the book for him!


So check it out....
A Kick in the Ass for Real Men Who Want to Stop Being Fat and Start Getting Buff -
http://www.skinnybastard.net/

What A Surprise!

When I read the list of vegan friendly foods from the link below I was so surprised and how many things were vegan. I love how many cookies are dairy free! Finding these helpful sites make it easy on putting together a shopping list...

http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/default.asp

Cows' milk contains ideal amounts of fat and protein for young calves, but far too much for humans. And eggs are higher in cholesterol than any other food, making them a leading contributor to cardiovascular disease. The American Dietetic Association reports that vegetarian/vegan diets are associated with reduced risks for all of these conditions.
-Vegan Action http://www.vegan.org/about_veganism/health.html

Where Do You Get Your Protein?

"So you're vegan..well where do you get your protein?"

That is probably the most common question I get asked and I'm sure every vegan gets the same response when they say they're vegan. But have you ever heard of someone suffering from a deficiency of protein? I have done a lot of research on eating right as a vegan and what I need for a well balanced diet and the truth is we don't need a massive amount of protein. And too much protein-especially animal protein can impair our kidneys; leach calcium, zinc, vitamin B, iron; and cause osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, and obesity. And on top of it all can contribute to faster aging! Who wants that? But we do need protein in our diet and it's easy to get. Here is a list of high protein foods:

Lentils

Beans

Nuts

Seeds

Fruits

Vegetables

Whole Grains

Soy Products - edamame, tofu, imitation cheeses and meats

When you eat a well-balanced meal consisting of these foods, you will get a sufficient amount of protein.

A link to a starter guide on cruelty-free eating.

http://www.veganoutreach.org/guide/

Facts from the book Skinny Bitch

Giving It Up

It can be hard to give up the type of diet you have been eating your entire life but the change can be a positive one. Whether an individual chooses to become vegan for moral reasons due to animal cruelty or health reasons, it will bring many benefits. I noticed that once I started eating this way I had more energy, my skin was clear, my hair was stronger, I lost weight, and overall I felt better. With these results it became a no brainier to me to continue eating this way. The first thing I did was I threw out all the junk in my fridge and pantry that wasn't on my list of approved foods. If it was there for me to see then I would be tempted. The first few months are the hardest and takes dedication so it's easier when you don't have to look at it when you are at home. Then I went shopping...and that can be a lot of fun because you get to try out new things and find what you like most. I found many substitutes for my dairy such as soy milk and soy cheese and also imitation meat. Plus there are great non dairy cookies and ice cream so I never felt deprived of sweets and snacks. But don't get me wrong I went through many rounds of bad imitation cheeses and meats until I found the one I liked. There are great places to shop for vegan friendly foods like Mother's Market, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods. But local grocery stores also have a small section that carry these products as well. So if this is the path you are on then try and have fun with it!

Despite the common belief that drinking milk or eating eggs does not kill animals, commercially-raised dairy cows and egg-laying chickens, whether factory-farmed or 'free range,' are slaughtered when their production rates decline.

Vegan Action - http://www.vegan.org/about_veganism/index.html

Being Vegan

I thought I would start my blog by introducing myself and talk a little bit about my life as a vegan. My name is Amber, I live Orange County, I am 26, and I'm vegan and love it!! But I haven't always been so anti meat and dairy. I actually grew up on chicken and potatoes, which I would wash down with a tall glass of milk. My dad grew up on a farm so he sort of carried that country life style into our home and therefore we ate the "all American" type of food in my house. I was at Barnes and Nobles one day looking up nutrition books and came across the book Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin and it quickly became my bible! I bought the book on a Tuesday and was vegan by Thursday and haven't looked back. It will be 3 years this July and I can't ever see myself eating meat again. For those who don't know what a vegan diet is like let me explain. No meat, eggs, or dairy products..so basically no animal products at all. It's not as bad as it seems and it really is not hard to eat like this, it just takes some getting use to and learning what you like. Once you figure out what works for you it becomes a way of life not a diet.

why VEGAN? Veganism, the natural extension of vegetarianism, is an integral component of a cruelty-free lifestyle. Living vegan provides numerous benefits to animals' lives, to the environment, and to our own health–through a healthy diet and lifestyle.

- Vegan Action - http://www.vegan.org/about_veganism/index.html