THE VEGETARIAN BLOG

A Humane Society investigation led to the closure of Vermont-based Bushway Packing Inc. slaughterhouse. Videotape from the investigation reveals that veal calves only a few days old - many with their umbilical cords still hanging from their bodies - were unable to stand or walk on their own. The tape shows that the animals were kicked, slapped and repeatedly shocked with electric prods and subjected to other mistreatment.The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture took decisive action last Friday based on the information provided by The HSUS and immediately suspended operations at the plant, pending a continuing investigation.According to a report published by the Associated Press, “U.S. Department of Agriculture records show Bushway Packing Inc. of Grand Isle was shut down for a day in May, again in June and again in July after an inspector cited it for inhumane treatment of animals.”Still according to the AP report, “the slaughterhouse specialized in “bob veal” - meat from days-old calves that ends up in hot dogs and lunch meats.” Ironically, meat coming from this slaughterhouse was certified organic, which once again highlights how meaningless this label is when it comes to animal products.Veal is a by-product of the dairy industry, therefore the most effective answer to this horrible situation is going vegan. These innocent infants are babies snatched away from their mothers, who are literally milked to death, are then killed for someone’s pleasure. This is a not an industry that can be regulated because cruelty is inherent to the process of animal farming. But everyone can help eradicate it through a vegan diet. It’s that simple.Undercover video – contains imagery that some may find upsetting (but very revealing of what the dairy industry really looks like):

October and November are important months for the vegan community as this is when we celebrate and promote veganism. This week specifically is WORLD GO VEGAN WEEK (25-31 October, thanks to an initiative by San Francisco-based advocacy group In Defence of Animals) and it’s meant to send out a message to people urging them, well, to go vegan.A famous supporter is actor Woody Harrelson, who’s been a vegan for many, many years. Said Harrelson: “I chose to be vegan initially as an energetic pursuit, as meat and dairy slowed me down, but have since become convinced that it is not only the most healthy way to live, but also the most compassionate and ecologically responsible way.”Another famous supporter of veganism is comedienne and TV hostess Ellen DeGeneres who invited her personal chef to cook a vegan meal on air. So in case you missed this segment, I’ve added it below. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate WORLD GO VEGAN WEEK than actually cooking a vegan meal.Veganism is an ethical choice meant to mitigate the suffering we cause to animals. So-called ‘food animals’ account for 98% of all animal suffering. The world kills upwards of 50 billion animals every year (not to mention water animals), who live in appaling conditions before being sent to slaughter. Veganism is also recognized as greener than a meat-based diet and it helps prevent certain diseases such as diabetes and some types of cancer.ENJOY THE RECIPE AND GO VEGAN!

TV man Larry King hosted a discussion about the safety of eating meat last night, following the national interest in how dancer Stephanie Smith’s life was destroyed by eating E Coli contaminated meat. Stephanie went into weeks-long coma and emerged from it brain-damaged and unable to walk.

Three people from families wrecked by contaminated meat told their stories. Then T. Colin Campbell came head to head with Nancy Rodriguez of the University of Connecticut about whether meat is good for you. Colin’s China Study indicated a strong link between animal products, such as meat and dairy, and disease such as cancer and heart disease. Studies since have backed up the findings that a plant-based diet can not only help prevent disease but also cure it. Because of this, Colin strongly promotes a plant-based diet. Nancy, a so-called nutritionist, objects to Colin’s point of view but how can you take her seriously when her university website bio says that “Dr. Rodriguez has an active research program that has been extramurally funded by agencies including USDA, NIH, the American Heart Association, the National Dairy Council, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the Egg Nutrition Center”?. She’s not impartial and I wonder why she was invited on the show.

However, the real point is not whether meat is safe, but whether it is necessary to our diets and the answer is a resounding NO. That’s the official position of the American Dietetic Association. Forget all the gobbledegook about protein. You get can get plenty of that from plant-derived foods. And, most importantly, the ethical reasons to give up animal products is the most compelling of them all. Animals suffer terribly to provide humans with their own flesh and excrements, as so many videos around the internet document and we can all help mitigate so much suffering simply by switching to a vegan diet. Yes, there are health and environmental benefits to a vegan diet and I take them as an added bonus. Good karma, as some may call it.

Via Food For Change

PostPunk Kitchen is once again organizing Vegan Month of Food, a food blogging extravaganza to spread the word about the wonders of vegan cuisine. “The idea is to write as much as you can for the month of October about vegan food. The blog entries can be about anything food related - your love of tongs, your top secret tofu pressing techniques, the first time your mom cooked vegan for you, vegan options in Timbuktu - you get the idea. There is no strict guideline for how much you have to write, but we shoot for about 20 times a month, or every weekday”, writes Isa Chandra Moskowitz , PPK’s ringmaster.This year the master list of participants is being hosted by Kittee, Cake Maker To The Stars. Follow the link to get a lot more information, ideas and suggestions. So if you’re itching to write about vegan food, the time has come. Have fun!

Virgina Messina, a well-known vegan dietician , has given her approval to the USDA’s new fact sheet for vegetarians. Says Ms. Messina:

While the fact sheet lists some nutrients that vegetarians need to focus on, it doesn’t have any of that annoying verbiage about the need to carefully plan meals. (Vegetarians and vegans should, of course, carefully plan their meals; so should everyone else.) More importantly, there isn’t a word about animal products in the whole fact sheet, other than how to replace them.

That is, despite the vegetarian terminology in the title, the fact sheet is vegan in essence. To download the sheet, go here .

I seldom write about fashion as it’s not really my bag, but I do know that vegans sometimes have a hard time finding stylish shoes. So I was pleased to hear that Fashion-conscience.com has added to its portfolio vegan shoes from designers OlsenHaus, Neu Aura and Melissa.New York designer, Olsenhaus (pictured), is the queen of vegan shoe-ism. Feted for their bold, fashion-forward designs, her pieces have been featured in U.S. Vogue and Marie Claire. Elisabeth Olsen, the creative force behind the brand, is an outspoken advocate for veganism.Neu Aura are designers committed to producing quality footwear without the use of any animal by-products. Their vegan shoes are produced in a factory which adheres to eco standards in recycling and non-use of toxic chemicals where possible.Finally, Melissa specialize on creating little pieces of architecture with recycled/recyclable plastic in their funky shoe collection. The company also adheres to sustainability codes of production.

I’m not a fan of the Meatless Monday initiative as I don’t see how cutting out meat once a week will actually lead anyone to vegetarianism, let alone veganism. But I do support mentored vegan introductions carried out over a continuous period of time. The Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine is launching a 21-day program designed for anyone who wants to explore and experience the health benefits of a vegan diet. The program is based on research by PCRM’s president, Neal Barnard. That is the kind of initiative that I think can attract people to veganism on a permanent basis, perhaps not every single person who may use the service but certainly a proportion of them.

And what will subscribers get?

Daily e-tips that will put you on the path to weight loss, better health, and greater well-being; A delicious, easy, and satisfying recipe sent every day that will help you break your cravings for unhealthy foods; Weekly motivational nutrition webcasts featuring Dr. Barnard; Social support of other Kickstart participants through a message board where nutrition professionals answer your health and diet questions.

Great, eh? Besides, the service is free. Go on, give it a go – turning to veganism is the best way to help animals and it’s also beneficial to your health and the environment. Extend veganism to your clothes by excluding leather, silk and wool, cleaning and hygiene products (get ones without animal products and not tested on animals), and never support any service that exploits an animal, be it a horse-drawn carriage, a circus or anything else. Animals have the right to be free and have their physical integrity respected, just like we do.

To subscribe, go here. Good luck!

An article in the London Times yesterday was a perfect example of how insidious turning veganism into a ‘fad diet’ can be. Continue Reading »

This is great news for cruelty-free shoppers. Vegan media activist Adam Kochanowicz has released a new free tool to the public which allows users only to verify alcohols, products, ingredients, and retailers as vegan/non-vegan or tested/not tested on animals but collaborate in continuing the size of this vast database the more people use it. It’s a kind of Wikipedia for vegan shoppers.With a clean, uncluttered interface, the wiki works with any browser. Says Kochanowicz:

“All you have to do is type “vegan.fm/” before the ingredient/alcohol/product/retailer to be taken to a page detailing what is known about that topic. At that point, you have the option to edit the entry similar to how Wikipedia articles are edited and maintained by a community. If a page does not exist for your query, you have the option of creating the page yourself adding whatever you know about the product so others may develop your stub.”

Start browsing and adding to the wiki at Vegan.FM/isitvegan

Great news for vegans everywhere: the American Dietetic Association has released an updated position paper on vegetarian diets and it says loud and clear that such diets, if well-planned, are “healthful and nutritious for adults, infants, children and adolescents and can help prevent and treat chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.”

Of course, all diets should be well planned, so don’t interpret this detail as a difficulty. Here’s an excerpt of the paper:

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes.

The organization says the revised paper incorporates new topics and additional information on key nutrients for vegetarians, vegetarian diets in the life cycle and the use of vegetarian diets in prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. “Vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle. There are many reasons for the rising interest in vegetarian diets. The number of vegetarians in the United States is expected to increase over the next decade.

The paper highlights several health benefits of a plant-based diet: “Vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and have higher levels of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids and other phytochemicals. These nutritional differences may explain some of the health advantages of those following a varied, balanced vegetarian diet.”

The position paper draws on results from ADA’s evidence analysis process and information from the ADA Evidence Analysis Library to show vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes. Additionally, an evidence-based review showed a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease.

A section in ADA’s paper on vegetarian diets and cancer has been significantly expanded to provide details on cancer-protective factors in vegetarian diets. An expanded section on osteoporosis includes roles of fruits, vegetables, soy products, protein, calcium, vitamins D and K and potassium in bone health.

The American Dietetic Association is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. For further information visit: www.eatright.org .