The Future is Now Humanimal Non-Human Animal Planet Volume 4 Issue 6 November 2018 For Vegans, Vegetarians, and the Veg Curious
Inspire (Advertisement)
2
Inside
3
Editor’s Note
4
Assistant Editor’s Note
4
Jim Corcoran
I Believe Animals…. (Advertisement)
5
Alice Dee
26-28
Better Advocacy For Animals
6
Tammy Fiebelkorn
13-14
VIP: Vegans In The Park & The Importance of Community
7-8
Joanne Lauthier
24-25
New Mexico Facts & Trivia
9
Nancy Montuori
10-11
HeartnSole LLC– Out & About
9
Rae Sikora
30-32
A World Without Fish: The Link Between Personal Action & The Environment
10-11
I Will Never…(Advertisement)
12
Mary Nahikian
18-19
Once Upon A Time
13-14
Dr. Will Tuttle
21-23
But I Love Cheese!
15-16
Calendar of Events
17
Day In The Life Of A Chickpea
18-19
Resources
20
False Friends And The Five Dimensions Of Health
21-23
What Makes A Vegan Dental Surgery, Vegan
24-25
Using The Raw Vegan Diet For Weight Loss
26-28
Happy ThanksLiving Day (Advertisement)
29
Vegan Holidays
30-32
Holiday Recipes
33-36
Happy Holidays (Advertisement)
37
Positive Links – La Salita – Fundraiser
38
Autoimmune Disease And The Benefits Of A Vegan Diet
39-40
Macadamia Pineapple Muffin – Recipe
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Photo Collage
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Advertising with NM Vegan
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Contributor
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Melissa Brandenburg Catherine Carr
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New Mexico Vegan VoIume 4 – Issue 6 November 2018 Editor: Nancy Arenas Assistant Editor: Arwen NMV Photographer: N. Arenas
A HeartnSole, LLC publication
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The views and opinions, expressed by contributing-authors, in the New Mexico Vegan Magazine; may, or may not, represent the views and opinions, of New Mexico Vegan.
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Peace Begins On Your Plate Snow, on leaves red & gold ...an age-old recipe for Christmas pudding ...lights in the village ...jingling bells ...the amazing wonder of animated-dust-- dancing, laughing, singing, loving ...I find much charm, in the Winter Celebration. Yet, truthfully, my Special Season, is with me all year ‘round. But, when November comes ...my happy vegan inner-calendar takes a sorrowful hit. On the one hand, there are more parties; on the ‘same’ hand ...well, you know the story ...it means more animals ‘on’ the table. But, I am not here to bring down your holiday spirit ...with explicit gory details. I am here to say, I have learned to rise above these difficulties, as we all must; and, if you are challenged to satisfactorily veganize your holidays ...either, at the guest’s table, in your own kitchen, or in your mind; reach out to someone, to myself or other, for inspiration. As with a student, seeking help, with a math problem, ...there are solutions. If the water, around the homestead, rises ...we too must rise, even higher. When ice descends, find the ascending fire, ...it is the only way. We must find joy ...exultant joy. Make it the best year’s-end, ...the best new year ...ever. If there is hardship, can you allow the hardship itself, to be the very catalyst, for triumph? The only triumph we need, is to get rid of the lies, that cloak, the already-present truth, that is always within us. I claim no magic, here; only encouragement, and solace, in this way: peace is in us, always; but, sometimes we need to be reminded of that. Wishing you a compassionate cruelty-free holiday season, Nancy.
ASSISTANT EDITOR’S NOTE Greetings, readers; and, a merry merry ...”merry.” If you do not know ‘it’ ...perhaps I cannot make you know it; nonetheless, I want to say ‘it’ ...on the chance that ‘hearing’ is worth something: I am ‘soul,’ ...essentially the same, as a cat, a cow, a hen, a pig, ...or, a human. Please extend your compassion to all. If not for others, do it for yourself ...learn what it’s like. During these holidays, find merriment; and, especially ...give your love to something, you never loved before. Livegan, Arwen.
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For decades I have stood in protest lines on behalf of animals and felt good about what I had done. It is quite satisfying to see people turn around or take literature to learn more about the evils of animal exploitation. One on one with people can be a life changing moment for them. Yet, many years later, I still find myself having to protest and educate the public. It is frustrating not seeing systemic change. Last year made it clear to me that changing laws is a much more effective way to help animals. Animal Protection Voters of New Mexico and a coalition of other groups and individuals got an ordinance passed in Santa Fe to ban wild animal circuses in the city proper. Beginning this year, there are no more elephants, tigers or lions visiting Santa Fe! As a board member of Animal Protection Voters (APV), I want you to know a little bit more about us and the affect we have in the state. APV has a long history of successful legislative campaigns, including ending cockfighting, horse tripping and making extreme animal cruelty a felony. We know how to protect animals through the law of the land in New Mexico. This upcoming legislative session, APV is focused on reviving our low-cost Spay/Neuter bill that Governor Martinez refused to sign after passing both the house and senate. Every year almost 60,000 dogs are needlessly euthanized in shelters in New Mexico for lack of homes and spay/neuter funds. This bill will practically pay for itself by charging animal food producers a fee to sell in the state. So many lives will be saved when this bill passes and is signed into law. APV will also be working diligently on ending coyote killing contests and trapping/poisoning on public land in New Mexico. The public overwhelmingly wants these activities to stop, but special interests have kept a choke hold on changing the law. We can end these horrible unconscionable activities on our public land with your help. Animal Protection Voters is the voice for animals at the state capital. If you aren't a supporter of APV and truly want to help animals, please consider donating at APVNM.Org. Together we can end the most egregious offenses to domestic and wild animals in New Mexico and you won't once have to stand in a protest line to accomplish these goals.
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Last spring 2017, a friend I made through the local vegan online groups positively peer pressured me into cohosting a public gathering to support vegan and vegan-curious families. I accepted the challenge, and we organized what came to be known as the 'Family Style Vegan Potluck in The Park'. This friend of mine who helped me spearhead the event wasn't even someone I had met in person yet – what a way to make connections, right? ... by working together to build something new and exciting. That's how I've actually made quite a few friends over the years, especially within the context of creating a circle of friends who are consciously and ethically living vegan. There are many local, wonderful activists and advocates hosting special events to promote this valuable lifestyle, and the intent of this effort is to continue to grow the movement in every way possible. Our potluck in the park is a celebration of ethical plant-based living. Not everyone in attendance is vegan, and the purpose has been to invite people from all walks of life to join us in an inclusive intention towards a better way of living. The food is always 100% vegan, and we offer everyone in attendance free live entertainment, music, and good company. It has become not only a festive and light-hearted gathering, but also an opportunity for what I believe can be considered a form of 'gentle advocacy'. We have had the blessing of inviting those in the park just passing through to eat with us, enjoy a delicious meal, be included in meaningful conversation, and perhaps have the opportunity to consider a different choice in how we live as individual consumers. Educational literature is always made available at a designated table, but no one is ever forced or pressured to take anything they are not interested in reading. Nonetheless, with kindness and an open heart, everyone is invited to sit with us and enjoy the park in its natural beauty and simplicity. Public and free community events are a powerful gesture unlimited in its potential. Everyone needs to eat! Everyone loves music in one form or another. Furthermore, public places like city parks are fundamentally meant to be kid and family friendly, so all it takes is a few good people with sincere hearts to come together and organize something like this, and I know firsthand the positive influence it can have on the world around us. It reminds me of the saying, “Think globally, work/act locally” - we must work to move forward and support one another in a meaningful, thoughtful way, in every given moment, in every way we can. I am personally a deeply introverted person, so my ability to actively participate in social events is hit or miss – but having taken on the responsibility as co-host for what is now our 'VIP' event is something I seriously take to heart, because I know that it truly makes a difference. Every time we meet, I am introduced to new people, new families, some who have been vegan for many years, and some who are just recently transitioning – and every time I am thanked for having this event because it creates a sense of belonging. Having a community event centered around Conscious Living is normalizing what veganism is now becoming – which is an ever-expanding force of Collective Good.
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My current co-hosts are some of the most beautiful humans I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Kaylee Nauer is finishing her Masters in Business at UNM, and her sense of humor will pierce you in the very core of your being. Her laugh is contagious, and her smile is even more penetrating – her external qualities speak to the gorgeous, animal loving, empathetic soul that dwells within and emanates beyond her physical form. Nancy Arenas is one of the hardest working advocates I have ever met. I am beyond words and unable to express my admiration for how much time and energy this woman gives to our local vegan movement. Her tireless efforts inspire me to give more of myself and devote all that I can to speaking up for the animals and the planet as a whole. I feel so lucky and blessed to have these women by my side, on my team - on OUR team - fighting for a more compassionate world and an evolved human race. Knowing that people like Nancy and Kaylee exist in this world gives me hope that the tipping point is upon us – the time is Now! Love always wins, and I am so thankful for the Goodness that is spreading in our local community. Now that the cold season has arrived, we may let the event rest until the spring, but we will decide soon how to best move forward. If anyone is interested in attending our next VIP potluck, please join us on social media – we post invites in ABQ~VEGAN and Albuquerque Vegan and Vegetarian Parents group on Facebook, among several other local vegan-centered groups, as well as ABQ~VEGAN on Meetup.com. Periodically the week before, I also post some popular and inspirational recipes in the invite discussions as a way to get people excited and feeling creative. Bring your loved ones and something yummy to share! We look forward to seeing you there.
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1. Despite its reputation for being a dry slice of desert, New Mexico’s Bandera Fire and Ice Cave offers two extremes. A collapsed tube in the volcano collects rain water that keeps a frosty surface thanks to temperatures that rarely exceed 31 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. The town of Truth or Consequences changed its name to accommodate a publicity stunt. In 1950, the producer of the radio show bearing the same name told listeners he’d broadcast from the first locale to adopt the show’s title. Hot Springs took him up on the offer. 3. There really was a Smokey Bear, and he was found lost during the Capitan Mountains fire in 1950. The cub tried escaping the fire by climbing a tree; he survived, but received burns that needed treatment by animal conservationists. 4. It helped birth the UFO craze of the 1950s. In 1947, a local found debris from an unidentified craft 75 miles outside of Roswell, New Mexico. Military personnel quickly retrieved it and told media it was a collapsed weather balloon; a skeptical public believed otherwise. The town has since become a popular tourist attraction. 5. It’s home to something that resembles another world. The White Sands National Monument sports over 275 square miles of white gypsum sand, which makes it resemble a kind of albino desert landscape. Because there’s hardly any source of water, native animals like the kangaroo rat have evolved to get their hydration from food sources like seeds.
HeartnSole Vegan Spirituality Meeting – An Hy Quan
Healthy Start – JCC of Albuquerque
Samson Challenge – JCC of Albuquerque. NM Vegan | 09
In 2013, I was certified in plant-based nutrition through Dr. T. Colin Campbell's online course at Cornell. I was very excited to learn more about Dr. Campbell's philosophy on nutrition and the connection between food and disease. One thing I wasn't expecting was an eye-opening lecture from Bruce Monger about the environmental impact of food production on the ocean. Bruce Monger teaches oceanography in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University. He is also involved in numerous projects and studies involving whales and our ocean's ecosystem. One of the most enlightening details I learned was how nutrient runoff from agriculture, specifically fertilizer, which is primarily nitrogen, stimulates exceptionally strong growth of algae. So what is wrong with algae you might ask? When algae dies, bacteria consumes the dead algae for food, but that's not all it consumes. It also consumes all the oxygen in the water. Simply put, the more nutrients you dump in the ocean, the more algae it produces which increases the amount of bacteria that eats the algae, and the oxygen in the water. This reduces the oxygen to zero and any fish you can think of needs oxygen to live. When a region's oxygen is down to zero, the ocean floor is entirely uninhabitable by any organism that requires oxygen for growth. This is called a "dead zone." With the increasing use of fertilizer for factory farms, the more dead zones we have popping up around the globe suffocating our marine life. Sadly, the agriculture industry in the USA is about to become larger. China is the world's top dairy importer, and American dairy farmers are seizing the opportunity to hawk their dairy products to Chinese consumers. According to the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the U.S. exported more than $577 million dollars worth of dairy to China, making it the third-largest market for American dairy exports. Unfortunately, it gets worse. China's largest meat manufacturer acquired U.S. pork giant Smithfield which is the globe's largest hog producer. The deal is to send USA made pork to China to meet their increasing demands for meat, relegating us to be one big factory farm for China. According to the United States Meat Export Federation, Lin 2017, the U.S. exported almost half a million tons of hog meat, worth about $1.1 billion to China. The only glimmer of hope is that the recent U.S. China tariffs has curtailed some of the U.S. pork and dairy products exporters’ growth. While the concept of factory farming for animals, like chickens, and cows, is basically understood by the majority of meateaters, most people don’t know that fish are also subjected to factory farms. Farmed fish are often fed unnatural, high-corn diets which results in unhealthy levels of the wrong fatty acids. Furthermore, farmed fish are routinely dosed with antibiotics, which can cause antibiotic-resistant disease in humans. Also, a number of dangerous pesticides are used to combat underwater parasites that can kill thousands of fish.
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Some of those contaminants include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are strongly associated with cancer and various other health problems. These toxins are also harmful to a host of other organisms including birds, plants and our fragile ecosystem. The quickest solution to this imminent threat is to eliminate our own consumption of factory farmed products including meat, fish, eggs and dairy. We are the solution the world is waiting for. We can take care of this problem. We have the power, and, what would be the downside? Our health would improve, our skin would glow, we would lose weight and reduce the risk of suffering from a chronic disease in our lifetime. It is that simple. Your personal actions can save yourself, marine life and the ocean. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. For more information on the benefits of a plant-based diet, please visithttp://www.ordinaryvegan.net/
Nancy Montuori is a former music executive turned plant-based advocate, blogger, podcaster, and chef. She is passionate about teaching people that not only can plant-based food can be delicious, it can also provide solutions for all aspects of living well. You can find her website at https://ordinaryvegan.net and the Ordinary Vegan podcast on iTunes & Spotify.
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Once upon a time, there were two little piggies who were being held in a prison and they longed to be free. Tristan & Isolde came up with a plan, which they called “Operation Piggie Freedom”. The first step was for Tristan, who was big and strong teenager, to break them out of the prison. Isolde, who was a baby girl, provided moral support to her brother as he worked to free them. It worked! Once they were outside of the prison, they knew they had to find help. Luckily, they ran the right way and found themselves on the streets of Las Vegas, NM. They were soon captured and taken to a place called the “animal shelter” where they met many, many nice people who cared for them and gave them strawberries every morning. They really loved strawberries! That’s when they met their fairy godmother, Tina. When the prison guards came to take the pair to another prison where they would eventually be sent to market, Tina said “No, these little piggies aren’t going to market!”. She promised Tristan & Isolde that she would find them somewhere safe to live where they would be free to run and play and love. So, Fairy Godmother Tina worked with her sister, Fairy Godmother Tammy, to help the pair. They searched the entire kingdom for a home for these two adorable babies, but there was a problem. While Tristan weighed 80 lbs. and Isolde weighed just 10 lbs., everyone knew that they would grow up into very large pigs who would weigh 800-1200 lbs. There just weren’t any places in the kingdom with enough space for these two! Tammy searched and searched and searched. Nobody had enough room in their inns. Finally, in a kingdom far away – California – there was a wonderful place called Steampunk Farms Rescue Barn that said “Yes, we have plenty of room for Tristan & Isolde! We will love them, care for them and make sure they are always safe and loved!” Everyone rejoiced! But, California was very far away from Las Vegas, NM and there were still many obstacles for Tristan & Isolde. They needed health certificates, Tristan needed surgery (to make sure he never makes babies), they needed a way to get to California and they needed enough money to pay for all these things! It seemed impossible… That’s when a beautiful thing happened. The entire community came together to help Tristan & Isolde! Donations were given… a lot of them. Plus, there was a bake sale (vegan, of course) that raised even more money. Tristan & Isolde had enough money to make it to California! Tristan & Isolde made friends with the nice people at Petroglyphs Animal Hospital, who performed Tristan’s surgery. They also gave the pair a health exam to make sure they were both healthy. They were!
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Next step was getting their health certificates… and this was when the bad prison guards almost ruined all Tristan & Isolde’s plans. Even though these babies are never “going to market”, these prison guards wanted to tag them as if they were. These tags go into their ears and are very painful and often get infected. The Fairy Godmothers tried everything they could think of to avoid hurting Tristan & Isolde, but in the end, putting in the tags was the only way they could get to California. Tristan & Isolde were surrounded by friends and they understood the pain was short-lived and necessary to get to safety. They still loved all the people who were caring for them, even though their ears hurt. Finally! The pair had their health certificates and all the necessary paperwork to allow them to move to California. Tristan & Isolde started out from Albuquerque on a Friday morning. They hitched a ride with the handsome King Paul in his Vanagon. Fairy Godmother Tammy rode with them. They enjoyed the Vanagon, which had enough space for them to move around and cuddle up together. Tristan was a perfect gentleman the entire trip. Isolde was super excited by the plethora of treats and had a hard time waiting patiently while Tammy doled them out. When they reached Phoenix, AZ, they stopped for the night at a kind stranger’s house. He gave the pair room & board for the night, then he took them the rest of the way to California on Saturday. When Tristan & Isolde reached their forever home, they were astounded! It was huge; they would be able to run and play as much as they wanted. There were lots of other pigs; they would have friends to play with. There were kind humans; they would always be safe and would never again have to worry about “going to market”. Tristan & Isolde lived happily ever after!
Tristan & Isolde want to thank all the people who helped them on their journey: The Animal Welfare Coalition of Northeastern New Mexico, Petroglyphs Animal Hospital, Hippie Pig Sanctuary, all the folks who donated to them, all the bakers who made goodies for their bake sale, and all the people who shared their story and
cheered them on! They love you all!! NM Vegan | 14
Food. I guess not everyone loves to eat, but I’m a foodie and I think about food constantly. However, I make sure I read labels if I’m not eating a plain, simple, whole food like an apple or a beet. Just because you might have gone vegan doesn’t mean you can replace animal products with toxic substitutes that are GMOdriven or you’ll end up compromising your health. If a label contains so many ingredients that you can’t pronounce, it’s probably not good for you. Then again, today’s options are bringing some wonderful surprises. Let’s start with cheese. Cheese. Yum. You’ve gotta love it. Creamy, rich, smooth, hits all the right spots as it makes you sigh and moan with pleasure. Unless it comes from a cow or a sheep or a goat who was used just for the benefit of eating a waste food that can clog up our arteries and sinuses and brings no pleasure to the animal who was used. But I love cheese! How do I get around that? Easily. There are so many substitute cheeses available that also melt like ‘real’ cheese and taste delicious. As well as other substitute foods that can replace the ‘real deal’ and fool even the most determined meat eater who refuses to eat ‘substitute junk.’ Just read your labels – they’re not all good for you even if they taste good. Awhile ago some friends from Colorado visited. The husband used to hunt and is a heavy meat eater. When they arrived, they were hungry so we decided to make some pizza. Terry asked me not to tell her husband what we were using for ingredients as we piled on a cauliflower pizza crust some tomato sauce (from tomatoes grown in our own garden), garlic, diced tomatoes, cilantro, red and orange bell peppers, garlic, onions, basil, garlic, Miyoko’s vegan Mozzarella cheese, mushrooms and, oh, did I mention garlic? I was lucky I got a piece; it was delicious – our men polished off several pieces each. Another time we made a stir fry with onions, peppers, garlic, squash, some delicious vegan buckwheat/sweet potato noodles and a 100% whole soybean (and nothing else) meat substitute called Butler’s Soy Curls. A young lady named Alisha who joined us said she would never dream of eating the ‘fake stuff’ since she’s at the ‘top of the food chain’. I told her that was why we made the dish with real chicken from one of our neighbors, since she had told me prior to coming over that she only ate ‘the real deal.’ After her second helping she exclaimed that she was surprised that I would prepare chicken since she ‘knew’ I didn’t touch meat and she could tell it was the ‘real deal.’ When I showed her the packaging for the soy curls she laughingly claimed that she was furious and said she’d never trust me again since I had lied to her and it tasted so much like chicken. (She’s only been over here 3 or 4 more times just to ‘grab a bite’ and she says she always loves it.) Now here’s the cool deal about Alisha – she’s since become a vegetarian. She was constantly suffering from migraines and when I pointed out that her diet might be a contributing factor, she was willing to make some temporary changes. Those changes made such a difference in the way she feels that she can’t even fathom eating meat now, she claims. Cheese has also been cut out of her diet and she concentrates on fruits and veggies. I personally never had any issue with giving up meat. After being dragged to a bullfight when I was five years old and learning that cows and meat were considered the same thing, I was horrified and refused to consume meat ever again. Yeah, that created a lot of arguments through the years with my parents, but I stuck to my guns. NM Vegan | 15
However, if ever I loved one taste, it was butter. Divine, yummy, satisfying, rich enough to make you writhe with pleasure, lovely, artery-clogging butter. It went with everything. On potatoes, bread, all steamed veggies, pastas, how could I possibly say goodbye to it? Committing to veganism meant giving up one of my favorite foods. It also meant finding a substitute that wasn’t filled with canola oil or something equally bad for us like margarine. And once again I found it when I came across Miyoko’s vegan butter made with coconut oil (which is considered one of the healthiest oils containing lauric acid we can consume) and cashews. The texture is just like butter – it melts like butter – and best of all it tastes like butter. No animal was used in the process of making this butter. If you go crazy and eat a whole lot of it, well, yeah, you’ll probably gain weight. So I do my best to shove it behind heavy items in the refrigerator at night so I can’t get to it with ease. Oh, by the way, I have nothing to do with Miyoko’s company nor am I paid to advertise for them – they have no clue I’m writing this article. I just simply love her variety of cheeses and butter, and the ethics behind the company, and think anyone who is a vegan missing your cheese and butter, you might find yourself very satisfied if you check out your local health-food store where you can usually purchase these items. If you’ve got meat-loving friends coming to visit for the holidays and you don’t want to prepare something for them that goes against your ethical standards, today’s choices are vast and varied. Just make sure to read labels so you avoid eating GMO foods. Unfortunately, there are plenty of ‘junk foods’ in the substitutes with less than desirable ingredients listed, so be careful not to consume these harmful substitutes. That said, there are so many wonderful whole foods to enjoy through the holidays along with the meat substitutes that can satisfy almost anyone’s palate. Wishing you good health and blessings through your holidays and into 2019.
Bera Dordoni, N.D., lovingly referred to as the “Wellness Whisperer,” is author of the highly acclaimed book “I Have a Choice?!”, nutritional counselor, and a naturopathic doctor who has over two decades of experience counseling clients with ailments ranging from allergies to cancer to numerous lifethreatening dis-eases. As an advanced Ho’oponopono practitioner she is helping people change their lives and accomplish their health goals where she holds her practice in the Ramah, NM area. Visit www.drberatlc.com or www.bastis.org to learn more.
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Dancing with the Bars – Every Thursday - 8:30AM – 9:15AM – Movement exercise program for balance and range of motion - Bear Canyon Senior Center, 4645 Pitt St NE, Albuquerque NM. For more information email heartnsole3@yahoo.com or call 505.332.0446.
Fusion Dance one Sunday a month – 2:30p – Lloyd Shaw Dance Center. For more information email heartnsole3@yahoo.com or call 505.332.0446. Light vegan options served. HeartnSole LLC – Vegan Spirituality meeting once a month. For more information email heartnsole3@yahoo.com or call 505.332.0446. Cooking with Compassion one Sunday a month at Natural Grocers NE Heights at 12p. Free event. For more information email sproutingcompassion@outlook.com or call 505.332.0446.
HeartnSole LLC – Red & Green VegFest Albuquerque, The Future is Now. August 10, 2019 - For more information email heartnsole3@yahoo.com or call 505.332.0446. Web page: www.redandgreenvegfestabq.wordpress.com
If you have upcoming vegan events, and would like to include them here in our calendar; Send email to: welcome22day@gmail.com Please write on subject line: NMV COE. Thank you.
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Day in The Life of a Chickpea Mary Nahkian Hi, my name is Chickpea! I’m sometimes called Garbanzo depending on what language you speak. Internationally I have earned the place of a superfood!!!!!!!…. not sure why. I’m a simple looking thing but you enjoy eating me every day. I’m told I can replace all animals in the kingdom. How can I do that ?????? I don’t even weigh an ounce. I’m humble in my appearance, pale and round. Unique that I seem hard and dry at first, but no one seems to mind. On occasion I have been spilled and rolled oblivious into your kitchen and never found, but my abundance remains with you always. I am the key ingredient to turn into the most tastiest meals for those who believe in me. I can even attend formal dinner parties all spiced and dressed up. Some cannot live without me! You can soak me, boil me, roast me, dip me, spread me, toss me, freeze me, store me, fry me, grind me to pieces and still make me delicious to eat. I love it when you choose me everyday of the week. Lately, you’ve Introduced me to your friends. You’ve taken me to lunch and talked about me, even shared me! They wanted to know more about me. Why are they calling me falafel? Someone even said they wanted to spread me all over???? I have different names in different countries. Mediterranean’s create recipes from me, Middle Easterns’ can’t get enough of me. Many nationalities enjoy eating me and now I am so famous that everyone puts me on their menu and buys me. I really am a simple pea! I have travelled throughout the world, from India, Middle East and into Europe. I am amazed how I compliment your diet, from spicy curries to soft and unctuous beans in salads. I fill your wraps, pasta dishes to dips, ground me into flour and I become the base to your pizza. Everyone wants to try me. Please remember me then! Vegans thank me for being such a powerful pea. I have given a new satisfaction to replace the normality for meat eater dishes. I am a humble little pea. I have relatives in my legume family, bearing pods, I am the usual white chickpea, my cousins are a darker variety and my inlaws of a green tint, but we don’t see them often. I grow naturally to provide you with an excellent source of protein. With respect to other legumes I have a lower fat content, quite rich in calcium, iron, and am an excellent source of fiber. If you don’t add salt to me I stay sodium-poor, which is a good bet for those on reduced sodium diets. Looking for a partner to spend my evening dinners with. Could there be a match for me?
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Day in The Life of a Chickpea-Cont’d Mary Nahkian Recipe for Falafel Ingredients you will need: 1 packet Dry Chickpeas soaked over night 1 Onion 6 cloves Garlic Large bunch Parsley 1 tablespoon Coriander, 2 tablespoon Cumin, 2 teaspoon Salt, 2 tablespoon Flour, 1|2 teaspoon Baking Soda, Oil for frying Method: Rinse soaked chickpeas and drain. Grind in processor till sand like. Place in a large bowl. Next add chopped onion and garlic to processor, grind parsley also. Add spices according to taste. Add flour and baking soda. Bind with hands and use falafel tool to shape into flat balls. Can be done by hand too. Heat oil to deep fry balls. Place about 5 at each time. Do not overcrowd. Fry till crisp golden brown. Then lay each ball on a dish with paper towel. You can make a crisp cabbage or tomato salad as an accompaniment. Fill pita bread or tortilla wrap with 2 falafel balls, salad and drizzle all with tahini sauce.
Mary Nahikian Meet Mary Nahikian, an Armenian born in Cyprus. Inspired by Mediterranean cooking she has hosted dinner parties at her home for many years and created endless nutritionally balanced menus for her family. Discovered in 2013 when Mary's corporate career came to an end, she found her love of vegan lifestyle creating protein balls for athletes within her sample kitchen in Palma. Mary's menus are solely inspired by her heart and the parties that she hosts at her house. Her creations of beautiful presentations, cooking and baking, are extended to friends and residents in her community who love to eat surprise delicacies that she is inspired to share. She promotes an ever-changing assortment of ingredient for one-of-akind nutrition-based, diet restrictions, athletes and for people she loves! Currently hosting vegan travelers visiting Mallorca. Palma de Mallorca mnahikian5@gmail.com Instagram: @dine.with.mary @veganonthemapspain
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ABQ Vegan: http://www.meetup.com/ABQVEG/ Albuquerque Vegan and Vegetarian Parents: https://www.facebook.com/groups/323534174705753/ Otero Veg: http://cloudcroftvegans.com/index.html HeartnSole Spiritual Community: https://heartnsolerevna.wordpress.com/ Leaf: Taos Vegan Society: http://www.meetup.com/Taos-Vegan/ Santa Fe Vegan: http://www.meetup.com/Santa-Fe-Veg/photos/4704212/445478790/ Silver City NM Vegan Support Group: https://www.facebook.com/vegansupportgroup/ www.dancingwiththebars.wordpress.com
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If you are vegan and offer cruelty-free services and products please let us know for possible inclusion in upcoming NM Vegan Magazines, please email us at welcome22day@gmail.com, on the subject line please write NMV Vegan Products & Services.
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False Friends and the Five Dimensions of Health Dr. Will Tuttle One of the primary thematic elements in world literature and in our shared human life over the past few millennia is that of the harmful false friend. We see it everywhere, from the ancient gift-horse at Troy that actually contained murderous enemies, to the many court intrigues of both Europe and Asia, with seemingly loyal ministers actually plotting to betray, assassinate, and usurp the powers of their benefactors, to our current lives today, when friends and colleagues may, either unwittingly or deliberately, do things that harm us. For this reason, wise people have never tired of admonishing us to practice Right Association: to be discriminating and careful about whom we trust and with whom we associate. We tend to become like our friends, and on top of this, those posing as trusted allies are all the more able to manipulate and harm us, either intentionally or unintentionally. This also applies to many traditions and institutions that we are taught to trust as well. We’re told that the mainstream media are our friends who work hard to inform us accurately about our world, that governmental agencies are doing their best to help and protect us, and that pharmaceutical corporations’ main desires are to help keep us all healthy. They are all our friends, according to the official narrative. The same holds true for the conventional foods we’re taught to eat. For many of us, food is one of our very best friends: intimate, loyal, and fulfilling. With time we may begin to realize there is a deeper and more accurate understanding of these seeming friends, and we discover that in many cases, the most liberating, wise, and empowering action we can take is to question, resist, and abandon these false friends as best we can. Food: Friend or Fiend? From infancy, we are fed our cultural narrative by well-meaning parents, teachers, doctors, relatives, and neighbors. They all demonstrate to us unceasingly that animal-based foods are our trusted friends. Hamburgers, hot dogs, bacon, cheese, omelets, fish sticks, yogurt, fried chicken: these are all celebrated, praised, and honored as good friends that are not only delicious but that also provide necessary protein and calcium, and are what make our country great and define us as a people. However, we are urgently called today to question this prevailing narrative—that animal-sourced foods are our friends—and to wake up and recognize them for what they are: destructive enemies to our well-being on all five levels of our individual and collective health. Animal foods are harmful to far more than our bodily health. It’s helpful to realize that being healthy is not merely concerned with our physical health, and that while bodily health definitely plays an important role in our overall happiness, there are four other dimension of health that are equally and perhaps even more important than our physical health. These other four are our environmental, cultural, psychological, and spiritual health. Together with our physical health, these make up the five dimensions of our health, and the key point to understand today is that animal agriculture itself—and eating foods of animal origin—devastates and erodes not just our physical health, but our environmental, cultural, psychological, and spiritual health as well, more than any other single activity. Meat, dairy products, and eggs are absolutely not our friends in any way but actively work to harm our well-being on every level. Animal agriculture is the Trojan Horse within the walled gates of our city, and the insidious and destructive forces it unleashes every day are ravaging our ecosystems, our society, our health, our intelligence, and our natural sensitivity and wisdom.
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False Friends and the Five Dimensions of Health-Cont’d Dr. Will Tuttle Environmental Health Animal agriculture is intensely wasteful of land, water, and fossil fuel resources because the millions of animals we kill daily for food (cows, pigs, poultry, and farmed fishes) eat enormous quantities and create toxic sewage, methane, nitrous oxide, and other waste that cause river and aquifer pollution, oceanic dead zones, soil erosion, air pollution, and climate destabilization. Additionally, animal agriculture is the primary driving force behind deforestation, habitat loss, species extinction, and ocean destruction due to overfishing and pollution. According to studies by the National Academy of Sciences, it takes about one-sixth of an acre per year to grow enough food to feed a vegan, and about three acres (18 times as much land) to feed someone eating the Standard American Diet. Transitioning to a whole-foods plant-based diet is the single most potent step we can take to reduce our environmental footprint. Cultural Health The inherent and damaging wastefulness of animal agriculture also harms our cultural health as well. It’s well understood that food shortages are one of the main causes of conflicts in the world, and that there can never be peace without justice. It is not difficult for us in the more industrialized nations to drive up the price of grain on the world markets in order to feed most of it to our imprisoned cows, pigs, chickens, and farmed fishes. In doing so, we price it out of reach of people in less industrialized nations and economies who are forced into hunger. They are also driven into overcrowded cities because large-scale animal agriculture operations are buying up their land to grow grain to fatten and export livestock. Gandhi summed this situation: “There’s enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed.” The unremitting injustice—of mothers holding starving children while the meat- and dairy-eating wealthier populations squander most of our land, water, grain, and petroleum resources—erodes our cultural health and causes conflict, as well as refugees from hunger and war, which make matters worse. Additionally, we compel armies of workers to stab, beat, shock, and mutilate millions of animals daily, propelling them into perpetrator-induced traumatic stress disorder that increases their rates of suicide, alcoholism, and violence. Animal agriculture is actually a massive web of trauma inflicted on farmed animals as well as on wildlife, workers, hungry people, habitats, ecosystems, economies, and every aspect of our shared social life. Physical Health The products of animal agriculture are well understood today to be harmful to our physical health. Animal agriculture converts grains and greens into massive amounts of misery, toxic sewage, drug residues, and other pollutants, as well as the three primary constituents of animal foods: saturated fat, cholesterol, and acidifying and inflammatory animal protein. Because the media are beholden to their largest advertisers—the pharmaceutical, chemical, petroleum, and fast-food industries—we as consumers and citizens don’t learn that meat, dairy products, and eggs are not a helpful source of calcium and other nutrients, and are linked with diabetes, osteoporosis, liver disease, kidney disease, obesity, heart disease, strokes, dementia, breast, prostate, and colon cancer, and other debilitating diseases. The problem of course is that great profits for the wealthy elite are generated by disease, war, and environmental pollution, and these also make people weaker and easier to control. The shining truth though is that all of us have been given the gift of physical bodies that do not require any animal to suffer or die to get all the nutrients that we need to thrive and celebrate our lives on this beautiful and abundant Earth. The ever-growing presence of millions of healthy vegans is making this undeniably clear to everyone. Psychological Health The first three dimensions of health just discussed are essentially external, and thus tend to be more obvious, though the devastating effects of our false friendship with animal foods still remain mainly unrecognized in our culture. This is because we live in a herding culture organized around animal agriculture with its consequent narrative of human supremacy. This narrative justifies and rationalizes our ruthless exploitation of animals and nature, and blinds us to the harmful consequences of this behavior. However, it’s vital to understand that animal agriculture is not only destroying the outer world of our environment, our society, and our bodily health; it is also devastating to the inner landscape of our consciousness. Being compelled from infancy to participate in animal-based meal rituals, we are not just eating animal-sourced foods that are harmful to our health, we are also eating attitudes that destroy our natural capacities for sensitivity, empathy, intelligence, self-respect, and harmony with nature and with each other. This is where the violence inherent in meat, dairy, and eggs most insidiously wounds us, and yet it is strangely invisible to us, because the wounding also reduces our capacity to recognize and respect our original nature as radiant, free, and magnificent expressions of life. From infancy, unfortunately, we are required to ritually promote and partake of dysfunctional attitudes with every meal.
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False Friends and the Five Dimensions of Health-Cont’d Dr. Will Tuttle One such attitude is disconnectedness. We are taught to stay shallow and to avoid looking deeply, caring deeply, and making the obvious and necessary connections between what is on our plate and the actual living being abused to produce it. This has serious consequences because the essential definition of intelligence in both individuals and societies is their capacity to make relevant connections. Animal agriculture is a direct assault on this capacity, eroding it relentlessly. Another attitude implicit in animal foods and required of all of us in this culture is the attitude of elitism, privilege, and might-makes-right. This is what we are actually eating and cultivating in every meal at the deepest levels, so of course we reap a world of social injustice that defies all attempts at resolution. We are causing abuse and injustice and then literally incorporating these actions into every cell of our being with our meals, which are in every culture the primary social rituals. A third devastating attitude is that of commodifying life: everything and everyone has a price, and animals, nature, and humans all are reduced to mere commodities in a heartless and competitive economic system. A fourth attitude is the complete domination and exploitation of the feminine dimension of life and consciousness, referred to in The World Peace Diet as Sophia. Sophia is our inner feminine wisdom that naturally yearns to protect and nurture children, communities, and our shared life, but animal agriculture is based at its core on impregnating females on rape-racks, stealing and killing their babies, and then killing the mothers, and doing it millions of times daily. How can we have healthy family and gender relations, or respect the feminine dimension of life and consciousness, when these opposing attitudes are being injected deeply into us on a daily basis through our meals? Spiritual/Ethical Health This fifth dimension of health is perhaps the most important of all, because it has to do with our basic sense of purpose and our connection with our true nature as conscious beings capable of living lives of authenticity, creativity, awakening, and fulfillment. However, animal agriculture is the absolute antithesis of all these qualities. Animals are born into slavery and misery, their purposes stolen, their lives, milk, eggs, autonomy, sovereignty, children, and meaning all stolen and destroyed. We are taught to see beings as mere material objects whose value is determined by their weight! Can anyone imagine any system more barbaric, insane, and demonic? Disconnected from basic wisdom, ethics, and awareness, animal agriculture lays waste not just our outer world, but reaches to the intimate depths of our basic connection with the source of our life, and poisons and perverts our consciousness by colonizing it with a narrative based on abuse, exploitation, fear, and separation. False Friends and Genuine Friends We live at a critical juncture in our human journey. A false friend—animal agriculture and the meat, dairy products, and eggs that fill our supermarkets, restaurants, meals, and cells—is unleashing an ongoing barrage of destruction and chaos that is bringing us to the brink of oblivion. Nuclear weapons, plutocracy, disease epidemics, and ocean collapse are just a few of the many outer manifestations of our old false friends, meat, dairy products, and eggs. If we were born as cows or chickens, we would understand intensely just how harmful these “foods” are. Now, more than ever, it’s imperative that we make an effort to understand their true nature, awaken from our culturally-induced trance and call them by their true names: the destroyers of our life, our Earth, our society, our sanity, our inner and outer peace. Fortunately, genuine friends surround us everywhere. Trees, flowers, gardens, orchards, and fields can provide all the healthy nutrition we need on a fraction of the land and resources we are currently using and harming. We can transform the foundation of our culture from the misery of herderism to the abundance and freedom of veganic plant-based living, based on inclusion and respect for all expressions of life. The door to our prison is open. Can we help each other walk through it? Can we joyfully abandon and put an end to our false friendship with animal agriculture, the demonic fiend crushing us, animals, and our world? There is no more pressing task than this!
Dr. Will Tuttle, visionary educator and musician, is author of the international best-seller, The World Peace Diet. A former Zen monk and recipient of the Courage of Conscience Award and Empty Cages Prize, he has created eight CD albums of uplifting original piano music and is a vegan since 1980. You can visit the following website for more information: http://www.worldpeacediet.com/ http://www.willtuttle.com/
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How can a dentist be vegan? And how do I know if my dentist uses vegan friendly practices? What makes a vegan dental surgery, ‘vegan’? I just love going to the dentist. Don’t you? After all we only go there when we know our teeth are clean and in good repair….NOT! How do you know if your dentist is vegan friendly if you don’t know what to ask? As a vegan in need of visiting the dentist, it did occur to me that what goes on behind those closed doors might not in fact be animal friendly. Are the products they use tested on animals? Oh no, it couldn’t be that what they put in my mouth contains animal by products surely? Well, this is something you need to consider. As a result of searching for vegan, cruelty free businesses to join My Vegan Vouchers, I stumbled across Dr. Helen’s Dental & Implant Studio, Melbourne. She has a full-service dental surgery in Prahran East, Victoria. While Dr. Helen serves everyone in the community, her practice has gained a large vegan patient base because Dr. Helen strives to make her practice as minimally-harmful to not only her patients but to animals, too! Dr. Helen has given us some guidelines on what to look out for and questions to consider when looking for a vegan friendly dentist. She uses non-animal derived products where available. Beware, this is more than just pulling teeth! For instance, human donor bone can be used in bone grafting surgeries in preference to animal bone. Your dentist may prescribe medications for various reasons. Reasons for medications include: fighting oral diseases, preventing or fighting infection, or it could be to relieve your pain and anxiety that can accompany necessary dental operational type work. Dr. Helen managed a rare find and works with a pharmacist who uses non-gelatine capsules for compounding. Your vegan dental surgery may find this difficult but if one doesn’t try, then one will never succeed. Unfortunately, in medicine, there are times that even in a vegan dental surgery, practitioners have to use animal-tested products due to government regulations and lack of available products or research that haven’t been tested. Science is making progress here, but unfortunately there are areas of the practice that must provide treatment options that aren’t cruelty-free. So where does the gelatine for these capsules come from? Gelatine is sourced from animal products such as hooves, skin and bones that have been boiled until they resemble a gel like substance. Something I know I certainly do not want to put into my body, let alone my mouth! A vegan dentist will ensure the capsules are made with a non gelatin compound. A gelatin substitute can be made from a plant source such as agar agar or other vegetable gums. Now that sounds better to me. I know the chances are that companies use animal testing for medications and therefore they are not cruelty free but that’s for another blog post. Medicine is one of the areas that animal rights are frequently infringed upon, but Dr. Helen is passionate about making a change for more compassionate alternatives to animal products and animal testing of pharmaceuticals wherever possible. I’m sure your vegan dentist feels the same. The time will come that this will be the norm. Let’s keep working on it together. There are many questions you could ask your dentist to ensure you have found a vegan dental surgery. A vegan dentist is going to avoid using ‘catgut’ or sutures, which are porcine or bovine-based. Ask your dentist what their sutures are made from. The answer you want to hear is how sutures can be Vycril or polypropylene sutures. There are many, many types of non-animal derived sutures, so there’s really no need for animal cruelty here.
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Does your dentist elect to use models instead of the commonly-used pig jaws in surgery training? That’s something I wouldn’t have thought about. Thanks Dr. Helen. Vegans tend to be more aware of being earth friendly also. Being vegan, often but not always, means being eco friendly and aware of how our actions can affect our planet. Dr. Helen recommends reducing waste by using an amalgam-retaining suction that stops harmful metals from entering the water supply. After all, we all live on this one earth and need to treat it like our own private backyard. Keep it clean please because it’s everyone’s backyard and there’s nowhere else to move to. Not yet anyway. Using a heat-based sterilization product for metal instruments instead of disposable plastic materials is a great start. Less plastic in our oceans is vital to the life of our ecosystem without a doubt. The conclusion of your visit to your vegan dental surgery…phew it’s all done. At the end of your consultation, your dentist will usually tell you what foods to avoid for the sake of your teeth. Urging a plantbased diet during nutrition consultations for optimum dental health is great advice that Dr. Helen gives her patients. So your dentist is the one you look up to (literally) when needing advice regarding your dental health. Your vegan dental surgeon will be advising you to use oral hygiene products such as White Glow which is not tested on animals but does contain fluoride. You can avoid toothpastes like Colgate that are tested on animals. You will find plenty of alternatives here such as calendula, bicarbonate, coconut oil and charcoal toothpaste and you will probably find that your dentist will recommend a toothpaste containing fluoride. What about your toothbrush? ‘The equivalent of five grocery bags of plastic trash sitting on every foot of coastline around the world’, flows into our oceans every year from coastal regions according to National Geographic Magazine. Is your toothbrush plastic? Sadly most are, however there are alternatives available. There are numerous stores now selling eco friendly toothbrushes both in store and online. Bamboo toothbrushes can be purchased from zero waste stores such as Biome. There are numerous ways of saving our planet and building a vegan society. It’s worth a mention that Dr. Helen also offers plant-based milks for tea and coffees in her practice as well as sugar-free vegan chocolate for your little treat after check-ups! Thanks Dr. Helen, you’re a gem! Vegan hugs, Joanne
Joanne Lauthier Founder, My Vegan Vouchers®️ Age: 55 years Mother of 3 Previous life: Early Childhood Education and Care Professional (Teacher, Director, TAFE and University Teacher/Assessor) Current life: Passionate supporter of Vegan business, aiming for happy Vegan business owners and happy Vegan consumers as well as creating demand for Vegan products in non Vegan establishments…’Making Veganism Mainstream with Savings on All Things Vegan’. Joanne strives to locate ethical business owners all over the world, encouraging the supply of great deals on ethical, cruelty free, Vegan goods and services to consumers everywhere. Having founded the online voucher service, My Vegan Vouchers ®️, she is weaving her way through the realms of businesses available, providing goods and services to evaluate their suitability to join the Vegan Voucher community. Joanne views this new community, as an 'ethical lifestyle of choices paving the way for a sustainable future for our children and our planet'.
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Many people have now discovered for themselves the remarkable slimming effects of a raw vegan diet that all other animals eating naturally raw plant-based diets already benefit from. When you think about it, have you ever seen an overweight deer living wild? Probably not since they eat only the raw plant foods they are best adapted to eat. In fact, if you are presently at a moderate weight and start on a raw vegan diet that restricts foods with a high fat content like nuts, seeds and avocadoes, you will probably find it quite a challenge to carry any excess weight after several months following it. If you have a greater amount of weight to lose, then being under the care of a nutritionist during your raw vegan weight loss program seems advisable.
Furthermore, the natural sprouting process used by raw vegans to prepare sprouted legumes, grains and seeds also makes foods proportionately higher in protein and fiber, which in turn reduces their boosting effect on blood sugar. This lowers their glycemic index and inhibits the release of insulin that signals your body to deposit fat. That is especially good news for people looking to experience some of the weight loss benefits of this diet, as well as for diabetics. My Experience with the Raw Vegan Diet and Weight Loss As one of the pioneers in the recent trend toward consuming more raw plant-derived foods seen over the past two decades, my raw vegan diet was somewhat experimental at the time I started it when I first opened up my living foods restaurant. Initially, I hoped to make a positive example of myself for others to consider following, including clients of my restaurant, although the raw vegan diet worked out so well for me that I stayed on it for years after I eventually closed my restaurant down to pursue other interests. My own experience with the raw vegan diet was that it was exceptionally rejuvenating and energizing, as well as being excellent for weight loss and supporting a positive mental attitude. With respect to the particularly welcome slimming effect of following a raw vegan diet, I discovered that I had effortlessly lost 40 stubborn pounds that I had gained while recently pregnant after following it strictly several months. Since I eventually slimmed down to weigh as little as 110 pounds, which was quite a weight loss feat, considering my tall and medium-built body frame. I even became a little concerned about the weight loss continuing any further, but I took some advice from fellow raw foodists about how to stabilize my weight that worked like a charm. I simply started to add more calorie-dense foods containing healthful fats to my diet, like nuts, seeds and avocados.
Also, I felt great and very energized after losing all that rather unsightly excess baggage from my body. My body shape transformed as my stomach flattened and my flabby belly pouch completely disappeared, along with all of the dimpled cellulite that had accumulated over the years on my hips and thighs. I felt renewed! As that excess weight melted off effortlessly, I also felt free of the excess burden on my joints and energy levels that carrying it around on my body imposed. It was like having a large 40 pound backpack taken off me, and I felt freer, lighter and much more agile! I also felt more comfortable exercising around other people and felt better about myself in general, as I loved my new slimmer look!
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An Overview of the Raw Vegan Diet In addition to being exceptionally healthful and promoting natural weight loss, consuming a raw vegan diet consisting largely of raw fruits and vegetables, cold-pressed plant oils, sprouted legumes and grains, and soaked nuts and seeds can provide virtually all of the nutrition you need with some very minor exceptions that can easily be obtained from supplements or fortified foods. The Raw Food Pyramid shown below gives you a sense of what to eat in what proportions on a raw vegan diet. Although nutritional yeast is not a raw food, it does provide some excellent micronutrients – including Vitamin B12 — that raw vegans may otherwise not get enough of.
This should hardly seem surprising to those familiar with weight loss diets, because a common weight-loss recommendation by dieticians encourages clients to consume more low calorie — but very nutrient dense — foods like vegetables and fruits, so eating a diet that consists largely of those foods seems ideal for weight loss. A raw vegan diet consists solely of uncooked plant-derived foods and excludes all items obtained from animals, so not only is it kinder on animals, but it also contains almost no cholesterol and low amounts of saturated fats, so that is very good news for those also looking to improve the health of their circulatory system while losing weight. Those promoting a raw vegan diet also usually point out that cooking destroys key enzymes in food that assists with your digestion, as well as the helpful biophotons that promote better energy levels and many beneficial nutrients. Accordingly, eating only raw plant foods helps you improve your intake of such nutrients, while eliminating less favorable substances, and this can help you overcome chronic diseases like cancer and generally boost your health and immune system. How Calories Consumed Affect Weight Loss As with any other sensible weight loss plan, you still need to focus on consuming whole, unprocessed foods in modest but sufficient quantities to make sure that the calories you take in are less than the calories you expend. This makes your body burn stored fat for energy so that you lose excess pounds. Still, to avoid reducing their metabolism and adversely affecting their weight loss process, an average woman should intake at least 1,200 calories and an average man a minimum of 1,800 calories. Although most people on a raw vegan diet can consume pretty much whatever they feel like within that somewhat restricted — but very natural — dietary range, their total caloric intake still matters, even while eating a lot of fruits and veggies. This also means that for best weight loss results, calorie-dense foods like nuts, seeds, oils and avocadoes should be consumed sparingly until they wish, to stabilize their weight. NM Vegan | 27
Macronutrients and Micronutrients to Watch on a Raw Vegan Diet With respect to macronutrients, you might be surprised to learn that humans are a physiologically vegan species after weaning, so we only need proteins and fats to make up a mere 10 percent of our diet by calories. The remaining 80 of the ideal human diet should consist of plant derived carbohydrates, including dietary fiber, starches and fruits. A well-balanced raw vegan diet typically delivers this ideal macronutrient ratio very easily without needing to include excess calories that contribute to weight gain, although if you are very active and feel the need for more protein to support your muscles, you can supplement with protein-rich nuts like almonds. When it comes to micronutrients you need to supplement, a common concern is Vitamin B12. This vitamin is typically necessary to add to a raw vegan diet for children under five years of age or those who have been vegan for more than five years. The human liver only stores about a five year supply of this essential nutrient that is obtained from microbes that live in the soil or the digestive systems of animals. Fortunately, it is only needed by adults in the miniscule amount of 2.4 micrograms per day, although persistent deficiencies can cause health problems. Furthermore, you can get your Omega 3 fatty acids from sources like walnuts and ground flax seeds, while Vitamin D can be obtained by regular sun exposure. Menstruating women in particular may also need to make sure they get enough iron in their diet, which can be obtained either from supplements or from many plant foods like spinach, and it helps your body to absorb iron and other nutrients like calcium if you simultaneously consume a Vitamin C containing food like tomatoes.
About the Author Alice Dee is a pioneering raw vegan restaurateur, a public speaker and a plant-based dietary consultant. She is also the featured living foods chef at Raw From The Garden and author of its popular Raw Vegan Recipes book now out in its Third Edition that you can purchase online here. Alice is also available for teaching workshops on subjects related to raw vegan cuisine, and you can also join her Raw Vegan Recipes Facebook group and follow her timeline or message her here.
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When you think “vegan holidays” you may just be thinking about the food. What most people don’t realize is that vegan living goes way beyond the food on our plates. As consumers we get to expand our powerful influence to include compassion for all beings, human and non-human. And, we can go beyond our plates to our choices around clothing, gifts, the environment, entertainment, and much more. Our holiday choices can actually create less waste, more genuine love for those around us, and be a positive win/win for the planet and everyone in our lives. Here is a brief guide to celebrating the holidays without burdening the earth or your wallet! For many people the holidays are filled with financial worries and family stress. They can be tough for anyone….but modern holidays are toughest on Mother Earth. All those UPOs (Unnecessary Plastic Objects) purchased as holiday gifts and wrapped up to look more special, animals purchased as gift pets, clothing, etc. The aftermath continues for years as gifts are tossed out because they stopped working and cannot be repaired or someone just didn’t like them or because a cute puppy grew up and needed time and care. Any holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, New Years, etc.) can be recreated to be stress-free, compassionate and sustainable. We vote with our dollars. Every time we spend money on something, we are supporting an industry. Are we creating the Good Life or the Goods Life? Regardless of what the ads say, we cannot buy the perfect holiday with money. It is always a good idea to question ads and claims made on packages. What do the labels “humane”, “cage-free”, “organic”, “free-range”, etc. really mean? With no legal protections from cruelty, most farmed animals suffer in every step of being a “product”. Researching the realities of animals in for-profit industries could change the way you and your family live your lives. Animals on “farms”, in labs, at breeding facilities, and in zoos, aquariums and other “entertainment” will benefit when these industries are no longer profitable. Many traditions that say “happy holidays” to some of us, mean suffering for others. Items that are produced with sweatshop or slave labor, use non-renewable resources or cause suffering to other species are in abundance during the holidays. Traditional celebrations are often centered around a large piece of animal flesh that is meant to say that the host cares. I overheard a woman at a party telling about her wedding. She and her partner wanted the wedding to be totally vegetarian/vegan because they did not want their celebration to mean unnecessary suffering for others. When they announced their plans to their parents, the families got very upset because many people would be coming from so far away. In her mother’s words, “People will think you don’t care about them if you don’t serve meat.” Holidays and celebrations can be the toughest times to live by our values. It is not easy to be the one in the family who breaks tradition by serving up a plant-based meal or donating money in the family’s name instead of buying and wrapping gifts for everyone. But, it is often this same person who helps everyone step outside the traditional box to create a more meaningful celebration. In the USA, approximately 4 million Christmas trees end up in landfills each year. Also, most are grown in mono-cropped areas that do not support diverse wildlife. Artificial trees come from polluting factories in Asia and eventually also end up in landfills. Create a new tradition by decorating a living plant that you can keep indoors year round or plant outdoors after the holidays. Rosemary plants and pine trees grow great and can be transplanted outdoors after the holidays.
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Decorating an existing outdoor tree is also a beautiful tradition. For decorations that can remain on the outdoor tree, use strung popcorn, apple pieces, cranberries or handmade decorations from items collected outdoors. For a large gathering I once had, I cut round disks from a fallen branch. Each adult and child painted a disk with a picture or word(s) that described something they were grateful for. When we all finished, we shared what our ornaments represented and hung them up. The “grateful tree” remained decorated with these for years. Children in the community would visit the grateful tree at every gathering on that land. Say “no” to the buying frenzy. Think about positive holiday memories from your childhood. Most of those memories are smells, tastes, fun times outdoors, etc. Love does not come in a package and can’t be bought in a store. Some alternative ideas for gift giving: Kids 1-Boxes that you personally decorate filled with: -Art supplies (include recycled items that can be used in art, such as old video tape ribbon and bottle caps). -Dress up clothes: Old dresses, high heel shoes, boots, scarves, hats, and jewelry you find at resale shops or in your own closet! 2-Create a story and make a book with that child as the main character. 3-Rather than buying a winter scarf, give them knitting needles and yarn and take time to teach them to knit their own scarf. Gifts for All Ages: 1-Homemade personal coupons that you provide. They can redeem them anytime for a massage, game, movie, homecooked meal, babysitting, day at the museum, garden help, day of learning some new craft together like canning or soap making, a bike ride and picnic, etc. 2- Homemade cookbook with your favorite healthy vegan recipes. 3- Arrange a monthly date and make a fun certificate to let them know. This can be as simple as meal together or a phone call. It is great for elderly friends or relatives. 4-A homemade calendar using special pictures/photos/drawings you’ve collected. 5-Wrapping: comics, old maps, colorful fabric, old video tape ribbons. 6- Re-gifting: All that good stuff in the back of a closet or gathering dust-let someone else enjoy it! How about a Yankee Swap?: These are a blast. Have a potluck with it for a total celebration! Everyone finds and wraps something that they already have in their home. Pile the items in middle of the room. Everyone picks a number from a basket with enough numbers for everyone there and no duplicates. Number 1 starts by picking a present to open. Once everyone sees what it is, Number 2 can either steal the present from Number 1 or pick a present from the pile. If they take Number 1’s gift, then Number 1 gets the gift number 2 had. This goes on with each successive person getting the option to either pick from the table or steal any of the already opened gifts. For example, Number 9 can take the presents of Numbers 1-8 or can pick a new one. One final rule: a present can only be stolen three times, and then it stays with the person holding it. (Detailed rules: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant_gift_exchange)
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Vegan Holidays-Cont’d Rae Sikora Still feel like spending money on those you love? This year, Americans will spend an average of over $1,000 on holiday gifts, which includes $200 on me-too purchases (the impulse buys that people make for themselves while they're shopping for gifts). Wouldn't it be great if that $1,000 could go towards giving the people you love a gift, and making the world a better place? Here are a few ideas for those special someones. (When donating money to organizations check them out thoroughly. Many that seem to be socially conscious are not.) 1-Have a tree planted in their honor through organizations you can find listed here: www.friendsoftrees.org 2- Give a donation to a local cause such as an animal shelter/rescue group, a shelter for battered women, a local environmental group, etc. Here in New Mexico we have wonderful sanctuaries like Santuario de Karuna (https://www.santuariodekaruna.org/) and Kindred Spirits (http://www.kindredspiritsnm.org/) that you can make a generous donation to in your family’s name and you can even visit with your family. 3- Support local vegan artists by buying their work. 4- Purchase a share for friends or family at a local CSA farm. 5- Support local independent vegan businesses. 6- If your family takes a holiday trip together, consider a vacation that involves volunteering for a project. Here are a few of the many sites might help you decide where to go and what to do: www.voluntourism.org, www.habitat.org, www.network.bestfriends.org. 7- Sponsor a rescued turkey at a sanctuary on Thanksgiving. Remember there is no such thing as a humanely raised/killed turkey. 8- Support compassionate vegan authors by purchasing their books and reading them to your kids. Ruby Roth has a whole collection of fabulous children’s books and the best Thanksgiving children’s book is, Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey. You can find the caring consumer wallet card here: http://plantpeacedaily.org/files/CARING_CONSUMER_WALLET_CARD.jpg Print and carry it with you and ask these questions before making any purchase. Have a healthy happy compassionate holiday that honors ALL life.
Wonderful alternative food choices for Thanksgiving! ABQ Thanksliving Gatheringhttps://www.meetup.com/ABQVEG/events/mdnxkpyxpbfb/ Santa Fe Thanksliving Potluck on the holiday itselfhttps://www.meetup.com/Santa-Fe-Veg/events/254909701/ Dritt and Porter offering wonderful ordering vegan gluten-free menu that they cook and you serve-https://www.driftandporter.com/ Root 66 Vegan Food Truck post Thanksgiving delights-https://root-66vegan-food-truck.business.site/
Rae Sikora has been a full-time spokesperson for other species and the environment for more than 40 years. She is co-founder of Plant Peace Daily, VegFund, Santa Fe Vegan, and the Institute for Humane Education. Rae leads compassionate living and ethical consumerism programs internationally for diverse audiences ranging from schools and prisons to businesses and universities. She is the co-author of Plant Peace Daily, Everyday Outreach for People Who Care, and Sowing Seeds Humane Education Handbook. She is also author of the soon to be published books Sharing Home, Compassionate Living Curriculum, and Little Jew on the Soul Train. Rae lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her partner, JC Corcoran, and their continuously changing crew of rescued animals.
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Roasted Butternut Squash with Kale and Almond Pecan Parmesan Yield - 4 side servings - Prep time - 20 Minutes - Cook time - 50 Minutes Ingredients: For the roasted squash: 1 medium/large butternut squash (2 to 2 1/2 lbs.) 2 large cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 cup (37 g) stemmed and roughly chopped kale For the Almond-Pecan Parmesan: 1/4 cup (40 g) whole almonds 1/4 cup (27 g) pecan halves 1 tablespoon (15 mL) nutritional yeast 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 teaspoon (5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease a large casserole dish with oil. 2.Peel the squash. Thinly slice off the bottom and top and then slice through the middle lengthwise to make two halves. Remove seeds with a spoon. Chop the two halves into 1-inch chunks and place into the casserole dish. 3.Add the minced garlic, parsley, oil, and salt into casserole dish and toss until combined with the squash. Do not add the kale yet. 4.Cover the casserole dish with tinfoil (with a few holes poked) and bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 45 minutes, until tender and lightly browned. 5.Meanwhile, in a mini food processor, pulse the Almond-Pecan Parmesan ingredients together until coarsely chopped. 6.After cooking, remove the squash from the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C). Remove the tinfoil. Stir in the chopped kale and sprinkle the Parmesan all over the squash. Bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, uncovered, until the nuts are lightly toasted. Watch closely so you don’t burn the nuts. Serve warm. More recipes at: https://ohsheglows.com/2012/09/24/roasted-butternut-squash-with-kale-and-almond-pecan-parmesan/
https://issuu.com/search?q=new%20mexico%20vegan
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Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Parsnip and Potato Mash Serves: 6-8 - Prep time: 15 min - Cook time: 1 hr 20 min Ingredients 2 1/2 pounds (about 4 large) russet potatoes, peeled and quartered 6 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped 1 cup almond, soy, rice, or other non-dairy milk 1 pinch Sea salt to taste 1 pinch Black pepper to taste 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided into 2 tbsp and 2 tbsp 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced (up to 3) 2 large carrots, diced evenly 2 ribs celery, diced evenly 6 ounces baby bella, cremini, or button mushrooms, sliced 1 1/2 cups brown or green lentils, dry 1 cup vegetable broth 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme Directions 1. Place potatoes and parsnips in a large pot and submerge in cold water (there should be at least 1 inch of water over the vegetables). Salt water well. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and allow potatoes and parsnips to cook for approximately 25-35 minutes, or until both vegetables are very fork tender. Drain, return the vegetables to the pot, and add 2/3 cup milk, 2 tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash well with a potato masher. If you need more milk, add the remaining 1/3 cup. Set the mashed potatoes and parsnips aside. 2. While potatoes are cooking, bring 1 1/2 cup lentils and 3 cups water to a boil. Reduce and simmer until lentils have absorbed all liquid, and are soft (about 30 or 35 minutes). Set lentils aside. 3. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan over medium. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and golden (10 minutes or so). Add the carrots and celery and cook till both vegetables are tender (another 8 minutes). Add the cremini mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes before adding the lentils, the rosemary, the thyme, and 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Simmer the mixture, stirring well to incorporate flavors. Add more liquid as needed: you don’t want there to be too much broth or liquid in the bottom of the pan, because you’ll get a runny shepherd’s pie, but you do want it to be quite moist. When everything is warm and well mixed, season to taste with salt and pepper. 4. Preheat oven to 350. In a large casserole dish, layer the lentil and veggie mixture. Spread the mashed potatoes delicately and evenly over. Bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are browning. Sprinkle with extra rosemary, if desired, and serve. More recipes: https://food52.com/recipes/19408-vegan-lentil-shepherd-s-pie-with-parsnip-and-and-potatomash?utm_source=cj&affil=cj&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Food52+Shop&company=Skimlinks&website=7682639&cjevent=481d f5c3d79411e8837b00ea0a1c0e0e
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APPLE-CHESTNUT CORNBREAD STUFFING Serves: 6-8 - Prep time: 15 min - Cook time: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients Vegan cornbread: 5 tbsp non hydrogenated vegetable shortening melted and slightly cooled, plus extra to grease the baking dish ½ cup unsweetened almond or coconut beverage (here we used So Delicious) 3 tbsp flax meal 1 ½ cups cornmeal 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1- 6oz container vanilla non-dairy yogurt (here we used So Delicious) ½ cup seltzer water Zest of 1 small lemon Stuffing: Stuffing 2 tbsp non-hydrogenated vegetable spread, plus extra to grease baking dish 1 medium granny smith apple, diced 6-7 celery stalks, diced (about 2 cups) 12oz tray mushrooms, chopped (about 1 ½ – 8oz trays) 1 cup packaged cooked chestnuts, chopped ¼ tsp salt (or to taste) ¼ tsp onion powder powder 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage 2 cups vegetable broth (or 2 cups water plus 1 vegetable bouillon cube)
Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Vegan Cornbread Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 8inch square baking dish In a small bowl, whisk together almond milk and flax meal. Set aside In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, almond milk/flax mixture, melted shortening and lemon zest Pour into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add seltzer water and mix until well incorporated Pour batter into prepared dish and bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes. Let cool completely Stuffing Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 13×9 inch baking dish with vegetable spread Dice cornbread in approximately 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside In a large non stick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of vegetable spread at medium heat. Add apples and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften 12. Add mushrooms, chestnuts, salt, onion powder and sage and cook for another 10 minutes 13. In a large bowl, combine cornbread and vegetables. Toss it all well together and transfer to the greased baking dish, pressing down gently. Pour vegetable broth all over it and bake uncovered at 375F for 40 minutes, until golden brown. More recipes at: https://mayihavethatrecipe.com/ideas-for-a-vegan-thanksgiving-part-4-apple-chestnut-cornbread-stuffing-mushroom-gravy2/
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VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE PUMPKIN PIE Ingredients
CRUST • 6 Tbsp cold vegan butter (or chilled coconut oil with varied results) • 1 1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour * • 1/4 tsp salt • 4-6 Tbsp ice cold water
FILLING • 2 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (1 1/2 15-ounce cans yield 2 3/4 cups) • 1/4 cup maple syrup • 1/4 cup brown sugar • 1/3 cup unsweetened plain almond milk • 1 Tbsp olive oil (or melted coconut oil) • 2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder • 1 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or sub mix of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves) • 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions 1. To prepare crust, add gluten-free flour and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slice or dollop the cold butter in and work gently with a fork or pastry cutter to cut it in. Don’t overwork, just get it incorporated. 2. Next add ice cold water a little at a time and use a wooden spoon to stir. Only add as much water as you need to help it come together. 3. Once a loose dough is formed, transfer to a piece of plastic wrap and work gently with your hands to form a 1/2 inch thick disc. Wrap firmly and refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes, up to 2 days. Just let it warm back up a little before using. You don’t want it too warm or it can get too soft to handle. 4. Once your dough is chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and prepare pie filling. 5. Add all pie ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside. 6. To roll out the crust, unwrap the disc and place it between two sizable layers of wax paper (plastic wrap will work OK, but is a little more difficult to work with). Use a rolling pin to gently roll it into the shape of your pie pan. If it cracks, don’t stress - you can reform it with your hands once you get it in the pan. But try and be gentle. 7. To transfer the crust, remove the top layer of wax paper and gently lay the pie dish face down on top of the crust and use the support of the wax paper to quickly but carefully invert it. Don’t overthink it - just do it. 8. Once you get the crust inverted, gently use your hands to form it into the pan, working the crust up along the sides. It can be a little tricky but it bakes beautifully, so it’s worth the effort! Just try not to overwork the dough in the process - it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to perfect the shape. Any holes or cracks can be mended with a little excess dough and the heat of your hand. 9. TIP: I would advise against trying to be fancy and do any elaborate design with the crust, so just get the crust in, get a flat edge and go. 10. Pour filling into pie crust and bake for 58-65 minutes. The crust should be light golden brown and the filling will still be just a bit jiggly and have some cracks on the top. Remove from oven and let cool completely before loosely covering and transferring to the refrigerator to fully set for 4-6 hours, preferably overnight. 11. Slice and serve with coconut whipped cream and an additional sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or pumpkin pie spice (optional). More recipes at: https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-pumpkin-pie/
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Many different aspects of our lives motivate becoming Vegan, for me it was a health scare. Ultimately health is our only wealth, if you are stressed and exhausted over a career just to make more money then it’s time to rebalance your life. An autoimmune disease is your body’s first warning signal that you need to reboot. I am grateful that Hashimoto’s ( thyroid auto immune disease) was diagnosed, as I am able to actively care for my health without a cancer scare or worse. I had started to suffer more side effects from Hashimoto’s. As my symptoms of aching joints and mild depression worsened I decided to take another look at my diet. I have always felt intuitively that food is medicine, it is just about finding what works for you. I have always passionately loved animals and being vegetarian had made sense to me for years. However the leap to vegan initially felt like a step too far. How could I give up milky morning Lattes? Coffee was my biggest challenge, like so many people with a busy daily life I am addicted to coffee. It’s an addiction I didn’t want to change. The human need for calcium is sold as almost wholesome. Happy cow faces grace our cheese and milk cartons. This makes it easy to somehow be able to dissociate the effect of dairy on the animals that produce it and the impact on our planet. Sadly once you explore the dairy industry you realize the cruelty needed to produce milk. The industry is the opposite of wholesome and produces a food group we simply don’t need (good evidence on this can be found in the China Study, author T. Colin Campbell). However, I had this crazy idea that almond milk was too fattening, and that it wouldn’t compliment my morning coffee. Actually the opposite is true, as both coffee and almonds, are plant based, they are in perfect harmony, flavour wise. My favorite almond milk is Califia Farms, which is calcium fortified, so I still get my calcium. The change away from dairy has encouraged weight loss, not gain. But more importantly the change to almond milk has had a dramatic effect on my health. The change to a vegan plant based diet had an impact on my health within three weeks. My energy levels lifted significantly, my head felt clearer and concentration levels improved. The last few kilos that I though I would never lose just dropped off me. But most significantly my joint pain has massively improved. I had been at the stage where cortisone, via injection, was needed in my hand. Now I can honestly say my joint pain has virtually disappeared. The move away from dairy made the transition from vegetarian to vegan an easy one. It was step one in what I believe is an “awareness transition”. To be 100 per cent vegan all the time is difficult, small things will happen in your life where you lapse back to being vegetarian and that’s ok. The most important thing is to have a “vegan awareness focus” and that focus is how we change our world. As more people ask for vegan options more will be developed and that’s how new ways evolve. So my strongest advice is, to become an “awareness activist”, ask for vegan options in every shop, café, restaurant, and supermarket that you shop in. The more consumers demand the more business owners respond. I see veganism as a way to be gentle on you, the animals who share our living experience, and, the planet we all share. If you focus on being “gentle” in your life everything works around that. I am far more gentle with my exercise routine, I use to do a lot of pump and spin, now I tend to walk and do body balance or yoga. I also don’t push myself, I believe in self nurture, so on a daily basis I question the nutrient content of my food, ensure I get enough exercise and sleep. Many people embrace meditation and it’s worth exploring. Personally, I find relaxing is an outdoor activity, bush or beach walks where I find nature has a meditative effect on my moods. I avoid unrefined sugar and while I love coffee, I do limit how much caffeine I have daily. Ultimately, quick energy fixes have a burn out effect. NM Vegan | 39
A vegan diet does sometimes need supplementation to ensure optimum health. I have regular 6 monthly check up’s on my vitamin B levels and iron. There are great vegan options available if you need to boost your intake. The spiritual side of connecting with the emotions of animals is also an act of gentleness and it does start to resonate through your world. You start to notice more about the animals who share your home and care more about the ones that don’t. Such as farm and wild animals. Ultimately, the vegan diet is a healing life choice for more that just your own health. It is a healing choice our planet needs and the ethics of animal care demand. We are in a time where we should be choosing love and compassion over greed and profit. To be vegan is a small ripple in a pond. However many ripples make a wave and your small step is important and makes a difference beyond you.
Once a pesco-vegetarian for many years and now a vegan, Gently Vegan’s Founder, Counsellor and Vegan Food Coach Catherine Carr, acknowledges that every one is on their own food journey. Food Choices are personal and they are exactly that – choices. With this in mind, Catherine created as website as a place to feel supported, encouraged and cared for – never criticized. Check out: www.gentlyvegan.com.au
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Macadamia, Pineapple Muffins INGREDIENTS: 440 gram tin of pineapple 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 4 teaspoons egg replacer 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups white spelt flour 3/4 cup coconut sugar 1/2 cup shredded coconut 2 teaspoons baking powder ž cup chopped up macadamia nuts 3 tablespoons cashew butter 1/4 cup liquid coconut oil
METHOD: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place 12 muffin wraps into a muffin tin tray ready for filling, place to one side. Drain pineapple. In your nutribullet or blender; combine egg replacement powder, canned pineapple and unsweetened almond milk. Blend well, place to one side. Combine dry ingredients, spelt flour, coconut sugar, shredded coconut, macadamia nuts and baking powder. For a second time quickly blend egg replacement, pineapple, almond milk mix. Add to dry mix. Put 1/4 cup of liquid coconut oil and 3 tablespoons of cashew butter into a heavy based pot. Over a very low heat stir the cashew butter so it melts into the oil Do not allow oils to boil, they should only be warm and take less than a minute to combine. Now pour warm oils into dry mix. Mix really well. Divide batter evenly between the muffin wraps. Decorate each muffin with a small slice fresh pineapple and a sprinkle of chopped nuts. Place in oven. Cook for 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool in muffin tins for 5 minutes, then place on baking rack to fully cool.
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