ISSUE 4 / NOVEMBER 2012
Lose Weight and Fight Disease: 10 Ways Vegans Thrive
Got Protein? Slaying the Protein Myth
Thanksgiving Recipe Video Extravaganza!
Special Holiday Video Bonus
Looking for the Fountain of Youth?
Try Juicing!
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contents THE FUN SIDE OF VEGETARIAN LIVING
VEGAN HOT SHEET
09
Hip and Happening Vegan Stuff
BO KNOWS
11
Rants and Insights from a Life-Long Vegan
BIZARRO CARTOON
FAMILY & LIFESTYLE
15
10 WAYS VEGANS THRIVE
by Dr. Janice Stanger
13 18
TOP TIPS FOR TO A TRULY HAPPY THANKSGIVING by Carolyn Scott-Hamilton
REGULARS
06
EDITOR’S NOTE
05
CREDITS
77
REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A Message from the Editor of VegWorld Magazine, Steve Prussack
VegWorld Staff & Contributing Writers
Vegworld’s Pick of the month - Stuff I Eat
contents NUTRITION AND THRIVING
WHEN FRIENDS ASK: 23 WHY DID YOU QUIT MEAT? by Dr. John McDougall
THE TRUTH ABOUT JUICING
27
by Victoria Moran
RECIPES FOR FOODIES
JUMP INTO JUICING
34
by “Juicelady” Cherie Calbom
JUICE THE WORLD 36
ORDINARY PEOPLE/ EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS
62 SLAYING THE PROTEIN MYTH
by Rich Roll
FEATURE
66
JUICE FASTING: DISCOVER THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH by “Juice Guru” Steve Prussack
by “Juicemaser”Jason Vale
JUICE IT UP 39
by “Father of Juicing” Jay Kordich
THANKSGIVING COMFORT FOODS 43
by Dr. Neal Barnard
QUICK AND EASY HOLIDAY FARE 46
by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
THANKSGIVING’S MAIN COURSE 52
by Marilyn Peterson
THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS
56
by Brian Patton
SPOTLIGHT ON COMPASSION
71
FARM ANIMALS AS FRIENDS, NOT FOOD
73
HUMANELY PRODUCED MEAT? GET THE FACTS by Rae Sikora
OFF THE BOOKSHELF
82
ANIMALS AS SAINTS - ANIMALS AS TEACHERS: INSPIRING COMPASSION by Kim Sheridan
VegWorld Credits
Credits VegWorld Staff Editor-In-Chief: Steve Prussack Associate Editor: Julie Varon Graphic Design: Veronique Zayas Magazine Layout: Lise-Mari Coetzee Contributing Photographer: Elan Sun Star Media: Raw Edge Productions
Contributing Writers Dr. Neal Barnard
Dan Piraro
Cherie Calbom
Bo Rinaldi
Beryl Greensea
Rich Roll
Jay and Linda Kordich
Carolyn Scott-Hamilton
Dr. John McDougall
Kim Sheridan
Victoria Moran
Rae Sikora
Jill Nussinow
Dr. Janice Stanger
Brian Patton
Jason Vale
Marilyn Peterson
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VegWorld Editor’s Note
Editor's Note
A Message from the Editor of VegWorld Magazine, Steve Prussack
T
his month, we present a special edition of VegWorld Magazine. We focus on the coming holiday season, providing recipes and tips for a healthy and compassionate season. We also invite you to celebrate with us the joys of juicing. For the first time, we bring together the superstars of juicing. Our contributors feature the best of the best, including the father of juicing Jay Kordich along with rising stars such as Jason “Juicemaster” Vale, Cherie “Juicelady” Calbom, and Victoria Moran. We celebrate the release of our new book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Juice Fasting.” The following is a short excerpt from that book. (Reprinted with permission: “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Juice Fasting,” Alpha, A member of Penguin Group, 2012)
I
was in my late thirties, working as an occupational therapist with autistic children. I decided to start juicing for a few days. I wasn’t sure how long I was going to fast, I just knew I wanted to drop the extra fat around my belly and hopefully get my cholesterol down. I went into a major healing crisis and started pouring years of accumulated junk out of my body. The most profound thing happened. I had given up smoking over 15 years before this cleanse, and exercised just about every day. Yet, one morning I noticed the tips of my finger were starting to peel open. I looked closer, and saw black soot coming out of the tips of 6 of my fingers! I inspected the soot, smelled it, and found it was actually nicotine coming out of my body! It was stored in my fat cells, and finally was being released thanks to a raw food diet and juice fast!
I
t didn’t end there. My body went into a total elimination mode. I began to panic, wondering if I had taken this too far. I checked into a local hospital where they ran a battery of tests. To my amazement, the results indicated that I was in
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VegWorld Editor’s Note
Editor's Note
A Message from the Editor of VegWorld Magazine, Steve Prussack phenomenal health and shape. Better yet, I found that my cholesterol had finally dropped, and for the first time was actually low!
M T I
y life had changed. I became happy, less moody, more energetic...it was easy to get out of bed in the morning. I was able to develop loving relationships, without fear. My mind became sharper. My focus better.
hese changes convinced me that everything I read about juicing and raw foods was true. This really was the best way to live, and my body was clearly letting me know.
hope this issue of VegWorld Magazine inspires you to start juicing on a regular basis and perhaps trying a juice fast for yourself. This is a great way to recover from our often overindulgent holiday practices. We have plans for a “Global” juice fast. Sign up to be notified about this at www.juiceguru.com.
Editor of VegWorld Magazine
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The Fun Side
Of Vegetarian Living Vegan Hot Sheet Bo Knows: The Rainbow Bridge Bizarro Cartoon
Vegan Hot Sheet hip and happening vegan stuff Celebrities CELEBRITY CORNER Veganism continues to take the world by storm. We continue tracking vegan celebrities who are influencing countless people towards the benefit of a plant-based diet.
nd Brad Pitt decades a r fo n a ri vegeta ago. as been a a few years m is n a g Brad Pitt h e v switch to made the
WORLD-FAMOUS DIRECTOR JAMES CAMERON GOES VEGAN Director James Cameron, who’s famous for making Hollywood blockbusters such as “Titanic,” “Aliens,” and the “Terminator” series, recently switched to a vegan diet.
Ellen DeGeneres This hilarious host and her wife Portia de Rossi went vegan after seeing a documentary on caged animals and haven’t looked back since. Ellen says it was an easy decision. Ellen often touts the benefits of a vegan diet on her television show and makes veggie recommendations on her website.
While many vegans cite health as the primary motive for following the plant-based diet, Cameron, 58, says his decision was driven by ethical reasons. “It’s not a requirement to eat animals, we just choose to do it,” Cameron revealed in a press release. “So it becomes a moral choice and one that is having a huge impact on the planet, using up resources and destroying the biosphere.” Vegan Cuts is a super-cool company committed to spreading the veggie message while offering you a substantial discount on a variety of vegan products. We have been big fans of a good number of their offerings. Think of them as the “Groupon” of veggie living. Their website is fun and user-friendly. Sign up for free to be notified of their special “Deals of the Day” on some of your favorite and undiscovered vegan goodies.
Robin Williams The legendary comedian and actor recently joined the raw vegan movement, too. He made the decision after getting heart surgery, and hopes he’ll avoid more heart attacks.
Celebrities
CRACKING THE CODE ON VEGAN CHEESE This incredible new book has been out only a few weeks and is all the rage in the veggie community. In the “Artisan Vegan Cheese” book, author Miyoko Schinner shares her secrets for making homemade nondairy cheeses that retain all the complexity and sharpness of their dairy counterparts while incorporating nutritious nuts and plant-based milks. Miyoko shows how to tease artisan flavors out of unique combinations of ingredients, such as rejuvelac and nondairy yogurt, with minimal effort. Look for sample recipes in upcoming issues of VegWorld Magazine.
HOT PRODUCT!
Have you wondered if your companion animal can benefit from a plant-based diet? V-dog formula has no wheat, corn, soy, GMO or gluten and packs in 24% protein! Loaded with super foods, the new V-dog formula contains a complete balance of essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals your dog needs to thrive. As their motto says “Pooch tested and planet approved,” V-dog is one of the healthiest dog food formulas on the market.
Hip-Hop Vegans
Hip-hop stars Method Man and Redman have given up meat and turned vegetarian after years of teasing from their rap pal GZA. GZA, who has long been eating an all-green diet, reveals he used to poke fun at Method Man for feasting on steaks. But the “All I Need” hit maker has since decided to follow in his Wu-Tang Clan bandmate’s footsteps and become a vegan.
COCO-ROONS Wonderfully Raw “Coco-Roons” are just the right snack when you crave something sweet, comforting, and reminiscent of childhood memories. Flavors include “Brownie,” “Apple Pie,” “Lemon Pie,” “Vanilla Maple,” and “Almond & Strawberry PB & J.” Our favorite is “Brownie.” Best of all, these vegan treats are gluten-free, 100% organic, and mostly raw.
USHER GOES VEGAN
It looks like the next celeb to go vegan is none other than hip hop superstar Usher, RadarOnline.com is reporting. Apparently, this isn’t the first time Usher has embraced a healthy diet, as he has dabbled in vegetarianism previously. Now, he’s taking it to a whole new level by going 100 percent plant-based. Not only is he doing his body good (have you seen his abs?), but he also wants his friend Justin Bieber to follow in his footsteps; after all, Usher discovered the singer on YouTube and is a mentor to the teen singing sensation.
Jason Mraz This cool crooner is not only a talented master of lyrics, he’s rocking a raw vegan lifestyle. He got started when his bandmate found out he had diabetes and decided to make the raw vegan plunge. Instead of vodka shots, what do Jason and his band kick back before a show? Wild Green Blue Algae shots.
The Rainbow Bridge Bo Rinaldi
Bo Knows
Rants and Insights from a Life-Long Vegan The Rainbow Bridge by BO RINALDI Dear Reader, These days, where science and folklore converge, the rainbow has become a prominent metaphor for researchers and storytellers alike. Eat a Rainbow is a program for which I consult at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital. The idea is that plants of every color can help bring a different nutritional component to a person’s diet. Red fruits and veggies contain lycopene; orange plants possess those lovely carotenoids; and greens hold lutein. The blues and the purples provide an unending number of powerful health benefits, many more of which no doubt will be identified by the time science exhausts this area of research. At this point, we might not even know one-tenth of the power these rainbow-filled plants actually possess. Whether you are juicing, going raw, a vegan or an aspiring vegetarian, you need the color and vitality of whole plants to fuel your life. This rainbow concept, as it applies to the foods we eat, is far from a modern one. Being a Pythagorean, I studied color in regard to food and healing back in the ’60s. I was delighted to find an article that spoke about Pythagoras teaching all of those with whom he walked around the Mediterranean to eat a rainbow. The more color they ate, the more nutrition they got, the greater they all felt, and the better the land yielded its bounty.
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I believe the “Rainbow Bridge” linking the heart and the soul lies in the plant kingdom.
And I personally think that Pythagoras learned what he knew from his ancient teachers, who spoke about the heart and how it formed a Rainbow Bridge to the Soul—something that gave people health, compassion and intuition. Despite this ancient wisdom, modern doctors often seem clueless about the “rainbow connection.” I sincerely wish that more doctors and researchers studied the incredible
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The Rainbow Bridge Bo Rinaldi health-giving nutrition eating a rainbow can provide their patients. So easy, so simple, they actually miss it. Maybe this magazine and all of the amazing authors that are assembled here can change that. A promising advancement in this regard is a book coming out in May by T. Colin Campbell entitled, “Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition.” This book promises to define the actual science behind the wisdom of eating a rainbow. Maybe this will finally show our health providers that a colorful assortment of whole fruits and vegetables can be our greatest medicine. A long time ago, I learned firsthand that we can, in fact, achieve a Rainbow Bridge to the Soul through a simple plant-based lifestyle— just by eating colorful salads every day. Wow, what a revelation to share! And share we did at our restaurants and in our early cookbooks. Imagine my surprise when I learned in 1972 that this simple concept, a universal truth in fact, was going to be turned into a movie called (you guessed it) “Rainbow Bridge.” I learned about the film when I was asked to help the lead actor, a longtime vegan brother. The centerpiece of the movie was a free concert by none other than Jimi Hendrix. Set in Maui and filmed at Haleakala, this film features more than just a soundtrack from the master. The movie includes yoga, spiritual classes and yes, lots of beautiful people, all learning about the love and spirit
More doctors should tell their patients that a colorful assortment of whole fruits and vegetables can be our greatest medicine.
that one feels (especially then and there) from a well-balanced, vegan diet. The movie is still available, and more importantly, the wisdom it shares remains an inspiration even 40 years later. But it goes much deeper than this; from the beginning of time to right now in science labs around the globe, the Rainbow Bridge has been and still is being studied. And you know what I think they will find when everyone compares notes? That the bridge from the heart to the soul—the bridge to help awaken us all to this miracle we call life—is indeed the plant kingdom. So join the fun, share the love, give this magazine to all you know and let us make sure we keep color in our life and keep the plants that are here to feed, clothe and fuel us in abundance for all. From My Heart to Yours.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bo Rinaldi is an entrepreneur, chef and co-owner of the acclaimed Blossoming Lotus restaurant in Portland. A proponent of the fantastic benefits of the vegan lifestyle, Bo is the coowner of VeganFusion.com, blogs frequently at BoRinaldi.com, and is the co-author of many top-selling books, including Vegan Fusion and four Complete Idiot’s Guides. Bo has been a vegan since 1960 and has managed, partnered or owned many companies in the organic movement. Find out about Bo and Steve Prussack’s Juice Guru programs by visiting this link.
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Bizarro Cartoon Dan Piraro
Dan Piraro is a painter, illustrator and cartoonist best known for his award-winning syndicated cartoon panel Bizarro. Piraro’s cartoons have been reprinted in 15 book collections between 1986 and the present.
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Family
and Lifestyle Why Go Vegan? 10 Reasons That Will Shock And Delight You Top Tips to a Truly Happy Thanksgiving
10 Ways Vegans Thrive By Dr. Janice Stanger
why go vegan?
10 reasons thatbywill shock and delight you Dr. Janice Stanger
W
ant to see shock and awe? Watch a whole-food, plant-based diet blast away diabetes, heart disease, obesity, headaches, and arthritis. Eat not just a vegan diet, but a fresh, whole-food, plant-based diet for just three weeks and you’ll feel like you won the lottery. Here are ten benefits you can begin to experience by making the switch right now.
One. Prevent chronic illness. Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, cancer, hypertension, and most other chronic illnesses.
Two. Reverse chronic illness. Even if you are sick already, a diet that addresses the root causes of disease can have a huge impact.
Three. Coast to your perfect weight and stay there, without hunger, deprivation,
or portion control. You could say goodbye to four to eight pounds this month – and every 30 days after that.
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10 Ways Vegans Thrive By Dr. Janice Stanger
delight in nature’s finest foods and you will shed the pounds while gaining health and soaring energy.
Four. Achieve soaring energy levels. Have more getup-and-go to do all the activities that you love.
Five. Maintain vitality as you gently get older. The
energy and health you achieve now can stay with you for decades.
Six. Save money. Whole foods are affordable with when you get healthy naturally.
proper planning. And imagine how much you can save on drugs, supplements, and medical expenses
Seven. Delight in nature’s finest foods. Explore how eating healthy will reset your
palate and make fruits and vegetables taste even more delicious and inviting. Learn fantastic recipes for soups, salads, burritos, pasta, sandwiches, wraps – even healthy desserts.
Eight. Feel really good about yourself. A recent survey shows that, after starting
a plant-based eating plan, people feel that they are making a difference for themselves, others, animals, and nature. And, of course, you will feel a lot better when you look at your reflection in the mirror.
Nine. Get a leading edge. Well-known sports stars, celebrities, business leaders,
and even former President Clinton have adopted a whole-foods, plant-based diet – and are thriving. An increasing number of films and television documentaries are broadcasting the benefits of eating a vegetarian diet, as more people abandon the failed diets of the past.
Ten. No matter what reason you decide to go veggie, you will never be short on vitality and health.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Janice Stanger has a Ph.D. in Human Development and Aging from University of California, San Francisco. As an adult, she went through multiple unsuccessful weight loss attempts, binge eating, and numerous chronic illnesses and debilitating pain. Since following the Perfect Formula Diet the author is now in Perfect Health, at her Perfect Weight, and takes no prescription drugs (with ideal cholesterol, blood pressure, and glucose level) at age 58.
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Top Tips To A Truly Happy Thanksgiving by Carolyn Scott-Hamilton
Top Tips to a truly Happy Thanksgiving by CAROLYN SCOTT-HAMILTON OF THE HEALTHY VOYAGER
T
hanksgiving is best known for gargantuan feasts, football and insane holiday shopping. The excess of food and consumerism can be overwhelming. And the emphasis placed on “the turkey” is enough to alienate (and turn off) any vegetarian from this otherwise family-centered holiday. So, this year, why not be creative, go green and turn “Happy Turkey Day” into a truly happy day for everyone, including the turkeys? You may even find you save some money and get closer to your friends and family in the process! Here’s how.
Visit a Farm Sanctuary (and take your friends and family with you). Do you know that turkeys are not only beautiful, but gentle and surprisingly intelligent creatures? Even if you do, your friends and family may not. Clue them in by introducing them to a rescued turkey at one of the many farm VegWorld Magazine
sanctuaries throughout the world. After all, your loved ones are much less likely to eat an animal they just hung out with on the farm. And even if they aren’t ready to forgo eating turkey this year, you are gently planting the seeds of the future – all while having a fun outing. Sanctuaries can be found around the world, including in states throughout the U.S., countries throughout Europe, and in Canada, Australia, South Africa, Israel and many other countries.
Host local friends.
If you aren’t able to make it home this holiday, gather up a group of friends in the same boat and have a veggie-themed potluck dinner. It’s great fun to create a home-cooked, eclectic meal. And you can show your friends that a delicious feast doesn’t need to include a turkey. Make it an event to look forward to with games, movies or even holiday crafts.
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Top Tips To A Truly Happy Thanksgiving by Carolyn Scott-Hamilton Whether you are hosting or going to a dinner, make it a full day of celebrating so that no one is feeling lonely. And, if you are going to someone else’s dinner, make sure that you “represent” with a meat-free main dish. It’s also fun to host a Thanksgiving-leftovers brunch (see pg. 56 for The Sexy Vegan’s leftover recipes). This way, food won’t go to waste and you can continue the fun over a lovely holiday weekend.
Be creative with your meat-free menu.
If you can’t afford all of the usual holiday fixings, or specialty fake birds, cook up a more affordable menu like pasta, salad and rolls. Or if you’re looking for something different, try a themed dinner. Just remember, no matter what is served, it’s all about the compassion and the company.
Buy local and organic.
Do your best to make wise choices and choose locally-grown and produced products. Lower your carbon footprint by saving the shippers gas and stimulating the local economy. This goes for your booze too. Don’t just be veggie this Thanksgiving – be green too!
Make your own decorations and start a family tradition.
Whether or not you’re hosting dinner this year, decorating is a wonderful way to get into the spirit of things. Instead of buying seasonal decorations, make them. Have your kids collect pine cones and acorns and sprinkle them with glitter. Place them in a glass vase you already own or a hollowed out pumpkin for a beautiful end result. Decorating with natural products like fallen leaves, gourds and
Visiting animals at a farm sanctuary is a great way to celebrate the holidays while starting new family traditions. VegWorld Magazine
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Top Tips To A Truly Happy Thanksgiving by Carolyn Scott-Hamilton corn makes your home look festive without wasting money on disposable, environmentally unfriendly decor. And you can create a beautiful, new tradition with your family while you’re at it.
Make use of what you have.
This is one of the easiest, cheapest ways to go green any day of the year, and it works on Thanksgiving too. You don’t need fancy tableware; your everyday stuff will do just fine. If you’re the Martha Stewart type and feel like everything must match perfectly, consider renting tableware, chairs and linens. It costs less than buying new and, because everything is reused again and again, it’s the green choice.
Mood lighting.
There’s no need to turn on every light in the house for your guests. Create a romantic atmosphere without adding to your electricity bill by placing beeswax or soy candles around your home. Avoid paraffin candles, though – they’re made from petroleum and emit nasty fumes into the air.
Waste not.
Don’t toss those potato peels, celery tops and carrot ends into the trash! If you’re not the type to save them for soup broth, toss them in a bucket along with a handful of shredded paper, leaves or other carbonaceous material. If you don’t already have a compost pile or bin, now is a great time to get a head start on next spring’s garden by creating free, fertile compost.
Give instead of receive.
Volunteer at a local shelter, soup kitchen, or animal rescue and help those who are less fortunate. Clear your cupboards of nonperishable food you know you will never make and donate it to a food bank to help feed a needy family this year. Rally your friends and teach your kids to do the same and make a day out of it. Whatever you do this Thanksgiving and through the holiday season, don’t forget to keep it green and compassionate, give thanks and surround yourself with people you love!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, aka The Healthy Voyager, is the Executive Producer, Creator, Host and Writer of The Healthy Voyager web series, site and overall brand. A holistic nutritionist, plant-based vegan chef, best-selling cookbook author, sought-after speaker, film-making, screen-writing, traveling, singing, dancing, fun-loving, healthy and green-living wife, The Healthy Voyager aims to help people live well, one veggie at a time!
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Nutrition
And Thriving When Friends Ask: Why Did You Quit Meat? The Truth About Juicing
Why Did You Quit Meat? by Dr. John McDougall
When Friends Ask: Why did you quit meat? by DR. JOHN MCDOUGALL
I
n my youth, I thought that eating meat led to good health and strength. I reasoned that meat was ideal food for my body because my body is made up of meat, just like the body parts of cows, pigs and chickens. I concluded (quite reasonably, I thought) that these foods must therefore contain every nutrient I could possibly require. Logically, could anything be better for building muscle than eating muscle? This kind of faulty reasoning caused me to suffer problems as ordinary as acne and as rare as a stroke by the time I was 18 years old. I am alive and healthy today at 60 because 35 years ago I switched to a primarily plant-based diet.
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My life-threatening illness, as horrible as it was, provided me with a compelling response to the question of “why did you quit meat?” Most likely, you are lucky enough to have escaped a serious illness before you went vegan. If so, good for you; and let me provide you with some powerful answers for your friends and loved ones when they ask why you “quit meat.”
Despite What We Were Taught, Meat is Not Part of a Healthy Diet According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), “Red meat plays an
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Why Did You Quit Meat? by Dr. John McDougall important role in a healthful diet by providing more than 10 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for protein, iron, zinc, niacin, Vitamins B6 and B12.â€? These types of misleading statements, ingrained in our culture, scare many people into including generous amounts of meat in their daily diet. These statements are accurate, but deceptively incomplete. For example, they leave out the fact that nutritional deficiencies of protein, iron, zinc, niacin and vitamins B6 and B12 essentially are unheard of in people who eat enough of any kind of food. Do you know anyone with deficiency diseases caused from a lack of any of these nutrients? Undoubtedly, you do not. Almost all iron deficiency found in people, for example, is due to bleeding, not their diet.Â
The fear that vegetarians will suffer from protein, b6, b12 or other deficiencies is unfounded.
Worse still, the NCBA fails to mention in its promotional materials the fact that meat does not provide sufficient amounts of calcium, dietary fiber, essential fats and vitamin C to support the health of human beings. Nor does it mention the severe health problems caused by the excesses found in meat. Have you ever heard of illnesses due to too many calories, or too much fat, cholesterol, protein, infectious microbes and chemical contaminants? Undoubtedly, you have. The problems associated with meat lie in these excesses and the excess consumption of these foods by most people in the Western world.
Meat Is Cat Food; Plants Are People Food Every animal has an ideal diet. Meat is an ideal food for my pointy-toothed carnivorous cats and my powerful-jawed omnivorous dog. Cows and cockatoos are herbivores and would soon become ill on a diet
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MEAT HAS UNHEALTHY INGREDIENTS A look at the individual components of meat explains why this is such an undesirable food. * There are no carbohydrates in meat. Carbohydrate is essential for the brain, red blood cells and kidney cells (glomeruli cells). * Meat is usually high in fat. The fat promotes obesity, type-2 diabetes, artery damage, heart disease, and many forms of cancer. * Meat is usually high in protein. Excess protein overworks and damages the liver and kidneys. * Meat proteins are high in acid. The acid is neutralized by the bones causing bone loss, osteoporosis and calcium-based kidney stones. * Meat proteins are high in sulfur. The sulfur-containing amino acids cause foul-smelling body odor, breath, and flatus, and promote heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and shortened longevity. * There is no dietary fiber in meat. Fiber provides the bulk for the stool, controls blood sugar and cholesterol, and detoxifies cancer causing chemicals. * Cholesterol is only in animal foods. Excess cholesterol accumulates in our arteries, skin, tendons, and all other tissues. * Meat concentrates environmental contaminates. Toxic chemicals concentrate in the food supply as they rise up in the food chain. * Infectious agents live in meat. In the U.S., there are approximately 76 million cases of food-borne illness annually. * Antibiotics are in meat. Antibiotics are used to prevent animal infections and stimulate growth.
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Why Did You Quit Meat? by Dr. John McDougall of meat. The same happens to people when they consume a meat-centered diet.
People Don’t Actually Crave the Taste of Meat Advertisements for Pizza Hut’s Meat Lover’s® Pizza, Arby’s Super Roast Beef Sandwich®, Wendy’s Buffalo Crispy Chicken® and McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder® could lead us to believe that the “meat” is the main attraction. And that’s precisely what we have been told to believe in our culture. In truth, however, it’s not the slices of tasteless brown beef hidden in the center of the Arby’s sandwich that people want. Believe it or not, people actually salivate over the special sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions on the sesame seed bun. The human tongue has no taste buds for the protein and fat—the ingredients in the beef. We do have taste buds on our tongue’s tip that are excited by sugar and salt—the ingredients that make up the lettuce, tomato, pickles, sauce and buns, which are added to the meat to make it taste palatable. These are what drive repeat sales. Of course, my cats would enjoy the meat. They actually have taste buds for amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) embedded in their tongue surface; but the garnishes would be wasted on these carnivores.
Eating Meat is a Bandwagon to Poor Health If people have no palate for appreciating the taste of meat, then why is it so popular? The answer is simple: Meat’s appeal is driven by money and egos. First, the beef industry spends a tremendous amount of money every year to convince us that we need its VegWorld Magazine
Cats have taste buds for amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) embedded in their tongues; humans do not. We crave salt and sweet, not the taste of protein. products in order to thrive. The production and sale of meat is a business and, like all businesses, its mission is to increase profits to the maximum possible, no matter the cost. There is another reason for meat’s popularity—it is a status symbol. Until relatively recently, the high cost of meat restricted it to the plates of the wealthy. Meat eating historically has enhanced class distinction and made the “have nots” long to “have” and be part of a sought-after group. This is not lost on the meat industry, which uses this knowledge in its advertising. Consider the beef industry’s most famous slogan: Beef—Real Food for Real People. This is known as a bandwagon argument, used to appeal to a person’s desire to be popular, accepted or valued, even if one must ignore evidence and relevant reasoning to do so. The message implies that food other than beef is not real food and that those who do not eat beef are not real people. Studies confirm that meat is considered a superior masculine food. If the truth were known, however, real men would switch to real plant foods overnight. During a man’s reproductive years, meat eating decreases ejaculate volume, lowers sperm count, shortens sperm life, and causes poor sperm motility, genetic damage and infertility. Meat eaters are likely to become impotent because Issue 004 - Nov 2012 | 25
Why Did You Quit Meat? by Dr. John McDougall of damage caused to the artery system that supplies the penis with the blood that causes an erection. Erectile dysfunction is more often seen in men with elevated overall cholesterol levels and high levels of LDL, “bad” cholesterol. Both of these conditions are related to habitual meat eating. Later in life, men who follow a meat-centered diet face prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hypertrophy) and prostate cancer. Perhaps a more accurate slogan would be: Beef—Real Food for Real Sexual Dysfunction.
Meat Eating Destroys the Environment and Causes the Suffering of Countless Animals There are four well-travelled roads to eating a meatless diet: health, personal appearance, the environment and animal rights. As a medical doctor, I have mostly travelled the roads of health and appearance for the sake of my patients. That journey would not have been possible if I had not changed my personal diet 35 years ago. Ridding my dinner plate of animal foods has allowed me to become sensitive to equally important issues—the environment and animal rights. Many people would rather die than give up their meat—and that’s OK with me. But I find it unacceptable that some of these same people would be willing to destroy Planet Earth to keep their meat. According to a report titled “Livestock’s Long Shadow— Environmental Issues and Options,” released
An accurate slogan for meat consumption might better read: Beef - Real Food for Real Sexual Dysfunction. in November of 2006 by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock emerges as one of the two or three most significant contributors to every one of the most serious environmental problems. The killing and suffering of animals for human food might be justified if meat were necessary for better human health. But the opposite is the case. Informed people should not remain silent about senseless suffering of animals for food. We stand on the brink of life-ending health problems and environmental catastrophes. It is time we shed our hypocrisies. Doctors interested in healing patients of dietary diseases must eat a plant-based diet themselves. People who profess their love for animals must stop eating them. A true environmentalist must no longer contribute to the major source of planetary destruction by feeding herself and her family products from the livestock industry. Making meat eating a social disgrace in this generation, just like we did with cigarette smoking in the last generation, is a fundamental change that must take place in order to advance our society to the next level and ensure our personal survival.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR John A. McDougall, MD, has authored many bestselling books and is featured in the documentary and book “Forks Over Knives.” He serves as associate professor at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Vallejo, CA, and teaches medical students at his clinic in Santa Rosa. Find out more and subscribe to Dr. McDougall’s mailing list at
www.drmcdougall.com. VegWorld Magazine
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The Truth About Juicing by Victoria Moran
the truth about juicing AN EXCERPT FROM MAIN STREET VEGAN ©Victoria Moran 2012, published by TarcherPenguin
J
uicing is a big, fat, glorious bonus. If you’re easing into eating vegan, fresh juices will give you mega-doses of plant power to help you feel better sooner. If you’re already plantbased, juices will turbocharge your nutritional profile. And if you want to know what it feels like to get a transfusion of life force energy directly from nature to your own bloodstream, get thee to the nearest juice bar – or better still, invest in a juicer and have the fountain of youth in your own kitchen. Certainly we need the fiber that comes from whole foods, and the typical American diet is woefully devoid of it. But as important as this roughage is for good digestion, elimination, and possibly even prevention of colorectal cancer, it’s non-nutritive�������������������� . The digestive process is largely about extracting the liquid (that’s where the nutrition is) from the fibrous portion of what you eat. When your juicer does that job, your body doesn’t have to. It’s no wonder that people who juice daily have so much energy:
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The Truth About Juicing by Victoria Moran they’re getting “free” nutrients. It’s like getting paid for not going to work.
Why Juice? Juices and smoothies, even when they contain some of the same ingredients, have different purposes in your healthy lifestyle. A blender purées: it grinds everything up and presents you with a sauce or soup or smoothie that has nothing removed. This is good. Juicing, however, is another level of good: an immediate infusion of concentrated nutrients.
l Juicing is another levee of good: an immediat d te infusion of concentraa nutrients. Owning e juicer is like having thur o fountain of youth in y own kitchen.
Note that I said juicing, not juices. Canned and bottled juices won’t do for you what fresh ones will. By law, commercially packaged juice has to be heated to a high temperature to be sure there will be no bacterial growth during shipping and storage. When you make juice yourself, or the guy behind the counter at the health food store does, this is unheated, unadulterated nutrition, overflowing with the life energy the yogis call prana and the martial artists call chi. This subtle energy won’t show up on a blood test, but its abundance or lack in your body is fully apparent in how you look and feel.
one who aches for a sweet roll at 10 a.m. or a monster cookie at half past 3. On your way to work in the morning, or at your desk in the afternoon, have a sixteen-ounce juice – carrot, celery, and spinach, maybe, or apple, cucumber, and kale. You’re likely to find that this changes what you want to consume for several hours afterwards. You may get through the day without snacking at all, or if you do want something, it’s more likely to be fresh fruit, a few nuts, or veggies and hummus. It’s strange at first, as if somebody took over your body and deleted junk food cravings from your internal hard drive. But that kind of strange gets pretty easy to live with.
Fresh fruit, vegetable, and green juices get into your bloodstream in short order and you feel alive, alert, and enthusiastic about whatever it is that’s coming next. These juices hydrate you with water that’s at once naturally distilled and at the same time, abounding in easily assimilable minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals. Fresh juices help to flush toxins from your body, boost your immune system, and take your appetite to the next level: you’ll want healthier food because you’re a healthier person.
What Do You Juice?
You can prove this to yourself if you’re some
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Raw food expert, Karen Knowler encapsulates it this way: “Fruit juices are good for picking you up. Vegetable juices make you feel truly nourished. And green juices balance you, reduce food cravings, and make you feel nourished and high. Take your pick!” You sometimes hear that fruit juices are bad because they present the system with a dose of sugar and no fiber to slow its absorption. People who are sensitive to even natural sugars won’t feel good after drinking straight fruit
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The Truth About Juicing by Victoria Moran juice. Remedy this by cutting your fruit juices with some celery or cucumber, or mixing them half and half with water or sparkling water. The only fruits I ever juice alone are melons – rind, seeds (in the case of watermelon), and all. (To set a dazzling dinner party table, alternate sangria glasses filled with watermelon juice, honeydew juice, and cantaloupe juice until there’s a refreshing pastel placeholder for every guest.) Most juicing aficionados focus on vegetables and greens, and employ sweet fruit, cucumber (not sweet, but botanically a fruit), or carrot (a sweet root) to make an appetizing beverage. It’s certainly possible to concoct a juice that does not taste good. Life is too short for that. So in the beginning, use a recipe or work with the guidelines that follow. The base is for mildness and palatability; use the most of that. The best is for nutrition (frankly, the whole drink is for nutrition); use a reasonable amount. The bite is the wow factor; use a little.
Juicing is strange at first, as if somebody took over your body and deleted junk food cravings from your internal hard drive. But that kind of strange gets pretty easy to live with. After you’ve been juicing for a while, you’ll get a sense of the proportions and create your own blends. Once you know how much of this and that makes a delicious drink, you can juice your vegetable scraps, too. The broccoli stems, thick ends of celery, outer leaves of lettuce, and skins of beets that you used to throw away can nourish you, via your juicer, instead.
To start making juices, just follow this chart. Each line is a different juice. The Base The Best The Bite Apple Carrot Gingerroot Apple Celery and kale Lemon Cucumber Honeydew Strawberry Cucumber and apple Kale Bell pepper Cucumber and celery Kale and chard Cilantro and lemon Carrot Beet Parsley Carrot and apple Celery Fennel Carrot Spinach Watercress Pineapple Spinach Lime Romaine and apple Kale Cilantro, lime Tomato Arugula Lemon Tomato Cucumber Celery Tomato and celery Spinach Parsley and lemon
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The Truth About Juicing by Victoria Moran
Juice Fasting, Feasting, and Cleansing We close our eyes, put our feet up, and beg for a shoulder massage to relax our overworked and over-tense parts. We rest our brains with everything from comedy to meditation. Our digestive system, though, never gets a rest: it’s attempting to process and assimilate and eliminate and then, here comes a snack! Or it’s time for another meal. It’s like an assembly line that never shuts down. But we can shut it down by drinking only fresh juice, along with water, herbal tea, and perhaps vegetable broth, for a period of time. If you’re looking to do a little detoxing, juice fasting (or feasting) could be for you. I say “could be” because not everyone should do it. Pregnant women and nursing moms have to wait on this; and anyone in the throes of anorexia or a wasting disease needs to be eating chewable meals on a
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You should give your digestive system a much needed rest by juice fasting. After just a few days, most people experience lightness, energy, a clear head, and an unexpected sense of freedom and joy. regular schedule. People with diabetes or hypoglycemia should not do any fasting without supervision. Anyone with a condition that’s dependent on regular medication needs to get clearance from his doctor before a juice cleanse. And yo-yo dieters have to be sure they’re not looking at this as a quick weight-loss fix or they’re in for a rude awakening when they go back to eating. If in doubt, consult a health care professional
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The Truth About Juicing by Victoria Moran with expertise in this area. Someone who’s well and wants to be vitally so should be able to juice for a period of time and benefit greatly from the experience. You may get some detox symptoms that could include headaches, fatigue, skin breakouts, wakefulness at night, or a very coated tongue upon arising. If you regularly consume alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, dairy, sugary treats, salty snacks, and over-the-counter drugs, you’ll feel the detox more. These mildly uncomfortable episodes are usually fleeting, though, and most people’s predominant experience with a few days on juice is lightness, energy, a clear head, and an unexpected sense of freedom and joy.
lot of life cooking and eating and cleaning up, and once-a-week fasters divert the time they save to something delicious in a way that food can’t be – reading a novel, walking in nature, creating something that wasn’t here before. You can think of juicing as going the extra mile for your own wellbeing. Whether you juice daily, do a periodic juice fast, or both, you’re giving your body a gift. And you know what happens with giving: it always comes back around.
I do a juice fast, three to seven days, in March, June, September, and December when the seasons change. I used to psyche up for these like an impending siege – “Okay, you know what’s coming: no food” – but now I look forward to them. Some people like to juice one day a week. They just know that Monday (or some day) is the one on which they abstain from solid food. They say that this is their most peaceful day, and they cherish the extra time it gives them. We spend a
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Victoria Moran is a vegan of nearly thirty years, the author of eleven books on health and spirituality, and a certified holistic health counselor and vegan lifestyle coach, and director of Main Street Vegan Academy, training vegan lifestyle coaches. Her latest book is MainStreet Vegan. A two-time Oprah! guest and co-host of the MainStreet Vegan Show on Unity.FM radio, Victoria lives in a green condo in New York City.
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Recipes
For Foodies Jump into Juicing with Cherie Calbom Juice for Life with Jason Vale Juice it Up with Jay Kordich Comfort Foods for the Family Quick and Easy Holiday Fare Your Main Course Thanksgiving Leftovers
Empower Your Life: Jump Into Juicing by Cherie Calbom
Empower Your Life:
I
Jump Into Juicing
n what part of your life do you need more power, more confidence, or more strength? Whether you’re looking for a better job, a promotion where you work, or better relationships, having more self confidence, more energy, and more vibrancy will truly help you improve your situation. Although low confidence and self-esteem can be the result of many factors, one thing you can change is what you eat and drink. Eating too many sweets and simple carbo-
hydrates like pasta and bread, fast food, and devitalized foods can affect your mood, which can affect your confidence and selfesteem. Feeling sluggish, sick, or tired can make you less outgoing. Juicing fresh vegetables is one of the best ways I know to boost your confidence and self-esteem. The high-powered nutrition in fresh vegetable juice gives your body the tools to create a strong, healthy you. Love yourself by eating and drinking foods that love you back. Make juice.
You Are Loved Cocktail 3 carrots, scrubbed well, tops removed, ends trimmed 2 celery stalks, with leaves 1 cucumber, peeled if not organic 1 handful spinach 1 lemon, peeled if not organic 1/2 beet, scrubbed well, with stems and leaves 2 tablespoons neutral tasting high-heat oil
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Empower Your Life: Jump Into Juicing by Cherie Calbom Directions
Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube. Juice all ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass and drink as soon as possible. Serves 1-2
Yummy Yam Bisque 1 1/2 cups yam juice (about 2 large yams) 1 cup almond, oat, or rice milk 1 avocado, peeled and seeded 1/4 cup red onion, chopped 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground mace 1/4 teaspoon cardamom Directions Juice about two large yams to yield about 1 1/2 cups of yam juice. Let the juice sit in a large measuring cup or bowl until the starch settles to the bottom. It will look thick and white. This should take about an hour. Pour off the clear juice, but not the starch, as this will make the soup gritty. Pour the yam juice and milk in a blender. Add the onion, avocado, and spices and blend until smooth. Serves 2
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cherie Calbom is a leading authority on juicing for health and detoxification. Known as The Juice Lady, TV chef, and celebrity nutritionist, she has helped in pioneering the green juice movement. A graduate of Bastyr University with a Masters of Science degree in whole foods nutrition, Cherie is the author of 21 books including “The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet,” “Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life,” and “The Juice Lady’s Living Foods Revolution.” You can read more about her juice retreats at www.juiceladyinfo.com. VegWorld Magazine
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Juice The World With Jason Vale
Juice the world with Juicemaster
Jason Vale
Jason Vale is a man on a mission. His goal is to “juice the world” and build a global juice community by helping people improve their health through the power of freshly extracted juices and smoothies. This month, Jason shares two of his favourite juice recipes with the readers of VegWorld Magazine.
LEMON GINGER ZINGER 2 carrots 2 apples 1 inch slice of lemon – where possible, wax free and with rind ¼ inch of fresh ginger 2 ice cubes Juicy Instructions Simply juice the lot and pour over ice.
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Juice The World With Jason Vale Why This Is Good For You This juice is rich in vitamin C, which helps sweep up free radicals and keeps tissues strong and healthy. The citric acid and ginger are wonderful at eliminating toxins from the body and aiding digestion. Ginger is also a natural antibiotic and one of nature’s supreme decongestants. This juice is full of dietary fiber, thanks to the simple apple, which oozes vitamins and minerals and is terrific for overall cleansing of the system.
TURBO EXPRESS 1/4 small pineapple 1/2 stick celery 1 inch chunk of cucumber 1 small handful of spinach leaves 1 small piece of peeled lime 2 apples - not Granny Smiths 1/4 ripe avocado Ice
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Juice The World With Jason Vale Juicy Instructions Juice the pineapple, celery, cucumber, spinach, lime and apples. (If you have a Phillips whole-fruit juicer, put in one apple, place the other ingredients on top and then finish up with the other apple). Place the ripe avocado flesh in the blender / smoothie maker along with the ice and juice mixture. Give a good whiz for 45 seconds (or until smooth). Pour into glass - enjoy! Why This Is Good For You This juice is rich in potassium, vitamin C and iron, which help cleanse the intestine and boost the immune system. It is excellent for rebuilding red blood cells and reducing blood pressure. It is also helpful with kidney problems and acts as a diuretic. The blended avocado contains all of our body’s six dietary needs in abundance - water, fat, protein, natural sugar, vitamins and minerals.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jason Vale’s passion for juicing grew out of his own struggle with his health. An overweight, beer drinking, 40-aday smoker, and afflicted with skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, Jason wasn’t the picture of health. After reading a small book on juicing he instinctively knew he could help himself by incorporating more fruits and vegetables into his diet. Jason, like many, doesn’t enjoy eating raw vegetables. Armed with the right information however, this discovery really fuelled his passion for juicing. Jason motto is ‘if you can’t eat it, drink it’ and he has devoted his life to encouraging others to do the same. To find out more about Jason or the program visit www. juicemaster.com.
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Juice it Up with Jay Kordich
Juice it up with Jay Kordich REAL Orange Juice
L
inda and I love making fresh orange juice in the mornings through a juicer instead of a hand reamer. Most people cut their oranges in half then proceed to extract the juice through hand reaming. But this method extracts only the sugar water from the orange, not the real orange juice we get through our juicer. Just peel two oranges, leaving as much of the white pith as possible, cut them in half, and process them through
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your juicer. This makes for a delicious, frothy, Orange-Julius-style juice, containing all of the naturally-occurring vitamin C and heart-healthy benefits of the orange. Add a bit of fresh ginger, and you have a real eye opener for an early morning juice. You can also juice grapefruits this way for a similarly healthy and delicious drink. Tangerines can be juiced too, but we recommend combining them with oranges because they are smaller and yield less juice.
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Juice it Up with Jay Kordich
Cabbage/Carrot/Celery:
The famous “3 C’s” Tonic!
I have been using this tonic since the early ‘60s. The key health benefits of this juice come from Acid Glutamine, which is only found in fresh cabage. We recommend using green cabbage. It may taste a bit bitter in the beginning, but that bitter taste is offset by the carrot and celery. After a few sips, you will love this highly alkaline tonic. The 3 C’s tonic is perfect for people with gastritis, GERD, stomach problems, and peptic or duodenal ucers. We recommend that you drink one quart daily of this tonic, and do not let
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it sit. The medicinal properties get lost through exposure to air.
R e c ip e :
J u ic e e q u a l 1 /3 p ro p o rt io n s of each: cabbage; c e le ry ;
a n d c a rr o t.
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Juice it Up with Jay Kordich
Jay’s Bourbon-Free
Kentucky Mint Julep
Talk about refreshing! This tonic is one of my all time favorites. Pour this over a tall glass with ice and you have a refreshing tonic that will satisfy anybody’s thirst. No need for alcohol. The lemon and apple combined make a perfect lemonade without having to use sugar, yet the drink still delivers sweetness and a bit of tang.
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R e c ip e :
1 H a n d fu l S p e a rm in t Leaves; 1 /2 L e m o n w it h th e s k in ; 3 o r 4 A p p le s; Ic e
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Thanksgiving Comfort Foods for the Family By Dr. Neal Barnard
Thanksgiving comfort Foods for the family by Dr. Neal Barnard
Recipes by Jennifer Raymond from Eat Right, Live Longer and Food For Life by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.
T
hanksgiving conjures up images of weather as crisp and refreshing as a red delicious apple and farmers markets bursting with a colorful cornucopia of squash, pumpkins, corn, and many other fruits of the autumn harvest. Let’s not forget family gatherings, football games, parades, and feasting on traditional culinary delights. The centerpiece of this celebration is the special holiday meal. Although traditions vary, the common menu includes turkey roasted with strips of bacon, buttery mashed potatoes and vegetables, cranberry sauce and sausage or nut stuffing and an array of definitely non-lowfat desserts, leaving belt buckles loosened by a few notches and one’s feet blocked from view. Yet, the annual harvest celebration need not culminate with your stomach screaming for room at meal’s end. You can prepare a healthy, hearty meal that will warm your heart and soul. And, for the person designated to prepare such
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a tantalizing spread, Thanksgiving can bypass stressful planning and still produce a spectacular result. Americans today have become more culinary diverse and open to more “nontraditional” fare, including turkey-free Thanksgivings. Companies marketing vegetarian versions of a traditional turkey dinner can barely keep up with demand for Tofurky and other such delicious foods. Even without these specialty products, a lowfat, cholesterol-free vegetarian meal adds extra reasons to give thanks. Whether you seek something different, easy to make, or healthful this Thanksgiving day, the recipes in this issue of VegWorld Magazine can help. They incorporate various traditional Thanksgiving fare while staying low-fat and cholesterol-free. Your arteries and everyone around the table will thank you.
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Thanksgiving Comfort Foods for the Family By Dr. Neal Barnard
ZESTY CRANBERRY SAUCE (Serves 8)
Ingredients
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1/2 cup undiluted orange juice concentrate 2 ripe pears, finely chopped 1 medium apple, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon grated orange rind 1/2 cup raw sugar or other sweetener Instructions
Combine all ingredients except sweetener in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue cooking, uncovered, until cranberry skins pop and mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Add sweetener to taste if desired. Serve hot or cold.
Nutrition information per serving: 124 calories
0.7 g protein 31.5 g carbohydrate 0.3 g fat 2% of calories from fat 0 mg cholesterol 0.9 g sodium
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Thanksgiving Comfort Foods for the Family By Dr. Neal Barnard
PUMPKIN CUSTARD PIE
In this recipe, cornstarch replaces eggs as a thickener. Filling:
(Serves 6)
1-1/2 cups soymilk 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1-1/2 cups cooked pumpkin 1/2 cup raw sugar or other sweetener 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Fat-free pie crust:
(makes one 9” crust) 1 cup Grape Nuts cereal 1/4 cup apple juice concentrate For the filling:
Preheat the oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the soymilk and cornstarch until smooth, then blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into pie shell (recipe follows) and bake for 45 minutes, or until firm. Cool before cutting. Fat-free pie crust:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Mix the Grape Nuts and apple juice concentrate. Pat into a 9” pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool before filling. Nutrition information per slice: 203 calories
3.6 g protein 47 g carbohydrate 0.6 g fat 3% of calories from fat 0 mg cholesterol 347 mg sodium
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Quick And Easy Vegan Holiday Fare by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
Quick and easy vegan holiday fare:
Meals For You and Your Loved Ones by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen™
W
hether you come from a mixed family (of carnivores and vegans) as I do, or you are the only vegan or vegetarian at the table, there is often a bit of tension about what you will, or won’t, eat. I have managed over the years to actually incorporate a number of my dishes into the holiday menu. These days, Thanksgiving is not complete without a pot of my Curried Squash and Pear Soup and Fruited Wild Rice as an alternative to stuffing and more. Initially, I used to just make do with the meal, eating the sides. My mother-in-law who is
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Quick And Easy Vegan Holiday Fare by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD sweet enough to care that I was fed, bought vegetable lasagna for me until I told her that I didn’t want it. (I am not a big fan of frozen lasagna, with or without cheese.) What I most noticed about the standard meal in the family into which I married twenty years ago, is that the meal was, and is, heavily weighted toward white foods (rolls, potatoes, stuffing) and fat (gravy, mashed potatoes with cream and butter) and there is a severe (for me) lack of vegetables. I decided to change the tradition so that I could feel as if part of the meal was satisfying for me. Here’s what I bring to the meal: the squash soup, mentioned above (recipe below), Bright
Autumn Salad (with California in-season fruit, such as pineapple guavas, pomegranates and Fuyu persimmons atop greens, drizzled with fruit vinegar), Fruited Wild Rice (recipe below) and Herb Roasted Root Vegetables. These are all easy to make and transport. It turns out that I am not the only one who eats them. I am always grateful for leftovers. Last year, the soup and the roasted roots were devoured. While I would love it if each member of my family, immediate and extended, was vegan, I have figured out how to eat well while pulling them toward a more colorful way of eating. For this I am most thankful.
Simple Greens with Garlic (Serves 4)
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Quick And Easy Vegan Holiday Fare by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD I just love greens, especially in the winter when they taste the best. This is the simplest recipe for greens that I make. It’s hard to believe that they taste so great after just a couple of minutes of cooking. If you like your greens cooked a bit more, add on another minute. If you want to make this dish richer, drizzle on a couple of teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil. You can also make it fat-free by omitting the oil at the beginning. You can fill the cooker more than usual as the greens really cook down. 1 to 2 minutes high pressure; quick release. Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional) 2 pounds or 2 bunches greens such as kale, collards or mustard, washed but not dried and center ribs removed, cut finely to equal 8–10 cups 3–4 cloves garlic, minced 2–4 tablespoons water or broth, as needed Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Directions
Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the greens and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the broth or water to the cooker and lock on the lid. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain high pressure for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and quick release the pressure. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can eat as is, or mix with your favorite cooked white beans. ©2012 from The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes by Jill Nussinow
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Quick And Easy Vegan Holiday Fare by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
Curried Winter Squash and Pear Soup Serves 4–6 (or just you 4–6 times) Even though squash is sweet, it tastes even better with pear. I use delicata squash as they don’t need to be peeled if they are organic and they’re easy to cut. But any, such as butternut, acorn or kabocha, will do. If you like, you can add a pinch of cayenne for contrast, in addition to the lemon juice in the recipe. Remember that the turmeric and other spices in curry powder have incredible antioxidant benefits that are important to boost your immune system as the seasons change. 5 minutes high pressure; natural pressure release. Ingredients 2 teaspoons canola oil (optional) 1 small onion, diced 3 small delicata or other squash, cut into cubes, to equal at least 3 cups – more is better 1 medium D’anjou or Comice pear, peeled and cut into chunks 2–3 teaspoons or more curry powder 4 cups vegetable stock or water 1 tablespoon lemon juice Pinch or more of cayenne, if desired ½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped Directions Heat the pressure cooker over medium heat and add the oil, if using. When the
pot is warm, add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes until it just softens. Add the pear and curry powder and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the squash, stock or water and lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Once at pressure, lower the heat to maintain high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you. Using a hand blender, pureé the soup until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and add the lemon juice, cayenne, salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley or cilantro. Note: This is easily made in a pot on the stove. If I don’t use a pressure cooker, I like to roast the squash, cut in half, cut side down, in a baking dish with just a little bit of water. I cook them at 350 degrees F. until the squash is soft. I then scoop the squash out of the shell and add the roasted squash to the other ingredients and cook for about 15 minutes to let the flavors meld. I blend with a hand blender. If you must use a regular blender, do it carefully. Only fill the blender half-full. Put a piece of plastic wrap on top of the canister. Put on the lid and hold with a towel. Blend in batches until you have the desired consistency.
From The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes VegWorld Magazine
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Quick And Easy Vegan Holiday Fare by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD
Fruited Wild Rice Serves 8 to 10
(Based on a recipe found in Gourmet Vegetarian Feasts, Martha Rose Shulman, Thorsons, 1987) Serve as a side dish or stuff a squash such as kabocha, buttercup, white pumpkin or numerous delicata or sweet dumpling with this mixture. It’s addictively delicious. Ingredients 1 1/2 cups wild rice 4 1/2 cups water 1 cup chopped dried raisins, cranberries and tart cherries, or your favorites Apple juice, red wine or sherry to cover the dried fruit 2 small apples, peeled, cored, cut in half crosswise and sliced thinly 1 large pear, peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 cup slivered almonds or other nuts 2 tablespoons apple juice 1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Salt and pepper to taste
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Quick And Easy Vegan Holiday Fare by Jill Nussinow, MS, RD Directions Cook wild rice in the water for 55 to 60 minutes until the rice grains are split open (or cook in the pressure cooker with 3 cups water for 25 minutes at high pressure with a natural pressure release). When done, drain rice from cooking water and put in a large bowl. While the rice is cooking, soak the dried fruit in apple juice, red wine or sherry to cover. Drain fruit after 30 minutes and set aside. (You can save the red wine or sherry in the refrigerator for future soaking, use it in salad dressing, for a stir-fry or an after dinner drink.) Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat and sauté apples, pears and almonds about 2 minutes. Add the apple juice and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Add 1 tablespoon syrup, spices, cooked wild rice, drained fruit and salt to taste. Cook together another few minutes, stirring. Correct seasonings, adding lots of pepper if you like it. Remove from heat. Serve mounded on a plate or stuff into a partially pre-baked squash and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 45 minutes until the squash is thoroughly cooked and the filling is hot.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, The Veggie Queen™, is a Registered Dietitian, cooking teacher and the author of two award-winning cookbooks: The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment and The New Fast Food: The Veggie Queen Pressure Cooks Whole Food Meals in Less than 30 Minutes. She has been teaching people about vegetarian and vegan eating and cooking for more than 25 years. Jill has been teaching the McDougall program in Santa Rosa for more than 10 years, and has been on the faculty of Santa Rosa Junior College culinary department for more than 20 years.
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Your Main Course: Thanksgiving’s Main Dish by Marilyn Peterson
your main course:
thanksgiving’s main dish by Marilyn Peterson
Looking for a delicious centerpiece to your holiday meal that will have your family asking for seconds? Either one of these mouthwatering recipes will prove how yummy a veggie thanksgiving can be.
Seitan Stew
Cooking time always varies with the texture and size of the vegetable. In order to make certain that the vegetables are al dente, do not overcook them, as they will also be cooking in the sauce. When you do a recipe, always double-check your seasonings to see if it needs more or less of something for your particular taste. Recipes can be followed to the letter, or used as a base for your own creative ideas. This is a great freezer recipe.
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Your Main Course: Thanksgiving’s Main Dish by Marilyn Peterson Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 1-8 ounce package (1-1/2 cups) seitan, cut bite size pieces 2 potatoes, medium, cut in bite size cubes 2 medium onions, (2 cups) medium dice 2 carrots, medium, sliced very thin 3 stalks celery, angle cut about 1” pieces 2 tablespoons garlic, minced 3-14.5 ounce cans ‘fire roasted’ tomatoes 2 cups peas, frozen 3 bay leaves 1 tablespoon thyme, dried 1 tablespoon oregano, dried 1 cup fresh basil, sliced very thin tiny pinch cayenne pepper season sea salt and pepper Directions 1. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large pot. Add the seitan and the potatoes, lightly browning the mixture. Mix in the onions, carrots and celery. Cover with a lid. 2. Sweat the seitan mixture and vegetables for 5-10 minutes. Stir in garlic. 3. Add the tomato products and bring to a boil, then immediately turn down the heat to simmer. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the fresh basil, salt and pepper, simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring often. 4. Add the basil and remaining seasonings to taste. 5. For the freezer, allow recipe to cool, then pour into airtight containers. Name and date the label with a marking pen. Yield 10 cups
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Your Main Course: Thanksgiving’s Main Dish by Marilyn Peterson
Neat LoafÂ
When cooking rice, it should be prepared on the dry side, rather than moist. (optional) This recipe can be baked the day before and chilled. This allows the recipe to set up, then cut in portions. Left over chilled Neat Loaf is great as a sandwich filling. This recipe is a favorite hit for entertaining and a great freezer item. Ingredients
3 cups brown rice, (1-1/2 cups raw rice = 3 cups cooked.) 1 large onion (2-1/2 cups) peeled, diced small 3 tablespoons liquid aminos 2 cups walnuts 2 cups sourdough bread, cut, (pressed down in cup) 3 tablespoons garlic 1 pound tofu, (extra firm) drained and crumbled 1-1/2 cups tomato ketchup Note: additional ketchup is also used below in the recipe. 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground 2 teaspoons coriander, ground 2 teaspoons cumin, ground 3/4 teaspoon sea salt olive oil spray, as needed 1/2 cup tomato ketchup for basting the top on Neat Loaf VegWorld Magazine Issue 004 - Nov 2012 | 54
Your Main Course: Thanksgiving’s Main Dish by Marilyn Peterson Directions 1. In a medium pot add rice to 3 cups boiling water, cover, turn heat on simmer, turn off heat at 45 minutes. Set aside for 15 minutes to absorb any moisture. 2. In a hot non-stick sauté pan, simmer, mix and stir the onions with liquid aminos until caramelized (about 10 -15 minutes). Set aside. 3. Preheat oven to 350º F. 4. In a food processor, separately (one at a time) pulverize garlic, walnuts, and bread. Empty each of the pulverized ingredients from the processor into one large bowl. 5. By hand, drain and squeeze moisture from tofu and crumble it into the bowl. 6. Add the caramelized onions, rice, 1-1/2 cups ketchup to the bowl. Add spices and mix thoroughly until fully incorporated and it resembles sticky dough. 7. Spray the inside of a 9”x 13” x 2” Pyrex dish with olive oil and fill it with the Neat Loaf mixture. Pat the mixture down so it is packed tightly and evenly. 8. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, until it turns golden brown on top. Remove from oven. Spread 1/2 cup tomato ketchup on top, bake about 30 minutes more, and remove, verifying that it is mostly dry to the touch. Set aside for 20 minutes before cutting. Neat Loaf is best moist inside, yet dry enough to cut in slices or square portions, and serve. 9. For the freezer, allow to cool, then put in airtight containers. Name and date label with a marking pen. Yield 10 slices or squares
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Marilyn Peterson consults and teaches about vegan living in Los Angeles, CA, where she resides with her husband. Marilyn is the author of “Vegan Bite By Bite,” an in-depth book about how to transition to a plant-based diet. VegWorld Magazine
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Thanksgiving Leftovers by Brian L. Patton
Thanksgiving Leftovers:
A Study in Awesome by Brian Patton (The Sexy Vegan)
I
don’t know what it is, but I can’t get enough of Thanksgiving food. Squash, pumpkins, kale, Brussels sprouts, green beans, potatoes, and cranberries; I don’t know exactly how all of these things came to be traditional Thanksgiving fare, but I’m quite grateful that they did. I’m sure it has something to do with historical-type stuff and that I could find out pretty easily. But I’ve got no time for learning when there’s cooking to do.
It’s the side dishes of Thanksgiving that I love more than anything else. Vegan turkey replacements are nice, but don’t hold a candle to a plate full of fresh, homemade sides. The very best part is that once the big day is over, and everyone is out of your house, these amazing side dishes have second lives as leftovers. Opening the fridge on Friday morning to those glorious leftovers is better than Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Festivus all rolled into one! My eyes dart frantically to the various containers, as I try to figure out what to eat first and in what order and combinations. Should I eat them as a sandwich, in a casserole, or cold, right out of the container? I’m overwhelmed. When I finally come to on the kitchen floor 20 minutes later, I usually have a pretty good idea of what to do. So I’m going to drop some ideas on you for this year’s leftovers. Of course, you can always just put them all on a plate, as-is, heat them up in the toaster oven, and scarf them down for breakfast on Friday morning. I certainly could not fault you for that. Alternatively, you can get creative, and stretch those Thanksgiving flavors out over another couple of days, weeks, or even months! Here’s how.
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Thanksgiving Leftovers by Brian L. Patton
Relish This
I know you have a ton of extra cranberry relish: A little of that stuff goes a long way, so people never eat as much as you think they will. But what are you going to do? Cry about having some extra awesome stuff? No way! You can do great things with cranberry relish. You can easily add the relish to pancake or muffin batter for a sweet and tart breakfast treat. Or you can blend it with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and fresh tarragon for a great dressing to go on a bitter green salad. You can even add it to a homemade BBQ sauce.
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Thanksgiving Leftovers by Brian L. Patton
Carroty Goodness
If you’ve got some agave or maple glazed carrots, you can make a pretty killer soup. Melt some vegan margarine in a pot, and add some sliced leeks, a small minced Indian chili pepper, and a pinch of salt. Sweat on medium heat until they’re tender. If your carrots are swimming in the glaze, remove them and let the excess glaze fall away. You want just a little glaze left on them; you can reserve the rest of the glaze for sweetening later, if necessary. Add the carrots to the pot, along with some curry powder and a tiny pinch of garam masala (if you’ve got it), and cover with a combination of half vegetable stock and half light coconut milk. Since the carrots are already cooked, you only need to simmer for about 10 minutes to make sure they’re completely soft and the flavors are combined. Puree the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste and coconut milk or vegetable stock to thin the soup out to a desired consistency. Add some more glaze if you want it sweeter. Serve warm with a garnish of cilantro.
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Thanksgiving Leftovers by Brian L. Patton
Got Brussels Sprouts? If you do, hook up the slicer blade on your food processor or break out the mandolin, and shred them for a tasty little slaw. Add toasted pecans, thinly sliced red onion, Pretend Canadian Bacon from “The Sexy Vegan Cookbook: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Dude,” and perhaps some of that cranberry dressing you made earlier. You can even add a touch of vegan mayo if you like it creamy.
Save the Best for Last Finally, my favorite Thanksgiving leftover concoction is what I call Thanksgiving Pie! Don’t worry, you won’t have to deal with a pie crust. Here’s what you do: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lube up a casserole dish with vegan margarine, and add your leftover stuffing. Press it firmly into the bottom of the casserole dish, and then top with a layer of gravy. Next add a vegetable. If you’ve got green bean casserole, that would be perfect. The shredded roasted Brussels sprouts or some other cooked hearty greens would be great here too. Spread your vegetable out evenly, and then top with another layer of gravy. Finally add a layer of mashed potatoes.
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Thanksgiving Leftovers by Brian L. Patton At this point you can wrap the whole thing in plastic and freeze it for up to 3 months. Just make sure to thaw it in the fridge 24 hours before baking. However, if you are like me, and have zero willpower when it comes to Thanksgiving food, you will likely want to eat it now. Cover the whole thing with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle smoked paprika over the top of the potatoes and turn your broiler to high. Broil until the potatoes brown – 3 to 5 minutes. Now it’s done! Serve it with whatever leftover gravy you’ve got and don’t forget to reset that Thanksgiving countdown timer you have in your living room. You don’t have a Thanksgiving countdown timer? Well, neither do I, but I’m sure the internet has one. Enjoy!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian L. Patton, known as The Sexy Vegan, is author of “The Sexy Vegan Cookbook: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Dude.” A book hailed by Ed Begley Jr. as, “...a must have!” It has been called, “...the most fun-to-browse vegan cookbook ever,” by Vegan.com. Rory Freedman (author of “Skinny Bitch”) cited it as, “...the perfect book for the vegcurious or the veg committed.” And it was honored with the title Greatest Cookbook in the History of Humankind by Brian’s mom. By day Brian is executive chef at Vegin’ Out, Southern California’s premier vegan delivery service. His second cookbook is due out in Spring/Summer of 2013. Find out more about Brian at www.TheSexyVegan.com and www.VeginOut.com. VegWorld Magazine
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Ordinary People/
Extraordinary Results Slaying the Protein Myth
Slaying the Protein Myth by Rich Roll
Slaying the Protein Myth by RICH ROLL “But where do you get your protein?”
A
s a plant-based ultra-endurance athlete, if I had a dollar for every time I fielded this inquiry, I could put my four kids through college. So let’s address the elephant in the room, once and for all. We live in a society in which we have been misled to believe that meat and dairy products are the only source of dietary protein. “Without copious amounts of an-
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imal protein, it’s impossible to be healthy, let alone perform as an athlete, train and race at your peak.” This message is everywhere—from a recent high-profile dairy ad campaign pushing chocolate milk as the ultimate athletic beverage, to compelling food labels, to a dizzying array of fitness expert testimonials. Protein, protein, protein—generally reinforced with the adage that more is better. Whether you are a professional athlete or a couch potato, this hardened notion Issue 004 - Nov 2012 | 62
Slaying the Protein Myth by Rich Roll is so deeply ingrained into our collective belief system that to challenge its propriety is nothing short of heresy. But through direct experience I have come to realize that this pervasive notion is not only false, but also fueled by a well-funded campaign of misinformation perpetuated by powerful meat and dairy lobbies that are focused on convincing us that we cannot survive without their products. The animal protein push is not only based on lies; it’s killing us. We are lured to feast on a banquet of factory-farmed, hormone- and pesticide-laden foods that are high in artery-clogging saturated fat, which is a significant contributing factor to our epidemic of heart disease and many other preventable diet-related infirmities. Without a doubt, protein is an essential nutrient; it is critical in building and repairing muscle tissue and maintaining a wide array of important bodily functions. But does it matter if our protein comes from plants rather than animals? And how much do we actually need? Proteins consist of twenty different amino acids, eleven of which can be synthesized naturally by our bodies. The remaining nine—what we
The notion that we need meat and dairy for protein is false and fueled by a wellfunded campaign of misinformation. VegWorld Magazine
Many top athletes opt for veggie protein sources instead of steak, milk and eggs. call essential amino acids—must be ingested from the foods we eat. So technically, our bodies require certain amino acids, not protein per se. But these nine essential amino acids are hardly the exclusive domain of the animal kingdom. In fact, they are originally synthesized by plants and are found in meat and dairy products only because these animals have eaten plants. Admittedly, we absorb plant-based proteins differently than animal proteins. And not all plant-based proteins are “complete,” containing all nine essential amino acids. But these two arguments are overused to negate the advisability of shunning animal products. In truth, a well-rounded, whole-food, plant-based diet that includes a colorful rotation of foods like sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables and legumes will satisfy the demanding protein needs of even the hardest training athlete. And unlike animal-derived protein, these foods will give you everything you need without the saturated fat that causes heart disease,
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Slaying the Protein Myth by Rich Roll
Vegan athlete, Rich Roll, is fitter at age 45 than ever, including as a world-class swimmer in the 1980s. the casein that has been linked to a variety of diseases, or the whey that is an unhealthy, low-grade discard of cheese production. Just ask Mixed Martial Arts/Ultimate Fighting Championship (MMA/UFC) fighters like Mac Danzig, Jake Shields and James Wilks; cyclists like Dave Zabriskie and Ben Bostrom; triathletes like Brendan Brazier, Hillary Biscay and Rip Esselstyn; ultra-marathoner extraordinaire Scott Jurek; or undefeated boxer Timothy Bradley, Jr. They will all tell you the same thing: Rather than steak, milk, eggs and whey supplements, opt instead for healthy, plant-based protein sources like black, kidney and pinto beans, almonds, lentils, hemp seeds, spirulina, quinoa, spinach and broccoli. Provided your diet contains a rotating variety of the aforementioned high-protein plants, I can guarantee that you will never suffer a protein deficiency—it’s impos-
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sible. Despite the incredibly heavy tax I impose on my body, training sometimes 25 hours a week for ultra-endurance events, this diet has fueled me for years in building lean muscle mass and properly recovering between workouts. In fact, I can honestly say that at age 45, I am fitter than I have ever been, even when I was competing as a swimmer at a worldclass level at Stanford in the late 1980s. And despite what you might have been told, I submit that more protein isn’t better. Satisfy your daily requirements and leave it at that. With respect to athletes,
The nine essential amino acids we need from protein are hardly the exclusive domain of the animal kingdom. They exist in animals solely because those animals eat plants. Issue 004 - Nov 2012 | 64
Slaying the Protein Myth by Rich Roll to my knowledge no scientific study has ever shown that consumption of protein beyond the advised 10 percent of daily calories stimulates additional muscle growth or expedites physiological repair induced by exercise stress. In fact, excessive animal protein intake can be harmful over the long run. There is evidence that excess animal protein is often stored in fat cells and contributes to the onset of a variety of congenital diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, impaired kidney function and heart disease.
plant powered. The elephant, rhino, hippo and gorilla share one thing in common—they all get 100 percent of their protein from plants. So ditch that steak and join me for a bowl of quinoa and lentils.
Still not convinced? Consider this: Some of the fiercest animals in the world are
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rich’s inspirational memoir “Finding Ultra” (Crown / Random House) hit bookshelves last May. For more on how Rich fuels his family and training, check out his and his wife Julie’s plant-based e-cookbook “Jai Seed”—a beautiful coffee-table style cookbook for the digital iPad set that contains 77 glossy pages of plantbased nutrition information and easy to prepare recipes certain to satisfy even the most finicky family member.
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E R TU A FE
JUICE FASTING: DISCOVER THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
JUICE FASTING: DISCOVER THE
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
W
by JUICE GURU STEVE PRUSSACK
e are on the verge of a veritable tidal wave of health and self-empowerment. Veganism and even raw foodism are hot topics in the media these days. Our culture is slowly, but surely, waking up to the truth about radiant health and the fact that fruits and vegetables are the best way to get it. But did you know that one of the best-kept ancient secrets of health has become hot news as well? More and more celebrities, including Madonna, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and Uma Therman, have discovered (and are talking about) the best way to supercharge their health and maintain their youthful glow. What is this panacea? Juicing, or more specifically juice fasting, is the incarnation of the mythical fountain of youth. Celebrities are doing juice fasts at the suggestion of their
doctors and health coaches to get into movie-ready shape. In fact, new documentaries, such as “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead,” detail the journeys of everyday people on the road to real, lasting wellness through the power of juice fasting. Maybe you are tired of worthless fad diets and want to lose some weight for good. Maybe you just aren’t feeling your best and you need a quick and real way to increase your energy. Or perhaps you’re faced with an incredible health challenge and you’re not satisfied with doctors telling you that pills and procedures can’t cure your ailments. That means you’re ready to juice fast. Juice fasting takes the basic and widely implemented curative powers of fasting and greatly improves upon them. When we fast we allow our bodies to do major
Juice fasting allows your body to focus on repairing itself, rather than the weighty task of digestion. At the same time, it infuses your body with megadoses of nutrition. VegWorld Magazine
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JUICE FASTING: DISCOVER THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH cleaning and damage repair of our organs and tissues. Rather than dedicating tons of energy to the weighty task of digestion, your body uses the time when you’re fasting to focus all of its energy into repairing itself. Juice fasting increases the effectiveness of fasting by infusing your body with megadoses of nutrition—with almost zero digestion effort. Fresh juices also pump you full of the building blocks your body needs to fix weak tissues, clean out congested organs and rebuild strong new ones. This is precisely why people who juice fast shed tons of weight, manage drastic improvements and even complete reversal of their diseases, and watch as years fade from their lined faces. The skin becomes more supple and smooth from juice fasting as it utilizes precious nutrients to regain its elasticity. Plus, the constant flow of antioxidants does far more than restore a youthful glow
Doing a few long juice fasts or taking part in numerous shorter fasts throughout the year is the best health insurance money can buy. to your exterior; the same miraculous changes you’ll see on the outside happen inside your body as well. Within the first full day of juice fasting, your stomach lining will be completely replaced, alleviating ulcers and making headway into improving your overall digestion. Over the next couple of weeks of juice fasting, all the cells of your colon will have regenerated, too, and your liver and kidneys will be on their way to eliminating the years of stored waste impairing their function. All the while, your blood will become purified, and your chronic acne or psoriasis will begin to improve and may even clear up completely! I’ve personally experienced exactly these sort of health miracles, and I know countless others who have had such success. Juice fasting for healing is an essential part of dealing with any major illness. But I find you experience the most profound benefits when you make juice fasting a long-term part of your life. Doing a few long juice fasts or taking
Actor Woody Harrelson’s lifestyle habits include 38-day juice fasts. VegWorld Magazine
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JUICE FASTING: DISCOVER THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH part in numerous shorter fasts throughout the year is the best health insurance money can buy. This periodic cleansing lets your body reset itself and move out the environmental toxins that are everyday realities in our modern towns and cities. It gives you a chance to boost your energy and melt off any excess weight. And, yes, anyone can do it. I juice fast often. In fact, I recently coauthored “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Juice Fasting,” a how-to guide that details the benefits of juice fasting and provides more than 75 recipes as part of detailed juice fast programs. I have dedicated my life to studying and sharing knowledge about vegan health and healing; juice fasting is the most profound pathway I have found to optimal health and welfare. It is the true Fountain of Youth. Will you join me?
VegWorld Magazine
According to the New York Times, hip hop mogul Russell Simmons makes green juice a regular part of his routine.
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Spotlight
on Compassion Treating Farm Animals As Friends, Not Food Humanely Produced Meat? Get the Facts
Treating Farm Animals as Friends, Not Food
Treating Farm Animals as
I
Friends, Not Food
n an ideal world, there would be no need for animal sanctuaries. There would be no factory farms or stockyards. Cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and sheep would be free to roam in their pastures, sleep in the sun, scratch at the earth, and enjoy life. Animals in today’s industrialized farms are treated like commodities. They are crowded into warehouses, confined so tightly that they cannot easily walk or even turn around. They are
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de-beaked, de-toed, and their tails are docked without anesthetic. Their bones break because their bodies have been manipulated to grow so fast that they can’t support their own weight. Factory farm animals are denied fresh air, sun, wholesome food, room to move, and the freedom to exhibit their natural behaviors. This rampant abuse of millions of animals every day is largely invisible to the public.
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Treating Farm Animals as Friends, Not Food
Farm Sanctuary Farm Sanctuary was founded in 1986 to combat the abuses of factory farming and encourage a new awareness and understanding about farm animals. Today, Farm Sanctuary is the largest and most effective farm animal rescue and protection organization in the U.S. It has rescued thousands of animals and cared for them at sanctuaries in Watkins Glen, New York; Northern California (Orland); and the Los Angeles area. At Farm Sanctuary, these animals are friends, not food. Farm Sanctuary educates millions of people about the effects of factory farming on our health and environment. The organization advocates for laws and policies to prevent suffering, promote compassion, and reach out to legislators and businesses to bring about institutional reforms.
Farm Sanctuary has rescued thousands of animals and educated millions of people about the effects of factory farming on our health and environment.
Find out more about Farm Sanctuary and their many compassionate life-saving programs by visiting www.farmsanctuary.com.
We honor Farm Sanctuary for their commitment to end cruelty to farm animals and promote compassionate vegan living through rescue, education, and advocacy efforts. This year join celebrity spokesperson Shannon Elizabeth and sponsor a turkey for your compassionate holiday tradition. Since 1986, Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt a Turkey Project has encouraged people to save a turkey at Thanksgiving through sponsorships that help rescue animals and provide care for them at their sanctuaries, as well as educate and advocate for turkeys and other farm animals everywhere. Now is your chance to join Farm Sanctuary in saving even more lives this year.
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Humanely Produced Meat? Get the Facts by Rae Sikora
Humanely Produced meat?
get the facts by RAE SIKORA
T
hanksgiving is fast approaching and many progressive and socially conscious community members have already ordered their “organic,” “pasture raised”, “humanely raised”, “local” turkeys, allowing them to eat the traditional meal without the guilt of supporting factory farming and chemical laden agriculture. However, most well-intentioned people won’t be visiting the farms they get their turkey from or doing the research necessary to discover the reality behind their purchase. A friend and I visited a local organic farm with a good reputation for environmental and humane standards. Their 1,000 birds are raised in large outdoor hoop-houses with green pasture sur-
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rounding. Their feed is organically grown on the farm and hangs from feeders accessible to any of the birds who are able to walk to them. They even slaughter the birds right on the farm, avoiding transport to a large slaughterhouse facility.
Or ga ni c an d no n- or ga ni c tu rk ey s ar e ge ne ti ca lly br ed fo r we ig ht ga in an d to be sl au gh te rre ad y at 18 we ek s.
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Humanely Produced Meat? Get the Facts by Rae Sikora Yet even under “better than average” conditions, the turkeys suffer. Most people ordering organic birds assume they are not genetically bred for weight gain. Organic and non-organic turkeys are bred to be slaughter-ready at 18 weeks. They are so obese that their legs cannot handle the weight of their bodies. In fact, many birds are completely lame by two months. Some of the turkeys we saw were stuck in the straw, unable to get up, and struggling to make it to food and water while healthier birds pecked at them. Others, already dead, were removed or left in the field. Our tour guide, the farm manager of 11 years, was kind and open with us. He told us he was proud of the facility and happy to show us around. In the slaughter building we were introduced to a worker he nicknamed “the killer.” The manager chuckled and said they actually refer to him as the “harvester.” I asked the young harvester if his job was difficult. Thoughtfully he replied, “It was hard at first, but it gets easier.” They then showed us the standard procedure for killing the birds. The birds are pushed into wall mounted funnels head
g in g T w o m in u t e s o f h a n our u p s id e d o w n w it h y ed m a jo r a r t e r ie s s li c a o p e n a n d b le e d in g is r e a lly lo n g t im e .
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The new “guilt-free” labels often give people permission to turn their backs on a violent reality.
first and upside down. With their heads hanging below an opening at the base of the funnel, the “harvester” slices the major arteries on the bird’s neck. A bucket catches the blood below. In the words of the harvester, “I slice with a clean hundred dollar surgical knife. I am careful not to cut the airway. We need them alive, breathing and bleeding to drain all the blood out or it gets too messy in the next step. It is very fast. It only takes two minutes. They are breathing the whole time and their legs are kicking.” I stood there struck by his words, “only two minutes.” I recently led a workshop where I wanted people to guess how long a minute is. Everyone closed their eyes. I told the participants to open their eyes and raise their hands when they thought a minute was up. I timed them. Almost everyone had their eyes open and hands raised in about 30 seconds. A minute is a long time.
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Humanely Produced Meat? Get the Facts by Rae Sikora Two minutes of hanging upside down with your major arteries sliced open and bleeding is a really long time. After touring the entire facility, from pasture to the freezer filled with hundreds of tidy packaged birds, we walked slowly back to my car feeling distressed by our experience. I have met some “usedto-be vegetarians” who have turned to a meat diet again because of the availability of animal products labelled “humane.” Everyone who chooses to eat animal products labelled “humane,” “cage-free,” “organic” or “free-range” should, at a minimum visit the facility providing their meat, dairy or eggs. They should inquire about every step in the process. For example, even most small backyard chicken/egg operations obtained their chicks from a feed store or hatchery. The hatcheries supply the feed store. These hatcheries sort the newly hatched chicks, throwing away or grinding up the young males. They are usually killed by filling trash bags with the live chicks, and then closing the bag top so they slowly suffocate. If they are ground up, they are usually added to feed for the other birds. When anyone is paying someone else to do something for them, it is important that they know the reality and feel that it fits their values. When visiting facilities ask yourself if this is something you feel good about supporting. Use your dollars as votes. Only purchase products
M ak e th is Th an ks gi vi ng a “T ha nk sl iv in g” by m od if yi ng tr ad it io n to in cl ud e no n- vi ol en ce to w ar ds al l be in gs . you want to see continue. Each dollar spent creates a demand and tells that industry “do whatever you are doing again.” The new “guilt-free” labels often give people permission to turn their backs on the violent reality of consuming these foods. The creation of all animal products involves exploitation for profit including confinement, social deprivation, mutilation, reproductive manipulation and premature death. Make this Thanksgiving a Thanksliving by modifying tradition to include nonviolence toward all beings and caring for the earth and your own health. All of your favorite holiday recipes can be made using no animal products. This magazine provides many delicious and easy Thanksliving recipes. Anyone can recreate this holiday to be a joyful celebration of all life and gratitude. Once you do, it may just become your favorite holiday of the year!
About the Author Rae Sikora has been a spokesperson for animals, the environment and human rights for over 30 years. Her programs have been changing people’s vision of what is possible to create in our lives and in the world. As co-founder of the Institute for Humane Education, Rae created interactive critical thinking tools that are now being used by people around the globe. Rae is co-founder and co-director of Plant Peace Daily and co-founder of Vegfund. VegWorld Magazine
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Reviews and
Recommendations VegWorld Pick-Of-The-Month
VegWorld’s Pick Of The Month
VegWorld’s
Pick of the Month
Stuff I Eat: A Model Restaurant for the World Finding a vegan restaurant in Los Angeles, California is an easy task for anyone. One of the most vegan-friendly cities in the world, Los Angeles hosts vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants on almost every corner, with new ones opening up on a regular basis. Finding a vegan restaurant that serves as a model for the world, however, is a bit tougher. Our pick this month is one such restaurant. And we consider it to be the best in L.A. for many reasons. But what makes Stuff I Eat truly special – and a model restaurant to be emulated around the globe – can be found in its 3 “secret ingredients.”
Secret Ingredient No. 1: Serve Your Community, And Do it Deliciously Well Stuff I Eat is located in Inglewood, California, a low-income, predominantly AfricanAmerican community with unhealthy, deep-fried, soul and fast food restaurants crowding every street. Stuff I Eat was established as an example to the community of an alternative way to eat, and eat well. Stuff I Eat has a completely vegan menu, with an increasing number of delicious raw vegan options. But what makes its vegan menu especially remarkable is that the majority of Stuff I Eat’s customers are non-vegans. “We have a low percentage of vegan customers,” says co-owner Babette Davis (who likes to go by the name Miss B). “I need everybody to like this food, and I love that they do, because it’s vegan. I hate saying it like this, but it’s true – it just tastes like regular food.”
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VegWorld’s Pick Of The Month
The soul food platter at Stuff I Eat proves that customers don’t have to sacrifice taste or culture to eat healthy. In keeping true to the African-American community it serves, Stuff I Eat serves up dishes like a Southern-inspired organic soul food platter (yams, vegan macaroni and cheese, BBQ tofu, kale, black-eyed pea soup, cornbread muffin and potato salad or coleslaw with a mixed green salad). People come for the taste of the food, and leave with an appreciation for the greater health they achieve from eating vegan. And, once its repeat customers get the knack of eating healthy, Stuff I Eat offers an array of incredibly fresh and colorful salads, including its signature Carrot Un-Tuna. The owners of Stuff I Eat are dedicated to spreading the plant-based message in a community where truth about nutrition may be hard to find. “We have an opportunity to share and to teach,” Miss B says. “What I desire more than anything is the opportunity to turn as many people on to this lifestyle as I possibly can, and I’m in the perfect place to do that.” Aside from turning the community on to vegan food, Stuff I Eat is also improving the status of this down-trodden city. “I like that you can come here and see that Inglewood is not such a bad place,” says Miss B. “I don’t see people walking down the street with their pants sagging down, carrying rifles, ready to hurt people.” Stuff I Eat has a mission: To improve the community it serves in more ways than one. It executes that mission flawlessly.
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VegWorld’s Pick Of The Month
Secret Ingredient No. 2: Put an Emphasis on the Health and Well-Being of Your Customers Health is a priority at Stuff I Eat. Virtually everything served at the restaurant is organic and local, and the owners are vocal supporters of, and educators on many health-centered initiatives. Stuff I Eat also promotes and sells books designed to teach its community customers about natural health – information that is not readily-available in Inglewood – and provides customers with access to homeopathic remedies. Stuff I Eat holds lectures and classes on these topics, as well, in a space they own next door to the restaurant. The owners and staff of Stuff I Eat don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk. Co-owner Babette Davis (Miss B), who’ll turn 62 in December, does not look not a day over 40 and is a model of vegan health. Her vegan husband, coowner Ron Davis, also looks decades younger Stuff I Eat’s co-owner, Miss B, serves than his chronological age. In fact, most (if not as a model of vegan health at age 62. all of the staff members are vegan and look radiantly healthy and full of life. Stuff I Eat staff are modelling for their community the change they wish to see in the world.
Secret Ingredient No. 3: Infuse Your Food with Love Every dish at stuff I Eat contains something more than vital nutrients and good flavor – it contains love. Customers entering the restaurant are greeted with genuine smiles and affection, and many are hugged by Miss B by the time they leave. Once a customer becomes a regular, she is treated like part of the family. It is abundantly clear that Miss B and her staff love what they do and love sharing that joy with their customers. Somehow, that love is transferred into the food, and you feel better than you have in a long time when you’re done.
Stuff I Eat has a mission: To improve the community it serves in more ways than one. It executes that mission flawlessly.
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VegWorld Magazine staff frequent Stuff I Eat a few times a week. One visit and you’ll know why. Next time you’re in California, be sure to drop by Stuff I Eat for an experience you are not soon to forget. And if you own a restaurant, or are thinking about doing so, consider sprinkling in Stuff I Eat’s three secret ingredients for guaranteed success. You can look up Stuff I Eat on the web at www.stuffieat.com. As their motto says: “If you don’t want meat, try the Stuff I Eat!”
t S t u ff I E a rket St. 114 N. Ma , I n g le w o o d C a li f o r n ia 0115 (310) 671-
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off the
bookshelf Animals as Saints - Animals as Teachers: Inspiring Compassion
Animals as Saints by Kim Sheridan
Animals as Saints Animals as Teachers: Inspiring Compassion Part 2
Excerpted from Chapter 20 of Animals And The Afterlife:True Stories of Our Best Friends’ Journey Beyond Death by KIM SHERIDAN
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I
think we all have certain key moments in our lives that we see as pivotal. For me, one such moment took place when I was in college and went fishing with my boyfriend at that time. I had previously joined him on several afternoon trips to a nearby creek where he enjoyed catching crayfish (basically, miniature lobsters), which he intended to cook for dinner. He collected them in a bucket of water, and I quietly helped them back to safety whenever he had his back turned. (He thought they kept escaping on their own; little did he know, I was their guilty accomplice.) Having had little success at crayfish hunting, he had now purchased his first fishing pole and decided to become a “real” fisherman. I had no intention of actually joining him in his new hobby; I merely went along for the peaceful scenery and the relaxing ride in a rowboat. It seemed like a nice way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon. However, all illusions of tranquility quickly vanished for me when I found myself face-to-face with the struggling, terrified victim of my boyfriend’s new source of “relaxation,” who was dangling from his fishing hook. As I looked into the fish’s eyes, I literally felt the terror—and understood the excruciating pain—that this helpless creature was now enduring, having been violently pulled out of his world and into the foreign, suffocating world of what must have appeared to him as monsters or aliens who had no mercy. It was one of those moments when my direct connection with an animal was undeniable … and completely overwhelming. The fish was asking me—begging me—for help.
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Animals as Saints by Kim Sheridan I began to cry and scream to my boyfriend to please let the poor creature go. For the first time, I really understood how unnecessary such suffering was. My boyfriend wasn’t intentionally abusing an animal, of course; he was simply unable to hear that animal’s cries. But I heard them loud and clear, and I’ve never forgotten them. After much struggling, the fish’s life reached a tragic end, and I understood—for the first time, perhaps—the meaning of the phrase, “Ignorance is bliss.” Up until that point, it hadn’t fully registered what an incredible amount of suffering takes place to land any animal on our dinner plates—not only a cow or a chicken or a lamb—but also a fish. It was then that it first fully hit me that all animals are sentient beings worthy of our compassion; and when we choose to eat them, a tremendous amount of suffering takes place, whether we are the ones who do the killing or not. Our human-crafted devices of killing—whether they be hooks or nets or slaughterhouse production lines—are so outside of the laws of nature, so outside of the laws of compassion, that if a human were to be subjected to any one of them, the perpetrator would undoubtedly receive maximum punishment. To a man whose mind is free there is something even more intolerable in the sufferings of animals than in the sufferings of man. For with the latter it is at least admitted that suffering is evil and that the man who causes it is a criminal.
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Animals as Saints by Kim Sheridan But thousands of animals are uselessly butchered every day without a shadow of remorse. If any man were to refer to it, he would be thought ridiculous. And that is the unpardonable. — Romain Rolland (1866–1944) Another such pivotal moment in my life took place when I received some literature in the mail from the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. It was then that I first learned of the tremendous amount of unimaginable animal suffering that goes on in our world, often behind closed doors and with our unwitting approval … and usually with our own dollars. I could hardly believe it and wanted to do something about it, so I sent for additional educational materials right away. I’ll never forget the day they arrived. I sat and read every word of every page they sent. I learned of the horrors of factory farming and animal testing; of fur farms and leather production; of animals of all types used for food, clothing, and more. I learned of chickens and pigs being literally boiled alive in “scalding tanks;” of animals having their throats slit and their limbs cut off while fully conscious. I learned of such “routine” practices as “debeaking” and castration—and countless other unthinkable acts—all done without anesthesia. I learned of the tremendous suffering that countless animals endure at the hands of humanity twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week—due to a dangerous combination of greed, arrogance, and ignorance. If people knew what was really going on, I thought to myself, they’d revolt.
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When I finished reading, I was angry and upset—not at the organization that had sent the information (I admired and appreciated what they were doing on behalf of animals)—but at humanity, for allowing such things to happen and then labeling those who attempted to do something about it as “radicals” trying to mess up the status quo. I didn’t blame the messenger, but it occurred to me that, for some reason in our world, we often do get angry at the messenger rather than the message. It was then that I first began to realize that, sometimes, that which is deemed good and decent in our world can be, behind the scenes, anything but; and those who work to change things for the better are often ostracized, punished, or vilified. It seems that this is the way it has been throughout human history. That night, I quietly wept as I deeply empathized with all of the helpless animals who were suffering unnecessarily at the hands of human beings, for the sake of products we don’t even need and would be better off without. It was then that it occurred to me that the only reason more people weren’t concerned was because they didn’t know they had anything to be concerned about. I vowed that I would henceforth refrain from contributing to such senseless suffering, and that I would do everything in my power to make things right in my lifetime. And I felt in my heart that most people—if they only knew the truth— would undoubtedly do the same. Cowardice asks the question—is it safe? Expediency asks the question—is it politic? Vanity asks the question—is it popular?
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Animals as Saints by Kim Sheridan But conscience asks the question—is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it because it is right. — The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I began to think about humanity and our bloody history here on Earth. I began to wonder if perhaps we were missing the lesson, over and over, and were repeatedly being given the opportunity to do things differently … to expand our minds and our hearts to love unconditionally. The many colors and creeds within our own species have given us abundant opportunities to expand our circle of love and compassion, and it seems that we have failed at almost every turn. Here on classroom Earth, history tends to repeat itself until we get the lesson. The animal kingdom provides us perhaps an even bigger opportunity to get the lesson, for the animals we oppress don’t have the means—or the voice—to fight back. So, this time it’s entirely up to us to speak up for them. First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade-unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade-unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me. — Reverend Martin Niemoller
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I’ve always been a relatively low-key person, not wanting to offend others and constantly concerned about what people think of me, often biting my tongue instead of speaking up for fear of creating conflict or controversy. However, the one area in which I’ve always spoken up is the issue of injustice—whether it be social injustice or environmental injustice or interspecies injustice. As a child, I often spoke up for other children who were teased, and in so doing, I myself became the target of much abuse. Even so, I always felt in my heart that I had done the right thing and would do it again if need be. The issue of unnecessary suffering of my fellow beings, whether they be humans or other animals, is simply more important than what people think of me. Any offense that anyone might take in my voicing these issues is nothing compared to the offenses that will continue to be committed against the innocent if we don’t voice these issues. To me, the oppression of others is so blatantly wrong and, unfortunately, so often overlooked or misunderstood in our world, that I simply cannot remain silent. I’ve seen too much, and in knowing what I do, I feel I simply must give voice to these issues. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. — The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early on, I naively thought that everyone would be supportive of my decision to stop eating animals, but over time I’ve come to realize that such is not always the case. Some people actually become defensive upon hearing that I don’t eat
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Animals as Saints by Kim Sheridan meat, and I do understand that defensiveness can be a very normal reaction to that which is different or unfamiliar. I’ve been exposed to information and life experiences that have inspired me to take this step, yet there was a time when I, too, ate meat, and I certainly don’t hold judgment over those who do. Nevertheless, there are those who seem to take my dietary choice as some sort of personal attack and grounds for an argument, though I go out of my way to never position it as such. For me, it is a choice of compassion, not of confrontation. So, rather than argue, my personal philosophy is to lead by example and education. I find that one of the many excellent resources for this is “Veganism in a Nutshell” by Bruce Friedrich, available on audio tape, CD, and online at www.GoVeg.com. (Bruce is a wonderful example of compassion for all beings. He spent many years working in a shelter for homeless families and the largest soup kitchen in Washington, D.C.) He does a wonderful job of fielding many of the questions that come up surrounding this dietary choice, including the ever popular, “But you eat plants! Don’t plants feel pain?” In his words: This also is sometimes posed as, “Where do you draw the line? Rights for roaches?” So far, as best we can determine biologically and physiologically, plants do not feel pain. They are alive and have some sort of response to light, water, etc., but they don’t feel pain. Pain requires a brain, a central nervous system, pain receptors, and so on. All
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mammals, birds, and fish have these things. No plants do. We all know this to be true: We all understand that there is a fundamental difference between cutting your lawn and lighting a cat’s tail on fire, and between breaking up a head of lettuce and bashing a dog’s head in. Birds, mammals, and fish are made of flesh, bones, and fat, just as we are. They feel pain, just as we do. I may not know quite where to draw the line. For example, I’m not sure what a roach or an ant experiences. But I do know with 100 percent certainty that intentionally inflicting suffering because of tradition, custom, convenience, or a palate preference is unethical. The day may come when the rest of animal creation may acquire those rights which could never have been withheld from them but by the hand of tyranny… The question is not, can they reason? Nor can they talk? But can they suffer? Why should the law refuse its protection to any sensitive being? The time will come when humanity will extend its mantle over everything which breathes … — Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) We, as a society, agree that cruelty to animals is wrong; yet, sadly, we support unimaginable animal cruelty every time we purchase products from industries that exploit animals. The good news is, cruelty-free alternatives exist. The other good news is, cruelty-free products tend to be more natural, and therefore, nontoxic, in the first place. Not only is this choice better for the animals—and better for the environment—it’s also better
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Animals as Saints by Kim Sheridan for us. Every time we shop, we vote with our dollars. Our purchases send the message—for better or for worse, whether intentional or not—that we support the practices of the industries that manufacture the products we buy. What message are we sending? If we confirm that the products we buy do not involve animal suffering in their manufacture, we are casting our vote for a cruelty-free world. If a product doesn’t state on the label that it is “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals,” then it is up to us to ask the right people the right questions before we buy that product. Any minor inconvenience of checking out the products we intend to buy is nothing compared to the injustices imposed upon countless innocent animals behind the scenes. If the products we buy—whether they be cosmetics, household cleaners, foods, supplements, or other items—do involve animal suffering and, therefore, we choose to no longer purchase these
products, or to switch brands, we are taking a very deliberate step in making our world a more compassionate place. If we demand change of those industries or companies that do include the exploitation of animals, we are taking yet another step on the path to peace. We must be the change we wish to see in the world. — Gandhi Of course, the animals will be taken care of in the afterlife, and their ultimate destiny is the same as ours. However, it’s the journey that counts. The animals have been born onto this Earth, just as we have—and they have a right to be here, just as we do, without suffering needlessly at our hands. Just as passing from the physical world into the world of spirit is a major event (known to us as “death”), I find that those who come to Earth from spirit are faced with an equally major transition. The birthing of spirit into physical form is no small task and one that must be respected. All life is sacred.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim Sheridan is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and naturopath. She is a popular guest on radio and television, and her expertise includes animals, health, and the environment. She is also the founder of Compassion Circle, with a mission to expand the circle of compassion to all beings. For more information on Animals and the Afterlife by Kim Sheridan, please visit www.AnimalsAndTheAfterlife.com For more information on other projects by Kim Sheridan, please visit www.KimSheridan.com
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Do animals have souls? What happens when they die? And where do they stand in the larger scheme of things? This book offers amazing comfort & insight! Animals and the Afterlife True Stories of Our Best Friends’ Journey Beyond Death By Kim Sheridan Animals and the Afterlife is a beautiful comfort for those grieving the loss of a beloved animal. It also carries a powerful message of compassion and a convincing validation of the rights of animals. The author’s strong vegan conviction has converted many a reader to a more compassionate lifestyle over the years. Author Kim Sheridan faced the death of many a beloved animal, and along with the pain came the same questions. Then mysterious things began to happen which led her on an incredible journey to uncover the truth. This book details her journey and her amazing research. This powerful 400+ page book (and forthcoming film) might just change your perception of death or lead you on an incredible journey of your own! Animals and the Afterlife makes a heartfelt gift, a captivating read, and a necessary addition to everyone’s lending library.
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