Viva!Life Issue 61 | Spring 2016

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Published by Viva! the vegan campaigning group

life Issue 61 Spring 2016

Bronn & Sgt Drake (alias Jerome Flynn) talk to Juliet Gellatley

Dr Michael Greger… on how to live longer

Super duper egg-free cookery

‘Why don’t you report it?’

No action on animal suffering

Viva! goes undercover to expose egg farming For men who are wilting Our brand new health report Face Off campaign shocks the public

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WHO WE ARE Viva!’s fight is a fight for life – for animals and ourselves. Through effective campaigning, we take the brutal reality of intensive farming to the people who can effect the most change: consumers. Our wideranging campaigns promote veganism as the best way to save animals from suffering, protect the environment, improve health and help those in developing countries.

We have cleared the shelves of socalled ‘exotic meats’; our campaign against the factory farming of pigs, turkeys and ducks saw deaths dive; we are closer to a foie-gras free Britain and meat consumption is down in the UK thanks to Viva! and our loyal supporters. Viva! is a registered charity (1037486).

Contents

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Face Off Public reaction to Viva! pig exposé

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Meet Bronn & Sgt Drake Juliet Gellatley interviews Jerome Flynn

Viva!Health is a section of Viva! that promotes the health benefits of a vegan diet. The diseases that kill many of us prematurely can mostly be prevented by consuming a plant-based diet – Viva!Health explains why. We provide accurate information about healthy eating to the public, health professionals, schools and food manufacturers.

We campaign on important issues including children’s health, the harmful effects of dairy foods, heart health, how to help combat obesity, diabetes and breast cancer and the dangers of eating dairy, eggs, fish and meat.

12 Clucking Hell Viva! goes undercover to Face Off the egg industry

30 Animal Protection Authorities who care nothing about abuse

20 Men on top Beef up the healthy way

32 Lifestyle Latest goods and goodies

23 Medialife Viva! in the news

35 Vegan Report Case studies from our latest publication

24 Eggceptional Cookery Egg-free and delicious 27 Lifescience Latest research on diet and health

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How not to die Latest book from Michael Greger MD – plus his Viva! tour dates

38 Latest merchandise Time to meet the makers 49 Classifieds Everything you could ever want

How to get this magazine Join Viva! to get your copy of Viva!life magazine three times a year for only £15 (£12 unwaged). You’ll also receive a supporters’ card – giving you discounts at hundreds of shops and on services and holidays – plus a free car sticker. Call 0117 944 1000 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or join online at www.viva.org.uk/join.

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Viva! goes undercover

Shocking exposé of enriched cages www.viva.org.uk 3

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Welcom e

VIVA!LIFE MAGAZINE Viva! Founder & International Director Juliet Gellatley

Dive into this issue and you’ll discover how incredibly active Viva! is! Thank you for being part of a force for change.

Viva! has launched a year-long campaign, Face Off based on our recent undercover exposés.

It has been extremely harrowing filming inside British factory farms. I knew, of course, it would be, having exposed these hell-holes many times before.

But having to reveal my emotions directly to camera for the first time, with the animals beside me, was far more painful than any other under-cover work I’ve done. The mental barriers I use to protect myself just came tumbling down and I was at one with these desperate souls incarcerated in a world of torment.

Thankfully, as Viva! tours the UK with our films revealing the lives of pigs and egg-laying hens, the reactions of the British public are more compassionate and heart-warming than any of us envisaged. Rather than watch for a few seconds then walk away, everyone has watched the footage from beginning to end and most have pledged to change themselves!

If you can support this important, ground-breaking campaign, please do so and read about it on pages 12-14 and 16-17.

Face Off is supported by several celebrities, one being our Patron Jerome Flynn. Read how he almost jettisoned acting but instead found himself starring in one of the most popular TV series on the planet, Game of Thrones! And how Viva! rocked his world! (pages 8-10 and 46).

No doubt you’ve come across the misconceptions some men have that meat contains a magic ingredient to make muscles grow – as well as other things! It doesn’t – the opposite is true! See Dr Justine Butler’s fabulous myth-buster on pages 20-21 and how to beef up without meat on page 22.

I’m delighted that the wonderful Dr Michael Greger has contributed to this issue (pages 4041). Viva! and the CNM have organised a sell-out UK speaking tour for him and if you have not been able to book tickets then I highly recommend his book, How Not to Die. It is empowering, fascinating, illuminating and Michael writes with humour and an awe-inspiring depth of knowledge.

Finally, I’m proud to announce that Viva! is collaborating with the massively popular Northern and Great Yorkshire Vegan Festivals, not only in Manchester and Leeds, but also in Brighton, Bristol, Birmingham and Nottingham too, producing fantastic and fun, national Viva! Vegan Festivals (page 47).

I hope to see you at one of them!

Yours for the animals Juliet Gellatley Founder & Director Juliet@viva.org.uk www.facebook.com/juliet.gellatley

General enquiries Contact Viva! on 0117 944 1000 (Mon-Fri 9-6).

Email info@viva.org.uk Write to Viva! at 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH

Editor Tony Wardle Campaigns & Deputy Director Justin Kerswell Campaigns & Outreach Claire Palmer Claire Morley Kris Townsend Liam Nolan Office Manager Laura Turner Viva!Health Campaigners Veronika Powell Dr Justine Butler Merchandise & Sales Manager Katrina Gazley Food & Cookery Coordinator Jane Easton Design The Ethical Graphic Design Company Ltd Editorial enquiries 0117 970 4633 Advertising enquiries 0117 944 1000 Membership enquiries 0117 944 1000 info@viva.org.uk Online www.viva.org.uk www.vivahealth.org.uk www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH vegans.vegetarians. for.animals

vegan is a staTe of kind Kind to you, animals and the planet 4

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lifelines BAFTA – the award goes to a vegan dinner Head chef of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Anton Manganaro, served up a superb vegan dinner choice for celebrities at the February awards. A-list vegans included Natalie Portman, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Jessica Chastain and Joaquin Phoenix.

They salivated over peppers roasted over English Beachwood, leek and wild mushrooms, carrots with a poppy seed dressing and a beetroot gel, with black and white quinoa with radish, lemon and avocado. Then came an eggplant tian with chestnut mushrooms, herb crust, tomato salsa, spinach, and potatoes seasoned with rosemary.

For pud it was a coconut-based crème brûlée with raspberries, lime, and Thai basil.

If you can’t beat ‘em…

A couple of years ago, Unilever (owners of Hellmans) declared legal war on a small San Francisco outfit called Hampton Creek, a company set up specifically to develop innovative new plant foods. Its crime was to introduce a product called Just Mayo which, Unilever argued, was unfairly stealing Hellmans’ market share because it did not contain eggs and could not therefore be called mayo.

Their action outraged the public and generated millions of dollars of free publicity for Hampton Creek and Just Mayo.

Unilever then dropped the action and issued a cringe-making testimony which began: “We applaud Hampton Creek’s commitment to innovation and its inspired corporate purpose…”

Unilever then, of course, launched its own egg-free mayo to try and smash the upstarts into the ground but having made such a fuss over eggs, it was hoist by its own petard and so contorted itself into knots to name the product. Carefully Crafted Dressing and Sandwich Spread was the clunker it came up with. By the time it’s launched in the UK I can guarantee it will be called mayo.

Don’t you just love big business?

Chicken threat grows On pages 12-14 we report on our undercover investigation into egg farms and previous investigations have revealed the appalling overcrowding and filth of broiler chicken farms.

Despite decades of warnings about the cruelty of these places and the threat they pose to health, the industry has remained deaf and disinterested. Their widespread use of antibiotics to try and control diseases has been linked with the growth of deadly antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The situation has just got worse.

Far from reducing their use, figures from the British Poultry Council show that UK poultry producers have increased their use of antibiotics related to drug-resistant bacterial infections.

The use of Fluoroquinolones, used to treat deadly salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli in humans, increased by 59 per cent between 2013 and 14. They were banned for poultry-rearing in 2005 in the US. In the 1960s, Professor Michael Swann produced a parliamentary report insisting that antibiotics used for human diseases should not be used in animals. His recommendations were emasculated and watered down and now, 50 years later, he is still being ignored, to the sound of hand-wringing about antibiotic resistance.

Steak threat too A report on antibiotic resistance has accused the farming industry of increasing the threat to humans by pumping animals full of antibiotics. Commissioned by the Government, the report warns that the use of antibiotics in agriculture has become “a critical threat to public health and one of the ways in which people could become infected is by eating poorly cooked or rare meats, such as steak.”

Report chairman, Lord Jim O’ Neill, former chief economist at Goldman Sachs, said “staggering” levels of antibiotic prescribing in modern farming methods was increasing risks to humans. He said: “I find it staggering that in many countries most of the consumption of antibiotics is in animals, rather than humans.” He added, “My advice to consumers is that they have to make sure they cook it (meat) properly… you have to be aware of where it’s coming from.” Well, that’s going to work, isn’t it!

Prof Laura Piddock, Professor of Microbiology, University of Birmingham, said: “Over the last 25 years, academics have repeatedly called for a reduction in global antimicrobial use in animals reared for food production. Unfortunately, our calls have fallen on deaf ears.”

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lifelines VIVA!’S SHORTS n GISELLE SANCARI. an Argentinian living in Mexico City, has launched TODO VEGANO, an online directory for vegan ventures in Latin America and an educational YT channel in Spanish. n Just launched – international house sit and house swap website for vegans and vegetarians: KINDRED SPIRITS HOUSE SIT OR SWAP – www.kindredspiritshouse.com n Viva! supporter GEOFF KNIGHT is campaigning against the extremely cruel animal sacrifices carried out at Lomisoba in Georgia. To find out more or to help, go to www.occupyforanimals.net n Well done Viva! supporter HEIDI STEPHENSON for her excellent poem, Don’t Eat Meat, published in the International Times and in which she kindly mentions Viva! www.internationaltimes.it/ dont-eat-meat

I ate here…

Our hugely popular and colourful little cards – a thank you to restaurants that serve good vegan food and an encouragement for them to continue to do so – can be ordered online from www.vivashop.org.uk/i-ate-herebusiness-cards. The only charge made is for p&p – 50 cards will cost you 65p, 100 cards 91p.

k you! n a h T I ate here because you offer vegan food

Info: viva.org.uk .uk Recipes: veganrecipeclub.org Big yourself up!: myvegantown.org.uk

itively Posegan V

Too good to be true Last year, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health & Human Services revised its dietary guidelines and the draft recommended a diet largely based on fruits, vegetables and legumes (reported in Viva!life). For the first time ever, meat was excluded from the recommended category. To say that a furore ensured would be an understatement. When the final recommendations appeared, meat was back on the agenda.

Dr. Walter Willett, head of the Harvard School of Public Health issued a damning statement: “Unfortunately, the USDA has censored the recommendation of the Scientific Advisory Committee to consume less red meat. In fact, the dietary guidelines promote consumption of red meat as long as it is lean, which is not what the science supports. There is strong evidence that red meat consumption increases risk of diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, and some cancers (especially processed meat), and there is not good evidence that this is simply due to the fat content,” Willett added.

“This appears to reflect the powerful influences of the beef industry. Unfortunately, the public is being misled.”

Obituary Mary Brynak

Merry Christmas! Viva!’s annual Christmas lunch was again a jolly gettogether of dining, drinking and fund raising. Philip McCulloch-Downs talks about his painting ‘One in a Million’ prior to its auction. Phil’s painting was bought for £530 by Andreas Setzer, who runs Animal Activism Art, a Stuttgart-based collection promoting veganism. Artist Ann Richmond kindly donated her stunning painting ‘Rainbow Badgers’ which raised £480.

See Phil’s work at: www.viva.org.uk/artforanimals.

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(March 13, 1924 – November 14, 2015) Our good friend Mary was an individualist, a passionate veganic gardener, a staunch vegan and a stalwart member of Isle of Wight Vegetarians & Vegans. As Mary O’Brien (her maiden name), with her mother and two brothers, she helped to create Glen Park Nurseries in Leicester.

When Donald Watson founded the Vegan Society in 1944 and produced its first newsletter, the membership was 25, of which she was one. Today veganism is blossoming and you helped to bring that about, Mary. Thank you on behalf of all living creatures. It has been an honour to know you – we will miss you greatly. Mike Wright

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Veggie France Tracy Cassidy set up a ‘GoFundMe’ page and shared it on the Manchester Vegan FB pages to promote veganism. It resulted in this super billboard on Great Ancoats street in Manchester for two weeks from February 1. Brilliant!

The huge French hypermarket chain, Carrefour, has announced the launch of its first-ever, all-vegetarian own-label range – prompted by growing consumer demand, it says.

The ‘Carrefour Veggie’ range features around 15 what they term ‘simple and easy-to-cook’ products, 11 of which are vegan. They include wheat and onion nuggets, cereal and vegetable pancakes and vegetable and soya balls, all priced between €2.10 and €3.50.

The idea sprang from consumer research it undertook in 2013 to mark its 50th anniversary.

And on the seventh day…

Seventh Day Adventists are a Mecca for health researchers as most are vegetarian and avoid smoking and alcohol and believe in exercise.

In the case of 101-year-old retired Californian heart surgeon, Dr. Ellsworth Wareham, it all worked splendidly. He retired only five years ago and describes his vegan diet as being ‘the fountain of youth’.

He walks without a stick, says his balance is great, is sharp-witted and still drives. Pass the tofu!

Poor old Bernard…

According to figures from Company House, turkey producer Bernard Matthews is having a few difficulties. Group sales up to June 28, 2015, were down by about £30 million, to some £276 million for the corresponding period of the previous year. Its net assets for the same period were almost halved to a little over £11 million. I do hope we have contributed to the slump.

Cardiff’s 1st vegan café The city’s first 100 per cent vegan restaurant has opened for business. Called Anna-Loka it is in Albany Road and was the baby of Hare Krishna monk, Adam El Tagoury.

Its menu, however, is more prosaic than the name might suggest and you can indulge in a full English breakfast or even pork sliders – whatever they are – as well as vegan alternatives to classic dishes. You can also indulge in traditional freefrom breads, custom-made pizzas, pancakes, doughnuts and smoky, crispy vegan rashers. Also on the menu is cinnamon pad pie, scrambled tofu on toast and sweet potato hash browns.

The café has a very modern edge and industrial feel with carvings and sculptures on the walls and a corrugated iron ceiling, in which is housed its 20 tables. It was got off the ground by a crowd-funding campaign which raised £6,000.

Give up meat, says Arnie Having delivered such scathing lines as “you hit like a vegetarian”, mister muscle man, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has changed his mind. Having probably devoured several herds of bullocks, he is now telling people that they should slash their meat consumption. Cries of ‘hypocrite’ resound from the rafters but change is to be welcomed.

Few of us started off life in the perfect way.

Speaking at the climate change talks in Paris, he stated that seven million people are dying

every year because of climate change and a good way to reduce the total was to cut our meat consumption.

Of course he was asked if he would possibly have been as muscly as he is as a vegetarian. He replied: “Luckily, we now know you can get your protein through vegetables if you’re a vegetarian. I have seen many body builders that are vegetarian and they get strong and healthy.”

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Game Jerome Flynn, actor and Patron of Viva!, chats to Juliet Gellatley about his spectacular return to acting – years after walking out on Simon Cowell to find his inner self unny, life’s twists and turns. When Jerome Flynn was invited to audition for Game of Thrones, his first thought was ‘American twaddle!’ but he was sent a script anyway for the part of Bronn.

At the time, Jerome was considering leaving acting to focus on transforming his once-dilapidated Georgian farmhouse into an eco-paradise with holiday lets.

But… watching his brother Daniel perform at the National Theatre in the impassioned play The White Guard, acting seduced him once again.

“The play blew me away,” he told me, “and afterwards I was reunited with people from my past, including my drama

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teacher and old friends and it felt like I was being welcomed back to a world that is in my blood. I suddenly remembered why I acted in the first place.

“I hate auditions and wasn’t sure I’d do Game of Thrones but I read the script and found myself relating to Bronn, which is a testament to the quality of the writing.

Bizarrely, I then opened the kitchen cabinet door and bruised my eye.”

He looked in the mirror and saw Bronn staring back at him.

“I was aware the audition had gone well and I had done it without drying, which is rare for me. I knew that I’d tapped into Bronn, the mercenary, and was excited to

play this darker character with wounds.

“So, from thinking I was walking out on acting, I found myself in the biggest show on the planet!”

Game of Thrones is HBO’s most popular TV series of all time, being shown in 170 countries and illegally downloaded more times than any other programme.

I had been reticent to start watching Game of Thrones but my sons and friends kept talking about it. Based on a sevenvolume, medieval-esque, epic fantasy novel, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin, I imagined it to be like Lord of the Rings but with more cruelty, nudity, sex and violence. And it is! But it is so

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Above left: Jerome with Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) in Game of Thrones.

Above right: Jerome at Viva!’s End Factory Farming rally in 2003

much more! Game of Thrones is a triumph of bold storytelling that breaks every stereotype and I became completely engrossed by its colourful, complex characters. This isn’t hobbits and pixies, it is ruthless realpolitik in jerkins – and compulsive viewing.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Jerome’s macho Bronn is that he is still alive in the sixth season! I’ve never seen a drama kill off so many of its main characters.

Jerome smiles: “Yes, you just don’t know what will happen next – that’s what medieval Europe was like – brutal, misogynistic, constant

power struggles.”

Jerome plays a skilled and dangerous ‘sellsword’ who comes to prominence when he fights for one of the show’s major characters, Tyrion Lannister, played by the brilliant actor and vegetarian, Peter Dinklage. Bronn and Tyrion are a riveting duo – Bronn with his black humour, pragmatic, amoral approach to life and Tyrion with his hedonistic, sex fuelled, bright, candid wit and warmth. Together they develop a fascinating understanding and respect for each other. So what was it like working together?

“Working with Peter Dinklage is a joy.

He is a wonderful actor with a sophisticated and entertaining kind of nature. He’s a really funny man and it made me very sad when the two characters parted. I’m hoping that they come back together one last time.”

Jerome and Peter also connected over their views: “Yes, we talked about how much being vegetarian or vegan matters.

It’s very important.”

So, after his initial reticence, Jerome’s view of Game of Thrones changed dramatically.

“I soon comprehended the scale of the production and what it meant to the producers then, when the cast turned up, I realised it was epic. It is wonderful to be a part of.”

Wonderful but also fortuitous, for it led to Jerome being cast as Detective Sgt. Bennet Drake in the BBC’s (now Amazon Prime’s) Victorian crime drama series, Ripper Street. He is brilliant in it.

Jerome’s character is complex; outwardly thuggish but with a soft underbelly, a man desperate to love and be loved and Jerome portrays these inner conflicts wonderfully.

One of the most moving scenes is when Drake is rejected by the woman he loves, a prostitute. This hard man has given his heart and now it is breaking. It is painful, actually painful to witness. u

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“I’ve been in love before and heart break is an area I know about – it just came out of me…” Jerome says ruefully and then deflects the praise by adding, “and it is beautifully written”.

Set in London’s foetid East End in the late 1800s, Jerome plays alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Adam Rothenberg as they investigate every kind of crime against a backdrop of poverty, industrialisation and social change. Astonishingly, the BBC axed the show after series two and Amazon Prime stepped in to save it following an outcry from its loyal and large fan base. Jerome has just finished filming series four in Dublin.

I talked to him in his characterful Georgian manor house, the weather turning wild as the evening drew in, with howling wind and rain lashing at the windows. In daylight, the views are of magnificent open countryside reaching to the sea. He made us a delicious tofu and vegetable soup in the large farmhouse-style kitchen, every inch filled with spice and herb jars, books and things that made me want to be nosey.

In the corner was a very relaxed cat, asleep on an armchair and it became apparent that we both love felines, me telling him of my tabby Tom, Loki. Jerome

Jerome in Ripper Street with Matthew Macfadyen and Adam Rothenberg

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disappeared and returned with a tiny bundle of tortoiseshell cuteness in his arms – a five week old kitten that had been abandoned by the roadside and who he was minding until a permanent home was found for her.

I had met Jerome a handful of times years earlier so this was a warm reunion of

kindred spirits. I could say that he is the antithesis of his macho roles but that would be oversimplifying him. Jerome is certainly spiritual, thoughtful, caring and a gentleman but he is also powerfully masculine with a mischievous sense of humour and, like all of us, is fallible. I asked him if he relates to characters such as the murderous Bronn?

“Well, I don’t go round killing people with a sword but part of me is that rogue who loves to go into a tavern and get drunk! That’s one of the wonderful things

about acting, you can play out those sides of yourself!”

Jerome is grounded and enjoys acting but not the gruelling schedules that take him away from home for months on end.

It was partly to avoid this that he had walked out on Simon Cowell. (“But he’s done OK hasn’t he?” Jerome quips).

In the early 1990s, he shot to fame as Paddy Garvey in Soldier, Soldier. In one episode, he and fellow actor, Robson Green, sang Unchained Melody. which sparked an overwhelming response from appreciative women and so Simon Cowell persuaded them to record it.

It went straight to number one and became the best-selling song of 1995. Their next two singles also went in at number one while their two albums sold seven million copies.

Jerome then quit while at the peak.

He explains: “One by-product of being famous was to show me that it wasn’t where true happiness lay. The way people treat you starts to become less real and subsequently leads to less happiness. My spiritual search was for truth and understanding and the more famous I became, the more it drove me on that search.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

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Vegan !

A great new publication that will spearhead our vegan campaign to change Britain’s eating habits Contents include:

G SAVIN OBAL THE GOLNMENT ENVIR

Tim S hieff LLE PARKOUR PAR EXCE

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How to go vegan Soya – the truth

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es of g a p ip e n e ous rec s i ic

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Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH (9am – 5pm).

Tel: 0117 944 1000.

Email info@viva.org.uk Or buy from www.vivashop.org.uk/egv

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Offer for Viva! Supporters only It has a cover price of £4 – if you want to send a copy to friends and family, contact us and we will do it all for you, free of charge.

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Everyone’s Going Vegan! is being printed in the tens of thousands and will be our outreach magazine for the next four years or so.

Everywhere, people are asking questions about changing their diet – Everyone’s Going Vegan! provides them.

Veganism…

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l Interviews with Tim Shieff and Viva! patron Jerome Flynn l The lives of farmed animals l How to Go Vegan l Why You Don’t Need Dairy l What Can I Eat? l Nine Pages of Delicious Recipes l The Truth About Soya l Animals and their Intelligence l How Meat and Fish Cause Disease l Saving the Global Environment l Answers to the Most Irritating Questions

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Vegan egg Vegan replacers celebrities nise Free calcium Vegakitchen ur yo chart

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Juliet Gellatley, founder of Viva!, goes undercover to witness first-hand the tragic life of British egg-laying hens

M

y stomach churned as the moon-lit silhouette of ominous-looking industrial sheds loomed ahead in the black of night. I clambered over hedgerows and stumbled across fields towards hell.

Thoughts of the rescued battery birds I’ve known and loved flickered through my mind: Lucy, who was curious and affectionate; Molly, who was determined to lay her eggs in my wardrobe (and did); and Ruby, who loved Pushkin – our knowing and tolerant cat.

And yet, although the battery cage has supposedly been relegated to the History Book of Shame, I knew that the ironically named ‘Sunny Farm’, Bedfordshire, owned by Bird Bros, kept a staggering 450,000 birds in cages their whole lives. The company supplies over three million eggs a week to independent shops, high street multiples, caterers and wholesalers with up to a fifth being sold in supermarkets.

I entered a vast building to be faced with a wall of computerised controls and, with trepidation, I climbed metal stairs into a nightmare. There were three tiers of cages with numerous long, thin gangways threading through them.

Each cage was filled with about 40

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hens – many ill, some dying or dead.

I remember thinking this must be one of the biggest marketing cons ever. Yes, the battery cage has gone but over half of British eggs come from hens kept in… cages, bigger cages with more chickens! It is misery replaced with misery, pain with pain, death with more death.

I saw birds huddled together on ‘perches’ and walking across gridded metal floors. Some were lying hunched in corners, their lack

of feathers exposing the red raw skin underneath. One had lost every feather on her pathetic, fragile body.

Many had disfigured beaks and pale combs drooping over their faces.

The pain and misery felt by these individuals was, to me, as clear as day, and I wondered how nobody else at Bird Bros could see it. Or, if they did, how could they live with themselves?

As we continued filming throughout the farm, stopping often

Birds at ‘Sunny Farm’, owned by Bird Bros never see sunlight, or feel grass under their feet. Below: dead and forgotten amongst the eggs

Face Off the British Egg Industry The momentum is gathering – join in at viva.org.uk/faceoff/eggs

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ca mpa ign s

Clucking hell An almost bald hen with overgrown claws filmed at Bird Bros by Viva!

to get a close-up of the cages, I saw live birds walking over dead – birds who had literally given up on life – and individuals who really, really needed help.

One poor hen was unable to stand and so she just lay there, waiting for the end. It was clear that nobody had come to the aid of those in desperate need – nobody was ever going to come. What a terribly sad state of affairs – a lifetime of misery all so that people can eat eggs.

Another individual had what appeared to be a broken wing and she lay there motionless... barely alive, but still breathing. One was slouched against the bars with a growth that

looked like a tumour protruding from her head, above her eye. I can’t begin to comprehend the suffering felt by these souls and I knew that they were defenceless from the pecks of other birds.

In this world of torment and frustration makes birds peck at each other, sometimes until death. The industry’s answer is to mutilate their beaks when they are day-old chicks.

What the birds really need is so obvious – freedom!

There is only one way to end the incarceration of birds and their misery in hell-holes like this. And that is to stop eating eggs.

Please, choose vegan.

Choose kindness.

Claire Palmer is working on a major Viva! report into British egg farming and here she reveals some of her findings Viva! has gone undercover to reveal once again the horrors of factory farming, this time for an animal largely forgotten by society – the laying hen.

In our new campaign, Clucking Hell, we show the true cost of breakfast eggs. Over half the 33.5 million laying hens in Britain are imprisoned in cages but our ‘visits’ to free-range farms, with their so-called higher welfare standards, show that they are little better.

One of the most cynical exercises undertaken by government and the industry was to ban battery cages back in 2012 following widespread objections – five hens crammed together in a space the size of a microwave oven. With a great fanfare, they replaced them with bigger ‘enriched’ cages, holding up to 80 hens. Bigger? A space the size of a snooker table where each bird is granted additional space just the size of a beer mat.

Out of sight, out of mind – it is easy to forget that chickens are related to the jungle fowl – an intelligent bird with developed, complex cognitive abilities to deal with pressure from competitors, life within a strict ‘pecking order’ and threats from predators such as foxes and raptors.

Hens communicate in sophisticated ways u

A dead bird lies in the ‘nest box’ area of the Bird Bros farm in Bedfordshire. The company states that hens lay eggs inside quiet, dark nest boxes (Bird Bros website, 2015)

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comparable with some primates – just as the cognitive abilities of crows are equal to chimps and gorillas.

Roosters protect females, chickens solve complex problems and mother hens emotionally empathise with their chicks. These impressive abilities are ever present in the modern, mass-farmed chicken but they are never allowed to express them.

Egg consumption in Britain is on the rise – almost 12 billion are eaten a year. An onslaught of spin tries to convince consumers that life for chickens is now good.

Major players, such as Stonegate, show no incarcerated hens on their website; egg boxes feature idyllic images of farmyard chickens; and television adverts show hens roaming the range. Recently, Viva! forced Noble Foods – one of the largest egg companies in Britain – to change misleading wording on its egg boxes.

In our investigation, the majority of farms we visited were ‘British Lion Quality’ approved. Some were comparatively small and supplied caged eggs to local businesses while K Fresh supplies independent stores.

Two of the largest companies were also visited – Stonegate (selling brands such as ‘Big and British’ to Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Aldi and Asda) and Noble Foods (selling ‘Big and Fresh’ and ‘Chef Range’ brands to ASDA, Tesco, Morrison’s and other supermarkets).

An enriched cage farm revealed horrors similar to those seen on the old battery farms. Row upon row of filthy, faeces-covered cages, crammed with miserable, dejected birds. Beak-trimming had not stopped injurious feather-pecking and red-raw skin was exposed on many.

Viva! filmed suffering birds clambering over the dead and veterinary care appeared to be completely absent.

From what we saw, hens who died in the cages would likely be left there to rot.

Frustration at not being able to nest has always been a serious issue for laying hens and in enriched cages, it clearly remains.

Viva! found life on free range farms was little better.

Consumers are duped into believing that hens on commercial free-range farms live a happy, outdoors life One in Spalding housed both barn and free-range birds and was one of the worst we’ve seen. The shed floor was gridded metal, the air filthy and dusty and there was extensive feather loss. Dead birds littered the grid and in the bins outside, we found piled up, maggotinfested corpses.

Consumers are duped into believing that hens on commercial free-range farms live a happy, outdoors life.

Competition from other birds for access, dire conditions and high stocking densities means many never go outside to feel grass or sunshine on their backs. Feather pecking leading to cannibalism and even death, is a widespread problem and has its roots in thwarted motivation.

Born in a hatchery, a hen will never have seen her mother. Around 40 million day-old male chicks are gassed each year in Britain – unsuitable for meat production! Before being transported to a growing shed, she will be pumped full of vaccines. There’s no happy ending for any of them – free range, organic or otherwise. Deemed ‘spent’ at 72 weeks old, she will be brutally stuffed into a crate, shackled by her legs upside down on a slaughterhouse line and if the electric water bath works she may be unconscious when her throat is cut – or she may not.

Viva! has revealed that life in enriched cages is hell and free range is little better.

There is no such thing as ‘happy’ or ‘kind’ eggs in an industry fraught with pain, suffering, and short lives.

Please choose a kinder, more compassionate lifestyle and go vegan.

Why not face off the UK egg industry with Viva!’s Face Off Challenge!

Visit www.viva.org.uk/faceoff/eggs 14

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Viva! Poland…

Back in action for horses

By Cezary Wyszynski, Manager orskie Oko is the largest and fourth deepest lake in the polish Tatra Mountains, located deep within the Tatra National Park in the Rybi Potok Valley – and it is breathtakingly beautiful.

What isn’t so beautiful is the treatment of the carriage horses who are forced to drag carts loaded with up to 13 tourists up a steep, seven-kilometre long road. The total weight is around 3,000kg, 1,000kg over the limit for draft horses. In winter it is even worse when the horses have to drag loaded sleighs – not on snow as that is cleared but on asphalt, causing enormous drag.

Polish law is unequivocal and clearly states that horses, or any other animal, should not have to haul loads that are too heavy for them and to force them to do so constitutes mistreatment or even torture, with a sentence of up to two years in prison for the guilty.

Our evidence leaves no doubt that these horses are maltreated. The Polish National Horse Breeders Association has shown that, between January 1, 2012 and the first half of June 2013, 44 horses were taken to the slaughterhouse, their average working life on the road less than a year. Some were as young as four years old and had worked for a couple of months only. During the same period, three horses died from exhaustion while working.

What sparked Viva!’s involvement was when a horse was filmed dying still tethered to the tourist cart back in 2009.

Viva!, along with other animal rights

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groups, appealed to the Director of the Tatra National Park, police and local government officials to immediately end this animal abuse. We received no worthwhile response.

In 2014, the groups acted peacefully together to prevent further animal torture and blocked the road up to Morskie Oko but the carters tried to drive their horses through us with their fully-laden carts.

Viva!’s Anna Plaszczyk says: “It’s hard to believe that the wagon owners didn’t seem to care that protesters could be injured or even killed. The poor horses were pulled by their harness towards the sitting people but they resisted, shying away and rearing as they did not want to step on us. It’s a miracle nobody was killed.”

Two animal rights activists were seriously injured as several men attacked them with metal objects, one taken to hospital with broken ribs and facial

fractures. Another, a woman, was hit with a metal ladder that fractured her shinbone and damaged ankle ligaments. We were shocked by the fierceness of the attack by the horse owners, who didn’t care who they hit – men or women. All this in the middle of the Tatra Mountains, on the road to one of the most beautiful lakes in the world!

Currently, around 300 horses are working on the road to Morskie Oko and we are jointly calling for a total ban on the tourist wagons. We are more than happy to adopt all these horses to save them from the slaughterhouse.

We have an official petition so far signed by over 100 Polish animal rights groups and 90,000 Polish citizens.

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tish m ea t ri B e th t ns ai ag ff O d “I Fa ce ur h elp to ge t yo ed ne I ow N . ry st indu th e sa m e…” th e British pu bl ic to do

Face Off Viva! launched its year-long campaign, Face Off, on Feb 8, 2016 and asked our nation to ‘Face Off’ with the British pig industry eat reduction, vegetarianism and veganism are growing and spreading across the UK but cruelty still exists. Juliet Gellatley, founder and director of Viva!, took a film camera into normal British pig farms and is shown presenting the horrors of modern pig production.

The film reveals the typical conditions in which these emotional, sensitive and intelligent animals are forced to live in order to provide most of the country’s pig meat. Just as shocking, the animals shown are being farmed legally under UK and EU welfare standards.

Even with more than 30 years’ experience campaigning for animals, Juliet finds what she sees hard to take: “The second I walked into Necton Hall pig farm I sensed the despair and pain of the mother pigs who had given birth on concrete.

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Viva! asks the British public to ‘Face Off’ to the UK meat industry n Viva! takes undercover investigation on tour of Britain n Charity founder & director goes ‘on camera’ in farm n Campaign reveals most UK pigs kept in ‘horrific’ conditions

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These wonderful animals make huge nests in the wild and are fantastically protective mothers; but here they were denied all that is natural. It is heart breaking that 60 per cent of British pigs give birth incarcerated in crates.”

Viva! is now asking the public to join Juliet by watching the film and seeing what the meat industry don’t want them to see.

The film includes pigs from a typical UK pig farm as well as on one that is Red Tractor approved and supplies supermarket Morrisons.

Sixty per cent of mother sows give birth in crates on UK farms

Juliet shows: n Piglets’ severed tails discarded in an aisle (they have their main teeth and tails chopped off without anaesthetic) n Mother pigs incarcerated in crates so small that they can barely move n Female pigs trapped in cages called ‘rape racks’ where they are made pregnant n Piglets kept for meat in barren, filthy, crowded conditions for their entire lives n Young pigs cannibalising a dead pig n Young piglets stacked in cages in almost completely barren conditions

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Discarded, chopped off tails at Necton Farm

“What I saw on a pig farm in Norfolk will Within one month of our Shoppers in Bristol city centre were among the first to respond never leave me. I sat and faced a sow with Facebook campaign going live, Face Off had been viewed by to our investigation. Their the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. Like the 480,000 people! Typical reactions can be viewed here: majority of British mother pigs, she was comments to Juliet’s film are: www.viva.org.uk/faceoff temporarily incarcerated in a ‘rape rack’ – “I feel ashamed that I eat meat.

Juliet said: “We showed some I am going to try to give it up.” of this footage to passersby in a cage so small she couldn’t even turn “I am on the verge of becoming the centre of Bristol and they around – to be forcibly made pregnant. vegetarian, this cruelty will not were united in their abhorrence I named her Blue. Looking into her eyes I be done in my name.” of what they had witnessed. made a silent promise that I would take The UK is waking up to the “Whether they were meat suffering involved in an average her story from that farm and make eaters, meat reducers or bacon sandwich. Over the next vegetarians – everyone wanted millions aware of it. I need your help to 12 months, Viva! will take this this cruelty to end. Face Off will do just that.” footage, and more from other make sure their voices are heard Juliet Gellatley, Viva! founder & director pig farms, to cities across the and help spread knowledge of UK, asking people to join the what animals are forced to live campaign to Face Off to the meat industry. through before ending up on Juliet continues: “We have to ask someone’s plate.” ourselves how it’s possible that these Faye Bishop from Horfield said: “I levels of cruelty are so commonplace and didn’t think that was how we get our meat. why such suffering is ignored?

It was horrible, especially the young “Only by admitting our responsibility piglets. And where they are kept in cages can we change things and with so many to breed – they’re forced, not something people realising the benefits of a vegan they’re enjoying. Having babies is diet, the time to face up to these issues something you’re meant to enjoy and then is now. you get them taken away. It was horrible.

“One thing is sure – we cannot trust the “I am a meat eater but after watching UK Government or the EU to end factory that it’s put me off.” farming. The cruelty and the lies of the James Penders from Withywood said: “I industry have been exposed over and just think it’s disgusting. I knew it was bad over again. but I didn’t realise it was that bad. I “So, it’s time for people to vote with haven’t had pork in a couple of weeks their wallets and to choose a kind diet, a anyway but I don’t think I’ll ever eat it vegan diet. again now. I just don’t think it’s fair, to “The intelligence of pigs surpasses that of be honest. dogs and you can see the suffering and pain “You wouldn’t let someone have a kid in their faces. It’s time to take the doors off and then take it away from them so why these industrial sheds and look inside – and would you do that to a pig? The picture of to Face Off with the meat industry.” the pig trying to get out, that’s not going to leave me.” educate the public. I’m sharing as I’m Michaela Strachan, wildlife presenter, pretty sure that if most people faced up to watched the film and tweeted her reaction Take action the truth behind factory farming, everyone to her 50K followers. She said: would be vegan.”

“I may not be vegan but having watched Join Viva! in the Face Off challenge – go Other celebrities who have joined their this shocking video, I’m very pleased I’m to www.viva.org.uk/faceoff calls are nature presenter Chris Packham vegetarian!”

Join the campaign on Facebook as it and actors Jerome Flynn, Peter Egan, Jasmine Harman, TV presenter, tours the UK on www.facebook.com/ Martin Shaw, Jenny Seagrove and Gregg Facebooked: “I’m haunted by the images vegans.vegetarians.for.animals and Lowe and Patrons Dale Vince of Ecotricity I’ve seen and I genuinely have the greatest follow the hashtag #VivaFaceOff on and Wendy Turner Webster. admiration for Viva! in continuing to Twitter to see people’s responses. www.viva.org.uk 17

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Be sure about Vitamin B12

By Dr Justine Butler, Viva! Senior Researcher and Writer Vitamin B12 helps make red blood cells and keeps the nervous system healthy. A deficiency can lead to extreme tiredness, lack of energy, pins and needles, muscle weakness, depression and impaired memory, understanding and judgement. It can lead to raised levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Everyone needs a reliable source of this important vitamin. Vegans and ALL people over 50 should take a supplement or ensure they get enough from fortified foods. That sounds like a bold statement but mild B12 deficiency is not uncommon in the UK – regardless of diet.

The B12 for supplements (cyanocobalamin) is grown in large industrial vats and is used to fortify breakfast cereal, soya milk, vegan margarine and so on. Surprisingly, most of it is given to farmed animals because they don’t get enough from their diet. So much

for the argument that you need animal foods to get B12.

Traditionally, humans and animals got B12 from food contaminated with the soil-based bacteria that produce it. In a modern, sanitised world, we all need a little extra help. Viva!Health recommends an intake of 5µg per day from fortified foods with the regular use of supplements to ensure topping up.

B12 is harder to absorb from meat than supplements or fortified foods as it is

For more information see www.vivahealth.org.uk

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attached to animal protein. Acid first has to remove it from the animal protein and then it must bind to a different protein – called intrinsic factor. Ability to absorb B12 declines with age. Loss of intrinsic factor and a decline in acid production are the two main factors that affect B12 absorption from meat.

Fortified breakfast cereal, soya milk, vegan spread and yeast extract contain B12. Simply use fortified soya milk on cereals and sprinkle nutritional yeast flakes on pasta. Have the occasional fortified soya yoghurt (eg Alpro). Top up once or twice a week with a supplement to ensure you’re getting enough. Plant foods, fermented soya foods and seaweeds do not provide a reliable source of B12.

B12 intake among vegans is increasing through their routine consumption of fortified foods and supplements and they are less likely to experience age-related deficiency. A well-planned vegan diet provides a healthier and safer source of vitamin B12.

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Make no mistake, a vegan diet is the healthiest possible for infants, children, women, the elderly and men – yes, men!

There is no magic ingredient in meat or dairy that benefits men’s health. In fact, the saturated fat, growth hormones and harmful chemicals in meat and dairy are linked to a wide range of men’s health problems so here are 10 good reasons for men to go vegan.

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1

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among UK men. Those who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy products have a greater chance of getting the disease. A low-fat vegan diet rich in fruit and vegetables, combined with exercise, can help slow the progression of prostate cancer in men who already have it.

Impotence

The idea that men need to eat red meat to perform in the bedroom couldn’t be more wrong.

Meat and dairy foods are high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which clog up the arteries leading to and from the heart and can also block blood flow to other vital organs! Vegan fire-fighter Rip Esselstyn, son of esteemed heart surgeon, Dr Caldwell Esselstyn, says: “The canary in the coal mine when it comes to heart disease is an underperforming penis”.

A diet rich in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, nuts and seeds protects against blocked arteries, heart disease, stroke and lowers the risk of impotence, which can be an early warning of heart disease.

3

Fertility

Men who eat the most meat and full-fat dairy products have been found to have fewer and slower sperm, while those who ate the most fruit and vegetables (more vitamins, folic acid and fibre and fewer proteins and fats) have higher quality sperm that swim faster.

4

Heart disease

Nearly 1.4 million men in the UK have heart disease and every year, around 50,000 in England have a heart attack. Things you can do to help prevent and even reverse heart disease include stopping smoking, taking regular exercise and going vegan.

Avoiding meat and dairy can help you lose weight, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, avoid or manage type 2 diabetes and ultimately reduce the risk of heart disease.

5

Obesity

The UK has become the fat man of Europe and one in four British adults is obese.

Obese men are five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, three times more likely to develop bowel cancer and more than two-and-a-half times more likely to develop high blood pressure – a major risk factor for heart disease. A low-fat vegan diet can help you lose and maintain a healthy weight. It also helps improve fat levels in the blood and, in people with diabetes, can help control blood sugar levels.

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Me

fit and he the vegan

BY DR JUSTINE BUTLER, VIVA! SENIOR HEALTH RESEARCHER

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Depression

Depression may be more common in women than men but men are more likely to commit suicide if they have it, maybe because they are more reluctant to seek help. Research shows that vegans report less stress and anxiety than meat and dairy-eaters and that reducing meat and dairy may offer significant mood benefits.

Men

d healthy gan way!

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Acne

Bodybuilders who use steroid hormones or whey-based supplements to promote muscle growth are more prone to acne. The hormones increase oil secretion in the skin which can block hair follicles which become infected and inflamed, giving rise to large, pus-filled spots. As two-thirds of cow’s milk is taken from pregnant cows, when hormone levels are sky-high, avoiding dairy can reduce or eliminate acne.

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Male breast cancer

Breast cancer is relatively rare in men, affecting about 400 men each year in the UK, compared with around 50,000 in women. However, the outcome is not as good in men as in women, perhaps because reduced awareness may delay diagnosis. A large body of evidence links the consumption of meat, milk and cheese with breast cancer.

Bowel cancer

The BBQ is a popular male domain, where sausages, burgers and hot dogs are frequently burnt to a crisp!

The World Health Organisation says that processed meat (sausages, ham and bacon) causes bowel cancer and red meat probably does too. Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in England and the third most common cause of cancer death after lung and prostate cancer in men. The solution is easy – stick a vegan sausage or a Portobello mushroom on the grill!

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Men’s fitness

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t build muscle by eating muscle (meat). Muscles develop by being used and the best diet to fuel this is a well-balanced wholegrain vegan diet. It provides all the good stuff such as complex carbohydrates, antioxidants and fibre, while avoiding the baddies – saturated animal fats, animal protein and cholesterol, which are all linked to a heart disease, diabetes, obesity and some cancers.

Complex carbohydrates in wholemeal bread, brown pasta and brown rice, provide slow-release energy and fibre to help protect heart and bowel health. They are rich in disease-busting antioxidants, vitamins A, C and E, especially important for sportspeople. Nuts, seeds, beans, avocados and vegetable oils provide a good supply of unsaturated, essential fats, including omega-3s from flaxseed (linseed) oil and walnuts. They can satisfy the heartiest appetite while also supplying all the nutrients your body requires to maintain a sporty lifestyle and build up extra muscle.

See Viva!Health’s muscle-building 7-day meal on page 22. For more information see Viva!Health’s Men’s Health pages www.vivahealth.org.uk/menshealth www.viva.org.uk 21

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Beef up without meat This 7-day menu plan will help you gain muscle mass in the healthiest way possible

Tuesday

Monday

Breakfast Power porridge made with organic oats and calciumfortified soya milk. Add cashew nuts, raisins plus 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds for omega-3s

Snack

Lunch

Mixed nuts and seeds; almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin seeds

Wholemeal ‘Sub’ sandwich made with ‘chicken style’ soya pieces or vegan sausage, vegan mayonnaise, cucumber, tomato and lettuce

Fresh fruit

Fruit juice

Snack Seaweed peanut crackers (seaweed is a good source of iodine) Fresh fruit

Flapjack (look for one with walnuts or apricots – or make your own)

Apricot and cashew smoothie – packed with calcium and protein

Fresh fruit

Homemade pizza (readymade base topped with tomato paste and thinly sliced onion, courgette, mushroom and herbs, sprinkled with nutritional yeast flakes or vegan cheese)

Shepherd’s Pie made with soya mince, mushrooms and red lentils topped with a mix of mashed potato, sweet potato and swede Serve with rich onion gravy and broccoli or curly kale

Fruit soya yoghurt

Smoked tofu and mushrooms on wholemeal toast with grilled tomatoes

Dinner

Mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruit (cashew nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, raisins and apricots)

Chunky Portabella Mushroom Stroganoff made with onions, garlic, pepper, soya ‘cream’ and a splash of white wine Serve with a heap of brown rice

Wednesday

Fresh fruit Whole wheat breakfast cereal made with soya milk – add apple, blueberries and raspberries. Toast with nut butter and yeast extract

Oat cakes with mushroom or yeast pâté and cherry tomatoes Fresh fruit

Fruit juice

Chunky vegetable and lentil soup with two wholemeal rolls filled with salad leaves and omega-3 vinaigrette (mix olive oil, flax oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic and maple syrup – keeps in fridge for 2 weeks)

Cereal bar

Wholemeal pasta bake (broccoli, leek, green bean, onion and mushroom, borlotti or other beans, steamed and baked with pasta in a rich tomato sauce and topped with nutritional yeast flakes for vitamin B12)

Fresh fruit

Thursday

Fruit soya yoghurt Scrambled tofu (crumble plain tofu into a pan with finely chopped onion, turmeric and herbs. Season to taste) with baked beans on wholemeal toast

Hummus and raw vegetable sticks (carrot, celery and cucumber) Fresh fruit

Fruit juice

Giant spicy bean burger with salad in a wholemeal bap served with a heap of crunchy coleslaw (shredded carrot and cabbage with raisin, cashews, pine nuts and vegan mayonnaise)

Flapjack

Thai green curry (stir fried onion, broccoli, green beans/mange tout and baby corn with readymade sauce e.g. World Foods Thai Green Curry Sauce and coconut milk) serve with brown rice

Fresh fruit

Friday

Fresh fruit Muesli made with soya milk.

Add nuts (Brazil nuts, hazelnuts) and fruit (banana, apple, pear), plus 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

Wholemeal crispbread with yeast extract and/or cashew nut butter Fresh fruit

Fruit smoothie

Wholemeal pitta bread stuffed with falafel, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, olives and tahini (sesame seed paste – a good source of calcium)

Mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruit

Hearty Vegetable Hot Pot made with soya mince, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic with Quick ‘n’ Easy Dumplings

Trail mix

Chick Pea Balti with brown rice and lime pickle

Sunday

Saturday

Fruit soya yoghurt

Vegan sausage sandwich made with a toasted multigrain bagel

Flapjack and a banana Fruit smoothie plus 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

Fruit juice

Baked sweet potato with spicy chilli beans and a spoon of plain soya yogurt served with salad leaves dressed with an omega-3 vinaigrette

Fresh fruit

Serve with Raita dip (soya yoghurt, diced cucumber and mint) and a wholemeal chapatti

Fresh fruit salad

The Full Monty! Vegan sausages, grilled tomatoes, fried mushrooms, baked beans and hash browns

Exotic fresh fruit salad (mango, pineapple, grapes, kiwi and papaya)

Fruit juice

Nut Roast with roast potatoes, sweet potatoes and parsnips and steamed shredded cabbage or curly kale, carrot and/or peas and gravy.

A few squares of dark chocolate (good source of iron)

Baked apple stuffed with raisins and cinnamon

Find these and many more recipes at www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk

Bubble and squeak (use the leftovers from the roast) with vegan sausages, beans and/or pickle

CALORIES Daily total of 2,600 calories (1430-1950 from carbohydrates; 260-390 from protein; 390-780 from fat) Figures based on The Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Health Organisation’s joint recommendation that 55-75 per cent of total energy comes from carbohydrates, 15-30 per cent from fat and 10-15 per cent from protein.

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Joint WHO/FAO expert consultation (2003). Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases (PDF). Geneva: World Health Organization. Pages 5556. ISBN 92-4-120916-X

Our meal plans are intended for guidance only. The information presented here is not intended as medical advice nor does it replace medical advice. If you have any concerns, please speak to your doctor.

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life Viva!’s media blitz for the animals

BY TONY WARDLE, EDITOR

Proudly vegan When she was Viva!’s youth education officer, the young Fiona Peacock, with her down-to-earth approach and no nonsense northern accent, was a great favourite. Now 29 and a mum, Fiona told Metro in an expansive feature, all about raising her daughter, four-year-old Ebony, as a vegan: “With my husband (Laurie) and I both vegan, we didn’t consider raising our daughter any other way. We became vegan to prevent animal suffering but it didn’t take long for us to discover the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

“A diet rich in meat and dairy might be normal in the Western world but there’s plenty of science highlighting the dangers in eating these foods.”

Known as the Mummy Blogger, Fiona told Metro how her time at Viva! helped to give her the confidence to raise Ebony as a vegan: “I was surrounded by other vegans who knew all the tricks of the trade, like how to make vegan cheesecakes and which vegan white chocolate was the best.

“I was giving talks and cookery demonstrations in schools across the country and learning lots about nutrition and the vegan diet.”

Vodafone – not just for Christmas All year round we do our best to persuade people to stop eating animals and Christmas is no different. Who could ever have foreseen that Vodafone would be our most extraordinary ally in 2015?

Its mass advertising campaign, on both TV and radio, followed the life of an ordinary family that has moved to the countryside. Embracing their new lifestyle, they decide to raise a turkey for Christmas lunch.

Throughout the multi-million pound ad, the family has fun with ‘Terry’, building him a coup and sharing his picture on social media. But then the fateful day arrives and Dad ominously carries Terry into the garden shed…. Cut to the whole family, including Terry, around the Christmas table tucking ‘Incredible piece’ into a nut roast with all the trimmings.

The ad was brilliant, the message Vegan Food & Living magazine was brilliant and the soundtrack was waxed lyrical about Director also brilliant – Westlife’s Flying Juliet Gellatley’s feature on her Without Wings. With saturation pig exposé. They wrote: “It’s an coverage over the Christmas period, incredible piece and very this commercial ad must have moving! Quite harrowing, but infiltrated the thinking of millions of you’ve written it in such a way people – and we’re assured that all that it provokes an emotional eight turkeys involved in the filming response rather than just being are now living happily at the Farm shocked at grotesque details. I Animal Rescue Centre in Warwickshire think our readers will really (https://youtu.be/Vs8LcEkBfTc). respond to this!”

Veganuary goes global Two years ago we joined with Matthew Glover and his Veganuary campaign – to get people to try veganism for the month of January. It was a tremendous success. This year it has gone into orbit with a welter of positive media coverage.

The Guardian, which normally shuns anything veggie or vegan, ran an article headed, My meat addiction is over: I’ve gone vegan, and it’s brilliant. The Independent led in with, Veganuary: I was dreading giving up meat – now I can’t find a reason to eat it.

The Daily Mail majored on, Forget Dry January… here comes Veganuary! And listed all the celebrities who were taking part. The Daily Telegraph came up with, Thousands giving up all animal products for a month as part of Veganuary. The Guardian then had a second bite at it with, First no shaving, then no booze: now meat and dairy face the chop.

The more serious Medical Daily took a professional slant with, Veganuary May Convince Thousands To Give Up Meat And Dairy; Benefits Of Going Vegan For A Month. It then listed those benefits. And this lot is just a taster of the extraordinary coverage the campaign received.

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Egg-free for Easter Delicious recipes that show eggs the exit

In this issue of Viva!life we go inside some chicken farms and our discoveries are truly shocking. However, you can live quite happily without eggs and Chava Eichner reveals a new discovery that produces perfect egg-free meringue.

Believe it or not, it is made from tinned chickpea water!

FROM THE

Brunch Omelette with smoky garlic mushrooms SERVES 2 The basic omelette recipe is ideal for a variety of different fillings.

This mushroom and pepper option is super quick and full of punchy flavours from the smoked paprika and garlic. A tasty, nutritious brunch or midweek dinner.

For the filling: n 2 spring onions n 1 tbsp olive oil n 125g mushrooms n ½ green pepper n ½ red pepper n 1 fat clove garlic, crushed n ½ tsp smoked paprika n Salt and pepper n Chives or parsley For the omelette: n 175g firm silken tofu n 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

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n ¼ cup/5 tbsp chickpea flour (also known as gram or besan flour) n 1½ tsp cornflour or arrowroot n ¼ tsp turmeric n Large pinch smoked paprika n ½ tsp Himalayan ‘black’ salt (adds an ‘eggy’ flavor) or regular salt n 1 tbsp olive oil plus a little for frying n 3 tbsp aquafaba (see lemon meringue recipe for how to make)

1 For the filling, cut mushrooms and peppers into bite-sized pieces and slice spring onions finely.

2 In a large pan, heat oil and quickly fry the onion, mushroom and peppers. Season with crushed garlic, smoked paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in chopped parsley or chives and set aside.

Keep warm while you make the omelette.

3 Place all the omelette ingredients in a blender or food processor and whizz until everything is smooth and lump free.

4 Heat a medium, non-stick saucepan and add 1 tsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, pour in just under half a cup of the mixture and swirl around (like a pancake) to distribute.

5 Cook for a minute or so until firm then turn and cook the other side.

TO SERVE Place the omelette on a plate, spoon over half the garlic mushroom filling and fold over. Sprinkle with chopped, fresh herbs.

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Cheese and Onion Quiche

Chana Balti

SERVES 6 When it comes to ‘eggy recipes’, quiche is right up there on the list. Whether you opt for cheese and onion or add some smoked tofu, this recipe is great for parties, picnics and light lunches.

SERVES 4 Some say that Birmingham is actually the real home of the Balti. With Viva!’s Birmingham Vegan Festival in April, this recipe seems a fitting tribute to the UK’s second largest city. Also, a great way of using up the chickpeas when making aquafaba meringue.

n 1-2 sheets of ready rolled shortcrust pastry (eg JusRol) n 250g firm tofu (eg Cauldron) n 125g Garlic and Herb flavoured vegan cream cheese (eg Tofutti) n 150ml dairy-free milk n 50g gram flour (also known as besan or chickpea flour)

n 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes n 1 large onion n Olive oil n Salt and pepper Optional: 50-75g vegan bacon or smoked tofu (Taifun)

1 Squeeze out as much water as possible from the tofu. Place in a large jug together with cream cheese, milk, gram flour and yeast flakes. Blend until perfectly smooth and set aside.

2 Sauté chopped onions in olive oil over medium heat until softened – do not brown. Add creamy filling to the onions and combine well.

3 For Quiche Lorraine, cut smoked tofu or vegan bacon into small pieces and add.

4 Line 8inch/20cm quiche tin (or six small loose bottom tartlet tins) with shortcrust pastry. Run a rolling pin over the edges to trim off any excess.

Spoon filling into tin(s) and bake in a preheated oven at 180˚C. It should be done after 35-40 minutes.

TIP For most pies or flans you need to blind-bake the pastry first – time consuming and leads to shrinkage. I’ve tried both ways and this quick, cheats’ version works just fine.

n 2 tbsp oil n 1 large onion, chopped n 2 cloves garlic, crushed n 1 heaped tbsp grated or finely chopped ginger n 1 medium hot chilli, chopped n 1 tsp cumin seeds n 1 tsp garam masala n 1 tsp turmeric

n 1 tsp ground coriander n 1 tsp curry powder n 1 tin chopped tomatoes n 2 tins chickpeas n 2-3 tbsp fresh coriander Optional: n 175g mushrooms n 125g fresh spinach

1 Sauté onion in oil until soft. Add crushed garlic, ginger, chilli and dried spices. Stir for a minute or two to blend flavours. Add tomatoes and cook for 23 minutes.

2 Drain chickpeas (reserve liquid in a sealable container – it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days).

3 If using mushrooms, add them to the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stir in chickpeas and spinach and cook until spinach has wilted. Add salt to taste and stir in chopped coriander. Serve with rice, poppadums and chutney.

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Lemon Meringue Pie SERVES 10-12 Here’s a challenge for you! Not a dessert you’d ever expect to eat again as a vegan.

This meringue topping is exactly like the kind you get with a pavlova. It complements the creamy lemon filling perfectly! Eat this pie on the day you make it. n 1 sheet of ready rolled shortcrust pastry n 550ml of soya milk n 80g custard powder n 125ml lemon juice n Zest of one organic lemon n 100g caster sugar n Generous pinch of turmeric n 125ml aquafaba (chickpea water) n 1 tsp cream of tartar n ½ cup of caster sugar n 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 Line a 10inch/26cm loose-bottom tart tin with shortcrust pastry. Place baking paper on top and fill with baking beans. Blind bake for 15-20 minutes at 200˚C until edges turn golden brown.

2 For lemon filling, mix one-third of milk with custard powder, sugar and turmeric.

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Whisk to remove any lumps. Pour into nonstick pan with remaining milk and lemon zest. Heat, stirring continuously until custard is thick. Stir in fresh lemon juice and pour into pre-baked pastry shell. Allow to cool while you make the meringue.

3 Use a good electric whisk and blend the aquafaba (chickpea water) for 5 minutes.

Add cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form – not a quick process but you can’t overbeat. Slowly add sugar, teaspoon at a time and keep whisking until you have a bowlful of fluffy meringue mix – ready when you can turn the bowl upside down and nothing slides out. Transfer mixture into a large piping bag.

4 Line a tray with baking paper and on which you have drawn a circle, using your cake tin as the guide. Fill this area on the baking paper with pretty, piped pyramids of meringue that touch each other to form the complete meringue topping. Bake at 100˚C/200˚F for 2 hours without opening the oven. Turn heat off and allow meringue to cool. Just before serving, place meringue top on the prepared lemon tart.

Aquafaba tips: n Have a look online at www.aquafaba.com in their FAQs – lots of great information. n Vegan meringue is amazing but it will take a little practice and experimenting. My suggestion for this recipe is to make the meringue separately.

If your first attempt doesn’t work – you still have a deliciously tasty lemon tart. n When I attempted a large, heaped-on pile of meringue for this pie it sank in the middle – hence I have suggested smaller peaks that fuse together in the cooking (as in the photo) or make individual tartlets.

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lifeSCIENCE

Viva!Health unravels scientific research and makes it easy to understand.

Here we update you on the latest findings…

By Veronika Powell MSc, Viva!Health Campaigner

Secret power of fruit and veg Flavonoids are bioactive compounds that naturally occur in fruits and vegetables.

Previous research suggested there was a link between the intake of specific fruits and vegetables and maintaining a healthy weight.

As a part of an enormous study involving over 120,000 healthy American men and women, their diets and weight were followed for up to 24 years.

The results revealed, perhaps predictably, that the more fruit and vegetables people consumed, the less weight they gained over time. To some extent, the effect can be attributed to the fibre content of these foods – but not entirely. Some types of fruit and vegetables – berries and apples as well as

tea – were more strongly related to less weight gain and these are the foods that are richer in specific types of flavonoids. On the other hand, fruit juices did not show such strong benefits – probably because they are often made from concentrates or are pasteurised so much of their nutrient value is lost.

The mechanisms responsible for the positive effects of flavonoids aren’t clear but it seems a higher intake of fruit and vegetables makes the body store less fat.

Bertoia et al., 2016. Dietary flavonoid intake and weight maintenance: three prospective cohorts of 124 086 US men and women followed for up to 24 years. BMJ. 352:i17.

Feeling fruity Experts used to think that erectile dysfunction was predominantly caused by psychological or neurological problems and whilst that’s true for some men, evidence now clearly suggests that for the vast majority, the issue is worsening blood vessel function. It’s affected by the same risk factors as heart disease and it can be its first indicator. High blood pressure, obesity and smoking markedly increase the risk of both heart disease and erectile dysfunction.

It’s widely accepted that an increased intake of flavonoids, naturally occurring compounds in fruit, vegetables and tea, improves blood vessel function and reduces blood pressure.

Hence a large study of over 25,000 men set out to investigate the link between diet and erectile dysfunction.

During its 10 year study period, 35.6 per cent reported erectile dysfunction. Those who ate the most foods containing flavonoids, and fruit especially, had a significantly lower chance of experiencing erectile dysfunction – 14 per cent lower to be precise. The study authors suggested that a healthy diet with plenty of plant foods can help prevent or treat erectile dysfunction.

Cassidy et al., 2016. Dietary flavonoid intake and incidence of erectile dysfunction. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2016 Jan 13. pii: ajcn122010. [Epub ahead of print]

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Vegan hearts

Strapping vegans At the end of last year, results of a study looking into the nutrient intake of Danish vegans were published. The study analysed the diets of 70 adult vegans and compared them with the dietary intake of the general population.

Vegans had a much healthier fat intake – less saturated and monounsaturated fats (non-essential fats), almost no trans fats and cholesterol (harmful fats) and a higher intake of polyunsaturated fats (the essential, good fats). Vegans also ate less added sugar, which is in line with general recommendations. They also had more fibre and whilst their protein intake was lower than in the general population, it was still high enough and within the recommended intake levels.

Demolishing the iron myth, vegans had a higher intake of iron than meat-eaters. Vitamin B12 intake was low among vegans so supplementation was recommended. Everyone, regardless of diet, had low intakes of vitamin D and selenium. Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin that your skin manufactures when exposed to sunlight but as we simply don’t get enough sunshine over the winter months it is now recommended that everyone should supplement their diet during the winter. Selenium is found in foods such as Brazil nuts, wholegrains, seeds, mushrooms, pinto beans and broccoli.

Overall, vegans reached the recommended daily intake of every vitamin and mineral except vitamin D, selenium and iodine (take note – seaweed is the best source!) but their diets were very good compared to the general population. With just a few tweaks it can be perfect!

Kristensen et al., 2015. Intake of macro- and micronutrients in Danish vegans. Nutrition Journal. 14:115.

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A unique Polish study set out to investigate and compare the impact of diet on the blood fats and cholesterol in vegan and omnivorous volunteers. All participants were healthy, between 23 and 38 years old and not overweight. The aim was to discover whether diet influences the blood lipids (fats) to such an extent in healthy people that it can reduce or increase the risk of atherosclerosis – narrowing and hardening of the arteries – that leads to heart disease.

Compared to omnivores, vegans had a higher intake of carbohydrates, fibre and polyunsaturated (healthy) fats. And vegans also had a better intake of vitamin B12, possibly due to higher health awareness. The results revealed that the vegan subjects had significantly lower total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and other blood lipid levels. Concentration of HDL cholesterol (the good form that ‘transports’ cholesterol out of the blood stream) was similar between groups. This means that vegans had a much better ratio of good to bad cholesterol and better blood fat profile. The authors suggested that a vegan diet may have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular protection and can help prevent heart disease.

For more information on diet and heart health, see our website: www.vivahealth.org.uk/heart or order Viva!Health’s practical guide, Have a Heart (£1.90), or fact sheet on heart disease (40p) – call 0117 944 1000.

Kuchta et al., 2016. Impact of plantbased diet on lipid risk factors for atherosclerosis. Cardiology Journal.

2016 Jan 18. [Epub ahead of print]

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Thank you very much A huge Viva! high-five to all of the hard-working Viva! Stall Vols who helped represent Viva! at events throughout the autumn/winter season. We you!

❤

UPCOMING EVENTS Don’t miss out on veggie and vegan events taking place nationwide. See our full event listings here: www.myvegantown.org.uk/events. If you see a little it means Team Viva! will have a stall at this event so be sure to swing by and say Hi, or better yet, volunteer!

n Karen and her husband raised £680 at the Kent Vegan Festival. n Patricia raised £85 at the Suffolk Charity Stall. n Patricia and family raised £500 at the Dorchester MARCH Vegan Fair.

19 – Live a Better Life Fair, Liverpool n Cathy and her two daughters sold a ton of merch at the popular Exeter Xmas without Cruelty Fayre organised by Animal Aid, APRIL raising £480.

2 – Bournemouth Animal Aid Spring Fair, Poole BE A VIVA! ST ALL n Sue and Lesley raised £300 2 – Worcester Cruelty-free Fair VOL! Help run a merch stall at the Yorkshire Winter Fest 23 – Northern Vegan Festival with Viva!, Manchester for Viva! at a veggie or vega 30 – New Forest Vegan Fair, Hampshire (Leeds). n event near yo u. There are no 30 – Birmingham Viva! Vegan Festival n Isobel and Carolyn raised w so many great fa yres springing a brilliant £550 at the up that we can’t be at them all. You can help MAY Cambridge Vegan Fair. raise serious money for ou r campaigns 7 – Newcastle Vegan Festival n Katie and Warren raised and with our excellent liter ature, help £320 at the 28 – Manchester Vegan Festival to spread the word. For all the info Compassionate Derby day. you need, visi t our new volu n Marion and Michelle raised JUNE nteer pages at www .viva.org.uk/ £600 at the Swansea Vegan 18 – The Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival with Viva! viva-stall-vol Xmas Market.

25 – Bournemouth Vegan Fair

THE

INQUEST

Another great novel from Tony Wardle, editor of Viva!life – in collaboration with Michael Mansfield QC, Viva! patron “It is riveting and moving – a real page turner. I loved it and couldn’t put it down” Jimmy McGovern (Writer – Banished, Cracker, The Lakes, The Street and the docudrama Hillsborough).

A plane crashes on London, 523 people die and a wall of silence descends. Tom Harrison, a high street solicitor, takes up the search for answers with relatives of the dead. Out of his depth, he has no idea what he is about to confront – a ruthless scramble for no-fault compensation by corporate lawyers; an aircraft owner’s determined evasions; dirty tricks of a worried government; and the bizarre complications of a Dickensian legal system.

“The Inquest is completely As Tom struggles to cope with it gripping. A David v Goliath all, and the competing demands of conflict that just makes you his clients, he allows his love life to want to keep on reading – become entangled with his the authorities covering professional life and the case their backs while truth becomes even more complicated. becomes as much a victim Despite unearthing powerful as those who die.” evidence as to what really happened, Doreen Lawrence OBE the system defeats him. There is just (Baroness Lawrence of one last chance to reveal the truth – Clarendon). a simple inquest.

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Justice for all… unless you’re a pig

by Justin Kerswell, Campaigns Director

T

he question we get asked most often after one of our undercover investigations hits the national media is: ‘what are the authorities going to do about it?’ The short answer may shock you – they invariably do precisely nothing.

Recently, I wrote to government department Defra to ask how many prosecutions there had been for farmed animal cruelty in the past 12 months? ‘We have no idea’ was the answer that came back. Central government, the nation’s decision and law makers, have absolutely no idea if existing laws to protect animals are working because they don’t collate or record that data. Just a simple oversight?

Sadly not!

British farmed animals have almost no legal protection that can be enforced and prosecutions are rare to non-existent. It

appears the government likes it this way.

Prosecutions cost money and this, combined with a lack of laws, benefits corporate factory farmers who would otherwise be permanently in court. So, whilst politicians claim Britain has the best animal welfare in

protected by its Codes of Recommendations for each species.

Farmers supposedly need to be aware of what these codes say but are able to ignore most of them because they are not legally binding. Whilst the codes do include some laws, they are so loosely termed as to be meaningless.

It seems that as long as you ensure a farmed animal has sustenance, they have little other protection. Even when a law is broken it doesn’t guarantee prosecution. A few years back, our undercover investigators filmed the painful, illegal disbudding of baby goats without anaesthetic at a farm in Staffordshire that supplied Delamere Dairies. The farmer himself admitted he was operating outside the legal guidelines but received no more than a slapped wrist from the authorities. They

farmed animals are failed by the system every step of the way

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the world, farmed animals are failed by the system every step of the way. Industrial agriculture and government clearly collude to ensure this is so.

The government routinely claims that farmed animal welfare is robustly

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don’t act because it would open upalmost every farm in Britain to prosecution.

Recently, we filmed shocking scenes of suffering on two pig farms. Poplar Farm, near Hull, confined piglets in cages while at Necton Hall Farm, we filmed cannibalism and an almost complete absence of environmental enrichment – the very thing that encourages this unnatural act.

On both farms we saw sows confined in restrictive ‘rape racks’ awaiting insemination – cages almost no bigger than their bodies. The law says they should only be kept like this for a few hours but our investigators filmed them in the early morning and it appears that they had been left like this overnight.

We reported our findings at both farms to the relevant local Animal Health authorities. We detailed where we believed the law was being broken, sent photos and footage and offered to provide extra details and co-operate with prosecution. And then we waited. The silence was deafening. To date we have had no word from them, not even an acknowledgement.

We know that they launched an investigation because the Daily Mail, who ran our exposé on the battery piglets, received confirmation of it. How serious is an investigation that has absolutely no interest in talking to the people who made the complaint and backed it up with powerful evidence of cruelty?

One of the owners of Poplar Farm even boasted that they had been given the all clear, saying that they had been visited by a government vet, local authority officials and an assurance scheme assessor. She boasted: “Everything was found to comply with legislation.” In other words, keeping piglets in cages in Britain, although cruel

protect the welfare of farmed animals. And the RSPCA did not prosecute.

So, legal protection of farmed animals in the UK is bad – but it just got worse. In December last year, the RSPCA announced they were no longer going to prosecute illegal hunting and animal cruelty cases but will in future simply pass cases to – you guessed it – those very authorities who very rarely prosecute. Whilst they have said that they may potentially step in if the authorities decline to prosecute farmed animal cases, I wouldn’t hold your breath.

The situation is likely to get even worse as cuts to local government budgets deepen.

The worst excesses of factory farming, from restrictive farrowing crates to chopped off piglets tails to gassing day-old male chicks, is completely legal. In fact, factory farming could not thrive without the confinement, mutilation and premature deaths of hundreds of millions farmed animals. There is little point alerting the authorities to the everyday horrors of intensive farming as they can’t do anything about them even if they want to.

Forget about transgressions of the official recommendations, nothing appears to happen when laws – few as they are – are broken. It’s a sobering thought that even if all these claims of high animal welfare were true, the poor creatures would still end up facing the horror of the slaughterhouse.

Neither national or local authorities have any interest in really protecting animals but they do have one champion and that is you.

Animals are cynically failed at every turn but you can end your role in any suffering.

Our campaigns are hitting home and millions of people are no longer supporting the systems that monstrously fail animals. If you haven’t done so already, please think about joining them.

keeping piglets in cages in Britain, although cruel and unusual, breaks no laws and unusual, breaks no laws. So much for legal protection!

However, it isn’t just the authorities who repeatedly fail farmed animals. What of the much-promoted assurance schemes? Poplar Farm is Red Tractor approved and supplies Morrisons. Consumers are constantly told that ‘You can Trust the Tractor’. We proved that quite the opposite was true.

Following our exposé, and outraged reactions from both the public and Morrisons’ own customers, both the supermarket and Red Tractor fell over themselves to condemn the use of piglet cages. They said that the cages had been removed with immediate effect after they ‘stepped in’. Both repeatedly dodged the question as to why they hadn’t known about them in the first place. Assurance schemes are little more than a consumer confidence trick. They rarely offer anything above and beyond minimum legal guidelines and even they seem to be ignored. Were the Red Tractor scheme assessors blind on the day they visited – or did they visit at all?

We also often get asked about the involvement of the RSPCA. In the case of Poplar Farm they did condemn the cages.

Dermot Murphy, assistant director, said that the cages “… represent the worst systems in which to keep pigs.” Yes, the very same cages that had been given the stamp of approval by those who claim to

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Crackin’ coconuts Bite-size bliss Shake up your daily smoothie ritual and get your gob around Greedie Goddess’s solid Smoothie Bites. These perfectly-portioned chunks of pureéd and freeze-dried fruits and veggies playfully dissolve on the tongue and are free from added sugar and fats. Each 8g bag contains approximately 20-27 pieces that come in three heavenly flavour combos: Blackcurrant, Strawberry & Beetroot; Coconut & Pineapple and Passion, Mango and Carrot, this latter being our best bite – a sunny day in edible form! Buy them direct from www.greediegoddess.com in boxes of 10 x 8g packs for £11 plus p&p.

Shores of Africa’s artisanal range of coconut thins are giving the humble snack a truly tropical-flavour makeover with ‘afritude’. These handmade, oven baked wafers have a coconut and potato base for a snappy bite and a healthy dose of fruity goodness to make your taste buds sing. Pair them with dips and desserts or eat ‘em straight out the box – we did! There are four flavours available: Original, Mango, Pineapple and Banana with a hint of Chilli – our winning flav, subtly sweet and aromatic with a warming chilli kick. £3.75 for 80g. Visit www.shoresofafrica.com for stockists.

lifestyle Spring into health Lifestyle’s Katrina Gazley sips, sniffs, savours and samples her way through the latest free-from and gluten-free goodies on the vegan market!

Instant gutification Clearspring have added 10 new glutenfree staples to their ever-growing catalogue of vegan-organic Japanese and European foods. Working with artisan and professional producers, every product is ethically-sourced and aims to keep your gut happy and provide healthy, on-the-go options. The Instant Power Porridge, with Buckwheat, Quinoa and Chia Seeds (£3.49 for 160g), is cooked in a flash and tastes fab. The instant Polenta (£1.79 for 200g) takes seven minutes to cook and is a comforting and creamy alternative to pasta, rice and potatoes. Short on time? The Brown and Wild Rice with Tamari, or the Quinoa Trio with Olive Oil, are ready to serve in just 90 seconds!

You can buy the whole range or find local stockists at www.clearspring.co.uk.

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Pick & mix

Rebel with a cause Rebel Kitchen’s bunch of lovely coconut milk-based drinks are made with love (no udders involved whatsoever!) and a few simple, natural ingredients: water, coconuts and date nectar. Creamy without a fatty aftertaste, these ‘mylks’ are just as delish when downed post-workout or added to your little munchkin’s lunchbox for a sustaining snack. While Rebel’s ingredients avoid a lot of the ‘can’t haves’ for food allergy sufferers (soya, nuts, gluten, dairy) they most certainly contain full-on flavours from the spicy-sweet Chai Mylk to the adults-only, roasted-to-perfection, Coffee Mylk. Available in two sizes: 200ml (from 99p) for kiddies and 330ml (from £1.70) and seven different flavours from Chocolate to Crushed Banana. Stocked in major supermarkets or buy discounted multipacks online from www.rebel-kitchenuk.com.

Popped to perfection

Wholesome kitchen life-savers are created with kiddies in mind by awardwinning Sweetpea Pantry. In under 30 minutes, serve-up wholegrain baked goods that will tempt even the fussiest of eaters to come back for more!

With the motto ‘keep it simple’. Sweetpea’s recipes cut-down on refined sugars and kick out the nasties (white flour, preservatives, additives, dairy) for natural, nutrient-high ingredients that are oft neglected in children’s foods, including rye, barley, buckwheat, oats, flax and chia seeds. For gluten-free bakes, the Super Oat Flapjack Mix and Grainy Brainy Pancake Mix are light and delicious.

For healthy twists on classic eats, the Playful Pizza Dough Mix and Chocolate Giggles Biscuit Mix are sure to become household faves and super fun to make. All mixes can be made vegan (check out Sweetpea’s website for dairy/egg substitutes and recipes) and are available for £4.99 from Ocado, M&S and direct from www.sweetpeapantry.co.uk.

giveaways

If you like your popped confections, well-seasoned with a sense of humour, Ten Acre’s seven-strong range of weird and wonderful popcorn flavours will leave you smirking with satisfaction. We devoured Lucia Popperley’s Cappuccino Popcorn, with its heady aroma and the malty sweetness of everyone’s favourite Italian beverage. For savoury snackers, Ambrose Popperley’s Wasabi Popcorn Cousin and Maisie’s Fennel and Lemon Popcorn are spicy, zesty and original. The popcorn range (along with Ten Acre’s awardwinning crisps) come in 28g bags for 80p a pop, available from all good independent shops, delis and coffee shops or direct from www.tenacrecrisps.co.uk.

Enter our Lifestyle reader giveaways online at www.viva.org.uk/competitions or send us your entry, including giveaway name (eg Crackin’ Coconuts), full name and address to Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH. BITE-SIZE BLISS x4 Mixed pack of nine Greedie Goddess Smoothie Bites (3 x 3 flavours). Use discount code ‘ggviva16’ for a 25% discount on orders (excluding p&p) on www.greediegoddess.com CRACKIN’ COCONUTS x2 Mixed case of 12 coconut thins from Shores of Africa (x 4 flavours).

PICK & MIX x2 Trio of Sweetpea Pantry mixes. Use discount code ‘Viva!’ for 20% off on www.sweetpeapantry.co.uk The deadline to enter our Lifestyle giveaways is May 31 2016. Winners are selected at random and will be contacted within a week of the giveaway deadline.

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VEGAN TREASURES

WWW.VIVANI.DE

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Can a vegan diet

c h a nge you r l if e ?

Veronika Powell asked you to share your stories and they are fascinating! ost people’s main motivation for becoming a vegan is ethical but as we know, a vegan diet brings many health benefits and they can be literally lifechanging. Here’s a couple of examples from Viva!Health’s upcoming The Incredible Vegan Health Report.

M

Arthritis Arthritis is the inflammation of joints. It causes joint pain and stiffness which usually worsens with age. The most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A vegan diet has been shown to be able to improve the health of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers and reduce the joint pain and stiffness.

Research revealed that people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis have inflammation of the gut resulting in increased permeability of the gut wall. This means that foreign proteins from foods and bacteria can pass into the bloodstream and cause an immune reaction that can harm joint lining. Dairy in particular seems to be problematic and gut bacteria that feast on meat and fats are also a substantial problem (they produce toxic by-products). In terms of diet change, a vegan diet in general has been very effective and some people find a raw, low-fat or gluten-free vegan diet even more helpful.

Emma, Redditch I have suffered from two main health problems during my life, rheumatoid arthritis and being overweight. The first, rheumatoid arthritis, was diagnosed at just 18 months. I have spent much of my life taking drugs, attending physiotherapy and hydrotherapy just to stay mobile. During ‘flareup’ periods I needed help even to get out of bed and yet at quiet periods I was able to walk reasonable distances and even take part in aerobics classes.

My other health problem was being overweight, partially due to restrictions in mobility but also poor nutrition. I became a vegetarian aged thirteen but replaced meat with cheese. Later on in my life, having my daughter made me really ‘look’ at our diet and change it to include plenty of

fruit and vegetables. Going vegan was not as difficult as we thought it would be. We learnt to cook new things and found replacements for our favourite foods. A major benefit for me, and totally unexpected, has been the considerable reduction in pain from my arthritis, so much so that I no longer need any medication. It’s fantastic but I can’t help but feel annoyed that despite all medical evidence, no doctor or specialist ever passed this information on to either myself or my parents. I had a happy childhood but there were things I missed out on – climbing trees, riding a bike – and I’m left with deformed joints. I can’t help but wonder, would it have been a different story if I’d stopped having dairy as a child?

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Asthma Asthma is a condition characterised by attacks of spasms in the airways, which causes difficulty in breathing, wheezing, chest-tightness and breathlessness. The condition also causes inflammation of the airways. The attacks are usually triggered by allergens or chemicals and diet can play an important role.

A diet based on plant foods and rich in fruit and vegetables can be very beneficial to asthma sufferers and in the prevention of asthma. Studies found that people of all ages with the highest fruit and vegetable intake and the lowest or no meat and dairy intake had lower risk of developing asthma or better control over their asthma compared to people with diets based on animal products.

Jay, 43, Cornwall In my late thirties I began to get wheezy and chesty. I also had a near-constant cold. I was prescribed a brown ‘preventer’ inhaler and a blue ‘reliever’ inhaler, both of which I used regularly.

I always considered myself to be fit; I had run regularly during my twenties, a few injuries and niggles meant that I slowed down in my thirties but I still hiked, walked the dogs and so thought I was quite active. My wife and I had been vegetarian for years then but she made the decision to go vegan. I’ll admit that I wasn’t very supportive initially, I didn’t understand veganism and why she wanted to do something so ‘extreme’.

She didn’t try to influence me, knowing that it would likely have the opposite effect but I ate all of the meals she cooked and so my dairy intake naturally decreased. I also glanced at the odd Viva!life magazine strategically placed around the house. I then came across a series of books about long-distance running Born To Run by Christopher McDougall, Eat & Run by Scott Jurek, and Finding Ultra by Rich Roll.

Suddenly a vegan diet wouldn’t

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just allow me to run; it would help me to run.

Everything quickly came together – an understanding of the animal ethics, an understanding of the environmental impact. I was still having the happy realisation that far from having a restricted diet we were eating better food than we had in years, and the knowledge that this could all support me to get back to running. That was three years ago. I started slow, one mile – three miles – five miles, 10k.

After a year I was doing half marathon distances. In April 2015 I ran the Paris marathon with my wife (her first marathon and she couldn’t run a mile the previous year), in May I ran the Classic Quarter in Cornwall – 44 miles around the hilly coastal path. I have just signed up for the Transvulcania ultramarathon – a 74km run with a 8028m accumulated elevation. My goal is to eventually run the 170km Ultra-Trail Du Mont-Blanc.

I haven’t used my inhalers at all since around six months after becoming vegan! I don’t consider myself to have asthma any more.

Viva!Health’s The Incredible the Vegan Health d diib e e bl r r le c c e n iin Report features these stories and much more. health report report health All you ever What science and experience say about vegan diets and wanted to human health know about vegan diets and your health, the report is a great source of information for you, your family and healthcare professionals alike. It will be available from April at www.vivahealth.org.uk or to order on 0117 944 1000. A very inspiring and encouraging read for anyone and everyone!

Apologies to anyone who tried to order it earlier.

To share your story, please email veronika@viva.org.uk.

vegan

By Veronika Powell MSc (Biology), Senior Health Campaigner & Researcher, Viva!Health Edited by: Juliet Gellatley BSc DipDM, Founder & Director, Viva!Health

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Restaurant reviews

Vx Bristol Vx is London’s original one-stop shop for vegans, selling food and clothing since 2010. French-born Rudy Penando and Amandine Tchou have now opened a second branch in Bristol.

The café specialises in vegan junk food: kebabs, burgers and hotdogs with sweet and indulgent French patisserie and cakes to round off the menu – and your waistline!

There are large fridges and shelves stacked with imported vegan meats, cheeses, chocolate and other goodies. The merchandise corner has badges, stickers, mugs, t-shirts and other apparel by Penando’s Secret Society of Vegans. The 20-seat café area is lined with coloured planks of reclaimed wood – more punk junkshop than hippy shake!

I had a Hot Dog (£3.50) served with local artisan bread, ketchup, mustard, sauerkraut and relish and shared some Nachos (£3) which came smothered in super-melty vegan cheese. The Black Forest cupcake (£3) was naughty and very nice.

A huge interest in all things vegan is evident with the timely launch of Vx Bristol – maybe the start of the UK’s first vegan chain! Justine Butler Vx Bristol, 123 East Street, Bristol BS3 4ER www.vxbristol.com

Auberge sur la Montagne, France In winter it’s the sports but in summer it is tranquil walks, beauty, alpine flowers and absolutely stunning food. Cuisine at the auberge is normally traditional but co-owner Andy McInnes is a vegetarian and has shared his vegetarian and vegan skills with chef Will Manley, who produced an amazing variety of vegan meals for us – including vegan wine – during our eight-day stay.

The flavours were superbly developed by this dedicated professional and are amongst the best we have ever experienced – and nothing was repeated despite having four courses every evening. Vegan cakes and cookies were provided with afternoon tea, heightening the feeling of being pampered.

The auberge is comprised of newly refurbished chalets and is situated just off the N90 at La Tuille between Bourg St Maurice and the resort of Val d’Isere – and all the staff are English speaking.

Should you feel like meandering down to this glorious place from the Channel ports, there are some superb veggie/vegan guest houses en route. Owned by Jill and Colin Kirk is La Porte Rouge at Mortagne Perche (0033 233 253995). Bruce and Andrea Humphreys own 3 Place des Arbes at Felletin (0033 555 665229) and in the Auvergne is La Garnasette at Roseieres, run by our Dutch friends Lidy and Willem Nouris (0033 471 574096). Mike & Gina Wright Auberge sue la Montagne, 73640 Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise, France. Tel 33 479 069583 www.auberge-montagne.com

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Here at the Viva! Shop, we lovingly hand pick our merchandise; scouring the planet for animal-free amazingness and handcrafted herbivore delights!

This year, as part of an exciting addition to our Gifts for Life pages, we are showcasing and championing the artists, designers and manufacturers behind our vegan merch and inviting you to Meet the Maker and buy their wares!

Meet th e m @Home Cake Mix Truly a piece of cake! Just add water to this glorious dairy and egg-free mix and 12 stunning cupcakes, or one 7-in cake, comes out of the oven, ready to decorate. Icing flavourings are included but you will need a little water or margarine to whip up your choice of frosting.

Choose from Chocolate or Raspberry and Vanilla for £12.

THE VEGAN CAKERY Award-winning, one-woman enterprise, The Vegan Cakery, is a newbie supplier to the Viva! Shop and we’ve been in a sugar rush state ever since! Ethical vegan Michelle Orme started The Vegan Cakery in June 2012 with two aims – to bring the best quality vegan cakes and pastries, from Battenburgs to Raspberry Ripple Cupcakes, to the market while at the same time, raising as much money as possible for a wide range of animal charities and sanctuaries.

Run as a real cottage industry from her home in rural Leicestershire, the ‘Cakery has grown beyond all expectation. There really aren’t enough hours in the day for Michelle, who does absolutely everything – the baking, the packaging, admin, website, social media, stock ordering and, of course, the dreaded washing up! We think it’s all worth it when you taste a spoonful of Michelle’s favourite product – the trademarked Lemon V’urd (a vegan lemon curd).

You can order fresh cakes and other specialities online at www.vegancakery.com or try the range of @Home cake mixes and delish sweet sauces from the Viva! Shop.

we lo ve Lemon V’urd and Caramel Sauce Made fresh to order, these jars of deliciousness will perk up any dessert, from cakes to pancakes for £3.50 per jar.

SHOP KIND! ALL OF THE PRODUCTS FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE AT 38

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e maker!

Vegan Bifold Wallets

Handmade, bifold wallet designed to take cards and cash. Built to last from vegan leather-like fabric and screen-printed with three different designs: Be Kind, Love and Orca. £15

we lo ve Flying Pig Canvas Belt Best selling, one-sizefits-all belt, featuring Herbivore’s trademark happy pig print. £12

THE HERBIVORE CLOTHING COMPANY Longtime Viva! Shop crush, The Herbivore Clothing Company is probably the hippest hotbed of vegan design and lifestyle inspiration from across the pond! Josh Hooten and Michelle Schwegmann founded THCC in Portland, Oregon, back in 2002 and have since built a vegan clothing, cookbook and lifestyle brand from what started life as a vegan mag, simply called Herbivore.

Selling Herbivore’s own compassionate clothing line and accessories alongside ethical home and beauty finds, both online (www.herbivoreclothing.com) and from their shop in a vegan mini mall (yes, this is actually a thing!), Josh and Michelle recently pooled their talents, wit and love of vegan food into the cookbook Eat Like You Give a Damn.

Michelle explains the guiding force behind the book: “The reason Herbivore exists is to make veganism look good. We want to show the world that living compassionately is cool, easy, ‘normal’ and fun! The cookbook is the result of us continually being asked for the one book with a little bit of everything that we would recommend. We also wanted to make a book where ‘giving a damn’ equated with veganism and the other issues that not eating animals affects – the environment, workers rights and so on.”

Inspired? Take home something from Herbivore’s collection from the Viva! Shop.

To learn more about who, how and what we stock in the Viva! Shop, read our Ethical Pledge online at www.vivashop.org.uk/ our-ethical-pledge

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Death

…it’s a lifestyle choice!

By Michael Greger MD FACLM Dr Michael Greger is a physician, author and internationally recognised speaker on nutrition, food safety and public health issues. He runs the popular website NutritionFacts.org, a non-profit, science-based public service. He introduces his superb new book How Not to Die

T

The standard American diet rates 11 out of may be getting worse. The New England here may be no such thing as dying 100! We eat almost as if the future doesn’t Journal of Medicine published a special from old age as a recent study matter. The American Heart Association report saying that the youth of today may, revealed. It looked at more than has its ‘Simple 7’ recommendations for on average, live less healthy and possibly 42,000 autopsies and found that not a single avoiding heart disease and only one person shorter lives than their parents. centenarian died of old age, they died from a out of nearly 2,000 hit all seven.

Humankind has gone through different specific disease, usually heart disease.

The truth is that adhering to just three ages, the current one being the Age of Most deaths in the US are preventable – simple lifestyle factors – not smoking, half Degenerative and Man-Made Diseases. In and the UK too for that matter. The main an hour’s exercise a day and eating healthier 1990, the most years of healthy life were cause of death and disability is diet so you (more fruit, veg and wholegrains and less lost to under nutrition but now the burden would think that this would be the primary meat) can help prevent some 78 per cent of comes from over nutrition in a nearthing taught at medical school. In fact, chronic disease risk. Maybe it’s time to stop universal shift towards a diet dominated by only a quarter of medical schools in the US blaming genetics and focus on the 70 per animal-sourced and processed foods – offer a single course in nutrition – and the cent plus that’s under our control. meat, dairy, eggs, oil, soda, sugar and numbers are on a downwards trajectory.

Does this translate into living longer? refined grains.

One study found that people on the The Centers for Disease Control and A dietary quality index was developed street sometimes know more about basic Prevention (CDC) found that even paler that reflects the percentage of calories nutrition than their doctors and yet most versions of these three recommendations people derive from these types of food and people consider their doctors to be ‘very could cut the risk from premature death by the percentage from unprocessed plant credible’ sources of nutritional 82 per cent. This drop in health risk was foods – the higher the score the healthier. information. Even back in 1903, Thomas seen as equivalent to turning Edison predicted that doctors of back the clock to your being 14 the future would give no ‘After following more than 60,000 people for years younger. medicine but would ‘instruct Telomeres are the caps on the patients in the care of the human more than a dozen years, University of 46 strands of DNA that are frame in diet and in the cause Oxford researchers found that those who coiled into chromosomes in each and prevention of disease’. consume a plant-based diet are less likely to of our cells. They can be seen as The Mayo Clinic estimates that develop all forms of cancer combined. The our life’s fuse and they start 70 per cent of Americans take at least one prescription drug and greatest protection appeared to be against shortening as soon as we’re born – when they’re gone, we’re gone! yet they’re not living that much blood cancers. The incidence of leukaemia, you can slow down this process longer – people in Slovenia have lymphoma and multiple myeloma is nearly Ifthen maybe you can slow the a better life expectancy. And it

half that of those eating meat.’

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ageing process and live longer.

Work by Dr Dean Ornish and Nobel Prize winner Dr Elizabeth Blackburn found that three months of plant-based nutrition and other healthy changes could boost telomerase activity.

A five-year follow up found that in the control group that didn’t change its diet, telomeres had, as expected, shrunk.

But in the healthier group, not only had they not shrunk, they had grown.

There are 15 leading causes of death (I devote a chapter to each one in my book) and there are prescription drugs for all of them but there is only one unifying diet that can help prevent, arrest or even reverse each of these killers and it’s the same diet for all of them – one that centres on unprocessed plant foods.

As a physician, I was trained to treat the consequences of diseases, not the root cause and it is treating the cause that is cheaper and more effective but as no one profits from advice and lifestyle medicine, it is not a part of medical practice.

We’re a long way from Thomas Edison

and his predictions but my hope is that this book will help you to understand that death and disability are more preventable than inevitable. The primary reason that diseases tend to run in families is that diets tend to run in families.

Research with identical twins has shown that if separated at birth, each will get different diseases depending on how they live their lives. Just because you’re born with bad genes doesn’t mean you can’t turn them off. As you’ll see in the breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease chapters, even if born with high-risk genes you can still have tremendous control over your medical destiny.

The book is divided into two parts – the ‘why’ and the ‘how’.

For example, in part 1 I’ll explain why beans and greens are among the healthiest foods on earth; in part 2 I’ll show how best to eat them – cooked, canned, fresh or frozen.

I’ll keep working on trying to change the system but you don’t have to wait. You can start now by following my recommendations. Eating healthier is easier than you think, it’s inexpensive and it might just save your life.

Viva! has organised a speaking tour for Dr Greger – come and hear him talk on…

Uprooting the UK’s Leading Causes of Death Dr Greger has scoured the world’s scholarly literature on clinical nutrition and developed this new presentation based on the latest in cutting-edge research, exploring the role diet may play in preventing, arresting, and even reversing our leading causes of death and disability LONDON – THURS, APRIL 28, 7PM Entry £5. Book in advance Greenwood Theatre, King’s College London, 55 Weston Street, London SE1 3RA BRISTOL – APRIL 29, 7PM Entry £5. Book in advance Lecture Theatre 2, School of Chemistry, Cantock’s Close, Off Woodland Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1TS BIRMINGHAM – APRIL 30, 2PM Entry £5. Book in advance Birmingham City Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham B1 1BB. (The talk is part of Viva!’s Birmingham Vegan Festival.)

If you have not booked tickets to see Dr Greger then get your hands on his highly-anticipated health read of the year How Not to Die. Viva! are offering an exclusive discount to Viva!life readers! Only £12.99 per copy (plus £3.95 p&p) – Save £2, RRP £14.99.

Order from www.vivashop.org.uk or call 0117 944 1000 (Mon-Fri, 9-6).

Offer ends 31/05/16.

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Mirror, mirror on the wall…

Tony Wardle takes a little peek in the looking glass and finds something ugly staring back at him

W

hen I was a lad, my dad had a vision of the future that was rosy indeed. It was informed by his experiences of the great depression and two devastating wars but also by the growth of new technology and his fight to advance trade unionism, leading to burgeoning working class assertiveness.

Never again would ordinary people be used as disposable cannon fodder to fight imperialist wars, he said. No longer would they be grateful for the crumbs that

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tumbled from the tables of the ruling class and my world would be far more equitable than his. The old power structures would be demolished and rebuilt on democratic principles where everyone’s voice would count.

He believed that, thanks to nuclear energy, electricity would be available on tap just like water was then and for a similar price – a flat rate of just a few pounds a year. The gains of automation and computerisation would increase productivity and remove drudgery from people’s lives, dramatically reducing the

working week and vastly increasing their leisure time. The dream of a national health service was now a reality and with a welfare state, everyone’s needs would be tended to from cradle to grave.

For a couple of decades or so, it appeared as though he might be right and the dream had a further growth spurt in the 60s when old, establishment attitudes were ripped to shreds, new social legislation was passed and people took to the streets to protest against the Vietnam war. No more wars! They were truly exciting times. How naïve of him – of us.

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The process was slammed into reverse with the election of Thatcher with a huge growth in inequality of income between the 1970s and 1990s (not a political statement but a fact). And we went back to war – in the Falklands. Blair and Brown did nothing to remedy the situation and added another, even more devastating war, the results of which we’re still living with.

Far from creating a classless society, we have done the opposite, with 50 per cent of all rural land in Britain being owned by just 0.6 per cent of the population, most of them royals and assorted dukes and their families (Country Life). Where income is concerned, Britain is the second most unequal country in Europe with the lowest 10 per cent earning about £8,500 net while the top 10 per cent get nearly £80,000 net.

For the top 0.1 per cent it is nearly £942,000 (Equality Trust). Far from being highly taxed, top earners in the UK take home £39,500 more than the rest of Western Europe.

My point is to show that wealth, ownership and, if you like, austerity, are all governed by political decision making. If we want a more egalitarian society then we have to fight for it as powerful forces are constantly pushing us in the opposite direction.

Even under the coalition, with the supposed ‘moderation’ of the Lib Dems, the UK’s ‘shocking’ wealth gap continued to widen (International Business Times).

A reduction in the working week that my dad foresaw was never going to happen as that is the last place any savings would be spent. How did we ever get to the present mass casualisation of work, zero hours contracts and millions of so-called self-employed, cleaning windows and digging gardens to get by?

What my dad totally underestimated (as did I and most other people) is the absolute determination of those who hold power, and their close friends in the media, to fight ruthlessly to hold on to it. Worse, there is no point of satisfaction, no figure at which they will say ‘enough is enough’; it is a never-ending battle to transfer money and power from the poorest to wealthiest. More than that, their aim is to shrink the state so that everything it does is privatised because you cannot make profits out of state-owned enterprises. It’s called neo-liberalism.

According to columnist Owen Jones in his book, The Establishment, most people are so outraged by the thought of private health, benefits and education systems that they have to be softened up to accept the prospect. This is done by ‘outriders’, groups such as the Policy Institute, Tax-Payers

Alliance, Adam Smith Institute and other ‘policy forums’ who are all part of the right wing, neo-liberal conspiracy who continually float these outrageous ideas until they seem normal and commonplace. If you think this is fantasy, just remember that the Post Office has already been sold off!

The Adam Smith Institute has produced a prediction for the year 2050, authored by its president, Madsen Pirie. When Russian communism collapsed, the Adam Smith Institute was one of the first organisations to scurry there – not to offer succour to traumatised citizens but to lead the race to flog off nationalised industries and so we can thank it, to some degree, for the modern breed of Russian multi-billionaire, omnipotent oligarchs, such as Roman Abramovich, who they helped to snaffle public property for a song. It gives a good indication of where its priorities lie.

I have to admit, I have a particular dislike for Dr Madsen Pirie, with his pinched mouth, bow tie and prissy articulation. Partly it’s political and partly

bits that are unprofitable).

Similarly, the State will not own schools or employ teachers – it will provide the money but will have no control over how it’s spent. Companies may well own strings of schools and run them on a profitmaking basis.

Fossil fuels will still be in use in 2050, particularly gas, mostly obtained from fracking which will give us centuries of supply. Nuclear, of course, will be the other major option along with some solar power but wind has had its day. And here’s the good bit, it will all essentially be free!

The number of self-employed people will go on increasing (of course) and there will be no such thing as retirement and no State pensions, only individual pensions and no government contribution to them. Trade unions will cease to exist (wishful thinking in extremis).

There will be no water shortages in the world as desalination will provide plenty and housing, of course, will change, with parents contributing to the purchase of their children’s homes. Council housing will be a thing of the past.

As for food, you can look forward to a massive growth in GMOs, which will offer pest resistance, self-fertilisation, bigger crops, an elimination of pesticides, walking on water and virgin birth. Animals? Not a mention, other than the widespread appearance of laboratory grown animal tissue.

He hasn’t mentioned animals because they simply don’t feature in his free-market thinking. Nor does antibiotic resistance, warfare, class divide, global warming, acidification of the oceans, fundamentalism, mental health and a hundred other consequences of living.

The essential message is – do nothing because profit making enterprises will do it all for you. Sit back, swallow your credibility and hand the world over to Mr Pirie and his neo-liberal colleagues.

My advice is slightly different – keep fighting for humans and animals alike, defend everything that you hold dear, do not be seduced by people who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

I had started to think that with the huge growth in veganism perhaps Viva!’s days will eventually be numbered. Reading this nonsense is a stark reminder that we must go on fighting, producing inconvenient exposés and challenging the status quo because if we don’t, there are those queuing up only too eager to roll back the gains we’ve made.

If we want a more egalitarian society then we have to fight for it as powerful forces are constantly pushing us in the opposite direction because he was the obnoxious little swot in the year below me at Clee Grammar school, Cleethorpes.

His predictions read like a fantasy but they have to be taken seriously as they indicate with absolute clarity the direction in which the establishment is determined to drive policy.

Most of today’s teenagers will be millionaires and they will live past 100.

Jobs for life, of course, will be long gone.

Just as my dad predicted, robotics will perform the more menial tasks while a new leisure age will emerge and all the serious diseases, even obesity, will simply be magicked away and new drugs will cleverly eliminate the dangerous effects of alcohol and lack of exercise.

There will, of course, be no State hospitals or State employed nurses and doctors, the whole system being largely funded by insurance (carefully failing to mention the absolute catastrophe that a similar system has inflicted on millions of people in the US). The State will be responsible only for controlling outbreaks and epidemics and research (the expensive

The World and the UK in 2050 Dr Madsen Pirie, Adam Smith Institute

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Writer, commentator and musician, punk-bred John Robb’s last chance to be a …

vegan pirate ANIMAL FRIENDLY FOOTWEAR Send name and address for free colour brochure.

Range includes mens and ladies shoes and boots, leisure shoes, walking boots, safety boots, jackets, belts etc…

12 Gardner Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1UP Tel/Fax: 01273 691913 E: information@vegetarian-shoes.co.uk

Order Direct Online www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk

There you are backstage in a room lit by those energy sapping, curious strip lights full of dead flies. You have been sat in the back of a van for ten hours. Your only break, the occasional motorway services with their strange luminosity – and that’s just the food.

Backstage is silent. It’s damp. It’s freezing and the graffiti is the same old witless scrawl of genitalia and insults.

You’re looking at the spread of food on the table – six packets of crisps, some curious looking sweets and a tired looking ham sandwich that even the flies are ignoring.

It’s food for children – not for road warriors; it’s food for people who don’t eat; it’s food for people who don’t care about themselves or the rest of the world.

Rock n roll is a curious occupation. When I joined this world, way back in the punk rock wars, it felt like a revolution of the everyday but now it feels like some curious backwards colony of conservative thinking. A place where the Rolling Stones fly shepherds pie round the world and people still eat pork pies.

Everyone knows that touring is not quite the glamorous occupation of hoary old myth. That doesn’t stop it being one of the great lifestyles though and in the past few decades being a vegetarian on the road has got a lot easier.

We once spent seven days in Poland eating sunflower seeds plucked from the husk of the flower and bits of stale bread. There we were once, trying to explain vegetarianism in a Hungarian roadside restaurant by drawing an egg and ending up with chicken. In France, our host kindly cooked us a chicken each believing it was vegetarian food because it was a plant eating animal. Our one meat eater had a slavering banquet whilst the host was out of the room. On the other hand, there were Dutch squats where tempeh was the staple a decade before you could buy it in the UK. In the 21st century, being vegetarian, and now vegan, has never been easier. Criss-crossing Germany is now a pleasure.

The nation that pretty well defined modern vegetarian culture has endless great health food shops where once even the humble banana would have been hard to source.

In an act that is so un-rock n roll that I almost feel embarrassed typing it, we always take a sturdy cardboard box in the van and keep it topped up with non-animal foodstuffs.

Touring is the last great thrill left in our over-sanitised world. It’s the last chance to be a pretend pirate and live beyond the law but a place where, with a bit of thinking, you can leave the animals alone and stay vegan even in the most high decibel of environments.

Even if you are faced with those six packets of crisps.

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Photo © Melanie Smith

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Jerome in Game of Thrones with Nicolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 “We became a merchantable product with everyone wanting a piece of us. We weren’t even creating our own music. The frenzied fame of the music world is madness compared to the relatively sane world of acting and so everything came to a head.

“I don’t regret going on that Disney ride and we did have lots of fun but two years was enough and I needed to look for true happiness – the two big questions being who am I and how shall I live?”

Jerome left the pop world behind and joined what he describes as a cult led by the controversial Andrew Cohen. “I put him on a pedestal”, says Jerome, “as part of me was looking for a Christ-like figure and I put that on Andrew. But a good guru or teacher will not allow you to do that.”

It was during this period, back in 2002, that I first met Jerome and it was clearly a time of stresses.

“With fame, thank god, I never wanted anyone to open a door for me but it works on subtle levels as you get used to being recognised. I was the youngest and least clever in the family and was always striving to be noticed and when I started acting, I got affirmation from peers and my elders. Acting is like saying ‘I’m here’ and people respond, saying ‘we see you’ and that helps you to form a mask, to be a golden boy, without even knowing you’re doing it.

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“An important part of finding truth is to recognise the masks you are holding between you and reality. I still have masks but I’ve now got more idea of how they work. In the cult I was able to seek aspiration – I was on fire with it - so leaving was huge. And they did what cults do when you leave, try to make you think

you’re turning your back on your heart.

“But my dad (Eric Flynn) died and so I left and came to Wales, to this place that I’d bought for him to start a new life with his young family – a place I love, where I have been coming since I was a boy. And now we have a little community and are developing a small business. I just love it here.”

Jerome Flynn’s background, from near Sevenoaks in Kent, was pretty idyllic it seems – a sister (Kerry), a brother (Daniel) and endless woodland and open countryside. His memories are of exploring together, swinging from trees, making camps, growing vegetables, splitting logs and, of course, animals - mum, Fern, taking in a variety of sick and injured wild creatures, nursing them to health before

releasing them back into the wild.

In his teens, Jerome began acting in school plays and discovered that girls showed more interest in him than they had before! The Sevenoaks Youth Theatre came next followed by three years at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama “one of the most exciting periods of my life.” It was here that a friend turned him vegetarian.

I showed Jerome Viva!’s investigation of a farm near Hull where piglets were incarcerated in cages three tiers deep – a Red Tractor farm supplying Morrisons!

At first he found it hard to speak but then said: “It is shocking, horrific. Yet again it has been left to Viva! to expose the brutal truth of how farmed animals are treated. The campaigns Viva! undertakes are responsible for many thousands – millions – of us becoming vegan or veggie and you have to remember that. It was your educational leaflets that woke me up to the horrors of factory farming and turned me veggie. And now your exposé of large-scale goat milk farming has rocked my world again.”

With that, he got up and left the room but returned holding a packet of Violife vegan cheese! “Actually, I like this one not bad!”

And the little kitty? Well, what do you think? I’ve named her Sarla because she is brave, beautiful and bold – and right now, is tearing around my house, Loki in hot pursuit!

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t h n e o r k o c ad a B big style!

Viva! is delighted to announce that we have teamed up with the Northern Vegan Festival and Great Yorkshire Vegan Festival to make an even greater impact for the animals.

Our Incredible Vegan Roadshows visited 40 cities and attracted tens of thousands of visitors, changing hearts and minds and diets. Under our new banner and with our new partnership we will reach even more people.

Come and visit us – and tell others about the great things on offer.

Í International food tastings and the best in convenience foods Í One-to-one nutritional advice Í Free recipes and detailed factsheets Í Cookery demos to wow you – and great talks Í A host of vegan goodies – cosmetics to cuddly toys; bags, books – and chocolate – T-shirts and more!

Saturday, April 23, 2016 – 10:00 to 17:00 NORTHERN VEGAN FESTIVAL – MANCHESTER

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Saturday, April 30, 2016 – 10:30 to 16:00 VIVA! VEGAN FESTIVAL – BIRMINGHAM

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Saturday, June 18, 2016 – 10:00 to 18:00 GREAT YORKSHIRE VEGAN FESTIVAL – LEEDS

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Autumn 2016 (date TBA) VIVA! VEGAN FESTIVAL – BRIGHTON

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Saturday, September 10, 2016 – 10:00 to 17:00 VIVA! VEGAN FESTIVAL – LIVERPOOL

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Saturday, November 19, 2016 – 10:30 to 16:30 VIVA! VEGAN FESTIVAL – BRISTOL

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Sunday, November 27, 2016 – 11:00 to 17:00 WINTERFEST VEGAN CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL – LEEDS

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Saturday, May 6, 2017 – 10:00 to 18:00 VIVA! VEGAN FESTIVAL – NOTTINGHAM

FOR EVERYONE – meat-eaters, VEGANS, THOSE aspiring TO BE vegan AND THOSE WHO JUST NEED A HELPING HAND

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.VIVA.ORG.UK/FESTIVALS www.viva.org.uk 47

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Welcome to Viva!life’s section devoted to all that’s new and cool when it comes to veggie, vegan and ethical businesses. We believe that you are what you eat but also you are what you buy, so why not support these new businesses that are making a vegan splash in a not-so-vegan ocean!

V-Biz Spotlight

Big up the Box GIVE KITCHEN Give Kitchen make nutritious, seasonal vegan meals, prepared in their own kitchens and delivered to your door. They offer a 22-Day Vegan Challenge (44 vegan meals, truffles and more) or a specialised 22-Day Weight Loss Challenge – both £199 each. The 22-Day Vegan Challenge Plus, which provides you with 66 fresh vegan meals (3 meals a day) is £299. Behind Give Kitchen is a truly inspirational charity whose aims are to eradicate world hunger, poverty and disease by 2040 – read more at www.givekitchen.com.

LIFEBOX FOOD CO. LifeBox’s Vegan Cleanse box features a balanced selection of delicious and nutritious clean eats to cleanse and rejuvenate through the changing seasons, from Primal Baker’s raw vegan treats to Pukka detox tea sachets. Choose a 1 month trial box (£20.95), a threemonth trial or a 12-month subscription at £19.95 per box. www.lifeboxfood.com.

r e ’ t s r o p p u S nt Scheme u o c s i D Viva! is proud to work with a lot of like-minded individuals and businesses to help promote a cruelty-free lifestyle for all and to bring you (our members!) amazing discounts on vegan products and services. The following businesses have recently joined our Supporter’s Discount Scheme (SDS) and/or have become Viva! Symbol Holders – check them out! Don’t forget to mention that you are a Viva! Member when making a booking or purchase.

Amity Pet Care Based in Surrey (covering the Redhill and Reigate area), vegans Laura and Luke are offering Viva! members and new clients their first cat home visit, small animal home visit, dog home visit, or dog walk for free (one free service available per household with proof of membership shown at time of consultation). Email amitypetcare@gmail.com or call 07958 706832. www.AmityPetCare.co.uk

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Get on down to My Vegan Town Our new vegan directory is growing fast and becoming the hub for all things vegan. We want your help and expertise – rate and review your favourite vegan places to eat, stay and shop; add photos of the view from your veg-friendly hotel or the amazing vegan chocolate cake from your local cafe. If a listing doesn’t exist, you can sign-up to add it – it’s free and super easy to use.

Get some veggie cred and add your vegan faves to My Vegan Town www.myvegantown.org.uk.

If you’re a vegan or veg-friendly business, you can apply for a business account on My Vegan Town and while you’re at it, join our Supporter’s Discount Scheme too (it’s FREE!) www.viva.org.uk/vivasupporters-discount-scheme. Sign up online or contact katrina@viva.org.uk

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Classifieds HOLIDAYS – ENGLAND LAKE DISTRICT

Lakeland living Bed & Breakfast

Personal The perfect place to Rest the Soul & Nourish the Body

Veg Soc Award Winning Breakfast Packed with nutritious food and oozing 5 star reviews, this tiny B&B is a perfect delight Cockermouth, Cumbria 0776 567 5530 Please visit www.veggielakelandliving.co.uk OXFORDSHIRE Heyford Vegan Bed & Breakfast in rural North Oxfordshire. Easy access Oxford, Blenheim, Rousham, Cotswolds, Oxford Canal. Dogs welcome. WiFi available. Train station and bus routes. www.heyfordveganbedandbreakfast@vpweb.co.uk O1869 340 664 / 07773 262 099 jenny@tamblyn2.orangehome.co.uk SHROPSHIRE The Ferns B&B in the historic market town of Newport, Shropshire.

Exclusively vegetarian/vegan. Central location for touring Staffordshire & Shropshire. Period town house.

Tel: 01952 812174 www.thefernsshropshire.co.uk HOLIDAYS – FRANCE

Looking for friendship, love or even a new business partner? Well, Viva!life Personal is the place to come! It’s simple and effective, and good value for money with prices starting from £8 for a 20-word lineage advert.

I’m vegan, male, 61, 5’ 10 ½” tall, compassionate and slim. My interests include nature, walking, books, a natural lifestyle and pure diet, alternative therapies, all animals, protecting and helping wildlife, the environment, history, architecture, art, trailwalking, cycling, gardening and meditation. I would like to meet a kind, compassionate woman, who, like myself, wishes to have children and create a loving, enduring relationship and family home.

Please reply to: Box 61/6, Viva!

Classifieds, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH The Followers of the Way Golgotha Skulls, Red Sea, vegetarian perspective, artist Antony Bates and Rev. Ferrier. Please send SAE. Please reply to Box 61/5, Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH

Vegan Lady (57) loves animals/nature/walking/garde ning, seeks kind-hearted male for compassionate life and happiness. Please reply to Box 61/3, Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH Responsible lady seeks live-in position helping with animal rescue/eco business/house/ garden/animals/admin etc.

Trustworthy. Driver. Animal lover. References. Please reply to Box 61/4, Viva!, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH Compassionate, young, every way healthy, naturalliving vegan female. Seeks special, kind, loyal, honest, devoted, animal and natureloving male for love. East Suffolk. Please reply to: Box 61/1, Viva! Classifieds, 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH

www.taxreturnonlineservices.co.uk Financial Accounts Preparation • Self Assessment Tax Returns Rental Accounts • Business Tax Advice 5% donation to VIVA!

Tel: 01485 601499 CHARITIES & GROUPS

Les Aigles Vegan & Vegetarian Apartment Situated in rural Drome Provençal nestled between the vineyards & olive groves. Dogs welcome. Modern facilities. www.lesaigles-veggies.com bookings@lesaigles-veggies.com +33 (0)677759714 or +33 (0)475264718 HOLIDAYS – IRELAND West Cork – Vegetarian self-catering apartments. Peaceful, wooded surroundings. Organic vegetables and wholefoods available. Green Lodge, Ballylickey, Bantry, Co Cork.

Tel: 0035 3 2766146 Email: greenlodge@gmail.com Web: http://homepage.eircom. net/~greenlodge PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Calling all Writers!

Friendly Edit Vegan-run Editing and Proofreading Service.

Editing – £10 per 1000 words Proofreading – £7 per 1000 words Please visit the website to find out more or get in touch via Facebook:

www.friendlyedit.com www.facebook.com/friendly.edit Help with Self-Publishing also available.

The Vegetarian Charity Vegetarians and vegans aged under 26 can apply for grants from The Vegetarian Charity. We can help with education costs and funds for exceptional needs.

Donations and legacies are most welcome to ensure that we can continue to satisfy the need for help.

Our annual fully funded vegan cookery course is open to vegetarians and vegans aged 16-25 years inc.

Further information and application forms are available on our website www.vegetariancharity.org.uk or by post from The Grants Secretary, PO Box 496, Manchester M45 0FL Registered Charity No 294767 www.viva.org.uk 49

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O

Want inspiring recipes?

Have my nutritional needs changed?

Which care homes cater for me?

Vegetarian for Life, 83 Ducie Street, Manchester M1 2JQ Email: admin@vegetarianforlife.org.uk Tel: 0161 257 0887 VfLUK @VfL_UK

www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk

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Registered charity number 1120687

We have the answers!

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OFFER FOR VIVA! MEMBERS

Save 50% when you subscribe to Vegan Food & Living magazine Vegan Food & Living is a brand new magazine dedicated to celebrating the vegan lifestyle. Every issue is packed with 75 tasty recipes, plus informative features which will resonate with all vegans.

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WEZMRK MW SRP] EZEMPEFPI SR 9/ (MVIGX (IFMX SVHIVW =SY [MPP FI GLEVKIH † JSV XLI ½ VWX ]IEV XLIR † IZIV] ]IEV XLIVIEJXIV =SY [MPP VIGIMZI MWWYIW MR E ]IEV

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