As a journalist, you get to meet people from all walks of life. Over the years I’ve met some wonderful souls, been welcomed into people’s lives in the name of a story, learned many things and questioned much.
In the 15 years I’ve been doing this, there have been a few incredible people who have, just by their very nature, etched their message into my heart—some, albeit few, have even influenced me to change my life.
Once such interview was about five years ago: “Come along and meet this guy, he’s amazing,” the publicist promised. She was talking about Don Tolman, a guy from Utah known fondly by many as the Indiana Jones of Wholefoods. I’d never heard of him, or his message.
His message, I soon learned, is simple: live with nature, by nature and from nature. Understand what foods benefit particular body functions and eat them. Stop putting chemical pills and potions into your mouth. Drink fresh spring water. Stop brushing your teeth with fluoride. Listen to your great grandmother and use her natural remedies. Know that your body’s symptoms are your body’s cures. Eating meat causes putrification and dis-ease. Question everything.
A 30-minute meeting with the Stetson-wearing cowboy felt like five minutes. His message spoke directly to me, as if what he was saying I already knew on some deep level. I’d already been following some of his recommendations, purely on instinct, such as never taking a pill to relieve a headache or antibiotics to fix an ill, and no longer eating red meat.
If you haven’t had a chance to hear Don Tolman speak, below is an interview he did with Samantha Backman. I hope you enjoy hearing his message, as much as I always do.
Why it’s great: Packed with a gold mine of information that will change the way you look at your body and the food you put in it, forever. Tolman also talks about how every wholefood has a signature that corresponds to parts of the body, such as an avocado, which looks like a pregnant woman and takes nine months from blossom to ripened fruit. If a woman eats just one avocado per week, she is helping prevent cervical cancer.
Who’s watching it: Health care professionals, university lecturers and doctors who are realising the Western way of healing with pharmaceuticals doesn’t work. Also anyone who is interested in honest-to-goodness nutrition and how it greatly improves life through diet and exercise.
What you’ll learn: How your body actually works, why disease is not a mystery and how wholefoods, water, sunshine and clean air can prevent just about any disease.
Want to know more? See www.dontolmaninternational.com
Photo by Wheeloflife.tv
It breaks my heart to see animals suffer. But the reality is, because we humans made meat and dairy a diet staple—regardless of its countless ill effects—animal torture and murders happen every single day, on just about every country on earth.
Despite this, the reality is, every single person can be the change that can turn things around. Yet, sometimes the reality we need to see in order to “get it” is downright heart-wrenching.
As eco-consciousness is spreading, so to are the numbers of people opting to go vegan (and vegetarian). Still, more needs to be done to get the word out.
I came across this video (below), which is a collection of celebrity PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) videos—celebrities who have spoken and are speaking out, about what really goes on behind the scenes in slaughter houses and in the fur trade. Whether you love or loathe PETA, you’ve got to appreciate their ability to get attention-grabbing celebs to promote living meat and fur free (such as Khloe Kardashian pictured above).
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I’m looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of Melanie Joy’s Why We Love dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows—a book that explores the human relationship with animals and why we believe it’s acceptable to eat one animal, yet not another.
Here’s an excerpt from a VegSource.com review:
The opening chapter of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows is startling and effective. We are asked to imagine a dinner party at which the guests are enjoying a delicious stew. But when one guest asks for the recipe, the host explains that it starts with a golden retriever. The disgust and revulsion that follows this announcement is examined in detail later in the book, and Dr. Joy is both succinct and smart in showing us the overlapping circles of identification, empathy and disgust that color our relationships with animals.
Take a look at this compelling, and confronting, video, compiled to demonstrate the author’s point:
I would love to hear from anyone who has read the book, or from those who are simply keen to discuss the topic of why humans eat some animals and not others.
One of the things I told myself when I transitioned from meat eater to vegan was, be kind to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you happen to fall. There are bound to be hiccups along the way. It’s what you do with the hiccup that counts. Allow it to pass with ease or make a fuss trying to cover it up.
This conscious kindness has also extended to others in my life who may not have experienced the same lifestyle transition as me. Sure, I lectured my family on the health and moral issues associated with animal consumption. But I learned. This is my journey and it’s not for me to force it on others who are also on theirs — whichever path they may ultimately choose, is completely and utterly up to them.
Loving leader or persistent preacher? Results always speak louder than words. That said, we vegans (who, more often than not, have much energy to burn) can certainly channel that passionate energy into positive self-talk, as well as projects to help spread the word. Here are just a few of my favourites:
1) Start a blog that’s dedicated to helping meat eaters transition to a vegan diet. Fill it with hints and tips you’ve learned along the way. There are many out there who want to give veganism a go, but may not know where to start!
2) Throw a vegan dinner party. Invite friends and family to a three course (or more!) spread that will change the way they think of vegan, forever. For recipes, check out the myriad vegan books on Amazon or head to blogs such as Vegan Yum Yum.
3) Animal shelters are filled with animals who need love and people who want to give it. Volunteer one day a week. Share your stories with animal lovers who may well be inspired by your story.
4) Write to restaurants that don’t include vegan options on their menus. A kind letter with some good ideas, positive facts about the vegan diet and stats on how many vegans live in the area can work wonders. The promise of extra customers may well be an incentive for restaurateurs to get their vegan on.
5) Ask the question: how can I serve? Write a list of your talents and skills and then look to non-profit organisations (that resonate with the vegan in you) which could benefit greatly from your help. Check in with your local Vegan Society which may also have some great ideas. Just being you (and vegan) will help to spread a positive vegan message amongst everyone you meet.
Love this (except the curse bit)
Ex-Beatles’ Paul McCartney, who was famously quoted as saying “if slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian”, now has a tune to encourage people to stop eating meat—at least on Mondays.
Check out his Meat Free Mondays website to send in your own little ditty, or just to get the lowdown on how eating animals affects the health of the planet and the people. Then, I say, let’s make every day a Monday!
“I’ve found without question that the best way to lead others to a more plant-based diet is by example – to lead with your fork, not your mouth.” —Bernie Wilke, quoted in Joanne Stepaniak’s The Vegan Sourcebook, 1998
If we vegans get tired of talking protein, we can always switch the subject to iron. One of my favourite ways to ensure I get a good amount of iron is by drinking blackstrap molasses (stir a teaspoon or two into a cup of warm water).
This by-product of sugar cane processing is also packed full of other nutrients that are beneficial, no matter your diet of choice.
Check out some of these health-boosting benefits:
• As many a meat eater may tell you, animal meat is loaded with iron. What they likely won’t mention is that blackstrap molasses provides more iron for less calories and is totally fat-free.
• When you’re pregnant or menstruating your need for iron increases. Two teaspoons a day gives about 15 per cent of the daily recommended iron intake. Add raw green to your diet to really pump up your iron.
• Blackstrap molasses is a great source of calcium. Calcium is essential to life (and doesn’t come from cows milk as the marketing hype suggests). I recently heard that, besides strengthening bones, calcium binds and removes toxins from the colon and helps with prevention of migraine attacks.
• It’s also an excellent source of copper and manganese and a great source of potassium and magnesium.
My blackstrap molasses of choice is from Wholesome Sweeteners. It’s fair trade, organic and of course, vegan.
If drinking molasses isn’t your thing, check out these delish-looking gingerbread cakes from fab recipe site Vegan Yum Yum, just in time for Christmas. When I make my batch, I’m going to substitute crushed flax instead of the egg replacer. I’m also not into margarine, so will check out some more natural vegan alternatives.
Gingerbread Cakes
Makes 9 small layer cakes
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Ginger
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Molasses (unsulphured, like Grandma’s brand)
2/3 Cup Hot Water
1/2 Cup Earth Balance Margarine
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Ener-g Egg, optional
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1/4 Cup Earth Balance Margarine
1 lb Confectioner’s Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Zest from 1 Lemon
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl until well combined.
Prepare two 8×8 baking pans as follows: grease the pans with margarine. Lay a square of parchment paper down in the inside of the pans, cut to fit the bottoms. Grease the paper as well. Use some of the try mixture you just made to flour the pans, shaking/tapping out any extra.
Whisk molasses and hot water together.
Cream the margarine and sugar. Whip the mixture with the optional Ener-g egg until light and fluffy.
It seems this is my week to write about actress Natalie Portman. Since penning the article about the protein myth and how being famous doesn’t make you an expert, I’ve noticed there’s a lot of debate about whether Nat is a vegan or vegetarian.
From here, I got to wondering why we vegans care so deeply about celebrity diet choices, particularly once they’ve mentioned they’re one of “us”. And why we want to let meat eaters know their diet choices aren’t optimal for their own health, the health of animals and the planet.
My reasoning came down to this: it’s because we have learned and lived what it means to be animal-flesh-and-product free. It’s like finding the buried treasure, the golden ring, the never-seen-before episodes of Seinfeld. It’s so damn exciting that we want to let the world know, wake up the sleepy and declare our new found clarity and meaning to anyone who’ll listen. And we also want celebrities on our side. They have a bigger reach, they can influence more people. People actually listen to them.
But I also believe the every day person (like little ol’ me) can reach millions too, through tolerance and understanding, but also more importantly leading by example. Everyday actions that come from a kind place add up to be big actions of positive influence. Look at Oprah. She took one step at a time, doing what she believed in while practicing tolerance and understanding. Her little steps added up to be a worldwide phenomenon. Her success, it seems to me, came out of a deep desire to help others and her willingness to let others see her faults. To show that she is human, just like you and me. Most of us vegans were meat eaters and dairy drinkers too at some point in our lives, unless, of course, we were lucky enough to have vegan parents ourselves.
So that’s just it. Just because I’m vegan doesn’t mean I’m right about everything, or have the answers to the world’s diet woes (although I’m certain I could guide and greatly help those who ask for it). And just because Natalie Portman is on her journey between vegetarianism and veganism doesn’t really matter either. It’s the kind actions we take, every day, that add up to make a big difference. If we all lead by positive example, who knows, eating animals could be a habit of the past sooner than we think.
But for the record, in Natalie’s words herself, and thanks to Jonathan Safran Foer’s book Eating Animals, she is indeed vegan.
It’s so great to know this information is getting more exposure in all the right places. Viva la vegan! (And thanks to Cynthia Morgan for sharing).
I may live in New Zealand, but I’m actually an Aussie—a proud one at that. Proud, that is, until we Australians began slaughtering our most recognisable icon, the beloved kangaroo.
These days I’m ashamed of my countrymen who take the lives of these beautiful creatures with guns, knives and clubs for monetary greed and personal gain, all under the guide of “pest eradication”. Have you ever known another country to proudly display a “pest” on its Coat of Arms? Or on the tail of its national airline? Me either.
So what happens to these majestic animals once they’ve been killed? It’s a long list. Here’s an excerpt from an article on the Australian Wildlife Protection Council:
Kangaroo paws are made into bottle openers, and stuffed heads into wall mounts. In the orient, you can buy “the Golden Ball Purse,” a small coin purse made from a kangaroo’s scrotum. In England, golfers can pay to sport a furry, fuzzy natural hide golf bag. In Germany and other parts of Europe, people have developed a taste for kangaroo meat. Italians make shoes from the leather. Americans wear these and other leather products made from kangaroo, often without knowing it. The hides are desired for the softness of the leather and there is the added advantage of no expensive feeding costs before slaughter. Never mind the extreme cruelty to many millions of wild animals or the mismanagement of wildlife for great financial gain. All of us, not just Australians, are part of the problem.
Six million kangaroos were killed in 1999 alone. Now, according to reports, our lovable Skippy is facing extinction. It has got to stop.
Even though I’m not living on home soil, I want to be able to help those who are standing up for these beautiful animals.
Here’s my Top 5 ways to help save the kangaroo:
1. Write to groups such as the Australian Wildlife Protection Agency and ask how you can help them get the word out.
2. Arm yourself with accurate information from websites (ActNowForAnimals, StopKangarooKilling.org, SaveTheKangaroo.com, AnimalLiberation.org) dedicated to the cause, to learn everything there is to know about this barbaric sport. Then blog about it to spread the word.
3. Boycott and write to restaurants, businesses and companies that sell or use kanagroo fur, skin, meat or any other body parts in their products. Some of these include:
• Adidas (sign a petition here);
• Kangaroo Export Import International;
• Country Hide and Skins;
• Macro Meats Gourmet Game;
• Packer Leather;
• Aussie Game Meats;
• Southern Game Meat;
• Aussie Best;
• Australian Bush Store;
• The Leather Shop.
4. Write to the Australian Government;
5. Support the the call for the European Union to ban all kangaroo products.
Who knew the Coat of Arms was a menu?
If heaven was a food, it would be a young coconut. This heavenly gift of nature is top of my favourite foods/drinks list, not only because it tastes godly, but because it’s so darn good for you.
It took some detective work to find them in Auckland, but now I have, I’m one happy girl.
Toss aside your man made energy drinks folks, because this nut from nature is one of the highest sources of electrolytes known to man. It also works as a natural filter, taking nine months to produce each litre of water. The water is identical to human blood plasma, which makes up more than 50 per cent of your blood. How’s that for an instant blood transfusion?
The meat is soft and can be scooped out after you’ve finished the water. I love to throw both in blender for an instant coconut smoothie. So. Good.
Intrigued? Find out more right here.
Photo courtesy of Nadyala.com
Al Gore told an Australian journalist he knows meat is bad for you and the environment in a recent television interview (check it out below). Good start, Al. So as one of the world’s most recognisable “environmentalists” I can’t help but wonder why Mr Gore still eats meat if he really cares about this environmental crisis he speaks of? Am I missing something?
One of my big lessons over the past few years is never believe what you read in the mainstream media. Why? Because more often than not there’s an underlying reason why these outlets promote certain stories over others — and that reason usually boils down to cold hard cash. Give love to a particular industry or product and watch those advertising dollars flood in. Just check out any mainstream magazine and count how many big brand products appear in the editorial pages. Then count the ads from said company.
And what about those big old media conglomerates that feed us mere mortal readers with “facts” and “expert” opinions across newspapers, television and the Internet? Why do they get to decide what’s news or not? And why is 99 percent of it downright negative?
Case in point: this morning I woke to read an article from one of my favourite real news sites Natural News about how Amercia’s Associated Press have waged a war against alternative medicine in a series of stories, stating that “10 years and $2.5 billion of research have found no cures from alternative medicine”. Say what? I really don’t know where to begin with you, AP.
Here’s an excerpt from the Natural News story:
The AP, it seems, has decided to ally itself with pharmaceutical medicine and spend its time and money hiring writers who promote drugs and discredit anything natural. A recent story by Marchione, for example, claims that statin drugs help prevent swine flu! It’s quite clear that AP is following a specific agenda to destroy the reputation of natural medicine while boosting public perception of pharmaceuticals. And yet, in reality, it is Big Pharma that has delivered no cures. But the sick-care industry has delivered America into financial bankruptcy and helped our nation become the most diseased population in the history of human civilization. AP feels no need to report on that inconvenient truth. Rather, it sees its job as encouraging yet more pharmaceutical use in America while destroying the credibility of far safer and more effective natural therapies that could help turn around America’s health. The Associated Press is sadly misinformed about natural medicine, and yet their stories are syndicated across thousands of newspapers and millions of web pages each day.
What’s sad about this situation is that millions of people take the voice of mainstream media as gospel, without a second thought. I used to be one of them. Then I woke up. So, in light of mainstream media’s latest antics, I’ve compiled a list of top 5 tips to help stay mentally healthy, no newspaper subscription required.
Top 5 Tips for Staying Mentally Healthy
1. Turn off the evening news and cut off the daily newspaper subscription. If you must get your daily dose of mainstream news, look at it from an entertainment point of view. You’re the only one who can decide what’s news and what’s not;
2. Question any information you’re given. Just because someone is labelled as an expert, guru or has the word professor in front of their name, doesn’t mean what they say is true or right for you;
3. Put aside 20 minutes or so each day for meditation or quiet time. Clearing out mental clutter is a sure fire way to add clarity and greater purpose to your life;
4. Transition from a diet of animal flesh and animal-based products to a plant-based wholefood diet. Meat, dairy and anything else animal-derived not only pumps pesticides, parasites and disease into your body, it also creates a breeding ground for negative, foggy thinking. Raw organic wholefoods are packed with life-giving enzymes and all the nutrients a body needs (that includes protein);
5. Mainstream media may tell you to load up on the sunscreen and hide from the sun, but this is a recipe for a health disaster. Many sunblocks are laden with cancer-causing chemicals that bake right into the bloodstream through the body’s largest organ, the skin. Getting at least half an hour of sunshine every day is vital to good health and healthy thinking. The sun has been revered by cultures worldwide as a life-giver and isn’t the cancer-causer mainstream media has dubbed it to be.
Remember the food pyramid we were taught to memorise to ensure we got the right amounts of the right foods for good health? Well, as you may or may not know, that popular pin-up was influenced heavily by the dairy and meat industries. The goal of the chart was to generate big business, not optimal health.
But it’s not all bad news. Health Ranger Mike Adams has developed a guide that’s free from food industry corruption. It lists all the foods that will do a body good, and all those that will cause disease. It’s simple to navigate and it’s free to download.
One point worth mentioning is that the chart does list soy as a “good food”, which it’s not unless it’s fermented. You heard it right, tofu isn’t good for you, nor is soy milk. Most soy is genetically modified and, according to Dr Mercola, it stops the body from digesting protein. It also impairs thyroid function. Find out more about the evils of soy in the video below:
How’s Rocco, the meat-loving cowboy who Dr Oz put on a vegan diet for 28 days, doing? After being on death’s door only a month ago, he has embraced the vegan diet and has no plans to change back to his old ways, thanks to his new lease on life. Rocco says if he can do it, anyone can. Watch his transformation here:
With articles out there like this one from Donna Fish at the Huffington Post, it’s really important vegans help to educate others about what it actually means to live meat, dairy and animal-product free.
With a headline of “Help! My Daughter’s a Vegan” only perpetuating the false belief that veganism is unhealthy and nutritionally lacking, the media is doing little-to-nothing to dig up the real health facts. What results is an empty, uninformative article that flippantly suggests a meat based diet is superior to a vegan one. This, in fact, as many vegans know, is untrue.
Rather than me bang on about how a healthy vegan diet can transform lives in so many positive, healthful ways, I think it’s best I turn to Olympic athlete Carl Lewis on the transformation he experienced when he became vegan.
“Can a world-class athlete get enough protein from a vegetarian diet to compete? I’ve found that a person does not need protein from meat to be a successful athlete. In fact, my best year of track competition was the first year I ate a vegan diet. Moreover, by continuing to eat a vegan diet, my weight is under control, I like the way I look. (I know that sounds vain, but all of us want to like the way we look.) I enjoy eating more, and I feel great. Here’s my story.”
