The Vegan Bubble

My hubby may be the only other vegan that I interact with in my daily life, and I have one other vegetarian friend, but still I have realized that I live in a sort of vegan bubble. You see, my friends and family & even my many FB friends all know and accept that I am vegan. Sure, I get the occasional smart ass comment on FB about my veganism, but usually I get genuine questions if any at all at this point. So what does your BFF do when she has her bubble burst?

Interesting that you should ask that, as last night I found myself in just that sort of situation! I was at dinner with 2 friends and about 6 other women whom I did not know. I of course got the usual "What made you go vegan?" to which I respond with my usual "I was vegetarian for 10+ years for ethical reasons, & recently became vegan because that seemed to be the natural course for me". To which I usually get one of 2 responses: "I could easily give up meat." and "I could never give up meat." All standard stuff here, BFF. But at this table, there was one person who wanted more... "Where do you get your protein?" This question has ceased to astonish and annoy me, so I reply, "Protein is in almost everything we eat. I get high doses of it in a variety of plant sources." I then realized that I was dealing with a hostile meat-eater. She then loudly took a poll at the table, raising her own hand and asking "Who here could ever give up red meat? I could never give up meat!", to which every person sat in uncomfortable silence except for one. She wanted to single me out and remind me that there were more people on her side than on mine. So what did your BFF do? I met her with compassion. She asked more questions & I answered with compassion. I related to her. I made her feel that we weren't so different. She told me that she can really feel when she needs more protein in her diet and I told her that I get the same cravings and can totally satisfy them with plant-based foods. And eventually her voice quieted down, and we were able to talk about other things.

So was your BFF annoyed by this encounter? Yes and no. It's never easy to be picked on. I don't care if you are a kid or an adult, it's no fun to be singled out and ganged up on. I was also taken by surprise because I have not stepped out of my "vegan bubble" in a while. But on the other hand, I saw this as an opportunity. Not an opportunity to preach to her about the horrors of the meat industry, but an opportunity to show her that vegans are fine people to talk to and share a meal with. As I heard Rae Sikora say at a Farm Sanctuary event, "you represent an entire movement". This may have been the only time this woman had ever met a vegan. I could have snapped back at her comments or been a smart ass. But I wanted her to take away from our encounter that vegans are kind and compassionate (that is the whole point after all, isn't it??).

We as vegans have a great responsibility...we do represent an entire movement! And there are many negative stereotypes out there about vegans. We need to be vigilant about our interactions...making sure we are open, honest, and compassionate. We can get our point across without preaching and acting self righteous. Nobody wants to be around that person. Interact with others from a place of awareness and compassion...most of us did not come out of the womb vegan. It is a journey...and often times it begins at that first encounter with a vegan.

“Drop a pebble in a still pond and watch the pebble travel out in an ever expanding ring.”

Peace and love,
Your BFF

Happy Thanksgiving BFF!!!

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays...yep, you heard it right! I love the flavors of this holiday and, for me, turkey has never been the centerpiece of the meal...until this year. We adopted a beautiful turkey named Daphne and we will be honoring her this year at our Thanksgiving meal. Daphne is one of the few lucky turkeys who have been rescued and allowed to live out their natural lives, free and peaceful at Farm Sanctuary. Hubby and I have made it an annual tradition to head to the Farm at Thanksgiving time to honor and celebrate the beautiful turkeys like Daphne.

Daphne ~ Isn't she beautiful?

We are so very lucky to have open-minded families who are willing to "give up" the traditional turkey dinner to join us for a compassionate Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for, and first on the list are the beautiful hearts of these wonderful people.

It's not like our guests will be suffering though! Our Compassionate Thanksgiving meal will have all the wonderful and traditional flavors that everyone so looks forward to. I am still surprised at the doubters who think that by not having animal products in a meal, all traces of a yummy Thanksgiving are lost. So not true BFF!!


So what is on the menu, you ask? Here it is...and if you want the recipes, just ask!

• Field Roast (turkey substitute made from whole grains)
• Mashed potatoes
• Stuffing
• Mushroom gravy
• Butternut squash & apple casserole
• Roasted Brussels sprouts
• Homemade cranberry sauce
• Pumpkin cheesecake
• Pumpkin pie

Does it sound like we'll be suffering without turkey? I think not! And better yet, no turkey has to suffer for our celebration. Peace and love to you BFF! And have a wonderful and compassionate Thanksgiving!

Here's a little more info on the turkeys at Farm Sanctuary featuring our very own Daphne:
Reel Life Video Series: Episode 3

Is Soy Safe?

Ok, BFF. I have been asked if soy is safe a lot recently, so I took some time to do research. When it comes to questions of soy safety, the main concerns seem to be about thyroid, increased cancer risk, fertility issues, and phyto-estrogen (plant estrogen) in men causing "man boobs".

I have included links to some of the articles that I found. I researched vegan "friendly" sites as well as neutral sites. They all say the same things:

1. If you consume large amounts of soy, you may need to increase your iodine intake as soy can leech iodine from your system & this can cause thyroid issues. FYI: you are probably getting enough iodine from other foods you eat & is likely not a major concern. If you have underlying thyroid issues, be a little more careful...ie, talk to your doctor. For those healthy individuals with no history of thyroid problems, soy is a-ok.

2. Studies actually show that soy can decrease cancer risk, especially breast cancer. There is some question as to when this soy needs to be consumed in order to be most effective. Thoughts are that the most effective time for women to consume soy to prevent breast cancer is during adolescence when breast tissue is forming.

3. There is no solid evidence that soy interferes with fertility or causes "man boobs". We need to look at the big picture here. If people are experiencing issues in these areas, can we conclusively pin point the problem to soy intake??? What else is going on here...genetics? what else are they consuming? I think there are so many other factors involved, that it is irresponsible to solely put the blame on soy.

Keep in mind that soy is not new. It has been consumed in the East forever and the population seems to be thriving. (Have you read The China Study??)  I'm no expert, but I think the benefits outweigh the risks here. Everything in moderation is a good motto to live by. Make sure you have a balanced diet, and that you are getting your protein from a variety of plant sources.

PS...Your BFF and her hubby have been eating soy regularly for a long time! Hubby does not have man-boobs & is very healthy & athletic! Your BFF's last blood work was impeccable!  The Dr. said that she had never seen such perfect blood work! (FYI previous blood work when I ate eggs & dairy, showed high cholesterol!). So looks like we are also ok as far as thyroid function & overall we are doing well!

Here are the links. Please read, as your BFF is NOT an expert & the summaries did not cover all the information available!

http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/soy_health.html

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/davis_soy_safe.htm

http://familydoctormag.com/nutrition/1360-the-soy-controversy-is-soy-dangerous-answers-for-men-and-women.html
 
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/soymessina

It's Halloween BFF!!! Veganize it!

Little Skunk

It's that time of year again! My very favorite holiday...you're BFF loves to play dress-up! Not to mention eat candy til I'm sick! As you've guessed, there is vegan candy and not-so-vegan candy. And of course you want to be the coolest, most compassionate candy-giver on the block! Not to fear...here is your vegan candy guide (as listed on the Veg-News and PETA websites). You can still give out tasty sweets that your Trick-or-Treaters will love, and the animals with love you too! I've included websites for the more uncommon treats. And I know some of these are a little pricey for Halloween, but don't forget stocking stuffers and Birthdays! MMmmmmm nom nom nom...gourmet chocolate!

Airheads taffy
Allison's Gourmet vegan caramels (website)

Annie's Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks (website)
Brach's Cinnamon Hard Candy
Brach's Root Beer Barrels
Brach's Star Brites                    
Charms Blow Pops
Charms Pumpkin Flat Pops
Chick-o-Sticks
Chocolove Dark Chocolate bar (website)
Chocolove Cherries and Almonds Dark Chocolate Bar (website)
Chocolove Crystallized Ginger Dark Chocolate Bar (website)
Chocolove Orange Peel Dark Chocolate Bar (website)
Chocolove Raspberry Dark Chocolate bar (website)
Chuao Chocolatier Spicy Maya (website)
Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit (website)
Crispy Cat Candy Bars (website)
Crows (licorice flavored Dots)
Cracker Jack
Cry Babies
Divvies  (website)
Dots
Dum-Dums
Endangered Species Dark Chocolate Halloween Bug Bites (website)
Fireballs
Ginger People Ginger Chews (website)
Go Max Go candy bars (website)
Goody Good Stuff Sours (website)
The Humphrey Company Original Popcorn Balls (website)
Hubba Bubba bubblegum
Jolly Ranchers (lollipops and hard candy)
Jujubees
Jujyfruits
Laffy Taffy
Lemonheads
Let's Do Organic Gummy Bears (website)
Mambas
Mary Janes (regular and peanut butter kisses)
Mike and Ike
Newman's Own Licorice Twists (website)
Now and Later
NuGo Organic Chocolate Bar (website)
Panda Licorice (website)
Pez
Seitenbacker Gummy Candies (website)
Sjaak's Organic Chocolates (website)
Skittles (this is recent, so check the packaging to see if it's labeled "gelatin-free")
Smarties (U.S. Brand)
Sour Patch Kids
Super Bubble
Swedish Fish
Sweet Tarts
Twizzlers
YummyEarth lollipops (website)
Zotz

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!


ps. Do you have a favorite vegan Halloween treat? Let me know!

Cupcakes!!!

Vegan Cupcakes....could you just die, or what?!?! Oh my goodness, BFF...if you love cupcakes (and I know you do), you MUST get this cookbook:

 Even if you are not vegan, this is a cupcake-lover's and baker's must! I promise you that these cupcakes are better than anything with eggs & dairy. They are so moist & so tasty & so very easy to make! My non-vegan friends and family love them...my mother thinks they are better than the local bakery's vegan cupcake & my friend says they are the best cupcakes in the world!

These are the Green Tea cupcakes with my own added touch of silver sprinkles. I made them last night...so easy!!! And just look how pretty!

The cupcakes pictured here are Chocolate Stout cupcakes. The husband makes these (see I told you easy!), and they are so rich and delicious! So good with a tall glass of ice cold soy milk!

Here are the Banana Split cupcakes (my personal favs!)...aren't they pretty??




So my challenge to you BFF is this... Next time there is a birthday party or event that calls for cupcakes...give vegan cupcakes a chance! I guarantee that everyone will rave about them! And don't go making a batch of "regular" cupcakes as back up...I promise you won't need them! Anyone will enjoy these, unless there is something seriously wrong with their tastebuds...in which case we'll forgive them.

Trust me BFF...BEST. CUPCAKES. EVER.

How did your BFF become vegan??

I've had this question a lot, and have been debating on whether or not to blog about it, or just answer it on FB. But...if I'm giving you all this awesome vegan advice, I think it's important that you know where I came from. Thank you Nadia for the question, and here's the answer.

Let's start at the beginning, I grew up in a very health conscious house. My mother believed in her family eating all natural, organic, preservative-free food. We did eat meat, but it usually came from a local farm north of where we lived. Incidentally, I have etched in my brain a visit to the farm where I was hanging out with the farmers daughter in the slaughterhouse while she ate Fruit Loops and we watched cartoons on a tiny tv. Sounds like something right out of the Twilight Zone, right? Even though I didn't see any animals being killed, I will never forget the smell of the place, mixed with the smell of Fruit Loops...still gagging! Anyway as a child, I did not love meat. I demanded that my mom make for me a separate spaghetti sauce that was meat free (which she lovingly did) and I was no fan of pork chops that's for sure. At age 8? 10?, I remember asking about the source of the meat. In my head I liked to think of the animals being humanely euthanized, pain-free and willingly. I think even then I knew it wasn't true. But I asked about the ethics of eating animals & the answer I received was that this is what the animals are raised for. Which is a truthful answer without getting into right and wrong.

At age 19, I one of my BFF's was vegetarian, I worked in a restaurant with a lot of vegetarians, and I took an ethics class that talked about eating animals. This really stirred the pot for me & I decided that I was going veg. But for the uneducated 19 year old, that meant that I ate grilled cheese, mac and cheese, and french fries. Not a well balanced diet and definitely not one for the long haul. Needless to say that I was only vegetarian-ish for awhile & soon fell off the wagon. I did not have the 'a-ha' factor or moment to make the change last.

My 'A-ha' moment (sorry about going "all Oprah" on ya) happened when I got my dog when I was 20 years old. He was only 5 weeks old when I got him & I had to give him puppy formula because he was taken from his mamma to soon. It was love at first sight. It was also not so long after that I realized that he is not different from other animals...if you think so, ask yourself why? Once that connection was made, it was really difficult to separate. I definitely had my moments of backsliding, but this time they came with a heaping spoonful of guilt...and who wants that? The easiest way to alleviate this guilty feeling was to stop eating meat...change my behavior. And that's what I did.

He was just a little bigger than my hairbrush!

So onward we go as a vegetarian. Or pesca-vegetarian, because I still ate seafood. It was actually a carnivorous friend who got me to stop eating fish. She asked me what the difference was between land and sea creatures...why was one okay for me to eat and not the other. Now I'm not sure if she was really curious or really wanted to challenge me, but challenge me she did, and this was my reply: There is no difference, but seafood is just harder for me to give up. Shortly after she asked the question, I stopped eating fish. The guilty feeling that I was ignoring was no longer ignorable. And many other things after this just gradually faded away...eggs began to disgust me, we switched to soy milk for hubby's lactose issues, etc. Hubs and I often discussed that we knew veganism was in our future...we were totally not prepared for how soon it would arrive.

For our anniversary every year, we venture to the Fingerlakes wine country in New York. Coincidentally, right around the corner is Farm Sanctuary. We had tried to visit the farm in the past, but our timing was always off...we ran out of time, farm was closed to visitors...But in August of 2009, the stars aligned and we were able to visit the farm! It was a rainy, muddy day, and we were the only visitors (thank the saints!). I already new it was going to be an emotional day because I'm super sensitive when it comes to the mistreatment of animals. I was tearing up at the get-go, just thinking of all the wrongs in the world & I was super excited and nervous about meeting the cows. I have a soft-spot in my heart for cows (they are just big dogs!) and I just new it would be difficult and wonderful to see them. So our tour began with a video, talking about how the animals used for meat, eggs, and dairy industries are treated. More tears. Then we start up to see the cows. Our guide, my new farm BFF, was talking about a really awful story about sheep....I can't remember it now, because as soon as I got my first glimpse of a cow, I totally broke down sobbing (this is why I'm thankful we were the only ones on the tour). Farm BFF thought it was the story (it probably partly was), but it was really the cows...poor Farm BFF didn't know what to do with me. When I finally composed myself, we headed into the pasture with the "Special Needs" herd...most of whom have joint issues, are elderly, etc. This is where I met Snickers, the beautiful cow with a white heart on his front leg. As we were sitting with Snickers, Farm BFF was telling us his story. He was a veal calf and he was rescued with his mother, who's udders were so severely infected that they were dragging on the ground. This is where I learned that dairy industry = veal industry. Duh! I never really truly made this connection before. Veal was the very first meat I gave up in my teens, and unwittingly all along, I was supporting veal farming every time I bought ice cream or Gouda. That info does not sit well in a vegetarian's stomach. So we continued on with our tour, meeting all the wonderful animals and hearing their stories. We witnessed how many obstacles they've overcome and how they can even find forgiveness. Did you know that sheep comfort each other by leaning on each other, ie applying pressure? They find this comforting, and they help each other out in times of distress. The sheep did this to us...that day, when we were struggling to come to terms with our choices and the choices of the world. They came right up to us and leaned on us, we comforted each other. And during each visit to the farm, the sheep continue to do this...sometimes almost knocking us over! So needless to say, after that visit, both your BFF and her hubby were vegan.

Me with Snickers!

Another great question posed by Nadia was...How do you stay vegan and not fall off the wagon? For me the answer is simple. You cannot un-ring a bell, you cannot unlearn what you know...it is not a choice for me. I cannot support an industry that is cruel to animals. I am also a yogi, and I follow the 8 limbs of yoga. Ahimsa means non-violence or non-harming. I cannot follow this principle and still eat meat, dairy, or eggs. It doesn't work for me. And this is what you need to look at...what is your motivation for being vegan? Is it just a diet? Because I don't know a single person who has adopted a diet as a lifestyle and stuck to it. I think the motivation behind being vegan needs to be something you're passionate about...animal welfare, healthy eating, etc. Sure if you're a strong willed person, you can make the choice to be vegan and stick with it. I am NOT strong willed enough...especially when it comes to food. But I am passionate about my belief that animals are not ours to use for food, clothes, or entertainment. That makes it so easy for me to be vegan:) I'll leave you with one of my favorite yoga mantras..."Lokaha Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu ~ May all beings everywhere be happy and free."

Look at the heart on his leg! RIP Snickers...you changed my life forever!

Until next time,
Your BFF

What's on your mind, BFF?

What would you like to talk about? Anything you're dying to know? Something you're mildly curious about? Ask away! I have a long list of topics waiting in the wings, but I'd like to know what you're interested in learning. Comment away!

Love,
Your BFF

Happiness is a good belly rub!