VegWorld 38

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MAGAZINE

Philip Wollen:

VW Exclusive Interview

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CONTENTS VegWorld Magazine - January/February 2017

THE FUN SIDE

COVER STORIES

11 Vegan Hot Sheet

35 Adding Zeroes

15 High Times in Jackson Hole

37

I Used to Call it "Fishing"

20 Worldwide Vegan Events Calendar

39

What is Philip Wollen Doing Now?

43

Robert Lucius: Marine on a Mission

87

Raising a Vegan Child is NOT Child Abuse

FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE 21 Healthy Meals Without Tears 23 A New Wave of Vegan Super Chefs - Turning the Tide 30 Who Says Breakfast Isn’t for Vegans?

FRESH FINDS 49 Things We Love 53 Wilby & Elair Naturals 54 True Beauty for Your Face & Feet 56 Eat The World - Raw Eatery and Market 59 3 Must-Read Books for the New Year

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CONTENTS VegWorld Magazine - January/February 2017

NUTRITION AND THRIVING

REGULAR FEATURES

64 Amazing Transformations

07 Editor’s Note

71 All Things Cruciferous 74 Juice Guru

05 Credits

87 Rx for Health with Dr. Linda Carney 91 Becky's Hope Horse Rescue 94 Love, Lori

80 Staying Vegan for Life: How Raw Foods Can Help

RECIPES FOR HEALTH 74 5 Ingredient Butternut Squash Soup 75 Creamy, Garlicky White Bean Soup 77

Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup

79 French Onion Soup 83 Go-To Green Smoothie 84 Broccoli "Cheese" Jalapeño Soup 86 Coconut Curry Cauliflower Rice

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CREDITS VEGWORLD STAFF

CONTRIBUTORS

Publisher Edward N. Smith III Editor-in-Chief Amanda C. Smith Managing Editor Lori Fryd

Chef A.J.

Lori Donica Barber

Tara Binder

Tess Challis

Linda Carney MD

Andrea Denton

Assistant Editor Tanya Cleary Graphic Design Lise-Mari Coetzee

Erik Marcus

Lori Fryd

Erin Goldmeier

Michael Greger, MD

Amy Johnson

Andrew Kirschner

Sharon McRae

Lani Muelrath

Natalie Norman

Steve Prussack

James Aspey

Dan Maio

Robert Lucius

Michael Taylor

Robin Tierney

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EDITOR’S NOTE A message from the Editor of VegWorld Magazine, Amanda Smith

T

his month, in the depths of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, we turn our thoughts to things that are warm. The warmth of kind hearts is evident in the collection of personal stories we are featuring in this issue - originally inspired by philanthropist Philip Wollen and military man Robert Lucius. They are among the courageous and self-sacrificing individuals who have dedicated their lives to fighting and speaking up for animals. The animals need defenders such as these. Our futures and theirs may depend on it.

Our next sources of warmth are the delicious recipes that our talented chefs are sharing with us. Soups can not only warm you in the winter but also, as some of these recipes demonstrate, they can also effectively cool you in the summer. Whether warm or cold, a bowl of healthy soup is very often just what the doctor ordered. We’ve got some wonderful choices here for you.

Enjoy something warm if you are in a cold place this season, but even if you are not, bask in the love around us. There are people fighting the good fight everywhere and it takes very little effort to join their ranks. Often the answer starts right on your plate. Eat with health and compassion and you cannot go wrong.

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Above: In December we attended a screening of the film Eating You Alive.

It promises to be a game changer. Here we are pictured with the producers Paul David Kennamer Jr and Merrilee Jacobs at a PCRM event in Los Angeles.

Amanda Smith Editor-in-Chief VegWorld Magazine

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VEGAN HOT SHEET Latest Vegan & Plant Based Buzz

www.wsj.com

SLIDING PROFITS

T

AND REGIME CHANGE FOR TYSON yson Foods, the largest meat company in the United States and producers of one-fifth of all chicken, beef and pork in the country, reported a stunning 14% decrease in sales last quarter, significantly missing the higher earnings averages previously projected by the Wall Street Journal. Tyson’s CEO, Donnie

Smith, stepped down at the end 2016, amid sliding profits. Reports Andrew Kirschner: “While the company attributed the decline in sales to lower beef prices and higher costs, the facts don’t support their claim as beef sales have been consistently declining as a result of health warnings. Their PR machine’s excuse is further made porous by the Board’s shocking decision to fire its CEO. It’s a decision they unlikely would have made if their sales decline was simply the result of external pricing issues.” A more reasonable explanation for Tyson’s sales drop is that the public has become increasingly fed up with their horrific abuse of animals, mistreatment of employees, lawsuits, shareholder and consumer deception and felony pollution of air and water."

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VEGAN HOT SHEET

A FIERY ATTEMPT TO

END ILLEGAL POACHING

Nairobi National Park, Kenya (CNN) www.cnn.com

I

n a dramatic move to put an end to illegal poaching in the region, Kenyan authorities created a gigantic bonfire from twelve tall towers of ivory made from elephant and rhino tusks. It was the largest burn of illegal animal products in history, causing many to lament the senseless wasting of wildlife for profit on the black market.

Critics of the practice argue that such acts will only increase the value of ivory on the black market. However, Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Kitili Mbathi defends the burn, stating, "From a Kenyan perspective, we're not watching any money go up in smoke. The only value of the ivory is tusks on a live elephant."

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VEGAN HOT SHEET

“ANIMAL PRODUCTS WITHOUT THE ANIMALS”

P

aul Mozdziak wants to introduce

ing technology as a way to counter the

the world to his “home-grown”

cruelty and environmental disasters

turkeys….the ones cultivated in

inherent in factory farming of live ani-

his 5,000-gallon tanks. The move to-

mals. Also known as cellular agricul-

wards culturing meats in laboratories

ture, manufacturing animal protein

is gaining more and more acceptance

in bio-reactors, rather than by animals,

among environmentalists, animal rights

could reduce reliance on farm animals

activists and investors who see the grow-

and save resources.

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VEGAN HOT SHEET

Speaking Out For Those Who Have No Voice

B

ruce, Wagman, Esq., a partner at Schiff Hardin, has devoted his practice entirely to protecting the legal rights of animals. One could argue that his clients are

birds, horses, chimps and dogs, (among many other species), but there are always concerned people behind the cases he agrees to handle. He takes on cases in which the legal, biological or social nature of animals are important factors.

Unfortunately, in this modern era, there is no shortage of animals who need Wagman’s help and expertise.

"It's not a job as much as it's a calling," states Wagman. "I feel like it's the only thing I'm supposed to be doing and I'm so grateful to be doing it on a daily basis."

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VEGWORLDLY WANDERINGS

HIGH TIMES IN WYOMING’S JACKSON HOLE SKI COUNTRY Story and photos by Robin Tierney

J

ackson Hole, one of the world’s best ski areas, offers great recreation and views year-round thanks to its location between the jagged Teton Mountain Range and gently rolling Gros Ventre Range. And it offers thrills off the slopes as well.

Vegan-friendly dining

with love,” she said. Lotus was transitioning to a new location, so Michelle and I ate at Cafe Genevieve, a comfort-food hotspot based in a log cabin. On warm days, you can dine on the companion animalfriendly deck. I had an alt-Benedict, with avocado swapped for eggs, with a roasted beet salad and locally roasted Snake River coffee.

Michelle McCormick, a designer who moved to the quaint, cool town of Jackson after her first visit, had plenty of dining suggestions.

Speaking of beets, root veggies are delicious here.

Chefs make the most of the region’s short growing season, preserving foods for year-round use.

“The Lotus Cafe is one of the best restaurants.

Plenty of vegan choices, and they make everything

After a wonderful night at the Rusty Parrot Lodge, I devoured a beautiful un-omelette - sweet

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VEGWORLDLY WANDERINGS

peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes - at Four Diamond award-winner Wild Sage. It’s a longtime favorite for mouthwatering meals served in a romantic dining room with a river rock fireplace.

The newer farm-to-table restaurants such as Gather, The Handle Bar and The Rose also serve delicious, creative fare.

Young-gun chefs Clark Myers (Gather), Michael Lishchynsky (Handle Bar) and Rene Stein (The Rose) moved here from major metro cities, knowing they’d be greeted by open arms and open mouths of adventurous Jackson Hole residents and visitors. Every day, they showcase delectable ingredients and addictive sauces that demand dipping of fresh-baked breads (ask first, but I found most of the artisan breads were vegan).

Gather - whose co-owner is vegan - is based in downtown Jackson. Chef Clark, an Iron Chef winner,

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VEGWORLDLY WANDERINGS

made three vegan dishes that my non-vegan tablemates enjoyed as much as I did. Brussels sprouts with pepitas and cranberries...a toasted red quinoa salad with beets...and gnocchi with local tomatoes, basil, leek cream, crispy potato and smoked mushroom “bacon.�

The Handle Bar is a lively mega-pub at the Four Seasons Resort in Teton Village. Many items on the menu are already vegan, and the kitchen is clearly happy to veganize many more. I shared an amazing quinoa burger, hearty beet and greens salad and perfectly seasoned local-grown vegetables. The pub faces two ski gondolas and mountains.

At The Rose in downtown Jackson, my all plantbased tastings included crisp fall greens with beets and apples matchstick-cut to resemble cheese, roasted carrots and kale, and a heavenly apple sorbet whipped with crabapple poached in chamomile.

Also in Jackson, Snake River Brewery pairs certified organic brews with pizzas topped with fresh and unexpected ingredients - and my choice, an amazing

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VEGWORLDLY WANDERINGS

and healthy farro and edamame salad. Persephone is a sweet bakery where you will find delectable salads and tomato soup.

All of the above restaurants source from indie organic farms and Vertical Harvest, a new gleaming four-story greenhouse in downtown Jackson.

Here’s what to do besides eating:

Art-spotting The National Museum of Wildlife Art, its rock-faced building embedded in a mountainside two minutes from downtown Jackson, is a treasury of rugged landscapes, animals and Native Americans portrayed by contemporary talents and pioneer-era masters like Thomas Moran, whose paintings of nearby Yellowstone helped persuade Congress to create the world’s first national park.

The museum’s exhibitions include Andy Warhol’s screenprints of endangered species and local artists’ illustrations of animals from 25 Aesop’s fables. Jenny Dowd, whose fanciful ceramics are used at area restaurants, portrayed the smart crow who dropped pebbles in a pitcher to raise the water level high enough to drink.

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VEGWORLDLY WANDERINGS

Great performances At The Center for the Arts, a stunning wood-andglass showplace, performances have featured Ben Folds, David Sedaris and regional talents. The Pink Garter Theatre is a sure bet for super-cool concerts. Other live music venues include the Silver Dollar Showroom, Stagecoach and Million Dollar Cowboy Bar.

feet, offers breathtaking views of the vast valley and various mountain ridges.

Hiking, biking and snow sports

Hikers and cyclists ramble between towns, Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest on 42 miles of Jackson Hole Pathways. One trail edges the National Elk Refuge, where at least 8,000 of these grand creatures live. All around Jackson and at the underpass near the National Museum of Wildlife Art, look for seriously good public artworks, many of which depict the region’s non-human animal residents.

I loved hiking the 1.8-mile trail up Snow King. The steep switchback-laden “Town Hill,” elevation 8,000

And of course: this is an unbeatable place for skiing and other winter sports.

About the Author Robin, an award-winning writer and photographer whose plant-based diet gives her plenty of energy to hike and bike, can be reached at tierneydog@yahoo.com VegWorld Magazine

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VEGWORLD EVENTS CALENDAR Looking for the most exciting, fun, inspiring, and informative vegan events worldwide? Here they are! If you have an event coming up, let us know by sending the details to editor@vegworldmag.com

Devil’s Dash Jan 07, 2017 Williston, Florida Sedona VegFest Jan 14 - Jan 15, 2017 Sedona, Arizona SWVF Veg Fest Jan 27, 2017 Fort Myers, Florida Tulum Vegan Fest Jan 27 - Jan 29, 2017 Tulum, Mexico Arizona VegFood Fest Jan 28 - Jan 29, 2017 Scottsdale, Arizona

VegWorld Magazine

Healthy Taste of Sacramento 2017 Feb 19, 2017 Sacramento, California

Live A Better Life Fair Mar 25, 2017 Liverpool, England

Holistic Holiday at Sea Cruise Mar 11 - Mar 18, 2017 MSC Divina VegFest UK Brighton Mar 11 - Mar 12, 2017 Brighton, England North Florida VegFest Mar 18, 2017 Tallahassee, Florida

Vegan Street Fair Mar 26, 2017 North Hollywood, California HealthFest 2017 Mar 31 - Apr 02, 2017 Marshall, Texas VegFest Kansas City Apr 22, 2017 Kansas City, Missouri Cork VegFest May 13, 2017 Dublin, Ireland

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

Healthy Meals without TEARS IN 5 EASY STEPS

by Shoshana Chaim

H

ey Mom, Dad, Grandma, Uncle...whoever you are. Don't you wish you could make one awesome meal from your fave vegan cookbook and have the kids enjoy it with you?

Picture the children rubbing their bellies with their napkin on their lap and asking: “More please!” HA! Well, the truth is, this does happen in some families.

Sometimes, it happens from the beginning and

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sometimes it has to be learned later on. Want to get closer to this dream? You can do it!

For me, my family and my practice, it’s important to get children eating healthfully and trying new foods because we have an epidemic in this world. Obesity is on the rise in North America and the diseases associated with obesity or poor diet in general can be fatal. There are more people out there trying to reverse diseases or at least live comfortably with them than I’d care

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to share. This is NOT what we want for our younger generations. We need to get them eating healthy and valuing it now so they don’t spend the better part of their adulthood visiting specialists in hospitals and looking towards their next appointment.

Let’s get down to the practical stuff.

How can you get your kids eating healthy foods without the yelling, bribing and head-smashing?

1. Displace your emotion. What?

Displace my emotions? Shoshana, are you kidding me? NO. Letting go of any expectation that your child eats a certain food often has better results than begging, threatening, or googling with intent while the child eyeballs the food. Be cool, plop the food on the table.

Tell a funny story about how you and your sibling or friend once had a cauliflower eating contest and offer them to try. NOW MOVE ON. (Sorry to yell. Clearly, I need to displace my emotions with you!)

2. Make it cool. This will change slightly depending on age, but the concept stays the same. Do you know what makes Grover blue? Blueberries! What makes the Incredible Hulk green and strong? Green smoothies. What gives American Ninja Warriors energy to compete? Buddha Bowls. What do you think Mike Zigomanis eats to be able to play in the NHL? Let your older teens make a list!

3. Be prepared. If you have healthy food readily available in the house or in tow your children will

be more likely to eat it. Sounds simple and it is. If you don't have time to get it ready, and you offer something less than healthy, they learn quickly that this is an option. Make healthy snacks, lunches and dinners part of your meal planning. Take some time to wash, chop or prepare so you can always feel good about what you offer.

4. Get support. You don't have to do this alone. Surround yourself with like-minded people. Join a Facebook group that supports your values. Find a friend who will bake for you if you prepare them a chickpea casserole.

Find a coach or consultant who can help simplify your life by giving you strategies that work for you and your own unique situation. You are not in this alone.

5. Keep on trucking. You’ve heard it before and now you can really think about it again. Keep on offering it. Children will try foods, or even like foods, after being offered them sometimes upwards of 15 times.

I’m sure your child fell down more than 15 times before he/she walked. But you kept encouraging.

Try offering foods cooked, cut or dipped in different ways. Eventually they’ll come around. But remember...Displace your emotion.

These are the 5 steps that many parents who have successfully gotten their children eating healthier have in common. Sometimes in as little as one seating. It worked for me, and it can work for you.

The cost is really too high not to give these steps a try.

About the Author

Shoshana Chaim is a wife, mother of two and the co-founder of planttrainers.com and the Plant Trainers Podcast. She helps stressed parents and families overwhelmed with physical and mental illness embrace a more holistic planti-ful lifestyle in order to create more calmness and health in their family life. Shoshana works with clients all over the world through her internet based company and has helped clients come off of insulin injections, lose significant amounts of weight, teaches techniques to regulate children's behavior and has helped families on their journey to a more plant-rich diet. To get a free copy of our Family Friendly Meals click here. Join Shoshana in her Facebook group Healthy Plant-Based Families.

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

A NEW WAVE OF

VEGAN SUPER

CHEFS

TURNING THE TIDE

by Tanya Cleary

C

elebrity chefs have been with us a long time, but now, a new breed of vegan chef is rising from the crowd and helping reshape the public's perception of a vegan lifestyle. They write books, host shows, and open restaurants. They do it all, and the public is beating down their doors for more.

These noted vegan chefs, many of whom started as cookbook authors, now have blockbuster restaurants and popular blogs, YouTube channels, and TV shows.... They’re busy spreading the plant-based message and legions of hungry diners are eating it up!

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

RICH LANDAU http://vedgerestaurant.com/

Rich Landau grew up in Philadelphia in a family with

restaurants more than you can imagine. It’s so dated

high culinary standards. Discussions of food were

to say that we’re a cheesesteak town — we’re a top-

common, and he loved to challenge himself in the

notch food town, period (that just happens to have

kitchen, even at an early age. But, upon learning

cheesesteaks in our repertoire).”

where meat came from, and the horrors of factory farming, his focus shifted to trying to create ever

In addition to their restaurants, Chef Landau and Ms.

more appetizing meatless meals.

Jacoby have recently released a cookbook inspired by their exotic travels. “V-Street - 100 Globe Trotting

“I loved the taste of meat but couldn’t comprehend

Plates on the Cutting Edge of Vegetable Cooking”

how anyone would want to eat it knowing what was

offers creative vegan riffs of street food around the

happening to the animals,” he says.

world.

In 2011, he and his wife, Kate Jacoby, a pastry

When asked to describe his favorite dining

chef and certified sommelier, opened Vedge, the

experiences when traveling, Landau says, “We’ve

acclaimed downtown Philly restaurant. In 2013, he

had so many wonderful food memories - some that

won the Food Network’s competitive cooking show

defined the whole trip. We had a 16 course in Seoul

Chopped. Following the success of Vedge, the

Korea that was mind blowing and so eye opening as

couple opened V-Street, and are now branching

to just how light and beautiful Korean food can be.

out with a new fast casual concept called Wiz Kids.

We dined in a lovely Riad in Marrakesh, where we had an enchanting meal of vegetable tagine, couscous,

“I love being a chef in Philly because people here

assorted salads and harira (a lentil soup) in a setting

have really embraced vegetable cooking and vegan

that felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie.

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There were other meals that opened our eyes up and

Chef Landau also sees the mainstream culinary

changed what we thought we knew about a certain

world changing for the better. “Mainstream chefs are

cuisine, like on the Thai island of Phuket where we

putting more and more vegetables on the center of

had the most extraordinary spread of vegetable stir

the plate,” he says. “That’s the biggest sign of the

fries, soups, and curries so beautifully layered with

times that I’ve seen. It’s a beautiful thing when the

aromatics that we knew we would never be able to

mainstream starts to embrace something previously

order Thai takeout again at home.”

thought of as niche”.

ISA CHANDRA MOSKOWITZ Isa Chandra Moskowitz, the author of “Isa Does It”

Joined by her mother and sister, she began perfecting

and “Vegan With a Vengeance,” opened her original

her plant-based skills in the kitchen.

Modern Love restaurant in Omaha in 2014 and a new location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in early 2016.

“It was kind of the reverse of what a lot of people experience,” Moskowitz recalls. “You go vegetarian;

Born and raised in Brooklyn, it was a natural progression

your family disowns you; you can’t eat together. My

to bring her culinary talents back home. Her friends,

mom came home with a stack of cookbooks and

Sara and Erica, who own the vegan shoe store Moo

said, okay, let’s do this, and we all just started cooking

Shoes, offered her a space in their building, and she

together.” (Omaha Magazine) Chef Moskowitz has

decided the time was right. Modern Love specializes

authored at least 10 cookbooks, with recipes for

in vegan comfort food, with dishes like “Mac and

brunch, holidays, as well as vegan cupcakes, pies

Shews” and Shepherd’s Pie. “There’s always a Jewish

and sweets. Her cookbooks are full of quips and an

grandmother feel to everything I do, even if it’s curry,”

“anyone can do this” approach that helps make vegan

she says.

cooking easy and accessible to non-vegans.

Chef Moskowitz became a vegan in her teens, simply

Between her restaurants and cookbooks, Isa Chandra

because she liked animals. “As soon as I realized, oh,

Moskowitz is showing the world that vegan cooking

I can cook without meat, it just worked,” she says.

can be delicious, comforting, easy, and fun.

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

TAL RONNEN http://crossroadskitchen.com/

Tal Ronnen is the chef of Crossroads on Melrose Ave

“When I crossed over to being vegetarian, I was

in LA., and author of a New York Times bestselling

largely being served side dishes that came along

cookbook “The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless

with entrees when I went out to eat,” he says. “I

Recipes that Will Change the Way You Eat”. He was

wanted to take vegetarian cuisine to the next level

responsible for the food at Ellen DeGeneres and Portia

and make it appeal to non-vegetarians. Crossroads

de Rossi’s wedding, consulted with Oprah on her 21

is the realization of that desire”.

day vegan cleanse, and also prepared the U.S. Senate their first full vegan meal.

Collaborating

with

Executive

Chef

Scot

Jones, Ronnen has created a warm yet stylish Crossroads, at the corner of Melrose and Sweetzer, is

environment at Crossroads. “We wanted to design

described as “an intersection where vegans, flexitarians,

an environment where you don’t have to sacrifice

omnivores and meat eaters can cross paths to share

ambiance just because you want to eat healthy,”

a delicious meal and a good time.” Menu favorites

he says.

include such tantalizing dishes as “Porcini Crusted Eggplant” and “Oven Roasted Truffled Potatoes.”

Chef Ronnen conducts master workshops in plantbased cooking at Le Cordon Bleu College campuses

Chef Ronnen’s cooking is elegant and sophisticated,

nationwide. The release of his newest book,

often applying traditional French culinary techniques to

“Crossroads” has been featured in Food & Wine

meatless cuisine, which reflects his belief that healthy

magazine, as well as The New York Times, and USA

eating should be the main course, not an afterthought.

Today.

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

CHLOE

COSCARELLI http://eatbychloe.com/

Nestled in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, at

and family. After a summer internship at Millenium,

185 Bleeker St, the original By Chloe has quickly

a gourmet vegan restaurant in San Francisco, she

become a popular spot for fast and casual vegan

studied at The National Gourmet Institute in NY.

food, with other locations popping up throughout NYC, on the West Coast and planned for Boston.

Chef Coscarelli has been featured in the Cooking

Offering “grab and go” delights, like “peanut kale

Channel television documentary The Veg Edge

salad” or sit down service for pasta and burger

and appeared on NBC's The Today Show, CBS's

dishes, By Chloe makes choosing vegan food easy

The Doctors, VH1, CNN, HLN's Jane Velez-

and delicious.

Mitchell Show, and the Fran Drescher Show.

She’s also published three cookbooks: “Chloe’s

Chef Chloe Coscarelli won the Food Network’s

Kitchen,” “Chloe’s Vegan Desserts” and “Chloe’s

Cupcake Wars in 2010, and launched the restaurant

Vegan Italian Kitchen,” all currently featured on

with ESquared Hospitality in July 2015.

Amazon’s list of “100 Best-Selling” cookbooks.

A graduate of UC Berkeley, Chef Coscarelli has

At only 29 years of age, Chloe Coscarelli is a

been vegetarian since childhood, and vegan the

culinary revolutionary, making a name for herself,

past 13 years. She honed her love of cooking by

and taking the vegan culinary world and the nation

making cakes and other baked goods for friends

by storm.

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

KATIE HIGGINS http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/

Katie Higgins, better known to her followers

“When I started Chocolate Covered Katie, I never

as “Chocolate Covered Katie,” dropped out

expected this to become my full-time job,” she

of college to become a full-time blogger after

says. “My high school friends were all making

realizing the demand for her healthy, vegan treats,

blogs or Myspace pages back then, and we were

which she began posting online, just for fun.

doing it just for fun. When a company contacted me about putting ads on the site, I thought their

“Cooking has always been a huge part of my family

email was spam and came very close to deleting

heritage, but I really learned to cook for myself

it. My blog was getting around 700 visitors per

as a teenager when I became a vegan. My mom

day, which I thought was a ton. Then suddenly,

was supportive of my lifestyle change and had

Pinterest took off and changed everything.”

the whole family try a vegan meal at least once a week, but on the other days, I would make my

Now, her site gets 6 million visitors each month.

own food,” she says.

Her first cookbook, “Chocolate Covered Katie: Over 80 Delicious Recipes That Are Secretly

Her blog quickly became the number one online

Good for You” has been followed up with her

source for healthy desserts on the Internet. Featured

latest release “Hello Breakfast,” featuring over

on The Today Show, CNN, Time, Huffington Post,

50 new breakfast recipes, such as “Peanut Butter

Bon Appétit, Cooking Light, and People, her recipes

Cup Overnight Oats” and “Sunshine Breakfast

are all vegan and, although she has some breakfast,

Enchiladas.”

lunch and dinner fare, the primary focus is on sweet treats, like “No Bake Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake”,

Her love of animals prompted her to become

“Black Bean Brownies,” or “Healthy Apple Pie.”

vegan. “I often gave money to an organization

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called Best Friends Animal Sanctuary,” she says.

However, a year later, my family moved to China,

“One day when I was 14 years old, they sent me

where they eat very little dairy. No longer could I go to

something in the mail about animal testing. It was

Baskin & Robbins every day after school for a chocolate

the first time I had ever heard of such a thing,

milkshake or Outback Steakhouse for my favorite

and I was shocked and horrified! I spent hours on

macaroni and cheese. I was eating vegan by accident…

the internet, looking up cruelty-free cosmetics.

and was feeling better than I ever had in my entire life!”

And it was during this research process that I learned about factory farming. I pretty much went

Katie has been called the “queen of healthy

vegetarian on the spot. My two favorite foods

desserts” by Glamour Magazine. “I try to show

were cheese and ice cream, and veganism was

-without preaching or turning people off -- that

definitely NOT a mainstream idea back then; I

vegan food can be delicious and easy to prepare,”

had absolutely no intention of going vegan, and I

she says. “I love my job and get to eat chocolate

thought vegans were crazy.

every day. Definitely worth it!”

These celebrity vegan chefs, and many more like them, are making it easier for us to enjoy convenient and satisfying vegan food, whether we’re dining out or whipping it up in our own kitchens. Yet, perhaps more importantly, they’re introducing vegan cuisine to a broader audience, who are discovering that being cruelty-free can also taste great!

About the Author

Tanya Cleary is a freelance writer living in Key Largo, FL. She has been plant-based for over 5 years, and enjoys spreading the word about plant-based diets. She also helps moderate the Facebook group, “McDougall Friends,” for those who follow the recommendations of Dr. John McDougall and is an Associate Editor here at VegWorld Magazine.

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

Who Says Breakfast

ISN’T FOR VEGANS?

by Andrea Denton

N

ext to cheese, breakfast is one of the

affair with bacon) or sausage. Getting past the idea

most common things people seem to

that breakfast must include these items can be a

miss when going vegan. For so many

tough transition. But there are still a ton of breakfast

people, breakfast centers around eggs and a meat

options out there so wake up and get ready to enjoy

product, whether it be bacon (America has a love

some tasty morning options!

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

• Avocado toast — — one of my favorite breakfasts,

known as India Black Salt, has a sulfurous, egg-like

and probably the one I have most often. Simply cut

smell and can be added to foods to add to the egg

a ripe avocado in half and using a spoon, spread

experience — people will walk into your kitchen

avocado on some toasted plant-based bread.

and swear you’re boiling eggs after using this stuff.

I find that half an avocado covers two slices of bread, but you can spread it as thick as you like. I

• Breakfast Burrito — Save your leftover tofu

like to top it with salt and some garlic pepper, but

scramble and throw it in a tortilla, sprinkle with

you’ll figure out what you like best.

some nutritional yeast, toss in a little avocado and salsa and it’s heaven in a burrito. You’re welcome.

• Don’t forget bagels! — Many bagels are vegan.

So what if cream cheese isn’t vegan. There are lots of other options for toppings. I love putting hummus on an everything bagel. And if you think avocado is good on toast, try it on bagels. Yummy!

• Tofu scramble — OK, I’ll admit it took me a little while to get used to tofu scramble — it’s not scrambled eggs, however, don’t give up right away.

It takes some practice to figure out what you like.

And there are so many ways to prepare a tofu scramble. You can make a Mexican scramble, an Italian scramble, a veggie scramble…basically anything you can think of. Get some veggie sausage and mix that in, or toss in some roasted potatoes. The only limit is

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• Overnight Oats — Of course, there’s always standard oatmeal with

your imagination. We like

all kinds of mix-ins, but I have a love affair with

to open the fridge and

overnight oats. Like Tofu Scramble, the possibilities

just throw in whatever’s

are endless with overnight oats. My favorite recipe

in there. Do a search

goes something like this: Mash ripened banana

on the internet for tofu

in a container, add ½ cup oats, two tablespoons

scramble and tons of

chia seed, a cup of your favorite dairy-free milk,

recipes will pop up, but

a couple dashes of cinnamon and ground ginger

like I said, don’t give up

and one to two tablespoons of molasses for a little

right away — if at firsts you

kick of iron. Cover and put in the fridge overnight.

don’t succeed, try, try again!

In the morning, you have a delicious, creamy, thick

Tip: India Kala Namak salt, also

and flavorful breakfast already prepared. You can

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

eat cold if you like or throw it in the microwave

favorite dairy-free milk and I guarantee you’ll stay

for a minute or two. If it’s not sweet enough for

full until lunch!

you, drizzle with pure maple syrup. Go crazy and search for overnight oats recipe — you can

• Leftovers from last night’s dinner — Who really

use peanut butter, coconut, berries, chocolate …

defined what breakfast has to be anyway? Who

make up your own concoction and ENJOY!

hasn’t had cold pizza for breakfast? Having leftover rice and veggies from the night before

• A Giant Salad — Yes, salad, you heard me right.

really isn’t any different, at least, I don’t think so.

There are some days I just have a big, ol’ giant salad

How about a sweet potato from the night before?

for breakfast. Throw in some berries if it seems

Do it up! If you’ve ever had a Pop Tart for breakfast,

more like breakfast to you. There is nothing that

I guarantee there’s little else you can mess up in

makes you feel better and healthier than starting

the breakfast area. So pull out that veggie lasagna

off your day with your greens. Talk about getting

from the night before and be a rebel!

your veggies in early. If nothing else goes right for the rest of your day, at least you ate your veggies,

• Pancakes and waffles — Really, you don’t need

right? Try it before you knock it. It really does give

eggs or dairy milk to make a good pancake or

you a little skip in your step.

waffle. My favorite waffle recipe is from the Isa Does It cookbook called “Sinfully Wholesome

• There’s always cereal — Just throw some oats,

Waffles”. These things are good and good for

shredded wheat, chia and/or hemp seeds, lots

you. What more could you ask for in a breakfast

of fruit, maybe some walnuts and top with your

food?

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FAMILY AND LIFESTYLE

• Potatoes — this is kind of tied in to the leftover

• Fruit — If nothing else — there is nothing wrong

idea but it can’t get tastier than a potato for

with just having fruit for breakfast. An apple and

breakfast. Throw it in the microwave, jump in the

a banana maybe. An average banana has about

shower and voila, when you get out, breakfast is

105 calories — three bananas would be a perfect

ready. Heck, eat it like an apple as you’re walking

breakfast, and so portable — what could be easier?

into work. Make people wonder what it is you’re munching on. When they figure out you’re eating

These are just a few ideas. No doubt I’m missing a

straight-up carbs, gasp!, they will be super jealous,

ton! There are a lot of great convenience foods out

so just nod and wave, maybe throw in a thumbs

there. All kinds of fake sausages and bacon — just

up if you’re feeling especially cocky.

check out what your local grocer has and give it a try. Maybe you won’t like it, but maybe you will.

This is all great, you say, if you’re staying at home, but what about eating out with friends? No problem!

OK, maybe a little problem, but you don’t have to give up your social life. Most restaurants offer fruit and oatmeal — just be sure to ask if the oatmeal is made with milk. There’s usually some sort of potato product on the menu too, so paired with some fruit, you’ve got a meal and you get to keep your friends.

I’ve also asked them to make me a veggie omelet, hold the egg and cheese. Sure, the waitress looked at me a little strangely, but at least you gave her something to talk about in the back. If nothing else, remember, feel free to redefine breakfast. You’ve already gone vegan — there’s no reason to be all mainstream when it comes to the most important meal of the day! Now hurry up and go to sleep so you can get to breakfast quicker!

About the Author

Andrea’s journey started with curiosity about a plant-based diet and the possibility that it would not only be a better diet for her family, but the solution to her husband’s battle with high cholesterol. An active fire fighter, he couldn’t shake the high numbers despite improvements in diet and exercise. After watching Forks Over Knives, she and her husband decided to switch their family of four to a plant-based diet for just six weeks. After six weeks, her husband got his cholesterol retested and it had dropped 60 points!

They were sold and haven’t looked back! As a mom of two daughters, she enjoys finding tasty recipes that are enjoyed by not only her daughters, but their friends as well! Andrea is passionate about sharing the benefits of a plant-based diet on her website www. veggiecraving.com. You can follow Andrea on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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SAVING OUR

ENDANGERED FRIENDS

COMPASSIONATE AWAKENINGS VegWorld Magazine

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FEATURE

HENRY SPIRA - ACTIVIST PIONEER

ADDING ZEROES

by Erik Marcus

Henry Spira was the probably the first animal rights activist to have the ambition and expertise to work at scale. One of the key things he taught me was the importance of “adding zeroes.� That is, if you can save one animal, perhaps you can just as easily save ten.

Or if you can save a thousand animals, perhaps with a little extra thinking you could save ten thousand.

Today the animal protection movement is full of

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talented activists who naturally think about adding zeroes, but it all started with Henry Spira.

At the start of his animal rights career, Henry focused on setting precedents that would have powerful ripple effects. In the 1970s, he became the first person to ever halt a series of vivisection experiments on ethical grounds. In the 1980s he persuaded the

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FEATURE

top two cosmetics companies (Revlon and Avon) to pull back from animal testing and fund the development of alternatives. And in the 1990s he convinced McDonald’s to initiate a comprehensive slate of animal welfare improvements that upgraded standards throughout the meat industry.

If there’s one thing that set Henry apart from other activists of his era (and many vegans today!) it’s his commitment to stay in touch with reality and figure out which way the wind blows. Here’s an excerpt from a letter Henry sent me in 1993: A meatless/less meat-based diet can now be promoted on the basis of human self-interest, on its health benefits. Such an opportunity was never realistically achievable before.

And it has the potential to influence large segments of the population, as has happened over the last decade with tobacco.

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Looking back almost 25 years later, it’s clear that reality bent in the direction that Henry envisioned.

We’ve seen the rise of Meatless Mondays, reducetarianism. Bestselling omnivorous food writers like Mark Bittman and Michael Pollan urge people to eat “mostly plants.” We’ve also seen a flood of fantastic vegan alternatives to meat, dairy products, and eggs.

Today, plant-strong eating has lost its stigma, and the vegan movement has built a solid infrastructure when it comes to everything from cookbooks to restaurants to food products. Thanks to the work Henry pioneered and other activists have carried forward, it’s never been so easy to add zeroes to the number of animals you can save.

To learn more about Henry’s life and accomplishments, check out: http://www.vegan.com/henry/

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FEATURE

I used to call it "fishing"

by Dan Maio

I used to trick animals onto sharpened hooks.

S'all good, just laugh it off "he'll be alright”. To tell you

Sometimes I'd use two or three just to make sure

the truth, I don't know if it survived..

they couldn't get away. The hooks would cut their mouths open, more often than you’d think, hook them

What I’ve described ‘IS’ fishing.. and It breaks my heart

somewhere on the face, even in the eyes.. I didn't do it

that I used to be involved.. This beautiful animal flicked

to eat. In no way if I didn't do it would I not survive. Like

a switch for me. I didn’t deserve a moment of its time.

millions of others, I did it for "fun."

I was an asshole. Don’t destroy someone else’s day to better your own.”

Once the animal realized what was going on, they would literally run for their lives. As hard as they could,

Something else I believe played a huge role in my

they'd try to break free. This is what made it sooo fun.

change was a snorkelling trip that same week. To this

I called it 'Fishing'. We all called it 'Fishing'. Most people I knew who did it, didn't eat what they caught, they'd call that 'Catch and Release'. I guess that made us all feel better. We were trapping animals, scaring the absolute shit out of them and in the process cutting them up real bad. Once the animal was retrieved, we'd say "Cool mate, I want a bigger one" and throw its bleeding body back where we stole it from. We were doing it for fun... and that’s pretty bad.

day, probably one of the best experiences of my life.

Fish swam towards me if they wanted to. Fish swam away from me if they wanted to.. But the fish swam with me and we swam together. It was a million times better than fishing ever was.

One of the weirdest situations I find myself in now is having knowledge of ‘Fishing’.. but not wanting to share it… Having all this gear but not being able to sell it. To me, its kind of like selling a young kid a knife.. To tell you

Above is a photo of myself in Perth a few years ago. I'm

the truth, I don’t really think I had a choice but to stop. I

holding an animal that can only breathe underwater,

started to feel terrible about my actions, and it made me

but it was photo time, so it had to wait. Little buddy

so uncomfortable.. Feeling that way all the time was the

fought for its life for a good few minutes and would

worst and there was only one way to stop it.

have been absolutely worn out, but look at the smile on my face! Once photo time was up, I practiced

One thing lead to another as it does, and ‘Fishing’ was

‘Catch and Release’ and threw it back. Little buddy hit

the first of many things I’ve since cut out of my life...

the rock face on the way down (Happens all the time)

and it's good.

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FEATURE

A JOURNEY TO COMPASSION

by James Aspey

It wasn't long ago that I didn't care about animals at

This took me on a journey to realizing that animals

all! It doesn't get more obvious than this picture. I'm

are individuals with thoughts, feelings, emotions

holding a monkey, a broken-hearted slave, chained

and desires, just like us. I no longer wanted to be

by the neck, clearly miserable and depressed. Look

the reason for their suffering or their slaughter.

at my face. I didn't care. I didn't even notice!

When I learned that dairy, eggs and other animal products are equally cruel and unnecessary as

I was too busy enjoying the novelty of holding a

meat, I couldn't justify consuming those either, so

monkey. I was blind to their plight. So many people

I went vegan.

still live like this. I wasn't a cruel person, but my actions were unknowingly cruel. It wasn't until I stopped

My life is so much richer now that I've widened

eating meat as a 7 day experiment that I started to

my circle of compassion to embrace all animals

feel more for animals. Perhaps, this quote holds

and going vegan is one of the best things I've

some merit, "The consumption of animal products

ever done. I wish everyone would go vegan.

extinguishes the seed of great compassion."

There would be so much less cruelty, violence and suffering in this world and I believe it would make a huge positive difference to the mentality of our own species as well. I encourage you to learn more about it and give a try. Watch the documentaries Earthlings, Cowspiracy and Forks Over Knives for the ethical, environmental and health reasons to go vegan. Look up vegan recipes. There are millions of them!

The world needs to change. To make that happen, we need to change. If we want peace, the first step is to stop the violence. That's what being vegan is all about. Anyone can change. I am proof of that! If I can do it, I know you can do it too!

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FEATURE

what is Philip Wollen doing now?

by Andrew Kirschner, Ed.D.

If you care about animals, you've likely heard the

In a sense, every carnist is happy to consume one

name Philip Wollen. You were probably first intro-

species while finding a different species utterly

duced to the former Citibank Vice-President turned

repugnant. There are literally hundreds of species

vegan animal rights activist when you watched his

(most) people do not consume. Dogs or cats, bears

unforgettable "Animals Should be Left Off the Menu"

or bats, horses or hamsters, rosellas or rats. I simply

speech. A recipient of the prestigious Australian of

ask that they go five animals more--cows, sheep,

the Year award, Wollen works tirelessly to inspire

pigs, chickens and fish.

the public to show compassion for all animals. But where is he now and what is he doing?

Ultimately, it involves widespread education on the

Philip agreed to join VegWorld for an exclusive

consequences of carnism--cruelty, human health,

interview about his legendary animal advocacy

busted fiscal budgets and global economies,

crusade.

bankrupt companies, water wastage, greenhouse gas pollution, zoonotic diseases, dead zones, and

VegWorld (VW): Why aren't more people vegan?

a suspension of our critical faculties to conduct a rational discourse on ethics.

Philip Wollen (PW): This is a question for the ages and one that utterly perplexes vegans! To us, the

VW: What is the most effective campaign you've

consumption and use of any unwilling animal is

engaged in to increase veganism or prevent animal

incomprehensible. I prefer to ask, why is anyone a

agriculture?

carnist? The default position should be veganism-and the exception should be carnism. To a large

PW: Every project and group that I support in many

degree, we consume what we are taught to eat

countries has the objective of leading humans

whilst in our parents’ protective arms. Of course,

towards a vegan world and they do so in various

there are some vegetarians who are subsequently

ways.

seduced by peers, the media and, alas, even some misinformed doctors that eating animals is

For management purposes, each of my projects is

advisable.

located in a "silo." Kindness Kids, Kindness House,

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FEATURE

Mobile Restaurants, and Kindness Awards. A Kindness

but, if pressed, I would nominate Visakha SPCA, Sea

Farm, operated entirely by local NGOs, will produce

Shepherd, VegVic and the various Animal Liberation

fruit, nuts, vegetables, and spices and also provide

groups.

care to a number of different species of rescued animals. It will also provide information on the health,

VW: What can the animal advocacy movement

environmental, water conservation, and economic

learn from your experience as an animal advocate?

benefits of veganism. A Kindness Kids program will educate children and at the same time enlighten

PW: It would be presumptuous of me to suggest

their families on the imperative of living an ethical,

that I have anything to teach anybody. Suffice to

healthy and compassionate life. Kindness House, an

say, I have learned a great deal from other advocates

incubator for dynamic NGOs helped hundreds of

and from making my own mistakes along the way. I

energetic activists defend forests, oceans, and the

have learned to forgive failure. None of the activists

environment by providing free offices and outreach

I have met deliberately set out to fail. But some of

facilities as long as they also promoted the benefits

them lack the skills needed to manage programs,

of veganism to their membership.

lead volunteer teams or demonstrate attention to

It is difficult to choose which group most effectively

detail. Most of all, I ask them to remember that none

campaigns against the animal industrial complex

of us is as smart as all of us. And I urge them to see

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FEATURE

each other not as competitors fighting to carve out

future for farmed animals?

a slice of a donor pie. Rather, to see themselves as being fellow travelers on the Kindness Train, seeking

PW: Sans a dramatic suite of pandemics which

to bring more donors into the circle of influence. We

unleash a smorgasbord of zoonotic diseases on us,

also need to have a paradigm shift in leveraging our

I despair that I cannot see an imminent end to the

networks. If I convinced every single person that I

Animal Industrial Complex. It is unlikely that it will

meet to go vegan, I would still consider my life to have

end before the human species.

been a failure. What I really want to do is create solid

The industry will not immediately be a willing

vegan activists – preferably by bringing the brightest

participant in re-engineering towards a pro-vegan

and best non-vegans from industry, commerce and

industrial economy--unless we can show it to

the professions into the vegan movement.

be profitable, relatively painless financially and ultimately inevitable. Corporate inertia is a powerful

VW: Is the animal rights movement strategic

force. Fortunately, these are not insurmountable

enough? If not, what should we be doing

obstacles to the rational mind.

differently?

Despite overwhelming evidence of the ravages caused by the tobacco industry one in three adults

PW: I get the sense that there are many movements-

in the world still smoke.

-not all of them are focused on animal rights,

The

per se. If we were to classify the “movement”

estimates that even in this modern age there are

more generously than the typical rights/welfare

more than 20 million slaves criminally forced into

dichotomy, then I would say we have an “animal

labour bondage.

protection” movement – which is highly balkanized.

Despite the efforts of every government, faith

Of course, there are some organisations which

group, and educational institution in the world to

claim to be “strategic” but their strategies do not

end theft, abuse and violence, these crimes show

meet with universal acclaim.

no sign of abating.

Paradoxically,

the

expends

International

Labour

Organisation

a

Cruelty in the animal industrial complex is no

disproportionate amount of time, energy, money

less a crime, and yet is avidly supported by these

and groundswell support by bickering amongst its

very institutions that treat it not as a crime, but an

constituents. Unlike the Animal Industrial Complex

unavoidable factor-cost in the food supply chain.

which circles the wagons at the remotest threat of

If we can’t end crimes like violence, child labour, or

any incursion from activists, we turn on each other.

stupidity like smoking (all of which are universally

This internecine warfare is counterproductive

condemned), our chances of entirely eliminating

and the real victims are the animals we putatively

animal agriculture is a “triumph of optimism over

protect. But as Rumsfeld said “You go to war with

experience.” Nevertheless, as an interim strategy,

the army you have, not the army you wish you had.”

we can stifle the industry by re-gearing the

VW: To what degree do you believe we will be able

economic drivers--supply, demand, and profits by

to end animal agriculture? What do you see in the

making animal products as prohibitively expensive

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“movement”

UN’s

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FEATURE

as possible--say with high tax imposts and food

There is a wonderful anti “Drink and Drive”

safety controls.

commercial on Australian TV. “If you Drink and

I also urge activists to establish strategies which

Drive, you are a bloody idiot”.

make meat-eating a socially unacceptable practice.

I have a sign on my building. “If you are not a Vegan,

The anti-smoking, anti-fur and anti-circus groups

you are a bloody vandal.”

have done creditable jobs of doing so in the West.

One day “meat” will be seen in the same light as

Andrew Kirschner, Ed.D. is a writer, radio show host,

an ugly mistress. One may desire her body, but will

entrepreneur, inspirational speaker, fundraiser, and

not want to be seen out with her in public. (The

event organizer for farmed animals. A volunteer

converse applies to the opposite gender).

animal rights activist since attending the historic

Nevertheless,

we

must

firmly,

politely

and

1990 March for Animals in Washington, D.C., Dr.

unrelentingly do everything we can to make

Kirschner dedicates his life to helping to make the

veganism the default condition for an ethical,

world a more compassionate place.

healthy, profitable and sustainable life. Most of all, we must be uncompromising in our vegan objective.

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FEATURE

MAN ON A MISSION

by Robert Lucius

I am a man on a mission, and I can pinpoint the exact

the veterinarian. They were not a family’s beloved

instant when it all began. I was a USMC Major serving as

companions on the way to a dog park for a romp in

the Naval Attaché in Hanoi, Vietnam when the fateful

the sun. No, I knew these dogs were headed for the

moment of my transformation arrived on a bright

dinner table, and that their last journey would not be

summer morning in 2006. It was around 9:30 in the

a pleasant one. They would soon be dragged from

morning, and I was on my way to deliver a shipment of

their cage, tormented, and ultimately murdered to

excess medical supplies that had been donated by the

satisfy the demand for “thit chó” (dog meat) just as

U.S. military to a rural medical clinic located far up in

tens of millions of other dogs are slaughtered for

the northwestern corner of Vietnam, a stone’s throw

food throughout the world each year.

from the borders of Laos and China. It was towards the end of a ten-hour drive to Lai Châu Township that

My mind raced. A handful of scenarios passed through

the monotony of rice-paddies flashing by outside the

my head, most of them rationalizations designed to

window was broken by the sight of a lone motorbike

help spare me the uncomfortable admission that

heading in the same direction as my vehicle. As I turned

these dogs were going to be slaughtered and that

to glance out the window, I caught site of a wicker

I was probably their last hope. It occurred to me to

basket strapped to the back of the motorbike, just

ask my driver to beckon the motorcycle driver to

behind the driver. The basket held perhaps as many

pull over so that I could purchase their freedom,

as four or five dogs, though I couldn’t tell for sure how

but I then began to worry about whether or not I

many. All I could see was a squirming jumble of fur. For

would appear foolish to my Vietnamese colleagues,

a brief instant, my eyes met those of one of the dogs

or worse yet, seem insensitive to their cultural

and there was a moment of communion in which I felt

traditions.

her desperation, terror, and hopelessness.

As a military diplomat trained as a specialist in foreign I knew where she was heading, and I also knew that

cultures and languages, I had been warned of the

she had, in her own way, sensed her impending fate.

folly of judging other cultures through the lens of

I had lived in Vietnam long enough at this point and

my own biases and expectations. The Ugly American

had grown familiar enough with the local culinary

came to mind. This classic novel by Eugene Burdick

traditions to know without a doubt that these dogs

and William J. Lederer shares a cautionary tale about

were not bound for a pet store or on their way to

how cultural myopia can undermine even the noblest

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of causes. I certainly didn’t want to be perceived as

including many made with beef, chicken, fish, shrimp,

a cultural imperialist, nor did I wish to offend my

and pork—all washed down with generous portions of

Vietnamese colleagues with whom I was traveling.

the local beer.

And as a citizen of a country that slaughters more than two billion animals a year to fill our bellies, who

At last we finished lunch and shook hands, resolving

was I to judge anyway?

to meet again. My team and I then proceeded to walk to our car to begin the long journey back to Hanoi

I’d like to tell you I did the right thing, the brave

—and that’s when my world changed forever. As I

thing, but my courage failed me that morning. As

moved towards the exit, I glanced towards the kitchen

I obsessed over different options, the motorcycle

to where the cooks were cleaning up and preparing

disappeared into the distance far ahead of us and

for the evening crowd. That’s when I saw a dead dog,

the last chance for those dogs disappeared with it.

skinned and splayed out on the concrete kitchen

That moment of communion was forever lost to

floor, just seconds away from being butchered. And

regret. Physical and moral courage in adversity are

like a light switch, my life flipped from darkness to

hallmarks of Marines, but I will forever recall that at

light. It was for me an ego-shattering moment not

the very moment when I was presented with a clear

unlike that experienced by Saul of Tarsus on the road

moral question, I hesitated. My heart was sick with

to Damascus some two millennia ago. The scales

shame and remorse.

fell from my eyes and I awoke. I returned to the car resolved to never to eat meat again.

My staff and I afterwards continued on to our destination, where later that morning we delivered

I’ll never know if the dog I saw murdered on the floor in

the medical equipment to the district clinic. We took

that ramshackle restaurant was the same dog whose

group photos, shook hands, and went through all

eyes met mine on that lonely road amidst sprawling

the expected formalities. Afterwards, several local

rice paddies, but it doesn’t really matter. Her eyes

officials took us to lunch to express their gratitude.

were the eyes of every animal, and her plight was that

Thit chó wasn’t on the menu, but we were treated to

of every animal who had ever been beaten, abused,

a sumptuous spread of traditional Vietnamese dishes,

exploited, injured or killed to satisfy my appetites. My choice— and make no mistake— my hesitation to act was in effect a choice to simply do nothing— cost those dogs their lives. My cowardice in a moment of crisis had led those dogs to a kitchen floor just as if I had dragged them there myself.

Despite the fact that I still find the memory of that experience exceptionally painful and shameful, I now view it in every sense of the word as a “gift”—a blessing.

It was a moment of awakening for which I am grateful.

The haunting memory of that event, painfully seared into my consciousness, has become a limitless source

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of power, inspiration and motivation for me. Had it

and serve with compassion, I knew deep down that

not occurred, I am quite sure that I would be a very

something was still missing in my life, and that I had

different man than I am today.

not truly begun to make amends for my cowardice on the road to Lai Châu. I felt called to do something

I spent the last two years of my assignment in

more, but in truth I felt utterly powerless to make any

Vietnam trying to make a difference. I helped the U.S.

real difference. The vast scope of the cruelty and

Department of Defense build health clinics and schools

indifference all around me made the challenge seem

in impoverished and underserved rural communities.

almost insurmountable. I was left feeling powerless

I worked diligently to make Vietnam’s Coast Guard

against a rising tide; however, I was not yet aware that

become more effective in their response to natural

my transformation remained incomplete.

disasters, and I helped manage U.S. State Department programs that clean up unexploded ordinance (UXO)

About two months after my encounter in Lai Châu, I

remaining from the Vietnam War. I also coordinated

was standing on the balcony of my apartment in Hanoi

some of the largest sea-based humanitarian medical

getting some fresh and fretting over my perceived

assistance missions to visit Vietnam since the end of

impotence as a bussing activist and advocate. I can

the war in 1975, and in my free time I raised funds to

recall the details of that night very clearly because I

improve the quality of life for disabled leprosy patients

wrote them down in a journal, but even if I hadn’t, the

living in remote areas. Despite these efforts to live

beauty and intensity of the encounter I experienced in

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FEATURE

the darkness would be just as fresh to me right now

Peninsula, where we had first met and fallen in love

as it was that night. Through the chorus of self-doubt

as students at the Naval Postgraduate School. She

in my head, a single voice raised itself above the din. It

became a professor there, and I joined the staff of the

said simply, “If I could use Moses, surely I can use you.”

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.

We bought a house in Pacific Grove, adopted more

Moses, if you recall, was debilitated by self-doubt,

cats, had a child, and I eventually retired from Marine

even to the point of trying to convince God that

Corps. In 2008, we established the VegHeads of

he had picked the wrong guy to lead the Israelites

Monterey Bay as a support group in our community

out of bondage. He lamented, “Who am I that I

for others thinking about or making the transition

should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel

to a plant-based diet. We also founded the Kairos

out of Egypt?” (Ex 3:11), and pleaded, “Please, my

Coalition, a tax-exempt, non-profit charity that delivers

Lord, I have never been eloquent…for I am slow

humane education programs and works to develop

and hesitant of speech…Please, my Lord, send

grassroots activism in Vietnam. We’ve also sponsored

anyone you decide to send!” (Ex 4:10-13). The Old

spay neuter programs, and helped host Vietnam’s first

Testament prophet Jeremiah likewise sought to

animal protection conferences.

avoid his calling. God had to reassure him that he was in fact precisely the right person for the mission

These days, I’m blessed to work as the Asia Pacific

for which he had been appointed, “‘To whomever

program manager for Humane Society Internation-

I send you, you shall go; whatever I command

al’s farm animal department. It’s a job that not only

you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them,

allows me to help advance the cause of animal pro-

because I am with you to deliver you’…Then the

tection in Vietnam and throughout the entire region.

Lord extended his hand and touched my mouth,

I get to work directly with government institutions,

saying, See, I place my words in your mouth!”

non-governmental organizations, and multinational

(Jer 1:4-8)

corporations to promote laws and policies that directly address animal cruelty, and I have the thrill of

I am no “Moses” or “Jeremiah”, nor do I claim special

helping build the capacity of partner grassroots or-

providence, but I realized that night that just as Moses

ganizations in each of the countries where I work.

had been spiritually equipped to lead his fellow

Some of my favorite work involves the promotion

Israelites out Egypt, and Jeremiah had been fortified

of plant-based eating through HSI’s country-spe-

for the prophetic tasks appointed to him, I too had

cific campaigns, including Green Monday Vietnam

been graced with certain strengths, talents, and skills,

(www.greenmonday.vn) and Green Monday South

and I too had been afforded experiences that gave me

Africa (www.greenmonday.co.za).

certain unique perspectives and insights. I was meant to rely upon these faculties to carry out the work for

When I look back upon who I was before that

which I had been appointed. Although I hadn’t realized

summer morning more than a decade ago, I see

it, my whole life had been but a preparation for the

an almost unrecognizable man. I was challenged

trajectory that my life was now taking.

by circumstances to look into my soul and take the measure of my humanity. It changed me in ways

In August 2008, my wife and I returned to the Monterey

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that have forever scarred me, and yet it also opened

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FEATURE

my heart and mind in ways that have given my life

themselves. And now the abundance of life she has

a clearer sense of meaning and purpose than I have

in Christ from the Father flows over into them…it is

ever known. The twin crucibles of crisis and calling

like when you throw a stone into a pool, and the

have made me into a new creation, and I’ve been

concentric waves spread out further and further.

blessed with a second chance to not only be a voice

Who knows where it will end? Redeemed humanity

of compassion in the world, but also to work alongside

is still young; it has hardly come to its full strength.

those spirited, committed warriors of compassion

But already there is joy enough in the little finger of a

fighting for change in their own countries. I have

great saint such as yonder lady to waken all the dead

witnessed the fruits of their labors everywhere I go.

It is both a humbling and inspiring journey to walk among such heroes.

In one of my favorite Novels, C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce, there is a passage that has given me endless peace over the years. The reader is given a glimpse of heaven and of the spirit form of a woman surrounded

things of the universe into life.”

It is an article faith to me that animals have souls.

I’m comforted in my belief that everything will at last be set right in the world, and that I will see those dogs again someday—and when I do, I will ask their forgiveness. And, as anyone who has ever truly known a dog knows very well, they will undoubtedly give it freely and without hesitation. Until that day comes,

by the forms of men, women, and animals dancing

however, I will continue to work out my redemption. I

and leaping with joy. The tale’s protagonist is

can no longer save those dogs, but there are billions of

perplexed by the presence of so many animals in

other dogs, cats, pigs, cows, chickens, horses, sheep

heaven and asks his guide why they are there as well.

and other non-human animals waiting for relief, for

His guide responds, “Every beast and bird that came

rescue, and for salvation. It is more than enough for a

near her had its place in her love. In her they became

lifetime’s work.

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feeding families / saving animals A Well-Fed World is a Washington, DC-based hunger relief and animal protection organization chipping away at two of the world’s most immense and unnecessary forms of suffering... the suffering of people hungry from lack of food and the suffering of animals used and abused for food.

Don’t like Heifer International?

Sign-up for our monthly e-newsletter for information about our Plants-4-Hunger gift-giving campaign, and give the gift of vegan food to people in need without harming animals.

care@AWFW.org

www.AWFW.org

Ashraya Initiative for Children

Poplar Spring Sanctuary by Mark Peters

~how beautiful is a world that is healthy, well-fed and kind all at the same time~ VegWorld Magazine

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48

THINGS WE LOVE

Amanda Smith loves

Truth Belts…

Truth Belts founder, Renia Pruchnicki wanted to prove that fashion doesn’t have to be cruel to be cool and that it is possible to be both stylish and ethical.

She has definitely succeeded on both counts by creating a line of high-quality vegan belts and accessories (such as suspenders and wallets) for women, men and kids.

Our home closets currently house the Smith, the Savoy and the Dyad from her belt collection. I am sure there will be more to follow. We’ve already got our eye on some items for future acquisition. You can check out all of their styles HERE.

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THINGS WE LOVE

Robin Tierney Loves

VICIA: This Vegan Energy Bar Will Rock Your Workout Review and photo by Robin Tierney Hail, VICIA! The name of these healthy-meetsdelicious energy bars was inspired by Julius Caesar’s epic quote: "Veni, Vedi, Vici" -- Roman for “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Founder Nathan Flood wants his new creation to inspire people to pursue "the act of conquering," whether their goals are athletic, business, personal or simply vanquishing hunger.

Nathan is an ultramarathoner based in Lodi, a California town near Sacramento that has a huge farm-to-table ethic. He wanted to use regionally sourced organic ingredients to create the ideal fuel athletic training and competition. He adopted a vegan diet 7 years ago after reading “The China Study.” With daily training that often includes 13 to 30 mile runs, Bikram yoga, longdistance cycling and tough Crossfit training, optimal nutrition was vital to keep Nathan and his VICIA cofounder Jeremiah Patterson fueled properly.

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After a couple of years making batches of VICIA Almond Noir bars by hand and selling them at farmers markets, demand outpaced supply. So Nathan found “a place with integrity” to help ramp up production -- enabling the bars to reach a wide, and nationwide, audience. I met Nathan at the Towne House Restaurant at Wine & Roses (http://winerose.com), a lovely resort in Lodi (http://visitlodi.com) while I fueled up on fresh sauteed veggies before my own workout.

Dates are nature’s candy as well as a tremendous energy food, so you’ll find dates among the carefully curated all-natural, raw, vegan, gluten-free and organic ingredients in VICIA (pronounced veec-a) bars. In addition to Almond Noir, new flavors include chocolate, coconut and coffee. For more info, visit http://viciaenergybar.com

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FASHION WITH COMPASSION SPOTLIGHT ON WILBY

by Erin Goldmeier

L

ondon, England reigns as the most fashionable city in the world. From Bond and Oxford Streets to the eclectic shops on Portobello Road, many industry

insiders are inspired by the capital city’s street fashion.

Founded in the posh Chelsea district of London, the relatively new Wilby vegan bag company has challenged the borough’s reputation as being uber expensive; in fact, affordability has been a key to the company’s success. It has also created the vegan fashionista’s dream; aesthetically-pleasing and stylish crossbody bags, weekenders and clutches that appear high-priced, but are guaranteed to not empty your bank account.

In 2013 the founders of the UK-based company goal was, and still is, to create a fashion brand that is both ethical and fashionable. They also wanted the consumer to feel they are helping the environment in some way with every purchase. They use organic and eco-friendly materials such as cotton, hemp recyclable cloth and cork, and all bags sold by Wilby are vegan-approved by PETA. The six collections Wilby currently offers have a classic British look and are relevant for any season. The collections include the Bailey Satchels, Tone-Time Collection, Drayton Collection, Country Collection, She Collection and the Primrose Hill Set Collection.

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FASHION WITH COMPASSION

All collections offer perfect party-ready clutches, smart bags for days at the office look and oversized bags for weekend getaways. Colors range from citrus yellow, neon blue and leopard print to classic black, beige and navy. Jewelry and interior designer (and ex-wife of Rockstar Noel Gallagher) Meg Mathews teamed with Wilby to design the Primrose Hill Set Collection and said,” I love fashion almost as much as I love helping animals, and the line I created with Wilby has allowed me to combine two of my greatest passions.”

“I am proud to create eco-friendly handbags that will allow shoppers to find a chic new look without harming a single cow, sheep or any other animal.”

To order, visit Wilby’s Web site at wilbyclutch.com. The company offers free shipping in the United Kingdom, and ships worldwide. ________________ Erin Goldmeier is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Radar Online, VegNews magazine, PETA Prime, The Virgin Atlantic Airways Blog, Southwest Virginia Living magazine, Convention South magazine, Smart Meetings magazine and others.

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FASHION WITH COMPASSION

ÉCLAIR NATURALS

by Erin Goldmeier

I

t’s not uncommon for body care companies to label products with complex-sounding scientific terms, leaving shoppers sometimes confused and

frustrated. Many consumers end up tossing products in their shopping cart without giving ingredients such as phenoxyethanol and phthalates much thought.

But behind the convoluted terms and many of the beautifully packaged products that line department store counters and drugstore shelves are ugly truths: animal-derived ingredients of tallow, lanolin and carmine, to name a few.

Fortunately, we have seen an increase in naturallyderived body care products that are vegan and free of harmful chemicals. Éclair Naturals is one such company that offers deliciously aromatic soaps, lotions, body butters and more. They are budgetfriendly, suitable for all skin types and will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed all day long. deodorants and lip balms are coming soon!) Choose In 2013 Éclair Naturals set out to develop a line of vegan

from a variety of heavenly scents including Grapefruit,

body care products sans GMOs, parabens, petroleum,

Mango, French Lavender, Creamy Coconut, Vanilla &

synthetic colors and fragrances. The company drew

Sweet Orange, and Shea Butter & Oatmeal.

the attention of Hollywood actress Jennifer Esposito and she became a partner in the venture because she

To order online or to find a retailer, go to Éclair Naturals

“shares the same vision of bringing the highest quality

Web site at eclairnaturals.com.

allergen-free body care products to everyone.”

Erin Goldmeier is a freelance writer whose work has Éclair’s products are also gluten-free, soy-free and cruelty-

appeared in Radar Online, VegNews magazine, PETA

free. The line currently offers shower gels, handcrafted

Prime, The Virgin Atlantic Airways Blog, Southwest

soaps, body scrubs, bath salts, body butters, lotions,

Virginia Living magazine, Convention South magazine,

shampoos, conditioners and styling gels (body oils,

Smart Meetings magazine and others.

About the Author

Erin Goldmeier is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Radar Online, PETA Prime, The Virgin Atlantic Airways Blog, Southwest Virginia Living magazine, Convention South magazine, Smart Meetings magazine and others.

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TRUE

by Sharon McRae

I

f you’re like me and you spend occasional long days on your feet (mine are usually in the kitchen),

you know how relaxing a bit of foot pampering can be. I was thrilled when I recently came across “Mint Your Feet” by Kosmatology. This delicious peppermint duo includes Mint Your Feet Mineral Salt Foot Scrub and Mint Your Feet Foot Balm to leave your feet feeling refreshed and pampered. They’re made with all natural ingredients, most of them organic, and of course, they both include peppermint essential oil to wake up your senses and make you feel like you’re walking on air again. After scrubbing in the shower or bath with the salt scrub, rubbing in the foot balm and feeling the soothing tingle is nothing short of heavenly. Slipping on a pair of comfy socks after this treatment always leaves me

feeling

completely

rejuvenated.

This would also be a fantastic gift for anyone who spends long hours on their feet or enjoys a bit pampering now

and

then….and

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who

doesn’t?

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TRUE BEAUTY

Black eyeliner is a staple in my makeup case, and I use it even on minimal makeup days to help to look more awake. I’ve been searching for a formula that really stays in place without fading or smudging, which most pencils tend to do, or flaking, like mineral powders sometimes can. I’ve found my new best friend in Noir Crème Eye Shadow by Au Naturale. I was skeptical at first, because cream shadows do tend to smear quite a bit, but I’ve had success with so many other products from this company that I decided to give it a shot. And I’m so glad I did! It’s easy to apply and glides right on with a small angled eyeliner brush. I If you’re a traveler or you have limited space at home, it can

apply both under and over my top lashes for a tight line. I do apply a bit of setting powder

be helpful to find multi- purpose

under my eyes, but not enough to accentuate fine

products that will save you space in the suitcase or

lines (I try to ignore them but I know they’re there),

the medicine cabinet. Meow Meow Tweet’s Face

and so far, I have to say that this product is a stellar

& Body Cream fits the bill. This luxurious cream is

performer!

made from all organic plant-based butters and oils, with no added scent….so it won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin. Tamanu, rosehip, and pumpkin seed oils help with dryness, itchiness, and fine lines, and the cream penetrates quickly without clogging pores. It’s fabulous as a body butter straight out of the shower, and a little goes a long way on the face to replenish moisture, much needed during this colder time of year. It also works well as a rich hand cream that you can apply at night. It’s packaged in a small glass jar, which won’t take up much room in your beauty case. Another fabulous Meow Meow Tweet product to try is the Repair Balm, which is especially perfect for those dry, cracked hands and lips.

About the Author

Sharon McRae is a wife and mother of three teens, as well as a certified health coach and PCRM Food for Life instructor residing in Columbia, MD. She has been adopting and applying principles of health and nutrition in her own life for more than three decades.

She became a health coach to fulfill her passion of helping others take control of their health by making better lifestyle choices and adapting a whole food, plant-based vegan diet.

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EAT THE WORLD

RAW EATERY AND MARKET A DINING DELIGHT IN CALGARY, ALBERTA

by Michael Taylor

A

new casual restaurant has opened in Calgary and it is most certainly worth the visit. Raw Eatery and Market (REM), opened for business in the summer of 2016 and has been growing in popularity ever since. Located in the trendy Kensington Village neighborhood, REM offers a unique take on vegan cuisine.

Funded originally from a Kickstarter campaign, this restaurant is slowly growing to be a favorite of the local veg friendly patrons While their name says “raw” most of REM’s items are made from a mix of raw and cooked ingredients. For example, eating raw quinoa would be a challenge so obviously this would

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EAT THE WORLD

be cooked, however mixed in their “Broken Burrito” bowl with many raw ingredients makes a delicious combination. My favorite was “The Linguine”. Again, a combination of mostly raw ingredients including a brazil nut mozzarella and chick pea meatballs.

Breakfast is served all day with 3 options to choose from. A mostly raw oatmeal bowl, an Indian tofu scramble, and their unique version of French toast.

Next time in I will have to order all 3! Their standard menu consists of 4 entrees and 3 salads which can be ordered in half or full size. The “Kale Mary” was my favorite salad. Good portion size and plenty of flavor with a unique take on a “cheesy” dressing. I have never been to a vegan restaurant with a kombucha bar, but REM has one with 2 flavors. Coffee and a variety of teas also.

REM’s proprietors, Megan Pope and Ali Magee, opened with a singular mission in mind. “To impact our community to live a plant centered lifestyle”.

Most of their ingredients are sourced locally and menu changes to reflect what plants may be “in VegWorld Magazine

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EAT THE WORLD

season�. They also are involved in vegan outreach programs showing mindful veganism movies, “how to� classes and even workshops on yoga.

As their name implies, they also have a small market which sells packages goods, again mainly source locally from the Calgary community.

Reservations not needed nor taken, plenty of seating and inexpensive metered parking is on the street. Open 7 days from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

About the Author

Michael Taylor travels in North America, South America and Europe for business and strives to dine at the very best vegan restaurants in every city he visits. As a vegan of seven years and vegetarian for 20 years before that, he has sampled some of the best Vegan foods in 46 states and 24 countries. Michael looks for restaurants using the best ingredients (organic preferred), innovative recipes and vegan outreach.

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FRESH FINDS

VEGWORLD’S

TOP THREE

NEW YEAR’S

RESOLUTION BOOK PICKS

A

s clichéd as we may all find it to be, New Years is, indeed, a time for starting fresh and making resolutions. There’s something stimulating about flipping the calendar page of the very last day of the very last month of the year and beginning anew. It makes us want to try harder and be better. In a society dominated by the Standard American Diet and all its accompanying ills, the number one resolution of most people is to take better care of themselves and get fitter, stronger and healthier.

the hand and leading you through the ins and outs of your new lifestyle to tough-talking doctors who are going to tell it like it is and keep you inspired to remain on the path to good health, these selections have it all.

Well, if that’s your New Year’s resolution too, you have come to the right place! The following three books are the trifecta of plant-based starter kits for the aspiring vegan newbie. If you were to do no other research and buy no other books throughout your long and, hopefully, successful plant-based journey, these books, alone, would provide you with all of the information you would ever need. From in-depth peer-reviewed scientific research to taking you by

So, get out your Kindles or clear off a part of your bookshelves and stock up on the best of the best of these plant-based reading recommendations. We hope you will enjoy our 2017 selections and that they will lead you, as they have so many others, to turn your resolutions into reality.

VegWorld Magazine

We are fortunate to have innumerable resources at our fingertips to help us on our journeys towards health, so this was a tough choice. But we think that the combination of these books will provide you with a theoretical, pragmatic, and motivating education

From all of us at VegWorld, have a Happy and, above all, HEALTHY New Year!

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FRESH FINDS

THE PLANT-BASED JOURNEY

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR TRANSITIONING TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND ACHIEVING YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT

W

e all want to be healthier. Plant-based living is an attractive option for many people who have made the connection between their Standard American Diet (SAD) and a host of chronic health issues they are suffering. It's not that people don't know that they are consuming too much meat, dairy, eggs, butter, fish and rich, heavy foods - it's just that, after a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits - such a monumental change is inconceivable to them.

Enter Lani Muelrath.

Teacher, lifestyle coach, behavioral change specialist....Lani's like a knowledgeable big sister who takes you by the hand and guides you gently, but with a firm hand, through the potential minefields of what might be a completely different food landscape than you are used to. She knows the journey well and reassures us by starting us off with her own personal story. As we become familiar with her encouraging, engaging, and reassuring tone, it becomes easier to imagine making such a transition for ourselves with Lani as our coach and educator.

And educate us, she does. She takes us through the hows, the wheres and the whys with calm, confident precision. She advises us every step of the way with pragmatic advice (what tools do you need in your kitchen), making sure we are prepared in social situations, knowing how to deal with family and friends, and offering us different transitioning models and options for setting the pace in a way

VegWorld Magazine

that makes sense to each of us individually. She shares the research about the impact our diet has on our health and our environment. And, of course, there are the recipes - a treasure trove of healthy and easy to prepare meals that will take the guesswork out of the predictable "What am I supposed to eat?" stumbling blocks for the plant-based novice. Lani has also included some of her recipe "templates" Savory Vegetables, Plant-Burgers for starters - brilliant in design for the lazy cook or those just starting out.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of this book lies in its no-nonsense pragmatic approach. Lani understands the pitfalls of lifestyle change and skillfully equips us

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FRESH FINDS

to cope with some of the inevitable challenges that will occur. As you read through The Plant-Based Journey, what once may have seemed so out of reach becomes understandable and accessible. She makes it doable and that is what the newbie plantbased eater and those who are plant-based curious need most of all. Real advice. Real recipes. Real preparation. Real ways to do this successfully.

We can talk theory forever - but with The Plant-Based Journey, Lani Muelrath lays out an achievable, stepby-step, realistic road map for health. It's the kind of detailed instruction to lifestyle change that has been sorely missing in the plant-based community up until now. We want it, but how? We know we need it, but what are we supposed to do? It's something we've been planning on pursuing, but where do we begin?

VegWorld Magazine

The answers are here, broken down into organized and manageable steps. The Plant-Based Journey can help anyone who sincerely wants and needs this change in their life to find the best path for themselves. Health is within reach because the road has already been traveled. The barriers to success have been cleared in advance. It's a highly recommended book to a rich and rewarding way of life.

Lifestyle change is no easy feat. We all need help finding our way, especially in the beginning.

Let Lani be your guide.

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FRESH FINDS

THE HEALTHIEST DIET ON THE PLANET WHY THE FOODS YOU LOVE-PIZZA, PANCAKES, POTATOES, PASTA, AND MORE-ARE THE SOLUTION TO PREVENTING DISEASE AND LOOKING AND FEELING YOUR BEST

W

ant the truth?

Well, for the hundreds of thousands of fans of Dr. John McDougall’s plain-spoken, forthright style, his latest book will not disappoint.

In “The Healthiest Diet on the Planet,” Dr. McDougall continues his lifelong mission of making the public aware of the scientifically-proven benefits of a high complex carb diet. “By nature,” writes Dr. McDougall,

“we are designed to enjoy and thrive on starches.”

Adapting this program is the ideal solution to get you in the best shape of your life, while making sure your appetite is satiated and you get all the necessary nutrients you need to thrive. Once again, drawing on the lessons of history, Dr. McDougall demonstrates how successful societies around the globe have flourished on diets rich in rice, corn, beans, potatoes, whole grains, legumes and other root vegetables. Along with greens and fruit, this is nutrient-dense program which provides food that can keep us happy and healthy for life.

Along with his seminal work, “The Starch Solution,” this book is a must-have for anyone starting out on a plant-based diet and wondering how they will ever be able to maintain such a program for life. In it, you will find Dr. McDougall’s simple, understandable “Red-Light, Green Light” guide to what we should and shouldn’t eat and a lush photo library of Mary McDougall’s tantalizing 100% oil-free recipes. These accessible guidelines and delicious, easy-to-prepare meals can launch even the most reticent whole food newbie onto an exciting and satisfying journey back to health.

And, of course, as ever, you will get to hear from the one and only, nationally-renowned Dr. McDougall – who will tell it like it is and make sure that you get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Let Dr. McDougall help you!

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FRESH FINDS

HOW NOT TO DIE

DISCOVER THE FOODS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO PREVENT AND REVERSE DISEASE

“H

ow Not to Die” is, to date, Dr. Michael Greger’s magnum opus – a great achievement for the physician who gave us the popular NutritionFacts.org website, helping to bring much-needed information about the benefits of a plant-based to a chronically ill population.

This is not a book to be absorbed in one sitting.

Although eminently readable and enjoyable, this work is more like an all-in-one reference library, providing a vast body of scientific proof on the

giving you solid scientific ammunition against those “helpful” friends and family members who may argue against your plant-based choices.

Detailed, entertaining and jam-packed with everything you will need to understand why this lifestyle is so vital to your well-being, Dr. Greger’s book will be your perennial guide for many happy, healthy years to come.

demonstrable benefits of plant-based eating to the reader. Meticulously-researched and annotated, How Not to Die is an encyclopedia of knowledge that can be referred to over and over again for support and information. The first fifteen chapters present the most common chronic conditions we, as a society, typically die from as a result of our reliance on the Standard American Diets (SAD). Each condition is then methodically examined with an eye towards showing how and why plant-based diets can effectively reverse these diseases – thus helping all of us to literally not have to die from these all too common and, in so many cases, avoidable illnesses.

If you are just starting out on a no oil, plant-based lifestyle, please clear out some space on your bookshelves for this wonderfully informative - and surprisingly funny - look at how to combat our top killers with nutrition. It is one you will refer to for many years for your own information, not to mention

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NUTRITION AND THRIVING

Amazing Transformation

making Health My Hobby

by AMY JOY SUBEN

before

My name is Amy and I am in Recovery from S.A.D. - the Standard American Diet, also known as the D.A.D. - Deadly American Diet.

This past November I turned 60 years young and have been eating Whole Food Plant Based since the beginning of 2011. This means I am gratefully going into my 7th Year of Plant Based eating.

VegWorld Magazine

after

I come from a family of overeaters. Both parents were overeaters and the norm in our house was bagels with gobs of melted cheese, eggs, steak, and a few canned vegetables. My mother was a chronic dieter and ‘offered’ me this approach to controlling my weight. I was only in the 7th grade when I was taken to my first Weight Watchers meeting. And so it began.

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NUTRITION AND THRIVING

I spent A LOT of energy focusing on weight and spent many years in and out of various anonymous self-help groups where we tried to manage eating and weight. I had success and failure.

My family medical history (note I did not say family genes) is quite severe. My father was overweight and had Type II diabetes, two coronaries and died from an abdominal aortic aneurism. My mother was overweight, had high blood pressure died at age 54 from a massive cardiac ‘event’.

Because both parents had severe heart disease, I had a cardiologist who I saw every few years for preventive care. The regular tests allowed us to believe that I was dodging the Heart Disease diagnosis.

In 2011, I was going for a routine pre-op appointment before a colonoscopy. It was suppose to be a N.B.D. (no Big Deal) appointment but my routine EKG had surprisingly changed. Now, this might not seem really alarming as an EKG can change for many reasons. But for me it was extremely alarming! Here I was age 54, the same exact age that my mother was when she died from that heart attack.

Being told my EKG changed, freaked me out! The next day I went to my cardiologist and it was confirmed that my EKG had indeed changed, but my heart ‘appeared’ healthy. I proceeded with my colonoscopy.

On the day that I was informed that my EKG had changed, we immediately changed our way of eating. My dear husband jumped in with me and we went to the Cleveland Clinic where we participated in a one-day Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Program with Dr. Esselstyn. This may seem like a dramatic choice considering I did not have a cardiac event (yet) but I was frightened and serious about being the healthiest I could be. I had actually attempted to be ‘vegan’ a few times earlier in my life but had fallen off the wagon.

This time I had a deeper motivation. I did not want to die young like my mother and I did not want to miss out on this wonderful stage of life. I am happily married and have two amazing adult children.

I lost a bunch of weight immediately in those first 6 months. All my ‘numbers’ improved and are excellent and that’s going by the guidelines of Drs. McDougall, Greger and Esselstyn It has not been a per-

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NUTRITION AND THRIVING

fect process for me. A few years ago we moved to

By eating Whole Food Plant Based with barely any

Asheville, land of many vegan friendly restaurants. I

oil and very little salt and sugar I am able to stay

got triggered with all the choices and started eating

away from activating the desire to overeat. I am

too many vegan foods that were overloaded with

grateful to be at an appropriate weight and to have

white flour, oil, salt and sugar. I do know that I am

excellent lab results. My EKG went back to the origi-

sensitive to those addictive substances. I can ‘get

nal baseline. I mostly power walk but also run a bit

away’ with some for sometime but it’s a slippery and

and can do 5k and 8k races. There was a time when

dangerous slope.

I was on blood pressure and cholesterol lowering medication, but the only pill I currently take is my

I re-sparked my WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED life-

thyroid medication. I am excited about this lifestyle

style by seeking additional information and guidance

and grateful to be informed. I tune out any naysay-

from many heroes including Dr. Alan Goldhamer, Dr.

ers and refuel my motivation with daily connection

Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. McDougall, Dr. Neal Barnard,

to others eating and living this way.

Dr. Michael Klapper and so many others. I have gone on retreats and conferences. I read their books. I lis-

If I can do it, you can do it. Make Health Your Hobby!

ten to lectures and podcasts and participate in the

May we all be healthy and happy!

McDougall and Esselstyn groups on Facebook!

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NUTRITION AND THRIVING

Amazing Transformation

From 371 to 148

by KARLA FREEZE

before

I

was either considered overweight or actually overweight, since elementary school. My mother had me on my first diet in fifth grade and back then they had girls “chubby” clothes. My mom has always been weight obsessed. I was unhappy a lot of my life and ate (as many people do) to fill the void. Lots of things in my life led to low self-esteem.

Despite the weight, I was pretty healthy. I was put on

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after

thyroid medicine in 6th grade but I think my mom had heard it would help with weight loss, so she asked the doctor to prescribe it.

Fast forward many, many years. The day I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, is the day I changed my eating. I didn’t want to be sick. That was the turning point and that was January of 2008. I was 371 lbs.

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NUTRITION AND THRIVING

At that point, I did what the dietitians and the nutritionists told me to do: no carbs, no sugar, lots of protein! I ate a standard American diet "diet." Full of chicken, cottage cheese and deprivation! The year before I had been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Over the next few years, I did lose a lot of weight but then started to gain back because “diets” are not sustainable, of course. I was still pricking my finger twice daily, on meds for the diabetes, meds for high cholesterol, anti-anxiety meds, meds for psoriasis and being treated for gum disease and plantar fasciitis.

of those was before I found plant-based eating. I was vegan for a year before I found my whole foods plant-based no oil, plan (called Protective Diet) I also eat no sugar, no nuts, no dried fruit, no food additives. I have reversed all my disease and ailments including the type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, psoriasis, anxiety, plantar fasciitis, gum disease with antibiotic treatments, sleep apnea (no more CPAP). I have more energy than I've had in over 40 years, I weigh less than I have weighed in over 40 years.

The next turning point….. My mom was diagnosed and declining from Alzheimer's and I'd already had 3 relatives pass away that had it. I started researching prevention of that horrible disease. I researched scientific studies, medical articles, watched documentaries, read testimonials, for several months. That's when I found the benefits plant based eating. I have not consumed any animal products since the Christmas present I gave myself on December 25th 2012, the day after watching the documentary “Forks Over Knives.”

I did not exercise religiously; I went to “Curves” for several years. But, as I got healthier, I wanted to move my body more. I do yoga 3-5 times a week, I do some running and some walking. I take some dance classes! So many side effects that were a surprise to me! And it's such a simple concept that so many find overwhelming. It's merely a choice. Every single bite. Choose health. Choose yourself. It's not hard! What you will gain is perhaps unfathomable.

At 371 pounds, I would never have imagined the life that I live today.

Every day I'm eating for my health and well-being!

What I have gotten in return is my life back! Total weight loss as of this week is 223 pounds and 93

Happiness! Joy! Peace! Energy! I sincerely LOVE my life. Every single day. All due to eating amazing life changing plants.

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NUTRITION AND THRIVING

Amazing Transformation

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE FOR HEALTH

by CARLE KLUPT

before

Seven years ago, I lost my wife to breast cancer after 49 years of marriage. Besides being a 71-yearold grieving widower, I was overweight and on medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and depression. I also suffered from gout, chronic headaches, back pain, and GERD (reflux). I assumed that all these things were just a part of getting older.

Shortly after my wife died, I started to feel like my memory was also going.

I talked to my daughter Sharon about my memory loss, and she told me she’d look into it. She’s a

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after

health coach and, at that time, attended classes at Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). She asked PCRM’s President, Dr. Neal Barnard (who wrote Power Foods for the Brain), what I should do. He told her that many common medications can cause memory loss, and then he proceeded to list all the ones that I was taking! He told her to encourage me to change my diet.

That was easier said than done. I’m a little stubborn (in my daughter’s view, perhaps more stubborn than anyone else on the planet) and didn’t believe in

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NUTRITION AND THRIVING

her plant-based coaching and teachings. I felt the studies were too small and didn’t want to hear her dietary advice.

At my next doctor’s appointment, my doctor asked Sharon if she had any concerns about my health. Of course she did. She told him she thought I ate too much red meat. My doctor actually agreed and told me it could be affecting my health. As we walked out of the doctor’s office, I told my daughter I would make her a bet. I told her I would give up red meat for three weeks and then go back to the doctor. If the good doc didn’t see any changes, she’d drive me to Burger King, buy me a Whopper, and watch me eat it! Sharon was excited, confident that she’d win the bet. I was just as confident that I’d be the “winner.”

Three weeks later, I walked into the doctor’s office confident that I had won the bet. I didn’t feel any different. In the office, my doctor looked at my blood work and asked me what I had been doing differently. I didn’t want to admit it, so I replied, “Nothing.” He told me he didn’t believe me and kept asking me what changes I had made. Finally I asked him why. He told me my blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol were all down significantly, and that I had also lost weight. I was floored.

We walked out of the waiting room where Sharon

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sat bursting with anticipation, and my doctor went over to her and gave her a high five. He said, “I don’t know what you’re doing with your dad, but whatever it is, keep doing it!” She was thrilled.

I wasn’t too happy at first, but I couldn’t deny how much my numbers had improved after just a few weeks. Even I had to admit it was pretty remarkable.

Sharon eventually got me to give up poultry, dairy, and almost all seafood. That’s no small feat for a 70-plus-year-old Jewish man! I also kicked my soda and heavy salt habit—I used to salt everything liberally before tasting it.

I’m now off my statins (my cholesterol is now lower than when I was on it), blood pressure medication, and my antidepressant. I also no longer suffer with gout, chronic headaches and back pain, and GERD. I’m a kidney cancer survivor with one remaining kidney (I smoked for years), and at one of my recent appointments, my kidney doctor was amazed because the function in my remaining kidney had improved. That is very atypical; function in these cases usually gradually decreases over time.

I’m now a full convert to the belief that food is powerful and can be healing. I work six days a week as a hardware store manager, my memory is back, and I feel like I’m reverse-aging. It just goes to show that you are never too old to change.

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ALL THINGS CRUCIFEROUS

by Lori Donica Barber

B

roccoli, and cabbage and cauliflower, oh my! These cruciferous vegetables, so named because the four petals of

their flower that come together to form the shape of a cross, pack a powerful protective punch when it comes to some of our most dread diseases of today! According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. “cruciferous vegetables contain phytochemicals that have unique abilities to modify human hormones, detoxify compounds, and prevent toxic compounds from binding to human DNA, preventing toxins from causing DNA damage that could lead to cancer.” That’s a pretty impressive resume for a humble head of cabbage! The list of cruciferous veggies, of course, is longer than just broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.

Mustard greens, turnips and rutabaga are also among the cruciferous cancer-cell killers. For a full list of all things cruciferous, as well as other diseases they help prevent, check out THIS article by Dr. Linda Carney, M.D.

About the Author

Lori Donica Barber lives in Idaho where she teaches the history and anthropology of food at Idaho State University.

She is passionate about the implications of eating a plant-based diet and challenges her students to consider the repercussions of every bite they take. Lori believes everything always comes back to food – from obvious health concerns, to political issues to societies ability to learn, grow and make sound decisions. When she is not lecturing on food, she teaches yoga, inspiring people to move their body and eat healthy food. She also loves venturing into the backcountry of Idaho, skiing, backpacking, camping and soaking up the great outdoors. She shares her love of plantbased eating with her husband and two sons who have indulged her obsession and embraced this lifestyle wholeheartedly.

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SOUP IS ALWAYS ON Soup is one of mankind’s most ancient and revered foods. It has sustained us for centuries and enabled us to easily incorporate a variety of healthy foods into our diets. The hallmarks of soup are its versatility and creativity, features which chefs all across the world can appreciate. Soup is widely considered a hot food, although it can also be served cold, or even raw, as Natalie Norman’s and Steve Prussak’s selections this month illustrate. If prepared correctly, soup can be one of the healthiest foods to eat, assisting not only in weight loss, but also as an effective cancer fighting formula. Many renowned plantbased doctors will tell you that a well-made soup will definitely keep them away!

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5

Ingredient

Butternut Squash Soup

by Shoshana Chaim

Butternut squash soup has never been easy for me. The first time I made it back in my newlywed days, I didn’t cook it long enough…Bleh. Later in life, it would come out more like baby food rather than soup.

I really wanted an EASY butternut squash soup with minimal ingredients that didn’t take hours to make because of multiple steps. It had to be without oil so that I felt good about recommending it to others and serving it to guests. Finally, this soup had arrived in my pot!

The best part of this soup is that it is quite tasty on it’s own and you can change it up with your toppings.

ingredients • 1 butternut squash, cubed small

method 1. Place chopped squash, onion and garlic into a hot pot.

• 1 onion, diced

2. Watch and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

3. If you need to, use a bit of water so it doesn’t burn (but I have never needed to).

• 4 cups of vegetable broth • Salt and pepper to taste

4. Add broth and let it simmer for about 25-30 minutes until squash is soft.

Optional toppings:

5. Blend with an immersion blender.

• Grated ginger, cinnamon, chives, parsley or whatever you’re in the mood for.

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6. Top off with whatever you’re in the mood for!

7. Bon appetit!

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THE JUICE

GURU

by Steve Prussack

The Best Raw Soup Ever

Watch as Steve and a special guest whip up a raw mushroom soup in Tribest’s newest culinary device, the Sousvant.

About the Author

Steve Prussack is the bestselling author of “Juice Guru: Transform Your Life by Adding One Juice a Day” (Robert Rose) and “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Juice Fasting” (Penguin Books). His mission is to show you how to get the “juice” back into your life… so you can gain more energy, become naturally lean and beautiful (on the inside and out).

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by Amy Johnson

Creamy, Garlicky White Bean Soup

by Tara Binder

There’s nothing better than a delicious, healthy and satiating bowl of soup in the cool winter months. While beans and greens are an essential part of my daily meals, this soup has a generous serving of both along with an abundance of fresh vegetables and garlic.

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CREAMY, GARLICKY WHITE BEAN SOUP

ingredients • 2 Tablespoons water for sautéeing

• 3 ½ cups vegetable broth

• 1 onion, diced

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 carrots, chopped into larger bite size pieces

• 3 cups of cooked small white beans (approx 2 cans)

• 2 potatoes, chopped into larger bite size pieces • 2 stalks of celery chopped into larger bite size pieces • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 whole bulb garlic, pressed (not one clove, the whole bulb!)

• 1 teaspoon salt • 1/8 teaspoon pepper • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice • 1 cup of fresh spinach chopped

Method 1. Heat the 2 Tablespoons of water in a soup pot over medium heat.

2. Add your chopped onion and saute for about 5 minutes, adding more water as needed.

8. Add the cooked beans and stir.

9. Once hot, remove from heat and add your salt, pepper and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

10. Remove the bay leaves.

3. Add your chopped carrots, potato and celery and saute for 1 minute.

11. Using a slotted spoon remove 2 cups of the veggies/beans and place in a separate bowl.

4. Add your cumin and stir to incorporate.

12. Blend the remaining soup in a high speed blender.

5. Add your pressed garlic, cook for 30 seconds and add the vegetable broth.

13. Add the pureed soup back to the soup pot together with the unblended beans/veggies. Stir.

6. Add your two bay leaves.

7. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender.

14. Add your chopped spinach and allow a couple minutes for it to wilt.

15. Serve!

About the Chef:

Tara Binder is passionate about showing omnivores that vegan food is delicious. As a part time nurse and a full time foodie she wants to show the world that you can eat scrumptious food without sacrificing your health. Residing in Vancouver, Canada this mom of two adorable boys spends her free time cooking and blogging at www.WhatTheHeckDoIEatNow.com

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CURRIED PUMPKIN LENTIL SOUP

by Lani Muelrath

P

umpkin – jammed with antioxidants you can use, yet neutral enough in flavor to take on the other seasonings– grounds this delightful soup for the season.

The red lentils add robust texture, protein content, and lush color, delivering the ultimate comfort food. Toss in some coconut for VegWorld Magazine

added creaminess and a squeeze of lemon – enhancing nutrition and putting a nice finishing touch on the flavor – and you have the ultimate Fall comfort food. Serve with brown rice or a good crusty sourdough bread on the side to compliment the curry flavor, sprinkle with cilantro (or parsley if you prefer) for color contrast, and you’re all set.

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CURRIED PUMPKIN LENTIL SOUP

ingredients • 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger (I use a zester) • 15oz can pumpkin purée, or two cups fresh pumpkin (even butternut squash will do) cooked and pureed • 1 cup dry red lentils • 5 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup light coconut milk (you can replace with vegetable broth if you prefer or don’t have coconut milk) • 1 Tablespoon curry vindaloo powder (or other curry powder of your choice) • Fresh lemon juice, about 1 Tablespoon • Salt to taste • Fresh cilantro, chopped, about 2 tablespoons, as top decoration

Method 1. Lightly saute the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large pot over medium heat with a small amount of the vegetable broth, until the onions are soft and transparent.

2. Add the pumpkin purée, red lentils, broth, coconut milk, and curry powder. Stir to combine.

3. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft.

The soup will thicken as the lentils cook. Taste to adjust the curry powder or salt as needed, then serve in bowls with a sprinkle of the chopped cilantro on top.

Chef’s note: I also like to serve this with a dollop of cashew cream or tofu sour cream atop the bowl and beneath the sprinkle of cilantro – not necessary, but a nice touch if you have it on hand. Also, leftover can be reheated, thickened, and served over rice or other whole grain – the ‘next day’ flavor blend is divine.

Yield: serves 4 – 6

About the Chef:

Lani Muelrath, MA, is an award-winning teacher, best-selling author, and dynamic speaker well known for her expertise in mindful, plant-based, active living – a message she carries to people around the country through her books, talks, and television appearances.

Lani is the author of The Plant-Based Journey: A Step-by-Step Guide to Transition to a Healthy Lifestyle and Achieving Your Ideal Weight (VegNews Magazine Top Media Pick 2015) and Fit Quickies: 5-Minute Workouts (2013). She has been featured on ABC-TV and CBS-TV; in Preventionmagazine, USA Today, and The Saturday Evening Post. Lani is a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate Graduate as well as a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, Certified Behavior Change Specialist, Advanced Fitness Nutrition Specialist, and associate faculty in Health at Butte College, where her book has been adopted as required text. Lani is currently working on her next book, The Mindful Vegan, coming out in 2017.

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FRENCH ONION SOUP

by Amy Johnson, aka Mrs. Plant in Texas

W

arm, rich, and peppery…

French Onion Soup is certainly not all about the Swiss cheese! This flavorful broth made from caramelized onions, garlic, and spices is soothing on a cool winter day.

Toss in a piece of whole wheat baguette or homemade plant-based croutons to soak up the goodness, and sprinkle a bit of vegan parmesan cheese just before serving to add the reminiscent flavor of cheese.

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ingredients • 3 lbs. sweet onions, sliced finely • 1 Tablespoon dry white wine • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar • 1 Tablespoon garlic, crushed • ½ teaspoon dried thyme • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (more if you prefer) • 2 bay leaves • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

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Method 1. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, cook the sliced onions and wine over high heat until dark golden brown and caramelized, stirring often with a wooden spoon and scraping the bottom to loosen bits that have dried.

2. Stir in the garlic and cook for about one minute.

3. Add in the rest of the ingredients except the salt.

4. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer.

5. Simmer for 45 minutes.

6. Remove bay leaves and add salt to taste.

7. Serve with whole wheat baguette rounds and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese, if desired.

About the Chef:

Amy is a home chef living medicine-free in Frisco, Texas. She works with patients who have been diagnosed with dietary illnesses like obesity, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. to prevent and reverse these illnesses through a whole foods plantbased lifestyle. Before her journey, Amy was taking medication three times a day for Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, as well as struggling with severe osteopenia and obesity. After adopting a plant-based lifestyle, she has been able to get off her medications, lose weight (finally!) and run! Visit her website at www.mrsplantintexas.com for hundreds of whole foods plant-based (no oil!) recipes, as well as cooking tips and plant-based education. Or, follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mrsplantintexas, on Instagram: mrsplantintexas, or on YouTube: www.youtube.com/mrsplantintexas.

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STAYING VEGAN FOR LIFE: HOW RAW FOODS CAN HELP

by Natalie Norman

Hello, Wonderful VegWorld Readers!

It’s your raw food pal, Natalie! In this issue I’m focusing on staying vegan for life.

Going plant-based is a huge change in our lives, a total lifestyle that can sustain us in the long-term. But all too often, going vegan gets treated like a temporary cleanse, a weight loss gimmick, or a celebrity trend that is in vogue one day, then out the next.

Sometimes we turn to veganism for ethical reasons, too, but no matter how much our hearts want to be vegan for the animals and the planet, our cravings do us in. With guilt and shame we reach for a slice of cheese, or a

VegWorld Magazine

scoop of ice cream. We lament about “falling off the wagon.” Well, I am here to tell you that those days are gone. No more! I am here to help.

I want you to stay vegan long after the big celebrities quit.

I want you to enjoy your best health by eating a delicious diet rich with plants.

I want you to stay vegan for life!

You might have read my own personal story and struggles with going and staying vegan in the last issue of VegWorld, or perhaps you stumbled upon my full story on my website. In

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a nutshell, I battled cravings and my seemingly irrepressible appetite for years until finally two pregnancies pretty much did me in, health and weight-wise.

I finally overcame my health issues by adopting a raw vegan diet. I have become my most athletic self and no longer have cravings for foods like dairy, which had been a problem in the past. I don’t want my past misfortunes to happen to anyone else. But all too often I get comments and questions from people around the world who are really struggling with staying vegan because they just can’t feel satisfied, full, or find their best strength. That’s not good! But the great news is that it is preventable.

So how does raw food tie in with you going and staying vegan for life? Do you have to start gnawing on raw broccoli and give up all cooked food forever? NO WAY! (Rejoice!) But raw foods can really help you stick to a plantbased way of life. Why? Because raw plants help you stay full, satisfy your body’s nutritional needs, and are both fun and delicious. Keep reading for tips and tasty raw food recipes to help you stick with a vegan lifestyle!

Robust Nutrition: Feeling Satisfied and Strong Raw plants contain all their phytonutrients intact, especially heat-sensitive ones like the common antioxidant, Vitamin C. So when you eat raw, you are getting a lot of

VegWorld Magazine

nutritional bang for your buck. Likewise, raw plants are rich with fiber and generally have a much higher water content than their cooked counterparts. This means when you eat them, your satiety or fullness gets triggered more easily and your appetite finally finds that often elusive “off switch.”

That can be a miracle if you are struggling with feeling full and satisfied on a vegan diet, or you have been battling weight issues.

Sometimes when people go vegan, they become frustrated thinking their weight is still out of control, or they gain weight in the long-run because they eat too many processed and unhealthy vegan foods. This is an avoidable pitfall when you include plenty of balanced raw food recipes in your diet.

In addition to helping you feel full and supplying valuable phytonutrients, raw foods are easy to make and so energizing!

For example, foods like fresh fruit supply our bodies with the fuel to keep us going throughout our busy days. I am an avid runner, plus I lift weights, do Pilates, and generally lead an active life. Not to mention the fact that I have dropped about half my body weight eating abundant fresh fruit!

It has really improved my energy levels as well as helped clear my complexion and improve my digestion, too. And as a busy mom of two, raw foods are so fast that I can eat them on the fly when I have very little time at my disposal.

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Easy Recipes and Fast, Delicious Healthy Food Here are three simple and delicious raw vegan recipes you can even make the day before so that the next morning you have easy grab-n-go nutrition on hand. I have included a smoothie, a soup, and a savory, spicy culinary treat that has been one of my top recipes for go-to raw food lunches or dinners.

NATALIE’S GO-TO GREEN SMOOTHIE When I first went raw, I remember learning about green smoothies and thinking, “Yuck!” Nowadays, green smoothies have become more commonplace, but there’s still somewhat a of a fear factor among people new to a plantbased diet. But with the right recipes, green smoothies are some of the most delicious foods you will eat! You just have to play around with the right amount of fruit to make them taste like a sweet, creamy delight. Here is the recipe for my Go-To Smoothie that everyone loves, even kids! My kids will battle over who gets a second glass full of this.

ingredients

method

• 4-5 frozen bananas, chunked

1. Place greens and water at the bottom of your blender. (You always want to load your blender that way.) Add remaining ingredients.

• 5 curly kale leaves, stems removed • 10 medjool dates, pits removed • 1 young Thai coconut, water & meat scooped out* • 2-3 cups water VegWorld Magazine

2. Blend until creamy and smooth. Enjoy! *If you dislike coconut or don't have any on hand, simply omit it and use additional water.

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Broccoli “Cheese” Jalapeño Soup Did you know not all raw food is cold? To the contrary, when you make recipes like raw vegan soups, you can simply run your blender until its contents become steamy and warm. That’s perfect for these chilly months! This rich soup is so satisfying and flavorful. And again, as a raw vegan meal it is dense with plant-based nutrition to keep you full and fueled-up!

ingredients • 2 cups (about one head) raw broccoli florets

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• 3 green jalapeno peppers, seeded

• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast • 1/3 cup raw cashews

• ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder (or to taste, start with less!)

• 1 avocado

• ½ teaspoon pink salt or to taste

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 2 cups water, as needed

method 1. Blend in high-power blender until totally creamy, as pictured. Adjust water and seasonings as desired to achieve your preferred thickness and flavor.

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COCONUT CURRY CAULIFLOWER RICE WITH PISTACHIO This is one of my most popular raw food recipes. Not only is it fast and easy, but it delivers big on flavor with an exotic twist of spicy curry and jalapeno pepper. You don’t have to give up on taste in order to be healthy. Raw cauliflower is such a diverse ingredient and makes a terrific raw vegan “rice.” And did you know it is absolutely loaded with Vitamin C? Way more than oranges are! This is one of the beauties of raw vegan foods. They support immunity and strength while powering up our bodies.

ingredients • 1 small head cauliflower

• 2-3 dashes garlic powder

• 1 cup raw shelled pistachios

• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

• 2 green jalapeno peppers, seeded

• ½ teaspoon white pepper

• 1 large handful cilantro • 1 teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon pink salt or to taste • 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil or coconut butter, adjusting to your preferred taste

method 1. Pulse/process ingredients in food processor until small-size rice consistency is achieved. Feel free to double or triple this to bring to a party!

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Surround Yourself with Support. Reach Out and Connect!

You’re Never Alone on Your Vegan Journey.

So there you have it! Tips and recipes to incorporate healthy raw vegan meals into your diet to help you stay on the vegan path for life. I know you’ll love and master these recipes with ease! Even if you do still enjoy some cooked vegan meals, that is totally fine. Never let dogma or judgment into your vegan experience. Just keep trying, keep moving forward, and keep learning. Making raw plants part of your diet should be fun, not burdensome.

I’m loving contributing to VegWorld regularly, so be sure to reach out and let me know what you

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thought of my column and what kinds of topics you would like to see covered. Drop me a line at natalie@natalienorman.com and subscribe at www.natalienorman.com, and be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for daily inspiration.

I’m so proud to be a VegWorld contributor and am myself an avid reader of this amazing magazine.

I look forward to continuing to meet all of you, and I support you 100% on your journey into plant-based living!

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PRESCRIPTIONS FOR HEALTH with Dr. Linda Carney

RAISING A VEGAN CHILD IS

NOT CHILD ABUSE

V

egan parenting has been in the news

In Italy, lawmakers have been considering a bill

over the last few months. The reports

that would send parents to prison if they feed

have not been favorable. Irresponsible

their children a diet limited to plant-based foods.

parents have neglected and starved their children

This comes after an 18-month period when

in the name of veganism, giving the rest of us

several children from four different families were

a bad reputation. Last year, in Pennsylvania, a

hospitalized with health problems stemming from

mother was charged with child endangerment

their alleged vegan diets.2

for restricting her 11-month-old son’s diet to small amounts of nuts and berries. The baby couldn’t

Less recently, but no less tragically, Georgia parents

crawl and was diagnosed with malnourishment.

were sentenced to life in prison for the death of

The mother claimed she fed him a vegan diet.1

their six-week old son in 2004; they gave him only

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PRECRIPTIONS FOR HEALTH

soy milk and apple juice. In 2005, a Florida couple

successfully nurture and nourish their children with

who fed their six-month old baby wheat grass,

a plant-based diet.

coconut water, and almond milk were sentenced to probation. Also in 2005, an Arizona mother received

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that

30 years in prison for starving her three children on

“multiple experts have concluded independently

what she and the children’s father called a vegan

that vegan diets can be followed safely by infants

diet; the father was sentenced to 15 years.1

and children without compromise of nutrition or growth and with some notable health benefits.7

Parents who wave the banner of veganism while

The American Dietetic Association takes a similar

capturing media attention for endangering their

position,

children bring responsible vegan parents undeserved

vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan

scrutiny and suspicion. The threat is not limited

diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and

to stories that capture headlines. Last year, I was

may provide health benefits in the prevention and

asked to submit a professional medical opinion in

treatment of certain diseases ... during all stages of

support of a plant-based diet on behalf of a parent

the life cycle.”8 And in a joint statement, the Dietitians

fighting to keep custody rights. In suing for divorce,

of Canada and the American Dietetics Association

the estranged partner claimed the other parent had

cited multiple studies and concluded that:

stating

that

“appropriately

planned

abused and neglected the couple’s children because the parent favored a vegan diet. Although the couple

Well-planned vegan, lacto-vegetarian, and

had at one time jointly adopted a plant-based diet for

lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets … satisfy nutrient

their family, when the marriage broke up, veganism

needs of infants, children, and adolescents

became the scapegoat for allegations of abuse. A

and promote normal growth. Vegetarian

loving parent faced losing custody rights because

diets in childhood and adolescence can

that parent preferred veganism -- a diet scientifically

aid in the establishment of lifelong healthy

proven to lower the risk of many diseases.

eating patterns and can offer some important nutritional advantages. Vegetarian children

I wrote that letter to the court defending the merits

and adolescents have lower intakes of

of a vegan diet for children because I believe a diet

cholesterol, saturated fat, and total fat and

of whole, plant-based foods is easily the best diet

higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, and fiber

for growing children. As Neal Barnard, M.D., points

than nonvegetarians. Vegetarian children

out, “Children who acquire a taste for chicken

have also been reported to be leaner and to

nuggets, roast beef, and French fries today are

have lower serum cholesterol levels.9

the cancer patients, heart patients, and diabetes patients of tomorrow.”3 Outside of a low-fat, whole-

Despite

food, plant-based diet, I know of no other eating

organizations, parents of vegan children are

style that can lower children’s risk of developing so

likely to face questions from friends, family,

many different diseases. Many physicians stand with

well-meaning strangers, and often their child’s

me on this point.4,5,6 Many more physicians and

pediatrician. Plant-based families need to have

nutritional experts support veganism as a reasonable

ready answers to combat the perceptions of

option for families. They recognize that parents can

deprivation or abuse.

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support

from

these

professional

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88

Protein is often the first concern raised to parents of

countries with low dairy intake.10 Beans and grains

vegan children. Sometimes, people ask specifically

are great sources of calcium, as are oranges and

about “quality protein” or “complete protein.” All

dried figs. Greens like broccoli, collards, and kale

protein is made of chains of amino acids. Nine

are especially rich in calcium. If anyone doubts this,

amino acids are considered “essential” because our

remind them that cows, horses, and giraffes all build

body cannot make them; they must come from

their bones with greens. Children can, too.

food. Animal foods contain all nine. Plants also have them, just rarely all in one bite like animal foods

More nutritionally sophisticated questioners might

do. However, eating a reasonable variety of beans,

inquire about a child’s source of omega-3 fatty acids.

whole grains, and vegetables provides all nine

Ground flax seed, green leafy vegetables, legumes,

essential amino acids.

and wheat germ all contain this essential fatty acid.

It’s often alleged that vegan children will lack sufficient

Like all children, those on a vegan diet need an

iron and calcium in their diet. Beans, whole grains,

adequate source of vitamin D and vitamin B12.

and green vegetables have plenty of iron. Physicians

Vitamin D is a hormone produced when our

are sometimes concerned because plant iron isn’t as

skin is exposed to sunlight. Insufficient sunshine

readily absorbed as animal-based iron. This, however,

can lead to low levels of this vitamin. Deficiency

is good news. Animal-based (heme) iron is so readily

in vitamin B12 is also a possibility because is

absorbed that it builds up in the system, which

produced by bacteria in the lower gut, not by

increases the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart

plants. Although animal products supply some

disease, and cancer. The concerns about calcium

B12, the World Health Organization recommends

revolve around bone health, which is strongest in

supplementation for all individuals to ensure

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PRECRIPTIONS FOR HEALTH

adequate levels.11 Most plant milks and packaged

Ensuring adequate nutrition for their children is the

cereals are fortified with vitamins D and B12, but

responsibility of all parents, regardless of dietary style.

parents of both vegan and omnivore children

But because of the negative media attention directed

should discuss supplementation of these vitamins

at those who misuse the name of vegan in an attempt

with their child’s pediatrician.

to validate negligent parenting, families who choose to raise their children on a diet of whole plant foods

Sometimes people are worried that children on

must be prepared with answers. We must know where

a vegan diet are simply not getting enough food.

the nutrients and calories come from to raise healthy

Vegan parents answer that concern by basing a

children. We must be assured that leading medical

child’s whole-plant diet on starch. Foods such as

organizations stand with us when we make responsible

legumes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash,

choices in feeding our children. And we must be

and intact whole grains provide long-lasting energy

confident that our lifestyle will make a difference in

for growing, learning, and playing. With starch as

the long-term health of our children. Our informed

the basis of a child’s whole-food, plant-based meal,

position combined with the evidence we produce in

parents can then add a rainbow of fruits and veggies

the robust health of our children will testify to the fact

for the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients needed

that veganism is not only a legitimate option but is in

for excellent health.

fact a superior diet for raising children.

1.

2.

3.

4.

De Groot K. Raising a vegan baby: Parents say abuse cases give a

6.

Moilanen BC. Vegan diets in infants, children, and adolescents. In

bad rap. Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/

Brief. 2004;25(5):174–176. doi:10.1542/pir.25-5-174. http://pedsin-

sns-bc-us--vegan-babies-20161021-story.html. Accessed November

review.aappublications.org/content/25/5/174. Accessed November

18, 2016.

18, 2016.

Perlman E. Italy could imprison parents who impose veganism on

8.

Craig W, Mangels A, Dietetic A. Position of the American Dietetic

their children. Newsweek. August 9, 2016. 3http://www.newsweek.

association: Vegetarian diets. Journal of the American Dietetic

com/italy-could-imprison-parents-who-impose-veganism-their-

Association. 2009;109(7):1266–82. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

children-4886. Accessed November 18, 2016.

pubmed/19562864. Accessed November 18, 2016.

Anonymous. Vegetarian diets for children: Right from the start.

9.

Dietetic A, Dietitians of. Position of the American Dietetic asso-

PCRM. http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/vegetarian-di-

ciation and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets. Journal of the

ets-for-children-right-from-the-start. Accessed November 18, 2016.

American Dietetic Association. 2003;103(6):748–65. https://www.

McDougall J. McDougall newsletter: September 2012 - diet, chil-

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12778049. Accessed November 18,

dren, and the future. Dr.McDougall. https://www.drmcdougall.

2016.

com/misc/2012nl/sep/children.htm. Accessed November 18, 2016.

5.

7.

10.

Abelow B, Holford T, Insogna K. Cross-cultural association between

Anonymous. Feeding your children right. DrFuhrman. https://www.

dietary animal protein and hip fracture: A hypothesis. Calcified tis-

drfuhrman.com/learn/library/articles/10/feeding-your-children-

sue international. 1992;50(1):14–8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

right. Accessed November 18, 2016.

pubmed/1739864. Accessed November 18, 2016.

Greger M. Children. NutritionFacts. http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/ children/. Accessed November 18, 2016.

11.

WHO, FAO. Vitamin and Mineral Requirements in Human Nutrition.

China: Sun Fung; 1998.

About the Author

Linda Carney MD served as Medical Director for the first 7 Immersions by Engine 2 under Rip Esselstyn. She practices medicine just south of Austin, TX and loves to share science at www.DrCarney.com

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SANCTUARY OF THE MONTH

Becky's

HOPE HORSE

RESCUE

I

n honor of this month’s theme dedicated to our animal friends, VegWorld is proud to include Amy Johnson’s account of her trip to Becky's Hope Horse Rescue. Amy is one of our caring contributors and her trip to this special place touched her deeply.

“We shouldn’t have to exist,” declares Lari, volunteer caregiver at Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue in Frisco, Texas. Becky’s Hope cares for many animals that come from people who enjoyed having a horse or other farm animal, but then they didn’t want to take care of them anymore due to aging or illness. Yes, it’s expensive to raise a horse, but Lari insists this is what owners need to consider beforehand.

Another way Becky’s Hope takes in animals is when they receive a report that farm animals

VegWorld Magazine

are being neglected or mistreated. Sometimes, Becky’s Hope volunteers take long rides out into the country to check on reported abuse or neglect, often bringing in the authorities when necessary. If they can convince a neglectful owner to surrender their animals, they will take them back to Frisco for a better life.

Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization that was set up by a long-time Frisco landowner, Roger Lawler. It is completely run by volunteers—some who work there six days a week, like Lari. Their original purpose was to rescue horses from slaughter, abuse, and neglect.

They’ve now taken in four pigs, ten donkeys, over thirty chickens, a nine week-old lamb, and over forty horses.

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SANCTUARY OF THE MONTH

There are so many incredible stories that can be told by the people who volunteer at Becky’s Hope. Sue, another volunteer caregiver, who lives on-property 24x7, says that they acquired Moby, their little baby lamb, after his biological mother died while delivering him. One of Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue board members, Missy Smith, took baby Moby to her home where she bottle-fed him every two hours until he was old enough to take residence on the rescue’s property.

Moby considers Missy his “mom” now, and she makes regular visits to see her fur-baby at Becky’s Hope.

Some stories are more disturbing. Many of the horses at Becky’s Hope were rescued from being taken to Mexico, where they would face a brutal death and become exported meat for Europe or China. Lari described the brutal process that these beautiful horses suffer, which brought tears to our eyes.

“Overbreeding is the greatest issue,” Lari explained.

There is an excess of horses, and this ultimately results in their mistreatment and neglect. There are just too many horses, and they cannot be absorbed into the community. “Horses had an important place in history,” Lari continues, “they are what created civilization for us...they allowed us to travel, to fight in wars, allowed people to hunt.” It is unnecessary for horses to be utilized in this way, and she says we need to, “honor them by taking care of their descendants.”

Animal rescue organizations, like Becky’s Hope Horse Rescue, run solely on donations and volunteer help. It’s expensive to feed large farm animals and treat their illnesses. After visiting these extraordinary creatures, most people will find themselves wanting to help out in some way. To learn what you can do, or how to donate, click here: http://www.beckyshope.net/

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© Joshua Katcher

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson ASTROPHYSICIST fo r

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that kindness is a virtue.

To learn how to respect our fellow Earthlings, visit PETA.org.

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Love, Lori

MONTHLY MUSINGS ON THE PLANT-BASED LIFESTYLE

Two Pieces

OF CHICKEN

by Lori Fryd

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LOVE, LORI

F

or some people, this way of eating comes

But, one winter a few years back was challenging.

easy. They try it, they love it, they rejoice in it,

The bitterly cold weather had been pounding me into

and they never look back.

submission. I was struggling to get out of my warm bed and to get to the gym. When I did manage, I just

For others, it's a bit more of a struggle. They try it, they

didn’t have the willpower to stick with my normal

know that it makes them feel great - but, then, the

routine. I hadn’t been sleeping well (probably because

pressures of life, the temptations which surround us all,

I was not swimming as much) and then I was too tired

the trap of SAD foods with the temporary relief from

to brave the frigid cold and get out there. And then I

stress they offer - all this seems to cave in on them,

got hungrier and the spiral went from there.

and they find themselves having to dig themselves out of the hole over and over again, as they struggle to

One day, after trudging wearily to a local buffet on

change their lifestyles once and for all.

my lunch hour, I found myself with two small pieces of chicken on my plate. Yes, there were plenty of

For me, it's a combination of these two. I tried it, I loved

healthy offerings there, but I was cold. I was hungry.

it, I embraced it and I never looked back - well....hardly

And I just felt like that harsh winter was never going to

ever. I'm four years into plant-based living and, most

end. I was exhausted and hollowed out inside, tired of

of the time, it's a pleasure and a breeze. I'm happy and

dodging fierce winds and snowbanks and ice patches

satisfied and it's effortless.

everywhere. Just so tired of everything. Memories of

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LOVE, LORI

my mother's kitchen, the comfort of her chicken soup

first place? What was wrong with me? Was the harsh,

at so many emotional junctures in my life - the full rich

dark, crazy winter ever going to end? What a mess.

aroma of the chicken - yeah, I scooped a couple of pieces onto my plate, alongside all the veggies and

The road leads both ways. Nobody is responsible for

rice and potatoes and salad and all my normal foods.

making these choices but me. Nobody will reap the rewards for the right choices and nobody will suffer

Who would know? Who would care? What real harm

the devastating consequences of the wrong choices

could it do?

except me. And nobody is looking over my shoulder and monitoring my every move. Nobody except me.

Just this once.

It is all up to me.

When I brought the plate back to the table, I was in a

Later that day, I took a long brisk walk in my

quandary. I ate around the chicken for a good long time

neighborhood. I bundled up and breathed the fresh

until there was nothing left on my plate except those

crisp air. I worked out my muscles and I could feel my

two small cubes. I stared at them and they stared back

strength returning and my head clearing. I looked up

at me. I thought about what they were and where they

at the sky. The light seemed a little brighter and the

had come from. I thought about what it would feel

sun felt a little higher. The harsh winds had stopped

like to put them in my mouth and have them on my

blowing and the snow had stopped falling. The buds

tongue and to have to swallow them. I thought about

on the trees seemed larger. Winter eventually ends and

whether or not I had an obligation, now that they were

the seasons change, I thought to myself as I walked.

on my plate, not to waste them and have to have that

Turning to animal foods to warm myself against the

poor animal die in total vain.

bitter winter winds can never be the right choice for me.

The animal never had the luxury to choose whether or

And I proceeded to have myself a full-blown ethical

not to find itself on my plate that day at the luncheon

crisis.

buffet and now I know that its suffering far surpassed my transient winter grief.

In the end, I left those two pieces right there on the outermost edge of my plate, pushed as far away from

Those two pieces of chicken on my plate will haunt

me as possible. I paid my check quickly and went out

me forever because I finally saw past what they looked

into the bitter cold winter, feeling guilty and relieved

like on my plate and became aware of what they truly

all at the same time. I apologized, in my mind, to the

were - a living being who had been sacrificed for the

poor animal who had been sacrificed and sorry that I

sake of my appetite. It was on that walk, remembering

couldn't bring myself to ingest its flesh to somehow

those two small pieces of chicken that I had pushed to

allow its destruction to have some bit of meaning.

the side of my plate, that I recognized something about

After I ate all the other foods and my frozen hunger

myself which I had never fully understood before.

was satisfied and my stomach warmed up again, the idea of eating that chicken sickened me. What was I

I was a vegan.

thinking? Why had I reached for it after all that time, knowing everything I know about the cruelty that had gone into putting that poor animal on my plate in the VegWorld Magazine

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