2012: Year of Armageddon or Redemption?

Welcome to 2012!  If you listen to the political and economic pundits, it's not a year to be excited about.  The economy remains in the crapper, the coverage of possible Republican nominees is a circus, and the Mayans have even weighed in to say that this year is the end of the world as we know it (EOTWAWKI).  But amid all this gloom and doom, I find a reason to be hopeful.


More people are becoming vegan than ever before!  I've even heard the (admittedly unsubstantiated) statistic that the vegan population doubled in 2011.  Rarely is there an issue that has three easy entry points: animal welfare, environment, and health.  If you care about any of these issues, then veganism is for you!  We are quickly becoming mainstream.  I know there are vegans who don't believe someone can be considered vegan if their main motive isn't to alleviate animal suffering.  But I say, I don't care WHY you stop eating animal products as long as you do it.  Come on in, the water's fine!


If you are one of those considering a change in the vegan direction, or want to support someone who is, consider the 21-day vegan kickstart, offered by the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).  All you need to do is to sign up (it's free) and you'll get a 21-day meal plan and all kinds of tips, cooking instructions and moral support.  I would also recommend watching the documentary, Vegucated, which you can rent for $3.99 on iTunes.  It's about 3 random New Yorkers who agree to try veganism for 6 weeks, and it's non-preachy, educational and humorous.  It's a great foundation to kickstart your lifestyle.


So I am of the opinion that 2012 is not about the EOTWAWKI but about redemption - more people choosing to live their lives compassionately.  My hope for the future is in each one of you.  And I wish you all a year of hope and delicious vegan food!

An informal and brief review of the year in veganism

As 2011 draws to a close, it's only natural for us to reflect on the happenings that impacted us, try to make sense of it all, and then move on into the new year.  While 2011 was a rough year for many people around the world, it was actually a great year for veganism.


We got some great celeb endorsers: Bill Clinton.  Need I say more?  There's also Ellen DeGeneres, Portia De Rossi, Russell Simmons, Mike Tyson, Woody Harrelson, Alanis Morissette, Alec Baldwin, Carl Lewis, John Salley, and so many others.  


Veganism got great press: This was the year that being vegan went from being fringe to a mainstream, healthy life choice.  I became vegan after happening to catch Kathy Freston on the Oprah show (and I never watch Oprah!) and buying her book, Veganist.  Martha Stewart also dedicated a show to vegan food.  The health benefits have been featured on major news channels and there were fantastic films like Forks Over Knives and Vegucated to help spread the word.


There was a cookbook and restaurant explosion: Try googling "vegan" on amazon and see how many results you get.  There are so many kinds of vegan cookbooks that I had already spent my Barnes & Noble gift card before I even received it (thank you to my inlaws!).  And all those new and delicious vegan restaurants are a dream come true.  And vegan cupcakes...the crowning glory.


There were also some wins for the animals: Though so many people are turning to veganism for the health and environmental benefits, please let's not forget about the animals.  Organizations like The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Farm Sanctuary are leading the way in legislation to reduce (and hopefully someday end) the suffering of farm animals.  HSUS struck a deal with the United Egg Producers to phase out those tiny battery cages in which 280 million egg-laying hens suffer each day.  And Smithfield, the world's largest pork producer, said it would phase out gestation crates in which pigs live but can't even turn around.  And since I know you're looking for a place to give your end-of-year charitable donation, please consider these game-changing organizations.


I read in one publication that the number of vegans in the U.S. doubled in 2011.  If that's the case, I know it will continue to grow as more people discover how easy it is and that the benefits are incontrovertible.  I wish you all a very happy, healthy, and vegan 2012.       

Farm animals say, "We are the 98%!"

Since there's so much attention to the Occupy Wall Street movement and the outcry that we are the 99%, I thought it would be appropriate to share another statistic.  This one has nothing to do with Wall Street - at least, not directly.  But it does have to do with the economy.  The economics of the agriculture industry.


According to the Humane Society of the United States, 98% of all animals with whom we interact directly (i.e. have as pets or eat) are farm animals.  And 10 billion of them per year in the U.S. are raised and then killed for their meat, eggs and milk.  We spend a lot of time worrying about the welfare of our dog and cat companions (and rightly so!) but our society turns a blind eye to the other 98%; the farm animals that are treated solely as commodities and whose welfare often runs counter to profits.


The Animal Welfare Act, which governs the humane care, handling, treatment and transportation of many animals, including dogs and cats, does not apply to farm animals.  Since they are considered livestock with an end use of food, they are excluded.  We don't think of them as sentient beings but they feel pain, fear, love and loss just like humans and our pet friends do.  Ask any dairy farmer the worst part of their job, and they'll often tell you it's when they have to separate a mother cow from her calf.  


It doesn't have to be this way.  We can refuse to support this inhumane system.  A vegan or vegetarian diet is the most compassionate thing you can do.  And it makes all the difference to the silent 98%.

Sustainable ways to pass your Thanksgiving weekend

Though we're in the throes of Thanksgiving day (and hopefully you're enjoying a vegan feast), most people have a full 4-day weekend to enjoy.  If you're in the Phoenix area, here are 2 great things to do that also celebrate sustainable living and the environment.


On Saturday at 7pm, the Museum of Science and Sustainability is having an Eco Fashion Show.  It will take place at Bragg's Pie Factory and will feature live music, a dance performance, live auction and fashion showcases.  There will also be vintage resellers for all your sustainable clothing needs.  MOSS is a great institution to support - they don't yet have a main center but are working on raising the needed funds.  Their mission is to bring a much-needed focus on sustainability to the Valley.  


If you haven't seen them yet, don't miss David Rogers' Big Bugs at Desert Botanical Gardens.  These giant sculptures of bugs made of fallen and found wood and other natural materials.  Some of the bugs are as tall as 25 feet.  A fascinating look at the bug world surrounded by the beauty of the desert.  Your kids or those you have visiting this weekend will be mesmerized.  


If you've eaten a vegan feast today and will be enjoying the leftovers this weekend, you won't have that nasty, "I feel sick because I ate too much" feeling, and you'll have the energy to go out and experience these events.  I wish you all a most enjoyable weekend.

Thanksgiving or ThanksLIVING?

Let's face it.  Thanksgiving is not the best holiday for vegans.  It seems like the day is almost as much about the dead turkey on the table as it is about being thankful and spending time with those you love.  And when you're a vegan in a family and social circle of omnivores, you can feel downright disenfranchised. 


But fear not, Phoenix vegans, because there's a wonderful celebration where you can give thanks, celebrate the joys of life and bond with others who share your values.  It's called ThanksLIVING and Green New American Vegetarian restaurant in Tempe is hosting its fourth annual event.   


ThanksLIVING features multiple courses of cruelty-free gourmet food, live music, guest speakers, crafts for the kids, and sparkling conversation with your fellow vegans.  And if you can't stay, they offer food to go too.  While the celebration is at the Tempe location only, you can purchase tickets at either location or on their website.  


Whether you're vegan, curious, or just love gourmet food, start a new tradition that gives thanks and celebrates compassion.  Hope to see you there!

Don't want to put on those holiday pounds? Eat like a vegan!

You can't miss it - fattening food is everywhere!  Candy, pumpkin pie, pumpkin lattes, candy apples.  It's clear that the season of eating has begun!  Yes it's difficult to resist all the holiday food in the office, at your child's school or at the grocery store.  Most people are tempted, and so many of us give in.  And the pounds start packing on and continue through the holidays until we all feel guilty in January.


You always say it's going to be different this year, right?  Well how about nipping it in the bud before it begins?  What if, this year, you decide to go through the holidays by eating like a vegan?


You can still enjoy many of the foods that you've always loved but you'll learn to make them healthier.  And you can still eat Halloween candy (you'll be surprised that many of your favorites are vegan), but you won't gorge yourself on it.  And you can have that pumpkin latte - just have it with soy/coconut/almond milk and skip the whipped cream.  And if you check out vegweb.com or Veg News' website, you can try new holiday recipes that you can feel good about eating, that taste delicious, and your friends will love.  And then, of course, there's the halo effect of reducing animal suffering and causing less harm to the environment.  Festive reasons to celebrate indeed!

Those cupcakes aren't really vegan, are they?

This wasn't one of my best weeks.  I had been going along just fine and then strep throat cut me down in my tracks and I could barely move from the bedroom to the kitchen table.  And eating was completely out of the question.  But my son's birthday was on Wednesday and I was determined that he have cupcakes in his classroom to celebrate.  And not just any cupcakes.  VEGAN cupcakes.


I thought that, in addition to giving my son a wonderful experience on his special day, it was a fantastic opportunity to dispel a myth about vegan food.  The myth that it doesn't taste good.  All vegans will tell you that vegan food can be just as delicious as food with animal products, but we are often met with doubting looks.  I've had some success cutting down this myth with some friends, but hadn't ventured into the sugary world of cupcakes.


Luckily, I had seen that there was a vegan bakery at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market.  Even though there was no way I was leaving the house, much less traveling to the market, I decided to put my trust in untasted cupcakes.  So I ordered 2 dozen - half vanilla and half red velvet.  And I even asked for soy milk instead of their usual almond milk just in case there were any nut allergies in the class.  


Two nights later, with me still sick as can be, there was a knock on my door.  We live in darkest north Phoenix but Treehouse Bakery delivered those cupcakes with a smile.  They looked so cute but I was in no shape to eat any, so I had my husband taste test them.  A look of pure bliss appeared on his face and he said it was one of the best cupcakes he'd ever had (he's not vegan).  


The cupcakes were equally well-received at school.  The e-mail from my son's teacher said, "The vegan cupcakes were amazing!  Thanks for sending them in!  You've opened a whole new world for me...".  Making my son's birthday happy and expanding vegan frontiers - all in a day's work!