Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Celebrities Making The Switch

U.S actress Ginnifer Goodwin, star of ‘He’s Just Not That Into You,’ and tv show Big Love, is one of many celebrities making the switch to the loving vegan diet. Goodwin, who made the switch to vegan about a year and a half ago, said on Late Nights with Conan O’Brien that she is “on a vegan high!”


Beautiful Miss Goodwin explained that the switch began with an epiphany one day while preparing her morning coffee: "We were filming the road trip episode of this season's Big Love and we were staying in a hotel. I was doing a lot--and I mean a lot—of yoga at the time, and I've heard it's not uncommon for something like this to happen when you are in a stage like that," she explains. "Anyway, I was having my morning coffee, and I was pouring milk into it, and all I can say is that I suddenly realized what it was that I was pouring into my coffee. 

I was so disgusted, because I had never actually stopped to think about what milk is. And dairy had always been my favorite food group! I thought, 'Surely this feeling will pass,' but at lunchtime I was still disgusted. Over the next few days, I started really thinking about what I was eating."

Now there is nothing she wants to eat less than a piece of cheese or a burger.  “I have nightmares I’m being force-fed these things,” she said.
Being very health conscious, Goodwin began researching nutrition and how animals are treated.  “I started reading and learned that we don't need any of it—meat, dairy products. We get everything we need without those things—except maybe B12, but there's this whole controversy that maybe we're only getting B12 because the animals are being fed B12 supplements.

And I read about what actually occurs in the factory farming; I found out what it is that diary cows go through and what horrible lives these animals lead. I actually broke down—there was a day of sobbing upon realizing what I had been supporting. And I thought, well, if I don't need animals to be healthy in my diet, then why would I take their lives away or support an industry that puts them in situations that might not be the most, uh, happy-making."
Goodwin is joined by other celebrities such as Alicia Silverstone, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi and of course the very charismatic Mr. Bill Clinton.
Be Love – Be Peace – Be Vegan. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

End Foie Gras

Foie Gras, literal translation is "fatty liver"; this is the process  where 'farmers' force a tube down a duck or a geese throat and pumps up to 20kg of fat into their bodies.
You ask yourself, why?
As described by Ms. Kate Winslet in a new PETA video; this process causes thier livers to swell to many times the normal size.
Are you still sitting their scratching your head asking yourself, 'yes, but why?' Well, this practice is done to feed the socialites of the world at their dinners.
A common meal now at restaurants is liver, and this equates to the liver from an animal such as a duck or a geese.
Have you not ever asked yourself. when sitting at the table staring at your piece of liver (this writer is shuttering at the thought) how that liver became so big - and where it came from.
Well, this is where!
The living conditions of our beautiful feathered friends are appalling, they are crammed into cages no bigger then them.

They can hardly stand - let alone spread their wings and stretch. They are placed in a prison cell - confined to a life of torture and pain.

Their day to day lives are spent on death row - knowing they will die, but not when. They are awaken by the 'farmer' strangling them, squeezing their beaks together so they can force a tube down their throat, so far down that it enters directly into their stomach.

This process occurs not just once a day, but many times a day. Our beautiful animal friends are forced feed till they are slaughtered to produce that one piece of liver sold to you at a restaurant.

Please be the voice for millions of innocent ducks and geese slaughtered daily.
Would you like your children, your brother or sister, your father your mother or your friend to be one of these animals?

Help put an end to this terrible truth.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

A Healthy Vegan Fox


There is a difference in being a healthy a Vegan and not being a healthy Vegan. I am sure that you would have read all about this recently where Megan Fox has spoken very publicly about her recent diet. This has given us reason to bring you a simple guide in adopting a healthy, nutritious Vegan diet into your lifestyle.

As with any diet that you undertake, it is imperative that you maintain a healthy balance. It can be very easy to fall into a trap of thinking that because you are limiting yourself a food, you can compensate with other types of food. That can be a very dangerous trap, as you can very easily over compensate.

If you are not aware of the good food types, you can start down a path of eating or in some cases not eating certain foods. This can come about through old habits, or through bad advice. It is important you seek the right advice from the right people, because when you go to the wrong people stuck in the old way of thinking all to easily you can be taken of the path.

The types of food that you must be aware of,
- High processed food: Products like flour, white bread, chocolate, chips, biscuits and cakes are dreadful for our bodies. Even if you are fit and healthy, you would not eat too much of this.

- Balance of Fruit and Vegetables: Ensure you are getting a good mix between fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains (brown rice, millet, quinuo)

- Legumes: Look for organic, un-processed soy products like tofu. They are a great substitute and fill you up.

- Grains: There is a whole world out there full of amazing grains that will give your body all the carbohydrates and protein it needs.

All yourself to be loose and have some fun with preparing and enjoying Vegan food. There is so much to be had in the kitchen and so many amazing recipes out there. If you get too stuck in some old school medical dogmas, you are not giving yourself the chance to enjoy your new found lifestyle.

If you ever have any questions, see your doctor (if you can a veg doctor) and get a blood test. They can test your iron and B12 levels to ensure your body is getting all that it needs.
If you ever find that it is a little low on something, there are a stack of products out there that are Vegan that will give your body the supplements it needs.

Above all, enjoy your new found lifestyle. I assure you that you will feel amazing and get so much more out of life.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Lentil Spaghetti


This is another great meal that the young ones love.
They get to slop it and slurp all night long – the only thing is – it might be a mess for you to clean..SORRY

INGREDIENTS:

- 4 cups water

- Dash salt

- 1 cup brown or french green lentils (not red)

- Olive oil

- 1 onion, sliced

- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (personally, I heart Ragu)

- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

- herbs, to taste (basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, chives, etc.)

- Cracked black pepper, to taste

- Pinch sugar, or to taste

- Small pinch tumeric

- 1 or 2 (8-ounce) packages whole wheat pasta (angel hair best), cooked and drained

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a small pot with water. Add a dash of salt and lentils. (The lentils can be pulverized slightly in blender beforehand, if you like, meaning the lentils will cook faster.) Bring to boil over medium-high head (second-highest setting), uncovered, stirring every few minutes, until lentils are tender (but not too mushy, if you didn't pulverize them).
2. While those cook, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry your onion until softened slightly. Add garlic and sauté for a minute or two more. Add tomato sauce and tomatoes. Turn down heat slightly. Add a splash more oil.
3. When lentils are tender, drain and add to the sauce. If the sauce seems to be drowning the lentils, cook for a little longer. If the lentils seem too thick, add some more tomato sauce.
4. Add herbs, black pepper, sugar, and tumeric. Serve over pasta (cooked via the package's instructions).
Source of recipe: This is a favorite recipe of mine.
Makes: 5- to 6-ish servings, Preparation time: 10-ish minutes, Cooking time: 30 to 45 minutes

ENJOY!!


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

What Makes Your Vegan Fashion

Coming very shortly, Vegan Era will be releasing their latest e-book Vegan Fashion. We are very, very excited as this has been something that we have been wanting to do for a very long time. We also feel that there is a whole, amazing, colorful fashionable vegan fashion world out there that no one seems to know about it.

It is pretty similar to making the transition with your food. We have been raised for such a long time on a traditional diet that it is in-grained in us. When we grow older we eat without thinking. The same can be said for what we wear.

Vegan Era is hoping to change all that with their latest e-book that goes in to detail about the fashion industry and what exactly goes into making our clothes. Not only that, our beautiful Mandy will be giving a few extra tips and hints on ways that you can Vegan-ise your wardrobe.

When you take a look at the fashion magazine, blogs and papers you are seeing more and more celebrties are making the compassionate choice and choosing to wear no fur.
A large thanks has to go to PETA who do an amazing job in attracting celebrities to take a stance against animal cruelty in the fashion industry.

We are noticing people like Ellen, Pamela Anderson and Pink take a stance not only against fur but also promote vegan fashion. Plus the world has the amazing talent of Stella McCartney, whose line is always inspiring. Due to the increase publicity of this beautiful movement toward a compassionate lifestyle, many celebrities are stepping out on the run way waring faux fur.

No we are also seeing people like Gisele Bundchen (model) take an interest in eco fashion as well as Summer Rayne Oakes who not only promotes earth friendly choices, but actively promotes this in schools and the community.

So, on this topic the CREW at Vegan Era would love to hear your thoughts on your Vegan Wardrobe.


Sunday, September 4, 2011

Why We Love Bill

Bill Clinton
We only have a couple of words for this, 'how cool!' The CREW at Vegan Era were so amazed to hear this news. For some time we had heard the rumor that Mr. Clinton had gone vegetarian, however, when we heard the news that it was no longer a rumor and an actuality that Mr. Clinton was Vegan....WOAW we were simply blown away.

For those out there that are new to being Vegan, and adopting the Compassionate lifestyle let me shed some light on to why this is so big.

For those of us, that have been actively promoting this way of life, it can sometimes seem like we are bashing our heads against a brick wall. The message is there, but for some reason it just doesn't seem to be reaching the wider audience. The CREW at Vegan Era have spent much of their time researching why this is the case. Simply put, we don't really know. There are factors in the past that we can differently see why it would be hard to break through, perhaps those barriers are still up. However, when such an influence public figure makes it public that he advocates a Vegan diet, it feels like a barrier has come down.

One of the biggest barriers that we find is the regulations that are in place by government agencies. An example of this is recently in Australia, the Prime Minister placed a halt on Live Export Trade. It soon got lifted, and not long after they passed a bill in Parliament that saw Live Export could continue.
When governments around the world are still dictating such policies, it makes it difficult to get a message heard that differs from this.

The public view is essential in helping to turn the point of view of the government. When a influential public figure such as Mr. Clinton speak out promoting a Vegan lifestyle, this assists the whole cause of promoting a compassionate lifestyle. It is like a ripple effect, when this gets into the media you soon hear more and more coming out advocating the same message. As this continues, it grows strength and you soon find that a tidal wave has been created and is covered in all media. Then when we, who are watching the news see this, it no longer seems like such an abstract vision. Rather a very real possibility.

There is a beautiful quote from Mother Theresa. A person asked, 'Why will you not come to our Stop War rally?' Mother Theresa replied with 'When you hold a Pro Peace rally, I will be there.'

There are very effective methods in spreading the compassionate message. Through powerful, public figures like former President Mr. Clinton does this, it holds great gravity in promoting any campaign.