So long!

I deleted my YouTube account.

Hunting and Hunters

I can't support hunting, but it simply doesn't bother me as much as factory farming.

In 2008, over 9 billion chickens, 116 million pigs, and 35 million cows were killed for food. Most came from factory farms. See the graphic:
http://www.animalvisuals.org/data/sla...

Factory farming investigations:
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/dairy/
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/pigs/
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/ohdairy/
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/hatchery/
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/hor/
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/maine-...

"In the United States, an estimated 95% of egg-laying hens are intensively confined in battery cages."
http://www.animalvisuals.org/empathy/...

Why vegan?
http://veganvideo.org/
http://www.meat.org/
http://www.earthlings.com/earthlings/...

"We shouldn't kid ourselves about the number of ethical eating options available to most of us. There isn't enough nonfactory chicken produced in America to feed the population of Staten Island and not enough nonfactory pork to serve New York City, let alone the country. Ethical meat is a promissory note, not a reality. Any ethical-meat advocate who is serious is going to be eating a lot of vegetarian fare." (Eating Animals, page 256)

If you are SERIOUS about protecting animals, protecting the planet, and protecting public health, eat vegan MORE OFTEN.

It's not ALL or NOTHING

Veganism is the moral baseline. However, there's a lot of gray area in between carnivore and vegan. Every time you make a vegan choice, you're doing a good thing. The more vegan choices, the better.

http://www.pbjcampaign.org/how
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4541605/

Misconceptions About Veganism

This is part 2 of "Vegan Questions" 2010.

Myth: People need to eat meat to get protein.
Fact: People can get protein in a vegan diet.

Learn about protein: http://veganhealth.org/articles/protein/
Learn about Soy: http://veganhealth.org/articles/soy

Myth: It's too expensive to be vegan.
Fact: You can eat a vegan diet on any budget.

Learn how to eat cheaply: http://www.vegansoapbox.com/how-to-ke...

Myth: It's too difficult to be vegan.
Fact: It's easier than you think. Just try!

Get a vegan coach to help you: http://www.kindgreenplanet.org/progra...

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THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!

Vegan Questions: Part 1

What is your favorite vegan recipe/food and why?

Well, I love beans. I grew up on beans and I will always love beans.
Beans, beans, the magical fruit...
In particular, I like black beans and lentils.

You can find vegan recipes at:
http://chooseveg.com
http://tryveg.com
http://goveg.com
http://vegasveg.com

What advice can you give others seeking a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle?

First, educate yourself. Whatever aspect of veganism interests you or
whatever questions you have about the food industry, research it.
Learn as much as you can.

Here are some places to learn more about veganism...
NUTRITION:
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vs...
http://veganhealth.org/
http://www.eatright.org/Public/conten...
http://www.tcolincampbell.org/plant-b...
http://www.mypyramid.gov/tips_resourc...

ANIMALS:
http://humanemyth.org/
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/
http://www.adaptt.org/veganism.html

Second, choose attainable goals and work towards them. You can change
your life quickly or slowly and become a kinder, healthier person
however you want, just start working on it today!

TAKE THE VEG PLEDGE
http://www.vegpledgenow.com/

More of my videos are here:
http://kangarooelaine.blogspot.com/

More of my writing here:
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!

PS - Are you vegan? Please make videos!
Make them however you want - low key or confrontational, graphic images or not, high res or low, cooking demos or outdoor protests... whatever, JUST DO IT!

How To Eat With Your Heart

You can find vegan recipes at: * http://chooseveg.com * http://tryveg.com * http://goveg.com

For more information on why to choose veganism, please visit: http://veganvideo.org

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!

My Animal Advocacy

Please also watch:
http://veganvideo.org/
http://www.earthlings.com/e...

Vegan Soapbox: http://www.vegansoapbox.com/
This is my vegan website.

Vegas Veg*: http://www.vegasveg.com/
This is my local grassroots organization.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING

Are you vegan? Please make your own videos expressing your voice.

"Eat Bacon & Enjoy Life"

A commenter wrote:
"Hey factory farming is bad yes, and eventually people are going to wake up and demand that we produce food some other way. Untill then, Im going to eat my bacon (covered in chocolate and the blood of kittens) and enjoy my life. I guess Im just not the activist type."

My response:
1. Factory farming is terrible, we agree. The way to change it is to stop consuming products from factory farms. That means eat less meat, dairy and eggs or go vegan.
2. Life without bacon can be enjoyable. I promise!!! You can find other pleasures to replace the lost bacon. Life is full of fun things to do and eat, just please don't destroy animals or the environment with your diet.
3. Activism: I'm not "the activist type" either. I just speak honestly about my values. I advocate for animals, but only when it's convenient and only when I want to. It's not hard but it makes a big difference in the world.

Videos you should watch:
http://veganvideo.org/
http://www.earthlings.com/earthlings/...

Info about factory farming:
http://farmsanctuary.org/issues/facto...
http://www.idausa.org/facts/factoryfa...
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food...

Meat alternatives (eat vegan bacon):
http://meatalternatives.org/

Vegan info:
http://www.chooseveg.com/
http://veganhealth.org/

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!

Sushi is VEGAN!

Please read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushi
and
http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient...

Sushi = vinegared rice
Sushi is NOT dead fish.

How to order vegan sushi:
Step 1: go to a sushi place
Step 2: ask if they have a vegan menu or vegan items
Step 3: if yes, order the vegan items
if no, ask the sushi chef to make you something special with just vegetables or fruit
Step 4: enjoy your vegan sushi, perhaps with a beer ;)

Whenever something goes in or out of your mouth, try to make sure your ideas about it correspond with reality.

Sorry I'm being a smart-a$$ but come on now, let's get real.

Here is a dose of reality...
Watch:
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/dairy/
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/pigs/
http://www.mercyforanimals.org/maine-...
- Food Inc
- Death on a Factory Farm
- Meet Your Meat
- Earthlings

Read:
- Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
- Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry by Gail A. Eisnitz
- Diet For A New America - How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth by John Robbins

websites:
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/
http://chooseveg.com/
http://www.compassionatecooks.com/
http://theppk.com/

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!

Vegan Fortified Foods

J asks:

“I heard that a good way to make sure you get all your vitamins is to eat fortified foods, but I also heard that a lot of fortified foods are fortified with animal products! I was wondering if there were any tips on how to eat vegan-friendly fortified foods.”

Yes, as a vegan it can be a good idea to eat fortified foods, though it’s not always necessary. Many vegans do not supplement their diets other than with vitamin B12, and that’s because B12 can be difficult to obtain in a purely plant-based diet.

However, picky eaters, children, pregnant or nursing women, athletes, and new vegans might be well served by including some fortified foods in their diets.

Before you begin to worry about the naturalness of a diet that requires fortification, remember that many nonvegan foods are fortified also. For example, cow’s milk is often fortified with vitamin D. So don’t assume that a nonvegan diet is more “natural” than a vegan diet.

And as a side note, most meat is produced by feeding animals fortified foods. Think about it: animals in factory farms who don’t have access to sunlight need to obtain vitamin D somehow. For more on that topic, please read A Brief History of Factory Farming and Factory Farming Facts. The latter source states:

The Evolution of Factory Farms
Factory farming began in the 1920s soon after the discovery of vitamins A and D; when these vitamins are added to feed, animals no longer require exercise and sunlight for growth. This allowed large numbers of animals to be raised indoors year-round. The greatest problem that was faced in raising these animals indoors was the spread of disease, which was combated in the 1940s with the development of antibiotics. Farmers found they could increase productivity and reduce the operating costs by using mechanization and assembly-line techniques.

But back to J’s question. J is right that “a lot of fortified foods are fortified with animal products.” For example vitamin D can be obtained through exposure to the sun, use of a sun light, from a vitamin pill, or in a fortified food. But in fortified foods you may want to look carefully: vitamin D3 is not vegan, vitamin D2 is vegan.

Here are some tips for meeting your nutritional needs through 100% vegan foods:

• Only buy fortified foods that bear the “vegan” label
• Use Animal Ingredients A to Z
• Shop online at vegan like Vegan Essentials, Food Fight, and Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe (or if the cost of shipping will undo you, look for those same items elsewhere)
• Learn which brand names are always vegan and stick to those brands, or
• Eat only unprocessed foods (shop mostly in the produce section) and fortify your diet with some vegan supplements

Here are some tips for meeting your nutritional needs if you are OK with being an imperfect vegan:

• Use the “essentially vegan” rule wherein you assume something that appears to be vegan is vegan unless or until you’re informed otherwise
• Watch other vegans and do what they do
• Don’t worry about trace ingredients at all and don’t care if the label says D3 or D2

It’s up to you if you want to be 99% vegan or 100% vegan.
Either way, you’ll be doing something terrific for animals, the planet, and your health!

For more information about vegan health, I recommend reading and bookmarking:

• Vegan Health, the website
• Vegan Food Pyramid
• The American Dietetic Association on Vegetarian/ Vegan Diets
• USDA guidelines for vegetarians and USDA Tips for Vegetarians
• Plant Based Nutrition