2010: The Year To Go Vegan.
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I love the new year. It comes with so much promise; so many wonderful possibilities. And it’s always my hope that the new year will be even more wonderful than the last. I’m a huge fan of making New Year’s resolutions and I believe everyone should make at least one resolution and try to stick to it.
Of course, my dream would be that everyone reading this blog makes it his or her New Year’s resolution to go vegan – to end the unnecessary suffering and death of animals, and by doing so improve your health, help the planet and end world hunger. You can do all this by simply changing your diet. How cool is that?
I believe that veganism is a journey; an adventure. Whether it’s a joyous and exciting one is entirely up to you (to learn why vegetarianism doesn’t go far enough to end animal suffering, go to: http://veganpartyofcanada.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-is-veganism.html). All that’s required to begin the journey is a positive attitude and the proper motivation. And here’s the motivation:
If you care about animals or feel that there’s too much violence in the world AND WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, this is the way to start. As Kafka said, “Now I can look at you in peace; I don’t eat you anymore.”
So make it your New Year’s resolution to go vegan. If you feel you can’t go totally vegan right away then do it in steps. Try eating vegan once a week and then twice a week and so on and so forth. If you fall off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up BUT DON’T QUIT! Just get back on and try again.
If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll try to steer you in the right direction regarding recipes, resources or moral support. And, if you’re so inclined, send me the occasional progress reports to let me know how you’re doing (travel advisory: don’t embark on this journey alone; let others help you and share in your adventure).
Good luck and Happy New Year!
Hi Daniel,
I have resolved to become vegan in 2010. I’m excited to start on this journey and to become a person in more ways that I can name.
The past few weeks, before coming to this decision, I have been having many, many internal conversations with myself – reflecting on veganism, what it means, why I’m doing it, how to converse with people when they ask me “why veganism”, etc etc.
I wanted to share a post with you that I recently put up on my blog, and I’d love to know your thoughts on this.
I’m against factory farming and the suffering that animals endure simply because we think “it tastes good”. i will not eat products that came from this system, because i can’t support it. it’s entirely and utterly WRONG.
but what about, for example, the eggs from a healthy, antibiotic and hormone free chicken that was raised with access to outdoors that are found at farmer’s markets. are these okay to eat? or, for example, butter, also bought from a farmer’s market, that came from a grass fed, free range, cow that was milked by hand and not by machine?
i understand the majority of eggs and dairy products out there don’t come from these ideal, and even unrealistic scenarios (restaurants, my friend’s apartment, the deli on the corner), but how about the eggs and dairy products that DO? how about the things i can find at a farmer’s market that i KNOW did not come from a factory farm?
what are your thoughts on this? how do you respond to people that present you with this argument/perspective?
your thoughts would be very much appreciated!
happy new year!
stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
Congrats on your resolution! I’m sure you’ll succeed, even if it takes more than one try
Regarding “eggs from a healthy, antibiotic and hormone free chicken that was raised with access to outdoors”:
Those kinds of eggs are more humane (and healthier for you) than traditional chicken’s eggs, but they are not vegan.
Moreover, many so-called humane producers are only slightly more humane than products that don’t bear “free-range” “cruelty-free” “humane” “organic” or other similar labels; many are still factories that kill the male chicks (like this) and force the females to lay more eggs than their bodies can handle, leading them to suffering and early death:
Keeping chickens in order to sell their eggs or eating those eggs is not being truly respectful to animals.
This is an interestingly posed question by Stephanie. The truth is that unless the chickens and cows are living at your place or with someone you really trust, you can’t know how they are treated. Even when animals are treated very well frankly the thought of what the substance is loses its appeal for me. Thinking about drinking animal bodily fluid and “eggs” just grosses me out. There have been times I have eaten dairy for various reasons but I have never felt good about it after regardless of the culinary delight. I just can’t justify it.
.-= Karla Porter´s last blog ..Is Perception Always Reality? =-.
I responded directly to Stephanie regarding her questions about free-range and organic eggs. It was rather long but here’s an excerpt:
But what about Mr. & Mrs. Jenkins who live outside of town and let their chickens run around the farm, bask in the sun and take care of their babies? Is this okay from an animal rights or vegan perspective? I would say no. In my opinion animal rights is about not exploiting or killing animals for any purpose. Veganism is about refraining from all animal products so as not to contribute to the exploitation of animals.
Ultimately Mr. & Mrs. Jenkins, along with the free-range, organic and certified humane industries, will kill these birds once their usefulness is over. Once the chickens can no longer produce eggs they will be slaughtered for food, just as dairy cows are slaughtered when they can no longer produce milk (and the male calves are removed from their mothers and killed after a few weeks to become “veal”).
These animals are treated as commodities, production units and not as sentient beings that have interests of their own. They are slaves plain and simple; someone else’s property and their interests will always be secondary to the interests of Mr. & Mrs. Jenkins, the animal agriculture industry and the paying consumer. For any industry that uses animals, it’s all about higher returns, lower operating costs and keeping the shareholders, not the animals, happy.
Some people ask about unfertilized eggs. The chickens on Mr. & Mrs. Jenkins’ farm aren’t using the eggs so what’s wrong with eating them? The answer is: the chickens do use them. The unfertilized eggs are consumed by the chickens to recover the proteins lost to produce the eggs in the first place. So taking unfertilized eggs from the chickens deprives the birds of necessary nutrients. Nothing in nature is wasted.
The bottom line is this: the chickens aren’t producing eggs for you or me. Just as a cow produces milk or bees produce honey, the animals are making them for their own use, not ours. Cow’s milk is for the calves; honey is for the colony and eggs are for the chickens. If I was to walk into your house and open your refrigerator and take your food without your permission, you would call it stealing. It’s the same thing with animal products; they’re not ours to take. To do so reinforces the idea that these animals and their secretions are ours to take and use in whatever manner we choose because we’re at the top of food chain, masters of the universe or divinely charged to dominate the earth and its non-human inhabitants. It’s all about respect and it’s not respectful to steal someone else’s food.
.-= Daniel´s last blog ..2010: The year to go vegan =-.
Hi Daniel,
Funny thing is that I have also made a commitment to veganism in 2010. I began researching vegetarianism in december as I was looking for ways to improve our current eating habits. I wanted to change the way my family ate. After doing my research, I realized that veganism is the way to go. I am convinced that is better for the animals, for the environment and for my health. My son is 14 months old and does not like meat so I plan to transition him to veganim as well. My husband is a carnivore. He does enjoy vegan meals but has declared that he wants to continue eating meat and dairy. I do not know any other vegans. I feel quite alone in my decision but so far my motivation is strong! Basically, I am looking for moral support for when those cheese cravings hit! I would love to connect with someone. I think I am looking for a vegan mentor! Can you steer me in the right direction?
Thanks
Bianca
Hello Bianca!
Congrats for deciding to go vegan! It really is better for the planet, your health, and definitely better for the animals (like a 100% better!). Anyone who loves peace, animals and other human beings needs to do this; it’s compassion in action.
Sorry to hear your hubby isn’t joining you on your vegan adventure but don’t write him off just yet. As you become a more knowledgeable and confident vegan, he might come around (a lot of men don’t realize that veganism is a sign of inner strength and are afraid to be different around other men) with a little encouragement and education on the subject.
There are so many vegan groups around today that you shouldn’t have any problem hooking up with other like-minded individuals. A few years ago I started a monthly vegan potluck in a small southern Ontario city. The first one hosted 25 people and now 40 to 50 people regularly show up.
Depending on where you live, there may already be monthly potlucks taking place; try contacting your local animal rights or animal welfare group and find out if they’re doing them. If not, maybe you could start one for them? If you’re having trouble finding these groups, contact PETA and they’ll be able to provide you with a list of groups near you.
Facebook is a really good place to find other vegans. I have so many vegan friends on FB and they’re always a source of information, inspiration and support. There are also a large number of vegan groups on Facebook to join (the Vegan Party of Canada is just one). I swear you’ll never feel alone again!
Check out my blogsite: http://veganpartyofcanada.blogspot.com/ and sign up on Facebook if you aren’t already on there (add me as a friend too: Daniel K. Wilson) and know that your decision to go vegan is one of the most important (and best) decisions of your life. The adventure begins!
.-= Daniel´s last blog ..2010: The year to go vegan =-.
Congratulations to anyone who has made the decision to go vegan in 2010. All I can say is that from my experience (been vegan for over 10 years now) it can prove to be the most rewarding decision that you will ever make… on many levels.
For me the biggest thing is the peace of mind that it can give knowing that you are now longer contributing to the suffering of animals, pollution and climate change that are all associated with the farming industry.
I also agree wholeheartedly with your response to Stephanie’s question. There really isn’t a “humane” way to produce milk and eggs. There is still a “waste product” which has to be dealt with, whether it’s a male chick that is crushed to death or a calf that is removed from its mother so we can take the milk. There’s nothing humane or even ethical about either, in my opinion, however well the animals might otherwise be cared for.
My veganism was accidental; I went perusing for a weight loss book to use as motivation and picked up a book called “Skinny Bitch.” I bought it on a whim, and after I finished reading that book, I checked a few facts, and then I was done eating meat and dairy. Period. I, like so many others, for so long had turned a blind eye to the intolerable suffering of factory farm animals, and the lies that the USDA has fed us along with the horomonally engineered meat. But looking away is no longer an option, I do not think I could call myself a compassionate or enlightened human being while wolfing down a pot roast or a chicken breast. (I will kind of miss feta cheese though!)
A lot of small physical issues have cleared up as well. My complexion looks better, I no longer suffer from stomach aches or pain after eating, my digestive tract is happy, and I have dropped seven pounds in just a few weeks!
So now instead of eating the bacon, I’d rather kiss the pig!
That is awesome Lori! Congratulations.
.-= Daniel´s last blog ..Reasons to go vegan =-.
Cheese cravings! Oh yeah, those can be tough. Bianca’s Jan 5th comment reminded me how hard it was at first to deal with those cheese cravings. I guess everybody finds their own way to get around those. In my case the struggle was hard, because all the vegan cheeses I tasted were way too bland (I used to love strong cheese) and not quite truly cheesy. Then I stumbled accidentally upon the combination of soy “cheese” shreds, such as most supermarkets carry, combined with nutritional yeast and a little bit of vegenaise to bind them together and voila! The yummiest cheesy spread ever, especially after the flavors were allowed to blend in the fridge for a couple hours.