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If I Knew Then, What I Know Now

February 6, 2013

It's Easy Being VeganGo Vegan Step-By-Step, Part 1

Being vegan is more than a diet. It’s a lifestyle. It involves changing more than dietary habits and can be overwhelming when you consider how much change it involves. Unfortunately, animal products permeate every area of our lives—from food to clothes to shoes to household cleaners to make-up and more. Just writing this makes me question how I ever made the switch, but I did and you can too.

There are many ways you could approach removing animal products from your life. For example, you could quit using all animal products “cold tofu” or choose to eliminate them step-by-step.

When I went vegan, I set a date to go vegan and gave myself two months to mentally prepare. This was in late 2004. My “go vegan” date was January 1, 2005. I had actually been preparing for 19 years. Let me explain.

Back in 1985, I learned about animal testing and factory farming from a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) newsletter. I decided to go vegetarian, but I was a terrible vegetarian. I ate fish all the time. Yep, I’m one of those people. But, I’m also a good example of why vegans should not judge others because I did come around—eventually.

Change is hard, but when you understand how change works, it may be easier to make the changes in your life that you want to make—and stick with them. Using the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, I will illustrate how I went vegan and then I will show you how I would do it today. I’m going to break it down for you in a step-by-step format, but first, let’s talk about change.

There are six stages in the Transtheoretical Model include:

  1. Pre-Contemplation
  2. Contemplation
  3. Preparation
  4. Action
  5. Maintenance
  6. Termination

Now let’s walk through each stage in detail.

Pre-Contemplation: The person is not ready to change and may be unaware that a change is even needed.

Example: From birth to age 17, I was unaware that using animals for food and other products was an issue. I ate meat, eggs and dairy; wore leather shoes and belts; used leather purses and wallets; and used hair products, make-up and household cleaners tested on animals. I didn’t see any problems with using these products nor was I aware that anyone else took issue with my behavior.

You may find yourself here. That’s okay. I suspect most people visiting this blog will have moved beyond pre-contemplation to at least the next stage, contemplation.

Stay tuned. Part 2 coming soon.

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It’s Easy Being Vegan in the Kitchen

January 14, 2013

It's Easy Being Vegan in the Kitchen v1.0

I recently created a guide for the yoga classes I speak with on the connection between yoga and diet. I wanted to share the guide with my readers as well.

It’s Easy Being Vegan in the Kitchen  will show you how to:

  • Stock your pantry, fridge and freezer so you can make healthy meals at any time
  • Which kitchen tools are necessary and which are nice-to-have for cooking with ease
  • Create simple and healthy vegan meals

Plus it includes:

  • Sample 7-day meal plan
  • Recommended resources

 

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Healthy Vegan Snacks Revisited

January 10, 2013

Recently I read a report on 2013 food trends. Not only did it mention meatless meals and veganism, it reported that mini-meals and snacking were on the rise. Below is a  post I wrote in 2011 — offering readers 12 healthy, vegan snacks. Check it out, and remember to always keep a healthy snack at the ready. Enjoy!

Recently I read a blog post about nine quick and healthy snacks to keep you going until dinner. Animal products made up five of the nine snacks. Not too healthy in my book.

My definition of healthy may be narrower than the average consumer, but it is based on science.* I came up with 12 vegan snacks (not nine but 12 because I love you.) to keep you going anytime of day. All are plant-based, whole foods and simple.

12 Healthy Vegan Snacks

  1. Raw nuts and seeds: Just a handful.
  2. Piece of fresh fruit. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Better yet, switch it up. Variety is the spice of life.
  3. Sliced apple with peanut butter: Make sure the PB is just peanuts and preferably organic.**
  4. Raw veggies and humus.
  5. Whole grain crackers with peanut butter or humus.
  6. Dried fruit
  7. Smoothie: Make it green for an extra nutritional punch.
  8. Homemade trail mix: Again, just a handful.
  9. Half of a peanut butter & banana sandwich. (Try other nut butters such as almond too.)
  10. Air-popped popcorn with nutritional yeast***
  11. Toast (whole grain) with Mexican butter, aka avocado.
  12. Edamame

*Good news! Science supports a compassionate diet. Not only is a vegan diet good for you, it’s also good for the planet and all the creatures that live here. Get the facts on healthy vegan diets from the experts:

**See this post for information on my favorite, all-natural peanut butter.

***What the Heck is Nutritional Yeast? from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

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Final Making Vegan Easy Weekly Round-Up for 2012

December 31, 2012

At the beginning of 2012, I created a vision board for a vegan world and decided to provide a daily vegan tip on my Facebook  page to make being vegan easier for others. Below are the last 10 tips of 2012. I plan to delve deeper into my favorites vegan tips in 2013, so stay tuned for more vegan goodness. Happy new year!

Tip #356: Watch and share: Mercy for Animals 2012 Year in Review.

Tip #357: Adorable video promoting the boycott of horse-drawn carriages. Watch and share.

Tip #358: This year after all the Christmas presents are opened consider saving the used wrapping paper and gift bags to be used next year. Remember: Reuse before recycling!

Tip #359: Tomorrow is Christmas! It’s another holiday where families gather around the dinner table and meat plays a central role. I will be making a vegan breakfast of pancakes, faux sausage, potatoes and fruit cake for six people. I’m the only vegan. I’m not always comfortable being the only one, but that’s okay because the animals and the planet are better for it. Dinner will be out at a vegetarian restaurant that has vegan options. Remember, it’s not all about the food though. Enjoy being with your family and friends.

Tip #360: It bears repeating: Recycle, recycle, recycle. Keep this in mind when you and your family are opening presents this year. Merry Christmas!

Tip #361: My favorite new cookbook of 2012 is Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner. I’m slowly working my way through it. My current favorite is Pub Cheddar with Chives. If you haven’t picked it up yet, you might want to treat yourself.

Tip #362: When I’m battling a cold, I use a neti pot. Years ago when I bought my neti pot, I let it sit in a closet for nine months before I gathered the courage to use it. Turns out, it feels really good and gives me some relief when I have head cold. Let’s hope you don’t get a cold this winter but if you do, you might want to try a neti pot.

Tip #363: My favorite non-fiction book of 2012 is Jenny Brown’s memoir, The Lucky Ones. Inspiring! If you like to read memoirs, pick it up today. (I found it at my local library.)

Tip #364: Palm oil is a nightmare for the environment, indigenous people and many animals including Orangutans, Bearded Pigs, Rhinoceros, Sumatran tiger, Sun bear and more. There’s a good article in the current issue of VegNews on the problems with palm oil (not online yet). If you haven’t given up palm oil yet, read up on it — do a google search — and decide if now might be the time to avoid it for good.

Tip #365: Go all the way in 2013. If you haven’t made the commitment yet to living vegan, watch this 60-second video from PETA. It may be just what you need to change your mind and go vegan for good.

Bonus Tip #366 (2012 is Leap year.): Tell everyone you know it’s easy being vegan. Shout. Sing. Speak. Whisper. Write. However YOU feel comfortable, use your voice for change. I’m so happy to walk this path with you. Thanks for being here.

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Making Vegan Easy Weekly Round-Up

December 21, 2012

Every day in 2012 I’m posting one tip on my Facebook page to make living vegan easier. It’s going to take an army of vegans to move the world in a more compassionate direction. Join us today.

Tip #344: One kind act can change the world. What can you do today? Right now?

Tip #345: Our Hen House has announced its new online magazine. They also have a “breaking news” banner at the top of their website. Check it out.

Tip #346: Vegan Mainstream has created a new app called Vegan Here. Sign up for the beta version and help Vegan Mainstream test the app today.

Vegan Here is a free mobile app that allows users to search for vegan events by city and/or event date. We believe that having a centralized list of vegan events available as a mobile app will help people become and stay vegan. Vegan events — potlucks, VegFests, Meetups etc. — help significantly to create a supportive vegan community. We hope that no vegan ever has to feel like they are the only vegan they know. Vegan Here will serve as a tool where vegans can connect with other vegans through these events.

Tip #347: Books make great gifts. There are several vegan-related children’s books available. Why not give one to a special child in your life this holiday season? The sooner children start thinking and living compassionately the better!

Here are some ideas:

  1. Vegan is Love by Ruby Roth
  2. Animals Have Feelings, Too: Exploring Emotions from A to Z by Karen Lee Stevens
  3. Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary by Maya Gottfried
  4. Steven the Vegan by Dan Bodenstein and Ron Robrahn
  5. Meet Panda: The Friendly Story of an American Pit Bull by Cammeron Batanides
  6. The Adventures of Vivian Sharpe, Vegan Superhero by Marla Rose

Tip #348: Check out the fun children’s game, Fur & Feathers, for a perfect holiday gift!

Tip #349: Do you know about the Humane Myth? Read about it here.

Tip #350: Interested in trying the many non-dairy milks now available or encouraging others to ditch the dairy from their diet? How about hosting a taste test party for non-dairy milks while serving a delicious vegan brunch.

Hemp, Rice, Coconut, Soy, Almond, Oat…so many to try. What’s your favorite?

Tip #351: Thinking about going back to school? Consider a degree in animal studies. Here is a list of some of the programs available in the US.

Tip #352: You can’t force others to change but positive peer pressure can have a powerful affect on others.

“Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” ~Albert Schweitzer

Tip #353: If you typically make New Year’s resolutions, now is a good time to formulate your plan. If you typically set a weight loss goal, how about focusing on getting and staying healthy instead of losing a specific number of pounds?

Tip #354: Need a last-minute gift idea? A subscription to a vegan magazine would make a nice gift for a vegan or even someone just curious about the vegan lifestyle. Check out my resources page for ideas including the new magazine, Laika.

Tip #355: Scientist discover the tipping point for new ideas.

Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society.

When I went vegan it was estimated that only 1% of the population was also vegan. Just eight years later, it’s now reported by the Vegetarian Resource Group that about 2.5% of the U.S. population is vegan. Change may be slow but it’s happening. Stay strong.

Hey friends, have you shared these tips with your family and friends yet? If not, do it today. Join me on Facebook to read these tips daily and to learn more about what’s going on in the vegan world.

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