tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29554739743566526752024-03-05T20:01:12.408-08:00Stay VeganGeoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-28169727205064320412009-12-14T11:12:00.000-08:002009-12-14T11:17:22.677-08:00Another Sweet New SiteHey all.<div><br /></div><div>I just ran across another cool new site that is working to set the record straight on how to <a href="http://cleanseyourbodyfast.com">cleanse your body</a>. With all of the garbage info and dangerous products on the market it's really nice to see someone that actually cares enough to make an effort to actually help.</div><div><br /></div><div>The site is still a work in progress, but it has the potential to help people out a lot. The people that turn to the vegan or raw diet for the sake of cleansing their bodies can glean a lot of info from helpful sites like this. There should be a lot of info later on about vegan cleansing and how to do it safely. With so many people out there to scam and take advantage of you in that market, I have no problem giving a little bit of free PR to someone doing it right.</div><div><br /></div><div>Check it out!</div><div><br /></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-77138612226410054882009-11-04T17:12:00.000-08:002009-11-04T17:16:07.465-08:00Being Vegan Away from the TableMany people, particularly those who don't embrace veganism, tend to think of a vegan lifestyle as one in which people avoid animal-derived foods. Some vegans may even view it in this way. But a truly vegan lifestyle should extend to every part of life, not just the dinner table.<br /><br />While you might have already purged your fridge and cabinets of every offending item, just a quick glance around can reveal many other products created with animal ingredients. Cleaning supplies, hand creams, pet food, makeup and hair products like shampoos and styling gels are often either derived from animal products or cruelly tested on animals. Even that hairbrush you may own with "natural bristles" is an animal product.<br /><br />Organizations like PETA regularly list companies that produce cruelty-free products, and those are definitely a step in the right direction. But not all companies that avoid testing on animals actually produce things like vegan make up or <a href="http://www.hairproductsinfo.com/vegan-hair-products">vegan hair products</a>. While not tested on animals, the products may contain animal ingredients. And in some cases, the animals may be killed to specifically extract those ingredients.<br /><br />How do you know if your cruelty-free, never-tested-on-animals item contains animal products? You have to become a bit of a sleuth. There are certain ingredients that are popular in hair products, cosmetics and hygiene products that will give them away. Some ingredients are obvious, like hydrolyzed animal proteins or beeswax. Look for less obvious ingredients like:<br /><br /><ul><li>Keratin: keratin is derived from things like animal hooves, teeth, hair and skin, found in beauty and hair care products</li><li>Casein: this is a milk-derived ingredient, common in hair products</li><li>Acetate: derived from eggs or fish oils, common in hair dyes</li><li>Lanolin: oil pulled from sheep's wool, common in beauty products</li><li>Polypeptides: derived from animal placentas, often found in shampoos</li><li>Guanine: derived from fish scales, it's found in shampoos and similar products</li></ul><br /><div>There are many more ingredients that appear in beauty and <a href="http://www.hairproductsinfo.com/">hair products</a>, among other common household items, that are animal-based. You should look up any ingredients you're in doubt about to be sure they're not animal-derived. You can also find stores online that only sell cruelty-free vegan products, as well as lists of companies that only produce those kinds of products.<br /><br />If you're horrified by some of the products currently in your home, just remember that none of these products are advertised as "tested on animals" or "made with animal products" so you, like most shoppers, just didn't know. Now that you do, you might have to switch brands on everything from your dishwashing liquid to your deodorant, but you don't have to do it all in one day. Replace the products as you go with animal-free and cruelty-free products and you'll achieve a truly vegan lifestyle.</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-60143146922180986692009-10-08T19:29:00.000-07:002009-10-08T19:48:15.168-07:00Going VeganI've been putting a lot of thought recently about my reasons for going vegan. The key to staying vegan is knowing why you're doing it in the first place. I'm not doubting my reasons, or wavering in my veganism, but I think that the changing of the seasons again is making think about the future and reflect a bit on the past.<div><br /></div><div>I'm vegan for the animals, plain and simple. I wouldn't eat my dogs or anything that breathes and sustains itself in a similar fashion. I know why I do this and it's very important that you do as well so that staying vegan is not challenging.</div><div><br /></div><div>The benefits of going vegan are huge and there are millions of reasons for doing so. If you simply want to be healthier, that's a good reason for being vegan in my opinion and I respect you for that. Whatever reason you come up with you've gotta stick to your guns, or keeping it up is going to be tricky. It's especially important that the people around you also know your reasons or they may question your motives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Those that have a hard time staying vegan are the ones that do it solely for someone else. Again, I'm not judging your motives, but don't expect too much out of it. If going and being vegan is important to you, you must do it for yourself. Even if you don't make it too long you've done more than most people will (and the animals appreciate your meat eating hiatus!).</div><div><br /></div><div>I know that was a bit of a ramble, so in case you didn't follow - Know why you're vegan before making the decision on going vegan!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay vegan my friends!</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-57204460013042510042009-08-20T12:36:00.000-07:002009-08-20T12:41:57.303-07:00Cool FindHey there,<div><br /></div><div>I just found an acne blog that I thought was pretty cool. This guy is telling people to stop eating meat to clear up their acne. That's something that we've always known, but it's pretty rad to see someone else talking about it. The blog is called <a href="http://bestacnetreatmentguide.com/acne-care">Best Acne Treatment Guide</a>. Check it out if you want, or use it to give your friends another reason to be vegan!</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-40327350906654247862009-06-15T21:35:00.000-07:002009-06-15T21:55:44.835-07:00How Long Do People Stay Vegan? - Update #1After three days the first round of results are in. I'm hoping to get to at least 100 votes for a fair sample of people. <div><br /></div><div>So far-</div><div>How long have you been vegan?</div><div>0-6 months<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-11.84%</div><div>6 months-1 year<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-10.53%</div><div>1-3 years<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-32.89%</div><div>3-5 years<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-11.84%</div><div>5-10 years<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-14.47%</div><div>10+ years<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-18.42%</div><div><br /></div><div>Have you stayed vegan the entire time?</div><div>Yes<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-89.13%</div><div>No<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>-10.87%</div><div><br /></div><div>Sorry for the crude tables, I'll put together a nice one for the final results.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 0-6 months, 6 months - 1 year, and the 3-5 year categories are all very close. This give us a few clues. People may have a hard time making it past the one year mark, between year one and year three are common times to fall off the wagon, or this poll hasn't been distributed to enough people. I'll give it some more time to see any more changes before making any solid judgements. </div><div><br /></div><div>The results so far from the second poll surprise me a little bit. I honestly didn't think that people would admit that they hadn't stayed vegan the entire time. Either I underestimated everyone or the anonymity of the poll encouraged honesty. Either way it's pretty rad.</div><div><br /></div><div>There have been 75 votes already, as soon as it gets over 100 I'll put together the final report.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you to everyone who has already voted, and if you haven't here are the polls again.</div><div><br /><form action="http://www.acepolls.com/votes" method="post"><div style="padding: 10px 0; border: 1px solid #CCCCCC; background-color: #FFFFFF; width: 250px;"><input name="vote[poll_id]" type="hidden" value="934430"><p style="color: #3FCC2F; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">How Long Have You Been Vegan?</p><ul style="list-style-type: none; padding-left: 0; margin: 0; padding-left: 10px;"><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391974" value="5391974"><label for="5391974" style="color: #3A555C;">Less Than 6 Months</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391975" value="5391975"><label for="5391975" style="color: #3A555C;">6 Months to 1 Year</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391976" value="5391976"><label for="5391976" style="color: #3A555C;">1 Year to 3 Years</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391977" value="5391977"><label for="5391977" style="color: #3A555C;">3 Years to 5 Years</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391978" value="5391978"><label for="5391978" style="color: #3A555C;">5 Years to 10 Years</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391979" value="5391979"><label for="5391979" style="color: #3A555C;">10+ Years (Congratulations!)</label></li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><input value="Vote!" type="submit"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a style="color: #3A555C;" href="http://www.acepolls.com/polls/934430-how-long-have-you-been-vegan/results">View Results</a><br /><a style="color: #3A555C;" href="http://www.acepolls.com/create">Create a Blog Poll</a></p></div></form><form action="http://www.acepolls.com/votes" method="post"><div style="padding: 10px 0; border: 1px solid #CCCCCC; background-color: #FFFFFF; width: 250px;"><input name="vote[poll_id]" type="hidden" value="934433"><p style="color: #35C219; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Have You Stayed Vegan The Entire Time?</p><ul style="list-style-type: none; padding-left: 0; margin: 0; padding-left: 10px;"><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391990" value="5391990"><label for="5391990" style="color: #3A555C;">Yes</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391991" value="5391991"><label for="5391991" style="color: #3A555C;">No</label></li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><input value="Vote!" type="submit"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a style="color: #3A555C;" href="http://www.acepolls.com/polls/934433-have-you-stayed-vegan-the-entire-time/results">View Results</a><br /><a style="color: #3A555C;" href="http://www.acepolls.com/create">Create a Blog Poll</a></p></div></form></div><div>Stay vegan!!</div><div><br /></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-59079496484012825422009-06-12T19:16:00.000-07:002009-06-12T19:51:52.005-07:00How Long Do People Stay Vegan?In the grand scheme of time, people who claim veganism as a way of life is fairly new. In ancient times, they were either gatherers or bad hunters... <div><br /></div><div>I know that there are tons of studies coming out that back my own stance up that humans are designed to be herbivores, but we all know that meat eating has been the common practice. I doubt that there are many people who have been vegan their entire life, so I want to conduct a crude study to figure out where everyone else is.</div><div><br /></div><h2>The Set Up</h2><div>The goal of this (not-so) scientific experiment is to figure out what the average amount of time that people have been vegan, and what percentage of people have stayed vegan the entire time. With this information, I focus this blog on the time frame that people usually "fall off the wagon." </div><div><br /></div><div>That, and I'm a curious guy to begin with and think this will give some interesting results. If the majority of people fall off at the three-year mark, you may be able to prepare yourself to make it past that milestone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Enough about me, what I need from you, is to vote in both polls and help me spread the word. For consistency's sake in the first poll, consider your veganism beginning when stopped being vegetarian completely. In the second poll, don't count any accidental animal eating. Consider it a conscious decision to be vegetarian (or omni) again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, please spread this around so we can get a large sample of people. Link it, tweet it, FB it, throw up smoke signals, whatever.</div><h1>The Stay Vegan Poll</h1><br /><form action="http://www.acepolls.com/votes" method="post"><div style="padding: 10px 0; border: 1px solid #CCCCCC; background-color: #FFFFFF; width: 250px;"><input name="vote[poll_id]" type="hidden" value="934430"><p style="color: #3FCC2F; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">How Long Have You Been Vegan?</p><ul style="list-style-type: none; padding-left: 0; margin: 0; padding-left: 10px;"><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391974" value="5391974"><label for="5391974" style="color: #3A555C;">Less Than 6 Months</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391975" value="5391975"><label for="5391975" style="color: #3A555C;">6 Months to 1 Year</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391976" value="5391976"><label for="5391976" style="color: #3A555C;">1 Year to 3 Years</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391977" value="5391977"><label for="5391977" style="color: #3A555C;">3 Years to 5 Years</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391978" value="5391978"><label for="5391978" style="color: #3A555C;">5 Years to 10 Years</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391979" value="5391979"><label for="5391979" style="color: #3A555C;">10+ Years (Congratulations!)</label></li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><input value="Vote!" type="submit"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a style="color: #3A555C;" href="http://www.acepolls.com/polls/934430-how-long-have-you-been-vegan/results" target="_blank">View Results</a><br /></p></div></form><br /><br /><form action="http://www.acepolls.com/votes" method="post"><div style="padding: 10px 0; border: 1px solid #CCCCCC; background-color: #FFFFFF; width: 250px;"><input name="vote[poll_id]" type="hidden" value="934433"><p style="color: #35C219; text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">Have You Stayed Vegan The Entire Time?</p><ul style="list-style-type: none; padding-left: 0; margin: 0; padding-left: 10px;"><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391990" value="5391990"><label for="5391990" style="color: #3A555C;">Yes</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="vote[choice_id]" id="5391991" value="5391991"><label for="5391991" style="color: #3A555C;">No</label></li></ul><p style="text-align: center;"><input value="Vote!" type="submit"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a style="color: #3A555C;" href="http://www.acepolls.com/polls/934433-have-you-stayed-vegan-the-entire-time/results" target="_blank">View Results</a><br /></p></div></form>Thanks for voting, now go spread the word!<div><br /></div><div>Stay vegan!</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-52479576108032832162009-06-07T23:37:00.000-07:002009-06-07T23:49:55.711-07:00Vegan Without SacrificeSunday night is pizza night here at the Stay Vegan compound. After tonight's pizza, I had a bit of a revelation which ties into the previous post on <a href="http://stayvegan.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-i-stay-vegan-6-cooking.html">How I Stay Vegan</a>. I realized that we can take any food from the restaurants that we loved so much before becoming vegan, and recreate them sans animal. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but when you really think about it, it's like skipping a big part of the original sacrifice that was made when becoming vegan (too bad it took me four years to figure this out).<br /><br />I recommend finding the menu of your favorite pre-vegan pizza restaurant and doing your best to recreate it. Use soy cheese and mock meat if you want to make it a little more true to the original. Or even better, recreate an entire meal that you shared with someone special. It's really the ultimate comfort food.<div><br /></div><div>This isn't turning into a food blog, I swear!</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay Vegan!</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-4820989411606959152009-05-13T12:25:00.000-07:002009-05-13T12:56:18.491-07:00How I Stay Vegan #6: CookingSecondary to animal rights, food is the other key pillar of veganism. While it's certainly possible to thrive on PB&J and bean burritos from Taco Bell, to get the most out of the vegan lifestyle you have to cook. Being able to prepare vegan food well allows you to enjoy what you're doing. If you don't like what you're eating, staying vegan will be very difficult.<div><br /></div><div>Disclosure: I love to cook. I love to eat. I think I cook really well.</div><div><br /></div><div>You don't have to be a trained chef or gourmand to eat well. Learning the basic techniques and having the proper tools will ensure your success. If you can dice and saute onion and garlic, you have the foundation for many great meals. If you can light a BBQ, you're halfway to portabello burgers and grilled asparagus.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the Stay Vegan compound, dinner is the climax of the day. We usually start planning while we're eating dinner the night before. I probably take longer to cook, shop and plan than most, but it doesn't have to be this way. A simple raw salad or pizza with pre-made dough will only take a half-hour or so to make. Cooking allows you to eat EXACTLY what you want, when you want, without worrying if the restaurant's cook properly cleaned the flat grill before your toast went on it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cooking also saves cash. I'm sure you know that, but I felt it had to be stated. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Cooking takes you from staying vegan, to loving veganism.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Stay vegan!</div><div><br /></div><div>Some of my favorite vegan food blogs (not all have recipes, but are all full of inspiration)-</div><div><a href="http://eatavegan.wordpress.com/">Eat A Vegan</a></div><div><a href="http://happyveganface.blogspot.com/">HappyVeganFace</a></div><div><a href="http://poopiebitch.com">Poopie Bitch</a></div><div><a href="http://thatpainintheassvegan.blogspot.com/">That Pain in the Ass Vegan</a></div><div><a href="http://veganmenu.blogspot.com">What The Hell Does A Vegan Eat Anyway?</a></div><div><a href="http://tofu-n-sproutz.blogspot.com/">Vegan Food: More Than Tofu and Sprouts</a></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-77378811313429515972009-05-07T20:52:00.000-07:002009-05-17T00:57:19.601-07:00The Joy of Vegan BakingI'm alive!!!<div><br /></div><div>Well, I was never really dead. Just caught up with some other things. Don't worry I'm still vegan! That would be a pretty ironic reason to ditch this blog, though...</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been doing a ton of promo work for an <a href="http://lucysblooms.etsy.com/">Etsy site</a>, that unfortunately sells some silk things, and writing in some other places. Big time Stay Vegan updates are coming in the near future!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Why is this blog titled The Joy of Vegan Baking? 1: It's my new favorite cookbook and 2: <a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1705795/cookbook_review_the_joy_of_vegan_baking.html?cat=22">I just wrote a review of it.</a> Check it out!</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay vegan my friends! We'll chat soon.</div><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thevegleacur-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1592332803&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-64552544136634278242009-04-17T00:05:00.001-07:002009-04-17T00:09:21.059-07:00Too Funny!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerteW9NJlJPqLFbi-SUqMIVxRdVn8LlcRtvqTvA12VG2ZmgG-9l-NjN1bqbPtQb8_xoQJ9BLRDn-R3IgSs8RDAj46SA2gHn9Gq4ZR3QX78vcCFd_VDxYI7F9MF-SjCHTrfaQ3OXweOTI/s1600-h/veganundergroundBEEFCUTS.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerteW9NJlJPqLFbi-SUqMIVxRdVn8LlcRtvqTvA12VG2ZmgG-9l-NjN1bqbPtQb8_xoQJ9BLRDn-R3IgSs8RDAj46SA2gHn9Gq4ZR3QX78vcCFd_VDxYI7F9MF-SjCHTrfaQ3OXweOTI/s400/veganundergroundBEEFCUTS.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325553928670855746" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I ran across this from <a href="http://veganunderground.com/">The Vegan Underground</a> and figured I would share it with those that haven't seen it yet. Too funny!<div><br /></div><div>Stay vegan!</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-23384000617095715412009-04-09T23:00:00.000-07:002009-04-10T00:45:30.385-07:00My Vegan Slow FoodHey guys,<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/100384419_9f2faec9ca_m.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 195px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/100384419_9f2faec9ca_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></span></a><div><div>Miranda again, with an interesting take on vegan slow food.</div><div><br /></div><div>So back to the grocery store sadness. Every day I check out people's food. Literally, I take a gander at what's in the basket to base a conversation, how quickly they want out of the store, and what type of eaters they really are. Stick with me here. This will all make sense in the end. Promise. </div><div><br /></div><div>Growing up as a child in a family of five, we didn't always have a ton of money to eat lavishly for every meal. My mom made the most of everything she could put onto our plates. Even if it meant eating chicken six nights a week, she still put thought and love into every dish. I laugh thinking about how it was so easy for me to become a vegan. I couldn't stand to eat another chicken in my entire life! </div><div> </div><div>Back to the market. There are four types of shoppers as I see it. </div><div>1. Staple buyers, the type of folks that will get bread, fruits, veggies, grains, and water.</div><div>2. Frozen food only. I rarely find maybe a jug of milk or a non frozen item in these baskets.</div><div>3. 50% to 50% folks, they have a little bit fresh, and a little bit frozen. </div><div>4. Meal to meal shoppers, these are the kind we most relate to. Shopping for each specific meal.</div><div><br /></div><div>My mom was a staple shopper. She made the most of every penny she had (coupon clipping and all) to make sure that her children still had food to eat. We, on the other hand, are meal to meal shoppers. We buy for specific meals that we are making in our home, as not waste food (and money) in our everyday lives. Sometimes, people think this is a hassle. I think this is an opportunity to get back to the vegan roots. Just roots in general. I love to take pride in the meals that we cook. I love to bring my leftovers to work the next day, and let non vegans (I don't work with a single vegan person) try the great stuff we come up with. Not that I want to shove it in their face (well sometimes I'd like to), they all seem to think that being vegan means having no fun with the food that we work so hard to make and eat. Geoff spent 3 hours the other day making seitan for me. I've been wanting to step away from the pre-packaged commercial "vegan" eats that are available. Not that there is anything wrong with these products, but they lose the focus. We have stopped buying peanut butter, we're making it at home! We make cookies, cakes, granola, bagels, anything that would be quicker just to buy, we make it at home. The basics for us now are just the basics. The way vegan cooking should be. Nice and slow, not always easy, but well worth it in the long run. This is also better for your pocketbook! </div><div> </div><div>The focus for us starts here: we are vegan for the animals first and foremost, but secondly we are vegan for the vegetables. If I can't even recognize what it is, or the ingredients in it, should I really consume it? The answer blaring in my ears is no. I can tell you what went into the seitan Geoff made. No questions asked. It took time and absolute caring to get six pieces of seitan after two hours of cooking. The pride and satisfaction to have conquered that goal, and had five kick ass meals after that, are priceless. Have we all forgotten that sort of pride? Are we stuck in the rut of buying frozen foods because it's quicker? Most of the meals we make at home take at least and hour to make. I think we put thought into every dish and don't skip ahead to get the food at the table faster. I personally don't think 30 minutes is enough. Dinner is an event. I have said this before, we plan dinner for the next night while we're eating the one we just made.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1346/662378341_14e3230eb8_m.jpg"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1346/662378341_14e3230eb8_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 180px; " /></a><div>Take pride in the food you eat. Take pride in the food you cook. Take pride in knowing that you took the time to make something you cared about. Even when the caring goes past the animals. Treat your food right. Give it the time and justice it deserves. </div><div><br /></div><div>Have fun staying vegan!</div><div><br /></div><div>Miranda</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Photo credit <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thegrocer/">thegrocer*</a> on flickr.</span></div></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-34419487874149901622009-04-09T14:56:00.000-07:002009-04-09T15:50:51.871-07:00Is Veganism Just a Fad?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1353/1259495021_6d2abbb058_m.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1353/1259495021_6d2abbb058_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Short answer - NO.<div><br /></div><div>With vegan topics frequently in the news, Oprah, Skinny Bitch, <a href="http://www.ecorazzi.com/2009/04/01/al-gore-announces-new-line-of-organic-vegan-frozen-foods/">Al Gore's frozen food</a>, <a href="http://www.xomba.com/gwyneth_paltrow_s_vegan_pancakes">Gwyneth Paltrow's pancakes</a>, and the who's who list of vegan celebs, it may seem like veganism is becoming a flash in the pan fad. More and more people are "trying" the vegan diet now than ever. 30 day vegan challenges are popping up on vegetarian and diet forums all over the web. Funny <a href="http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/04/08/Colo-rejects-ILVTOFU-license-plate/UPI-46031239221493/">vegan license plates</a> are getting lots of attention from the social bookmark sites and Twitter. Is all of this media helping our cause or marginalizing it?</div><div><br /></div><div>The more media attention that we get, the more detractors come out of the woodwork. The more detractors, the more myth-busting we spend our time on. These are the people who want to write us off as a fad. It would be easy for us to turn this into a vegans vs. everyone else conflict, but this erases all of the hard work we've already done. </div><div><br /></div><div>The idea that this may be a fad is almost insulting to the vegans who have worked so hard to give us soymilk in the grocery store and other amenities that weren't available 20 or 30 years ago. If you're reading this while in the middle of a "vegan challenge" and trying to decide if you want to stay the course or curious if you could ever possibly stay vegan take a look around, subscribe, and follow me and the rest of the vegan community on Twitter and Facebook. We're all here to help, and dispel the myth that this is here to stay.</div><div><br /></div><div>How do you prove it's not a fad?</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay vegan!</div><div><br /></div><div>That'll show 'em.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-8920735933506381372009-04-07T17:41:00.001-07:002009-04-07T18:25:02.716-07:005 Tips To Staying A Healthy Vegan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/2711394001_d64bbb91a5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 332px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/2711394001_d64bbb91a5.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/2711394001_d64bbb91a5.jpg"></a>It would be really easy for me to write an entire post on the health benefits of veganism, but there are better places for that info than here at Stay Vegan. What I am going to do though, is give you five quick and easy tips to keep the healthy train a rollin'.<div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Eat the rainbow.</span> I know that sounds silly, but an easy way to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet is to make sure that you are eating a colorful diet. No, I don't mean Skittles. Eating the rainbow ensures that you're eating a large variety of fruits and veggies. If you notice that your meals over the last few days have been predominantly green and red, throw in some squash or blueberries to mix it up.</li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Eat soy in moderation.</span> There are vegan substitutes for most animal foods and the majority of them are soy-based. It's really easy for us to base our diets around pseudo meat and dairy, but the health benefits of soy are lost in over-consumption. Eating too much soy can lead to <a href="http://www.utne.com/2007-07-01/TheDarkSideofSoy.aspx">health problems</a>. </li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Grow the rainbow.</span> Working in the garden leads to added exercise and free vitamin D. Spending time cultivating fruits and vegetables also helps you to be aware of the seasonality of food and proud of your job well done. Veggies from your garden taste better than they do from the store. This also allows you to grow the variety of food you need for your vegan diet.</li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Eat more raw food.</span> Fruits and veggies lose some of their nutrients when cooked. The only way to keep these valuable nutrients in is to eat them raw. The <a href="http://bigrawblog.blogspot.com/">Big Raw Vegan Blog</a> has tons of recipes and tips for eating more raw food.</li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Vegan doesn't mean healthy.</span> With the fact that Oreo's and Skittles don't contain animal products (except for sugar, maybe) is making its way on to vegan message boards all over the web, the options for us to eat more junk food are becoming well known. This is great for animals, but crappy for us (who want to stay healthy). Everything is good in moderation, but keep in mind that just because you could, doesn't mean you should. Bake some cookies or eat a banana instead.</li></ol><div>This is obviously not an all-encompassing list, but the things that I do. What are your easy tips for a healthy vegan lifestyle?</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay Vegan!</div></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-3682859615707286912009-04-05T11:15:00.000-07:002009-04-05T11:27:29.017-07:00How I Stay Vegan #5: Vegan Clothing<div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:Arial;font-size:10px;"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TUa-VFlFmCg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TUa-VFlFmCg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-family:Arial;font-size:10px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We all wear clothes. We all love to have new clothes that make us feel good about who we are. Remember being vegan is a statement from your heart and I always wear mine on my sleeve. Choosing to not wear animal clothing is a statement itself. You won't catch me in a shirt that says, "I Love Tofu," but when you know me and talk to me, my everyday apparel speaks volumes. In the city we live in there isn't very good shopping for clothes. Finding clothing is not always easy, size, shape, length, and now we add on no animal? It's not a sacrifice you had to make, it's a sacrifice that the animal that died to give it's life to make you a leather belt or pair of shoes had to make. I don't want to get preachy because there are tons of blogs and sites that better explain reasons to wear vegan gear. Even more on top of that, are blogs and sites that tell you were to buy stuff. We had to weed out some of the stuff when we first went vegan that just weren't the style that fit who we are. So here are a few sites that have done us right.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Alternative Outfitters</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a href="http://www.couchguitarstraps.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Couch Guitar Straps</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.simpleshoes.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Simple Shoes</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><a href="http://www.zappos.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Zappos</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />Have fun staying vegan!</span></span><p></p><br /></span></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-4390586735695851122009-04-02T20:04:00.000-07:002009-04-05T11:28:20.029-07:00How I Stay Vegan #4: Companion Animals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoukNHGcviVsyFwIO2_YnbibBm0ihO5yhfP68hHud4L9imqpEvRapViPehx9Wrj9iuTZ7Upfhe-hJX_tQsQB_iGP5mHzJKjSVzhBrJTMYy8PaVHb9zfYLf2KLa75N9gw9mYbP9mtZqjw/s1600-h/IMG_1470.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 165px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoukNHGcviVsyFwIO2_YnbibBm0ihO5yhfP68hHud4L9imqpEvRapViPehx9Wrj9iuTZ7Upfhe-hJX_tQsQB_iGP5mHzJKjSVzhBrJTMYy8PaVHb9zfYLf2KLa75N9gw9mYbP9mtZqjw/s200/IMG_1470.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320303853321720466" /></a><div>I came across an article by Eccentric Vegan at Vegan Soap Box titled, <a href="http://www.vegansoapbox.com/can-vegans-have-pets/">Can Vegans Have Pets</a>, and it got my thinking about my pooches and the pivotal role they've played in my veganism. Having those guys around really helped me understand the value of an animals life and the role they play in mine. There are a lot of subtopics we could discuss here, but I think that focusing on caring for a species other than your own is most appropriate.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I don't remember the point in my childhood when I realized that a chicken was a McNugget, but I imagine that it was fairly early on. Seeing animals as living, breathing entities with feelings is something that some folks have a hard time doing. We're trained from early on to separate and curb our feelings towards animals in order to justify their use in food, testing and exhibition (defined as speciesism by Peter Singer). This is a part of the seafood vs. sea animal debate. Just because they're another fishes food, doesn't mean they're our food. I'll tackle that one in another blog...</div><div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWbEN9pr5U7RWhhyJLA_Syf-6VjTjPRFP3_MYe6Jx4EZFmKM0DwTTX71HNDk0MvyjvTp-VlHO4rneGAWynAwwZyiK21Mb15W5dZPMzX7fYrZPZk8QiIG2-Jagx92T8Oaf817BR38z2SU/s1600-h/IMG_1304.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWbEN9pr5U7RWhhyJLA_Syf-6VjTjPRFP3_MYe6Jx4EZFmKM0DwTTX71HNDk0MvyjvTp-VlHO4rneGAWynAwwZyiK21Mb15W5dZPMzX7fYrZPZk8QiIG2-Jagx92T8Oaf817BR38z2SU/s200/IMG_1304.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320304072238400658" /></a></div><div>Knowing that a pig feels pain and is as smart as my alarm clocks that jump on my bed every morning to wake me up reinforces my veganism. Caring for an animal lowers that barrier between seeing animals as tools and as sentient beings. This reminds me of a conversation I had with a dude once about why I was vegan, and I responded with, "because I wouldn't eat my dogs." Obviously, eating dogs is extreme but when all animals are held in the same regard as we hold the ones who live by our side cruelty will disappear.</div><div><br /></div><div>This isn't a call for everyone to rush out and adopt a puppy. Do your homework first, make sure you have the time and resources to give your new family member a great home. Don't cause more suffering by not being able to provide everything an animal needs. To quote the blog linked above:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family:'Trebuchet MS';font-size:14px;"><blockquote><strong>Vegans do not want to put animals in bad situations or remove animals from good situations.</strong> We just want to save lives and protect animals.</blockquote></span>Well put. </div><div><br /></div><div>Stay vegan!</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-87520165185086478892009-03-29T14:16:00.000-07:002009-03-29T14:50:08.871-07:00How I Stay Vegan #3: Dealing With Bullies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1045/1465422249_67acc98605.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1045/1465422249_67acc98605.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1045/1465422249_67acc98605.jpg"></a>Any vegan can tell you a story about a time when an omni gave them a hard time for being vegan. It happens for lots of reasons. Some people just don't understand what we do and why we do it, it's a fact of vegan life. There are entire websites dedicated to it, bumper stickers, t-shirts, and endless jokes. So what are we to do? Well, here's my plan.<div><br /></div><div>Arm yourself with the facts. You've seen this idea come up many times over the blog posts here, and I believe it to hold true for dealing with anyone who is being a pain in the ass. You are going to get some wild questions thrown at you by people who don't understand (i.e. "don't plants have feelings?" or "you still eat fish, right?"), and knowing what you're talking about will usually pee on their parade pretty quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ignore them. This is a step that usually comes instinctually when someone is being a complete jerk and is harassing you just to piss you off. Just walk away, or close your IM window, do what it takes to remove yourself from the situation. If you can't leave, tell them (nicely) to stop. If you play their game, you'll only fuel their fire. Here's some good reading on <a href="http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/bullies.html#">dealing with bullies</a> that is geared toward school kids, but applies well here because most antagonists are at the same level of maturity.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lead by example. You'll probably have people who are close to you that will give you a hard time for your vegan diet. You can't ignore these people or educate them with facts because they just won't listen. What to do? Show them how awesome you are! When they start seeing how good you look and feel, hopefully it'll quiet them down and maybe help understand why you do what you do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jerks are everywhere, so we have to learn to deal with them. How have you dealt with ruffians in the past?</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay Vegan!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Photo credit <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dennisandluba/">dennisandluba</a> on Flickr.</span></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-45805923607031907442009-03-29T01:27:00.000-07:002009-03-29T01:32:26.948-07:00WANTEDVEGANS!<div><br /></div><div>Someone has a link on their Facebook profile for this blog that's drawing a ton of people here. I need to know who it is so I can go thank them <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(or pay them off!!)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. If it's you, my secret blog admirer, please let me know. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Or, if you know who it is, tell me. I'll reward you with a blog about how awesome you are. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thank you very mucho for everyones support!!</span></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-29309570547507885182009-03-28T00:14:00.000-07:002009-03-28T01:35:30.954-07:00Fertile Eggs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/2273076842_8666478fec_m.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/2273076842_8666478fec_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Wifey here...<div><br /></div><div>Vegan dilemma of the day, fertile eggs.</div><div>At the grocery store again, recurring nightmares of hideous things. Day by day learning to take these things in stride, I swear. </div><div>So this couple comes through my line, the woman starts out like she has an issue with something that they previously purchased at our store. She started talking about these fertile eggs that they had bought a few weeks prior. She was still speaking in a tone that mocked a slight upset with the eggs. Until she pulled out her camera. This is when I just stood still for a moment. Slight dramatic pause, like she had planned this all out in her head, prior to coming back into the store. She must have, I swear, it was rehearsed. She gets to the pictures on her camera. I kept thinking the whole time, "this must have been something really nasty, really really nasty." And then the camera screen is shown to me. <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/478589206_7d9c6b1c38.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/478589206_7d9c6b1c38.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>A white little back drop with sweet adorable baby chicks standing by each other. To the point that this was all too planned out and well executed. I just stood there with my big vegan heart sitting on the counter. They incubated the fertile eggs to hatch baby chicks. For what, may I ask were they hatching the eggs for? Oh Easter is coming up. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. By this time other workers and my manager had come over to see what the heck was going on. The man and the woman were so proud of the fact that they senselessly created animal life for nothing. Not to be sustainable in the egg world of non vegans, just to prove that they could. They went to all the trouble of buying an incubator just to do this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chicken = cute fluffy baby chicks</div><div>Beef = cows</div><div>Veal = baby cows</div><div>Pork = pigs</div><div>Sea food = sea animals</div><div><br /></div><div>Why is it that people are not seeing the correlation that these sugar coated names are actually referring to living, breathing animals? You bought eggs, fertile eggs, just to make another animal on the planet, for nothing better to do with your time? To prove the point that you could?</div><div><br /></div><div>The saddest part of the whole thing, I'm still pulling food out of their basket to ring them up, and I come across 6 dozen infertile eggs in the cart. I said to the man, "wow that's a lot of eggs. What do you guys plan to do with those?" He tells me, "oh those are just to eat."</div><div><br /></div><div>/rant</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-28878176892296669972009-03-26T16:10:00.000-07:002009-03-26T16:42:50.235-07:00Vegan Support<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXiVkwJcKnp3Ln8Ck8nEj6zEmUj5QBLshkbtd7u44YpdBDYSHMjdPdVleWCdtgb89FrBeQBrjals-Y6PrbefvBpGtdY_iVSSgtCs94B0cfnGwxBknRBPkGbE93YESPT8m1yxN0-iMNKw/s1600-h/lisa.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXiVkwJcKnp3Ln8Ck8nEj6zEmUj5QBLshkbtd7u44YpdBDYSHMjdPdVleWCdtgb89FrBeQBrjals-Y6PrbefvBpGtdY_iVSSgtCs94B0cfnGwxBknRBPkGbE93YESPT8m1yxN0-iMNKw/s320/lisa.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317646044842576562" /></a>I know that it might seem really easy for me to sit here in Northern California and tell people that staying vegan is a breeze. We have vegan restaurants everywhere, shopping, farmers markets, and whatever else we might need out here. I'm just preaching from the ivory tower, right?<div><br /></div><div>Not exactly.</div><div><br /></div><div>There might be more options available here, but I still need help. I still reach out for guidance and support along my journey. The internet has opened many doors for us to gain support and knowledge. There are tons of vegan websites and forums, some are good and others are great. After lots of trail and error and spending time on these sites, I'll share with you where I lurk around the web.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/index.php">Post Punk Kitchen Forums</a> - The PPK is full of knowledge and off the wall humor. It's strictly vegan and they squash spammers very quickly. There are a ton of different forums all with a defined purpose. The Foyer is for the random life stuff, most of it is vegan related and always good for a quick laugh, and Food Porn is a great place to show off all the good stuff that you cook. There are also forums for companion animals, health, gardening, and a ton of other things. I recommend hanging around and watching the forum for a few days before you make your first post to get a feel for the way things work. You'll find me there as theempire.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://veggieboards.com/">Veggie Boards</a> - Veggie Boards is a great place for the beginning vegan to get their legs. The forums here are for vegetarians and vegans, so not everything may apply to you, but many of the veteran posters are vegan and very helpful. There's a much more conservative feel on veggieboard, so use a bit of caution when posting. If you can deal with the GIGANTIC ad banner across the top and clunky navigation of the site, there is a wealth of information and support here. You'll find me here as stay vegan.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://twitter.com/stayvegan">Twitter</a> - Like this really needs any explanation... If you're smart about the people you choose to follow, Twitter can be like going to vegan school every day you log in. I follow vegan chefs, animal rights activists, vegan moms, and Shaq. Feel free to follow me and follow the people that I do.</div><div><br /></div><div>There certainly are a ton more forums and social media outlets out there, but these are the ones that I regularly visits, contribute to and learn from. So stop by and say hi!</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay Vegan</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-32144010349331765702009-03-26T15:49:00.000-07:002009-03-26T22:19:47.045-07:00Shopping Vegan and Its Effects<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/3002180792_3193930c03_m.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 240px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/3002180792_3193930c03_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>When we all work together and are asking the same questions, great things can happen. This story shows what can happen. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've been a regular at the Whole Foods by my house since I moved here seven months ago. I put my meals together there, buy vegan food and snacks, get sandwiches and burritos from the prepared food bar. I ask questions about what's new and vegan, and what's coming soon. It's also probably safe to assume that I'm not the only vegan in this area that does this. The combined efforts and shopping habits of myself and the other vegans in this area created a growing niche inside this particular Whole Foods. So where is all this leading to? Two days ago I went for a sandwich and to my surprise there was an entire corner of the cold prepared section full of raw/vegan food! There was raw lasagna, cream cheese, veggie patties, sandwiches, and bread. It was amazing! It goes to show that when we're all making the same buying decisions we can directly affect those who do the buying, this is a fundemental principal of economics and free markets.</div><div><br /></div><div>We buy food more often than we buy cosmetics and cleaning supplies, but in due time (and with all of us working together), we can show manufacturers that we aren't cool with animal testing, animal byproducts, or whatever else WE decide shouldn't be in the products we buy.</div><div><br /></div><div>This certainly isn't a new idea. Things have come a long way in the past 20 years. The fact that most of us have a Whole Foods near us, or a farmer's market, or soymilk at the grocery store speaks volumes of the people who worked so hard before us. Our buying decisions make it easier for us to stay vegan and for others to become vegan.</div><div><br /></div><div>Look at it like every dollar you spend is a vote for the stuff you want to see on the shelves. So get out and vote!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay Vegan!</div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-83604847454488967872009-03-25T00:14:00.000-07:002009-03-25T01:23:00.342-07:00Raw Foodists<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1200/790562634_c172d3711a_m.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 160px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1200/790562634_c172d3711a_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>So this is the wifey once more...<div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Raw food for thought. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>So I work for a grocery store. One that we shall not name, but be known is always named one of the healthiest grocery stores to shop at. I hear different requests all day long. Eaters of all types of food. Different ethnic foods, "American" foods, you name it, we sell it. I hear crazy allergies and dislikes. I try to arm myself with the knowledge to help these people in their shopping experience at my non vegan store. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Keep in mind, we sell meat. I don't claim to know a thing about it. I can't even remember what eggs taste like, let alone a large slab of beef with all the marinade shrink wrapped around it. I do know all the vegan mock meats, tofu, cheeses, butters and such that is available. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I have a very strong respect for folks who eat raw. If everyone loved their veggies and treated them with respect while cooking and preparing.... wouldn't that just be wonderful?! </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>So this lady came through my line today as I'm checking. She had a couple of books with her and I glanced to see what they were. Raw food "cook" books. I asked the general question, "how long have you gone raw for?" Two months. Okay, not such a long stretch, but who am I to judge the seriousness that someone puts in their mouth? As I'm checking her food out while pushing it along the doot doot dooter, I came across cheese. Let me rephrase that. Multiple cheeses. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3044/2495675999_9b9a8140bb_m.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3044/2495675999_9b9a8140bb_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Not only cheeses, but two packages of bacon. Okay, there went all the respect for that "raw" foodist out the automated sliding glass doors. If we do something, we do it right. We aren't just sometimes vegans. We don't have some fish fillets every once in a while and tell people that we are vegan. We don't forget to say hold the cheese on that salad, and if it comes to the table with the cheese on it, just say forget the hassle and eat it. If you choose to be raw, can we least forget that milk is pasteurized? Where does it say that smoked bacon is raw? If you don't know, all milk is heated to kill bacteria. Even this crazy vegan lady knows that! All cheese comes from milk, so therefore it is not raw. Well beyond the 104 degrees that labels the food as raw. I don't want to come off preachy, but for real folks. How can we not inform ourselves before being so proud to tell your grocery clerk that you are raw and then go have cheese in your cart? Bacon??? I just don't get it. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Even if you are buying for your non vegan/raw partner at home, we have had the discussion that we need <a href="http://stayvegan.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-i-stay-vegan-2.html">team effort to stay in the game and score</a>. My husband respects me and I respect him. Even if he does like everything so spicy that it makes your butt hurt on the way out, I always give it a try. Maybe her partner should be purchasing their bacon and cheese, as not to make her look like a hypocrite. She said that she didn't have a partner. Can't get yourself out of that one so quick.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Sometimes I have some really funny stories to tell my husband when I get home about all the dumb stuff I see, but the icing on the cake had way too much non vegan butter and slipped right off the sides. Glad I could vent. Please remember to do it right. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Every time.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Stay Vegan! Yippee!<br /></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-56565191833945124312009-03-24T15:51:00.000-07:002009-03-24T16:32:12.541-07:00The Object Of Education Isn't Knowledge; It's Action<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/421949167_a2b2301595_m.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 240px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/164/421949167_a2b2301595_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A quote of a quote really got me thinking. A blog post today on </span><a href="http://chrisbrogan.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">chrisbrogan.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> said, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 22px; "><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I came across a great quote by Thomas Kempis: </span><em style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The object of education isn’t knowledge; it’s action.</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> How powerful is that?</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Really though, how powerful is that? The idea of action is really what drives us here at Stay Vegan. Imagine for a second that you've been doing research on animal cruelty in factory farms and decide that you want to adopt the vegan lifestyle (or maybe you don't have to pretend because that's where you're at), what do you do next? You're in the spot between stimulus and response. I feel that spot is where this blog belongs. It's here to help you take action confidently, having the experience learned from others mistakes (ours!). So here's to keeping on with the keep on, and doing the right thing!</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Stay vegan!</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(248, 248, 248); font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans Mono'; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><pre class="sunburst" style="font-family: 'Bitstream Vera Sans Mono', Monaco, 'Courier New', monospace; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0em; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span></pre></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 22px;font-family:Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-family:arial;font-size:14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><script language="Javascript"></script></span></span></span></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-16800326612338645292009-03-22T15:12:00.000-07:002009-03-22T16:01:20.631-07:00What Does It Mean To Be Vegan?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/3214326167_2276b31fdd_m.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 240px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/3214326167_2276b31fdd_m.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Vegan was originally defined in 1944 by Donald Watson as:<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><blockquote>Veganism is a way of living which excludes all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, the animal kingdom, and includes a reverence for life. It applies to the practice of living on the products of the plant kingdom to the exclusion of flesh, fish, fowl, eggs, honey, animal milk and its derivatives, and encourages the use of alternatives for all commodities derived wholly or in part from animals.</blockquote></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Pretty cut and dry right? I thought so too.</span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The definition has been under some scrutiny in forums around the vegan community and I'm working on figuring out why.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">As more and more people become vegan for different reasons this definition seems to be bent and molded to conform to others lifestyles, rather than them working to meet the definition. We all have our personal reasons for choosing this lifestyle, but I feel that for us to most effectively convey the powerful message behind veganism we should all be speaking the same language and play by the same set of rules.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">What if you aren't an activist or a vegan preacher? What if you're vegan solely for health reasons, not for animals? Why would any of this matter in your corner of the universe? If all of us are consistently saying the same things and asking the same questions about the goods and services that we use and consume everyday, corporations will have no choice but to listen to us and make more things vegan friendly. In turn, making all of our lives easier and the planet a little bit better place to live.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">I don't intend for this to become an issue of "I'm more vegan than you," or a call to arms. It's my way of clarifying my thoughts on this issue so the readers of this blog can have a better understanding of where I come from and my thoughts on this issue.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">If you feel that I'm out of line, wrong, or have something to add please post in the comment section. I would love to hear what you have to say.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Stay Vegan!</span></div><div><br /></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-5062071920455931392009-03-20T23:27:00.000-07:002009-03-21T01:18:01.625-07:00Hilarious Vegan Cartoon<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; font-family:Arial;font-size:10px;"><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/05zhL1YUd8Q&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/05zhL1YUd8Q&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></span><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05zhL1YUd8Q<br /><br />From <a href="http://bizarro.com/">bizarro.com</a>.<br /><br />I found this vegan cartoon today and figured that I should share it with those of you who haven't seen it yet. Hilarious!! I wish it was this easy to explain to everyone! This would be great to show people who are interested in becoming vegan or vegetarian. I wouldn't use this as my only reasoning, but it makes a great point very clearly.<br /><br />Stay Vegan!<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(4, 104, 0); font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'Helvetica Neue';font-size:12px;"><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://stayvegan.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/tech-fav-1.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></span>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2955473974356652675.post-73892071677931842462009-03-20T17:07:00.000-07:002009-03-20T23:10:13.043-07:00How to Tell Your Parents That You're Vegan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDNE1D3na_SbtrQkqfjT4PivctXsWysCTljsrPyuMfWudZ9Fn5ObVysBH0M-DT2jxvzRvZBg485IUHmQNfL-907QRk3HGqezPRu-aSAGY9YXOWS3TpdN8MvObYZG1r62OOi00qM7Pw8U/s1600-h/parents+obey.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 114px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDNE1D3na_SbtrQkqfjT4PivctXsWysCTljsrPyuMfWudZ9Fn5ObVysBH0M-DT2jxvzRvZBg485IUHmQNfL-907QRk3HGqezPRu-aSAGY9YXOWS3TpdN8MvObYZG1r62OOi00qM7Pw8U/s200/parents+obey.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315492772529677282" /></a>You've decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle. That's awesome! You have your diet planned out, <a href="http://stayvegan.blogspot.com/2009/03/eating-out.html">restaurants to eat at</a>, and places to buy animal free clothes on your map. Now it's time to face the parents. This can be a daunting task. Are they going to be pissed? Will they understand? Will they be supportive? There's only one way to find out - tell them!<div><br /></div><div>There's a saying that "an idiot with a plan can beat a genius without a plan any day." If you go into this with facts and a plan, you are a lot more likely to come out unscathed. Better for you and for your family. I'll assume that you've been vegetarian for a little while, so this conversation with your parents won't be coming totally out of left field. I'll also assume that you are committed to making this work. If you weren't you probably wouldn't have read this far...</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's where the plan begins. Arm yourself with as many <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">facts </span>as possible. I mean real facts, not "I heard vegans live longer" or "milk is filled with pus." Get the facts behind these statements so you can support your "presentation". Define a clear reason why you want to change your life and become vegan. PETA is a great place to start, but don't rely on them for everything. Print things out if you need to. Make a brochure or outline for them to follow while you're talking. There are a million things you could do to beef up <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(pun intended)</span> your "presentation" to convey how serious you are about being vegan. This will have a double pronged effect; they will be impressed that you've done so much research and you'll become an aficionado on vegan lifestyle. Browse through the <a href="http://stayvegan.blogspot.com/search/label/Reasons">Reasons People Don't Stay Vegan</a> posts here at Stay Vegan for more info.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do more research on nutrition. One thing that I ran into with my parents were the usual vegan protein and <a href="http://stayvegan.blogspot.com/2009/03/vitamin-b12.html">vegan B12</a> questions. Explain to them that a balanced vegan diet covers all nutritional needs (and have the facts to back that statement up!). Also explain all of the good things that you're going to eat and cook (more on that later). Again, research is as important for them as it is for you. When I made the transition from vegetarian to vegan I spent the majority of my time reading and researching, and I feel it's had a profound effect on my life since.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's where you sell it. Explain that all of this means no extra work for them (focus on the benefits). You're going to help cook meals and make something for yourself so that you can eat dinner with the family every night. Also, you're going to cook some meals by yourself for the entire family so they can see how great you eat. I know I sound a little bossy, but this really works. If you really want to sell this to them, you have to do your part too! <a href="http://stayvegan.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-i-stay-vegan-1.html">Cooking is the key for me to stay vegan</a>. Check out some great vegan cookbooks here at <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thevegleacur-20">our bookstore</a>. Books like How It All Vegan and Veganomicon have great sections for beginner vegan cooks to help teach you how to work confidently in the kitchen.</div><div><br /></div><div>Don't you feel good now that you told them? It might have gone well, it might not have, but you did it nonetheless. Nice job! Not only are you a better vegan now, you're also smarter and better informed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay Vegan!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(4, 104, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://stayvegan.blogspot.com"><img src="http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/tech-fav-1.png" alt="Add to Technorati Favorites" /></a></span><br /></div>Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08632064258448263019noreply@blogger.com0