It is shocking to see what kind of things are being done to the environment and the people living there, just so we can get our meat a little bit cheaper.

If you want to know more about this subject, you can read the article I wrote, called Meat the Truth and the Meatrix.

Take care and be aware of what you buy,

Gerber

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Video by Pink
I just watched a video by singer Pink for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). I’m not saying all sheep around the world are treated the same way, but this gives an idea of what can happen if you like to buy your wool cheap.

Here is the video. Like Pink, I advice you to have a barf bag nearby.

Alternatives to Wool

You might wonder what the alternatives to wearing wool are. SaveTheSheep.com lists some of them: cotton, cotton flannel, and polyester fleece. You can also find some answers to this question at AnswerBag.com.

Let me know what you think about this subject by leaving a comment below.

Gerber

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The documentary also features the first episode of a cartoon called The Meatrix. Follow the adventures of Leo, Moopheus and Chickity below.

The Meatrix

The Meatrix II: Revolting

The Meatrix II 1/2

More Information
These episodes show some of the problems concerning meat and dairy production. If you would like more information on this topic, I suggest you read the book The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World by John Robbins. For me this was truly a life changing book. The book comes up with facts on meat and dairy, that I had never heard of before. I’ve been vegan ever since I read it.

Does that mean everybody should be vegan from now on? Well, that could be a big step for a lot of people. What you can do in the short term is eat less meat and dairy. For instance, make one day in the week a meat-less day. This can be as simple as replacing the meat at dinner with a tofu burger. If more people do this, this can become a great step in saving our planet. And this can also do wonders for your own health too.

Gerber

Related posts:

1. Killing Fields: The True Cost of Europe’s Cheap Meat

There are a few solutions to prevent your skin from becoming dry:

• Eat food that contains vitamin A, for example carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, green leafy vegetables and fruit.
• Take a spoon of flax seed oil every day to make sure you get enough fat. It contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. You can’t heat flax seed, so only have it with cold meals or drinks like soya milkshakes, soya yoghurt and salads.
• Moisturize your skin, especially your hands and lips. Use vegan lip balm, hand cream and body lotion.

Good luck and let’s hope the temperatures will get better soon.

Laura

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Lunch:

1. Soup. Have vegetable soup, tomato soup, chick pea soup, or another soup. Always ask the waiter if the soup is vegetarian/vegan, to be sure!
2. Salad. A healthy lunch which usually contains a lot of green leafy vegetables with calcium in them.
3. Sandwich. Have a sandwich with hummus or something else vegan. The bread is not always vegan, so ask the waiter if you want to be sure.
4. Focaccia or ciabatta. Want to have a quick lunch? A lot of bakeries sell focaccias or ciabattas, for example with tomato and olives, bell pepper, or walnuts and figs.
5. Pasta. Pasta is often served vegan and can be eaten for lunch or for dinner.
6. Sushi. Most sushi stands sell vegetarian or vegan sushi.
7. French fries, veggie burger or falafel. Don’t eat fast food every day, but it can be nice to have some variation in your lunch.

Dinner:

1. Vegan or vegetarian restaurants. At vegan restaurants there’s enough choice for vegans, so that would be the best choice. Vegetarian restaurants often serve dishes that are vegan or can be prepared vegan as well.
2. Salad or soup. Have a vegan salad or vegan soup if you’re not very hungry.
3. French fries, veggie burger or falafel. Don’t eat fast food every day, but it’s a good choice if you have little time or if there’s nothing else available.
4. Italian restaurants. Have pasta or a vegetarian pizza without cheese. Read my article about eating vegan in Italy for more ideas.
5. Indian restaurants. Think about nice vegan curries!
6. Asian restaurants. Have vegetables, tofu and rice at a Thai restaurant, Indonesian restaurant or Chinese restaurant.
7. North African restaurants. Falafel, hummus, tahin, couscous, etc.
8. Other exotic restaurants. Try something else! I have had dinner at an East African restaurant and at a restaurant where food from Trinidad and Tobago is served. Both restaurants had a choice of nice and surprising vegan dishes.

You can also use these ideas if you’re going to eat out with friends who are not veggies!

And if you have any doubt if something is vegan, just ask the waiter for information.

If you have more suggestions, please share them in the comments.

Eet smakelijk (=Dutch for “Have a nice meal”)!

Laura

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1. Supplements (Carnitine and Coenzym Q10). Most vegans know about Vitamin B12 supplements to reduce the risk of B12 deficiency. B12 is usually supplied by fortified products such as soymilk. Otherwise you can get B12 supplements just about everywhere. But there are also supplements that can boost your energy level. I found out about these supplements in the book Natural Energy: From Tired to Terrific in 10 Days by Erika Schwartz and Carol Colman. Schwartz suggests two supplements (L-carnitine and Coenzyme Q10), taken several times daily with meals, along with additional supplementation of magnesium, calcium or omega-3 fatty acids, depending on your particular symptoms. Carnitine and Coenzyme Q10 are both crucial to the production of energy in the body and when you have a lack of one of them, you won’t be able to produce enough energy to maintain optimal health. I don’t like taking pills, but I’ve definitely sensed an improvement in my energy level after about 30 days of taking the supplements twice a day. To get the recommended dose of 90 mg of Coenzyme Q10 without the use of supplements, you should eat 3 kg of meat, 7 kg of peanuts and 3 kg of sardines. That’s as good as impossible for non vegetarians, but absolute impossible for vegans. Carnitine and Coenzyme Q10 rich foods often contain a high dose of fat and usually don’t fit into a nutritious diet. Supplements seem to be the only way to make sure you get enough of them. When shopping for supplements beware of the many different supplements that contain animal products. Many pills (not the contents) are made of gelatin, which is usually made from meat and bones from animals. So look for supplements that are suitable for vegans.

2. More exercise. Maybe it doesn’t feel like you got more energy after your first workout in months (or even years), but you will notice a definite improvement in energy if you exercise on a regular basis.
About half a year ago I used to work out twice a week and play soccer once a week. Since we moved to another town, I had to find a new rhythm and although I walked more often, I hardly ever went to the gym or play soccer anymore. Now I go to the gym once a week and play soccer once a week and I sense a definite improvement in energy.

3. Eat more, not less. This might seem strange advise if you’re overweight and trying to lose some pounds, but if you’re not a big eater, like me, you could really benefit from eating more. It certainly worked for me. The book Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina gives some very practical information on adopting a healthy plant-based diet. It might feel odd at first to eat more than you’re used to, but that is because you’re stepping out of your comfort zone. The Law of Balance states that you have to overcorrect if you’re not balanced right now. In this case that means eating more than you usually do. So be prepared to have extra large meals and a stack of healthy and nutritious snacks lying around the house and the office, so you can eat whenever you feel like it. This, of course, doesn’t mean that you should eat more junk food. Combine eating more healthy food with a healthy dose of exercise to get your body in optimal shape and keep it that way.

Have fun and stay healthy!

Gerber

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Almost all restaurants in Rome are Italian (I saw only a few Japanese and one Chinese restaurant). I didn’t see vegetarian sushi on the menu, so I have just visited Italian restaurants. But they have enough choice for vegans. Of course there’s different kinds of pasta. If you’re vegan, you can choose from a few sauces: pomodori (tomato sauce), arrabiata (tomato, spanish pepper and garlic sauce) or genovese (basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil). Ask the waiter to prepare the dish senza formaggio (without cheese).

Italy is also famous for its pizzas. Look at the menu for the ingredients of the pizzas a restaurant serves. Choose the pizza vegetariana or another pizza without meat or fish, and order the pizza senza formaggio (without cheese).

Another possibility is to eat vegetables. Most restaurants serve vegetarian anti pasti or grilled vegetables. Usually you get grilled slices of egg plant, zucchini and bell peppers. Of course you can also order a big salad. Have your grilled vegetables or your salad with french fries.

There can be other vegan dishes like vegetable soup and risotto. Look at the menu of the restaurant for ingredients or ask the waiter.

For dessert, you can order a fruit salad. It’s fresh and has a lot of vitamines. Or go to a gelateria italy’s famous ice cream. Try to find one where they have home made ice cream and ask for gelato senza latte (ice cream without milk). One of the best in town is gelateria ‘Ara Coeli’ at Piazza Ara Coeli 9/10 (near Piazza Venezia) where almost all fruit flavoured ice cream is made without milk. Their website is only in Italian.

Have a nice time if you’re in Italy and enjoy the Italian cuisine!

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Try something new! I always like it to try something else. Look for recipes on the internet or in cookbooks. There are a few vegan cookbooks available, for example The New Vegan Cookbook by Lorna Sass. The stuffed eggplant is delicious! And the apple pie is not bad either. Another good cookbook, especially for beginners, is So, What Do You Eat by Liz Cook. This book also offers clear information about the nutrition vegans need.

In some countries vegetarian meals are quite common. Have dinner at an Indian, Thai or Moroccan restaurant and look what’s on the menu. This food proves that vegetarian or vegan meals don’t have to be boring and tasteless. They are actually quite the opposite!

If you are afraid to try something new, or if you’re not such a good cook, try a vegetarian version of a dish you already know. Lasagna, noodles or chili can easily be served without meat! Or replace the meat in your favorite dish by veggie burgers.

Most important: shop around to come up with ideas. Go to a large supermarket or even better… search for a biological food store where they have loads of biological and oriental food available.

Amaze yourself and others with your creative cooking skills!

Have fun,

Laura

Related posts:

1. Is It OK for a Vegan to Wear Wool?

I have always been interested in a lot of things. The problem with me is focusing on one thing at a time. By writing about my experiences I hope to be able to focus on a single subject at a time. Below is a brief description of things I’m working on right now.

Memory improvement
I’ve always had a fascination for the seemingly unlimited powers of the mind. After seeing some of the stuff Derren Brown comes up with in his programs, I decided to explore the subject of memory improvement a little further. I am (re)reading some of the books on this subject I already have at home (by Dominic O’Brien and Tony Buzan) and I have ordered Kevin Trudeau’s Mega Memory and Harry Lorayne’s Secrets Of Mind Power. I already know some of the techniques involved in memory improvement. Now I will sit down and actually do some of the exercises. Furthermore, I’m reading up on the subject of eidetic memory (also known as photographic memory). Expect a post from me about this subject in a week or so.

Becoming vegan
I have always been a meat eater. It was my favorite part of the meal. I would rather eat two pieces of meat and limit the number of potatoes and vegetables on my plate. But after hearing so many great experiences from people in the personal development ‘scene’, I decided to go without meat for 30 days. The main reason was to get more energy. Laura (my girlfriend) joined in, so that made it easier to cook meals at home.

A few months ago I read The Food Revolution by John Robbins and it has made a big impact on me. It’s not just a book about food and health. It’s about health in general: yourself, animals and the health of our planet. That became the next step to becoming vegan. No more animal products for me.

Now after a few months we don’t get the energy level we hoped for. In fact, it could be less than before. That’s the reason why we’re looking for ways to improve our energy level. We both don’t wanna go back to eating meat or other animal products for ethical reasons. We already found a few ways to increase our energy and will keep you up to date with our progress on this subject. (Update: here’s the post on how to increase your energy level as a vegan).

That’s it for now. Take care and until next time.

Gerber

Related posts:

1. Is It OK for a Vegan to Wear Wool?