1. When did you go vegan and why did you make the switch?

I began my vegan journey when I was 12. When I learned where hamburgers came from, I stopped eating red meat.

One day my mom made my favorite chicken dinner. I looked down at my plate, and said “I can’t eat this. I can’t eat chickens. Animals are my friends. I don’t want to eat my friends.”

That day I stopped eating all meat and eggs. A year later I stopped eating dairy. I was vegan for about 15 years. In my thirties, I went through a very emotionally traumatic period. I was in and out of severe depression. I started having cravings for animal foods and began adding them back into my diet with a heavy heart. My body, mind, and spirit were at odds with each other.

I finally had enough in the fall of 2010. I had to get back to my veganism. My perspective had changed. I’m older, wiser, and stronger. I’ve been 100% vegan since.

2. You are super fit! Please tell us your secrets!! What do you eat and what is your exercise regime?

Thank you! It’s a balance of my fitness routine, nutrition, and recovery time. My training programs are designed by Joe Klemczweski and Kori Propst. I lift weights 3 – 4 times a week. I vary my routine between heavy weights and high intensity exercises.

I also incorporate yoga every day. I’ve been practicing yoga for over 13 years. Being active outside the gym is also important. I like to get out and walk, hike, and play sports.

Nutrition! My favorite topic:) My diet is based on a foundation of leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, chard, and collard greens. I also get in my rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetables every day. From there I add in my whole grains like brown rice, oats, buckwheat, wheatberries, quinoa, and millet. I love my root veggie such as sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, rutabaga, and sun chokes. Protein comes from tempeh, seitan, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Fats come from coconut oil, avocado, nuts and nut butters. I use Sun Warrior rice protein to supplement daily. I always include chia seeds, nutritional yeast, miso, goji berries, and hemp seeds to my diet every day. And I can’t forget the most important part: chocolate! I make sure I get my daily dose of raw cacao and dark chocolate.

3. How important do you consider the vegan diet is for good health?

My vegan diet has been a major part of my good health. I believe everyone can benefit from a plant-strong diet. I have experienced increased energy, strength, muscle growth, clearer skin, fewer injuries, less gastrointestinal problems, and overall well-being.

Click to view slideshow.

      4. Do you see a trend towards more people going vegan in your area?

Yes I do. Bookstores are featuring more vegan cookbooks. Vegan and plant-strong health documentaries are becoming accessible to the general population. Restaurants are routinely providing vegan options on their menus. The media is reporting more positive articles and news briefs on the benefits of veganism. Celebrity vegans are becoming more visible. People are recognizing veganism as a way to better health, sustainability, and compassion for all living beings.

 5. Do you have a favourite vegan recipe you would like to share?

Oh I have to pick one! There are so many to choose from! Here is my favorite homemade granola recipe:

Almond Granola

• 1/3 cup raw agave syrup

• 1 TBSP coconut oil

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp maple extract

• 1/2 tsp molasses

• sprinkle sea salt

• 2 cup rolled oats

• small handful sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds (or whatever seeds you like)

• 1/3 cup almond pulp

• 1/3 cup ground hazelnuts (or other nuts)

1. Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.

2. Mix agave, coconut oil, molasses, and extracts in a small sauce pan and place on low heat until coconut oil is liquified. Add to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

3. Spread over greased cookie sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 16–18 minutes. Stir a few times while baking to prevent burning.

4. Let cool until dry and crunchy and store in an air­tight container. 

   
   

 6. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Veganism means compassion. I try to live a compassionate life every day. If people have questions or negative comments, I respond with positive and encouraging answers. I speak my truth, but I’m conscious not to preach or appear self-righteous. Be compassionate. That’s my goal every day.

www.navalightnow.com

Twitter: @NavaLightJess

FB: Nava Light Health and Wellness

Vegans Are Cool HQ is buzzing – and it’s all about the Vegan of the Year awards!

So what is it all about?

The Vegan of the Year awards strive to recognise the achievements of talented and dedicated vegans worldwide. A quick online search reveals countless vegans worldwide doing amazing things to help save the lives of innocent animals. We want to recognise these great people for the work they are doing in their area to promote the vegan lifestyle. Vegans deserve worldwide applause, so these awards are our way of saying ‘you are so vegan awesome’!

Who can enter?

Entry is open to all vegans worldwide and is free. You must have strictly followed the vegan lifestyle for at least 1 year with the intention of being vegan for life. For a definition of veganism, please see chapter one of Vegans Are Cool. The book can be downloaded for free.

What are the categories?

1. Vegan of the Year – male and female

2. Young Vegan of the Year  (under 18 years old) – male and female

3. Outstanding Vegan Website

4. Outstanding Animal Activist (must be vegan)

5. Outstanding Animal Rescue/Animal Rights Organisation (must have vegan and no-kill philosophy)

6. Outstanding Vegan Business

7. Outstanding Vegan Restaurant

8. Outstanding Vegan Chef

9. Outstanding Vegan Athlete – male and female

10. Outstanding Vegan Journalist/Academic/Author

11. Outstanding Vegan Media Outlet – ie. vegan magazine, vegan TV, vegan radio etc..

12. Outstanding Vegan Non-Profit Organisation. ie. Vegan societies, Vegan advocate organisations etc..

How do I enter?

All entries must be sent to vegansarecool@gmail.com with the subject header: Vegan of the Year awards. Please include the following in your entry:

1. In body of email – name, postal address and email address of the nominee (ie. the person who you think should win the award). Please include here the categories you want to be considered for. You can nominate for more than one category. All entrants are automatically considered for category 1. Vegan of the Year.

2. In a word document, please explain why your nominee should win. Entries should be between 100 – 2000 words max.

3. Please include 1 – 3 photos of the nominee.

What do the winners receive?

Vegan of the Year winners receive a certificate, a Vegans Are Cool bag and the worldwide admiration of the vegan community (arguably the best prize ever!) Outstanding Vegan Animal Rescue/Animal Rights Organisation receive the above prize plus a cash prize (the amount will be announced soon). In addition, all winners will be interviewed in a blog post on www.vegansarecool.com.

Who decides the winners?

Judging will be done by a panel of prominent vegans from around the world. The judges decisions are final.

What is the deadline for entry and when will the winners by announced?

All entries should be emailed to us by July 15th 2012 (GMT time). Winners will be announced on vegansarecool.com on August 31st 2012.

Please share this post with the worldwide vegan community on your blogs, podcasts, Facebook pages, Twitter and any other way you can think of! Cheers!

Any questions? Email vegansarecool@gmail.com.

Good luck! 

I will be interviewed by Saoirse Martinez on Vegan World Radio on Wednesday 7th March 10pm (central time, USA). They are doing a Vegan 101 show and want to talk about my second book Vegans Are Cool with me. If you can’t catch it live, there are other options for listening. Check here for the details.

I am getting lots of positive feedback from people who are making the switch to the vegan lifestyle after reading the book. My goal is to spread the vegan message via Vegans Are Cool to every corner of the world.

Tell your friends! Please share on FB, Twitter, blogs etc. Thanks so much!

In other news, I have come across a vegan athletes website which I wanted to share. Check these guys (and gals) out!

http://www.greatveganathletes.com/

In other vegan athlete news, there are some great interviews on Viva La Vegan! 

Check this one out with Michael Griesmeier, an extreme vegan sportsman from Germany.

Lastly, a big hearty thanks to vegan model Amanda Rootsey for mentioning Forever 21 as her favourite book in this month’s issue of Nature and Health magazine.

Have a vegantastic week!

All the best,

Kathy

The launch of my latest book Vegans Are Cool was a vegantastic experience. It was so great to see so many people attend the launch parties in Sydney and Melbourne. This post is dedicated to all of the individuals and businesses that made the parties a great success!

A huge thank you and much appreciation goes to:

Aaron Scheibner, producer and director of A Delicate Balance – The Truth for generously giving DVDs to some lucky attendees.

Addiction Food – for those with a vegan sweet tooth or five, Addiction Food is a must sample! Thanks to Addiction Food for bringing their yummy samples to the Sydney party.

Amina Cosmetics - for vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics, check out the Amina range. We really appreciate the prize pack Amina generously provided for one lucky Sydney launch attendee.

Bounty Burgers – these delicious vegan burgers were graciously provided by Loren from Bounty Burgers. You have to try a bounty – they will please even the most defiant of meat eaters! Thanks Loren!

Jeevi – The Laughing Chef – this award-winning chef brought one of his famous vegan dishes to share with guests. Thanks Jeevi!

Just Green Food – this vegan grocery store has its very own vegan mock meat brand. The samples they provided at the Sydney party were super!

Miss Organic generously gave gift vouchers to lucky attendees at the Melbourne launch. Miss Organic is a fresh, organic food delivery service in Melbourne, Australia.

Loving Hut Canley Heights and Loving Hut Melbourne are vegan restaurants and part of the worldwide chain of Loving Hut restaurants. Thank you so much for the yummy food you provided for guests at the Sydney and Melbourne launches.

Rachael Brady is an indie singer who generously supplied CDs for our Sydney launch for some lucky attendees. Check out her sweet tunes on Myspace.

Rachel Riley is a vegan personal trainer from Melbourne who generously gave vouchers to some lucky attendees of the Melbourne launch. Thanks Rachel!

Ruby Fruit make vegan cheesecake to-die-for! They also make lots of other yummy vegan baked goods. They generously provided some lucky attendees at the Sydney launch some of their delicious cupcakes.

Socially Vegan Cakes is an awesome vegan cake business in Sydney. They made amazing cakes for the Sydney launch and can create a cake to suit every occasion. Love you guys!

Sweet William are the makers of yummy vegan friendly chocolates. Sweet William generously sent chocolate Santas for the guests of the Sydney launch. They were delicious!

The Personal Vegan is an online store that sells cruelty-free, eco and healthy bathroom and bedroom products. Thanks for the goodies you gave to some lucky attendees.

Vegepooch is a vegan pet food company. They sell a large range of products that are suitable for pets from infancy to adulthood. A huge thanks for the samples you provided to our guests.

Vegan Perfection is a leading importer/exporter of vegan brands. They very generously provided 100 bags of Bonvita chocolates to our guests. Our sincere appreciation for all you do to distribute and promote vegan food. You guys rock!

Veganpet is a complete and balanced dry pet food that contains no animal product or bi-products. A huge thanks to Veganpet for the samples they provided to our guests.

Vegan Style are a young Australian company that sell cruelty-free shoes. They sell shoes for both women and men. They hold shoe parties…lots of fun! Thanks for the vouchers our lucky Melbourne attendees received.

Yuva is a skin care range derived from natural ingredients. No animal testing or ingredients. A big big thanks to Yuva for the hundreds of products you gave us. You made a lot of people very happy!

This is a small sample of the vegan businesses that exist in Australia. Worldwide vegan businesses are popping up everywhere and as the movement gets stronger, no doubt even more will launch. One of the aims of Vegans Are Cool is to showcase vegan businesses so that more people are aware of how easy it is to go vegan and to support vegan businesses so that they grow and flourish.

There were also many awesome individuals who generously assisted in the launch. To name but a few (and my most sincere apologies to anyone I have forgotten – please let me know and I will add you in!): Mark Berriman, Jenny McCracken, Lefki Pavlidis, Anne-Marie Carmichael, Eve Nguyen, Heidi Merika, Helen Lu, Sona, Arthur, Emilia and Zara Pamboukhtchian, Ann Berriman, Penelope Bassett-Scarfe, Jane Daly, Tara Lomax, Tim Moore, Wei Feng and Liz Dealey.

A very special thanks to the models in the promotional photography: Team Vegan from the UK, Mitch and Imogen Dawes and the vegan beauties – Nami Gohil, Julia Harger, Vivien Lexington and Amy Johnson, not forgetting male model Henrique Thadeu. Photography by the very talented Anna Beatriz Freccia Rosa.

I would also like to thank the beautiful and talented Layla Bittar who was MC for the Sydney launch and fellow vegan author Ronny K Prasad for his great job as MC for Melbourne.

A huge thanks also to Living Vegan magazine and the South Sydney Herald for their articles about Vegans Are Cool.

Thank you to the Australian Vegetarian Society and the Vegan Society NSW for promoting Vegans Are Cool. It is much appreciated.

Many thanks to the very generous Philip and Trix Wollen from Kindness Trust for the use of Kindness House for the Melbourne launch.

Although he couldn’t attend the parties, I would like to thank our cover model Noel Polanco for his ongoing support and being such a great ambassador for the vegan lifestyle.

Also, a big thanks to my vegan muse Shuang Wu for her all round vegan awesomeness and banner design work. And last but certainly not least, Julia Harger for her book cover design and photo shoot co-ordination and promotional design work.

If you have read Vegans Are Cool and want to share your review with others, please consider writing a review on Amazon.com. It would be great to read your feedback.

A huge thanks to Gretchen Tseng from Chic Vegan for her post about the Vegans Are Cool free e-book offer. Chic Vegan is an awesome website. Highly recommend! The e-book is now available to download from www.vegansarecool.com/the-book.

Beautiful vegan actor and social activist Mariana Tosca was a panelist on “The Point” program recently. Be sure to check out this program which discusses animals used for food and other related issues.

Until next time,

Have a vegantastic day!

Kathy

Here is an interview I did recently with Helen Fines  – a vegan athlete from the UK.

1. How long have you been vegan for?
3-4 years

2. What inspired you to go vegan?
Mainly through experiences working as a vet and once being part of a farming/horse racing community, and the things I have seen.

3. Please share with us some of your sporting achievements.
I have been runner up in the English Fell running Championships twice, and runner up in the British Fell Running Championships twice. In the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships I got team gold for England and individual bronze. Have represented Great Britain 3 times in mountain relay races. Also won UK trail running championships in 2004 (I think!) and the vet35 National Cross Country Championships in 2010.

4. What is your daily food intake. Do you take any special supplements?
Between 2000-3000 kcals depending on workload, just healthy balanced stuff, no supplements.

5. Do you have a favourite recipe you would like to share?
Ha ha, am hopeless at cooking. Probably chocolate fudge cake recipe from Vegan Village website.

6. Do you have any words of inspiration or advice for people that have not yet transitioned to the vegan diet but are curious about it?
Yes, do it now!! It’s brilliant, it’s much easier than you think, it’s not deprivational, it’s positive, it’s healthy, it can fit in with any lifestyle and you can be compassionate to animals without any cost to yourself.

7. Anything else you would like to add?

Wish I’d done it years before I did, but I was stupid enough to think it would be detrimental to my running … I was totally, utterly wrong and uneducated to think so!

Interview with Andrew Knight BSc., BVMS, PhD, CertAW, MRCVS, DipECAWBM-AWSEL, FOCAE

Australian bioethicist Andrew Knight is a ridiculously busy bloke. He is a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, which is dedicated to advancing the ethical status of animals through academic research, teaching and publication; the Director of Animal Consultants International, which provides multidisciplinary expertise for animal issues; and a Spokesperson for Animals Count, a British political party for people and animals. Andrew also practises veterinary medicine in London.

Not all Andrew’s ventures have been successful, however. Whilst attempting to relax he founded the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association to showcase vegan fitness. Unfortunately, this resulted in risks to life and limb from which he has yet to fully recover.

Andrew has produced over 50 scientific publications on animal issues. His key publications can be found at www.AndrewKnight.info and include a major series examining the contributions to human health-care of animal experiments. These have attracted several awards at international scientific conferences, and formed the basis for his 2010 PhD. They also provided the foundations for his 2011 book The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments.

Andrew’s other publications have examined the contributions of the livestock sector to climate change, vegan companion animal diets, the animal welfare standards of veterinarians, and the latest evidence about animal cognitive and related abilities and the resultant moral implications. His informational websites include www.AnimalExperiments.info, www.HumaneLearning.info and www.VegePets.info.

Andrew has also authored more than 30 popular publications. The most interesting concern the medicine and husbandry of supposedly mythical animals. As the world’s most published veterinarian in this esoteric field, he is well on the way to becoming the first registered specialist in Veterinary Cryptozoology (Dip. Crypt.), specialising in the medicine and surgery of animals considered extinct or otherwise non-existent by (regrettably closed-minded) mainstream biologists.

To date, Andrew’s studies have taken him to Loch Ness, remote alpine summits, Ireland and even London’s eminent College of Psychic Studies. The outstanding success of most of these trips has been only marginally diminished by the unfortunate absence to date of any of the creatures he has actually sought. Nevertheless, he remains determined to bring the benefits of modern medicine to the rarest and most wonderful of the world’s creatures, no matter how many mountains he must climb, snowfields he must ski or tropical islands he must search, and no matter how much time he must – with the deepest of regrets – take off work. Andrew’s travel adventures have been extensively chronicled in British veterinary journals, and his photos and stories are available via www.AndrewsAdventures.info.

Andrew why did you first become an animal advocate?

When I was eight, my parents gave me a book about baby animals. I looked at the pictures of baby deer and other animals, and announced I was going vegetarian. My parents smiled. It would only last a week, they thought.

A decade later, I was still vegetarian – but I didn’t trouble myself to learn or think too deeply about the issues until my early twenties. I was appalled at what was being done to people and animals around the world and rapidly became first a human-rights and then an animal-rights activist.

When I was 23, I started dating a veterinary nurse. We both went vegan in an attempt to impress each other with our ethics. Unfortunately, I also had to ditch the non-vegan sweet collection I’d been building up for years, which by then occupied a substantial portion of my kitchen. The demands of romance can be merciless.

Tell us about your pathway since.

For the next several years, I alternated between studying, working, travelling and campaigning about animal rights and other issues. I’d always thought it was who you were and what you did that were important, not what job you held. Nevertheless, it began to frustrate me when I was repeatedly asked in radio interviews what I did for a living. Once I realised that people judge the merits of your arguments by things such as your appearance and qualifications, I began to seriously wonder if I should try to get into a profession.

I considered a number of professions, but becoming a veterinarian seemed likely to enable me to advocate most effectively for animals. I was also attracted to a job that would enable me to do a great deal of good in my day to day work, and that would enable me to travel and to financially support myself and my campaigns.

And so I returned to school, studied hard and made it into Western Australia’s Murdoch University veterinary course. I had the vague idea that parts of my training might involve doing nasty things to animals, as well as a vague idea that humane alternatives probably existed elsewhere, but I was ignorant of the details of either.

Soon enough, I found myself drawn into a titanic struggle to win the right for students to ‘conscientiously object’ to harmful animal use and for implementation of humane teaching methods. By the end of my course, in 2001, Murdoch had become the first Australian university to formally allow student conscientious objection. Almost all of our invasive animal-physiology laboratories had been terminated and we’d established our first humane veterinary surgical training program.

I continued to support students across Australasia and abroad, and by 2005, several other universities had implemented humane teaching methods and conscientious-objection policies, and the first students had graduated from every Australian veterinary school without killing animals during their surgical training.

After graduation, I worked briefly for several US animal-protection organisations. Some commissioned me to conduct studies to examine the human clinical or toxicological efficacy of invasive animal research. I continued that research for about a decade, until the present time. It has resulted in a large number of published scientific studies and conference presentations, my 2010 PhD, and my book on animal experiments.

Tell us more about your book on animal experiments.

The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments was published in 2011 by Palgrave Macmillan as part of an advanced series of at least 15 texts on animal ethics being produced by the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. It combines more than a decade of research, analysis and experience in order to provide evidence-based answers to the key question: is animal experimentation ethically justifiable?

The book expands on my PhD, which critically assessed the human clinical and toxicological utility of animal experimentation. It includes over 500 scientific references, and relies on large-scale systematic reviews as its primary form of evidence. Within the medical and scientific worlds these are considered to provide ‘gold-standard’ evidence about clinical or research questions, because they pool a large amount of data and aim to minimise sources of bias. The book also comprehensively reviews alternative research, testing and educational strategies.

When considering costs and benefits overall, and particularly, the published studies examining the human clinical or toxicological utility of animal research, one cannot reasonably conclude that the benefits accruing to human patients or consumers, or to those motivated by scientific curiosity or profit, exceed the costs incurred by animals subjected to scientific procedures. On the contrary, the evidence indicates that actual human benefit is rarely — if ever — sufficient to justify such costs.

I very much hope my book will be widely consulted by students, scientists and policy-makers concerned with animal research and alternatives. One of my deepest hopes is it will be included in university libraries wherever life and health sciences or philosophy courses are offered. The book can be ordered via www.Palgrave.com.

You’re a Spokesperson for Animals Count, a UK political party for animals. What are the party’s aims?

Whilst broad concern for animals is certainly a mainstream priority, unfortunately this is poorly reflected in the policies of most political parties in the UK and elsewhere. Animal protection often ends up near the bottom of the political agenda. Meanwhile, millions of animals continue to suffer in unacceptable conditions.

Animals Count is a UK political party for people and animals, established in 2006. We branched off from the Dutch Party for the Animals, which was the world’s first party to achieve electoral success. As of 2011, they had 23 politicians elected at national, provincial and local levels. Animals Count has received thousands of votes in British elections but has not had any candidates elected yet, a fact that’s partly attributable to the UK political system, which discriminates against minor parties.

However, we aim to encourage or pressure other political parties – some of whom do have real power – to incorporate more animal-friendly policies within their own manifestos. We seek to engage them in dialogue, and we also contest seats, particularly in constituencies in which a small number of votes can determine the outcome. Losing votes to Animals Count helps other parties understand the need to better represent animal interests.

Similar parties for the animals exist in Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Canada, and Australia (the Animal Justice Party). Some other parties and leaders — particularly the Greens – also have good policies for animals. Unfortunately however, this is far from uniform. While inconsistencies remain, dedicated political parties such as Animals Count will continue to represent the interests of animals within the political realm.

Why do you advocate vegan diets for companion animals?

Many people have become vegan for the sake of the animals, the environment, or their health. This has done an enormous amount of good. However, most of these caring people still continue to feed their companion animals meat-based diets, which achieves opposite effects. They do this out of fear of adverse health consequences of vegan diets, and ignorance of how these might be avoided. Accordingly, I created www.VegePets.info, which reviews in detail the health and nutritional aspects of vegan and commercial meat-based diets for companion animals.

The health hazards for dogs and cats (and, of course, for ‘food’ animals) inherent within commercial meat-based companion animal diets are numerous and difficult to avoid. Such diets provide an industrial dumping ground for abattoir waste products, meat considered unfit for human consumption, such as that obtained from animals who arrive dead, dying, diseased or disabled (4-D animals) at the abattoir; old or spoiled supermarket meat; large numbers of rendered dogs and cats euthanized in animal shelters in countries such as the US; old restaurant grease, complete with high concentrations of dangerous free radicals and trans fatty acids; and damaged or spoiled fish, complete with dangerous levels of mercury, PCBs and other toxins.

These diets may contain pathogenic bacteria, protozoa, fungi, viruses and even prions, and their associated endotoxins and mycotoxins – and particularly when manufactured in countries like the US, they may contain hormone and antibiotic residues and hazardous preservatives.

Diseases described in the scientific literature as more common following long-term maintenance of cats and dogs on meat-based diets include kidney, liver, heart, neurologic, visual, neuromuscular and skin diseases; bleeding disorders; birth defects; immuno-compromisation; and infectious diseases (e.g., DiBartola et al. 1993, Dow et al. 1989, Freytag et al. 2003 and Strieker et al. 1996 — see www.VegePets.info).

My veterinary experience over many years leads me to believe that so-called degenerative diseases such as cancer, kidney, liver and heart disease are probably much more common than would occur naturally – and I think some cases are probably exacerbated, if not directly caused by, the hazardous ingredients in many meat-based diets.

Vegan diets aim to meet all the nutritional needs of cats or dogs using only plant, mineral and synthetically-based ingredients. There is absolutely no scientific reason why such diets cannot be formulated to meet all of the palatability, nutritional and bioavailability (which primarily refers to digestibility) needs of cats, dogs, humans, or virtually any species. Crucially, vegan diets also avoid most of the hazards found in meat-based diets.

However, use of a complete and balanced nutritional supplement with a home-made diet, or a nutritionally complete commercial vegan diet, is essential to safeguard health. Supplements and diets may be obtained from the suppliers listed at www.VegePets.info.

Regular urine pH monitoring is also important in order to detect the urinary alkalinisation, with its consequent potential for urinary stones and life-threatening blockages, that may result from a vegan diet in a small minority of cases (most commonly among male cats). Advice on monitoring and correcting alkalinisation using dietary additives is available at www.VegePets.info.

Finally, some animals maintained on certain meat-based diets long-term may be very resistant to change. The most important factors for transitioning difficult pets are very gradual change and persistence. Additional guidance is available at www.vegepets.info.

What’s the purpose of the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association?

Veganism helps animals and the environment, and enables more efficient use of global food and water resources, thereby saving human lives too. However, many people resist these logical arguments for cultural reasons. Veganism is culturally alien to them. Some seem to imagine that vegans must endure grim and joyless lives of self-denial: no meat pies, leather jackets or animal-tested lipstick? Surely, we must dream of little more than our own untimely deaths, as we feebly stagger through our days, made pale and weak by lack of essential animal proteins? What kind of folk would subject themselves to such extremes?

I created the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association to demonstrate just how fun and fit vegans can really be. Growing numbers of athletes, as well as otherwise normal folk, have discovered some very important truths: by exercising basic consideration for the lives of those they would otherwise eat, and the people and animals who share our environment, vegans almost always become healthier and fitter! Karma, perhaps? Whatever the reason, being vegan can be seriously fun!

All who subscribe to our fun and life-affirming sporting ideals may consider themselves members of the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association. They can showcase their exploits on www.ExtremeVeganSports.org. We currently include pictures or videos of vegan body builders, bungy jumpers, cyclists, dune tumblers, hikers, mountaineers, martial artists, runners, sky divers and yodellers. I encourage your readers to send in pictures of their own exploits via the website. All sports will be considered, but participants must be vegan!

Click to view slideshow.

What advice would you give to others interested in an animal advocacy career?

Large-scale advocacy – as distinct from hands-on animal welfare work – is aimed at achieving social change. To have any chance of success, it is essential that advocates present cases that will be seen by their target audiences as reasonable and rational. They should also present messages that are as close as possible to mainstream culture, rather than alienated from it, as sometimes occurs with more militant activism. If direct action tactics are used, then they should be ones that generate mainstream support for a campaign, rather than opposition. There are some outstanding examples from Australia and elsewhere that have very effectively used humour, for example.

It’s also fundamentally important that advocates are realistic. We need to be realistic about human psychology – particularly, the psychology of behavioural and social change, in order to determine the most effective strategy and tactics. We must also recognise that in many cases, relatively small, incremental changes are the best that may be achieved, and that inappropriate tactics can jeopardise even these. Advocates should focus on perhaps one or two issues likely to result in the greatest positive change, rather than picking too many issues, or those less winnable. Our time and resources are very limited. We must combine reason with a realistic world view to ensure we achieve the maximum impact possible, both for the sake of the animals, and perhaps, ourselves.

If the possibility exists, then it may also be worth pursing a career that will maximise one’s ability to advocate for animals. Excellent choices include medicine, veterinary medicine, law, dietetics and environmental science. The movement also needs support skills such as IT, graphic design, photography and videography, management, marketing and fundraising.

Andrew Knight – what an inspiration! More interviews with amazing vegan athletes to come soon!

Until next time, have a vegantastic day!

Kathy x

Hope you had a vegantastic New Year and are ready to embark on an awesome 2012!

I have done a bit of reflecting lately and have decided to offer the e-book (PDF) version of Vegans Are Cool free of charge. Quite an unorthodox thing to do for a book that has just launched a month ago. Yes, true. But, after thinking about the countless numbers of animals slaughtered for food and the precarious state of the planet, I have decided this is the right thing to do. I am sure this is what the animals would want. We need to get the message out as quickly as possible for them and the planet.

Vegan businesses worldwide are giving the book to their customers. I have also offered the book to animals rights organisations, to give to their members.

If you would like to get your hands on the e-book version of Vegans Are Cool, send an email to: vegansarecool@gmail.com with the subject header: I want the Vegans Are Cool e-book!

If you feel inclined, you can  “Pay what you wish” via Paypal (vegansarecool@gmail.com). The money will be used for vegan promotional activities such as vegan billboards and also to support animal rescue organisations. This is totally optional as the book is available for free to everyone that requests it.

Now I would like to share an inspiring excerpt from Vegans Are Cool from the youngest contributors. Mitch and Imogen Dawes are young vegans from Australia who are passionate about the vegan lifestyle and keen to inspire people to follow their lead.

Meet Mitch and Imogen Dawes

 How old are you?

Imogen: 6      Mitchell: 10

How long have you been vegan? Were you vegetarian before that and if so, how long?

Imogen: since I was less than one.

Mitch: since I was 4½. Our family had been vegetarian before that. My mum went vegetarian when she was a teenager, and Dad became a vegetarian after he met Mum.

What are the benefits of being vegan for you?

Mitch and Imogen: We’re healthier than other kids we know, and we have lots more energy. We hardly ever get sick, and when we do, we get better much faster than the other kids in our classes. Neither of us have had to have a day off school because of sickness for a couple of years. We like it that because of the way we eat, we don’t harm animals and we’re not supporting factory farms that treat animals cruelly.

What do other kids at school think about your choice to be vegan?

Imogen: Some of my friends tell me they would like to be vegan but their parents make them eat meat because they think they need it to be healthy. One of my friends said if you don’t eat meat you can’t be strong and healthy, but I’m stronger and healthier than her!

Mitch: Some of my friends think what I bring to school for lunch is pretty weird, but they don’t give me a hard time about it. Sometimes kids ask why I don’t eat meat, and they try to tell me it tastes really nice – but I don’t think death could ever taste nice.

Why do you think it is important to be vegan?

Imogen: Because being vegan means you don’t think you’re better than animals and that you’re allowed to hurt them and kill them and eat them. We’re animals too!

Mitch: Because we’re saving animals’ lives and it’s better for our health and for the environment. If you eat plants rather than feed plants to animals and eat the animals, you don’t need as much land to grow food. Then trees don’t have to be cut down and endangered animals’ habitats can be saved so they won’t go extinct.

What are your favourite vegan foods?

Imogen: My mum makes yummy, healthy vegan cakes that have fruits and vegetables in them. I love strawberries, mango and broccoli.

Mitch: I love Lebanese and Thai food – anything spicy! I also like goji berries, Pink Lady apples, raspberries, mangoes, kale in cashew sauce, broccoli and Brussels sprouts – really! My mum makes chocolate pudding that has beetroot, spinach and blueberries in it. It’s really yummy!

Do you have a message for other kids your age about being vegan?

Mitch & Imogen: Being vegan is good for you because you live longer, you’re healthier and you don’t get sick very often. It’s good for the animals because you save farmed animals from being killed and eaten and you protect endangered animals from going extinct. And it’s good for the environment because it reduces forest clearing, toxic runoff from factory farms and greenhouse gases like methane and nitrous oxide.

Last but certainly not least, my friends Dave and Mandy from Vegan Era have put together a great 21 Day Program to revitalize your life in 2012! It starts on the 15th January. Embark on this beautiful compassionate journey to a healthier, happier you. Click here to view more details

May this be the year that veganism takes hold worldwide!

Until next time,

Kathy

Great news just in – Vegans Are Cool is now available to buy on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Last Friday, over 130 attended the launch party in Sydney, Australia. It was vegantastic! Lots of pics to come!

Here is a video by our cover model, the gorgeous Noel Polanco from New York, talking about Vegans Are Cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiKJmxMsxlw

The book has become available just in time for Christmas and is making a really lovely Christmas gift for those curious about the vegan lifestyle and not sure where to start, and for vegans who are keen to ‘fill in their knowledge gaps’.

Here is another sneak peak from the book:

“Climate scientists are very concerned about carbon dioxide emissions because this gas lasts for hundreds and thousands of years in the atmosphere – in fact some of the carbon dioxide released at the start of the industrial revolution is still up there, warming the world. There is a seldom-told but remarkable story of how we can draw down a large amount of this legacy gas by implementing steep cuts in animal agriculture.

 If all animal agriculture ceased:

• 60 – 80 percent of global deforestation (responsible for over a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions) would cease;
• Fire for deforestation and pasture maintenance would cease (80 – 90 cent of open fires are deliberately lit);
• 70 percent of all agricultural land could be returned to forest or natural grassland, drawing down at least 20 years of carbon dioxide emissions in above and below-ground carbon.²¹

This natural, low cost and large scale draw-down of carbon dioxide is the basis for a study by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, which reported that a global transition to a low-meat diet would reduce climate change mitigation costs by about 50 percent, a no-meat diet would reduce mitigation costs by 70 percent, while an animal free diet would reduce costs by 80 percent. This study found that up to 2700 million hectares of pasture and 100 million hectares of cropland could be abandoned, resulting in a large carbon uptake from regrowing vegetation, in addition to the substantial methane and nitrous oxide emission reductions.

Governments are increasingly faced with the stark reality of meeting these costs, more commonly in the form of extreme weather events such as the 2011 floods in Australia and the drought in China and the USA. Considering the cost of climate change mitigation alone, the diet change option offers a growing appeal when compared to high cost technological solutions such as carbon capture and storage from coal fired power stations. This argument alone is a compelling reason for diet change.”

Taken from Vegans Are Cool, Chapter 7, Livestock’s Environmental Impact by Gerard Wedderburn-Bisshop and Lefkothea Pavlidis from World Preservation Foundation, pp 188-89.

 ”I grew up with a genuine love and affinity for animals, so it made perfect sense to my small-child logic that my family didn’t eat them, or products that were taken from them. I had more difficulty understanding why the rest of the world did.”

Taken from Vegans Are Cool, Chapter 4, Growing Up Vegan by Kamina Wüst, pg 128

I am heading to Melbourne this week for a launch party on Friday 16th December at 7pm at Kindness House – 288 Brunswick St Fitzroy. You are welcome to join us to celebrate!

Until next time!

Kathy Divine xx

I am thrilled to announce that the details of the Vegans Are Cool book launch have been finalised!

Join us to celebrate the launch of Vegans Are Cool - a collaborative book written by members of the global vegan community.

There will be a delicious collection of vegan yummies to sample – from cupcakes to savoury delights – you will be in vegan foodie heaven!

This is a no-alcohol, family friendly event. All ages are welcome to attend!

One of the aims of the event is to introduce non-vegans to the variety and tastiness of vegan cuisine. Please, please, please bring your non-vegan friends, family, colleagues, neighbours and significant others to enjoy the night with you and discover how cool the vegan lifestyle truly is.

The first 100 people to arrive receive a gift bag full of goodies that have been graciously provided by numerous vegan businesses.

There will also be lucky door prizes such as $100 worth of vegan cosmetics by Amina (amina.com.au). Little gifts will be on offer to take home to your canine friend courtesy of Vegepooch (www.vegepooch.com.au)and Vegan Pet (www.veganpet.com.au).

Vegans Are Cool was written by 63 vegans from around the world. Several of these beautiful people will be present at the party and available to sign copies of the book. Vegans Are Cool will be available to purchase on the night for $19.95.

To find out more about the book, please visit www.vegansarecool.com.

Please feel free to forward this invitation to your friends.

Where: Redfern Community Centre – 29 Hugo St Redfern NSW 2016 (Sydney, Australia). Redfern Community Centre is a 2 minute walk from Redfern train station. Free on-street parking is available near the venue.

When: Friday 9th December 2011, 6pm – 9pm

Please RSVP by emailing vegansarecool@gmail.com so we can ensure there is plenty of food for everyone.

The event is also on Facebook – you can RSVP there and check out who else is attending.

You don’t need to get there exactly at 6pm, it is a casual party, so please feel free to drop by at any time between 6pm and 9pm.

If you are a vegan business and would like to have a presence at the party (by contributing to the gift bags, contributing food samples or a lucky door prize) please contact me via vegansarecool@gmail.com.

Look forward to seeing you there!

All the very best,

Kathy Divine x

p.s The venue asks that you don’t wear stilettos. It’s a wooden floor.

p.p.s. If you live in Melbourne there will be a launch there on Friday 16th December 7pm-9:30pm at Kindness House – 288 Brunswick St Fitzroy. You can check out who has already rsvped on Facebook.