Tomorrow is World Vegetarian day.

 

There are many reasons that men, women and children decide to cut animal flesh out of their diets. These are the main ones:

 

1. Animal cruelty issues –factory farm operations (where most of your meat comes from) is often cramped, cruel and rampant with disease

 

2. Environmental issues –animal farming takes up way more resources than farming plant based stuff. By the time you factor in all the resources that go into feeding a cow and how much that cow actually feeds you, it ends up being a net loss of energy overall. It’s much better for the environment if we eat plants, which give much more energy per acre than a cow. Plus, less cattle production means less soil contamination in our veggies too. There are also large areas of trees that are being cleared to make more space for livestock productions. Eat an asparagus, save a tree!

 

3. Health issues –there are very few vegetarians that don’t notice a dramatic change in their health after giving up meat (and even more so when they give up eggs and dairy too). These include more vibrant hair, smoother skin, better eyesight, better hormone balance, better blood pressure, higher energy levels and better weight management. This has also helped some of our top athletes compete better too.

 

4. Financial issues –I think we all agree that meat and milk are bloody expensive. My grocery budget has remained the same since we stopped eating meat but having no meat or dairy in my grocery cart has allowed me to invest my dime into foods that are extra healthy for me, like extra fruits and veggies, organic produce, hemp protein powder, pure fruit juice and other yummy goodies like that.

 

5. Culinary reasons –I have always loved cooking! And when we went vegetarian and later vegan I had to rethink the way that I viewed vegetables on my plate. Instead of being the garnish beside my chicken breast they have become my main masterpiece! There is a whole new world of food and flavors out there to be discovered, especially in ethnic cuisines.

 

I implore you to give vegetarianism a chance. The earth, your body, the animals, your wallet and your taste buds will thank you!

So far I have always kept my political views seperate from my Vegetarian views (which is what this blog is about).

But, I have nothing health related to talk about today so I thought I would give you my take on the upcoming Canadian Federal Election.

Reasons to vote against Harper:

Let us remember the pillars of Harper’s last election campaign: Accountable and transparent government! Now let’s look at the record of the last four years!

 

 

1. Media relations: He has monitored who can attend news conferences and what topics they can breach. The Prime Minister’s Office would have to register the reporters and then approve which ones could ask which questions. There was an incident where the reporters all stood up and walked out. This is not transparent!

 

2. Gagging his MPs:Everyone knows that he keeps his MPs on a tight leash. This is so that they don’t say anything that would be controversial or embarrassing to him. Don’t we vote for these wankers to represent us, the people? Why are they being gagged?

 

3. Secret media centre: This was a violation of our freedom of the press. This Conservative operated media centre was meant to be used to film and cover events and then ship that information to the media mediums. This was not accomplished because the media found out about it before hand and made a big stink. Can you imagine what this would mean if it had came to fruition?

 

4. Liberal defect:This one is minor but it still pisses me off. I don’t remember the fella’s name but he won a seat in BC as a Liberal MP. Within days of the election he was sweet-talked (personally by Harper) to defect to the Blue side. If I was a constituent in that riding I would be sooooo peeved! You vote red and get a blue instead. What the hell? I had even voted Conservative in the last election and still thought that this was sooooo low.

 

5. The Security and Prosperity Partnership:The SPP is a trade deal that causes deep integration between Mexico, the US, and Canada. There is also something in there about a NAFTA super hi-way but I am trying to keep this simplified. It puts Canadian sovereignty at risk by risking our control of our own military, our natural resources and our trade. Now to be fair, the Liberals where the ones in power when this deal was initiated but it’s still awfully sketchy. Whenever Harper is asked about this he pokes fun at the “conspiracy theorists” that talk about massive water diversions (Ha ha ha) and claims there is nothing to worry about. But, he refuses to even hint about what they actually talk about. They won’t release statements, they won’t release minutes or anything. It is held in total secrecy! I have friends who have requested (through FOIP) information related to the SPP. All they receive are censored pieces of paper with nothing more than titles. All the actual info is covered.

 

6. Military deal: On Feb. 18/08 there was a deal made between the US and Canada that allows US troops to come into Canada(and vice versa) in an “emergency” (like civil revolt). Welcome to the police state!

 

7. Gas prices cap: The National Post ran a feature about how, when Harper was leader of the opposition, Harper demanded that the Liberals cap gas prices. Well, I am not that old but I am pretty sure they have never been as expensive as they were this year and he has not capped them. “I would’ve, could’ve but didn’t.”

 

8. Relations with the US: I think that most Canadians are hesitant to adopt American policies as their own, even if some respect the US. I think Canadians are proud of Canada’s uniqueness and are uncomfortable with the idea of Harper being Bush’s little lap doggie. Bush is done soon but McCain is cut from the same cloth as Bush and if McCain wins we are in for a lengthy war and more trouble.

 

9. War in Afghanistan: This conflict is problematic because it is a) of questionable motive (profit driven (oil)), b) not accomplishing anything and never-ending (McCain suspects this war to last a hundred years!) and c) none of our friggin’ business. GET OUR TROOPS OUT NOW! This isn’t about “terrorism.”

 

10. War in Iraq: If Harper wins a majority we can expect to see our troops there. Did you know that the US put Saddam Hussein in power? Did you know that they sold the helicopters to Saddam that were used to gas his own people? Did you know that there was never a single weapon of mass destruction found? Did you know that that is because the CIA used intel that was 15 years old (which they knew was no longer pertinent) to justify going to war there? Did you know that the war on Iraq is actually illegal (as in it isn’t approved by Congress and isn’t the result of an act of aggression? Did you know that there is still NO evidence that Saddam funded terrorism? Why are troops there? Oil?

 

11. Environment “Plan:” This is an ongoing joke. Environment plan? Yeah, right. Okay. Well, there isn’t much of a plan. They haven’t achieved any groundbreaking policies and haven’t given corporations ultimatums or incentives to stop pouring their pollution down our throats. I don’t give a hoot about global warming (I think it’s not real) but I do live here damn it, and I care about the pollution in my water, soil and air. It’s time to stop treating our planet like a dumping ground and finding new ways to make cleaner stuff!

 

12. Bill C-51: This bill could have been disastrous to the natural health industry but thank goodness for the numerous Canadians and opposition MPs which stood up to this poorly written bill and demanded changes in the writing of it to protect Canadians from harassment for things like growing parsley or taking vitamins. I believe that this bill is now OK but in its first couple of reading it was far from it. Granted there are always revisions on any bill but this bill required major rewriting. I see it as a sign of immaturity on the part of the government.

 

13. Lies about the income trust: I don’t know a lot about this but apparently he is taxing senior income trusts and he is video taped as promising he would never do that. Another election promise broken.

 

14. Fixed election dates: Of course, I had to mention this one! He sets them, he breaks them. I have noticed that the Blue signs were out the next day after the announcement of the election and it took a while for the other parties to catch up. Let’s be frank. He doesn’t leave much time before the election and leaves all the unsuspecting suckers to finish off their party platforms while he’s already up and running. UNETHICAL!!!

 

There are as many reasons to not vote Tory as there are people. Think about what a second Conservative win could mean for the issues that are important to you. In Alberta, voting Liberal may be the best way to prevent a Conservative majority government. Think about what you want your Canada to look like please!

 Peta.com has a story on their main page about cats. They claim that all cats should remain indoors since there are so many dangers in urban areas. I guess there is a feline form of AIDS that street cats are prone to getting which can cause their teeth to fall out etc. See the article here: http://www.helpinganimals.com/animalsHome_cats_indoors.asp

I thought that the main reason that veg*ns are against caging animals (in circuses etc.) is because the animals don’t get a choice in the matter. It represses natural instincts and behaviours.

With dogs it is very clear that the relationship has mutual benefits. I can tell that my dogs adore being near me. Not only that but dogs can thrive off of vegan dog food. Cats cannot and must be served meat. I don’t like the idea of buying meat at all. Hence, I don’t own a cat.

I do however, own a hamster. I haven’t decided how I feel about that. I think I would have made a different decision now but our little Hammie has already been with us for over a year and I wouldn’t dispose of him now. We have bought Hammie a bunch of tunnels and he even has a burrow. However, he isn’t able to reproduce and rarely eats greens. I don’t know how different Hammie’s life would be if he were in the wild (not here in Alberta but where his species actually originates) since they seem to do little more than sleeping and eating but, in my home, he is at least always warm, always fed and is always safe from predators. He still doesn’t have a choice in his habitat and that makes me wonder whether domesticating animals is “vegan” in theory.

What do you readers think of this issue?

How do you feel about buying cat food that has meat in it?

How do you feel about repressing the natural instincts of animals through domestication?

How do you feel about letting animals suffer on the streets or be killed in overfilled shelters because you worry about the above issues too much?

Do you think that repression of natural instincts (like hunting or breeding) is less important than compromising the safety of the animal?

My personal feeling is that buying from pet stores at all is very wrong. I think if you want to have a companion animal you can help animals and society in general by going to a pound or a shelter. These animals are animals that NEED a good home. When you buy from a pet store or a breeder you are only adding to the problem of animal overpopulation and to animal cruelty. The more you buy from pet stores, the more you’ll contribute to animal breeding and in some cases even puppy mills.

Many pet stores (Peta had an article on Petsmart) will not provide adequate care to small animals because the vet bills are too expensive. And euthanasia is too expensive as well. So sick small pets (the ones they hide in the back), end up suffering from diseases or injury until they die.

Support your local shelter. That is, in my opinion, the vegan choice! You save a life and support a humane industry!

I am sorry that this post is coming to you so late. I have been having difficulty finding a topic to talk about this week. I want to encourage readers to offer suggestions for upcoming article ideas. It’s not easy trying to find something to write about that I haven’t already covered. If I receive questions from readers I will strive to find the answers and relay them back the best that I can.

Now that school has started up again I wanted to spend a bit of time talking about your children’s lunch boxes.

There are many experts who believe that the food in your child’s lunch box can cause what is commonly referred to as ADD or ADHD: Attention Deficit Disorder. There have been studies that have linked ingredients like sugar, artificial colours and other food additives to ADD. Or rather, hyperactivity and short attention spans caused by sugar rushes and bad chemical reactions. 

So if your kid seems to be too hyper to cooperate/concentrate in the classroom they probably just need better fuel for their brains.

Most kid’s lunches are comprised of snack packs, pops or juice boxes, chocolate bars and fruit roll ups. Even cafeteria food can be just as bad. There are cafeterias where the only vegetable available is french fries.

I remember a documentary about how food affects people, I can’t remember what it was called, but it introduced us to a school who dealt specifically with difficult children. The school decided to remove all of the garbage from their cafeteria and started serving fruit, veggies and other freshly made, wholesome foods. The results were outstanding! These delinquents started doing better academically and started acting out a lot less.

I can attest, as I am sure you can, to the effect of sugar on children. I went shopping with my boys the other day and we took a bus to the video store. Then we walked all over the place for about three hours looking for stores that sold ink cartridges (and Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version)) for a decent price. To reward them for their exceptional behaviour, and to give my big pregnant self a chance to sit down,  I decided to get them a frozen slurpee type beverage at a nearby fast food chain. After finishing the sugary beverage they were so obnoxious. They giggled without reason, touched everything and started slapping each other!

So the onus is on you, the parent, to make sure that your kids get adequate nourishment. Then may protest to you replacing their bags of potato chips or chocolate dipped granola bars with fruit or veggies but they’ll get over it. And if you think that the kids will just toss it out and that it’s a waste of money to try, consider the financial cost of having to put children on ritalin or the emotional cost to the overweight children? It is definitely worth a try to regulate bad behaviour with diet. If they have a hormonal imbalance that can’t be cured by diet you can pursue a more severe course of action but I would certainly give the diet alternative a try first.

The longer you wait to enforce good eating in your home the less likely that your children will adopt a healthy diet. When I went to college I lived off of sausage rolls, Pogos (corndogs) with mustard, quick oats and Oreos. I didn’t gain any weight because I rock climbed every day but it certainly wasn’t a good foundation for health.

I read an article that encouraged parents to involve their children in the food purchasing and prep work. A child may feel more interested in eating wholesome food if they feel like they have ownership of it. Let them pick out their apples, let them pick out that red pepper for you. And then let them help you to make supper if they want to. You can even include them in the meal planning. You retain veto for nutritional purposes but they can have a chance to choose recipes that they enjoy as well.

Do you need some inspiration about what to put in your child’s lunch box? Below are some ideas that I have come up with. My kids aren’t school aged quite yet so I haven’t had to think up of too many lunchbox friendly options but this is a pretty good starter none-the-less.

Beverages: Soy milk, rice milk etc., calcium fortified orange juice, water, iced tea (homemade). Children may enjoy these more “boring” beverages if they have a cool container for it. Sports stores and many other places carry aluminum bottles with pop tops that come in a variety of colours and patterns.

 Snacks: Homemade cookies with less sugar and with ingredients like oats, flax, raisins, nuts. You can also add fresh fruit and veggies to their lunchboxes. Add a nutritious dip like hummus for the carrots if the kids prefer that. You can add wholegrain crackers if you don’t have time to make anything. These can be made more tasty with some peanut butter spread. Or cut up pita slices with salsa, hummus and guacamole.

Lunch: Veggie sanwhiches in whole wheat/grain wraps, bread, pitas etc. Mini pizzas (homemade) with whole wheat crust and lots of veggies. You can also make them on whole wheat buns or bagels. Leftover pasta, chili, curries, anything really. If your kids need more persuasion then let them pick out a whole new set of containers, utensils etc. that will make eating something they look forward to. 

For more ideas check out: http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/

There are also a plethora of cookbooks that make veggie food fun for kids (not that animal flesh is instantly funner but whatever).

Also, I wanted to add some ideas for breakfast. A good breakfast is as important as any other snack or meal you’ll eat throughout the day so why should I neglect to add some ideas for that as well?

There is the never fail peanut butter and jam toast. You can try variations of it like peanut butter (PB)/Nutella (Alive magazine has a recipe for a homemade hazelnut spread too), PB/bananas, PB/molasses etc. There are even more alternatives like almond butter or other nut butters. I have also found that apple sauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon on a plain toast is also very tasty.

You can add a side of fruit to any breakfast. My kids usually get PB/jam toast with a banana and a cup of soymilk or calcium fortified orange juice for breakfast.

Other great breakfasts include organic cereals (granola is harder for little ones to chew but perfect for the more mature eater), oatmeal with raisins, chunks of apples, brown sugar or pure maple syrup. If you have more time then vegan waffles and pancakes can be a filling option (I like to use a banana as an egg substitute and maple syrup as a sugar substitute (use only about 1/2 to 2/3 of the indicated sugar if you do that).