Celebrity Vegan: Alec Baldwin

With his new movie out, everyone is talking about Alec Baldwin. But did you know that he is a vegan? Now there is a reason to be talking.

"Every time we sit down to eat, we make a choice. Please choose vegetarianism. Do it for … animals. Do it for the environment, and do it for your health."

What has your food been through?

Where is your food coming from?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhlhSQ5z4V4&feature=channel

This is yet another reason why not to eat cafeteria food. Better yet, why not cut meat out of your diet all together?

Food for Thought (no pun intended).

Here are some facts for you to think about as your eating dinner tonight.

At the beginning of this year, the Ward Egg Ranch in California killed approximately 30,000 of its hens that were no longer productive by throwing them into wood chippers.

When Cypress Foods began experiencing financial difficulties at the beginning of last year, the company did not feed more than one million chickens on its farms in Florida and Georgia for more than two weeks. About 20,000 of the birds died, and more than 180,000 of them ended up being euthanized.

So-called "broiler chickens" are selectively bred and given growth hormones so the birds will have especially large thighs and breasts. These practices do create plumper chickens and thus maximize profits, but also make birds so heavy that their bones cannot support them.

Turkeys also are selectively bred and given growth hormones, and as a result often die before becoming 1 year old if they’re not slaughtered beforehand.

Severe overcrowding in pens often causes pigs, which are very intelligent and social creatures, to fight amongst themselves and in some cases kill each other.

To help ensure that pregnant sows will not be harmed, they usually are confined in gestation crates, which prevent them from not only turning around, but lying down comfortably.

Many cows never get out of the barns in which they’re kept.

Since few farms are adequately prepared for emergencies, many animals die during heat waves, natural disasters, power outages and so on.

Every time you bite into a piece of meat, you support animal cruelty.

The Age Old debate. Soy: Good or Bad?

After an extensive amount of research, I have made a conclusion about Soy Products. Many people believe that soy products are not good for you, however, I have found out that in the right quantity and with the right products, soy can actually be very good for ones health.

Since most of the studies that raise concerns about soy consumption seem to focus on pre-metabolized isolates or other similarly processed forms of soy, the wisest choice to is to choose to eat soy foods as part of a balanced diet and in the least processed form available. Soy can be a valuable source of protein in a vegetarian or vegan diet, but it should not be relied upon as the sole source of protein. We should also be careful with drawing the conclusion that, if a little bit of something is good, a lot must be even better. Variety in your diet is an excellent way to ensure balance and good health.

Choosing traditional and less processed forms of soy (such as tofu, miso, tempeh, edamame and even soy milk) over highly processed soy foods (such as soy cheeses, soy meats, and soy protein isolates) is likely to be a safer choice, as well. We all need our treats sometimes and the research does not support the conclusion that eating a little vegan soy cheese on your pizza is going to cause health problems, so go ahead and allow yourself some indulgences every now and then if you want to. Just don’t make soy cheese and soy sausage casserole the mainstay of your diet.

Fresh

Fresh's Amazing Vegan Drink Menu

Click here to view the rest of the menu: http://www.freshrestaurants.ca/

One of my goals was to get a group of my friends to go to a vegan restaurant. They are all highly opposed to being vegetarian, nevermind being vegan. So, I told them I found a great burger place. Which is true, Fresh has got the best vegetarian burgers around. At first they were a little mad that they were being forced to eat "bird food," but in the end they loved the food, and we are planning to go back next week. Success!

Here is a review for my favorite Vegan Restaurant, Fresh.

"Fresh - a name of a restaurant that's appropos to what they serve. Fresh entrees that's vegetarian and quite delicious. This is not your mom's vegetarian meals. Fresh serves up gourmet vegetarian dining experience out of wholesome ingredients & delicious, non-traditional recipes. The cuisine is influenced by the flavors and styles of many cultures around the world and the ambiance is relaxed. All the juices, dishes nd desserts are vegan, with dairy options throughout the menu. I like Fresh's extensive juice bar offering of mouthwatering vital fluids, energy elixirs, power shakes, super power shakes, lassis (mango one is a must-taste), fruit smoothies and vegetable cocktails."

Celebrity Vegan: Charlotte Ross

You know, we all oppose animal cruelty. But sometimes we forget that animals on farms suffer and feel pain like all other animals. They, too, deserve to be protected from harm and cruelty."

Apple Bake Recipe

This is my moms wonderful Apple Bake Recipe, with a few minor changes so that its animal cruelty-free!

Apple Bake

• 2 cups chopped apples
• 1/2 cup dry oatmeal
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t nutmeg
• 1/2 cup water OR apple juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F

Place ingredients in greased baking dish, cover with foil if the dish has no lid.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the apples are soft and it's all steamy & brown.