1 Year & 1 Month Later: What am I?

Labor Day weekend this year marked my one year anniversary of adopting a plant-based lifestyle.  I decided to celebrate this life-change by challenging myself to eat strictly vegan for 30 days.... just to see if I could really do it.

My ideals had been from the beginning to eat vegan whenever possible, but that can be really hard to do when dining out, as a guest in someone else's whom, or at catered work events.  So when I could not eat vegan, I always just ate vegetarian.

Well, I found that more often that not, this rule was allowing me to get pretty relaxed at home too.  It would be easier to get my husband to eat meals with me if they included cheese or eggs, than if they were vegan, so rather than making two meals, we'd compromise with one vegetarian meal that made us both happy.

So, I took the 30-day vegan challenge, which ended last night.  How did it go? I had one cheat the morning of my birthday to combat a hangover with some egg & cheese grease.  And there were a few pastry items here and there that I couldn't prove were vegan, but didn't have the will-power to say no too since I also couldn't prove there were egg or cheese products in them (and a couple I could prove weren't vegan but it was my birthday so I made exceptions there too).  There were also those two Indian meals with cheese that I allowed myself for cultural familiarization purposes before my big trip to India next month.  

All in all, not exactly the super "strict" vegan diet I was committing too, but not bad either.  I hat A LOT of temptations and made a lot of sacrifices on things like butter, mayonnaise, yogurt, and deserts etc.

So where am I now?

While I absolutely believe in and enjoy the health benefits and environmental responsibility of eating a plant-based lifestyle, my personal primary reason for adopting this diet was to take a stand against animal cruelty.  Therefore, anything that was wild-caught or hunted, or from a Farmer whom I could talk to and knew how/where his animal were slaughtered, then I would eat meat too.

So what does all this make me?

Vegan?  Certainly not.

Vegetarian? Mostly, but not always.

Locovore? Often yes, but not soley because I enjoy fruits from far away places too much.

Omnivore?  It's looking like it.... but I feel like I'm not completely in this camp either.

Conscientious Eater!  This sounds like me.  Read on to learn more about what this means:

Conscientious eating means thinking about where your food comes from, what impact it has environmentally, socially, economically, and personally (in terms of health, culture, and enjoyment). It means that if you choose to eat meat that you consider how the livestock were raised, and how far they traveled to reach your dinner plate.

"Local," "grass-fed," "sustainably produced," "humanely raised" and "free-range" are just a few of the phrases that greet conscientious shoppers in the meat department these days. Animal-rights activists jokingly call these products "happy meat."  You have to be careful with these labels, knowing that cage-free might not mean what you assume it does, or that organic might not be as animal-cruelty-free as it sounds.  I still believe it is always best to talk with your local farmers and even visit their farm before you buy.

Now, I do understand that eating this way won't solve the world's problems.  It's true that we probably can't feed the world with small, local, organic, family farms.  And the cost to the consumer is prohibitively expensive to most.  I still believe that if everyone ate as a vegetarian, we could solve most of the worlds problems.  But because of the culture & society that I live in, I still think that using my consumer dollars to buy less meat, and only the kind described above, is the best way for me to take a stand, make a statement, and eat in a way I find convenient and moral.

So there you have it.  I won't call myself a vegetarian anymore, even though I will usually still eat that way.  If people ask me why I'll say I'm a conscientiousness eater and prefer not to eat meat if I don't know where it came from.  It was a year long experiment that I think I can take valuable lessons from and use for the rest of my life.

Calf's Horns Burned Off by Farm Worker: Caught on Video!

Ok, I admit it.  This time I couldn't even watch the whole thing.  I just can't differentiate in my mind the difference between these innocent dairy cows and my beloved pet dogs.  Watching these farm workers hit, poke with rods, and otherwise abuse these defenseless enslaved animals was too much for me today.


I do watch these sorts of videos regularly though.  Especially if I've been sliding from vegan to vegetarian too often for my own comfort level for a while.  I force myself to watch one of these videos and in so doing find new motivation too not support the dairy, egg, and honey industries.  


It's easy to equate dead meat on your plate with the animal that was probably abused and brutally killed to provide it for you, it's harder to remember why the milk, cheese, yogurt or eggs on dinner table come from the exact same kind of conditions.


I'm feeling rather guilty about the cheese sandwich I had for dinner at a work event last night.  Think I'll go strictly vegan for a few days and then go to the co-op this weekend to buy some food I feel comfortable eating (from responsible local farmers).  I should really plan some trips out to farms this summer to tour the living conditions myself too...

What about the sweet little honeybees?

For years there has been a debate over the use of honey by vegans, some claim its okay for vegans to use and others claim under no circumstance is it fundamentally or ethically vegan at all.  Here is some more information from PETA about why many vegans won't consume honey:

Honeybees are not native to North America
Although there were 3,500 native bee species of bees pollinating the flowers and food crops of North America when European settlers landed on its shores in the 17th century, the colonists were interested only in their Old World honeybees’ wax and honey. They imported the insects, and by the mid-1800s, both feral and domesticated colonies of honeybees were scattered all over the United States. As a result of disease, pesticides, and climate changes, the honeybee population has been nearly decimated, but since the demand for the bees’ honey and other products remains high, these tiny animals are factory-farmed, much like chickens, pigs, and cows are.


Bees Need Their Honey 
Plants produce nectar to attract pollinators (bees, butterflies, bats, and other mammals), who are necessary for successful plant reproduction. Bees collect and use nectar to make honey, which provides vital nourishment for them, especially during the winter. Since nectar contains a lot of water, bees have to work to dry it out, and they add enzymes from their own bodies to convert it into food and prevent it from going bad. A single worker bee may visit up to 10,000 flowers in one day yet and, in his or her lifetime, produce only one a teaspoonful of honey.


Honeybees Do Not Pollinate as Well as Native Bees
Approximately one out of every three mouthfuls of food or drink that humans consume is made possible by pollinators—insects, birds, and mammals pollinate about 75 percent of all food crops. Industrial beekeepers want consumers to believe that honey is just a byproduct of the necessary pollination provided by honeybees, but honeybees are not as good at pollinating as many truly wild bees, such as bumblebees and carpenter and digger bees. Native bees are active earlier in the spring, both males and females pollinate, and they are unaffected by mites and Africanized bees, which can harm honeybees. But because most species of native bees hibernate for as many as 11 months out of the year and do not live in large colonies, they do not produce massive amounts of honey, and the little that they do produce is not worth the effort required to steal it from them. So although native bees are more effective pollinators, farmers continue to rely on factory-farmed honeybees for pollination so that the honey industry can take in more than 176 million pounds of honey every year, at a value of more than $215 million.


Manipulating Nature
Profiting from honey requires the manipulation and exploitation of the insects’ desire to live and protect their hive. Like other factory-farmed animals, honeybees are victims of unnatural living conditions, genetic manipulation, and stressful transportation.


The familiar white box that serves as a beehive has been around since the mid-1850s and was created so that beekeepers could move the hives from place to place. The New York Times reported that bees have been “moved from shapes that accommodated their own geometry to flat-topped tenements, sentenced to life in file cabinets.”


Since “swarming” (the division of the hive upon the birth of a new queen) can cause a decline in honey production, beekeepers do what they can to prevent it, including clipping the wings of a new queen, killing and replacing an older queen after just one or two years, and confining a queen who is trying to begin a swarm. Queens are artificially inseminated using drones, who are killed in the process.  Commercial beekeepers also “trick” queens into laying more eggs by adding wax cells to the hive that are larger than those that worker bees would normally build.


Since late 2006, farmed honeybee populations have succumbed yearly to a disease called “colony collapse disorder.” Although scientists have yet to find a cause, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says researchers continue to focus on key possibilities that include “bee management stress,” “pesticide poisoning,” and “inadequate forage/poor nutrition.”

Traveling as a Vegan in a Land of Meat

This is my second time travelling for work since choosing to consume a plant-based diet.  Eating vegan is harder than you thing, and can be much more expensive than eating whatever is most convenient or cheapest on the menu.  To top it off, I'm trying to do this in Texas!  When I think of Texas, I think of cattle, beef, and steaks.  And I have to keep this up for a week and a half.


So here's how it's been going so far:


Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the airport: We stopped at the Alterra stand and at first I didn't notice that they have my ultimate favorite breakfast item ever, the Morning Glory Muffin, so I went for a vegetarian meal thinking I wouldn't know how substantial the rest of my meals would be for the rest of the day.  I got a veggie breakfast burrito (including eggs & cheese) and a chai with soy milk.  I feel slightly better about getting eggs & cheese from Alterra because its a local business that I know tries to use fresh local ingredients whenever possible, so that makes me feel *slightly* less guilty.  I used to worry about the research that has shown too much soy to be unhealthy for you, and even linked to infertility.  But I asked my RE doctor about it, and she said that estrogen in meat has been linked the same way, and if I'm not eating meat, soy was fine.  She also said it's fine for me to be adopting this more vegan lifestyle as long as I'm getting enough calories every day.  It was a relief to have my doctors "okay"!


Monday at the Cincinnati airport for a long layover I had lunch at an Outback Steakhouse.  I had a plain baked potato with a side of steamed vegetables.  Glad I had those eggs & cheese earlier...


For dinner that night, I ordered room service in my hotel room because I had a big project for work I needed to work on in order to submit it the next day.  There weren't any vegetarian items on the menu so I called them to ask what they suggested.  The chicken quesadilla, without the meat, and they'd add some grilled veggies to it.  Okay, fine, but I told them to go really light on the cheese, skip the sour cream, and add guacamole.  Cheese twice in one day... I paid for it later that night :/


Tuesday I ordered the most amazing sweet potato pancake with pecans, score!  For lunch that day I went to an Indian restaurant with on the advice of the concierge, in search of some substantial vegetarian food.  I found plenty of nutritious food (think lentils, chick peas, brown rice, whole wheat pita, and veggies), so it was great and I ate all of it.  Sadly though, it just confirmed my growing fear that I don't like the spices used in Indian cooking.  And I LOVE spicy food... just not this kind of spicy.  That night for dinner, I ordered chips & salsa with guacamole & went to bed with a full belly.


Breakfast on Wednesday was oatmeal, but the consistency was watery and I think it was more of the "instant" kind than the steel cut or whole grain kind.  Lunch was a Cliff bar and a Green Machine Naked Juice.  Dinner I splurged in the hotel restaurant (it wasn't close to anything and all other dining required cab rides) and ordered grilled veggies, brussel sprouts, and a pecan caramel  bar for dessert.  Went to bed feeling not quite so stuffed that night, but satisfied.


Yesterday I ordered the hotel restaurant's a la carte hot breakfast item, which was a six grain whole grain dish - it was AMAZING!  Wish I could eat that stuff every day!  I wasn't too hungry for a long time after that so I didn't eat lunch until about 2pm, when I just ordered a repeat of my veggified quesadilla, no sour cream, light on the cheese, add guacamole.


I had to switch hotels yesterday because I'm going to a different conference now, starting today.  This one is in downtown Dallas so I have a lot more dining options available to me.  Across the street is a Thai/Japanese restaurant called Zenna.  I had seaweed salad, miso soup, edamame, and one tofu roll.  Went to bed stuffed again and it was amazing!  May need to eat there again before I leave...


This hotel offers a hot complimentary breakfast.  When I first arrived, I noticed the "hot breakfast" consisted of eggs, sausages, and tortilla shells.  "Well," I thought to myself, "I guess this is going to be a vegetarian meal for me if I want any substance."  So I made an egg & cheese burrito with salsa, and then noticed the waffle maker.  I knew it wasn't nutritious, but it would be a fun treat that I could eat, so I poured some batter into the iron.  That's when I noticed the hot oatmeal with pecans.  Doh!  I need to learn to be more patient and observant!  The also had all kinds of bagels & breads with peanut butter too.  At least I know I can stick to my convictions the other mornings I'm here.  Today was just an exception I guess.  Oh well.

Vegan Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups dried white beans, soaked for at least 8 hours
1 small onion, peeled and sliced in half
1 stalk celery, cut into two pieces
1 small carrot, sliced in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried tarragon, or 2 tablespoons fresh
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large leek, sliced thinly
1/2 pound (about 2 generous cups) mushrooms, either cremini, shiitake, or oyster, or a combination, rinsed and sliced thinly
1 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground pepper

Drain and rinse the beans and transfer them to a stockpot.  Add 4 cups of cold water, cover, and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 3 minutes. Skim off any white foam from the top.  Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium; add he onion, celery, carrot, thyme, and tarragon.

Simmer for about 45 minutes, until the beans are very tender.  Remove the onion, carrot, and celery (either discard or use in a stock).  Lower the heat to low and continue to simmer while preparing the remaining vegetables.  The beans should resemble a very thick stew, not a soup.  If there's too much liquid, leave the pot uncovered and stir occasionally.

About 10 minutes before the beans are done, place the garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cold skillet.  Heat the skillet over medium heat, allowing garlic to sizzle for about 30 seconds.  Add the chopped leek and saute until soft, 1 to 2 minutes.  Scrape the leeks into beans.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan, allow it to warm for about 30 seconds, and add the mushrooms.  Sprinkle the mushrooms lightly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute until most of the mushroom liquid has evaporated, anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes depending on the kind of mushroom.  When most of the excess liquid is gone, add the mushrooms to beans.  Turn off the heat and season the beans with the remaining salt (or more, if desired) and freshly ground black pepper.  Allow the beans to stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

B made these for me to bring to Christmas dinner on Sunday, so I'd have a protein option.  We tried a little bit of it for lunch today and it was AMAZING.  I'm curious to see what the family thinks, as I know some don't like mushrooms and others have expressed their dislike of dried beans (preferring mushier canned beans instead.  Oh well, more for me & B then!

"These are simple, homey, French-inspired, stick-to-your-ribs beans fro early autumn days.  The tarragon and leeks really shine through the mild white beans, and the mushrooms add a chewy bite.  This recipe is made with dried beans; canned beans cannot be substituted, so plan accordingly and soak the beans overnight or in the morning before you leave to work." - from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's "Veganomicon: the ultimate vegan cookbook"

Coming to terms with holiday baking

You may have noticed that I've been doing a lot of baking lately.  None of which has really been vegan.  Technically speaking, most refined sugar is not vegan because it is refined with animal bones, and of course, anything containing butter, eggs or honey is an animal product.  So what is this new vegan to during her first holiday season with this plant-based lifestyle???

Find balance...

For my favorite Everything Bread Recipe, I struggled for a while over the use of honey.  For the time being, I've decided to use organic, local honey, and to just be ok with that for now.  If I feel differently later as I continue to grow into my new humane plant-based lifestyle, then that's fine too.

For my to-die-for Whole Wheat Morning Glory Muffins, something that I eat for breakfast every day now, I didn't know what to do.  The recipe contains two eggs.  Watching videos of factory chicken farms makes me feel so guilty about this morning pleasure.  So for now, I've decided to buy only organic, cage-free, vegetarian fed eggs.  If I can talk to the farmer and buy them locally, even better.  If I later find an egg substitute to replace this ingredient then great!  Better yet, I'd love to get my own backyard chicken coop.   But for now, I'm choosing to be ok with using my buying power to support only animal products that I want to support.

Butter.  Hmmmm.  It has always been one of my favorite flavors!  For baking, I've been buying organic butter.  For spreading and cooking, I use Earth Balance.  I hope to eventually look for other vegan alternatives for baking too, but its just so scary to start messing with all your tried and true recipes!

Finally, the sugar issue.  This is something I have not even started trying to conquer yet.  You can buy raw natural sugar that is vegan, but I'm not ready to start experimenting with my recipes to see how this effects them, yet.  Someday, in my fantasy world, I'll find the time to not only bake, but to experiment with baking too.  For now, if I can squeeze 30 minutes in here or an hour there, I'm going to stick with what I know and get the job done.  The point is, at least I'm making everything from scratch, which is definitely healthier and kinder to the planet in so many ways.

The biggest lifestyle change with trying to eat a mostly vegan diet, is all the homemade cooking and preparation in advance that needs to be done!  I have found I really need to use my weekends to plan for the week ahead, because there are very limited fast-food or pre-packaged options available to me.  Which really is a good think if you ask me anyway :)

Well, speaking of which, I better get back to my vegan Rustic White Bean & Mushroom dish that I'm bringing to pass at Christmas (to make sure I have a protein too).  See, always have to think ahead!

Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe

The day before soak 1/2 pound each of dried pinto beans and dried great northern beans.

4 Tbsp butter

1 large onion, large chop
2 cloves garlic, minced
water
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 14oz can fresh cut tomatoes
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
salt and pepper
2 bay leaves
your favorite small pasta such as bowties, penne or shells

1. Melt butter in a large soup pan
2. Add onion and garlic
3. Saute until translucent
4. Add carrots and potatoes and sweat on law heat, covered for 8-10 minutes
5. Add tomatoes
6. Drain soaked beans and add to soup
7. Cover with water to 1 inch above vegetables, add Italian seasoning and bay leaf
8. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours
9. Salt and pepper to taste
10. While soup is simmering cook 1/2 pound of pasta according to package directions
11. Serve hot, adding pasta as you serve
12. Garnish with Parmesan cheese

This recipe was made for me by my grandmother for lunch yesterday.  She had all the granddaughters over for a heritage baking day, and served four types of soup for us to sample for lunch, including this vegan one for me!  It was a little mild, but with some salt and pepper added, it was very hearty and satisfying.  The carnivores who tried it added some Parmesan cheese on top, and found that to be even tastier then!

Texas Caviar Recipe

1/2 onion, chopped 
1 green bell pepper, chopped 
1 bunch green onions, chopped 
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped 
1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered 
1 (8 ounce) bottle zesty Italian dressing 
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained 
1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained 
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 
1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro



In a large bowl, mix together onion, green bell pepper, green onions, jalapeno peppers, garlic, cherry tomatoes, zesty Italian dressing, black beans, black-eyed peas and coriander. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours. Toss with desired amount of fresh cilantro to serve. 

This is a recipe one of my dear friends (whom I met studying abroad in Scotland) makes for parties.  It is a dip to be served with corn or tortilla chips.


She will often modify this recipe with some of the following changes: usually not as much jalapeno, no coriander, sometimes double the beans, or use black eye peas, sometimes even adding corn or Hominy.

Marinated Vegetable Salad Recipe

5 c. broccoli florets
2 cucumbers, peeled & sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled & thinly sliced
1 (8 oz.) Italian dressing
12 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt & pepper


Combine all ingredients except the tomatoes and salt & pepper well in large covered bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and toss. Season with salt and pepper. 


This could be made with any assortment of vegetables.  I think cauliflower, radishes, mushrooms, olives, regular tomatoes, and even black beans or chickpeas would all be really good in this one too!


I made this side dish this summer before going vegan, and had used 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese as well, though I think it would be just as good vegan style and plan to make it that way next summer with my fresh garden and CSA veggies!

Quinoa with Black Beans and Mango Salad Recipe

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango* 

TIME: 35 MINUTES; 15 MINUTES IF THE QUINOA IS ALREADY COOKED

Top secret: It isn't rocket science--you can make a salad like this with any leftover grains, beans, and fruit you have around.  It is a really straight forward salad that uses simple, fresh ingredients.  Each bite will bring new flavors to the table--mango, scallions, cilantro, red peppers... you never know what you're gonna get!  Best of all, it takes practically no time if you have some leftover quinoa on hand.

TIP:  If you don't have any leftover quinoa, don't sweat it; it's easy and fast to prepare.  Bring 1 cup of dried quinoa and 2 cups of water to ta boil in  a small pot.  Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.  Then remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.  Set aside to cool, and once it has cooled you can prepare this salad.

INGREDIENTS:

1 mango, peeled and cut into small diced pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced as small as you can get it

1 cup chopped scallions

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbs red wine vinegar

2 tbs grapeseed oil

1/4 tspn salt

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed)

a few leaves of lettuce for garnish

COMBINE the mango, red bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a mixing bowl.

Add the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, and salt and stir to combine.

Add the quiona and stir until everything is well incorporated.  Fold in the black beans.

You can serve immediately or let it sit for a bit for the flavors to meld.  To serve, place a few leaves of lettuce on a plate ans scoop some salad on top.  This tastes good chilled and is even better at room temperature.

I made this recipe once exactly has listed above (and the pictures shown reflect that first attempt).  It was good but didn't knock anyone's socks off that I shared it with.  I made it a second time today and this time used two small apples instead of mangoes, added a diced up zucchini, and used 2 15-oz cans of black beans instead of one.  Also, I might have gone a little heavy on the cilantro last time so this time I lightened up on it a bit.  I'm taking it to a pot-luck later today so we'll see if my modifications make it more of a crowd-pleaser.

*Recipe from Veganomicon: the ultimate vegan cookbook, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero, pgs. 84-85.

Vegan Lentil Salad Recipe

Lentil Salad*

Thyme, tarragon, and garlic flavor this easy-to-prepare and hearty lentil salad.  Serve over red leaf lettuce (or whatever kind of fancy-shmancy lettuce you can get your hands on) with oil and vinegar on the side.  Having some warmed pita bread on hand wouldn't hurt, either.  For a cute hors d'oeuvre idea, spool small scoops of salad into endive leaves.

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable broth

2 or 3 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tspn dried tarragon

1/4 tspn salt

1 cup uncooked French lentils

1 small red onion, chopped very finely (about 1/3 cup)

1 small tomato, seeded and diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 radishes, grated (about 1/3 cup)

1 small carrot, grated

Several pieces of freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:

2-4 tbs olive oil

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tbs fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

1 clove garlic, minced

BRING the broth, thyme, bay leaves, garlic cloves, tarragon, and salt to a boil in a medium-size saucepan.

Add the lentils and bring again to a low boil.  Cover the pot with the lid tilted, allowing a little steam to escape.  Let cook for 20 to 25 minutes.  The lentils should be soft enough to eat but still firm enough to not lose their shape.

While the lentils cook, stir together all the dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Drain the lentils in a mesh colander (so that the lentils don't fall out the holes). 

Let cool, giving the colander a few shakes every couple of minutes so that they drain and cool faster. 

Once the lentils are lukewarm (about 15 minutes), remove the bay leaves, chunks of garlic, and thyme sprigs.



Add the lentils to the dressing along with onions, tomato, and radishes and toss to combine.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and chill for at least half an hour.
When chilled, serve over lettuce with oil and vinegar on the side.





*Recipe from Veganomicon: the ultimate vegan cookbook, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero, pgs. 84-85.

What to do about dairy? Is soy a good alternative?

This Morning's Soy Decaf Pumpkin Spice Latte

I was craving something warm and comforting this morning, so I decided to swing by the coffee shop at work today and get a latte. 

In the old days I would have ordered a small (or "tall") sugar-free vanilla latte with skim milk, no whipped cream.

Of course now, with my commitment to a healthier lifestyle, I needed to make a few modifications. 

1. I try to avoid artificial sweeteners, so I had to get a "regular" flavor shot (as I get better at this, I'll probably want to cut the flavor shots out completely). 
2. I've been off of caffeine now for exactly four months, so of course I had to choose decaffeinated espresso.
3. Finally, as I'm trying to refrain from all dairy that I do not know where the milk comes from or how the cows live, I chose soy milk.

This cow at a modern California dairy has a swollen udder.

Today’s large farms tend to confine dairy cows in drylot

feedyards (shown) or inside barns.1 The animals commonly

suffer udder infections, metabolic disorders, and lameness.

See VeganOutreach.org/dairy

In addition to abstaining from dairy for ethical and even environmental reasons, I have been reading a lot about the health effects of dairy.  The information I have found has made me consider cutting out dairy from my diet completely, even if I find milk, cheese, or yogurt produced from grass-feed, free-range, humanely treated cows.

Our bodies are not meant to drink any milk except our own mother's milk, and only while we are infants.  Humans are the ONLY animals that drink another species milk, and the only animals that drink milk after infancy.  That right there should tell us something about how unnatural our society's obsession with dairy is.


Click here for info on this spoof.

In the U.S. alone, about 80% of African Americans, 90% of Asian Americans, and 60% of Hispanics are lactose intolerant.  People with lactose intolerance experience gas, discomfort, and sometimes diarrhea upon drinking milk.  Those who can digest cow's milk are mostly of white European descent and are thought to have a genetic mutation that occurred thousands of years ago in our evolution so that we could survive on a herd's milk under harsh environmental conditions.

Cow's milk has been linked to obesity, breast cancer, testicular cancer, diabetes and heart disease.  It underlies asthma and allergies, and messes with our hormones. 



In 1900 American girls started menstruating, on average, at the age of 14.  Today, they begin at 12 1/2, with the first signs of puberty showing up in some girls as young as 7. 

These stats really hit home for me, as when we were growing up we used to drink at least 3 servings of milk (thankfully skim) a day , and I got my period just before my 11th birthday!

All of the reasons above have made me try to avoid most dairy whenever possible.  It has been about a month now, and when I have eaten "humane" dairy on occasion, I notice a difference right away in how my body reacts!  I feel gassy and bloated, and a little sluggish afterward.  That's all the proof I need that our bodies are not naturally made to digest cow's milk!  Of course, cheese and ice cream are soooo good, so it may come down to the the occasional hard decision for me, knowing full well what the consequences will be when I choose to indulge.

So this morning I got a Soy Decaf Pumpkin Spice Latte, a perfect Fall pick-me-up!

Or was it?

I've also been coming across a lot of information about the negative health effects of soy, one of the most disconcerting to me being the links between soy and infertility.

Soy and Fertility
Soy is an excellent source of protein and also a phenomenal source of phytoestrogen (also called isoflavones) - a plant form of oestrogen that mimics our own natural hormone.  


Some research has shown that eating large  amounts of soy may throw off a woman's natural hormone levels, increase her menstrual cycle length, and affect ovulation.  


There is also some inconclusive research showing that eating too much soy may reduce a man's sperm production, which may be due to the phytoestogen  mimicking natural oestrogen.  Too much estrogen is never a good thing when it comes to sperm production.  The soy-sperm link is more pronounced in overweight and obese men, probably because they already produce more of the natural hormone than thinner men.

So, what am I going to do about milk?  Probably what I have been doing already.  Refrain from cow's milk (but if I ever HAVE to buy it, it would be organic), and limit my consumption of soy milk to rare treats at the coffee shop.  At home, I enjoy almond and coconut milk in my cooking and smoothies, and have become obsessed with Dark Chocolate Almond Milk for a sweet treat when I am craving something like ice cream.  I am not concerned about getting enough calcium, as I can get plenty from plant-based sources, but that is a topic for another post.


I am very concerned with consuming too much soy in other food products now that I've made a commitment to this new plant-based diet.  It seems that at restaurants, you'll often find the token veggie burger (aka, soy product) as your only option on the menu.  At home, I plan to continue exploring whole grains and legumes as my main sources of protein, and reserve soy products for when I'm on the road or in social situations where I don't have access to the types of natural foods I'd prefer to be eating.


I'd love to hear from other vegetarians out there, to hear what their favorite sources of protein are, and to learn more about their own opinions on the so-called "dangers" of soy.  I am still very much in the learning, or "information gathering" phase of this lifestyle change, and welcome all the advice or stories I can get!

Recipe of the Day: Vegan Split Pea Soup

Vegan Split Pea Soup

My soup simmering before adding the other vegetables

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dried split peas
• 1/2 cup barley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 7 1/2 cups water
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium high heat, saute the oil, onion, bay leaf and garlic for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add the peas, barley, salt and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, parsley, basil, thyme and ground black pepper. Simmer for another hour, or until the peas and vegetables are tender.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 247 | Total Fat: 2.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg

This recipe was so good!  It can get a little thick, so add more water if you like your soup on the runny side.  I had read a review that mentioned adding the spices during step one to really infuse their flavor, but by doing that, I found the flavor to be a little too peppery for my taste.  This made for a delicious hardy autumn meal and I will definitely make it again!

My vegan split pea soup served for dinner with oven roasted brussels sprouts and oven roasted leeks, beets, zucchini, and two kinds of eggplant.