by

Vegetarian/Vegan Pets?

Image

[pic: Google images]

I know it’s a bit of a strange thought at first, but YES you’re pet can be on a vegetarian or vegan diet and be healthy. In fact, paying more attention to what you feed your animals will make you more aware of what they need. Many people just pick any commercial brand off the shelf when it just isn’t the best thing for your furry friend. One might argue that to “force” your pet to go on a meatless diet is unnatural, (but if you consider the fact that many breeds are unnatural and only exist because they were carefully selected and man made) humans are perfectly capable of sustaining ourselves without eating flesh, and your cat and dog can be too. (Though it seems dogs take to the new diet a bit easier than cats) This is a somewhat new concept for me, so my cat is not currently on one of these diets, but i found a few good sources to get started on how to keep your pet healthy and thriving -along with some recipies- without supporting the dog food companies- which are closely related to the meat industry. 

http://www.peta.org/living/companion-animals/vegetarian-cats-and-dogs.aspx

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/25/vegan-pet-food-is-it-ok-t_n_178880.html

http://www.gluten-free-vegan-girl.com/2012/12/the-ultimate-vegan-pet-guide-vegan-dog-food-recipes.html

Good luck!

Aside by

celebs

[Celebs pictured: Natalie Portman, Russell Brand, Pamela Anderson, Milo Ventimiglia, Tobey Maguire,]

Did you know that going vegetarian is not only good for the animals, the environment, and your conscience – It’s good for YOU! The health benefits of being a vegetarian range from increased energy to keeping obesity away.

According to  the ADA,  vegetarians are at lower risk for developing:

  • Heart disease
  • Colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancers
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)

Everybody is different, but many people lose weight when switching to a meatless diet, so you could be looking at a thinner, more energetic you.  Another benefit is healthy skin. Diets rich in water-based and plant foods are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamins-ideal for healthier skin every season.  As well as lower blood pressure. Vegan and vegetarian diets can be naturally low in fat and sodium, helping reduce blood pressure and improve circulation instead. Lower risk of cancer is another benefit. With a diet rich in antioxidants, phytochemical, and vitamins, vegetarians naturally lower their risk of cancer and other diseases. Meat eaters, especially those that indulge in fatty meats are at a much higher risk of cancer.

And if you need a few more reasons : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/vegetarian-benefits?page=1

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/why-go-veg-learn-about-becoming-a-vegetarian/

“Humans are the only hunters who kill when not hungry” -Steven Spielberg

The Health Benefits of going Vegetarian + Vegie Celebs

Aside by

Many meat products are made out of cows, cows produce methane which is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas and is the second largest cause of greenhouse gases in our environment. This article further explains: http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/48663.aspx Because of the demand for meat being so high, we have slaughterhouses packed with these cows they are producing to grow up quickly to be sold for food. If we had less people eating meat, the environment would suffer less as well as the animals. I also found this article, which i though summed up some of the facts well: http://timeforchange.org/are-cows-cause-of-global-warming-meat-methane-CO2

~Tonight I leave you with a recipe for some tasty sandwiches~

Image

Meatless Sloppy Joes

you will need:

  • 1 bag Morning Star Farms Griller’s recipe Crumbles
  • 2/3 tbs vinegar
  • 1 small chopped onion (optional)
  • 2/3 tbs mustard
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2/3 tbs sugar
  • 1/4 BBQ sauce

Season meat imitation product with salt/pepper to taste. Brown the product with the chopped onion, heat to 165 degrees, as to directions on package. Combine BBQ sauce, sugar, ketchup, mustard, and vinegar in a bowl and add to the meat imitation product and onion. Reduce heat, let simmer 15 minutes. Allow 1 minute to cool, place on your choice of bread. Enjoy!

Meat is not “Green”

Aside by

ingredients

Looking up ingredients in food constantly comes with being a vegetarian, but its hard sometimes to tell what not to eat when you don’t even know what to look out for. Lots of non vegetarian ingredients can sneak into your diet in things like soups, candy, yogurt and frosting. There are many things to be conscious of when you’re grocery shopping, and the list goes on if you’re vegan. It’s hard to try to remember so many ingredients to look out for, but gets easier the more you do it. Some common ones to look out for when you’re skimming the ingredient list are: Gelatin, which is made of the connective tissue and other tissues from cow bones. This is found in things like gummy candy, jello, pop-tarts, and marshmallows. Rennet, which comes from the enzymes in a cow’s fourth stomach. Carmine which is dye made from the cochineal beetle.

Personally, I think if it has any food is made out of animal product it should have to have some kind of stamp to let everyone know what they are buying, but that’s not the way it is, so be sure to always read the ingredients or you could be unknowingly consuming animal product. Here is a list of 12 foods to look out for that you might have thought where vegetarian or vegan before. http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2011/05/09/12-seemingly-vegan-vegetarian-foods-that-really-arent/

Just because this is a strict diet doesnt mean it has to be boring, this is a great list of vegan friendly foods to keep in mind that even includes Oreo Cookies:

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/accidentally-vegan.aspx

English: Two regular Oreo cookies. Please chec...

English: Two regular Oreo cookies. Please check my Wikimedia User Gallery for all of my public domain works. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Happy Grocery Shopping!

Deciphering your Ingredients

Aside by

lisa_the_vegetarian

*Fair Warning* (The link below leads to a video that is very graphic and to some, rather disturbing, but i feel video is the best way to show you first hand what’s wrong with a situation.)

http://www.meat.org/

It’s unfortunate just how easy it is to do harm this way and support the production of animals for food: You’re driving and you get hungry, you have to be somewhere at a specific time so you need to be fast, right away your options are down to fast food, and from here, even if you don’t really want something that has meat in it, it’s cheaper to buy a few 99 cent hamburgers to fill you up. All at the sake of…convenience? If you’re interested in a vegetarian or vegan diet this link will send you a free started kit, give you free recipes and much more: http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/free-vegetarian-starter-kit.aspx

Still, getting stuck at through drive through is a common problem for those that abstain from eating meat. It’s not too hard to find a few veg friendly dishes at a restaurant but i find this usually happens while in a group;everyone wants to go to McDonald’s or Burger King. (unless all your friends are vegan.) Personally, i try to stay away from fast food all together, but in this situation I’m usually the one to compromise (ordering some altered version of a cheap sandwich or wrap) that’s never really too great. So this is no longer an issue, I’ve started packing munchies and snacks more frequently. As a vegetarian, I’ve learned pretty quickly to downsize a lot of my inconveniences, by making it a habit to almost always have some type of food with me, even if it’s just and energy bar. It’s definitely a bit of a challenge to be a vegetarian/vegan in our society, especially if you’re picky like me. Fast food and most restaurants are not customized to this type of diet and while there are some places that are, they are few and not usually as well-known. But the benefits of preparing your own snacks means you’re in charge of the ingredients. While others are stuck with the candy machine or questionable fast food, you’ve got a well-rounded healthy meal.

I’m a student who has practically no time, most of the time, so during the week I’m a fan of throwing together a quick vegetarian trail mix that i can put in a plastic baggie and keep in my purse or backpack throughout the day. This link has a few if you wanna mix up a bag: http://www.yummly.com/recipes/vegan-trail-mix

I also found these tips really helpful, for the times you do find yourself stuck in the drive through lane:

Is Convenience Still Worth It?

Aside by

Image

As most of us grew up, we were supporting and agreeing to a cruel lifestyle, eating meat as the foundation of most of our meals to be healthy, wearing leather jackets and shoes to be comfortable, as well as buying products that we were made sure were safe for us to use by first testing it on an unwilling animal.

For many of us though, to be an inhuman human being was not our goal, maybe your parents didn’t inform you on how that lamb chop got to your plate, maybe you love your pet but didn’t realize your perfume hurt an animal like it, and maybe now that you’re older and wiser and deciding what is right and wrong for yourself now you might like a little information on how to live without doing harm to animals.

This blog is dedicated to injustice towards animals in all forms, I will be uploading information that you might not have looked for on your own as well as put as many helpful tips as possible, mostly on how to deal if you decide to do away habits that could contribute to the hurt of animals, such as if you choose to go vegan, vegetarian, etc, which are indeed big lifestyle changes.

Reevaluating Yourself