Since my last post six months ago I have taken two classes- Contemporary Nutrition and Sports and Exercise Nutrition – at Rochester Institute of Technology. I also audited a medical pathophysiology course which focused primarily on diseases of the heart and cancers with relation to food and genetics and the like.  I have sat in on numerous other health lectures that were not presented in a vegan setting as well as those that were.  And most recently I attended a talk given by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Between the three classes and my own research and study, with regard to nutrition, I have finally been able to come up with what I have learned thus far is a healthy diet.  This isn’t the diet ‘I think’ is healthy. This isn’t the diet myPlate.gov thinks is healthy.  It isn’t what the media, fads, vegans, vegetarians, health gurus, juicers and labels tell me is healthy.  It’s just what is, thus far, my findings.  Here you go:

Part One:  What not to eat:

#1  For now do not purchase any food that came from a GMO source

At present time the list is as follows:  corn, beets, canola, soy, cottonseed, sugar, any sugar ingredient that ends in an ose.

Unless the above ingredients are labeled as organic or, in the case of sugar is labeled specifically as ‘cane sugar’ in all likelihood these ingredients have come from GMO sources.  Because the above ingredients may be listed on labels under a multitude of names that sound nothing like their source there are three ways to be 100% sure you have removed GMO’s from your diet:  only buy organic* for every single thing you buy and for every ingredient on the list (not very practical), look up each of the above ingredients on a website for persons who have allergies to these foods where you will find a list a mile long for each one of ingredients to avoid (cumbersome), eat whole unprocessed foods.

*remember that the criteria for organic in the United States is that only a percentage of ingredients need to be organic.  You can almost always bet the ingredients used from non-organic sources are GMO because those are the most economical.  The label must say 100% organic or else it is less than that.

#2 Limit or stop eating rice

Rice has now been associated with levels of arsenic.  I am still reading articles about that, and I am still eating rice because I have a lot left to eat.  But thus far it seems the best option is to replace it with another grain for now or, if you do buy rice purchase white rice.  As well rice from certain areas contains more arsenic than others.  You can read the consumer report here published last month:

Consumer Report on Rice

#3  Limit your exposure to aflatoxin

Know your carcinogens.  Aflatoxin is one of them as I learned in pathophysiology.  Aflatoxin is and I quote “. . .toxic and among the most carcinogenic substances known.”  Aflatoxin is primarily found in corn, cottonseed oil and nuts with peanuts at high risk for developing this fungus due to being grown low to the ground where moisture may collect.  Aflatoxin has also been found in dairy because cows are now fed corn (GMO by the way) and this comes from huge stockpiles where this fungus is able to breed abundantly before being fed to the cows.  The best way to avoid aflatoxin is by eating nuts immediately and not storing them.  Do not buy nuts in bulk.  Limit eating peanut butter that comes from moist climates.  Peanuts grown in hot dry climates like New Mexico are best and a nut butter from that region is available called Amaranth peanut butter but it is expensive.  I recommend a switch to other nuts if possible, limiting exposure to peanuts, corn and cottonseed oil.  Cottonseed oil is often found on the ingredients label in cans of nuts.  Finally, do not consume dairy for this and a host of other reasons.

#4  Know your carcinogens:  the most recent government report is below but I will list and explain important ones

Known carcinogenic substances

#5 Limit exposure to acrylamide

Acrylimide is formed when certain foods are cooked at high temperatures or are browned.  Foods which contain high amounts are coffee (because the beans have been roasted brown), any bread products that have been browned or toasted such as cold cereal, toast – the darker the more acrylamide forms, and in particular the french fry and the baked potato.  How to avoid acrylamide?  Try not toasting your bread or only toasting it lightly.  Make your own cereal or limit cereal or eat hot cereal instead such as oatmeal.  Cut the crusts off – a nice throw back to when we were kids.  Finally never eat or limit eating a potato that has been cooked above 248 degrees.  Potatoes are not off the menu because you can still boil them or steam them or eat them a soup.  Makes me feel like LOTR “Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew” but in all actuality it is very good advice!

Here is a link to more on acrylamide:

Acrylamide

#6 Never eat a french fry

Or at least limit your eating of french fries and all fried foods.  I learned in my pathophysiology class that the heating and reheating of oil is carcinogenic.  I have not found research to completely back this up so I would be open to opinions on this. But combine this with the fact that a french fry is already a high fat food that also contains high levels of acrylamide I don’t need to confirm this as true in order to take them off my menu.  Just don’t eat fried food for the reasons we know not to already.

#7 Do not drink alchohol

Or if you do, never drink more than one drink.  A research study took non-drinkers who had never drank and had them consume just 2 alcoholic beverage servings per day.  In less than one week tests showed they were already showing signs of fat in their liver that was not there before.  I learned this in my pathophysiology class.  I don’t have the study on hand and would love to find it.  The truth is that you can drink more and be fine, a lot more.  But liver disease can creep up with no warning meaning you can lose close to 90% of your liver function before you feel sick or have any signs or symptoms.  In other words by the time you sense something is wrong, it is too late.  Liver disease may be reversible but not if it has gone this far.  There are many other health reasons for not drinking alcohol that we are already aware of.

#8 Do not take supplements

Supplements are not regulated by the FDA.  Anyone can bottle a pill and sell it.  The FDA does not step in until after injury or death has occurred.  These companies self regulate and the ingredients are not checked for validity or potency.

Supplements are not needed.  If you need a supplement due to a medical or health reason then that is outside the realm on the subject of a healthy diet and I am not speaking of medical concerns here.  If you are taking a supplement because you think you are low in something, which you are probably not, then the appropriate course of action is to eat the food containing that nutrient.  Studies show that nutrients packaged in food are safer and more bioavailable than those packaged in a pill.  As well they contain substances vital to the nutrients not packaged in the pill.  Natural whole foods contain the nutrients in the proper dosage.  Most supplements boast an amount hundreds or thousands of times more than what is recommended.  The results of this will be negative.  Your body will have to get rid of it thus taxing your system.  If it is fat soluble you could actually poison yourself.  And if you have cancer the excess nutrients may be diverted to the cancer which has obvious negative implications.  I learned this last fact in pathophysiology.

# 9 Limit exposure to fats

In particular any fat that is solid or semi solid at room temperature.  These include animal fats therefore the eating of any ‘meat’ except for certain marine life, margarine, coconut oil, and hydrogenated oils.  When buying nut butters only buy the kind that has the oil sitting in liquid form on the top.  If that isn’t there then they have most likely used a hydrogenated oil which is solid at room temperature.  These fats contribute to LDL cholesterol and atherosclerosis.  When buying oils remember that these are highly processed.  Try to only buy oils that are minimally processed such as extra virgin olive oil.  Olive oils may be mixed with other oils and are not obliged to tell you this.  Buy from a reputable source.  I only buy California Ranch Olive Oil, the first press.  I also buy organic sunflower oil.

# 10 Do not eat simple sugars

Eat complex carbohydrates instead.  Simple sugars may cause tissues to become insulin resistant.  This is how adult type II diabetes forms.  Opt for whole grains as often as possible and avoid sugary treats.  When sugar is mandatory choose a natural unprocessed sugar.  Local maple syrup is a good choice.  It contains vitamins and minerals and the only processing from tree to bottle is boiling.

#11 Do not foods that contain toxins such as mercury as well as antibiotics, steroids, growth hormone and feces

Foods that contain these are fish with regard to toxins and farmed animals with regard to the rest.

Here is the quick list:

Do not eat or limit consumption of:

Corn, soy, canola, cottonseed oil, beets, sugar, ‘ose’ ingredients unless those ingredients are labeled organic

Rice – white is ok in moderation from certain areas

Old nuts and corn

Peanuts – unless grown in dry climate

Dairy

Cold store bought cereals, toast (the lighter the better), crust, coffee, potatoes unless boiled or steamed

Alcohol

Supplements

Processed fats (all oils except virgin pressed)

Fats that are solid at room temperature (butter, margarine, peanut butter with hydrogenated oil, coconut oil, meat, mayonnaise)

Simple sugars/white processed sugars

Fish

Animals

Next post is about what TO eat and ideas for recipes, dining out, holidays etc.

Feminism is a range of movements and ideologies with the goal to achieve women’s rights.  A feminist advocates for rights and equality.

A strange phenomenon is that women can become so ensconced  in the current culture that they are unable to see how they themselves contribute to the environment that pushes against women’s rights.

I have a 23 year old son who is extremely perceptive. We drove by a road construction site the other day and he pointed out the Men At Work sign.  He told me this was sexist because he has seen women doing road construction as well.  I had never thought about that.  Here I am a female and it never even crossed my mind.

I went home and Googled Women At Work signs.  I couldn’t find any.  There are gender neutral signs.  The only Women At Work signs I could find were mockery.

I have a question.

Why are there Men At Work signs where both men and women work, gender neutral signs where both men and women work, but no Women At Work signs where both men and women work?  My guess is that most people would have stopped at ‘why don’t they just use gender neutral signs?’ but would not have thought to ask for Women At Work signs regardless of a mixed gender environment.

“So now the perception is, yes, women are here to stay.  And when I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court]? And I say when there are nine, people are shocked.  But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that, “

~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Rare for a man or a woman to think that any organization not specifically for females should be represented only by females.  Why?  

Why have I never wondered about the Men At Work signs?

For the past five years I have finally begun to question everything.  I realize that I may be part of the problems I wish to eliminate.  I set out to discover who I really am even if that meant not liking what I found out about myself.

What do I do as a female that simply follows the ideologies of our culture with respect to females?  How do I contribute to the damaging effects, even without my knowledge; subconsciously?  And how can I bring into my field of vision the things I am blind to?  If a bold lettered sign does not even register with me, what else does not register with me that should?

I watched a simple video of a mother cow who had just given birth.  I did not know that in order for me to have milk on the grocery store shelf, a female cow must either be pregnant or must have just given birth.  The baby cannot have the milk because then there would not be enough left for humans to consume. I watched the desperation as the baby was placed into a wheel-barrel and hauled off.  I heard the noises of their cries.  I saw the look in the eyes of the baby.  I learned that the mother’s mourning may go on for days.  After watching that simple video I Googled some of the other industry standards of which I was unaware.

Females are what keep the animals as food industry going. Their bodies are the necessary vessels kept in a constant cycle of rape, pregnancy, and slaughter once they can no longer produce milk for example. This means that many of these females are pregnant when sent to slaughter and it does not matter how far along in pregnancy they are when sent.  It is common for a baby to born of the gutting process still alive.  Please click here to read about FBS or Fetal Bovine Serum and Slink Leather to find out some of the things these babies are put through in their short and unloved lives.  The babies are sometimes born alive because an animal must be kept alive during slaughter. The hammer to the head is not to be humane.  It is because the heart must continue to pump to let the blood out.  If the animal were conscious it would thrash and fight for its life and the slaughterhouse worker would not be able to efficiently drag the knife across the throat and then down the underbelly where the organs and the live baby will spill out; the trash of the industry.

The rape rack

What is so astounding about the animals as food industry is that females are the linchpin of its continuous and eternal cycle. I am not talking about the female animals here.  I am talking about you and me, the human females.

The industry is so confident that you and I will dismiss anything the animal agriculture industry does to females that they do not even hide the fact that they are raping the animals.  The term rape rack is the common term for the apparatus that holds the female body in place as she is inseminated.  You may look up what a cow must go through to be inseminated.  Or what other animals placed upon the rack go through.

We don’t mind it.  We don’t mind that these female animals must endure being forever pregnant just as soon as they are able.  We don’t mind that as soon as their babies are born they are taken away either as garbage, killed on the spot, abandoned, or sent to a veal box or to to serve a similar fate as their mother.  We don’t care that these mothers do care.  That animal babies are born with their brains fully developed – an anatomical impossibility for a human who stands upright with a narrow birth canal – and therefore these babies are aware.  We either don’t care because we either don’t know or, once we do know, we continue not to care.  We hold steadfast to tradition because that’s how we were raised and we are given every reason to justify it just as any discriminatory practice has its group that will not, can not be moved.

Click here to read the story of a mother cow and what she did for her child. They are aware. They care.

We have been so indoctrinated not to even think about females and motherhood in any other way other than what our culture has presented to us that we have no problem putting the breast milk of another mother into our mouths and away from the child for whom it was intended; away from a mother who did not consent to either the pregnancy or the taking of her breast milk.

We eat breasts.

We also eat the ovum of other females.

We eat their bodies.  We eat their children.

We eat with no thought or care.  Which is exactly how the industry wants us.

Worse, we teach it to our children.

And worst:  we defend these practices. We are the advocates for this industry that essentially enslaves females into motherhood and then tosses all of them to the kill floor.

We will say anything necessary to continue to eat the bodies, the babies, the breasts, the breast milk, and the ovum of these females.  We will even ostracize any female we meet that does not partake of these things.  We call them derogatory names and believe the stereotypes of those who do not eat the parts and pieces of other females.

Why do animals matter?  Because the ability to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others, to participate in inequality and discrimination (we would never treat our dogs or cats the way we treat food animals on the nicest of ‘farms’) is where misogyny comes from.  The ability to say because you are (female) (cow) (pig) (fish), a thing of which you cannot help, you do not deserve equal consideration.

People do get confused about rights.  Equal rights means if you are human you should have the same rights as another human.  If you are non-human animal you should have the same rights as other animals.  Rights are what we are all born with.  The right to live and die naturally, to consent to the use of our bodies, and to be free.  Rights are not given – they are taken away but the right is still there.  A dog does not have the right to drive a car anymore than a man has the right to breathe under water with gills.  But should a dog have the right to be a dog and not a food?  A fish to be a fish and not a food?  A man a man and not a slave?

Simply because we were women, a thing of which we can not help, we were denied rights.

Simply because a cow is born a cow or a chicken is born a chicken, a thing of which they cannot help, we deny them their rights.  We deny rights based on what body you are born into.

If we would not put a dog on a rape rack, force them to remain constantly pregnant, take their babies from them, and send them to slaughter when they could no longer give birth or produce milk then why do we do it to cows?  Why do we farm any female animal?

Breasts and breast milk: what are these things for and for who?

Ovum: what is this for and who does it belong to?

Bodies:  what should and should not be done to a female body without her consent?

Babies:  what is a baby for and who does the baby belong to?

If our answers are different depending on what ‘body’ the living being was born into, but the answers could be the same, then are we gratifying an industry that lives and breathes on the exploitation of the female body?

I know it’s hard to see it.  That is why brainwashing and propaganda work so well – because we don’t know that we are brainwashed when we are.

Females are the most vulnerable and yet the most powerful.  They are the ghosts in the animal agriculture machine.  So innocent.  So vulnerable.  So eternally abused with no regard.

If every female took a stand against the use of any female body anywhere then the world would change.

We get to choose with whom we will bring children into the world, if at all.  We get to teach those children.  We get to say no.  We get to teach our sons that to be a man is not to harm other mothers but to be a man is to protect all mothers.  There is no more strength than this:  A man who has weaned himself from the breast milk of an innocent female who has never harmed him and who does not think it his right to chew on her breasts, her ovum, her body, or her children’s bodies.

“Power is when we have every justification to kill, and we don’t.” Oskar Schindler

To protect is strength.

When strength is defined as violence and we accept this then we are part of the problem.  When we partake in this violence, teach it to our children, and even defend it we are not just a part of the problem.  We are the problem.

The problem is discrimination.  And until we no longer participate in it on any level we will never succeed in solving any particular brand of discrimination.

~Peace and PS my son is 23 years old, 6’2″ tall, 185 pounds, healthy, happy, and vegan.  No wonder he saw ‘the sign(s)’.

I have heard people describe their friend, family member, or even their own child as a pain, picky, ridiculous, making things hard on the family, or causing problems because they decided to go vegan.

Your daughter, your family member, your friend or loved one has decided not to eat animals or their products anymore most likely because they realize that what happens to all animals used for food is horrible for that animal.  And you fully understand.  Here is how:

You care about animals.  Most people care about at least one animal so I will choose dogs as the example.  Would you ever describe yourself as a pain, picky, ridiculous, making things hard on the family or a problem maker if you decide:

Not to eat dog or dog gravy

Not to eat dog breast milk or dog ovum

Of course not because that is an animal that you care about.  You’re not picky or a pain. You are someone who cares.  You would never be ok with eating a dog or its milk or eggs and especially knowing that all animals used for food including milk and egg animals are slaughtered.  Especially not if you have ever witnessed such slaughter . . .

My guess is you would not gather around the dead body of a dog with bread stuffed inside of it for a holiday meal.  And you would never see yourself as separating yourself from the family.  You would see it as the family separating from you for doing such a thing and expecting you to be part of it.

Same dog as below, one year after rescue.  Age 13 today alive and healthy.

You care about animals.  You know what it feels like especially when you see how some people treat dogs.  It hurts your heart.  It’s so disturbing.

So if you’re not a pain because you won’t eat an animal that you care about, then why is someone else a pain when they won’t?

What we have here is a person who cares just the same as you.  But you are not treating your friend, family member or loved one the same way you expect them to treat you.  You do not expect anyone to serve you dog.  Because you care about dogs.  You do not expect to sit around the table where a dog is on a platter in the middle.  But you expect someone you love to do so; to sit at a table where the dead body of an animal they care about is laid out.  You expect them to eat foods that contain only a ‘little’ of the animals they care about.  But would you eat a lasagna with only a little bit of dog in it?  Or a soup with only a little bit of a dog’s breast milk in it?  Especially knowing this meant death for both that mother dog and her baby?  As all milk and egg animals are sent to the kill floor of the slaughterhouse after a few short years of life, often decades short of their normal nature given lifespan.

Why is it ok for you to act like a vegan with respect to the animals you care about, but not ok for a vegan to act the exact same way about the animals they care about? Is it because the animals they care about are not the same animals that you care about?  That you will not recognize the same feelings in someone else as valid unless they are about the exact same thing?  In reality, they are the exact same thing:  an animal.

This new vegan in your life is no different from you.  They are simply caring about all animals instead of just a few.  And you can easily relate because inside of us all are these same feelings for animals that we care about.  This is your chance to value your friend or family member and to show them that you are equitable.  That you will not expect them to gather around or eat an animal they care about because you would never ever be ok with someone expecting that of you.

To relate to your new friend simply put a dog, or any animal you truly care about, into the scenario.  Ask yourself: Would I be ok with that?  If not, don’t expect your friend or loved one to be ok with it either.

What to do when someone you know goes vegan?  Just treat them the same way you want to be treated.  You are a wonderful person, a caring person, and I promise your friendship or relationship will blossom and not be hindered so long as we stick to what is probably the most important principle also known as the Golden Rule:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

You are wonderful.  You are kind.  You care.  And you are important to your new vegan person.  They love you and hope you will understand.  I know it’s hard because I have been on both sides but really, we are on the same side.  And that is what I hope for all wonderful kind relatives and friends of vegans to see.  That we are the same and the difference between us is only in how many animals we care about and not that we care or how we care.  The caring and how we feel about animals is exactly the same.  The person who identifies as vegan is simply saying “I care about them all in the same way I used to truly care about only a few”.

~Peace

What’s good to eat?

Kid friendly snacks:

Pretzel Time soft pretzels (frozen section)
Vegan potstickers (frozen organic section )
PB and J
chips and hummus or salsa
Frozen banana or grapes
Tofuttu cuties ice cream sandwiches (organic section)
Cliff bars (organic section)
Cherry kitchen cake or cookie mix (organic section)
Oetkers chocolate frosting (organic section)
Bagels toasted with dairy free margarine
Shaved ice or icees
Cereal with dairy free milk
Oreos are vegan
Dairy free dark chocolate
Dried fruits and nuts
Dairy free crackers and jam
French fries

Etc

Not all of those snacks are healthy but they are a small sampling of how many kid friendly easy to have on hand snacks there are.

Happy eating!

I am on my way to Farm Sanctuary (click here).  This is a home for farmed animals that have been rescued from abuse and abandonment.  They are for the first time in their lives given the love and care that all living creatures deserve.  I am taking lots of tissue.  I know I am going to cry tears of sadness mixed with tears of hope and joy.

Happy eating!

I want to tell you a story about a girl whose strength and will overcame the worst suffering and brutal treatment imaginable.  Her name was Hilda.

She was destined to be nothing more than a slave and commodity.  Taken from her family at birth she lived a life where suffering and being treated as an object were the only two things she knew.  Once she was deemed unproductive Hilda was tossed out with the garbage.  Yes, they knew she was still alive when they quite literally threw her away.  And the garbage pile they tossed her onto was a pile of other dead.  There were no laws against treating her this way, in fact it is just standard procedure.  Left to die a painful lonely death, this is the rest of her story:

“Twenty-five years ago, while investigating the Lancaster Stockyards, I came upon a pile of dead animals. They were covered in feces and crawling with maggots. 

As I stepped back in horror, one sheep raised her head and looked at me.   

I lifted her off the pile of rotting carcasses and rushed her to a veterinarian. There was nothing seriously wrong with her — she had collapsed from the trauma of being transported to the stockyard in a packed and sweltering truck. Yet she had been thrown away like garbage. Within an hour she was up, drinking thirstily and nosing around for a little grass. 

I named her Hilda.  

And with her rescue, I knew I had to do something to stop the terrible mistreatment of animals on factory farms. That’s when Farm Sanctuary was born.” ~ Gene Baur -President and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary

Hilda lived for another ten years.  Her will to survive helped to create one of the greatest places on this planet, the Farm Sanctuary.  After what people did to her she never held a bitterness in her heart.  She was a happy girl who loved people unconditionally.  How many of us could be the same way?  My friends, there is something special about these animals and so much we can learn from them.  Please take a moment to remember Hilda and give praise to all living things who have the will to survive the harshest of the harsh and are yet able to keep strong their heart and love regardless.  Please, remember Hilda.

Rest in Peace Hilda – you will never be forgotten!

You can read more about Farm Sanctuary in my post “My Trip to Farm Sanctuary” here.

Farm Sanctuary has three locations and one happens to be less than two hours away from me in Watkins Glen, New York.

The People Barn and B&B at Farm Sanctuary in the distance

A glorious day at the Sanctuary

• To see the animals you must take a tour which lasts about one hour.  The cost is five dollars per person and the first tour begins at 11:00am.  You purchase your tickets in The People Barn.  Prior to the tour a short video will be shown.  You may preview the video here.

Start your Farm Sanctuary experience here

• There is a gift shop which offers many vegan snacks and drinks.  If you bring food with you, it must not contain animals or insects or their products, such as eggs or dairy, out of respect to the animals.
• Do not wear shoes that you like.  You might step in poop. 

Lots of room to roam and eat a natural diet

Now that’s what I call HAPPY!

• Hand sanitizer and clean bathrooms are available

• This is family friendly so bring the kids.  Before bringing them please let them know that this is not a petting zoo or a farm.  This is a sanctuary.  Sanctuary means ‘sacred place’ or ‘safe haven’.  These animals are now safe and need to be made to feel safe at all times.  They have survived the abuses of the food industry. We are visitors in their home.

Goats can remember up to 50 faces. One may remember you the next time you visit. They actually get sad when the tour group leaves. At first they are nervous but quickly crowd around as they want to be your friend.

• You can bring companion animals (dogs) but they are not allowed on the tour and they do not want you to leave them unattended or in your hot car.  In other words find someone nice to let your dog out for the day!

Turkeys are not meant to be this color or grow as rapidly as we make them grow. As a result they can barely walk.

A lovely Tom who also can barely walk due both to his size and having his toes cut off. This is done without anesthesia while the Tom is still very young.

Toes are cut back to the first knuckle with scissors and no anesthesia.

To learn more about the treatment of turkeys click here.

Did you know pigs love to eat grass and root for insects? They are bred to be white and as a result will burn in the sun without sunblock.

Pigs are friendly and loving and smart. They are as smart as dogs and know their own names.

Pigs are inquisitive!

Pigs love to wallow in mud not because they are dirty but because they have very few sweat glands. It helps to keep them cool. Thus the phrase’ Sweatin’ like a pig’ should be changed to ‘Sweatin’ like a human’ unless you’re trying to say you don’t sweat much. . .or that you have just covered yourself in mud.

To learn more about the treatment of pigs, click here

These lovely ladies have endured hardships and horrors beyond what I could ever imagine. And yet this girl allows me the privilege and honor of touching her and she even gives me a smile.

To read more about dairy cattle and animal treatment in general, click here.

• Located within an hour or so you can visit the Corning Museum of Glass where all kids ages 19 and under get in for free or make your way to Watkins Glen and hike the Gorge or have a picnic at Havana Glen Falls.  The wonderful woman in the Watkins Glen Visitor’s Center will tell you all you need to know about the Gorge, Havana falls and anything else to do in the area.  She’s great!

Hiking the Gorge!

• If you hike the Gorge it is located right in the village of Watkins Glen.  It is walking distance from the Harbor Hotel, just 11 blocks away.  The path is well maintained with a ton of stairs and goes straight up about 50% of the time for 1.5 miles.  You will pass around 30 water falls so it’s worth it!  You can take the Indian trail back if you don’t want to walk back down all those stairs or if you want to avoid all the crowds of people.  You can take a shuttle up and walk down or walk up and take a shuttle back.  The best time to go is in the morning before the trail gets packed with people.  Also the best time of year is in Spring when all of the waterfalls are flowing.  They dry up as the season progresses. Depending on crowds, someone of average health can do the hike both up and down in under two hours easily.  If you are in good shape it will take less than one hour but all of the people may block your way and affect your pace.

• If you want to picnic at Havana Falls just drive on the 14 until you get to Havana Glen Park – about a 15 minute drive from Watkins Glen – and turn into the campground.  It’s two dollars to park.  It’s a two minute walk to the falls.  There is a pool at the bottom you can swim in at your own risk.  The area is small so I fear it could get pretty packed with people on a hot weekend.  When we were there we practically had it all to ourselves.

• Watkins Glen caters well to folks who don’t eat animals or their products
  

• The bakery offers vegan breads, cookies and bars.  I highly recommend the peanut butter cookies, the oat bars, and the amazing hearty white bread!  It is walking distance from the Harbor Hotel.

Glen Mountain Bakery and Market

• The Glen Harbor hotel has a red pepper hummus with fresh baked bread and veggies for 12 dollars and a homemade veggie burger and fries for 10 dollars.  I highly recommend this hotel if you want romance – the views of the harbor are beautiful, the pool and jacuzzi clean and warm, the rooms beautifully appointed with the most comfortable beds and linens in the world!  They offer turn-down service, environmentally friendly toiletries and will bring the coffee bar up to each floor so you needn’t get dressed and go to the lobby in order to wake up – just throw on the luxurious white robe they offer.  But don’t keep it or you will see an extra 75 dollars per robe on your final tab!

The beautiful Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel

Morning twilight – view from our fourth floor room

• The Wildflower Cafe, also walking distance from the Harbor Hotel, has vegan ribs called Moonrose rib $9.95, a portabello mushroom burger $10.95 , black bean burger $8.95 and an eggplant panini $8.95 as well as amazing french fries, sweet potato fries and onion strings. They also serve a veggie penne with asparagus, roasted tomatoes, garlic and spinach for $15.95  They try to use as many local products as possible and coffee is fairly traded and organic.

The Wildflower Cafe

• The Good Food Grocery located on 4rth street a few blocks down from the main street is a natural food market

• The Great Escape ice cream shop has vegan soft serve vanilla with tons of vegan toppings and 24 vegan swirl-in flavors

  The Great Escape located walking distance from the Gorge – just go right, it will be within one block. Great way to cool down after a good hike!

I dedicate this blog to two very brave beings.  I dedicate this blog to Hilda, the little sheep who started it all (Farm Sanctuary).  Hilda may you rest in peace and I am so sad I never got to meet you.

I also dedicate this blog to my fiance, a brave man who knows that strength is kindness and is not afraid to be kind always.

“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” ~Raymond Lindquist

My courageous partner!

Kevin at Farm Sanctuary

~Peace

“Victims are prodded into the killing stall with a high voltage electric prod. According to a visitor to a slaughterhouse, the cows are fully aware of what lies ahead. The physical symptoms of terror were painfully evident on the faces of every animal. During the 40 seconds to a minute that each animal had to wait in the killing stall before losing consciousness, the terror became visibly more intense. The animal could smell the blood, and see his or her former companions in various stages of dismemberment”. Cows too sick or injured to stand are known as downers. They may be dragged with chains to the killing floor, or left to die without food or water.”
~By law, cows must be stunned before slaughter by having their skulls smashed with a metal bolt. But the procedure is imprecise and workers are under constant pressure to keep up the speed of the production line. As a result, many cows are still conscious when they are hoisted by a hind leg, breaking bones and tearing ligaments in the process, and their throats are cut and dismemberment begins. In the words of a former slaughterhouse worker; “On bad days, dozens of animals reached my station clearly alive and conscious. Some would survive as far as the tail cutter, the belly ripper, the hide puller. “They die piece by piece.”  ~ C A L F

Please stop eating cows.  It isn’t just good for the cow.  It is good for you too.  Red meat is not healthy.  There is no reason for humans to eat it.

Happy eating!

Anyone who sees this movie or reads these books will probably (hopefully) be appalled by any society that could get to the point where watching children kill each other for adult entertainment is acceptable.  Not only acceptable but part of the cultural norm to the point of tradition looked upon with as much anticipation as we would Thanksgiving or Christmas.

How does any society get to this point?  It isn’t anything new.  You will find similar ‘shows’ in history such as the bloody battles that took place in the Roman Colosseum.   This was all very normal for people to watch one man kill another for entertainment and pleasure.  It was accepted because it was fun to watch and those Romans were bored.  They needed something to do on a Friday night dammit!

Which leads my mind to the very obvious connection of food, pleasure and cultural norms.

No one needs to watch children killing each other for entertainment or to watch one man kill another just because they find it pleasurable.  There are other better forms of entertainment and pleasure.

And so it is with food.  No animal needs to live a life confined from birth to death by humans filled with terror and abuse and have it end in slaughter merely because we find pleasure in eating them.  There is pleasure to be had in other foods. There are other ways to entertain our friends for a dinner party.

There is not much difference between the Hunger Games, the Roman Colosseum and driving through McDonald’s or serving up a meatloaf or chicken breast or bacon at home.  Well, there is just one.  Animals cannot tell you with words how much they are suffering right now.  But I can tell you this – they know.  They feel.  They weep.  They suffer.  They scream and they cry and they moan.  They die a slow horrible death from the moment they are born.  Why?  For our pleasure. . . .

But not for mine.

If you don’t believe me just go on youTube and search animal cruelty.  This is the real deal.  This is where most of our ‘meat’ (I like to call them animals) comes from.  And even when they don’t come from these hells on earth they still suffer.  Torn from their mothers at birth, denied their own mother’s milk, sent to their deaths decades before they would die naturally and even on organic farms these animals when sent to their deaths are piled on death trains in sweltering conditions stuffed in such that they arrive half dead already, bones broken, dehydrated.  They are pulled out as if they are already carcasses and thrown and tossed around like . . meat.  But I am here to tell you that they are no more ‘meat’ than you or I are.  No more than your dog or cat.  They are as intelligent as your dog.  And as loving.  Is this any way for any living thinking breathing feeling loving creature to be treated?

I really do hope anyone would know the answer to that question.

Some would call this bacon. I call it pigs, who if you ever get to know one are so loving and playful and as intelligent as a dog, who are being abused. They have no room and this is the least of their suffering. What do you call these animals?

These are dairy cows. Some call this milk. I call this the worst kind of stealing. Stealing the milk of one species for ourselves and denying every single baby cow its own milk. Did you know that? Well we can’t let the baby cows have it because we want it! I call this a crime. And the abuses suffered by dairy cows are horrific. Look it up. What do you call this?

Happy eating!

What’s good to eat?

Kid friendly snacks:

Pretzel Time soft pretzels (frozen section)
Vegan potstickers (frozen organic section )
PB and J
chips and hummus or salsa
Frozen banana or grapes
Tofuttu cuties ice cream sandwiches (organic section)
Cliff bars (organic section)
Cherry kitchen cake or cookie mix (organic section)
Oetkers chocolate frosting (organic section)
Bagels toasted with dairy free margarine
Shaved ice or icees
Cereal with dairy free milk
Oreos are vegan
Dairy free dark chocolate
Dried fruits and nuts
Dairy free crackers and jam
French fries

Etc

Not all of those snacks are healthy but they are a small sampling of how many kid friendly easy to have on hand snacks there are.

Happy eating!

Einstein 2000 – 2016 Forever in our hearts. 

I dedicate this blog post to every animal who has ever passed through this earth.  Countless trillions upon trillions came and went without ever seeing the sun, knowing one fresh day of spring, walking with their feet upon the grass or swimming in the ocean, or having one moment without unnecessary pain or suffering; all due to a complete lack of human kindness or consideration.

In particular I dedicate this post to my Einstein (in the photo above) the glorious and wonderful dog no one wanted to give a home to because he was in bad shape and already 13 years old when he was rescued from a life of abuse.

Einstein was only with us for 2 years and 8 months.  I am forever changed by his presence in my life. I will never forget you buddy.

Go vegan.  For goodness sake do not wait another day.  Because every second of every single hour every animal from deer to fish, dog to pig, elephant to cow is being slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands, which translates to thousands per second.  The stats are available online from a variety of sources.

Don’t wait another day.  Do not even wait another second.  Now is the time.  You are important to this world and only you can change it.  Only you can remove the cruelty from this world and the lives of others and in its place put kindness.  This is your gift to the world.  The world is waiting.

~Peace

You may have a negative reaction upon learning that a friend or family member has become vegan.  You might feel that this new vegan is being a pain, picky, ridiculous, or is making things difficult for your family, especially with respect to traditions around the holiday times.

Your friend or family member has decided not to eat animals or their products likely because they have learned that what happens to all animals used for food is horrible for those animals.  They have also learned that human beings do not need to eat animals or any of their products to be healthy.

Most people care about at least some animals.  Would you ever describe someone as a pain, picky, ridiculous, or as making things difficult just because they choose not to eat dogs?  Or dog’s breast milk or ovum?

Would you be willing to gather with your family around the headless lifeless body of a slaughtered dog in celebration of a holiday?  Even if it was tradition to do so?  Would you be able to enjoy your meal?  Especially knowing that your family or friends believe that you are somehow in the wrong or odd for caring about that dog’s life?  Indeed some may even find your predicament funny and laughable.

You know how it feels when the animals you care about are treated with cruelty and indifference.  It hurts the heart.  It is so disturbing.

Einstein one year after rescue above.  Einstein before rescue below.

Before rescue

If you do not consider yourself in the wrong for refusing to eat an animal that you care about, refusing to even sit at a table where an animal is being served such as the dog in the photo above, then why consider someone else a pain when they refuse to do the exact same thing that you refuse to do:  to sit at a table where others are dining on an animal they care about.

Vegans and animal eaters are exactly the same.  The only difference is that the animal eater does not think a vegan should care about the animals that the animal eater does not care about.  The animal eater believes that only the animals they care about matter.

Every animal eater has in their mind a certain group of animals that matter and they will fiercely defend those animals.  The ferocity of an animal eater with respect to the animals they care about is often extreme and even to the point of violence against humans.  Search any article or post about an abused dog and read the comments.  Death and torture are commonly wished upon someone who ill treats a dog.  But rape, torture, and slaughter alive billions of farm animals every year and it is the vegan who will receive the ill will of the animal eater for caring about those animals. The vegan is not allowed to act like a vegan unless it is for the exact same animals an animal eater cares about. The animal eater  is in charge of when it is ok to feel caring for animals and when it is not.

What if someone were in charge of when you could care about a dog or a cat and when you could not?  This breed has good meat so it is ok to farm and slaughter that breed.  But this breed is more intelligent according to human standards so that breed is great for pets. The dog eater tells you when you can care and advocate and be upset and when you cannot.  The dog eater has every explanation and justification for why it is ok to kill one breed of dog but not another breed of dog.

All of us are vegan with respect to the animals we care about.  The only difference between someone who is vegan and someone who is not vegan is simply the amount of animals they care about.  But the feelings, reactions, and what we find acceptable versus unacceptable are the same.

This is your chance to value your friend or family member and to show them that you are equitable.  That you will not expect them to gather around or eat an animal or an animal’s products they care about because you would never be ok with someone expecting that of you.  You would not be ok with eating the breast milk or ovum of a dog especially knowing that they too are slaughtered and their children also are slaughtered.

Traditions are not more important than family and friendship.  Traditions can and should evolve. Your loved ones feelings should matter more to you than insisting upon serving a slaughtered animal that your loved one cares about.  That choice should be simple if you truly love and care about this person.

The new tradition with respect to holidays should be to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

You are wonderful.  You are kind.  You care.  You are important to the new vegan person in your life.  They love you and hope you will understand because they know that you care about animals too. They know you would never eat an animal or its products that you care about . They are hoping that you will not expect them to do what you would never do.

The way we feel about the animals we care about is exactly the same.  The person who identifies as vegan is simply saying “I realize that I care about all in the same way I used to care about only a few”.

Just as you realize you care about all breeds of dogs with respect to slaughter and abuse and not just a few.

~Peace