A silly song which answers the perpetual question of the uninitiated when they learn you are a vegan.

As found on Earth Muffin.

Happy Friday!

~ Quirky Vegan

So you’ve done it, you’ve come over to the dark side. You’ve said goodbye to animal products, you wear pleather, and now you’re fully signed up to vegan life.

Is there a special handshake or something? An initiation ceremony? A doctrine?

Mmmm, no. You might like to join the Vegan Sociey or an animal advocacy organisation [...]]]> Greetings fellow travellers,

So you’ve done it, you’ve come over to the dark side. You’ve said goodbye to animal products, you wear pleather, and now you’re fully signed up to vegan life.

Is there a special handshake or something? An initiation ceremony? A doctrine?

Mmmm, no. You might like to join the Vegan Sociey or an animal advocacy organisation like Viva! That’s about it. You’ve made this huge decision become a conscientious objector to cruelty and now you’re pretty much on your own. Well I’m here. I’m cheering for you!

But I’m also here to hold your hand through those baby steps of being a vegan newbie. And I’ll let you into a secret. It’s the secret of the most difficult thing about being a vegan. It’s got nothing to do with protein or calcium or B12 or anything like that.

Here it is:

The most difficult thing about being vegan is how other people react to it and how you handle those reactions.

Firstly, you can’t do anything about how people react. There is a whole cultural and sociological code of behaviours and you have just snipped a little hole in that and stepped outside. It’s like you’re outside the matrix. You don’t compute. You challenge. You threaten. Without doing anything. Simply by not doing something that everyone else is doing. Don’t worry, that’s a good thing.

Be prepared to hear the same remarks over and over when your veganism comes up. You will come up against some hostility, some praise, but mostly lot of ignorance. I am not saying that to belittle anyone, it is still a fact that in the UK at least, less than 1% of the population is estimated to be vegan, so can you really blame people for thinking it’s a bit “out there”?

Secondly, you can do a lot for the vegan movement by how you react to questions about your lifestyle. It might be that your friends and family think it is just a phase. If you live with your parents, you could come up against conflicts, especially if they are concerned that you are not eating healthily. You might have friends who make a big deal over eating meat in front of you, saying how delicious it is (ask them to give it a rest and if they continue to act like fools, then do you really want to be friends with them?). You might also have friends who never even thought that veganism was anything to do with them but now they know a vegan are questioning their assumptions.

Continue to educate yourself about vegan issues. Vegan Freaks is a great place to start. Answer questions succinctly and try not to get too mad with your friends when they appear to hear what you are saying – and then order the bacon panini anyway! Incidentally, meal times are not a great time to discuss vegan issues (unless you’re all eating vegan food!), so try and postpone the conversation if it comes up when you’re eating.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, keep planting seeds and nurturing those kernels of wisdom and see what grows.

Try not to lecture or preach to your entourage. If you need a platform to vent your vegan angst, keep a journal or a blog, or chat to a vegan pal about it. No vegan friends? Get on Facebook or Twitter and join some vegan groups. Join Vegan Forum. Get online, find out if there is anything locally. If we can get something going in the back of beyond there is hope for you!

It’s great to have you here.

~ Quirky Vegan

P.S. Maybe we should have some sort of initiation ceremony? I’ll get back to you on that one!

Today’s Mystery Ingredient Monday is brought to you by:

Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Animal vegetable or mineral? These fall into the vegetable category and are therefore vegan. Hooray!

What are they used in? You can sprinkle nutritional yeast flakes into soup or on top of veggie bolognaise for a cheesy, nutty taste.

What kind of nutritional value do [...]]]> Greetings fellow travellers,

Today’s Mystery Ingredient Monday is brought to you by:

Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Animal vegetable or mineral? These fall into the vegetable category and are therefore vegan. Hooray!

What are they used in? You can sprinkle nutritional yeast flakes into soup or on top of veggie bolognaise for a cheesy, nutty taste.

What kind of nutritional value do they provide? A good source of B vitamins and well as phosphorus, magnesium and folic acid. If you are trying to conceive, a high folic acid intake is important as it lowers the chances of neural tube defects.

Cashew nut and red pepper spread.

Soak 100g of cashew nuts overnight. Drain and blend with half a red pepper and 1 tablespoon of nutrititional yeast. Spread on bread and enjoy!

~ Quirky Vegan

An intriguing commentary popped up in the Times Online this week, in an article called I’ve no beef with part time vegetarians. Ultimately each person much decide what is acceptable for themself, but the entire article for me folded on the following statement:

A much-neglected downside of not eating meat is the presumptuousness and [...]]]> Greetings fellow travellers,

An intriguing commentary popped up in the Times Online this week, in an article called I’ve no beef with part time vegetarians. Ultimately each person much decide what is acceptable for themself, but the entire article for me folded on the following statement:

A much-neglected downside of not eating meat is the presumptuousness and rudeness of expecting people to cook entirely different meals for you at your behest. Frankly, sometimes an animal sacrifice — and, for that matter, your principles and global warming — are a worthwhile price to pay for politeness.

Whoa, hold on a minute. You can always offer to take your own food. You can always eat beforehand. You can make people aware of what you eat without being rude and demanding about it. And to state that slaughter of innocent animals and the destruction of the planet is a worthwhile price to pay for politeness (read: conformity to social norms) – is completely ludicrous. I hope that the writer had his tongue in his cheek when writing this, but suspect he was serious.

There are so many stereotypes out there about vegans. We’re either saints living in selfless self denial for the animals, or terrorists, or anti-social bores. Of course there are vegans who are these things, just as there are people with these tendancies in the general population. And since, statistically, there are so few of us, not that many people know many vegans, so these sort of sterotypes stick.

But the times they are a changing, I’m sure of it

~ Quirky Vegan

Greetings fellow travellers,

I saw this on My Face is on Fire and it gave me a good old chuckle. A vegan? Some kind of alien?!

Enjoy!

~ Quirky Vegan

P.S. Do you know what a vegan is? Click here for the answer!

Greetings fellow travellers,

Here I share a few thoughts on the dairy industry and why I choose not to support the mistreatment of animals inherent within.

“I don’t get what’s wrong with milk and dairy products,” the Pole Dance said to me, “I mean, I understand why you don’t want to [...]]]>

Dairy cows: a free range animal?

Greetings fellow travellers,

Here I share a few thoughts on the dairy industry and why I choose not to support the mistreatment of animals inherent within.

“I don’t get what’s wrong with milk and dairy products,” the Pole Dance said to me, “I mean, I understand why you don’t want to eat meat, but why don’t you eat dairy products?”

I have what I call “potted answers”. So here is the potted answer I gave to the Pole Dancer.

“Well, to produce milk, the cows have to be made pregnant. And then the calves are taken away and either killed outright, or raised for veal, or raised as dairy cows themselves.”

“Why do the cows have to be made pregnant?”

“Well, you know how mums produce milk to breastfeed their babies, but you and I haven’t had a baby lately so we don’t have milk in our breasts? It’s the same for cows.”

Now don’t go thinking that Pole Dancer is stupid, because she isn’t at all. It says more about how detached we are from how our food is actually produced than about her intellect. You’d be surprised how many people don’t realise how animal products come into being.

So, to produce milk, and continue doing so, cows are artificially inseminated, usually once a year. After giving birth, the calves are usually removed from their mothers within a few days (after the mother cow has stopped producing colostrum and is producing “real” milk). Male calves are of no use to the dairy industry for obvious reasons and are either killed straight away, or condemned to be raised as veal (live exports to Europe resumed in 2006, as the British have little taste for veal).

It is ironic how many Brits turn their noses up at veal for being inhumane, but never make the connection between the glass of milk and the unwanted by-product being shipped over the channel to spend its short life in a veal pen. If you won’t eat veal for ethical reasons, have a think about whether you really want to continue consuming dairy products.

The dairy cow also works damned hard to supply all that milk:

Professor John Webster, in The Welfare of Dairy Cattle, states, “The amount of work done by the cow in peak lactation is immense…To achieve a comparably high work rate a human would have to jog for about 6 hours a day, every day.”

This work also brings about occupational hazards for the cows, such as mastitis, an udder infection. Humans females can also get mastitis when breastfeeding, and any mother who has been unfortunate to develop the condition will tell you that it is no fun at all. So although cows cannot speak to tell us how much it hurts, I can’t imagine that it would be any different for them.

Naturally, cattle have a lifespan of 15-20 years, but in agriculture, few will see their fifth birthday as they are replaced with more productive youngsters and find their way to the slaugherhouse. A significant minority of the doomed cows are actually pregnant on their way to their final destination.

In conclusion, I gave up consuming dairy when I realised that animals are killed as a both a direct and indirect result of the the dairy industry. Whether they are shot at birth for being male, or made into hamburgers once their best milking years are over, they all end up in the same ugly place.

For more information on why vegans choose to avoid dairy products, please see the Vegan Society factsheet or Viva’s Milk Myths.

~ Quirky Vegan

In the first of a new series, I’m going to share with you some of the mystery ingredients which find their way into food and other consumer products and have a look at whether they are animal, vegetable or mineral. For animal products which vegans avoid, alternatives will be given.

Today’s Mystery Ingredient Monday [...]]]> Greetings fellow travellers,

In the first of a new series, I’m going to share with you some of the mystery ingredients which find their way into food and other consumer products and have a look at whether they are animal, vegetable or mineral. For animal products which vegans avoid, alternatives will be given.

Today’s Mystery Ingredient Monday has been brought to you by:

Gelatine (US: Gelatin)

Commonly found in: jelly, jello, chewy sweets. Also in photgraphic film (strange, but true).

What is it? It is a colourless, chewy substance derived from the boiled skin, bones and tendons of animals during the rendering process. Kosher gelatin isn’t necessarily vegan. Don’t assume that Kosher gelatine is vegan (although all the vegan alternatives are Kosher).

Why do manufacturers use it? Because it is cheap and plentiful due to the huge number of animals slaughtered daily

Alternatives? Vegan alternatives to gelatine include agar agar, carrageen and guar gum. These and products containing them are available from health food stores, and increasingly, supermarkets. Oh, and of course digital cameras don’t use film ;o)

Peace,

~ Quirky Vegan

I choose to follow a vegan lifestyle because I think that it is the right thing to do. It is an ethical and practical choice, and makes sense to me. I feel that this way of life is a way of practising what I preach (not that I preach, oh no).

For [...]]]> Greetings Fellow Travellers,

I choose to follow a vegan lifestyle because I think that it is the right thing to do. It is an ethical and practical choice, and makes sense to me. I feel that this way of life is a way of practising what I preach (not that I preach, oh no).

For animals.

I am not an animal person. I say that with no bad feelings. I wish them no harm, just let them get on with their lives and I will get on with mine. Letting them get on with their lives means not inflicting cruelty and harm upon them. Killing them, separating them from their young and forcing them to exist in cramped, unsanitary conditions would be an example of this.

For the environment

Animal agriculture is killing the environment. Excessive nitrates end up in the water supply through manure. The rainforest is destroyed to make way for beef cattle. The hooves of the animals impact the soil and contribute to desertification. Farmed animals which are non-native species threaten the biodiversity of the environment.

Carbon emissions

You’ve probably heard about the methane emissions of all these cows, so I won’t go into that. But have you thought about the fuel used to transport animals and the grain needed to feed them? How about transporting the “food” they produce? Refrigeration is important to keep meat and milk fresh. What about the electricity which has to be used to power all the refrigerated trucks and supermarket fridges?

Health

Animals are routinely fed antibiotics into their feed. Intensive farming has proved to be a breeding ground for superbugs and resistant bacteria. Not to mention that at the centre of every major food poisoning incident in the UK in the last 20 years, animal products have been to blame. Salmonella , listeria or E-coli anyone? No takers?

Health

Aside from possible food poisoning, meat and animal products are not necessary for good human health either. Protein is not an issue, and a balanced vegan diet provides all the nutrients that a person needs. It makes sense to me not to consume them when there are so many other delicious foods out there.

Food and water shortages

Animal agriculture is extremely wasteful. It is estimated that about 80% of the UK’s arable land is used to produce animal feed. During the 1984 famine in Ethiopia, the country was still exporting grain to the west to feed cattle. Large amounts of water are also needed to feed animals, and also to irrigate the crops which are grown for this purpose. A huge diversion of resources which could be going to feed people directly.

For my own peace of mind

Maybe this might sound selfish to some, but this article is about why I choose to follow a vegan lifestyle. I like to look at my plate of yummy food and know that nobody was harmed in producing it. That no calves were separated from their mothers to produce it. That no chickens had to endure their short lives lame and wading around in their own excrement. That no blood was spilt. Knowing that makes me feel good.

~ Quirky Vegan

I went out to dinner the other day with a guy from work. Yes it was a date. No, it’s not serious, now stop being so nosy!  On the way there a seagull pooped on my head which was kind of embarassing, but that’s just the kind of thing that happens when you’re a [...]]]> Greetings fellow travellers,

I went out to dinner the other day with a guy from work. Yes it was a date. No, it’s not serious, now stop being so nosy!  On the way there a seagull pooped on my head which was kind of embarassing, but that’s just the kind of thing that happens when you’re a Quirky Vegan.

And, as food was involved, a social “situation” was on the cards too. Ah well, I thought, if he has a problem with me being vegan, then that’s his issue. In the year or so I’ve been vegan I’ve grown something of a thick skin in that regard. It’s very useful for getting rid of jerks, because if someone’s pathetic enough to be a jerk about it, then chances are they’re going to be a jerk about other stuff too.

Him: You’re a vegetarian, is that right? (I drive a car with a GO VEGGIE window sticker, bit of a clue stick there).

Me: Yes I am. Actually I’m a vegan. A real live one!

Him: Does that mean you don’t eat dairy products either?

Me: That’s right. No eggs either, or meat or fish of course.

Him: I don’t think I know any other vegetarians.

Wow. Like, wow. Being vegan, for me is just normal, it seems bizzare that there are people out there who haven’t been tainted by the veg*n stick. Clearly there is work to do.

As stated above, vegans do not eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy products. Without wishing to insult anyone’s intelligence, that would include these items:

*Pork, ham, sausages and bacon

*Beef

*Chicken and turkey

*Duck

*Fish and seafood

*Milk (cow’s, goat’s and that of any other non-human)

*Butter and cheese

*Yogurt

*Eggs. From chickens, ducks, ostriches, and any other bird

*Honey, propolis, beeswax and royal jelly

*Carmine, shellac or cochineal

*Gelatine, aspic and other animal-derived ingredients

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and vigilance is required at ALL times!

Vegans are also discerning about what they will wear, what toiletries and cosmetics they will use, how they will furnish their homes and how they keep them clean. So that means no silk ties or leather sofas. And no wooly sweaters either. In addition to using products that contain no animal ingredients, vegans usually choose to buy those which are not tested on animals, although this is a tricky area and will be dealt with in a future post.

So, in a nutshell, Vegans choose not to eat, wear or use products which contain ingredients derived from animals, dead or alive.

What’s so wrong with dairy and eggs? And wool?

Are vegans just plain crazy? What the hell DO you guys eat?

Stay tuned to find out.

Peace,

~ Quirky Vegan

(If you were wondering, I had a Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Panini with potato wedges, and it was very nice too.)

Alnwick Castle

Greetings fellow travellers,

So what is the collective noun for a group of Vegans? I’d never had to wonder about this question before as I had never come across so many in one place as I did at the North East Vegan Gathering held up in Morpeth, Northumberland this April.

I found out [...]]]>

Alnwick Castle

Greetings fellow travellers,

So what is the collective noun for a group of Vegans? I’d never had to wonder about this question before as I had never come across so many in one place as I did at the North East Vegan Gathering held up in Morpeth, Northumberland this April.

I found out about it from Mark who runs Alternative Stores up in Newcastle after I had bought some stuff from the online shop and ended up on their mailing list. As it was the week before Easter and I only had to take four days off work, I thought “Why not?”. I was quite apprehensive about going to an event where I knew no-one, but I figured that it would be a positive thing to meet other vegans and escape the distinctively non-vegan “real” world for a week.

I arrived on the Saturday morning (the site was booked on a Friday to Friday letting), and within the hour I had been recruited onto a walk to explore the local area and was chatting happily with people of all ages from all over the country. One chap had even come up from Brighton on the night bus, and had come out on the walk (I think he could have done with a sleep instead).

The Sunday was an open day where people from the local area who weren’t staying over were able to come and see what was going on. There was a pot luck buffet and in the afternoon a talk on home schooling and vegan ethics. Some of us ended up going to the beach though as it was a fine afternoon and the weather forecast for the rest of the week wasn’t great, so we thought we’d take advantage of the good weather. It was still windy, somehow I let myself get talked into paddling in the North Sea. In April! Freezing!

The great thing about the gathering is that there were people of all ages there, families with young children as well as couples and single people. There were two designated party houses where there were no children and we stayed up late and told silly jokes and learnt a random dance from Latvia among other things. The site, Micklewood Park, was good for kids too as there was a large playing field, with swings and climbing frame as well as an indoor playroom.

House Party

There were some workshops which took place during the week, particularly good was the raw food demonstration. Although I don’t have a Vitamix and am too poor to even contemplate acquiring one in the near future, I have had a go at trying to recreate one of the dips which you soak cashew nuts overnight, drain and then pulverise with red pepper and nutritional yeast. They also made some raw chocolate with chilli which we were able to sample the following day at another pot luck picnic. One workshop which I didn’t get into due to lack of space (and getting up late) was Thai massage, but the people who did do it said that it was really good – apparently Thai massage is a clothes-on massage and very vigorous by Western standards.

There was also a talk by Maureen Robertson from Drimlabarra Herb Farm up on the isle of Arran, which left me thinking about how the natural world is so much more than the sum of its parts and this is what is lost when we focus only on “active ingredients” and what we perceive to be immediately useful to us. It’s like modern life encourages us to wear blinkers. As vegans, we are painfully aware of this in our day-to-day encounters with folk.

Seahouses Harbour

There’s also a lot to visit in the local area, we visited Alnwick Castle, where parts of Harry Potter’s flying lessons were filmed, Cragside country house and various parts of the coast. Other people variously went to Lindisfarne Priory, Newcastle (to the climbing wall) and for a walk in the mysteriously named Blubbery Wood.

I met loads of great people who I’d like to stay in touch with and no longer feel like the only vegan in the village. In fact, you don’t have to be vegan to go on the gathering, only agree to be vegan for the week. There were quite a few veggies there, which was nice as it made it less cliquey and could help people go vegan full time.

Next year’s gathering will take place from Friday 2nd to Friday 9th April 2010, details on how to book are available on the VegNE website www.vegne.co.uk/vegan-gathering and become a fan on Facebook!

I have already booked, see you there!

~ Quirky Vegan