Birthday cake!

I made my boyfriend a totally organic, vegan chocolate birthday cake!

SAFARI word cloud

Humane meat?

There has been a lot of media attention recently about "Humane Meat."

What exactly does this mean?
Well the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) must be checking on our food to make sure it's safe, right? Wrong.

The FDA has set some "strict" new standards, like requiring every slaughter house to have a veterinarian. The requirements for this veterinarian, according to the fda is: "All Veterinarians complete a computer-based training." WOAH! Tough program!

The FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service)-a component of the FDA, has also been getting some new regulations.
"FSIS is also determining how best to establish more definitive criteria for handling and moving downer animals and is considering amending the regulations to do it"

A downer animal refers to an animal that is so sick or injured that he/she is unable to stand. The FDA has come up with some new regulations for these animals.
According to the FDA, animals are humanely treated: "The Humane Slaughter Act prohibits dragging of downed or crippled livestock in the stockyards, crowd pen or stunning chute. By using slide boards and cripple carts, animals can be transported humanely and efficiently to a pen or other area where they can be examined by an inspector, stunned and moved to slaughter"

If an animal is so sick that he/she cannot walk independently. It may also contain some diseases, but that veterinarian who received the intensive computer-based training should know how to diagnose the animal. ;) Many "downer" cows have been known to have BSE. These animals are killed nonetheless, and ground up with the rest of the cows.



Calling some animal products “humane” leads people to believe that animals do not suffer on “humane” farms, but they do suffer, and die.

Omega-3 oils

I recently was asked if eating fish is o.k. because they contain 'essential' oils. This person was told by their doctor that fish is an essential part of a human diet. This is false! There are many ways that people can get Omega-3 oils in other ways. Omega-3 oils can be obtained by eating flax seeds, walnuts, and canola oil.

More and more doctors are recommending fish oil as an 'essential' part of a "healthy" diet. Eating the Omega 3's in fish oils can be helpful, but can be obtained through non-murderous, vegan ways. The FDA is now warning that due to the pollution in our oceans puts people at risk because of ingesting "troublesome levels" of mercury or PCB toxins.

p.s. Women cannot eat fish while they are pregnant. My personal view is that if something you eat would seriously harm a growing baby, you shouldn't eat it at all.

If you are not able to get enough Omega-3 oils through food sources, there are vegan pills. These are typically derived from algae (check your vegan vitamin supplier).

What is veganism all about?

Veganism is a lifestyle that does NOT support animal exploitation, abuse, use, or testing.

In my case, I am vegan to support the rights of animals. People do not need animals to eat, wear, test on, or exploit in any other way. So why do people do it?

Because they are used to eating meat? Most likely. If people really stopped to think about where their food actually comes from, and the animal abuse involved in the process. Any rational person would opt out of eating meat.

Here is a typical meat-eater question...

Cruelty-free? Or is it?

Some companies list their products as "cruelty-free", meaning no animal testing...yet the same products can contain animal ingredients and by-products.
That is a contradiction.

Products with ingredients that derive from animals, are NOT cruelty-free!
These animals had to endure slavery, abuse, torture, and murder.

Being a conscious consumer means researching products before you buy them. This includes both the testing practices and the ingredients in the products.

Non-veggies

As more years go by since I have been veg, it becomes increasingly harder for me to understand why people eat meat. For some people, it is because they are accustomed to eating as their parents did. Well, it is about time to think about your own diet.

I wish that more people would look into how animals are actually treated. The cows, chickens, turkeys, pigs, and any other animals used for meat production are abused and mistreated.

More people need to think about what they eat, and why they eat it.

Some times all it takes is a simple question to get people thinking: Why do you eat meat?

Think about it, do some research.

After you discover how animals are treated, you may no longer want to pay for that kind of abuse.

Earth Day

Going vegan is one of the best ways that people can help to save the planet.

Here are some reasons for "environmentalists" to go vegan:

1. More than 40% of the land mass in the U.S. is used to raise animals for meat production.
2. Animal production is responsible for more greenhouse gases than all of the forms of transportation in the world...combined!
3. Producing 1 lb. of animal protein requires 100 times more water than it takes to produce 1 lb. of grain protein.
4. You can't be an environmentalist if you eat meat!

Eating cruelty-free food (vegan food) is a BIG step to reducing your carbon footprint!

SAFARI poster

S.A.F.A.R.I. is getting a poster in Fogler Library!!!
I am BEYOND pumped about it!!! :)