Okay, so I have to admit that I’ve been a little obsessed with the 50s lately.  Of course, you never know the truth until you live through it, but it just seems like a much simpler and more elegant time. The values were just different back then. I know a lot of people are on this kick because of the AMC show Mad Men, but actually, it’s the other way around for me. The show is in its fifth or sixth season by now, but I’m just jumping in. I never had any interest before, but for some reason I’ve become nostalgic for a time that I’ve never even experienced. Go figure. Anyway, I’ve been catching up on old episodes and surfing the net for veganized 50s recipes. Thole thing doesn't make much sense, especially since I'm also obsessed with technology and learning how to become a graphic designer (a trade that didn't even exist in the 50s), but suddenly I have a hankering for Salisbury steak.

That’s when I came across VegNews’s post about veganized Mad Men-era recipes. I’m not in love with the recipes they posted, but this post is definitely inspired by theirs. Here my Mad Men-era recipe pics. Hope you like them!

Vegan Salisbury Steak

I totally expected this recipe to be filled with tofu or some other meat replacement, this one is actually made with lentils and rice.

Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes

I can’t exactly vouch for the healthiness of these pancakes, but boy do they look yummy.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

You might think these taters are stuffed with sour cream and butter, but you’d be wrong (sorry!). The cream comes from the vegan mayonnaise and soymilk. Again, not the healthiest thing you can eat, but it makes a great side for the Salisury steak. I think I’m going to have to run out and get some vegannaise. See y’all later!

“Ignorance is bliss.” Would you say that statement is true or false? To be perfectly honest, I waver on this one. For the most part, I believe that knowledge is always better, whether you like it or not. What you don’t know can hurt you. That's exactly why I would never research things for a living. Nope, you won't catch me learning how to become a paralegal. But, then there are times when I learn something that I wish I didn’t know. So, as a blanket statement, I’d say this one is false. But there certainly are some cases where it can be true. 

Why am I lamenting over this? Ah, the truth I wish I didn’t know… Not all wine is vegan. The same goes for beer. I knew not all cocktails were vegan (Bailey’s Irish Cream, anyone?), but wine? Really? Isn’t it just fermented grapes? Come on, people; why do we have to use animals for everything?

Here I was blissfully sipping away on wine that may have been filtered through something that comes from a fish bladder. Yum. Wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages may also be filtered through gelatin, egg whites and sea shells. I’m not opposed to the sea shells, but I’m a little disturbed by the fact that the one thing I was happy to hold onto has been tarnished by the winemaking industry.

It gets worse. Not only can these products be used to filter wine, but animal products are sometimes used as ingredients in vino (and beer, and liquor). Seriously; yuck.

Perhaps the worst part of it all is that you really can’t tell whether a wine or beer is vegan just by looking at the label. The ingredients may be listed, but the winemakers wouldn’t list the methods they use to filter the wine. So to know whether your wine is vegan, you have two options: Call the winery (or brewery or distillery) yourself or check out Barnivore.com.

For a few months now, I’ve been saying I’m going to watch the documentary Vegucated, but (like with most other things in my life) I put it off. I guess you could call it procrastination. Yeah, that’s exactly what it is. Well, on Monday, I finally rented the film – and, get this, I watched it too (success!).

It was a very interesting film, but I’m not really sure who the target audience is meant to be. The documentary follows three avid meat eaters as they attempt to adopt a vegan lifestyle. The participants aren’t paid for their time; they’re voluntarily doing it for health reasons (and I suspect also for face time with the camera – one is an aspiring actor and another is a part-time comedian). The reason I question who the filmmakers are targeting is because it’s going to be (most likely) seen by more vegans and vegetarians (but mostly vegans) than any other group. That’s just the way it is. I know a lot of omnivores and none of them would just decide to pick up a documentary like this one – Although I wish they would.

In the end, as you may have guessed, all three adopt a vegan, mostly vegan or somewhat vegan lifestyle as their own. We can’t say that they’ll do it forever (who can?), but they’re sold for now. That’s the magic of this whole thing. When someone is open to learning to truth about meat eating, they will undoubtedly change their ways. Not everyone will become veg, but it would take a pretty heartless risk-taker to learn the truth about where their meat comes from and not change their ways (at least, buy organic, grass-fed, etc.)

So, I guess the question is: how do we get more people to watch movies like this one? And Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead? I wish I had the answer. I’ve thought about creating little bundled gift sets and sending them out to the omnivores I love, but I’m not sure that’ll work. The problem is that I don’t really have any incentive to offer people upfront in exchange for their time. Yes, these movies can be life changing, but that’s not enough for most people. Everyone wants awards and scholarships for going out of their way (can you tell I’m a little frustrated?) Maybe you can help. Do you have any suggestions or things that have worked for you (not specifically related to this movie per se, but in general “vegucation?”

I’ve been thinking a lot about the health of my non-vegan friends and family lately. Just something that has been on my mind, I guess. Probably because I recently went to a funeral for a family friend who left this world way too soon. The silent killer that claimed his life was the same that takes so many others: heart disease, or more specifically, a heart attack. He was only 57 years old.

Just yesterday, a friend of my cousin passed away – also from a heart attack – also in his 50s. If you have even one superstitious bone in your body, you know the things happen in threes. A friend’s grandfather passed away from the same cause. Death is always sad, but it’s a little easier to handle when you know that the person had lived a long and full life. To hear of people passing in their 50s is really just awful. To hear that they died from a preventable disease is just saddening.

The scariest part about all of this is that there often is no warning. Many people don't even realize they have heart disease until they get their first symptom: sudden death. They might know about high cholesterol or that they have a poor diet, but there are no visits to the doctor; no friendly advice from the medical assistant; just death.

As a society, we’re crazy obsessed with cholesterol, and that obsession is sending too many of us to early graves.

Okay, well, enough Debbie Downer for now. The bright side of all this is that more people seem to be willing to make more drastic changes to their lives than ever before. I have friends and family members who happily report that they’re having more meatless meals, and they’re doing it for their heart health. That always puts a smile on my face.

I love cooking for people who want a taste of the vegan life, even if they never intend on adopting it for good. I’m also happy to share recipes, too.I’ve only been vegan for about a year, but I love to cook and try new things – so my recipe collection has grown pretty quickly.

My point here is that if you’re trying out veganism, or even just Meatless Mondays, and you have questions or need some advice, feel free to shoot me a message. Whether it’s a book recommendation, recipe, or a question about milk alternatives, I’m glad to help if I can. 

Whenever my non-veg friends hear the word “vegan” or vegetarian, they always seem think “tofu.” I guess I haven’t done a great job at educating them about veganism, but I know they’re not alone. Most people associate soy and soy products with being veg. Personally, I don’t even like tofu unless it’s used in something like a quiche or deep fried. The latter, I know isn’t healthy. But, is any of it? Is soy really good for you?

I’ve read a lot of books by vegan and vegetarian “health gurus,” and I do a lot of online research too. To sum up, what I’ve learned is that organic soy is healthy in moderation and the standard stuff is probably pretty toxic -- especially if what you're eating lists parts of soy (like soy protein isolate) in its ingredients. You might even be better off eating meat. I’m not kidding. This stuff is almost guaranteed to get a chemical bath before it’s packaged and shipped to your local “health food” store.

The Cornucopia Institute published an article that explains the process pretty well. I’ll sum it up here, but if you want more info, please do check out the reports on Cornucopia’s site.

The chemical that your soy is bathing in is called hexane, and it’s a byproduct of gasoline production (sounds yummy, right?). It’s a known neurotoxin and a hazardous air pollutant (want a bite?). Soy manufacturers use it to extract oil and proteins from the soy bean because it’s quick and inexpensive.

Do you think this isn’t your issue? Think again. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian or omnivorous, this is your issue. The only ones who don’t have to worry about this one are the fruitarians. So, unless that describes you, this is your issue.

Now for the scary part: Check the ingredient label of your energy bar, veggie burger, processed dinner or infant formula.  If you see any of the following ingredients, they likely have been soaked in hexane:  soy protein isolate; soy protein concentrate; textured soy protein.

Don’t think you’re safe because the product is labeled as “Natural.” The ingredients are still considered natural even though they were soaked in chemicals.

Now that I’ve thoroughly scared you, and myself, I do have some good news. You can avoid consuming hexane buy purchasing USDA-certified organic products. If a product contains soy protein isolate or concentrate, make sure it has that organic seal. Federal restrictions prohibit manufacturers from using hexane in organic products that get the USDA seal of approval.

It might be more expensive to buy organic. Actually, it almost always is. But, in my opinion, it’s well worthwhile. I don’t want to be a guinea pig any more than I’ll bet you do. That’s why I’ll scrimp and save on other things, so I can afford the best quality (non-chemical) food – even on an administrative assistant salary.

So, there’s another one to add to your growing list of “why you should buy organic.” And, this one doesn’t just apply to produce. Gardein, Boca and Clif Bar brands have all been listed in the “likely to have hexane” category by Cornucopia, as has my absolute favorite brand of California burger: Dr. Praeger’s. It is a sad, sad day. On the bright side, Amy’s brand is okay. Phew.

My post on Valentine’s week got me to thinking about cut flowers (think bouquets, boutonnieres or cute little wedding favors). I’m not really a big fan of them myself because they tend to be expensive and they don’t last much more than a week (if you’re lucky). And then, I always get sad when they die. I’m such a sap – but I don’t really like the idea of death; no matter what it is that’s dying. Anyhow, I know a lot of people are opposed to cut flowers for environmental protection reasons, but I didn’t really know the whole story. So, I decided to do some research.

Once I learned the facts, it completely made sense. Those flowers waiting to be cut so they can sit on your dining room table don’t come from a wild field any more than the cows that produce our milk are allowed to roam free and live a natural life. It’s all controlled for one reason: profit.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not opposed to people making money. In fact, I’m a fan of the stuff myself. But I think, as consumers, we need to become a little more aware of what corporations are doing to our environment and to our people in the name of profit.

Commercial flower farms take natural resources to produce, and they’re often located in parts of the world where people are lacking these basic fundamentals – but that’s really not the worst of it. The worst of it is the toxic chemicals that are used to keep the bugs away from these flowers and the preservatives that keep the flowers alive long enough for us to "ooh and ahh" over them. I know what you’re thinking; I’ve heard this before. This sounds a lot like factory farming for food. But, no. It might be worse. Worse, because there aren’t any regulations on the types of pesticides that can be used on these flowers. Worse, because there are farmers (aka real people with families) harvesting and shipping these flowers. We aren’t eating them (I hope), so the government isn’t really concerned. They aren’t tested for chemicals at all.

So, when you buy cut flowers, what are you really bringing into your home? You might think you’re adding a “natural” element and making things more visually appealing, but are you really just polluting your own air? From what I've learned, that notion is entirely possible probable. 

Have you seen Big Dairy’s new marketing campaign? I, for one, love it. They call it: “Real Milk Comes From Cows.” That makes me chuckle. Real milk also comes from pigs, humans and monkeys. The only difference there is that it’s preserved for the species for which it was made. Novel idea, eh?

The reason I love the campaign is obviously not because I agree with the product they’re trying to peddle. I love it because it means they have a reason to be scared. I just hope no one takes their crap seriously. Oh yeah, and another funny thing about this campaign is that there's nothing "real" about Big Dairy's milk. It's pasteurized and filled with hormones and antibiotics. The cows don't even eat what they are "really" intended to eat by nature. 

Ever since the 90s when soy milk was introduced, those who were vegan and lactose intolerant had options. We’ve come a long way in just two decades. We now have almond, coconut, flax, hemp, oat, rice and sunflower seed milk. Awesome. It seems as though more people are taking advantage of these choices, and Big Dairy’s slice of the pie is getting smaller. Again, awesome.

Why do I care so much? Well, because I don’t think cow’s milk is healthy for people, and I cringe every time I see someone give it to a child. I have a friend who has a child who is obviously lactose intolerant (even the doctor has said so), but she keeps forcing milk products on him. Apparently the doctor told her that he might grow out of it, so about once a month, she gives him ice cream or yogurt or some other diary product. And, it never fails. His stomach immediately gets upset, and then about a week later he has an ear infection or strep throat. You don’t have to learn how to become a nurse practitioner to know that this is a cause and effect scenario. 

A lot more research needs to be done on food allergies, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to believe that they can cause you to become sick. When you’re allergic to a food, your body acts as though you have eaten something toxic. This leads to inflammation, and inflammation leads to illness. The poor kid is always sick. I’m certainly not a doctor, but I always advocate for testing a life without any dairy at all – just to see what happens. Come on, people. Is it really that hard to kick the dairy habit? There’s a chance you might feel better when you stop drinking the mother’s milk from another species.  I think that alone is worth the effort. 

Recently, I’ve been a little obsessed with omega-3 fatty acids. I’ve learned a lot about why we need them, and I’m convinced that I need more than I’m getting from my current diet (although, the same may not be true for you). Let me explain…

You see, you don’t need a specific quantity of omega-3 fatty acids per day. You just need to be sure that you’re balancing your intake with what you eat of omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in meat, dairy and vegetable oils. It’s important to remember that processed foods (vegan or otherwise) usually contain loads of vegetable oil in one form or another. So, if you eat a diet rich in meat and dairy or processed foods, you’ll need to consume much more omega-3 fatty acids to balance it out. Why? Although omega-6’s are necessary for your health, they can be inflammatory. The right amount of omega-3’s will balance you out and help avoid unnecessary inflammation. Why avoid inflammation? It’s at the root of all illness and disease.

So, back to my situation; before I adopted a vegan diet (about a year ago) I ate a diet that was mostly made up of meat, cheese and bread. I wasn’t the healthiest person around. Now, I think I need to work extra hard to make up for my heavy load of omega-6 fatty acids to really be in balance. I also eat the occasional processed meal, so it’s just an all around good idea (or safety measure).

Up until now, I’ve been taking a swig of flax oil almost daily (it’s gross; I wouldn’t recommend doing it) and adding ground flaxseed to every salad. But, I just found out that the Walmart in my area is stocking flax milk – which sounds infinitely better to me than swigging flax oil. Not healthier; just better tasting. I think I’ll give it a shot.

How to you get your fill of omega-3’s in your diet?

I know how it is; Valentine’s Day rolls around and the pressure mounts. You do a good job of showing your love and affection throughout the year, but if you screw up today, you’re in for it. If your Valentine is vegan and you’re not, you might even have more trouble. Sure, most of the traditional presents will still work, but you may have to do a little legwork to make sure that they have been made compassionately.

If you’re considering body products, like massage oils, scented lotions or fancy bath salts, just make sure they’re labeled as "cruelty-free." That means they have not been tested on animals. Once you find the right products, consider putting together a small basket of cruelty-free spa products so that she can indulge herself in relaxation.

Chocolates and candies can also be gifted without any problems, but be sure that they are egg and dairy free. Organic dark chocolate might be the easiest way to go because it has fewer additives and other ingredients – so, it’s easier to tell whether a milk product has been added. If you really want to make your job easier, order your goodies from one of the many vegan online retailers out there. Just do it soon because you don’t have much time left.

Another option for indulging a sweet tooth while remaining free from any animal products or byproducts is to make your significant other a homemade treat. A quick search will turn up tons of recipes for vegan fudge or cookies that you can package in an adorable heart-shaped box.

If your vegan honey works at an office, you might consider sending flowers – just make sure she isn’t an environmentalist or she might not appreciate them. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything. Just imagine her sitting at her desk, the paralegal in the next office gets a huge bouquet of flowers, and she gets…{wait for it}... nothing. She just sits there all day waiting for the delivery that never comes. So sad. Instead, you can call that same florist and have a potted plant sent her way.