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The Newest Diet Fad: Paleo

podcast@compassionatecooks.com (Colleen Patrick-Goudreau from Compassionate Cooks)Author: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau from Compassionate Cooks
Tue, Jan 10, 2012

The newest fad diet on the block combines all the trends of the day: "low-carb," "gluten-free," and "low glycemic index," instilling fears about healthful foods and waxing poetic about animal flesh and fluids. You might call this a "retro" diet in that in doesn't look forward; it looks backwards. Way backwards! Not backwards 10 years or 100 years but 20,000 years! Join me as I discuss the The Paleo Diet: why it's not sustainable, why it's a just fad, why its claims cannot be substantiated, and why it appeals to people who Pasturbate.

As we say goodbye to 2011, I wanted to share with you a number of wonderful ways we'll enter 2012 together. Consider this my Happy New Year message to you filled with special announcements and gratitude for all your support.

I first introduced B.R. Myers to listeners in an early podcast episode called The Fall of the Excuse-itarians in which I praised him for being one of the few writers for a prominent publication to openly take Michael Pollan and his fellow Excuse-itarians to task for romanticizing, ritualizing, rationalizing, fetishizing, and sexualizing the consumption of animals and their secretions. They're dominating the discourse, and it's not the vegans who are losing. It's the animals who are losing. Join me as I read B.R. Myers' article from the March 2011 issue of The Atlantic.

WARNING: Radical ideas fill this episode, centering around the suggestion that we try to have compassion for people with whom we disagree or who participate in behavior we find abhorrent. That’s the thing about compassion: it’s gotta be equal opportunity or it’s just inauthentic. It’s easy to be compassionate towards like-minded people; the challenge is choosing to have compassion towards those with whom we disagree. Check out this episode for tips and suggestions on communicating with compassion - but only if you want to create change in the world.

Whether you're traveling for work or pleasure, finding abundance and sustenance while on the road is easy once you know where to look and if you plan ahead (which I argue should be done even when you're NOT traveling). With loads of general tips for finding vegan food in airports, preparing for airplanes, choosing veg-friendly hotels, and traveling internationally, I end this episode with details of my recent travels to Ireland, interpersing food tales with some of our favorite things to do - related to literature (Yeats and more), history (particularly in Dublin and Kilkenny), nature (hikes in Connemara), and animal protection (Donkey Sanctuary and Ballynahinch Castle).

All of us have been in a situation where a dog or cat (or other animal) crosses our path and potentially needs our intervention, and we have to decide what to do at that moment - animals who are homeless, lost, in distress, being abused, being neglected, or animals who are dead. Although it would be easier and more convenient to turn away, I can't just write it off as being someone else's problem. Because if it's not my problem, whose is it? By virtue of being part of a larger community, I can’t help but feel a responsibility to care for all its members, particularly those who are the most vulnerable.

What if I had my own hens and ate her eggs? What if I had my own cow or goat and drank her milk? What about honey? Is it considered "vegan"? These are some of the questions people ask as they begin to consider the ethical issues of consuming animal products. Though I don't pretend to have the one definitive answer, I am happy to share my thoughts.

Though sheep play a huge role in the consciousness of our culture (through nursery rhymes, children's stories, fables, and religion), our primary relationship to them is through our exploitation of them. Whether it's their wool we're shearing, their skin we're wearing, their flesh we're eating, or their milk we're taking, we value sheep as we do other domesticated animals: simply for what we can take from them until they're all used up and shipped to slaughter - literally.

All of us have been in a situation where a dog or cat (or other animal) crosses our path and potentially needs our intervention, and we have to decide what to do at that moment - animals who are homeless, lost, in distress, being abused, being neglected, or animals who are dead. Although it would be easier and more convenient to turn away, I can't just write it off as being someone else's problem. Because if it's not my problem, whose is it? By virtue of being part of a larger community, I can’t help but feel a responsibility to care for all its members, particularly those who are the most vulnerable.

Though some people do lose weight upon becoming vegan (which makes sense because you're eating fewer calorie-dense foods) and though vegans do have a lower body mass index than non-vegetarians, weight loss is not automatic for everyone. Rather than promise that "if you go vegan, you will lose weight," it's much more accurate to say "people who switch from an animal-based diet to a plant-based diet tend to lose weight effortlessly because plants are much less calorie-dense than animal flesh and secretions." For those for whom weight loss is a goal, it's simply a numbers game: decreasing energy intake and increasing calorie output – and remember – calories are just units of energy. Today we talk about reducing calories.

Though some people do lose weight upon becoming vegan (which makes sense because you're eating fewer calorie-dense foods) and though vegans do have a lower body mass index than non-vegetarians, weight loss is not automatic for everyone. Rather than promise that "if you go vegan, you will lose weight," it's much more accurate to say "people who switch from an animal-based diet to a plant-based diet tend to lose weight effortlessly because plants are much less calorie-dense than animal flesh and secretions." For those for whom weight loss is a goal, it's simply a numbers game: decreasing energy intake and increasing calorie output – and remember – calories are just units of energy. Today we talk about expending calories.

Today I share some essential components of what happens to be my favorite cuisine. Learn the different varieties of miso and different ways to use what I think should be a staple in every refrigerator. Get tips on how to prepare the most delicious mushrooms on the planet (whether you get them dried or fresh). Discover the true meaning of the word "sushi," which has nothing to do with one fish, two fish, three fish, or bluefish. Learn how you can use agar, the compassionate gelatin of the sea, and find out about the healthful properties of various sea vegetables and how to include them in your diet.

Walt Whitman wrote, “I think I could turn and live with the animals," and I do -- every chance I get: not just the animals with whom I live but the animals who have been given refuge at sanctuaries. Sanctuaries are sacred places - after all, the word comes from the Latin word sanctus, which means "holy." They provide solace, safety, and lifelong care for animals who have been neglected, abused, and abandoned. They are places where animals heal and people transform. They are where individuals are given names - not numbers -- and who serve as ambassadors for their species. They are places of freedom, hope, and healing - whether they serve farmed animals, wild animals, "exotic" animals, or domestic animals. Join me on a visit to some of my favorite sanctuaries in the United States and across the globe.

What moves me most profoundly about art as narrative (whether it’s literature or film or dance or theatre or music) is its ability to communicate our human experience, its ability to reflect our shared human experience, and its ability to raise our consciousness. What that means is every book I read, every film I watch, every piece of art I see has the potential to deepen my consciousness, to reflect a larger truth about who I am, to - in short - make me a better person. In this episode, I focus on the narrative of film and how it enables us to learn lessons, remember the lessons of the past, find heroes, see ourselves in the characters, and perhaps know ourselves better. As part of our individual and collective consciousness, stories tell us about our culture, our history. They reveal our strengths and weaknesses; they make the tragedies more palatable and the victories more epic. Join me for a discussion of this, for a summary of my favorite films that reflect a consciousness about animals, and for a description of what I think is the most beautiful and important movie ever made.

Granted, this may not be the sexiest topic in the world, but understanding our basic requirements for optimum health is important. Despite what many people believe, vitamin B12 is not animal-derived. Take a listen to find out everything you've always wanted to know about this water-soluble vitamin.

Our conversation today revolves around lentils, an appropriate food to celebrate in the beginning of this new year, as they are traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve in many cultures around the world to symbolize wealth, prosperity, and abundance in the coming year. In this episode, we discuss different types of lentils, how to cook them, some favorite simple recipes, and nutrition information, interspersed with information about our compassionate business partners: Earth Balance and Field Roast. Enjoy!

Today’s episode is part of our "Compassionate Series," which features favorite companies/organizations/products/experts in the context of the topic.) If you’re seeing this episode after the “holidays” have already passed, please don’t tune it out. The information is relevant ANYTIME and ALL the time, and you’ll be happy you listened to hear about these fabulous companies and their equally fabulous products for healthful, happy, humane living.

An outspoken advocate for animals, Mark Twain publicly came out against such abuses as bullfighting and vivisection, and animals were a part of his writing from the first story that earned him renown ("The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County") to the published and unpublished pieces he wrote up until his death in 1910. In addition to his short story, "A Dog's Tale," read back in July 2009, I've taken great delight in Twain's essays, letters, and other short stories also dedicated to animals and his conclusion that they are superior to humans - evidenced in today's essay: The essay I’m going to read, “Man’s Place in the Animal World” is similar in content to “Letters from a Dog to Another Dog Explaining and Accounting for Man, though it is decidedly lighter in tone, as evident by the full title: “Letters from a Dog to Another Dog Explaining and Accounting for Man by Author, Newfoundland Smith. Translated from the Original Doggerel by M.T.”

Whether it's the deep yellow color of egg yolks or the pink-orange color of salmon; whether it's the red shell of the cooked lobsters or the pink feathers of the flamingo, the color is attributable to plants. Learn why farmed salmon (90% of salmon eaten in the United States) are not really pink, why the yolk of chicken's eggs are so yellow, and why captive pink flamingos (i.e. those in zoos) are not really pink. Related to color, we also talk about the animals who suffer for the white of their skin.

Best known for his Jeeves & Wooster and Blandings Castle stories, comic writer genius P.G. Wodehouse penned "The Story of Webster" as part of his Mr. Mulliner series. Nobody tells stories, draws zany characters more endearing, makes mountains of molehills, or crafts more humorous sentences than P.G. Wodehouse. Our story today is about a cat – or mostly about the affect a cat named Webster has on the main character. It’s from the collection of stories called Mulliner Nights, and I hope you enjoy it. May it invoke a little laughter - or at least a smile.

A tribute and memorial to Simon Pieman, the bravest cat who ever lived, this episode is also the story of my transition from a "dog person" to a "cat person (and “goat person,” “chicken person,” “cow person,” “turkey person,” “pig person,” but that's another story). The most profound transformations I’ve experienced have all revolved around animals – whether it was through the animals I stopped eating or the animals with whom I’ve shared my home and life. This is a universal story about loving and letting go with a very special musical ending.

Being animals ourselves, it makes sense that we share many of the same diseases as our non-human cousins. We aren’t – after all – plants. We aren’t at risk for catching aphids or sooty mold or downy mildew. In fact, many of the major killer pandemics we’ve been plagued with were acquired from non-human animals. Here are just a few: we got tuberculosis from cattle, influenza from pigs and birds, whooping cough from pigs and dogs, smallpox from cattle, and of course cowpox from cows. Even HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is believed to have been first transmitted to humans through the butchering and consumption of infected chimpanzees. it is our very consumption of animals and their products that has bestowed upon us what Guns, Germs, and Steel author Jared Diamond calls the “lethal gifts of livestock.” Our abuse of nature comes full-circle and at a heavy price for both the consumer and the consumed.

The tools we use in the kitchen are key to making it fun, making it easy, making it successful, and making it safe. I think this has everything to do with using the right tools. If you don’t like what you’re using to cook, if you don’t feel comfortable or if you find it difficult or if you find it dangerous, then you’re going to be less inclined to do it! No matter what the hobby or activity, there are appropriate tools or accoutrements and inappropriate or inadequate ones. Listen to this episode to discover my Five Favorite Kitchen Tools and how they inspire and empower.

In 1903, Mark Twain published the short story “A Dog’s Tale” in Harper’s Monthly Magazine, and the following year, it was released it as a book. Though it tends to be overshadowed by his more famous works, the story received public and critical acclaim, and as Diane Beers writes in her book, For the Prevention of Cruelty,it “is to this day a persuasive literary weapon for animal advocacy.” And I agree with her when she writes, “Twain’s deceptively simple little tale gave a powerful voice to the voiceless and laid bare human cruelty and arrogance.” A lovely sad tale worthy of remembrance.

The campaign against "plumaged headwear" was one of the most successful in the early animal advocacy movement in the United States, ultimately creating legislative protection for birds and a cultural shift in terms of how the public viewed feathered hats. A once-coveted fashion item became the symbol of cruelty and selfishness as the result of a boycott against it. Today, feathers and down - cruelly-begotten products of an incredibly lucrative industry - show up stuffed in our comforters and puffed up in our coats. Though geese and ducks are the primary victims, ostriches, too, suffer immense pain and distress as the result of humans taking their soft down and colorful plumes.

Many companies boast that their personal care and household products are "cruelty-free" and "not tested on animals," a label more and more consumers are seeking. Today's episode addresses the fact that neither the FDA nor the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulate cosmetics/personal care and household products, respectively, require animal testing to ensure the safety of their products. In other words, there is no law that mandates animal testing for cosmetics and household products. Learn about the common animal tests used to test safety, the alternatives that are slowly replacing these tests, and some fabulous companies whose products deserve a place in every compassionate person's bathroom. (This episode is part of our "Compassionate Series," which features favorite companies/organizations/products/experts in the context of the topic. Enjoy!)

In celebration of the three-year anniversary of our podcast, I feature the letters of listeners who have been transformed by "Food for Thought." The stories are as diverse as the listeners and reflect varied ages and backgrounds, but they all share common threads of hope and transformation. I hope you are as moved by the letters as I am humbled by them. If you ever once thought that "people don't change," then you're in for quite a treat.

When I talk about eating healthfully “in a recession” or on a budget, I'm referring to “eating healthfully affordably.” I’m not talking about eating cheap food. I’m talking about eating whole food. I’m talking about considering all the costs of our food consumption – costs to our health, costs to the Earth, costs to the people who produce it, costs to the animals, costs to our spirits. Join me as I offer five suggestions for eating healthfully while being budget-conscious. (This episode is part of our "Compassionate Series," which features favorite companies/organizations/products/experts in the context of the topic. Enjoy!)

Though rabbits inform our consciousness and culture in so many ways, they are one of the most exploited domesticated animals: raised and killed for human consumption, hunted for "sport," used for experiments in vivisection labs, farmed and killed for their fur, sold in pet stores, and so much more. Given all this, it’s a wonder how a dismembered rabbit foot could possibly represent “good luck.” Join me as I frame our exploitation of and relationship to rabbits within pop culture and literature.

Because memorials aren’t really a lamentation of death as much as they are a celebration of life, I want to emphasize that this episode is not at all sad. In it, I read several poems by celebrated writers (Robinson Jeffers, John Galsworthy, Eugene O'Neill, William Cowper), who memorialize their lost animal companions with whom they lived and loved. May you find joy and solace in their words.

Vegetarians and vegans often find themselves having to defend not only their own eating habits but vegetarianism and veganism as a whole - both philosophically and nutritionally. When it comes to health, those aiming for a plant-based diet are definitely on the right track, especially considering how few vegetables people are eating these days. When it comes to ethics, they are merely trying to live a life that reflects compassion. I think it's time we turn the tables and start holding each other accountable for the better choices we can ALL be making. If we turn the tables, we can stay focused on the issues at hand: ending animal cruelty and improving our physical and emotional well-being. I also suggest that we take back the word "agenda," something animal advocates are accused of having, and I offer my thoughts about the question: "Do you think you're 'morally superior' to me because you're vegan and I'm not?" Finally, I share some of my favorite communication strategies that might help us all find common ground so we can stop attacking one another and begin addressing the bigger picture. In other words, can't we all just get along?

According to the World Health Organization, people who live in high-income countries and middle-income countries predominantly die of chronic "lifestyle" diseases or "diseases of civilization"(Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, asthma, cancer, chronic liver disease, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, stroke, depression, diverticulitis, gallstones, and obesity). In low-income countries, people predominantly die of infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and influenza. we’ve come so far in learning how to prevent infectious diseases. We should all be very grateful that we don’t have to contend with malaria on a daily basis – that we wake up and have little chance of contracting whooping cough. But what have we traded this for? We have all the information we need to prevent 80% of premature deaths and we do nothing. For what?

With a penchant for romanticizing their consumption of animals, many people declare that they "pray over meat" or "weep over the animals who sacrifice themselves for us - just like the Native Americans." Not only does this attempt to assuage our discomfort make no difference to the animals we kill (for naught), I wonder: who's praying for the animals who are still alive? Who's weeping for those who need our help? And if it's so compassionate to pray over an animal while we slit her throat, isn't it even MORE compassionate to pray over an animal and NOT slit her throat? Join me as I explore what's really underneath this third-rail issue and as I suggest that it is not only insulting to the animals but to the Native Americans themselves.

Today’s episode is part of our "Compassionate Series," which features favorite companies/organizations/products/experts in the context of the topic.) If you’re seeing this episode after the “holidays” have already passed, please don’t tune it out. The information is relevant ANYTIME and ALL the time, and you’ll be happy you listened to hear about these fabulous companies and their equally fabulous products for healthful, happy, humane living. There's lots of information here about tea - the difference between green, white, black, and oolong - and about wax used for candles.

Whether you’re packing lunches for your children for school or your partner for work or for yourself to take to the office; whether you're a teenager packing your own lunch or a college student looking for quick and easy meals; whether you're someone who works outside - as a gardener or landscaper, carpenter or construction worker; whether you're going on a picnic, going camping, or taking a road trip or a plane ride, you may want to listen to this episode. Packed with ideas and suggestions for a number of different sandwiches, snacks, and salads (grain, pasta, noodle, fruit, bean, tofu, or tempeh), Food for the Road leaves no stone unturned.

At Animal Pharm, an anomaly is born. Whether a piglet with the hands and feet of a human baby or a human baby with the head and tail of a piglet, Ziggy only wants to find what we all seek. It is my pleasure to read this moving tale by the talented Shad Clark.

With sensitivity, humor, and keen insight, David Means tells the story of a goldfish who witnesses the dissolution of a family. I think Means beautifully captures the way the animals in our lives can become pawns in our greater human dramas – whether we’re aware of it or not. I think it’s really wonderfully written. Means creates incredibly real tableaus – images that have stayed with me ever since I first read it, and he has a knack for infusing humor into his very human stories, which just adds to the authenticity of the scenarios he creates.

If you’ve ever stared at the “Nutrition Facts” label on the back of food products wondering what to make of it, then this episode is for you. Learn about how to read the label, what to look for to ensure you're avoiding such unnecessaries as trans fats, how to identify animal products in the ingredients list, and how to understand the health claims made by manufacturers. Even though this episode is U.S.-specific, we're certain you'll get a lot out of it wherever you live.

When we closely examine the traditions of such holidays as Thanksgiving and Halloween, we see that we can honor their deeper meanings while still honoring our ethics and our values. Much of what informs our consciousness about these holidays is myth, which is fine. It’s fine to use myth to create rituals and traditions, but the point I make in this episode is that we pick and choose our cultural and personal traditions all the time, and these choices don't necessarily reflect some historical fact. I also spend a great deal of time talking about how vegan children can partake in all the fun of Halloween without being deprived. Finally, I offer some suggestions for using Halloween as an opportunity for advocacy.

For the last 35 years of his life, Isaac Bashevis Singer was a proud and vocal vegetarian, and he often included the themes of vegetarianism and animal suffering in his works. Affected deeply by early memories of an animal market in Poland, where animals were brought to be slaughtered, Singer began to question his own ethics as well as those of a world in which there is so much bloodshed. Like "The Slaughterer," the short story "Blood" is an indictment of religiously sanctioned slaughter. The main characters - aroused by and immersed in the violence of killing - become so desensitized by their acts that they fall deeper and deeper into darkness.

Though I love talking about all things vegetarian with like-minded friends, my favorite people to engage with are strangers, whether on land or in the air (on planes). The more time we invest in conversations about vegetarianism and animal rights, the better advocates we will be and the more seeds we will plant. Despite the common assertion that "people don't want to talk about these issues," I actually experience quite the opposite. Join me today as I talk about some recent encounters with strangers on planes (the good and the bad) and how I responded to some frequently asked questions about animal rights and vegetarianism, particularly those that relate to religion.

With his keen understanding of human behavior, Benjamin Franklin once remarked: "So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for every thing one has a mind to do." We tend to be quite adept at finding ways to justify our behavior, especially when it is either unnecessary or ethically questionable. When it comes to eating animals, we don't only justify it on the grounds that it benefits US; we actually have the nerve to justify it on the grounds that it actually benefits the animals. Focusing on a few of these common assertions ("cows need to be milked or they'll fall ill," "we give animals life," and "dying by our hands is better than dying by the hands of violent predators."), I offer my own perspective in response.

Another story by well-known writer Roald Dahl (James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), "The Boy Who Talked With Animals" is a very touching tale that illustrates the power of intervening on behalf of those who have no voice. In the presence of compassion, transformations take place - even if that voice is small and young.

Calorie for calorie, dark green leafy vegetables are perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. There are over one thousand species of plants with edible leaves, including Arugula, Beet Greens, Bok Choy, Brussels Sprouts, Collard greens, Cabbage, Chard, Chicory, Dandelion Greens, Endive, Escarole, Iceberg Lettuce, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard Greens, Purslane, Romaine, Sorrel, Spinach, Tatsoi, Turnip Greens, Watercress – and so many others. Join me as I talk about seven of these green leafies - their history, their etymology, how to store and wash them, how to cook them, and how to make them delicious so that you'll get them in your body - any which way.

After being diagnosed with lung cancer, Diana Frick, the main character in "Watch the Animals" focuses more on who will take care of her menagerie of animals after she dies than on her own fatal illness. Told from the point of view of her fellow wealthy neighbor, who doesn't quite understand Diana's penchant for animals, the story reveals a lot about human nature and the mysteries of human-to-human as well as human-to-animal relationships. At least, that's the way I read it. As a fitting end to this moving story, Simon and Schuster (my own beloved cats) chime in.

I can tell you honestly that these nutritional powerhouses were not always on my list of favorite foods. Luckily, our palates change, and when we begin to eat healthier foods, we stop craving fatty, salty, processed, packaged junk. In this episode, I talk about my favorite foods, why they're so beneficial, and how you can prepare them easily and deliciously.

My main criteria for my "favorite foods" are things that I consume practically every day and love to prepare, and though my list may seem pedestrian, one thing I've discovered in the many years I’ve been doing this work is that even the most basic foods are still foreign to people. So, today I talk - at length! - about these five favorites.

Just as humans need the nutrients from plants to thrive and grow, so do the plants need the nutrients from the soil - such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, calcium, iron, and magnanese. In this much-requested episode, learn how organic matter from plants (i.e. compost) enriches the soil, how animal slaughterhouse waste is unnecessary to create a healthy and abundant garden, and how to create harmony with all the creatures in your garden - even the snails!

In today's episode, I read an excerpt from a very special book called The World Peace Diet, written by Will Tuttle. Will is one of these amazing people who uses his compassion and wisdom in order to create the world we all envision - a world of peace and kindness and nonviolence and high consciousness. The excerpt I read provides an appropriate segue to talk briefly about the USDA's "Animal Damage Control" program (now euphemistically called (Wildlife Services) which kills millions of wild animals every year on behalf of cattle, sheep, and other "livestock" ranchers. Just one more reason that animal consumption and "environmentalism" cannot co-exist.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the U.S. and worldwide. The groups that are most susceptible are women who menstruate (that is, women of childbearing age), pregnant and lactating women, teenagers, and children aged 6 months to 4 years. This is true for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. I repeat: This is true for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Once again, this is not a case where vegans have to be concerned and non-vegetarians don't. This essential mineral is abundant in plant-based foods and is better absorbed with vitamin C-rich foods. In this episode, I debunk myths about iron, name some iron-rich plant-based foods, explain why overconsumption of iron is a cause for concern, and even suggest that we give our blood away! Tune in for tips and resources on making healthful, compassionate choices.

This short story by writer Philip K. Dick (A Scanner Darkly, Blade Runner, Total Recall) takes a look at how humans relate to other creatures. More than that, it asks the reader to grapple with the definition of "human." What does it mean to be "human"? Are others - non-human beings - capable of possessing human qualities? Can other life forms who exhibit human traits be considered "human"? What does it mean to be human - not in terms of physical attributes but in terms of a soul? No need to answer now...listen to the story first.

In Part I of this topic, I talked about the importance of perceiving non-vegetarians as "blocked vegetarians" to help us cope in "mixed relationships." And of course the relationships to which I’m referring are not just romantic. Mixed relationships include those between friends, co-workers, family members, and most certainly between parents and children. In this episode, Part II, I want to offer some very specific suggestions for effectively coping with a non-vegetarian partner, family member, or friend. It's all about the art of finding the balance line between speaking your truth and remaining humble.

Though I lament the fact that so many people look for easy solutions to their health problems and think that the answer lies in a pharmaceuticals, I also worry that people look to vitamin and mineral supplements as a shortcut to health. Though supplements may be essential when there is a true deficiency or need, they can be unnecessary at best or detrimental at worst when we use them as a substitute for a healthful diet. Join me as I talk about the safety - or lack thereof - of antioxidant supplements, (namely beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium, and zinc); about whether or not we need to supplement such things as iron, folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and DHA; and about the best multivitamin to take, assuming, of course, that it is necessary to take a multivitamin.

Best known for his novels, such as The Picture of Dorian Gray; his plays, such as "The Importance of Being Earnest," "An Ideal Husband," and "Salome"; his poetry, such as "The Ballad of Reading Gaol"; and his 50,000-word letter, called "De Profundis," Oscar Wilde is not widely acclaimed for his children's stories. Sweet, didactic, and full of imagery, his children's stories were compiled in The Happy Prince and Other Talesand published in 1888. He created them as bedtime stories for his two sons, and though they do not reflect the wit and acumen of the brilliant writer, they do reflect his desire to teach the value of having a selfless heart. "The Happy Prince" is a lovely little story about selfless prince and a selfless bird: a little swallow who sacrifices himself to save others.

Though he’s most well-known for his children's stories (James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Roald Dahl was also a prolific writer of short stories for adults, many of which are a bit on the macabre side. Today's story, "Pig" is one of these darker stories but written in such a casual voice that the reader is caught quite off-guard. A story of trust and betrayal, "Pig" is a story you won't soon forget.

Vegetarians learn pretty quickly that when they "come out" - when they declare their vegetarianism publicly - they become the recipient of some statements or questions that are, let’s say, not very well thought out, such as "If everyone went vegetarian, the world would be overrun with farm animals!" or "Don't you care about plants? They have feelings, too!" or "So you're vegetarian? Do you eat fish?" In the spirit of effective advocacy and good communication, I offer some strategies for responding and some coping skills for staying sane when confronted with the same jokes and retorts again and again again ... and again. Sometimes it's helpful to clarify things by first asking: "Are you serious?"

In celebration of the two-year anniversary of our podcast, I feature the letters of listeners who have been informed and inspired by "Food for Thought." The stories are as diverse as the listeners and reflect varied ages and backgrounds, but they all share common threads of hope and transformation. I hope you are as moved by the letters as I am humbled by them. If you ever once thought that "people don't change," then you're in for a surprise and a treat.

A diplomatic delegation from another planet comes to Earth, bringing with them technology to end hunger, disease, and war and - ostensibly - asking for nothing in return. A short story written in 1951 by Damon Knight, "To Serve Man" was adapted into a popular "Twilight Zone" episode in the 1960s and is featured in today's episode.

Though we tend to forget, cattle (cows, bulls, and steers) did exist first as wild animals before humans began domesticating them for our own purposes. Before we got our hands on them and turned them into a commodity for human gain, what was their history? What was their background? What is their ancestry? Today I explore the answers to these questions, trace their fateful encounter with humans (leading to the extinction of their ancestors), document our use of them as instruments of cruel entertainment, and draw the connections between our contact with cattle and the many deadly diseases that continue to plague humans today.

"Can you eat this?" "Are you allowed to eat that?" Can you eat bread?" These are some of the common questions non-vegetarians ask vegans, and here's the short answer: We can eat whatever we want. We're "allowed" to have whatever we want. Nobody’s stopping us. It’s not illegal. We don’t follow a set of dietary laws, and we are technically quite capable. It’s not a matter of not being "able to," it’s not a matter of "can" and "cannot." It’s a matter of not WANTING to. Being vegan is not about restriction. Or limitation. Or rules. Or doctrine. We're not forbidden to eat animals. we don’t WANT to eat animals. It's a choice - and a powerful choice that has the potential to heal the entire planet. Yes, I said it. Join me today as I define what it means to be vegan and why we should be thankful to the late Donald Watson for coining the word "vegan" and sparing us the title of "vitan," "benevore," or "sanivore." (And for the record, we eat bread.)

Today's story demonstrates the lengths to which people will go to protect the ones they love. In her stories and plays, Susan Glaspell (1876-1948), bestselling novelist and Pulitzer-prize winning playwright, created many sympathetic characters who make principled stands. And that is why I chose this story for today's narrative; it is about a little boy named Stubby who takes a very principled stand to protect his dog, Hero.

Though in many ways we admire so much about chickens (the maternal instinct of mother hens, the irresistible "cuteness" of baby chicks, the iridescent plumage of rooters), unfortunately our admiration doesn't translate into kindness towards them. Chickens born, kept, and killed for their flesh and for their eggs may very well be the most abused animals on the planet. Of the over 10 billion animals killed for human consumption in the U.S. every year, over 9.4 billion of these animals are chickens, including those killed once their "egg production" drops. This mass slaughter affects not only the victims themselves but those who are paid to do this difficult and bloody work. Please join me as I explore the effects of eating "only white meat."

Joanna Lucas is a gifted and beautiful writer who devotes much of her time and talent to the Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary in Colorado (www.peacefulprairie.org). Joanna knows all the animals at the sanctuary intimately and writes about them on the Peaceful Prairie blog. In today's episode, I read Joanna's essay called Portrait of Marcie... A Beautiful Soul. Marcie, and so many animals who have no reason to ever trust a human again, has much to teach us about forgiveness.

Lest I offend the good people of Florida and Montana, I humbly offer my sincerest apology. Except for that one mean lady at the bed and breakfast (whose name shall remain anonymous), we enjoyed many wonderful meals in the fair state of Florida.

Everything we know about the Greek philosopher Pythagoras (ca. 580 B.C.- ca. 490 B.C. - he died when he was 90 years old!) comes from those who lived many years after him, and fortunately, his philosophy of vegetarianism is beautifully memorialized in Ovid's great epic poem, The Metamorphoses. Early vegetarians were called "Pythagoreans," and 2,500 years after his death, his admonitions against slaughtering animals for human consumption still ring true.

Join me today as I share some of my adventures on the road, in the sky, and in a far-off place called Florida. We learn why eating a whole foods plant-based diet works not only at home but also "abroad," we explore the abundant resources out there for planning a vegan voyage, and I offer some tips on getting Pizza Hut to treat you like royalty. I also share my thoughts about why we should treat ourselves like children when we travel, and why I'm moving to Italy as soon as possible.

You wouldn't believe how much there is to say about beans. Take a listen to see what all the fuss is about! Learn how easy it is to make beans "from scratch," get permission to eat canned beans, learn a number of fast dishes you can make with black beans, white beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, and chick-peas, and find out once and for all how to deal with the discomfort that some people experience when they eat the big, bad bean. By the end of this episode, you'll realize that the bean has been your best friend all along; you just needed to understand where this luscious legume was coming from.

This episode debunks the claim that a "vegan diet is more expensive than a non-vegetarian diet" by looking at a cost comparison of the equivalent amount of animal versus plant protein, by looking at the government subsidies that make food artificially cheap, and by looking at costs that go beyond mere dollars: those of the environment, the lives of the animals, our health, and our peace of mind. I also offer some thoughts about why it's no harder for a person of 75 to change her habits than it is for a person of 20.

The practice of branding animals and humans has a long history, dating back 4,000 years to the Egyptians. The Greeks, Romans, and Anglo-Saxons carried on the tradition, it was a regular form of punishment and identification during the European/American slave trade, and it continues to this day on ranches all over the American West. Brands cruelly and successfully denote ownership and domination, and we examine their presence in animal and human slavery in today's episode, ending with a poem by African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906), son of former slaves, who understood "why the caged bird sings."

Perhaps the most offensive thing you can say about people - if you really want it to sting - is that they're "like animals." We use, abuse, exploit, denigrate animals and relegate them to the lowliest place in society and then blame them for being "animals." We compare them to humans and consider them lowly and forget that we're the ones writing that story. If we're the barometer against which we measure everyone else in the natural world, well surely they'll always fall short. But what if our criteria were different? What if value and worthiness were determined by how fast you could run. Or how high you could fly. Or on the ability to climb mountains without rope but only four hooves. How would humans fare then?

Now that I'm vegan, what do I do with my leather couch, my leather shoes, and my wool sweaters? What should I do with the meat and other animal-based products in my kitchen? How do I know about animal-derived ingredients on food labels? Can I still call myself "vegan" if I eat something like honey? These are some of the questions that arise for people who find themselves newly conscious of animal suffering and who don't want to participate in it. And these are also some of the issues that deter people who may be interested in "becoming vegan" but who think it would be too difficult or who think they have to live up to some kind of "vegan perfection." Join me as I address these concerns and offer some suggestions for the practical aspects of living a compassionate lifestyle.

Isaac Bashevis Singer was born in 1902 in Poland and emigrated to the United States in 1935. Publishing at least 18 novels, 14 children's books, and a number of memoirs, essays and articles, he is best known for his short stories. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1978. For the last 35 years of his life, Singer was a proud and vocal vegetarian, and he often included the themes of vegetarianism and animal suffering in his works. In his short story, "The Slaughterer," which I read today, he describes the anguish that an appointed ritual slaughterer has trying to reconcile his compassion for animals with his job of slaughtering animals. It's a powerful and harrowing story.

In her broken, mutilated body, shooting for normalcy as though it were within her reach, seeking to be involved in absolutely everything, every meal, every exchange of affection, every single conversation, Louise sang. Responding to every single sound in her environment, tuned into the world's pitch, rhythm, timbre, tone, color, phrasing, cadence, tempo, inflection, leaving no call unnoticed, unheeded, unanswered, Louise let her voice be heard. Until one day when her voice changed from song- filled to quiet. Join me as I read a beautiful story of transformation.

Most people don't know that our contemporary customs at Thanksgiving, namely the serving of turkeys, were shaped and popularized by a magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale, in the mid-1800s. Whatever meaning we attribute to this Thanksgiving holiday is most certainly not lost (in fact, it is enhanced) by creating food-based rituals that affirm rather than take life, that demonstrate compassion and empathy rather than selfishness and gluttony, that celebrate the fact that no one need be sacrificed in order that we should eat. In today's episode, I offer a number of different menus for a beautiful holiday feast that delights the senses and reflects our values.

A culture’s language reflects the values of that society, and our shared use of that language reflects our agreement with those values. Today I want to examine how our use of common idioms and proverbs denigrates animals and contributes to our violence against them; I'd like to take a look at the origins of some of these expressions and offer some compassionate versions that will replace the more violent, offensive ones. My hope is that we can find ways to express ourselves that reflect not exploitation and violence but respect, compassion, empathy, kindness, and truth.

In her 1948 short story, "The Lottery," about the annual selection of a sacrificial victim in a small American town, Shirley Jackson makes a powerful statement about humanity’s tendency to cling blindly to meaningless rituals and participate in pointless violence. In my many years as an animal advocate, I’ve heard many excuses for our use and abuse of animals, but I’m often taken aback by the one that concludes that certain practices are justifiable because they’re embedded in the "culture" and sanctified by "tradition," as if that’s all the reason we need to justify our behavior. After all, one culture's "traditions" are another cultures "taboos."

I believe we come into this world fully compassionate, and the best gift we can give to children is to honor the empathy they have for animals by letting their natural compassion guide their behavior, guide us as parents, guide us as a society. We do everything we can to prevent them from seeing images of animal cruelty and suffering, so why would we go behind their backs and support the very thing they would find anathema - that WE find anathema? Why would we pay other people to do to animals what we - what children - would be traumatized by – quite literally. Today's episode is about raising our children in such a way that it’s consistent with our own values, their own values, and with the messages we’re already giving them: to be kind, caring, compassionate people. Today's episode is about raising vegan children, how to navigate non-vegan birthday parties, family occasions, classroom events, and other specific scenarios for living in a world that seems to value convenience over compassion.

Several years ago, I happened upon an amazing book called Poetry’s Plea for Animals: An Anthology of Justice and Mercy for our Kindred in Fur and Feathers. It’s a collection of poems about animals and about the plight of animals who are at the mercy of humans. It published in 1927 and contains such chapters as "Burden-Bearers," "In War Service," "The Last and Least of Things," "Braves of the Hunt," "In Captivity," and "Performing Animals." As subjects of these poems, animals are exalted in ways they have yet to witness off the page. These poems serve as touchstones that link us to the early pioneers of the animal protection movement, and they are the inspiration that can keep us moving forward.

I'm thrilled to report that another voice has just pierced the "sustainable/humane meat" illusion - and what a voice! B.R. Myers, a book critic for the Atlantic Monthly magazine, has written a fiercely honest criticism of Michael Pollan’s book in the September 2007 issue of the magazine, and I read it here. It’s called "Hard to Swallow: The gourmet’s ongoing failure to think in moral terms." Myers adeptly scrutinizes Pollan’s bogus arguments, chews them up, and spits them out. Though the doublespeak of such "excuse-itarians" as Michael Pollan has always been very clear to me, it was incredibly satisfying to have a respected writer agree that Pollan’s justifications leave as bitter a taste in his mouth as they do in mine. And to have it published in a magazine such as The Atlantic gives me great reason for hope. (See previous podcast episode called "The Rise of the Excuse-itarians.")

Many a vegetarian has been on the receiving end of jokes, jibes, digs, insensitive quips, and cruel comments, and though it can be hard not to take it personally, the truth is all of these insensitive reactions have nothing to do with you. They reflect a resistance on the part of the non-vegetarian to take an honest and thoughtful look in the mirror held up for them. Though meat-eaters may feel as though they're being judged or made to feel guilty, it's often just a matter of the vegetarian reflecting back his or her own truth and compassion. But vegetarians don't get off the hook that easily. As much as we each have own process and transition to work through as we experience our own awakenings, we have to honor the transition of the people with whom we share our lives. Even though we may feel completely changed, we may forget to look at how our changes are affecting our partner. As much as we want him or her to be understanding and compassionate, we have to provide the same compassion and understanding.

When confronted by the ethical considerations of leather, many people exclaim that it is a mere by-product of the meat industry and is thus absolved of culpability. The truth is quite different. Far from the altruistic industry this perception implies, the leather industry is inherently linked with the meat industry, providing the latter with much-needed profits and incentive to survive. In addition to the abuse that takes place in the slaughter industry, the leather industry is also responsible for the suffering and death of animals targeted specifically for their skins. Add to that the huge amount of energy and toxins necessary to turn once-living skins into preserved hides, and you've got an industry that doesn't come out looking good after all.

Despite our desperate attempt to remove ourselves from our non-human brethren, we are animals, and we have a lot more animal instincts than we like to admit. Every woman will tell you that her drive to protect her young - what we call maternal instinct - is pure and fierce and real. We even call it an instinct - the maternal instinct. Any right-minded person would agree that this instinct exists in ALL animals. If we know this to be true, then how can we so arrogantly deny animals their desire to fulfill that very basic, fierce, real, powerful instinct? In this episode, I share a couple very moving stories about the connection between cows and their babies and how denying mothers this fundamental experience is one of the cruelest things we do.

In today's episode we talk all about this delicious, nutritious food: its history, its versatility, and how it's made. Undergoing a process that resembles the production of dairy-based cheese, tofu has many advantages over its animal-based cousin, namely that no calf is harmed in the making of it. Tune in for more on that, for tips on cooking with it, and for information about the different textures (silken, soft, medium, firm, extra firm). This is an information-packed episode that will inspire and empower you and demystify the "big white blob."

Our consumption of fish has many consequences - not only for the fish we eat but also for other fish/crustaceans, for cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), for marine mammals, for birds, and for ecosystems. In addition to the 17 billion aquatic animals we kill in the U.S. for human consumption, countless animals are killed as "by-catch" or "incidental catch." These are the unintended but inevitable victims of the commercial fishing industry. Though we may see one fish on our plate or five shrimp in our seafood salad, countless numbers of animals were dredged up and killed for the individuals we consume.

Learning about the atrocities committed against non-human animals is very painful and can leave us full of sorrow and hopelessness. In today’s episode, I’d like to address how to cope with the pain of the awareness of animal suffering and also how to be an effective advocate for animals. These two things go hand in hand; if we don't take care of ourselves, we will be very ineffective as advocates, and if we aren't doing something to be part of the solution, we're missing an opportunity to feel better - to feel hopeful.

In this episode, I talk about what it's like to be a vegetarian at a non-vegetarian BBQ, tell you a little story about when I was on the Food Network, and share some specific ideas about what to serve at a BBQ: ideas for the grill (including vegetable skewers, marinated eggplant, polenta with pesto, portabello mushrooms, corn on the cob, BBQ tempeh, and fruit), recipes for salads (such as Thai slaw, spinach salad, pasta salad), and, of course, dessert. I also talk briefly about why the safest way to avoid the carcinogenic compounds that form on cooked meat is to not eat it. Heterocyclic amines, the cancer-causing compounds found on meat (including "beef," "pork," "chicken," or "fish") cooked at high temperatures (whether grilled, BBQd, or pan-fried) do not form on plant foods. Just one more reason to leave animals off our plates.

Today I want to talk to you about an animal who has, over the centuries, gone from exalted to vilified. An animal that many people have never met but one who has been much maligned and humiliated on film, in literature, and in our language. An animal that is affected by the daily choices we make but who is invisible in many ways. An animal you may never think of, an animal you wouldn’t think would be part of the animal agriculture business, an animal I hope you have the privilege of meeting someday. Today I will tell you about the plight of the donkey, the burden of the burro and explain why they mean so much to me.

Today I want to talk about this amazing animal that endures a number of abuses by humans and yet isn’t really talked about a lot - even by animal advocates. Today I want to talk about and honor goats. Full of spunk and spark and life, we betray them by killing them for their flesh, by exploiting them for their milk, by exposing them to painful military experiments, and by humiliating them in a variety of other ways. This episode is dedicated to Neptune, a most remarkable being.

A much-anticipated episode, today's topic is dedicated to all the teen vegetarians out there, though its subject matter is relevant for parents as well. Many teenagers don't have the support of their parents when they make the decision to become vegetarian/vegan, and we talk about why this is and how we can remedy it. Making this lifestyle change is an adjustment for everyone, and it's important to recognize this, no matter what age we are. We offer some specific suggestions for family dinners and provide some insight into why sheep get a bad rep for being herd animals, when humans display just as much need to be part of the crowd as our wooly friends. If you've been considered a "black sheep" - whatever your age - this episode is for you.

Today's episode is dedicated to pigs - how wonderful they are, how we misrepresent them in our society, and what affect that has on our treatment of them. Pigs are exploited and used by humans in a variety of ways: as research tools, as "food animals," in high school science classes, as entertainment in a blood sport called "hog-baiting" or "hog dogging," as victims of hunting. We also talk about how our language shapes our perception of them and, thus, our treatment of them, and we examine the cycle of violence inherent in hiring men to work in slaughterhouses, desensitizing them to violence, and then essentially supporting abusive and sadistic behavior - just because we like bacon. The cycle of violence makes its final stop in the homes of these slaughterhouse workers, where alcoholism and domestic abuse is commonplace. Finally, we end on a positive note with a beautiful poem by Pulitzer-prize winning poet, Galway Kinnell - who pays homage to our porcine friends in "St Francis and the Sow."

Study after study concludes that people just aren't eating their vegetables. They're eating plenty of meat, dairy, and eggs, but they're not eating their vegetables. In today's episode, I offer a number of suggestions and tips for incorporating more plant foods into our diet - from chopping veggies and planning meals in advance to identifying what it is we think we're craving and joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Because there is so much to say, today's podcast is a little longer than usual, and because there is so much MORE to say, consider this Part I in an ongoing series on this particular topic. And because Mom was right all along when she nagged you to "eat your vegetables," give her a call and tell her so.

Feeding our dogs and cats the diet that is healthiest for them is something many people are concerned with. An ethical consideration arises when we become vegan or vegetarian and start to question the ethics of supporting the slaughter industry by feeding our dogs and cats meat. In this episode, I offer my opinion about feeding dogs and cats a plant-based diet, provide resources for the "highest grade" (sans by-products) companion animal food, and share my experience about a preventable cancer (Vaccine Associated Fibrosarcoma) that is showing up in cats more than ever before. My hope is that by sharing my story, others can save their cat's life and can avoid going through a horrific and unnecessary ordeal. (Please pass on this episode to others who may benefit.)

If you have ever said or thought that you could "never give up cheese," this episode is for you. In it, I explore our irrational attachment to this stuff and suggest that it is a combination of factors that foster our addiction to cheese. I suggest that our desire for it is really a desire for something familiar. I suggest that it acts as a trigger for a nostalgic memory. I suggest that we use it to bring us comfort. I also suggest that it may be as simple as craving fat or salt. And I suggest that all of these things can be satisfied without cheese. I also recommend some good non-dairy cheeses as well as ways to make some of your favorite dishes without any cheese at all - dairy or non-dairy. The bottom line is: NEVER SAY NEVER. Just be willing to be open. You'll find that there is indeed life without cheese. First, we have to stop giving it so much power.

A handful of individuals have been incredibly successful at demonizing a bean - a bean! Our obsession with single nutrients, our reliance on media sound bites for our health advice, our misunderstanding of the power of the anti-vegetarian agenda, our reliance on processed foods are the problems - not soy. Though soy foods are not miracle foods, neither are they poison. This episode seeks to put it all in perspective and demonstrate that whole soy foods can be part of a varied, whole-foods, plant-based diet - but only if you want them to be.

The process of becoming de-sensitized to animal suffering happens at a very early age. Though our innate compassion is unfettered and unconditional when we're young, we receive messages that indicate that not only should this compassion be left on the threshold of adulthood but that certain animals are here to love and certain ones are here to use. As a result, many of us go through our entire lives detached from the animals who once permeated every aspect of our childhood and detached from our own emotions and truths. Only when the spell is broken, when we are shaken out of our sleep do we experience a profound awakening. The key is being *willing* to wake up. The key is letting go of our self-deception and lowering the defenses we built up.

The words we use to refer to the animals we eat reveals a lot about how we feel about eating once-living creatures. If we can't comfortably call it what it is, then maybe we have a problem eating it in the first place.

The word "mutilate" is a disturbing one, but I’m not using it merely to disturb. I’m using it because it aptly describes what I’m talking about. The root of the word means "to cut up, to cut off," and that’s what we do systematically to billions of animals - because we can. To my mind, to mutilate someone physically, to harm them physically is the ultimate violation of their rights as an individual. Please join me as we explore yet another truth - disturbing though it is - about our treatment of non-human animals. I promise the next episode will be much lighter.

I'm always struck by the notion that vegetarianism is a political position but eating meat is neutral. You know what I mean? The media are usually afraid to touch the subject (vegetarianism) lest they be promoting a particular position, as if they're NOT promoting a particular position when they represent meat, dairy, and eggs in a favorable light. These are the gatekeepers that decide how issues are presented to the public. As a result, the public accepts the information as gospel and thinks they're making independent food choices - until those darn vegetarians come along and spoil everything. Considering the billions of advertising dollars spent to persuade people to eat animal flesh and secretions, the millions of congressional contributions meant to persuade the government to create policies favorable to the food industry, and the millions of dollars in government subsidies given to the animal exploitation industries - I hate to say it, but we're not even CLOSE to making independent food choices. We're told what to eat every minute of every day.

A number of you have written and asked me to talk about what else you can do beyond just stopping eating animals and animal secretions. You want to do more, and I commend you. We need you. The animals need you, and there much work to do. In another show we’ll talk about specific things you can do, but first I want to talk about processing all of this information about the cruelty inflicted upon animals. Between "the learning" and "the doing," there is "the being," "the processing" of all this new information, and we need to know a little about where we are before we can get to where we're going. In this episode, I offer five suggestions for processing this information and taking it into the world effectively and humbly.

I've always been perplexed by the claim that animal advocates are anti-human. It seems really odd to me because though we're reminded every day that humans steal, lie, cheat, kill, rape, and hurt each other, I’ve never heard any of these people called "anti-human." It seems to me that the accusation would better suit someone who actually acts against humans. It also doesn't say much about our capacity to care about more than one thing at a time. Why would my compassion for one group diminish my capacity for another? Nonetheless, animal advocates are often reluctant to publicly object to such groups as Heifer Project International, a "hunger relief" organization, lest they be accused of caring more about animals than humans. I, however, see it differently. If you don't know who they are, Heifer Project is a near $100 million organization that sends live animals to people all around the world. Perpetuating a speciesist paradigm - that views animals as mere commodities with no inherent value of their own - Heifer and other organizations like it participates in what is essential a slave trade - an animal slave trade. Exporting our own preventable diseases, fostering an environmentally destructive animal ag system, imposing harmful substances on lactose-intolerant populations, desensitizing people to animal suffering, and manipulating our own compassionate sensibilities are just a few of the problems I see with this model.

I’ve heard some people say that they’re not vegetarian because they don't want to make their non-vegetarian friends and family uncomfortable, they don’t want to appear difficult, they don't want to appear different. Noble though it sounds, I think we underestimate our friends and family in the guise of "protecting them" from any discomfort, and in doing so, we’re not only denying our own ethics and perpetuating the socially sanctioned abuse of animals, we’re also - potentially - denying other people their own transformation. When we deny our own truth, we may very well be denying others theirs.

I highly encourage vegetarians and non-vegetarians to engage in respectful dialogue about the issues that are not often in the public discourse. As vegetarians, we need to create a safe space for the comments and questions we hear - even if we've heard them a million times - and as non-vegetarians, we can expand our perspective by asking genuine questions. In this episode, I go through some common remarks about vegetarianism and invite you to find yourself in the examples I give. As always, bring your sense of humor with you.

If you've never met them, turkeys are magnificent animals, full of spunk and spark and affection. I've introduced many people to the critters at farmed animal sanctuaries, and the animals with whom people have the most transformative experience are the turkeys. Every time. Never fails. Join me as I tell some stories of special turkeys I've had the privilege of meeting and as I explain why I'm still making amends to the animals, whose breasts, legs, and wings used to darken my dinner plate.

After hearing our earlier podcast episodes on chicken's eggs, many of you have written to tell me you have eliminated them from your diet. On behalf of the 290 million hens being kept (and eventually killed) for their eggs, I thank you. This new path, however, has left you with questions about how to cook and bake without them. Join me as I give away all my secrets for eggless baking and offer my thoughts about why I can live without boiled eggs.

Even if you're not planning on transitioning to a vegan diet, I think you'll find this episode very helpful. Packed with helpful tips and shortcuts, this episode addresses the pragmatics of eating and cooking healthfully, offers suggestions for eating locally, speaks to those who say they are hungry when they eat vegan, and provides insight into why people react with anger and/or hostility when you tell them you're vegan. (You'll even hear from my cat, Schuster, who decided to chime in unexpectedly! His brother, Simon, had nothing to say.)

I've heard every excuse in the book for eating animals, but I've yet to hear a convincing reason. The consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs is so ritualized, rationalized, disguised, and romanticized that an entirely new group of people has emerged: the "excuse-itarians." These are the people who spend enormous amounts of time and energy romanticizing the consumption of animal products and who have become pseudo-celebrities because of it. The rise in popularity of such people reminds me of the Hans Christian Andersen fable, "The Emperor Has No Clothes," because nobody is saying what's true. (The main part of this podcast is really only 13 minutes, but it's extended to 20 because of my reading of the fairy tale.)

I have yet to meet a non-vegetarian who didn't care about the treatment of animals raised and killed for human consumption, and I have yet to meet a non-vegetarian who didn't declare that they're eating "humanely raised" meat, dairy, and eggs. When you factor in the breeding, transporting, and slaughter, is it possible to have "humane" animal products?

Some people are afraid that their social lives will suffer when they eliminate meat and dairy from their diet, since social occasions and food tend to go hand in hand. For anyone who has ever thought it's difficult as a vegetarian to dine out or to eat at the home of non-vegetarian friends, I hope this can be a guide and a resource. It also includes suggestions for having productive dialogue in social situations.

Despite the crazy notion that non-dairy milks are alternatives to cow's milk, it's really the other way around when you consider the fact that the milk from nuts and soybeans has been used for thousands of years. Join me as I explore the many commercial (and homemade) milks available to those of us who've weaned ourselves from the milk of cows.

The practice of eating animals is a culturally ingrained habit. If you're in the U.S., you might dine on pigs, cattle, and chickens; if you're in Mexico, you might feast on goats; if you're in parts of Asia, you might devour dogs and cats. We humans have a funny way of judging other cultures for what we think is cruel, despite our own commitment to cruelty. To the animals, it's all the same.

Some people mistakenly think being vegan is about trying to attain perfection, so they resist any considerations of this lifestyle lest they have to "give something up." Being vegan is about living compassionately, consciously, and expansively; it's not about deprivation or being certified 100% pure.

This is a common comment that seems fair enough on the surface, but what if we dug a little deeper?

Anyone who has ever acted or spoken on behalf of animals has learned that criticism will often follow. Sometimes, it's in the form of a provocation such as: "Why aren’t you helping people instead of wasting your time on animals?" Though it's formed as a question, the inquisitors are not really interested in the answer. I suppose they think they’re catching animal activists in some sort of trap that's supposed to prove that animal activists care more about nonhuman animals than their "fellow humans." The disgust with which they ask it makes it seem as though this may be the worst thing you could accuse someone of. Join me as I address this accusation and lament that some people think so little of their "fellow humans" as to presume our hearts aren't big enough to care about more than one thing at a time. I also read a brilliant and eloquent essay by Nobel prize winner J.M. Coetzee to illustrate why "the animal rights campaign remains a human project from beginning to end."

Despite the stereotype that characterizes vegans as "angry," I call myself a "joyful vegan" and find that most everyone I know who lives this way also radiates with a joy and peace that comes with being fully awake and open.

Join me as I address some of the tenuous arguments against vegetarianism. The arguments that try to catch vegans in some kind of state of hypocrisy are particular favorites of mine, such as accusing them of torturing plants or not caring about insects. "Don't do nothing because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything."

It seems that most of our excuses for eating animals have more to do with how we want to perceive ourselves and less to do with what is actually true. Explore this idea with me as we look at a couple popular justifications for eating animals.

Cow's milk is indeed a natural food - for calves! - just as human milk is made for humans, rat's milk is made for rats, and dog's milk is made for dogs. Our consumption of cow's milk is even more absurd when you consider that calves stop drinking cow's milk when they're weaned, and humans stop drinking human milk when they're weaned, but somehow we've all been convinced that humans should continue drinking cow's milk - and never wean.

Let's examine the physiological differences between carnivores and herbivores and see who humans resemble most. Check out Part I if you haven't already.

If you've ever heard this or said it yourself - even once - you might want to listen to this episode. And then follow up with Part II.

We're told we need to eat animals and their secretions to obtain certain nutrients, such as calcium, iron, B12, Omega 3 fatty acids, but what we're not told is why the animals' flesh and secretions contain these nutrients in the first place. Here are a few clues. Calcium = mineral found in the ground. (Cows [are supposed to] eat grass, which contains calcium.) Iron = mineral found in the ground. B12 = grows on bacteria. (Bacteria is attracted to, well, corpses.) Omega 3 fatty acid = a type of polyunsaturated fat found in plant foods. (Fish eat algae, which contains Omega 3s.) See where I'm going with this?

Cow's milk contains calcium because cows eat grass. Calcium is a mineral that comes from the ground, which means, like grass, all green leafy vegetables are teeming with this nutrient. Let's explore the rationale behind human adults drinking another animal's milk when we don't even drink our own species' milk into adulthood. Perhaps all the calves are laughing at us, for even they stop drinking their own mothers' milk when they become adults. In other words, I think we have a lot to learn from the cows.

Join me as we journey to two different egg-laying facilities who label their eggs "organic, free-range, and cage-free" and discover that, though the hens may not be in "battery cages," everything else remains the same.

Marketing language is a powerful thing, and we're all being duped. Let's take a look at the mystique and myths around free-range eggs.

However much we want to believe it, hens don’t produce eggs because they figured out they were good binding ingredients for baked goods. Products of a chicken's reproductive cycle, eggs are simply the waste produced when they go unfertilized. Not as appetizing as what the egg industry tells us. What else are we not being told?

Because this prevailing myth continues to cause even the most independently minded person to ask where vegetarians get their protein, our first episode is dedicated to debunking this myth.

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