becoming more vegan

[Jeanine owen]

I have been becoming more vegan gradually, will try to get there all the way in 2010.

I feel improvements, not just physically but spiritually as well. Have noticed more though how annoying meat eaters are sometimes..so convinced and oblivious!

Glad you have this new place to gather,
Jeanine

[Cara Ann Barrier]

I have not, BUT I wrote down The World Peace Diet the other day... I plan to have a look this weekend...

THANK YOU!!!!


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

C

[Cara Ann Barrier]

Brenda... I hope you don't "truly" regret not making these changes sooner... I only say that because I have gotten to this place where I am truly letting go of the past, because I cannot change it, no matter how much I want to... I am simply speaking for myself, really... I was letting things from my past hold me back. You have made an incredible impact with your choices... ONLY look forward. That is what we have to concentrate on, to continue making this world better, safer for our animals.

Hope you have a beautiful and blessed new year.

Cara

[Brenda Trerice]

Thank you for your kind thoughts, Cara. As it is, I wasn't jive talking about my regret. It is my truth. Somewhere along the line I stopped listening to the little voice inside - for want of a better description, the soul guide [core of ones consciousness]. My 'regrets' are major teachings for me as they relate directly to my listening skills on this level.
So, to fast forward, when I read/hear something that resonates through my whole being, for example; 'animals are on the outer margin of human consciousness [awareness]', it was as if I already knew that. It wasn't a revelation, it was/is a sad truth that I recognized and I joined them because I could not bear to think of life without them. And I felt at home. I simply wanted to be with them, go with them, if it meant/means perishing with them, then so be it.

The quote is not verbatim, yet the gist of it is from Animal Liberation.

My thinking patterns are not predominantly linear. The past, present, and future are pretty much in the same moment.

As for "our" animals, I do not see other nations, be they human or non-human, as such!
best regards to you,
bt

[Tarah Millen]

Brenda,
I bought a Vitamix blender about a year ago and it was the best purchase I have ever made! I bought it on ebay refurbished. It's much cheaper that way and comes with a 7 year waranty. Now that I have a Vitamix it has become an essential tool for daily life.
I am a raw vegan, and I can't imagine what i'd do now without my Vitamix. It's perfect for making smoothies, soups, grinding grains..you name it!

[Tarah Millen]

Jeanine,

Agave nectar is wonderful. It can be used to sweeten almost anything, and you can actually use less because it has a stronger sweetness than sugar and other substitutes. It also contains trace minerals which are essential for the body to function. We often don't consume enough trace minerals due to conventional farming methods that use herbicides and pesticides, which is also why it's better to buy organic produce.

Agave necter is also lower on the glycemic index which means that it will not spike your blood sugar as much as other sugar substitutes and will help you avoid the sugar "crash".

Hope that helps!

[Tarah Millen]

You're on the right track, Ward, but for some it has to be a transition.
It is easier for some individuals to make rapid change, but not for all. I went vegan in the space of a few hours after reading a book called Skinny Bitch. On the other hand, my boyfriend has taken almost a year to make the same transition.
It can sometimes be overwhelming to become vegan immediately, especially if one has not done enough research.
What we can do, being vegan, is provide others here with the proper information so that they are able to make the transition with more knowledge to keep themselves and the animals happy and healthy.

[Brenda Trerice]

Thank you for your recommendation Tarah! You described exactly why I want to purchase one. Will check ebay again :)

[Tarah Millen]

You're very welcome!
Check out the Vitamix 5200 refurbished. It's the only model that doesn't have pcbs in the plastic containers. It's around $400 U.S.

[Carolyn Bailey]

This is fantastic :-)

[Lisa Blundell]

Awesome!

[Hayden]

Excellent !!

[Brenda Trerice]

Addendum: if my recall from Saturday's live chat with Prof. Francione is accurate [and am rephrasing], it was stated that vegan outreach ok's animal 'by-products' so forget my above recommendation on this outfit. ** if my recall is not precise, please correct this. I plan to read the transcript to check this myself yet there may be a time delay.

Also, hadn't begun to read The World Peace Diet before mentioning Dominion. If I had I would have mentioned the former book for sure and maybe not the latter book.

Another discourse is To Cherish All Life by Roshi Philip Kapleau -A Buddhist View of Animal Slaughter and Meat Eating: published in 1981...also transcendent and wholistic, in my opinion. And, he clarifies the confusion regarding the Buddha sanctioning meat eating. There are 2 versions: Mahayana which strictly rejects flesh eating and Theraveda which is "waffling permissiveness". The doctrine of ahimsa in India antedated the Buddha and " strongly influenced the spiritual climate of the Buddha's day." "Mahavira, the founder of Jainism and a contemporary of the Buddha..."

and so the flow of my addendum seems to lead to Prof. Francione!
My apology if I seemed to have streamed too far off topic.