I made the conscious decision to stop eating meat out of care, compassion, and the desire to make a positive difference to my life and the world around me. I try my best to live in accordance with my views and beliefs hoping that if I lead by example, one day I might inspire a few other people to do the same.
However, I know from personal experience that sometimes it can be all too easy to get caught up in the change that isn't happening around us -- instead of the change that is.
Yes, it's true that those of us who choose to pursue a plant-based lifestyle are still just a small minority of the population, but our message -- and perhaps more importantly our actions -- are making a much bigger impact than you might think.
The plant-based lifestyle is going mainstream. Fast.
A quick search on Google Trends reveals just how big the global shift towards meat-free diets really is. Interest in the search term 'veganism' has skyrocketed in the last few years, with Australians, Canadians and Swedes the most curious about the benefits the lifestyle has to offer.
Searches for veganism have skyrocketed over the past few years. Source: Google Trends
With plant-based diets gaining so much popularity, it’s no surprise that Yahoo ranked plant-based restaurants as one of the up-and-coming top 16 food trends for 2016.
One industry benefiting greatly from this new shift in dietary preference is the meat substitute industry. The global meat substitute market is growing at an exponential rate: 6.4% annually to be exact. Fuelled by increasing awareness about health and wellness, hormone and antibiotic concerns and environmental issues, meat substitute products will be worth a staggering $5.7 billion by 2020.
The hottest meat substitute on the market right now would have to be the Beyond Burger. Marketed as the 'world's first plant-based burger that looks, cooks and tastes like ground beef’, it’s made from pea protein, yeast extract and coconut oil and even bleeds beetroot 'blood'. Yeah science!
Let’s look at just a few of the positive changes happening around the world right now.
Australia
Evidence of the growing popularity of plant-based diets in Australia can be found on the menus of cafes, restaurant and food courts everywhere. You don't have to go far to find irresistible vegan or vegetarian versions of your favourite dishes in any major city (check out the best vegetarian restaurants in Australia).
According to research conducted by Roy Morgan, about 9.1% of the population identify as vegetarians, and almost half (43%) of all Aussies say they’ve actively reduced their meat consumption compared with a couple of years ago. Not bad for a country that gives the U.S. a run for its money when it comes to their appetite for meat.
The United Kingdom
Here's a stat that I find incredibly exciting: a quarter of all Brits will be vegetarian by 2025, according to a recent report. The number of vegans are also on the rise, with the number of people switching to a vegan diet in the nation up 350% over the past 10 years, making veganism one of the fastest growing lifestyle movements in the UK.
The British Government is also helping push the plant-based movement in the country with its new dietary guidelines recommending that its citizens replace a few servings of meat with plant-based alternatives from foods like lentils, peas and beans, while also reducing dairy by 7%.
UK's new dietary guidelines recommends eating less red meat and more beans and pulses. Click to enlarge.
The Netherlands
The Dutch are no strangers when it comes to meat and dairy. I mean, we're talking about a country where you can get hamburgers, deep-fried cheese and hot dogs straight out of the wall.
However, in a sign of changing times, the Dutch government recently urged its residents to cut down their meat consumption, recommending no more than two servings (or about 500 grams) of meat per week. The recommendations -- based on the findings from a five year long study by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre -- are the first time the government has placed a limit on how much meat people should eat.
Sweden
Recognising the detrimental environmental impacts of meat and dairy consumption, the Swedish Government has started to explore the possibility of introducing a 'meat tax'. If successful, it would mark the first time a country has used tax as a method to tackle the issues. A recent study which investigated the possible environmental outcomes of taxing meat and dairy products, found that the move could slash emissions of greenhouse gases, nitrogen and phosphorus by up to 12%.
The United States
Typically infamous for its greasy fast foods, processed meats and super-sized sodas, the stereotypical American diet is undergoing some serious change. According to statistics released by the Humane Society of America, meat consumption in the U.S. has been steadily declining in the U.S. by 10% per capita since 2007 as more Americans turn to plant-based diets. The result? 400 million fewer animals were killed for food this year compared to just nine years ago.
Germany
Plant-based diets -- particularly of the vegetarian variety -- are really taking off in Germany. According to the European Vegetarian Union, Germany may have the highest rate of vegetarians of any European country with 10% of the population ditching meat. The number of vegans are also growing exponentially in Germany, with 1 million people cutting all animal products out of their diet completely.
Pretty exciting stuff right?
Whenever you feel frustrated by the seemingly snail-like pace towards a more sustainable, kinder and healthier world, take a deep breath, step-back and look at the bigger picture. Positive change is happening every single day, on a global scale. And remember -- "Life's a marathon, not a sprint."
When a colleague of mine flew with TigerAir recently she was blown away to see this on the menu:
Are you seeing what I'm seeing?
No more peanuts and pretzels for in-flight dinners. Now I'll be having a cheesy, tomatoey toastie to hit the spot before (safely) hitting the tarmac.
And knowing me, I'll be hanging for something sweet after smashing that toastie. You too? Well guess what ... Tiger gets us.
Yep, you read that right -- vegan rocky road. I don't even know where to get vegan rocky road on the ground but now I can get it in the sky! What an exciting time to be alive :)
And Tiger Air isn't the only airline to now offer vegan options on their in-flight menu. Jetstar have a pumpkin and cous cous salad from Sumo Salad available and Virgin sell a felafel wrap on board their flights.
What this shows is that demand for vegan food is growing. Recent stats show that Australia is home to 480,000 vegans (and 2 million vegetarians). Some quick maths tells me that that's a WHOLE LOT of animals saved every year.
Together we are powerful. Thanks to compassionate people choosing animal-free food (and asking for it) we're going to continue to see vegan-friendly food popping up here, there and everywhere. After all, the sky's the limit and we're already getting vegan options there!
Every day it gets easier to cut animal products out of your life. If you're keen to know more about how you can eat to save animals and the planet, we've got a great kit to get you started.
We wanted to know what you loved most about eating vegan. So we asked. And here's what you said ...
For me, I know that animals have a desire to live, just like I do. And I don't think an animal should have to have their life cut short just for me to have a burger. Especially when I can have a delicious burger without hurting anyone.
If you're vegan too, I'd love to hear what you love most about it :) And if you've ever considered eating vegan, now is the perfect time to try it -- along with thousands of others – for Veganuary. What is it? For the month of January, you and me (and everyone else) eat vegan food and together we start 2016 off in a powerful way for animals and the planet.
The Veganuary team have everything you need to make your month of cruelty-free food easy and delicious. Sign up to take part and help kick start 2016 in a big way for animals.
P.S. Liam Hemsworth loves eating vegan too! Find out why.
I don't know about you but January always kind of creeps up on me. Where did the year go? But not this time! Because January is now Veganuary ... and I am so excited!
The Veganuary team have asked us to be their Aussie partner and we'd love you to join us to kick off 2016 in a big way for animals. Veganuary is all about giving vegan food a go for the month of Jan – no pressure, just yummy, cruelty-free food.
If that's not enough to get you pumped, here's 15 more reasons to try vegan this January :)
1. So that you can swap recipes with Ellen when you meet her.
13. Because there is a delicious cruelty-free alternative to all your favourite foods. Srsly, vegan sausages, pizza, chocolate, pies ... even 'fish' fingers!
14. You'll get to lol hard at things like this:
15. And last but not least ... so that you can find out what it really means to be in love ... with hummus.
Mmmmm ... hummus ... So what do you reckon? Can I count you in for Veganuary 2015?
P.S. Know another good reason to try vegan that I've missed? Share it below.
If you love Hunger Games as much as I do, you might be happy to hear that Liam Hemsworth who plays Gale alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the Hunger Games trilogy, has ditched meat, eggs and dairy! (And there's more! Keep reading for another awesome thing Hemsworth has done for animals.)
Look out Ryan Gosling, you've got some 'sensitive new age guy' competition.
Eating vegan is not only the kind choice for animals as Liam said, but it's also good for your health and has huge benefits for the environment. Which reason will it be for you?
For the animals
For the planet
For your health
And as if we you needed another reason to love Liam Hemsworth -- he also recently adopted a mixed breed dog named Tani. Just look at them together.
"I’m a big advocate of pet rescue," said Hemsworth. "If you’re going to get a dog, get a rescue."
And I couldn't agree more. By adopting a dog like Tani from a shelter, Liam has not only saved her life but he's also made room at the shelter for another homeless dog to get a second chance. Think that's awesome?Sign the pledge to adopt your next pet.
Whilst Tani is the new love of Liam Hemsworth's life, ex-fiancé and singer Miley Cyrus is also a passionate animal lover. During their time together Miley adopted 5 shelter pets. She's also vegan and recently spoke out against cruel wolf culls in Canada.
When a workmate told me that you can make meringues out of the water from a can of chickpeas (called aquafaba) I looked at her like she was loopy. Then she handed me one, and I've been a convert ever since.
For all my fellow kind eaters who love experimenting with egg-free baking, this is going to blow your mind. The water that comes out of a can of chickpeas (and other beans) whips up just like egg whites and has ENDLESS uses. Here's some of the best aquafaba recipes I've discovered so far.
To answer my own question, yes it does get better. Between the tahini and aquafaba you could almost convince yourself that you're eating salad. (#health). But it's so not salad. It's very much icecream. Creamy, sweet, delicious icecream.
It appears aquafaba can be whipped up into a yummy egg-free mayonnaise too. Is there anything this stuff can't do?
To answer my own question again, not really. It can pretty much do everything. If you're ready to join the aquafaba cult (it's a real thing) there's a Facebook group dedicated to aquafaba successes and failures. Join in here.
The best bit about this amazing discovery is that it's tapped into a world of possibilities for vegan baking. If I asked you what the essential ingredient to a good baked treat was I reckon that with a little twist of the arm you'd give me this answer -- sweetness. And for me that sweetness not only refers to sugar and spice and all things nice but to sweetness to hens and calves and all those who share this planet with us.
For every cage egg used in baking there is a hen suffering in darkness -- confined and stressed in a grim wire cage. For every hen in any laying system (be it free range, organic or otherwise) there is a male chick who was killed in the first days of his life because he couldn't lay eggs. The story for dairy cows and their calves is just as dark. (Find out the sad truth about dairy.)
Thanks to the magic of aquafaba we have another ingredient for a super easy recipe to ending animal cruelty and celebrating sweetness -- which is what good baking is all about :)
*Aquafaba pro tip: I've found the chickpeas with no added salt are the best.
400 million animals! I can't even begin to comprehend what 400 million animals would look like. But that's how many animals were saved from being killed for food in 2014 (in the US alone!) simply by people choosing to eat less meat!
That means millions of animals were spared from a lifetime of suffering in factory farm and having their life cut short in an industrial slaughterhouse.
Whether it be cutting down on meat or cutting it out altogether, eating less animals is a global trend that continues to grow. A new report from the U.S. says that meat consumption has been declining by around 10% every year since 2007!
Are you part of this growing movement? You're awesome. Here's a duckling.
If you're ready to jump on board the life-saving bandwagon, we've got everything you need right here.
It can be hard to feel like we're making a difference when we're flying the flag for animals, but this statistic goes to show that we're not alone, and together we're making a HUGE difference for animals.
Imagine if we could double this impact ... or even quadruple it. Well, you can! It's been found that one of the biggest barriers for people to make meat-free choices is not knowing what to eat. By spreading your love of veg food, and showing the people in your life how delicious it can be, you can help break down this barrier. And the best way to do it -- a dinner party :) What's more, by cooking for 3 friends you'll quadruple your impact for animals with that meal.
Tofish and chips
Nothing like a good fry up. And it's even better when it's tofu in the fryer and fish in the sea! (Psst! Guess what? Masterfoods Tartare Sauce is vegan.)
Mushroom hot pot
This is a fun one because guests get a ladle of broth and then make their own soup combo from the selection of veggies, herbs and tofu.
Chocolate pot
Ok I haven't actually made these yet but they're definitely on the table at my next dinner party. They look so good! (Jamie Oliver has a whole section for vegan recipes on his website.)
No seaweed salads here! Not a kale and quinoa patty to be seen. (Not that I don't love those too!) These 5 mind-blowing recipes will change how you see vegan food and prove that there ain't no thang that can't be made deliciously cruelty-free :) (Click on the pics for recipes.)
[PLUS: Win a cookbook from Bed and Broccoli! See bottom of this blog for how to enter.]
I had to start with this one because holy moley. Vegan crème brûlée -- who knew?
Poached eggs? And again ...
Yesssss.
Zomg. Yum.
This made me chuckle a little. Well played vegetables.
All of these recipes are completely free from animal products. The proof is in the crème brûlée that not a single animal has to suffer for us to be able to make crazy good food. The choice to protect pigs, cows, chickens and fish from harm is in your hands. To find out more about the benefits of leaving animals off your plate please click here.
All of the food above was made by the amazing Nikki Medwell who runs a little sanctuary/bed and breakfast called Bed and Broccoli in rural Victoria. Aaand she's recently released a cookbook, which is also amazing. Along with more mind-blowing recipes, the book is full of beautiful pictures of the animals who share her home near Shepparton.
Thanks to Nikki and JoJo Publishing, I've got TWO Bed and Broccoli cookbooks to giveaway (worth $49.99 each) and I'm going to give them to two people who can make my brain explode with an amazing vegan recipe. Post a link to a recipe or photo of amazing vegan goodness in the comments below for your chance to win one of these -->
Comp closes 30/04/15. Cant wait to see your entries :)
What happens when you take a cultural tradition and take out the animal cruelty? ... You make it waaaaay more awesome, obvs. Check out these 4 cool examples and see if you agree with me :)
One small Spanish town has said balls to cruelty by recreating an old tradition minus the animal abuse. Many people are shocked to learn that the bulls who are forced to take part in the Running of the Bulls festival will in fact suffer a slow and painful death when they reach the bull ring at the end of the run. But never again in the town of Mataelpino. Check out how they're keeping the tradition alive without harming any animals :)
Zomg this year the first ever Vegan Oktoberfest took place in Santa Monica, Calilfornia. I am so going next year.
Vegan Oktoberfest has all the best bits of Oktoberfest -- beer, German culture and quirky outfits -- and none of the worst. In 2012, half a million chickens, 116 whole oxen and 115,000 pork sausages were served up in Munich's beer tents in just 3 weeks. That's a lot of animals lives :(
Thankfully, as Vegan Oktoberfest has shown, it's possible to have all the traditional fun with none of the cruelty! Yay :) Check out the highlights on the Vegan Oktoberfest facebook page and keep an eye out for me at the next one ;)
[Have a cruelty-free feast of your own tonight with one of these yum recipes.]
Ok this is really cool. The Dorsal Effect encourages more tourists to come to Lombok -- an island in Indonesia -- to give fishermen a way to make money without the cruelty of killing sharks for their fins. Check this out:
WARNING: The first 30 seconds of this is pretty graphic so skip past if you find it upsetting.
How's that for turning cruelty on it's head for a celebration of natural beauty and culture? What's more, locals can see that sharks are worth more to them alive than they are dead. Who's up for a trip to Lombok?
November 4 from now on and forever more will be known as Hat Day. Because hats are awesome! And cruelty is not. Find out how you can take part in Hat Day (formerly known as Melbourne Cup Day) and help protect horses from cruelty simply by having an awesome time :)
The proof is in the cruelty-free pudding my friend! Latest stats out of the UK say 1 in 5 peeps aged 16-24 have taken animals off their plate. Yeahh ya did!
This compares to (a still AWESOME) 1 in 8 for Brits overall. Does that mean that young adults are the kindest of aaaallll the adults? ... It's a leap but I'm going to take it :)
Either way, vegetarians and vegans in Britain are on the rise and my spidey senses tell me that they are here in Aus too. What do you reckon?
FUN FACT: Spiderman himself is vegan. (Well, Tobey Maguire that is.) He stopped eating animals back when he was a super smart, super nice 17 year old :)
Does that mean that living cruelty-free helps you become a famous actor/give you super powers? It's a leap but I'm going to take it!
This news excites me because it shows that more and more young people are stepping up and making their own choices about what they do and don't want to support. As kids, no one ever really asks us what we think about eating animals. It's just assumed that that's what we're going to do.
But of course as we start to get older and learn the truth about the way animals raised for food are treated we have a choice. And 1 in 5 Brits are making the choice and to take animals of their plate :)
One of my favourite quotes is "Put a baby in a crib with an apple and a rabbit. If it eats the rabbit and plays with the apple, I'll buy you a new car." (Harvey Diamond).
This rabbit can't even believe that that's even a question! And neither can I really. One of my other favourite quotes (I'm in a quotey mood today) is something Lyn White has said: "Since we can live healthy, happy and fulfilling lives without harming those who share this world with us, why on earth wouldn’t we?"
No matter where you are on your cruelty-free journey, I want to thank you for opening your mind and making kind choices. And no matter which age bracket you fall into, you can help Australia beat the Brits (because you know how much we like to beat the Brits) at being kind, and (more importantly) start saving the lives of animals, by making the veg pledge today.
Three of the world's most exciting vegan chefs are coming to Australia! And as hard as it is not to keep them all for myself, I've got double passes to their cooking demonstrations in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourneto giveaway!
If you want to know how to make pancakes fluffy enough to sleep on; pie that's out of this world; and pad thai that will have your friends worshipping Seitan, then you'll want to check this out!
BONUS: The lucky Sydney winner (and their mate) will also be able to use their passes for the whole Sydney Vegan Festival.
Click on your city for the full event details:
Melbourne – Wednesday 26 March – Corner Hotel, Richmond Sydney – Saturday 29 March – Factory Theatre, Marrickville Brisbane – Sunday 30 March – Crowbar, Brisbane
"SO HOW DO I WIN?"
Ok, I hear ya. All you have to do for a chance to win these passes is comment below with which chef you're most excited to see and why. (Comp closes Wednesday 19 March, with 1 double pass to win for each event.)
UPDATE: This comp has now closed. Congratulations to our winners – hellojazmyn, Vegan-metal-Amy and Missy Key. Click here to follow Sydney Vegan Festival on Facebook to get updates for next year's event. Or click here for some delicious inspiration and have a vegan cook up of your own :)
"I'm not going to say who looks the most beautiful, but it's clear. It's Jared Leto. I mean, he's the prettiest. Boy is he pretty."
US Weekly named him one of the best dressed men at the Award Ceremony;
And MTV announced Leto the winner of the best Oscar's photobomb;
(I reckon this has got to be the runner up);
So what is the secret behind Leto's success, good looks, impeccable fashion sense and hilarious charm? Well, I don't know about the other three, but Leto credits his youthful beauty to sleep and a vegan diet. :)
"I'm pretty healthy so I think that helps a lot. I’ve been that way for a long time – 20 solid years of eating vegetarian/vegan and taking care of myself. That probably helps the preservation process."
There ya go, straight from the mouth of the 'sexiest 42 year old man alive.' As an added bonus, a plant based diet reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. So you might just live longer as well! What's more, there's 100 other reasons to go veg – and they are all unique. Click here to meet the animals who's lives you'll save by making the pledge to go veg today.
P.S. Leto also has some pretty impressive vegan pancake flipping skills. Check it out:
It’s no secret that I love cartoons, and I’m sure it will come as no surprise that I love animals ;) so you can imagine how excited I am for an animated movie about turkeys :) (especially one with a message of compassion):
How cute are those turkeys? You know where I’ll be when this hits cinemas early next year. Probs nosh down on some of this delish tofurkey beforehand :)
It’s no wonder that Jake and Reggie wanted to give their fellow turkeys a hand. We don’t have Thanksgiving here in Australia, but turkeys are by no means safe from the plate. Around 5-6 million turkeys are killed for their flesh in Australia every year. These birds spend their whole lives in large sheds, cramped in with loads of others. (Click here for everything you need to know about how turkeys raised for meat are treated and to sign the pledge to make kind choices.)
Neat little fact about Free Birds: Jake is played by Woody Harrelson, who doesn’t eat turkeys OR any other animal :) In an interview with USA today, Harrelson joked, “I’ve been really studying for this part for a long time because I’ve been a vegan for 23 years. I had an instinct a long time ago: Don’t eat turkeys. Eventually you’re going to play one.” There ya go, straight from the turkey’s mouth - being veg could be a good professional move ;) Click on Woody’s head to kick-start your cruelty-free career today.
What other celebrities do you know of who are meat-free?
I’ve decided I’m going to share something with you. It’s not something that I let many people in on. It’s my tofu scramble recipe. Now I’m normally the kind of cook who burns stuff to the bottom of the pan, sets off the fire alarm and then orders in takeaway. But my tofu scramble is world-renowned (amongst the handful of people I’ve cooked it for.)
So what’s the occasion? Well, tomorrow is World Egg Day. The thing about the egg industry is that it kills about 12 million male chicks on their first day of life, simply because they can’t produce eggs and are therefore considered waste.
That’s not something I’m keen to celebrate. But there is something that’s worth making a fuss about. And that is that egg-free food is easy, delicious and lifesaving! Which brings me back to my tofu scramble recipe. Because one of my favourite ways to not eat eggs is in a scramble! Give this a go on the weekend and have a little Egg-Free Day party of your own :)
Scrambled Tofu
Tofu. (I find a medium tofu is best for this but soft works too. Probably about 200-250g per person.)
1 onion, diced
Vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
Soy sauce
1 avo
1 tomato
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Grumpy princess cat mug (pictured right) is optional, but recommended.
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Dice up the avo and tomato. Put it in a bowl and dress with a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper. Put aside.
Stir fry onion with veg oil until a little brown. Crumble up the tofu into the frypan and stirfry until it starts to get a little brown and crispy. (Try it out with a handful of dairy-free cheese, like Vegusto or Cheezly, grated in for an extra especially delicious treat.)
Add minced garlic, turmeric and a splash of soy sauce.
Serve on toast with the avo/tomato combo on top.
---
This is my classic fave version but there’s so many ways you can serve it up. Try mixing in sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach instead of doing the avo/tomato thing. Serve that one on some toast with hummus. Yum. Now I’m hungry.
Proof that eating vegetables makes you happy, in 76 seconds:
Doesn’t that just make you want to dance? And eat spinach? I love being vegan for so many reasons. I love knowing that I’m helping save the planet by eating food. I love that I’m probably going to live forever. (Or for a long time at least.) I love discovering awesome new foods like quinoa. But most of all, I love that I can enjoy life without harming others.
Animals want to enjoy life just as much as we do. Check out Hope, living it up at her home at Edgar’s Mission. Here she spends her days playing in the mud, catching up with friends and napping in the sun. Hope’s life started in a much darker place. A place with no grass -- only concrete and metal. A place that doesn’t need to exist. Hope was born into a factory farm.
You can help make sure that animals like Hope are not condemned to a life of darkness and boredom. AND be as HAPPY and HEALTHY as all the veggie-fuelled peeps in the video above! It’s simple. Click here to join the veg crusaders today. (Why not get your friends on board too by hosting a vegan dinner party? Click here for tips.)
Already doing the cruelty-free thang? Tell me what you love about it. :)
(Bud and I posing with my 'Why vegan?' sign. Check out more exclusive pics from Unleashed HQ on our Instagram page - @aaunleashed.)
Late last year, 58 year old Sam Simon, co-creator of ‘The Simpsons’, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This man, along with making me laugh night after night with everyone’s favourite cartoon family, has been doing amazing things for animals all his life.
He became a vegetarian at the age of 19 and vegan in 2005. In 2002 he founded “the grandest dog shelter in the country” complete with waterfalls and manicured lawns. Simon invests millions of dollars in this rescue centre and says that it is money “well spent just for the pleasure it gives me.”
It is so sad to hear that this beautiful man is terminally ill. But his legacy will live forever. He has decided to kick his charity work into high gear and give his millions away to those in need.
When he learned of his diagnosis, Simon says he had a “fun idea.” He bought up a bunch of zoos and circuses just so that he could free the animals within them. He says he just wanted to “see animals walk in grass for the first time.” How amazing is that?
Simon has big plans for where he wants to see the rest of his money go, including a number of animal charities. (There’s a rough breakdown here.)
On behalf of the animals, thank you Sam for helping to make the world a kinder place.
What would you do for animals if you were a millionaire?
Every day of the year is a great day to be a vegan, but did you know that there's actually a World Vegan Day? And guess what ... it's today!
First though, some interesting info for you:
(1) ... a vegan is someone who chooses not to eat or use animal products. (But I'm sure you already knew that!)
(2) ... the word was first used in England in 1944 (though the idea has been around a lot longer).
(3) ... by not eating animal products, vegans save an estimated 100 animals from a life of suffering and slaughter every year! (not to mention helping protect the environment!)
(3) ... do you know what a vegan zombie eats? GgggrrRRAAAaiiiNNssss...
World Vegan Day started in 1994 and is held on Nov. 1st every year. It's an awesome opportunity to celebrate with your buds, to share a delicious meal with your fam, or maybe even to commit to leading a cruelty-free life by going vegan yourself.
So on this big day, I want to hear your stories. Why did you decide to go vegan? Was it for the animals? For the environment? For a potential boyfriend/girlfriend? ;) I'm interested to hear your story, so post it in the comments below.
Once you've done that, get out there and get crazy! Have a great World Vegan Day!
P.S. You might want to head along to one of the following events to celebrate. Perth, Saturday Nov. 3 Brisbane, Saturday Nov. 10 Sydney, Sunday, Nov 11 Melbourne, Sunday Nov. 11 Adelaide, Sunday Nov. 18
It's official: I've got Olympic Fever (or rabies ... I'm waiting for the doc to call with the results)! To help get you in the spirit of the Games, I've put together an international dream team of vegan and vegetarian Olympic athletes. These athletes became stars for their sporting achievements and became heroes for their refusal to eat animals. Now let's introduce the team!
In track and field we have Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses - who have a combined 3 gold medals between them. Oh wait, did I say 3? I meant, 13!! That's right, these guys won more gold medals between the two of them then almost the entire Australian team at the 2008 Games. Moses also set the improbable record of winning 122 races in a row. He didn't lose a single race he started for 9 years, 9 months and 9 days!
Running middle distance is the Flying Finn, Paavo Nurmi who bagged 9 gold medals over three Games. Vegetarian since the age of 12, Paavo has set world records in distances ranging from 1500m all the way up to 20kms, and his 5 gold haul in one Olympics is a track record that still stands.
Over in the pool, we have an Aussie *whistle* *cheer* And not just any Aussie, but the one with the best nickname ever in international sport - Murray Rose ... the Seaweed Streak! Born and raised a vegan, Rose set an amazing 15 world records, and bagged 4 Olympic golds in his stellar career. He claimed very clearly in interviews that it was his vegan lifestyle that helped him achieve such great success.
You don't need to be an Olympian to feel the benefits of cutting meat from your meals, either. People often report fewer pimple problems and glowing skin after going veg; and those looking to shed a few excess kgs might be interested to know that vegetarians have an average body weight up to 20% lower than meat eaters! Even "armchair athletes" can reduce their chances of obesity, diabetes and strokes by being vegetarian (even more true for vegans)!
Keep your eyes open for compassionate competitors at the Games this year (Lizzie Armitstead is one, and she's already won a silver!), and enjoy the events. Check out some of the easy and tasty snacks you can make for in front of the telly here.
CONTENT WARNING: If you're too young to remember when Pokemon first went nuts, or if you're squeamish, you might want to tune out now.
Here's a blog to sink your teeth in to! Umm ... or not. A Serbian chef has released a cookbook/great-conversation-starter on how to cook testicles! Which I assume someone would then actually eat.
"Waiter - there's a hair in my testicle soup! Oh ... no."
I don't want to go into the gory details (because I just ate lunch), but the recipes include a Testicle Pizza, and the book also shows the correct way to "peel a testicle", to help beginner cooks get the balls rolling. Har-har-har.
If you think that's pretty wrong, then you probably don't want to know what goes into meat pies in Australia. (I'll give you a clue - it involves rind, connective tissue, nerves and blood vessels). And don't get me started on hamburgers.
But seriously, once you know some of the things animals killed for food go through, the whole idea of eating any part of their body becomes a bit cringe-worthy.
The good news is that it's easy to avoid these mystery meats, and in the process improve your health, help the environment and save animals all at the same time! By going veg, you'll find yourself in the company of people like Leonardo da Vinci, Missy Higgins and the Incredible Hulk! Which would also make a pretty interesting dinner party. Bags sitting next to Missy!
So next time you're making a pizza at home, perhaps consider one of Ward's Easy Peasy Cheesy Vegan Pizzas, hold the testicles. Wait, that ... came out wrong.
There was a MASSIVE response to the vegan sneaker giveaway we ran through June, with some excellent entries. Unfortunately we can't give everyone a pair of shoes, but thanks to the lovely peeps at vegansneaker.com, there were two pairs to give away.
Supporters were asked to submit their fave animal/activism quote, and the best ones would win the shoes AND have their entry turned into a cover for the Unleashed fb page. So, without further adieu, here are the winning quotes and the special edition covers! Instructions on how to make them your own fb covers are below the images
1. Right click on the image above and save it to your computer (remember where you save it!)
2. Go to your Facebook profile, hover your mouse over your cover image and click "Change Cover".
3. Select "Upload photo..." and choose the image that you just saved (you shouldn't need to resize if you've copied from us).
4. Finally, tag your friends so they can see that you're 'kicking ass' on your Facebook profile!
5. Oh yeah, one last thing. Drop www.unleashed.org.au into the image description so your friends know where to find heaps more info!
(p.s. You can also pin the image to a board if you're on pinterest. But you don't need instructions on how to do that!)
Thanks again to vegansneaker.com for the prizes. Be sure to check 'em out if you're in the market for some cruelty-free sneakers ;)
To say that I "like" Ben Stiller movies would be pretty much the same as saying that I "like" lasagne. Both being total understatements. Which is why I was psyched to hear that Ben and his family have decided to go vegan!
The star of Zoolander, Dodgeball, Meet the Fockers (and on and on ...) has decided that there is "more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking" and is helping animals (and his own health) by not eating meat or any other animal products. This means that Ben and his family can look forward to probably living longer, and avoiding health problems such as obesity, diabetes ... and much less likely, but much more creepy ... WORMS in their brains!
Ben's wife Christine Taylor is also in acting (and modelling) and she's given the new lifestyle the thumbs up. "It really has changed our energy level. Sometimes you don't realize it until someone says it to you, like, "Your skin looks amazing.'"
With a couple of new movies on the way, I think Ben's gonna be needing that energy to get him through the day. Have you already made the same compassionate choice as Ben, and cut out meat? How did you feel after making the switch? Did you have more energy, or feel better in the mornings?
Being kind to animals isn't a new invention. It's not like ipads or robots. When you speak up for animals, you're walking in the shoes of many amazing and inspiring people. Now, we've teamed up with VeganSneaker.com to give you a chance to step out in cruelty-free style like some of the greats, with these sweet Etiko kicks.
We've got two pairs of sneakers to give away to two lucky Unleashed members!
It may seem obvious, but I'll say it anyway, VeganSneaker.com specialise in selling vegan sneakers from Aussie company Etiko. Etiko's slogan is "Wear No Evil". This means no kids sweating in factories, no ripped off workers without toilet breaks, and no animal products in their shoes!
Some of the greatest minds the world has ever seen have stood up for animals. Albert Einstein for starters. When the German genius wasn't blowing minds with his theory of rela-la-tivi-li-ty (I can't even pronounce it) he was telling the world, "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet".
And what about Gandhi, who said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated". FYI, I bet Gandhi would have loved a pair of Etikos on his famous Salt March. Just sayin'.
There've been pollies, athletes and musos - all who have walked the walk when it comes to treating animals with respect. Jose Gonzalez, Missy Higgins and Jona Weinhofen just to name a few.
To get your hands on (and feet into) these vegan sneakers we want you to talk the talk. All you have to do is share your favourite quote about animals/activism in the comments. It can be inspiring, thoughtful, funny, anything! (If you don't know any quotes, then google is your friend.)
But wait! There's more! The two winners will also have their entries turned into hot new facebook covers, to help get the idea out there that everyone can treat animals with respect. So stop reading, and start writing! Entries into the comments by June 30th! Good luck!
If you ask me, Friday's are pretty sweet... after all, it's almost the weekend. But this week we've got a plan to make Friday even sweeter.
This Friday (14th October) is World Egg Day... I know, I know... you're thinking "What could be sweet about a day celebrating an industry that locks 11 million hens in cages with less space per bird than an A4 sheet of paper, that kills hens who aren't producing enough eggs (usually at around 18months of age) and that kills about 12 million male chicks on their first day of life - simply because they weren't born female, and so can't produce eggs?" ... like this:
... but hold up a sec, and I'll tell you what we have in mind.
This Friday, we'd like to invite you to join us in protesting the egg industry's cruelty to chickens in just about the tastiest way we know how... by baking a delicious egg-free cake!
And by sharing your cruelty-free cake with friends (I know it's hard :P), you can show them just how sweet making a difference for chickens can be!
So, what are you going to bake this Friday for World Egg-Free Day?
P.S. You can also spread the word about World Egg-Free Day by making the image below your facebook profile pic in the lead up to Friday. (Right click on the image to download and save the file ('save image as'), upload it to Facebook and make it your new profile pic. Then tag all your friends, to grab their attention!)
It's almost that time again - Chocolate time! Oh, I mean Easter time, yup Easter! But really, chocolate is aaall I can think about this time of year. And since ditching dairy, I've discovered so many delicious and delightful chocolates that I am certainly spoilt for choice!
I know you're dying to hear about them, so without further ado:
Bonvita (Karen's fave by a country mile!) have released little half eggs made from rice milk this year, so creamy and so YUM! You can grab these at Vegan Online.
Constant Craving have also gone all out by encasing their incredible chocolate truffles inside a chocolate egg. And with truffle flavours jaffa, coconut and almond there is certainly one to suit everyone! Order these from The Cruelty Free Shop.
Now my fave - The ever amazing Sweet William has come up with new Easter products this year. Along with the tried and true chocolate bunnies, they also come in a sugar free variety (still just as sweet, I can vouch for that!) and ... this is so exciting ... a rice crackle Easter bunny! You can order these online too, or just pick them up at your local supermarket.
Also in the supermarket aisle you'll find the Lindt Gold Bunny (in dark chocolate only!), Lindor pouches of dark chocolate eggs and Whittaker's dark chocolate blocks which are great for melting down and making your own little choc bunnies or eggs with.
For those with someone they really wanna treat this Easter (don't forget - that 'someone' can absolutely be YOU!), you can grab a gorgeous plush bunny with his own assortment of dairy-free fun, including Plamil and Rawganic chocolates and those delicious Constant Craving truffles from the Unleashed shop. (Of course all proceeds go towards helping save the Easter bunny's relatives and furry friends.)
Now remember, that there's no reason to limit this amazing choccy goodness to just one time of year. All these chocolatiers (I love that word!) sell their mouth-watering treats all year round. Hip Hooray!
Which choccies are you gonna try this Easter? Have you discovered one I didn't mention? Tell me, so I can stuff my face with it! I mean, so I can sample it and give you a review ..ahem.
Have you heard? Ricky Ponting is retiring as captain of the Aussie cricket team.
To mark the occasion the 7PM Project are running a poll asking "What will Ponting's captaincy be most remembered for?". I thought it was amusing that "a new world record for commercial endorsements" was out in front in the poll. Tbh, there's not a lot Ponting hasn't endorsed: milk, deoderant, oil, vitamins, banks, beer, sunglasses, breakfast cereal... In fact, I heard that he tried to drop the 'y' from his name to make himself more marketable!
But what really bugs me is the fact that the Australian Cricket team's official sponsor is KFC!
Even setting aside the fact they are promoting a company that confines millions of birds in factory farms, how can a team of elite atheletes sell food that is only going to add to the problems of childhood obesity, heart disease, etc? If you ask me that's just not cricket!
A few weeks ago it was reported that another cricketing great, Stuart McGill refused to promote KFC when he was on the Aussie cricket team. He said: "I don't think you can have any of us [cricketers] advertising junk food to be honest. ... It's just wrong in so many ways." What a top bloke!
Wouldn't it be nice if a few more cricketers took a leaf out of Stuart McGill's book and refused to promote unhealthy food; or better yet, followed Greg Chappell's lead and cut out cruelty by going vegan!
What do you think of athletes promoting junk food?
Have you heard? They're predicting that the current generation of Aussie teenagers will be the first to have a shorter life expectancy. Isn't that disturbing!
The recent study by the Cancer Council and Heart Foundation estimates that 1 in 4 highschool students are overweight or obese - putting them at greater risk of heart disease, cancer and other chronic illnesses. (btw, this cartoon does a great job of illustrating the problem)
I don't get it! We know the facts and people still eat junk! I mean, we know that unhealthy meat-centric diets have been linked to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer - our country's top killers. We know that on average vegetarians and vegans are less likely to be overweight or obese, and have a longer life expectancy than meat eaters. We know that most fast food is junk, and is bad for us and the environment. Yet Australia is one of the largest countries in the world (and I'm not talking about the size of our land mass) and it seems we may only be getting larger
Speaking of fast food and junk, this recent ad takes an interesting approach to trying to combat the problem of childhood obesity:
What do you think of the ad? How do you feel about the prediction that the next gen might be the first to live a shorter life? Is this the scariest news you've heard all day? Leave a comment below!
Most people wouldn't stop to ask, as they pour milk into their morning coffee, what went into producing that milk. But this morning, as people take a sip and open today's paper, they'll find out, because of this campaign ad.
It'll come as a shock to most Aussies to learn that every year in Australia over 700,000 calves are killed as 'waste products' of the dairy industry. What may come as even more of a shock is that the dairy industry is now pushing for legislation that would allow calves to be starved of feed for the last 30 hours of their lives, before being killed at the slaughterhouse!
This proposed new standard is under 'public consultation' at the moment. Did you know you were being consulted? No? Neither do most people, because the government and industry conveniently neglected to let the public know!
But just because they don't want to tell the public the truth, doesn't mean we can't do that for them! After all, people have a right to know what they are buying into if they drink dairy.
So today Animals Australia is running the above ad in major newspapers across the country. Make sure you grab a copy of one of these papers and show the ad to all your family and friends:
Daily Telegraph
Sydney Morning Herald
Herald Sun
The Age
Courier Mail
West Australian
The Advertiser
Hobart Mercury
Canberra Times
Want to make your voice heard too? Great! Click here to check out the video that exposes dairy's dark secret, and to get tips on how you can make a difference for calves - including the chance to win delicious dairy-free chocolates!
Have you already spotted our ad in your local paper? What did you think?
Want to be let in on a secret? Here's one the dairy industry would rather you didn't know...
Pretty bad, right? Can you believe the dairy industry is now quietly trying to make it perfectly legal to deny a bobby calf any feed for 30 hours before he is killed. Even criminals on death row get a last meal!
Outraged? Good! If you want to stop this awful cruelty, then the most important choice you can make is to go dairy-free! It's simple, healthy and as an added bonus, good for the planet!To make things even easier,we'vealready prepared a dairy-free shopping list for you!
And now it's time to make your voice heard!
Click here to tell the dairy industry how much you think their treatment of bobby calves sucks.
Then click here to share this video on Facebook and let all your friends in on dairy's dark secret.
Then go here to find out how you could win some delicious dairy free chocolates!
And keep an eye out in major papers this week for something else we've got cooking up for this campaign ;)
Personally, I can honestly say that since dropping dairy, I've never gone without. I mean - have you tried a Tofutti Cutie? Heaven! I still drink 'milk', eat 'cheese', chocolate, yoghurt and ice cream but I leave the cows out of it.
Tell me... what's your favourite dairy-free treat?
Want to kick off the new year in style? Well we've got just the thing! Read on and you could win a specky new treat for your feet.
We all know that Macbeth make rad shoes. For starters, they were co-founded by Tom DeLonge, of Blink 182 fame. Not to mention they've got musicians like Mike Dirnt of Green Day designing moshpit stompers for them. And last but definitely not least, most of their shoes are leather free. So you can strut in style whilst leaving the cows to be cows.
We were chuffed to learn recently that one of our fave people, Aussie guitar maestro Jona Weinhofen from Bring Me the Horizon (+ ex-Bleeding Through, + ex-I Killed the Prom Queen) has got on board with Macbeth to promote their vegan range.
So to celebrate all things stylish, cruelty-free and that rock your socks off, we've got 2 pairs of Wallister Macbeths to give away! Just check out our exclusive interview with Jona (from back in his Bleeding Through days), and then to enter leave a comment to tell us how you plan to step up and make a difference in 2011 (winners will be announced in mid January).
Have you ever thought "If only world leaders cared more for animals!"? Imagine how things would change for the better if those in charge saw more than just a dollar sign hanging around animals' necks.
Well, some news from the weekend is a step in the right direction. In a recent interview, former US President, Bill Clinton said that he's 'experimenting' with being vegan in the hope it'll keep him in shape long enough to be around to see his grandkids come into the world:
I 'spose he didn't want to end up like this guy:
According to an Ecorazzi source close to Clinton "He knows quite a bit and likely has a lot to say about the benefits of a vegan diet. He has read The China Study, and he knows the issues. With time, I think it's likely he could become the most outspoken proponent of a complete vegan diet." I'll be keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that he sticks with it!
Chelsea Clinton must be pretty chuffed that she's persuaded her dad to go vegan. Getting her dad to read 'The China Study' seems to have worked for her. Have you ever tried to get your parents to read a book about the health benefits of being vegan (eg. 'The China Study') or a book about animals raised for food (eg. 'Eating Animals')? How did they react?
This is making headline news around the world: After 4 year old tabby cat, Lola, greeted Mary Bale in the street for a quick pat, Mary grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and shoved her into a wheelie bin before walking away. Lola was trapped inside the bin for 15 hours. Luckily, this was all caught on film, otherwise Lola may never have been found!
After the footage was posted on Facebook, people worldwide have been outraged that anyone could do such a thing to a defenceless animal.
Surely throwing an animal into a wheelie bin, any bin, and leaving him or her to die is illegal ... well ... it depends on the animal ...
We know that eggs come from hens and that hens are female. So when one hen stops laying eggs, she gets replaced with another ...female. All the egg industry needs are female birds to keep clucking along.
What happens to a chick if he's born a male? Unfortunately, he ends up in the bin. But the difference here is that when male chicks are thrown into bins at hatcheries across the globe, there are no security cameras filming the people responsible, no one will come to their rescue. Every year in Australia alone, an estimated 12 million day old baby birds are either ground up alive or tossed into a bin on top of their brothers to be gassed to death... and this is legal!
See for yourself what happens inside the world's largest hatchery (the same thing happens here):
No animal (furry or feathered) deserves to be tossed into a bin and left for dead. Fortunately, we can all take a stand against this cruelty by giving eggs the flick. No yolk, it's easy as vegan pie!
If you are anything like me, when a new book on veganism/vegetarianism/animal rights (in a nutshell) is released, I am super keen to check it out and the new book by frontman for the Cro-Mags, John Joseph was no exception
When I first read the title Meat is for Pussies I really didn't know what to expect, but I can confidently say now that I am most impressed!
As claimed on the cover 'A how-to guide for dudes ' and well 'yes' it is aimed more towards you guys out there, but as a chick who has read it I can tell you that it works for both, I totally enjoyed reading it!
In the first few pages it is obvious that author John Joseph doesn't sugar coat his words, he speaks to the reader in a raw, matter-of-fact style that can not be mistaken. Coming from a rough and ready background of NYC, he draws on his own experiences to inform the reader that there is much to be gained by adopting a plant based diet and he quickly squashes any misconceptions that vegetarians and vegans are weedy or wimpy.
Meat is for Pussies outlines a number of 'truths' that have been well hidden from consumers in order to protect the industries that thrive and profit at the expense of millions of innocent, suffering animals each year.
So Meat is for Pussies definitely is worth a read! And you're in luck, cause we've got a copy of this great book to give away. Check out our exclusive interview with John Joseph and enter to win!
Have you read Meat is for Pussies? What did you think? Got any other animal rights books you'd recommend? Leave a comment.
The 'man your man could smell like' is now also the man your man could eat like. No idea what I'm talking about? This should help get you almost up to speed:
And the story gets all the more intriguing/amusing... in a flirty twitter/YouTube conversation between the Old Spice Man and Alyssa Milano (also a vegetarian), Alyssa has challenged the Old Spice Man to donate $100,000 to wildlife rescue in the Gulf of Mexico oil clean up. Fingers crossed he mans up to the challenge!
Here's hoping his new found fondness for animals also inspires him to urge Old Spice's parent company, Procter and Gamble to stop testing on animals. Meanwhile why don't you let them know that you think animal testing stinks.
It reads like a news headline doesn't it? No doubt when people realise that the animal products they consume are literally killing them, it will be a headline. Anyway, this is the story of Rocco a meat-lovin' cowboy from Arizona who was literally eating himself into a grave.
Rocco's 53 years old, but had the heart of an 85 year old. He's overweight and severely diabetic.
Rocco appeared on the TV show The Dr. Oz Show with the wish to change his life. After some clinical assessments, Dr. Oz recommended that Rocco should go vegan for 28 days to see how dramatically his health improves.
When The Dr. Oz Show checked in with Rocco after 28 days, it's clear that his health improved dramatically after going vegan. He dropped his waist size by more than 15cm, his glucose count went from 172 to 99, and his good cholesterol (HDL) increased. Just by looking at Rocco, you can see the difference in his life since going vegan.
But this isn't just one instance. There are stories everywhere of people who have gone vegan and experienced improved health (including myself, a reformed McDonaldsCruelty lover). So the proof really is in the (vegan) pudding folks. Next time you see Sam Neill misleading orang-utans on TV about how great meat is, throw a pickle at the screen for me.
If you're like me and haven't even started your xmas shopping yet, you might like the idea of suggestions for presents to take all of the hard work out of it. So here are my top 10 tips for xmas gifts:
Buy a TV Ad (or have one bought for you): Remind your family that Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, and giving kindness to those who are stuck in factory farms. By donating an ad, you can make their Christmas by keeping our ads on television to give animals a voice.
Aesop gift packs: All of Aesop's products are vegan meaning you don't have to worry about your products being used in cruel animal experiments. They have gift packs for both men and women (perfect for Mum and Dad) that range from $30 to $150. This is what my mum's getting for chrissy.
LUSH Handmade Cosmetics: While also on the topic of cosmetics you cannot go past LUSH, one of the coolest and conscious companies around. These guys have decadent smelling hand-made cosmetics, with a great range of vegan options, that are all natural and perfect for gifts for mum, dad, bro or sis. Just find your closest store.
Macbeth's vegan line of shoes: Macbeth shoes are pure style. And a pair of cow friendly kicks is enough to put a spring in anyone's step.
The Cove: One of the biggest animal films of the year, which shone a light on the secretive dolphin slaughter in the small town of Taiji in Japan. Definitely one of the best films I have ever seen. It's very much like Animal Planet meets James Bond. So if you're Dad likes espionage films, then this is definitely for him. Available from JB Hi Fi around Australia.
Sponsor a needy animal: Adopting a family companion is a big decision and one best left to the person who will be looking after him/her. So giving an animal as a present usually isn't a good idea. But that doesn't mean you can't help a needy animal and make your friend or family member fall head over heals in the process. Sponsoring an animal at a sanctuary (such as Edgar's Mission or Brightside Farm Sanctuary) on behalf of a friend/family member will leave the recipient feeling proud that their helping to give a needy animal a home. And that experience can be all the more rewarding if you can visit the sanctuary!
Cook a delicious vegan supper: Remember that old saying "it's the thought that counts?" Well whoever coined the phrase was right. Why not save Mum/Gran the time slaving away in the kitchen this xmas by whipping out your vegan masterchef skills with one of our Christmas recipes. In doing so, you'll give animals the kindest gift of all - not eating them, and show your family how great vegan food is!
Music: Really, who doesn't love music! And of course it's 100% animal friendly. And you could make this gift even more animal friendly (110% animal friendly?) by supporting a band that helps animal **cough Kisschasy cough**. Their new album Seizures is currently at all good music stores.
Tart n Round: These Melbourne based cake pioneers have a range of delicious chocolates, cakes and sweets that would make a great small gift for someone such as in a Kris Kringle/Secret Santa. They are open Thursday 12-6pm so you'd better be quick. If you don't live in Melbourne, just pick up some other vegan treats from a local vegan store in your area.
Stella McCartney perfume: Perfect for mum or your lady friends, Stella McCartney is vegan so you can rest assured that her products aren't tested on animals and that they don't contain any animal by-products. A little bit pricey, but definitely worth what you pay. Available at most Myers around the country.
If you can think of any other last minute Xmas ideas, post your ideas below!
This doesnt just have to be a restaurant; it can be a store, market, caf ANY place that is vegetarian/vegan friendly that you love. Surely everyone can think of 5 little places theyve been to that fit this category!?!
This is turning into such a great resource, I know Im going to be checking out a lot of the places I didnt know existed. So take 5 minutes to spread the word about hot vego spots in your town and help us kick ass for the animals!
Thanks so much to everyone who has already posted a guide, we have raised $300 so far!!! Just 20 more guides needed to reach the $500 goal!!!
I think I've just found my new favourite cartoon! This brilliant illustration was sent to us by the insightful and very talented Donn Pattenden (thanks Donn!).
This is one issue that really stirs me up. The meat and dairy industries are huge water guzzlers. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that one glass of milk takes roughly 200 litres of water to produce. That's almost 3 days worth of showers! But that's nothing compared to the 100,000 litres of water that David Pimentel, a water resource specialist, says is required to produce just 1 kilo of beef!
In a country as dry as Australia, this sort of squandering of water just doesn't make sense. I live in Brisbane, where water shortages are a real threat (just like many of our other cities). We've been told to keep our domestic water usage below 140L of water per person per day...
I'm all for water conservation at home. In fact, we've just installed a new rain water tank :-) ... but when 70% of global water usage is for agriculture, it seems like what we eat and drink would be a smart place for us to start looking at how we can save water.
A couple of weeks ago we ran a stall at the Petacular pet expo in Brisbane. The wonderful volunteer, Kate, offered to bake vegan cupcakes for the day... So of course we said yes yes yes!
The cupcakes looked and tasted amazing! Not surprisingly, they went down a treat and many a cupcake muncher marvelled at the fact that no animals were harmed in the making of these delectible treats.
When highlighting the cruelty of the egg and dairy industries, nothing promotes cruelty free living quite like cupcake goodness. So it's time, as Kate would say, to "share the cupcake love"!
This cupcake concoction was even given the thumbs up by punk heroes Propagandhi. Kate's hubby plays in the Brissie band Bad Day Down, who supported Propagandhi on their recent visit to Australia. On tour, Kate soon assumed the role of official cupcake cooker. But she isn't just a superstar in the kitchen. Check out this photo of her singing on stage with Propagandhi at their Melbourne show. (btw, keep your eyes out for more from us on Propagandhi soon)
Anyway, back to the important business of cupcakes. Here for your pleasure, is the undisputed best cupcake recipe in the world (or at least so claims Kate): Click here for the cupcake-a-licious recipe.
Now don't be greedy! Make sure you share your amazing cruelty free creations with all your friends and family to spread the word about how easy it is to be sweet to animals.
If you're as obsessive about a mug of scalding hot liquid as I am, you'll understand why I'm giddy with delight at discovering Di Bella's coffee today...
I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with coffee shops... only because you still occasionally find one that's stuck in the dark ages and hasn't heard of soy milkso I was reminded this morning (thanks a bunch, Brewbakers). Fair to say, these places tend to lose a lot of customers (like me). But when you need a coffee, you need a coffee. Right?
My coffee expedition led me to Di Bella's, where I was not only offered an ultra-smooth velvety soy latte, but I wasn't charged for the privilege of sparing the life of a baby cow!
Seriously, we live in a topsy-turvy world where most cafes try to squeeze an extra 50 cents out of you for a dash of soy milk, when it's no secret that the dairy industry is a vastly inefficient machine, squandering precious resources, damaging the environmentand not to mentioncausing immense pain, suffering and death to countless innocent cows. In the end you can't really put a dollar figure on the damage (or absurdity) caused by people drinking milk meant for baby cows.
But Di Bella's didn't stop there. Their brews are all fair-trade, AND they also give out free vegan Belgian spice biscuits with their coffees! What more could a coffee lover hope for??
What's your favourite cup? Or, what's the lamest coffee shop experience you've had? Share your comments below!
Disclaimer:
We’re supposed to let you know that the ideas expressed here are the views of the individual authors, and may not necessarily reflect the views of Animals Australia or Animals Australia Unleashed. So now you know.
(Psst! Guess what? 
Running middle distance is the Flying Finn, Paavo Nurmi who bagged 9 gold medals over three Games. Vegetarian since the age of 12, Paavo has set world records in distances ranging from 1500m all the way up to 20kms, and his 5 gold haul in one Olympics is a track record that still stands.
Over in the pool, we have an Aussie *whistle* *cheer* And not just any Aussie, but the one with the best nickname ever in international sport - Murray Rose ... the Seaweed Streak! Born and raised a vegan, Rose set an amazing 15 world records, and bagged 4 Olympic golds in his stellar career. He claimed very clearly in interviews that it was his vegan lifestyle that helped him achieve such great success.
Keep your eyes open for compassionate competitors at the Games this year (Lizzie Armitstead is one, and she's already won a silver!), and enjoy the events. Check out some of the 
I don't want to go into the gory details (because I just ate lunch), but the recipes include a Testicle Pizza, and the book also shows the correct way to "peel a testicle", to help beginner cooks get the balls rolling. Har-har-har.
There was a MASSIVE response to the vegan sneaker giveaway we ran through June, with some excellent entries. Unfortunately we can't give everyone a pair of shoes, but thanks to the lovely peeps at 
Ben's wife Christine Taylor is also in acting (and modelling) and she's given the new lifestyle the thumbs up. "
And what about Gandhi, who said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated". FYI, I bet Gandhi would have loved a pair of Etikos on his famous 
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