By Melissa Li, MD, Vegan Outreach Board Member

In 2012, I attended the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. There, a mixture of health professionals and concerned animal advocates gathered to hear information on plant-based health and initiatives. When the audience members were asked what they did to further promote health, a physician stood up and declared that she often cooked with her patients.

I was stunned. What kind of physician does that? She explained that it was one thing to tell a patient what to do, but another to show them how to do it. The practical application reinforced the way to better health. The combination of teaching and immersion in cooking together as physician and patient forged a better relationship, a better understanding of healthy food, and ultimately solidified the habits for healthy eating.

I was delighted to encounter this book, recognizing author Dr. Ana M. Negron as the physician who stood up and talked about her unconventional method of treating her patients. In the book, Nourishing the Body and Recovering Health, she confirmed that she has been cooking with her patients since 2003. The book is comprehensive and thorough, covering the well-known illnesses (hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia) associated with the Standard American Diet, as well as the lesser known ones, or less life-threatening illnesses, all of which would be ameliorated by a plant-based diet.

She writes with a warm, enthusiastic and kind voice, going over the basics of nutrition, what is needed in a plant-based diet, and furthermore, addresses the challenges there are when changing one’s entrenched eating habits and lifestyle. She covers how the government promotes processed foods and meat, the misguidance of the current dietary guidelines, and how this further impairs people’s health. She acknowledges the difficult situations that many people face when changing eating habits, and offers solutions to overcome them.

The health data provided is substantiated by references that include the abstracts so that the studies can be understood. There are recipes with beautiful colorful photos depicting easy-to-make dishes. Another interesting and unique aspect to the book is Dr. Negron’s inclusion of her patient case studies towards the end of the book. These are interesting to read, because it highlights that everyone is on a different path to their road to health, with their own unique environments. Readers will find these stories inspiring, and will find it humbling to see that others encounter similar roadblocks.

By Josie Moody, Office Manager

Whether you are trying to satiate your own wanderlust or looking for a great gift for that vegan in your life, we’ve got the perfect suggestion for you: The Essential Vegan Travel Guide by Caitlin Galer-Unti.

If you’re vegan and you’re like me, you’ve probably read a lot of guides (including Vegan Outreach’s Guide to Cruelty Free Eating!) and thankful for every last one of them. The Essential Vegan Travel Guide is a wonderful addition to that collection, as it is a must-have for anyone traveling, whether nationally or abroad.

It’s no exaggeration that the word “essential” is in the title. Divided between both practical and fun sections, like How the Hell Do I Find Somewhere to Eat?, Preparing for Your Trip, and Emergency Recipes for the Road (like Couscous in a Coffeemaker!), Galer-Unti seems to have all bases covered.

I think what I like most about this book is the mix of technology and “old school” solutions and suggestions. The section Making Connections and Meeting New Friends is a great reminder of how you can use online resources to help you on your way, but what it really comes down to is getting out of your comfort zone and putting yourself in new situations to meet people.

This passage sums up the vegan travel experience nicely:

“…I’m going to put this out there: I enjoy travel even more as a vegan. Sure, maybe my restaurant choices are more limited, but that means I have to be choosier with where I eat. It means I can’t just settle down at the first (likely overpriced, tourist-trap) restaurant I find. And I eat so much better for it.”

In addition to authoring this great book, Caitlin Galer-Unti has a beautiful website that definitely deserves a look. The Vegan Word contains a wealth of additional travel tips and destination-specific information (as soon as I’m done writing this post, I plan on reading her post entitled Vegan Guide to Transylvania!)

The travel guide is available on Amazon via Kindle or Kindle e-book if you’d like to save it to your device and toss in your suitcase. Prefer the tactile version of books? It’s also available in paperback here.

By Josie Moody, VO Office Manager

Let’s just get straight to the point: I have issues with deodorant. After all, you’re talking to the person who accidentally used bug spray on her underarms for a month because she mistook it for Burt’s Bee’s Herbal Deodorant. (I can’t be the first person who has mistaken the two with their practically identical packaging!) Other brands of natural deodorants left my underarms peeling, and once my husband actually bought me deodorant himself because he was tired of me smelling like Old Spice when I chose to use up an unwanted deodorant of his rather than spend money on a new one.

When I was asked if I wanted to review a deodorant for the blog, I’ll admit, I didn’t necessarily have high expectations, but I was willing to give it a try, and honestly, I’m glad I did! I loved this deodorant immediately. At this point, I’ve been using it for over two weeks and it still works great. The packaging says it works for up to 48 hours, and owner Dina Soker told me that she’s heard of people using it for up to five days without showering in between and that it still worked well. Lucky for my office mates, Jack and Alex, I won’t be testing that hypothesis.

This deodorant is a lotion versus a solid, which threw me off at first. I thought I might dislike applying a liquid, but after the first or second time I got used to it. Only Goodness Inside! also offers a sponge applicator for those who prefer to apply it that way. As a person who wears black almost exclusively, I am also happy to report that no residue was left on my clothing, either.

Straight talk: I did have sticker shock when I went to their site and saw how much each container cost. I asked Dina about this, and she explained that a lot of the inexpensive deodorants are full of cheap fillers, palm oil, and other chemicals I’d prefer not to put in my armpits.

On the other hand, Only Goodness Inside! deodorants are true to their name.  They are certified organic, made with non-GMO ingredients, contain Dead Sea minerals imported from–you guessed it–the Dead Sea, and most importantly to me, are gentle and effective! They are also unscented, but if you prefer your deodorant scented you can either add your favorite essential oil to the mix, or order yours to include one of their tailor-made scents.

This is a quality product, and while I know it’s not something everyone will want to or be able to spend a higher amount of money on, I want to let you know about the various vegan options for underarm care.

If you order before February 16th, you’ll get 25% off their Deodorant Essentials Pack when you use the code LOVE16. They also encourage you to sign up for their e-newsletter to regularly receive coupons and other offers–and every package you buy comes with a coupon to use toward future purchases!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to the gym to put this product to work.

By Lori Stultz, Outreach Coordinator

Hello, animal lovers! I am excited to tell you all about a wonderful book I read during my tour break. What if the Shoe Were on the Other Hoof? (WSWOH) was written by a good friend of mine, Keith Allison, who is a former Ohio elementary school teacher. You may recall seeing Keith on at least one of various news outlets back in 2014. At the beginning of the 2014 Fall semester, Keith posted pictures on his personal Facebook page of crates used to hold baby cows on a dairy farm not far from his home. One of his pictures was accompanied by these words: “The cruelty of separation, loneliness, and infant slaughter lingers inside each glass of a cow’s milk. Your voice can help change the system. You don’t have to support this. Plant-based milks are everywhere and are delicious.”

The owner of the crates saw Keith’s post and complained to the superintendent of the school district he was teaching for, and Keith was, very wrongfully in my opinion, fired from his position. After he was fired, a petition on Change.org went up, and more than 139,000 signatures were collected in an effort to reverse his dismissal. Keith and his attorney filed a lawsuit against the school district in March of 2015, and a settlement was reached by April. You can read all about Keith’s case and the resolution here.

Knowing that I was going to be writing this review after finishing the book, I will admit that the more I read, the more anxiety I felt. Book reviewers are supposed to briefly cover the topic of the book and note a few key parts that the reviewer feels are important for potential readers to know—sparking their interest in reading the book themselves. Well, that quickly became an issue for me because the entire book is incredible! I want to (and really wish I could) tell you about each chapter and each section. For time’s sake, I know I cannot do that. Thus, in the following paragraphs, I will do my best to concisely explain what Keith’s book is about and why I think others should consider reading it.

I think the true question is not what this book discusses—it is what it doesn’t discuss. WSWOH covers the whole spectrum of animal-related concerns: birth to death of the animals our society eats, the way most individuals care deeply for some animals (dogs and cats) but ignore the well-being of animals who have an equal amount of intelligence and capacity to feel (cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys) and common arguments against veganism, the “normal and natural” argument, the ever famous “I only purchase humane meat” argument, and—the best argument yet (I say sarcastically)—the “I won’t get enough protein” defense. In addition, Keith talks about the health and environmental effects of consuming animals and addresses the intersection of human and animal rights and the paradox many educators face when it comes to speaking up versus staying quiet about ugly truths, like animal cruelty in our food system.

What truly makes the discussion of these topics special, though, is the way Keith presents them. He doesn’t state fact after fact in a way that makes the reader feel like he or she is reading a textbook. Rather, he engages the reader by constantly asking questions. Moreover, each section of his book is no longer than a few pages, so it can be read in short spurts. It’s likely that readers will walk away asking themselves questions about their own behavior after reading just one or two sections. Here is an example that illustrates Keith’s unique presentation:

Vegans are so extreme. You’ve heard that, right? Perhaps you’ve said it. Maybe I have even stated it at some point in my life. But here’s the thing: when we allow ourselves to freely examine these concepts, we begin to realize how arbitrary our extension of kindness has been. Kindness and compassion are not radical concepts. We all believe in them. And it is not unusual to extend that circle of compassion beyond just the human race; whether we include dogs or lions or elephants or dolphins or pigs or cows or cats. Why does the thought of someone hurting a cow seem okay to most of us, while the thought of someone hurting a dog is horrifying? What criteria do we use to justify who deserves our compassion? Can we rationalize a moral judgment that results in suffering and death simply based on what tastes good and what is convenient? That seems extreme.

Keith also presents his points with a sense of humor, which makes the topics being presented feel less threatening:

I have been told by many people, when dismissing veganism, ‘These are your values, not mine.’ I disagree. These are all of our values. I have never sat with someone eating a cheeseburger and heard him exclaim, ‘We aren’t cutting our rainforests down fast enough.’ I have never dined with someone who ate bacon, took a deep breath, and declared the air to be too clean. I have never been beside someone drinking a milkshake who wished for a way to feed less people in this world.

I could go on and on about how great this book is, but I think I am at the point where I can only encourage you to read it!

Purchase Keith’s book now on Amazon.com.

And follow Keith on Facebook.

Happy reading!

Today in our latest installment of How Do You Vegan?, we talk with middle school teacher and vegan Christopher Hills. After going vegan himself, Christopher decided to use his position to help teach his students about how their choices affect animals and their health, and other reasons why they should go vegan. Thank you, Christopher, for your inspiring work!

How long have you been vegan, and what made you decide to make this change?

I became vegan on April 1, 2015, but it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke. That day just happened to be the day after I watched “Earthlings” for the first time. Back in 1991, when I was a high school sophomore, for some school reason I researched farm animal treatment, and upon seeing some horrific videos, I stopped eating meat. I had always been leery of meat and found it generally gross, and I stayed largely meat free after that. Over time, I rationalized that eating fish was good for me and I “needed the protein.” Trainers I worked with lamented that I was hard to create menus for with my limited diet, so for the past several years I ate fish on a regular basis. Now, as an enlightened vegan, I know that plenty of protein is to be had from meat free sources.

You are married with children. Has your family joined you in this change? If so, what are some positive results or experiences you’ve had?

Since I do the majority of the food shopping for the household, the other family members get very little in the way of animal products. My wife is lactose intolerant, and she tried to eat vegan for a while, but backslid pretty quickly. She suffers after eating ice cream but deems the pain worth the experience. Whether she means her pain or the pain of the animal who had to produce the milk for her, I don’t know. My kids still eat meat and dairy when they can, but I won’t cook it for them. My wife still will cook them meat and eggs, but if they eat my food, which they love by the way, it will be vegan.

Why is Vegan Outreach an organization that you support?

I believe that creating awareness surrounding nutrition and food sources is crucial. Vegan Outreach is local and has a mission that I believe in. Vegan Outreach also differs from other vegan groups in that they think that any step toward veganism is better than no step at all. Some vegan groups can be pretty militant in their approach, and offer only all or nothing as choices. Something like “Meat-free Monday,” while untenable in the long run, is a step in the right direction. Yes, it means that you are contributing to the suffering of animals, polluting the planet, and poisoning yourself six days out of seven, but it’s still positive movement.

What inspired you to make the leap from being a vegan in your personal life to creating a club for the students at your school?

I work with an interesting group of students. I teach intervention classes, and have some of my middle school students for 4 and a half hours a day, so I get to know them pretty well. Also, I’m pretty approachable to my students, so they ask me a lot of questions. After I watched “Earthlings,” I told my students about this mind-blowing documentary that transmitted to me this information that everyone who eats should know. They all knew I was a pescetarian, and I informed them of the change I made in my life to becoming a vegan. Because the disgusting manner in which animals used for human purposes was forefront on my mind after watching that documentary, I worked random facts and figures about animal mistreatment into my daily teaching. After a few days, some students came to me and told me that they had watched the documentary at home (I explicitly told them that they needed parental permission before watching it) and wanted to be vegan. At our school at the beginning of the school year, teachers are encouraged to sponsor lunch time and after school clubs. Sometimes teachers are interested in a particular thing so they create a club about that, other times kids come to teachers with ideas and ask them to support their ideas. I asked some kids if they’d be interested in this club, and got enough interest to move forward with it. We started our meetings in October 2015.

Has creating this club resulted in any push back and/or support from students, the school itself, and/or parents?

Our activities director has been very supportive of the Earthlings Club, ordering shirts for us and encouraging us to engage in lunchtime activities, and I haven’t had any response, negative or positive from the administration. The only response I’ve heard from any parents is when they come into my classroom and see the vegan posters or comic books I got from PeTA. They have asked a few questions about what they’re for, but once I inform them that they’re for a lunchtime club, they seem OK with it.

What is the purpose of the club? Do you host or participate in any events?

The purpose of the club is to inform students and the school about the benefits, both personal and world-wide, of practicing a vegan lifestyle. We meet once a week and we poll the student body at lunchtime. We may ask them true/false questions about veganism, or we may ask them if they’d be willing to support a petition to get more vegan/vegetarian items on the lunch menu. We wear our shirts when we’re out there so we’re pretty visible.

What has been the most rewarding experience thus far as a result of creating this club?

What I have most enjoyed about the club is interacting with the student body in a way that I don’t usually get to as a teacher. In talking to the students, I find out about their dietary preferences and tolerances. So many students are open-minded about changing their diets, and many of them are genuinely interested in wanting to change our planet for the better.

Can you offer any helpful advice to those who might be interested in doing something similar in their school or area?

Just go for it. I get a lot of playful (maybe?) kidding from other teachers about imposing my views on the students, but if we don’t make some pretty drastic changes as a society, and do it pretty soon, the Earth will make the changes for us. Nobody who is thinking rationally could have any issues with someone who promotes a vegan lifestyle.

Green Festival Expo is coming to Portland Dec 11th – 13th at the Oregon Convention Center for the first time in Green Festival’s 14 year history, and guess who will be there? Yep! Vegan Outreach!

Green Festival Expo is the largest and longest-running sustainability event in the United States with a mission to bring together the world’s most trusted companies, engaging speakers, national and local innovative businesses, conscious consumers and pioneering thinkers in one place to promote the best in sustainability and green living. What better place to do it than one of the most vegan friendly cities in the world, Portland, Oregon?!

During the 3-day expo there will be B2B mentoring sessions for green business owners, an interactive family fun area for kids to learn all about reducing their carbon footprint and over 50 inspirational speakers.

Green Festival Expo is now featuring a Portland Local Market Place on the floor where attendees will be able to shop locally, taste vegan and vegetarian food and enjoy organic products close to home.

Bike to the expo, park at the Green Festival Bike Valet and receive FREE admission! Youth 16 and under are granted free admission as well.  Hours open to the public are: Friday 12pm – 6pm, Saturday 10am – 6pm & Sunday 10am – 5pm. SHOP. TASTE. ENJOY!  And be sure to visit Northwest Outreach Coordinator Jose Elias and the Vegan Outreach table!