What the world needs now are Compassionate Cooks...

I discovered a new podcast that I am in love with. Ok, I lied. I hardly discovered it. Actually it was recommended to me by my favourite podcast team Animal Voices. Animal Voices did an interview with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau - you can listen to it here. This woman is a phenomenal, inspirational beacon of positivity. She beams light into every dark corner of the animal movement. For every person that complains that cutting animals out of their diet is too hard, she has an idea on how to make it easy. For every unthinkable horror that is happening in a slaughterhouse, she has a positive message of hope. On top of all that, she is just a wealth of information. Her podcast Vegetarian Food For Thought is bursting at the seams with important and incredibly interesting information, not only for vegetarians, but for the entire human race. I just listened to "Diseases of Civilization (aka Lifestyle Diseases)" which was so full of facts and numbers, I am actually pretty surprised that it didn't bore me. Usually, people start rhyming off all kinds of numbers and my mind starts to shut down and travel to more fun thoughts... but Colleen has an energy in her that kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire podcast (and 3 more right after that one). I highly recommend this podcast to anyone who is even slightly interested in health, and we should all be more than "slightly" interested in our health. We are literally killing ourselves with the food we eat and yet very few of us are willing to change our habits so that we can lead healthier stronger happier lives. If messages like Colleen's were on the front page of the newspaper every day, or played on major airways for an hour each day, can you imagine what a difference that would make?! Instead of reading about murder, rape and terrorism every day, we could be reading about hope, inspiration and joy. What a beautiful thing that would be.



Check out the following links:
Compassionate Cooks - www.compassionatecooks.com
Vegetarian Food for Thought Podcast - www.compassionatecooks.com/podcast
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's Blogs - www.compassionatecooks.com/blog &
joyfulvegan.wordpress.com

Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank

I just heard about the first ever Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank on my favourite podcast, Animal Voices. This is great. Every day it seems, I am filled with so much hope because of the steps that are being made in the veg movement (for lack of a better term). One day, Oprah is going vegan for 3 weeks, the next there is a spotlight on veganism on CNN, and now - the only Vegetarian Food Bank in north america opens it's doors in Toronto (okay, it officially opened back in May, so I'm a little behind the times). Someone is taking care of all the people who are struggling out there but who can't stomach the thought of eating dead animals, or who cannot eat animals for spiritual/religious reasons. I am sometimes asked by omnivores... "what would you do if you were stranded and there were no plants and you had to eat animals?" (see every vegan's "Top Ten Stupid Questions Asked by Omnivores"). First of all, I can't see ever finding myself in a situation where there was nothing plant based around to eat, and my only option is to either kill a bunny, or starve to death. Can't see it. I am fortunate to live in the country where I live, and to always have enough money to pay the bills and buy food. I'm not convinced that my grocery bills would be any more or less if I ate meat. However, I must admit, that I do spend more money on products that are less harmful to the environment (organic, biodegradeable, free from toxins, chemicals and other such garbage). Wait... I'm heading off on a tangent here.

Back to the point... if I was struggling and needed help in the way of a meal every week, I am thrilled that I could go to the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank and not have to pick the pork out of my beans or make the choice between accepting the free meal, despite the animal ingredients, or going hungry.

Hopefully, this event will inspire Vegetarian food banks to open up all across north america.

To donate or to help them out - please call 416-744-4357 or visit www.vegfoodbank.com (site currently under construction)

also check out the article in The Toronto Star.

Animal Voices = Number 1

Lately I've been listening to a lot of podcasts. I'm totally addicted. My commute to work is 1/2 hour each way (soon to be 1 hour each way - boo!) and I don't know what I did before podcasts! Yes, I do actually. I was BORED. Bored by the radio, unless I happened to catch a really interesting show or a good song. Mostly though, I would flip stations from one overplayed song to the next. When I got my ipod, it was great. I could listen to my own music at least. But podcasts are the best, and Animal Voices is number one. I used to think it was Vegan Freak. Don't get me wrong, Vegan Freak rocks, but it doesn't come out enough. Bob & Jenna try, they lead very busy lives... I love their podcast and found myself literally waiting every week for the next one to come out. Sometimes I wait months! So sorry Vegan Freaks, that's a strike. You're great when you come out, but you don't come out enough. No disrespect to Vegan Freak, but Animal Voices is the most insightful, most inspiring, most compelling animal rights show out there. The interviews are fascinating and I sit on the edge of my seat during EVERY show. The shows make me laugh, they fill me with inspiration, with hope, with passion and also with sadness and disgust. I think it's very important to hear about all the issues discussed on Animal Voices. Normally, I block my ears & eyes from the atrocities that happen in the world. I'm already vegan, I'm not part of the horrible and cruel procedures associated with animal corporations (whether they be meat production, circuses, bear bile farms, bull fights, seal hunts etc). However on Animal Voices, I feel like there is an inspiring story for every horror story. The crew bring light on the cruelty, and they investigate all aspects of what is going on in the industry they are discussing, however I feel like they also put a huge emphasis on the good that is being done. The people that are interviewed are all people that are devoting their lives to animal causes. No matter how sad the show is, I always have a overwhelming sense of hope and feel completely inspired after every program. Thank you Lauren, Karol, Neil & CIUT for putting on an incredible and important radio program. If you have no idea what I'm talking about... head to www.animalvoices.ca