Want to learn about Veganism?

"Have Courage and Be Kind"

-Cinderella

I put together this little pack for people interested in learning about veganism. I put it together quite a while ago but figured this might be a good time and place to share it. The links, books and films mentioned below answer pretty much every question I have ever asked or been asked about being and becoming vegan. Included are recipes, meal plans, information on environmental aspects as well as animal rights and the bottom is a list of vegetarian, vegan and/or plant based public figures. I hope this helps people on their journey and that you learn a little something. Articles: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/vegan-sources-of-protein/

<- site is great for healthy recipes http://www.nursingdegree.net/blog/19/57-health-benefits-of-going-vegan/

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/justin3.htm

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=article_samplenutritionprograms

http://greatist.com/health/complete-vegetarian-proteins

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4771/10-Vegan-Sources-of-Protein.html

http://www.peta.org/living/food/top-10-reasons-go-vegan-new-year/

http://nutritionfacts.org/?gclid=CNih35WdxMYCFQeLaQod1kILgw

Cook Books:

Thug Kitchen *contains swearing and possible cultural appropriation

Forks Over Knives Cookbook

China Study All Stars

Documentaries: (inrecommended watching order) Forks Over Knives (*disclaimer*some data debated) Food Inc (isnt related to cutting out meat but good food film) Cowspiracy (focus on enviromental issues&diet) Speciesism the movie (raises ethical questions) Recommended Books: Beasts : What animals can teach us on the orgins of good and evil By Jeffery M. Masson Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs & Wear Cows By Melanie Joy PhD The Pig Who Sang To The Moon: the emotional lives of farmed animals By Jeffery M Masson Skinny Bitch By Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin Famous vegetarians and/or Vegans: Intellectuals: Greek philosopher Pythagoras (known for Pythagorean theory, 6th century BC vegetarian activist) Plato Leonardo Da Vinci William Shakespeare Voltaire Leo Tolstoy Sir Isaac Newton Socrates Vincent Van Gogh Benjamin Franklin Nickola Tesla Einstien Franz Kafka George Bernard Shaw Mark Twain Tomas Edison Henry Ford Steve Jobs *rumored* Abraham Lincoln Susan B. Anthony Ghandi Gautama Buddha (founder of buddhism) Celebs :

Jon Stewart Richard Gere Steve-O Carrie Price (hockey player) Natalie Portman (PhD & Actress) Ringo Star Paul McCartney Stella McCartney Bob Dylan Bob Barker Dustin Hoffman Jerry Sienfield Travis Baker David Duchovony (there are obviously way more but this is becoming a novel lol) Atheletes : Patrik Baboumian - World Record holding Strong man Bill Manetti - body builder Carl Lewis- Olympic track star Joe Namath - NFL Quarterback Martina Navratilova - Tennis star Tony La Russa - NFL Manager Robert Parish - NBA star Prince Fielder - MLB David Scott - Iron man Billie Jean King - Tennis Star Jim Morris - 79 year old body builder http://www.greatveganathletes.com/

Nobody is Perfect

Nobody is Perfect

When deciding to do a public blog/vlog one thing that worried me, particularly with the decision to put vegan in the title was society's obsession with perfection. I've heard different things falling under this same umbrella from both vegans and non-vegans so I wanted to use one of my first entries to address this and get it out of the way.

Since transitioning to vegan I have heard a lot of comments that boil down to things a long the lines of, “you can't make a difference”, “if you can't save every animal why bother?” , “well ____ still happens”. Similarly in vegan online communities I've seen many steps and actions labeled as not vegan enough. All of these share one central sentiment which is basically, if you can't be perfect why bother?

I no doubt, will from time to time go some place, use something, say something or do something that some might consider, not vegan enough, not pure vegan, whatever you want to call it. I don't know when, where or how it will happen, but it will. If being present online has taught me anything its that everything piss off someone. I am sure this will happen not because I am careless but because I am human and imperfect. This will happen because while people want to paint the world as black and white, its actually gray.

So why bother? Well, the best answer I can give is a parable I heard as a child, perhaps you have heard it too, it is about a little boy and some star fish and goes like this :

One morning a man is going for a walk on the beach, every morning the beach is scattered with starfish that the tide washed up. As he walks he sees a little boy who is running about picking up star fish and throwing them back into the sea. The man approaches the boy and says “Boy, why are you wasting your time trying to save these star fish you cannot possibly save them all.” T he little boy continues what he is doing while saying to the man “You are right I cannot save them all, but I can save this one” he says throwing the star fish back into the sea.

What the moral of this story is, to me. Is that every positive step counts. No you can never be perfect and no you cant save them all, but just one is worth it, every step counts. So everyday my goal is to do a little more, be a little better, and cause the least amount of harm possible while existing in our imperfectly gray world.