My first 24 hours of being a vegetarian

On July third of 2011, I learned what was really happening to the cow before it was on my plate. 
I went to my friend's house for a sleepover and we were checking out her DVD she got from warped tour. On the cover was listed favorite bands/musicians like Nevershoutnever, All Time Low, We the Kings, Rise Against, Death Cab for Cutie, Hellogoodbye, and many more. We figured it was interviews and backstage access because we had never heard of PETA, which was the "name" of the short film. While our inspirations appeared on the screens, they each gave messages about animals and how they are being treated. Then came the graphic footage from factory farms and fur farms that made me and my friend take a pledge to ditch the meat and live a cruelty-free lifestyle.
The next day was the test.. July fourth had temptation put in the form of intoxicating scents of meat that called out my name. But the images I viewed stuck with me, and no longer did I see a burger but a full cow in absolute misery. I stuck with watermelon and noodles even though I didn't feel complete without a piece of chicken; I shook of my desires and placed a satisfied smile on my face. My family members taunted me, all agreeing I wouldn't last this animal-friendly phase. It hurt to know that they weren't being supportive of my pledge and diet and next thing I knew I was rambling on and on about the importance of ditching meat-  not only for animal's sake but for my own health as well. From then on I came up with comebacks to answer every disapproving shun to my diet. I became rather good at debating and explaining what was happening in the meat industry. Since that day, I've passed on meat, animal dissection, fur clothes, Seaworld, and animal testing. I feel much better about my life and I feel like I am being the change I want to see in the future simple by acting and providing education to those who ask.
My family is now very accepting and they're honestly proud of my decision.
I challenge anyone who wants to be that change to ditch meat. Research the fascinating lifestyle, you may find that it isn't as crazy as it sounds! 

Are we Omnivores?

Article on Omnivores

     The link above is an article I read on omnivores. Though it had interesting ideas based on what omnivores are, it did not have the correct facts. It stated that we as humans have the choice to be omnivore or vegetarian, and even though it was provegetarian, I could easily state why we were never meant to be omnivore. Therefor the "choice" it claims we have is filled with consequences.

But we can eat meat just fine
Biologically, humans are herbivores. The article compares our jaws to pigs, "a classic omnivore". But our jaws are quite different from that of an omnivore.
Omnivores have minimal side-to-side motion, short and pointed incisors, long, sharp, and curved canines, and they tend to swallow food whole, sometimes with very little chewing.

As for herbivores, they have a good side-to-side and front-to-back motion, broad, flattened, and spade-shaped incisors, dull/short or long, for defense, canines, and chew extensively.

Lets try to find out which category humans go. Humans have a good side-to-side and front-to-back motion, broad, flattened, and spade-shaped incisors, short and blunted canines, and chew extensively.

What makes an omnivore an omnivore?

Omnivore does not mean you eat half meat, half veggies. Omnivores eat mostly plants and occasionally eat some sort of meat (usually an insect). Humans that think themselves as omnivores end up eating more meat than an actual omnivore. Just because we are capable of eating meat doesn't mean we should. We could eat chalk if we wanted to, but we don't. Are cats omnivores? They are capable of eating plants and sometimes it ends up in their food, but no one would classify them as omnivores because they are simply carnivores. 

Advantages of a herbivore

Plant eaters have the longest lifespans. They worry less about heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Our own ancestors millions of years ago were mostly vegetarian. Less meat = more energy and more opportunities to explore the taste of natures best food; we were designed to enjoy such food!

Q&A WITH A REAL LIFE VEGAN!!1!

  At the end of my Mentor Interview post, I mentioned that I interviewed a vegan. Meet the all-natural Youtuber, Kerri Beazley.

Kerri is a twenty year old Canadian who turned vegetarian at the age of nine and recently turned vegan just last year. She uploads vegan and fitness tips, personal rants, video game vlogs, and is well known for her One Direction spoofs (Which are probably the best thing on Earth she deserves all the medals). Here is her video on excellent smoothie making, how to live naturally, and bless her for her pale Canadian skin.

What is "Natural"?

Why did she become vegetarian?
Kerri became a vegetarian when she was nine for many reasons like: "The environment, not liking meat, animal rights, etc; but the tipping point, I remember, was that I was eating KFC Popcorn Chicken and I bit down on one of those hard bits like a tendon or something, and I was just scarred for life." From this point on she gave up all meat, including fish. She admitted she's had a few heart attacks from There was meat in the lasagna?? incidents (Been there right with ya, Kerri!) and the rough starts with her Dad thinking it not healthy and forcing her to eat a tuna melt, to which she could only go halfway through before feeling guilty and crying. But Kerri believed in what she was doing and stood up for it, even when others didn't understand.

Why did she become vegan?
Kerri was inspired by a speech made by Gary Yourofsky. "I was even more disgusted about the part where Gary denotes how cows’ udders are sucked dry by machines which cut them and give them infections. The machine can’t tell the difference between milk and blood/pus, so it all goes into the processor and basically you’re drinking this purified milk/blood/pus combo with your spaghetti." Watching his speech opened Kerri's eyes about what was really going into her body and what was happening with animals in factories. She decided to skip dairy altogether in May, 2012, and is still passionate about ditching the dairy. She says it's now a life style but once in awhile she'll order a non-vegan pasta when at a fancy restaurant because the option of fries only isn't a very fulfilling meal.

What's the hardest thing about being vegan?
"The hardest thing is getting off your butt to actually eat enough fruit and veggies to sustain you for the day!" Kerri explains her laziness to go and make her own food, which all leads to late night snacks filled with deceiving yet tasty salts and sugars. It takes major dedication to be a successfully healthy vegan, especially when you're as lazy as Kerri and I are. Another problem is unnecessary ingredients such as honey and egg powder which is just thrown in at random into so many products such as cereal, health bars, vegetable broth, and do we really need honey in our chapstick?  
But to Kerri, the hardest thing hands down is dealing with people who just don't get it. "Everyone else is always like 'Omg, I love animals. Animal cruelty is awful. But LOL I could NEVER give up meat! IT TASTES SO GOOD!!!!!'" Though people can tend to be ignorant and unwilling to understand, Kerri knows she is still making a difference in the world. " With every purchase I make, I am casting a vote to stop these harmful industries. People think they can’t change the world, but they can. In our society, people vote with their pocketbooks." That is the best thing about being vegan- being the change we want to see in the world. Another best about being vegan is the unlimited delicious fruit and veggies surrounding us. Not missing out on anything there!

Where does she get her protein?
Fruits, veggies, nuts, tofu. They exist. Yet people still don't understand how a vegan could possible be healthy, after all, meat is the absolute only source of protein, right? "You don’t actually need as much protein as they say you do. Guess who’s telling you you need protein? THE MEAT INDUSTRY." Kerri brings up a good point. In fact, the meat industry seems to be controlling our lives. They could say "If you don't eat at least five pounds of lamb a day you will live a shorter life than normal." The sad part is that there would be people who believe it. We already know by now that the meat industry has a habit of lying or not telling the whole truth, yet we base our lives around their facts. "Question: When’s the last time you heard about someone dying from a protein deficiency?
Other question: When’s the last time you heard about someone dying of heart disease?"

What are some benefits of being vegan?
Kerri lists amazing nails, eyesight, hair, and skin but is most ecstatic about something that wouldn't even cross anyone's mind until now. "Vegan poop is amazing. Just think about it. When you eat meat, literally a rotting animal carcass is passing through your body. When it comes out of there, it reeks. When you eat lots of fruit, I swear it is the most beautiful poop you will ever experience. Fruit passes through your system so quick, it’s like you didn't even eat it. You’ll be sitting there in the bathroom like 'Mmm, is that fresh papaya I smell? I had that for lunch not two hours ago!' Amazing. I’m not even exaggerating." Strange but true. Just another reason why humans weren't made to eat meat, our digestive system completely disagrees on it. " There’s that expression people always say when a girl’s perfect, like 'She poops rainbows.' well that’s what it’s like being vegan."

Where is your go-to for food?
It's like a whole new world when you drop meat. You start discovering never before seen sections and isles in the market. "I had no idea they had all this cool healthy stuff until I actually had to look for it! And it was right there the whole time, I had just never noticed it! You know that section in the grocery store you never go to cause there’s all these weird bags of grains and dried fruit you’ve never seen before? THAT’S THE HEALTHY STUFF. GO THERE." It's exciting when you make new discoveries that are accustom to your taste buds and your new diet.  "WE HAVE A REFRIGERATED SECTION TOO. IT’S JUST SMALLER AND COOLER. ADVENTURES HAPPEN IN THE VEGAN REFRIGERATED SECTION." Do you see this excited vegan discovering for the first time food that is healthy and tastes amazing?

If you have kids, will you raise them vegan?
Kerri doesn't plan on having kids, but she is all for adoption. She will allow them to make their own choices on the condition that they eat vegan food at home. Other than that, their diet is really up to them. Because she wants the best food for their growing bodies, she'll refuse to buy non-vegan items as she will not want to be held responsible for murder of an animal nor disease for her children.

Mother's Market treats

Quick blog today. I just went to a place called Mother's Market and thought I would share my experience. Mother's is comparable to a Sprouts or a Trader Joe's in the way that it sells organic foods. I stopped by mothers for a quick snack and found an awesome vegan selection. It wasn't too cheap, but the food was really terrific.

 Vegan meat kabob

Chocolate eclair 

The best part is that it's actually good for you and tastes amazing.Try it for yourself:)

A wild Bellfield appears!

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the title of this blog. Because Bellfield is close to Bellsprout. Like the useless Pokemon. Not that my ninth grade English teacher/ Gay-Straight-Alliance club adviser is useless, because quite frankly she is fabulous. But I mean come on give me credit.

So Liberty Bellfield used to be vegetarian in college but eventually went to peskatarian. I decided to ask her some questions about her experience of going veg.

Mrs. Bellsprou-field went veggie when she was about twenty one. Her reason for doing so  was "It's better for the planet and it's generally healthier. The benefits of going vegetarian are lower rates of heart disease and cancer. I also felt like I wasn't aware of ingredients in the products I buy from everyday grocery stores." She certainly didn't find it hard to go veggie because "I didn't like meat anyway so it was no big deal." She gets her protein from dairy products and a shout out to Mexican food is necessary because it was always an easy option for her to enjoy.

If you have any questions for Bellfield or me, email me at Bornasloth@gmail.com

COMING SOON: to internet near you
I also interviewed my friend from Canada. She is a brilliant vegan and even uploads tips and info to her youtube account, which gets A LOT of views. Meet her in the next blog!

Let me explain to you a thing

So I have discovered that I am awesome at debating. How did I find this out? The ignorant people on Facebook who feel offended when I say I am an animal rights activist have pushed enough buttons. Yes, I am a proud winner of quite a few Facebook Battles, but only because I use facts rather than my own opinion.

Oh great and wise one, do teach me your ways of not sounding dreadfully ignorant on a Facebook fight!

I shall. But be open minded, please. For this example of what happens in my everyday life as a bystander who accidentally admits she doesn't eat meat.

Let me explain to you a thing

Meat isn't all that good for you. It really isn't. Sure, you're getting protein but additionally you are getting fats, chemicals, and hormones. Unless it's some organic skinned chicken breast (And don't you dare act like it is. I saw you at McDonald's the other day mmhmm that's right.) you are basically putting harmful foods into your body. Meat is harsh on your stomach, taking it many hours to fully break it down and digest it. And have you ever seen the documentary Food Inc.? I recommend it. It shows what the ingredients on your products don't. There is nothing natural about that chicken, which in most factory farms are injected with steroids or chemicals to make it grow faster, so fast that it gets too fat for it's legs, making it impossible to move around or simply get water. Not like that was an option in the first place, for those chickens are put together in cramped cages, so tight that they've never even opened up their wings. That's not natural. 

Click on me to go to the official Food Inc. website and learn more!

Still don't think meat is bad? You're a tough one. Well, if you want to bring science into this. Lets look at some research. Dr. Hazen from the Cleveland Clinic has done years of research to find what causes heart disease. After testing on red-meat eaters, vegans, and mice (poor mice. Say no to animal testing. They are not tiny men and react differently.) he found that the meat eaters had a high chance of heart disease. He found that a chemical called TMAO was found in the blood of these experiments and only present in meat eaters. That chemical is actually what causes heart disease.

Click on me to read the article! 

I do disagree with one thing from this Doctor. See, he was so shocked about how highly dramatic the result was, and even though he cut down on red meat, he still continued to eat it. Even a small portion doesn't do much good. After all, you can get much more protein in tofu with a lot less of a risk of, uh, dying. (Don't like the taste of tofu? Hm, I'll have to upload some recipes for you to try!)

Many other discoveries  like this has been revealed over the last few years. Meat has been proven to increase risk of stroke and cancer. Studies have even shown that vegetarians out live meat eaters by seven years, and vegans out live veggies by fourteen years! Why is that? Vegans don't eat all

 those harmful chemicals that are found meat. They stick to natural products that have more protein. For example, almond milk has much more protein than actual milk, but doesn't have fats, mucus, urine, feces, and puss. (yes this is all in your daily glass of milk.) Almond milk tastes amazing once you get used to the taste ( By that I mean it doesn't have the same flavour or thickness like milk. It tastes rather good though!) (Also hi quick side note: Consider almond milk before soy milk. Ladies, enjoy soy but do not over eat/ live on it. It can make you infertile if consumed too often or when pregnant it may cause issues with the baby. Click on me for more info on soy and bun in the ovens)

You seem shocked. I'll wait and stare at this gif while you  throw out those Tyson Chicken nuggets you bought as a family meal. You're back? Okay. One last topic for now. This one never fails to make me laugh. The most common defense from a meat eater is "If we're suppose to be herbivores, then why do we have sharp incisors?" Well let me start by saying that our incisors are certainly not for chasing down a wild zebra and ripping through it's flesh for a nice tasty dinner. And I'll end it with a link THIS ONES SUPER SHORT I SWEAR IT'S JUST A PICTURE I'M SORRY FOR MAKING YOU READ. This makes your argument invalid also HAHAHAHAHAHA to people who think they're omnivores

Because I can.

For tonight's post: There is no theme. So I will be discussing fun vegan topics while inserting irrelevant things that make me happy because i can. Enjoy.

                                                      let us begin

Things you shouldn't say to a vegan/ vegetarian but do anyway for some reason I can't actually comprehend:
I'm not saying everyone does this but  lot of people do.  Now some questions are harmless, such as why did you go vegan? or Wait do you eat fish? or even so where do you get your protein?
But really it's in the tone that one says it in. If one should hint that they are disgusted rather than curious, I wont even begin to answer their questions. I have to respect that they eat meat and they have to respect that I don't. 
But if you are a meat eater and should ever come across a vegan, god forbid you taunt them with your meal. No matter the tone you apply, it will be offensive if you dangle bacon before their  eyes and ask if they miss it. It is distasteful to tell a vegan that they absolutely need meat to survive, and then tune them out when they tell you of a diet that is only beneficial.

 But to get to the point and answer some questions that are asked on repeat 24/7:
Yes. You can eat meat in front of me. 
No. That burger does not look good.
No. I wont stop talking to you just because you ordered a steak.
No. I'd appreciate it if you didn't shove your meal in my face, thank you very much.
No. I cannot eat fish either.
Yes. Fish is an animal.
Okay, lets just say I don't eat anything with a face.
Yes, I do eat gold fish and animal crackers. hehahaw.
Fine, I don't eat anything that poops. Good enough?
I am not lacking iron nor protein, alright?
I eat tofu, soy, veggies, fruits, bread.. really anything you eat just no meat.
I don't actually care that you attempted to be vegetarian for a day... That's not the same thing..
I do it because I am not comfortable with eating innocent friends.
Yeeeees, I can eat cheese.
Please don't bring up stories of when I used to eat meat.
No, for the tenth time, I can't eat fish.
Are you really asking me if I would like a bite of your ham sandwich?
No.. I can't just pick out the meat.
BECAUSE FISH IS A LIVING CREATURE.
What? No. If you're asleep and you eat a bug that doesn't count as breaking your diet..
How do I not eat bacon? ....by not putting it in my mouth while manipulating my jaw into chewing it up and swallowing.
It's actually not hard.

Wow you've read a lot. Time for an intermission. <--Click on this link yay


PLEASE NOTE:
If you are vegan/ vegetarian and you are forcing your beliefs upon someone:

You don't like it when someone tries to change you, so if you are going to discuss with someone the importance of a vegan diet, go ahead BUT please don't go crazy. Be calm and factual. Your opinion isn't a fact. Be respectful. And know when to walk away and be the bigger person when someone is taunting you (whether in person or online)

Well thanks for reading this post! I'd love to hear any questions or comments. You can email me at bornasloth@gmail.com

I Did A Thing Once.

Hey guys! A pretty big event happened yesterday and I'd like to share it with you. As you may already know, this whole blog is apart of a school project called the 20% project. Yesterday I pitched my idea (my idea being my goals of creating original vegan recipes, reviewing vegan restaurants, and extra how to's/ recommendations). For this event, everyone had to make some sort of visual and present it to anyone who was interested. I made an extremely colorful poster that explained my goals and I put my original recipe for vegan chocolate cupcakes with butter cream frosting. (I will be uploading that recipe on here this weekend!)

yes i drew this I know I'm a pro. Official Happy Pig logo fer sure.

Here's the thing about pitching the idea to strangers: I kind of hate public speaking and will pretty much avoid it unless I'm feeling comfortable enough, which is rare. So while I was smiling at all the onlookers, my in-head-conversations were based upon the the paranoia of looking awkward and speaking like a fool. Although I'm sure I did just fine, my brain just likes to come up with worst case scenario possibilities  because, well, because it can.

Public speaking isn't everyone's forte, but this was kind of an accomplishment for me. I didn't say anything stupid for once! In fact the only thing that I wish I had done was bring the cupcakes for test tasting. But that's alright, I brought them for my teachers today and they literally ate them within seconds and with every chew they expressed how they couldn't even tell that it was vegan.

I was requested by a vegetarian on-looker to write a review on the Veggie Grill at the Irvine Spectrum. I most certainly will chose this as one of my restaurants to dine at. If you have any requests/comments/questions feel free to comment them on the blog or email me at bornasloth@gmail.com

MMM FACON. (Fake Bacon)

Hey guys! Not all of my readers are vegetarian/ vegan and that's totally cool. Vegan food is super delicious and you don't need to be vegan to enjoy a guilt-free meal. This post will answer some  questions some of you might have about the mystical way of a meat free lifestyle.

What's the difference between vegan, vegetarian, and pescetarian? 

Some people who want to be vegan take it step by step. The first step is pescetarian, which is a red meat-free diet. Pescetarians are still able to eat chicken and fish, but avoid steaks and burgers. The next step is vegetarian. This diet is plant based, but includes some animal bi-product. Veggies avoid meat, but can still have dairy and eggs. Then comes vegan, a strict, plant based diet. No milk, no meat, and you have to be careful of all the animal bi-product that get's randomly inserted for flavoring packaged food.

Why on Earth would I want to do that?

Studies have shown that vegetarians live seven years longer than meat-eaters. Vegans live double that. How could this be? Studies have also shown that ditching meat prevents cancer, heart disease, and stroke. It turns out that meat isn't all that good for the body. Besides protein, meat doesn't do much except damage the body. You can get more protein in tofu and soy products than meat. For example, almond milk has more protein than cows milk. What it doesn't have is puss, blood, and fat, which you can't taste in milk but it most certainly is there. ew.  Basically, if you want to live a long, healthy life, then skip the beef and gnaw on a carrot!

But bacon...

Is the only reason why you're not meat-free  because, um, hello, you have taste-buds? No one blames you. In fact, that's only another reason to try vegan food. You can get food that tastes exactly like meat, only healthier. You can find these options everywhere. Take your grocery store for example. If you search the frozen vegetable isle, you can find a section that's meat-free and amazing. From Chik'n nuggets to riblets to, of course, bacon, you can find Morning Star Farms products in any grocery store. Morning Star can be microwaved or cooked in the oven and looks and tastes so real you'd be in shock. Morning Star, Gardein, and Tofurkey are brands that I recommend trying. All can be found in the deli or frozen section.

So, Chelsea, why did you decide to go vegetarian?

In the summer of eighth grade, I watched a video about slaughterhouses. Enough said. I don't recommend you looking it up because it is not a pretty sight. However, you do deserve to know what is happening when the happy cow in the pretty green pasture finds herself in a small, stressful cell with workers who don't care to treat her so nicely. If you are interested in a movie that isn't graphic but shows what is happening to the current food industry, then rent Food Inc. You'd be surprised in what you find. PETA's If Slaughterhouses had Glass Walls isn't for the weak stomached but that is a short film that shows the graphic side of some factories. Here is a video from the Humane Society that can be very helpful (nothing graphic here!)

If you have any questions or comments you can email me at bornasloth@gmail.com

Spot the Vegan.

 Hey guys! I'm going to be using this blog for my Twenty Percent Project. Basically, by the 24th of May, I will have uploaded five original recipes if not more. These recipes will be vegan and delicious! They, of course, will be completed with a picture of the result and step-to-step cooking instructions so you can make it for yourself. I will also write three reviews on vegan restaurants so you guys can check out a new place to dine! 
Now for this project I need a mentor. I have asked my favorite teacher, Mrs. Bellfield, to mentor me because she used to be a vegetarian in college. Although she is no longer a vegetarian, she still believes the cause behind it.  
I do expect some challenges with this choice of project. I have to manage my time and come up with recipes while balancing other priorities in my life; I will overcome it though. I will come up with recipes with my mom on weekends and update this blog rather than procrastinate on my other blog. Yes Tumblr, I am talking about you.
If you have any questions/ comments feel free to ask (whether it be about the recipes/ recommendations  or even how to become vegetarian) you can email me at bornasloth@gmail.com.