Locked up. Yet, innocent.

Just an observation: in case you're eating ham, bacon etc, you have to agree to the fact that it's your hand that is locking her up in this cage, and that's how she lives her short life till she gets butchered...
don't answer to me, just answer to yourself - is her sufferance and her death worthy of what you put in your mouth? ......
is this how we want to treat other living creatures? ......

"Say it out loud in front of a mirror...'I end the lives of others. I pay someone to kill for me. I eat dead bodies. I pay someone to kill babies. I eat babies. I pay someone to rape their mothers. I milk their mothers. I eat mothers. I wear their skins and use soap, shampoo and household cleaners that has burned their eyes, skins and tortured them to death.'
Say that a few times and observe yourself in the mirror.....
And then say 'I love animals'..."
~Anita Mahdessian

From PETA website:

"Most mother pigs in the U.S. spend their entire adult lives confined to cramped metal crates. They never feel the affectionate nuzzle of a mate, and they are thwarted in their natural desire to build a cozy, comfortable nest. Instead, they are surrounded by cold metal bars and forced to lie on wet, feces-covered floors.

When they are old enough to give birth, these sows are artificially inseminated and imprisoned for the entire length of their pregnancies in “gestation crates,” cages that are just 2 feet wide and too small for them even to turn around or lie down comfortably. The pigs often develop bedsores from lack of movement.

After giving birth, mother pigs are moved to “farrowing crates,” enclosures similar to gestation crates, with only a tiny additional concrete area on which the piglets can nurse. One worker describes the process: “They beat the shit out of the mother pigs to get them inside the crates because they don’t want to go. This is their only chance to walk around, get a little exercise, and they don’t want to go [back into a crate].”

This intensive confinement, loneliness, and deprivation often causes mother pigs to go insane, which is manifested in repetitive behaviors such as neurotically chewing on their cage bars or obsessively pressing on their water bottles. After three or four years, their bodies are exhausted (despite the fact that the pigs are still quite young), and they are shipped off to slaughter."
(from PETA website, please READ FULL ARTICLE HERE )

Luiz and the octopus: a story of empathy and compassion

Luiz Antonio is a just a small kid, but his moral and understanding have got nothing to do with 'small'. If you were looking for the easier and more down-to-earth explanation of 'why it's good to be a vegetarian', he has the answer :)



I'm personally amazed of the way he clearly and quickly makes the connection between what's on his plate and how it did get there, and if eventually it did get there with pain and suffering.
The empathy this little boy is already showing at such a young age is something mind blowing, not only that - it's something most adults are lacking.

I don't know exactly when the concept of 'selfishness' develops in humans, but most grown ups - even when staring the truth in the eyes - can come out with many many excuses when their 'comfort zone' is threaten. And with this i mean our habits.

There are many habits, some are more harmful than others. Maybe not to us but to other creatures, and that's when the concept of selfishness gets in the way. Most non-vegetarian people have big difficulty in stopping to eat meat and/or fish cause they cannot think of living without the taste of a steak, bacon, turkey etc etc. I used to eat meat (on and off) too, as at that time i still didn't realize the cruelty that lies behind that appealing plate of ... 'whatever was alive before and not anymore'.
But the day came when i found myself watching for the first time a clip on YouTube, where miss Pamela Anderson was explaining what goes behind the scenes at KFC.
At the end of that few minutes clip it was clear to me that i didn't wanna be part of that cruelty cycle no more, and that same day i stopped eating meat for good. That same day i also decided that i had to do something about what i saw, i couldn't just be there, crying my eyes out and do nothing, cause that wouldn't have helped any animals anyway. And that's when my 'Animal Voice' project started.

I wish more people were like sweet Luiz - learning something new, understanding it and acting upon what they just discovered. Breaking old habits that we keep on feeding just out of plain selfishness, cause all meat/fish we'll ever eat started with the killing (you can even call it murdering) of some innocent creature that had a desire to live as much as we all do.

Furthermore, it has been confirmed already that a vegetarian diet is a very healthy choice for humans, especially when thinking the way animals are pumped up with chemicals to fatten them up, and fish is getting no more a good alternative either, considering seas and oceans pollution, radioactivity etc.
Nowadays the alternatives to meat are so many, and so good, in fact there are even experiments being made, where meat alternatives have been served to people expecting to eat meat and not knowing that actually they weren't, and the results are very positive and surprising.
A vegetarian and or/vegan diet is just so good in many ways, for your health, for a cruelty-free lifestyle and for your taste buds...

Humans:Naturally Born Veg(etari)an

I stumbled upon this article from Michael Bluejay and since lately (unfortunately...) i couldn't put myself to write as much as i should, i thought to share this very interesting piece with all of you.
As he also says, changing habits it's a very hard thing to do, and finding excuses why not to do so seems the easiest way out - so the answer is No, i'm not interested in your motivations and rants regarding why you will just keep on eating meat... it's your loss, not mine.
My only wish and concern is that when you'll decide to stop eating it, you'll do a huge favour to yourself, countless number of animals, and the environment.

And now, ladies and gents... lets hear it from Michael Bluejay!


EATING MEAT ISN'T NATURAL

A fair look at the evidence shows that humans are optimized for eating plant foods, and not meat. Consider:

* Human anatomy: We're most similar to other herbivores, and drastically different from carnivores.
* Longevity & health: The more meat we eat, the sicker we get. Meat is poison to us. It's the primary reason we get heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and every other major degenerative disease. If eating meat were natural, it wouldn't destroy our health.
* Physical performance: People have much better endurance when they don't eat meat -- whether they're professional athletes or not.

Clearly we're capable of eating meat. But that doesn't mean it's natural. You can dress a monkey up in a cute little suit and teach it to perform circus tricks, but just because it can doesn't mean that it's natural -- nor that it should. When I say that meat-eating is unnatural, I mean simply that our bodies aren't optimized to have it be a normal part of our diets -- and we suffer the consequences when we make it so.

The meat-eating reader already has half a dozen objections to this before (s)he's even read the rest of the article, and I will address those objections specifically, but first let me address them generally: It is human nature to want to feel that what we're doing is right, proper, and logical. When we're confronted with something that suggests that our current practices are not the best ones, it's uncomfortable. We can either consider that our choices may not have been the best ones, which is extremely disturbing, or we can reject that premise without truly considering it, so that we don't have to feel bad about our actions. That's the more comfortable approach. And we do this by searching our minds for any arguments we can for why the challenge must be wrong, to justify our current behavior.

Think about that for a moment: Our feeling that our current actions are correct isn't based on our arguments. Rather, our actions come first and then we come up with the arguments to try to support those actions. If we were truly logical, we'd consider the evidence first and then decide the best course of action. But often we have it in reverse, because it's too difficult to accept that we might have been wrong.

This is particularly true when it comes to vegetarianism. It is quite easy to identify because the anti-vegetarian arguments are usually so weak and desperate, compared to other kinds of discourse. A person who would never normally suggest something so fantastic as the idea that plants can think and feel pain, will suddenly all but lunge for such an argument when they feel their meat-eating ways are being questioned. It's human nature.

At an earlier point in my life, I was in the same position as most readers probably are. My habits were challenged by a book I ran across in the library called Going Vegetarian. I didn't want to consider it fairly, because I wanted to keep eating meat. I'd grown up eating it, and I liked it. And there was another reason: I'd grown up in a small farming community raising and killing chickens. Accepting the book's premise really meant that I'd have to admit that I might not have made the best choices. So I came up with various weak defenses to justify my behavior. But deep down I knew I was kidding myself, and practicing a form of intellectual cowardice. When I considered the arguments honestly, I stopped eating animals. That was over 20 years ago and it was absolutely the best decision I ever made.

So I challenge you: stop trying to figure out ways that I "must" be wrong even before you've bothered to read the rest of this article. Instead, read it, and actually consider it rather than reflexively trying to come out with ways to dismiss it out of hand. You can certainly still disagree after you've considered all the evidence -- but not before.

Most meat-eating readers will find it necessary to try to defeat me, at least in their minds, so let's consider what constitutes doing so: providing more and better evidence for your position. One does not win the argument by making a single point, as most of the readers who email me seem to think. The evidence favoring a plant diet for humans is clear, convincing, and overwhelming. There is definitely some evidence for the other side, to be sure, but it's simply not nearly as strong. What I'm saying is, if there are 30 strong points for, and you come up with one or two against, which is the better position? I mention this because the people who email me about this article seem to believe that whoever makes the fewest points has presented the most convincing case. They somehow seem to believe that all the evidence I present somehow disappears into thin air when they present their lone argument, such as that humans have canine teeth. Please don't fall into that trap.


BUT HAVEN'T HUMANS ALWAYS EATEN MEAT?

The angry people who email me always insist, "But humans have always eaten meat!" I can't think of a better example of a case in which people believe something to be true just because they assume it is. We all grew up thinking that our ancestors were meat-eaters, but where did we get that idea? Is it true just because it's part of our collective consciousness? More importantly, what does the evidence say?

John A. McDougall, M.D., perhaps the most knowledgable expert on the relationship between diet and disease, asserts that our early ancestors from at least four million years ago followed diets almost exclusively of plant foods. Many other scientists believe that early humans were largely vegetarian. (See articles by Grande & Leckie and Derek Wall.) This is important because while prehistoric peoples hunted animals, that is still a relatively recent development in the long period of human existence. Certainly not long enough for our bodies to have adapted to it from evolution. Here's some evidence: The Maasai in Kenya, who still eat a diet high in wild hunted meats, have the worst life expectancy in the world. (Fuhrman)

There's another important fact never acknowledged by meat proponents: Humans act by idea rather than by instinct. Other animals are programmed to know what food is. We are not. For us, it's learned behavior. Or in some cases, guessed behavior. We can make choices about what we should eat even if that's contrary to good health, as millions prove every day when they eat at McDonald's. If our ancestors ate meat, they were simply being human and making choices rather than acting on instinct. Think about it: Do you really believe that cavemen were true experts about nutrition? If so, what other major decisions about your life would you like to put in the hands of a caveman?

In any event, the idea that our ancestors might have decided to mimick other animals and eat meat isn't a particularly compelling argument that it's natural for us to do so. Given that humans act out of instinct, looking at historical behavior isn't as convincing as looking at anatomy and health effects.


WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN OMNIVORE





















There is no question that humans are capable of digesting meat. But just because we can digest animals does not mean we're supposed to, or that it will be good for us. We can digest cardboard. But that doesn't mean we should.

If the evidence shows that our anatomy favors the digestion of plant foods, and we're healthier when we eat less animal foods, what do we make of the fact that we're capable of eating animals? It's simple: We have the ability to eat a wide variety of foods as a survival mechanism. The fact that we can eat just about anything, including meat, is very handy, from a biological point of view. But the fact that we're able to doesn't mean that we're designed to. The evidence for this is that our biology is similar to that of other herbivores, and the more animal foods we incorporate into our diets, the more our health suffers. In fact, it is rather specious to claim that humans are natural meat-eaters considering how poorly we fare when we do so.

McDougall explains how the ability to digest animal foods didn't hurt our survival as a race, although it takes a toll on our lifespan:

"Undoubtedly, all of these [meat-containing] diets were adequate to support growth and life to an age of successful reproduction. To bear and raise offspring you only need to live for 20 to 30 years, and fortuitously, the average life expectancy for these people was just that. The few populations of hunter-gatherers surviving into the 21st Century are confined to the most remote regions of our planetlike the Arctic and the jungles of South America and Africasome of the most challenging places to manage to survive. Their life expectancy is also limited to 25 to 30 years and infant mortality is 40% to 50%. Hunter-gatherer societies fortunately did survive, but considering their arduous struggle and short lifespan, I would not rank them among successful societies."

Finally, our physiology is much more similar to that of other plant-eaters than it is of true omnivores, as we'll see shortly.


CONSIDERING THE OTHER PRIMATES
























Our closest animal relatives are primates. They provide clues about our ideal diet since our anatomy is so similar. Very few of them eat any significant amount of animals, and those who do typically mostly stick to things like insects, not cows, pigs, and chickens. Jane Goodall, famous for her extensive study of apes while living with them, found that it was very rare for the primates she saw to eat other animals. Critics lunge all over the fact that Goodall discovered that primates occasionally eat meat. But the key word here is occasionally. If we ate meat is infrequently as the other primates did, our health would be a lot better. Goodall herself apparently wasn't impressed by primates' occasional eating of meat: Jane Goodall is a vegetarian.

How slight is the other primates' animal consumption? This article on primate eating habits from Harvard has a bar graph of all the things that chimps and monkeys eat (Fig. 3), and meat isn't even in the chart. What they do eat is fruit, seeds, leaves, flowers, and pith. There is a category called "Miscellaneous", which for most species amounts to less than 5% of their diet, and for chimps and redtail monkeys less than 1%. The Honolulu Zoo gives a slighty higher figure, saying that non-plant consumption is 5% of a chimp's diet, but this includes their main non-plant food, termites. Any way you slice it, their diet is at least 95% plants.

Which brings up another point: The people who hysterically scream at me that chimps are omnivores, besides ignoring that chimps' meat consumption is so small as to be virtually non-existent, never acknowledge that the non-plant foods chimps eat are not the same things humans eat. Chimps do not eat cattle and chickens. And humans don't eat termites. The idea that the meat-laden American diet can be justified because chimps may eat a whopping 5% of non-plant foods, none of it cattle or chickens, and much of it termites, is rather silly.

Let's use the Harvard article's figure for chimps and round it up to a generous 1%. If that were beef -- which it is not -- how much beef would that be? About 1/3 of an ounce in a daily diet, or 1/50 of a pound. That's about 1/7th of a medium carrot. Yes, there you have chimps' overwhelming "omnivorism".

Consider also that even though primates eat meat sparingly, there again it's likely because they're intelligent and like humans are able to make choices to act outside of instinct. As other writers put it, "While chimpanzees are known to kill, this behaviour is not necessarily dietary but ritualistic."

Eugene Khutoryansky who does believe that eating meat is natural, still cautions that the implications of chimps' killing should give us pause:

"Eating meat is indeed natural in the sense that other animals do it as well. In fact, it is even done on occasion by our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees. However, there are many other things which are also natural. For example, chimpanzee males sometimes rape the females in their tribe. Chimpanzees sometimes engage in organized warfare against other tribes with which they compete for territory. A chimpanzee male, in a moment of rage, sometimes picks up a nearby infant, and crushes his skull against a rock. And chimpanzees do on occasion eat meat, and they do on occasion engage in cannibalism, in spite of the fact that there is a plentiful supply of food from other sources.

So eating meat is indeed absolutely natural. However, the fact that it is natural does not imply that it is ethically permissible. If we believed that eating meat was ethically permissible simply because other animals did it as well, then this would imply that there is nothing wrong with rape, cannibalism, or infanticide, all of which routinely occurs throughout the animal kingdom."


HUMANS LACK A DESIRE TO EAT WHOLE ANIMALS

True carnivores (and omnivores) salivate about the idea of eating whole prey animals when they see them. Humans do not. We're interested in eating the body parts only because they've been removed from the original animal and processed, and because we grew up eating them, making it seem perfectly normal. It's amazing how much of a disconnect we've been able to learn about the difference between animals and food. As GoVeg puts it:

While carnivores take pleasure in killing animals and eating their raw flesh, any human who killed an animal with his or her bare hands and dug into the raw corpse would be considered deranged. Carnivorous animals are aroused by the scent of blood and the thrill of the chase. Most humans, on the other hand, are revolted by the sight of raw flesh and cannot tolerate hearing the screams of animals being ripped apart and killed. The bloody reality of eating animals is innately repulsive to us, more proof that we were not designed to eat meat.

Ask yourself: When you see dead animals on the side of the road, are you tempted to stop for a snack? Does the sight of a dead bird make you salivate? Do you daydream about killing cows with your bare hands and eating them raw? If you answered "no" to all of these questions, congratulations&emdash;you're a normal human herbivore&emdash;like it or not. Humans were simply not designed to eat meat. Humans lack both the physical characteristics of carnivores and the instinct that drives them to kill animals and devour their raw carcasses.


COMPARING HUMANS TO OTHER ANIMALS
























(if you can't read the chart properly - just click on the image)

Human physiology is strikingly similar to that of other plant-eaters, and quite unlike that of carnivores. It is telling that in none of the missives that readers have sent in to argue with me do they ever deny the data in the following table. They simply think that by making some other point (e.g., that humans possess canine teeth) that somehow obliterates the more convincing data in the table.


MEAT EATERS



















Carnivorous animals, including the lion, dog, wolf, cat, etc., have many unique characteristics which set them apart from all other members of the animal kingdom. They all possess a very simple and short digestive system -- only three times the length of their bodies. This is because flesh decays very rapidly, and the products of this decay quickly poison the bloodstream if they remain too long in the body. So a short digestive tract was evolved for rapid expulsion of putrefactive bacteria from decomposing flesh, as well as stomachs with ten times as much hydrochloric acid as non-carnivorous animals (to digest fibrous tissue and bones). Meat-eating animals that hunt in the cool of the night and sleep during the day when it is hot do not need sweat glands to cool their bodies; they therefore do not perspire through their skin, but rather they sweat through their tongues. On the other hand, vegetarian animals, such as the cow, horse, zebra, deer, etc., spend much of their time in the sun gathering their food, and they freely perspire through their skin to cool their bodies. But the most significant difference between the natural meat-eaters and other animals is their teeth. Along with sharp claws, all meat-eaters, since they have to kill mainly with their teeth, possess powerful jaws and pointed, elongated, "canine" teeth to pierce tough hide and to spear and tear flesh. They do NOT have molars (flat, back teeth) which vegetarian animals need for grinding their food. Unlike grains, flesh does not need to be chewed in the mouth to predigest it; it is digested mostly in the stomach and the intestines. A cat, for example, can hardly chew at all.


PLANT EATERS





















Grass-and-leaf-eating animals (elephant, cow, sheep, llama, etc.) live on grass, herbs, and other plants, much of which is coarse and bulky. The digestion of this type of food starts in the mouth with the enzyme ptyalin in the saliva. these foods must be chewed well and thoroughly mixed with ptyalin in order to be broken down. For this reason, grass-and-leaf eaters have 24 special "molar" teeth and a slight side-to-side motion to grind their food, as opposed to the exclusively up-and-down motion of carnivores. They have no claws or sharp teeth; they drink by sucking water up into their mouths as opposed to lapping it up with their tongue which all meat eaters do. Since they do not eat rapidly decaying foods like the meat eaters, and since their food can take a longer time to pass through, they have much longer digestive systems -- intestines which are ten times the length of the body. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that a meat diet has an extremely harmful effect on these grass-and-leaf eaters. Dr. William Collins, a scientist in the New York Maimonedes Medical Center, found that the meat-eating animals have an "almost unlimited capacity to handle saturated fats and cholesterol". If a half pound of animal fat is added daily over a long period of time to a rabbit's diet, after two month his blood vessels become caked with fat and the serious disease called atheriosclerosis develops. human digestive systems, like the rabbit's, are also not designed to digest meat, and they become diseased the more they eat it, as we will later see.

Fruit-eaters include mainly the anthropoid apes, humanity's immediate animal ancestors. The diet of these apes consists mostly of fruit and nuts. Their skin has millions of pores for sweating, and they also have molars to grind and chew their food; their saliva is alkaline, and, like the grass-and-leaf eaters, it contains ptyalin for predigestion. Their intestines are extremely convoluted and are twelve times the length of their body, for the slow digestion of fruits and vegetables.


HUMAN BEINGS






















Human characteristics are in every way like the fruit eaters, very similar to the grass- eater, and very unlike the meat eaters, as is clearly shown in the table above. The human digestive system, tooth and jaw structure, and bodily functions are completely different from carnivorous animals. As in the case of the anthropoid ape, the human digestive system is twelve times the length of the body; our skin has millions of tiny pores to evaporate water and cool the body by sweating; we drink water by suction like all other vegetarian animals; our tooth and jaw structure is vegetarian; and our saliva is alkaline and contains ptyalin for predigestion of grains. Human beings clearly are not carnivores by physiology -- our anatomy and digestive system show that we must have evolved for millions of years living on fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables.

Furthermore, it is obvious that our natural instincts are non-carnivorous. Most people have other people kill their meat for them and would be sickened if they had to do the killing themselves. Instead of eating raw meat as all flesh-eating animals do, humans boil, bake, or fry it and disguise it with all kinds of sauces and spices so that it bears no resemblance to its raw state. One scientist explains it this way: "A cat will salivate with hungry desire at the smell of a piece of raw flesh but not at all at the smell of fruit. If man could delight in pouncing upon a bird, tear its still-living limbs apart with his teeth, and suck the warm blood, one might conclude that nature provided him with meat-eating instinct. On the other hand, a bunch of luscious grapes makes his mouth water, and even in the absence of hunger he will eat fruit because it tastes so good."

Scientists and naturalists, including the great Charles Darwin who gave the theory of evolution, agree that early humans were fruit and vegetable eaters and that throughout history our anatomy has not changed. The great Swedish scientist von Linné states: "Man's structure, external and internal, compared with that of the other animals, shows that fruit and succulent vegetables constitute his natural food."

So it is clear from scientific studies that physiologically, anatomically, and instinctively, man is perfectly suited to a diet for fruit, vegetables, nuts, and grains. This is summarized in the table above.

As another author said, "The human body was not designed to catch or eat animals. You have no claws. Your teeth do not rend flesh. Your mouth can not seriously wound nor is it made to really get a good bite into an struggling victim like true carnivores can. You are not fit to run fast to catch prey. Meat-eaters have fast enough reflexes to ambush or overtake a victim. You do not. Try catching a pig or a chicken with your bare hands; see what happens."


"BUT WHAT ABOUT CANINE TEETH AND BINOCULAR VISION?"

It's part of our collective consciousness that we have "canine teeth" and that this "proves" that we're meat eaters. But the truth is that this argument couldn't be weaker.

Humans' so-called "canine teeth" are unlike the canine teeth of actual canines, which are really long and really pointed. Our teeth are absolutely not like theirs. In fact, other vegetarian animals (like gorillas and horses) possess the same so-called "canine" teeth.

Overall, our teeth resemble those of plant-eaters much more than meat-eaters. For example, we have molar teeth (plant-eaters do, carnivores don't). Try to find a human-type molar inside your cat's mouth. Our teeth can also move side to side to grind, just like the other plant-eaters, and completely unlike the carnivores. Their jaws go only up and down.

My favorite quote from when someone brought up the canine rationalization on a message board:

"Hey Julia--we evolved with canine teeth? I'd like to see you tackle a steer and tear it apart with those ferocious incisors."

What's funny to me is how the teeth argument is so important to meat proponents when they make their point about canine teeth, and then as soon as they find out that our teeth are much more similar to those of herbivores than of carnivores, and therefore consideration of our teeth suggests that we're designed to be plant eaters -- suddenly what kind of teeth we have is not so important to them after all.

Others have argued that predators have eyes on the front of their heads for binocular vision, while prey animals have eyes on the sides, indicating that we fall into the predator camp. This ignores the fact that the animals that we're most similar to -- the other primates -- have eyes on the front of their heads, and are almost exclusively vegetarian. It's also important to remember what I said at the top of this article: There is certainly evidence on both sides of this debate, but the preponderance of evidence clearly shows that we're suited to eating plants almost exclusively.


IF MEAT IS SO GOOD FOR US, IT WOULDN'T KILL US

The medical evidence is overwhelming and indisputable: The more animal foods we eat, the more heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other degenerative disease we suffer. This has been exhaustively demonstrated beyond any doubt. If it were natural for us to eat these food, they wouldn't kill us. The fact that health can be regained by laying off meat and dairy is powerful evidence that we shouldn't have been eating those foods in the first place.

Dean Ornish, M.D. was the first person to prove that heart disease can be reversed, and he did so by feeding his patients a vegetarian diet. John McDougall, M.D. has also written extensively about how animal foods cause disease, and how people can regain their health by eating vegan instead. The esteemed T. Colin Campbell oversaw the most massive study of the relationship between diet and disease, the China Study, which the New York Times caled "the grand prix of epidemiology". His conclusions are the same as the other experts: we're not designed to eat animal foods, because we get sick when we do so. And as mentioned earlier, the Maasai in Kenya, who still eat a diet high in wild hunted meats, have the worst life expectancy in the world.


Full source HERE

Veg(etari)an Links @ Animal Voice - Links Archive

Boycott China - By All Means!

The following stories are just a few small examples of the vicious and cowardly cruelty that is inflicted on animals in China on a daily basis (not inclusive of the horrendous cat & dog meat and fur trade).
There's NO way that these acts are justifiable, acceptable and forgiven - NO WAY.
China's Olympic Games are quickly approaching - violence inflicted on humans and animals it's an everyday reality that the chinese government and officials are trying, now more than ever, to hide from the international public eyes.
But my personal choice is that till i'll have a voice - i'll use it, and i will not stop to speak out against those terrible cruel actions.
The stories and the clips are hard to read and watch - but as the old saying goes "To close your eyes will not ease another's pain".


CLIP 1

A security guard at Wenzhou University beats a helpless dog to death.

Direct Link to Clip 1

A security guard at Wenzhou University beats a helpless dog to death as students videotape from above. For those of you that can't bear to watch this clip yourself, here's what's in it. At the start of the clip, we see that the dog has already lost control of its hind legs and is trying its best to run away from its attacker on its two front legs. The guard comes up to the dog and after another two or three hits, the dog lies motionless on the road. But we imagine it's not dead just yet, it's just left there to die a slow painful death.


CLIP 2

Another security guard on some Hebei university campus who smashes a brick at a dog.

Direct Link to Clip 2


CLIP 3

This is how China treats its people - no surprise that there's no respect for animals when human beings are treated this way.


Direct Link to Clip 3



MORE STORIES:


- China prepares for 2008 Olympics
- Fudan University kitten torturer may get off unpunished
- Just who is the glamorous kitten killer of Hangzhou?
- Saint Bernard dogs used in China to make Dog Fondue
- China's Dog Meat "Farms"
- Chinese Fur, Britain and the EU
- The Origin of SARS
- SARS and the connection with Animal Abuse
- Wenzhou University security guard beats dog to death
- Animal Welfare Law in China: Are we there yet?




FACTS:

- China's dogs & cats are boiled, stabbed, drowned, bludgeoned, strangled, poisoned, hanged, and electrocuted...experiencing unbearable pain as their legs are routinely broken while trussed up and hung in local markets for human consumption, or skinned alive and cast off like garbage, for the despicable fur trade.

- Dogs [both owned and stray] are relentlessly hunted down by 'police authorized' roving mobs and savagely beaten to death by the hundreds of thousands, in the name of 'rabies' control.

- Bears, suffer a lifetime of excruciating pain as they are surgically mutilated and milked each day for their gall bile. Their paws taken as delicacies for the Chinese restaurant trade or ground into powdered 'medicines'. The use of bear parts supplying the traditional Chinese medicine trade and exotic meat market is the major reason why bear species are declining around the world. Endangered species of bears are fast becoming extinct.

- Rhino, both Black & White, are butchered for their horns and are now highly endangered.

- Over 70-100 million sharks PER YEAR are 'finned' and their carcasses dumped into the sea, to accommodate Chinese' growing taste for shark fin soup.

- 20 million turtles are devoured in China EACH YEAR. Slaughtered alive & fully conscious; their heads are decapitated and crushed...even after a turtle's head is detached from its body, if not crushed properly, destroying the brain, it can survive up to ONE HOUR in agonizing torment. Two thirds of the world's turtles are now threatened with extinction.

- TONS of elephant tusks are carved into ivory trinkets--their feet hacked off for stools and coffee table legs.

- Animals are used as 'dried' ingredients in traditional Chinese medicines and killed in the billions--tiger parts, crocodile bile, deer musk, sea horses, lizards, sea cucumbers, powdered antlers, dog penis, pangolin (scaly anteaters), only to name a few on a seemingly unending list. ALL are considered no more than 'products' to be abused and murdered in the most monstrous ways possible, even if it means permanently wiping many of these species from the face of the planet in order to fulfill often frivolous, antiquated and selfish needs.

- China's role in the single, largest mass butchery of marine mammals on Earth, the annual Canadian seal slaughter, [which has taken over 1.25 million innocent lives in the last 3 years, alone], happens in part, so that dried seal penises can be turned into aphrodisiacs to "theoretically" increase the libidos of elderly men engaging in sex with Asian girls as young as 7 years old.

- Live domestic pets, as well as cows and chickens, are fed to lions and tigers for the "entertainment" of visitors at Chinese zoos. Zoo officials encourage guests to buy domestic animals on the premises, and feed them to the carnivores through special vending flaps fitted onto tourist buses...allowing individuals to throw chickens and other FULLY CONSCIOUS animals to the waiting predators.

- A Chinese chef describes how to cook pangolin [endangered scaly anteater] :
"We keep them alive in cages until the customer makes an order. Then we hammer them unconscious, cut their throats and drain the blood. It is a slow death. We then boil them to remove the scales...cut the meat into small pieces and use it to make braised meat and soup. Usually the customers take the blood home with them afterwards." [The blood is thought to have medicinal value.]

- Live monkey brains are considered a delicacy:
A "gourmet" can buy monkeys in the marketplace and send them to inns for cooking. The cooks first stuff the monkeys into tiny cages and force them to drink rice wine until they're intoxicated. They are then pulled from the cage and bound by their limbs (preventing movement.) Their skulls are hacked open with a sharp knife to reveal easily visible, pulsing blood vessels.The white brains are then scooped out and served as soon as possible; eaten when still warm with seasonings. Monkey brains become pungent if they are not fresh...if the skull was opened too long ago. Thus it is best to open the skull and eat at once, while brain cells are LIVING and blood vessels throbbing.

- It is not unusual in many areas of China, to see live deer in pens or crocodiles in tanks at restaurants. Buying and eating rare animals is a common way of SHOWING OFF. In southern China, rare meat is known as ye wei (wild taste), and people believe eating exotic animals can endow them with bravery, long life or sexual prowess. The Cantonese brag that they will eat ANYTHING that moves!



WHAT TO DO:


- Boycott China & the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

- Inform your family, friends and as much people as you can about China's cruelty against animals and people

- Contact your local Chinese Embassy and inform them on your choice to actively boycott China's economy by reducing or stopping all together the purchase of items that have been made in China. Below you'll find all the info & contact details where to address your protest:

Chinese Embassies Information & Contacts:

- http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/embassy_list.htm
- http://www.learn4good.com/travel/china_embassies.htm
- More Chinese Contacts Info

- Sample Letter for Chinese Embassies

- Alternatives to Chinese Goods


PETITIONS:

- Boycott China.. End its Animal Terror!
- Campaign Against Cruelty To Animals
- Boycott China for Animal Cruelty
- Boycott China on the Olympics and their Products
- Boycott China's Olympics
- Boycott Corporate Sponsors of 2008 Olympics & Save Darfur
- Why Should We Boycott China (scroll down the page for petitions)
- Boycott Olympics
- China’s Shocking Dog and Cat Fur Trade : Peta's Campaign
- Animal Welfare Legislation in China
- Stop the Beijing Olympics Cat Massacre
- Trade Embargo on Chinas Fur Farm




LINKS & SOURCES:

- Related Articles @ Animal Voice
- Boycott China Action Page
- Paul McCartney calls to Boycott China for animal cruelty
- Boycott Made in China
- Message To China
- Olympic Watch - Human Rights in China and Beijing 2008
- China : What are You Gonna Do About It?
- No Beijing Olympics (very extensive clips database)



Gandhi once said:

"The moral progress of a nation can be judged by the way it treats its animals".

Hello China.... Anybody Out There?!?!

Veggie Kitchen in a Nutshell

INGREDIENTS GUIDE

Not sure what kombu is or where to find it? What exactly is agar-agar, and how is it prepared? This handy guide takes the mystery out of those unfamiliar ingredients and even tells you where to find them!

Agar-Agar: Sea vegetable that can be used in place of gelatin in many recipes. Available in flakes or bars in Asian markets and health food stores.
(Check out the gelatin alternatives section for preparation and substitution tips.)

Agave Nectar: From the agave plant. Can be used as a replacement for honey. Available in natural food stores.

Arrowroot: Starch that can be used for thickening sauces. Use 1 Tbsp. to thicken 1 cup of liquid. Available in health food stores.

Blackstrap Molasses: Unrefined molasses with a stronger taste than regular molasses. Available in health food stores.

Bragg’s Liquid Aminos: Unfermented alternative to soy sauce that can be used to flavor tofu, stir-fries, soups, and pot pies. Available in health food stores.

Brown Rice Syrup: Made from malted brown rice. Can be used in place of sugar, honey, and other sweeteners. Available in health food stores.

Bulgur: Crushed wheat kernels that are typically used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Found in most grocery stores and health food stores.

Carob: Can be used as a replacement for chocolate in baking. Found in health food stores.

Carrageen: Seaweed that can be cooked as a side or used as a gelling agent. (Check out the gelatin alternatives section for preparation and substitution tips.)

Couscous: A nutty-flavored, quick-cooking grain that can be used in place of rice. Found in grocery stores.

Daikon: A large, white, Japanese radish. Found in specialty markets and Asian markets.

Demerara Sugar: Unrefined cane sugar. Available in most grocery stores and health food stores.

Edamame: A green soybean that can be steamed, sautéed, or tossed into soups. Available in Asian markets and most grocery stores.

Egg Replacer: Can be a powdered replacer, like the one made by Ener-G, or puréed tofu. (Check out the egg replacements section for more egg replacers.)

Florida Crystals: A brand of unprocessed sugar. Found in most grocery stores and health food stores.

Galangal: Also known as “Thai ginger.” Similar in taste and appearance to ginger. Found in Asian markets.

Garam Masala: Typically used in Indian food. A blend of cumin, black pepper, cloves, fennel, cardamom, dried chili, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, and other spices. Found in the ethnic section of most grocery stores.

Herbs de Provence: A mixture of dried herbs from the southern region of France. Normally contains marjoram, savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender.

Hijiki: Dark-green sea vegetable that needs to be rinsed before cooking. Found in Asian markets and health food stores.

Kohlrabi: A root vegetable that is similar in taste to cauliflower. To prepare, boil until tender. Found in many grocery stores and Asian markets.

Kombu: Seaweed that is often used as a flavoring agent in soups, stews, and chilis and for braising tempeh. Found in Asian markets and health food stores.

Kudzu: A starchy powder that can be used to thicken sauces, gravies, and stews. Whisk with cold water until smooth to avoid clumping when adding to a recipe. Found in health food stores. (If you do not have kudzu, cornstarch and arrowroot can be used instead.)

Miso: Fermented soybean paste that comes in several varieties. The darker the paste, the stronger and saltier the flavor. Can be used to replace anchovies in Caesar dressing or in a marinade for tofu. Available in Asian markets and health food stores.

Nori: Thin black seaweed typically sold in sheets. Used as a wrapper for sushi. Found in health food stores, Asian markets, or the Asian section of grocery stores.

Nutritional Yeast: Nutty, cheese-like flavored powder. Cannot be replaced with brewer’s yeast or active yeast. Found in health food stores.

Pectin: A natural gelling agent found in fruits that can be used to thicken jams and jellies. Found in most grocery stores.

Quinoa: Pronounced “keen-wah.” A fast-cooking ancient grain that’s loaded with protein. Must be rinsed before cooking. Growing in popularity and can now be found in most grocery stores and in health food stores.

Seitan: Made from wheat gluten. A perfect substitute for meat in any dish. Found in health food stores and Asian markets. (Check out the meat substitutes section for preparation tips and a recipe for homemade seitan.)

Stevia: A naturally sweet herb with no calories. Much sweeter than sugar. Found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or in health food stores.

Sucanat: A semi-refined cane sugar that tastes like brown sugar.

Tahini: Made from sesame seeds and also called “sesame butter.” Found in the ethnic foods aisle of most grocery stores.

Tamari: True soy sauce. Fermented from soybeans. The wheat-free version of shoyu, another soy sauce. Found in Asian markets and most grocery stores.

Tamarind: A fruity and sour pod from a tropical evergreen. Found in Latin, Asian, and Indian markets.

Tempeh: A cake of pressed soybeans. Found in most grocery stores and health food stores. (Check out the meat substitutes section for preparation tips and more information.)

Turbinado Sugar: Light brown raw sugar that has been partially refined and washed. Found in more grocery stores.

Umboshi: Tart Japanese plum that is dried and pickled. Found in health food stores and Asian markets.


MEAT REPLACEMENTS


Don't know what to use in place of meat in your favorite recipes? There are now widely available alternatives to just about every type of meat, including chicken-, pork-, fish-, and beef-style products. Plant-based meat substitutes have come a long way in both taste and texture since the days of the first veggie burger, thanks to the growing popularity of vegetarian diets. Faux meats are most often made from soy or wheat protein and are available fresh, dried, or frozen. Check out the vegan shopping guide for a list of vegan meat alternatives that can give you the flavors you grew up with minus the cruelty to animals, and try the following meat substitutes for mouth-watering, cruelty-free, and heart-healthy meals.

Tofu: First used in China around 200 B.C., tofu has long been a staple of Asian cuisine. Tofu soaks up flavors and is best when marinated for at least 30 minutes or served with a flavorful sauce.

There are two types of tofu that you'll want to try: fresh, water-packed tofu (always refrigerated) for when you want the tofu to hold its shape, such as when baking or grilling, and silken tofu, which is packed in aseptic boxes and usually not refrigerated, for pureing. Try firm or extra-firm tofu for baking, grilling, sauting, and frying and soft or silken tofu for creamy sauces, desserts, and dressings. Silken tofu is used for making a heavenly chocolate cream pie but will fall apart if you try to make it into shish kebab. When baking tofu, cook it in a marinade so it will soak up more flavor. To give tofu a meatier texture, try freezing it for two to 24 hours and then defrosting it.

Press the water out of the tofu prior to preparing it. Wrap the tofu in a towel and set something heavy on top of it for at least 20 minutes, and it will be ready for marinades, sauces, freezing, and cooking.

Tempeh: This traditional Indonesian food is made from fermented soybeans and other grains. Unlike tofu, which is made from soybean milk, tempeh contains whole soybeans, making it denser. Because of its density, tempeh should be braised in a flavorful liquid (see recipe below) for at least one hour prior to cooking. This softens it up and makes the flavor milder.

After braising, you can dredge the tempeh in flour, corn meal, or a mixture of ground nuts and flour and panfry it. Then try adding it to a sauce and continue cooking it for an enhanced flavor. PETA's famous Tempeh Creole recipe is an example of how satisfying tempeh can be.

Seitan: Also known as wheat gluten, seitan is derived from wheat and is a great source of protein. Try seitan as a chicken substitute in your favorite recipes. We recommend trying Seitan Piccata or Macadamia-Encrusted Seitan With Mango Broccoli Slaw. You can find seitan at most health food stores—but if you are feeling adventurous, you can make it at home.

Whole Grains and Legumes
Whole grains are an excellent source of fiber, protein, B vitamins, and zinc. Legumes include pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, peanuts, and black-eyed and split peas. Use beans as a protein source in salads, soups, stews, and rice dishes. Check out our recipe section for delicious whole grain and legume recipes.



DAIRY REPLACEMENTS

For every dairy product, there is a cruelty-free alternative. In addition to being more humane than cow's milk, soy-, rice-, and nut-based milks and cheeses are generally lower in fat and calories and contain no cholesterol.

Milk: Soy, rice, or nut milk can replace cow’s milk in any recipe. Soy and rice milks are available in a variety of flavors including plain, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. If you cannot find a nondairy milk, try making soy milk at home.

• For desserts, try using almond, oat, or coconut milk.
• For whipped cream, try Rich's brand nondairy whipping cream, beaten until stiff peaks form. You can find it at most Kosher or specialty baking stores.
• For buttermilk, combine one cup soy milk and one tablespoon vinegar.
• Silk brand creamer makes an excellent coffee creamer.

Cheese: You can make vegan cheese at home; check out the many recipes available on the internet or in "old school" books ( try The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak, available online at the PETA Bookstore There are also plenty of convenient alternatives to cheese, such as the following, available at the grocery store or online:

• Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative by Follow Your Heart brand comes in mozzarella, nacho, Monterey jack, and cheddar flavors and contains no casein (a milk derivative).
You'll find it in natural food stores or online at ImEarthKind.com.
• Tofutti brand makes a wide variety of soy cheeses, including nondairy cream cheese,
as well as vegan sour cream and ice cream.
• Replace cottage or ricotta cheese with crumbled, seasoned tofu.
• For parmesan cheese, try Soymage brand vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast flakes.
• If you cannot find vegan cream cheese, make your own with our recipe.

Yogurt: Try Silk, Whole Soy, or Stoneyfield Farm O'Soy brand vegan yogurts alone or in a recipe. You can also make vegan yogurt at home with our recipe. For a sweeter version, omit the mustard and add sugar or fruit.

Ice Cream: There is a wide variety of vegan ice cream available on the market. Try Soy Delicious, Soy or Rice Dream or Tofutti, brand. If you're feeling adventurous, check out our vegan ice cream recipe to find out how to make homemade nondairy ice cream.


EGG REPLACEMENTS


There are plenty of egg substitutes available for baking or preparing a dish that calls for eggs. Ener-G Egg Replacer is a reliable egg substitute for use in baking. It is available at health food stores and most grocery stores.

Tofu: Tofu is great for egg substitutions in recipes that call for a lot of eggs, like quiches or custards. To replace one egg in a recipe, purée 1/4 cup soft tofu. It is important to keep in mind that although tofu doesn’t fluff up like eggs, it does create a texture that is perfect for “eggy” dishes.

Tofu is also a great substitute for eggs in eggless egg salad and breakfast scrambles.

In Desserts and Sweet, Baked Goods: Try substituting one banana or 1/4 cup applesauce for each egg called for in a recipe for sweet, baked desserts. These will add some flavor to the recipe, so make sure bananas or apples are compatible with the other flavors in the dessert.


Other Egg Replacement Options

• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. potato starch
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or squash
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup puréed prunes
• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. oil + 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg = 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed simmered in 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 egg white = 1 Tbsp. plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water, whipped, chilled, and whipped again

Egg Replacement Tips

• If a recipe calls for three or more eggs, it is important to choose a replacer that will perform the same function (i.e., binding or leavening).
• Trying to replicate airy baked goods that call for a lot of eggs, such as angel food cake, can be very difficult. Instead, look for a recipe with a similar taste but fewer eggs, which will be easier to replicate.
• When adding tofu to a recipe as an egg replacer, be sure to purée it first to avoid chunks in the finished product.
• Be sure to use plain tofu, not seasoned or baked, as a replacer.
• Powdered egg replacers cannot be used to create egg recipes such as scrambles or omelets. Tofu is the perfect substitute for eggs in these applications.
• If you want a lighter texture and you’re using fruit purées as an egg substitute, add an extra 1/2 tsp. baking powder. Fruit purées tend to make the final product denser than the original recipe.
• If you’re looking for an egg replacer that binds, try adding 2 to 3 Tbsp. of any of the following for each egg: tomato paste, potato starch, arrowroot powder, whole wheat flour, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, instant potato flakes, or 1/4 cup tofu puréed with 1 Tbsp. flour.


GELATIN ALTERNATIVES


It's probably no coincidence that gelatin rhymes with skeleton—because that's exactly what it is—animal bones (along with animal skin, hooves, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage all boiled together into a goo that's added to all kinds of candy and baked goods). Luckily, there are plenty of easy gelatin alternatives available so that baking doesn't have to be bad to the bone.

Agar-Agar
This flavorless gelling agent, derived from cooked and pressed seaweed, is available flaked, powdered, or in bars. For best results, grind the agar-agar in a coffee grinder or food processor and then cook it, stirring it regularly until it dissolves. When used in a recipe, agar-agar sets in about an hour and doesn't require refrigeration to gel. For a firmer gel, add more agar-agar, and for a softer gel, add more liquid. And don't worry if you don't get it right the first time—you can fix a faux pas simply by reheating the gel. Here's a general guide on how to use agar in recipes:

• Substitute powdered agar-agar for gelatin using equal amounts.

• 1 Tbsp. of agar-agar flakes is equal to 1 tsp. of agar-agar powder.

• Set 2 cups of liquid using 2 tsp. of agar-agar powder, 2 Tbsp. of agar-agar flakes, or one bar.

• Keep in mind that highly acidic ingredients, such as lemons, strawberries, oranges, and other citrus fruits, may require more agar-agar than the recipe calls for. Also, enzymes in fresh mangoes, papaya, and pineapple break down the gelling ability of the agar-agar so that it will not set. Cooking these fruits before adding them to a recipe, however, neutralizes the enzymes so that the agar-agar can set.

Carrageen
Also known as Irish moss, this seaweed, found in coastal waters near Ireland, France, and North America, is best when used for making softer gels and puddings. To prepare carrageen, rinse it thoroughly, and then soak it in water until it swells. Add the carrageen to the liquid you want to set, boil for 10 minutes, and remove the carrageen. One ounce of carrageen will gel 1 cup of liquid.

Kosher Gelatin
Many kosher gelatins are vegan. Try Lieber’s unflavored gel, Emes Plain Kosher-Jel, Carmel’s unsweetened gel, KoJel’s unflavored gel, and Hain Superfruits.


TIPS & TRICKS


Here are some secrets for saving time while jazzing and lightening up your recipes:

• Use vegetable oil instead of animal fat for frying and sautéing.
• Use vegetable stock or broth or wine instead of animal-based stocks in soups, sauces, and stews.
• To liven up your rice, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pot and sauté one tablespoon of garlic for two minutes. Add the rice and sauté until lightly browned. Cook the rice according to package directions, adding vegetable broth instead of water for flavor.
• Use only the freshest ingredients in your recipes.
• To perk up wilted lettuce, add lemon juice to a bowl of cold water and soak lettuce for an hour in the refrigerator.
• If a soup or stew is too salty, add chunks of raw potatoes. Discard them after they have cooked—they will have absorbed the salt. If a soup or stew is too sweet, add salt. If a main dish or vegetable is too sweet, add one teaspoon of cider vinegar.
• When sautéing zucchini, potatoes, carrots, and squash, use a fork to stir. Spoons often break up the vegetables.
• To thicken sauces: Try using cornstarch mixed with cold water (in a one-to-one ratio), brown rice flour (approximately 1 2/3 teaspoonfuls per 1/2 cup of liquid), potato starch or flour (2/3 teaspoon per 1/2 cup of liquid), tapioca flour mixed with cold water (in a one-to-one ratio), or ground nuts.
• Save time by reading a new recipe all the way through first and making sure you have all the ingredients and tools. Try mastering six to eight recipes and using them in rotation—a trick gourmet chefs use.
• Brown rice syrup can be used in place of sugar, honey, and other sweeteners. To substitute for sugar, use 1 1/4 cups of brown rice syrup for 1 cup of sugar and use 1/4 cup less of a liquid called for in the recipe.


VEGAN KITCHEN ESSENTIAL


No vegan kitchen would be complete without these helpful items:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables: Don't be afraid to try new ones.
• Soy, rice, or nut milk: Both are great for sauces and salad dressings.
• Coconut milk and coconut cream: The higher fat content is great for sorbets, ice creams, and baking.
• Soy sauce and tamari: These are great as a basic sauce ingredient.
• Vegetarian stock: There is a wide variety of faux-chicken stocks and vegetable stocks available. If you have the time, try making our Roasted Vegetable Stock, which can be kept in the freezer for future use.
• Nonhydrogenated margarine: Good brands to look for are Earth Balance and Soy Garden.
• High-quality oils: extra-virgin olive oil, safflower oil, canola oil, and coconut oil
• Nondairy sour cream: try Tofutti brand
• Maple syrup: an alternative to sugar for baking and for sauces
• Agave or brown rice syrup: can be used in place of honey in recipes
• Florida Crystals: unprocessed vegan sugar that can be used instead of refined sugar in any recipe
• Nutritional yeast: has a rich, nutty flavor and makes delicious cheesy sauces; can also be used in breading, dressings, and soups as well as on pasta
• Agar-agar: creates delicious vegan Jell-O, pudding, and jelly
• Arrowroot and/or cornstarch: great as a thickening agent in soups, stews, and sauces.
• Canned tomato sauce: always useful in preparing last-minute meal
• Staples: beans, rice, frozen veggies, and garlic
• Soy mayonnaise: Use in place of traditional mayonnaise in pasta and potato salads, sandwich spreads, and sauces; try Nayonaise or Vegenaise brands.
• A blender
• A food processor
• A chef's knife: It has a rigid blade with a slight curve that facilitates the rocking motion most chefs use in chopping and is perfect for slicing, dicing, and chopping.
• Good cookbooks (for example, check out the fabulous selection of vegan cookbooks at PETABookstore.com. )


If you wanna know more about Vegetarian/Vegan lifestyle, including lots of jummy recipes to inspire your kitchen activities, just click the following link and you'll find a rich library of links :

VEGGIE LIFE @ Animal Voice Links Archive

VEGAN - The Compassionate Way

What is a vegan?

A vegan is a strict vegetarian who eliminates, as much as possible, all forms of cruelty to animals in the diet and in daily life. Vegans avoid eggs, dairy products, leather, wool, fur, honey, and silk, as well as personal care and household items that contain animal products or are tested on animals. Vegans are against the killing or use of any animal for food, clothing, by-products, scientific experimentation, or entertainment. Vegans differ from vegetarians in that they are also against the cruel practices used in raising animals for eggs, milk and milk products, wool, silk, honey, and scientific experimentation.

Why be a vegan?

The methods of raising livestock have changed in the last few decades. No longer is the majority of the meat and animal products sold in developed countries raised on small farms by farming families. Today's meat, eggs, and dairy products are produced by large agribusinesses in large facilities called factory farms. Tens of thousands of animals are raised at one facility from birth until they are shipped to slaughter. On factory farms, the welfare of individual animals matters little: the profit margin takes into account that some animals will perish during their lives or in transit to the slaughterhouse. This disregard for the welfare of individuals results in gross mistreatment and cruelty to animals. Animals are bred to grow quickly, and they are slaughtered young. They are raised intensively in confined conditions, regardless of how this affects their natural instincts or growth patterns. At the slaughterhouse, animals are treated roughly and inhumanely and killed the same way. Vegans believe that animals are sentient beings whose lives are worth more than just what the market will pay. The idea of sanctity for life also applies to laboratory animals and other animals that are used for human benefit.

How do you pronounce vegan?

Vegan is usually pronounced "vee-gun". The word was invented by Donald Watson in the 1940s.


The vegan diet

Is a vegan diet safe for infants and children?

The American Dietetic Association position paper on the vegetarian diet states that a vegetarian diet can meet all amino acid requirements for growth. To be on the safe side, a vegan diet should be as well planned as any other diet. Because vegan diets are generally lower in fat than the Standard American Diet, parents must be sure that children are getting adequate amounts of fatty acids. Fatty acids are obtained by including in the diet nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocados, and full-fat soy milk.

Like all vegans, infants and children should receive adequate vitamin B12. Meeting the daily need for B12 is especially important for vegan children because they do not have the stores of B12 to draw from that former non-vegans have. Babies should receive their mother's milk for as long as possible and soya milk should be used for very young babies only if they can't be breast fed for some reason.

Will a vegan diet give me enough protein?

Yes; dietary studies have shown that plant foods can easily provide enough protein for vegans of all ages. Some good sources of plant protein are nuts, lentils, beans, peas, grains, and seeds. Virtually all foods, however, contain some protein. The only cases of protein deficiency ever documented in the field of medicine have been cases caused by severe undernourishment and malnutrition (starvation).

Do proteins need to be combined in a vegan diet?

In its 1997 position paper on vegetarian diets, The American Dietetic Association stated that because amino acids from food combine with amino acids made in the human body, it is not necessary to combine proteins at every meal or even every day. If you eat a varied vegan diet containing nuts, vegetables, seeds, legumes, and grains, you will get adequate protein and the necessary amino acids.

What about calcium?

Obtaining enough calcium is not difficult on a vegan diet. There is still a question of just how much calcium is enough for a vegan. Vegan sources of calcium include dark green leafy vegetables, such as kale, collards, mustard greens, and broccoli. Other good sources include okra, cabbage, flax seed, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pistachios, almonds, soybeans, oats, tofu, rhubarb, papaya, carrots, cauliflower, figs, cassava, parsley, molasses, fortified orange juice, and fortified soy and rice milks. These vegan sources of calcium are as good as or better than dairy products.

What about iron?

In 1997 The American Dietetic Association position paper on vegetarian diets reportedthat vegetarians do not have a higher incidence of iron deficiency than do non-vegetarians. Vegan sources of iron include legumes, dark leafy greens, dried figs, prunes, black strap molasses, nuts, millet, certain whole grains such as quinoa, and acidic foods cooked in cast-iron pans.

Do vegans need to take vitamin B12 supplements?

Vitamin B12 is of special concern to vegans because it is not reliably found in plant sources. Vitamin-enriched foods in a vegan diet can provide enough vitamin B12 to meet daily needs. Vegans can also obtain adequate B12 by taking a supplement. Vitamin B12 is important for correct neurological function; therefore it is important for all vegans - especially vegan infants and children (who do not have stores of B12), pregnant and lactating women, and elderly individuals - to include good sources of B12 in their diets. The body requires only small amounts of B12 and stores this vitamin for slow release, so the signs of deficiency may not become evident for several years in individuals who formerly ate meat or dairy. The best sources are fortified soy/rice milks, fortified nutritional yeast such as Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula (formerly T6635+), fortified cereals, fortified meat analogs, and vegan vitamin supplements.

What about vitamin A?

Vegans do not need to take vitamin A supplements because the body can synthesize the amount necessary to meet daily needs.. Some good sources of vitamin A are green leafy vegetables, red and yellow vegetables, and yellow fruits.

What about vitamin D?

Vitamin D supplementation is not necessary in a vegan diet because the body synthesizes it through exposure to sunlight. Many foods are also fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption, so it is an important part of the diet. If vegans do supplement their diets with vitamin D, they should look for vitamin D2 supplements, which are more likely to be vegan than are vitamin D3 supplements, which may be derived from fish or wool (lanolin). Daily exposure of the face and arms to sunlight, however, will enable vegans to meet their daily needs of vitamin D.


Vegan foods

What is tofu?

Tofu is a solid precipitate of soy milk that is a good source of protein and calcium. The texture of tofu varies from silken to extra firm. There are many recipes that use tofu. The flavor of tofu is very mild and is ideal for absorbing the flavor of other ingredients. Tofu can be an excellent substitute for meat in recipes, and it can be cooked in a variety of forms. It can also be baked, boiled, frozen and thawed (for a chewier texture), and stir fried.

What is tempeh?

Tempeh is a fermented soy product with a chewy texture that is firm and granular. It works well with sauces and condiments, and it is frequently used in recipes to replace meat. Tempeh should be cooked for 15-20 minutes to make it properly digestible. It is a good source of protein.

What is miso?

Miso is a salty, flavorful paste made from fermented soybeans. It is used to make stock for soups and as a flavoring in other foods. The flavor of miso varies--light miso has a less intense flavor than that of dark miso. Dark miso is a perfect substitute for anchovy paste or fish sauce in Caesar salad dressing and Thai recipes. It is best to add miso at the end of cooking, and heat gently without boiling. Miso lasts almost indefinitely if kept refrigerated. When purchasing miso, be sure to check the label: some brands may contain fish stock.

What is TVP?

TVP stands for texturized vegetable protein, a low-fat meat substitute made using soybean flour. The raw dehydrated form can be found in health food stores. Fully rehydrated, ready to eat TVP is also available but must be kept refrigerated or frozen. TVP can be used in sloppy joes, tacos, pasta sauces, and chili, among other things.

What is seitan?

Seitan is a form of wheat gluten made from whole wheat flour that is mixed with water and kneaded. After rinsing and mixing, the starch and some bran is removed, leaving the gluten behind. From this point it can be processed in many ways. The glutinous dough is called kofu after it is boiled in water. Kofu becomes seitan when it is simmered in a stock of tamari soy sauce, kombu sea vegetable, and water. Seitan is often available in "mock meat" flavors. Similar to tofu and tempeh, it is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol. Seitan is brown and sometimes comes in strips or submerged in liquid in small tubs. It is an excellent meat substitute and can be used in sandwiches, stir fry, sweet and sour seitan, Salisbury seitan, roasts, and barbecue. Vegans can purchase vital wheat gluten and make seitan themselves.

Why meat analogs?

If vegans do not eat meat then why eat something that looks and tastes like it? Vegans eat meat analogs for many reasons. Analogs enable vegans to eat foods that appear similar to those that were familiar to them before they became vegan. Analogs also offer convenient options for meal preparation, are a good source of protein, and are also low in calories, fat, and cholesterol. Meat analogs also help vegans in making the switch from a meat-centered diet to one that is based on plant foods.

Is yeast vegan?

Yeasts are part of the fungi kingdom. They are not animals. Nutritional yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is different from torula, or brewer's yeast. It is grown on a molasses solution and comes in the form of flakes or powder. It has a cheese-like flavor and can be sprinkled on baked potatoes, popcorn, vegetables, and other foods.

Is imitation cheese vegan?

Most imitation cheeses are not vegan because they contain casein, which is derived from milk. "VeganRella" and "Soymage" are both vegan. When a product label states that a food product is "lactose free," it does not necessarily mean that it is free of dairy by-products. Similarly, if a label says "non-dairy," the food may still contain dairy by-products. Some coffee creamers and whipped toppings, for example, are marked "non-dairy" but contain casein.

Is gelatin vegan?

Gelatin is made from the bones, hooves, and dried skin of horses, cows, and pigs. Most gelatins, including Kosher gelatins, are not vegan. According to Kosher law, gelatin is not considered "meat" because it is too "derivative". Some vegan replacements for gelatin are carrageenan, guar gum, and agar-agar. There are also companies that produce vegan fruit-flavored gelatin substitutes that are sold in natural food stores.

Is honey vegan?

This question is one that causes disagreement among vegans. Honey is a regurgitated syrup processed by a living being for its own nutritional needs and that of its young. Because it is produced by bees, which are living beings, many vegans consider honey an animal product and will not consume it. Another issue for vegans is the production of honey. Bees are almost always killed accidentally during the harvest of honey, and sometimes queens are killed intentionally during honey production. Beekeepers remove the honey from the hives and replace it with a sugar and water mixture, so the emerging young bees have to eat a substitute, in much the same way as do calves , which are given a substitute for cow's milk so that humans can drink it instead.

Is sugar vegan?

The two major types of refined sugar are cane sugar and beet sugar. Some vegans do not use refined sugar because it may be bleached using animal bone charcoal at the end of processing. Beet sugar producers do not use bones in the refining process because dark coloration does not occur. Ion exchange or pressure lead filters are used instead. If you want beet sugar then look for the words "Granulated Sugar" on the label. Bone charcoal is not used in processing all cane sugars but its use is very common. Since the bones are heated to a very high temperature (to change them into carbon), there is a physical change in its structure, leaving no actual bone particles, so it is certified as kosher. The bone charcoal is used to filter the sugar; it does not become a part of the sugar. Florida Crystal and Jack Frost are two cane sugars available in the USA that do not use bone charcoal for processing.

"Raw" sugar, also called turbinado sugar, is vegan. Although it undergoes some refining, it is not bleached. True raw sugars cannot be bought in most countries. Brown sugar is refined sugar with molasses added. If beets are used to obtain the raw sugar, it is vegan; if cane sugar is used, then bone charcoal filters may have been used in the processing. Powdered sugar (sugar mixed with corn starch) may or may not have been produced using bone charcoal.

The major source of the bones used to make bone charcoal filters comes from cattle from Afghanistan, Argentina, India, and Pakistan. After the marrow is scraped from the bones to make gelatin, the bones are used in the bleaching of sugar.

Is molasses vegan?

Molasses is a by-product of the sugar industry. It is made exclusively using cane sugar that has not been treated with a bone charcoal filter, because the manufacturers want to keep the brown color.

Is maple syrup vegan?

Maple syrup is another sweetener whose manufacture is of concern to vegans. In order to reduce the foam on the syrup during its production, a small amount of fat (approximately 1 teaspoon per 35 gallons of syrup) is added to the liquid. A small amount of fat may remain in the end product. The fat may be animal derived, but it can also come from vegetable oil. Synthetic defoamers that are animal derived are also in use. It is not easy to determine which brands are made using animal fat. If they are Kosher certified they are probably made without animal defoamers. Contact the manufacturer to be sure about the processing.

Fruits and vegetables are vegan, right?

Some fruits and vegetables are not vegan because they are coated with shellac, a resin made using the bodies of insects. Other vegetables are coated with a wax that may or may not be vegan. Many vegetable suppliers use methods other than waxing to get a shiny look. The most reliable way to be sure of buying a fruit or vegetable has not been coated with wax or resin is to purchase organic produce.

Are breakfast cereals vegan?

Vegans should check the labels on breakfast cereals before purchasing them. Ingredients to look for include vitamin D3, which is often derived from fish or wool (lanolin). Many cereals contain gelatin and whey. Sugar is also a common ingredient in cereals. Many vegan cereals contain only grains and bran. These can be livened up using fresh or dried fruit or vegan sweeteners.

Is bread vegan?

Commercial breads can contain non-vegan ingredients, including whey, honey, shortening (some labels specify vegetable shortening, which is vegan), milk, and eggs. Sodium stearyl lactylate, glycerides, emulsifiers, natural flavor, mono- and diglycerides, glycerides, emulsifiers, artificial flavor, and lactase are just a few of the ingredients that, although not in every case necessarily animal-derived, should be considered non-vegan. Some bakeries grease the bread pans with animal fat. Be sure to ask before purchasing. Many vegans make their own bread from scratch, sometimes using a bread machine. This allows vegans to make vegan bread for a fraction of the cost of commercial brands.

Are potato chips, corn chips, and tortilla chips vegan?

Most of the plain chips are vegan, whereas most flavored types are not. Check the list of ingredients carefully before purchasing.

Are wines and liquors vegan?

To clear wine after fermentation, some of these ingredients are used: casein and potassium caseinate (milk proteins), edible gelatins (made from bones), animal albumin (egg albumin and dried blood powder). Isinglass (from fish) is commonly used to clarify wine. There are some vegan wines on the market. It is difficult to tell which liquors are vegan and which are not.

What is cochineal/carmine?

Cochineal/carmine is a food coloring used in a variety of foods, including juice. It is also used in red cosmetics, for example, lipsticks. The dried bodies of the female Mexican beetles called Dactylopius cossus are what gives cochineal its color. Billions of these insects are raised and killed each year for their coloring. Cochineal/carmine is frequently listed only as "natural color."

Is breast-feeding vegan?

Yes. No animal is exploited, killed, or harmed during breast-feeding, and nature intends for all animals to consume their mother's milk. If breast-feeding is not possible or if weaning is necessary before age two years, a vegan baby formula should be used. After age two, fortified full-fat soy milk is fine. At that time, rice milk is okay as an occasional change, but it does not contain enough protein and fat to meet a toddler's requirements.

Animal rights issues and veganism

What is wrong with eggs?

Vegans avoid eggs because egg production results in inhumane conditions in which laying hens live, the eventual deaths of laying hens after their egg production declines, and the deaths of millions of male chicks each year because they are useless to the industry.

The majority of eggs produced in the developed countries are laId by hens confined in small cages called battery cages, which are usually stacked in sheds holding tens of thousands of chickens, usually four to six to a cage. The hens' instincts are thoroughly thwarted, and because they are unable to build nests or establish a pecking order, their beaks are severely trimmed soon after birth, a painful procedure called debeaking, to prevent them from killing each other and to save costs (since debeaked birds fling less food as they eat). Debeaking cuts the birds' beaks off close to the face. A hot machine blade cuts through the horn and bone of the beak, also severing a layer of sensitive tissue between the horn and the bone. This layer of tissue resembles the quick of a human fingernail. Debeaking causes severe and chronic pain in chickens that resembles the phantom limb pain of amputees. Many birds have difficulty eating and drinking as a result of debeaking; many do not survive the procedure.

Laying hens are forced to spend their entire lives in these small cages without any exercise and they are slaughtered when their production declines. Light is the signal to the hen to begin the process of egg production, so factory farms keep the lights on for approximately 16 hours each day to increase egg production. The high level of production drains the hens' bodies of calcium, making their skeletons fragile and causing many broken bones when they are manually removed from their cages and trucked to slaughter.

The male chicks (excluding a very few kept for reproduction purposes) are separated from the females soon after birth. They do not lay eggs but are not engineered to be useful for meat: they are essentially useless to the industry. Therefore, they are placed into plastic bags and left to suffocate or thrown alive into a mulcher to be made into fertilizer or food for chickens and other farm animals.

Although chickens do not need to be killed to obtain eggs, all chickens are eventually killed when their production declines and they are no longer profitable to feed and shelter. There are no humane standards for the slaughter of poultry in the USA -- they live inhumanely, and their deaths are excruciating and agonizing.

Are free-range eggs an alternative for vegans?

Many of the problems of battery-farmed eggs are shared by free-range (also called cage-free) eggs. The male chicks are killed just as they are in the intensive egg industry. Male birds that are allowed to live are slaughtered when they reach a certain size. Hens are also slaughtered when their production declines. The USDA definition of "free-range" is so wide and vague that many free-range eggs are still produced under conditions just as crowded and stressful as battery cages. Free-range eggs are not an alternative for vegans: their production causes as much death and often the same amount of suffering as does that of battery eggs.

What is wrong with dairy products?

The problem with dairy products is threefold:

First, cows must now produce more and more milk each year to meet demand, requiring the use of hormones in some cases and high-production feed (instead of grazing). Second, once production declines, all female cows are slaughtered for meat; and third, calves are separated from their mothers soon after birth and kept in intensively confined conditions for veal production.

Without human intervention calf would suckle for close to a year. The unhealthy calves are sent to market to be slaughtered for veal, for pet food, or rennet (the fourth lining of the stomachs of an unweaned baby calf) which is used to coagulate milk into cheese. Some are at market at less then two weeks of age for rearing as beef in small pens to be fattened up and slaughtered around eleven months. Most never see a pasture in their short lives. Most beef production is a by-product of the dairy industry and not the other way around. Many calves die before they are three months old, largely due to neglect and to the treatment they receive at market. Some females are reared on milk substitutes so that they can become milk cows to replace those that slow down on their milk production. The males do not fare any better. The majority will be reared for veal and many will spend their brief, tortured lives in two foot by five foot pens without anything on the floor except wooden slats. They do not even have straw to lie on. They are unable to turn around or to groom themselves. Instead of getting their mothers' milk, they receive a milk substitute gruel which is calculated to make them anemic in order to give their flesh its light color. The lack of exercise contributes to the tenderness of veal.

Many cows are kept indoors for their entire lives, fed food to induce high production, and milked by machine. These conditions often cause infections and mastitis. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) standards for milk allow a certain amount of blood and pus to be present in milk. With their calves taken away from them after only a few days and their bodies pushed to the limit by repeated pregnancies and the production of far more milk than they would need to feed their young, female cows suffer on factory farms. After their production declines (usually after less than 6 years, or less than a quarter of their normal life span), they are sent to slaughter. Much of the ground beef sold in markets comes from "spent" dairy cows.

Like chickens, dairy cows do not need to be killed to harvest their bodily products. The male offspring, however, are killed prematurely and suffer intensely during their short lives. Eventually, the milk producers are also killed, so acquiring dairy is not a process that is free of the death associated with meat. Dairy production is at least as harmful to animals as is the production of meat.

What is wrong with leather?

One of the byproducts of slaughterhouses is leather. Even though there is not a direct contribution to the killing of animals, there is still the increased revenue to the slaughterhouses, and leather sales are a significant part of their annual profits. Some leather is from animals that are grown for the specific purpose of using their skins. From an ecological standpoint, turning hides into leather is energy intensive and polluting to the environment. It involves soaking, tanning, dyeing, drying, and finishing. Most leather produced in the USA is chrome tanned. All waste containing chromium is considered hazardous by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Other pollutants result from the processing of leather goods. Health risks are associated with these pollutants.

What is wrong with down?

Countries such as China, Hungary, and Poland use a process known as live-plucking to get more than half of their yearly supply of feathers. With this process, geese that are being raised for meat are lifted by their necks, have their legs tied, and have their feathers ripped out. Often the terrified birds are injured. This process starts at around eight weeks of age and continues about every eight weeks until the geese are slaughtered for meat. Some geese are killed before they are plucked. The purchase of down causes extreme pain to the birds and is also a profitable by-product of meat production.

What is wrong with silk?

Silk is produced by silkworms. Silk is a monofilament that can be reeled off as one continuous thread if the cocoon is not damaged by the emerging moth. Silk can also be produced by spinning the threads from the empty cocoons after the moths have emerged, but this produces a coarser grade of silk. To get the longer silk threads, cocoons are boiled with the living moth larvae inside. When silkworms are boiled alive they show signs of pain by twisting and turning while recoiling. Many vegans do not wear silk because it is a fabric produced by living beings.

What is wrong with wool?

Sheep in nature grow just enough wool to protect themselves from the cold weather. Sheep raised for wool in Australia, however, are bred to have huge wrinkles so they produce more wool. The additional weight from the wool causes misery during the summer months. Many die from heat exhaustion. In the winter about one million sheep die in Australia each year from exposure if the temperatures drop after shearing. The wrinkles in the skin also make sheep susceptible to fly strikes on certain parts of the body. To prevent this, the coat and skin are cut away from around the sheep's anus without anesthesia, a procedure called mulesing. Another painful procedure is castration, which is also performed on male sheep without anesthesia.

Another problem is mass production requirements. Sheep shearers are paid by the sheep, not by the hour, so they shear at a fast pace. Many sheep emerge from shearing with painful and severe cuts and abrasions. Some die as a result of their injuries because they do not receive individual attention for infection and illness at large-scale facilities. They are also handled roughly if they do not cooperate during shearing.

What about insects and sea animals?

The ability of insects and some sea animals to suffer and feel pain is highly debated. Some crustaceans, for example lobsters, have highly developed nervous systems and it is likely that they can feel painful stimulus. Insects and smaller crustaceans may not, but if we do not have to kill insects and sea animals to eat, then we should refrain from doing so. This is not to suggest that we allow our homes or gardens to be over-run by insects, but vegans try to be as humane as possible and lessen the pain that these animals may in fact feel.

Alternatives to coloring derived from insects are already in use. Many of these colorings come from non-animal or vegetable sources. There are many safe vegetable-based dyes and food colorings. Henna is an example of a vegetable-based hair dye.


Vegan living

What do vegans do about cleaning and personal hygiene items?

Many cleaning and personal hygiene products contain animal ingredients or are tested on animals for "safety". Products that are made without animal by-products but are tested on animals are avoided by vegans because of the pain and suffering involved in the testing. Many companies are now producing animal-free products that are not tested on animals. These products can be found in natural food stores. Some mainstream companies are also signing agreements to stop testing on animals, and the UK recently outlawed cosmetic testing on animals, so it is likely that low-priced alternatives to animal-tested cosmetics will soon be available. Vegans do their part in reducing these practices by purchasing cleaning and personal hygiene items whose manufacturers state that they are free from animal derivatives and not tested on animals. It is important that a product states that neither the product nor its ingredients have been tested on animals, and, ideally, vegans should purchase products from companies which have stopped using new ingredients - their labels may give the cut-off date - because the majority of animal testing takes place for newly developed ingredients.

Can a companion cat or dog live on a vegan diet?

Yes. A vegan diet is a desirable way for companion cats and dogs to be fed: it is a healthier diet for them just as it is for humans. Furthermore, the "pet" food industry creates the same environmental damage, cruelty, waste, exploitation, and killing that is created by the meat, egg, and dairy industries. Animals that are sent for rendering (processing into cat and dog food) suffer even more than those which are slaughtered for human consumption. Their value is so low that humane treatment is more costly than the industry deems worthy.

Switching cats and dogs to a vegan diet is questioned by many who consider it unfair to remove an animal from its "natural" carnivorous diet. In truth, dogs are omnivores which can switch to a vegan diet without any additional supplementation. Cats, although natural carnivores, can also thrive on a vegan diet if supplemented by pre-formed vitamin A, arachidonic acid, and taurine, an amino acid that cats derive from meat. All vegan cat foods must contain these three ingredients.

It is no more unnatural for your companion animal to eat a vegan diet than it is for it to eat any other food. Commercial dog and cat foods are nothing like what dogs and cats would eat in the wild. In addition, domesticated dogs or cats are nothing like their wild cousins, so already we have developed an artificial environment. Feeding companion animals from cans is just as unnatural as feeding them vegan food. Vegans do not want to kill many animals so one other animal can live.

Are vegan egg substitutes available?

Any of the following can be substituted for an egg:

* one-half of a banana, mashed;
* two ounces of mashed potatoes;
* two ounces of nut butters;
* two ounces of mashed beans;
* one-fourth cup of applesauce;
* one-fourth cup of pureed fruit;
* two ounces of soft tofu blended with some water;
* one teaspoon of soy flour mixed with one tablespoon of water;
* one tablespoon of flax seeds blended well with three tablespoons of water. (This mixture can also be boiled until it develops the desired consistency). Flax seeds should be stored in the freezer, as they can become rancid at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Another egg substitute is Ener-G Egg Replacer, a commercial egg replacer made of potato starch, tapioca flour, leavening agents (calcium lactate [vegan], calcium carbonate, and citric acid) and a gum derived from cottonseed.

Different egg replacers work well for different recipes. You just need to experiment a bit, read vegan recipes books (lots of material also available online) and ask other vegans what works in a particular recipe.

Are vegan milk and dairy alternatives available?

Vegans have a wide selection of alternatives to dairy products. Soy and rice milks can be substituted cup for cup for milk in recipes. Frozen non dairy desserts are also available and new vegan cheeses are being developed and perfected.


Closing thoughts

Becoming vegan may seem frustrating after reading this long list but no one says that a vegan has to be 100 per cent vegan. A person whose diet is 95 per cent vegan is doing much more for the animals than someone who continues to eat meat and dairy. If you read labels and avoid obvious non-vegan ingredients, you have gone a long way towards eliminating the suffering of animals.

Many vegans were once meat-eaters. Some people become vegan overnight and others make a more gradual transition, but all are doing their best and inevitably there will be some areas that give rise to controversy and to disagreement; but the most important thing is that everyone who takes even one step, however small, to avoid using animal products is helping to prevent animal suffering.

Not buying wool, silk, honey, commercial cat and dog foods, and especially leather, makes a significant difference. Reading the fine print for minor ingredients does something, but less, to eliminate the suffering of animals. All those minor ingredients would change to non-animal if there was no animal industry. The sale of those ingredients does not support the animal industry. They are simply available as cheap ingredients because animals are already being slaughtered on a large scale for meat. Most of the people who do not consume those ingredients simply cannot bear to consume anything of animal origin.

If at all possible, help those companies that make a commitment to veganism by purchasing their goods whenever you have a choice.
To find out more or to ask questions, please check the following links source:

http://animalvoice-linksarchive.blogspot.com/2007/07/veggie-life.html