Nina Plank author of Real Food: What to Eat and Why, eats “red meat, egg yolks, butter, lard, raw milk, and other taboo foods with impunity.” According to her website, she considers vegan, vegetarian, and low fat diets to be “draconian regimens.“ Plank lays the blame for the steep rise in heart disease, diabetes and cancer on industrial processed foods and hydrogenated fats. On a positive note, she is a big supporter of organics, farmers’ markets, and local food. She abhors factory farming.

Joanne Charlebois responded to Plank’s nutritional views in a feature letter in the Ottawa Citizen titled, Vegan diet is nutritional, practical choice:

“...until the 20th century, in almost all cultures, [animal foods] were eaten very sparingly, more like a garnish than a major source of calories as used by most Westerners. The only people who historically came close to eating the amount of animal products in the standard North American diet were the nobility, who suffered from many of the illnesses such as cancer and heart disease that plague people today. ... Epidemiological evidence points toward a whole-foods plant-based diet to minimize the risk of many diseases.“

I first learned about the Veggie Challenge after searching the internet for information relating to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). I had already cut out dairy products, substituting for soy, and rather enjoyed the products I had tried. The Veggie Challenge was the motivation I was looking for to try eliminating meat products from my diet as well. The Challenge introduced me to new products that my regular grocery store already had available but I wasn't aware of. I also ventured into my local specialty health foods store and found great tasting, healthy substitutes for most meat or dairy items. I had anticipated the Challenge to be more difficult than it actually was. I don't think I will have a hard time in continuing a vegetarian lifestyle.
– Carrie, age 25-44, Oshawa

One of the biggest barriers in encouraging others to adopt vegan diets is the perception that being vegan is difficult and/or unhealthy. Most vegans are walking testimonials that veganism is a healthy choice, but it often takes extreme examples to prove a point. Check out Robert Cheeke, Tonya Kay, and Brendan Brazier, in a new DVD called Vegan Fitness. Robert is a competitive bodybuilder, Tonya is a dance instructor and performer, and Brendan is a professional triathlete. They are all in peak physical condition, and each excels in different areas of athleticism. Robert focuses on building large muscles and getting “ripped” for competition, Tanya focuses on movement diversity within a wide variety of fitness genres, and Brendan focuses on strength and endurance (running, cycling, and swimming, up to 8 hours per day!). These athletes know better than anyone that the food they eat directly fuels their athletic performance. In Vegan Fitness, we learn from Robert, Tonya, and Brendan what to eat, when to eat it, and where to buy it. This 30 minute documentary doubles as a top-notch exercise instructional video – with extensive coverage of the training regimes utilized by Robert, Tonya, and Brendan. A perfect gift for anyone reticent to try a vegan diet for health reasons.

Vegan Fitness is available for $25 from Downbound.ca.

The current issue of Excalibur, York’s student newspaper, features a story about going vegan.  “With the end of the school year approaching and warm summer weather on the way, many students are looking for a way to gain energy for exams and shed a few pounds for bathing suit season. So what better way to do both than adopt a healthy vegan diet?“

They interview nutritionist Bev Miller, lead author of our Veggie Challenge emails. Bev says that a vegan diet can be healthy and nutritionally balanced, as long as it is approached properly. "I've heard stories of people who overnight just became vegan. There is absolutely no problem with that, as long as you know what you are doing."

She explains some of the health benefits of a vegan diet, including increased stamina due to proper blood circulation. "The big (change) is more energy because people aren't eating the same saturated fats and cholesterols.“

She also discusses the weight loss that results from consuming less saturated fat. "Fat has nine calories per gram, as opposed carbohydrates or proteins that only have four calories. So when you're not consuming the fatty things, automatically your calories are slashed."

Bev will be giving a series of talks on going vegetarian starting this Saturday.

I stopped dairy over night, due to a flare up of asthma I had not had since many years. Then, I started researching on dairy-free living, tennis player, Martina Navratilova, etc., stumbled across veganism and found there is not that big of a step from non-dairy to meat-free nutrition.

Felt less sluggish and lighter after 4 days of non-dairy! Then, leaving out meat forced me to learn how to really cook and pay attention to veggies. I am finally cooking recipes I always envied, but never knew where to find (Vegan with a Vengeance is my favorite. See Amazon.ca). I love Middle-eastern and Mexican food, but tough luck over here in Luxembourg/Belgium/France, hehe!

I lived almost vegan before I moved in with my now husband, 4 years ago. Since then, I have been eating meat and dairy like never before. I am now 30 pounds heavier.

My in-laws who lovingly cook gourmet meat pies, feel personally rejected through my new choice. I hope we will get through this since having (enough) food is very cultural and historically charged over here in Europe (WW2 trauma).

Wonderful added plus: Moral upwind (who, me?) due to animal cruelty-free eating.

– Michi, age 25-44, Luxembourg

VegE-News is a monthly news and events email service. It is free to subscribe.
Their February issue's stories included:

Health
	Unhappy meals - some healthy advice from author Michael Pollan
	Latest Canada mad cow case shows epidemic
	Mad cow: How risky is it to drink milk?
	Survey finds mercury in every fish tested
	Message for men: Go veggie for sake of virility and longer life
Environment
	Meat and global warming: A few more 'Inconvenient Truths'
	Forget a Prius. Eat a falafel
Lifestyles and Trends
	Veggie experiences: My veg moment
	Filipinos urged to celebrate 'Year of the Pig' by going vegetarian
	Boycott this cruel 'delicacy' – foie gras
Animal Issues and Advocacy
	Silent protest against cruelty of Australian live-sheep exports
	Chimps may have used hammers 4,300 years ago
Movies, Books and Perspectives
	Cajun cooking, veggie-style
	Catching up with the Mad Cowboy – Howard Lyman’s new movie

On Sunday, Toronto Vegetarian Association’s V-Dot Team presented its second of two workshops on Food Choices and the Environment. The events were designed to educate high school-aged youth about how making vegetarian or vegan food choices can benefit the environment.
   Attendees also got a chance to try out two new recipes for vegan goodies.
   This event was sponsored by the Youth Environmental Network (yen-rej.org) and coordinated by V-Dot, a youth-led team that coordinates monthly events to raise awareness about vegetarian issues and to support youth in adopting a healthy diet.
   For more information about future V-Dot events, please email youth@veg.ca.

My week went well. It was a challenge to find vegetarian food that would fill me up for lunch, and after school snacks. I ate sandwiches with beans and different vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and kale. I also ate tofu in my salads, tomato sauce, and sandwiches. I found that I was more satisfied with my vegetarian lunches than I had been with my ham and beef sandwiches and non-vegetarian products. The Challenge forced me to look at other alternatives for foods and snacks. At times I was frustrated because I was hungry! By the third day, though, I had snacks like apples, oranges, grapes, and mango. I love making vegetarian stir fries – they're easy and fun to make; they're also delicious and nutritious! My family would still have their meat meals, but I ate with them, and they were always asking about my colorful, wonderful smelling concoctions.

It was never a problem eating at restaurants. In fact I found new ones around town that I had never known existed. I tried different soups, rice and pasta dishes that fit my vegetarian diet. I found I was always spending less on vegetables than steak, or chicken.

I have no issue in finding vegetarian food that I like but that's a different story for my friends. At school one of my friends is against being vegetarian. We have intense debates, and usually I win because being a vegetarian is the best thing ever! I'm hoping to convince him to a point where I'll be able to send him the Veggie Challenge. Who knows, maybe he'll find it in his heart to not eat animals anymore.

Thank-you for making this Challenge. It has helped me become healthy and aware of a new menu for veggie-based foods. I hope someday everyone will choose to embrace the vegetarian lifestyle.

– Maya, age 16-24, Abbotsford. Winner for Nov/Dec based on a random draw of all selected stories. She wins a subscription to VegNews and gift pack. See prizes page for details.

If you like the TVP episodes where we ramble on and on and it seems like we don't even have show notes, you'll love this one like it's the best tofu you've ever tasted. Speaking of tofu, as we write this there's food waiting for us at the restaurant downstairs, and we earned it today. Hear about our trials and tribulations! Our trivia update! Our fan mail! Our TV watching habits! It's all there this week, brought to you by John, Colleen and Jason.

This show's running time is 28:35

Listen Now!

Veg.ca has been completely redesigned. The new format will make it easier for us to update the site and introduce new features. Over the next few days we will be refining the design and adding some missing pages. Please enjoy the new site, and check back frequently.

Hi! I'm Malina. I have been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for three years and wanted to go vegan for a long time. Unfortunately, due to my very busy schedule, shift work and eating on the go, I have put it off until the Veggie Challenge.

While vegetarian, I read a lot of very interesting books on veganism and made the decision to go that route. Within 3-4 days, I felt so good, that I am confident I will NEVER go back. I will continue to learn, shop and eat vegan, as I discover new recipes, products and stores that have a large variety of vegan choices.

I would like to thank you for giving me that final "push" I needed to discover a new way of taking care of myself and working towards creating a kinder, gentler world, which only starts with the way we treat each other and the animals.
– Malina, age 25-44, Scarborough

Being a vegetarian isn't hard, in fact, it's fabulously fun. I have been one for two years and it is amazing. I had never tried to be vegan, it sounded too intimidating. Against my better judgment, I decided to go for it. I cut out dairy, eggs and honey from my life. I have to say, it took A LOT out of me. Imagine not having a warm mug of delicious cocoa before bed?Imagine eating leafy greens?
    The first couple of days, I was hungry and longing to stuff a cookie in my mouth and down some milk. By the third day, the worst of it was over. I began to embrace this change; I began to feel less drained and had a little spring in my step. It was a great deal of fun; I tried amazingly delicious new recipes that I was too afraid to try before. And heck, I was incredibly proud! I could say I was a vegan! I've always wanted to roll that sentence in my mouth but never got the chance. I felt real, and alive. It's utterly fantastic; I have never felt as natural, human, and primitive (in a good way) before in my life. This week was a catharsis for me, a cleansing of dark and dank emotions. I feel strong and ready to take on the world, if I was able to be a vegan for a week, what's to stop me from changing my lifestyle?
– Jessica, age 16-24, Toronto