| eLifelines January 2010 - Happy New Year from TVA |
| Monday, 07 December 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Happy New Year! With the new year come many new announcements at the Toronto Vegetarian Association. The 2nd Annual Vegan Rock concert is happening February 4th, and as always, there are more new vegetarian restaurants opening across the city. And, eLifelines itself has a new column to honour our 2010 focus on compassion for animals - the Animal Profile of the Month. This new column written by Food Fair co-blogger Bonnie Shulman will tell you about the valuable lives of different animals, and let you know how you can make a difference to them. This month we put the Nutritious Food of the Month on hold so that we can bring you a list of Ten Tips to Stay Healthy in 2010 , brought to you by Evolving Appetities.Don't Miss These Upcoming Events!Vegan Rock! will happen on Thursday, February 4th. Find out more in the TVA in Action section.
This Month...
TVA in Action - It's almost time for another round of Vegan Rock - a benefit concert for the Toronto Vegetarian Association featuring live music from local veg musicians, plus a yummy bake sale too! A great event to follow up to the two holiday cooking demonstrations that happened in December. Lisa Pitman brings you a recap of these compassionate celebrations. And TVA volunteer Antoine wants to let you know of a great opportunity to see more plant-based options at your favourite restaurants. In the News - Talk about vegetarianism going mainstream - an entire reality series based on the opening of a vegetarian restaurant in Ottawa starts THIS month on the Women's Network. Animal Profile of the Month - Pigs: The Most Misunderstood of Farm Animals Nutritious Food of the Month - Ten Tips for Staying Healthy in 2010 Recipes - Sweet and Savoury Green Smoothies Discount Profile - Prerna offers 10% off with the TVA Discount Card. Reader's Classifieds - Vegan Chef Wanted for New Restaurant, and Help Needed Preparing Kid-friendly Meals This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
TVA In ActionNOTE: Recipes from cooking demonstrations at the Food Fair have now been posted! Click here to download your free recipe booklet now! Upcoming Events
Vegan Rock! If winter tends to get you down, come liven up at Vegan Rock, a beneft concert for the Toronto Vegetarian Association. The concert will feature local veg artists Dream Awake, More Than Breathing, Robert Hedge and Dyniss, plus there will be a pay-what-you-can bake sale of tasty vegan treats. When? Thursday, February 4th at 9 pm Where? The Boat (158 Augusta Avenue, in Kensington Market) How much? $10 Find other veg-related event listings at veg.ca/events. TVA Group EventsThe Dinner Social Group will hold their next meeting at Udupi Palace (1460 Gerrard Street East) on Thursday, January 21st at 7 pm. Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . The York Region/North York Vegetarian Group will hold their next meeting at Indian Kitchen for brunch (7330 Yonge Street, at Clark Avenue) on Sunday, January 17th at 12:30 pm. Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . The Vegetarian Networker's Group is looking for new members to help get things rolling. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you'd like to help him launch this new TVA social group. The Vegetarian Family Group is looking for new members! This group seeks to support vegetarian and vegan families of all types and ethnicities. They gather once a month for potlucks, picnics, and playdates, to support each other as parents and vegetarians and to share recipies and ideas. Children also meet other veg children and see that there are others just like them! Please contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
for more information. Celebrating the Holidays with Compassionate FoodCare of Lisa Pitman
On December 6th, at the newly reopened Pulp Kitchen, Doug shared amazing recipes for hosting a fabulous plant-based holiday feast with a very enthusiastic audience. On December 13th, at a special event for TVA members only, he presented an array of brilliant recipes for taking your repertoire to the next level. He even included his now famous tempeh crab cake recipe and a decadent raw chocolate mousse. Both events sold out in a matter of days and the response from those in attendance has been overwhelming. It is unanimous, TVA members and the vegetarian community in the GTA want more food demos from Doug! I hope that 2010 will bring many more opportunities for us to gather together and learn more about creating satisfying dishes that support our choice to live healthier, greener and more peaceful lives. A big thank you to all of the volunteers and TVA staff who made these events such a success. Sponsors such as Front Door Organics, Gardein, Chocosol and Turtle Island Foods helped us to keep the costs down and the experience enjoyable. Click here to learn about becoming a member of the Toronto Vegetarian Association, so that you don't miss your chance to attend events like these and others! Directory UpdatesThere are five, yes that's right, FIVE new vegetarian restaurants that have opened in the GTA recently. They include:
Find out more details about these places as well as other updates here.
Please speak to them about Antoine, a volunteer who does Restaurant Vegan Outreach (M&B Yummy, Rancho Relaxo). Please stress the volunteer aspect when you speak to restaurants, as many are suspicious: Antoine will never sell them anything, tell them to buy anything or ask for anything in exchange for his services. He will show them how to add vegan options to their menu, without buying new products or having to learn new skills; how to veganize their own cuisine, which will attract more customers, cost them no money and very little effort. He is a wonderful cook and knows many different culinary traditions. He will answer all their questions and help them market their restaurant for the 21st century. Once you have spoken to the restaurant owner about restaurant vegan outreach, please send This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it an email with your contact’s information. Antoine will set up an initial meeting. Stay in-the-know as more updates are announced on our directory updates page. In the NewsNew TV Show on the Women's Network Profiles Vegetarian Restaurant in OttawaZen Kitchen, a vegetarian restaurant in Ottawa, will be featured for 12 weeks in the new docu-drama Restaurant Adventures of Caroline and Dave. The first episode airs January 6th at 9 pm on the Women's Network. You can watch a preview here. You can also visit the restaurant's website at www.zenkitchen.ca. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Photo care of Bonnie Shulman |
Pigs: The Most Misunderstood of Farm Animals
Nobody respects a pig. Just ask President Barack Obama, who famously tried to reduce rival John McCain by saying, “You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”
Pigs are far more sophisticated than the President realizes. Watch pigs living in peace and freedom on a sanctuary and you’ll find that pigs are tidy, playful, loving and intelligent, worthy of human compassion and respect.
Pigs are far from dirty – they are some of the cleanest animals around. When given the room and freedom to decide, pigs choose to be clean and tidy. The reason they roll around in mud during hot weather is to cool off, as they do not have sweat glands. When the wind blows over them, the water from the mud evaporates, thus cooling the pig and acting as a sunscreen. Talk about smart!
But we know that pigs are not given the room and freedom to decide how they live. Today, 63 million pigs live in horrific conditions in factory farms. Factory-farming conditions are no better in Canada, which exports more than 8 million live pigs to the U.S. for slaughter each year. When it comes to pig farming, Canada forfeits its traditional image of a kind nation: to cite just one famous example, in 2003, managers of Canada’s largest pig exporter faced cruelty-to-animals charges after 10,000 dead and dying pigs were found on the company’s farms.
There’s only one way to stop the cruel treatment of these loving, beautiful and sentient beings. Get to know them at a sanctuary near you. And stop eating them.
Learn more about life with pigs by reading the Ruby Ranch Pig Sanctuary blog. The Ruby Ranch pig sanctuary is located in Ontario.
Ten Tips for Staying Healthy in 2010
Care of Evolving Appetites
2. Drink LOTS of water – very important to stay hydrated to flush out toxins and keep your cells, muscles and organs functioning well. Most North Americans are chronically dehydrated. Caffeinated beverages don’t count – they’re a diuretic – which means they have the opposite effect.
4. Eat your greens! Raw, dark, leafy greens have powerful anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals we need to stay healthy. (See the recipe below to help you get sufficient quantities into your daily routine.)
5. Turn the TV off! Go for a walk, play with your kids, do a puzzle, read a book, or do something else that relaxes you.
6. Make fresh fruits and vegetables a large part of your daily meals. Salads, smoothies and just plain cut up fruits and veggies are an easy way to get your 5 – 10 a day.
7. Get enough sleep and rest – that’s when your body does the repair and healing work.
8. Stay connected – keep in touch with family and friends. Healthy relationships contribute to a healthy mind, body and spirit.
9. Make time for yourself. It’s just as important to stay connected with yourself. Take a walk, meditate, spend quiet time in nature. Breathe!
10. Remember to have FUN! Laugh, play, sing or anything else that brings you joy.
Click here to join TVA and receive the print Lifelines, which offers more nutritional info, recipes and cookbook reviews, and find more nutritional information at veg.ca/nutrition.
Recipes
Sweet and Savoury Green Smoothies inspired by Victoria Boutenko's Green for Life
 | |
- 1 cup water
- 2-3 pieces of fruit (banana, orange, apple, etc.)
- as many greens and/or sprouts as you can cram in there (6-8 leaves of lettuce, 2 handfuls of baby spinach, alfafa sprouts, pea shoots, etc. - try to vary the greens and fruit throughout the week to give yourself variety)
- 1 cup water
- As many greens as possible (see above)
- 1/4 avocado
- any combination of non-starchy vegetables for flavouring (cucumber, tomatoes, celery, garlic clove, etc.)
- fresh lemon or lime juice to taste
- optional: cayenne pepper or a small piece of jalapeno pepper if you like a kick and want to boost your metabolism!
Find links to more recipes at veg.ca/recipes.
Discount Profile
Prerna: 10% off with TVA Discount Card
 | |
If you've enjoyed dining at Magic Oven, be sure to check out their sister restaurant, Prerna, offering Indian cuisine with an abundance of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options.
Located just next door to Magic Oven's Broadview location, their food is delicious and fresh, and they even do catering, delivery and takeout as well!
You can check out their menu for yourself at www.prerna.ca. It's sure to tempt you to head over for a meal, but don't forget to bring your TVA discount card to receive 10% off!
Where? 790 Broadview Avenue (just north of Danforth)
Veg Status? Vegetarian and vegan options
Savings with TVA Discount Card: 10%
The TVA Discount Card is available to members of the Toronto Vegetarian Association. Find a full listing of participating locations here. To join TVA and/or purchase a discount card, make a tax-deductible, online donation or phone the TVA office at 416-544-9800.
Reader's Classifieds
Vegan Chef Wanted
Veg, vegan, raw chef, sous chef and cooks needed for new, very cool restaurant opening in Burlington. Great opportunity. Owner is seasoned restaurateur. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Personal Chef Needed Twice Weekly
Looking for help -- twice weekly in the afternoons to prepare kid-friendly, vegetarian meals. Experience essential. Reply to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today!
Founded in 1945, the Toronto Vegetarian Association is a volunteer-driven charitable organization devoted to providing information and support to people who are interested in making healthier, greener, more peaceful food choices.
By becoming a member of TVA, you'll support vital programs such as the largest annual vegetarian food fair in North America, the vegetarian directory, a volunteer-run vegetarian resource centre and the Veggie Challenge. You'll also receive our quarterly print newsletter Lifelines, and be entitled to a free, customized subscription to VegE-News. Plus, you'll have the option to purchase our Discount Card, offering savings at over 80 veg-friendly businesses in the GTA. All donations of $20 or more are tax-deductible.
Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today, and help us inspire people to choose a healthier, greener, more peaceful lifestyle.
