| eLifelines July 2010 - Run like the Wind with TVA |
| Wednesday, 07 July 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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What images does summer bring to your mind? Is it a weekend away for some rest and relaxation? Or do you fill your warm nights with outdoor activities and excercise? Either way - we've got some ideas to make your summer complete and compassionate. We've started recruiting members of our team for the upcoming Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, so if you like to run and support a good cause at the same time, be sure to check out our TVA In Action section to find out how you can join! And if you need a little extra energy for your training, how about some sprouts? We've got some great suggestions for how to start using them in simple and easy ways. If all you're hoping for this summer is to get away for a weekend, check out our featured Discount Profile, the Rooster's Inn, a fantastic B and B that offers TVA discount holders 10% off the cost of their stay. Don't Miss These Upcoming Events!There are still spots left in Nimisha Raja's Healthy Indian Vegan Cooking Class at Whole Foods, and soon after is the Festival of India. Find out more in the TVA in Action section or on Facebook.
This Month...
TVA in Action - Healthy Indian Vegan Cooking, the Festival of India, Vegetarian Food Fair, Join the Toronto Vegetarian Team in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Support a Sanctuary Trot-A-Thon, Directory Updates In the News - The UN Urges Global Reduction in Meat and Dairy Consumption, Victory Announced for Whales and Horses Animal Profile of the Month - The Life of a Dairy Cow Nutritious Food of the Month - Super Sprouts Recipe - 10 Easy Ways to Use Sprouts Discount Profile - The Rooster's Inn: 10% off with the TVA Discount Card This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
TVA In ActionUpcoming Events
Healthy Vegan Indian Cooking Demo Join Nimisha Raja of Evolving Appetites as she recreates the recipes she grew up with using reduced oil and fats, but keeping the flavour in tact. She'll start your exotic Indian journey with a red lentil dhal (soup) served over brown basmati rice. A main course of hearty “Aloo Chole” (potato/chickpea stew) served with whole wheat pita and a sides of kachumber (traditional Indian salad of cabbage/tomato/cucumber) and papadums will be finished off with a sweet treat of vegan mango shake. The menu is 100% plant based, low fat and full of fibre. You’ll receive copies of the recipes to take home, and sample everything made. When? Sunday, July 11th from 2 to 4 pm Where? Whole Foods teaching kitchen, located at 87 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 3R9 How Much? $30 Registration? Please call 416.944.0500 for more information or to register for any of these unique classes. Unless otherwise stated, please register in person at the customer service desk or by phone. Space is limited to 14 students so don't delay. The Festival of IndiaThe Toronto Vegetarian Association is a partner of the Festival of India, happening on July 17th and 18th on Centre Island. The Festival of India celebrates the spiritual experiences of ancient South Asian culture and features a free vegetarian feast, a stunning arts and culture showcase, a yoga festival, a bazaar, exhibits, a children's area, and much more. Where? Centre Island More Information: Click here to find out more about the Festival of India. Want to volunteer for TVA at the Festival of India? We're in need of tabling volunteers all weekend! Email
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or check out veg.ca/volunteer for more information. The 26th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair It’s that time of year again and preparations are quickly coming together as we gear up for our 26th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair, scheduled to take place from September 10-12, 2010! Regarded as the largest event of its kind in North America, the Vegetarian Food Fair promises an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy a diverse cross-section of vegetarian cuisine. This will be the weekend to discover new products and ideas from more than 100 exhibitors and enjoy a wide variety of presentations and cooking demos. Whether you're looking for new ideas to add colour and variety to your meals, or if you're a "seasoned" vegetarian interested in expanding your knowledge of nutritious and ethical foods, this is the place for you. Where? The Harbourfront Centre More Information: The Vegetarian Food Fair is a FREE event! Keep checking back at veg.ca/foodfair for updates on speakers, cooking demonstrations and exhibitors to be posted throughout the summer. Want to volunteer for at the Vegetarian Food Fair? There's a wide range of positions available, from tabling for TVA, to meet and greet in TVA costumes, to assisting cooking demonstrators. Click the tab that says "volunteer" at veg.ca/foodfair. Find other veg-related event listings at veg.ca/events. TVA Group EventsThe Dinner Social Group will hold their next meeting at Rawlicious (3092 Dundas Street West, west of High Park Avenue) on Thursday, July 15th at 7 pm. Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . TVA Reads will meet to discuss The Bloodless Revolution, A Cultural History of Vegetarianism from 1600 to Modern Times by Tristram Stuart on July 19th at 7 pm, in the Queen-Ossington area. For more information or to join the group contact Shân at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . The Queer Veggie Social Group will be having a vegetarian picnic on Sunday, July 11th at 2 pm at the park beside the 519 Church Street Community Centre. Join them for a fun day of socializing with other vegetarians/vegans, and don't forget your blanket, a ball, domino's cards, and of course vegetarian food! For more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Join one of TVA’s social groups. Join the Toronto Vegetarian Team at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Last year, 19 members of the first-ever Toronto Vegetarian Team at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon ran or walked to raise a whopping $6000 for the Toronto Vegetarian Association on Sunday, September 27th. We invite you to join our team this year in this fantastic and fun opportunity to support TVA and celebrate the thriving vegetarian community in Toronto. Running or walking in the 5k, half-marathon, or marathon will give us a louder presence at the race this year, demonstrating that vegetarians are strong, athletic, active and healthy! The first 10 people to register and pledge to raise $150 or more for TVA will receive FREE registration, so sign up today by contacting Barbi by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone (416-544-9800). Really don't want to run or walk in the race? You can still get involved!
Support Local Farmed Animal Sanctuaries at TVA's First Trot-a-ThonFor TVA’s 2010 Year of Compassion, we've taken on a fitting and special campaign: to help Ontario’s local farm sanctuaries that selflessly rescue and take care of rescued farm animals. In order to support the great work being done by farm animal sanctuaries in Ontario, TVA has joined forces with Animal Outreach,a London, Ontario registered charity whose mission is to provide shelter and care for abandoned, neglected, unwanted, injured and abused domesticated animals – including domestic farm animals. Of particular interest to TVA is Animal Outreach’s work with five Ontario farm animal sanctuaries: The Roosters Inn veggie B&B and farm sanctuary, Cedar Row farm sanctuary, Ruby Ranch pig sanctuary, Snooters Farm Animal Sanctuary, and Refuge RR for Horses/The Canadian H.E.A.R.T. These sanctuaries need all the support they can get to pay for expenses associated with saving and nuturing their rescued animals. This year, we're introducing “TVA’s Support Local Farmed Animals Sanctuaries Trot-a-thon”, a family-friendly fundraiser awareness walk and vegan potluck picnic event. This will be a 50/50 fundraiser event to raise money for both TVA and the five sanctuaries, via Animal Outreach. This event will also raise awareness for these five wonderful Ontario farmed animal sanctuaries, and raise awareness about the plight of farmed animals. When? Saturday, August 21st. Registration begins at 11 am, with the walk beginning at 12 pm. Where? Christie Pits Park (picnic area) Cost? $20/person to register. More info? We invite you to bring a vegan potluck dish, and participate in a raffle draw as well! The walk will go from Christie Pits Park to Panacea (Toronto's all vegan grocery store), and then return to the park for the potluck picnic and raffle. Check back to veg.ca/sanctuaries in the coming days for a link to the registration website. Directory UpdatesWe hope you're hungry because there's plenty of new updates to report this month! Akrams in Kensington Market has re-opened after 3 years! They serve a huge range of vegetarian and vegan items including falafel sandwhiches, vegan pizza, stews and salads and more, with all items clearly marked "vegan" that are such. Plus it's super affordable! We've also learned that Poutini's House of Poutine is a cafe serving poutine offering homemade vegetarian gravy, gluten free/vegan gravy and Daiya vegan cheese! There's also a new vegetarian catering company in town called Mesey Ethopian Vegetarian Catering . Be sure to check out our directory updates section for details on these and other vegetarian dining options. Stay in-the-know as more updates are announced on our directory updates page. In the NewsUN Encourages Global Reduction in Meat and Dairy ConsumptionA report produced by the United Nations recently supports a global shift to a plant-based diet to halt climate change and world hunger. The report goes as far as saying: "Unlike fossil fuels, it is difficult to look for alternatives: people have to eat. A substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products." Click here to read a detailed article regarding the report. IFAW Announces Victory for WhalesThe International Fund for Animal Welfare has announced that a proposal to legalize commercial whaling has FAILED! The proposal included a plan to overturn the worldwide ban on whaling, in place since 1986, by allowing legalized hunting of whales by Iceland, Norway, and Japan. Fortunately, the proposal did not pass as presented and for the time being, the moratorium on commercial whaling will continue. Bill Introduced to Ban Horse Slaughter in CanadaMP Alex Atamanenko has introduced Bill C-544 to ban the slaughter of horses for human food consumption in Canada. There is still a long process to continue before the bill can become law, as all private member's bills must go through three readings. You still have time to reach out to your MP and ask them to support bill C-544! Visit animalalliance.ca/Horses.html for more details. Animal Profile of the MonthCare of Bonnie Shulman The Life of a Dairy CowGot milk? Pity. If you've ever seen documentaries about farm animals like Peaceable Kingdom you'll already know that cows are emotional animals with strong family bonds. Mother cows care for their calves and even other cows nearby will come over to meet a new calf and help out where they can. Farm Sanctuary, with shelters in New York and California, have endless stories to tell about the cows on their farms, such as Queenie, who escaped from a factory farm and immediatey began conversing with the other cows at the sanctuary. But for dairy cows, the chances to express themselves amongst others of their own species are virtually non-existent. A dairy cow's life is a continuous cycle of impregnation, birth, and milking to provide one thing only - a constant supply of milk for human consumption and profit. A dairy cow will be milked for 10 months out of the year, including seven months of each of her consecutive nine-month pregnancies. Two to three times a day, seven days a week, she will be attached to an electric milking machine. In her narrow, concrete stall she can do nothing but await the next milking. When she does give birth, her calf will be forcibly taken from her, and the cries of both mother and baby are pitiful to hear. Male calves will either be sold for pet food, killed at just a few days old to make veal or raised for beef. A dairy cow will not live to her natural lifespan of 25 years, but will survive only four years of her imprisonment. When she can no longer keep up the demanded level of milk production, she will be packed onto a crowded truck for transport to her final destination - the slaughterhouse. Mercy for Animals, an animal welfare group, recently released a graphic video showing workers at Conklin Dairy Farms Inc., beating cows with crowbars and stabbing them with pitchforks. People who saw the footage were shocked – the traditional image of a dairy farm has always been happy cows frolicking in meadows. Many people have been so overcome with grief that human beings could inflict such cruelty and hatred at the most benign of creatures that they have sworn off dairy altogether and adopted a completely plant-based (or vegan) diet. If you like milk, ice cream and cheese, please know that there are many delicious plant-based alternatives and substitutes. Nutritious Food of the MonthSuper SproutsCare of Amy Symington Sprouting has become a tremendously popular pastime and is right up there hobby-wise with growing your own herbs. They are as versatile as herbs and fortunate for us, have a whole lot more to offer in terms of nutrients too. Sprouts can come from a variety of different legumes and grains; anything from mung beans to lentils to barley is fair game; the most popular and illustrious sprout of course being the alfalfa. Be warned though that some legumes or grains aren’t meant for sprouting and can be hazardous to your health, such as kidney beans. Thankfully instructional guides come with at-home sprouting devices that can lead you to blissfully safe sprouting. However, if the parental duty of sprouting your own doesn’t sound like a walk in the garden to you, then hit up your local market or grocery store and they will more than likely have a few tasty types to select from. Why eat your sprouts? Nutritionally speaking sprouts are bursting with goodness, packed with digestible fibre, proteins, amino acids, Vitamin A, C, D and E, B vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals, most of which help with damaged cell repair and protect us from illnesses such as osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Of course, specific nutrition and health benefits vary from sprout to sprout. Mung bean, lentil and soybean sprouts are high sources of protein, clover, broccoli and alfalfa sprouts have cancer fighting properties, and radish sprouts have more vitamin C than pineapple. Still not convinced? All health jargon aside, sprouts are a tasty and nutritious way to fancify those hor d’oeuvres, salads or sandwiches, as well as dress up any delish dish from hearty rice bowls to savoury soups. From the peppery goodness of the broccoli sprout to adding the essence of onion (minus the tears) via onion sprouts, to kicking it up a notch with spicy mustard sprouts, the culinary options go on. And because there are so many varieties to choose from the options are continuously growing. Perhaps now that you are aware of the budding health benefits as well as the tantalizing culinary tips to eating and growing your own sprouts you may want to consider hopping on the sprout wagon. Click here to join TVA and receive the print Lifelines, which offers more nutritional info, recipes and cookbook reviews. Find more nutritional information at veg.ca/nutrition. Recipe10 Easy Ways to Use SproutsCare of Lisa Pitman
1. Add fresh sprouts to any salad or rice bowl to boost the nutritional profile. 2. Dump a handful of green sprouts (e.g. sunflower sprouts) into a fruit smoothie to satisfy your greens quotient. 3. Make your own Essene or Manna bread by combining sprouted wheat berries, a drizzle of olive oil and your favourite flavour additions (raisins, cinnamon, nuts, seeds, etc.). Bake small loaves slowly at a low heat in your oven or dehydrator. 4. Enjoy sprouted quinoa or sprouted lentils as the base of a hearty summer salad. 5. Stuff a handful of sprouts into a whole wheat pita with roasted veggies and hummus for a protein-packed lunch. 6. Wander over to your local juice-bar for a shot of wheatgrass sprouts. 7. Use sprouted flax or chia as the base for an Omega-rich cracker. 8. Enrich your favourite smoothie with extra protein by the powder of ground sprouts - lentil, flax, chia, pea (you can make your own or use a commercial source like Vega). 9. Puree green sprouts into your favourite dips - hummus, white bean, nuts - to add fresh flavour. 10. Beautify your plate by garnishing everything this summer with a handful of sprouts (all the restaurants are doing it). Pizza, soup, salad - it all looks fresher with a little sprout action. Find links to more recipes at veg.ca/recipes. Discount ProfileRooster's Inn: 10% off with TVA Discount Card
If you're looking for somewhere to get away for a day or two, look no further than the Rooster's Inn B and B and Farm Sanctuary. The Rooster's Inn, located just outside of Port Perry, offers the perfect opportunity to blend a vacation for yourself with supporting the rescue of farm animals. Your stay in one of the Rooster's Inn's beautiful guest rooms includes a gourmet vegetarian or vegan breakfast, plus a chance to unwind in their pool, and to meet their rescued animals including goats, chinchillas, guinea pigs and of course roosters and chickens. Recently featured in TVA's documentary about local farm animal rescue, the Rooster's Inn offers a 10% discount when you present your TVA Discount Card. Where else can you relax in comfort, eat delicious vegetarian food, support a good cause and save a few dollars while you're at it? Where? Located on the north side of Highway 7A, a few minuntes east of Port Perry Veg Status? Vegetarian, although they have just as much expertise preparing vegan meals and easily do so upon request Savings with TVA Discount Card: 10% off 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. 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.
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