“Blood, blood, blood, makes the green grass grow,” was the mantra we used throughout basic training. Our young boots hitting the pavement, grass, and dirt, each heel giving the cue to yell the cadence “blood,” then again, “blood.”
This wasn’t done to turn us into blood-thirsty sadomasochists (as some would have you believe). It was done to prepare us for the realities of what we were facing. We were a platoon of soldiers, recruits, who had joined the military in 2004. Our country was in the midst of two wars, and we were being prepared to fight, to die, and to take lives. For the soldiers who came before us the question was always, “If we’ll go to war,” but for us, the question was no longer “If,” but “when.” We were being prepared to live, to fight, to kill, and to die for our country. There’s no other way to put it:
“Blood, blood, blood, makes the green grass grow.”
The problem, though, facing the modern military isn’t with training us to become soldiers and to kill, the problem is with training us to come home. Read more
A doctor’s inspirational journey to veganism and fitness
“When I die, I want to leave a legacy of a plant-based doctor who actually cared about the health of her patients, and treated underlying disease with nutrition rather than pharmaceuticals.”
Cured her chronic health issues after switching to a completely vegan diet Lost 30lbs in 8 months following a healthy whole foods plant-based diet Completely transformed her life Advises her patients to adopt a vegan diet Gained confidence to compete in a fitness competition Workout routine and favorite meals revealed belowRead more
Shelter To Soldier brings post combat veterans together with trained, rescue dogs to help both recover and move forward.
Kira the Service Dog is a Chocolate Lab/ Red Nose Pitbull mix. She is a former sheltered dog. She was rescued and trained by Shelter to Soldier and by volunteers of Specialty Dog Training. Her Handler is a Medically Retired Navy Mineman diagnosed with a Brain Injury, Severe Anxiety Disorder, Severe Depressive Disorder and PTSD. Kira and her handler are on a mission to change the world. Please visit sheltertosoldier.org to see how you can join us in our pledge to help sheltered dogs and Veterans in need. Read more
The vegan ideal embodies the highest of spiritual and ethical aspirations – non-violence, harmlessness, reverence for life, and the cultivation of compassion toward the innocent. It is cause for celebration that we are blessed with the ability to bring such noble qualities down to earth by simply eliminating from our lives the products and practices that require the exploitation of other beings.
And yet, even in a time when, more than ever, the world needs us to put these basic human values into practice, this powerful ethical stand continues to be marginalized by society. The example that is set by the increasing number of individuals who embrace these principles is too often vehemently opposed, trivialized, or simply ignored. But the effects of this paradigm shift in perception are far-reaching, and the rewards of making such a change are beyond measure. Read more
Ellen Jaffe Jones (The Veg Coach) is a best-selling vegan cookbook and health and fitness author, as well as a sought-after speaker at vegfests, foodfests, health fairs, book festivals and many other venues. She has published 6 books with the oldest and largest vegan publisher in the US, and is currently working on a 7th. She is legendary in engaging her audiences and conducting her Q and A while holding a plank contest. Her record was 10 minutes at the Tampa Vegfest. She is a certified personal trainer and has coached high school girls cross country and track.
Ellen was a 2-time Emmy-winning TV investigative reporter for 18 years, while she watched her mom, aunt and both sisters get breast cancer. Her family became part of the original BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer gene studies. Figuring out how to beat her genes and continue remaining the only adult female in her family without cancer became the investigative reporting job of her life. At the age of 28, she almost died of a colon blockage and saved herself from a hysterectomy by going on a vegan diet. (Watch her powerful Video below on how “your family genes don’t determine your destiny.”)
What’s it like being a black female vegan in this country? What’s the source of reproductive health ailments among African American women? How can veganism resist institutional racism? These are some of the questions Dr. Amie Breeze Harper, a graduate student at Harvard, was seeking answers to when she sent out a call for submissions from black identified female vegans for her Sistah Vegan anthology project. The resulting book, Sistah Vegan! Black Women, Food, Health, and Society, was published in 2007 and is comprised of a collection of critical essays, narratives and poems from female vegans of the African Diaspora.
Harper is also looking at how black female vegans use cyberspace for health activism and create virtual communities of like-minded people. She started a Sistah Vegan Yahoo! discussion group where members discuss a wide variety of issues. Experienced Sistah Vegans mentor newbies on how to organize to get access to healthy foods in their communities, and they trade secrets on which plant-based foods shrink uterine fibroids and ease menstrual discomfort. The women also discuss body type issues. What does it mean to be a full-sized black female vegan in a culture that associates veganism with thinness and whiteness, or a thin Sistah Vegan in an African American community that embraces full figured women? Read more
My interest in veganism began with concern for my own health and for the environment. In November 2013, as I watched my father on his deathbed, lying in excruciating pain from a long list of complications caused by Type 1 diabetes, I was struck by the truth of my own mortality and knew that I never wanted to end up in such a miserable condition.
A few months later, as I began to learn more about plant-based diets, I found out about studies showing that the casein in cow’s milk can trigger the onset of Type 1 diabetes in people who, like me, are genetically predisposed to the disease.
Once I knew this, it made it difficult to enjoy eating dairy products, wondering with each bite if I was writing my own death sentence. As I continued to research the subject, I found out about more and more health benefits to plant-based eating.
Environmental sustainability has always been of great concern to me, and that concern grows each day as the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to rise ever higher, and as I watch all the destruction we humans are wreaking on this planet. I knew that the ecological footprint of a plant-based diet was much smaller than that of a meat-based one, and this had been the catalyst for my previous forays into vegetarianism, beginning when I was in college. Read more
Are you an animal advocate or vegan who wonders if the world will ever change? Every day, do you feel you’re taking one step forward and two steps back? Do conversations become more difficult with non-vegans, with people seeming to ignore the message of animal cruelty and instead opting for the latest fashions, foods, cosmetics and practices that contribute to animal suffering? Maybe you wonder if a vegan world is possible and once you leave your little bubble of a vegan get-together, festival or social event, you feel outraged with a world that seems so selfish? If you feel like this, you’re not alone but feeling and thinking that a vegan world is impossible to achieve, is counterproductive to what needs to be done to usher in this new era. It’s also incredibly hard to live in a place of desperation and despair and be a good example of what it is to be a happy, healthy vegan. Read more
Personally speaking, I haven’t always loved food, and food hasn’t always loved me. I was hit with anorexia early in my teens, and I struggled for thirteen years after to regain balance and health.
In my early twenties, I put my weapons down and committed to making peace with the food on my plate. In working toward a lasting recovery, I became attuned to the suffering of animals within our food system and started to explore a vegan diet. Veganism allowed me to see that the act of eating could be more than a source of personal anguish or an outlet for self-control.
Eating can be a powerful means of doing good in the world–good for the body, good for the planet, and good for our animal neighbors.
Becoming vegan was also my introduction to the joys of cooking, which I began to explore in my tiny, postage-stamp-sized New York City kitchen. Read more
I met an old friend of mine last week in the parking lot of our local grocery store. I almost passed him by as I didn’t recognize him immediately. He had lost a lot of weight since I had last seen him. He mentioned that he had undergone gastric bypass surgery nine months earlier. I had known of his constant battle with his weight and the impact it was having on his health. I remarked that he must be feeling better. He said that while he was lighter, he was till prone to strong cravings and despite the weight loss he wasn’t any happier. Nothing had changed to improve the underlying discontent with his life.
Happiness was elusive and he was still chasing it.
Is your life still a mess despite your best intentions?
Hilary Lee, President (left) & Jane Verity, Founder (right) of Spark Of Life Spark of Life Philosophy is a way of being with the highest intent to lift the spirit, awaken dormant abilities and heal relationships. The focus is on How to connect, How to communicate and How to care. The aim is to foster kindness, compassion, empathy, respect and an attitude of unconditional love.
The philosophy is about redefining what it means to have dementia, opening up new possibilities for improvement. It is also about revitalizing the culture of care, enriching the quality of life for people with dementia and giving joy and renewed energy to carers.
Watch the Spark of Life Philosophy in action as implemented by trained facilitators.Read more
“Sexy Vegan” Radio is thrilled to bring you just one special interview with the CEO of Million Dollar Vegan–the amazing Naomi Hallum! She lets us know what we can do to prevent future pandemics. Because Covid-19 isn’t the first pandemic we’ve faced and, unless we change our behaviour, it won’t be our last. And who will be the next celebrity to get the opportunity to go Vegan, for a One Million Dollar donation to the charity of their choice?
Then join Lesley in her yummy “Audible Kitchen” where she’ll cook up a French onion soup like no other. Spunky onions, anyone?
“Sexy Vegan” Radio is thrilled to bring you great interviews and independent music–today’s feature is Nellie Mckay.
Along with my three special guests: Chef AJ, who tells us some Truths about how we currently live, Marie Oser, who gives us an eye-opening look at the Truth about soy. And Antoine Jolicoeur Desroches, a vegan triathlete from Québec! Meanwhile, our Audible Kitchen will make vegan pâté today. So, let’s get healthy, while we honour all living beings, human and non-human animals alike.
Gary is a courageous and tireless activist. His organization, Animals Deserve Absolute Protection Today and Tomorrow, believes that all animals have an inherent right to be free and live completely unfettered by human dominance. We heard facts about human health, including surprising insight into the myth that humans are born carnivorous. Full Speech is here.
Featured musicians are Bonnie Tyler, Ruth Foster and John Lennon.
We play Vegan Smythe’s satirical song, “Mr. Zonk from Planet Gonk.”
We hear Gary’s Yourofsky’s personal story and a second part of his powerful and brilliant speech at Georgia Tech. In this excerpt, among other topics, you get loads of information about healthy vegan foods, personally taste-tested by Gary. Full Speech is here .
Vegan Smythe’s song, “Human Milk Dairy.”
The Audible Kitchen – Vegan Creamy Mushroom Soup for Two. ▪ 4 ounces dark, over-ripe mushroom caps, cleaned and diced
▪ 1 tablespoon safflower oil
▪ 2 gloves garlic, peeled
▪ 1 medium russet potato, peeled, cleaned and diced
▪ 1 1/2 cups water
▪ 1 tablespoon tamari
▪ salt and pepper to taste Read more
Hear Julieanna Hever--The Famous Plant-Based Dietitian talk about getting healthier this year.
Sunday’s Vegan Song, “Preachy Vegan Song,” by Vegan Smythe. “Preachy Vegan Song” was reviewed on the wonderful website called Our Hen House. It’s a non-profit organization: Change the World For Animals.
Have a look at and enjoy. The “Audible Kitchen” New Year’s Kourabiedes (Almond Shortbread Crescents).
We feature an illuminating question-and-answer segment with Gary Yourosfsky from his life altering Speech: His Website contains all you need to know about Veganism.
The late 60’s and 70’s were a time of social unrest and some songwriters used their words as a guiding light for the collective international consciousness. I feature three songs from that era.
It’s almost Halloween and we have our usual fabulous songs and recipe on our popular Audible Kitchen.
Vegan Smythe from Melbourne, Australia. Hear his song, “Vegan Parent”
The Audible Kitchen – Halloween Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s “Vegan with a Vengeance”).Read more
Hear Chelsea Pinkham, the incredible fifteen year old vegan animal activist, today and tomorrow’s leader who rescued a Turkey bound for slaughter on Thanksgiving.
Today’s Song by Vegan Smythe“ Chicken Man”
The Audible Kitchen – Thanksgiving Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Hear Philip Wollen’s compelling speech to Take Animals off the Menu. Included is Philip Wollen’s Kindness House “We have a large gallery of framed photographs of our 200 animal projects around the world. By the time visitors have completed their tour of Kindness House, they have a lump in their throat and are speechless. They suddenly realize what has been happening while their minds and consciences have been asleep.”
Listen to Ukrainian Music. Also hear Traditional Russian Folk Songs by our featured vegan musician, Marina Devyatova.
Vegan Song, “Couldn’t Give Up My Cheese,” by Vegan Smythe.
Hear amazing Vegan Canadian musician Mark Browning, founder of the band Ox. He says, “I’ve always been an environmentalist, but I’d never thought of the food industry as having an environmental impact. And it was really eye-opening for me to discover that. I couldn’t believe that I never thought of it before.” “Once you know something, it’s hard to un-know it. And to just pretend that what you’re eating is okay. It really was impossible at that point. I chose to change my lifestyle when I learned what a toll meat-eating takes on our environment, not to mention the unimaginable cruelty that is routine within the factory farming industry.”
The Audible Kitchen – Racine’s Vegan Birthday! Chocolate Cake.
Vegan Song, “Flesh Hungry World” by Australian, Vegan Smythe.
Julianne Hever, The Plant-Based Dietitian Expert, tells why we must become aware of the impact of our present diet on the environment.
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, celebrity chef, advocates veganism as a means by which to prevent cruelty to animals. Today, she talks about changing habits. She is the creator of the popular online multimedia program: The 30-Day Vegan Challenge:
The Audible Kitchen – Chocolate Cake Supreme Recipe:Read more
Listen to Irish musicians including Vegan Sinead O’Connor, Imelda May, U2 and Gavin James.
“Vegan Parent” by Australian, Vegan Smythe.
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, celebrity chef, advocates veganism as a means by which to prevent cruelty to animals, and talks about making a difference–by doing something different.
Lani Muelrath, plant-based Fitness Expert, gives us research facts on why we definitely shouldn’t be sitting for too long.
Today’s featured musician is Sinead O’Connor, vegan Irish singer and songwriter, born in 1966 in County Dublin. Also Imelda May, Gavin James and U2.
The Audible Kitchen – St, Patrick’s Day. Irish Soda Bread.
Laugh with Vegan Smyth’s “Mr. Zonk From Planet Gonk.”
Plant-based Dietitian Expert, Julieanna Hever, tells us that a plant-based diet is a huge benefit to the heart.
Plant-based Fitness Expert, Lani Muelrath, gives us a heart-healthy technique for stress release.
Heart Band. The Wilson sisters were the first women to front a hard rock band, and “pioneers … that inspired women to pick up an electric guitar or start a band.” The band began “a revolution for women in music … breaking genre barriers and garnering critical acclaim.”
Julieanna Hever has good news for all sexy vegans on Valentine’s Day!
Lani Muelrath talks more on the 3 pillars and how she lost 50 pounds and KEPT it off.
Hear Vegan Smythe’s : “Where Do You Get Your PROTEIN?”
We feature Vegan rapper IFEEL who brings animal rights issues to the world of hip hop with his album Animal In Me. As a hip hop artist who creates music from abused animals’ point of view, his music inspires listeners to take a whole different view of the animal kingdom.
The Audible Kitchen Valentine’s Day: Karin’s Incredible Chocolate Pie (from PETA)Read more
A special guest on “Sexy Vegan,” the trailblazing, world-renowned pure vegan high luxury Fashion Designer, Elizabeth Olsen, owner of Olsen Haus who will give us an eye-opening look at the truth about leather.
Also joining us today are the fabulous “Vegan Mum,” Laura in England, and vegan beauty reviewer, Sunny.
Vegan Smythe’s song, “Vegan Parent.”
Stay tuned for featured vegan singer-songwriter Nellie McKay’s “The Dog Song,” a tribute to her dear dog.
The Audible Kitchen makes a Quebec traditional recipe. .Tourtiere…vegan style!Read more
“Blood, blood, blood, makes the green grass grow,” was the mantra we used throughout basic training. Our young boots hitting the pavement, grass, and dirt, each heel giving the cue to yell the cadence “blood,” then again, “blood.”
I met an old friend of mine last week in the parking lot of our local grocery store. I almost passed him by as I didn’t recognize him immediately. He had lost a lot of weight since I had last seen him. He mentioned that he had undergone gastric bypass surgery nine months earlier. I had known of his constant battle with his weight and the impact it was having on his health. I remarked that he must be feeling better. He said that while he was lighter, he was till prone to strong cravings and despite the weight loss he wasn’t any happier. Nothing had changed to improve the underlying discontent with his life.
