Food For Thought: The Joys And Benefits Of Living Vegan

The intention in my work on behalf of animals and veganism has always been to guide people to live compassionately and healthfully with joy and confidence — and without deprivation. And that's why I offer so many opportunities for you to join me in living joyfully, fully, abundantly, compassionately, intentionally, creatively, and consciously — in other words, to enjoy The Vegan Experience.  Thank you to everyone who supports this work: Patreon.com/ColleenPatrickGoudreau

Have you ever been "fleeced"? Have you ever "gone in search of the golden fleece" or "pulled the wool over someone's eyes"? Are your political opinion "dyed in the wool"? While I work on new episodes of Food for Thought, I wanted to let you know about a new episode of Animalogy in which I discuss the animal origins of these and more words and expressions from animals; i.e. Animalogies.

Animal agriculture is wreaking havoc in every way imaginable; unfortunately, the consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs is on the rise. Of course, people can stop eating animal flesh and fluids and choose instead vegetables and plant-based meats and milks, but meat consumption is outpacing the rate at which people are becoming vegan and vegetarian. What if they could have their meat and eat it, too, and not cause harm? Join me today for a discussion about clean meat, the subject and title of Paul Shapiro's new book, which I've dubbed "the best history of the future you'll ever read." Subscribe to Food for Thought on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Soundcloud, or Spotify.  Support Food for Thought at ColleenPatrickGoudreau.com/support

If you ever once thought that “people don’t change,” then you’re in for quite a surprise. The stories you’re about to hear in this TWELVE-YEAR-ANNIVERSARY episode are as diverse as the people who wrote them, but they all share common threads of hope, transformation, and compassion. So relax, sit back, and take in the letters written by podcast listeners this past year whose lives have been transformed by Food for Thought. I hope you are as moved by the letters as I am humbled by them. PAIRING RECOMMENDATION: a glass of wine, a cup of tea, or a blueberry smoothie. Thank you for all your support and love these last 12 years!

The plant-based foods market recently topped $3.1 billion in sales and is slated to reach over $5 billion in just a couple years. As a result, the animal-based meat, dairy, egg, and other large corporations see vegan companies and the plant-based products they make as competitors they should fear, emulate, learn from, collaborate with, invest in, or even purchase. They recognize they need to "buy into" the success, growth, and future of the plant-based market. Some, however, see it as vegan companies "selling out," choosing profit over principles and betraying their loyal vegan customer base. On today's episode, we explore the many perspectives of such business decisions and speculate about who the biggest winners are in the end. It's only because of supporters that such episodes exist. Please become a supporter today, and thank you to those who are! www.patreon.com/colleenpatrickgoudreau

As an advocate for animals and compassionate living for over 25 years, you can imagine I’ve made mistakes, I’ve learned a bit, and I’ve thought a lot about what is effective — and what is not. And so I give you 10 Habits of Highly Effective Advocates.       

The TRUE carnivores of the world provide SO much benefit to our ecosystems, but they're misunderstood, maligned, and systematically killed, mostly because of the HUMANS who pose as carnivores. Animal agriculture doesn't only affect the billions of its direct victims, it also destroys the lives and habitats of millions of individual wild animals.  Today’s guest on Food for Thought has devoted her life to changing attitudes and policies about the most maligned members of our communities. Camilla Fox is the founder of Project Coyote, a national nonprofit of scientists, educators, ranchers and citizen leaders who work together to change laws and policies to protect native carnivores from abuse and mismanagement, advocating coexistence instead of killing. 

WARNING: Radical ideas fill this episode, centering around the suggestion that we try to have compassion for people with whom we disagree or who participate in behavior we find abhorrent. That’s the thing about compassion: it’s gotta be equal opportunity or it’s just inauthentic. It’s easy to be compassionate towards like-minded people; the challenge is choosing to have compassion towards those with whom we disagree. Check out this episode for tips and suggestions on communicating with compassion – but only if you want to create change in the world. SUPPORTERS MAKE THIS PODCAST POSSIBLE: www.patreon.com/colleenpatrickgoudreau

Most people don’t know that our contemporary customs at Thanksgiving, namely the serving of turkeys, were shaped and popularized by a magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale, in the mid-1800s. Whatever meaning we attribute to this Thanksgiving holiday is most certainly not lost (in fact, it is enhanced) by creating food-based rituals that affirm rather than take life, that demonstrate compassion and empathy rather than selfishness and gluttony, that celebrate the fact that no one need be sacrificed in order that we should eat. In today’s episode, I offer a number of different menus for a beautiful holiday feast that delights the senses and reflects our values. THANK YOU FOR VOTING 'FOOD FOR THOUGHT' BEST PODCAST IN VEGNEWS MAGAZINE AWARDS AGAIN IN 2017 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT: www.Patreon.com/ColleenPatrickGoudreau

If you’ve never met them, turkeys are magnificent animals, full of spunk and spark and affection. I’ve introduced many people to the critters at farmed animal sanctuaries, and the animals with whom people have the most transformative experience are the turkeys. Every time. Never fails. Join me as I tell some stories of special turkeys I’ve had the privilege of meeting and as I explain why I’m still making amends to the animals, whose breasts, legs, and wings used to darken my dinner plate. THANK YOU FOR VOTING 'FOOD FOR THOUGHT' BEST PODCAST IN VEGNEWS MAGAZINE AWARDS AGAIN IN 2017 THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING 'FOOD FOR THOUGHT'. HELP IT GO ANOTHER 13 YEARS: Patreon.com/ColleenPatrickGoudreau

Lack of awareness and cognitive dissonance compels us to support industries that exploit and hurt animals for our own entertainment both when we’re at home (like going to the zoo or circus) and when we travel (like swimming with dolphins, getting photographed with tigers, or riding elephants). Our desire to be close to other animals and interact with them is exactly what causes them the most harm. Most of us are drawn to animals, and that’s a good thing, because it also means we want to help them and protect them, but it’s a bad thing when our desire to interact with them is at the cost of their own welfare, safety, happiness, or lives. Listen to today's episode about how to travel to Thailand without harming animals. Don't forget to subscribe to Food for Thought and Animalogy podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play. Thank you to everyone who supports this work. Become a patron today.

I discovered an ancient story about justice brought to an abused horse, then found out it was turned into a poem by a well-known American poet in the 19th century. Then I discovered that poem was made into a film by a humane education organization, founded by an ordinary citizen who (after learning about animal abuse) devoted his life to abolishing cruelty to animals. At the same time, he was inspired by a bestselling novel written also by an ordinary citizen concerned about animal abuse; said organization founder sponsored a writing contest for another work of fiction that would highlight animal cruelty for the public, which also became a bestseller. Join me as I share these connections with you to hopefully inspire YOU to use your voice, use your skills, use your gifts to raise awareness, help animals, and inspire others.

We have many words built from the English word for “bear,” the Latin word for “bear,” and the Greek word for “bear,” and we have many expressions and phrases built from the same furry animal. Of course there are also expressions using the verb “to bear,” as in “to carry,” such as in “bearing fruit, bearing a child, or bearing a burden or a grudge. Let’s explore the origins of all of these.

The first animal anti-cruelty law in the United States was passed in 1867, and though there is much work to be done, much work has been done to protect animals under the law since then. Join me today for my conversation with Stephen Wells, executive director for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, as we talk about the legal definition of animals as "property," legal victories secured for animals, and how this field has grown significantly over the decades, reflecting a shift in public opinion.  Visit ALDF.org.  Visit ColleenPatrickGoudreau.com. 

They said we'd starve being vegan in southern Germany. They said we'd starve being vegan in Rwanda. They said we'd starve in the Highlands. They were wrong, and we lived to tell about it. Join me on our latest excursion — this time on a 100-mile trek from Glasgow to Fort William (and a train ride to Edinburgh). I take you with us from how to pack for such a trip, what my favorite vegan hiking shoes are, what company to use to book with, how to prepare for eating while you're walking 15 miles a day, and how often to stop for whisky. Complete with recommendations, resources, and restaurants.  Thanks to listener supporters, who also receive written transcripts of each episode.   

Just because you don't consider yourself a "gardener" doesn't mean this episode isn't for you. Humane gardening is about looking through the lens of the millions of species on this planet and creating a space that enables them to thrive. It's about coexisting with rather than managing or controlling wildlife. With the help of Nancy Lawson, author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, you can apply this concept in your own garden patch, on your apartment balcony, or as part of policy you create with city officials. In this episode, Nancy and I chat about: *how to help pollinators (and that doesn't just mean honeybees)   *what to do when you have uninvited critters in your attic *how to plant for maximum wildlife (hint: NATIVES!) *why preventing deer, plant-eating animals, from eating plants, makes no sense *why you may want to rethink birdfeeders (and plant natives instead) *how you can prevent your dog from getting skunked -how you can get on the public relations team for wildlif

“What would happen to all the animals if we stopped eating them? Wouldn’t we be overrun with cows and pigs and chickens if we stopped?” “If everyone stopped eating these animals, they would go extinct. Is that what you want, Ms. Vegan and Mr. Vegan? You don’t care if these animals go extinct??” Join me today as I address these questions.    Thanks to supporters for making Food for Thought possible and who receive written transcripts of every episode.

I believe that shifting the way we talk about, think about, and behave towards other animals will impact them positively in the long term. But I also believe that as people who care about animals, we need to be politically engaged, because it’s not enough to change hearts and minds; we also have to change laws in order to protect animals from violence and exploitation. If you're looking to become empowered and emboldened to be a voice for animals, this is the episode for you. Thank you for your support. Supporters receive transcripts of episodes. 

Research has found that the way we name animals is intimately tied to our ability to eat them. Listen to this excerpt, then head over to Animalogy for the full episode. This topic is relevant for Food for Thought listeners, so I thought I'd put it on your radar.  Subscribe to Animalogy Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you!

Having been to Rwanda, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, I can now share with you the details of our adventure. For information on what you need to do before visiting these countries, check out the Food for Thought episode called Planning and Preparing a Trip to Africa. But for what do to once you get there and how to make the most of it, sit back, and enjoy the journey.  Supporters of Food for Thought receive the itinerary and specific details of the trip.