Can You Be Vegan When You Have Diabetes?

Does a diagnosis of Type II Diabetes mean disaster for a vegan? Many seem to think it is impossible to reconcile a low carbohydrate [or moderate carbohydrate] diet with a plant based diet. This goes back to that same old refrain many vegans hear over and over, "where do you get your protein?" I know that there is plenty of protein in beans, nuts, soy products, and many other plant sources, but often they are coupled with a good amount of carbohydrate as well. The trick is finding higher protein lower carbohydrate options to make up my calorie requirements. It is all about the choices you make.

I have to laugh at the idea that it is "impossible" to eat a low carbohydrate diet when you are vegan, but also the idea that eating meat, dairy, and eggs is somehow better for the Diabetic Diet. I doubt that many individuals who are currently facing Type II Diabetes got there by choosing a vegan diet. I am almost certain most have lived eating the so called 'regular' American diet, or Canadian as the case may be. I need to do more research, but I have to think that excess animal products, full of steroids and growth hormones, cholesterol and fat certainly contributes to obesity and the current epidemic rise in Diabetes in the North American population.

My choice to become vegan was based on a desire to eater a cleaner, healthier, and more nutrition diet, but also to live a kinder and more compassionate life along with my values and beliefs. I am not willing to go back to my old way of life, not when I know how much better I am feeling, both in my body and in my soul. But now I face a bump in the road, and a challenge of large proportion, I am newly diagnosed as a Type II Diabetic.

It all started about 6 months ago, when I was feeling at my lowest, eating nothing but junky food and depressed as all heck, I went in to see my Primary Physician (General Practitioner). After a long chat, he sent me for blood-work, and I went home knowing if there was something pertinent or urgent, that his office would call to set up some follow-up appointment. No call, so I though all was normal.

The next month, when I went in to see him, feeling just as out of control with my body and eating, I made a point of asking how my blood-work had come out the previous visit. He took a look at the ream of sheets, printed with numbers and values, leafing through one after the other, and stopping on one in particular. He looked at me and said, you need to be really careful, your fasting blood sugar is borderline diabetic (meaning it was greater then 6.0 but less than 7.0. [For reference, as the numbers differ in the states, normal is 4.1 to 6.0 for a Fasting Blood Sugar, below 4.1 and you would be considered Hypoglycemic]

At the time I was flustered, and a bit in denial, knowing my weight was up past what was acceptable, I obviously knew that it was well into the Diabetic Dancer Zone. Many people smaller than I was would have long since been diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, or Adult Onset Diabetes. But I was reasonably sure I could dodge this "bullet". I banked on the fact that no one in my family had ever had any history of Diabetes. I had normal vital signs, my full heart work-up by a Cardiologist was normal, my cholesterol was normal, and I didn't have any of the Classic 5 Symptoms of Diabetes.

As a nurse, I had obviously studied both Type I and Type II Diabetes in depth. I have given teaching to patients about diet and insulin use, and I have administered insulin often, as well as having monitored patient's blood sugars routinely. Working in High-Risk Obstetrics, I was seeing a fair number of Gestational Diabetics, but also pregnant Type I Diabetics as well. I was always a little confused with the different types of insulin, but knew the difference between short-acting and long-acting, and how to treat hypoglycemia. I was always very careful to triple check dosages and labels with another nurse, knowing how dangerous uncontrolled sugars and insulin can be.

For myself, I assumed the signs would be marked and obvious. I was waiting for extreme thirst, but missed it as I have always tended towards dehydration with my other health problems. In addition my medications have given me a lot of side effects, a parched mouth being one of them. I was also looking for increased urination, something I also likely missed. As for increased hunger, well, I have always been endlessly hungry, a binge eater since forever. Since starting my vegan lifestyle 5 weeks ago, I have only noticed marked hunger in the last 3 weeks. The first 2 weeks were a manic sort of experience, I was really happy and excited about what I was doing, I was careful about my calories and counting them all, I was spending time discovering new recipes, it didn't seem to be an issue. But lately, I have been craving carbs like crazy, and it has been dangerous having breads in the house, they may be vegan, Organic, and whole grain, but they are still my favorite kind of candy.

Weakness and fatigue, well who wouldn't be in my position, carrying extra pounds and dealing with seemingly endless depression. I haven't been sleeping well, but that has been more about reducing some of my medications. A bad slip and fall several weeks ago was rough though, I did have significant trouble finding the strength to get myself up from the floor, more than I would have expected, but I was rather in shock at the time. As for unexplained weight loss, well, I have only lost weight in the last 5 weeks, and I can explain it by saying that I have totally changed the way and the what I eat. I had expected a big drop at first, when you go from eating processed convenience foods and take away every day, to fresh vegetable juice, nuts, grains, seeds, and soy - you are going to lose weight, you simply can't help it when you go from eating untold amounts of fatty and nutrient free calories a day to around 1,800 calories a day.

So there I was yesterday, sitting in my Doctor's office, and being told that yes, I did indeed meet the criteria for Type II Diabetes. My fasting Blood Sugar on the file was 7.0, and my HbA1C was 7.3. This second number is the Glusosylated Hemoglobin, it is a marker attached to red blood cells that indicated the average level of Blood Sugars over a long period of time. This would indicate that my Blood Sugar has been elevated for many months now, not good news at all.

At first I just sat there nodding my head, sort of in a daze. I mean, I knew it was a possibility, but I had been doing all the right things lately. Five weeks of plant based eating, calorie counting, weight loss, getting a bit more active, cooking for myself, no fast food, no artificial sweeteners, no caffeine, no alcohol, no smoking [not that I ever really drank or smoked], but trying to eat primarily Organic foods, eating more vegetables and whole grains, no highly refined sugar or flours. I thought I had gotten it in hand on time. I was wrong.

While my doctor didn't suggest a medication immediately, we did speak about the possibility of Metformin at some point if I couldn't manage it with diet and exercise alone. I didn't want to add yet another medication to my daily handful of pills, but at the same time, I don't want to risk my health either. So I have been thinking back, re-evaluating my extreme thirst and hunger, wondering if other signs have been there that I didn't want to see. In fact, there were, some slow healing to a cut on my leg, a poor job with my own pedicure leaving a cut under the nail that seems to refuse to heal. Numbness in the area where I fell on my knee recently, long after it should have vanished, now I worry about nerve damage.

These signs all should have made me realize that I was in trouble. Slow healing, particularly in lower extremities is a hallmark of Diabetes. So what do I do now. Well, I decided to go and get myself a Blood Glucose Monitor, since I found a deal for one online. I went with a specific monitor in particular, because it is what we use in hospital, and what I am familiar with. I plan to monitor all of my Fasting Blood Sugars daily, and also do at least the 2 hour PC (Post Consumption) After Breakfast as well. These two numbers will show me how I am trending, and will help me see if what I am doing is having positive effects.

Hopefully, my poor tired out Pancreas is still producing a significant amount of Insulin on it's own, and once I am down to a more reasonable weight and am more active, it will kick back into full control. That is the best case scenario. I will be speaking with my Doctors about starting a medication, to decide if it is right for me and will help me achieve the goal of normalizing my sugars and preventing any further injury to my tissues, eyes, and other finely blood-vesseled organs. I am not going to refuse to go on a medication if it is to prevent a catastrophic injury that I cannot heal from. I have cared for too many Diabetic ulcers, amputations, and gangrenous tissues to be in any way ignorant of the danger involved.

Today's Fasting Blood Sugar, after 8+ hours, was a reasonable 6.4, which I was very happy with, considering what I had been expecting. My 2 HR PC was much higher than I would have liked, closing in at 9.3. So obviously, it is time to get serious about the diet and activity, more so than ever before, and watch the amount of carbohydrate I am taking in as well. I love fresh juicing, but I am going to have to re-evaluate how often and how much I consume. Though not high in calories, it is primarily carbohydrate, there is so much sugar in fruit and vegetable juice without the pulp, so it will have to be more of a "treat" than a daily staple. I am feeling anxious, scared, focused, but saddened by this whole experience.

I feel like I don't know enough to interpret my own Blood Sugars, so I need to get out my old text-books and look for online resources and support to get a handle on what the numbers really mean and where they should be ideally. This is now something I cannot escape, it is reality, and it is time to deal with it, before it becomes something that is entirely out of control. I need to do this for me, and for all my family members, many of whom may face the same challenge soon. I may need to see a Nutritionist to learn more about the best ways to manage carbohydrate on a vegan diet, this choice I made is non-negotiable for me.

So what does it feel like to get a diagnosis like this? Keeping in mind I was diagnosed with a Chronic Illness, IBD, when I was just 12, have had multiple surgeries, some quite serious, with life long consequences. I have faced many medical challenges, been hospitalized frequently over the years, sometimes many times a year. I have dealt with often crippling depression, sleep disorders, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I have faced many challenges before, but something about turning 40 this year and facing my own mortality has made everything that much more real. Here is my best description of the way this diagnosis has hit me;

"It feels rather like taking a step into a deep dark lake, without knowing what is in the water. I can feel the algae and the weeds gently wrapping about my ankles, and the slippery stones covered in green slime, just waiting for a foot fall to send my falling out of control. There may be dangerous things in this lake, things with teeth, things that sting, things that threaten to drag me under, like the current or undertow as the waves lap gently against my thighs. I cannot see all the dangers, but they are there, and the only thing I can do is to find a way to get to that boat, the one tied to the small dock floating far in the center of the lake. If I can make it there, by taking a leap of faith, by lifting my feet from the safety of the sandy, reedy bottom, and swim the long distance to that small vessel, I can pull myself up on the dock. If I can make it to the dock, I will be temporarily safe, I can rest there a bit and catch my breath. Eventually, I can make my way into the boat, and take up the oars, and row myself to the safest place I can find, a place where I can heal, and learn, and find nourishment, and care for myself the way I deserve, have always deserved, but never believed it to be true."

Take The 1-Day Vegan Challenge!

Did you know it takes five times the resources to produce a single pound of beef versus a single pound of grains, vegetables, beans, or nuts? That's right, it takes five times more water, food, and antibiotics to produce one pound of animal meat, milk, or eggs.
This has a huge effect on the climate, as well as on poorer nations who could make better use of those resources to feed themselves and become self-sustaining.  Beyond that, the amount of suffering in the factory farming industry, as it now operates, is beyond description. You can look at the PETA website for more information on that, as well as find several resources on YouTube, such as the film "Earthlings".

I know it is not always practical to choose a vegan lifestyle, or even a vegetarian one. But every day that you choose not to consume animal products lessens your carbon footprint, your impact on the environment, and sends a message to meat, dairy, and egg producers that you want quality products for your family that are nutritionally dense, free of chemicals and antibiotics, and butchered in the most humane and sustainable way possible.

Think about it, can you go for one day without having any dairy products, eggs, or meat and fish? I know that you can, and you may find that you really enjoy it too. People always ask vegans, "What do you eat?" The answer is: EVERYTHING ELSE.

Challenge yourself, your family, your co-workers, your friends, to give up animal products in your diet for just one day, and you will learn that it is not about deprevation, it is about choice. If everyone tried it for just a day, not only would we see a huge environmental imapct, but also a new respect for those who choose to live vegan in a meat-eating world.

Start your day with Cereal and Almond Milk, Put Soy Milkin your Coffee instead, Have a Tofurky* Sandwich For Lunch, Have a Vegetable Curry and Brown Rice For Dinner. There are even vegan Cupcakes and Cookies for your snacks. It isn't that hard to do, and you may like the way it makes you feel. Ultimately, reducing the amount of meat, eggs, and dairy that you eat in the average week, even by just a few servings, can make a huge difference for you and for the world we will leave to our children. So give the 1-Day Vegan challenge a try, and see what you think. One day can change the way you see food forever!

Take The Pledge Here!

I ___________________________, hereby pledge to take the 1-Day Vegan Challenge in the hopes of seeking a better understanding of what it means to live a vegan lifestyle, choosing not to consume any animal products or by-products for a 24 hour period.

Remember:
Being a vegan is one of the most healthy choices an individual can make, not only for themselves, but also for the environment, and all of earth's creatures - great and small.  Every time you choose not to eat an animal product, you are choosing to live a kind and compassionate life, giving a gift to yourself, and to everyone and everything around you.

By choosing to skip meat, fish, eggs, and dairy, even just for one day a week, you not only reduce your carbon footprint, but you send a message with your hard earned dollars that you want healthier options for yourself and your family.

If you do eat meat, eggs, and dairy - and many people do, for many reasons - try to choose organic products, farmed locally from small vendors, such as the local farmers market.  Organic products may cost a little more, but you can be sure that the products you are purchasing are healthier, grown in more sustainable and responsible ways, and largely free of the pesticides and antibiotics pumped into large scale factory farmed products.

Challenge yourself to "go vegan" for just one day, and feel the difference in your body from eating nutritionally dense foods like soy, beans, vegetables, nuts, and other non-animal food sources. Feel the joy that comes from eating a 'kind' diet


*Please Consult a Physician Before Starting Any New Dietary Plan, Especially If You Are Pregnant, Nursing, Diabetic, or Suffering From A Chronic Illness.

**Recipes and Resources Are Available Across The Internet For Free! Take your time to plan your 1-Day Vegan Challenge so that you have everything you need to make it easy and enjoyable

Our Dietary Choices - Should Others Cater To Us?

I recently read an article on an online news zine, Toronto Life Magazine, that really bothered me. Here is an excerpt:

Dear Urban Diplomat,
Last week we sent out e-vites for our son’s 10th birthday. The RSVPs started coming back, and in two cases, parents wrote “gluten-free preferred” in the space for allergies and dietary restrictions. What the heck is that? I’m not asking for preferences—I’m asking if their kid will keel over if he catches a whiff of chocolate icing or offend Allah by consuming non-Halal pepperoni. I’m disinclined to accommodate these requests, but my husband thinks we should, to avoid any social awkwardness. Am I out of line here, or are they?
—Let Them Eat Cake, Streetsville

Glutenphobia has joined lacto-ovo vegetarianism, kangatarianism and Edenism on the long list of abstemious dietary trends that make throwing a party as straightforward as hosting the G20 Summit. The key word is “preferred.” If there were a true celiac in the group—someone for whom the consumption of gluten results in violent diarrhea—the request would have been far more adamant. Still, are you prepared to upset the fragile ecosystem that is your son’s social circle on principle? Ordering a gluten-free pizza won’t kill you. A kid playing Twister with an explosive digestive system, on the other hand, can be a party killer, and fast.

I am really puzzled by this new Gluten Free movement, it seems that what has been solely the concern of those suffering Celiac disease is now a trendy diet fad that is being thrust about. Much as true Celiac sufferers are benefiting from this boom in gluten-free options, what most Gluten Free 'Fadists' seem to be avoiding is highly refined and processed wheat flour. I can certainly understand a desire to cut out the white 'candy' processed flours, grains, sugars, and additives, and it will make you feel better, but to suggest that a mother having a birthday party avoid flour in pizza, cake, and other food offerings, is going a bit far for those who do not have Celiac disease. There is a difference between an allergy or intolerance, and a preference.

It is not like a Vegan who chooses to give up all animal products for their own health. For instance, even though most people tend to have issues with cow's milk, with lactose intolerance a natural state developing as we age, since non-human milk is not meant for our consumption, and even human milk is meant for newborns, infants, and young children - even as old a 5 or 6 years. Many dairy products and eggs can be very hard on our digestive systems and are known allergens. Wheat has been a dietary staple since the dawn of man, and only since it has been highly refined and genetically altered is it causing problems for many people, particularly on a digestive level.

If you have chosen a dietary course for yourself, such as vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free as a preference, no matter how noble your intent, you cannot expect the world to cater to your whims. You can provide for yourself and your family, but to expect others to do so when it is not medically necessary is absurd. If it is a peanut allergy, or something with the risk of a violent allergic response, then by all means notify the parents throwing the party and find out if you can work with them to make it safe for your child without inconveniencing them. Gluten free preference is not an allergy or even a reasonable request to make, it's all or nothing -- if it is an allergy or Celiac child, a parent would be explicit.

I think as a parent, you need to advocate for your child's needs and preferences, where possible, but children still need to learn to manage in a world that doesn't always cater to their wants. They may prefer a chocolate cake to vanilla, but you wouldn't be that specific when you RSVP to a party, no one ever suffered PTSD as an adult for not having their favorite frosting on someone Else's birthday cake. Children are growing up with an overblown sense of entitlement, must we contribute to this by teaching them that everything should always be altered to suit their wishes?

Am I missing something? Is there more to the Gluten Free movement than I am aware of, is there something concrete (other than Celiac Disease), that requires that so many people are suddenly adopting this choice over a much more obvious decision to improve the way you feel by eating a wider variety or foods and reducing the amount of animal products and fats in the diet? If there is, please educate me, I need to understand whether this is a preference as opposed to a dietary restriction. Please comment if you have any sources or links to good information. 

How Far Does Vegan Go For You? [Part I]

It is a difficult balancing act, to live a vegan life and make all the decisions associated with it while still allowing yourself to 'live'. I am not speaking about food alone, for it seems that may be the easiest part of the equation, at least for most of us.  We can read labels, see ingredients, and know whether our food has animal ingredients or by-products in it's makeup. It then becomes an act of choosing your favorites from among a number of brands, to search for the most nutrition dense options, and the purest offerings. We want to consume the freshest and most local ingredients when possible, and we can "vet" the companies that produce our foods to decide whether we like their overall vision and method of production. We can eliminate some brands based on their politics, or ethical means, and so on. Food is often what people think of when they hear the term vegan, and so it is often the most simple change we can make in our new compassionate lifestyle.

There are as many reasons to become vegan as there are vegans, and I really believe this is true.  While many of the most vocal, historically, have been 'compassion' based vegans, new studies about the health benefits of living vegan have seen a shifting consciousness and many are eschewing animals in their diet for medical benefits.  These new 'health' vegans may not extend their lifestyle to all areas of life, at least not initially, and that is just fine.

It is a steep learning curve, and this is why -- we are historically tied to animals in almost every aspect of our existence. Here is a list of areas that newer vegans might not have linked to animal use, and some that those that follow a vegan diet alone may not have even considered.

Personal Care Products

When you brush your teeth each morning and before bed, do you know what is in your toothpaste? Is it filled with chemicals you can't even pronounce, let alone determine their origins? Most dental care products are not vegan friendly, let alone natural, but does this really constitute a issue for all vegans? Should we toss our stash of products immediately, or use what we have and gradually replace them with natural and vegan friendly options. It can be quite a dilemma. Do we want to waste our hard earned dollars, add these chemicals instead to some land-fill trash pile, or do we use them, and allow them to wash down the drain into our water system, affecting the purity of our lakes and rivers.

It is a true vegan dilemma. I have leaned toward purchasing new and more environmentally friendly products, but it seems so wasteful on some level. The same can be said for skin care products, cosmetics, feminine care products, and paper goods. among other items in the bathroom.  Women often have decades of makeup and perfume, in pretty packaging, all on display by the sink. Do you suddenly give up all your favorite products and begin the search anew for vegan counterparts? Well, I think if you are living as a dietary vegan, you may opt out of this question out of the sheer challenge of it. But those who are living vegan because of a newly awakened sense of compassion and kindness for animals may feel that they cannot have their 'old' animal tested or animal product based cosmetics in their presence anymore. And don't forget your cosmetic brushes, applicators, and sponges, they matter too.

It is a sort of karmic balancing act, and it is very personal. If you see protecting the environment as part of your non-species preferential lifestyle, then it is sort of essential that you reduce your carbon footprint, reduce the amount of chemicals you flush into your water systems, and eliminate any items that have historically, or continue to, involve animal testing in their production.  But make no mistake, it can be an expensive undertaking.

Vegan and ethically produced natural products have a tiny market share among consumers, something we can only hope to change with our own dollars speaking for us. This smaller share means higher prices, often produced by hand or in small batches, with greater labor costs, and less shelf space in most regular stores.  We may have to roam the internet for specific items, determine local vendors, or order them via mail order catalogs.  A natural product, without preservatives, may not have the same shelf life, and likely won't stand for much sitting around, you need to use it within a smaller window of time, and it may need to be replaced more often.

 

Can you afford to make all these changes, or perhaps it is better to ask, can you afford not to? Companies like LUSH, are just one of the many who are offering mostly vegan goodies for all ages and skin types, from soaps and fragrances, to cosmetics and hair colorings, they have something for everyone. In addition, check out your local Etsy vendors, there are many making vegan cosmetics, soaps, and shampoos in small batches at home, that are good and cost effective choices. There are several blogs dedicated to reviewing vegan cosmetics, like the Vegan Beauty Review, that can give you heaps of options and reviews.

Cleaning Products and Detergents

Similar to cosmetics and personal care products, chemical cleansers for everything from dish soap to laundry detergent, are often full of animal byproducts and chemical compounds that can be harsh on the body, the water system, and the environment as a whole.  However, unlike personal care products, there are often many preexisting home recipes for cleaning that are mild on the home and the environment, and can be made in your own kitchen. Where women and men have flocked to cosmetics, embracing the 'Hollywood' look, and the advertising that appealed to our vanity and societal norms, the home is still a place where you can 'cheat' and use old tried and true recipes.

Why the difference, well, chemical based cosmetics are historically a relatively new industry.  While women have always used products to make themselves more appealing, think of Cleopatra for instance, they have usually used natural items that were available to only those who had the luxury of dedicating time to their appearance.  Kohl, henna, and berry stains are some examples. Chemical heavy compounds made for the every-woman, and man for that matter, have evolved only in the last century or two. However, cleaning products made from vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and other plant derivatives and natural animal fats and waxes, have been an ever evolving home science and economical pursuit for a greater segment of the population historically, and have never gone out of vogue. 

There have been so many books, television shows, and word-of-mouth movements sharing these 'handy hints', that they have never been forgotten. While we may buy into the advertising and ad campaigns of the billion dollar chemical companies that give us a dozen different scented concentrated laundry detergents, we have managed to keep the cottage industry of natural products alive along side it.  This is certainly a less expensive option in a vegan lifestyle, but not always to most convenient for a modern one.  The fact that we can use watered down vinegar and old recycled newspapers to clean windows better than a bottle of chemical Windex and a roll of bleached paper-towel, is not a difficult or expensive switch to make.

What it comes down to often is a matter of time, and convenience. Try to separate a new mother from a bottle of baby friendly laundry detergent and you may lose an eye. I am kidding, of course, but it is hard to give up a time-saving and nice smelling option for hand-scrubbing cloth diapers for hours, when you have a screaming hungry infant to wrangle.  This is an extreme example, but one that illustrates all the challenges a vegan has to consider when making a whole life-scope change to kinder, natural, vegan options.  It can be done, and there are many new store brands that are vegan friendly detergents that satisfy both the convenience and modern lifestyle issues, at a financial cost of course.  Here is a starter list of ideas for Cleaning House the Vegan Way.
 
Clothing and Shoes

What you wear is perhaps an obvious choice to most, I mean, leather is animal hide, you don't wear it if you are a compassionate vegan. But is it that simple? I suggest it really isn't simple at all.  If you are vegan eater, you have chosen to eliminate animal products from your diet.  But there are so many industry secrets in the productions of clothing and shoes, that many people don't realize how complicated the choices can be.  We can eliminate leather and fur quite easily, but are there other hidden ingredients that are animal based, that involve cruelty in their production, and what about petroleum based options, are they any better for the environment, do they not pollute the environment and therefore do significant harm as as well. Are all synthetic fabrics "kind", or are there some that are better than others.

Where do you draw your line, and there is no other way to express it, you need to really have your own 'line in the sand' on this one.  You may have a closet full of clothes, store bought or hand-made, that no longer fit your vegan world view.  We can eliminate silk, made by silk worms, and we can eliminate wool, which comes from sheep and other animals, including alpacas.  But do sheep really suffer in the production of wool, some obviously do, but some, those raised on small homestead farms in Scotland or Ireland, and treated well, allowed to roam and feed freely, and only sheered seasonally for their own comfort, their wool a historically valued commodity -- do they suffer simply by being sheered by the gentle hands of a farmer who cares for his flock as if it were an extension of himself? That is a less quantifiable "suffering", some may say it is not suffering at all.

Even if you abstain from wool, silk, and leather, and choose only plant based textiles, the dyes and chemicals used to fix those dyes, as well as the treatments, such as the use of wax to waterproof the fabric, may include animal products, and yes, even bees wax is off the list of options for most vegans.  So you really have to do your homework here, and there may be no way of telling in the end, if you have done yourself a service by replacing your entire wardrobe, or wearing your existing wardrobe till it needs replacement, using the textiles that are no longer wearable for cleaning or up-cycling into other items of use.

Certainly recycling and shopping in second hand stores will have an positive karmic effect, as well as a nicer environmental impact.  Up-cycling old and torn items into new and usable items is in itself a very vegan friendly concept, and a very crafty one too, perhaps even a profitable one as you pass it along a vertical use path, as opposed to down into trash and burn options.

Be aware that even buying a non-leather pair of shoes is not itself a vegan option.  Glues and coatings may include animal products obtained through the same factory farming plants that most vegans are fighting to eliminate.  The dyes on a cotton garment may include animal products, either in the dye itself, or in the fixing stage. While a garment made of hemp based textile may seem like a no-brainer, what about the thread used to sew it together, does it contain silk (which is a 'natural' product, just not an ethical one)?  Natural does not mean animal free, so shop smart, look for the term vegan, and don't assume anything if you are shopping by textile alone.

It is just as easy to print a pro-vegan slogan on a non-animal friendly t-shirt, as it is to print it on a 100% vegan one, and is the 'printing' itself vegan friendly.  A lot to consider, and really, a very individual decision. I may be comfortable buying a vintage handbag made of vinyl, while someone else may feel that a ethically raised wool fabric handbag is more 'natural' and vegan.  Try checking out Moo Shoes, one of my favorites in online or in person (from NYC), or VShoen in Canada. Hemp clothing producer Nomads Hemp Wear makes some really cute fashions for the men, women, and children.

Medications and Vaccinations

While we may find the pharmacy shelves stocked with natural dietary supplements, not all are created equal. Gelatin, used in making capsules, and waxes used on tablets, are not always vegan friendly. Be sure you are buying 100% vegan products, and look at the packaging too, make sure it is at least recyclable, if not made from a recycled products already.

If your doctor prescribes a medication for you, then as a nurse, I believe that after doing your research, with your doctor and alone, you may be best to take it.  Sometimes, frankly most times, antibiotics are misused to treat the common cold, which is a viral infection, not a bacterial one, and therefore not susceptible to the actions of antibiotics. Once a bacterial infection is detected, and found to be sensitive to a certain antibiotic, then (and only then) will it be effective in treating it.  If it a life threatening condition, you may have to start antibiotics before the cultures come back, and then adjust if you are on the wrong one, but this is done in a hospital setting, not something you can do at home once you start a full course of treatment for a non-life threatening illness. Most people don't know that a bad cold may last longer than 3 weeks in a healthy adult, and that it is not unusual for it to last even longer than that. Many time treating the symptoms of the cold can prolong it's course. If you are coughing and have a runny nose, there is a reason.  You are trying to get something out of your system.  If you suppress a cough, you are keeping the yucky stuff in your lungs longer, and making the illness last longer as a result.

If it is an issue that diet changes and weight loss, or gain, can't fix immediately, then medication is perhaps the only option in the near term. You need to live long enough to make those positive changes so that your body can balance itself. Sometimes taking the insulin you need while you lose weight to try to remedy Type II Diabetes, is your best and only move.

We know that almost all, if not all, medications go through animal and human testing prior to approval, and many may include animal byproducts, like natural insulin and hormones, although there are synthetic options too.  How far you take your vegan-ism, with respect to your own life, is also a very personal choice. But has a far more direct impact than a pair of shoes or a lipstick.  Be educated, try to find ways to heal your body and get off the medications you wish you didn't have to take, but don't throw them away without seeking out medical advice.

As for vaccinations, that is a far more important issue.  There have been many movements of late suggesting a link between certain health problems, most notably Autism, and the use of certain vaccinations in children.  But the causative link is just not there, and more studies are leaning towards other causes for the spike in rates of Autism in recent decades.  Vaccinations, not only animal tested, but often containing animal based ingredients, have saved more lives and have eliminated some of the most heinous illnesses known to man. Polio is perhaps the best example of an effective vaccination. Small Pox is another,  and while it may not have been eradicated, as many had believed, it is once again being beaten back into extinction with renewed efforts.  If we stop vaccinating out children, we will be responsible for allowing this and other deadly diseases to steal our children from us, or cripple and injure them for life.

For parents, this is a personal issue, and one you need to make a priority, by doing your own research and making the best choices for your child(ren).  Don't fall victim to the campaigns linking one illness to one vaccination, they are not always based on science or fact, and are merely anecdotal  in other cases. Find a physician, or nurse practitioner, that you feel comfortable with and ask all the hard questions, and don't be afraid, you deserve those answers and so do your children.

When it comes to the annual vaccinations, like the "Flu Shot", these are more open to personal scrutiny and choice.  Many are produced with the use of a chicken-egg based medium to grow the anti-viral basis for the shots.  That is an obvious and very well known fact, so you may choose to avoid this shot on the basis of being a vegan. However, there are newer and more deadly strains of flu in the offing, and the recent swine-flu epidemic is a perfect example.  The latest flu strains are largely evolving from animals, animals that are kept in inhumane and unsanitary conditions, those who ill and then used ground up in feed, fed to more animals still. They evolve in a antibiotic rich environment, like the giant agribusiness farms that house thousands of tightly packed animals prior to slaughter, and dose those animals with heaps of antibiotics to treat the rampant bacterial illnesses that have evolved from this cruel and inhumane method of farming and housing animals for food production.

I think we must take the flu-shots as they exist, until there is an alternate method of production that no longer requires animal byproduct mediums, or no longer requires hundreds of thousands of eggs each year to produce them.  The technology is not far off. What is also not far off is a deadly strain of bacterial influenza that may kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people, and may have arisen from the very food production methods that vegans are so against.  It is the treatment, or lack of treatment, of animals that will be the cause of the next super-bug, and SARS was just a drop in the bucket compared to what most experts fear is next.  The verdict is obvious, take your flu shots, do what you can to stay as healthy and well as you can, and fight the systems that exist in which the next deadly virus is likely to evolve.  Swine, bird, or bovine, the animals will be the seat of the next strain of antibiotic resistant influenza, what we must do is change the conditions these animals are living in in order to stop it before it starts. This is eminently in the scope of all vegan's interests, both those who are dietary vegans, and those who are choosing vegan-ism from a place of compassion for animals, and all points in between.
 

What Next?

These are just a few of the areas in which the vegan question becomes muddied and murky for some, and even non-vegans have reason to invest their time and efforts. If you are living on this planet, you share in the responsibility to care for it, and will reap the benefits of any strides made to improve it's health, and it's complicated and fragile ecosystem.  Even if you eat meat on occasion, enjoy milk products and eggs, you can still admit that you want the healthiest meat and animal products you can but into your body or feed your family.

Would you rather feed yourself, or your children a chicken breast from a bird that is force fed and kept in a box with 5 other chickens, unable to move their wings or even rest. One that is pumped full of antibiotics and then is butchered on a fast moving assembly line with hundreds of other chickens by the hour, by unskilled hands, and even with washing, are often covered in fecal material? Or one from a healthy and natural organically raised source, one that is butchered slowly and with care to prevent contamination, one where there are educated and experienced eyes and hands on the knives that make those precise cuts and kills with a minimum of cruelty and waste. I think even those who think non-meat eaters are crazy "hippies", would choose the latter, and the fact is, they can.  It may not be my choice, since I choose "none of the above", but it is a choice that can be made. You may not find it in huge volumes, or at the same bargain basement prices, but who want to eat from the basement anyways. The more often the choice for better food made, the more likely it is that it will be available, and the factory-farm meat producers will have no choice but to make the change or face extinction.

In a future post, I will be covering issues like alcohol, furniture, transportation, home goods, and travel. All have challenges and considerations for the vegan lifestyle, and there are so many things to consider.  Please leave your comments, let me know what else has been a challenge or a surprise for you as a vegan, or even a vegetarian, and what surprising facts you have learned in your journey.

Television Food Advertising - What's The Real Message

  Last night, with my brother over to visit, we settled in to watch some TV and ended up watching a pretty insane Not-Reality show called "The Joe Schmo Show" on the SPIKE Network. I rarely watch TV in real time, opting for online shows that are screened commercial free, found on Netflix and other websites.  As a new Vegan, I am more aware of the amount of fast food, particularly meat pushing, ads on television. I was so overwhelmed to see that SPIKE Network's target audience is getting almost wall to wall fast food ads, and most of those (if not all) are pushing the meat.

Applebee's 500 Steak Ad - January 2013

I am a new Vegan, so I never really thought about the "what" of food advertising, more just aware that it was there, and that often the sight of a gooey stringy cheesy pizza was enough to have me reaching for the phone, even near 3am, when the last local delivery chain shut down for the night.  But during almost every commercial break, I saw ads for McDonald's, KFC, Taco Bell, a steak house (or maybe it was Applebee's or similar, all I saw was the hunk of meat in full frame), and others. So much fried food, so little vegetable representation, even potatoes seemed absent. Is it any wonder why Americans and Canadians are eating meat at almost every meal?

KFC Gameday Bucket Ad - January 2013

I know that these ads triggered me, I had to keep reminding myself that none of the above were in line with my new choice in diet and lifestyle, but even doing that I still could almost smell the fried chicken, I was almost salivating for the meat I have decided to cut out of my diet.  It makes you wonder why this is allowed to go on. If government health agencies are sounding the alarm on Obesity, and they almost all are, then why is this sort of advertising allowed.  I don't mean to say that these "restaurants" should not have the right to advertise, but shouldn't the block of advertising between segments of shows be split up to minimize the number of back to back food ads?

  Think about it, what if there was a law that said that for every food establishment advertising, there had to be a commercial for almost anything else, particularly a healthy alternative. Show me a KFC ad if you will, but then I want to see an ad for a great vacation spot. If you are going to show me a giant grilled hunk of steak, maybe the next add should be for a new car, a health product, a new appliance for my kitchen, a mattress, a vacuum, a new show coming soon, a film, almost anything but yet another food ad.

McDonalds Grilled Onion Cheddar Burger - January 2013

  I think the answer why is pretty clear, it's all about the Money. Ad time is sold to whomever can afford it, and the fast food giants have it in their mission critical to find their target audiences and hammer away at them. SPIKE's audience is primarily men, young men aged 18-30 particularly. So they are the ones with the disposable income, possibly living alone or with a roommate, likely unmarried, and a prime target for fast take-out food. Make it look manly with a football game in the background, lots of friends and a bevvy of cute babes, and a huge bucket of KFC looks perfect in any Man Cave. And those buckets keep getting bigger and bigger, and the bones in the meat seem to be disappearing, making it easier to just gobble it all up without even watching out for the bones.

  This is not a Vegan issue, it is an everyone issue. Every channel does it to some degree. Watch Dr. Phil on any weekday and you will be advertised all manner of Special K creations, diet yogurts, microwave "low fat and calorie" meals, and healthy snacks - all with some fabulously healthy looking model dancing in her kitchen, or taking on the office jungle, or dancing down the street like a loony bin escapee.

  More frightening are ads for "5 Hour Energy" and other wake-up products. Face it, if you need a 5 hour energy to get your day started, you are not eating well, not sleeping well, or not healthy enough to power yourself through a day.  Not to mention the link between this product in particular and several hospital admissions and worse.

  So do we have a choice? I guess that is the ultimate question.  We know it isn't just adults that get this sort of "special" advertising attention, kids are bombarded too. Is it any wonder we are among the most Obese nations on the planet.

  I find watching my TV on the PC helps, no commercials, no temptations, no worries. I am not going to be anyone's captive audience if I can help it.  The more people keeping the TV off and going elsewhere for their TV content the better, it will send a message that we don't want that kind of advertising on television.

  Cigarette ads went the way of the Dodo bird years ago, and ads for alcoholic beverages are shown only on Cable channels or after hours, when kids are in bed. Why? Because we know that these things can be harmful if misused, or used at all in some cases, so they are limited in their sponsorship and advertising opportunities.  So why is food any different, fast food in particular. Obesity related health problems kill more Americans that smoking, alcohol, and car accidents combined.  Shouldn't we demand that these ads are also kept in check, allowing other items to take their place or just limiting the numbers.  What would that fight look like in the press, the courts, the government.

  If you don't have access to online content, I suggest dropping the volume, standing up each commercial break and going for a little wander around your  home, maybe tidying things a bit, or stretching and walking in place for a bit. Don't fall for the trap they are setting, we are all stronger than that, we just have to recognize that the ad is the trigger, and what you do next is what really matters.