Written by PETA
What's a fast way to make an Average Jane wince? Just say "Diet." Many people mistakenly believe that dieting is all about deprivation. Not so! Watch as Skinny Bitch author Rory Freedman weighs in:
As Rory points out, the easiest, most delicious way to shed pounds and improve overall health is to go vegan. You'll discover seemingly endless menu possibilities with grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies as well as an abundance of "fooled-ya!" flavors and textures to satisfy any craving.
If you haven't already gone vegan, no more excuses: It's time to lose weight and save animals by pledging to be "Fit 4 Summer, Healthy for Life"—and enter to win a "Get Fit With Skinny Bitch" prize pack. Your waistline, your heart, and countless animals thank you for caring.
Written by Karin Bennett
Even if you didn't spend 12 years in Catholic school, as I did, you probably still know that St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals. He was a man who preached to birds and blessed a wolf, and it is rumored that from his deathbed, he even thanked his donkey for his years of loyalty.
In keeping with the spirit of its patron saint, who believed that God looked out for all of His creation, St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Cleveland has seen the light and agreed that giving away bunnies—or any live animals—as "prizes" is a bad idea. A vendor at the church's annual carnival was offering live rabbits as game-booth prizes, but after hearing from us about the grim fate of animals who are given away so casually, Rev. James Caddy readily agreed not to let it happen again. We're sending him a vegan chocolate rabbit as a token of our thanks.
The fair season is in full swing, so check out these ideas on what you can do to help all the animals who suffer and die on the summer circuit.
Written by Jennifer O'Connor
If you haven't been keeping up with world events, you may be surprised to learn that change has come to the land down under. Julia Gillard recently made history by becoming Australia's first female prime minister. Now PETA is asking this precedent-setting PM to implement another big change: Help end the barbaric mulesing mutilation that's needlessly inflicted on millions of lambs every year.
PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk has dashed off a letter to Gillard asking her to spearhead government action on this issue.
Says Ingrid: "Carving hunks of flesh from lambs' rumps is a crude way to attempt (often unsuccessfully) to prevent flystrike. I have seen dead mulesed sheep with my own eyes, and everyone knows that there are humane options that should replace this barbaric act."
Experts estimate that mulesing could be phased out in just two years if Australian wool farmers would simply stop breeding overly woolly merino sheep—whose wrinkly skin makes them more susceptible to flystrike—and switch to "bare-breech" sheep (i.e., ones with smooth bottoms) instead. So far, greedy sheep farmers have refused to make the switch, so it's up to us to push hard—and we are doing just that with our campaign to get retailers and consumers around the world to reject merino wool.
If you've contacted decision-makers about this issue before, please do so again. If you haven't, now's the time. We'd like everyone to please take a minute to congratulate Prime Minister Gillard and ask her to fast-track the transition away from mulesing.
Written by Paula Moore
Sure, I realize that no matter how "low-fat" they are, cupcakes are not exactly health food—but they are still my favorite food group. Chocolate stout cupcakes, s'mores cupcakes, jelly donut cupcakes—they're all good. I love to bake cupcakes, decorate cupcakes, read about cupcakes, eat cupcakes (duh)—heck, I would even wear cupcakes if I could.
So, of course, I want must have one of these adorable Vegan Cupcake Baker mugs from CakeSpy. It's the perfect thing for sipping a soy latte while perusing my favorite cookbook.
We've got three of these mugs to give away—and if you ♥ cupcakes as much as I do, I know that you want one. For a chance to win, simply describe the most delectable vegan cupcake flavor you can imagine—whether it's one you've actually eaten or something you just dreamed up. The three most decadent flavors win. Sweet!
The contest ends on July 21, 2010, and we'll select the winners on July 23, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.
Elle Macpherson has had to eat her words, which is better than popping a pill that tastes like "fungus," according to her earlier statement. After kind people from Australia to India—including myself—called the model out on her confession in the U.K.'s The Sunday Times that she tosses back powdered rhino horn in a vain (yes, I know) attempt to combat the march of time, Macpherson has had to issue a new statement to the effect that she was only joking about swallowing critically endangered animals' body parts.
I'd say she owes wildlife one. Meaning, Elle, we'd better not catch you in exotic skins, please.
Written by Ingrid E. Newkirk
Award-winning chef Amanda Cohen can add another notch to her (cruelty-free) lipstick case: Her not-so-sinfully delicious Mushroom Mousse has won the top prize of $10,000 in PETA's Fine Faux Foie Gras Challenge. Cohen, who is a veteran of New York City vegan hot spots TeaNY, Angelica Kitchen, Pure Food and Wine, and Blossom Café, wowed the judges with her deceptively simple combination of puréed vegan margarine, onions, soy milk, portobello mushrooms, and truffle oil. "I really wanted to make something decadent," says Amanda. "I thought it would be fun to recreate that [foie gras] in a vegan version that didn't lose any flavor and could stand on its own."
Yes, I think you could say that it stands on its own. And so do the second- and third-place vegan delicacies created by Eric Lechasseur from Seed in Venice, California, and Vincent Moellman from 50 Forks at the Art Institute of California in Santa Ana. I only wish I could say the same for the ducks and geese who are force-fed to make real (bad) foie gras, many of whom become so sick and debilitated that they can't even walk or stand.
If you can't get to Amanda's New York restaurant, Dirt Candy, to taste-test her mind-blowing Mushroom Mousse for yourself, you can find the recipe at PETA Living.
New Yorkers, if you've already tried Amanda's prize-winning concoction, please feel free to post your reviews below.
Written by Alisa Mullins
Searching for the Fountain of Youth? It won't be found in rhino horn, but it may be in your refrigerator—or at your local supermarket. Scientists believe that they have developed a way to estimate the likelihood that someone will live past the age of 100, and they found that many people with a vegetarian diet (along with other healthy lifestyle factors, such as not smoking) had an increased life expectancy.
Many plant-based foods have anti-aging properties, and a vegan diet can help manage and in some cases even prevent heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other deadly diseases. Studies have shown that, on average, vegetarians and vegans live six to 10 years longer than meat-eaters.
And they don't usually while away those years in a rocking chair, either. Take vegetarian and PETA India supporter Fauja Singh, for instance. In 2005, Fauja, who is now 99, led a senior relay team in the Edinburgh Marathon in Scotland. He holds a world record in his age bracket. Go, Fauja!
If you want your loved ones to be alive and kicking well into their "golden years," why not encourage them to go vegan?
Written by Heather Moore
People have been enjoying soy and reaping its health benefits for thousands of years, but there are still some myths circulating about soy and soy products. Last week, the Guardian printed an eye-opening article that uncovers the shady origins of anti-soy propaganda—most of which can be traced to a group that sings the praises of eating artery-clogging animal fat and tries to scare people away from soy by citing the results of scientifically flawed animal experiments. The article explains the myriad health benefits of soy foods, including protection against diabetes and breast cancer and improved bone health and brain function.
Of course, soy foods are just one option in a nutritious, animal-friendly diet, and it's easy to be a healthy vegan without touching tofu or sipping soy milk. Other excellent protein sources include lentils, nuts, beans, peanuts, seeds, chickpeas, green veggies, and whole grains.
But for anyone who's ever wondered, "Tofu or not tofu," here's the real deal: Soy is safe, smart, and infinitely kinder than dining on decomposing animal flesh or drinking bovine mammary secretions. So discover the joy of soy and wear that "Powered by Tofu" shirt with pride!
Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post
Before the drunken partiers filled Pamplona's streets today to kick off the annual Running of the Bulls tormenting of bulls, scores of animal defenders from PETA U.K. and the Spanish animal rights group AnimaNaturalis creatively banded together to put the bulls' perspective in the picture.
During this annual celebration of torture, bulls are jabbed with prods and sharp sticks to whip them into a frenzy. Then the panicking animals are stampeded through crowds of people, slipping and stumbling on the wine-soaked cobblestone streets. The exhausted bulls are later prodded into the bullring, where they are stabbed to death.
The majority of the Spanish population no longer supports this cruelty. In 2004, the Barcelona City Council declared Barcelona an anti-bullfighting city, and 40 other Spanish towns have followed suit. State-run Spanish television has also stopped televising the violence.
Let's call the Running of the Bulls what it really is—sickening cruelty to animals—and call on Pamplona's mayor to ban it.
Look at this photo and tell me: Do you think the shorter girl looks as if she can't wait to tattle on the taller one? Of course, I do—and my sister could offer endless examples of how I tattled on her for all sorts of naughty behavior. Especially cursing, which she did so often that our exasperated mom set up a swear jar.
Both the tattletale and animal defender inside me are very excited to learn that SwearJarr has chosen PETA as one of the charities that will receive donations from social networking potty mouths who are busted by other Tweeps ("Swear Police"). Imagine raising money to combat cruelty by busting foul-mouthed offenders on Twitter.
So sign up to follow the @swear_police on Twitter, and then head to the SwearJarr Web site. Once you are there, enter in your Twitter screen name to figure out your fine, and then make a donation to PETA based on how much you've sworn. Take a tip from our Twitterer extraordinaire and share the amount that you owe with all your followers.
Please act quickly—PETA's time to receive SwearJarr donations is limited. After the end of this month, another charity will be named to receive donations.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
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