Reverend Al Sharpton is making news for something other than his political and religious beliefs this morning. The infamously outspoken reverend appeared as a moderator for the election last night on MSNBC looking much slimmer than his former self. Once tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds, Sharpton is now well below the 200-pound mark and credits his dramatic transformation primarily to a vegetarian diet.
Sharpton is no newcomer to the vegetarian scene. He began appearing on behalf of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) as early as 2006 to raise awareness about the maltreatment of chickens, specifically within the KFC corporation.
That same year Sharpton was awarded the PETA Humanitarian Award. During his acceptance speech at the New York City gala, he shed more light on his clean eating habits.
“Avoiding meat is the way to eat for anyone with a highly-charged life,” he said. “A vegetarian diet has a way of absorbing the stress and gives you greater endurance. I don’t eat many starches or [refined] sugars. I just love greens and grains. I eat a lot of salad and fruits. I feel like a new, improved me.”
Sharpton appeared on the Wendy Williams show in October 2011, where he shared that he forgoes meat altogether with the exception of fish once or twice a week. He also touted his new-found appreciation for fruit and vegetables, which now make up a great majority of his diet.
Read Full Post >
Being vegan doesn’t mean you’re limited to eating just soy milk and broccoli. In fact, there are a number of food companies that produce items such as cookies, syrups, and chips that are completely vegan – oftentimes on accident. If you aren’t familiar with what qualifies a food as vegan, it shouldn’t contain any meat, dairy or animal products, including such items as eggs, honey (bees), or gelatin (horse).
Vegans typically subsist on a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts. And while there are an abundance of foods that don’t qualify as vegan-friendly, take a peek in your super market aisles on your next visit to find these – and other – surprisingly vegan products. Just be careful to check the label first to ensure there aren’t any suspicious products in the way of you and a safe vegan indulgence.
Read Full Post >
I find Russell Simmons fascinating from the perspective that he is a maverick in every sense of the word. He’s not just a successful business man, but he’s a legendary figure in the notoriously macho male world of hip hop, yet he’s a vegan, animal rights activist, and avid practitioner of yoga and Transcendental Meditation (TM).
It’s the vegan and animal right part of his lifestyle that has earned him the honor of PETA 2011 Person of the Year. He’s in good company, since last year the honor went to former President Bill Clinton for raising awareness about the health benefits of a vegan diet.
In a written statement, PETA says that Simmons earned the honor because “he tirelessly advocates for animals and sets a positive example for others by promoting a vegan lifestyle.”
Simmons is known for spreading the word on how his philosophy of compassion and his vegan diet has made his life better for it. You can’t accuse him of mincing his words:
“The horrible abuse of animals is the worst karmic disaster in the history of human kind,” said Simmons. “The work that PETA does to combat this catastrophe is amazing. I’m truly humbled to be chosen as this year’s Person of the Year but the praise should go to the hundreds of thousands of volunteers that are on the ground doing the work. I accept this honor on their behalf.”
Read Full Post >
For many people, choosing to live a vegan lifestyle is emotionally and physically rewarding. However, sometimes it is difficult to come up with new and tempting vegan recipes. Sure, you could eat a green salad every night of the week, but your taste buds would get bored pretty quickly, not to mention that you probably would not be getting all of the vitamins and nutrients your body needs to function properly. So, what is a vegan to do?
PETA has the answer: try some of the recipes in their new cookbook, PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook: 27 Easy, Cheap, and Delicious Recipes to Keep You Vegan at School.
The Vegan College Cookbook was created for college students who want to follow a vegan lifestyle while remaining within their budget and time constraints. In other words, these recipes are not going to take a long time to make and will leave your wallet smiling after your trip to the grocery store.
Read Full Post >
Vegetarian activists face challenges in spreading their message in the Middle East. In Jordan, Amina Tariq was asked to stop spreading PETA pro-vegetarian information. A fellow campaigner, Ashley Fruno, said that she tried to obtain permission for her demonstration. “They told us we did not need permission because it’s not an actual protest, since there would be one person involved.” Yet police stopped her and took her to the station anyway.
PETA works to promote vegetarian diets worldwide for a number of reasons. They cite the high water consumption used in animal agriculture as a pressing environmental problem in desert areas. According to PETA, raising livestock uses 550 billion gallons of water everyday.
Read Full Post >
