A Letter To My Meat Eating Friends

To my closest friends who eat meat,

I know you aren't a bad person. I know you would never hurt an animal intentionally, but it upsets me when you say how much you love animals (dogs) and then continue to eat them.

I know we all grow up coming from different backgrounds and traditions, but it's 2019, and the verdict is in: eating animal products is not good for the environment, or the animals.

What makes it especially hard is when I see you cuddling and taking care of your pets, and not realizing that the animals you consume are just like them, just look a little different. Just because we aren't taught that cows and pigs aren't affectionate doesn't mean they aren't.

I want you to think about this:

How would you feel if your beloved pup was taken from you, and put into a tiny crate?  If they were forced to constantly have babies, and live in their own feces. After doing this for years and years, they are no longer useful and are eventually sent off to become someone's dinner.

I know you wouldn't support that. I know that because every year the same people who consume pigs and cows protest the Yulin dog festival that happens in China. I see you saying how awful and wrong it is that they are consuming dogs and cats, but in our country, we kill 56 billion animals a year for food.

How is it any different?

It breaks my heart because I know we are all real animal lovers at heart, some of us are just disconnected. I wish you could see that the animals on your plate have feelings, and just want to be loved and live a life of freedom.

If they were born a dog, their life would be completely different. They are killed simply because of the species they were born into, something they have no control over.

I don't want to be a pushy vegan, I just want you to know where your food comes from, and it is not a happy place.

Although we are conditioned to eat meat, there is always room for improvement and change. Just because something is a tradition doesn't mean it is right.

I just ask you to think about your own pets. Think about how awful and sad you would be if they were in the same position.

Sincerely,
Your friend who just wants to help animals

Farm Sanctuaries to visit in NY/NJ

There are many farm sanctuaries in the New York area, and I recommend everyone going to visit at some point in their life. Just like you can make connections with dogs and cats, you can make beautiful connections with farm animals. They are in driving distance, but are a bit of a hike, but definitely worth visiting on the weekends!


1. Skylands Sanctuary & Animal Rescue 

This is the first farm sanctuary I have ever visited and truly changed my life. It is located in Wantage, NJ. The founder and owner of the farm, Mike Stura, is a popular animal rescuer in the Tristate area. He constantly drives all over in order to save animals from slaughter. At the farm, you get to interact with all the animals (as long as they want to as well!). My favorite is interacting with the cows because they are so gentle and loving just like big puppies. Not only do you get to see adorable animals, but after the tour, Mike has a huge vegan barbeque for all the visitors to eat.

Address: 50 Compton Road, Wantage NJ, 07461

2.  Woodstock Farm Sanctuary 

Woodstock is another magical place. Located near New Paltz, the farm is huge and you get a chance to feed some of the animals. The tours are guided, but in the end, you get the chance to walk around the farm yourself. They also offer lunch there. My favorite part of visiting Woodstock is that you get the chance to go into the pig's barn and give the pigs a belly rub!

Address: 2 Rescue Road, High Falls NY, 12440

3.  Farm Sanctuary- Watkins Glen 

I haven't been to this farm yet, but all I hear is positive experiences. It's a little farther than the other two, but Farm Sanctuary has done amazing things for animals. They also locations in California. They also have the option of staying for the weekend in one of their onsite cabins. 

Address: 3100 Aikens Road, Watkins Glen NY, 14891

      Photo Credit: Farm Sanctuary

Although this is a shortlist, these are some of the ones I've had great experiences with and heard wonderful things. I would highly suggest taking the time to go check these places out and connect with animals and the beautiful nature around them.

Narrative: My Vegan Story

Trigger Warning: Eating disorders 

Five years ago, I decided to go vegan. Going vegan was a huge life change for me; especially coming from a family where meat was in every meal we ate. I never thought I would make such a big lifestyle change. I vividly remember being in high school, talking to a girl who was a vegetarian. I said to her, "It's great what you're doing, but I could never do that. I love meat way too much."

Here I am, five years later, and I am a passionate vegan advocate. This is my story.

The summer going into my junior year of high school, I wanted to eat as healthy as possible. I struggled with an eating disorder all throughout high school and was on to my next way of staying thin, which was eating clean. 

I started watching all these vegan fitness YouTubers, and they were all so thin, and I wanted that. I saw them eating so much food, but still staying so skinny, and I was so surprised. 

I researched the vegan diet and found that because there were so much fewer calories in plant foods compared to meat, it was very easy to naturally stay thin. So that's where my journey started. 

I started eating so much fruit, beans, rice, and potatoes. I found that when I started eating these foods that I was so scared to eat before, I enjoyed them so much and didn't feel gross anymore. Once I stopped eating meat and animal products, everything changed for me. I had so much energy, I would go on runs every day (and I used to hate running!). The foods I was eating now truly fulfilled me and made me feel satisfied. 

The next time I went to the doctor, I had actually gained back all the weight I had lost when I was restricting, but I didn't feel bad because my body felt so good.

All the beautiful, colorful, foods I was eating were nourishing my body and giving me the energy to go and run, hike, bike, and more. 

I gained the weight back, but I also gained back so much happiness that my eating disorder robbed me of for so many years. Going vegan opened me up to so much more food than I wouldn't let myself eat before because society deemed carbs as the "enemy".

Initially, I did go vegan for the wrong reasons. But once I became vegan, I started educating myself more on the effects of animal products on our environment, and all the terrible things the animals go through. I watched the documentary Earthlings and my heart broke into pieces. 

I saw the way these beautiful animals were treated, and I knew I could never consume them again. I became an ethical vegan, and animals became the most important thing to me.

Becoming an ethical vegan gave me my life purpose. It might sound strange, but before animals, I never really knew what I wanted to do with my life. Once I realized all the horrible things that happened to them, I dedicated my life to saving them and advocating for them. 

Now, I want to be an investigative journalist and go undercover to expose the conditions they face. I also want to go to law school to become an animal rights lawyer.

As you can see, going vegan has done so much amazing things for me, and I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Favorite Vegan Spots In NYC

I am incredibly lucky to have attended school in New York City. Being a vegan in New York is so easy, and so fun. There are so many options, and below I will give you a list of some of my favorite places to eat out in New York as a vegan/vegetarian (in no particular order).

1. Juice Generation
This really isn't a restaurant, but it is my favorite place to get an acai bowl in New York. I have tried countless places, but none of them come close to Juice Generation. They have locations all over the city and do not disappoint. My go-to order is the PB Acai. All of their ingredients are natural and healthy. Especially in the summer, it is a great treat to cool off too.

2. Champs Diner
Possibly one of my favorite restaurants in New York. Champs Diner is located in Bushwick, Brooklyn. It is almost always jam-packed on weekends, but the food is worth the wait. All the food you loved before you went vegan, you will find at Champs Diner. It is known to be vegan comfort food, and it is just that. My favorite dish at Champs is the cookie dough pancakes.

3. Screamers Pizza 
Another amazing spot in Brooklyn. They have a huge selection of pizza, and the cheese is incredible. Definitely check this out if you are ever in Brooklyn.

4. The Cinnamon Snail
The Cinnamon Snail not only has great food but amazing desserts. They have endless amounts of pastries to pick from, that not only look delicious but taste amazing.

5. by Chloe
by Chloe is pretty well known in the city, and also has many locations. They have great healthy food, and my go-to is the Quinoa Taco Salad. 

Are Humans Carnivores or Herbivores? part 2.

In a previous post, (https://alixbehar.blogspot.com/2019/07/are-humans-carnivores-or-herbivores.html) I discussed how I changed part of a  Wikipedia post due to misleading information. The previous information said that humans are natural-born omnivores, but after doing my own research, and finding the science to back up that we are actually herbivores, I put the correct information in there. Unfortunately, somebody changed what I put in to what it was before,

"Humans are omnivorous, capable of consuming diverse plant and animal foods. Fossil evidence from wear patterns on teeth indicates the possibility that early hominids like robust australopitthecines and Homo habilis were opportunistic omnivores, generally subsisting on plant based diet but supplementing with meat when possible"

I still think this information is not correct, especially since it says that humans are capable of eating meat, which doesn't mean that it is not natural. I also would like to highlight the fact that it says that early humans were herbivores, only eating meat when it was available, meaning that we could survive fine on a plant-based diet.

Get To Know The Animals You Eat: Esther The Wonder Pig

In one of my previous posts, I discussed my day where I got to hang out with Esther The Wonder Pig and her friends! (You can read that here)

In this post, I am going to tell you all about Esther and her story, and how she changed my life. I touched on her story a little bit in the previous post but will go into more depth about her here. 

Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter were living in Canada when Steve got a call from an old college friend. The friend knew that Steve loved animals, and she had a "mini-pig" she was trying to rehome. 

Steve knew that was a big commitment, but when she reached out again saying if he didn't answer soon, she had someone else who would take the little pig, he jumped on the opportunity and little did he know his life would never be the same. 

He went to pick up the little pig he would call Esther:

                                     Photo Credit: EstherTheWonderPig.com

Steve was under the impression that Esther would grow to be the size of a large dog, but boy was he in for a surprise. 

After telling his partner Derek, Derek was not pleased and did not want to keep her because they already had two other dogs and two cats. But eventually, as Derek saw Esther's personality and how intelligent she was, he couldn't help but fall in love with her.

When they took Esther to the vet, they were in for the news of a lifetime: Esther was not a mini pig (fun fact: mini pigs do not actually exist!) but a full-sized, commercial pig who was born on a farm that would eventually turn her into food. The vet said she could grow up to 600 pounds, and she did just that (Esther currently weighs somewhere around 500-600 lbs).

When they found out she would keep growing, they knew they could not stay in their house in the city where there was no room for a pig. Steve started posted pictures of Esther on her own Facebook page and saw that she was gaining many supporters. He would eventually start a fundraiser to raise money to buy a farm where they could live, and take in other abandoned animals who needed a home.

They reached this goal and ended up raising almost half a million dollars, and bought a farm in Campbellville, Ontario. Now, Happily Ever Esther is home to so many different animals who get to live the rest of their lives with no worries of pain or sorrow.

Esther, because she is the queen of the farm, lives inside the home with Steve and Derek, and her dog and turkey brother, Phil and Cornelius. Esther actually has two beds, one in the living room, and one in her own room. Esther has millions of Facebook fans who come to see her over the tour season. 

                         Esther, Phil, and Cornelius: Photo Credit: Esther The Wonder Pig Facebook Page

I, myself, travel up to Canada every summer to go see Esther because she has impacted my life greatly. During a time where I was struggling with severe anxiety and depression, I would watch Esther all day and smile. I loved watching her get into trouble and seeing how smart she was. She would open the door with her snout, knock things over to get food to fall on the floor, and more. She also loved going swimming in her pool and getting belly rubs.

Many people might see Esther and think she is different, and one of a kind of a pig, but she is not. All pigs have feelings and want to live. Getting to visit many farm sanctuaries, pigs are incredibly affectionate and have many traits similar to dogs. 

If there is any reason why you would leave pigs off your plate, do it for all the pigs who never got the chance to experience a life like Esther. If you want to follow Esther's daily happenings, follow her on Instagram at Esther The Wonder Pig, or visit her facebook page.

"8 Proven Reasons Why Vegan and Vegetarian Diets Ruin Your Body" Response

As I searched for blogs relating to veganism and health, I came across one that really angered me, with the blog post titled, "8 Proven Reasons Why Vegan and Vegetarian Diets Ruin Your Body" You can read here Blogpost.

The creator of this blog is a man named Alex Fergus, whose bio says he's passionate about health and wellness. While it's great that he's running a blog to share his advice, there's a difference between not wanting to follow a diet as a personal choice rather than saying the diet is not healthy as a whole.

In his blog posts, the first thing he says is that it is not possible to get the needed amount of protein on a vegan diet. It's 2019 Alex, and this is simply not the case.

It is more than possible to get enough protein as long as you are consuming enough food as a whole. When I went vegan, I tracked my nutrients on a great website called "cronometer" where it breaks down all the food you're eating, and I never had a problem getting enough protein. There are so many plant-based foods that are protein-rich like nuts, legumes, plant-based meats, and more. Also, some of the biggest and strongest animals on our planet are actually plant-based, such as elephants, gorillas, and rhinos. Would you ask them if they're getting enough protein? Probably not.

Another thing he mentions is that it's hard to consume enough healthy fats. Also wrong. 

I myself, and my vegan friends have never had a problem getting enough fats. As mentioned, it's 2019 and there are so many options to choose from: flax, chia, hemp seeds are a great source of healthy fats. There's also almonds, cashews, and other nuts. There are also so many vegan cheeses and "plant-based dairy" items to pick from that contain all the nutrients and are free from all the added hormones in real dairy products. 

The last thing Alex mentions is that being vegan only feels good in the beginning, but fades as your journey continues.

I have been vegan for over five years, and have felt great in the beginning, and to this very day. If you do it right, you shouldn't have a problem eating a vegan diet, unless you have an underlying health problem. It is also very unfair of him to make such a large generalization because I can guarantee there are so many people who have been vegan for a long time who still feel great. 

Overall, I felt his post was really just a way to get people to not go vegan. He's provided outdated information that can easily be solved now due to the demand of veganism. He, of course, can choose not to be vegan, but it is not right of him to put down the diet as a whole.

How To Go Vegan

I promise going vegan isn't as hard as it seems, but hopefully, I can give you some tips/ instructions if you're looking to transition to living a plant-based lifestyle. 

1. Do your research

This is a very important step. Many people who go vegan on a whim and don't do their research end up falling back into their previous diets. It is important to learn about all the foods that are out there, and how to do it right. I know many people who have tried to go vegan, but then complained about how about lethargic they felt, and when I asked what they were eating, it was clear they were not eating enough. Eating enough on a vegan diet is so important because you're cutting a big amount of calories out of your daily calories. One thing that I felt has helped me eat enough is eating every couple of hours. I also will eat more calorie-dense foods like peanut butter, pasta, and rice.

2. Eat what makes YOU feel good, not what you see other vegans eating.

A common mistake I made when going vegan was following what the Instagram famous vegans ate. Many of them only ate fruit and other "healthy" food. I even made the mistake of cutting peanut butter of my diet because a popular vegan YouTuber said fats would make you fat, even the healthy ones. I ended up losing my period and felt miserable. As soon I introduced it back into my diet, it was a huge difference and I felt much better. I can't stress enough to eat what makes you feel good. If eating pasta and potatoes makes you feel great, do it. Don't try to emulate other vegan diets. You will thrive off of what makes you feel good, and it will help you stay vegan. 


3. Watch documentaries.

There are so many educational and informative documentaries about planted based lifestyles on Netflix that could help you go vegan. Some of the ones I watched were Forks Over Knives and What The Health. Both of these gave me a lot of food ideas and also break down more of the facts of why a vegan diet is healthier than the standard American diet.

4. Go at your own pace.

If you're a meat-eater, or a vegetarian and are trying to transition to a plant-based diet, I would recommend going at your own pace. If you do things too fast, it may be harder to sustain the vegan diet. A lot of people go vegan overnight and end up returning back to eating meat because they found they craved so many things. If you transition slower, it will help with those cravings and also get your body accustomed to the lifestyle easier.

5. Figure out why you want to go vegan.

If you figure out why you want to go vegan, you can take the following steps that will help you stay vegan. For example, if you are going vegan for the ethical reasons involving animals, I would suggest watching the documentary Earthlings. Although this documentary is heartbreaking, if this won't keep you vegan, I don't know what will. It goes deep into the animal agriculture business and everything you don't see as a consumer. It's very graphic, but as mentioned, will remind you why you want to go vegan and help you stay vegan.

6. Don't become a judgy vegan.

A lot of new vegans go through the phase of judging other vegans and meat-eaters. They give their input when no one asked, and it becomes hard to be around them. If someone is trying to go vegan and isn't as far along as you, don't judge them. Everyone is trying their best given the situation they are in. It also does not help the movement to be judgemental of other people's diets because it's not exactly the same as yours. 

I hope these tips helped on your journey to becoming vegetarian or vegan. If you have any other questions or tips, leave me a comment and I'll be sure to discuss with anyone who is interested!

Are Humans Carnivores or Herbivores?

After browsing on Wikipedia in the "Plant-based diet" section, I noticed some things that I felt needed to be changed. After doing much research on the topic, it's clear to me by science that humans are natural-born herbivores, not omnivores or carnivores like Wikipedia suggest, 

"Humans are omnivorous, capable of consuming diverse plant and animal foods. Fossil evidence from wear patterns on teeth indicates the possibility that early hominids like robust australopithecines and Homo habilis were opportunistic omnivores, generally subsisting on a plant based diet, but supplementing with meat when possible." source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant-based_diet#Humans

 I went in myself after researching and changed the short paragraph to this:

"Humans were not always omnivores. Back in prehistoric times, there were no hunting tools for humans to hunt, so they were gatherers. Another fact that proves that humans are meant to consume plant foods only is by looking at their digestion compared to real carnivores. Human intestines are much longer in length than carnivores. Carnivores, such as lions, intestines are much shorter because they're meant to process meat quickly and pass through fast. Humans, on the other hand, having their intestines much longer, can lead to clogged arteries when digesting meat because it takes much longer to pass through. Another major fact that shows humans are herbivores is by looking at our teeth compared to carnivores. Human teeth are short and flat. Humans also chew side to side (which is a herbivore specific trait) whereas carnivores chew up and down to tear through raw meat. Yes, humans are capable of eating meat, but they are not natural born carnivores or omnivores according to human physiology. " source: http://www.adaptt.org/veganism/humans-are-herbivores.html   

 I feel as though it is important for people to be correctly informed on this topic, and I believe the post before was misleading as it could make people believe that they are in fact, natural carnivores, like other animals like lions when we are not. It only takes some little research to spot the major differences between humans and real carnivores based on our physiology.

Wikipedia is one of the most popular websites that people go to for information, so it is important that the information is true and accurate, which is why I felt it was so important to change to correct information that is backed by facts.