The Swine Flu

Everywhere you go now, everyone is talking about it! It’s something you think about on the train, at a restaurant, especially at a bar, elevators, busses, airports, airplanes; anywhere people are all together in one place. I’ve talked to more than a few people who are seriously scared of catching it, and after watching and reading the news, I would say rightfully so.

Here’s what the CDC said today:
"In response to an intensifying outbreak in the United States and internationally caused by a new influenza virus of swine origin, the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5 on April 29, 2009. A Phase 5 alert is a ‘strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.’”

I’m sorry, but this is some serious SH*T.

At the same exact time, here’s what the USDA and CDC said earlier this week:

"Eating properly handled and cooked pork or pork products is safe. I [want] to reassure the public that there is no evidence at this time showing that swine have been infected with this virus. According to scientists at USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swine flu viruses are not transmitted by food, so you cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products."

In the past week I have heard these two themes repeated over and over: a) the swine flu is some badass scary sh*t and, b) pork is safe to eat.

I have been taken back by people who I have talked to that do not make the following connection which I would like to point out: the swine flu has EVERYTHING to do with people eating pork! (a point that completely ignores the irony of the statement that pork is safe to eat). Lemme break it down for those of you who believe that swine flu has nothing to do with food:

Animals raised for food live in factory farms. Factory farms are hot, crowded and dirty. Viruses are born and spread. Eventually, flu virus spreads to humans.

Now, here’s what I’ve been told to do, so as not to catch the flu:

-Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
-Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
-Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
-Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
-If you get sick with influenza, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Brilliant! except most of us do these things already anyway! But, I do not think this is going to keep us safe from the flu. I say it all the time, we seriously seriously need to reconsider the sources of our food.

Every mainstream idea that I have heard on how to deal with this crisis, simply ignores the obvious implication on diet. My friend studying in Europe tells me his class debated how to survive the crisis, here were the ideas: close all borders, educate people on TV / the Web, have a hand-washing campaign, kill all pigs, everyone wears a mask, ban pork products, have a flu jab (injection), or stay at home until it’s over. First of all, how would killing all the pigs be a better idea than banning pork products, or even solve the problem? Remember the avian bird flu? This sh*t is not specific to pigs! Logic tells me that this pork flu is not the first or the last of its kind.

My friend Jenny said it best: “Swine flu exists BECAUSE OF FACTORY FARMS! Pigs suffer their whole lives in crowded factories and in INTENSE CONFINEMENT. Is the pleasure of your palette really worth their suffering and this possible pandemic?! GO VEG!”

This swine flu should be a wake up call.

if you're not convinced, check out these articles:

Raj Patel

The Guardian (UK)

Rolling Stone

Humane Society

New York Times

Huffington Post

Grist

CNN

...etc.

The Vegan 9-5 Experience

Any vegan out there knows that there aren’t always enough options to eat when it comes to social gatherings. The same holds true at the office. It’s been almost three years since I graduated college and started working a 9-5, and about a year and a half since I went vegan, so I think that makes this a good time to reflect on my experience.

When I made the decision to go vegan, at first it really was a little difficult, especially since my diet until 5pm was composed of: For breakfast, either a poppy bagel and lox cream cheese spread with tomato & onion slices, or bacon, egg and cheese on a roll or croissant. I often bought a donut from a coffee cart. The occasional oatmeal with raisins was about as close as I came to the diet I follow now, and I loaded it with brown sugar and maple syrup. Sometimes I got breakfast and lunch at the cafeteria in my office building (run by Aramark), but usually I headed out to a local deli. For lunch, I ate a hero or a roll, chicken salad or turkey with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and cheese, or a BLT. I also ate from hot dog stands, halal carts, and burger spots, even fast food once in a while. I ate pizza too, but most pizza in Times Square is on par with the Midwest, and obscenely overpriced. Every month or the office threw a party and brought in good NYC pizza or an ice cream cake. I should also mention that at this point, starting since early in college, I was fixed to about 5 cups of coffee a day, milk and sugar please.

When I first became vegan, these are meals which I figured would be impossible to replace. But, determined as I was, I started making changes. I brought in a tub of Tofutti cream cheese every week and kept it in the fridge, dobbed it onto a bagel, with the tomato and onion slices, all of which I picked up from the office cafeteria for $2, and this was worked for me. For lunch I was mostly eating random salads and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, until I found Green Symphony. This place is like the organic version of your typical deli, and I love it. I got hooked on their tofu and avocado wrap, with melted soy cheddar, otherwise known as “FS1”, FS standing for fresh sandwich. At the time, I got very short lunches, so I would call in my order and it was ready by the time I got there, 5 or 10 minutes later. They have the most amazing vegan food selection, most everything organic, and everything labeled with care and consideration, and I would recommend many items on their menu. I found on their breakfast menu, a toasted whole wheat bagel with tofu cream cheese, cooked onion, tomato and avocado, and this became a delicious staple. Between these options, I was pretty much set for the next 6 months. There was usually at least something I could grab in the cafeteria in my office building, or otherwise I could just call an order in to Green Symphony, and run down the block to pick it up. My office also had a Starbucks kiosk outside the cafeteria, and the women there made me a delicious coffee with steamed soy milk, several times a day, and they got to know me well enough that I barely had to say anything beyond the size I wanted. I also brought in soy milk for when I wanted free office coffee. At office parties it could be difficult, but my co-workers were aware that I made the change, and for the most part, they were really respectful. Because I was just starting out, a few people thought it would be a phase. When we discussed the reasons I became vegan, most just shrugged it off, while some defended themselves, but I am pretty sure I was the only vegan. On my last day at the office they threw me a pizza party and they were sure to get a few vegan pies.

When I changed jobs, and moved to an office one avenue away, I was thrilled that I would still be able to go to Green Symphony. Adding to this, I found a few new places that I could mix into my rotation, one in particular is Free Foods, another is Moshe’s Falafel, also Bread and Olive, and other salad bars I like are Café Duke and Grand Central Place (while not organic, they have a great salad bar with delicious quarter cut avocados, and tasty soups). I also eventually realized that there is also a seasonal fruit salad/juice cart on the street level right outside my office building, and some items are actually organic. For $3, the woman there takes your average small fruit salad container, stacks both halves with whatever fruit you desire, and wraps the whole thing closed with a rubber band. Soon I became introduced to juicing, and I started to buy a juice every once in a while too. I also brought in soy, rice or almond milk for my coffee and kept it in the office fridge.


A year and a half later, here’s how my meals shape out now:

Breakfast. Over the course of the past few months, I admit that I have been eating a more raw vegan diet and juicing (at least until dinner), so I have been going to the places I mentioned a bit less often. These days, for breakfast I have some 24oz variation of green vegetable juice which I buy for $4 from the juice cart on the street outside my office building (sometimes they give it to me for $3!), and I bring it upstairs and strain it (there is a usually still some pulp that weighs down the juice). I assure you that the juices are delicious, although perhaps you might need to develop a taste for it. Around the office I am always asked what I am drinking, some with quizzical looks. Every once in a while I get a fruit salad. If I’m really in the mood and can spare 15 minutes, I head over to Green Symphony and grab a bagel, or what I call their “breakfast salad”, kind of like an Israeli salad, but just a mix of chopped tomato, onion and avocado, with a slice of grain bread. By the way, coffee has mysteriously vanished from my routine, and I barely ever have a desire to drink a cup at work, although I don’t have a rule against it. For the record, my energy levels now are usually much higher than what they once were.

Lunch. For lunch, I usually bring a salad. It only takes me about 5 minutes in the morning to throw together some mixed greens, sprouts, cut up some cucumber, tomato and avocado, sprinkle it with Italian seasoning and pack it up. I keep olive oil and Bragg’s dressing at the office. I usually shop at Fairway or my local co-op on the weekend, and I get enough produce for a salad for lunch and dinner for the whole week, for under $30. Compare that to the $5 to $12 it costs to buy a salad for lunch in Midtown, which usually is not organic. I was fortunate enough this past week to make it down to Bonobo’s for a lunch date, and I doubt you could find a better tasting and more nutritious soup and salad in all of NYC, not to mention the rest of their selection which looked amazing, and I have no complaints about their prices or portions. I also met another buddy of mine for lunch the week before at Little Lad’s for the first time, it is in the basement of 120 Broadway, and I was definitely impressed with their $5 buffet, you get to fill up a plate and a bowl with a s salad and a combo of some really hearty dishes, it’s not a small lunch, and an extra plate is $1.

Snacks. I don’t usually get hungry between meals at work, but if I do, that’s when I might head over to Free Foods for something from their salad bar. I like the raw pizza and the raw lasagna the most. Fruit is also an option, depending on my mood. I know a lot of people snack throughout the morning or afternoon, well I’m a “Jay Leno” snacker, so I can tell you that there are a lot of great vegan, and raw options, and since I don’t snack at the office, I’ll leave this subject for another post.

The larger office parties at my job pretty much serve exclusively to the non-vegan palate. At a monthly luncheon there is usually a fruit salad, but I am not always interested in fruit. Sometimes they have a mixed green salad with some tomatoes mixed in, but I must say, it has been a craps shoot. And the real dishes are never vegan. During the last luncheon, I basically didn’t eat, I’m sure some of the people there were wondering what the heck was wrong with me, but I held out and I bitterly went out to grab a bite afterwards. I’ve been thinking about making a special request, but I usually eat a salad for lunch anyway so I haven’t made the effort yet. Still, it can be annoying. If I eventually make a request, I will let you know how that goes, but in the meantime, I would definitely appreciate hearing any stories about a conversation on this subject with HR.

At our smaller departmental office parties for birthdays and such, my co-workers are generally very considerate of me, most recently offering to add a vegan pizza and salad to the lunch order to accommodate. I do feel like I am one of the only people with some kind of special diet consideration, and it can make me feel a little out of place. When people bring food into the office to share, unless it is fruit, it is a good bet that it’s not vegan. Sometimes I feel bad turning down a cake or pie that one of my co-workers made and wants to share, and sometimes I just say that it’s too early in the day for me. It disappoints me that many people tend to believe that non-vegan ingredients (i.e. eggs, milk or butter) are essential ingredients, either to a foods taste or texture, or to the body’s health and overall nutrition and metabolism. I think that there are so many reasons and examples why this is obviously not the case.

I hope this all goes to show that there is no doubt that you can easily be a vegan working in Midtown. Hopefully if you are thinking about changing the direction of your diet, you can see that there are a few stellar, and plenty of decent options at a reasonable cost, or you can plan ahead and bring food from home for even more cheaply. It is still clear that the majority of lunch options in town are decidedly un-vegan, and also very unhealthy, and despite the difficulty of social situations, I have found some great options for myself. It bothers me that at both offices I’ve worked at, all of the fridges are kept stocked with many gallons of many kinds of milk, and I bet a bunch of it gets thrown out at the end of every week. It wouldn’t bother me if lots of 9-5ers decided to start eating better for their health, and as an unintended consequence, vegans like me might have some more legitimate options in the workplace. I always think to myself, wouldn’t it be great if Green Symphony’s started replacing all the McDonalds? After all, there isn’t much difference in price between a #1 and an FS2, but those two sandwiches are worlds apart.

Vegan Kosher for Passover Seder

One of my co-workers got a laugh when I told her my sister and I were preparing a vegan kosher for Passover seder… oh the restrictions. Well let me tell you, I did not feel restricted. I wish I had the pictures to prove how beautiful the food was. Here’s what was on the menu:

Raw Salad
Carrot Tzimmes
Baked Stuffed Zucchini
Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes
Broccoli and Lemon Dish
Chopped "Liver" Spread
Sweet Potato Kugel
Potato/Kale Casserole
Matzoh Ball Soup
Sephardic Date Haroset
Passover Apple Crisp
Passover Fudgy Brownies

We also had a box of spelt matzah and a box of whole wheat matzah, and my buddy brought two jars of horseradish, and two bottles of wine.

After it was all said and done, we had spent about 4 hours preparing the meal for 8, but how it was worth it! I was pretty impressed that everything came out pretty damn tasty, and I would say the whole operation impressed my parents, who until we went vegan, have always had the reins on our family dinners. This year I think my sister and I gave them a well deserved break, which I’m sure they appreciated. The meal didn’t break the bank, and now we have some recipes under our belt for next years seder.

Our seder was as always, classic and abbreviated, but we touched on the most important and our favorite parts of the ritual. I even had an short reading printed out for everyone that discussed the connection between Passover and vegetarianism, which we read around the table. And maybe this is just me being weird, but I feel like everyone ended up reading the paragraph meant for them. The next day, we got probably the nicest, most sincere, and most hysterical email from my cousin, and I hope he doesn’t mind that I quote him:

“I had a very good time last night, thank you both for throwing what was undeniably the most charming and relaxed Seder I've ever attended. The food was good … and everything else was just, I don't know, so much more fucking pleasant than these things usually are. I did like the way you conducted the 'service' David, and even though at this point in my life I care way more about what I learn regarding livestock treatment than what our religion proscribes, it was an interesting reading you found, urging the unification of faith in animal rights and jewish faith/observances … sorry for all the cursing, it's to convey the awesomeness you guys made reality. Thanks again.”

That’s awesome dude, and it was truly my pleasure.

Also worth mentioning, I was pretty impressed with the amount of information and recipes, and the variety of perspectives when I was searching the internet for "vegan passover" to find recipes and readings.

sometimes i get the vegan blues

What are the vegan blues? I decided to give an introduction to lay out my thoughts on what this blog is about. For starters, I don’t think veganism gets enough attention. There aren’t enough vegans and there aren’t enough vegan websites. I love many of the blogs that are out there, and so I want to contribute. Hopefully veganblues.com will be a place you come to drop a line when you want to rap about the vegan blues or read something you can relate to.

Today I am a fully committed Vegan but I sometimes encounter difficulty with the culture at large because of this passion I have. That is the basis of this blog. I think something like .5% of Americans are vegan. Ideally, I would like that number to be 100%. I don’t like proselytizers, preachers, or other people who try to tell you their way is the best and only way to live, I don’t like being told what to do or telling anybody what to do or how to live, and generally speaking I think everybody should mind their own business. But, I feel very strongly about veganism.

About me - I went vegan in December 2007. Veganism was not something I thought about for a long time in my life. Thinking back I had only really heard about the idea at very occasional but memorable instances. It’s not hard for me to figure out why - in so many ways the truth about food was out of sight. Growing up I had a good family, community, I went to some pretty good schools, everybody said I was a smart kid, a few minor health issues, I watched a lot of TV (I suppose I could have learned about veganism on TV…) anyway, I was a pretty typical kid. So why is it that the idea of veganism only came to me as a serious consideration at age 22? I made it straight through college without the thought ever crossing my mind.

My primary reason for this change came because I was reintroduced to the horrors of factory farming, a harsh reality which I realize directly extends to virtually every product that is made from or contains animal ingredients. I read “Skinny Bitch” and I suppose I was sapped. I cried learning about some of the standard industry practices which I inevitably realized were behind so much that I loved, owned, or consumed. I ate bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches for breakfast daily, lox cream cheese, BLTs for lunch, pizza, chicken salad, cold cuts, burgers, steak burritos, lots of sour cream, melted cheese. I used to drink extra milk because I was always a short kid. No ice cream!? I just bought new leather gloves. But no matter, I could no longer support these industries, I was eating torture. The books i read early helped me realize that there were alternatives. I spent maybe a month planning my last non-vegan meal. It never panned out, the last time I ate meat was a Whopper in the car on the way back from Atlantic City. I had just finished reading “Vegan Freak”, now I had a stomach ache, and I was done. I didn’t tell anyone for three weeks, I just needed to see if I could make it. In the end, I realized that if there were other things I wanted to improve about my life, there was no better place to start. This had to be the first step.

Same thought went for the broader good of the world, for all the conspiracy theories, I didn’t realize something so profoundly unjust had always been right in front of my face, and i could actually do something about it. I realize that there are gentle and caring farmers and other kind situations out there, but it seems that these are few exceptions in today’s world. this same idea eventually went for the debate of whether people are biologically meant to eat meat, as I knew is essentially done in some manner in every part of the world. but I realized these ideas were truer for the past than the future. I felt I had to take a stand, and serve as an example for others about how easy the change could come. I realized at that point in my life I was presented with a choice, and my decision not to consume animals made me feel very powerful and proud. This has not changed.

Since that time, I have been exposed to a wealth of new ideas that I had never heard of or ever considered. for example, now I believe that our diet has more to do with our health than anything other factor. So many people are diseased in this country and the world, and I find it hard to believe the cultural rejection of the community of alternative points of view on this subject matter. I believe there is every health indication for us all to move to a whole foods plant-based diet. Regardless of the health arguments, in my heart I hope there is no person who would approve of the treatment of the animals that go into the different products they buy. The information is out there (i will share my sources on this blog, i hope you do too). I hope other people see this information and begin to make a change. If you are not aware of the realities, you need to learn some interesting and some heartbreaking facts about these issues. I can’t judge someone for their lifestyle choices, and this includes food choices, but I sometimes shed tears for the prevalent ignorance on the subject matter, and the denial or resistance to the truth about the direct impact and (therefore power) that we have.

Unitl I changed my eating habits, I did not realize that there is actually so much cultural resistance to this philolosophy. As a human being, we are supposedly evolved, intelligent and caring species. But in thinking about veganism as a philosophy, I come across many people who are stuck in old ways and thoughts, many people do not see the need to change, people who don’t think that they can change, maybe they believe they will not make a difference, sometimes people just don’t care. There are so many reasons. But to the logical and also caring person who falls into this group, I ask you to seriously consider where your food comes from. There are so many reasons to think vegan (even if you won’t commit 100%).

I made the connection that where our food comes from and what we eat has everything to do with many of the ecological and other problems we have around the world. We all try so many ways to be better people and make the world a better place. How better to make a profound difference than by making an active change in something we do every day, 3 times a day? Our history in America is about fighting for peace liberty and freedom - I believe now that these things begin with what you put on your plate. I am not saying here that if you are not vegan then you are not a good person. I am saying that in my mind there is no better time or place in our lives to start making an effort for what I believe is to the ultimate benefit of humanity. Practice of veganism is in my view is one of the most peaceful, positive, empowering experiences.

Think whatever you like about my point of view on this blog, but know that it comes from a place of love. This is not about being the food police or the health police or whatever. This is because of all the people in my life who i love and value and appreciate and also people who I do not know but have influenced me. It is with love that I want to spread information and compassion to what i recognize as a very underinformed and even misinformed population at large. I have found a great deal of material out there that supports this line of thinking, however, there is clearly a lot of work to be done to spread the word about the food industry practices, and holistic health perspectives, and also spread love to the animals.

All this is the essesnce of the vegan blues, and so much more. Like anything in life you gotta take the good with the bad, being vegan is no exception. There is a broad spectrum of hurt and pain and general negativity that I have experienced through these vegan eyes, and I hopefully doubt I am alone. Lets put it into twleve bars, so to speak (and then literally at some point). You will hear some of my stories and have the opportunity to respond and post your own, so keep posted.