Leo Tolstoy and Vegetarianism

Today, I read a thought-provoking article regarding  meat-eaters and Leo Tolstoy.  Leo Tolstoy, a great writer and Philosopher was a vegetarian.  Nearly a century ago,  Leo Tolstoy influenced thousands of people to stop eating meat. Leo Tolstoy led a simple life, but millions of people were influenced by him...

I'm sure Leo Tolstoy would thrive on plant-based diet (Vegan Diet), if he were alive today...

Read that interesting article here.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/talk/tolstoys-chicken-and-the-expanding-circle/article8077778.ece

Women's Health and Dairy Farms in Australia

During my stay in Australia, I read some amazing magazines. In an health related article, I read that 83% of Australian women suffer from digestive discomfort. In another article, I was shocked when I read that Australians drink about 102 litres of cow's milk in a year! Milk and milk products such as cream, butter and butter-milk is a major component of Australian's everyday diet.

I strongly feel that dairy milk is causing digestive discomfort in Australian women, and I really hope they try plant-based diet! Dairy products causes everything from Constipation to Cancer

In another article, I read that it takes around 2000 litres of water to produce 1 liter of milk. There are about 1.6 million dairy cows in Australia. The dairy cows are forced to produce 50 to 60 litres of milk.

According to United Nations, Livestock Long Shadow report , Dairy industry and meat industry causes Global Warming. United Nation urges people to consume less meat. United Nations should also urge people to consume less dairy products, as meat industry and dairy industry go hand in hand.

I saw some beautiful cows grazing in the vast outdoors while traveling from Melbourne to Philips Island. According to Animals Australia  http://www.animalsaustralia.org , most of the cows suffer from Mastitis. I feel so sorry for the innocent cows...

Fortunately, many people concerned about  Environment, health , and suffering of animals, are avoiding meat and dairy products in Australia. People are exploring plant-based diet in major cities across Australia. I feel so happy when I see projects such as Vegan Australia http://veganaustralia.org.au

Dr.Neal Barnard in Michigan

Dr. Neal Barnard, a popular nutrition researcher, author and health advocate will be in
Detroit area to talk about his book - Power Foods for the Brain
I have read so many of his health  books, and I'm really thankful that he has written such amazing books, which inspire people to try plant-based diet.

Dr Neal Barnard will be in Novi, on april 22, 2013
4-5.30 P.M
Better Health Market
42875 Grand River Avenue
Novi, MI 48375

Monday, april 22
7-8 P.M
Adat Shalom Synagogue
29901 Middlebelt Rd
Farmington Hills, MI 48334

Contact Shaina Chimes at 202-527-7314 or schimes@pcrm.org for more information

Bhagvad Gita and the Dairy Milk

Millions of people across the world refer to Bhagvad Gita every day. Reading Bhagvad Gita gives me inspiration, and it is a sort of fuel for my soul. I strongly believe our world will be a better place if every one reads Bhagvad Gita.

Bhagvad Gita is a doctrine of universal truth. Sri Krishna who is the creator of our universe explains men everything from our duty to behavior in Bhagvad Gita. Gandhi considered Bhagvad Gita as his mother.

Sri Krishna was a cowherd. During Sri Krishna's time cows were happy. Sri Krishna loved eating butter, and milk based sweets. During
Sri Krishna Janmashatmi, birthday of lord Sri Krishna, milk sweets and butter are offered to lord Sri Krishna.

Recently I was seeing the divine Abhishekam of lord Sri Krishna in a temple. The idol of lord Sri Krishna was poured with milk, yogurt and ghee during Abhishekam. It was very disturbing for my soul to see the Abhishekam, as the images of milk producing cows, which are treated as machines came to my mind. I'm sure even lord Sri Krishna did not like the Abhishekam...

I wonder what lord Sri Krishna feels when he sees - thousands of cows eat plastic bags in Indian streets , when cows are injected with harmones such as oxytocin to produce more milk . I wonder what lord Sri Krishna feels when priests pour gallons of milk on idols, during Abhishekam, in Hindu temples across the world. I wonder what lord Sri Krishna feels when millions of people still think that milk is pure and cruel -free food.

I'm sure that lord Sri Krishna feels that , both MILK and MEAT cause pain and suffering for the cows and other animals. In short milk and milk products is as bad as meat.

Vegetarian Awareness Month

October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. These days everyone wants to consume more plant based food, as its good for the health of human beings and also for the welfare of our wonderful planet - Earth.

If you have decided to eat plant-based food regularly, then you should visit some amazing food blogs. Fat free vegan kitchen, Holy Cow ,The Voracious Vegan and Vegan Dad

Increasing Vegans in India

Milk and milk products(ghee, paneer and yogurt) is the epicenter of lavish Indian cuisine. Milk is used to make coffee and tea . South Indians consume rice and yogurt every day. If you drink black coffee in Indian homes, people will think something is really wrong with you. In short, milk and milk products are omnipresent in Indian kitchens.

These days there is some change.

Thanks to Peta and other organizations, for exposing the heart wrenching condition of the milk producing cows across India. Farmers in India give the harmone Oxytocin to cows, to increase the production of milk .

Some Indians are becoming vegans. They are thriving on a vegan diet. It's really easy to thrive on a vegan diet in India, if you don't like dark chocolates, cakes, icecream and baked goodies.

Hats off to vegans in India. It's really hard to become a vegan in India, because the supermarkets are not flooded with yummy dark chocolates and varieties of non-diary milk.

Here is an article which says about the growing vegan interest in India.

Carrot - Cashew Payasam

Payasam is an Indian dessert and is popular across India. Payasam is also called as "Kheer". Milk plays an important ingredient in many Payasams. I recently made Carrot-Cashew Payasam from Nupur's amazing blog One Hot Stove.

I used rice milk, as the recipe called for dairy milk. The Carrot-Cashew payasam was superb! It was tasty but watery .The next time I made this Payasam with the combination of soy milk and rice milk. Nupur says to boil the milk until it reduces to half the original volume. I just boiled the soy milk and rice milk and then added the carrot-cashew paste along with the sugar.

This is a wonderful dessert if you like carrots. I like to enjoy this dessert when it's warm. My toddler also loved it.

Vegan Hayagreeva

Indian cuisine is flooded with sweet dishes. And it's so easy to veganize the recipes.

Hayagreeva is a common sweet dish in some Hindu temples. Yesterday I made Hayagreeva by following Meera's hayagreeva recipe in Kalpavriksha Kamadhenu blog.

Since Meera used ghee, I used Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread in the recipe. Hayagreeva was so delicious. And I'm sure I will be making this yummy sweet regulary.

Ananda Mela in Seattle

"India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only." - Mark Twain

If you want to know everything from Indian culture to Indian cuisine, then you should visit Ananda Mela in Seattle. Ananda mela is on June 26 and June 27.

To know more about this wonderful cultural festival of India, visit Ananda Mela website

Vegans in Mumbai

In India it's very easy to be a vegatarian, but it's challenging to be a vegan.
For many peaople in India, the word vegetarian is synonymous with the word "vegan".

Milk and milk products such as ghee and yogurt are considered to be very nutritious. In short milk and milk products play an important role in Indian cuisine.

During my recent visit to India, I did not meet a single vegan. I recently came across a blog - Mumbai Vegans. It's so nice to see that the vegan lifestyle is spreading across India.

Himalaya Herbal Healthcare

During my recent visit to Bengaluru (Bangalore), I came across numerous personal care products such as shampoo, creams, and lotions produced by Himalaya Herbal Healthcare. Even though I grew up in Bangalore, I was seeing Himalaya herbal products for the first time.

Himalaya products are made by following the ayurveda principles. Luckily, all these products doesn't contain horrible chemicals and animal products. In short, Himalaya products are suitable for vegans. According to Grace Ormstein, the Herbal consultant for Himalaya Herbal Healthcare, osteocare is not suitable for vegans.

Well, you don't have to travel to Bangalore to buy these great products. Himalaya natural personal care products are available in stores across United States. Visit Himalaya Herbal Healthcare.

India's Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi

To my mind the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being. I should be unwilling to take the life of a lamb for the sake of the human body. I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.

-- Mahatma Gandhi

Today is India's independence day. Mahatma Gandhi played a key role in India's freedom struggle. The principles of ahimsa - nonviolence, initiated by Gandhi was the foundation for India's freedom struggle against the British.

Mahatma Gandhi led a very simple life. Gandhi ate simple vegetarian food. Gandhi not only worked for the welfare of human beings, but he also wanted all the living creatures across the world to be happy. To know more about Gandhi visit website1 and website2 .

October 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, is also World Farm Animals Day . To know more about Gandhi's views on animals, visit website1 and website2
and website3

I sometimes feel that Mahatma Gandhi would have thrived on a vegan diet if he was alive, as you can find diary-free milk in India these days. I'm sure
there will be many vegans in India, if many diary alternatives such as rice milk, almond milk, soy butter, nut butters, vegan chocolates and vegan ice cream is widely available.

Vegan Dishes From India

These days you can find numerous Indian food blogs
brimming on the internet. With a click of a mouse button,
you can view delicious recipes and pictures
from snacks to sweets from Kashmir to
Kanyakumari.

Asha of Foodie's hope recently hosted a blogging event
- RCI Karnataka, and many food bloggers have posted
dishes from Karnataka, a southern state of India.

Visit Foodies hope to view vibrant dishes of
Karnataka. Most of the recipes can be easily
veganized. Use vegetable oil or Earth Balance natural buttery
spread if the recipe calls for ghee - clarified
butter.

Mahanandi, Aayi, and Sailu's kitchen are some of the
blogs with numerous vegan recipes.

Mahatma Gandhi and World Farm Animals Day

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

- Mahatma Gandhi

October 2, is a national holiday in India. Mahatma
Gandhi, considered as the father of nation, was born
on october 2, in India. This day is celebrated as
Gandhi Jayanti in India.

Prayers services, functions and seminars are held
across India to mark Gandhi Jayanti. These functions
and seminars give Indians an occasion to understand
Gandhi's life and teachings.

October 2 is also World Farm Animals Day.
The United Nations General Assembly
recently decided to observe the International Day of
Non-Violence each year on October 2.

On this day, sale of meat is banned across India.
Mahatma Gandhi always felt that animals should be
protected from torture and cruelty. Gandhi said: "The
greatness of a nation can be judged by the way it
treats its animals."

Unfortunately, the condition of farm animals from
Australia to Austria and from United States to India
is pathetic. As there is enormous demand for the meat
and dairy products across the world, farm animals are
treated just as machines.

According to the Humane Society of United States, one
million animals are killed each hour for human
consumption. Dairy cows are treated as milk making
machines. Dairy cows are medicated, artificially
inseminated and cows are kept continuously pregnant,
to provide milk. According to Compassion Over Killing
,more than 95% of eggs sold in the U.S. come from
birds confined in wire battery cages so small, they
can barely even move—a practice that, according to
recent polls, most consumers find unacceptable.

Gandhi's views on Milk

Gandhi, in his book - Key to Health, states that "Milk is an
animal product and cannot be any means be included in
a strictly vegetarian diet". Gandhi decided not to
consume cow's milk after he came to know about the
cruel process of "phooka" or "doom dev" to increase
the production of milk in cows. "Phooka" or "doom dev"
includes any process of introducing air or any
substance into the female organ of a milch animal with
the object of drawing off from the animal any
secretion of milk.

Gandhi decided to consume goat's milk regularly, but
he always felt that getting used to drinking goat's
milk was a tragedy in his life. To know more about this,
visit this website .

Gandhi's views on Leather
Gandhi knew the art of tanning. Gandhi had made some
leather sandals. How did Gandhi, who considered that
animals have soul, used leather to make sandals?

Well, Gandhi used the hide of only dead animals
to make leather products. Anu
Bandopadhyaya states in the book - Bahuroopee Gandhi
that "Gandhi decided to use the hide of only those
animals that die a natural death. Shoes and sandals
made from such leather became known as ahimsak
chappals(non-violence chappals). It was easier to
treat hides of slaughtered animals than the hides of
carcasses and tanneries did not supply ahimsak
leather: and Gandhi had to learn the art of tanning."
Visit this website to know more about Gandhi.

Gandhi initiated the development of Khadi and Village
Industries which gave employment to thousands of
people and everything was along the lines of
non-violence, that is using only naturally dead
animals for making leather.

The Government of India and state governments are
now responsible for the development of Khadi and Village Industries. Of
course, the khadi and village industries is thriving,
but they do not follow the concept of non-violence
laid out by Gandhi.

According to the Maharashtra government website, leather
is produced from the raw hides purchased from
slaughter-houses and raw hides of superior quality are
imported from Bombay and other places. Visit this website to know more about leather.

Even though there is a ban on slaughter of cows in
most of the Indian states, India is a leading producer
of leather.

The Concept of Veganism In India

Even though India is a vegetarian paradsie, it is very
daunting and challenging to be a vegan in India.

For thousands of years, Indians have used milk and milk
products such as ghee, and buttermilk. Infact milk is synonymous
with nutritious wholesome food. Many years ago, cows were treated
well and the cows provided milk for the family.

However, there are has been a drastic change in the production of milk
in India.

When I was growing up in Bangalore, the popular dairy
in Bangalore - Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers'
Federation Limited (KMF), had just milk, butter, and
ghee as its products. Recently, I was shocked at the
array of milk products from this dairy. Full cream
milk, toned milk, cheese, flavored milk, and ice cream
are some of the products from this dairy.

According to Peta, in India, "Cows and buffalos who
are raised for their milk are impregnated repeatedly
and are forced to live in hideous conditions. Most are
chained by their necks in narrow stalls, unable to
stretch or move normally. Lack of proper food causes
them to suffer from digestive problems, and lack of
exercise causes lameness. To force animals to produce
unnaturally high amounts of milk, farmers feed growth
and other hormones to cows. These hormones are
released into the milk and consumed by people"
Farmers and dairy owners regularly inject cows with oxytocin harmone
to increase the production of milk.

Thanks to Peta and other non-profit organizations such
as Sharan Project, which are exposing the horrific
conditions of the diary and meat industry of India.
Visit PetaIndia and Sharan Project

Indian vegan is a wonderful website with lots of useful information.

These days even in India, everything from cleaning
products to cosmetics are brimming with animal
products. Fortunately, you can find cruelty-free
products, in India. Visit Beauty Without Cruelty , to find
cruelty-free products in India.

Ways to Reduce the Sufferings of the Animals in Developed Countries

These days especially in western countries, it is
possible to lead a life, which cause minimal harm to
the animals. Thanks to the increase in number of
people who oppose the animal cruelty in western
countries, it is now possible to find numerous vegan
products, even in local supermarket.

Supermarkets are brimming with an amazing range of
dairy alternatives - soy milk, almond milk, and rice
milk. Earth Balance products such as Margarine
Natural Buttery Spread and Soy Garden
Natural Buttery Spread is are popular alternative to
butter and ghee.

Tofu, tempeh, and seitan are wonderful alternative to
meat which widely available in supermarkets. It is
pretty easy to get vegetarian fare in restaurants and
fast-food joints. Visit vegcooking , veganchef and fatfreevegan
to find delicious recipes.

Vegfamily , Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) , vegan forum and
Happy cow are some of the useful websites, forum on the internet.

Everything from cleaning products to cosmetics,
without the cruel process of animal testing and
without any animal product, is available in many
supermarkets. Visit Leaping Bunny to know more about cruelty-free
products.

These days you can find everything from wallets,
handbags, jackets, shoes and sandals made with
synthetics, and plant-based materials. Visit this blog to
know about the latest vegan items in the market.

India and Mahatma Gandhi

Today is India's independence day. Indians consider
Mahatma Gandhi as the father of the nation.

Gandhi, one of the outstanding leaders of 20th
century, brought independence to India through the
concept of nonviolence.

Gandhi, led a very simple life. Gandhi followed the
concept of Ahimsa(non-violence) in his life.

Mahatma Gandhi's food was mainly plant-based. In a
country where milk and milk products is widely used,
Gandhi felt that milk is unsuited for human beings.

Gandhi's meal included simple food -boiled vegetables,
chapatis(flat wheat bread) sprinkled with some
ghee(clarified butter), and goat's milk.

Even though Gandhi consumed goat's milk regularly, he
was not happy about it and strongly felt that humans
should not consume milk and milk products. Gandhi
considered that getting used to goat's milk was a
tragedy in his life.

I wondered why Gandhi did not consume cow's milk, as
milk and milk products is widely used across India.
It seems Gandhi came to know about the
cruel process of "phooka" or "doom dev" to increase
the production of milk in cows. "Phooka" or "doom dev"
includes any process of introducing air or any
substance into the female organ of a milch animal with
the object of drawing off from the animal any
secretion of milk.

I was shocked because this incident took place nearly
six to seven decades ago. If the condition of milk
producing cows was so bad decades ago, the condition
of milk producing cows is horrible in India these
days.

Cows are considered as sacred animals and the
slaughter of cows is banned in numerous states across
India. Most of the Indians feel that cows are
treated well by farmers.

Today, India is the largest producer of milk. Variety
of milk products, everything from icecreams to
flovored milk can be found across India.Towns and
cities across India are brimming with pizza joints.

According to Peta, "Some farmers in India illegally
inject cows with oxytocin, a powerful narcotic that
requires a prescription and causes cows to produce
more milk"

Thanks to Peta, the horrible conditions of diary
industry in India is now exposed to the Indians.

To celebrate this great day,I made vermicelli payasam
with soy milk. I followed this recipe.

I wish Indians across the world, a happy independence day!

http://market.ap.nic.in/mkt/mkt/pca.htm
http://www.nalanda.nitc.ac.in/resources/english/etext-project/Biography/gandhi/part5.chapter29.html
http://www.ivu.org/history/gandhi/experiments.html
http://www.weeksmd.com/articles/dairy/gandhimilk.php