tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post3317502642041126765..comments2023-11-02T05:14:19.243-07:00Comments on eat, drink & be vegan: Oprah's Vegan Show: Hit or Miss?Dreenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16551890320761504899noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-16377641671175517562011-03-01T15:48:08.896-08:002011-03-01T15:48:08.896-08:00Watching the show has inspired our office to go ve...Watching the show has inspired our office to go vegan for a week. Any tips for some good vegan lunches?Laptop Lunchesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-77277195531478683532011-02-28T18:56:12.508-08:002011-02-28T18:56:12.508-08:00I just found your blog in my research in becoming,...I just found your blog in my research in becoming, first, vegetarian, and possibly second, vegan. It's something that's been on the back burner of my mind for some time. It's much easier and comfortable for me to stick to what I know. Which means cooking food for my family I am familiar with and know tastes good. Going meat or dairy-less is a scary unknown territory for me. <br /><br />That being said, I appreciated your thoughts on the show. I, being "average" would say it did a lot for me. Someone who has played with the idea in the past, but not acted on it, the show made it seem attainable to me. <br /><br />I didn't go through and read all the comments on this post (congrats on a successful blog!) but I will say as an outsider to this vegan world, I think it's an intimidating world to become a part of because of all the unknowns and passion behind it. <br /><br />I am using all the meat in my freezer this week and plan to try a week of vegetarianism next week. Vegan will be to follow, but one step at a time. <br /><br />Thanks for you blog!Canaanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01966394347727619980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-5701866021609445182011-02-20T15:47:52.034-08:002011-02-20T15:47:52.034-08:00i just though id add that the oprah show is what c...i just though id add that the oprah show is what convinced my mom to go vegetarian. she hasn't been tempted to eat a bit of meat since. so, while it wasn't perfect, it obviously had some effectAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-73038152892165324312011-02-17T20:24:37.746-08:002011-02-17T20:24:37.746-08:00I have to agree with valerie, by watching the sho...I have to agree with valerie, by watching the show and having a conversation with my boyfriend about it we both have started a vegan challenge. Before watching this show the idea of going vegan would have never crossed my mind. It started as a week and as this week is about to come to an end we both agree to continue with it. <br />I do agree that it would have been nice to see more whole foods rather than processed, however, the internet is a vast resource that over the past week I have learned a great amount about what to eat. <br />I think the point of the show was just to get people thinking and it did that. Plus by my choosing to do a vegan challenge I have talked to many coworkers that are also thinking about doing the same.<br />Even if we decide to end the so-called vegan challenge and add meat product back into our diet I can say that our diets will definitely be a more plant based over meat/potato based diet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-82131033779244991402011-02-11T09:48:01.455-08:002011-02-11T09:48:01.455-08:00Well, as someone who watched the show as a certifi...Well, as someone who watched the show as a certified meat eater I can happily tell you that I went completely vegan on 2/6 after reading most of Kathy Freston's book. I have attempted the vegetarian/vegan conversion intermittently over the past 15 years, but her approach really won me over. The decisive factor for me had more to do with her references to The China Study and the concrete links made to the carcenogenic nature of animal proteins. I am a physician by trade so this really spoke to me. Making the switch after that was not hard. Now that being said, yes I do have some processed meat alternative replacement that I have used. This does not mean that I will not progress on this journey. The bottom line is that if this gentler approach can get more people on board with a plant based diet then ultimately everyone wins. You really do not win people over to your point of view when you take an antagonistic, I hate to say it this way, but " I'm more evolved than you " attitude because people automatically leap to defend their position no matter how misguided. 15 years ago my macrobiotic boyfriend at the time had to jump through so many hoops to sustain his diet that it was truly inconvienient. I went from eating meat/dairy/eggs/cheese/fish to completely plant based on a 20 minute jaunt to Trader Joe's on SuperBowl Sunday. Isn't that the ultimate goal? I truly take my hat off to those of you who got it 15-20 years ago. I've had to explain to my husband that one can make the change to a totally plant based diet by shopping at Kroger, Meijer's, walMart, Target, Trader Joe's and many other mainstream markets. There is now a critical mass of people who are open to eschewing an animal based diet because it is easier to do now. A less stringent approach works many times because even now i'm looking at the meat subs and I realize that it's merely a mental crutch until I figure out the all the natural things I can prepare without resorting to these prefab things. Just a few thoughts from someone who was affected enough by the not so pc vegan presentation to change her dietary choices.Valerienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-10405060648657295972011-02-10T08:01:58.005-08:002011-02-10T08:01:58.005-08:00Thought O's secmt on vegan was ok. Glad it ai...Thought O's secmt on vegan was ok. Glad it aired the cow killing factory... DH & 8 yr old watched it too. Eye opener... corn fed animals sucks. Got a good tip from Kathy's shopping secmt... DO NOT buy anything that were in the show... all full of corn derived and processed stuff. Sad, sad, sad!!!! I cook and bake every day from scratch now because I'm breastfeeding my baby who has food allergy, esp to corn. Just eat healthy... omnivor or not. Stop eating processed food. <br /><br />O needs to do a secmt on food allergy or about corn and soy industry and address label changing. That'd be a better benefit to her viewers. <br /><br />BTW, I luv your blog. Thanks for all the vegan recipe tips. Help me a lot with prepare meals for my fam.Noranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-27634824984633083002011-02-08T10:38:00.801-08:002011-02-08T10:38:00.801-08:00I work during the day so don't watch Oprah (an...I work during the day so don't watch Oprah (and 11pm is too late since I go to work at 6am). That said, I have seen her shows in the past and this isn't new to Oprah. She seems to feel the need to "balance" the show if it could be construed as something outside of mainstream ideas. Remember when she had to have panel members added to defend the invasion of Iraq and couldn't present only the viewpoints of those who said Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction? This is what she does and we are supposed to be grateful or it wouldn't be done at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-60729945951679589292011-02-08T06:52:06.178-08:002011-02-08T06:52:06.178-08:00Like you, I saw the show and was also underwhelmed...Like you, I saw the show and was also underwhelmed. It seemed more that she was looking for another get slim quick scam. I have been thinking about becoming vegan and decided after the show that I would try it after the man said how much better he feels. I hope my health improves I have read a lot about the benefits a plant base diet can have on you health. I had a check up with a Dr. and am off and running. today is my first day. wish me luck L,ZZedreahttp://www.helloherbivores.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-82452519721733491872011-02-07T18:28:08.702-08:002011-02-07T18:28:08.702-08:00I agree with other posters: I do not accept the ar...I agree with other posters: I do not accept the argument that is okay to eat meat as long as it was raised and killed humanely. I think the point of veganism is to *not eat animals* period. <br /><br />I was especially disappointed when Kathy Freston, The Veganist, accepted this point of view. <br />I know everyone has the right to their opinion, but this show was a huge disappointment and left me angry and frustrated. I would like to see Ellen do a similar show! She might have a different take on it.<br /><br />And Michael Pollan did make one good point about new vegans eating too many processed foods. And I think, sadly, Kathy Freston's segment shopping with the family only proved this point.Natalienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-75389661215121204972011-02-07T14:07:20.408-08:002011-02-07T14:07:20.408-08:00I'm glad Veganism was brought into the mainstr...I'm glad Veganism was brought into the mainstream even if it wasn't fully committed like I would have liked to have seen.Wendy Altschulerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705416408052799794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-57867043958179658962011-02-06T03:29:42.511-08:002011-02-06T03:29:42.511-08:00first of all i stopped watching her show a long ti...first of all i stopped watching her show a long time ago, I would say maybe the past 6 years or so. I think she is out of touched with average Americans, like so many other celebrities. Buying meat is expensive in itself let alone trying to buy free range and organic meat. I tried to do that and being on a very low income I found it to be too much financially as well as stressful.lolitanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-39165803200453887562011-02-04T11:31:27.602-08:002011-02-04T11:31:27.602-08:00Yeah, I don't think there was enough informati...Yeah, I don't think there was enough information on the show about the vegan diet. There was too much focus on dairy and meat "replacements" like fake cheese and fake meat, instead of showing all the healthy whole foods you can eat. But I see how those items would help someone who's in their first week of trying to eat a vegan diet. <br /><br />I wish there would have been more info on how to get your nutrients from a vegan diet and shown tables full of the different kinds of foods you CAN eat! Oh well....it really was aimed at meat eaters who had no idea what a vegan is. <br /><br />Oh well..it was ok, but not a great show. I have friends that are meat eaters that were really interested in it and now want Freston's book! So I guess it did make an impact...we'll see for how long.Tanyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01912320960118608950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-9458882105503098542011-02-04T11:31:14.476-08:002011-02-04T11:31:14.476-08:00I haven't read through all the comments, but I...I haven't read through all the comments, but I'd like to say that I don't think the show was meant to focus on vegan eating. The focus was being CONSCIOUS of your FOOD CHOICES, be it vegan or meat. And by the way, I am vegan, and damn proud!*Autumn Tao*https://www.blogger.com/profile/11698739173037311942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-49605559124630164552011-02-04T09:57:14.406-08:002011-02-04T09:57:14.406-08:00I love your response to Christi, you are so well-w...I love your response to Christi, you are so well-written when giving your point of view, it's inspiring. I wish I could speak like that to people instead of my awkward stammering haha :)Samanthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10843007392483979407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-29798166919480238392011-02-03T22:00:12.077-08:002011-02-03T22:00:12.077-08:00Two thoughts:
1.
Sweeps Month
2.
Would Ellen be...Two thoughts: <br />1.<br />Sweeps Month<br /><br />2.<br />Would Ellen be "sponsored" by Whole Foods and Kashi? Don't think so.Vegan in Vegasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-58060463672923101332011-02-03T21:16:40.811-08:002011-02-03T21:16:40.811-08:00You people who have searched and picked at all the...You people who have searched and picked at all the negatives of the show can't be for real!! What other mainstream show has even touched the topic? The majority of the American population are not vegans. The aim was to get people thinking and to become enlightened about possibly becoming a vegan. I think the show accomplished that. The show would not benefited all of you veteran vegans. Look at the positives not the negatives, lighten up and be pleased someone tackled the topic in mainstream media.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-64708801563783960622011-02-03T13:55:46.828-08:002011-02-03T13:55:46.828-08:00I missed the show, but it sounds like I would'...I missed the show, but it sounds like I would've imagined it to be.<br /><br />When people try to show factory farms, slaughterhouses and so on it just ends up being a wash. The only realistic videos I've seen were shot by PETA or animal rights advocates--no one wants to show that on television, because people don't really want to see what's being killed for their lunch.<br /><br />It IS positive that Oprah did the show and informed people, but I don't know how many people would be willing to put in the effort to be vegan.Alissahttp://veggiepartytrain.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-33955741687593479112011-02-03T10:58:20.639-08:002011-02-03T10:58:20.639-08:00Unfortunately I don't get TV reception so I wa...Unfortunately I don't get TV reception so I was unable to watch the show, but I did watch some of the clips on Oprah.com. On one hand, it was great to get people exposed to a vegan diet. But on the other hand, I'm afraid it wasn't painted in the best light.<br /><br />When the girl in the office was complaining about the taste of the veggie burger compared to the taste of a hamburger, I just wished that Kathy Freston would have told her about the myriad of whole foods she could enjoy. I think anytime you give someone a substitute-type food when they are so accustomed to eating the original thing, it is not going to taste as good. Same with her giving Oprah toast with Daiya cheese. IMO, vegan cheese is not going to go over well to someone who has recently eaten cow cheese! I just kept thinking, what if these people were eating your recipes, like the Bean & Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado from ED&BV?! Then they would have thought, wow, vegan food is yummy! Or your spicoli burger instead of a storebought, flat, crumbly veggie burger. *sigh*<br /><br />I also agree that it was a strange choice to feature three omnivores (Pollan, Lisa Ling, and the woman from Cargill) and only one vegan, on a show about veganism! Especially since Oprah herself is an omnivore. Not exactly a balanced forum. <br /><br />The show also lacked a single credentialed medical or nutrition professional. Michael Pollan can wax eloquent about how meat is healthy and natural, and people will listen - but he is a journalist, not a nutrition expert! She could even have had Dr. Oz on the show, who I don't think is a vegan, but would definitely have spoken positively about the health benefits of a vegan diet.<br /><br />Thanks for posting about this, Dreena!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-2951046996363942482011-02-03T10:26:26.952-08:002011-02-03T10:26:26.952-08:00I understand Freston's desire to not come acro...I understand Freston's desire to not come across as the militant vegan so many omnis assume we are but I was sad that it didn't seem like she stuck to her guns as much as she should've. <br /><br />What bothered me the most - the cart full of processed "meat" products! She should've made the effort to talk about fruits and veggies. I was so bummed that she felt the need to list processed foods as the way she gets her protein - tofu, seitan, tempeh. It would've been nice to see more of a focus on whole foods.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-19488621896904937922011-02-03T10:21:17.012-08:002011-02-03T10:21:17.012-08:00I thought it was way to PC. I was very disappointe...I thought it was way to PC. I was very disappointed. I'm not a huge fan of Michael Pollan and here's why - he seems to think that his consumption of meat is better than others because he knows where it's coming from and has done some research. As if that makes it ok to kill something. With all his research he should have realized that there is no way that the kind of "happy" meat production he believes in could ever sustain the meat demands of our country. His attempts to justify his own cruelty make him seem delusional.<br /><br />I wonder how long it took to clean that slaughter house to make it Oprah-ready?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-61610628308224253622011-02-03T08:08:11.081-08:002011-02-03T08:08:11.081-08:00Christie, I am publishing your comment to be fair ...Christie, I am publishing your comment to be fair to everyone that comments on my blog. However, you are representing animal agriculture, and it is inaccurate to say that pig and poultry farms are clean and ethical, or that this cattle farm is an “average” model - it might be a newer model, and ideal to feature on Oprah's show, but it doesn't represent where meat has come from in the last number of decades. There are too many first-hand accounts from factory farm workers and witnesses (read Eating Animals, Meat Market, and other animal rights’ literature or videos). As for environmental issues, it is well established that the the meat industry produces more greenhouse-gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined. Regarding your quote on the estrogens, I note that this figure comes from data compiled by the National Cattlemen’s Association. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n3_v158/ai_7689621/?tag=content;col1<br />It’s also noteworthy that these hormone concentrations in meat will also vary greatly with the source, with "pregnant or ovulating cows and even bulls containing much higher levels of anabolic hormones than are found in desexed, implanted steers". Also, that "Anabolic hormone implants provide the only fat in meat producers' thin profit margins. Producers could not afford to produce beef without implants." Don't defend injecting animals, it's not in any way natural, we have no right to have that domain over animals, just so a profit can be made. Moreover, when we do get phytoestrogens from plant-based foods (which are meant to be there, we don’t inject them), we are also getting fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients – all beneficial in fighting chronic illness and disease, whereas meat gives cholesterol, saturated fat, and no antioxidants or fiber. <br /><br />This is the wrong blog to discuss the virtues of meat-eating. I won’t publish anymore marketing for the meat industry, they have enough support - agribusiness spends 143 million a year on lobbying, it doesn’t need help from my little vegan blog.Dreenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16551890320761504899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-77725287746540021322011-02-03T07:51:17.308-08:002011-02-03T07:51:17.308-08:00Great take on the show. I've been watching th...Great take on the show. I've been watching the comments ABOUT the show light up the internet, but I have still yet to see the episode. Any idea where I can watch this?Rachel W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02003676005471057569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-82443699423663220012011-02-03T06:57:57.502-08:002011-02-03T06:57:57.502-08:00Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the recent ...Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the recent Oprah Vegan Show. I am from Pennsylvania; I have personally been to many feedlots throughout the country, in Colorado, Texas, and Nebraska to name a few. I can honestly say from a firsthand experience that the feedlot shown on Oprah's show was very average compared to the others I have been on. The cattle on feedlots only stay there for an average of 4-6 months and are fed a carefully balanced diet of protein and energy from mainly corn-based feedstuffs as well as by-products from the ethanol industry (a GREAT way to utilize these otherwise wasted resources from ethanol production). I have also visited slaughterhouses in several states and have been very impressed with all of them...I have seen modern-day full-scale beef, lamb, pork, and poultry slaughter plants and they are all incredibly clean and treat those animals as humanely as possible. Yes, they ARE all intentionally kept as calm as possible before they are actually killed (thanks to Dr. Temple Grandin's from CSU's work on animal welfare). I thought the tour of the Timmerman Feedlot and the Cargill plant in Colorado was a very average, standard representation of the cattle industry today, the Oprah Show did a great job showing their viewers the truth behind the modern-day beef industry, they certainly did not hide or sugar-coat anything. To make another point, cattle on feedlots are most certainly not pumped full of antibiotics or hormones. The truth is: They are fed extremely low levels of sub-therapeutic antibiotics to help reduce the level of bad microbes in their digestive tract in an effort to help that animal direct more of its energy to growing rather than fighting off the bad bacteria (and NO that is not because of their poor housing conditions!) The hormones are typically estrogen based and implanted into the ear of the animal and removed long before they ever go to harvest. A 4 ounce cut of beef from an implanted steer has 1.6 nanograms of estrogen, compare that to 4 ounces of raw cabbage with 2,700 nanograms of estrogen…vegetables like cabbage and soybean naturally have thousands of nanograms of estrogen! (Think about that when you enjoy tofu or soy milk.) Lastly, the modern-day cattle industry has become very green, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. We are now able to produce 13% more beef from 13% fewer animals from the year 1977 to 2007…talk about green! It takes farmers and ranchers fewer cattle to produce more beef all because they have become more efficient with the resources they have, and believe me—those resources are decreasing everyday as more feed corn goes to ethanol and more farmland goes for housing developments. The cattle industry has also decreased its carbon footprint by 18% in the last 30 years. America now has the smallest cow herd since 1958…so how is it that we can produce MORE beef with FEWER cattle?...efficiency and sustainability. I truly do respect those who have chosen a vegan and animal-product free diet, everyone has the right to make that choice. It is, however, difficult as a young woman involved in agriculture herself, to sit back quietly and listen to individuals make false, negative, claims about agriculture when they most likely have never experienced farming first hand. I guarantee your images and perceptions of ‘factory farming’ are nothing like the reality of farming today. Thanks to the Oprah Show, hopefully more American were able to see a glimpse into the true, honest, modern-day farms in America.Christie Brownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-3549609590172275582011-02-03T06:40:21.718-08:002011-02-03T06:40:21.718-08:00It's so difficult to overcome popular thinking...It's so difficult to overcome popular thinking (or mass brainwashing) that is the "American" way - the 1950s milkman leaving a bottle on the front stoop, the perceived NEED for meat to sustain good nutrition, etc. (and, as Americans, we fail to see that most other cultures do not eat meat as a part of EVERY meal). I struggle with overcoming all of those false truths in my own household. My husband was raised on whole milk, ground beef, and the general ideology that those things are good for you - because marketing has told him so. I'm glad to see more mainstream groups challenging these ideas and I agree that it's a step in the right direction. That said, we've got a long way to go! Thanks for this post :)vogueyoginihttp://vogueyogini.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150019.post-36239848717327887782011-02-03T06:16:21.017-08:002011-02-03T06:16:21.017-08:00You nailed it. I agree 100% with you on all counts...You nailed it. I agree 100% with you on all counts. <br /><br />I was very upset in regards to the slaughterhouse. Did ya see that place? Really? It was pristine! And, silent. Uh uh. Most of America's meat is NOT coming from that slaughterhouse. They really should have stressed that and the fact that 20 others declined, really stressed that and WHY. <br /><br />And, seriously shut up about it being okay to eat meat 2-3 times a week. Ummmm, vegan show. But, YEAH for getting it out there and mainstreaming veganism. <br /><br />I don't like Oprah, Monday's show was the first full show I've ever watched. She sure does have the power of influence though. She could've taken it farther on Monday, and didn't. But she has planted a seed in many, I'm sure.Coryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02787336646289170915noreply@blogger.com