Plant Powered Planet Magazine
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>Plant</strong><br />
<strong>Powered</strong><br />
<strong>Planet</strong><br />
FREE<br />
Issue #2<br />
Aug 2021<br />
CRYSTAL BONNET<br />
Danielle Maupertuis speaks with<br />
fellow dessert chef Crystal<br />
FEEDING YOUR<br />
VEGAN CHILD<br />
Mythbusting with NHS Dietician<br />
Sandra Hood<br />
THE PLANT BASED<br />
ATHLETE<br />
Robert Cheeke on the book’s success<br />
Danny Hatchard<br />
On Eastenders and upcoming TV performances
Contents<br />
People<br />
Danny Hatchard 10<br />
Robert Cheeke &<br />
The <strong>Plant</strong>-Based Athlete 44<br />
A Day In The Life: Juliet Gellatley 90<br />
10<br />
Rich Hardy & Vegan Organic Network 98<br />
Vegan Careers: Fashion Design,<br />
Hairdressing, Police & Public Speaking 108<br />
90<br />
Lifestyle<br />
Feeding Your Vegan Child with<br />
NHS Dietitian Sandra Hood RD 18<br />
Top Picks: Lifestyle 32<br />
Passport-Free Travel: 5 Tips For<br />
New Vegan Adventurers! 64<br />
18<br />
Vegan Traders Union: Vegan Art 86<br />
Vegan Shoes with Karin Ridgers 96<br />
Vegan Challenges with<br />
Josh Allerton 120<br />
Published by VegfestUK Ltd: info@vegfest.co.uk // <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>: www.plantpoweredplanet.co.uk
44<br />
98<br />
108<br />
32<br />
64<br />
16<br />
86<br />
96<br />
120
Contents:<br />
continued<br />
Education<br />
Vegan Society: <strong>Plant</strong>ing Value<br />
In The Food System with Alex<br />
Lockwood 40<br />
52<br />
The Vegan Vet: Dr. Lucy<br />
Claire McKinna 52<br />
The Vegetable Plot with Tony<br />
Bishop-Weston 80<br />
Veganic Growing Tips with<br />
Piers Warren 102<br />
126<br />
Vegetarian For Life 126<br />
Food<br />
Goal Power: The Healthy Snack<br />
Premiering Across Europe 24<br />
Vegan Ice Cream with Karin Ridgers 30<br />
24<br />
Crystal Bonnet: Queen of<br />
Raw Desserts, with Danielle<br />
Maupertuis 70<br />
What’s The Story, Stem & Glory? 130<br />
70<br />
Published by VegfestUK Ltd: info@vegfest.co.uk // <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>: www.plantpoweredplanet.co.uk
Editor<br />
Karin Ridgers<br />
Content<br />
Tim Barford<br />
Design<br />
Pete Metcalfe<br />
Advertising<br />
Chris Byford<br />
Welcome<br />
Hello and welcome to Issue 2 of our fab<br />
new free online magazine <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong><br />
<strong>Planet</strong>! I’m Karin the editor and I get the<br />
honour to say hello and introduce this<br />
great summer special edition.<br />
Issue 2 is full up with fantastic interviews and focuses on the best the plant based<br />
lifestyle has to offer the discerning 21st century individual, who values animals, environment<br />
and people when making lifestyle consumer choices. Our regular contributors<br />
Tony Bishop Weston (The Vegetable Plot) and Daniele Maupertuis (Vegans Deserve<br />
Better than a Fruit Salad) return with their summer special seasonal sprinklings of<br />
plant based gold dust, including asking the question ‘Are you eating too much ultra<br />
processed vegan pap?’ and a wonderful raw vegan cheesecake recipe, and we were<br />
thrilled to catch up with our star 3 guests for issue 2, BodyBuilder Robert Cheeke,<br />
Activist Juliet Gellatley and Actor Danny Hatchard.<br />
The Vegan Organic Network make their regular appearance including more seasonal<br />
veganic gardening tips from author Piers Warren, Emma Fry once more takes us on<br />
a few vegan travel tips, and we take a look at new book ‘Feeding Your Vegan Child’<br />
alongside the launch of new vegan snacks and motivational packs brand GoalPower,<br />
before getting to chat with The Vegan Vet about companion animals and plant based<br />
diets – followed by some awesome top picks from ProGroom and Vegeco!<br />
There’s a summery roundup for vegan ice cream options and some fab lifestyle choices<br />
along with the best in vegan shoes, and our regular visit to the Vegan Traders<br />
Union features a number of vegan artists and their creations. There’s also a visit to<br />
plant based restaurant Stem & Glory and a fun look at how to stay vegan in the face<br />
of some of the obstacles in place, and a short interview with Alex Lockwood about<br />
sustainable plant based food systems, before we make a short trip to say hello to our<br />
friends at V For Life who give us an update on their incredible work in care homes, and<br />
then to cap off a wonderful uplifting summer special, we take a fascinating glimpse<br />
into the lives of 4 vegan careers in what should be a regular feature in future issues of<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>!<br />
Talking of future issues – issue 3 is out in November 2021, with Issue 1 available<br />
HERE to read if you haven’t already.<br />
Stay safe my luvvlies and see you in the autumn!!<br />
Karin xx<br />
The views expressed in <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor<br />
nor VegfestUK Ltd, and neither the Editor, Design Team or VegfestUK Ltd accept any liability for any<br />
matter in the magazine, nor can be held responsibile for any actions taken as a result of the content of<br />
this magazine. Advertisements and paid promotional copy are accepted without implying endorsement<br />
by the editor or publishers. Paid promotional copy is marked ‘Promotion’ on the appropriate pages.
Subscriptions<br />
All our publications are available online free to<br />
read and share - you can sign up to our ebulletin<br />
here to receive our magazines for free.<br />
We invite our friends colleagues and<br />
supporters to purchase a subscription to help<br />
ensure we maintain our publications.<br />
Luxury Subscribers will receive a monthly vegan<br />
hamper in gratitude.<br />
Please email info@vegfest.co.uk to confirm your<br />
subscription when subscribing.<br />
Standard £3 a month<br />
Enhanced £6 a month<br />
Premium £12 a month<br />
Luxury<br />
£25 a month<br />
Stalwart £50 a month<br />
Setup a Subscription now!<br />
6 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Publications to date:<br />
<strong>Plant</strong><br />
<strong>Powered</strong><br />
<strong>Planet</strong><br />
FREE<br />
Issue #2<br />
Aug 2021<br />
CRYSTAL BONNET<br />
Danielle Maupertuis speaks with<br />
fellow dessert chef Crystal<br />
FEEDING YOUR<br />
VEGAN CHILD<br />
Mythbusting with NHS Dietician<br />
Sandra Hood<br />
THE PLANT BASED<br />
ATHLETE<br />
Robert Cheeke on the book’s success<br />
Danny Hatchard<br />
On Eastenders and upcoming TV performances<br />
#1<br />
FORÇA<br />
FREE<br />
JUSTICE ANIMALS, PEOPLE & THE PLANET<br />
MARCH<br />
2021<br />
VEGAN<br />
M A G A Z I N E<br />
DISPATCHES<br />
NEW YORK<br />
ATHENS<br />
FES<br />
DUBLIN<br />
MEXICO<br />
UNAPOLOGETICALLY<br />
BLACK<br />
Omowale Adewale &<br />
Brotha Vegan<br />
HUGLETTS<br />
WOOD<br />
ANIMAL<br />
SANCTUARY<br />
Check in<br />
with the<br />
residents<br />
CAMPAIGNS<br />
ROUND-UP<br />
Chilis On Wheels<br />
Animal Rebellion<br />
Animal Aid<br />
WDLA<br />
You can sign up to stay in touch with our news via our ebulletin here, and access<br />
our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, all of them regularly updated<br />
with news, views and vegan information.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 7
As the ultimate go-to experience<br />
for the freshest<br />
food, entertainment, ethical<br />
products, and cutting-edge<br />
information on plant-based<br />
living, VegfestUK are now<br />
launching Global Vegfest,<br />
a series of online events<br />
with international demonstrators,<br />
free to attend<br />
and bursting with delicious<br />
innovation.<br />
As pioneers on the UK<br />
vegan festival scene,<br />
VegfestUK have led the way<br />
for showcasing the very<br />
best in ethical living since<br />
their launch in 2003. As<br />
the starting point for many<br />
vegan brands, they are<br />
synonymous with healthy<br />
international cuisine and<br />
conscious lifestyle products<br />
that work towards sustainable<br />
living and a cleaner<br />
future.<br />
Global Vegfest will include a<br />
wide variety of talks covering<br />
all aspects of the plantbased<br />
lifestyle, including<br />
nutritional talks, activism<br />
lectures, live cookery demos<br />
from around the world,<br />
and showcasing new vegan<br />
products, with an online<br />
marketplace and special offers<br />
operating all weekend.<br />
Organiser Tim Barford says,<br />
‘After the effects of the last<br />
18 months, we are looking<br />
forward to working beyond<br />
the confines of a live event<br />
and moving to an online<br />
platform, with a genuinely<br />
inclusive, safe environment<br />
that is positive, fun and<br />
more relevant than ever<br />
before. And we’re going<br />
global!’<br />
Global Vegfest will be hosted<br />
online September 18th and<br />
19th 2021, and December<br />
18th and 19th2021 – full<br />
line up TBA. The event is<br />
free and supported by donations<br />
– visitors are invited<br />
to purchase Virtual Tickets<br />
at £5 & £10 to support the<br />
event www.vegfest.co.uk/<br />
globalvegfest/tickets/
18th & 19th September 2021<br />
FREE ONLINE EVENT<br />
Talks - Panels - Entertainment<br />
Activists from around the globe<br />
Catering for both seasoned vegans and those completely new to<br />
plant based living, Global Vegfest will include cookery demos, nutrition<br />
talks, debates and discussion around vegan philosophy and<br />
lifestyle, activism and many of the attractions visitors would find<br />
at a live event, including a global marketplace for the latest vegan<br />
products – and in particular a wealth of knowledge, experience<br />
and experts in the field of plant based living.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 9
Danny<br />
Hatchard<br />
About Danny<br />
Danny-Boy Hatchard (born<br />
26 July 1991) is an English<br />
actor, best known for playing<br />
Lee Carter in the BBC<br />
soap opera EastEnders and<br />
Private Rhett Charlton Aka<br />
“Cheese” in BBC’s hit military<br />
drama Our Girl.<br />
Hatchard’s other credits<br />
include Steven Pierce in<br />
the 20th anniversary production<br />
of Beautiful Thing,<br />
and in 2019, Danny played<br />
Private Rhett Charlton in<br />
the fourth series of Our Girl.<br />
Most recently Danny was<br />
cast in Ridley Road, which<br />
is in post-production.<br />
Recent announcements<br />
confirm the show will air at<br />
some point this year, and<br />
we can’t wait.<br />
Danny! What’s<br />
up? Never a dull<br />
moment?<br />
Well there is never a dull<br />
moment in the House of<br />
Hatchard …. cooking, playing,<br />
you know the odd computer<br />
game. But to be honest,<br />
I try to get out of the<br />
house as much as I can. If<br />
I am indoors I’m cooking, or<br />
I’m on the peloton, or writing<br />
or I’ve got mates around<br />
or just playing with the dog.<br />
Yeah, it’s very chilled round<br />
here. Not manic but I<br />
wouldn’t say it’s dull either!<br />
Ridley Road – looks<br />
a winner! Grim story<br />
line?<br />
Well, it is a thriller set in the<br />
60s. It’s based on the novel<br />
of the same name by the<br />
author Joe Bloom. Some of<br />
your readers may or may<br />
not have read it, but it’s a<br />
fantastic novel.<br />
The storyline is based<br />
around two Jewish lovers<br />
who end up going undercover<br />
as part of the National<br />
Socialist Movement, which<br />
was run by a huge fascist<br />
and Neo-Nazi called Colin<br />
Jordan.<br />
It’s a thriller. And I don’t<br />
want to go into it all too<br />
much, because I’m terrible<br />
at giving away spoilers!<br />
But yeah, it’s going to be a<br />
fantastic show. I play Colin<br />
Jordan’s right-hand man<br />
- so I play a bit of a nasty<br />
piece of work, and a clear<br />
product of his environment<br />
and miseducation.<br />
10 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
“Teach yourself one vegan<br />
meal every single Monday...by<br />
the end of the year you’ll have<br />
52 different things on your<br />
menu and you can literally eat<br />
and pick and choose one of<br />
those for the rest of your life,<br />
every single day.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 11
Tough during<br />
lockdown for actors?<br />
Yes, incredibly tough. Many<br />
of my friends have had to find<br />
work elsewhere. Whether<br />
that be in Waitrose, delivering<br />
for Amazon, working<br />
anywhere and everywhere<br />
so that they can earn money<br />
because a lot of them<br />
weren’t furloughed. There’s<br />
a lot of uncertainty around<br />
theatre, especially because<br />
shows are being cancelled<br />
left right and centre, even<br />
though they’d been promised<br />
a job six months prior.<br />
What do you snack<br />
on during filming?<br />
Well it may be boring, but for<br />
me, it has to be hummus,<br />
carrot sticks, radish, toast,<br />
you know, like little soldiers<br />
with hummus! Sliced bell<br />
peppers dipped in hummus.<br />
Really that is literally<br />
the thing that I snack on the<br />
most. If not, I’ll make like a<br />
couple of wraps or something<br />
like I’ll make some<br />
Linda McCartney shredded<br />
duck wraps with shredded<br />
carrots, shredded spring<br />
onions, and shredded cucumber<br />
and whack some<br />
hoisin sauce on there - and<br />
its always delicious.<br />
Everyone knows<br />
you as Lee Carter in<br />
Eastenders – Mick<br />
and Linda’s son.<br />
That must a been a<br />
giggle?<br />
It was amazing. I had an incredible<br />
time on the show.<br />
I learned so much while I<br />
was there, however unfortunately<br />
there is some level<br />
of stigma around actors<br />
who are in soaps. They’re<br />
called soap actors, but<br />
they shouldn’t be because<br />
they’re not soap actors.<br />
They are actors, and they<br />
just so happened to be in a<br />
soap.<br />
It can be quite frustrating<br />
because these actors are<br />
12 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
among the best actors I’ve<br />
ever worked with and their<br />
level of work ethic is like<br />
no other. At Ridley Road we<br />
filmed four episodes over<br />
a period of three to four<br />
months. But four episodes<br />
of EastEnders could easily<br />
be filmed in one week.<br />
So hopefully that gives you<br />
some level of perspective.<br />
It’s an incredible show to<br />
be a part of to work with<br />
Danny Dyer, Kelly Bright<br />
and the rest of the Carter<br />
clan…. and to have formed<br />
the bond that I have with<br />
them. It was an honour and<br />
a privilege, and I will always<br />
fly the EastEnders flag.<br />
And your ex-screen<br />
sister Nancy Carter<br />
is vegan! We spotted<br />
that this summer…<br />
Will Ridley Road be<br />
flying vegan colours?<br />
I did not know that!<br />
So those of you who don’t<br />
know Nancy Carter is played<br />
by an actress called Maddie<br />
Hill. I had absolutely no idea<br />
that she was vegan, but me<br />
and Maddie don’t really talk<br />
all that much - partly because<br />
we’ve actually been<br />
really busy.<br />
And flying vegan colours?<br />
I doubt it. You know, it’s in<br />
the 60s. I’m not really sure.<br />
But it’s a nice thought.<br />
Do you have your eye<br />
on films at all? Or<br />
theatre? Or is it TV?<br />
I do not discriminate with<br />
regards to work. But yeah,<br />
I really don’t mind what I<br />
do next with regards to TV,<br />
film or theatre, but as long<br />
as it’s classy and it’s something<br />
that I would enjoy I’ll<br />
happily do it.<br />
Fave vegan din dins?!<br />
It’s really, really difficult to<br />
pick because I love all the<br />
vegan food that I cook! And<br />
that’s not just me being biased<br />
to my own cooking<br />
skills! But if I was to step<br />
away from my own personal<br />
favourites of me in the<br />
kitchen, or what I cook in<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 13
the kitchen, I would have to<br />
say I adore a What the Pitta<br />
kebab wrap. I love it. It just<br />
blows my mind every single<br />
time. I could eat it all day<br />
long, but unfortunately it is<br />
vegan junk food!<br />
Future of veganism?<br />
There are just so many benefits<br />
to being vegan - and<br />
adopting a plant-based diet<br />
is going to take over because<br />
everybody wants to<br />
live longer and everybody<br />
wants to look after themselves.<br />
A lot of people are<br />
wising up to the fact that<br />
animal agriculture and the<br />
dairy industry is barbaric.<br />
And the more people learn<br />
about it, the quicker we<br />
can, as a society, adopt<br />
predominantly a vegan diet<br />
and change the world.<br />
Tips for newbies?!<br />
The top tip for newbies…<br />
take it easy. I feel like a<br />
lot of newbies don’t stick<br />
to it because they get so<br />
overwhelmed by completely<br />
changing and switching<br />
to a vegan diet because of<br />
their lack of education and<br />
understanding of what they<br />
can use to cook different<br />
things like replacements<br />
of cheese and milks in this<br />
that and the other. I would<br />
always say take your time<br />
with it. First of all, replace<br />
your butter with flora.<br />
Flora original or Flora light<br />
because it tastes exactly<br />
the same as butter and it’s<br />
totally vegan.<br />
14 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
And you won’t feel like<br />
you’ve made that much of<br />
a difference but you have<br />
because what you’re essentially<br />
doing is boycotting<br />
other butters and margarines<br />
that have animal products<br />
in and the more people<br />
who boycott those, the less<br />
likely they are to continue to<br />
manufacture them and exploit<br />
animals and therefore<br />
adopt vegan ingredients.<br />
And then milks you know,<br />
you got hemp milk, rice milk,<br />
almond milk, soya milk, oat<br />
milk, cashew milk, but you<br />
want cows titty milk…?! I<br />
mean, listen, I would say<br />
the best thing for you to do<br />
would be to find one of them<br />
that you like, my personal<br />
favourite is Oatly Barista. I<br />
have it in everything.<br />
And then when I have more<br />
porridge, I have soya milk<br />
because it’s got a natural<br />
taste and a natural sweetener<br />
in it, which just tastes<br />
delicious. And it’s nice and<br />
creamy.<br />
And then just take your<br />
time discovering new things<br />
to cook - and I said this on<br />
VegfestUK Chat …. teach<br />
yourself one vegan meal<br />
every single Monday, or<br />
whatever day you pick.<br />
Choose one vegan meal<br />
that you’re going to learn to<br />
cook once a week and by<br />
the end of the year you have<br />
52 different things on your<br />
menu and you can literally<br />
eat and pick and choose<br />
one of those for the rest of<br />
your life every single day.<br />
You will never get bored<br />
because 52 different dishes<br />
to cook is a lot of choices.<br />
I don’t think people usually<br />
learn to cook more than<br />
10 things. And being a vegan<br />
would be a doddle after<br />
that!<br />
Also learn to use seasoning<br />
as well… I don’t know what<br />
it is with predominantly<br />
white Western culture, but<br />
we think seasoning is salt<br />
and pepper. It’s not! It can<br />
be paprika, onion powders<br />
and garlic powders, herbs<br />
and spices. Turmeric, curry<br />
powders and it just makes<br />
food so much more exciting.<br />
Also go on social media and<br />
start looking at people that<br />
are vegan and start looking<br />
at people that are teaching<br />
how to cook new vegan<br />
things, and suddenly it’ll<br />
just become more exciting.<br />
Danny on ‘Karin’s Christmas Cracker!’<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 15
16 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 17
Feeding<br />
Your<br />
Vegan<br />
Child<br />
NHS Dietitian<br />
Sandra Hood<br />
Debunks<br />
Myths of<br />
Malnutrition<br />
I am super excited to read the essential new parenting<br />
book for vegan families: Feeding Your Vegan<br />
Child by NHS Dietician, Sandra Hood RD.<br />
I have yet to come across such a comprehensive<br />
and practical handbook for vegans which debunks<br />
myths about malnutrition on a vegan diet and reassures<br />
and empowers parents wishing to raise their<br />
child within a vegan lifestyle. A lifestyle that is becoming<br />
more and more popular and essential for<br />
the wellbeing of humans as well as the Earth.<br />
This book is a factual guide for parents and healthcare<br />
professionals with questions and concerns<br />
about a vegan diet, as with any diet there can be<br />
pitfalls to avoid and Sandra’s nutritional advice and<br />
guidance is indispensable in a time where many<br />
people butt heads about plant based and vegan diets<br />
and it’s a breath of fresh air to have this uncomplicated<br />
guide full of ideas, recipes and advice from<br />
real vegan families!<br />
18 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
How do I get my child<br />
to eat vegetables?<br />
As with any food it is about<br />
taste and texture. Children<br />
often prefer raw in preference<br />
to cooked so it is a<br />
matter of experimenting.<br />
For example raw vegetables<br />
that are often popular with<br />
children are broccoli and<br />
carrots, also parsnips, peas<br />
and sweetcorn. Introducing<br />
a variety of colourful vegetables<br />
and presenting then<br />
in different ways is the key.<br />
For example spirulising,<br />
grating and adding dips. If<br />
you are fortunate enough to<br />
have the space to grow vegetables<br />
in your garden or in<br />
an allotment, get your child<br />
involved. This frequently<br />
leads to them wanting to<br />
eat the produce grown. If<br />
you don’t have a garden,<br />
sprouting seeds and grains<br />
on a windowsill is very quick<br />
and easy and children can<br />
quickly see the result. Last<br />
but not least, children emulate<br />
our behaviour so it<br />
is important that they see<br />
adults eating and enjoying<br />
a variety of vegetables.<br />
What supplements<br />
should I give my<br />
child?<br />
From 6 months of age vegan<br />
infants need to include<br />
a reliable source of vitamin<br />
B12 of at least 1 microgram<br />
per day. The most reliable<br />
source is through supplements.<br />
The foods fortified<br />
with vitamin B12 include<br />
plant milks, yeast extracts,<br />
yeast flakes and breakfast<br />
cereals. However you<br />
need to check food labels<br />
to ensure these foods are<br />
fortified.<br />
Vitamin B12 supplementation<br />
should continue<br />
throughout life. If relying<br />
on fortified foods, aim for<br />
at least 3 mcg per day. If<br />
your child is taking a supplement<br />
this can increase<br />
to 5 mcg at one year of age,<br />
up to at least 25mcg during<br />
adolescence. Vitamin B12<br />
is a water soluble vitamin<br />
and this means any excess<br />
is quickly excreted in the<br />
urine. Therefore it is very<br />
rare for anyone to take too<br />
much of this nutrient.<br />
The Department of Health<br />
recommends that all breast<br />
fed infants should be given<br />
a vitamin D supplement of<br />
10 mcg per day from birth.<br />
Infant formula contains vitamin<br />
D so these infants<br />
do not need to start supplementation<br />
until 6 months of<br />
age. Vitamin D supplementation<br />
should continue up to<br />
5 years’ of age. In addition,<br />
it is recommended that all<br />
children, whether vegan,<br />
vegetarian or omnivore<br />
should take a supplement<br />
including vitamins A and C.<br />
There are differing views as<br />
to whether children actually<br />
needs these extra vitamins<br />
A and C. They are really a<br />
safeguard to protect an infant<br />
through times of illness<br />
or faddy eating.<br />
All other vitamins and minerals<br />
should be met by<br />
choosing a varied healthy<br />
diet. If you feel your child<br />
needs any other vitamin<br />
or mineral supplements,<br />
please discuss this with<br />
your healthcare professional.<br />
A supplement needs to<br />
be appropriate to a particular<br />
age.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 19
Are you sure vegan<br />
diets are safe for<br />
children?<br />
Vegan diets for children<br />
were first nutritionally assessed<br />
as far back as<br />
1968. This was by Pamela<br />
Mumford, a lecturer in nutrition<br />
at Queen Elizabeth<br />
College, University of<br />
London in collaboration<br />
with Dr Frey Ellis MD FRC<br />
Path. Miss Mumford wrote<br />
“in general the diets appear<br />
to be perfectly satisfactory<br />
to support normal growth in<br />
the children”. She reported<br />
that few children achieved<br />
the calorie intakes recommended<br />
by the Department<br />
of Health but as these were<br />
being reviewed and childhood<br />
obesity was causing<br />
concern she suggested this<br />
was probably a good thing!<br />
Miss Mumford compared<br />
the vegan diet with the national<br />
average and commented<br />
that the lower concentration<br />
of fat and more<br />
carbohydrate was good.<br />
In addition the amount<br />
and quality of protein consumed<br />
was “more than adequate”.<br />
Her assessment<br />
also found that iron intakes<br />
were above average<br />
in most cases, reaching<br />
those recommended by the<br />
World Health Organisation<br />
which allowed for the lower<br />
absorption of iron from<br />
the diet when all the food is<br />
derived from plant sources.<br />
Calcium intakes appeared<br />
to be lower than recommended<br />
in the under five<br />
year olds but noted that the<br />
amount provided by drinking<br />
water wasn’t included in<br />
20 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Photo credit: Dish by Iida van der Byl-Knoefel<br />
www.akitchenfairytale.com Instagram:<br />
@akitchenfairytale<br />
the calculations. However<br />
interestingly Miss Mumford<br />
stated that “that many people<br />
have good bones and<br />
teeth and achieve full stature<br />
on similar low intakes<br />
providing their diet contains<br />
adequate vitamin D and/<br />
or they are sufficiently exposed<br />
to sunlight”.<br />
Since this interesting assessment,<br />
there have been<br />
a number of small studies<br />
looking at the growth and<br />
development of vegan children<br />
and they all come to<br />
the same conclusion. That<br />
a “well-planned vegan diets,<br />
when based on a wide<br />
variety of plant foods and<br />
excluding all animal derivates,<br />
can provide adequate<br />
nutrition throughout<br />
all stages of life”. Any type<br />
of diet has the potential for<br />
pitfalls and deficiencies.<br />
Many people fail to recognise<br />
that there is as much<br />
potential for nutritional deficiencies<br />
in children who eat<br />
a western-style diet as in<br />
those who eat a vegan diet.<br />
We are still learning about<br />
the benefits of vegan diets<br />
for children but what we do<br />
know is that they are very<br />
protective.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 21
22 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Premium<br />
crafted for coffee<br />
Discover more<br />
FOlLOW US<br />
@happyhappysoyboy<br />
EaTDRINKHAPPYhapPy.cOM
24 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 25
26 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 27
28 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 29
Vegan Ice Cream<br />
By Karin Ridgers<br />
According to Allied Market Research the Vegan Ice Cream Market<br />
is set to reach $805.3 Mn globally by 2027. Well I don’t mind<br />
what is driving this massive trend – as long as its better for the<br />
cows and the planet!<br />
I have to admit I am a vanilla fan<br />
when it comes to ice cream... and<br />
it was the original Swedish Glace<br />
that even helped me go vegan 25<br />
years ago – I thought if vegan ice<br />
cream can taste this good who<br />
needs cow milk products!? (Back<br />
then we had several vegan brands<br />
(including the yummy Tofutti) and<br />
Swedish Glace had various flavours<br />
including “pear” – that tasted<br />
like pear drops!<br />
Now of course in health food<br />
stores and supermarkets there is<br />
an array of vegan ice creams and<br />
to my sons delight we can even<br />
find a vegan ice cream when going<br />
out for the day to the seaside.<br />
I still find this amazing and often<br />
take a photo of “vegan ice cream<br />
available here” signs – however it<br />
really has become the norm now!<br />
Many are soya based, coconut<br />
based, and nut based. Always best<br />
to leave out for a few minutes before<br />
serving and get yourself one<br />
of those ice cream scoopers for<br />
a professional look. My tip is to<br />
leave the scooper in warm water<br />
before using on your ice cream.<br />
Pictured: Dappa Ice Cream - www.getdappa.com<br />
30 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Italian Valsoia is one to try – their<br />
raspberry ripple is fantastic and<br />
they even have little vegan ice<br />
cream sandwiches too.<br />
Cecily’s has brought the dairy free<br />
to Cornish ice cream – bringing<br />
back childhood memories (pre<br />
vegan) of ice cream you only got<br />
while on your summer holidays.<br />
Northern Bloc is also one to<br />
add to your shopping list – with<br />
rich flavours such as Chocolate<br />
and Orange Blossom as well as<br />
Hazelnut and Rose.<br />
Perfect World’s plant based icecream<br />
is also high in vitamins and<br />
minerals as well as no added sugar<br />
and keto friendly – we like the<br />
pistachio flavour.<br />
Also remember to check the ingredients of<br />
your ice cream cones too! Some do contain<br />
cow milk, e numbers and artificial ingredients<br />
that could be non vegan.<br />
Now because of the good quality ingredients<br />
and buying from the smaller companies<br />
your vegan ice cream may well turn into a<br />
bit of an investment with many tubs costing<br />
upwards of £6! If you decide that the<br />
flavour or even texture wasn’t to your liking,<br />
then you can always blend into an ice cream<br />
milkshake.<br />
And enjoy!<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 31
Vegan Lifestyle<br />
‘Vegan’ doesn’t just mean the food you eat. As veganism is a philosophy,<br />
seeking to exclude wherever practicable and possible the use or<br />
commodification of animals, this can and does relate to many decisions<br />
we make in a typical day. In this issue we recommend some key ’every-day’<br />
products and services that if you’re not aware of them yet, you’ll be glad to<br />
know about them now.<br />
Humane Wildlife Solutions<br />
Humane Wildlife Solutions is Europe’s only multi<br />
award winning vegan alternative to pest control,<br />
Helping businesses and domestic clients with<br />
wildlife issues without harming any wildlife. We<br />
help people over come wildlfie conflict by keeping<br />
your premises secure from wildlife intrusion. So if<br />
you need help with any wildlife issues please get<br />
in contact today.<br />
humanewildlifesolutions.co.uk<br />
Harvest & Filter<br />
Urban dwellers can grow plant-focused food in small<br />
spaces with Harvest & Filter’s wild and heirloom seeds<br />
collection.<br />
Expect wild varieties; ancestral crops and plants which<br />
have for centuries been recognised for their medicinal-like<br />
qualities.<br />
Encouraging vegan-friendly and organic growing methods,<br />
each pack of untreated seeds comes together with<br />
simple instructions, helpful tips and handy measurement<br />
guide.<br />
The ability to deliver such seeds is just one way Harvest<br />
& Filter is keeping alive the use of ancient, traditional,<br />
and holistic methods towards better health.<br />
Company name I 32<br />
32 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong><br />
A full list of seeds can be found by joining Harvest &<br />
Filter.<br />
www.harvestandfilter.co.uk
Organicup<br />
Easier. Healthier. Greener.<br />
Ever since our founding in 2012, it has always been about more than cups. We believe no one should be<br />
held back by their body. We believe period products should not contain harmful chemicals nor absorb natural<br />
bodily secretions, resulting in infections. Periods should not be the cause of major pollution. And they<br />
should never, ever be a source of shame.<br />
With three sizes to suit every stage the female body may travel through: Mini for teenagers, A for pre vaginal<br />
birth and B for post vaginal birth. Made from 100% medical grade silicone, no chemicals and no dyes,<br />
silicone made from quartz, the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s crust.<br />
www.organicup.com<br />
Lazy Vegan<br />
Give yourself and the planet a break! Lazy Vegan makes<br />
plant based ready meals with a mission: to make it easy<br />
for people to eat vegan. All the Lazy Vegan meals are<br />
healthy delicious ready to cook meals that are free from<br />
gluten and soy, but packed with veggies and protein.<br />
Perfect for your busy (or lazy) days because the meals are<br />
ready in 8 minutes! Sounds amazing right? And let’s be<br />
honest, making a perfect creamy risotto can take ages!<br />
Well not anymore. Lazy Vegan did all the work for you so<br />
you can be a little lazy. The new flavour, Italian Risotto, is<br />
now available exclusively at Waitrose. You can find all the<br />
Lazy Vegan meals in the freezer to make sure vitamins and<br />
other nutrients are properly maintained from the moment<br />
of harvest all the way to the kitchen.<br />
lazyvegan.com<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 33
Vegan Lifestyle: continued<br />
Yummzy<br />
Gourmet, Keto, Low Carb, Sugar free, Gluten Free,<br />
Vegan, High Protein & Yeast free desserts, Bread,<br />
savouries, spreads. Who said premium vegan<br />
doesn’t exist without sugar?!<br />
Indulgent and Inclusive - just as food should be!<br />
Check us out and order on<br />
www.yummzy.co.uk<br />
Yaoh Hemp Products<br />
Yaoh is a Bristol-based company specialising in<br />
vegan hemp bodycare & food products. Whether<br />
it’s organic dehulled hemp seed, hemp seed oil,<br />
shampoos, conditioners, lip balms and moisturisers,<br />
shower gels or body butters, Yaoh has what<br />
you need.<br />
One thing Yaoh Hemp Products is renowned for<br />
are their suncare products. With both the classic<br />
SPF15 and SPF30 sunblocks, as well as the newer<br />
mineral based SPF25 in a glass jar, Yaoh has<br />
literally got you covered this summer.<br />
Yaoh have more products on the way, so keep an<br />
eye out at www.yaoh.co.uk or sign up to the mailing<br />
list on the Yaoh homepage to stay up to date<br />
every step of the way.<br />
There are always special offers available so head<br />
on over to the Yaoh website for more information!<br />
www.yaoh.co.uk<br />
Company name I 34<br />
34 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Biocanna<br />
If you want to get the best out of your home-grown<br />
produce then give BIOCANNA products a try.<br />
BIOCANNA’s fertilisers, and the soils composition,<br />
are tuned to your plants need to ensure they<br />
reach their maximum growth and yield potential.<br />
For more information check out our website:<br />
www.canna-uk.com/biocanna_products<br />
British Hemp Company<br />
Now stocked by Yaoh Hemp Products, these<br />
fantastic British farmed hemp products from the<br />
British Hemp Company are second to none.<br />
Hemp Flour:<br />
‘Our Hemp Flour (500g) is gluten free and contains<br />
25% protein, which means it keeps you full<br />
for longer. High in fiber, low GI, with omegas 3, 6<br />
and 9, it’s more nutritious than wheat flours, and<br />
more digestible too. Use it alone or add to conventional<br />
flour to power up your baking.’<br />
Hemp Protein Powder:<br />
One of the most popular protein powders among<br />
athletes, with good reason.<br />
Our hemp protein powder (500g) contains all<br />
the essential amino acids, plus fibre, essential<br />
fatty acids, antioxidants and minerals. And at<br />
50% protein, this is the richest natural source of<br />
plant-based protein you’ll find. Power up any meal,<br />
shake or smoothie with a fresh, nutty flavour.<br />
Both are available on the Yaoh online store.<br />
www.yaoh.co.uk<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 35
THE BIO SOLUTION<br />
FOR GROWTH&BLOOM
Only<br />
8 min<br />
to make the perfect<br />
RISOTTO<br />
A delicious plant-based meal available at Waitrose!<br />
don’t let a busy day stop you from enjoying<br />
a sustainable and healthy dinner with a fungi!<br />
Selected stores. Subject to availability.
38 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
About Yaoh<br />
Yaoh Hemp Products, founded in<br />
2002, supply an award winning<br />
range of hemp bodycare products,<br />
including the sunblock range,<br />
bath products and the most wonderful<br />
hemp oil based moisturisers,<br />
lip balms and body butters.<br />
In addition, Yaoh supplies organic<br />
dehulled hemp seed and hemp<br />
oil – bringing those essential fatty<br />
acids and plenty of protein to the<br />
plant based table. See yaoh.co.uk<br />
for the full range – and sign up to<br />
our monthly ebulletin and our free<br />
hemp hamper giveaways + news<br />
of regular special offers.<br />
yaoh.co.uk<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 39
<strong>Plant</strong>ing Value<br />
In The Food System By Alex Lockwood<br />
What will our food system of the future look like?<br />
Hopefully one that is sustainable, secure, and fair for all.<br />
The Vegan Society launched a major new piece of research in<br />
July looking at just what we need if we are to get to that system -<br />
and yes, it is of<br />
course plant-based.<br />
40 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Coming in the same week as<br />
the National Food Strategy,<br />
which called for 30% more<br />
fruit and veg in our diets (on<br />
prescription of those who<br />
need them most!), and a<br />
30% reduction in meat consumption,<br />
it’s heartening to<br />
see how many mainstream<br />
positions are adopting this<br />
direction of travel towards<br />
plant-based foods.<br />
CHECK OUT<br />
THE REPORT<br />
Our Vegan Society report—<br />
<strong>Plant</strong>ing Value in the Food<br />
System—goes further, and<br />
is fairer. A food system<br />
cannot be fair unless it is<br />
fair for everyone—including<br />
animals. With the National<br />
Food Strategy requiring a<br />
response from government<br />
by January 2022, this is the<br />
best opportunity in the last<br />
75 years to get food done<br />
right.<br />
Here in the UK, we need to<br />
increase two things within<br />
the system: 1) the value,<br />
and 2) the fairness, with<br />
which we produce food in<br />
this country. In fact, three<br />
things, because we 3) need<br />
to invest in our fruit and veg<br />
production. We grow a tiny<br />
proportion of the fresh food<br />
we eat, importing the rest.<br />
As the author of that report,<br />
I needed to know what challenges<br />
and obstacles farmers<br />
face. I could only do that<br />
by speaking to all those involved.<br />
This approach is important,<br />
we take a multi-criteria<br />
approach to food and<br />
land use. So I sat round the<br />
table with people across<br />
food and farming, to understand<br />
the issues from their<br />
perspective and work towards<br />
a shared vision.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 41
Coming in the same week as<br />
the National Food Strategy,<br />
which called for 30% more<br />
fruit and veg in our diets (on<br />
prescription of those who<br />
need them most!), and a<br />
30% reduction in meat consumption,<br />
it’s heartening to<br />
see how many mainstream<br />
positions are adopting this<br />
direction of travel towards<br />
plant-based foods.<br />
Our Vegan Society report—<br />
<strong>Plant</strong>ing Value in the Food<br />
System—goes further, and<br />
is fairer. A food system<br />
cannot be fair unless it is<br />
fair for everyone—including<br />
animals. With the National<br />
Food Strategy requiring a<br />
response from government<br />
by January 2022, this is the<br />
best opportunity in the last<br />
75 years to get food done<br />
right.<br />
Here in the UK, we need to<br />
increase two things within<br />
the system:<br />
1) the value, and<br />
2) the fairness, with which<br />
we produce food in this<br />
country.<br />
In fact, three things, because<br />
we<br />
3) need to invest in our fruit<br />
and veg production. We<br />
grow a tiny proportion of the<br />
fresh food we eat, importing<br />
the rest.<br />
As the author of that report,<br />
I needed to know what challenges<br />
and obstacles farmers<br />
face. I could only do that<br />
by speaking to all those involved.<br />
This approach is important,<br />
we take a multi-criteria<br />
approach to food and<br />
land use. So I sat round the<br />
table with people across<br />
food and farming, to understand<br />
the issues from their<br />
perspective and work towards<br />
a shared vision.<br />
So, what’s in the report?<br />
There are three proposals<br />
for pieces of legislation.<br />
These are:<br />
1) a new Food Sustainability Bill<br />
2) a Wellbeing of Future<br />
Generations Bill<br />
3) an End to Animal Slaughter Bill<br />
The first two should be implemented<br />
in the next six<br />
years to bring UK food policy<br />
into alignment with legal<br />
commitments to tackle climate<br />
change and achieve<br />
the 2030 Sustainable<br />
Development Goals. The<br />
42 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
third will follow as we shift<br />
onto this transition.<br />
A Food Sustainability Bill is<br />
needed that goes beyond<br />
the Agriculture Act and<br />
Environment Bill. It will be<br />
backed by legally binding<br />
targets and new governance<br />
mechanisms to underpin<br />
social, cultural and<br />
planetary well-being.<br />
And a Well-being of Future<br />
Generations Bill for England,<br />
Scotland and Northern<br />
Ireland, will align the rest<br />
of the UK with Wales. Then<br />
together the four nations<br />
can frame decisions on environment,<br />
food, climate<br />
and health, and animals, in<br />
terms of future needs.<br />
We call for reduction targets<br />
and a pathway to a plantbased<br />
system. This should<br />
include government-set targets<br />
for reducing consumption<br />
of animal products,<br />
placing us on a transition<br />
pathway to a plant-based<br />
food system.<br />
And we propose a National<br />
Food Sustainability Council<br />
to provide oversight of government<br />
in a framework of<br />
“policy coherence” adopted<br />
by Defra and across government<br />
to ensure policymakers<br />
see that a plant-based<br />
food system can provide<br />
real public value.<br />
I hope this report contributes<br />
a way to reimagine<br />
our story, reprogramme our<br />
food system, rewrite our<br />
policies, and change our relationship<br />
to animals and to<br />
each other.<br />
Check out the<br />
full report here<br />
Dr. Alex Lockwood is a writer and scholar working at the intersection<br />
of animals, activism and narrative theory. He was a founding member<br />
of Animal Rebellion, and is a Research Advisory Committee<br />
member for The Vegan Society. His 2016 memoir The Pig in Thin<br />
Air explored paths to connect climate change with the food we<br />
eat. He is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland and<br />
has published in Environmental Communication, Environmental<br />
Humanities, Animal Studies Journal, as well as the anthologies<br />
Vegan Geographies and The Vegan Studies Handbook.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 43
Robert Cheeke<br />
Author of The <strong>Plant</strong> Based Athlete<br />
Congratulations on<br />
publishing The <strong>Plant</strong><br />
Based Athlete!<br />
How has life been<br />
treating you since<br />
it’s release?<br />
Thank you so much! This<br />
has been a lifetime in the<br />
making for me, as someone<br />
who has wanted to be an<br />
author since I was 8 years<br />
old, so it has been a dream<br />
come true. I am in my 26th<br />
year as a plant-based athlete,<br />
and this has been<br />
the biggest project I have<br />
ever completed. The <strong>Plant</strong>-<br />
Based Athlete became a<br />
New York Times Bestseller,<br />
a #1 International<br />
Bestseller, a Publisher’s<br />
Weekly Bestseller, and a #1<br />
Amazon Bestseller in 4 categories<br />
(Nutrition, Exercise<br />
and Fitness, Vegan Diets,<br />
and Sports Psychology). It<br />
has been a whirlwind past<br />
couple of months, but I am<br />
embracing it as I fulfilled my<br />
lifelong dream of becoming<br />
a bestselling author.<br />
The book is<br />
co-written by Matt<br />
Frazier, founder of No<br />
Meat Athlete. How<br />
did that partnership<br />
come about?<br />
I have known Matt Frazier,<br />
the founder of No Meat<br />
Athlete, for more than ten<br />
years. Matt manages perhaps<br />
the largest plantbased<br />
athlete community<br />
in the world, and he was<br />
my first choice as a co-author.<br />
I presented this idea<br />
of The <strong>Plant</strong>-Based Athlete<br />
to him, with the goal of telling<br />
the compelling stories of<br />
the world’s greatest plantbased<br />
athletes, and he enthusiastically<br />
agreed to collaborate<br />
on this book with<br />
me. The collaboration between<br />
Vegan Bodybuilding<br />
& Fitness and No Meat<br />
Athlete has been a long time<br />
coming, pairing two of the<br />
largest plant-based athlete<br />
communities in the world<br />
together, which resulted in<br />
publishing one of the bestselling<br />
books in the world,<br />
and it has been an honor to<br />
partner with my long-time<br />
friend on this meaningful<br />
project.<br />
44 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
“<br />
I learned that actions<br />
taken today will impact<br />
tomorrow, but will also<br />
impact a week from now,<br />
a month from now, a year<br />
from now, and five, ten, or<br />
twenty years from now.<br />
It looks from the<br />
back cover that<br />
you have quite a<br />
few high-profile<br />
endorsements...<br />
Yeah, our book features<br />
amazing plant-based athletes,<br />
including Scott Jurek,<br />
Fiona Oakes, James Wilks,<br />
Orla Walsh, Rich Roll, and<br />
names you’d expect to see<br />
included in a book like<br />
this such as Rip Esselstyn,<br />
Dotsie Bausch, and<br />
Brendan Brazier, and the<br />
experts who endorsed our<br />
book are just as impressive.<br />
We’re fortunate to have the<br />
support of iconic members<br />
of the plant-based, health,<br />
and nutrition communities,<br />
including Dr. T. Colin<br />
Campbell, Brenda Davis,<br />
RD, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn<br />
Jr., Chloe Coscarelli, John<br />
Robbins, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz,<br />
and a bunch of others. It is<br />
”<br />
such a rewarding feeling to<br />
have their sincere support<br />
of The <strong>Plant</strong>-Based Athlete.<br />
Dr. Michael Greger,<br />
MD wrote the<br />
Foreword, is that<br />
right?<br />
We are very fortunate<br />
and grateful to have the<br />
foreword for The <strong>Plant</strong>-<br />
Based Athlete written by<br />
Dr. Michael Greger from<br />
NutritionFacts.org, who has<br />
been a role model and inspiration<br />
to both me and<br />
Matt for years. Having experts<br />
like Greger, Campbell,<br />
Esselstyn, Robbins, Davis,<br />
and so many others, including<br />
the wide range of elite<br />
athletes, makes The <strong>Plant</strong>-<br />
Based Athlete a well-rounded<br />
resource that nearly 100<br />
athletes and experts contributed<br />
to.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 45
How long did the<br />
book take to write,<br />
and what was your<br />
process?<br />
Believe it or not, I first wrote<br />
the proposal for The <strong>Plant</strong>-<br />
Based Athlete in 2013,<br />
when it was nearly accepted<br />
by a publisher back then,<br />
but it did not end up landing<br />
a publishing deal, and it sat<br />
on the back burner while I<br />
wrote and published other<br />
books, including Shred It!<br />
and <strong>Plant</strong>-Based Muscle.<br />
Then, in 2018, I revisited<br />
the idea of releasing this<br />
book, wrote a new proposal,<br />
got a new agent, landed<br />
Matt as a co-author, and<br />
then I went to work writing<br />
the book in 2019. The book<br />
took about a year to write,<br />
with many, many months<br />
(nearly another year) rewriting<br />
and editing until it<br />
was finally completed. We<br />
submitted the manuscript<br />
exactly a full year before it<br />
was published. The whole<br />
process took a little more<br />
than two years.<br />
As well as<br />
information, facts,<br />
motivation,<br />
anecdotes and meal<br />
plans, there are<br />
also lots of recipes -<br />
where did you source<br />
these from? Are<br />
they recipes you use<br />
personally?<br />
One of the most exciting<br />
aspects about The <strong>Plant</strong>-<br />
Based Athlete, from my perspective,<br />
is that the recipes<br />
were contributed by the elite<br />
plant-based athletes featured<br />
in the book. Therefore,<br />
the recipes are not just<br />
mine, and not just Matt’s,<br />
but readers get to see the<br />
exact recipes that worldclass<br />
plant-based athletes<br />
actually use. Matt and I also<br />
use the recipes from the<br />
book, and in fact, during our<br />
book launch, I was enjoying<br />
some of the recipes from<br />
the back of the book to fuel<br />
our very busy book launch.<br />
In addition to the recipes<br />
contributed by the athletes,<br />
there is also a Day In The<br />
Life section where many of<br />
the world’s greatest plantbased<br />
athletes share an insiders<br />
look into their entire<br />
day, from their breakfast,<br />
to their pre-and post-workout<br />
meals, their workouts,<br />
lunch, dinner, dessert, and<br />
46 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
even their routines and<br />
techniques to effectively recover<br />
from workouts. There<br />
are about 25 day in the life<br />
routines shared in the book,<br />
and more than 60 recipes.<br />
How did you get<br />
started on a plant<br />
based journey?<br />
I became a plant-based athlete<br />
in 1995, as a 15-yearold<br />
5-sport athlete when I<br />
got involved in animal rights.<br />
I became vegan for the animals,<br />
and as someone who<br />
grew up on a farm, and lived<br />
on a farm for more than 20<br />
years, reducing animal suffering<br />
became a passion of<br />
mine, and I turned into a vegan<br />
athlete, advocate, and<br />
activist. I am still driven by<br />
animal rights today, more<br />
than a quarter century after<br />
becoming vegan. Over the<br />
course of my plant-based<br />
athlete career, I went from<br />
being a champion vegan<br />
runner to a champion vegan<br />
bodybuilder, gaining<br />
100 pounds in the process.<br />
My plant-based diet and<br />
vegan athlete lifestyle saw<br />
me grow from weighing 120<br />
pounds at age 15 to weighing<br />
220 pounds at age 41,<br />
and at times, I feel like I’m<br />
just getting started.<br />
Advice for getting<br />
people started?<br />
For those who are just embarking<br />
on a plant-based<br />
athlete lifestyle, I would recommend<br />
reading our book,<br />
The <strong>Plant</strong>-Based Athlete, because<br />
it is the number one<br />
resource for plant-based<br />
athletes, and represents my<br />
25-plus years experience<br />
and my co-author’s 10-plus<br />
years experience as plantbased<br />
athletes, complete<br />
with nutrition information,<br />
meal plans, recipes, day<br />
in the life routines, grocery<br />
shopping lists, athlete stories,<br />
and more. You can also<br />
visit our websites, www.veganbodybuilding.com<br />
and<br />
www.nomeatathlete.com<br />
for decades worth of articles<br />
about building muscle,<br />
burning fat, and improving<br />
endurance on a plant-based<br />
diet.<br />
When it comes to<br />
training, are there<br />
any specific foods<br />
that you consume?<br />
And why?<br />
Meal timing around workouts<br />
can be important, and<br />
I recommend eating complex<br />
carbohydrates before a<br />
workout, such as foods like<br />
oats, rice, beans, vegetables,<br />
or fruits (my favorite),<br />
and a balanced nutrition<br />
approach of carbohydrates,<br />
proteins, and fats following<br />
a workout. Basically,<br />
you want to have adequate<br />
fuel before a workout, and<br />
carbohydrate is our body’s<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 47
preferred fuel source, and<br />
you want to replenish glycogen<br />
(carbohydrates), electrolytes<br />
(carbohydrates),<br />
amino acids to repair muscle<br />
(protein), and calorie<br />
dense foods with essential<br />
nutrients like Omega-3<br />
(fats, as well as protein and<br />
carbohydrates for other calorie<br />
dense options) after a<br />
workout. I recommend eating<br />
slower releasing (longer<br />
lasting energy) carbohydrates<br />
like oats, potatoes,<br />
yams, rice and beans an<br />
hour or two before a workout,<br />
but fruit (quick energy<br />
to be used up right away),<br />
such as bananas, stone<br />
fruit (peaches, apricots,<br />
etc.), and berries immediately<br />
before a workout.<br />
C’mon then – we all<br />
want to know – how<br />
do you get those<br />
gains!<br />
I have found success as<br />
a plant-based athlete because<br />
of three primary<br />
reasons:<br />
1. I learned to believe in<br />
myself at a young age, and<br />
whether it was becoming<br />
a champion athlete or a<br />
bestselling author, I’ve always<br />
believed in myself. If<br />
you don’t believe that you<br />
can accomplish something,<br />
nobody else is going to believe<br />
in you either. It starts<br />
with you, and the actions<br />
you take to support your<br />
goals.<br />
2. I always found ways to<br />
connect the dots ahead of<br />
time. I learned that actions<br />
taken today will impact tomorrow,<br />
but will also impact<br />
a week from now, a month<br />
from now, a year from now,<br />
and five, ten, or twenty years<br />
from now. I’ve always been<br />
focused on consistency<br />
and maximizing the 1,440<br />
minutes we have each day,<br />
working toward meaningful<br />
goals. Connecting the<br />
dots in advance allowed<br />
me to visualize my future,<br />
even when I was a skinny<br />
vegan farm kid dreaming<br />
of being bigger and stronger<br />
someday. I believed it<br />
into existence, and then<br />
worked incredibly hard, with<br />
transparency and accountability,<br />
turning my goals and<br />
dreams into my reality.<br />
3. I learned the importance<br />
of nutrient density and calorie<br />
density, and that enabled<br />
me to have control<br />
over my outcomes, determining<br />
whether I would gain<br />
weight, lose weight, or stay<br />
the same, and that served<br />
me well as a runner, as a<br />
bodybuilder, and as an athlete<br />
in general.<br />
48 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
More than anything, I was<br />
able to discover what I was<br />
passionate about (saving<br />
animals and building muscle)<br />
and I worked at it day<br />
in and day out, and the<br />
results tend to speak for<br />
themselves after a lifetime<br />
of commitment to those<br />
endeavors.<br />
What’s next for Mr<br />
Cheeke in the <strong>Plant</strong><br />
based world?<br />
After the success of The<br />
<strong>Plant</strong>-Based Athlete, I would<br />
love to embark on a professional<br />
writing career, writing<br />
books for the rest of my life.<br />
There will likely be at least<br />
one follow-up book to The<br />
<strong>Plant</strong>-Based Athlete, and<br />
then I have many other topics<br />
I want to write about,<br />
from children’s books to personal<br />
development books.<br />
I’ve written four books<br />
about the vegan fitness lifestyle,<br />
and I think I’m ready<br />
to tackle some new topics,<br />
and I look forward to seeing<br />
what’s next. For now, The<br />
<strong>Plant</strong>-Based Athlete is still<br />
very new, having been released<br />
on June 15, 2021,<br />
and I am looking forward<br />
to landing as many international<br />
translation deals<br />
as possible. We’ve already<br />
landed deals for translation<br />
in German, Chinese<br />
(Taiwan), and Italian, and<br />
we hope to get our book<br />
translated into many more<br />
languages soon.<br />
“<br />
There will likely be<br />
at least one follow-up<br />
book to The <strong>Plant</strong><br />
Based Athlete, and<br />
then I have many<br />
other topics I want<br />
to write about, from<br />
children’s books to<br />
personal development<br />
books.<br />
”<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 49
MATT FRAZIER & ROBERT CHEEKE<br />
THE PLANT<br />
BASED<br />
ATHLETE<br />
“Matt Frazier<br />
and Robert<br />
Cheeke have<br />
written what<br />
should become<br />
the seminal<br />
book on diet,<br />
athleticism, and<br />
physical fitness.”<br />
T.COLIN CAMPBELL, PhD
The Menstrual Cup<br />
Easier Healthier Greener<br />
No leaks,<br />
no worries<br />
No dryness,<br />
no infections<br />
Save money,<br />
spare our planet<br />
OrganiCup holds 3 tampons<br />
worth and can be worn for up<br />
to 12 hours. Forget about your<br />
period during the day and<br />
night. OrganiCup is the only<br />
menstrual cup on the market<br />
that is AllergyCertified.<br />
OrganiCup is made of 100%<br />
medical-grade silicone that<br />
doesn’t mess with your body.<br />
While tampons and pads<br />
absorb natural secretions,<br />
OrganiCup simply collects,<br />
which eliminates dryness.<br />
OrganiCup is reusable<br />
for years – not hours.<br />
No more constant waste<br />
and no monthly purchases.<br />
OrganiCup is registered<br />
with The Vegan Society.<br />
OrganiCup is available in 3 sizes.<br />
Try the cup risk-free with our 90-day satisfaction guarantee.<br />
Available at Holland & Barrett, Superdrug, WH Smith Travel stores,<br />
<strong>Planet</strong> Organic and all leading independent health food shops.<br />
www.organicup.com | @organicup<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 51
The Vegan Vet<br />
Dr Lucy Claire<br />
McKinna<br />
About<br />
Lucy<br />
Dr Lucy Claire (LC) McKinna<br />
- Veterinary Surgeon, BVSc,<br />
MSc, MRCVS graduated<br />
from Melbourne University<br />
in 2007, and has been a<br />
small animal veterinary<br />
surgeon since then. LC<br />
founded and ran the Fat<br />
Salad vegan food stall ‘Get<br />
In, Get Fed, Stay Healthy’ at<br />
UK summer festivals from<br />
2012 to 2017, also supplying<br />
independent health<br />
food shops in London. She<br />
has a lifetime interest in<br />
sustainability, corporate<br />
responsibility and animal<br />
welfare and has been vegan<br />
for 9 years now.<br />
Can companion<br />
animals be vegan?<br />
Yes dogs and cats can both<br />
be vegan. It’s very exciting<br />
actually - I remember sitting<br />
in a lecture hall many<br />
years ago as a vet student<br />
being told by a (rather old<br />
and probably well set in his<br />
ways) university lecturer<br />
that feeding dogs and cats<br />
a vegetarian diet is tantamount<br />
to animal cruelty<br />
- I imagine probably what<br />
he had in mind was bowfuls<br />
of boiled potatoes and<br />
beans, not sophisticated,<br />
nutritionally-complete recipes<br />
that tick all the boxes<br />
set by European Pet Food<br />
Standards Authority FEDIAF<br />
with compelling and delicious,<br />
natural flavours.<br />
Our knowledge has increased<br />
so much with the<br />
dawn of the internet- from<br />
the increased visibility and<br />
inherent cruelty of the meat<br />
trade, how animal protein<br />
from different species’ body<br />
parts goes through significant<br />
rendering and into<br />
many of the meat-based<br />
pet foods, our increased<br />
knowledge about the impact<br />
of farm animal production<br />
on the environment - to<br />
the increased knowledge<br />
of animal nutrition and sophistication<br />
to use plants<br />
and yeasts to provide the<br />
same amino acids found<br />
52 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
in meat, without the need<br />
for farm animal slaughter.<br />
Armed with all this indisputable<br />
knowledge, we can’t<br />
run from the obvious - that<br />
the diets of our ever-growing<br />
number of companion<br />
animals should be held<br />
and produced to the same<br />
moral and environmental<br />
standards of our own - and<br />
we’ve never been in a better<br />
position to do it.<br />
What companion<br />
animals thrive on<br />
a vegan diet – and<br />
what do you advise<br />
NOT to feed a vegan<br />
diet?<br />
In a nutshell, if you can provide<br />
all the right nutrients,<br />
it is possible to feed any<br />
companion animal on a vegan<br />
diet and to have them<br />
thrive. It’s not the ingredients<br />
per se that matter,<br />
it’s the nutrients. The diet<br />
must provide the nutrients<br />
in a high quality form (i.e<br />
those nutrients can be digested<br />
and absorbed by the<br />
eater). Of course, the food<br />
has to be the right texture,<br />
consistency plus delicious<br />
AND filling in order to fulfil!<br />
We want our animals to be<br />
happy and looking forward<br />
to their meals.<br />
When that lecturer was<br />
booming out that vegetarian<br />
diets were tantamount to<br />
animal cruelty, there were<br />
already vegetarian diets for<br />
dogs and cats on the market<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 53
from companies way ahead<br />
of their time, and tens of<br />
thousands of dogs and cats<br />
have been maintained happily<br />
on them for years on<br />
years. Of course, the argument<br />
re-iterated by many is<br />
that it’s ‘not natural’ to feed<br />
plant-based food to dogs<br />
and cats but it seems we<br />
have a skewed interpretation<br />
of what natural really is.<br />
Feeding cats bluefin tuna,<br />
prawns, whitebait, salmon,<br />
sheep or cattle is far from<br />
natural - surely we should<br />
be instead opening up tins<br />
of ‘raw field mouse, small<br />
bird and rat’. Worming, defleaing,<br />
microchipping, vaccinating<br />
them, giving them<br />
dentals when their teeth<br />
start to decay and get infected<br />
and painful etc - not<br />
natural but thank god for<br />
scientific advances that we<br />
have these available to us.<br />
So it is too, we have advances<br />
with food.<br />
With the increased interest<br />
and traction in the plantbased<br />
companion animal<br />
sector in the last few<br />
years, more studies are<br />
being carried out to evaluate<br />
plant-based diets compared<br />
with conventional<br />
companion animal diets.<br />
A recent study carried out<br />
by vet Dr Andrew Knight,<br />
Fellow of the Royal College<br />
of Veterinary Surgeons -<br />
showed that cats and dogs<br />
on plant-based commercial<br />
diets enjoyed their meals<br />
as much as those on meatbased<br />
diets. Another of his<br />
recent studies showed that<br />
the nutritional soundness<br />
of commercial plant-based<br />
diets was the same or superior<br />
to meat-based diets.<br />
When adopting a dog<br />
or a cat can their diet<br />
be changed immediately<br />
or do you advise<br />
a gradual change?<br />
Because dogs and cats<br />
are often fed on only one<br />
brand or flavour of food as<br />
the majority of their diet for<br />
months at a time, their digestive<br />
systems do tend to<br />
get used to digesting only<br />
those ones.<br />
In order to reduce the risk<br />
of a very upset tummy when<br />
switching, you need to give<br />
their systems time to adjust.<br />
Ideally this is slowly<br />
over 10 days- starting with<br />
the new food as 10% of<br />
the total meal (90% the old<br />
food) on Day 1 and working<br />
up to 100% by Day 10. If<br />
you’re feeding dry (kibble),<br />
Another of his recent<br />
studies showed that the<br />
nutritional soundness of<br />
commercial plant-based<br />
diets was the same or<br />
superior to meat-based<br />
diets.<br />
54 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
always think about starting<br />
the new food when you<br />
have about a quarter of the<br />
‘old’ bag left, so you can do<br />
a 10 day transition.<br />
When adopting an animal,<br />
trying to change diet slowly<br />
is even more important -<br />
stress of new parents (even<br />
wonderful new parents!),<br />
new environment, and exposure<br />
to your home’s existing<br />
microbiome - can upset<br />
their tummies anyway over<br />
the first few days, so introducing<br />
a new diet may well<br />
save you a trip to the vets.<br />
Ask the person or rescue<br />
centre you’re adopting from<br />
for some of the food they’ve<br />
been fed up until now, so<br />
you can do a slow transition<br />
to the new.<br />
or a food that specifies it is<br />
for ‘all life stages’. Our own<br />
Noochy Poochy Puppy will<br />
be available from January<br />
2022.<br />
Would you advise<br />
to make your own<br />
vegan dog/cat food<br />
or should this be<br />
bought?<br />
Prepared complete commercial<br />
foods are, of course,<br />
very convenient and have<br />
the benefits of quality control,<br />
nutritional soundness<br />
and palatability.<br />
There is a pleasingly ever-expanding<br />
range available<br />
- so you can choose based<br />
on what each brand offers -<br />
whether you want an organic<br />
ingredient content, PETA<br />
Not-Tested-on-Animals<br />
accreditation, Vegan or<br />
Vegetarian Society accreditation,<br />
Ethical Company<br />
Accreditation, packaging recyclability<br />
etc.<br />
Puppies need<br />
different food to<br />
adult dogs... Why<br />
is this and should<br />
younger dogs wait<br />
until they are older to<br />
try a vegan diet?<br />
Puppies can eat vegan too!<br />
Puppies are, of course,<br />
growing. No matter what<br />
size breed, all puppies<br />
have a higher requirement<br />
for specific nutrients, including<br />
but not limited to<br />
Arachidonic acid, Calcium<br />
and Phosphorus, than an<br />
adult dog. Therefore they<br />
should be fed a complete<br />
food specifically for puppies<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 55
Noochy Poochy has all of<br />
the above and is made with<br />
nutritional yeast, which<br />
gives a delicious, natural<br />
cheesy aroma and flavour<br />
that dogs just love, an<br />
Omega 6:3 ratio of 4:1, and<br />
a 28% protein content, all<br />
from plants.<br />
Making a homemade nutritionally<br />
complete vegan<br />
dog food - just like making<br />
a nutritionally sound meatbased<br />
one - requires some<br />
research and dedication to<br />
ensure a careful balance of<br />
vitamins, minerals, amino<br />
acids, carbohydrates and<br />
fats.<br />
You can contact a qualified<br />
veterinary nutritionist and<br />
get a tailor-made plan for<br />
your dog based on weight,<br />
age - this would be strongly<br />
recommended if they have<br />
any specific medical conditions.<br />
You can buy a vegan<br />
recipe book authored by a<br />
veterinary nutritionist. It is<br />
very important not to miss<br />
out any of the supplements<br />
that they specify in the ingredients<br />
- no matter how<br />
small an amount it might<br />
seem, missing it out may<br />
mean you could be omitting<br />
a vital nutrient.<br />
There are also companies<br />
that provide comprehensive<br />
vegan supplements for<br />
dogs - that you can add to<br />
a basic homemade meal to<br />
56 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
fulfil requirements, which<br />
takes a lot of the worry<br />
and the work out of making<br />
homemade. One such<br />
UK one is the ‘Just Be Kind<br />
Supplement’ available at<br />
vegan-dogfood.co.uk.<br />
I wouldn’t recommend making<br />
homemade diets for<br />
cats - any client I’ve had that<br />
tried to make a nutritionally<br />
balanced homemade diet<br />
for cats - meat-based or<br />
plant-based - ended up putting<br />
it in the bin as the cats<br />
turned their noses up and<br />
trotted off unimpressed. I’m<br />
not saying it can’t be done<br />
but I certainly haven’t seen<br />
much success with it!<br />
How do we know<br />
that your companion<br />
animal is thriving<br />
on their plant based<br />
diet?<br />
Look for energy, good coat<br />
condition, consistent toileting<br />
with well-formed<br />
(but not hard) poop and of<br />
course, that your pet looks<br />
very much forward to meal<br />
times and enjoys their meal.<br />
What should we look<br />
out for if we have<br />
concerns it may not<br />
be working for them?<br />
General signs to look out<br />
for would be a significant<br />
weight loss that doesn’t resolve<br />
with an increased portion<br />
size, lethargy, dull coat,<br />
inconsistent toileting or an<br />
upset tummy that doesn’t<br />
resolve (remembering to<br />
have done an ideally 10 day<br />
transition to the new food).<br />
If they don’t appear to be<br />
looking forward to meal<br />
times, and you’re concerned<br />
that they don’t like<br />
the flavour, try a different<br />
plant-based brand or flavour<br />
to see if your pet’s interest<br />
is restored.<br />
Any concerns - whether you<br />
think due to the food or not -<br />
you should consult your vet.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 57
What benefits are<br />
there of having a<br />
vegan diet for your<br />
companion animal?<br />
The benefits for the environment<br />
and farm animals of<br />
switching to a plant-based<br />
food for your pet is undeniable.<br />
Anecdotally, there<br />
are a huge number of improvements<br />
seen in the majority<br />
of animals switched<br />
to nutritionally complete<br />
plant-based diets - including<br />
energy, coat and skin<br />
condition, and better toileting<br />
too.<br />
For a bit of celebrity endorsement,<br />
Bramble, the<br />
world’s oldest dog and<br />
in the Guiness Book of<br />
Records was vegan and<br />
Lewis Hamilton’s dog went<br />
vegan recently and has apparently<br />
never looked back,<br />
with a resolution of all of his<br />
long standing skin issues :)<br />
What should we<br />
look out for when<br />
choosing vegan dog<br />
food?<br />
For feeding a healthy adult<br />
dog, I would recommend<br />
looking at the back of the<br />
pack for<br />
● A total protein content<br />
of 24% or more<br />
● An omega Essential<br />
Fatty Acid 6:3 ratio of less<br />
than 10:1 (you can calculate<br />
this by dividing the<br />
Omega 6 by the Omega 3<br />
values on the back of the<br />
pack)<br />
● Both Taurine<br />
and Methionine (or DLmethionine)<br />
to be listed in<br />
Nutritional Additives<br />
(to show that they have<br />
been supplemented in -<br />
Taurine isn’t one of the 10<br />
essential amino acids but<br />
it is extremely important<br />
none-the-less)<br />
And of course, last but not<br />
least, an ingredient list you<br />
can understand.<br />
What must we avoid<br />
giving to our<br />
companion animals?<br />
For both dogs and cats you<br />
should avoid grapes, raisins,<br />
currants, sultanas;<br />
macadamia nuts, chocolate<br />
and cocoa based products;<br />
and those of the Allium<br />
family (onions, shallots,<br />
scallions, chives, leeks and<br />
garlic) completely.<br />
58 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
For cats on a plant-based diet,<br />
it is important to check their<br />
urine pH every 6 months with<br />
a pH stick (these are easily<br />
available at pharmacies or from<br />
your vet). If too alkaline (more<br />
than 7) then your vet can<br />
recommend you a urinary<br />
acidifier.<br />
Dogs can eat spinach occasionally<br />
but not too often<br />
- spinach contains oxalic<br />
acid that reduces the<br />
body’s ability to absorb calcium<br />
and can lead to kidney<br />
damage.<br />
Tomatoes are very acidic<br />
and too much can upset<br />
tummies.<br />
Lettuce has no real nutritional<br />
value and if given<br />
too much could cause<br />
diarrhoea<br />
amounts out as a treat<br />
throughout the week!<br />
Xylitol - this artificial sweetener<br />
is poisonous to cats<br />
and dogs. Always screen<br />
the ingredients in your peanut<br />
butter or chewing gum<br />
or sweets for xylitol as an ingredient<br />
- if they do, ensure<br />
you keep them well away<br />
from your pet’s reach.<br />
What do you suggest<br />
for anyone thinking<br />
about putting their<br />
companion animals<br />
on a vegan diet?<br />
re: Protein, Omega 6:3 ratio,<br />
Taurine and Methionine<br />
before you buy so you can<br />
be sure you’re getting a<br />
top class one. Do a 10 day<br />
transition.<br />
For cats on a plant-based<br />
diet, it is important to check<br />
their urine pH every 6 mths<br />
with a pH stick (these are<br />
easily available at pharmacies<br />
or from your vet). If too<br />
alkaline (more than 7) then<br />
your vet can recommend<br />
Feed “you cauliflower and broccoli<br />
only in small amounts<br />
a urinary acidifier.<br />
- they’re full of good things<br />
but can upset the tummy if<br />
given in large quantities. My<br />
dogs literally clamber for I would certainly encourage<br />
roasted cauliflower when I you to do so. Buy a complete<br />
make it once a week, I keep food. For dogs, checklist<br />
in the fridge and give small the points made earlier on<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 59
Pet Products<br />
The ProGroom range<br />
ProGroom is a Premium Natural and<br />
Organic Vegan brand of Dog Grooming<br />
products.<br />
Our products have been formulated<br />
by an internationally renowned aromatherapy<br />
expert, author and founder<br />
of the Institute of Aromatherapy. We<br />
pride ourselves to have crafted these<br />
unique products from scratch using<br />
only natural ingredients and no harmful<br />
chemicals.<br />
ProGroom is a comprehensive formulation<br />
using the highest cosmetic grade<br />
active organic ingredients. Our products<br />
are enriched with a blend of 100%<br />
organic natural therapeutic grade<br />
Essential oils.<br />
Benevo Puppy<br />
Our full range of sustainable products<br />
are officially registered with The Vegan<br />
Society!<br />
Vegan-owned Benevo has perhaps the largest range of<br />
plant-based pet foods of any brand, and their puppy food<br />
was a World first.<br />
For those pet parents wishing to rescue a puppy, there<br />
was no option but to buy meat foods or risk making it<br />
yourself.<br />
Thankfully, Benevo developed a professional solution to<br />
this dilemma. It’s made in the UK with all the added nutrients<br />
those growing<br />
pups need.<br />
The unique wheatfree<br />
and GM-free<br />
recipe includes 28%<br />
protein, added calcium,<br />
Taurine and<br />
L-Carnitine and is now<br />
used by customers all<br />
round the World.<br />
60 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
V-dog Crunchy Nuggets<br />
V-dog is the oldest commercial meat-free dog<br />
food company, having launched its first product<br />
in the UK back in 1980.<br />
Which means Crunchy Nuggets has kept dogs<br />
happy and healthy for over 40 years. V-dog’s<br />
carefully crafted combination of plant-based ingredients,<br />
fortified with vitamins and minerals<br />
has proven itself to be a winning formula.<br />
Still made in the UK today, V-dog products are certified<br />
by both the Vegan and Vegetarian Societies<br />
and approved by PETA as a brand that doesn’t<br />
test on animals.<br />
Pawtato Ocean Treats<br />
Pawtato is a range of low-fat chews<br />
for dogs made using sweet potato<br />
and other plant-based ingredients<br />
to offer a nutritious and healthy<br />
alternative to animal rawhide<br />
products.<br />
Ocean Treats are sea-themed edible<br />
chews infused with three types<br />
of land-farmed seaweed, Kelp,<br />
Wakame and Spirulina, avoiding<br />
the need for seaweed sourced from<br />
our oceans.<br />
They come in two sizes and are<br />
packed in a plastic-free compostable<br />
pouch. As well as this Pawtato<br />
donate money from the sale of<br />
these chews to ocean conservation<br />
projects.<br />
An ethical chew that’s good for your<br />
pet and good for the planet.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 61
62 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 63
Passport-Free<br />
Travel: 5 Tips For New<br />
Vegan Adventurers!<br />
By Emma Fry<br />
Hi, I’m Emma!<br />
I’m the founder of Vegan Adventure Holidays, an outdoor<br />
backpacking educator and empowerment coach and have<br />
been helping people have the best vegan adventure travel<br />
experiences across the globe for 15+ years!<br />
An experienced expedition Leader, I run small group trips in Guatemala,<br />
Belize, Costa Rica and Colombia, women’s vegan fitness weeks in Mexico,<br />
vegan micro adventures in the U.K. and our signature coaching program,<br />
You Can Hike A Volcano Too!<br />
If you would like to meet other vegan travelers and connect up with some<br />
like minded people, come and join us over here and when the world opens<br />
up again, I would love to take you volcano hiking in Guatemala, snorkelling<br />
on the Belize Barrier Reef or to my favourite secret vegan street food spots<br />
in Mexico!<br />
There’s only one way to truly learn how to respect the<br />
environment and that’s to be in it!<br />
The U.K. and Ireland is an adventurer’s playground, home to<br />
some incredible landscapes, top wild swimming spots, endless<br />
hiking trails, days of mountain biking routes and much more<br />
but if you’re new to adventuring, getting started can feel a little<br />
daunting.<br />
The great outdoors is for EVERYONE and the benefits of being<br />
outside are endless.<br />
Here are some top tips to help you get started this summer.<br />
64 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
1: Set Goals<br />
Write down some 1 month, 6 month and 1 year outdoor adventure<br />
goals. Spend some time thinking about your dream hikes/<br />
climbs / adventures and make a list. What skills do you need<br />
to learn to get started? What’s holding you back and how might<br />
you overcome it?<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 65
2: Save the date<br />
If you don’t create the space and time it won’t happen, adult<br />
life is just too busy! Once you’ve set your first goal, make sure<br />
you put it on the calendar.<br />
66 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
3: Create a checklist<br />
It can be easy to forget things in the excitement of a new adventure!<br />
Create a simple checklist or what you’ll need to take<br />
but don’t overthink it, start with the basics, you can always add<br />
to your list later.
4: Take care of the places you love to go.<br />
If you see rubbish that’s not yours, if there is a designated trail,<br />
stick to it, don’t walk / hike / bike on ground that doesn’t need<br />
to be disturbed. Leave No Trace is an important rule to remember<br />
when outdoors.<br />
68 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
5: Plan ahead and learn to become<br />
self-sufficient.<br />
When you’re ready to take your adventuring to the next level, a<br />
critical part of becoming a skilled outdoor adventurer is learning<br />
how to prevent yourself from getting into tricky situations<br />
and knowing what to do if something goes wrong. Take safety<br />
seriously, learn how to read maps and gps, and learn some<br />
basic first aid so you can be an active adventure planner and<br />
participant not just a passive follower!<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 69
Crystal Bonnet<br />
Queen of Raw Desserts<br />
Hi! This is Danielle<br />
Maupertuis, Vegan<br />
Pastry Chef.<br />
In our previous issue, I briefly<br />
mentioned a new generation<br />
of Vegan, <strong>Plant</strong>-based,<br />
Raw Food Chefs (among<br />
them, I am pleased to say,<br />
quite a few young women!)<br />
Today, I am delighted to<br />
introduce one of the most<br />
talented International Raw<br />
Food Chefs, Crystal Bonnet.<br />
As a Pastry Chef myself,<br />
when I first saw pictures of<br />
her desserts, I was thrilled<br />
by her creativity, her sense<br />
of finesse and presentation.<br />
Also, I was impressed by her<br />
professionalism in building<br />
her online courses.<br />
So Crystal, I am very pleased to share this moment with<br />
you and learn a bit more about your journey, experience,<br />
challenges.<br />
70 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
“<br />
It was thrilling to travel to<br />
design and cater multiple<br />
health retreats in Canada and<br />
Europe, and when I launched<br />
my raw chocolate and<br />
dessert business, it was<br />
”<br />
so liberating!<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 71
How did this passion<br />
for raw food start,<br />
was there any<br />
specific event,<br />
a circumstance<br />
that changed<br />
everything for you?<br />
In 2013, I was home for<br />
over 4 weeks sick and I<br />
knew I had to do something<br />
about it, my body was not<br />
happy with me. As I was<br />
researching cleansing, detox<br />
and how to heal my<br />
body, I came across raw<br />
food. I knew about juicing<br />
and green smoothies but<br />
had no knowledge of raw<br />
“cooking.” I knew right then<br />
and there this was what my<br />
body was missing – fresh<br />
fruits and vegetables. I purchased<br />
a 21-day raw food<br />
cleanse and started right<br />
away.<br />
I was not good at cooking<br />
and had no desire to learn<br />
at all, but when I started<br />
making recipes from the<br />
21-day raw food cleanse,<br />
I fell in love. I had no idea<br />
food could look and taste<br />
that good and make me feel<br />
so good. I finished the 21<br />
days and stuck with eating<br />
a high-raw plant-based diet;<br />
I felt the best I ever had in<br />
my life.<br />
Two years later, in 2015<br />
I finally decided to take a<br />
plant-based culinary course<br />
to improve my skills; I had<br />
no prior culinary training,<br />
and I finally found my passion,<br />
doing anything else<br />
just didn’t make sense.<br />
That’s why I decided to pursue<br />
it as a career.<br />
72 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
What training have<br />
you completed<br />
throughout this<br />
journey?<br />
My first choice of informal education<br />
was Fundamentals<br />
of Raw Cuisine through<br />
Matthew Kenney Culinary<br />
in 2015. I started taking<br />
raw chocolate courses just<br />
after that because I wanted<br />
to dive deeper into making<br />
professional quality raw<br />
chocolate.<br />
Because I had no prior culinary<br />
training, I found video<br />
tutorials was the best way<br />
of learning for me. Doing<br />
courses, I was able to really<br />
up level my skills and<br />
knowledge about raw cuisine.<br />
I recently completed<br />
an Advanced <strong>Plant</strong>-Based<br />
Course in London and am<br />
still taking advanced courses<br />
online. I love learning,<br />
and although now I have a<br />
lot of experience I can always<br />
learn something new<br />
from different chefs.<br />
What drew you to<br />
creating a business<br />
out of your love of<br />
raw food?<br />
I started with a chocolate<br />
farmer’s market business. I<br />
went to Bali in 2017, took<br />
a tour of chocolate farms,<br />
attended some raw food<br />
classes and, when I came<br />
back, I felt very frustrated in<br />
my job’s office. Something<br />
had to change. So, the day<br />
I was admitted in the famous<br />
Edmonton’s Farmer’s<br />
market I quit my job straight<br />
away!<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 73
Crystal’s Morning<br />
Green Smoothie<br />
www.crystaldawnculinary.com<br />
Mineralizing, hydrating, alkalizing and nutritious<br />
green smoothie recipe!<br />
• 1 large handful spinach<br />
• 1 small handful cilantro<br />
• 1 cup almond milk<br />
• 1 fresh banana peeled<br />
• 1/2 cup frozen mango<br />
• 1 lemon peeled<br />
• 1 apple cored and chopped<br />
• 1 thumb ginger peeled<br />
• 1 tbsp mesquite powder or maca<br />
• 1 tsp chlorella powder<br />
• 1 dash ceylon cinnamon<br />
INSTRUCTIONS<br />
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender<br />
and blend until smooth.<br />
74 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
While I was doing the markets<br />
a lot of people asked<br />
me to teach them about<br />
raw desserts.<br />
I started to do classes and<br />
fell in love with teaching.<br />
What do you love<br />
about raw food<br />
that keeps you so<br />
passionate?<br />
There is just something<br />
about raw food, because<br />
it’s living, makes you feel<br />
alive. Raw food for me<br />
looks so much more appetizing<br />
than cooked food; the<br />
colours are still vibrant and<br />
you can create so much texture.<br />
When you cook vegetables,<br />
they just don’t look<br />
the same; I do also cook<br />
for myself, very basic such<br />
as steaming as I don’t eat<br />
a 100% raw diet but about<br />
80% – 90% depending on<br />
the season.<br />
Could you give us<br />
some advice about<br />
how to start a raw<br />
diet?<br />
My main advice would be<br />
“Start slowly!” If you go for<br />
a 100% raw diet straight<br />
away, you will have a lot of<br />
detoxing and negative effects,<br />
you will think “This<br />
diet is not for me”.<br />
Start your day with a green<br />
smoothie, you will get all<br />
the minerals, hydration your<br />
body needs.<br />
You now offer an<br />
Online Raw Dessert<br />
Chef Certification<br />
Course.<br />
Tell us about it, what<br />
makes this course<br />
quite unique?<br />
Raw desserts are very popular<br />
and so many people<br />
are starting raw dessert<br />
businesses, patisseries<br />
and bakeries so I wanted<br />
to create a course that<br />
taught all the skills from basic<br />
chocolate to advanced<br />
cakes. When I launched my<br />
course, it was the scariest<br />
thing I had ever done, but<br />
it was all worth it. I’ve kept<br />
true to myself throughout<br />
the entire process and have<br />
created something really<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 75
unique, with live monthly<br />
teaching components and<br />
a community full of support<br />
and people really resonate<br />
with that.<br />
I started with a large comprehensive,<br />
Certification<br />
course where the students<br />
can find all the support they<br />
need because I knew this<br />
was missing in the market.<br />
Many students want to start<br />
a raw food business or already<br />
have their own business.<br />
They learn about ingredients,<br />
equipment, how<br />
to create and write a professional<br />
recipe, they have to<br />
submit assignments, knowledge<br />
assessments, and at<br />
the end of the course, they<br />
have to come up with 3 raw<br />
desserts of their own.<br />
You just launched<br />
a new course, “the<br />
Nut-free Raw Cake<br />
Academy”, I am sure<br />
this will arouse the<br />
interest of many<br />
readers?<br />
My hope is people realize<br />
plant-based desserts<br />
are not only healthier but<br />
taste better than traditional<br />
ones full of dairy, refined<br />
sugar, and gluten. Raw<br />
desserts made from whole<br />
food ingredients are full of<br />
nutrition.<br />
Learn more about Crystal<br />
Dawn Culinary by visiting<br />
her website:<br />
crystaldawnculinary.com<br />
@crystaldawnculinary<br />
Raw food contains a lot of<br />
nuts, cashews are widely<br />
use in raw desserts. I received<br />
a lot of requests<br />
about nut-free raw desserts,<br />
so I decided this would be<br />
my next challenge! Once<br />
you know the ingredients,<br />
it’s really simple to do. As<br />
a next step, I was just asking<br />
myself why not create<br />
a course with all these recipes?<br />
This is how the “Nutfree<br />
Raw Cake Academy”<br />
started.<br />
76 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
“<br />
I started with a<br />
large comprehensive,<br />
Certification course<br />
where the students can<br />
find all the support they<br />
need because I knew<br />
this was missing in the<br />
market.<br />
”<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 77
Vegans deserve<br />
Better than a<br />
Fruit Salad<br />
78 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
An informative, humorous, idea-inspiring<br />
cookery book like no other.<br />
With more than 60 recipes, Chef<br />
Danielle will convince you that vegan<br />
desserts are easy to make, taste<br />
yummy and look fantastic. The book<br />
is organised into easy to read sections<br />
and the basics section gives even the<br />
most novice cook all the advice and<br />
help they need.<br />
“This book is a<br />
must for anyone<br />
wanting to up<br />
their vegan<br />
dessert game<br />
from a fruit<br />
salad! It will<br />
teach you<br />
great skills the<br />
Belgian way.”<br />
Sam Platt, Head of<br />
the Vegetarian Society<br />
Cookery School<br />
Now available in<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 79
The<br />
Vegetable Plot<br />
By Tony Bishop-Weston<br />
Consultant Vegan Chef & Author Tony Bishop-Weston and family plotting<br />
for a more vegetable filled world.<br />
This month,<br />
“Are you eating too much<br />
‘ultra-processed vegan pap’?”<br />
The Frost Report<br />
So my friends. The broad<br />
beans have recovered from<br />
the vicious late frost quite<br />
abundantly, the broccoli<br />
was star of tonight’s dinner<br />
and we’ve had more<br />
kale pakora last week than<br />
McDonalds sell in a year.<br />
Moody Moobs<br />
‘Be thankful!’ I hear you<br />
cry ‘for your abundant harvest!’<br />
I am, it’s just those<br />
pesky, paid, professional<br />
anti-vegan self-professed<br />
food critics are really beginning<br />
to get on my moobies.<br />
Their ubiquitous mantra ‘ultra<br />
processed vegan food’<br />
tries to cast a vegan diet<br />
as a chemical laden cornucopia<br />
of binders, fillers,<br />
enzymes, starches and flavour<br />
enhancers rather than<br />
a wicker basket laden with<br />
fruit and vegetables freshly<br />
liberated from the garden.<br />
80 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Dino Sore Point<br />
Don’t get me wrong, I’m<br />
up for trying the latest vegan<br />
KitKat, Dairy Free Ice<br />
Cream, super melting no<br />
moo un-cheese, un-honey,<br />
pepperoni style vegan<br />
pastrami jackfruit and kale<br />
free burger as the next wide<br />
eyed ‘kid in a vegan sweetie<br />
shop’ old skool vegan. We<br />
even tried the new Quorn<br />
Roarsomes dinosaur bites<br />
(purely for professional research<br />
reasons) and found<br />
them to be any thing but<br />
dinosaur like. They look a<br />
bit an armadillo or a pangolin-like<br />
which I thought was a<br />
tad insensitive considering<br />
pangolins got the blame for<br />
starting the global Covid19<br />
pandemic. Secondly, I imagined<br />
dinosaurs to taste a<br />
bit more swampy. Perhaps<br />
a little omega 3 DHA rich algae<br />
would improve things?<br />
Anyway I’d imagined this vegan<br />
turkey Twizzler-esque<br />
Captain Birdseye inspired<br />
vegan extinction rebellion<br />
French fry accompaniment<br />
would be just the red flag<br />
the spluttering anti vegan<br />
Gammons had been waiting<br />
for. But no.<br />
Egg faced Porky Pie<br />
Wrath<br />
Gammon ire was unleashed<br />
in an “There! I told you<br />
so!” moment on the Tesco<br />
launch of the Vegan Scotch<br />
Egg with “more than 50 ingredients”<br />
which was, as<br />
you’d expect, not Scottish<br />
and contained absolutely<br />
no egg. Sarah Augustine<br />
from Squeaky Bean said<br />
the market is lacking vegan<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 81
Hypocritical Oeufs<br />
Anyway, this got me thinking<br />
(prone to procrastination as<br />
I am) what actually is in a<br />
traditional scotch egg? i.e.<br />
the sausage on the outside<br />
and the egg on the inside<br />
and how many ingredients<br />
are we actually looking at.<br />
Banger!<br />
I started with that Scottish<br />
Square sausage that probably<br />
most closely resembles<br />
the sausage usually found<br />
on the outside of a scotch<br />
egg.<br />
Pork 52%, Beef fat 9%,<br />
Wheat Flour (Wheat, calcium<br />
carbonate, Iron,<br />
Niacin< Thiamine) Water,<br />
Dehydrated pork, , salt,<br />
phosphate stabiliser, spice<br />
extract, Soya, Beef flavour,<br />
Nutmeg, Coriander, ginger,<br />
Pimento, Cayene, Sodium<br />
metabisulphite E223, flavour<br />
enhancer , E621,<br />
Dextrose , Antioxidant<br />
E301, Nicotinamide,<br />
Colour: Carmines (Crushed<br />
beetles)<br />
Connective Tissue<br />
Issue<br />
Please bear in mind ‘Pork’<br />
is not like saying ‘Soya<br />
bean’ in a ingredient context.<br />
If it says made with<br />
pork sausage it must be<br />
at least 42% pork but only<br />
32% meat if it doesn’t say<br />
‘pork’. Of that minimum of<br />
32%, 30% is allowed to<br />
be fat and 25% connective<br />
tissue. Thus over half of the<br />
less than half, about 14%,<br />
is likely to be actual meat.<br />
In uncooked products i.e.<br />
sausages it is forbidden<br />
to include feet, intestine<br />
(apart from the skins) lungs,<br />
oesophagus, rectum, spinal<br />
cord, spleen, stomach, udder.<br />
As a traditional Scotch<br />
egg is intended as a picnic<br />
food it is precooked, so not<br />
uncooked, so feel free to<br />
use your imagination.<br />
It’s no Yolk<br />
Yes, ‘vegan eggs’ have<br />
stretched the imagination<br />
and eggs-pertise (sorry) of<br />
the food scientists and it<br />
takes more than just the<br />
peas of chicks and black<br />
salt to get there. But it’s<br />
82 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
also important to consider<br />
the true ingredients of eggs<br />
apart from the vegetarian<br />
delusions about what happens<br />
to all the male chicks<br />
and what ‘free range’<br />
means in reality.<br />
Here’s a list of ingredients<br />
of typical Layers pellets<br />
(food staple of egg laying<br />
hens)<br />
Yolk<br />
Pigmenters<br />
(Citrazanaxathin, lutein,<br />
zeaxanthin), Wheat,<br />
Wheatfeed (includes<br />
wheatgerm), High Protein<br />
Soya Bean Meal (probably<br />
no longer GM free),<br />
Calcium carbonate (ground<br />
chalk), Maize germ meal,<br />
Sunflower seed extract,<br />
Vegetable Oil, Dicalcium<br />
Phosphate, Salt, Sodium<br />
Bicarbonate, Methionine<br />
(from vegetables), vitamin<br />
A, vitamin D3 (From lanolin<br />
from sheep wool), vitamin E<br />
and copper.<br />
Ingredients for a vegan egg<br />
not looking so weird now is<br />
it. That’s the trouble with<br />
second hand food.<br />
How many ingredients is<br />
that?<br />
Tony Bishop-Weston<br />
Consultant Executive Vegan<br />
Chef, Author, Speaker<br />
Foods for Life Nutrition and<br />
Health Consultancy<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 83
VEGAN<br />
COOKBOOK<br />
By Tony & Yvonne Bishop-Weston<br />
Tony & Yvonne Bishop-Weston can be reached via www.newforesthealth.com
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 85<br />
FORCA VEGAN 85
Vegan Art<br />
By Karin Ridgers<br />
We are fans here of Vegan Traders Union with a whole exciting wealth of fellow vegans in business.<br />
In this edition of <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> we thought we would take a look at some of the<br />
incredibly talented arty vegans that are members of the VTU. Whether you need to buy a gift or<br />
fancy treating yourself it doesn’t get better than supporting and buying from a fellow vegan! From<br />
stunning original art work to tiny teddy bears there is something here for all tastes and budgets.<br />
Art by Lynda Bell<br />
Stunning original artwork from Lynda Bell –<br />
painted in New Zealand and loved all over the<br />
world.<br />
“My goal is to inspire people to care for animals<br />
and to remember that they are sentient<br />
beings, in need of our love, care and protection.<br />
I think about what the earth would look<br />
like if there was no cruelty or exploitation - no<br />
farming or hunting or testing on animals. My<br />
paintings are stories, in which people are<br />
heroes and heroines for the animals, because<br />
people can in fact be just that, in real life.”<br />
www.artbylyndabell.com<br />
Spyder Thread<br />
Jo Hards is a self representing artist based<br />
in South Wales. She is best known for Gothic<br />
style, button eyed, cloth art dolls.<br />
“My dolls have been described by many as<br />
‘creepy cute’ for their dark, yet innocent anthropomorphic<br />
charm. My paintings and illustrations<br />
feature similar subject matter and often<br />
fall within the realms of pop surrealism.<br />
Ethics have always played an important role in<br />
Jo’s art. As an ethical vegan, she does not use<br />
any materials or tools of animal origin.<br />
www.spyderthread.com<br />
86 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Creepies<br />
Creepies is a small handmade business run<br />
by a family of vegans since 2013.<br />
They make a range of handmade, unique<br />
monsters called the Creepies. Each creepy<br />
is hand sculpted by Laura (Mrs. Creepy) and<br />
baked solid.<br />
No two Creepies are the same and<br />
each creepy comes with a certificate of<br />
creepthenticity.<br />
www.creepies.co.uk<br />
Victoria Petchey<br />
Victoria mainly paint portraits of animals<br />
and she also create artworks that focus<br />
on women, wildlife, nature and animal<br />
exploitation.<br />
“I enjoy creating art that challenges our own<br />
personal feelings and ethics on particular<br />
subjects and request humans to think<br />
about such topics; environment, plastic pollution,<br />
women’s history and achievements,<br />
animal abuse and exploitation.”<br />
The art materials Victoria uses are vegan<br />
friendly and she use minimal paint to avoid<br />
waste.<br />
www.victoriapetchey.art<br />
Beary Tales<br />
Lynn Smith is an award winning bear artist.<br />
She creates one of a kind miniature collectable<br />
teddy bears and animals. They are all<br />
completely hand stitched, 5 way jointed and<br />
weighted to allow them to sit with ease.<br />
Lynn’s creations are approximately 3.5”<br />
small and created from quality vegan<br />
materials.<br />
www.bearytales.co.uk<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 87
Vegan Art Continued<br />
The Vegan Potter<br />
Handmade unique ceramics created<br />
with vegan clay and glazes<br />
from The Vegan Potter!<br />
“All my pottery is made with<br />
products and use processes that<br />
do not use any animal products.<br />
Some “china” has beef bone<br />
meal in it, up to 70%. I can assure<br />
you that mine dose not.”<br />
Items can be for your human<br />
family or your animal family.<br />
www.instagram.com/<br />
Theveganpotteruk<br />
For more incredible VTU members check out:<br />
www.vegantradersunion.co.uk<br />
The Vegan Traders Union is the Vegan Community. A place<br />
where Vegan run independant businesses, artists, musicians<br />
and professionals have come together, to work together, to<br />
create a market place for all your Vegan needs.<br />
Whatever product or service you are looking for, one of our<br />
members will have the very thing to meet your needs.<br />
The Vegan Traders Union logo is show below. Any business<br />
carrying this logo, will also have a registration number. this<br />
lets you know that company is one of our approved<br />
members, and therefore a Vegan owned and run business.<br />
88 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
M. C RONEN<br />
The LIBERATION Trilogy<br />
It Was In Our Hands - the final book of The Liberation<br />
Trilogy by vegan, animal rights activist M. C Ronen, was<br />
finally published on 15 July!<br />
The Liberation Trilogy (‘The Shed’, ‘Liberation’ and ‘It Was In Our<br />
Hands’) is a unique, first of its kind creation of ethical fiction. In this<br />
breathtaking dystopia, the reader follows the protagonist Sunny from<br />
her days as a young girl, growing up in an ominous and oddly guarded,<br />
isolated farm - an d all the way to becoming a leader of a courageous<br />
team of activists whose aim is achieving ‘Total Liberation’ for<br />
all who are abused, exploited and brutally oppressed. Each book in<br />
this trilogy has its own tone and pace, but all three are suspenseful<br />
page-turners that are sure to keep you at the edge of your seat. Most<br />
importantly, they are sure to make you think about the real world in<br />
which we live, and the implications of your daily choices.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 89
Juliet Gellatley<br />
A Day In The Life<br />
Juliet is founder & director of Viva! – the biggest<br />
vegan campaigning charity in Europe. Viva!<br />
launched in 1994, joined by Viva! Poland in 2002.<br />
Juliet has created and launched numerous campaigns<br />
on the impact of what we eat on animals,<br />
the planet and our health. She has also investigated<br />
many farms – often the big names - and exposed<br />
the devastating cruelty. She is the author<br />
of several reports, guides and books and producer<br />
of the award-winning HOGWOOD: a modern<br />
horror story documentary on Amazon Prime.<br />
Juliet has given many hundreds of talks, radio,<br />
Podcast and TV interviews.<br />
Juliet has a degree in Zoology & Psychology and<br />
is a qualified nutritional therapist.<br />
Viva! is the UK’s leading vegan campaigning charity,<br />
specialising in undercover investigations and<br />
high-profile animal campaigns. Founded in 1994 by<br />
Juliet Gellatley, we have spent more than 25 years<br />
creating a kinder, more sustainable world for humans<br />
and animals alike.<br />
Find out more: viva.org.uk<br />
90 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 91
6:30am<br />
Lily jumps into bed, licks my face and<br />
collapses on to me for her routine five<br />
minute belly rub. Then, as usual, off she<br />
trots - her happy, me awake!<br />
8:00am<br />
Force myself out of bed. Was<br />
catching up with friends til’ 2am<br />
and now pay the price! Lily needs<br />
a walk and I need a cuppa!<br />
9:00am<br />
Sit down in my home office<br />
to do three radio interviews<br />
to launch Viva!’s<br />
new Save a Baby campaign.<br />
They are all 10<br />
minutes long and enjoyable.<br />
I’m very at home promoting<br />
veganism on the<br />
airwaves! The presenters<br />
try to steer the interviews<br />
to be mainly about health<br />
and I steer them back to<br />
talk about the fact that a<br />
billion baby animals are<br />
killed each year in Britain<br />
– none of them want to<br />
die. These are not the actions<br />
of a civilised nation!<br />
But going vegan is easy<br />
and to be embraced. You<br />
get the picture!<br />
92 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
10:00am<br />
Try to wake up Finn, one of<br />
my sons who wants a lift to<br />
the train station with me –<br />
he’s going back south to university<br />
(finally). He’s suddenly<br />
gone deaf – I try loud music,<br />
meowing, nothing works! Get<br />
Lily on the job – he’s much<br />
less grumpy with her. Make<br />
us both vegan sausage and<br />
mushrooms on toast for<br />
breakfast and leave a dinner<br />
for my other son, Jazz to heat<br />
up. Cram a small case and get<br />
ready to travel to Stockport.<br />
I like the train – get to read in<br />
peace! Plus this time, I write a<br />
short speech for the next day<br />
and make a note of what I’ll<br />
say for the campaign launch<br />
for social media live vids.<br />
3:00pm<br />
Meet with two trustees in Stockport and have an<br />
exciting brain storm about the relaunch of Vegan<br />
Now! – a campaign that made a big splash in<br />
every national newspaper on its launch in 2019.<br />
We discuss ideas for the launch of a futuristic<br />
new video, the Oracle in Bristol. It is a new approach<br />
to showing what will happen if the world<br />
doesn’t go vegan! But also, helps people change.<br />
And we agree the budgeting of our campaigns<br />
team running a vegan burger van city tour with<br />
Vegan Now! events.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 93
94 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong><br />
6:00pm<br />
Go to launch the Save a<br />
Baby billboard campaign<br />
in central Manchester and<br />
give another radio interview.<br />
We have over 40 billboards<br />
across NW England reaching<br />
over 10 million people. Do a<br />
photo call with some lovely<br />
volunteers who give up their<br />
time in the incessant rain!<br />
We are in luck and the brewing<br />
storm holds off its downpour<br />
for half an hour while<br />
we do Insta and Facebook<br />
live videos.<br />
8:00pm<br />
Looked forward to this! Eat<br />
at the fabulous vegan restaurant,<br />
the Allotment in<br />
Manchester with Laura,<br />
Viva!’s campaigns manager.<br />
We discuss a potential<br />
TV campaign – if we can<br />
raise the funds! And then<br />
reeeeelax!<br />
6:30am<br />
Rise ‘n’ shine! Prepare<br />
for a train to Birmingham,<br />
where I jump off and run to<br />
Centenary Square to give<br />
a 15 minute speech at the<br />
start of the 2nd City Animal<br />
Rights rally and march. It is<br />
organised by Ray Williams<br />
who I enormously respect.<br />
He organises vigils outside<br />
the appalling Hogwood pig<br />
farm in Warks, that supplied<br />
Tesco. Our expose of both<br />
feature in the Hogwood<br />
documentary. I then run for<br />
another train and on to my<br />
next meeting.
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 95
Vegan<br />
Shoes<br />
by Karin Ridgers<br />
Such an array of vegan<br />
shoes now. I remember<br />
asking in every shoe shop I<br />
visited; “Are these leather?”<br />
And the majority of replies<br />
being; “oh yes of course”<br />
and I would respond by saying<br />
“Ah that’s a shame – I<br />
only wear non leather shoes<br />
as I am vegan.”<br />
I do love a great shoe or<br />
boot – I go for comfy now<br />
however still with a touch of<br />
glam as well!<br />
We now have highend designer<br />
vegan footwear, independent<br />
ethical vegan<br />
shoe companies, even high<br />
street chains such and<br />
M&S are labelling shoes as<br />
“Suitable for vegans”.<br />
VegfestUK award winner<br />
Vegetarian Shoes based<br />
in Brighton trailblazed 30<br />
years ago and they continue<br />
to do so with their hardy<br />
boots, belts and much<br />
more.<br />
I also remember going to<br />
a Vegan Society meeting<br />
perhaps 20 years ago and<br />
talking to a passionate lady,<br />
Natalie Dean, who told me<br />
her dream was to set up a<br />
leading vegan shoe brand<br />
– and still going strong is<br />
Beyond Skin with their high<br />
end leather free ranges.<br />
I adored my vegan “badger”<br />
shoes from www.bboheme.com<br />
and never had<br />
so many comments about<br />
my feet before!<br />
Will Green launched his<br />
brand Will’s Vegan Shoes<br />
at VegfestUK 10 years ago<br />
and has grown from strength<br />
96 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong><br />
Pictured: Vionic Shoes
to strength since. Will is<br />
launching a new warehouse<br />
and has ambitious plans to<br />
expand further.<br />
www.wills-vegan-store.co.uk<br />
Vionic is dedicated to creating<br />
comfortable, supportive<br />
shoes everyone will love.<br />
Whether you’re in the market<br />
for eco-friendly canvas,<br />
vegan-certified shoes or<br />
non-leather kicks – they are<br />
confident you’ll find a style<br />
you love when you check<br />
out their collection.<br />
I am trying out their new<br />
Pismo lightweight vegan<br />
trainer – and they feel really<br />
good! Choose from a<br />
rainbow of uppers, in either<br />
canvas or jersey, with white<br />
laces, contrasting eyelets<br />
and tape at the heel.<br />
Every pair of Vionic shoes<br />
comes with three-zone comfort<br />
- Ultimate Arch Support<br />
for a difference you can feel<br />
- and have been podiatrist<br />
designed, giving you comfort<br />
and support, wherever<br />
you are.<br />
www.vionicshoes.co.uk<br />
éS is one of the few skateboarder<br />
owned and operated<br />
footwear companies<br />
in the world and has<br />
been since 1995. Their<br />
passion for inspirational<br />
Skateboarding, Design, and<br />
Style permeates throughout<br />
the global skate community.<br />
Their vegan and eco-friendly<br />
collection leverages<br />
heritage éS colour stories<br />
through ethically sourced<br />
non-animal leathers and<br />
microfiber materials and<br />
applies them to their most<br />
functional skate shoes.<br />
All are made with animal-friendly<br />
materials including<br />
microfiber, mesh<br />
and tumbled and synthetic<br />
leathers - taking the typical<br />
skate shoe and making it<br />
atypical.<br />
Feedback on this show has<br />
been positive – comfortable<br />
and band on cool trend<br />
– with no animals harmed.<br />
www.esskateboarding.<br />
com/collections/vegan<br />
High end vegan designer<br />
shoes include brands such<br />
as www.damapreziosa.<br />
com and www.minkshoes.<br />
com really do add glamour<br />
and luxury...<br />
And best of all –<br />
all VEGAN friendly!<br />
Pictured: éS Silo SC<br />
Pictured: Mink Shoes Elk (Alce)<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 97
Rich Hardy<br />
From Undercover Journalist to Vegan Farmer<br />
For two decades I lived a<br />
double-life.<br />
And with the help of a hidden<br />
camera, some water-tight<br />
cover stories and<br />
a little luck I traversed the<br />
globe working undercover<br />
to document the damage<br />
factory farming was doing to<br />
the planet and the billions<br />
of suffering animals used to<br />
feed and clothe us. My images<br />
and testimony helped<br />
shape some pioneering legislation<br />
and were used by<br />
global animal charities to<br />
generate hard-hitting media<br />
exposés. But while it helped<br />
create change and promoted<br />
vegan lifestyles, it came<br />
at a bit of a personal cost.<br />
Burnt out and in need of a<br />
change I turned to growing.<br />
Partly to help heal my soul<br />
a little after what I had witnessed<br />
but also as a challenge<br />
to the cruel factory<br />
farming model that growing<br />
food needn’t involve animal<br />
suffering or be so destructive.<br />
So, with my partner Pru,<br />
and taking an activist-inspired<br />
approach, we’ve set<br />
up a vegan farm in Cornwall<br />
that is half-way through its<br />
first season. Using veganic<br />
techniques and operating<br />
under a Community<br />
Supported Agriculture (CSA)<br />
model we harvest weekly<br />
and deliver veg boxes in and<br />
around Falmouth, Redruth<br />
and Truro.<br />
Come hear some of the<br />
stories that inspired me to<br />
take this leap and the ups<br />
and downs of first season<br />
vegan farmers, at:<br />
Vegan Organic Fest Cornwall<br />
August 12-16 2021<br />
98 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
“<br />
Burnt out and in need<br />
of a change I turned to<br />
growing. Partly to help<br />
heal my soul a little<br />
after what I had witnessed<br />
but also as a challenge to<br />
the cruel factory farming<br />
model that growing food<br />
needn’t involve animal<br />
suffering or be so<br />
destructive.<br />
”<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 99
Veganic Growing<br />
Month by Month:<br />
August, September<br />
& October<br />
‘Veganic’ is a combination of two<br />
words ‘vegan’ and ‘organic’. It’s a<br />
guarantee that food is grown in an<br />
organic way with only plant based<br />
fertilizers, encouraging functional<br />
biodiversity so pesticides are not<br />
necessary. No chemicals, no GMO<br />
and no animal by products in any part<br />
of the chain.<br />
We all know that following a plantbased<br />
diet is the most ethical,<br />
healthy and environmentally friendly<br />
way of eating possible, but growing<br />
some of those plants can give you<br />
huge satisfaction along with all the<br />
fun, self-reliance and planet-saving<br />
benefits of producing your own food<br />
too. It can be done at any level,<br />
from keeping potted herbs on a<br />
windowsill or growing vegetables in<br />
your back garden, to aiming for near<br />
self-sufficiency from a larger plot or<br />
allotment.<br />
So here’s what to do at this time of year.<br />
102 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
By Piers Warren<br />
Piers Warren is the co-author<br />
(with his daughter, Ella Bee Glendining)<br />
of The Vegan Cook & Gardener: Growing,<br />
Storing and Cooking Delicious Healthy<br />
Food all Year Round<br />
More information about Piers Warren:<br />
www.pierswarren.co.uk<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 103
AUGUST<br />
Seeds to sow:<br />
- Cabbages – early spring varieties<br />
- Pak choi<br />
- Lettuce and other salad greens that are<br />
more suited for autumn/winter condi<br />
tions such as lamb’s lettuce (corn salad)<br />
- Lettuce varieties such as Arctic King<br />
What to plant out:<br />
- Pak choi<br />
What to store or process<br />
- Apricots<br />
- Aubergine<br />
- Cauliflower (make piccalilli with some!)<br />
- Celery<br />
- Courgettes<br />
- French beans<br />
- Garlic<br />
- Onions<br />
- Peaches, nectarines<br />
- Peas<br />
- Runner beans<br />
- Strawberries<br />
What do I mean<br />
by ‘plant out’?<br />
Crops that you have grown<br />
from seed in trays or pots<br />
that will need to be planted out<br />
into beds or larger containers.<br />
Alternatively you can buy many<br />
of these as small plants from<br />
garden centres or online<br />
from garden catalogues<br />
104 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Other jobs on the<br />
plot<br />
Prune apricot, peach and<br />
nectarine trees in August,<br />
straight after fruiting, the<br />
main aim being to remove<br />
diseased or damaged branches/twigs,<br />
any that are crossing<br />
and rubbing each other,<br />
and to improve the shape of<br />
the tree. They can also be<br />
trained, by a combination of<br />
pruning and tying to canes/<br />
wires, to a fan shape against<br />
a wall.<br />
This is also the month for the<br />
main pruning of cherry trees.<br />
Summer-fruiting raspberry<br />
varieties should be pruned<br />
after all the fruits have been<br />
gathered. Cut canes that fruited<br />
down to ground level but<br />
leave about six young canes<br />
per plant to grow on and fruit<br />
next year.<br />
Check all winter squashes<br />
(pumpkins, butternuts etc.)<br />
and limit the number of developing<br />
fruits to 4-6 per plant.<br />
Lift onions and dry them in<br />
the sun for a week or two<br />
before storage. The easiest<br />
method is to lay them in trays,<br />
clean seed trays will do, and<br />
leave them outdoors, bringing<br />
them inside if rain threatens.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 105
SEPTEMBER<br />
Seeds to sow:<br />
- Spinach/chard<br />
- Lettuce and other salad greens that are more<br />
suited for autumn/winter conditions such as<br />
lamb’s lettuce (corn salad)<br />
- Lettuce varieties such as Arctic King<br />
What to plant out:<br />
- Chinese cabbage<br />
- Turnips<br />
- Pak choi<br />
What to store or process:<br />
- Beetroot<br />
- Figs<br />
- Grapes<br />
- Melon<br />
- Onions<br />
- Pears<br />
- Pepper – chilli, capsicum<br />
- Plums<br />
- Potatoes<br />
- Raspberries<br />
- Sweet corn<br />
- Tomatoes<br />
Other jobs on the plot:<br />
Remove lower leaves from celeriac plants.<br />
Sow green manures in areas where crops have<br />
now been harvested and cleared.<br />
Remove any dying rhubarb stalks and compost.<br />
Stake plants that may need it over winter such as<br />
purple sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts and<br />
kale.<br />
106 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
-<br />
OCTOBER<br />
Seeds to sow:<br />
- Broad beans<br />
- Pea varieties that are winter hardy<br />
- Lettuce and other salad greens that are<br />
more suited for autumn/winter conditions<br />
such as lamb’s lettuce (corn salad)<br />
- Lettuce varieties such as Arctic King<br />
What to plant out:<br />
- Rhubarb<br />
- Strawberries<br />
What to store or process:<br />
- Apples<br />
- Carrots<br />
- Winter squashes - pumpkins and<br />
butternuts<br />
Other jobs on the plot:<br />
Last year’s leaf mould can be spread<br />
around the plot as a mulch. Clear this<br />
year’s fallen leaves from around the<br />
garden and start a new leaf mould pile (a<br />
simple netting enclosure will be fine).<br />
Harvest winter squashes such as pumpkins<br />
and butternuts before the first frost<br />
and leave in the sun to harden for a<br />
week or two before putting into frost-free<br />
storage.<br />
Bring in, to the greenhouse or conservatory,<br />
pots of plants that will need winter<br />
protection, such as citrus trees.<br />
Remove dead leaves from around parsnip<br />
plants.<br />
Cut down asparagus ferns and compost.<br />
Weed the bed and mulch well with<br />
compost.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 107
Vegan<br />
Careers<br />
It may not come as a surprise to you that<br />
vegans are everywhere.<br />
From all walks of life, and from all<br />
backgrounds, more and more people<br />
are making the moral, ethical or<br />
practical decisions that lead them<br />
to a plant-based diet and the vegan<br />
lifestyle.<br />
We at <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> wish to<br />
celebrate this, and in this issue we<br />
speak with 4 different vegan professionals<br />
about what veganism means<br />
to them, what led them to leading a<br />
more ethical lifestyle and how that<br />
applies to their workplace.<br />
108 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Joanna Eatwell<br />
Costume Designer<br />
Andrea Harvey<br />
Vegan Hairdresser<br />
Adam<br />
Vegan Policeman<br />
Rachel Brownstein<br />
Actor, Writer & YouTuber<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 109
Joanna Eatwell<br />
Costume Designer<br />
So tell us about your<br />
vegan journey... You<br />
have been vegan<br />
for an incredible 48<br />
years right? What<br />
inspired you initially?<br />
I became vegan just pre<br />
teens almost 50 years ago,<br />
I had been vegetarian before<br />
that. I never liked or<br />
drank milk, cheese and<br />
eggs made me feel dizzy,<br />
so when veganism was explained<br />
to me by an uncle<br />
and aunt who were both vegan<br />
at that time, having just<br />
returned from Kathmandu<br />
hippy tail, it was a great relief.<br />
I had a name for what<br />
I wanted to do, it was liberating.<br />
I joke now that I<br />
spent my teens living off the<br />
110 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong><br />
garnish on plates, it wasn’t<br />
always easy to get food, but<br />
I think we are all resilient at<br />
that age. I have never had<br />
much interest in the food<br />
side I was in it for the animals<br />
from the earliest age<br />
and still am.<br />
How has being vegan<br />
impacted on your<br />
career?<br />
I started my career as a<br />
costume designer in music<br />
videos and commercials,<br />
before moving into film and<br />
television, when I worked<br />
in advertising I always tried<br />
to be ethical in the type of<br />
campaigns I worked on.<br />
Historical dramas that I<br />
mainly work on now often<br />
require us to seemingly use<br />
fur or leather, to recreate<br />
period garments accurately<br />
and part of the challenge is<br />
to always find a cruelty free<br />
alternative.<br />
What differences<br />
have you made<br />
within your career in<br />
connection with<br />
being vegan?<br />
I do look for creative vegans<br />
and am always very happy<br />
when I have others working<br />
along side me. There<br />
are also quite a few actors<br />
now who are vegan, one<br />
of the more well known I<br />
have worked with is Woody<br />
Harrelson, a lovely man and<br />
a true vegan.<br />
One of the things I like<br />
about my job, is working in
Joanna worked as the costume designer for episodes of Taboo<br />
other countries and spending<br />
enough time in those<br />
countries to really get to<br />
know them. As a consequence<br />
I have visited sanctuaries<br />
in many different<br />
continents and I applaud<br />
and where possible support<br />
the work people are<br />
doing in often really difficult<br />
circumstances.<br />
What’s your favourite<br />
vegan restaurant?<br />
It was sad to see Tibits close<br />
along with a few other old favourites<br />
recently, but there<br />
are so many vegan restaurants<br />
now, we are spoilt for<br />
choice. Thank goodness<br />
for Happy Cow, it’s the first<br />
thing I check when I arrive<br />
in a new country or city and<br />
it works all over the world.<br />
Poster for The Miniaturist, another of Joanna’s projects
Andrea<br />
Harvey<br />
The Vegan Hairdresser<br />
So tell us about your<br />
vegan journey?<br />
Like many , I started out going<br />
vegetarian before going<br />
vegan. I just didn’t know<br />
about the dairy industry and<br />
it didn’t occur to me that it<br />
was as bad, if not worse,<br />
than the meat industry.<br />
I saw something on<br />
Facebook and stated researching<br />
and that was that.<br />
After being vegetarian for<br />
13 years I took the next<br />
step. I have been vegan for<br />
around 4 years.<br />
I am now passionate about<br />
it and love the fact that<br />
Veganism is getting out to<br />
more people . Although the<br />
junk food options available<br />
now don’t help the<br />
waistline!!<br />
How has being vegan<br />
impacted on your<br />
career?<br />
Being in hairdressing, it was<br />
impossible to work and not<br />
use products that weren’t<br />
cruelty free or Vegan. The<br />
big 5 companies that most<br />
salons and Academies used<br />
just didn’t care about those<br />
things.<br />
When I went vegan, I became<br />
more and more frustrated<br />
and disillusioned with<br />
this so I decided to open my<br />
own 100% vegan salon.<br />
At the same time I was<br />
managing a hair academy<br />
in Shoreditch and the owner<br />
wanted to go 100% cruelty<br />
free - the first Academy in<br />
Europe to take this step.<br />
Leading this change , I grew<br />
more passionate and knew<br />
I would find it extremely difficult<br />
to go back to a salon<br />
that didn’t work with my<br />
ethos.<br />
I now get contacted by hairdressers<br />
who want to introduce<br />
vegan options into<br />
their salon but are unsure<br />
of what steps they can take,<br />
so I started a consultancy to<br />
help them.<br />
Thankfully, there are more<br />
vegan friendly salons popping<br />
up over the country<br />
and manufacturers are<br />
starting to change.<br />
Although China still being a<br />
big moneymaker for them, it<br />
will be sometime before we<br />
can go to every salon and<br />
use products that are vegan<br />
and cruelty free.<br />
112 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
What differences<br />
have you made<br />
within your career in<br />
connection with<br />
being vegan?<br />
My own salon grew fast within<br />
the 2 years it had been<br />
open and then Covid hit!<br />
I had been working with an<br />
eco salon in Rayleigh, Essex<br />
for a while heading up their<br />
training - when the pandemic<br />
took hold and with<br />
such uncertain times for<br />
businesses ahead of us, we<br />
decided to join forces and I<br />
moved Earth Salon to Salon<br />
Messina’s premises .<br />
Salon Messina and Earth<br />
Salon now are leading the<br />
way in sustainable Salons.<br />
We have just been awarded<br />
accreditation for being<br />
a sustainable salon…. only<br />
one of 24 Salons have got<br />
this award in the UK- and<br />
we are attracting a new vegan<br />
fan base !<br />
We are launching a training<br />
academy soon and this<br />
will include courses to help<br />
businesses become more<br />
sustainable and to understand<br />
the impact that has<br />
on it.<br />
As The Vegan Hairdresser,<br />
I get asked to do features<br />
in the press and other hairdressing<br />
related projects<br />
and give advice, such as<br />
the National Hairdressing<br />
Federation <strong>Magazine</strong>.<br />
What advice would<br />
you give to<br />
someone wants to<br />
make changes within<br />
their industry /<br />
career to be more<br />
vegan friendly?<br />
Follow your heart! I believe<br />
Covid has made people<br />
think about making the ethical<br />
choice, not just food,<br />
but a whole lifestyle.<br />
Research, research, research!<br />
If you are going to<br />
go vegan friendly, make<br />
sure you get it right! Us vegans<br />
will check! If you get it<br />
wrong it can do more harm<br />
to your business than good!<br />
And feel free to contact me!<br />
What’s the best bit<br />
advice someone gave<br />
to you in connection<br />
with being vegan?<br />
Don’t beat your self up if<br />
you slip up when you first<br />
set out on the vegan life!<br />
You are heading in the right<br />
direction and are on the<br />
right road!<br />
This advice came at the<br />
right time for me, from a<br />
friend. I used to get really<br />
upset if I made a mistake<br />
and really get annoyed with<br />
myself that I messed upeven<br />
though I was learning!<br />
What’s your favourite<br />
vegan restaurant?<br />
Well ,not really close, but<br />
Falafel Land on the Greek<br />
island of Santorini . Just<br />
amazing if you ever get a<br />
chance to visit.<br />
If you could invite<br />
1 person round for<br />
a vegan dinner and<br />
chat who would it be<br />
and why?<br />
That’s a difficult one!<br />
Probably Buddha! His life<br />
was not written and recorded<br />
so it would be amazing<br />
to ask him and meditate<br />
with him!<br />
Failing that, Joaquin<br />
Phoenix.<br />
www.salonmessina.com<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 113
Adam<br />
The Vegan Policeman<br />
So tell us about your<br />
vegan journey?<br />
I was vegetarian for around<br />
12 years and thought I was<br />
doing right by animals, however<br />
it wasn’t until I started<br />
looking into the dairy and<br />
egg industry did I realise<br />
the daily atrocities I was still<br />
contributing towards. I’ve<br />
now been vegan close to 4<br />
years. My father is Italian<br />
and a chef! So it was a bit<br />
of a shock to him when I<br />
went vegan, but he is very<br />
supportive, in that he tries<br />
to make new dishes for me,<br />
and has even put more vegan<br />
options on his restaurant<br />
menu.<br />
How has being<br />
vegan impacted your<br />
career?<br />
I don’t think it has impacted<br />
my career, although it may<br />
have impacted on those<br />
around me to a degree. A<br />
number of my colleagues<br />
have made positive changes<br />
towards veganism after<br />
discussions with me. The<br />
workplace can be difficult<br />
and frustrating being surrounded<br />
by predominantly<br />
non-vegans, however I try<br />
to remember it’s not about<br />
me, and just try to encourage<br />
veganism as best as I<br />
can, in hope that something<br />
will resonate.<br />
What differences<br />
have you made<br />
within your career in<br />
connection with<br />
being vegan?<br />
Other than purchasing vegan<br />
boots and belt?! A large<br />
part of Policing is protecting<br />
the most vulnerable in society.<br />
There are amazing cops<br />
out there risking their lives<br />
on a daily basis, and dealing<br />
with more trauma than<br />
most will ever experience. It<br />
therefore saddens me that<br />
this compassion and care<br />
is seldom extended to the<br />
many animals exploited for<br />
human gain. These animals<br />
are undoubtedly the epitome<br />
of vulnerable.<br />
What advice<br />
would you give to<br />
someone wants to<br />
make changes within<br />
their industry /<br />
career to be more<br />
vegan friendly?<br />
Considerations such as ensuring<br />
any uniform provided<br />
being vegan, or there’s<br />
a vegan alternative. The<br />
same with any catering<br />
considerations.<br />
114 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
What’s a typical day<br />
like for you?<br />
Due to the nature of my job,<br />
I cannot go into details! I<br />
currently work on CID - so I<br />
deal with serious and complex<br />
investigations. It’s a<br />
highly demanding role mentally<br />
and emotionally.<br />
What’s the best bit of<br />
advice someone gave<br />
to you in connection<br />
with being vegan?<br />
At the point of me and my<br />
partner going vegan, I don’t<br />
think I’d ever met anyone<br />
who was vegan! I’d like to<br />
think that had I met someone<br />
who was vegan and<br />
they highlighted the same<br />
issues I now try to raise<br />
amongst family, friends<br />
and colleagues that I would<br />
have made the connection<br />
and transition quicker.<br />
Some of the speeches<br />
I’ve seen online from the<br />
likes of Joaquin Phoenix<br />
and Earthling Ed are poignant<br />
and empowering. Once<br />
you’ve seen and heard certain<br />
things, there is no going<br />
back.<br />
Have you ever<br />
attended a vegan<br />
march or demo – as<br />
a police person or a<br />
demonstrator?<br />
I have not. Most of my advocacy/activism<br />
is done<br />
directly with my friends,<br />
family, colleagues and via<br />
social media…with varying<br />
degrees of success!<br />
Do you know of other<br />
vegans in the police?<br />
I’m sure there probably are<br />
a small handful but I’ve not<br />
come across any yet! One<br />
of my colleagues tried it for<br />
a few months but is now<br />
veggie, whilst another is following<br />
a vegan diet but still<br />
buying leather etc.<br />
What’s your favourite<br />
vegan restaurant?<br />
Temple of Seitan in London!<br />
I’d also like to give a shout<br />
out to Beer Riff Brewing<br />
Co in my home town of<br />
Swansea. They make a<br />
mean vegan pizza and have<br />
15 taps of the freshest<br />
beer, all of which are usually<br />
vegan!<br />
If you could invite<br />
1 person round for<br />
a vegan dinner and<br />
chat who would it be<br />
and why?<br />
I was a big Arnold<br />
Schwarzenegger fan growing<br />
up, and I’ve noticed over<br />
the past few years he has<br />
been promoting less meat<br />
and dairy consumption. I<br />
would like to sit him down<br />
and for him to hear me out,<br />
in hope that I could get him<br />
to go vegan! Having someone<br />
with his global stature<br />
going vegan would be a big<br />
step in influencing others to<br />
follow suit.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 115
Rachel<br />
Brownstein<br />
Actor, Writer<br />
& YouTuber<br />
So tell us about your<br />
vegan journey?<br />
My transition was a quick<br />
one! In editing terms, it was<br />
a jump cut; all to nothing in<br />
a couple of months. I loved<br />
animal products, meat especially,<br />
but I became more<br />
and more aware of the realities<br />
of animal agriculture,<br />
and the abuse and exploitation<br />
involved.<br />
A friend became vegan and<br />
started posting information<br />
on social media, and of<br />
course; the more you see,<br />
the more you get shown. I<br />
started feeling guilty after<br />
eating meat and knew I had<br />
to make some choices. I initially<br />
considered vegetarianism,<br />
but then watched a<br />
video of male chicks being<br />
fed into a shredder, and<br />
knew it wasn’t enough.<br />
I’ve always been experimental<br />
in the kitchen, and<br />
have collected lots of spices<br />
and random ingredients,<br />
so making the change<br />
wasn’t as tricky as I’d initially<br />
feared. It does take some<br />
extra thought at first, but<br />
it’s really woken up my palate<br />
and made me curious<br />
about food again.<br />
How has being vegan<br />
impacted on your<br />
career?<br />
It’s opened up a whole new<br />
career path for me! I started<br />
spending a lot of time<br />
in the kitchen during the<br />
pandemic; I needed the distraction<br />
and creative outlet.<br />
Whenever I’d post pictures<br />
of my creations, friends<br />
would ask me why I didn’t<br />
have a YouTube channel.<br />
I then asked myself; “Why<br />
don’t I have a YouTube<br />
channel?!” It seemed like<br />
such a no-brainer; film what<br />
I was doing and stick it on<br />
the internet to help other<br />
people explore the possibilities<br />
of plant-based food.<br />
I’m an actor, so I have editing<br />
software, but I’d barely<br />
scratched the surface,<br />
so found myself faced with<br />
the task of teaching myself<br />
how to create engaging<br />
videos (and how to cut<br />
4 hours of content into 15<br />
116 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
minutes!). The editing side<br />
of things has actually become<br />
very enjoyable as it<br />
ticks a lot of my boxes; creativity,<br />
problem solving, and<br />
challenging.<br />
How do you invent<br />
these brilliant vegan<br />
creations?<br />
It really varies; sometimes<br />
I have an ingredient that<br />
I’d like to explore (eg sweet<br />
potato), or the idea of a<br />
finished dish pops into my<br />
head and I’ll reverse engineer<br />
it to figure out how to<br />
achieve it.<br />
For example; I knew I wanted<br />
to make some ribs, and<br />
started looking online for<br />
ideas of how to mimic the<br />
bones. I saw ideas from<br />
lollipop sticks to jícama, but<br />
none felt quite right.<br />
I then wondered if I could<br />
use bamboo garden stakes<br />
but didn’t know if they were<br />
food safe.<br />
That led to “Cedar! That’s<br />
used in barbecues!” and off<br />
I went on a hunt for BBQ accessories.<br />
I found some thin<br />
planks that are meant to be<br />
used under a piece of meat<br />
to give smoky flavours.<br />
I dug out my Dremel and got<br />
to work carving the bones. I<br />
have to say; I am very proud<br />
of them. I was shocked by<br />
how well they came out!<br />
Often, something will go<br />
wrong or I get a completely<br />
different result to what<br />
I’d planned, and this then<br />
feeds lots of other ideas. I<br />
keep a Google Keep note<br />
pinned to my phone’s home<br />
screen for jotting down<br />
those 2am “Oooooo, how<br />
could I make that happen?”<br />
What’s the best bit<br />
advice someone gave<br />
to you in connection<br />
with being vegan?<br />
I don’t know if I ever got any<br />
about veganism as a whole,<br />
other than making sure I<br />
took supplements.<br />
I’m quite self-reliant so I<br />
just dived in headfirst. In<br />
terms of cooking, Grace (the<br />
Admin of a Facebook group<br />
called Mangled Brains and<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 117
Droopy Genitalia) has given<br />
me lots of tips for making<br />
WtF (Wash the Flour) seitan<br />
that have been invaluable.<br />
The best advice I could<br />
give would be to buy/<br />
loan some vegan cookbooks,<br />
ideally written by<br />
someone who lives in the<br />
same country as you. I’ve<br />
bought several American<br />
ones, and many of the ingredients<br />
aren’t available<br />
in the UK, which can lead<br />
to feeling overwhelmed/<br />
disheartened.<br />
YouTube is also a fantastic<br />
resource; so many different<br />
creators are sharing knowledge<br />
gained by experience,<br />
and that can take away<br />
some uncertainty and spark<br />
some ideas.<br />
Also, I would like to stress<br />
that it’s OK to slip up and<br />
eat something non-vegan,<br />
nobody is perfect! Labelling<br />
yourself “VEGAN” can put<br />
real pressure on yourself,<br />
which leads to feelings of<br />
failure. I know a few people<br />
who have tried and then felt<br />
terribly about themselves<br />
after eating a chicken burger<br />
after a night out and then<br />
gave up totally on trying<br />
again. Just go at your own<br />
pace, making small changes/substitutions<br />
here and<br />
there.<br />
What’s a typical day<br />
like for you?<br />
I have a part time job in<br />
a call centre Monday to<br />
Wednesday, and I often<br />
bid farewell to the working<br />
week with a few pints in my<br />
local pub on a Wednesday<br />
evening.<br />
Then I start the editing<br />
process on Thursdays (videos<br />
are published every<br />
Tuesday). It can take anywhere<br />
from three to thirty<br />
hours to cut, polish, and<br />
create all of the marketing<br />
materials.<br />
I have Ehlers-Danlos<br />
Syndrome which effects my<br />
joints and energy levels, so<br />
I have to take things dayby-day<br />
in terms of filming<br />
content; I try and keep a<br />
few videos “in the can” in<br />
case of a flare up. I tend to<br />
film over the weekend, and<br />
again, this can take a couple<br />
of hours, or in the case<br />
of the ribs video; nine hours!<br />
What’s your favourite<br />
vegan restaurant?<br />
I went to Lisbon, Portugal<br />
for my 40th birthday a couple<br />
of years ago, and fell in<br />
love with The Green Affair.<br />
I stumbled on it completely<br />
by chance, and was immediately<br />
blown away with the<br />
amount of choice and quality<br />
of food.
It’s so rare to see beautifully-plated<br />
vegan dishes<br />
in restaurants; so often it’s<br />
piles of casserole or risotto.<br />
The bill was also a delight;<br />
40€ for three people including<br />
wine. The pandemic has<br />
stopped me finding new<br />
places to try where I live in<br />
Leeds, England, so I am very<br />
much looking forward to<br />
getting out and about in the<br />
coming months, and discovering<br />
some new favourites.<br />
If you could invite<br />
1 person round for<br />
a vegan dinner and<br />
chat who would it be<br />
and why?<br />
It would have to be Andi<br />
Oliver. She’s a British chef,<br />
and tv/radio presenter.<br />
She has a vast knowledge<br />
of food, and always comes<br />
across as a complete blast<br />
to spend time with; full of<br />
laughter, and supportive/<br />
constructive.
Vegan<br />
Challenges<br />
Joshua Allerton run<br />
a vegan confectionary<br />
store in Digbeth,<br />
Birmingham. He<br />
started the shop<br />
to aide his journey to veganism<br />
whilst helping others do<br />
the same. He is always on the hunt<br />
for independent vegan confectioners<br />
to supply sweets, chocolate,<br />
popcorn and more snacks to his<br />
store. Alongside running the shop,<br />
Joshua works with independent<br />
businesses to improve their marketing<br />
whilst writing on his personal<br />
development blog. For fun, he<br />
obsesses over one video games,<br />
believe he’s going to be the next<br />
big thing, failing epically, before<br />
finding another video game to repeat<br />
the cycle is a qualified nutritional<br />
therapist.<br />
I’m turning vegan.<br />
No more meat or dairy is entering my<br />
home and I always seek the vegan<br />
option when dining out (no matter<br />
how poor it is).<br />
But there’s a whole lot more I need to<br />
do and many more challenges I need<br />
to face. I turned to my lovely Twitter<br />
followers to prepare me by asking<br />
the simple question:<br />
“Hardest part of turning<br />
vegan?”<br />
With over 150 responses, and explosive<br />
arguments, I’ve collated the<br />
most mentioned challenges into this<br />
article. Not everyone will experience<br />
all these challenges on their journey.<br />
If you’re curious or just starting your<br />
journey, may these challenges prepare<br />
you and make you feel a little<br />
bit less alone.
Dining out<br />
I hear the laughs of veteran<br />
vegans as I write this…<br />
“<br />
You’re going to find very<br />
quickly that dining out as a<br />
vegan is difficult.<br />
Do you like “veggie<br />
burgers”?<br />
What about “meatless<br />
salads”?<br />
Admittedly, hospitality is<br />
getting better at providing<br />
more vegan options, but research<br />
is paramount before<br />
visiting anywhere. There<br />
have been a few times<br />
where I’ve been forced to<br />
eat veggie due to lack of<br />
options.<br />
To overcome: find Facebook<br />
groups for your local area.<br />
Vegans are passionate eaters.<br />
We don’t punish our<br />
tastebuds, so, when a local<br />
restaurant (especially a<br />
vegan-only venue) does an<br />
amazing job, we shout and<br />
scream about it. Dedicated<br />
vegan groups for local areas<br />
are establishing on<br />
Facebook for this purpose.<br />
Find them, use them, and<br />
enjoy eating out!<br />
There are also apps and<br />
websites dedicated to the<br />
curation of such vegan<br />
establishments. Vegan-<br />
Friendly and Happy Cow are<br />
two I recommend. Others<br />
exist and more will come.<br />
Additionally, I saw this challenge<br />
as a positive. To contribute<br />
to the community,<br />
it became my vegan duty<br />
to find all the vegan-friendly<br />
restaurants in my local<br />
area and try them. Not all at<br />
once, mind you.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 121
Hiding your imperfections<br />
“You’re a vegan now. You cannot<br />
own anything that isn’t.”<br />
You check every single item of clothing. As your throwout<br />
pile increases, you worry how you’re going to afford<br />
a whole new wardrobe – especially a vegan wardrobe.<br />
What about if you can’t afford a new wardrobe? What<br />
about if you accidently wear those trainers out have<br />
leather uppers? People will call you a fraud and you<br />
can no longer declare your veganism to the world.<br />
Chill.<br />
To overcome, you need<br />
to remember this one<br />
statement:<br />
There is no such thing<br />
as a perfect vegan.<br />
The Vegan’s Society<br />
definition explicitly declares<br />
that we must<br />
seek to exclude exploitation<br />
of animals “as<br />
far as is possible and<br />
practicable”. There’s a<br />
difference between being<br />
lazy and being unable<br />
to prevent abuse.<br />
If you can’t afford to replace<br />
your leather shoes<br />
with vegan-friendly<br />
alternatives, don’t. If<br />
you’re in desperate<br />
need of a new shirt for<br />
work and you can only<br />
afford Primark, purchase.<br />
It is not possible<br />
and practicable for you<br />
to walk to work with<br />
no shoes and no shirt<br />
(you’re not LMFAO).<br />
Plus, throwing out good<br />
clothes just because<br />
they’re not vegan will<br />
cause more damage to<br />
the environment than<br />
saving them. Instead<br />
of throwing out, make<br />
sure your next purchase<br />
is vegan – where possible<br />
and practicable.<br />
122 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Missing cakes<br />
(and other<br />
sweet treats)<br />
Cakes and other confections<br />
are an obvious no-go<br />
for vegans. Traditional recipes<br />
call for eggs, butter,<br />
and milk. Whilst there have<br />
been some adaptions over<br />
time, there’s always the<br />
creepy milk powder ingredient<br />
waiting to surprise<br />
you every time you think<br />
you’re close to finding a vegan-friendly<br />
cake.<br />
Sugar is the only ingredient<br />
humans naturally crave<br />
from birth. To live in a world<br />
without sugar is bold and<br />
brave, but have you seen<br />
that slice of cake in the bakery’s<br />
window?<br />
To overcome: Shop online<br />
and at your local independent<br />
specialist<br />
Luckily, vegan confectionary<br />
is booming. Your supermarket<br />
may be slowly<br />
catching up, but that’s<br />
just a fraction as to what’s<br />
available. Online stores like<br />
VeganKind, Vegan Store,<br />
and Alleway’s Confectionary<br />
offer a wide range of vegan<br />
sweets and treats. Check<br />
them out.<br />
During Lockdown, home<br />
baking has exploded and vegans<br />
are not shy. Check out<br />
your local vegan groups or<br />
neighbourhood groups for<br />
anyone selling their bakes.<br />
Just remember to find a<br />
kitchen that’s registered<br />
with the local authority.
Becoming #1<br />
enemy of your<br />
entire family<br />
Family and friends can be<br />
difficult with your decision<br />
to turn vegan. We’ve talked<br />
about how to deal with<br />
those annoying questions<br />
(“where do you get your protein<br />
from?”), but there’s one<br />
element we need to cover:<br />
Your frustration when they<br />
don’t join you.<br />
You’ve seen the battery<br />
in the chicken farms, the<br />
grinding of piglets, and<br />
the forced impregnation<br />
of cows. They haven’t. You<br />
may be tempted to sit them<br />
down and host a cinema<br />
night highlighting the trauma<br />
you’ve witnessed. When<br />
they refuse, you become<br />
confused and angry. “Why<br />
don’t they see what I do?”<br />
Breathe.<br />
To overcome: Give them<br />
time.<br />
Your newfound identity<br />
as a vegan is challenging<br />
for them too. They see the<br />
changes you’re making<br />
every day and you share it<br />
when they’re with you. Going<br />
out for a simple dinner date<br />
is now a pain. What was<br />
simple is now difficult (as<br />
you surely know).<br />
They may attack you and<br />
convince you that you’re<br />
wrong. It’s the easier<br />
choice. You have remain<br />
patience and stick to your<br />
guns. Where it turns to all<br />
out abuse, remove yourself<br />
from the relationship. No<br />
friend or family member is<br />
worth keeping when it turns<br />
sour.<br />
For friends who simply don’t<br />
understand, accept you’re<br />
not going to convert them.<br />
Instead, offer to cook for<br />
them one night and try out<br />
new foods. Laugh about it<br />
on the way.<br />
“Did they really think they<br />
could pass this off as<br />
meat?”<br />
“What were they trying to<br />
achieve with this?”<br />
There are terrible vegan<br />
foods out there, just as<br />
there is non-vegan. Find<br />
humour in your journey and<br />
they will become an ally.<br />
124 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Feeling guilt about not doing it sooner<br />
Out of all the replies, this<br />
one threw me. This self-hatred<br />
and disappointment<br />
defeats the triumph of making<br />
the decision in the first<br />
place. Who cares if you’re<br />
72 and only just turning vegan?<br />
That’s one more day<br />
than other people. That’s<br />
one more life saved.<br />
To overcome: Use a vegan<br />
calculator<br />
We don’t have time travel<br />
yet (do we?), so we can’t<br />
go back and decide to be<br />
vegan from birth. But, we<br />
can measure the impact<br />
our personal vegan journey<br />
has. The Vegan Calculator<br />
calculates the gallons of<br />
water, lbs of grains, square<br />
foot of forest, lbs of CO2,<br />
and animal lives saved for<br />
each day we’ve been vegan.<br />
If you’re feeling down<br />
one day, use the calculator<br />
to witness the impact you’re<br />
making already!<br />
These were the common<br />
challenges faced by vegans<br />
when starting their journey.<br />
As I progress to a more ethical<br />
and vegan lifestyle, I will<br />
face these challenges head<br />
on and discover hurdles of<br />
my own. This tweet reminded<br />
me that we’re not alone<br />
on this journey. The actions<br />
I’m taking may be individual,<br />
but it is as a collective we<br />
can make a bigger impact.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 125
The Charity supporting older vegetarians & vegans<br />
About VfL<br />
Vegetarian for Life (VfL) is<br />
an advocacy and educational<br />
charity, which strives<br />
to be the leading authority<br />
on diet and healthy living<br />
advice for older vegans and<br />
vegetarians.<br />
Now in its thirteenth year,<br />
the charity has enjoyed<br />
significant success and<br />
achieved wide recognition.<br />
I would particularly like to<br />
highlight the outstanding<br />
efforts of its staff to support<br />
older vegans and vegetarians<br />
during the COVID-19<br />
pandemic – a group which<br />
is so often overlooked.<br />
126 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
VfL developed a comprehensive<br />
programme of online and postal<br />
outreach, targeting age-friendly<br />
networks, sheltered housing<br />
schemes for older people, carers’<br />
organisations, dementia support<br />
groups, lunch clubs, older people’s<br />
friendship groups, stroke survivors’<br />
groups, Women’s Institutes, care<br />
homes, food banks, healthy-living<br />
networks, LGBT groups for older<br />
adults, relevant Facebook groups,<br />
digital hospital radio, social prescribers,<br />
and more.<br />
The chefs were joined virtually by<br />
almost 3,000 attendees across<br />
45 organisations, including lunch<br />
clubs, care home caterers, carers<br />
groups, Women’s Institutes,<br />
Age UK franchises and other older<br />
people’s groups and networks<br />
throughout the UK – offering menu<br />
support where required.<br />
Feedback on this new online format<br />
was overwhelmingly positive:<br />
“Great to be working in partnership with VfL<br />
to deliver online and virtual sessions to carers<br />
to take a break, get away from the daily<br />
routine and come together during lockdown.<br />
The session really helped to engage with<br />
carers, and bringing the group together online<br />
has sparked new ideas and suggestion<br />
from carers around future face-to-face and<br />
virtual breaks.”<br />
“…a fantastic session to VOCAL’s carers who<br />
all learned something new from a chopping<br />
skill, about spices, alternatives for the dish<br />
and difference between male and female<br />
peppers!”<br />
– VOCAL, Zoom cookery demonstration<br />
“Our members really enjoyed your session;<br />
thank you so much for taking the time to do<br />
this. We found that the additional ingredients<br />
put a new spin on a familiar recipe and<br />
taste tests have been positive from members<br />
and family. You presented so well and<br />
your set-up for presenting on Zoom worked<br />
really well.”<br />
– Leith Women’s Institute, Zoom cookery<br />
demonstration<br />
“I was really taken with the work that [your<br />
Roving Chef] put into our session at AbilityNet.<br />
[She was] so friendly and very helpful. She<br />
was accommodating with a date/time and<br />
made an amazing curry. Really impressed<br />
and will recommend to others.’<br />
– AbilityNet, Facebook demonstration<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 127
The number of UK vegans<br />
and vegetarians continues<br />
to soar, with a staggering<br />
25% of all Brits predicted<br />
to be vegetarian by 2025<br />
, and already an estimated<br />
14% of vegetarian and<br />
vegans in Great Britain are<br />
aged 65 or older . That’s<br />
why Vegetarian for Life<br />
(VfL), a charity that supports<br />
older vegans and vegetarians<br />
will be launching a<br />
free self-advocacy pack to<br />
mark National Older Vegans<br />
and Vegetarians Day this<br />
October.<br />
The pack will help to explain<br />
the laws protecting those<br />
with special dietary needs;<br />
sources of support if your<br />
rights aren’t being recognised;<br />
and some simple yet<br />
critical actions you can take<br />
today to protect your future<br />
dignity and rights. These include<br />
making a statement<br />
of your wishes and care<br />
preferences, which future<br />
carers should honour.<br />
Amanda Woodvine, CEO of<br />
VfL, explains why the time<br />
is right for the upcoming<br />
self-advocacy pack launch:<br />
“Many people assume that<br />
veganism and vegetarianism<br />
are new concepts –<br />
something for younger generations<br />
– but that simply<br />
isn’t true. VfL exists solely<br />
to support older vegans and<br />
vegetarians, and increasing<br />
numbers find that maintaining<br />
their dietary and lifestyle<br />
beliefs is not always<br />
a straightforward matter.<br />
Although philosophical beliefs,<br />
such as veganism,<br />
are protected under multiple<br />
laws in the UK, older<br />
vegans and vegetarians often<br />
find themselves in situations<br />
that go against their<br />
basic human rights when it<br />
comes to food.<br />
“In later life, many of us rely<br />
on others for food – whether<br />
that is ready-made meals for<br />
home delivery, or provisions<br />
in care settings. Conditions<br />
such as dementia can be<br />
an additional barrier to<br />
maintaining control over<br />
our diets and our identity<br />
and beliefs. VfL hears time<br />
and time again from older<br />
vegans and vegetarians<br />
and their families who have<br />
been given food that goes<br />
against their fundamental<br />
dietary beliefs, particularly<br />
in social care settings.<br />
“This can be through lack<br />
of understanding of what<br />
being vegan or vegetarian<br />
really means; lack of training<br />
of catering teams and<br />
care staff; or simply confusion<br />
over how to interpret<br />
the Mental Capacity Act. So,<br />
that’s why we’re launching<br />
our self-advocacy pack – a<br />
one-stop shop containing<br />
resources, guidance and<br />
tips to ensure that you get<br />
the food that you are legally,<br />
and ethically, entitled to.”<br />
Email:<br />
info@vegetarianforlife.org.uk<br />
or contact VfL on<br />
0161 257 0887<br />
to request your free self-advocacy<br />
pack and VfL will<br />
post or email it as soon as<br />
it is launched.<br />
128 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
“<br />
Although philosophical beliefs, such as<br />
veganism, are protected under multiple<br />
laws in the UK, older vegans and<br />
vegetarians often find themselves in<br />
situations that go against their basic<br />
human rights when it comes to food.<br />
”<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 129
What’s the story<br />
Stem & Glory?<br />
I’d been rolling the idea of a vegan restaurant<br />
around in my head for a very long time. I ran<br />
a multisite leisure business for more 10 years<br />
prior to Stem & Glory and had been experimenting<br />
with a vegan cafe within that business since<br />
we started. Finally, the opportunity presented<br />
to open a fully-fledged cafe/restaurant. We did<br />
a very successful rewards based Crowdfund<br />
on crowdfunder.co.uk raising £97k, and the<br />
first place was opened in Cambridge. We were<br />
greeted with massive support from the community<br />
here and it was very clear we were on to<br />
something.<br />
130 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
We launched another, this<br />
time equity based, crowdfund<br />
on crowdcube.com in<br />
March 2018 to raise funds<br />
for a site in London. It was<br />
even more wildy successful<br />
than the last one, reaching<br />
our £350k target in less<br />
than 5 hours of going live,<br />
and closing on £610k funded.<br />
The London Flagship<br />
opened in January 2019. By<br />
January 2020 it was absolutely<br />
flying.<br />
Looking to the future<br />
As shocking as the lockdown<br />
was for hospitality<br />
businesses, we suddenly<br />
found ourselves with time<br />
to get creative. We were so<br />
busy last year, many projects<br />
were planned, but we<br />
were too short on time to get<br />
them in motion. So, through<br />
lockdown we upgraded all<br />
our tech systems, did a<br />
complete rebrand with the<br />
amazing Afroditi Krassa,<br />
which turned out absolutely<br />
fab. We developed new concepts<br />
for ready meals and<br />
other products, along with<br />
upgrading all our marketing<br />
collateral. We had viewed a<br />
new site for Cambridge just<br />
before lockdown (we’ve outgrown<br />
our existing site and<br />
wanted to build the London<br />
model in Cambridge), the<br />
lockdown created the perfect<br />
environment for a good<br />
deal from the landlords<br />
on the site, so we are now<br />
close to exchanging on that<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 131
and hope to be open later<br />
this year. In January we had<br />
also agreed terms on a second<br />
super exciting City site<br />
which was due to open at<br />
the end of this year, obviously<br />
paused for now, but<br />
hopefully open April 2021.<br />
We have developed a new<br />
omnichannel business<br />
model which we will roll out<br />
from the new Cambridge<br />
site and beyond which<br />
spans in-store dining, delivery,<br />
click & collect, and<br />
our ready meals and product<br />
range. Afroditi Krassa<br />
is also designing the new<br />
restaurant, so all in all we<br />
are very upbeat and positive<br />
about the future, and<br />
intend to fully resume our<br />
mission to get to 5 sites by<br />
2023.<br />
What are the worst mistakes<br />
restaurants make<br />
when catering for vegans?<br />
Serving the vegetarian option<br />
minus the dairy, without<br />
adding anything for<br />
flavour! Historically restaurants<br />
viewed vegan food as<br />
all about ‘lack’ and seemed<br />
to think vegans just want to<br />
eat salad (literally lettuce,<br />
tomato and cucumber!) and<br />
have no desire for a gourmet<br />
culinary experience.<br />
Stuffed vegetables too are<br />
an old school vegetarian/<br />
vegan staple which are still<br />
over used and part of the<br />
reason I started a vegan<br />
restaurant (I never want to<br />
see a stuffed pepper again)!<br />
132 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
Fortunately, things are<br />
much better now, and I<br />
greatly appreciate that<br />
restaurants and chefs are<br />
making much more effort to<br />
provide vegan menus. BUT<br />
I still think that unless you<br />
are in a vegan restaurant<br />
where the chefs are working<br />
with getting rich depth<br />
of flavour from vegetables<br />
100% of the time, many<br />
restaurant vegan dishes<br />
are about providing vegan<br />
options, and don’t have that<br />
wow factor. Hopefully, this is<br />
now also changing, but obviously<br />
for me it’s about vegan<br />
restaurants rather than<br />
vegan options in non-vegan<br />
restaurants. I will always<br />
seek out a vegan place as a<br />
preference, and my hope is<br />
that vegans everywhere will<br />
support their local vegan<br />
businesses who are doing a<br />
brilliant job and are almost<br />
exclusively small independents<br />
without financial backing<br />
- they need your support<br />
now more than ever.<br />
Veganism<br />
Honestly, there are many,<br />
many reasons to be vegan<br />
now, but for me it’s about<br />
the animals and always<br />
was. The moment in my<br />
teens when I was introduced<br />
to the idea of compassionate<br />
eating for the<br />
first time was the most significant<br />
‘aha’ moment of my<br />
life. I stopped eating meat<br />
on the spot, and almost<br />
40 years later I have not<br />
wavered at all in that view.<br />
It literally changed my life<br />
forever.<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 133
The longer I am vegan, the<br />
more my love for the other<br />
species on the planet grows.<br />
I am extremely sensitive<br />
to seeing or even thinking<br />
about the abuse of animals<br />
on any level. I do not view<br />
my life as more important<br />
than the other beings on the<br />
planet. I find roadkill deeply<br />
upsetting. The gentle nature<br />
of animals is extremely<br />
humbling to me. I think<br />
in years to come the depth<br />
of sentience of animals will<br />
be more widely understood,<br />
and my hope is that more<br />
people will have that realisation<br />
that I did and literally<br />
no longer be able to eat animals.<br />
It’s absolutely clear<br />
that we do not need to eat<br />
animals anymore, so the<br />
justifications for continuing<br />
with this will start to be increasingly<br />
challenged in the<br />
coming years (in my view).<br />
I think we can all learn from<br />
spending time with animals,<br />
I have dogs in my family<br />
(some vegans may have a<br />
view on that) and I truly love<br />
them. Their gentle loving<br />
nature is an example to all<br />
of us as to how we should<br />
behave.<br />
Considering<br />
veganism?<br />
There are two ways to do<br />
this - the gradual shift and<br />
the life changing moment!<br />
The gradual shift - start to<br />
increase the number of<br />
days in the week that you<br />
134 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
eat vegan, gradually start<br />
weaning yourself off over<br />
time. Get some vegan cook<br />
books and start cooking.<br />
Fall in love with vegetables.<br />
If you are not into cooking<br />
there is such a huge range<br />
of vegan produce in the<br />
supermarkets these days,<br />
everything is clearly labelled<br />
too. Give yourself a month<br />
to adjust. A bit like quitting<br />
smoking, don’t worry if you<br />
fall off the wagon. Get back<br />
on it again, and don’t give<br />
up giving up.<br />
Life changing moment - go<br />
and spend some time with<br />
animals and really deeply<br />
consider why it’s ok to love<br />
a dog, but eat a cow or pig.<br />
Examine your justifications<br />
for eating animals for your<br />
own taste pleasure when<br />
you really don’t need to<br />
and stop making excuses.<br />
Change for good.<br />
‘Dirty’ Vegan Food<br />
I think, of course, there is<br />
a place for dirty vegan, but<br />
my personal path with veganism<br />
is also paralleled<br />
by healthy eating and good<br />
nutrition. This is also the<br />
case at Stem & Glory; we<br />
aim to offer really tasty, and<br />
healthy vegan food, made<br />
just from vegetables. I think<br />
in the next 5-10 years this<br />
will become a dominant conversation<br />
as of course just<br />
because it’s vegan doesn’t<br />
mean it’s healthy. The first<br />
vegan I ever met was overweight<br />
and living on a diet of<br />
potato chips. So yes, whilst<br />
your double stacked deep<br />
fried seitan burger with<br />
lashings of mayo, huge bun<br />
and mac’n’cheese and dirty<br />
fries on the side might taste<br />
delicious, it should probably<br />
be an occasional treat and<br />
not a staple.<br />
At Stem & Glory, we aim<br />
to offer really tasty, and<br />
healthy vegan food, made<br />
just from vegetables. We<br />
are creating healthier twists<br />
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 135
on classic dishes too. We<br />
also believe that calorie<br />
awareness will also become<br />
increasingly important.<br />
If people knew how<br />
many calories were in their<br />
dirty burger they might think<br />
twice. I also think this might<br />
make dirty vegan become<br />
more healthy but still tasty,<br />
as operators also become<br />
aware of the calorie content<br />
of their food and find ways<br />
to make it healthier.<br />
Don’t be fooled into thinking<br />
that just eating plant-based<br />
food without attention to<br />
nutrition and calories will<br />
lead to better health.<br />
At Stem & Glory, we believe<br />
that gut-friendly food, low<br />
in refined carbs, is the way<br />
to go. We focus on natural<br />
vegetables accompanied by<br />
nutrient dense components<br />
such as nuts and seeds.<br />
There is a big focus on layering<br />
umami flavours and flavour<br />
combining to get that<br />
explosion of deliciousness<br />
which overrides any need<br />
to eat huge portions to feel<br />
satisfied.<br />
Fermented and pickled<br />
foods too are really good for<br />
your microbiome and overall<br />
health. In terms of the future<br />
of food, we believe this<br />
is where it lies. Fermented<br />
foods can also play a huge<br />
part in strengthening the<br />
immune system, they are<br />
naturally probiotic, improving<br />
your digestive system<br />
and natural gut flora, which<br />
support all bodily functions.<br />
In my view, moving away<br />
from vegan junk and meat<br />
replacements, towards natural<br />
unprocessed food is<br />
the right way to achieve optimum<br />
health and a healthy<br />
weight.<br />
For more information, visit:<br />
www.seedrs.com/<br />
stemglory<br />
www.stemandglory.uk<br />
136 I <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong>
<strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> I 137