Words of Wisdom

Going Vegan With Ellen!

Thank you to my daughter, Madeline, for pointing out that Ellen DeGeneres now has a vegan website, called Going Vegan With Ellen.

It is a stunningly beautiful Website, with great looking recipes, articles, tributes to vegan celebrities, links and a promo for the wonderful folks at the Gentle Barn animal sanctuary in Santa Clarita, California. With advocates like Ellen in our corner, we keep growing and gaining new converts.

Right on, Ellen! Thank for the inspiration!

Justin Bieber: Friend to the Animals...

Time to sing the praises of Justin Bieber.

The young Canadian pop icon (from nearby Stratford, Ontario), who just celebrated his seventeenth birthday on March 1, is doing a lot to help animals.

Not only has he done ads for PETA encouraging compassion toward animals, he recently appeared on an episode of Ellen and auctioned a lock of his hair on eBay for $40,688. At Ellen's suggestion, Bieber donated the money to a wonderful farm sanctuary called Gentle Barn.

If you aren't familiar with Gentle Barn, please visit their website. Situated in Santa Clarita, California, north of the San Fernando Valley, Gentle Barn provides a loving home for more than 120 farm animals who were abused and neglected in their past lives.

Check out their website and you'll see inspiring scenes of kindness and compassion. An array of animals - pigs, sheep, chickens, horses, cows, donkeys, turkeys, llamas, dogs, cats - enjoy wide open spaces where they are loved and protected and receive the best care imaginable.

Sanctuaries like the Gentle Barn are so inspiring because they show us a different way of interacting with animals. Stories of animal neglect and abuse are rampant on Google News and in other news outlets. Each day brings more headlines of neglected animals, factory farm fires, packed shelters having to euthanize animals.

So when Justin Bieber's generous donation to the Gentle Barn made headlines, it was like a breath of fresh air.

Like it or not, celebrities such as Bieber have an enormous impact. When his fans - probably most of them youths - see his acts of compassion and care toward animals, they're going to become more aware of groups like the Gentle Barn that do what little good they can to counteract the horrific treatment of animals around the world.

I may not be a huge fan of Bieber's music. And Lord knows my hairline is much to receding to ever imitate his legendary haircut. But I applaud his work. He has good values. He is a wonderful example to his millions and millions of young fans. It's amazing how one little lock of hair can help so many deserving and beautiful beings.

Ellen DeGeneres on Why She Became a Vegan

Have a look at this interview with Ellen DeGeneres. It's four minutes and twenty-eight seconds long. Her eloquence is inspiring. And it's great to have such a big shot on our side of the battlefield. In this interview with Katie Couric, DeGeneres - oh, what the hell, I'll call her Ellen like everyone else - Ellen discusses her reasons for supporting the well-being of animals and adopting a vegan diet. Like another famous animal lover, Betty White, Ellen is loved by millions. And when she speaks, people listen. This is just the sort of inspiration we need.

Jonathan Safran Foer on the Ellen DeGeneres Show

Jonathan Safran Foer was recently the guest star on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. This was his second appearance on Ellen's show. Ellen, FYI, is a committed animal rights supporter and vegan. I love Safran Foer's approach and share pretty damn close to 100 percent of his views on the issues of animal rights and veganism. Please have a look at this video. This guy is brilliant. In November 2009, Safran Foer appeared on Ellen's show for the first time and he was equally wonderful. I'm including it here, too (below).

Safran Foer's book Eating Animals is having a huge impact. The book is an astonishing Number 38 on Amazon.com's sales ranking. It's a fantastic book and I believe it should be mandatory reading in every school across North America.

Dreena Burton, one of the best vegan chefs out there and the self-proclaimed "Vegan Soccer Mom," points out, "Five years ago the diet was not being discussed in the mainstream media." Now, by contrast, we're hearing about it fairly often. As Burton notes:

The vegan population is estimated at only about 0.5%, or 1 million people. The number of lacto-ovo vegetarians is higher at about 10%. So, for now, I’m not expecting to see the shopper next to me eschew their cheddar, eggs, chicken breasts, and frozen yogurt for quinoa, veggie dogs, kale, and rice ice cream. No, I’m not that naive. But, I am optimistic enough to assume that there will be more acceptance of a plant-based diet as healthy, rather than unwise or dangerous. I also expect to see more people opting for a meat-free meal a couple of times a week. And, in another few years, perhaps we’ll see those vegan population statistics rise… and even more significantly in five to ten years.

I do think a dietary revolution is underway. We are beginning to examine our food choices and food sources. What is healthy? What is sustainable? And, what is compassionate? A plant-based diet can answer all those questions.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: Our numbers are growing. There are ample reasons to be encouraged, but there is also much work to be done.

PostScript on Safran Foer: He is a brilliant writer and thinker. I am about to go on Amazon order his book Everything is Illuminated, a critically acclaimed novel about the Holocaust based on his own family history. This terrific guy deserves our support.