Animal liberation is deeply political but our politicians often get a rep for putting issues concerning animal rights on the back burner. What if the vegan community had some actual representation in office? Meet Oye Owolewa, a vegan of four years and a candidate for US Representative in DC! Alisha interviews Oye about the key issues he plans on addressing, why non-vegans should care about laws and regulations concerning animal rights, and how the animal rights community can improve and grow to become an active voice in politics. // Visit Oye's website, https://www.oye4dc.com/ to learn more about his vision. // Follow Oye on Facebook and Instagram at @oye4dc or find him on Twitter at @AdeoyeOwolewa.

For more information on previous MeatBusters guests, vegan recipes, and lifestyle hacks, visit Alisha's blog at https://thelishlife.com/

Whether you realize it or not, veganism is political... because everything is political. Founder of DC Voters for Animals (DCVFA), Max Broad, joins Alisha this week to discuss the intersection of animal liberation and politics. He emphasizes the need for vegans to make their voices heard in order to create true change for the animals, the environment, and society. // Follow @dcvfa on Instagram and visit dcvfa.com to sign up for political action alerts.

Visit TheLishLife.com for Alisha's vegan recipes, lifestyle blog, and more.

We have no idea who started the rumor that makeup can't be vegan but let's put that to rest today! Vegan YouTuber and cruelty-free beauty advocate Nisha Balsara joins Alisha to talk about what makes makeup cruelty-free and vegan, what these labels mean for consumers, and how these products compare to traditional non-vegan cosmetics. Nisha also addresses concerns with animal testing and shares some of her cruelty-free beauty faves. // Follow Nisha on Instagram @nishabalsara // Subscribe to Nisha's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/LoseYourVeganity

Visit TheLishLife.com for Alisha's vegan recipes, lifestyle blog posts, and more!

Anti-oppression activist and content creator Debarati (aka Brown Feminist Vegan) joins Alisha to educate the MeatBusters community about why the oppression of nonhuman animals is a feminist issue. They discuss how animal agriculture perpetuates sexism and misogyny and ways to foster a pro-feminist vegan community to better address these issues. // Follow Debarati on Instagram @brownfeministvegan.

Visit TheLishLife.com to learn more about previous MeatBusters guests and browse vegan recipes.

Do carnism (the opposite of veganism) and white supremacy have anything in common? Actually, yes! Zipporah the Vegan joins Alisha to talk about why white dominance, much like carnism, is difficult to do away with. They discuss the systems that allow both carnism and white supremacy to prevail in our society and why both the vegan and anti-racist movements receive so much pushback. Zipporah also describes how veganism can be a part of a larger social justice framework and addresses the need for white vegans to move away from single issue activism. // Follow Zipporah on Instagram at @zipporahthevegan and become a patron of her work at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32872902

Visit https://thelishlife.com/ to browse Alisha's vegan recipes, past podcast guests, and more.

Are vegan parents cruel for "forcing" their kids to eat plant foods? It feels ridiculous just typing that out but a good handful of people actually believe it to be true. Not us, though. Health coach and vegan mother Lindsay Ingalls joins Alisha to share her experience raising vegan kids and addresses a few of the hate comments she’s received about her children’s diet and lifestyle. She also offers advice to parents who are interested in helping their kids eat more plant-based. // Find Lindsay on Instagram and TikTok at @naturallylindsay. // Check out Ruby Roth's resources for kids: https://shop.drawordie.com/collection?category=Kids // Visit https://thelishlife.com/blog/2020/8/31/episode-14-can-children-be-vegan to browse a complete list of vegan parenting resources recommended by Lindsay.

The answer might surprise you! Connie Spence aka Vegan Batgirl joins Alisha to dissect the truth about animal agriculture in the United States. As President and CEO of the lobbying group Agriculture Fairness Alliance (AFA), Connie is committed to bringing supply and demand back to the animal ag industry. She explains why vegan consumerism alone will not liberate animals and discusses the need for vegans to engage politically in order to dismantle "Big Ag," which is responsible for the systemic exploitation of both non-human animals and marginalized communities. // Follow @vegan_batgirl, @agriculture_fairness_alliance, and @veganjusticeleague on Instagram. // Visit https://www.agriculturefairnessalliance.org/join-us to become an AFA member. 100% of recurring donations support AFA's lobbying power.

To learn about previous MeatBusters guests and check out Alisha's blog, visit https://thelishlife.com/.

What's so cruel about dairy? Vegan cheesemaker and Cowvathi founder Shasvathi Siva sits down with Alisha this week to discuss what's wrong with dairy, why non-vegans can't seem to give up cow's cheese, and her motivation for a dairy-free cheese business. // Follow @shasvathi and @cowvathi on Instagram // Visit https://www.cowvathi.com/ to learn more about their dairy-free products // Watch Dairy is Scary on YouTube // Other documentaries mentioned: Earthlings, Cowspiracy, The Game Changers 

Visit https://thelishlife.com/ to learn about previous MeatBusters guests and try out Alisha's simple vegan recipes!

CW: diet culture, disordered eating, and fatphobia 

Is veganism inherently restrictive? Nope. But does that mean the vegan community is immune to diet culture? Also no. HAES (Health At Every Size) therapist Jenny Weinar joins Alisha to discuss veganism as an ethical movement and how to separate it from diet culture in some vegan spaces. She addresses why co-opting veganism to promote diet culture not only harms the movement but also fat people and those who struggle with disordered eating. Jenny and Alisha also talk about next steps vegans should take to make the community more inclusive to people of all sizes and backgrounds. // Follow Jenny on Instagram at @homebodytherapy or visit her website at homebodytherapy.com // Jenny recommends the following individuals: @fatveganvoice, @theveganchubclub, @taylorwolframrd

Visit TheLishLife.com/podcast to learn about previous MeatBusters guests and recommend topics for future podcasts.

Why are fish often excluded from conversations about the devastating effects of animal agriculture? Alisha asks environmental educator Isaias Hernandez (Queer Brown Vegan) to break down mechanized fisheries, their environmental and ethical pitfalls, and the harm in greenwashing seafood products. Isaias also discusses his own motivations for pursuing a zero-waste vegan lifestyle and the importance of creating awareness about environmental racism within the larger environmental movement. // Follow Isaias on Instagram at @queerbrownvegan // Visit the Queer Brown Vegan blog // Learn about the Blue New Deal // Conservation-focused Instagram accounts Isaias recommends: @ayanaeliza and @browngirl_green // Visit the episode webpage on TheLishLife.com to learn more. https://thelishlife.com/blog/2020/8/2/episode-10-is-the-fishing-industry-actually-harmful