The ChickPeeps Vegan Podcast

This week The ChickPeeps have an honest, open conversation about what it's like to balance one's relationship with food with one's ethical values and how both recovery and veganism have impacted their lives. Momo and Evy are joined by vegan fitness coach and self love advocate, the fearless Bianca Taylor, who recounts her journey from struggling with anorexia to truly loving and celebrating her body. Later on, we interview the incredible Jasmin Singer, senior editor of Vegnews and author of the memoir Always Too Much and Never Enough, who shares her story of developing a binge eating disorder and how she transformed her relationship with food from self-abuse to self care. Also, on this episode…

• 'You can't eat that, can you?' The important distinction between 'can't and 'won't'.
• Going vegan mindfully after an eating disorder.
• Bianca discusses being a personal trainer and how she helps people in the midst of an ED.
• 'Good' vs. 'bad' foods - how do we not backslide into this mentality of categorising foods as a vegan.
• Bianca and Momo share how their lives have expanded since they chose the path of self-love.
• Jasmin discusses the journey from food as an enemy, to food as a friend, to somewhere in between.
• 'It wasn't until I was well into my 30s that I realised that food can actually be something that not only is a direct representation of who we wanna be and what our world view is but also something that can fill us and allow us to really sit more comfortably in our authenticity.'
• The universal feeling of not being enough.
• Guilt and shame. How to deal with these emotions surrounding food when we slip up as new vegans.
• How to talk about veganism with people who've been through an eating disorder.
• Switching your focus from vanity to self care.
• 'That's when food was no longer what it had been for me in the 80s, which was a vehicle for changing; it was a vehicle for being in line with who I wanted to be.'
• Letting go of an eating disorder. Jasmin and Evy discuss whether or not true recovery is possible.
• How to deal with a perfectionist mindset when it comes to diet.
• Body positivity and representation in the vegan community.

Links:

Check out Bianca's website.

Follow Bianca on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook.

Learn more about Jasmin Singer.

Check out Our Hen House and listen to Jasmin's podcast.

Follow Jasmin on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

Here at The ChickPeeps we've talked about being vegan for the animals and vegan for our health but we haven't talked about being vegan for the health of humankind and animals together aka. THE ENVIRONMENT! To address this topic, we interview the mastermind filmmakers Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn who put the environmental impact of veganism into focus with their groundbreaking documentary, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. In this interview Kip and Keegan expand on the information shared in Cowspiracy and explain precisely what impact one individual can have on the environment by being vegan. Also on this epsiode…

• Kip and Keegan explain why they are actually ethical vegans.
• Robbie gets nerdy with Keegan about the true cost of animal agriculture on the environment.
• 'Literally anything you could care about in the environmental world, raising animals for food is the primary driver of its destruction, and yet it's basically overlooked.
• How organic or grass-fed meat is worse for the environment.
• Why animal agriculture is also a people problem: 'If there wasn't such a demand for meat dairy and eggs in the so-called "developed world", we wouldn't see these rates of poverty that we see - and starvation and hunger - in the developing [world].'
• What difference can one person going vegan actually make?
• Non-vegan environmentalists: how to talk to hardcore environmentalists who reject veganism.
• Mangoes from India? Avocados from Mexico? The environmental impact of importing foods from around the world, and do we need to be focusing on local produce?
• Are almond farms causing drought?
• 'This is a movement from the grassroots up, I think it's going to need to be us hitting a critical mass as vegans and vegetarians and environmentalists and compassionate people.'
• Is veganism enough? Kip expands on how else we can be mindful of Mother Earth.
• Kip and Keegan talk about their exciting upcoming projects.
• Some listener feedback from the companion pets episode and an unusual ensemble for your cat.

CORRECTION: In this episode Keegan mentions that cows can drink 150 gallons of water per day. He meant to say 150 litres of water per day. https://www.fas.scot/article/the-importance-of-water/

Links:

Check out the documentary: Cowspiracy The Sustainability Secret.

Keegan's newest documentary: Running For Good.

Meet Your Meat documentary (mentioned by Keegan).

Article from listener, Jessica, by the RSPB on how to reduce cat predation.

The BirdBeeSafe Collar aka. an excuse to make your cat look like a fluffy clown.

Follow Cowspiracy on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

This week Momo and Evy discuss the importance of community as a vegan and finding people who inspire you to live a joyfully vegan life. We talk to the ebullient happiness gurus, Dave and Steve Flynn, aka. The Happy Pear, (9.21 minutes) about creating the kind of world you want to live in, and about reconciling one's cultural background with vegan principles. Later on, Dave and Steve share some of their daily practices to cultivate a balanced, happy life. Also on this episode…

• How Steve and Dave went their separate ways and found vegetarianism independently in the same week!
• How the twins planned to start a revolution with a vegetable shop.
• Dave explains why people living in strong communities live longer.
• Dave and Steve recount their journeys from being preachy holier-than-thou vegans to a more attractivist style of vegan advocacy.
• Being an Irish vegan and how to reconcile traditional sensibilities with your vegan values.
• 'No Granny, I'm vegan!' We discuss food as an expression of love
• The backlash towards veganism by the dairy industry in Ireland.
• Why everyone should spend a year working on an organic farm.
• 'I think the less we can have a me vs them mentality, the better, because ultimately we all live on one planet and we all have to be friends.'
• Dave and Steve explain the importance of consistent movement throughout the day to sustain a joyful outlook on life.
• How health and happiness are intrinsically linked.
• 'Movement makes you feel better quicker than anything else.'
• The fine line between Illness and Wellness.

Links:

Check out The Happy Pear website!

New book alert! Recipes for Happiness.

Take a Happy Heart course with Dave and Steve!

Follow The Happy Pear on Youtube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

Are you a militant vegan or an attractivist? Was your mind opened by vegan cupcakes or slaughterhouse vigils? Do you favour street activism or a fiery blog post? This week, Tylor and Evy discuss different types of activism and what methods were most effective in our own personal vegan awakening. Later on (7.37), Robbie and Evy interview the amazing and relentlessly passionate vegan activist and influencer, Earthling Ed, who shares his story of going from apathetic meat-eater to hardcore vegan, and the mindset he's cultivated to do the confrontational style of vegan activism for which he has become known. Also on this episode…

• Ed discusses his previous perception of veganism, and recounts how the wave of empathy he felt for a truck of injured chickens gave him pause as a meat-eater.
• How becoming vegan connected Ed to a true sense of purpose.
• Street activism - is it for everyone? Ed shares how he overcame his initial fear of confronting strangers about veganism.
• How to deal with personal attacks from non-vegans.
• 'It's fear - all of this hatred always comes from fear, fear of change, fear of the unknown.'
• Are our emotions a help or a hindrance in vegan activism?
• Can we change anti-vegan trolls' minds or is it a waste of energy?
• The burden of empathy: Ed tells us about the personal toll of being a full time activist, and what drives him to keep going.
• 'It's a heavy burden but we're not the victims.'
• What is a vigil and what is the purpose of them?
• Come join the Animal Rights March on August 25th 2018!
• Challenging the status quo - the line between legal and illegal activism and how far should we go for animal rights.
• 'We live in a world of unjust laws and I thoroughly believe that those laws should be broken as they always have been for social justice issues.'
• Are vegans morally superior to non-vegans? Ed, Robbie and Evy tackle this uncomfortable accusation often fired at vegans.
• How educating children on animal rights is a crucial step towards achieving a vegan world: 'We have to reverse that teaching of discrimination.'
• Tylor shares a new vegan victory in the wizarding community!

Links:

Learn more about Ed's work!

Check out Ed's Youtube.

Follow Ed on Instagram and Facebook.

Take part in your nearest Vigil.

Check out Ed's documentary: The Land of Hope and Glory.

Join The Official Animal Rights March on August 25th 2018!

Check out Accio's newly vegan Harry Potter subscription box!

Learn what's new in the vegan wizarding world at The Protego Foundation.

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

You asked, we listened! This week we are discussing the heavily pondered topic of veganism and pets, and the inherent challenges vegan pet lovers face. Listen in as Tylor and Evy discuss their lives with their companion animals and the comprises they've had to make for their pets lifestyles. Later on, (12.14 minutes) we interview Dr.Armaiti May, a vegan vet with a dog and cat house call practice, to seek her advice on the most ethical ways to raise companion animals. Dr. May sets the record straight on having vegan pets and addresses the most important campaigns in the vegan community that tackle the overpopulation crisis. Also on this episode…

• Tylor is back and has some life updates!
• What's it like being a vegan vet and the challenges posed to Dr.May's ethical beliefs when studying veterinary medicine.
• The Veterinary Assocation for the Protection of Animals: "Education is a big part of what we're trying to accomplish. I think that's a key component of helping people to go vegan; empowering them with information, supporting them with resources, showing them how tasty vegan food can be."
• Spaying and neutering: Dr.May explains the ethics behind spaying and neutering and why it is the kindest solution to the cat and dog overpopulation crisis.
• 'The reality is as much as people want animals to live natural lives, if they're allowing them to reproduce that is directly contributing to the needless killing of other animals that are already here.'
• Open Admission vs. No-Kill shelters: should we, as vegans, be boycotting places that euthanise homeless animals?
• CAN CATS BE VEGAN???? Surprise guest, Betty, sets the record straight.
• What to do when your cat is a finicky eater.
• Dogs are omnivores!
• Is a vegan diet nutritionally superior for animals in the same ways it is for humans?
• The growing trend of the exotic pet trade: Dr.May weighs in on what needs to be considered.
• '[Wild animals] are not going to be happy in a home environment; they belong in the wild. They belong with their families.'
• To adopt or not to adopt? How do we help animals being raised and sold by corrupt companies with poor welfare standards?
• The animal abolitionist argument: Is less integration of humans and animals in the animals' best interests?
• Animal testing and medical research: is it possible to continue finding cures for human illnesses without animal testing?
• What's the best way to talk to animal lovers who are resistant to veganism?
• A listener question on responsibly sourced down.

Links:

Read more about Dr.May's work: veganvet.net

Connect with Dr.May on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out VAPA: The Veterinary Association for the Protection of Animals.

Learn more about vegan pet food.

Learn how to help your dog be vegan at plantbased.dog

Advocating for non animal-tested medical research: The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

This week Robbie and Evy explore the myriad reasons why eggs are not vegan, and how the commercial egg industry has distorted the natural cycle of egg-laying hens to alarming and brutal proportions. We interview the bold and awe-inspiring founder and director of Viva!, Juliet Gellatley (4.05 mins) who share insights and stories from her work doing undercover investigations inside factory farm scale hen houses. We also address the heavily debated issue of backyard hens and whether it is ethical to consume eggs from free hens, and discuss solutions for how to substitute eggs in baking. Also on this episode…

• Juliet shares her story, from becoming vegan at 13 to campaigning for The Vegetarian Society to founding Viva!.
• Juliet describes the typical life of an egg laying hen in the UK.
• How factory farms selectively breed hens to be more productive.
• Why commercially available eggs are not even suitable for vegetarians.
• 'No bird is meant to lay 300 eggs a year, she's meant to lay 20.'
• 'This whole industry is based on distorting motherhood, a deliberate twisting of motherhood.'
• What's the difference between 'enriched cages' and free-range egg farms.
• 'What amazes me is that [animals] actually have the capacity to forgive.'
• Do hens need to lay eggs and what do free hens do with their eggs?
• Backyard hens: the oft debated topic of whether or not to eat the eggs of free hens.
• The clever contraceptive methods of hens and the feminist hen soap opera that would ensue.
• How old do hens live in the wild vs in factory farms?
• The nutritional properties of eggs: are they a healthy source of protein and fats, as many believe?
• Some substitutes for eggs in baking!

Links:

Check out Viva!'s website.

Viva's Happy Eggs undercover investigation.

Viva!'s investigation of 'Free-Range' Eggs.

Vegan Recipe Club.

Vegan Egg Replacer Chart.

Viva's Face-Off with Eggs Campaign.

Follow Viva! on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

This one's for the vegan chocolate lovers out there! This week Evy, and guest co-host, Elliot Knight, expound on their deep love for all things smothered in thick layers of delicious chocolate, and the importance of indulgence on a vegan diet. We talk about the struggle of being vegan when treats and desserts are not prioritised, and are seen as too obscure to make by non-vegans. Later on we interview the fantastic Jacques Cop, founder and head chocolatier of vegan chocolate house, Coco Caravan, to learn about the process of making vegan chocolate and how raw chocolate is actually a healthy food. Also on this episode...

• Meet this week's guest host, actor and fellow vegan, Elliot Knight
• Elliot shares his joyful outlook on embracing the sweeter things of vegan life - 'Life is a dessert - get a spoon and get on in!'
• Jacques tells of a chocolate vision that came to him and changed his life!
• Jacques explains why you CAN 3-4 chocolate bars a day and feel good about it!
• Why vegan chocolate is better than ordinary dairy milk chocolate.
• The benefits of eating raw chocolate.
• What is coconut palm sugar?
• We discuss vegan businesses taking over the world vs keeping business local and family-run.
• Elliot reaches chocolate-nirvana mid podcast.
• Jacques shares his abundant mindset as a vegan: 'With going vegan you don't really have to miss out on anything.'
• Listener question: What do you do when you're required to eat animal products for an audition? Elliot and Evy weigh in on how they would handle the situation.
• How NOT to fall off the wagon when non vegan chocolate is the only thing in sight.

Links:

Learn more about CocoCaravan!

Follow CocoCaravan on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Follow Elliot Knight on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

This week we're talking about all things cheese and why so many aspiring vegans find it difficult to give it up. Momo and Evy share some charming details about the process of dairy cheese production and then compare the nutritional content of dairy cheese vs vegan cheese. Later on, (24.20) we interview the phenomenal Miyoko Schinner, vegan cheese queen and founder of Miyoko's Kitchen her early struggles going vegan while being a cheese aficionado, and how she founded her legendary vegan cheese empire. Also on this episode…

• What is rennet?
• The chemically addictive properties of dairy cheese
• How do you quit your cheese addiction? We discuss how to get cheese out of your system.
• Miyoko shares what it was like being vegan 30 years ago compared to the vegan scene today: 'This is the renaissance of the vegan movement.'
• Miyoko discusses being a huge 'stinky gooey funky cheese aficionado' and why she believes being vegan shouldn't be prohibitive of enjoying the finest foods.
• Being a bonne vivante vegan : 'Joy comes with being a vegan when you realise you're no longer causing harm.'
• The process of making vegan cheese: Miyoko describes the life of a vegan cheese.
• Is vegan cheese healthy? Are dairy and vegan cheeses nutritional equivalents?
• 'I think we need health on both an emotional level and a physical level. Sometimes having a delicious baguette with a big thick slab of vegan butter on it can be quite healthy for the spirit.'
• What's it like launching a vegan cheese business and how Miyoko built her brand.
• 'I really see our competitor as being the dairy industry.'
• Phenomenally Vegan: Miyoko explains why she thinks it's important to be loud and proud about your vegan values.
• Miyoko shares good basic cheese recipes
• Tips for giving up dairy cheese: 'Go snuggle up with a cow'.
• 'There's a wider array of foods available when you go vegan because you're thinking outside the box.'

Links:

Miyoko's Kitchen

Tomorrow's Creamery - Cashew vs Dairy infographic

Miyoko's Books and DVDs

Miyoko's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

The Cheese Trap Book by Dr. Neal Barnard

PETA UK - Ultimate Guide to Vegan Cheese

PETA USA - Everything you need to know about Vegan Cheese

PETA AUS/NZ - The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Cheese

If you'd like to take part in a 'The 1 month no cheese experiment' in the GLO Vegan Community on FB, join here: www.facebook.com/groups/GloVegan

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

You may be thinking that for a vegan podcast we really don't spend much time discussing how to make delicious, simple, healthy vegan food. We thought that too, so this week we are joined by talented chef, co-founder of Wicked Healthy, Director of Plant-Based Innovation at Tesco, and all-around wonderful person, Derek Sarno. Evy and the newest ChickPeeps recruit, MJ, talk to Derek about Buddhism, why he prefers the term 'free from animals' over veganism, and the future of plant-based food. Also on this episode...

• Meet MJ, friend to The ChickPeeps and our very first guest-host!
• What is Varganism? MJ explains the latest craze in the plant-based world.
• Derek explains why he went vegan or 'free from animals'.
• How losing the love of his life led Derek to Buddhism and a deeper empathy with animals.
• 'It hurt so bad that I didn't want anyone else to feel that pain.'
• Derek explains the parallels between going vegan and the five steps of grief.
• Vegan food for meat eaters: Derek shares the inspiration behind the Wicked Healthy range.
• When you're not a foodie: Some basic recipes and tips for beginner vegan cooks.
• How to train yourself to like gross vegetables: Evy shares a dark vegan secret.
• 'You can find an excuse not to do anything…whatever it is, cleaning your room, veganism… it's the reasons to do it that really matter.'
• 'Plant-pushers not meat-shamers': Derek tells us about the versatility of mushrooms as a non-processed plant-protein and how he hopes the farming industry will embrace them.
• "I don't need anything to die for me to live a very happy and successful life."
• We discuss snobbery towards vegans in the restaurant business and how to earn respect from non vegan chefs.
• 'There's no way that the way we eat now can sustain itself, there's some immediate actions that need to be happen and it's not eating animals.'
• Uh-oh, we screwed up! The ChickPeeps receive an update on the fennec fox story from a listener and we are sorry.

Links:

Derek and Chad's website

Preorder the new Wicked Healthy cookbook!

Wicked Kitchen @ Tesco

Wicked Healthy Instagram

Derek Sarno's Instagram

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch

This week Tylor, Evy and Robbie take on the heavily debated subject of whether or not zoos are vegan-friendly. As animal-lovers, many vegans crave the opportunity to meet animals in person and zoos might seem like the obvious option, however there is no denying that wild animals in captivity are caged against their will. We talk about our experiences with zoos and the role zoos play in education and conservationism. Later on, we interview Maddie Taylor, the Campaigns Officer for the animal rights organisation, Freedom For Animal (previously known as the Captive Animals Protection Society). Also on this episode…

• Are not-for-profit zoos more ethical?
• Tylor: "We don't want bigger cages; we want empty cages."
• Listener question: What about zoos that help conserve certain species?
• Is Newt Scamander's suitcase a zoo or a sanctuary?
• Breaking news from the vegan wizarding world brought to you by The ChickPeeps' most persistent tweeter.
• What is life like for animals in zoos?
• Maddy: "I think part of the problem is that a zoo is very much about creating a great day out for the visitor… giving you the perception that those animals are free."
• What is Stereotypic behaviour and what are some examples of it?
• Marius the giraffe and "Surplus" animals - how was Copenhagen Zoo allowed to kill a perfectly healthy animal and is this a common practice?
• Where do zoos get their animals?
• What about zoos' role in conservation projects?
• Alternative ways to learn about animals
• Do certain zoos improve the lives of animals in captivity?
• What we can do to help animals in captivity now?
• Robbie takes issue with Evy's vegan highlight of the week

Links:

Freedom For Animals' Website

Take part in Freedom For Animals' Zoo Awareness Weekend

Follow Freedom for Animals on Facebook and Twitter.

Article by YourDailyVegan on Zoos (List of alternative ways to learn about animals at bottom of page)

Social Media

Twitter: @ChickPeepsPod

Instagram: @ChickPeepsPod

Facebook: @ChickPeepsPodcast

Momoko Hill: @oh_momoko

Robbie Jarvis: @robbjarvis

Tylor Starr: @tylorstarr

Evanna Lynch: @msevylynch