This is an intervention. Vegan burnouts are real and I see it all around me, constantly. Stress and anxiety from the carnists around you: boyfriend, girlfriend, in-laws, mom and dad, even your own children. Constant excruciating reminders of the violence of animal cruelty from movies, tv-series, ads, your social media feed. And as an activist, which is a position we are all forced upon at some point, it is a whole other level of hell: hearing the same well-known arguments again and again, watching painfully horrific slaughterhouse footage, saving and caring for animals despite the financial strains and this is the least of it!

Veganism is not only a fight for the animals, it is also a fight for your sanity. And in my humble opinion, one of the most powerful weapon to guard your peace of mind is meditation, the subject of today's episode.

To discuss this topic, I have with me someone who has dedicated his whole life to the practice and teaching of meditation, a Buddhist Monk called Bhante Sathi. In addition to his passion for meditation, Bhante is vegan and a long-time defender of the animal cause. In fact, he is the president of the organization Dharma Voices For Animals, which we covered in previous episodes.

Now Bhante has recently published a book called the Mind Work Out, which is your chance to launch your meditation practice. This book is the result of decades of experience meditating and it has the ambition to offer you the life of joy and happiness you deserve. Visit the episode notes for more details.

Get The Mind Work Out: https://a.co/d/54qsZvv

If you are experiencing immense distress, please take this episode as your cue to open about your pain. Don't wait. FIND A HELPLINE: https://findahelpline.com/

Learn about Dharma Voices for Animals: https://www.dharmavoicesforanimals.org/

Connect with Bhante Sathi: https://www.triplegem.org/wp/?page_id=658

The Buddha For Veganism. With Bob Isaacson & Ardjani Puig | Ep. 50 https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1669438/

May All Beings Be Happy! A Buddhist Take on Veganism. With Bhikkhu Sunyo | Ep. 30 https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1342993/

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Back in 2016, Sherry Colb and Michael Dorf published one of the most thought provoking book in the animal rights world. It is called beating hearts, and it attempts to resolve a challenging question: How can you condemn hunting, animal farming, and animal experimentation while also favoring legal abortion, which is the deliberate destruction of a human fetus? If you are someone like me who thinks abortion should be legal but goes as far as not to even kill mosquitoes, than this issue hits home.

But more than that, this book is the proof that the secular vegan philosophy and intellectual tradition has enough depth to tackle and appropriate itself some of the most complex and sensitive moral hot button issues of our time.

To discuss the book, I have the honor to welcome the author himself, Michael C. Dorf, a Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell University and long time animal rights advocate.

If you appreciate this conversation and my independent reporting of the animal rights world, then please share this episode with your fellow vegans.

Get the book "Beating Hearts": https://www.amazon.com/Beating-Hearts-Abortion-Critical-Perspectives/dp/0231175140

(From Sherry) Mind If I Order The Cheeseburger?: And Other Questions People Ask Vegans: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Order-Cheeseburger-Questions-15-Feb-2014/dp/B011T6SBAO

(From Sherry) When Sex Counts: Making Babies and Making Law: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/When-Sex-Counts-Making-Babies/dp/0742551504

Follow Michael Dorf's insightful blog entries; https://www.dorfonlaw.org/

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Baby chicks mailed by the national postal service, animal testing lab whistleblowers getting threatened by mysterious powers, polar bears allowed to be hunted, despite being in danger of extinction: this is Canada in 2025, as it faces what could be the most consequential election in its history, fighting an economic war with Trump's United States.

In today's episode, I am joined by the inspiring Liz White, leader of the Animal Protection Party of Canada, for one of the few conversations exploring what is at stake for the billions of animals whose fate will soon be decided at the ballot box.

Learn more About the Animal Protection Party of Canada: https://www.animalprotectionparty.ca/

Learn more about the legal case for proportional voting in Canada: https://www.charterchallenge.ca/

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Bill Rodgers ★ Regan Russel ★ William Sweet ★ Fernando Pereira ★ Bartolomeu Morais da Silva ★ Mike Hill ★ Tom Worby ★ Jill Phipps ★ Karel Van Noppen ★ David “Gypsy” Chain Beth O’Brien ★ Robert “Naya” Bryan ★ Barry Horne

Those are the names of the activists featured in the Fallen Warrior section of the North American Animal Liberation Press Office website, animalliberationpressoffice.org. In other words, those are activists who have payed the ultimate price, their life, for standing up to animal abuse and exploitation.

In today's episode, I invited Dr. Jerry Vlasak, a press officer and long-time animal rights activist, by profession a trauma surgeon, to remember those heroes and reflect upon their sacrifice and legacy. We also remember those who have sacrificed their freedom for the animal cause, most notably Marius Mason and Maxim Plokhoi who are still serving their sentence in prison.

Learn about the prisoners and fallen warriors: https://animalliberationpressoffice.org/NAALPO/prisoners/

Get "Flaming Arrows" https://www.amazon.com/Flaming-Arrows-Writings-Liberation-L-F/dp/1957452099/ref=sr_1_1?s=books

More forbidden books: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AAnimal%2BLiberation%2BFront&s=relevancerank&text=Animal+Liberation+Front&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1

Who is Scared of the Animal Liberation Front? With Dr. Jerry Vlasak | Ep. 26 https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1302932/

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A week ago, I came across the Kickstarter campaign of a vegan couple named Tom & Sol, to launch their fantastic illustrated book called Reynard the House-Wolf, which is all about escaping the city, reconnecting with nature, and growing curious, compassionate and loving towards our fellow animals.

The message behind this project, its philosophy, and just how thoughtful and talented Tom & Sol are, compelled me to support their Kickstarter campaign and invite them on the show for an incredible conversation on their journey out of the city and the power of their art.

Support Tom & Sol's Kickstarter Campaign: http://kck.st/4iO8beQ

Visit Sol's Art Boutique: https://solanzorena.art/

Protect the Porkies! Stop the Copperwood Mine! https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-porkies-protect-lake-superior-stop-the-copperwood-mine

Listent to Discover The Art of Compassion Project. With Helen Barker & Francisco Atencio | Ep. 36 https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1417389/

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What does a Trump presidency mean for animals? Today, we answer this question by covering political news that impact the lives of animals. We discuss the price of eggs, the avian influenza, the appointment of Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture, Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswamy, the clearing of forests, and much more!

Robert Grillo is an activist, author and speaker for plant-based food system change. He is also the founder and director of Free from Harm, a non profit dedicated to advancing a plant-based, slaughter-free food system through bold and innovative grassroots action.

Donate to Free from Harm: https://freefromharm.org/donate/

Connect with Dr. Crystal Heath: https://www.instagram.com/dr.crystalheath/?hl=en

Listen to Crashing The DNC Party. With Robert Grillo | Ep. 46: https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1628517/

Listen to The End of the Antibiotic Era. With Cóilín Nunan | Ep. 55: https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1735697/

Listen to Make Animal Rights Bipartisan Again.: https://rss.com/podcasts/veganreport/1628517/

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For decades, we've held a clear and widely accepted picture of what prehistoric humans were like. Central to that narrative is the belief that they followed a so-called "Paleo diet"—a diet consisting of whole foods, heavily focused on animal proteins, while avoiding grains and legumes.

However, a groundbreaking study published this year challenges that claim. According to this research, our ancestors' diets were predominantly plant-based, including grains and legumes. This revelation suggests that early humans might have been more accurately described as gatherer-hunters rather than hunter-gatherers.

How did such a misconception about prehistoric humans arise, and what does this new discovery tell us about our identity as a species?

To delve into these questions, I’m joined by Dr. Hadar Ahituv, the lead researcher behind this study. Dr. Ahituv is based at the Laboratory for Ancient Food Processing Technologies (LAFPT) at Haifa University’s Zinman Institute of Archaeology.

Read Dr. Ahituv's research paper: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2418661121

Summary of the study: https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-836842

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Way back then, I remember how Israel was looked at very favorably by vegans. One media outlet called it "the global center of veganism". Online, I remember the many popular videos of Gary Yourofsky being interviewed on Israeli TV, always with Hebrew subtitles.

But since October of last year, since the brutal attacks and kidnappings perpetrated by Hamas, and then the violent retaliation of Israel, something shifted in the vegan movement. And I witnessed internal conflict not about how effective activism should be done, think about welfarism vs abolionism, but about the Gaza war. And when I witnessed Jewish vegan activists leaving the community in drove, erasing even their social media presence, I knew that this represented a breaking point for the cause.

Read Antisemitism in the Animal Rights Movement: https://theirturn.net/2024/09/03/antisemitism-in-the-animal-rights-movement/

Support Tikvah for Animals: https://www.tikvahforanimals.com/

Connect with Bobby: https://www.instagram.com/bobbysud/?hl=en

Support Shani's perfect seasoning blend: https://shaniseasoning.com/collections/all

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Today, make the acquaintance of Rebecca Brooks, an outspoken vegan, for a casual conversation about the following points of criticism vegans often get:

Nutritional deficiencies: Critics claim that a vegan diet can lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, iron, and calcium.

Economic cost: There's a perception that a vegan lifestyle is more expensive due to the cost of specialty products and organic produce.

Animal testing paradox: There’s an argument that some vegans overlook the use of animal-tested medications and products.

Family dynamics: Some claim that being vegan can cause friction within families, especially if only one member follows the diet.

Impact on farming communities: There’s concern that a shift towards veganism can negatively affect communities that rely on livestock farming.

Connect with Rebecca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca_br00ks/

Connect with Rebecca on X: https://twitter.com/rebeccabro0ks/status/1522395067125669889

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I have always equated the success of the plant based alternatives market with the success of the vegan cause. If more tasty products come replacing meat, dairy and egg, than veganism is winning. Or is it? Today's guest, Miyoko Schinner, vegan icon and successful entrepreneur, made me think twice about that assumption. From food colonialism to cultivated meat, our conversation was a deep dive into the disconcerting world of the food industry.

Connect with Miyoko on social media. Also, consider supporting the good work of her sanctuary, the Rancho Compasión. More details in the episode's notes.

Donate to Rancho Compasión: https://www.ranchocompasion.org/

Miyoko's recent TEDx: https://youtu.be/BgaNbsbyf0o?si=kVhbADbFPDBeB1JW

Follow Miyoko on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thevegangoodlifewithmiyoko

Follow Miyoko on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miyokoschinner/?hl=en

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