Vegan Posse

"This whole idea of using medicine to take away people's rights, it's not new. Health has been used as the method for tyranny for a long, long time."

While completing her medical training in 1998, Dr. Pam Popper wrote her dissertation on one Anthony Fauci. When Fauci again reared his double-talking head in 2020, longtime health freedom advocate Dr. Popper knew that we were in for a wild ride - which has only just begun. She went on to launch the grassroots Make Americans Free Again movement and co-author the book COVID Operation: What Happened, Why It Happened, and What's Next - all while continuing to help people extract themselves from the "medical mill" through her work at her company Wellness Forum Health.

Yes, Dr. Pam Popper is a force of nature! She is also quintessentially human, which, despite the sobering subjects, is what made talking with her so much fun. Don't miss this inside glimpse into the head and heart of a true health warrior of our times.

Resources:

Wellness Forum Health: https://wellnessforumhealth.com/

Dr. Pam Popper website: ⁠https://drpampopper.com/⁠

Make Americans Free Again: https://makeamericansfreeagain.com/

COVID Operation: What Happened, Why It Happened, and What's Next by Dr. Pam Popper and Shane Prier: https://www.amazon.com/COVID-Operation-What-Happened-Whats/dp/1633374432/

The Real Anthony Fauci by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.: https://www.amazon.com/Real-Anthony-Fauci-Democracy-Childrens-ebook/dp/B08X5YWRRP

The McDougall Program by Dr. John McDougall: https://www.amazon.com/McDougall-Program-Days-Dynamic-Health/dp/0452266394

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance during the Blitz: https://www.amazon.com/Splendid-Vile-Churchill-Family-Defiance/dp/0385348711/

A Liberated Mind by Stephen Hayes: https://www.amazon.com/Liberated-Mind-Pivot-Toward-Matters/dp/073521400X

Movie, Dallas Buyers Club: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790636/

Eat vegan ANYWHERE? https://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/us/131025/nonchalant-nashville-vegan-makes-plant-based-living-look-like-a-breeze

"For the individual soul, it is very freeing to be vegan." Perhaps it was her gentle, soft-spoken way of conveying some of the awful realities faced by cows, dogs, and other non-human animals, but journalist Karen Asp holds the distinction of being the first Vegan Posse guest to make me tear up on air. In this Vegan Posse episode, Karen talks about her multifaceted writing career, her tips on anti-aging (or more accurately, aging BETTER), her world records(!) in Nordic walking, how she navigated going vegan within the context of a marriage that preexisted her plant-based, ahimsa-based lifestyle, and the challenges of being the lone vegan at the animal rescue organizations where she volunteers. The ultimate takeaway: dump the dairy - i.e., controverting the SNL classic, NO more cowbell!

About Karen:

Karen is an award-winning journalist and author who specializes in nutrition, fitness, diet, animals (companion and farmed), and travel. She writes for numerous publications, including Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, VegNews, Prevention, and Women’s Health. In her spare time, she volunteers with her local animal shelter and a golden retriever rescue organization where she rescues, transports and fosters goldens. An ethical vegan for over 12 years, Karen is also a vegan mentor, certified vegan lifestyle coach and educator, personal trainer, and athlete who holds world records in Nordic walking. She shares her home in Indiana with a rescue cat and two foster wins, a golden/retriever lab mix and golden retriever puppy. 

Resources and Links:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/karenaspwriter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenaspwriter/

Karen Asp books: https://karenasp.com/books/

Main Street Vegan Academy course: https://mainstreetvegan.com/

DeskCycle: https://deskcycle.com/

Fire kills 10,000 in Fort Wayne, IN: https://www.westernjournal.com/another-bizarre-fire-tens-thousands-chickens-killed-massive-farm-fire/

Saturday Night Live - Move Cowbell: https://youtu.be/cVsQLlk-T0s

Vegan design has come a long way, from hippie home decorating. Struck vegan after watching a PETA video about dog leather, luxury interior designer Deborah DiMare instantly made the vegan leap for both herself and her design business. Without even realizing it, her design company soon became the #1 "vegan design" search result on Google. Deborah went on to become a published author, TV personality, educational speaker, and global influencer for the vegan design movement. She's been featured on the Today Show, NBC, TLC, and in The Huffington Post, Ocean Drive, VegNews and PETA's blog. Originally from Bronx, New York, Deborah and her family - husband, two kids, and fur baby, Lucca - now reside in Miami, Florida.

Interested in getting certified in vegan design? Get a 25% discount on Deborah's design courses by using code VEGANPOSSE25 at https://www.vegandesign.org/learn-vegan-design

Resources:

https://www.vegandesign.org/

https://www.instagram.com/deborahdimare/

PETA - Chinese Dog Leather Industry Expose: https://youtu.be/9minO9wOPs8

Are we really still doing this in the 21st century? Horseracing is a "sport" built on the backs of animals who are kept in isolation and confinement for 23 hours of every day, die by the thousands every year on the track, are illegally drugged and doped, and whose reward after retiring from a successful "career" is to be slaughtered and sold for their flesh for human (yes, human!) consumption outside the U.S. And not only that, your tax dollars are funding it!

Nicole Arciello, who's been vegan for over 14 years, has been active in the animal-rights movement in Upstate New York for over a decade. Shortly after becoming a regular contributor on the Times Union Animal Rights blog, she co-founded Albany Animal Rights, a local advocacy group protesting various animal-use industries – circuses, rodeos, puppy mills, fur, etc. Nicole went on to become the co-founder and executive director of Horseracing Wrongs, a non-profit committed to ending the cruel horseracing industry in the United States.

But Nicole's talents aren't limited to advocacy! She also has over 12 years of experience as a vegan chef and baker. Her message is that anything, and everything, can be made - and made better - vegan. Who can argue with that?!

Resources mentioned:

Horseracing Wrongs on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inbehalfofanimals/

Instagram: @inbehalfofanimals

Twitter: @nicolearciello

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-arciello-082716268/

Website: https://horseracingwrongs.org/

Nicole's latest favorite (vegan!) anti-romance romance, Marrying Myself by Christine Melanie Benson: https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763

Skinny Bitch: https://www.amazon.com/Skinny-Bitch-No-Nonsense-Tough-Love-Fabulous/dp/0762435410

Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach by Gary Francione: https://www.abolitionistapproach.com/

What hasn't this self-described "lifetime mystic" done? In addition to founding company Rawsome Creations to help people streamline wholesome food prep, Brenda Hinton has worked as an animal communicator, bio resonance therapist, international tour guide, and travel agent. She's also a two-time breast cancer survivor and thriver - and she's doing everything she can to help others to harness the healing power of food. Now, at the age 66, having emerged successfully from the "World Adventure" of the past three years, Brenda Hinton is on the lookout for her next adventure. Don't blink, or you might miss her!

Resources mentioned:

Rawsome Creations: http://rawsomecreations.com, http://www.rawnutmilkbag.com/

More than a Nut Milk Bag Recipe Collection: https://www.amazon.com/More-than-Milk-Recipe-Collection/dp/1478222131

Rawsome Creations welcome video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPTuisTLZRA

Rawsome Creations on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rawsomecreations/

Instagram: @Rawsome_Creations

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rawsomecreation/

Obituary, animal rights activist Sherry Kolb: https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/in-memory-of-sherry-colb/

Mind if I Order the Cheeseburger? by Sherry Kolb: https://www.amazon.com/Mind-If-Order-Cheeseburger-Questions/dp/1590563840

The Longevity Diet by Valter Longo: https://www.valterlongo.com/the-longevity-diet/

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell: https://nutritionstudies.org/the-china-study/

True North Health Center: https://www.healthpromoting.com/

"I always wanted to be a doctor." From an early age, parroting terms from her dermatologist father's medical journals, Dr. Debra Shapiro was clear on her vocational calling. But her mother's death from a brain tumor when she was just 14 threw her into an emotional tailspin, and she left high school, later obtaining her GED. She went on to college at age 16 but "didn't last." Finally, at age 21, she returned to college and subsequently went on to medical school - where she learned lots about the pathogenesis of disease and NOTHING about optimizing health through nutrition.

When, as a med student, she assisted in a birth and was told, "Catch this baby," Debra knew that women's health was where she wanted to be. She became a board-certified OBBYN and loved helping women and delivering babies. However, when her practice crumbled due to embezzlement by a corrupt office manager, she took the crisis as an opportunity to shift gears to lifestyle medicine. She also took it upon herself to become a skilled public speaker, to be able to better carry the vegan message.

Debra now does her best to be a shining example of health in a world that doesn't make it easy to live a healthy life! "The more people see us as being in excellent health, the more it will catch on. Instead of it seeming so extreme, people will be saying, 'I can do that.''

Resources mentioned:

Dr. Debra Shapiro website: https://anewviewoffood.com/

Farm Sanctuary video "What Came Before": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNxcylWLEH8

"Dairy Is Scary!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI&t=50s

Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen: https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen/

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - Dietary Guidelines recommendations: https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-programs-policies/2020-2025-dietary-guidelines

Myoko Shinner - Myoko' s Creamery: https://miyokos.com/pages/story

Dr. Michael Klaper - Moving Medicine Forward: https://www.doctorklaper.com/moving-medicine-forward

Matthew Kinney vegan restaurants: https://www.matthewkenneycuisine.com/double-zero

Jamie Oliver Greek-inspired cauliflower stew: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/cauliflower-recipes/greek-inspired-cauliflower-stew/

Cauliflower recipes: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/cauliflower-recipes/

Instant Pot: https://www.instanthome.com/shop/instant-pot

Vegan doughnuts NYC: https://vegoutmag.com/food-and-drink/8-spots-for-vegan-doughnuts-in-nyc/

Vegan beers: Guinness: https://www.guinness.com/en-us/frequently-asked-questions; Anchor Brewing: https://www.anchorbrewing.com/blog/ask-bob-brewer-is-anchor-steam-vegan/

Sammy, the Vegan Cat: https://www.good.is/features/vegan-cats; https://www.thespoof.com/spoof-news/science-technology/105410/evolution-takes-giant-leap-forward-ny-cat-turns-vegan

Vegan cat/dog food - Evolution Diet: https://petfoodshop.com/

"It was drilled into me that it was bad for me to eat plants - by doctors!" says Michelle Cen of the eating disorder treatment she underwent for severe anorexia at age 17. "I learned what it was like not to have rights. And it essentially taught me what not to eat."

One of the Big Five Personality traits is openness to new experiences, and Michelle possibly broke that test! A Stanford University graduate, she's done everything from learning to grow organic food on a farm in Hawaii to now living and making art in New Zealand. She describes how she's still overcoming the consequences of receiving the "best" medical care growing up in Northern California with parents who believed wholeheartedly in the traditional healthcare system - including overly aggressive prescriptions for nearsightedness that left her with debilitating eye pain and treatment for anorexia that tried to "pump her up" like a farmed animal and advised her to throw thoughts of health and nutrition out the window. Michelle shares how she discovered whole-food plant-based eating and how a seven-day fast at True North Health Center changed her life - and why she is now determined to devote her life to helping other people go vegan, get healthy, and avoid the same pitfalls she experienced.

Resources mentioned:

Michelle Cen's website: https://www.michellecen.com

Michelle Cen's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@michelle_cen

Beat Your Genes podcast: https://beatyourgenes.org/

How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger: https://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Die-Discover-Scientifically/dp/1250066115

Gentle World: https://gentleworld.org/

"It's always an empty boat. There's nothing personal, ever." Of course we all want world peace - so how the heck did we end up with a food system that's premised on violence against non-human animals? Dr. Will Tuttle explores these and related issues in his epic book The World Peace Diet, which I consider my personal vegan bible. In this revelatory interview, this former Zen monk gives us his inside scoop on intuitive understanding, the world of academia, and the fascinating personal history that led him to become a full-time advocate for non-human animals. Don't miss this wildest of rides inside the head and heart of a leading revolutionary thinker, feeler, and visionary of our times.

And even BETTER... 

Dr. Will Tuttle will be giving an in-person talk in Nashville on Thursday, March 23, 2023, 6:00 p.m. at Sunflower Cafe! Come one, come all, and bring your omnivore friends for an evening of fun, fellowship, Sunflower's delicious vegan food, and plenty of food for thought! 

Admission is FREE! More info here:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/manage/events/585907393787/tickets

Resources mentioned:

Dr. Will Tuttle - Tour Schedule: http://www.worldpeacediet.com/upcoming-events/

Dr. Will Tuttle, The World Peace Diet: http://www.worldpeacediet.com/

Concord writers: https://historyofmassachusetts.org/concord-writers/

https://college.holycross.edu/projects/himalayan_cultures/2006_plans/hkaiter/Concord_Transcendentalism.htm#:~:text=A%20literary%20and%20philosophical%20movement,almost%20on%20a%20religious%20level.

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile.php/3985648/mod_resource/content/1/LEAVES%20OF%20GRASS.pdf

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance: https://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/emerson/essays/selfreliance.html

Henry David Thoreau, Walden: I have found repeatedly, of late years, that I cannot fish without falling a little in self-respect.

http://www.literaturepage.com/read/walden-161.html#:~:text=Henry%20David%20Thoreau%3A%20Walden&text=I%20have%20skill%20at%20it,that%20I%20do%20not%20mistake.

Fish Feel: https://fishfeel.org/

What a Fish Knows: The Inner Lives of Our Underwater Cousins by Jonathan Balcombe: https://www.amazon.com/What-Fish-Knows-Underwater-Cousins/dp/0374537097

https://soundcloud.com/mission-blue-1/goliath-grouper-sylvia-earle-voices-from-the-ocean

She's young, she's motivated, and she's been asking questions her whole life, leading her to being vegetarian from her earliest childhood days to taking the vegan leap at the tender age of eight! Now 12-year-old Emma Brozik of Nashville, Tennessee, talks about how she successfully went and stayed vegan, her tips for carrying the vegan message without making people cry, and her dreams of creating the next amazing mock meat - and she pulls no punches in calling out Nashville VegFest for exploiting an injured calf by using him as a "tourist attraction."

Resources mentioned:

Emma's Facebook & Instagram: @emmas_writing_photographs_

The BE-Hive Deli & Market: https://thebehive.com/

Nashville VegFest: https://nashvillevegfest.com/

Vegan Summerfest: https://summerfest.navs-online.org

When in her forties, Kelly of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, went vegan for health reasons - and after she did, her heart woke up! Suddenly she was living vegan not for herself but for the animals. Along the way, she embarked on a whole new career, going from driving a forklift for a living to becoming a web developer and IT professional. And she also learned to cook - on the cheap! Now, at 55, Kelly is crushing it at the gym - and has learned that it truly never is too late to transform your life.

Resources mentioned:

Cookbook Straight Up Food by Cathy Fisher: https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Up-Food-Delicious-Plant-based/dp/0997636904

Dr. Will Tuttle, author of The World Peace Diet: http://www.worldpeacediet.com/

Animal Liberation by Peter Singer: https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Liberation-Definitive-Classic-Movement/dp/0061711306

Anonymous for the Voiceless: https://www.anonymousforthevoiceless.org/

Novel Marrying Myself: https://www.amazon.com/Marrying-Myself-Christine-Melanie-Benson/dp/1685130763