So far I’ve been to Philippines and am currently in Thailand and already the food has been amazing. I’ve really enjoyed trying new veg foods everywhere I go. I especially like the mango shakes! Upon my return I’ll be posting articles featuring the foods I ate and where I ate them. Keep checking back with us for my stories of delightful veg food from around the world.

As of December 1st 2009, the Lisbon Treaty officially distinguished farm animals as sentient beings (link). In other words, they have a legal status acknowledging that they can feel pain, suffering, and are conscious. This is a wonderful step in the direction of ethical animal treatment. This has been a breakthrough that has been a long time coming. Compassion in World Farming has been pushing for this as early as 1991. Through hard work and great effort, we are realizing the compassion we should have on the other inhabitants of this earth.

Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” (Emphasis added)

The animals that sentient recognition is really helping are those that are inhumanely treated before becoming food.  The sentient beings in Europe are just as conscious as the animals in the U.S. Hopefully, we will be able to move in the same direction in proving our capacity for compassion reaches beyond the sphere of the human species.

“I haven’t been here in like six years.  What do you get?” I asked.

“Can’t go wrong with a Cafe Rio salad,” he replied as he ordered. “No meat please.”  Hmmm this guy who looks like he can lift his Harley above his head is ordering a salad for dinner, hold the carne.

“Yeah I’ll have the same as him.”

Turns out my professor, Marty Mendenhall, Ph.D., LPC, is a longtime vegetarian.  Not only that but Marty completed his doctoral program at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco specializing in spirituality and consciousness. He also completed a two-year post-graduate certificate program in Socially Engaged Spirituality at Saybrook. He has been employed by the Utah State Department of Juvenile Justice Services for twenty-two years working to incorporate and nourish the spiritual roots of restorative justice in the programs that he directs. Marty is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix and provides mental health services for children who have been removed from home due to abuse and neglect. He owns and operates Mendenhall Martial Arts and Holistic Health Center in Pleasant View, Utah, where he advocates the harmonious development of mind, body, and spirit. He is a former Utah State Bodybuilding Champion and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer.

I asked him a few questions.  The interview continues as follows:

WasatchVeg (WV) You are a well respected professional in the field of Psychotherapy, especially dealing with youth.  Do you think diet plays a role in how healthy and well adjusted young people are in the psychological sphere?  How?

Marty Mendenhall (MM) Yes, diet influences the physical, mental, and spiritual health of all human beings. A person’s food intake affects mood, behavior, and brain function. The human brain has high energy and nutrient needs. Changes in energy or nutrient intake can alter both brain chemistry and the functioning of nerves in the brain. Intake of energy and several different nutrients affect levels of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters transmit nerve impulses from one nerve cell to another, and they influence mood, sleep patterns, and thinking. Deficiencies or excesses of certain vitamins or minerals can damage nerves in the brain, causing changes in memory, limiting problem-solving ability, and impairing brain function.

Several nutritional factors can influence mental health, including: overall energy intake, intake of the energy-containing nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), and intake of vitamins and minerals. Often deficiencies of multiple nutrients rather than a single nutrient are responsible for changes in brain functioning.

The human brain is metabolically very active and uses about 20 to 30% of a person’s energy intake at rest. Individuals who do not eat adequate calories from food to meet their energy requirements will experience changes in mental functioning. Simply skipping breakfast is associated with lower fluency and problem-solving ability, especially in individuals who are already slightly malnourished. A hungry person may also experience lack of energy or motivation.

Chronic hunger and energy deprivation profoundly affects mood and responsiveness. The body responds to energy deprivation by shutting or slowing down nonessential functions, altering activity levels, hormonal levels, oxygen and nutrient transport, the body’s ability to fight infection, and many other bodily functions that directly or indirectly affect brain function. People with a consistently low energy intake often feel apathetic, sad, or hopeless.

Carbohydrates significantly affect mood and behavior. Eating a meal high in carbohydrates triggers release of insulin in the body. Insulin helps let blood sugar into cells where it can be used for energy, but insulin also has other effects in the body. As insulin levels rise, more tryptophan enters the brain. Tryptophan is an amino acid, or a building block of protein, that affects levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. As more tryptophan enters the brain, more of the neurotransmitter serotonin is produced. Higher serotonin levels in the brain enhance mood and have a sedating effect, promoting sleepiness. This effect is partly responsible for the drowsiness some people experience after a large meal.

Proteins are made up of amino acids linked together in various sequences and amounts. The human body can manufacture some of the amino acids, but there are eight essential amino acids that must be supplied in the diet. A complete or high-quality protein contains all eight of the essential amino acids in the amounts needed by the body. Generally, combining any two types of plant protein foods together will yield a complete, high-quality protein. Protein intake and intake of individual amino acids can affect brain functioning and mental health. Many of the neurotransmitters in the brain are made from amino acids. The neurotransmitter dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine. The neurotransmitter serotonin is made from the amino acid tryptophan. If the needed amino acid is not available, levels of that particular neurotransmitter in the brain will fall, and brain functioning and mood will be affected. For example, if there is a lack of tryptophan in the body, not enough serotonin will be produced, and low brain levels of serotonin are associated with low mood and even aggression in some individuals.

There have been a few studies done across the United States demonstrating that changing the diets of young people can decrease antisocial behavior. As I mentioned above, nutrients affect areas of the brain that regulate mood and behavior. Providing juvenile offenders with healthier foods, less sugar, and more nutrients appears to help them think more clearly and may increase their ability to control their behavior.

(WV) Have you ever incorporated dietary changes into the therapeutic process?  What was done and what results were noticeable?

(MM) Yes but to a very limited degree. While I was the director of a large secure facility we experimented with nutritional practices particularly reducing levels of refined sugar intake and saturated fats while increasing the amount of complex carbohydrates and lean sources of protein. No formal study was made concerning the dietary changes but it seemed in general that the youth made better choices and were more in control of their behaviors. My approach to helping others is holistic so I always advocate eating in a healthful way, regular exercise, daily meditation and yoga practice, daily stimulation of the intellect, and meaningful social relationships.

(WV) You mentioned earlier how active your lifestyle is.  Could you tell us more about that?  What types of physical activities do you engage in?

(MM) My day typically consists of several hours of exercise first thing in the morning followed by meditation practice. Typically I weight train, run, bike or swim, and then practice meditation before going to work. I also try to practice martial arts and/or yoga later in the day.

(WV) Some athletes, including bodybuilders, take certain energy or protein drinks to give them a physical boost.  Do you use anything like that?  What have you found that works for you?

(MM) I occasionally use protein supplements and creatine monohydrate.

(WV) Despite the many athletes who live and have lived on a plant-based diet, including Dave Scott (4-time Ironman winner), Andreas Cahling (Mr. International bodybuilding winner), Jack LaLanne (member of the National Fitness Hall of Fame and the “Godfather of Fitness”), Carl Lewis (10 Olympic Gold Medals), and Scott Jurek (7-time Western States 100 mile Endurance Run champion, 2-time Badwater Ultramarathon champion, 2-time Spartathlon Champion), vegetarians are still stereotyped as being feeble, brittle, small, unmanly weaklings.  What would you like to say to readers who may stereotype vegetarians that way?

(MM)I try not to concern myself too much with what others think. Eating a plant-based diet works for me and fits my general philosophy of life. It feels right to me!

The Snake River

We pulled the raft out of the frigid river while trying to fight off the cold. Amassing ourselves on the dock, our group waited for a ride back to camp. We had just finished rafting down the Snake River in Idaho – a frenetic, 6-mile trip. After being thrown into the water repeatedly for 3 hours on that freezing river, I’d had enough.  After I got my bones warm by lying on the sun-baked ground, I decided that I couldn’t wait for that ride any longer. Maybe it was ADD or my overly ambitious pair of legs but I felt the strong urge to not wait for a ride back to camp but to run it. My brother Noel had estimated that the distance from the boat ramp to the cozy camper was nearly 6 miles.

I borrowed a pair of sandals, a far superior running shoe than the water socks that were currently protecting my feet from the scorching ground. I warmed up my cold legs by running back down to the river to grab a random water bottle from the raft. Taking a huge drink, I started jogging up the hill towards the highway with Noel and our friend Paul, who gamely agreed to run with us.

After getting up to the road, I wasn’t sure if I had made the right decision. My eyes widened at the sight of the long winding road into the canyon. I felt like my legs were choking on the enormous bite of highway that I had chosen to run.  I wasn’t in running shape, nor did I have the right gear to be running for any length of time. I had some sketchy-fitting, borrowed sandals and my short, short, swimming trunks. But at this point I was committed to run – or not get back to camp.

The three of us packed together as we ran, while encouraging each other that we COULD do this. Slowly, Paul pulled ahead of me, probably due to his ENORMOUS stride. Noel followed right behind him. For the first 3 miles I wished with all my heart that I hadn’t have tried running back to camp on this blistering highway. My mind became my enemy and tried to convince my determined heart that 6 miles was just too far.

During the last 3 miles, my mind relented and I stopped looking for every conceivable reason to stop running and use my thumb to hitch a ride. I was alone with the physical capacity of my body. I came to realize that the limits that I had set for myself were completely mental and not physical. As I ran, those restrictions and reservations dripped from my mind like the sweat that poured off my body. Perhaps running wasn’t as much about physical endurance as it was about mental determination. Maybe at this point I couldn’t run a marathon but I could break through the irrational self-defeating enemy that caused my potential to languish. During that run it wasn’t about exercise anymore; it was about peace, and stillness of mind. When my mind surrendered to my commitment, I began to notice the grand splendor that encompassed me on every side. I was running between vast stretches of mountains to my right and a soft, calm lake shored by tall green grass to my left.

After I got back to camp and soothed my bleeding feet, I got a text (I never said I was roughing it…) that read, “Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never pushed through the obstruction.”-William James.

Facing opposition with persistence and determination propelled me beyond what I thought I was capable of accomplishing. Breaking through the caps we put on our potential gives us the opportunity to glimpse the vast grandeur of who we really are and who we have the power to become. I realized on that run that I should no longer listen to that voice that holds me back, pulls me down, and limits my being. I choose to reach higher, push myself farther, and extend the limits of my potential.

During a break at school I leapt from my seat and headed out the door for some dinner.  Driving up the road and glancing in the rear-view-mirror now and again.  There was my professor on a Harley motorcycle just behind me, his long blonde hair whipping in the wind.  I pulled into a parking lot and he followed.  Park my car, grab my wallet, and it turns out that this long-haired Harley riding professor is going to the same restaurant as I am.  Stepping off his bike, it’s obvious he’s well over six feet tall and built like an NFL linebacker.  Taking a better look at his bike, yeah, it’s a Harley and, yeah, he has a yoga mat tied to the back of it with a red bandana.

“I haven’t been here in like six years.  What do you get?” I asked.

“Can’t go wrong with a Cafe Rio salad,” he replied as he ordered. “No meat please.”  Hmmm this guy who looks like he can lift his Harley above his head is ordering a salad for dinner, hold the carne.

“Yeah I’ll have the same as him.”

Turns out my professor, Marty Mendenhall, Ph.D., LPC, is a longtime vegetarian.  Not only that but Marty completed his doctoral program at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center in San Francisco specializing in spirituality and consciousness. He also completed a two-year post-graduate certificate program in Socially Engaged Spirituality at Saybrook. He has been employed by the Utah State Department of Juvenile Justice Services for twenty-two years working to incorporate and nourish the spiritual roots of restorative justice in the programs that he directs. Marty is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix and provides mental health services for children who have been removed from home due to abuse and neglect. He owns and operates Mendenhall Martial Arts and Holistic Health Center in Pleasant View, Utah, where he advocates the harmonious development of mind, body, and spirit. He is a former Utah State Bodybuilding Champion and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer.

I asked him a few questions.  The interview goes as follows:

WasatchVeg (WV) When did you decide to be vegetarian?

Marty Mendenhall (MM) Approximately 20 years ago.

(WV) What led you to choose to live on a plant-based diet?

(MM) There are a number of factors but I choose to live on a plant-based diet primarily for spiritual reasons. I was born with a peaceful compassionate temperament and a sensitivity toward and affinity for nature. I also entered mortality with a profound curiosity regarding the meaning of existence and the possibility of continuation of consciousness beyond the death of the physical body, which naturally led to questions about how one should conduct oneself during mortality. Searching for wisdom on the preceding topics led to a burning interest in the world’s wisdom traditions. As I explored the religious scriptures of the world I found most suggest that votaries avoid the consumption of animal flesh. I remember being particularly inspired by the doctrine of ahimsa as enunciated in the Vedas. As you might know the practice of ahimsa is simply the practice of non-harming. In the Vedic tradition it takes on a more expansive meaning to include having no ill feeling for any living being. Later Pali manuscripts posit that ahimsa be accompanied by camaraderie, freedom from anger, and aversion to ill will. It further requires that one not utter words that are either harsh or hurting. By this definition ahimsa includes subtle as well as overt forms of non-violence. The Buddhist Mahaparinirvana Sutra says, “The eating of meat extinguishes the seed of great compassion.” Buddhism is built on wisdom and compassion. Out of compassion flows wisdom and out of wisdom flows compassion. In my opinion Buddha dharma can have profound social, ethical, philosophical and religious implications therefore it is important to me to contribute in some small way.

(WV) How do you feel about the decision you’ve made (physically, emotionally, spiritually)?

(MM) My decision to abstain from eating animal flesh is the right one for me. I feel better physically. I live an especially physically active life. Physical activity has been a form of meditation and refuge for me over the course of my life. It is not uncommon for me to be engaged in some form of exercise or intense physical activity for several hours a day. I require fuel that can sustain long hours of physical activity. My body functions most efficiently when the bulk of my caloric intake consists of complex carbohydrates i.e., fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans lentils, and rice.

While it’s true that I draw energy from my thoughts, feelings, and consciousness to fuel the functions of my body, I also recognize that I need energy from the nutrients in the food I eat. It has become apparent to me that my mental, spiritual, and emotional processes depend on having a healthy physical body. A vegetarian diet affords me the best opportunity to maintain a healthy physical body and a vibrant lifestyle.

The concept of the affects of emotions and stress on health are not new; the relationship between the physical and psychosocial well-being has existed throughout history and across cultures. Hippocrates taught that curing a patient required a knowledge of the “whole of things,” of mind as well as body. Emotions and physical health are interconnected as are all things. When my physical body is healthy and I am true to my own personal moral and ethical code, my emotions are balanced. Meditation is the foundation of my emotional stability. In Buddhist practice it is taught that if one does not practice the five precepts: The practice of non-harming, the practice of not taking that which is not freely given, the practice of abstaining from harmful speech, the practice of abstaining from intoxicants, and the practice of abstaining from sexual misconduct, it is not likely that one may uncover any penetrating truths during meditation. Meditation is a foundational practice in my life; therefore, any method that helps me to practice in a more skillful way I am willing to do.

From a spiritual perspective it is important for me to live in such a way that creates and nourishes an inner environment that is conducive to accessing the Ultimate Ground of Being. If my physical body is healthy and my mind is not distracted by afflictive emotions the energy of Life can flow through me for the benefit of others.

(WV) Is your decision to be vegetarian connected with any other lifestyle choice(s)?  In what way?

(MM)Yes, as I have already indicated I believe in the interconnectedness of all things. I am concerned for the welfare of all beings that inhabit this planet and the planet itself. My lifestyle and the decisions I make in my life are founded on the principles of peace, loving-kindness, wisdom, compassion, joyfulness, generosity, forgiveness, patience, and diligence.

(WV) Have the people close to you been supportive of this decision?  Concerned about this decision?  Antagonistic?  Irritated?  etc.

(MM) The people I choose to surround myself with are supportive. As a means of diffusing possible arguments concerning the “rightness or wrongness” of eating a primarily plant based diet I sometimes mention that I do not believe human beings are suited for meat consumption. Examining the animal kingdom one observes that vegetarian animals do not have claws whereas carnivores do. Vegetarian animals perspire through the skin whereas carnivores perspire through the tongue. Vegetarians do not have large front teeth, but have molars for grinding food. Vegetarian animals have intestines that are ten to twelve times the length of their bodies whereas carnivores have intestines that are only three times the length of their bodies. Carnivores have strong stomach acids to digest meat whereas vegetarian animals have weaker acids. These comparisons inform me that as a human animal I am not suited for the consumption of meat; therefore I choose to include only plant-based foods in my diet.

To be continued…

As a child my wife dreamed of becoming a chef, like the ones she saw on TV nonchalantly tossing ingredients into a bowl and then pulling out a magnificent final product.

Unfortunately, cooking is not that easy—I wish it were.  Now when my wife reads a recipe she confidently tosses the unmeasured ingredients listed on the page into a bowl as if she were one of the chefs she watched on TV as a child.  The result?  I’d rather not say since she occasionally reads this thing.

Honestly, my wife is a tremendous cook, when she follows directions, which leads me to “The First-Timers Cookbook” by Shawn Bucher (pronounced Boo-Shay). “The First-Timers Cookbook” is a step-by-step guide to great cooking that can even help the imaginary professional chef.

This cookbook is like the cliff notes to all those other cookbooks that end up leaving you ordering take-out.  Shawn offers a fresh simplistic view to cooking that will leave you excited to cook your next meal.

For vegetarians, at least half of the 84 pages don’t include meat products or byproducts.  In fact, there are twenty pages on fruits and vegetables alone – from apples to yams.  These pages offer a myriad of tips from how to properly cut a tomato and the best time to purchase asparagus.

Bottom line:  “The First-Timers Cookbook” is the equivalent of that masked magician that exposed all of the other magician’s tricks; they both exposed the unthinkable as elementary.

Buy the Book now for $12.95; the handsome man below will even sign it for you.

Author:  Shawn Boucher (the magician unmasked)

http://www.firsttimerscookbook.com/

Peach Mango Mircacle Salsa

Miracle Salsa

Remember those old TV commercials that illustrated some cowboys on the range settlin’ down for the night?  Getting’ their grub, one of those cowboys grabs some salsa to put into the chili.  The other dude looks up and grabs the salsa whilst wigglin’ his handle-bar mustache.  He squints his eyes, focusing on the label.  His eyes shoot open.  “This salsa was made in New York City.”  The others can’t believe it. “New York City?!”  That poor misguided city slicker who brought that New York City made salsa is mighty affeared and sweatin’ like he’d been caught by Scratch himself with an Ace up his sleeve.  Gulp.  “Git a rope.”, mustache man orders.  The commercial fades out after showing some salsa made in Texas and you’re left to your own imagination as to what happens to the unfortunate about-to-be-murdered guy who was willing to share with some incredibly intolerant cowboys who are diabolically serious about their salsa.

Tomatillo Avocado Miracle Salsa

I wonder what Mustache Man would say about salsa made in Utah.  It aint New York, thank your stars, but it aint Texas niether.  The best salsa I’ve ever tasted is made here-Miracle Salsa.  Miracle Salsa is a Utah company which specializes in making fresh salsa but has expanded their product line to include gourmet, high-quality salad dressings and an exquisite honey-cranberry spread. Miracle Salsa’s products are all natural, high in antioxidants, contain no preservatives, are high energy foods, and amazingly flavorful.

Miracle Salsa began when its founder, Jim Hickman, found himself with a large greenhouse full of tomatoes and decided to use them to make salsa. He wanted to create just the right recipe with a unique blend of healthiness and desirability.  For centuries, the combination of apple cider vinegar and honey has been prescribed medicinally. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, treated his patients with this particular concoction because of its powerful cleansing, healing, and germ fighting qualities. This same routine was habitually practiced in Jim’s household by his mother. Jim wanted to integrate the miracle foods apple cider vinegar and honey into his tomato based salsa. Garlic, another miracle food, contains high antifungal and antibacterial properties as well as a great way to lower blood pressure. When freshly cut and combined with the apple cider vinegar, these properties are maintained at their highest potency. These three miracle foods-apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic-became the foundation of Miracle Salsa and the keys to its health promoting secret recipe.

No matter your preference, Miracle Salsa provides a stellar product that offers the tastiest combination of sweetness, spiciness, and zest to compliment any one of your favorite dishes or meals. Their freshly made tomato salsas are available in a variety of flavors from very mild to pico mucho jalepeño!  Or, on the fruity side, try mango peach or hot cranberry-tomatillo, avocado salsas, which are made with either anaheim, serrano, or jalepeño peppers. Miracle Salsa is a perfectly tasty snack for any occasion. Their mouth watering honey-cranberry spread, when combined with yogurt or a toasted bagel, can be the perfect hors d’oeuvre to impress any type of guest-possibly not Mustache Man.  To add a delicate touch of flavor to any salad, vegetable, or any one of your preferred greens, indulge yourself with some sweet cranberry or honey-lemon salad dressing. You’ll be happy you did.

For those home farmers who have their own vegetable garden or those who simply enjoy preparing and cooking food at home, Miracle Salsa offers their unique Base Mix and Miracle Mix.  All you do is follow the recipe on the label (basically add tomatoes) and enjoy the splendor of Miracle Salsa with your own garden-fresh tomatoes.

Very Mild Miracle Salsa

1. Made in Utah.  Fresh.  Ingredients are local.  It isn’t shipped thousands of miles just to sit in the store for weeks.
2. Incredible taste!  Like I said, best tasting salsa I’ve ever had!
3. Healthy.  All natural ingredients.  Honey, Garlic, and Apple Cider Vinegar are considered “miracle foods” for good reason.  No preservatives.  High in antioxidants.  High-energy food.

Pick Miracle products up at:

Dan’s Foods Foothill

1360 Foothill Dr.
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
(801) 583-3267

Dan’s Foods 70th South

2029 E. 7000 S.
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
(801) 943-7601

Dan’s Foods Olympus

3981 S. Wasatch Blvd.
Salt Lake City, UT 84124
(801) 272-2622

Cochran Products

6060 S. 1550 E.
(At Harrison Blvd and Hwy 89)
Ogden, UT 84405

Skinner Products

300 W. 1800 S.
Bountiful, UT 84010

Rafter B’s Sinclair

2246 S. SR 32
(I-80 Exit 156)
Wanship, UT
(435) 336-2632

Leprosy In India

Leprosy has been affecting generations of people, which has grown to fill to over 700 leprosy colonies in India. For the people affected by leprosy, they live a life of a beggar. Without the help of Rising Star Outreach the children born in these colonies would, in all likelihood, grow up to be a beggar like their parents. From the Rising Star Outreach website, it says, “By removing the children from the colonies and providing them with good nutrition and training in proper hygiene, Rising Star Outreach greatly reduces the risk of the children developing the disease.”

Amirtham learning at school.

Educating these children helps to remove the stigma of leprosy, which has, all too often, prevented these children from reaching their full potential and kept them trapped in these leprosy colonies.

I learned a lot from the children at Rising Star. I thought I was going there to teach them, but in-turn, and as it usually works itself out, they taught me.  For that I am grateful. I have chosen to share briefly about a few lessons a four-year-old girl named Amirtham taught me:

Amirtham was born in a leprosy colony to two very young parents; one Hindu, the other Muslim. In their meager home, and with no water or electricity, Amirtham learned that life isn’t fair and it’s never easy.  She learned this truth a short time ago when her mother took her own life by lighting herself on fire.  What the mental state of her mother was, I don’t believe anyone could ever know, but regardless, my heart aches for her pain and the loss of her mother.

Did Amirtham miss her mother? Of course she did. But, she kept her heart and mind on her little brother and in so doing, showed me one of the greatest examples of love and compassion. Her little brother eyes filled with tears every day over the loss of their mother. He was somber, weary of strangers and refused to do anything without his big sister.

Amirtham and her brother.

Every day Amirtham cared for her brother. Every day she held his hand as they walked to school. Every day she played with him, comforted him, encouraged him, shared with him and cared for him. You didn’t see one without the other. Her compassion and love for her brother is real and would easily melt the hardest, coldest heart. She understood her brother’s pain and without hesitation rushed in to replace it with love. Because of that, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for this little star.

Amirtham is one of many children being helped by the Rising Star Outreach. She is getting an education, learning English and developing a brighter future. Help support and encourage children like Amirtham and her brother by joining with us for a 5k and breakfast on Oct. 10. From the Rising Star website it says, “The success of Rising Star Outreach to date has truly been a miracle. It is one that they attribute completely to the kindness and generosity of concerned people all over the world and the loving hand of God.”

Kenneth L. Kelln, M.D. is one of 6 elders in a local Seventh-Day Adventist church. He received his undergraduate degree from Walla Walla College (now University), in 1960 and then he got his medical degree from Loma Linda University in 1964. He received his specialty training in Internal Medicine at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, and in Gastroenterology at Loma Linda University Hospital. His specialty in Gastroenterology includes the area of nutrition and treatment of nutritional deficiencies. Dr. Kelln was employed by the church as a missionary physician at hospitals in Nigeria, West Africa for 9 years and was director of health services for the country for the Adventists for 4 years.

I was fortunate enough to ask Dr. Kelln a few questions about how a plant-based diet is incorporated into the Adventist faith. The interview went as follows.

WV – If it’s Gods will for Adventists (in reality, all of God’s children) to take care of their bodies, how is a plant based diet Gods will?

Dr. K – It is quite clear from the Bible that God expects us to care for our bodies (I Cor. 6:19, 20 and 10:31.) It is also clear from Daniel 1:8-20 that at least some of the Israelites understood that a vegan diet was most healthful. It was the diet originally given to man at creation (see Gen. 1:29). It was only after the flood that the consumption of flesh foods was allowed.(Gen. 9:3),and part of the result was a much shorter life span for succeeding generations (Gen. 11:10- 26).It has been speculated that God did this purposely to shorten men’s lives to prevent the terrible evils that happened before the flood!!!

WV – How does living a plant-based diet influence your spirituality and ability to worship God?

Dr. K – Better health gives a clearer mind, which allows the Holy Spirit to keep in better contact with the Christian. It has been said that eating of animal products promotes more aggressive behavior and sensual thinking, un-Christ-like attributes.

WV – How do you approach the plant-based diet doctrine to prospective members?

Dr. K – Position of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on diet:

A. Totally abstain from unclean meats as defined in Leviticus, chapter 11, such as pork, rabbit, and shellfish. Active members follow this counsel..

B. Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet is recommended, (based on the above Bible passages and Ex. 15:26, Deut. 14:2, 3, and Romans 12:1). Less than 40 percent of active members and only 70 to 80 percent of pastors (salaried clergy) follow this diet, however. It is not made a test of fellow-ship, but only recommended.

C. Authoritative instruction in the writings of the church tell us that the time will come when it is no longer safe to consume eggs and milk products because of the risk to your health from cancers and infectious illness. Less than 5 percent of the active church membership are vegan, however. A number of vegan cookbooks have been published both by Adventist Church- owned publishers and privately. A number of respected leaders in the church are educating the membership that the time for abandoning all animal products has probably come, and a vegan diet is not considered as odd and fanatical as in the past. With mounting scientific evidence supporting the benefits of a vegan diet, it is my feeling that more Adventists will be adopting this, particularly since the major interest is among younger members in their teens and twenties.

The Adventist lifestyle is more than simply diet: it includes total avoidance of all things frankly harmful to our health: (example tobacco, alcohol, street drugs, unclean meats, even violent behavior) and the moderate use of wholesome foods, together with regular rest, exercise in the open air, adequate water intake and cleanliness, and trust in God. Placed in perspective, a vegan diet is a recommendation, but by no means the most important thing to a Seventh-day Adventist.

Link: Seventh-Day Adventists-Health and Longevity: Part I

Thought

Every revolution has a factor of instigation behind the movement. The structure and meaning of  the proliferating “vegetarian movement”, is a comprehensive and deeply rooted  idea in the nature of free choice and human developmental thinking.

The fact that human evolution is active in our conscience, which is evident in our mental ideas of sympathy and  justice. We, unlike the brute creations of the earth, are deeply rooted in empathetic feelings and the emotional well being of those around us.

As humans, our minds have the ability to recognize when unnecessary pain is being inflicted on undeserving recipients;  therefore, we being creatures of thought wince as we witness these atrocities, viewing the offenders as those comprised of sheer brutality, who refuse to recognize the victim as a  fellow sentient being. This awareness is a testament to the progressive idea of evolutionary thought.

Immanuel Kant, the 18th century German philosopher,  may have put it best, however rudimentary and skewed it may be, when he stated,

“If a man shoots his dog because the animal is no longer capable of service, he does not fail in his duty to the dog, for the dog cannot judge, but his act is inhuman and damages in himself that humanity which it is his duty to show towards mankind. If he is not to stifle his human feelings, he must practice kindness towards animals, for he who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men.”

Kant’s idea of dichotomizing animals from humans may seem counter-productive. Though at the trunk of this idea lies greatness. Animals do not owe animals equal rights. But we as humans are required a higher standard of conduct than those creatures who are ‘bound by beastly appetites’ for the pure and simple fact that we have the ability to recognize this suffering and we as humans make the choice to act. We have urges but we are also given a bridle to control these urges.

This is a concept which has been uttered by philosophers and deep thinkers throughout time, and viewed as a deeply moral issue by these minds.

The 1714 statement of the Dutch physician-philosopher Bernard Mandeville speaks volumes on the subject of  human awareness, when he expressed that,

“Sympathy… proceeds from a real Passion inherent in our (Human) Nature, it is sufficient to demonstrate that we   are born with a Repugnancy to the killing, and consequently the eating of Animals.“

This “repugnancy” lies in the nature of being human. The fact that we, as human beings, can recognize this suffering as wrong, requires us to shed off our savage animalistic past, and enter the realm of humanity. Humanity is the basis for a complete recognition of actions and acting according to this recognition. I see John suffer; therefore, I being human must alleviate this suffering, or deny my ’humanity’ as a whole. Our humanity is tied to our human character, in the sense that it defines us.

This movement is a movement of complete acceptance in the ideals of  humanity. Ours, as  Russell Rankin puts it, is “Not a Revolution of Arms“  but a “Revolution of Thought”. We, through this revolution, will bring out the true humanity in all mankind, encompassing our progressive ideals of human understanding, until we have unshackled the chains of oppression and become the “voice for the voiceless”!

Authored by  Pugnacious P.

Check back often for an expounded more in depth edition of this article and more on the series of ‘Revolutionary Thought’.