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Lyrics & Video by: Cheryl Williams
Music by: Raja Chemali

“Gather round,
The fight’s begun
And industry has claimed round 1
They fooled us good
Now we repeat
We don’t see life – we call it meat

The family
May share the blame
They just might grasp for fear and shame
To shut us down
So they can play
Like how they’re eating’s all ok

And you? What lies
will let you sleep?
They don’t have lives they want to keep?
They don’t know sadness,
Fear or pain?
Or what we’re doing’s not insane?

I’m here asking; What do we do?
If we choose to
Live our value
We can see through
We’ve been lied to
Plied with blinded sights
That aren’t true.

Happy cows in fields a’ grazing
It’s amazing, just how clever
Never seeing their endeavors
Let’s us all ignore the truth

All the pain that we’re inflicting
If we knew, we’d find it sick’ning
Those few cows we see a’grazing
Represent the very few
The 5 percent,
Or even less
They have it best – but they’re exceptions
Not exempting us from evils
We inflict upon the rest

And even these few rare exceptions
Bear the same dark brutal death
Bolt gun to the head and hung up
Strung up till their final breath
But not before they’ve heard the others
Scream and struggle to survive
The smell of feces, blood and fear
But no one’s getting out alive

I’m here asking “what can I do?”
If I value, you
I need to
Try n get through
To your virtue
Knowing no one else
Except you…
Can”

I love it when friends, family or acquaintances show a genuine interest in the idea of vegetarianism or veganism.  Occasionally someone will ask; “How did you feel when you went vegetarian/vegan?” or “What changed for you?” I like these questions because I used to ask them too.  In my case I was looking for a nudge, hoping to hear something spectacular that would convince me once and for all to change. Unfortunately, until recently, I didn’t have much of an answer to offer, definitely nothing spectacular.  It has taken me a while to notice the true impact that veganism has had on me. Not because that impact has been small but rather because it’s been profound.

Vegan Benefits

I have seen many vegans bursting with excitement to share how their new diet and lifestyle has changed them: “I feel lighter”, “I’ve lost weight”, “I have more energy”, “Better skin”, “Better sex”.  Personally, I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any of these changes, which is too bad, because these things are easy to describe and report. What I have noticed is a benefit that I suspect most vegans feel but are likely unaware of simply because there’s no name for it.  We rarely hear anyone trying to explain it, but it’s actually quite amazing and powerful.

I Feel Reunited

“I feel reunited,” is the simplest, most succinct way I can describe what veganism has done for me.  Reunited with what, you ask?  With me!  I know it sounds esoteric, but it’s not. We all feel disconnected at times, if not most of the time – disconnected from others, from the world, from ourselves. Everyone longs for connection. Going vegan has opened a door for me that is leading away from dissociation and towards a greater sense of self.  I attribute my new sense of personal power to two things:

Resolution of Cognitive Dissonance

Firstly, my actions (refusing to contribute to animal suffering) are now in line with my values.  Energy I used to use to deny the reality of animal exploitation, or to deny my participation in it, can now be used more productively.  I am free to see things clearly.  I’m free of cognitive dissonance (“the mental discomfort provoked by trying to believe two mutually contradictory propositions”).  Claiming to love animals, but then eating them, is hard to reconcile. 

Secondly, being vegan in a culture that’s largely antithetical to veganism, forces me to examine, question and ultimately assert myself – helping me to better know, understand and respect who I am.  I’m no longer on “automatic pilot”, eating the way most of society eats without question. Now I question, and none of the rationalizations society offers make sense to me. I have always loved animals, but I grew up eating them. I grew up contributing to their exploitation and suffering.  That’s a disconnect. Finally I am “reunited” with that part of me who loves animals. The resulting feelings of connection are real.

Eating Animals

In his beautifully thoughtful book, Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer touches upon this idea of how the disconnect we create with animals (so that we can exploit them) creates a disconnect within ourselves.  We are, after all, animals as well. On page 37 he writes; “If we wish to disavow a part of ourselves, we call it our animal nature” and we try to repress or conceal it.  And though we recognize parts of ourselves in animals, we “then deny that these animal similarities matter, and thus equally deny important parts of our humanity.  What we forget about animals we begin to forget about ourselves.”  There’s a danger in not having empathy for animals.  There’s a danger in not seeing and acknowledging our selves fully.  Whether we’re aware of it or not, we feel the repercussions. Foer writes; “Today, at stake in the question of eating animals is not only our basic ability to respond to sentient life, but our ability to respond to parts of our own (animal) being.  There is a war not only between us and them, but between us and us.”

Veganism is Not a Sacrifice

When I first went vegetarian, and then again when I went vegan, I felt like I was “giving up” things.  I did it anyway, willing to “sacrifice” for my beliefs. What a beautiful surprise to then slowly realize that I gained so much more than I lost.  I gave up meat, dairy and eggs, true, but I learned that there’s a huge world of food to discover once you do! New spices, new ways of cooking, fruit and vegetables I’d never tried, nuts and seeds, grains (barley, buckwheat, quinoa, bulgur, teff, millet, spelt, kamut, rice, corn, oats…), legumes (lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, soybeans, edamame…).  I’ve never eaten a wider variety of food than I do now. Having to research about eating vegan sparked an interest in eating for health, which in turn sparked a never-before-imagined interest in fitness! I can’t help but wonder if these new health and fitness hobbies are just a natural extension of the biggest gift that veganism has given me.  That biggest gift being a growing capacity to care for, respect and reunite with my true self.  

This Vegan Recipe is SO EASY…

It’s from The Vegan Stoner Cookbook.  Need I say more?  Quick and crazy delicious!

Cream of Shroom Soup (makes 1 big bowl, or two little ones)

– 1/2 cup mushrooms
– a few stalks of kale
– 1 tbsp of vegan margarine
– 2 tbsp of soy sauce
– 1 cup soy milk
– 1/2 cup veggie broth
– 1 tbsp of flour
– 1/4 tsp cumin
– 1/4 tsp thyme

1.  Slice mushrooms and cook in pot with margarine and soy sauce
2. Add soy milk, veggie broth and flour
3. Mix in cumin, thyme and kale
4. Lower heat and stir till kale wilts

Maybe it’s not said outright, but there’s a “Real men eat meat” sentiment out there… have you felt it?  Do you believe it yourself? Maybe you sense a trace of this feeling buried deep in the recesses of your heart.  If so, welcome to the world of suggestion and control. The programming has been a success!

I wanted to write about this today after observing the bizarre behaviour of certain meat-eating males in their everyday habitat. These include:

• The time an old friend, upon hearing I went vegan, drew his face close to mine and told me how much he loved meat, “the bloodier the better,” he said
• The time a friend of a friend, who joined us at a vegan restaurant, felt compelled to tell the server he’d be following up his meal somewhere else with a big juicy steak
• And the many times that meat-eaters have somehow inferred that men who are vegan are “soft”

These types of responses are too common to be considered “abnormal” but they are absurd, ironic even. I find them ironic because they all seem to convey fear or insecurity.  I sensed that these men felt threatened by the idea of veganism, as if they needed to assert their manliness by being brutish about their meat-eating.  By contrast, the qualities that inspire a man to go vegan are actually qualities that truly exemplify masculinity – traits like courage, independent thinking, and the desire to protect.  

Courage, independent thinking, and the desire to protect

It takes courage to go against the status quo.  Most of us have grown up eating meat. We’ve been told by our families and cultures that it’s normal, healthy, good, comforting, and we’ve been sold this information by the meat industry, but it’s not true, and the evidence is staggering.  It takes independent thinking to break away from indoctrination and do one’s own research with an open mind.  For those who are willing, they find that there are many things wrong with meat eating, including the immense suffering it causes sentient beings as well as its contribution to the devastation of our planet.  For some people, this is enough to provoke a desire to protect – protect one’s health, the environment, and innocent creatures.

There are three main reasons why people go vegan:

1. For Health 
2. For the Environment
3. For Animals

If you share an interest in these concerns, and would like to know more, I highly recommend watching “What the Health” (about health), “Cowspiracy” (about the environment) – both available on Netflix – as well as “Earthlings” (about our treatment of animals) which is available for free on Youtube.  These are powerful documentaries chock-full of eye-opening information.

Let’s take a look at just a couple of ways that a vegan diet can improve a man’s health.  

A Vegan Diet engenders Virility

Contrary to the belief that vegans are weak and scrawny, many top athletes are turning to a vegan diet and optimizing their strength and performance.  These include Rich Roll who, at 43, completed five ironman triathlons in seven days, strongman Patrik Baboumian who set a world record in 2013 by carrying a 550 kg yoke, and olympic sprinter Carl Lewis who, upon going vegan, had his best year of track competition.  In “The Game Changers”, a soon-to-be-released documentary, we meet a slew of other vegan athletes who are also smashing it! NFL players, weight lifters, boxers, martial artists and more – all personifying what science has been telling us for years – that a plant based diet is optimal for physical health and fitness.

But perhaps even more compelling for most men is the power of the plant-based vegan diet on a man’s… er… “nether” regions.  Studies have shown statistically significant links between meat-eating and prostate cancer, as well as a decreased risk for prostate cancer for men following a plant-based vegan diet.  Other medical evidence concludes that meat eating contributes to erectile dysfunction. Not only do the saturated fat and cholesterol from animal products clog arteries, but this leads to restricted blood flow – not just to the heart, but to all of one’s organs. One study featured in “The Game Changers” showed that men who cut out animal products from their diet had erections that were greater in circumference, rigidity, and duration.  Need more hard evidence? Try the vegan diet for a month and see if these findings stand up 😉

Is it unmanly to care?

From the time they were little, most men have been discouraged from acknowledging or showing their feelings.  Expressions like “Big boys don’t cry”, “man up”, and “grow a pair” have often been used to shame boys and men for expressing their emotions. In this way, society has taught men to suppress their feelings, hide their sensitivity, and put on a brave face.  Consequently, many men become desensitized and disconnected from themselves. This makes it more difficult for them to see the link between their meat eating and the pain and destruction it causes. I think this also plays into why some men, upon seeing others show care for animals and the planet, feel triggered.  This display of sensitivity appears “unmanly” to them, because they’ve been conditioned to think that way. The “patriarchal masculine” dictates suppressing emotion, whereas the “divine masculine” embraces emotional intelligence and expression. It’s time for all of us to become more divine – and for men, that means freeing yourself from those antiquated patriarchal ideas.  You are naturally more of a “real man” when you’re more “real” – and that means knowing, being in touch with, and allowing your feelings.

Most people eat meat because most people eat meat

Going vegan isn’t necessarily easy for anyone, male or female, because it goes against the status quo, but for me it was way easier than I thought it would be.  Since going vegan four years ago I’ve discovered so many amazing foods and flavours, and I spontaneously became more interested in food, health and fitness. Being vegan doesn’t always endear you to people, especially at food gatherings, but the benefits of eating this way far outweigh any negatives. Again I encourage everyone to learn more about it, and of course I encourage everyone to stop believing the lies we’ve been told – one of the worst being that real men eat meat.

“Isn’t it funny that people will actually be proud to represent the stupidist shit like killing people, hurting people, and disrespecting women, but when it comes to representing eating right, you get laughed at.” – Will.i.am

Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas became a vegan at the start of this year and he put out this funny video intended, I think, to pump up both himself and his viewers.  Have a look.

Real Men eat vegan quiche

Admittedly, I haven’t tried this Chickpea Flour Quiche recipe yet, but it fit today’s theme – and looks easy and tasty.  Let me know what you think! 

Every year at this time I can be spotted talking to myself and gesturing as I walk down the street.  This is because it’s “Speech Contest” season for Toastmasters and, as a contender hopeful, I’m constantly trying to memorize my presentation.

On February 6th, I went up against three of the most skilled speakers in my McGill Toastmasters club – and won!  As a result, I got to represent McGill Toastmasters at the Area Contest on February 26th.  Although I gave it my best that night, I came up short – and won 2nd place.

Claiming your power through taking personal responsibility

I must admit I was very disappointed that my contest journey ended there this year (the winner is on his way to the “division” level). But today, after a few days reflection, I’m feeling grateful to have had the opportunity to share my story and ideas with two wonderfully receptive audiences.  In the speech I talk about how taking personality responsibility for my actions led to feelings of self-honour, strength and joy.

It’s not always easy to do.  Taking personal responsibility requires honest self reflection and can be confrontational for others.  Ultimately, however, I believe that there’s no greater reward than to live in harmony with truth.

Below is a “mash up” of the two presentations of my contest speech.  And below that, another winning vegan recipe!  I hope you enjoy both.

No More “Mrs. Nice Girl”
– a speech about taking personal responsibility

If you’ve had the experience of standing up for your beliefs, even if you feared repercussions, I’d love to hear about it!  Please write about it in the comments.

One Pan Mexican Quinoa

This is one of my favourite recipes because it’s so quick, easy, healthy and delicious!  A crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.
3. Serve immediately.

1. I’ve been a meat eater most of my life.
2. Disingenuously, I sought evidence to condone my meat eating.
3. I only stopped eating meat when I thought it would serve me.

Like many people, I have always loved animals.  I didn’t grow up with pets, but I never passed up an opportunity to pet a dog or cuddle a cat.  And even though I may be a bit fearful of less familiar creatures, my affection extends to mice, turtles, squirrels and just about any other animal that crosses my path.  On some level, deep inside, it never made sense to me that we ate animals, but somehow this has only recently crept into my full awareness.

I’ve been a meat eater most of my life

I’ve been a meat eater most of my life.  It’s the culture I grew up in.  I never decided to be a meat eater, but neither did my parents, nor did their parents, nor theirs.  None of us, as children, were asked; “Do you want to be a vegetarian?  Or would you rather eat animals too?”  I wonder what I would have answered.

I was 19 years old before I ever considered the idea of vegetarianism.  Though my life must have bumped up against the concept before then, I have no memory of having even heard the word “vegetarian”.  But one semester in CEGEP, a documentary shown in one of my humanities classes, changed that.  It opened my eyes to something I couldn’t have previously imagined.  I remember images of animal imprisonment, cruelty and suffering.  It was a film about animal agriculture, and, for the first time in my life, I heard the term “factory farming”.

The effect of those factory farming images stayed with me.  I was horrified and incredulous.  “This can’t be true,” I thought.  “This can’t be real.”  How could we, as a society, allow this?  Surely, if this was true, the people I look up to and admire would know about it and would be speaking out about it.  Surely my mother, my grandparents, teachers, politicians, clergy and other authority figures would refuse to eat meat if this was how most of it was procured.  I experienced a cognitive dissonance.  What I saw on the screen didn’t fit with what I innocently believed to be true about society.  And so, I continued eating meat – for another decade. 

I sought evidence to condone my meat eating

Though largely in a state of denial and rationalization, I never forgot the images from that documentary.  I was now sensitized to the word “vegetarian” and it started jumping out at me.  Just about every time I met a vegetarian (which was far less common back then) I’d ask them why they were vegetarian.

I have since examined my reasons for asking, and I came up with three:

1. I wanted to appear open minded.
2. I wanted to hear something that would convince me to go vegetarian myself.
3. I wanted to hear something that would reassure me that eating meat was ok.

Strangely, I remember always getting lukewarm responses that lacked conviction.  Today, I understand why.  Usually I would ask the question at a food gathering, when the subject would naturally come up.  I now realize that if the person was vegetarian for ethical reasons, there was no graceful way for them to express that.  Not in front of people eating meat.  Not without appearing as if they thought they were morally superior.  I assume they downplayed their reasons to avoid making me uncomfortable.

I finally stopped eating meat for self-serving reasons

The catalyst for my switch to vegetarianism was unique.  I’ve never met anyone else with a similar incentive.  Despite my claim to love animals, and despite knowing how they suffered for my tastebuds, somehow that never convinced me to change.  What did, was my own self interest.

At the age of 30, out of the blue, I began to have what I’ll call “episodes” of fear and paranoia.  A series of creepy coincidences would rise to torment me for days at a time, consuming all my emotional energy.  Faceless demons would permeate my dreams and a sense of foreboding haunted my waking life.  I’d lived through about 2 or 3 of these episodes over the course of about 2 years when, after a long period of relief from them, another episode begun to rear its ugly head.  A vegan friend of mine named Jimmy, who had seen me through these times in the past, told me something I’d never heard before.  He said he’d read that when we eat meat, we also ingest the fear that the animals felt in the slaughterhouse.  The study he was referring to confirmed that fear experienced during slaughter significantly elevates meat’s levels of stress hormones.  Jimmy wondered if I was experiencing the animals’ fear secondhand.  I was so desperate to end my episodes, I became vegetarian on the spot, and I’ve never looked back.  Although I can’t say for sure that the episodes ended because I stopped eating meat (I made several changes at that time) I can say that I haven’t had a similar episode since.

My greatest reward

There are so many benefits to foregoing meat, and even more upon giving up animal products altogether.  Just google “vegan” or “plant based diet” to read compelling information about how healthy it is to eat this way – and how important for the health of the environment.  But the greatest reward, for me, is to finally be living in harmony with my own values.  I spent several years as a vegetarian before accepting the truth that, by continuing to eat eggs and dairy, I was still contributing to the immense pain and suffering of animals.  In November 2013, I became a vegan.  And now, in February 2018, I’m “coming out” as a vegan activist.   As such, I encourage everyone to learn more about this wonderful, accessible, oft-misunderstood and transformative lifestyle.  If there’s anything I can do to help you move towards veganism – or to help you with your own “vegan project”, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

More inspiration

I’ll leave you with a speech I delivered last November and a link to a yummy recipe I discovered on the Forks Over Knives website… enjoy!

Recipe

The “No Tuna” Salad Sandwich.  I’ve made this twice already.  It’s extremely fast and easy to make, inexpensive and DELICIOUS!
(I made it without the pickles and celery, because I didn’t have any – and I served it on toast with vegan mayo and cilantro – because I had some)