Teagan Goes Vegan: Recent Episodes
Teagan Kuruna
Teagan Goes Vegan (TGV) is a podcast about compassionate vegan life, told through vegans' personal stories. Host Teagan Kuruna interviews a new guest every week.
Andy Tabar, owner of Compassion Company and one half of vegan podcast The Bearded Vegans, joined me to talk about his nomadic vegan activism. We chatted about the 10 Billion Lives Tour, creating a vegan podcast with his friend, and how he used chili to show people vegan food is actually pretty good!
Teagan Goes Vegan now has an email list! Sign up for emails about the show and vegan news at teagangoesvegan.com/contact. You can also find the show on Facebook at facebook.com/TeaganGoesVeganPodcast and on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan.
The first time I tried brownies from Batter and Crumbs Bakery, I knew I had to talk to whoever was making such a beautiful dessert. So I asked owners John Schultz and Paul Carmine to join me on this week's podcast. We had a really fun conversation about how they became vegan, what it's like to own a vegan bakery, and everyone's constant question about vegan baking: how do you substitute eggs?
Teagan Goes Vegan now has an email list! Sign up for monthly-ish emails about the show and vegan news at teagangoesvegan.com/contact. You can also find the show on Facebook at facebook.com/TeaganGoesVeganPodcast and on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan. If you have a minute, please rate or review the show on iTunes at bit.ly/veganpodcast.
It's fixed! Find the new feed on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/teagan-goes-vegan-podcast/id1193012734. Thanks for your patience!
Update 1/7/17: Just resubmitted a new feed so the show should be back in iTunes in the next few days.
Update 12/13/16: Still working on it. Hoping to get things back up ASAP.
Update 12/9/16: Looks like the feed has been deleted from iTunes. I have no idea why but I'm working on getting it back, promise!
Hi Everyone -
I just realized that I'm having some kind of issue with my RSS feed and the podcast isn't showing up in iTunes right now. I'm working on getting it up and running again ASAP. Thanks for bearing with me! Let me know in the comments if you can see the podcast in your app or if you're having any technical issues.
Thanks :)
Robert Grillo's new book, Farm to Fable: The Fictions of Our Animal Consuming Culture, explores the stories that we're told (and tell ourselves) that allow us to keep consuming animal products. Robert and I discuss "humane-washing," the connection between beliefs and behavior, and how to deal with non-vegan family during the holidays. We also take a quick diversion into the US election results.
Teagan Goes Vegan now has an email list! Sign up for monthly-ish emails about the show and vegan news at teagangoesvegan.com/contact. You can also find the show on Facebook at facebook.com/TeaganGoesVeganPodcast and on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan. If you have a minute, please rate or review the show on iTunes at bit.ly/veganpodcast.
The US election results...are a disaster. So to help me (and anyone else who's distraught) think about something positive, I'm re-running one of the interviews I've enjoyed the most, The Chili Diet with Hal Lublin.
You may know Hal Lublin from the Thrilling Adventure Hour, Welcome to Night Vale, or We Got This with Mark and Hal, but did you know he also makes a mean vegan chili? Since becoming vegan just under six months ago, Hal has made huge changes in his diet to help get his health on track. We talk about our million dollar coconut spoon idea, the National Egg Board's shadiness, and his deep love of cloudy apple juice. I also share my NSFW opinion of mayonnaise.
Teagan Goes Vegan now has an email list! Sign up for monthly-ish emails about the show and vegan news at teagangoesvegan.com/contact. You can also find the show on Facebook at facebook.com/TeaganGoesVeganPodcast and on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan. If you have a minute, please rate or review the show on iTunes at bit.ly/veganpodcast.
I learned about Kwame Whyte through Black Vegans Rock (an awesome website you need to check out) and upon reading her blog Miss Kwame Seventy-Six, I knew she needed to be on the podcast. In this chat, Kwame tells me about why she's become vegan for a second time, what went awry the first time, and how Pinterest is the real MVP of her vegan story. We also talk about how she's teaching her teenage daughter to thinking critically and compassionately about her dietary choices and our shared experience of becoming vegan because of a cat.
Teagan Goes Vegan now has an email list! Sign up for monthly-ish emails about the show and vegan news at teagangoesvegan.com/contact. You can also find the show on Facebook at facebook.com/TeaganGoesVeganPodcast and on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan. If you have a minute, please rate or review the show on iTunes at bit.ly/veganpodcast.
Vance Lehmkuhl, columnist at V for Veg and author of the book by the same name, stopped by the studio to chat. We talked about his incremental switch from vegetarian to vegan, writing about vegan food and lifestyle for a major metropolitan newspaper, and the growing vegan food scene. Vance is also a cartoonist who created The Joy of Soy, a book of vegetarian cartoons.
Teagan Goes Vegan now has an email list! Sign up for monthly-ish emails about the show and vegan news at teagangoesvegan.com/contact. You can also find the show on Facebook at facebook.com/TeaganGoesVeganPodcast and on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan. If you have a minute, please rate or review the show on iTunes at bit.ly/veganpodcast.
Luna Dahlia stopped by the studio to talk with me about the time her friends gave her a block of cheese with candles in it instead of a birthday cake, why being a positive person is a big part of why she's vegan, and that time she sat on some vegan cupcakes. There's a lot of cake talk in this episode. Also, please note that this episode is NSFW--Luna does fetish work, so we talk about BDSM, kink, and sex in general. We also discuss how being vegan fits into her work, including the stereotypical use of leather in BDSM and kink communities.
Both the BDSM and kink links take you to Psychology Today.
Teagan Goes Vegan now has an email list! Sign up for monthly-ish emails about the show and vegan news at teagangoesvegan.com/contact. You can also find the show on Facebook at facebook.com/TeaganGoesVeganPodcast and on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan. If you have a minute, please rate or review the show on iTunes at bit.ly/veganpodcast.
Jenny Marie created Big Fat Vegan Zine, an online vegan space that focuses on body acceptance and fat positivity within a vegan context. I had a great talk with Jenny about all kinds of things - fat shaming in the vegan community, finding the right vegan subculture, and the lack of vegan food in body-positive spaces.
Special shout out to Silvia for her really kind email, and to everyone I met at Phoenixville VegFest. Also! Teagan Goes Vegan now has an email newsletter. Sign up for monthly-ish emails including synopses of recent episodes, links to resources mentioned in interviews, and other fun news at www.teagangoesvegan.com/contact.
Please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at [mail @ teagangoesvegan.com], on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
Natalie Slater, the brains behind Bake and Destroy, chats with me about breaking into food blogging as a self-described "derelict." We also talk about organizing the Vegan Vortex - a seasonal vegan market in Chicago - her new-ish gig as the director of marketing at I Heart Keenwah, and how she's preventing her son from waging a full-on rebellion. And to give everyone a break from the Philadelphia restaurant talk, Natalie also gives recommendations for vegan options in Chicago.
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
This episode was recorded LIVE at Tattooed Mom for the the Philadelphia Podcast Festival! Ever wonder which of the vegan cheeses and ice creams are the best? Luckily for you, Carmella Lanni-Giardina, Jeanine Follette, Alex Bove, and the live audience help me decide! We also sample some of Tattooed Mom's finest vegan fare (including vegan brioche!) so if you're ever in Philadelphia, you know what to order.
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
Vincent Berraud, aka the Animalist, chats with me about (among many other things!) fostering online communities where it's okay to change your mind. We also talk about pseudoscience in vegan communities, and yet again, I talk about vaccines!
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
See Teagan Goes Vegan LIVE during the Philadelphia Podcast Festival! A panel of vegan experts will taste-test vegan cheeses and ice creams...and the audience can join in the fun! If you're in the Philly area, please join me at Tattooed Mom at 3:00pm on Sunday, August 28.
I have to admit that I didn't realize Jack Norris is the Executive Director of Vegan Outreach...I only knew of him as one of my go-to vegan nutrition experts. We talked a lot about the history of Vegan Outreach and what they're currently doing to assess their activism. We also chatted about his motivations for becoming a registered dietitian.
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Teagan Goes Vegan will be doing a live show during the Philadelphia Podcast Festival! There will be a panel of vegan experts taste-testing vegan cheeses and ice creams...and the audience can join in the fun! If you're in the Philly area, please join me at Tattooed Mom at 3:00pm on Sunday, August 28.
Alex Bove stopped by the studio to chat with me about masculinity, condoms, and his personal vegan philosophy. He created Talk Like A Man and, among other articles, wrote "Why Manly Men Think They Must Eat Meat (And How That Changes)" for The Good Men Project, We had a great time talking, and I think you'll enjoy our conversation, too!
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Teagan Goes Vegan will be doing a live show during the Philadelphia Podcast Festival! There will be a panel of vegan experts taste-testing vegan cheeses and ice creams...and the audience can join in the fun! If you're in the Philly area, please join me at Tattooed Mom at 3:00pm on Sunday, August 28.
If you thought jackfruit was awesome, Taymer Mason has something to tell you: you can make vegan fish out of another unripe tropical fruit, soursop. She and I talk about how developing a vegan fish recipe is key to convincing folks in the Caribbean that they can, in fact, go vegan without sacrificing their favorite foods.
Photo credit: Taymer Mason
We also chat about how she had to go Toronto to write her cookbook because all the tropical fruit grown in Barbados gets shipped out and she had to leave the island to find the traditional ingredients. We also talk about her past work as a food scientist, overabundance in Instagram food photos, and making vegan pasta.
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
Brittany and Terrence Roche, also known as the Plant Power Couple, came to the studio to live stream our interview. We talked about how they became vegan, why they record themselves making dinner every night, and building a vegan food brand. We also have some drinks and are just generally silly!
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
Leila Vaughan is the founder of the Peace Advocacy Network's PAN Vegan Pledge, a free 30-day vegan challenge that provides one-on-one mentorship, education, cooking classes, and other support to aspiring vegans. The Philadelphia Pledge starts this weekend, and other cities around the country are looking for participants and mentors. As someone who became vegan after saying "I'll just try it for a month," I'm excited to participate this year as a mentor! In addition to talking about the Pledge, Leila and I have a great conversation how she became vegan, making her own soy yogurt, and vegan friendship.
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
Casey Taft, founder of Vegan Publishers and expert psychologist in the field of trauma, chats with me about his vegan journey and his work. Casey's new book, Motivational Methods for Vegan Advocacy: A Clinical Psychology Perspective, draws on his experiences as a psychologist and as a vegan advocate to explore what might actually help people become vegan. We discuss how and why big vegan organizations need to evaluate their activism and his experience encouraging them to assess their work. We also discuss the meaning of the word "effective" and how the Stages of Change model can be used to help connect with people.
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
Lateefah Smith doesn't call herself vegan (and we talk about why) but she's the founder of a veg meetup/convention called The Veggie Connection. After health concerns prompted her to go totally plant-based, Lateefah has embraced a vegan lifestyle. She and I talk about her inquisitive daughter, vegan networking, and people's individual journeys.
Special thanks to Kevin for getting in touch with me on Facebook to recommend guests! If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
Bruce Friedrich became vegan through his Catholic faith and subsequently turned vegan activism into his career, working at PETA, Farm Sanctuary, and now the Good Food Institute. He and I talk about the "abolition vs welfare" debate that often divides vegans, how focusing on global poverty and environmentalism were key to his decision to become vegan, and why low-fat cottage cheese was the last animal product he ate.
Special thanks to iTunes users EverFar and Phoenix Bound for their kind reviews! If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
You may know Hal Lublin from the Thrilling Adventure Hour, Welcome to Night Vale, or We Got This with Mark and Hal, but did you know he also makes a mean vegan chili? Since becoming vegan just under six months ago, Hal has made huge changes in his diet to help get his health on track. We talk about our million dollar coconut spoon idea, the National Egg Board's shadiness, and his deep love of cloudy apple juice. I also share my NSFW opinion of mayonnaise.
If you can, please take a minute to rate or review the show on iTunes. As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com, on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan, and on Facebook at facebook.com/teagangoesveganpodcast.
Edward Daniel, outgoing chair of the Vegan Society, had a spiritual awakening three years ago and has been vegan ever since. Now he writes the EthiVegan blog, cooks tons of vegan food, and is crowdfunding the publication of his first book. Edward and I chat about how coming out as gay in the 1980s helped him figure out how tell about his own identity to people who don't always understand. We also talk about his own philosophy about activism and the role of spirituality in personal change. Edward is also planning the Spiritual Vegan Alternative Festival 2017 - no website yet, but if you want to learn more, email him at edward.daniel (at) edwarddaniel.com.
Teagan Goes Vegan now has a Facebook page! Check it out at www.facebook.com/TeaganGoesVeganPodcast. If you haven't had a chance yet, I'd really love if you would rate the show or leave a review on iTunes to help other people find it. You're the best! As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com or on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan.
Mel Maly stopped by the studio to talk with me about her vegan journey. She's a vegan food champion who just wants to feed everyone some excellent meals. Mel is a nurturer by nature, and her warmth shines through in our conversation. Check out her amazing-looking creations at Meliciousness: Vegan Chef Grrl on Facebook.
Speaking of Facebook, Teagan Goes Vegan now has a Facebook page! Check it out at www.facebook.com/TeaganGoesVeganPodcast. If you haven't had a chance yet, I'd really love if you would rate the show or leave a review on iTunes to help other people find it. You're the best! As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com or on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan.
I'm a huge fan of @VegAssist. It's a Twitter bot that retweets anyone whose tweets include some variation of "I want to go vegan." It was created to help connect current vegans with people who are expressing interest in the idea, in hopes that the current vegans will help answer questions and provide positive feedback. It's a low-key form of advocacy that I really love participating in.
So I asked Andrew Gardner, the man behind the bot, to talk with me about why he made it and his take on the role of technology in vegan advocacy. He also tells me all about the other folks on GitHub contributed to the bot--now it can retweet in lots of languages.
If you're interested in participating in kind and gentle vegan advocacy, I highly recommend you follow @VegAssist and help out some wannabe vegans!
Kate Jacoby of Vedge and V Street restaurants talked with me after last week's interview with Rich Landau. We discussed how she went from hostess to pastry chef, general manager, and sommelier. She was also recently nominated for a James Beard Award. I was impressed with how open she was with me and with her hospitality.
Photo credit: Wine & Spirits Magazine
This is part 2 of my Vedge interviews...if you haven't listened to last week's episode, I recommend you do that first so you understand some of the references in this one.
If you haven't had a chance yet, I'd really love if you would rate the show or leave a review on iTunes to help other people find it. You're the best! As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com or on Twitter@TeaganGoesVegan.
To see Kate's recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
I headed over to Vedge Restaurant in Philadelphia to talk with Chef Rich Landau about what it's like having a "vegetable restaurant" rather than a "vegan restaurant." Vedge has received many accolades - innovative vegan fine dining restaurants that execute their menus beautifully are rare, and Rich, along with his wife Kate Jacoby, manages to do it daily while maintaining a second restaurant, V Street. Most recently, they were both nominated for James Beard Awards, and Rich recently moved on to be a finalist.
They've also put out cookbooks and are have additional restaurants in the works. AND both Rich and Kate are incredibly kind and gracious hosts who fed me amazing food after the interview...which I'll talk about next week when I put out my interview with Kate.
If you haven't had a chance yet, I'd really love if you would rate the show or leave a review on iTunes to help other people find it. You're the best! As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com or on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan.
To see Rich's recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Nicole Antoinette, host of the Real Talk Radio podcast, joins me this week. We chat about how she became vegan to see its effects on her running performance, and how she came to realize that reducing animal suffering and environmental problems were also really important to her, too. We also talk about how making changes can be really tough but is so often worth the effort, why telling your own story can be really helpful for other people, and what it’s like to feel a little isolated sometimes.
The new season of Nicole’s podcast was just released, so if you want to hear her conversations with beloved online vegan personalities (No Meat Athlete or Minimalist Baker, anyone?) as well as with other interesting folks, check out her show.
If you haven't had a chance yet, I'd really love if you would rate the show or leave a review on iTunes to help other people find it. You're the best! As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com or on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan.
To see Nicole's recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Soon-to-be dentist Kyle Jones stops by the studio to tell me his vegan story and try to convince me that GMOs are totally okay (for the record, I am still 100% undecided on my feelings about GMOs). We also talk about using animal testing for medical research and Kyle is gracious enough to let me stand on my pro-vax soapbox for a little bit.
You'll also learn about my strong feelings regarding car inspections. It's a strange thing to have an opinion on, but I definitely have one!
If you haven't had a chance yet, I'd really love if you would rate the show or leave a review on iTunes to help other people find it. You're the best! As always, you can also reach me via email at teagangoesvegan (at) gmail.com or on Twitter @TeaganGoesVegan.
To see Kyle's recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
The lovely artist Melanie Brieterman and I chat about why she became vegan, how it fits in with her Buddhism, experimenting with a raw food diet, and how to live with grace and compassion.
Our conversation also inspired me to learn more about the alkaline diet and dig up some reputable research about its impact on health. Here are the sources I mention in the intro.
- Swalfenberg, G.K. "The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health?" Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3195546/.
- Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Office of Public Affairs. "Statement: Email Hoax Regarding Cancer." Available at: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/news_events/featured/cancer_update_email_it_is_a_hoax.html.
- American Institute for Cancer Research. "Cancer and Acid-Base Balance: Busting the Myth." Available at: http://preventcancer.aicr.org/site/News2?id=13441.
- Leech, J., "The Alkaline Diet Myth: An Evidence-Based Review." Available at: https://authoritynutrition.com/the-alkaline-diet-myth/. I didn't use this one in the intro but I think it's a good resource.
To see Melanie's recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
This week's guest, Brigitte Blanco, teaches plant-based nutrition and helps people learn how to talk with their doctors. We talk about her personal journey to a vegan diet and how her career in pharmaceuticals influences her true passion of helping people find enjoy plant-based foods and the benefits those foods bring.
To see Brigitte's recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
This week, Tim Haft and I talk about how an ER doctor convinced him to make the leap from vegetarian to vegan, whether social media is actually any good for us, and the value of good vegan restaurants.
Also, I apologize for the lack of an episode last week - I had an audio snafu that I'm still trying to figure out how to fix.
To see Tim's recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
In this interview recorded way back in May 2014, when I was a brand-spanking new vegan, I sat down with Allyson Kramer, vegan and gluten-free cookbook author and blogger. She talks with me about nasty blog comments about vegetable oil, the privilege inherent in making the choice to be vegan, and how paleo diets are surprisingly similar to vegan ones.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Joshua Black, the Urban Black Vegan, sits down with me to talk about how watching a documentary changed his whole perspective on health, why having someone to relate to is so important for making significant lifestyle changes, and why the grocery store Aldi is the best. He also tells me about the vegan challenge he created and will be chronicling on YouTube.
We also discuss the seriousness of diet- and lifestyle-related health conditions in the United States, particularly among Black Americans. In the intro, I give an explanation of health disparities and why they exist. Despite the societal factors at play and which may have a huge impact on the higher rates of diabetes and heart disease among Americans of color, there are ways to choose a healthier diet to try to avert those problems--and Joshua Black is figuring out how to help people make those choices.
I mention a few facts in the intro that I want to provide sources for:
- Diabetes in the United States - American Diabetes Association
- Diet- and lifestyle-related health conditions - World Health Organization
- Not expanding Medicaid is creating greater health disparities - Kaiser Family Foundation
You can find Joshua across all social media @urbanblackvegan and at urbanblackvegan.com.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Listen in while the charming Devon McCleary tells me all about how a doctor's weird comment caused her to learn about raw vegan diets, why she's no longer totally raw, and the Woodstock Fruit Festival.
Devon also gives me some insight into why I didn't love my Eat to Live experiment a few weeks ago.
To see Devon's recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Stacia Aashna and Patrick Masucci have created a vegan food delivery company in Philadelphia that brings fresh and healthy prepared foods right to your door. We talk about the genesis of The Prana Company and how they see their service fitting into busy peoples' lives.
We also delve into their individual vegan stories. They both went (and stay) vegan for different reasons, but they both can see the value in each other's worldview. Talking with them was fascinating--it's so much fun to have a conversation with people who have differing views but who can be compassionate toward each other!
To see their recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Dan Brill (and his family) came to the studio to talk with me about his vegan story. He started off with Eat to Live four years ago and has maintained a vegan diet ever since. He and I talk about being vegan in a corporate environment, vegan parenting, and being the best shape of his life.
We also hear from his four year old daughter Amelia, joins us to talk about her favorite vegan foods. Hint: there's Daiya involved.
To see Dan's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Ruth Hawe, the brains behind Vegantopia, talks with me about her experience being vegan for over 45 years and how much easier it is to go vegan now than it was in her youth.
We discuss what's really in pet food, divine inspiration, Caesar Milan, and caring for horses.
To see Ruth's resource recommendations, check out theVegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Jordan Wyatt, vegan activist and founder of the Invercargill Vegan Society, called all the way from New Zealand - or the bottom of the vegan world, as he puts it - to talk with me. New Zealand isn't only Flight of the Concords and Lord of the Rings: it's also the land of gas station vegan pies and slaughterhouse-sponsored Santa parades featuring vegan activists.
Jordan carrying a hoverboard next to a Delorean. You'll have to listen to find out how this is vegan activism!
Jordan and I talk about living amongst slaughterhouse workers (including his father!) in a country with an economy that depends on animal agriculture, creating vegan community, rescuing hens, and painting "Go Vegan" in 10 foot letters on his roof.
Learn more about the Invercargill Vegan Society at their website and Facebook page. To see Jordan's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Lauren Effy, vegan Suicide Girl [NSFW], chats with me about introducing her meat-loving dad to vegan food, her past work at the Whole Foods cheese counter, and drinking whiskey.
Yes, all her ink is vegan! Credit: @corwinprescott.
To see Lauren's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Dr. Ana Negron, board-certified family physician and author of Nourishing the Body and Recovering Health: The Positive Science of Food, has brought vegan food, cooking, and nutrition to the center of her medical practice. She and I spoke about cooking with her clients, creating tasty and affordable vegan meals, and the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet.
To see Ana's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Steve Laurence, owner of beloved Philadelphia vegan food purveyor Vegan Commissary, stopped by to talk with me about drastically changing his diet when he was fresh out of culinary school, running a vegan restaurant, and a tried-and-true method of getting non-vegans to buy vegan baked goods. And we bond over coming from food service families (hint: chef parents never cook for you!) and being drawn into restaurant work ourselves.
We also talk quite about about the current movement toward ensuring all workers are paid a living wage--activists are demanding the minimum wage is raised to $15. Steve, who deeply values paying his employees a living wage, has some ideas about how to pay workers a fair wage.
To see Steve's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Tobias Leenaert, the Vegan Strategist, is dedicated to helping vegan activists become more effective by using a pragmatic and friendly communication style. He maintains that this is the most efficient way to quickly reduce animal suffering.
We talk about fetishizing dogmatic consistency, getting a whole city to recognize going veg one day a week, and why he believes a vegan world is possible. I've been a fan of his blog for a long time, so I was really excited to talk with him and I think you'll enjoy our conversation.
To see Tobias's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
The Vegan Bros are masters of speaking to their audience in the way that audience needs to be spoken to - sometimes, that audience is other vegans who the Bros think need to reconsider some of their stances on things like honey and isinglass. Sometimes that audience is the people who are most likely to question veganism altogether.
The Vegan Bros really focus on the beauty of simplicity and pragmatism in food, exercise, and advocacy. We have a great conversation - but some of their methods are controversial, so send me an email at teagangoesvegan@gmail.com if (when?) you have thoughts about what we discuss.
To see Matt and Phil's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
My friend Sarah Gawricki and I have a great conversation this week. We discuss working for PETA and why she continues volunteer with them even though she didn't like working for them. We also talk intersectionality and dating while vegan...and how finding a nice vegan guy who's ready to dismantle the patriarchy has proven to be a tall order.
I totally spaced and didn't ask Sarah for Vegan Resource Library recommendations, but check it out anyway!
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
In this week's episode, artist Elody Gyekis and I chat about how listening to her body led her to become vegan, the kindness of strangers while traveling with dietary needs, and growing up amongst hunters in rural Pennsylvania.
Please check out Elody's work at www.elodyg.com. She's an incredible painter and is coordinating a huge public art project in her town. And if you're in the market for some art, consider supporting this vegan artist.
To see Elody's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Rudy Flesher is a social impact consultant, former drag queen, and human-about-town who sat down with me to discuss how being vegan fits into his life. We talk about health and body image before and after becoming vegan, how gender stereotypes sometimes keep heterosexual women from giving up animal products, and how the USDA really doesn't care about us at all.
To see Rudy's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
lauren Ornelas (yes, the first L is lower case on purpose!) is the founder of the Food Empowerment Project, an organization that works to help all of us understand that our food choices have power -- and can influence the lives of non-human and human animals alike. lauren and I talk about farm workers' rights, child slavery in the cocoa industry, and how to not become paralyzed by all the horrible things that happen in this world.
I was very moved by our conversation. In particular, I felt a real shift in my outlook when lauren said:
Just because something is vegan doesn't mean it's cruelty free.If you, too, are moved by this sentiment or by our conversation and want to make more ethical chocolate purchases, please download the Chocolate List app. The app is a list of companies that make vegan chocolate and that have confirmed that their cocoa does not come from Western Africa, where child slavery is rampant in the cocoa industry.
To see lauren's resource recommendations, check out the Vegan Resource Library.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Aph Ko is an anti-racist feminist vegan writer, activist, and media producer. She is one-half of Aphro-ism, which is dedicated to black feminist thought and critical analysis and one of the most interesting and provocative-in-a-good-way websites I've come across in a long time.
Aph Ko, anti-racist vegan feminist thinker.
Aph talks about her realization that animal, feminist, and black issues are all connected and how intersectionality informs her work and life. I learn a thing or two about what it means to becolonized and how important it is to not paint veganism as only being important to white people.
Aph's recommendations:
The Sistah Vegan Project for everything race- and vegan-related
Sister Species for reading up on feminism and vegan issues
Aphro-ism for her (and her sister Syl's) perspective on black feminism
The Vegan Stoner for recipes
Chickpeas and Change for recipes and political thought.
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!
Welcome to episode 0, where I talk about myself for a while so you can get to know me. Since this podcast will be about other people's vegan stories, I figured it was only fair for me to tell my own.
Some things I talk about:
- Being a devout meat eater in a college full of hippies
- Becoming vegetarian and going back to meat eating
- How getting a cat made me rethink my diet
- Being the only vegan I knew (at first)
- Why I'm making this podcast
You can stream the episode here or take it with you!