Hey TheVeganMom.com fans! Thanks for taking the time to read my guest blog post dedicated to the new Mystic Animal Rights Force group. I am a vegan living in Southeastern Connecticut with a passion for animals and healthy living. I run a blog called Ethical Clips and I am a social media consultant for sustainable, vegan startup companies.
So, what’s my story? It is generally one of an animal-obsessed little girl turned college-educated activist. In elementary school, I repeatedly and unsuccessfully attempted to talk my mother into letting me take home one of the classroom’s fluffy little baby chicks (…no, I didn’t have a plan for what would happen when it turned into a big chicken). I wrote my fifth grade autobiography on why I wanted to be veterinarian when I grew up, ordered veggie burgers at wing restaurants and never felt right cutting up and eating a lobster while on vacation in Maine.
During my first year of college, I finally made a split decision to give up meat after a classmate gave a presentation on the impact of veggie burgers versus hamburgers. The decision felt right and when people asked me “why” at the start of my diet change, I would shyly reply, “Well, I’m a really big animal person.” This was before I solidified my current position on ethics, health and the environmental impact of meat production and animal product consumption. Now, and only when people ask, I love confidently sharing the reasons why I choose to live a loving, ethical, plant-based life.
The start of educating myself on living “meat free” was not easy, as many vegans may know. I researched and researched through what seemed like a black hole of blogs, websites and Internet videos. I watched Meet Your Meat and Food Inc. I decided to change my diet forever. When I saw my first video of a slaughtered cow hanging upside down, left to bleed to death surrounded by metal and walls of concrete, I realized how hard of a fight this would be. A fight against the undoubtedly unnatural, a fight against pain and sorrow, and a fight against the norm, where hamburgers are presented at fast food restaurants and hidden behind smiling families in television commercials, while sad animals live miles away in misery. These hamburgers are not only physically unhealthy, but also harbor the sad energy of the lives the animals led before they became food for humans.
…But it’s not all sadness because we can make change. We can change the way animals are treated, we can change the way the environment is impacted and we can change the health of our own bodies. The average vegetarian saves 50 animals each year, not eating only one pound of meat saves the same amount of water as not showering for six months and 50% of meat eaters die from heart disease versus 15% in vegetarians and 4% in vegans.
After living in southeastern Connecticut for a year, I decided there should be a larger presence for people looking to share their love for animals and a healthy, plant-based diet. When I attended The Seed vegan food festival in NYC this summer, I felt what it was like to be surrounded by people who truly, deeply care about animals.
I’ve started Mystic Animal Rights Force to bring people in Connecticut together into an environment where they can engage with other like-minded animal lovers through online discussions, meetups, dinner parties, documentary screenings and tons of other fun activities. Mystic Animal Rights Force will be an environment welcoming to vegans, vegetarians and, importantly, anyone interested in learning more about animal rights or a plant-based diet.
We look forward to starting up the online conversation and growing our network of new friends! Please head over and ‘like’ & share our Facebook page at: www.Facebook.com/MysticAnimalRightsForce. Reach us on Twitter at @AnimalRightsCT and by email at MysticARF@gmail.com.
Much Love,
Lindsay Rubin
Founder, 
The Vegan Mom 
Hi Lisa,
I have recently written an ebook called, “How Do We Vegan?” that is a guide to help families that are transitioning to a plant based diet. I was wondering if you would like to mention my ebook on your site and any sales that are made, I would be happy to set you up as an affiliate and you will make 20%. I would also love to do a giveaway for one of your readers once the ebook is finished. I am also donating every fifth sale (my share of it) to two young children who’s mother was just killed in a tragic event. My ebook will be finished mid next week and pre-sales have began as of yesterday.
Here is the link to my ebook:
http://www.vega-licious.com/more-yummies/the-big-reveal-kid-friendly-cookbook-is-finally-here-vegan-recipes-for-kids/#comment-665651514
And the link to the family who lost their Mother:
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/Family-comes-to-grips-with-death-of-Taylorsville/mq44-aFvq0-5mi9tqogjzw.cspx
Thank you for your time!
Have a blessed day!
Rachelle Marsden
fellow vegans….You will often find yourselves in conversations with friends and family who are not only meat eaters but meat lovers,… there is nothing you can say or do to convince them otherwise, if you become angry you will only alienated them….I know you wonder how anyone could not care about how animals are tortured,.. I do too,.. I’m abhorred and shocked by their indifference…it is as if all meat eaters and meat buyers are in denial, and are ….delusional……they are living in a fantasy,…The first thing they always ask is how do you get your protein?
You pleasantly explain how vegetables have more readily absorbed protein, iron, and nutrients than meat. Then then say, well not all,… and so you name some giving specific ratios……Then you start mentioning all the recipes there are, and variety there is. Then they say, well they say,”Well, I could never give up meat,” ….and you answer, that’s what a lot of people say……
.Even when someone does decide to give up meat, they don’t know what to eat instead of it… they go to the store and buy a bag of scoop cor chips and a jar of salsa and guacamole..and don’t know what else to get…they buy potato chips, some pies, and dark chocolate and sugar coated coconut chips and bags of frozen vegetables when what they really want is a nice juicy stuffed pork chop, or 9 inch thick porterhouse steak, some fried chicken corn on the cob and watermelon, some roast tom turkey with cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole…You see, vegans, all the meat eaters life, that meat eater has been taught that coming into a house on a cold day smelling a pot roast with carrots onions and potatoes, means comfort and represents prosperity……….
Of course, vegans realize that is sheer fantasy… If that false belief is what the new vegan is up against,.. if that is what is testing their willpower… you can teach them, great, mouth watering vegan substitute meat product recipes, and teach them a new way to shop…The meat eaters don’t realize they can enjoy vegan steaks, vegan fried chik’n, vegan turkey, ham, balogna, vegan veal, vegan scallops, vegan shrimp, vegan brots, kielbasa, and italian sausage, vegan cold cuts, vegan breakfast sausage, vegan pepperoni, vegan burgers..and with today’s technology, it all tastes REAL and has the same texture of meat, yet it is grain, or soy.
They can still have subs, hoagies, grinders, lasagna, roasts, sausage and peppers, hamburgers, sandwiches, casseroles, roast turkey, beef tips,.. boneless breast of chick’n, …you name it…. the new vegan ca still have that sense of comfort and prosperity without being the cause of murder and torture the meat eater is in heavy denial of….and you as a vegan can help teach them how to eat, and that is why I started my group ”HOW TO START EATING MEATLESS, LOW GLYCEMIC, & KIDNEY FRIENDLY” It is available around the world and is free on or off ~ Debra J Eichler Elliott (c)…..facebook..https://www.facebook.com/groups/761373067206525/….
edit 🙂 …oops !
So good to find your log and animal group …Please consider making the group avl. as a facebook* group…then it can travel around the world