Welcome to the latest issue of VNV Matters,
Vegetarian Network Victoria's bi-monthly newsletter!
In this issue:
01 Donation Thanks!
02 Call for regular VNV Office volunteers
03 New VNV Member Discounts
04 The winner of VNV's 2009 'Vegetarian Restaurant of the
Year' Award has been announced!
05 Welcome
Emily, our new Social Dinners Coordinator!
06 Upcoming Events
07 Have you checked out our Nutritional Information page?
08 International
vegetarian student needing a host family for
2010!
09 Volunteers needed at Edgar's Mission
10 Book Review: Martha Goes Green: A Vegetarian Cookbook
11 Join the 2010 Victorian Duck Rescue Team!
12 Recent Website Updates
13 Veg Odd Spot: Bagheera kiplingi - the mostly vegetarian spider
14 Recent News Articles
15 About VNV
If you've received more than one copy of this newsletter, or would like to be taken off our mailing list, please just reply to this email and let us
know.
Regards,
The Team at VNV
Promoting a healthy and compassionate lifestyle
www.vnv.org.au
(Circulation this issue: 2,156)
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01
DONATION THANKS!
We'd like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has made a donation to VNV in the recent months. Donations have been picking up, and as a consequence, we've been able to distribute tens of thousands of free information sheets, buy stall merchandise, office equipment and a host of other things needed to support our campaigns and projects.
One very generous donation was $180! We’ve also received a donation of a laptop from another generous supporter. Things are looking great for 2010!
If you'd like to make a donation to VNV, simply click on
either of the donation buttons on our website or send a cheque or money order to:
Vegetarian Network Victoria
Suite 6, Kindness House
288 Brunswick Street
Fitzroy VIC 3065
Once again, thank you! We couldn't do it without
your help and support!
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02
CALL FOR REGULAR VNV OFFICE
VOLUNTEERS
VNV is run entirely by the goodwill and hard work of volunteers.
We are actively involved in promoting the positive benefits of a plant-based diet through the media, major events, booklets (like
Eating Up The
World), information leaflets, talks, workshops, social events and through the VNV
website. VNV also provides free support to all vegetarians, vegans and interested individuals throughout Victoria. Without our dedicated volunteers, our network would not exist!
VNV is currently working on many exciting projects to help increase the awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet to the general public and we need your help in order to achieve these goals. If you would like to volunteer some of your time during the week to the daily running of VNV
please email us at info@vnv.org.au expressing your interest. We will gladly provide
any necessary training that you need, and you may find that many of the skills that you gain working in the VNV office will also be of benefit to you in other jobs or in business.
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03
NEW VNV MEMBER DISCOUNTS
 |
THE RADICAL GROCERY
STORE
347 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056, ph: 03 9077 5512
The Radical Grocery Store is an ethical, sustainable & 100% vegan grocery store specialising in vegan, organic, Fairtrade, recycled, reusable, natural and local products.
We stock a constantly growing range of vegan and vegetarian specialty products, affordable Aussie organic fresh produce and grocery items, Fairtrade tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar, quinoa and giftwares, as well as Choose Cruelty Free accredited health beauty and cleaning products.
VNV Members receive 10% discount.
www.radicalgrocery.com |
|
VEGAN REVOLUTION
PO Box 4177, Richmond East VIC 3121,
ph: 0419 353 954
Health. Life. Beauty.
We strive to offer the very best in ethical living and specialise in cruelty-free health and beauty products, and vegan and raw food lifestyle books and DVDs.
Our online product range is competitively priced and we listen to the needs of our customers when adding to our catalogue. All our products are vegan and cruelty free, and we buy Australian, local and all natural where possible.
Product samplings and free pickup are also available every Sunday at our stall in Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, simply call 0419 353 954 to arrange for your online purchases to be available on the day.
www.veganrevolution.com.au
VNV Members receive a 15% discount off all products in our range! |
For a list of all the businesses that offer discounts to VNV Members refer to the
Membership page on our website:
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04
THE WINNER OF VNV'S 2009 'VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
AWARD' HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED!
The winner of VNV's 2009 Victorian Vegetarian Restaurant of the Year
Award is:
LAS VEGAN BAKERY & CAFE
22 Smith Street, Collingwood, ph: 03 9415 9001
Opening hours: Tue-Wed 11am-3.30pm, Thu-Fri 11am-9pm
(Please note that Las Vegan is currently closed for the holidays and will be
re-opening a couple of weeks into January.)
Congratulations go to the whole team at Las
Vegan - Lia, Liam, Michael, Hack & Ivana.
Well done guys!!
Las Vegan Bakery & Cafe is a fantastic little place, not just for vegans because it is a 100% pure vegan cafe, but for anyone who places importance on eating really good food. Nothing processed here, from non-frozen, hand cut organic chips to organic soup stock, everything is made from scratch and fresh daily in Las Vegan's own kitchen, except of course for the obvious items such as tofu, tempeh and ‘chicken’ schnitzels. Calzone ($6.00), Indonesian style Rice Balls with authentic satay sauce and great salads ($9.00).
Melt-in-the-mouth lentil burgers and TVP sloppy joes ($9.00) are dished onto Las Vegan’s own burger buns baked fresh daily, and hot meals ($12.50). 75% of the menu is gluten-free. All meals are prepared to order, so sometimes when the place is rocking you might have to wait a bit longer than you would at your local fast food dive. As they say, good food takes time. So sit back, relax, enjoy the friendly ambiance and prepare for something addictive and unforgettable.
We'll be presenting Las Vegan with their award plaque
later in January.
Thanks to everyone who showed their support for
the vegetarian restaurants in Victoria by voting in our Award!
For more information on Las Vegan please refer to
their page on myspace,
Facebook or
the Restaurants
Listed By Name page on our website.
The voter drawn at random who has won the dinner for two at Las Vegan Bakery
(to the value of $70) is Murali T from East Kew. Congratulations
Murali!!
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05
WELCOME EMILY, OUR NEW SOCIAL DINNERS
COORDINATOR!
VNV has a new Social Dinners Coordinator -
Emily. We'd like to take this opportunity to welcome her to the VNV
Team!
 |
Emily loves sharing her
passion about veganism through social gatherings. She became vegan in
2007 due to animal cruelty, world poverty and starvation. She later
discovered the health, environmental and overall benefits of adopting
this diet and philosophy through reading the literature of Peter
Singer and Will Tuttle. She loves the veggie/vegan community and
believes this is the most important change she has made to her life.
Emily is a pianist and teacher who enjoys bushwalking, camping and
meeting new people. |
Emily is taking over from Georgie who has
been our Social Dinners Coordinator since April 2008. Georgie recently had to
resign from the role due to increased study commitments. Georgie has done a
wonderful job in the role and we wish her all the best success with her
studies.
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06 UPCOMING EVENTS
JANUARY - KIDS' DAY OUT AT EDGAR'S
MISSION
Date: Sunday, 17 January
Time: 11am-4pm
Where: Edgar's Mission, 365 McHarg's Road, Willowmavin (via Kilmore)
Details: Edgar's Mission invites you to a Kids' Day Out! Come and meet and greet the animal residents. There'll be farm tours, story time, face painting and heaps more!
For more info contact Pam Ahern: 0408 397 301 or info@edgarsmission.org.au.
Website: www.edgarsmission.org.au.
Cost: Entry is free.
(Please note that this event is not organised by VNV.)
FEBRUARY - VNV SOCIAL DINNER
Date: Saturday, 6 February
Time: 7.30pm
Where: Moroccan Soup Bar
Address: 183 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North
Details: Verbal menu, fiery orange walls and near impossible to get a seat without booking or lining up 20 minutes before they open. Tastes like a wholesome home cooked meal.
Cost: $20 for 3 course banquet. Mains about $10.
RSVP: Please RSVP to Emily at social.dinners@vnv.org.au
by Monday 1 February at 8pm.
MARCH - VNV SOCIAL DINNER
Date: Saturday, 6 March
Time: 7.30pm
Where: Le Cru
Address: 137 Victoria Avenue, Albert Park
Details: Raw, organic food where dishes are dehydrated or heated below 45° C so that they retain as much nutritional value as possible. A sample menu could include flaxseed crackers to start, beetroot Ravioli and a trio of ice creams for dessert.
Cost: Entree $12; Main $18.50; Dessert $12
Website: www.lecru.com.au
RSVP: Please RSVP to Emily at social.dinners@vnv.org.au
by Monday 1 March at 8pm.
For details on other upcoming events please refer to the Calendar of
Events page on our website.
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07
HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT OUR NUTRITIONAL
INFORMATION PAGE?
Have you had a look at the Nutritional
Information
page on our website?
The page includes:
- VNV Nutrition Articles including:
- Complete Nutrient Summary for Veggos & Vegans
- Extensive Nutrition Table
- Iron and Vegetarian Diets
- Protein and Vegetarian Diets
- Veganism and Vitamin B12
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Are They "Essential"?
- Vegetarian & Vegan Nutrition Links
- Sports & Fitness Links
Worth checking out!
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08
INTERNATIONAL VEG. STUDENT NEEDING
A HOST FAMILY FOR 2010!
 |
Alena is a happy 15 year old vegetarian girl from Hamburg, Germany, very much looking forward to living in Australia.
Very sporty, Alena loves horseback riding and dancing and plays badminton and field hockey, among other sports. She also enjoys reading and going to the movies and loves animals, cats especially. In the future Alena is interested in becoming an interior designer.
|
On her exchange program Alena hopes to make new friends, learn about Australian culture and improve her English. Alena would suit an open-minded host family with a busy family life.
If you'd like to enquire about hosting Alena please contact:
Southern Cross Cultural Exchange
Locked Bag 1200, Mt Eliza VIC 3930
Phone: 1800 500 501
Web: www.scce.com.au
Southern Cross Cultural Exchange is a not-for-profit professional organisation specialising in international educational exchange programs. S.C.C.E. has exchanged over 13,000 students with 27 different countries since 1983 when the organisation was founded in Australia.
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09
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT EDGAR'S
MISSION
If you'd like to experience that amazing feeling of working in a rural setting amongst friendly, adorable animals then Edgar's Mission is the place for
you!
Pam Ahern, founder of Edgar's Mission is in great need of regular help on the farm to assist with taking care of the more than 100 animal residents.
| By helping out you will be freeing up some of Pam's time giving her more opportunities to continue with her all important outreach work - taking animal ambassadors like Hamish the pig to markets, schools
etc., giving the public and school children the chance to learn about the plight of farmed animals, enabling them to make informed, compassionate choices.
If you have time to regularly help out, once a week, once a fortnight or more if you can, please contact Pam on 0408 397 301 or
at info@edgarsmission.org.au.
|
 |
For more information on Edgar's
Mission got to www.edgarsmission.org.au.
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10
BOOK REVIEW: MARTHA
GOES GREEN: A VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK
| Martha Goes Green is a charmingly presented cookbook aimed at anyone searching for delicious homestyle recipes with gems such as
Lentil & Mushroom Moussaka, Cheeseless Mac.
& Cheese and the decadent Chocolate Tofu Mousse. The vegan recipes are clearly marked for easy reference and the colour photos and illustrations contribute to the beautiful design.
Spiral bound for easy use in the kitchen (why aren't
all recipe books like this?), printed on recycled paper with veg. based inks and packaged in an organic cotton bag,
Martha Goes Green covers all bases when it comes to presentation, enviro friendliness, practicality and just plain good cooking. |
 |
Martha Goes Green: A
Vegetarian Cookbook
RRP: $29.95
www.marthagoesgreen.com.au
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11
JOIN THE 2010 VICTORIAN DUCK RESCUE TEAM!
 |
Despite waterbird numbers dropping to seriously low levels across eastern Australia, the Victorian Labor government has
recently announced another recreational duck shooting season commencing 20 March
2010.
Wounding rates are unacceptable. One in four birds shot fly away wounded.
|
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting is again gearing up to protect our native waterbirds on the wetlands and bring in the wounded and illegally shot dead protected species.
Visit www.duck.org.au
for information about how to join the duck rescue team and get involved in the campaign.
On behalf of the birds, thank you.
Lynn Trakell
Assistant Director
Coalition Against Duck Shooting
www.duck.org.au
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12
RECENT WEBSITE UPDATES
CAFE UPDATE: vege2go vegitalian food bar
As of Monday 11 January 2010, vege2go
vegitalian food bar, at 452 Lygon Street, Brunswick, will have new opening hours: Mon-Wed 7.30am-8pm, Thu-Fri 7.30am-9pm,
and Sat 7.30am-6pm.
Vege2go is also proud to announce the arrival of the long awaited VEGAN
LASAGNE. Also now available is VEGAN CHOCOLATE
MOUSSE. And if that’s not enough the VEGAN TIRAMISU recipe has been improved and it is now made on the premises so it’s more delicious than ever! Come in and try it for yourself!
Cindy from vege2go has sent
us updated details for their listing:
vege2go vegitalian food bar is an Italian vegetarian café and take-away outlet in East Brunswick. Our delicious Mediterranean cuisine offers a healthier, more ethical alternative to processed, fat-laden fast food. We source only the freshest ingredients to prepare mouth-watering meals daily for people on the go. It's the ideal choice for those who are conscious of their health and well-being.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free mains including vegetable lasagna, eggplant parmiggiana, stuffed capsicum, arancini, vegetable frittata; soups including minestrone, lentil soup, pumpkin soup; salads including garlic-tossed broccoli, zucchini and salsa, rocket explosion, pesto pasta salad and desserts including tiramisu, chocolate mousse, cheesecake, chocolate raspberry cake. Drinks available include coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fresh juices, smoothies, and organic bottled juices and soft drinks. We use free-range eggs and vegetable rennet cheeses. Seats approx 25. Our website outlines the full menu and prices.
www.vege2go.com.au
Page updated: Restaurants
NEW RESTAURANT
LISTING: YONG GREEN FOOD
421 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065,
ph: 03 9417 3338
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 12noon-10pm
BYO/Licensed: No
Features: A fantastic restaurant in Fitzroy offering a good range of delicious vegetarian and vegan food with diverse Asian influences - Chinese, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese & Indian - as well as Italian and Mexican.
Yong Green Foods is also the second restaurant in Melbourne offering a sumptuous RAW vegan menu including juices and smoothies, sushi, veggie burgers, lasagna and
cheesecakes!
Page updated: Restaurants
NEW CAFE LISTING:
SOULFOOD CAFE
10 Equitable Place, Melbourne VIC 3000, ph: 0417 116 570
(Near corner of Elizabeth and Collins Streets)
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 7am-3pm
BYO/Licensed: No
Features: Healthy vegetarian/vegan food similar to the menu found at the Soulfood Cafe in Smith Street, Fitzroy. Wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free dishes are usually available as well as organic coffee. "Lunchy" cafe feel to the place with seating for 8 inside and 9 outside. Please note no cards are accepted.
Page updated: Restaurants
NEW RESTAURANT
LISTING: TINH TAM CHAY
13 Alfrieda Street, St Albans VIC 3021, ph: 03 9366 3952
Opening hours: 7 days 7am-10pm (including Christmas Day)
BYO Licensed: BYO
Features: The discovery of wonton noodle soup! Tinh Tam Chay is a café-style Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant tucked in amongst a shopping strip in the outer west-side of Melbourne. Find the giant green sign and you’ll also find the churros place with whom they co-share. Classic Vietnamese dishes served up with
faux ' pork' and 'chicken'. The menu tends to be mock-meat heavy but tofu options are also available. Menu items include corn, asparagus and wonton soups; rice vermicelli dishes; rice with vegetarian 'chicken'; congee; crispy fried egg noodles; stir fried noodles; caramel creams. No onion or garlic is used in any of the dishes.
It's run by a Vietnamese Buddhist who is only too happy to accommodate an egg- and milk-free diet. Prices are easy
on the wallet with all main dishes costing under $9. The quirk, the screening of slaughterhouses as you dine. However, one can easily tune out if in the presence of good company. Seats 36.
Page updated: Restaurants
NEW ADDRESSES FOR
'THE ORGANICS BOX'
The Organics Box (organic
grocer) has moved! They are now in two locations: 9 Pacific Drive, Torquay VIC 3228 and the
old
Mill in Swanston Street, South Geelong VIC 3220 (between Fyans Street and Barwon Terrace).
Page updated: Vegetarian & Vegan Organic Grocers
NEW PRODUCT
LISTING: JELLY (VITARIUM) (VEGAN)
Description: Just like normal flavoured jelly packet mix, but made with pure vegetable gelling agents (carrageenan, guar gum and xanthan gum)
Features: Gelatine-free
Flavours: Raspberry, Tropical Lemon, Lime, Orange
Available from Coles supermarkets and some health food stores. For an exact list of stockists please contact Vitarium via
info@vitarium.com.au or on 1300 848 274.
Page updated: Products - Jelly
NEW PRODUCT
LISTING: TASTY BITE READY MEALS (PREFERRED BRANDS AUST.) (VEGAN)
Description: Ready to eat meals. Serve with rice, flat bread or as a side dish to a main meal.
Features: Gluten-free, Kosher, Halal
Varieties: Bombay Potatoes, Bengal Lentils, Punjab Eggplant, Spinach Dal & Basmati Rice
Available from some supermarkets. For an exact list of stockists please contact Preferred Brands Aust. via
info@tastybite.com.au or on 03 9497 2079.
Page updated: Products - Ready To Eat Meals
NEW PRODUCT
LISTING: TASTY BITE READY MEALS (PREFERRED BRANDS AUST.) (VEGETARIAN
Description: Ready to eat meals. Serve with rice, flat bread or as a side dish to a main meal.
Features: Gluten-free, Kosher, Halal
Varieties: Agra Peas & Greens, Jaipur Vegetables, Jodhpur Yellow Dal, Kashmir Spinach, Madras Lentils
Available from some supermarkets. For an exact list of stockists please contact Preferred Brands Aust. via
info@tastybite.com.au or on 03 9497 2079.
Page updated: Products - Ready To Eat Meals
NEW PRODUCT
LISTING: VEGIDELI ORGANIC BRUSSELS-STYLE PATE (REDWOOD) (VEGAN)
Description: Organic meat-free pâté
Features: Dairy-free; cholesterol-free; no hydrogenated fats; no artificial colours or preservatives; GMO-free
Available on-line and from selected health food and organic stores (refrigerated). For an exact list of stockists please email Vegan Perfection at
info@veganperfection.com.au
or call 0407 554 511. Order on-line at www.veganperfection.com.au.
Page updated: Great Vegetarian Food Products
- Pate & Pesto
NEW PRODUCT
LISTING: COCONUT ICE (FABULOUS FUDGE FACTORY) (VEGAN)
Features: No hydrogenated fats; no artificial colours or preservatives; dairy-free; egg-free; cholesterol-free; wheat-free; gluten-free; all ingredients GM-free
Available on-line and from selected health food and organic stores. For an exact list of stockists please email Vegan Perfection at
info@veganperfection.com.au
or call 0407 554 511. Order on-line at www.veganperfection.com.au. Also available from
www.allergyblock.com.au.
Page updated: Great Vegetarian Food Products
- Confectionery & Marshmallows
NEW PRODUCT LISTING:
CHOCOLATE RUM BALLS (LEDA NUTRITION) (VEGAN)
Features: Gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free,
egg-free
Available from some supermarkets and health food shops. For an exact list of stockists please contact Leda Nutrition via
info@ledanutrition.com or on 1800 353 896.
Page updated: Great
Vegetarian & Vegan Food Products - Confectionery & Marshmallows
NEW PRODUCT LISTING:
SOY CREAMY COOKING MILK (NESTLE) (VEGAN)
Description: A vegan
alternative to evaporated milk; a cooking milk for creating tasty and
creamy meals such as pasta, quiche and sweet desserts
Features: Cholesterol-free; lactose-free; gluten-free
Available from supermarkets. For an exact list of
stockists please call Nestle Australia on
1800 025 361.
Page updated: Great
Vegetarian & Vegan Food Products - Other Products
NEW ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGE LISTING: KONRAD BEVERAGES P/L
"Schlossgold is an all natural brewed beer with no additives as such... the beer is not filtered."
www.schlossgold.com.au
Page updated: Alcoholic Beverages Listed By
Distributor
NEW BUSINESS
DIRECTORY
LISTING: WOODS & FIELDS
Business Name: Woods & Fields
Type of Business: Ethical fashion
Services/Products: Woods & Fields is vegan owned and operated. It sells clothing, accessories (like belts, bags, and purses) as well as some giftware from
independent designers and manufacturers. Many of the labels they carry have Fairtrade certification and everything is vegan-friendly. Some of the products are made with recycled materials from second hand garments. They stock products made from a number of alternative fibres like bamboo and hemp, as well as viscose made from pine and a kind of ‘silk’ from
soy.
Contact: Peter or Elysia
Address/Suburb: 355 Sydney Road, Brunswick VIC 3056
Phone: 03 9380 1773
Email: info@woodsandfields.com.au
Web: www.woodsandfields.com.au
Page updated: Business
Directory
NEW BUSINESS DIRECTORY
LISTING: HIPPY HEAVEN NATURAL BEAUTY
Type of Business: Natural
skincare
Services/Products: We take pride in offering you quality Australian natural skincare that is 100% vegan and certified cruelty free, at an honest and affordable price. Pure essential oils, botanical extracts, herbal tinctures, antioxidants, clays, vitamins, fruit AHA's and more are uniquely combined to create high concentration natural skin care for you.
Using only sustainable ingredients, packaging and practices, all products are free from SLS, PEG's, parabens, artificial fragrances, colours and animal derivatives to naturally care for your skin, and our precious planet.
Skilfully small-batch handcrafted for superior quality, efficacy and freshness. Backed by our 100% money back SATISFACTION GUARANTEE!
Certified Cruelty Free - No Animal Testing
Registered with the Vegan Society - 100% Vegan
Signatory to the Comact for Safe Cosmetics - No Toxic Ingredients
Contact: Wendy
Address/Suburb: Gatton QLD - Servicing all areas of Australia
Phone: 0403 587 609
Email: enquiries@hippyheavennaturalbeauty.net
Web: www.hippyheavennaturalbeauty.net
Page updated: Business
Directory
NEW BUSINESS LISTING:
WOZWASTE (AUSTRALIA)
Reincarnating Rubbish
Factory 12, 65-67 Canterbury Road, Montrose VIC 3765, ph: 03 9761 9166
Our unique product range is custom made from waste reclaimed from landfill, commercial waste and general waste materials. Materials used include toothpaste tubes, detergent packaging, inner tubes, snack food packaging, coconut shell, recycled paper and advertising banners. The products we create include bathroom bags, toothbrush pouches, coin purses, pencil cases, fashion bags, baskets, wallets, gadget cases, bowls, photo frames, notebooks and shopping bags. Our contemporary designs are well made, functional and funky. Fair trading principles are used in all our negotiations with local
artisans in Indonesia.
www.wozwaste.com
Page updated: Non-Leather Shoes, Gifts etc.
VEG FRIENDLY DOCTOR
UPDATE: DR JEFF WILCOX
We have recently been advised
that Dr Jeff Willcox has moved from the Carlton Clinic (88 Rathdowne Street, Carlton)
to the Northside Clinic at 370 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy.
Page updated: Doctors & Naturopaths
NEW VEG FRIENDLY
NATUROPATH LISTING: JASON ELDRIDGE
Ad Dip. (Naturopathy) Dip. (Herbal Medicine) Dip. (Nutrition)
109 Moora Road, Healesville VIC 3777, ph: 03 9328 1321 or 0422 731 477
Email: jason@naturopathic-care.com
Web: www.naturopathic-care.com
Jason although currently not a strict vegetarian has spent 9 years himself as a vegetarian - his partner is vegetarian. He supports the vegetarian and vegan choice. Jason has a passion for food as medicine and loves to help vegetarians achieve their health and wellness
goals.
Jason uses a range of natural therapies and traditional medicines including Naturopathy, Herbal Medicine, Rayid Iridology, Nutrition, Food as Medicine, Massage (Oriental), Emotional Freedom Technique, Meditation Guidance, Ear Candling, Dietary and Lifestyle Advice.
"I aim to bring health and happiness, embracing science and soul to help you achieve your maximum potential"
(Jason has a second practice in North Melbourne.)
Page updated: Doctors & Naturopaths
NEW PERSONAL STORY
LISTING: WILL
"My introduction to vegetarianism and veganism was a very gradual process over the last five years. As an undergraduate music student in 2005, I joined the Melbourne Uni Food Co-op, which is a volunteer-run not-for-profit enterprise on campus that focuses on sustainable and ethically produced vegetarian food, mostly organic or biodynamic...
In 2006 I got more and more interested in vegetarianism, mostly from an environmental perspective. After researching the enormous damage that meat production was doing to our land, water and other natural resources, I started to practise vegetarian cooking at home, and came up with lots of different ideas. I gradually started losing my taste for animal flesh as I thought about what I was ingesting. After all my positive experiences with vegetarian food and meeting so many happy and healthy vegetarians, I wanted to make the change..."
Page updated: Personal Stories
NEW PERSONAL
STORY LISTING: PETER T
"In May of 2008, I watched helplessly as my father deteriorated with kidney failure. His deterioration was slow, over the course of about one month, and painful. He struggled for breath constantly, coughing constantly and getting worse as time went by. He couldn't even lie down properly without fluid filling up his lungs. After struggling for so long, his sick body finally gave up, and I lost my beloved father.
...
He passed his dietary habits onto me and at a very young age, some of my fondest memories were of my dad and I sharing a meal at McDonald's. I enjoyed my meat, and ate a lot of it. I even think my diet was worse than my father's, because at the very least, my father prepared his own meals. I always got fast food or frozen foods which could be easily heated in the microwave..."
Page updated: Personal Stories
NEW QUOTE ADDED TO
WEBSITE
"The idolatry of food cuts across class lines. This can be seen in the public's toleration of the level of cruelty in meat production that it would tolerate nowhere else. If someone inflicts pain on an animal for visual, aural or sexual gratification, we consider him a monster, and the law makes at least a token effort at punishment. [But] if someone's goal is to put the 'product' in his mouth then chacun a son gout [each on to their own taste]."
- B. R. Myers
Page updated: Quotes
For a complete list of the recent updates to our website refer to our
Recent
Site Updates page.
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13
VEG ODD-SPOT: BAGHEERA KIPLINGI - THE MOSTLY VEGETARIAN SPIDER
In Latin America, there lives a unique spider called
Bagheera kiplingi. It's a jumping spider and it shares the group's large, acute eyes and prodigious leaping ability. But it also has a trait that singles it out among all 40,000 species of spider - it's mostly vegetarian.
Virtually all spiders are predators. They may hunt using different methods but they all end up sucking the liquidised innards of their prey. If they consume plants, they do so rarely, even accidentally. Some take the odd sip of nectar to supplement their diet of flesh. Others accidentally swallow pollen while recycling the silk of their webs.
But B.kiplingi is an exception. Christopher Meehan from Villanova University has found that this spider exploits a partnership forged between ants and acacia trees. The trees employ ants as bodyguards and it pays them with shelter inside hollow thorns, and nutritious nodules called "Beltian bodies" that grow from its leaves.
B.kiplingi has learned to steal these delicacies from the ants, and in doing so, it has become the world's only (mostly) vegetarian spider.
Full story:
http://scienceblogs.com
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14 RECENT NEWS ARTICLES
(US) Coconut-Carrying Octopus: Tool Use in an Invertebrate (15/12/09)
Scientists once thought of tool use as a defining feature of humans. That's until examples of tool use came in from other primates, along with birds and an array of other mammals. Now, a report in the December 14th issue of Current
Biology adds an octopus to the growing list of tool users.
The veined octopus under study manages a behavioral trick that the researchers call stilt walking. In it, the soft-bodied octopus spreads itself over stacked, upright coconut shell "bowls," makes its eight arms rigid, and raises the whole assembly to amble on eight "stilts" across the seafloor. The only benefit to the octopus's ungainly maneuver is to use the shells later as a shelter or lair, and that's what makes it wholly different from a hermit crab using the discarded shell of a snail.
"There is a fundamental difference between picking up a nearby object and putting it over your head as protection versus collecting, arranging, transporting (awkwardly), and assembling portable
armour as required," said Mark Norman of the Museum Victoria in Australia.
...
"Ultimately, the collection and use of objects by animals is likely to form a continuum stretching from insects to primates, with the definition of tools providing a perpetual opportunity for debate," the researchers concluded. "However, the discovery of this octopus tiptoeing across the sea floor with its prized coconut shells suggests that even marine invertebrates engage in behaviors that we once thought the preserve of humans."
Full story:
www.sciencedaily.com
(UK) Vegetarian low protein diet could be key to long life (03/12/09)
A vegetarian diet could be the key to a long life, a new study suggests.
Reducing consumption of a protein found in fish and meat could slow
the ageing process and increase life expectancy, according to the research.
Scientists have long believed that an ultra low calorie diet - approximately
60 per cent of normal levels - can lead to greater
longevity.
But now a team of British researchers have discovered that the key to the effect is a reduction in a specific protein and not the total
number of calories.
That means that by reducing foods that contain the protein - such as meat, fish and certain nuts - people should live longer
without the
need to cut down on meals.
Dr Matthew Piper, from the Institute of Healthy Ageing at University College London, said that a vegetarian diet could be one way
to achieve the effect.
Full story:
www.telegraph.co.uk
(AU) Anti-whalers swimming in hypocrisy (28/11/09)
If you are as vehemently opposed to whaling as most Australians, here's a potentially inconvenient truth to consider: some species of whale might not be endangered. But don't expect to hear much about that in coming weeks, as the Japanese whaling fleet sets off on its annual voyage to the Southern Ocean.
Look out, instead, for impassioned cries from environmentalists and politicians about how barbaric whaling is...
It is understandable for people to react with revulsion to such images. There is no doubt that harpoons inflict a painful death on an animal that, in recent years, has assumed an almost sacred status in popular human consciousness. No one wants to see whales suffer or die.
But when it comes to letting a good story and an almost universally popular cause get in the way of facts, the whale phenomenon takes some beating.
Consider, first, the selective morality of our politicians and their bipartisan embrace of a hardline anti-whaling position. Under their watch, all sorts of animals are allowed to suffer in the course of becoming food or entertainment for humans. Sometimes, such as with intensively farmed chooks and pigs, it is a case of lifelong confinement and misery in our service.
...
Southern blue fin tuna are also very big and live in the wild. Like whales, they have feelings and are believed to experience pain when we catch and kill them - conclusions backed by a 2003 study of neural activity in fish at Edinburgh University. Add to that the fact that tuna numbers have been ravaged by overfishing and you have a strong case for public outrage.
But tuna have cold blood and are neither cute nor put on spectacular displays for tourists. In the public relations battle, they don't stand a chance against whales.
...
Similarly, while the widespread abuse of farm animals is well documented, the victims have failed to win our hearts in the manner of whales: have you ever heard of tourists going free-range poultry watching? For their sin of ordinariness, we leave chooks and pigs to the misery of cage life.
Full story:
www.theage.com.au
(US) Looking for a Solution to Cows' Climate Problem (16/11/09)
With the approach of the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen next month, the livestock industry is coming under renewed scrutiny for its contribution to greenhouse gases. A 2006 report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization attributed 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases produced each year to livestock. But a more recent report
[Livestock and Climate Change: What if the key actors in climate change are ... cows, pigs and chickens?] for the World Watch Institute, by Robert Goodland and Jeff
Anyang [both formerly with the World Bank], estimates this figure to be much higher: 51 per cent, when the entire life cycle and supply chain of the livestock industry is taken into
consider ration. As things stand, global meat and dairy consumption is projected to more than double by 2050. Reversing the role of livestock in climate change is "even more important than the urgent transition to renewable energy," Dr. Goodland wrote. The report states "livestock (like automobiles) are a human invention and convenience, not part of pre-human times, and a molecule of CO2 exhaled by livestock is no more natural than one from an auto tailpipe." Their solution to livestock's global warming effect is simple: eat less animal products, or better still, none at all.
Full story:
www.nytimes.com
(IN) Vegan lifestyle holds key to a spiritually-evolved society (01/11/09)
[By Philip Wollen]
The most beautiful word ever written in any country, in any language, at any time in human history came from India. From the Upanishads - 5,000 years ago. That word is
Ahimsa, meaning non-violence towards any living being.
Why does this Sanskrit word dominate my every breath? I heard the screams of my dying father as his body was ravaged by the cancer that killed him. And I realise I have heard these screams before - in the slaughterhouses, on the cattle ships to the Middle East and the dying mother whale as a harpoon explodes in her brain as she calls out to her calf. Their cries are the cries of my father. I discovered that screams are identical in any species. When we suffer, we suffer as equals.
And in their capacity to suffer, a dog is a pig is a bear is a boy. Henceforth, I am no longer just an Australian, male, vegan. I am an
Ahimsan. We may be Indian, Australian, American, English, or Palestinian. We may be Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh or Jain (or no religion at all). But if we are to live an authentic life we must share common ground without sacrificing our other beliefs. That meeting place is Ahimsa.
My goal is to make Ahimsa a truly global phenomenon, because it describes our character - enlightened, elegant and educated. Socrates was right - an unexamined life is not worth living. We do not find our character on Wall Street - it lives on the Road to Damascus.
Full story:
www.deccanchronicle.com
For more articles of interest refer to our News Archive
page.
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15 ABOUT VNV
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