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I guess strictly speaking my main job is not vegan. I work in environmental compliance/hazardous waste. In order to determine several of the characteristics (toxicity, corrosivity) that make a chemical hazardous, animal testing is used. However, my employer is not directly responsible for the testing and we do make sure that thousands of pounds of haz waste per year are properly disposed and 60-90K pounds of scrap electronics per year are recycled.

Thanks for the tips Raven! I have employed some of the methods you mentioned. I made a raw chili agian the other day that tastes great with some of the warming spices. By the time I get home from work though, my tummy won't wait an hour for my meal to warm up on the counter. I heat it on the stove - but mix it with my finger so that I know it is not getting too hot! I am not a purist, but I tend to attempt to do everything to the extreme. I have started drinking hot peppermint tea - and I am okay with that. I am with you on the cold fruit! I hate my fruit cold. I keep it out at room temperature, unless it has been cut up, and then I will leave it out for a while before I eat it.

Well, I figured out this weekend that I will need to prepare more raw dishes and gently heat them if I am going to survive this winter and Spring on raw. I just bought a new raw "cook" book thia weekend that had some pretty interesting dishes. If that doesn't work, **Oh Well** A bowl or brown rice or pasta isn't going to kill me!

Well, I figured out this weekend that I will need to prepare more raw dishes and gently heat them if I am going to survive this winter and Spring on raw. I just bought a new raw "cook" book thia weekend that had some pretty interesting dishes. If that doesn't work, **Oh Well** A bowl or brown rice or pasta isn't going to kill me!

My big problem right now is that all that I want to eat is fatty food - I think it comes with the change in season. Cold, juicy fruit is very appealling to me in the summer, but not so much now. So, no weight loss loss for a while. Other than that, I really find the diet easy to stick to. I feel great eating this way. Bigbwii has already given you some great links to get you started. I would just add one more that I frequent. It's Alissa Cohen's Raw Food Talk forum http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/index.php . There are lots of people there in various stages of raw asking all kinds of questions! If you search there, I bet any question you have has been asked already. Plus, there are different perspectives of how to do raw.

Okay, I will take a shot at answering your questions. But I am relatively new to this (5 months), so I am sure someone who has been doing this for longer will be able to provide more insight. My aim is to be 100% raw, all of the time. But, I allow myself to go off raw at certain times - like when my sister cooks Indian food (I can't pass it up!), or when I brought my niece back to school at Montreal last month, or tonight, when I plan on having a couple of beers before a Tool concert! But my lapses are always planned - I have found the diet to be relatively easy to stick to. I spend slightly more now than I did when I was just vegan. At first I spent a lot more, but I was stocking up on all the raw goods, and trying out pretty much everything that was available raw at my local health food store. I spend about $100 USD per week on groceries. That includes toilet paper, tolietries, and any other household items that I need. I buy mostly organic produce. If I didn't buy organic, I would probably spend $50-75 per week. I don't think that is too much, but your situation may be different. I would not have been able to do this when I was a student! As far as green smoothies, I just started them about a month ago. I just have one for breakfast. I haven't seen any difference in the amount I spend now that I have smoothies. Meal prep can vary. Having a couple of pieces of fruit is pretty quick! But some of the more complicated recipes can take some time. For me, that time has been going down, now that I am a llittle bit more sure of my un-cooking. At first, I followed every recipe to a T, but now I use the recipes loosely. That being said, I never liked to cook, and I don't like to spend a lot of time un-cooking either. You can definetely find recipes that are fast. This morning, I made raw chili in 25 minutes before work (that included clean up). I bring my lunch to work everyday. I have soft sided cooler that I pack with rubbermade containers with whatever i am eating for luch. Today I have a cut up cucumber (that I will salt before eating), some other raw veggies that I will dip into my raw onion dip, and a big bowl of mixed fruit. Plus an apple and pear, and figs (that I already ate!) for snacks. You could easily carry around wholefruit and cut up veggies in ziplock bags. I started raw only to lose weight. I thought the other health benefits were good reasons too, but weight loss was the primary reason. I had tried a lot of different things before raw and nothing worked for me (meaning I was never able to keep the weight off). Raw has worked for me - I have lost 22 pounds. I started out eating whatever I wanted that was raw. Lots of nuts, avacadoes and nut butter - YUMMY! Now I try to limit fats. But like I said, I am relatively new and still trying to figure out what works for me. One thing I have noticed with raw in terms of weight loss/gain - the past few weeks I have been eating way too many nuts and avacados. Normally, when I was eating cooked foods, I would have seen a weight gain of several pounds or more if I went off the diet for that amount of time. Not this time, thankfully. I have retained my weight loss. I do think the raw diet frees you from having to track calories and quantities. I tried tracking my food intake on Nutridiary but found it too tedious. I was interested in my iron and calcium intake from food. From what little I did, I found that I am okay with calcium but not iron. So I do take an iron suppliment. One thing that I found interesting, is that according to this website, based on the info I entered (weight loss goals, current activity), I was eating far below my required calorie needs. I couldn't possibly have eaten the amount of food that I needed to meet the requirements this site told me I needed!! Hope I was able to answer in a way that was helpful!

Not always. I have goiter, and I take no medications, nor do I need surgery. But, obviously, every case is different. I would get your hormone levels checked by a doctor to see if you really do have an issue with your thyroid before starting to treat it in any way.

Tell you what - you don't poop on mine, and I won't poop on yours!!

First, I just want to clarify that liberal and libertarian are VERY different! Second, I agree with you wholeheartedly! I most closely identify with the libertarian stance, except on the area of the environment (and eating habits of course). I am a live and let live type of gal - I don't care what you do as long as you don't harm me or my quality of life (or the animals and others that don't have a voice). I realizedthat the earth and it's resources are shared so I try to minimize my contributions to pollution. I see the meat, cars, and AC, but how so for home-owning. People have to live somewhere - whether it's an apartment or your own home, if you live in a cold climate, it has to be heated.

I'm curious - what types of environemental laws and regulations do European countries have for businesses/industry versus regular people/homeowners? I was under the impression, until recently, that EU regs would have been much more strict than US regs, then I came across an article this past spring that made reference to the fact that in the UK, they just started regulating flourescent light tubes. So I am not sure now.... Here in the US, we have pretty extensive regs for industry/business but individuals are not regulated at all or very little. For example, here in NH, there is a land ban (for industry) for electronic waste (CRTs are actually regulated as a hazardous waste) but not for individuals. Some towns may not accept e-waste if they see it in the trash, but there is no formal law and no process for taking steps against those that throw out e-waste that they shouldn't. ( I did hear at a meeting recently though that the state of NH will extend the land ban to homeowners as well - good news!) Anyway, my point (and to tie this in with the discussion) is that perhaps American mentality is the issue here, not just "ignoring" global warming. A big generalization, but we don't like being told what to do (Our state NH motto is Live free or Die......) I suspect that those across the pond will say that you are no different in that regard. This is why I ask about your environmental regs. I am thinking that maybe you are individually regulated (environmentally) to a much greater degree than we are (ie. your choice of vehicles) Anyway - just a theory

No, the fact that he is American doesn't mean anything to me. He is a politician. Politicians lie and twist facts to suit their aganda. Aside from that, he doesn't have any experience/expertise/education in the area of environmental science or global warming. So why would he sway me? (if I needed swaying ) Personally, I think it is best to be safe and assume that we are affecting the earth's temperature with our pollution. But there are a lot of people that believe that global warming is a crap theory. They would point to studies that say that the earth goes through cycles of heating and cooling, and that the volcanic activity does more to promote global warming that anything man does. But I don't really know what to believe because in the end it all comes down to politics. I haven't yet seen the movie. And nobody I know has seen it yet either, so I doubt he will "turn things around " here. BTW Jay, what does MSM mean?

Great pictures! You both look great. You have perfect features for a bald head - strong AND feminine. You kind of remind me of the bald-headed alien from Farscape.....

How about replacing the egg in your morning sandwich with a piece of tofu...? I replaced the egg in my 'dropped egg on toast' with a piece of tofu. I would cut it in quarters (so that each piece would fit on a piece of toast) and pan-fry the tofu in a little bit of oil with some spices (your choice, but I liked cilantro and cumin), then put the tofu on the toast. One of my favorite breakfasts after a workout....

I guess it was a silly thing to 'worry' about. I would have asked to look at other people's hands who weight train, but I don't really know anyone else who does. BTW, since I first asked the question I have been lifting heavier, and there is the faintest little tough spot underneath my pointers. Thanks for the replies!

Hi SeaSiren, About 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with multinodular goiter, a different thyroid problem. About the same time I was experiencing the symptoms of an under active thyroid. However, my bloodwork is normal. I see my PCP about once per year to have my thyroid and bloodwork checked. My PCP believed that I will eventually need synthetic hormone. I am hoping with diet I will be able to avoid having to take any meds. When I was diagnosed with goiter, I started looking around on the internet to find out what could have caused it, and I learned that soy does affect thyroid function. So I tried to avoid it as much as possible. I also learned about goitrogens (foods that can supressthyroid functon and cause goiter- brussel sprouts, kale, broccolli,etc), and tried my best to avoid those as well. Since I have gone raw, the soy isn't a problem, but I have been eating a lot of kale and cauliflower. Anyway, here is a link that I had bookmarked about food, medication, and suppliments and how they affect your thyroid. http://thyroid.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=thyroid&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thyroid-info.com%2Farticles%2Fthyroid-drug-faq.htm And here is one that talks about goitrogens (and lists soy as one): http://www.ithyroid.com/goitrogens.htm Good luck with getting your med. dose correct

Where will you be going to school? Most of the larger grocery stores on the east coast have a natural foods section, where you can find some vegan frozen dinners, vegan margerine, energy bars, and natural sodas. Chips - do you mean American chips or British chips (what we call french fries)? Most (American) chips are vegan anyway, but you can find more natural versions in this section as well. I don't know what chocolate paste is (Nutella?), but vegan chocolate shouldn't be a problem either. I think you have a good chance of finding a lot of vegan food in the local grocery store since you will be in a college town. I work in a college town, and although the local grocery store is small, I can find most of the things on your list there. Vegan donuts are another story though. I have only found them in my natuarl food store, and that was only once over the last few years.

Thanks guys! I'm glad I am somewhat normal..... oh and oops... callous not callus. To think, I even did a spell check!

Over the last few weeks, I have noticed that my calluses are getting bigger, and harder. No problem there - I don't mind them. But, this morning I noticed that I really only have calluses below my pinky, ring and middle finger. No callus below my pointer finger. Is that typical? It may seem like a silly question, but I am wondering, if this is not typical, if it means that my grip is improper in some way. Any thoughts?

Maybe this post will help you... viewtopic.php?t=3232&highlight= Good luck!

Great article! Thanks for posting it. I particularly liked this... "Did you know we have guacamole dip sold in the grocery stores right now that doesn't even have avocado in it? How's that for extreme?"

I noticed this particular signiture yesterday, and noted it because I thought it was surprising to see on this board, not because I thought it offensive. I have calle my BF a pussy before (actually, I said he was pussing out...but it is a derivation of the word) because he was making a lame excuse for not going to the gym. I have never heard it used in a way to allude to sexuality and in my mind, it is far removed from the female body part meaning too- I use it to indicate that he is being a wimp or a cry-baby. With that said, I would never use that word with a stranger or even someone I knew well if I didn't think they would take it very well because it is a very strong word. I also wouldn't use it in public, just as I don't say the f-word in public even though I use it frequently privately. I agree that the c word is a whole different story - it makes me cringe! But as far as this instance, perhaps the word should not be used in the signiture, since there are many who are offended.

Actually, if you follow your link to the media maters article, the survey mentioned in the opening paragragh does not compare viewers of the Daily Show with viewers of the O'Reilly Factor. It compares viewers of late night comedy programs( Jon Stewart, Letterman, and Leno) to each other. I don't watch late night tv but I have over the years seen all of them at dsome point - it is no surprise that Stewart viewers would be more knowledgable of polical happenings considering that his whole show is based on the news. Leno and Letterman are not in the same category. This is a biased article - it made a claim, and backed it up with a poll that didn't even prove that claim. That to me is offensive - do they think people are to stupid to see through it? I didn't even bother reading the rest of the artical after seeing that they were manipulating the data. The botton line is that all media is slanted and biased to some degree. You have to listen to or watch a variety of networks in order to get the whole picture. When I have time to sit and watch the news, I flick back and forth between our local station to get the weather and "feel good" stories, Fox, and CNN. I also like to listen to Jay Severin, even though I think he is a complete sexist pig!!

I think Jay has a good idea with the nursing idea. They are in high demand and paid well, and you would have the added bonus of spreading your vegan knowledge to those who might be more open to it (for health reasons) or can't get away from you (because they are bed-ridden)! I looked into a 2 year nursing program for those who already had a 4 year degree, a few years back but decided that at this point I couldn't afford to go back to school full time. Personally, I need a job that is more physical, that I DO things (no offense to the thinkers out there ). But at the same time, I don't want my brain wasting away. I work as a hazardous waste specialist. Or, as we like to joke, waste lumpa'. Basically, myself and my supervisor make sure that our company manages our hazardous and regulated waste streams properly, which at a minimum means in accordance to federal, state, and local regulations.

Those recipes on greenchef do look awesome! I was just contemplating posting a message with advise on a good book to read about becoming raw, but decided to search first to see if the info was already here. Low and behold...it is! I think I will see about getting that DVD that Kathryn recommended. I have started the process of going raw already myself. I don't know if I can give up steamed broccoli and asparagus though. Those are two veggies that IMO can not be eaten raw. My other issue is how to give up tea. Good luck with your conversion!

Okay I will.... Wondering as I did in the first post about something that I had no proof of one way or the other, then saying that I don't believe it to be humane could definitely be taken as a flip-flop. You will say I am covering tracks by saying this, but reading over my previous post I should have said I don't believe it to be humane because I have no proof that it works. I think that you will see my intent when I later said that I don't know if it works or not. The coma/sleeping/unconscious thing...semantics, which you don't want to hear about. Obviously, I realize that there is a difference between being asleep, being in a coma, and being unconscious. I guess what I should have said originally was that the stroking put the lobster in a state unconsciousness, with the intent being that it would not feel the pain. I think it is clear from this exchange that even among the more radical groups of society (vegans), there are radical differences in how to go about spreading the word (ie that being vegan is a good thing and the right thing to do). Personally, I don't care for the condescension and moral high ground route...... The best of luck to you in your puppy-mill campaign. I hope you are able to bust it up