EVG Q&A: French Doctor Says Vegan Diet is Unhealthy!

"I think therefore I am vegan"

Question:
My name is Marie and I'm French. I ordered "Skinny Bitch" and read it in 2 days! Awesome book! I read “The Kind Diet” and I also began to read "The China Study". Today I asked my doctor about a vegeterian or a vegan diet and she told me that it was an unhealthy diet. She told me not to do it. My stomach has been reduced in October (gastric sleeve) and she said that I had to eat fish and dairies to get proteins. I am pretty sad because I really do believe in that way of life. My doc said that vegan people have many deficiencies and die young!!! I don't know what to believe!!! Please help me!!!

Answer:

EVG Q&A: Natural Deodorant

Question:
Whats a good natural deodorant?

Answer: 

Learning How To Become A Non-Offensive Vegan

from Offended Blogger

"We live in a world where sometimes the saddest of behaviors, the most cruel acts toward people and living creatures is NOT the most offensive thing. The most offensive thing to some people is the way that my husband and I live."

My online friend Natala runs a blog called Vegan Hope, which documents her journey to health and losing over 200 pounds on the plant-based diet. Today she wrote a beautiful article about people finding her lifestyle offensive as compared to a 500 lb man who owns a restaurant called Heart Attack Grill. Clearly, there's something odd about this situation. She says,

"What is most shocking is that no one seemed to be as offended or shocked or upset that there is a man (the owner of the heart attack grill) who is making a living off of feeding people foods that he WILLINGLY admits will kill them and uses sex and cruelty toward obese people to make a living...The offensive part is that I, someone who was at the brink of suicide because of my weight and diabetes – decided to eat a healthy diet, free of processed foods and animals. The offensive part was that I stopped eating animals."

You can read the whole article here.

Natala's post inspired me to ask people on Facebook and Twitter if they found the vegan lifestyle offensive, why, and what vegans could do to improve. Here are some of the responses I received:

EVG Q&A: Non-Toxic Nail Polish

Question:
Where do you get the non toxic nail polish?

Answer:

EVG Q&A: Vegan Bakeries & Wedding Cakes in San Francisco/Bay Area

Mocha Brownie from Sugar Plum

Question:
 Do you happen to know a good vegan bakery in the SF bay area that would be willing to do a vegan wedding cake?  A girlfriend of mine is getting married and is having trouble finding a reputable bakery.  It doesn’t have to be a vegan-only bakery, just one that’s willing to do a vegan cake.

Answer:

Calculating Long Distance: The Green Way to Travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco

My boyfriend lives in San Francisco, and he's totally worth doing the long distance. But every time we travel to see each other some things cross my mind:

1. It takes a lot of time out of my day if I'm traveling (3 - 9 hours each way)
2. It is expensive ($100-$150 round trip)
3. Traveling isn't very eco-friendly

For now, this is what we have to do to be with each other. So I decided to figure out the way to travel with the smallest carbon footprint.

Most Popular Articles on Eco-Vegan Gal

I love Google Analytics. It's an amazing tool that shows website owners practically everything about the traffic coming to their site. And not in a creepy way, it's actually very useful. I'm always most fascinated with the ways people have discovered my site. Today I looked at the Top 50 keywords used to find my site and thought I'd put them in a post to help others find what they're looking for faster. If this is your first time here, Welcome to Eco-Vegan Gal!

Rosti Tuscan Kitchen - vegan and gluten-free Italian food in Santa Monica & Encino, CA

Last spring I reviewed Rosti Tuscan Kitchen's location in Encino and loved their food. This spring I am thrilled to review their location in Santa Monica because of their new vegan and gluten-free menus! Yes, they have added 2 menus - one that is completely vegan and the other gluten-free, and luckily you can combine the two if you're both like me. Don't mean to pat myself on the back too hard, but the owner told me he was inspired to do the vegan menu after my visit to the restaurant last year because I asked why vegan items weren't marked on the existing menu. : )

Yes, You Can Buy Vegan Girl Scout Cookies!

It's that time of year. Little girls in cute uniforms are at every corner, every store front, every office building asking you to help them raise money by buying their famous cookies. Before you break the news to them that you can't help because you're vegan, you should know that there are a few varieties that don't contain dairy or eggs!

Savyon Cafe Launches New Vegan Menu!

My eco-vegan friend Ken Spector (of Living Eco) told me that a cafe on Pico Blvd in mid-LA will be launching a new vegan menu tomorrow. They will serve mediterranean dishes, including paninis, salads, pastas, soups, spreads, and dips.

Eco-Vegan Products at Natural Products Expo West: Thursday, March 10, 2011

It's the moment I've been waiting for - Natural Products Expo West! After my fabulous time there last year, I couldn't wait to go again. And with all of my new eco-vegan standards I have been chomping at the bit to discover companies that meet my criteria, which is:

How to Be Eco-Friendly At Events like Natural Products Expo West

I attend a lot of events that are about being green, healthy, and/or vegan. But I often find that they aren't extremely sustainable - there often seems to be unnecessary waste. For example, Natural Products Expo West is a fantastic event but it's unbelievable how much packaging it thrown away during and after the show. This inspired me to make a video on the ways I'm being eco-friendly at these events and how they can make a big difference.

Expo West 2011: Finding the Latest & Greatest Organic, Healthy, and Green Products

I'm currently blogging live from Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA. Stay tuned for my daily reports on my favorite products. This year I'm looking for the ultimate eco-vegan items: organic & minimally processed with environmentally-friendly packaging. Also seeking out gluten and soy free, low or no sweeteners, and low in oil and salt food. And truly eco products for home, body, and pets. And most importantly, it's all got to taste good, look good, and work well at the same time. It's a tough task - but somebody's got to do it! I'll be interviewing the people behind the products and sharing that with you.
You can follow me at Expo West on Twitter: @ecovegangal.

If you're at Expo find me in my Eco-Vegan Gal t-shirt!

Q&A: Giving Up Meat for Lent

Question: I gave up meat for lent. Can you tell me some "Whitney approved" recipe websites?

Answer: My favorite foods to eat are steamed vegetables, pastas, beans & rice dishes, salads, and soups. I read through a ton of sites every week and pick my favorite recipes, then post them on my Greenwala Meatless Monday series. My current favorite recipe sites:

• Manifest Vegan
• Oh She Glows
• Healthy. Happy. Life

How I Wear Eco Fashion on Eco-Chick

I'm featured on an amazing green site called Eco-Chick where incredible women share their ideas on how to save the planet. The site has a new series called "How I Wear Eco Fashion" where gals like me talk about how their clothing is environmentally-friendly. You can check out my feature here, and be sure to read about some of the other green fashionistas like my beautiful pals Rachel Avalon and Tracy Hepler.

My Vegetarian to Vegan to Gluten-Free Journey for Health, Compassion and Environment

Here is the final video in the series with with Larry Cook, a health author and video producer. This one is my favorite because I got to talk about my entire journey from meat & dairy eater to gluten & soy free vegan. I explain why my lifestyle makes me feel and look great, and give tips on how you can do it too.



Check out my other videos with Larry:

• How To Feel Healthier and Look Better 
• Vegan Health Starts With Fresh Organic Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Beans & Nuts

and visit his website to learn more about him and his health book.

Win An Organic Area Rug

A contemporary rug company called Merida Home is running a contest to give away one their eco-friendly 4x6 rugs made out of sisal, a natural, renewable fiber from the agave cactus plant. Find out why Merida's mantra is "sustainability with style" and check out this beautiful and organic floor decor called Elements Driftwood. The stylish rug is worth almost $400 and all you have to do to enter is click here, enter in your information and put www.ecovegangal.com in the blog URL field - the winner will be announced on March 14th. Good luck!

Vegan Health Starts With Fresh Organic Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Beans & Nuts

In my second video with Larry Cook, a health author and video producer, I speak about how to eat a healthy vegan diet. The following is opinion and based on personal research - I am not a doctor or nutritionist, so please read my health disclaimer before taking my advice.



I have experimented with many ways of eating as a vegan. When I first adopted the plant-based diet I was really into frozen and refrigerated meat and dairy alternatives because they tasted similar to the foods I was eating before. I ate this way for years, enjoying all sorts of fake-this and fake-that. While I appreciate the options and think they're great for transitioning, when I stepped back and thought about it I realized that they are indeed fake food - in other words highly processed, rarely organic, and not incredibly nutritious.