Author Archives: Vegan Kalamazoo

Tuesday 4/19: Managing Type 1 Diabetes Using a Plant-Based Diet (Vegan Kalamazoo Healthy Eating Series)

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Let food be thy medicine,” said Hippocrates more than 2,000 years ago—and health-conscious people continue to do just that. Vegan Kalamazoo is inaugurating its Healthy Eating discussion series with a truly special event. Professional chef Paul Vugteveen will share his personal account of being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) at the age of 25, and how that diagnosis has been woven into all of his food choices, eventually leading him to a whole foods, vegan diet. Among other topics he’ll be discussing

· Brief comparison of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

· What the Glycemic Index is and why it’s important

· How to shop for and prepare foods

· Tips for living an active life with T1D

· How to get involved with Vegan Kalamazoo or T1D in Action

Come prepared with your questions and to share your own experiences! Note: This talk will focus on T1D, but many of the tips will be useful to those with Type 2 Diabetes as well. Everyone is welcome!

chef paulOur speaker: Originally from Zeeland, MI, Paul Vugteveen is the Chef at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in Hastings, MI. He gained much of his cooking experience at the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids, MI, then spent 2 years as an artisanal pastry chef at Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, MI. He also worked as a Bread Baker at Avalon International Breads in Detroit, MI, specializing in naturally leavened breads. He also spent more than two years growing organic vegetables at Brines Farm in Dexter, MI.

Paul was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (a chronic autoimmune disease) in 2011. That diagnosis led him to question how consuming animal products affects the wellbeing of himself and others. He currently lives in Kalamazoo with his partner, Lindsey, and their dog and two cats. Paul is an Organizer and Camp Cook for the Kalamazoo based group, T1D in Action.

Paul has appeared on WZZM 13 and WOODTV 8 TV stations. You can email him at paul.t1dinaction@gmail.com, and learn more about his work at www.facebook.com/chefpaulvugteveen and www.facebook.com/t1dinaction .

Please join us on Tuesday, April 19 at 7:00pm at Natural Health Center (4610 W Main St, Kalamazoo).

Remember: everyone, including vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, and the veg-curious, is always welcome at Vegan Kalamazoo events! Also the event is free, but we suggest an optional $2/person donation to help defray expenses.

Sunday, 4/24: Carpool to Michigan VegFest.

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Vegfest, Michigan’s premier vegan event, will be held Sunday, April 24, in Novi, MI. Featured speakers include actress Simone Reyes, former NBA star John Salley, president of Mercy For Animals Nathan Runkle, and author Dr. Alan Goldhamer. There will also be cooking demos, exhibits of vegan causes and products, children’s activities, and much more.

More info / complete schedule here.VegFestLogo1

We urge all Vegan Kalamazoo members to attend–and we especially urge you to attend if you’ve never attended a vegan event before. There is no substitute for being in a big room filled with other vegans, with everyone having a good time and eating great food and offering great support. It’s a vision of the future, when the world will be more vegan; and also a chance to see our movement’s inspirational leaders live. Don’t miss it!

Vegan Kalamazoo will be setting up carpools. Please email if you can use, or offer, a ride.

Sunday, 4/24: Tour the New Bronson Healthy Living Campus Open House

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This is a cool, innovative, fascinating new thing in our community; and although it’s not a pure-vegan campus there will be a plant-based component to the teaching and other activities. Faculty will be available during the tour to explain the various programs, and we may come up with some ideas for collaboration. Let’s meet at 2:00 p.m. at 418 E. Walnut Street (see map). — Hillary 

The Food Innovation Center opened at the beginning of the winter 2016 semester. The first students to use the facility are enrolled in Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems, Food Safety Essentials, Winter Crops Practicum, and Food Industry Career Planning. Tiny sprouts of microgreens, radishes, cabbage, kale, cilantro and basil offer just a glimpse of what’s coming. Soon, the live wall in the visitors’ center will be covered with plants. The grow room will house hydroponic and aquaponic growing systems, and a space-saving, vertically stacked growing rack system that’s popular in dense urban areas. The building houses labs and a large classroom. There is also a 9,600-square-foot greenhouse on the grounds with shades that provide light and temperature controls and a self-venting roof. The building is located at 224 East Crosstown Parkway.

At 418 East Walnut Street, the Kalamazoo Valley Culinary/Allied Health Building connects food and health. It is the home for students enrolled in the new Menus That Matter ™ Culinary and Sustainable Food Systems programs. The three-story structure houses a culinary theatre, community education kitchen and will include a full-service teaching restaurant and café. The Kalsec © Center for Sustainable Brewing Education is located on the second floor and includes a teaching brewery, classroom spaces, and labs. The building will also be the new home for Kalamazoo Valley students enrolled in nursing, emergency medical technology and respiratory care programs. Students will train in state of the art simulation labs, spacious classrooms and an ambulance which was hoisted into position during the construction of the building. Students are expected to occupy the space beginning this summer.

Kalamazoo Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, (KCMHSAS) a partner in the project, has constructed a 17,000 sq.ft. person-centered clinic and pharmacy at 615 East Crosstown Parkway. This integrated, health-services clinic opened in December.

All of the April 24 events are free and shuttles will be available between all three buildings on the Bronson Healthy Living Campus and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. More information here.

Monday 4/25: Living Vegan Social Club Pot Luck (Portage)

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Living Vegan is a social group/discussion group where we come together informally for fun times and fun discussions. Need a recipe? A vegan fashion tip? Tips for dealing with non-vegan family/friends? You’ll get it all at Living Vegan! We also have plenty of fun discussions on non-vegan topics like movies, TV, gardening, photography, and science fiction. And sometimes there’s a pool game or two!

The Portage Living Vegan Social Club will meet Monday, April 25 at 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the home of Laurie Oldfather, 10252 S.Westnedge Ave., Portage. Bring any vegan dish; Laurie will provide plates, utensils, beverages, dips, and veggies.

Parking at Laurie’s house is limited so it is suggested that people park across the street at the curb on Cliffwood Ave and walk over.

RSVP requested in advance on our Meetup (preferred) or Facebook page.

As always, at Vegan Kalamazoo events, everyone is welcome, including vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, and vegans-in-progress.

Our Community’s Tragedy

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Our community experienced a terrible tragedy over the weekend. I hope all Vegan Kalamazoo members and their loved ones are safe and sound. If anyone has ideas about how our group can support the victims and their families, or the larger community, in the wake of this tragedy, please email me or leave a comment on our Facebook group.

we love you kalamazooI hope it’s some solace to know that, as vegans, vegetarians, and veggies-in-progress, we are helping to build a new culture of nonviolence and ahimsa (nonharm), and are thus part of the solution. The next time someone gives you grief about your food choices, please remember that. What you’re doing is important.

We have three great events coming up:

  • *The Vegan Supermarket Shoparooni: Thursday, 2/25 at 10 a.m., Meijer on West Main.
  • *Potluck at Jasmine Eve’s house in Richland: Saturday, 2/27 at 5:00 p.m.
  • *Living Vegan potluck at Laurie Oldfather’s house in Portage: Monday 2/29 at 6:00 p.m.

More info / please preregister on our Meetup (preferred) OR Facebook page. Please note that we switched to a FB “group page” for more interactivity. Please join that page if you haven’t already. We will no longer be posting on the original FB “community” page.

Remember: everyone, including vegans, vegetarians, and the veg-curious, is always welcome at Vegan Kalamazoo events. All events are free (except for cost of food, movie admission, etc.), although a $2/person optional donation is requested to help defray expenses.

Image by Rhino Media in Kalamazoo; shared with permission.

Thursday 3/24: Veganism and Religion Discussion at the Kalamazoo College Arcus Center!

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Please join Vegan Kalamazoo for an exciting and wide-ranging discussion of Veganism and Religion, led by Kevin J. Wanner, professor of religion at WMU, who teaches a class on Animals and Religion.

Among the topics we might cover are:

*Comparisons of different religious approaches to animals and veganism

*Ethics and relevance of kosher, halal and other humane laws

*Veganism as an imperative of stewardship

Some recommended readings below: read one or all and come prepared to share your ideas, thoughts, experience, and concerns on this important topic.

This event will be held at Kalamazoo College’s award-winning Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, one of our community’s architectural gems!

Remember: everyone, including vegans, vegetarians, and the veg-curious,  is always welcome at Vegan Kalamazoo events.

Date: Thursday, March 24

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Where: Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, 205 Monroe St. (corner of Monroe and Academy – park on street)

Cost: FREE. A $2/person optional donation is requested to help defray expenses.

Vegan snacks will be served.

Please RSVP on the Vegan Kalamazoo Meetup (preferred) or Facebook page.

RECOMMENDED READING (Read all or some!):

Books:

*Charles Camosy. For Love of Animals: Christian Ethics, Consistent Action. Franc. Media, 2013.

*Andrew Linzey. Creatures of the Same God: Explorations in Animal Theology. Lantern, 2009.

*Matthew Scully, Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2003.

Articles:

*The Biblical Basis of Veganism: http://www.essene.com/Bible/BiblicalBasisOfVeganism.html

*Veganism and the Jewish Dietary Laws: http://www.jewishveg.com/schwartz/dietlaws.html

*The Islamic Vegan. http://islamicvegan.blogspot.com/

*Buddhism and Veganism. http://beforewisdom.com/blog/veganism/buddhism-and-veganism/

Monday 3/28: The Connection Between Eating Animals and Worldwide Violence

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Tolstoy famously said, “As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will always be battlefields.” The link between carnivory (eating animals) and violence has long been recognized, and is one reason many of history’s top thinkers, including Hippocrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Shaw, Einstein, Gandhi, and of course, Tolstoy himself, were vegetarian or vegan.

But just how real is this link, and how does eating animals affect us?

Come join us for a presentation and discussion on this fascinating and important topic.

Our presenter is Nathan Poirier, a graduate student of Anthrozoology at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. Nathan’s work focuses on Critical Animal Studies and the framing, perception, and implications of “techno-fixes” for issues including conservation, diet, and human population. In 2015 he organized a Rewilding conference at Aquinas College. Nathan also has an M.A. in mathematics, and has taught math at Western Michigan University and Aquinas College. He lives in Kalamazoo with his partner, Erin, a statistician.

Date: Monday, March 28

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Venue: Kalamazoo Library Central Branch

Cost: Free. An optional $2/person donation is requested to help defray expenses.

Note: There is no evening Living Vegan potluck this month! Come to this discussion instead!

RSVP at our Meetup (preferred) or Facebook page.

Everyone, including vegans, vegetarians, and the veg-curious, is always welcome at Vegan Kalamazoo Events.

Advance Reading (read some or all of the below!):

• World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle

• Animal Oppression and Human Violence by David Nibert (scholarly)

• We Animals (Jo-Anne McArthur, photojournalism)

• The Ghosts In Our Machine (video documentary on hidden animal violence)

Tuesday 3/01: Supermarket Shoparooni! (Kalamazoo / Oshtemo)

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NOTE: WE HAVE RESCHEDULED THIS EVENT DUE TO THE IMPENDING SNOW EMERGENCY. THERE WILL BE NO EVENT ON THURSDAY 2/25. NEW DATE IS TUESDAY 3/01.

Join us for Vegan Kalamazoo’s first-ever Supermarket Shoparooni!
 
We’ll be walking through Meijer (West Main St.) checking out all the cool vegan foods and talking about how you can use them. We’ll be exploring:
 
*fruits and vegetables
 *whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts
 *plant based milks and yogurts
 *condiments, herbs, and spices
 *ethnic selections
 *frozen / convenience foods
 
 We’ll also be discussing low-oil, and oil-free cooking, cooking healthy for kids (our leader, Katie, has three), and any other topics you wish to bring up!
 
We are so fortunate to have Katie Alkema leading this event. Not only is she a passionate vegan shopper and cook, she just got her certificate in plant-based nutrition from the prestigious T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, one of the top vegan nutrition programs in the world!
Please preregister at our Meetup or Facebook page.
Tuesday March 1, 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. (meet at 9:50; tour begins promptly at 10), Meijer, 6660 W Main St.; meet at Customer Service Desk
 
Remember: everyone, including vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, and the veg-curious, is always welcome at Vegan Kalamazoo events! Also the event is free, but we suggest an optional $2/person donation to help defray expenses.
 
See you at the Shoparooni!

Saturday, 3/19: Living Vegan Social Club (Kalamazoo)

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Living Vegan is a social group where we come together informally for fun times and fun discussions. Need a recipe? A vegan fashion tip? Tips for dealing with non-vegan family/friends? You’ll get it all at Living Vegan! We also have plenty of fun discussions on non-vegan topics like movies, TV, gardening, photography, and science fiction. And sometimes there’s a pool game or two!

We hope you’ll join us for our next get-together on Saturday, March 19 from 9:30 a.m. to Noon at Fourth Coast Cafe (816 S Westnedge Ave, Kalamazoo) Event is free (except the cost of your food and drink); we do request and appreciate an optional $2 donation to cover group expenses.

Our gracious host is, as always, Laurie Oldfather. RSVP requested in advance on our Meetup or Facebook page.

As always, at Vegan Kalamazoo events, everyone is welcome, including vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, and vegans-in-progress.

Sunday, 5/8: Tabling at the Kalamazoo Marathon

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The Kalamazoo Marathon is Sunday, May 8, and we’ll be tabling from 7:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Please join us for all or part of that time. We’ll be handing out water to the runners, cheering them on, and generally having a blast–all while promoting joyful veganism. Email Hillary if you can volunteer, and please stop by even if you can’t.

More info on the run here.

Parking info here.

Note: our location on the route hasn’t yet been assigned, but we’ll update this when it is.