Tag Archives: veganism

Thursday 3/31: Managing Type 1 Diabetes Using a Plant-Based Diet (VK 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 Thursday, March 31 at 7:00 p.m. at the Stuart Avenue Association Building (530 Douglas Ave, Kalamazoo). White building on east side of Douglas Ave, (between Jefferson and North), park on Douglas Street.

We’ll be repeating this event Tuesday, April 19 at 7:00pm at Natural Health Center.

RSVP at our Meetup (preferred) or Facebook page

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 donation (which will be split between VK and the Stuart Avenue Restoration Association) to help defray expenses.

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)