Today, Jen and I (John) discuss our experiences with those who question our vegan diets/lifestyles. If you have been vegetarian/vegan for even a short period of time you know that people can sometimes be rude with their responses to our choices. Jen responds by trying to be as civil as possible, but feels it is important to realize that there are times when the person is simply trying to annoy you. I usually try to ignore the questions once the questioner shows that they are more interested in attacking my dietary choices. For more information on how to deal with these situations see Diplomacy: Family, Friends and Social Situations.

This coming Wednesday the podcast team will have a chance to speak with Sarah Kramer at her book launch for Vegan A Go-Go! – a cookbook and survival manual for vegans on the road. She will be at Left Feet (Nassau St & Bellevue Ave) from 7pm to 9pm. Sarah is famous for her cookbooks and my copy of How It All Vegan was the first vegan cookbook I used; it definitely has its share of food splatter marks on it.

Jen reports that she visited Hot Yam this week and ate very well. She got tomato soup, stir fried kale with garlic, roasted sweet potatoes and apple crisp – all for only $4. If I didn't work on Wednesday afternoons I would certainly be a regular visitor to Hot Yam – they are located at the International Student Centre at the University of Toronto and they have two seatings on Wednesdays (12pm and 1pm).

If you're interested in getting involved in supporting eating locally, Jen and I strongly recommend Not Far From The Tree. This Toronto organization harvests fruit from urban trees and donates much of it to shelters. Lisa is an active volunteer, and after one of the picks her share amounted to 15 pounds of apples. That is a lot of apples!

Also up for discussion was the Toronto Vegetarian Association's Annual General Meeting which takes place on Thursday, November the 27th at the Kensington Market Lofts from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. This is a great way to find out more about TVA and you're very likely going to eat some good food too. If you would like to attend, let us know using our contact us form.

Lastly, Shawn (a dedicated listener) sends in word that (not shockingly) another study suggests that eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat and dairy improves one's health. More specifically, the McMaster University study shows that eating a more plant-based diet decreases one's chance of getting a heart attack by at least 35%. There have been so many studies like this that it seems as obvious to me as the sky being blue.

This podcast is a World-Vegan-Day-celebrating 24 minutes.

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