Written by PETA
The festival of Holi signifies joy, love, happiness and friendship. Share the sentiment of the holiday by showing love and respect for animals too: pledge to drink vegan thandai.
To meet the demand for milk and other dairy products, cows and buffaloes are raised on factory farms and spend most of their days confined to tiny stalls. Many farmers inject these animals with the illegal drug oxytocin, believing that the drug will cause the animals to produce unnaturally large quantities of milk. Animals injected with oxytocin often suffer from severe stomach cramps that are similar to labour pains. So that humans can consume cow's milk, calves are often torn away from their mothers or simply abandoned or sold for slaughter.
Also, cow's milk is for cows, not humans. It does a body good to avoid milk and other dairy products. Dairy consumption contributes to the onset of diabetes, obesity and respiratory problems. Soya milk is not only the smart choice but also the kind choice, and it is just one alternative to animal milk. You can also enjoy coconut, rice and almond milks on cereal, in coffee, tea and shakes and in sweets – such as thandai!
Vegan Thandai
1/2 Tbsp aniseed
1 Tbsp almonds
1 Tbsp dried watermelon seeds
1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/4 cup fresh rose petals
2 cups water
1 litre soya milk
3/4 cup sugar
10-12 peppercorns
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
2-3 strands saffron
Make 3 servings
What's up, people? Have you been thinking about going vegan? Why not take a pledge to do just that this Navratri? Not only will you be helping animals by doing so, you'll also have more energy to dance through the night. petaDishoom is here to help, and we've put together a nine-day plan for going vegan for you and your friends who are not yet vegan. All you have to do is follow these simple steps:
Day 1: What's wrong with milk? Watch this video to learn what happens to animals used for their milk.
Day 2: What's wrong with eggs? Eggs are about as vegetarian as chicken tikka or a mutton burger (in other words, not vegetarian at all!). If someone told you that eggs were vegetarian, maybe you should ask if they also think the world is flat. Male chicks are killed shortly after birth because they can't produce eggs and are too small to be profitably raised and killed for their flesh – and that's definitely not vegetarian!
Day 3: Don't wear a cow! Leather is not a fabric; it is the stolen skin of an animal who was killed. There are so many cool non-leather styles available that wearing an animal's skin is definitely uncool! Check out what Pamela Anderson has to say about the cruel skins trade.
Day 4: Are you ready to take the challenge? If you haven't already, try soya milk and delicious sorbets and petha! They're all vegan! Believe me: going vegan is the best thing that you can do for yourself, animals and the planet.
Day 5: Make a vegan meal. Most of the food that you get during Navratri is vegan anyway, but if you want to make something special from our recipes database, please do – and don't forget to let us know how the dish turned out.
Day 6: Take a close look at your cosmetics. You may be surprised to find out that thousands of animals might be poisoned and killed for your favourite brand of lipstick or shampoo. Browse through the list of companies that do and don't test on animals and pledge to use only cruelty-free cosmetics.
Day 7: Silk is cruel. Even small animals matter. To produce just 100 grams of silk, approximately 1,500 silkworms are killed. If you had ever visited a silk production farm, you'd never want to wear a silk sari or a silk dhoti again. Use faux silk or other non-animal materials instead.
Day 8: Still not convinced? If you're still not convinced that going vegan is the right thing to do, just watch this.
Day 9: Vegan Day! We hope you agree that with these tips, you can be vegan by the last day of Navratri and help others go vegan, too. Talk to at least two people about going vegan and become a true superhero for animals!
Happy Navratri!
PETA India has flown into action with a tempting offer to help keep Kingfisher Airlines out of its financial crisis and flying sky-high while helping meat-eating men rise to the occasion. In a letter to Kingfisher Chairperson Vijay Mallya, we offered to pay the airline to paint our new ad on the sides of Kingfisher's planes:
Considering that impotence affects more than 50 per cent of our nation's males over age 40, placing PETA's "Want Good Times? Go Vegan. Meat Consumption Leads to Impotence" ad on the bodies of planes is the perfect way to reach and help millions of men who may be having trouble "keeping up" in the bedroom.
In addition to causing animal suffering, eating meat can lead to a host of illnesses and medical conditions, including impotence. A diet heavy in meat and dairy products has been linked to heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity – all of which can cause impotence. The good news is that medical science suggests that all of these diseases, along with impotence, can be prevented or even reversed by eating a healthy vegan diet!
It's pretty obvious that the best way to help animals, protect the environment and avoid turbulence in your love life is to go vegan.
We haven't heard back from the airline yet, but we can assure you that more than just Kingfisher's jets will be "taking off" if Dr Mallya accepts PETA's offer and spreads this vital message about meat and impotence.
This Sunday marks the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, and PETA India is celebrating with five fantastic ways that everyone can help save the planet and animals.
1) Go vegan. White milk and cheese do not equal green. The dairy industry contributes to climate change, overuse of natural resources and massive water and air pollution.
2) Ditch leather. No one wants to wear a toxic soup of chemicals, but that's exactly what you'll find at leather tanneries, which use chemicals such as formaldehyde and coal-tar derivatives and cyanide-based finishes. It's obvious that wearing dried-up animal skin is all dried up.
3) Post this Earth Day fact on Facebook: A report by the United Nations confirms that a global shift to a vegan diet is vital to combat the worst effects of climate change.
4) Share this photo with your meat-eating friends:
Meat production requires so much water that you save more water by not eating one 16-ounce steak than you would by not showering for six months. So by going vegan, you can help save the Earth and still help keep it a pleasant-smelling place.
5) Shop cruelty-free. There are so many luscious body-care product lines out now that are made without harsh chemicals and without harsh animal tests that it's easier than ever to be a green goddess. Check out the PETA US' shopping guide for a list of cruelty-free companies.
Happy Earth Day!
On factory farms, hens who lay eggs (including the ones used for Easter) are confined to battery cages so small that they are barely able to turn around, lie down comfortably or spread a single wing.
Watch this video to learn why eggs are cruel?
This Easter, help save lives by spreading the word for chickens (and NOT using their eggs)! Here are few ways:
Pledge to go vegan today.
We know why the chicken crossed the road: to get to the other side. We also know why we posted an April Fools' Day joke about devices that translate chicken language: to get people over to the chickens'side.
Unfortunately, scientists have yet to devise an instrument that can translate chickens' language into English (though we think it would be a great idea). But do we really need a chicken-language translator to tell us that chickens don't enjoy experiencing pain and fear and that they don't want to die? No. We already know that.
If our April Fool’s joke got you and your friends thinking, be sure to get everyone you know to sign this pledge to go vegan.
If it's starting to seem like everywhere you look, another actor, politician, business leader or athlete is going vegan that's because it's true. They cite a plethora of reasons for making the switch to a diet free of meat, dairy products and other animal products – reasons such as having more energy, protecting the environment, staying slim and preventing cruelty to animals. And with the ready availability of vegan foods in supermarkets and restaurants, it's getting harder and harder to come up with excuses not to go vegan. These are just a few of the vegan powerhouses who are leading the charge:
There are more influential vegans than we can count, let alone name. Ready to join them? Click here to get started
Long before her hilarious and candid debut novel about a Pakistani-American family started making waves across the country, author Jabeen Akthar made waves with PETA US. Yep, that's right, we knew her first! A former "Tiger Lady" who bared her stripes in a PETA US circus protest, Jabeen is now a member of PETA US's Regulatory Testing Division. Recently, we sat down with our old pal to talk shop about her new book, her thoughts on animal rights and much more.
Tell us about your book.
Welcome to Americastan follows a young Pakistani-American named Samira Tanweer, who, through a series of misadventures, learns her name is on the FBI's terrorist watch list. After losing her job and losing her boyfriend to her best friend, Samira returns to her dysfunctional family in North Carolina to make sense of what happened to her life. The novel is a snapshot of life in the US for typical Pakistani-Americans. It addresses serious topics such as racism, assimilation, failure and generational differences, but in the end, I just hope it makes people laugh.
Do you also write about animal rights?
My involvement in animal rights is the most important aspect of who I am, so it will always find its way into my writing. There is a scene in Welcome to Americastan in which Samira goes to a party full of Muslims and criticizes the practice of slaughtering lambs during the Muslim festival of Eid. I've been asked repeatedly if Muslims are offended by this scene. On the contrary, lots of compassionate young Muslims have been thanking me for putting it out there.
Tell us about how you got involved with animal rights.
I've been around forever. I was a PETA US volunteer back when the organization had a single office in an old warehouse! It all started with a PETA US newsletter in the 1980s. There was a black and white photo of a cow on the ground, her eyes wide and terrified. She was a "downed" factory farm cow who had been kicked in the face, ribs and back repeatedly by farm workers. Not only was this story devastating to read, it also shook my entire worldview and marked the beginning of my journey to change how we view and treat animals. I shared the newsletter with my family, and we stopped eating meat overnight and never looked back.
What inspired you to go vegan?
In the 80s and early 90s, being a vegetarian animal rights activist was considered hardcore. The concept of veganism hadn't reached the mainstream. For many years, I was under the false impression that I was doing enough by not eating meat. I soon couldn't deny that I was contributing to the meat industry as much as any meat-eater by continuing to eat dairy products and eggs, so I rid my diet of those products altogether. It's awesome – I'm savings animals by being vegan, and my diet has never been more diverse and exciting. And going vegan is a downright blast – check out my new favorite vegan chef.
What do you do for PETA US, and what does the department you work for do?
As a former US government employee, I found the perfect home in PETA US's Regulatory Testing Division – a team of highly credentialed and dedicated scientists and researchers who push the US government as well as international organizations to develop and use incredibly effective and sophisticated non-animal testing methods in their testing programs. I manage research projects by helping the team navigate through complex federal regulations, help publish research articles in scientific journals, and generally keep the department running as smoothly as possible given the heavy workloads our scientists have.
What achievement are you most proud of in your work for animals?
So much of what we do for animals is teamwork, so I can't take credit for any one thing. Over the years, I've participated in numerous campaigns that closed fur stores, saved animals from painful and lethal experiments, and banned gestation crates for factory-farmed pigs. On a regular basis, I look out for injured wildlife on the roads and get them medical treatment, and I have rescued countless stray cats. Most importantly, by just showing people the video "Meet Your Meat" and fixing them yummy vegan meals, I've helped a lot of people go vegetarian and vegan!
What would you say are some of the most pressing issues regarding animal experimentation in India?
I'm pleased to see Indian educational bodies like the University Grants Commission and the Pharmacy Council of India finally embracing sophisticated non-animal teaching methods in the classrooms. No student should ever have to use an animal for dissection or research when there are so many alternatives available. In the US, some states even have laws protecting the rights of students who refuse to dissect. It's also time to see cosmetics testing on animals banned in India – something we've already seen happen in the European Union. With India's booming economy and growing presence on the world stage, there's no reason it should fall behind the West in moving away from animal experimentation and toward cheaper, more efficient and humane methods.
Anything else you'd like to add?
I knew a girl in college who constantly debated my views on animal rights and said my activism was a waste of time. Fifteen years later, I see her running toward me at an animal rights conference with a T-shirt that says, "Vegan," and she tells me I'm the reason she's there. I'm still not sure what I ever did or said to make her change her mind, but the bottom line is this: you never know whom you're encouraging to help animals, so don't give up on anyone!
"When you have your health, you have everything. When you do not have your health, nothing else matters at all." – Augusten Burroughs
Did you know you it's possible to lose weight, boost your health and reduce the risk of deadly diseases just by changing your diet? Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is bringing you a program based on the ever-popular 21-Day Vegan Kickstart initiative that has helped more than 150,000 Americans lose weight and improve their health with a low-fat, plant-based, dairy-free diet.
Trust us: these 21 days will be fun-filled, nutritious and yummy! Kickstart India will send you 21 e-mail messages – one each day – that will provide you with an all-access pass to the following resources:
A list of celebrity coaches who will offer their favourite vegan recipes and tips to help you stay on track during the program. Actor Amala Akkineni, cricketer Murali Kartik, actor Veena Malik, international star Maggie Q, actor Rashaana Shah, musician Rahul Sharma, actor Jackie Shroff, actor and author Alicia Silverstone, actor Sonu Sood and member of Indian Parliament Dr Shashi Tharoor are all involved.
Go get started, India! Get yourself enrolled now! Also, spread the word around to family and friends.
Be healthy!
Written by Kriti-S
"Rev Your Engines – Go Vegan." Yes, lucky Delhiites were greeted by two stunning PETA members wearing sexy green pit-crew outfits standing next to a race car in the lead-up to the Formula 1 race weekend and Grand Prix.
The pit princesses' point? That the best thing that racing drivers and enthusiasts can do if they want to get up to speed is jettison meat and dairy products from their diet and go vegan.
Quick – put the pedal to the medal and the best racing fuel in your tanks by going vegan! Shifting away from unhealthy meat and dairy products helps protect the environment, saves animals' lives and helps keep our bodies running at peak performance. So what are you waiting for?
P.S. If you were wondering how we managed to get this awesome race car for our demonstration, the credit goes to the students of National School of Information Technology in Dwarka. They designed the car themselves! We would also like to thank ace photographer Mukesh Khugsal for taking photos.
This Janmashtami, show your love for cows by going milk-free! Why? Because dairy products are detrimental to human health and dairy farms are notorious for their abuse of animals.
To get this message out, PETA India staged a demonstration in Ahmedabad city centre during which activists dressed as Lord Krishna and a cow handed out free samples of healthy and delicious Staeta soya milk. The "cow" held a sign reading "Be Kind to Cows: Go Dairy-Free, Choose Soya".
Campaigner and nutritionist Bhuvaneshwari Gupta says, "Lord Krishna would never approve of the severe cruelty to cows found in today's dairy industry. Consumption of dairy products contributes to the onset of diabetes, obesity and respiratory problems. During Janmashtami – or at any other time – soya milk is not only the smart choice but also the kind choice."
PETA India's investigations have found that cows and buffaloes on dairy factory farms spend most of their days confined to tiny stalls. Many farmers inject the animals with the illegal drug oxytocin, believing that it will boost milk production. Animals injected with oxytocin often suffer from severe stomach cramps that are similar to labour pains. Calves on dairy factory farms are either abandoned or sent to slaughter so that the milk meant for them can be sold to humans.
Take the pledge to help cows by kicking dairy products out of your diet today.
Just in time for Mother's Day, PETA India supporters pulled off a great demonstration to save mother cows from cruelty in Chennai. PETA's "mother cow" was accompanied by two lovely soya milkmaids who handed out free samples of delicious and cruelty-free soya milk donated by ProSoya Foods, the maker of Staeta soya milk.
Through this cute demonstration, the PETA supporters wanted to give Chennai residents some food for thought about how they can help stop the daily suffering of mother cows on dairy farms by simply switching to a delicious meat- and dairy-free vegan diet.
There's no better gift we can give to mother cows and our own arteries on Mother's Day than to go vegan!