the blog.
Current Favourite Podcasts
Hi all! As you know from my last post on the topic, I LOVE listening to podcasts. While I’m walking, driving, cooking, cleaning, showering… I’m listening to a podcast. I’ve discovered some new gems recently and wanted pull together a little list of my current top 10 - from Canadian politics and media, to veganism, to atheism, and more!
Hi all! As you know from my last post on the topic, I LOVE listening to podcasts. While I’m walking, driving, cooking, cleaning, showering… I’m listening to a podcast. I’ve discovered some new gems recently and wanted pull together a little list of my current top 10 - from Canadian politics and media, to veganism, to atheism, and more!
10. Ladies Who Lunch
~ 1 hour per episode
Number of episodes... 52
Release frequency... Weekly
Host(s)... Ingrid Nilsen and Cat Valdes
Format... Ingrid and Cat chat about a specific topic (like sex, relationships, social phobias and more) and answer listeners' written in questions.
My favourite thing... They chat about topics often left out of polite conversation.
The drawback... They describe their lunch at the top of each podcast and it is rarely, if ever, vegan. This may be triggering to some listeners. (I fast forward through that section.)
Who would love it... Anyone who would appreciate the insight of one straight and one gay woman on a variety of taboo topics.
9. Banging Book Club
~ 1 hour per episode
Number of episodes... 18
Release frequency... Twice A Month
Host(s)... Lena, Lucy, and Hannah
Format... Three friends review a book about sex.
My favourite thing... Their British accents, the noise review, and the books about banging.
The drawback... The podcasts aren't very frequent and there isn't a large backlog.
Who would love it... Anyone who wishes they were in a sexy book club.
8. Canadaland: Commons
~ 30 minutes per episode
Number of episodes... 71
Release frequency... Biweekly
Host(s)... Ryan McMahon, Hadiya Roderique and Ashley Csanady
Format... The hosts talk about current news and politics in Canada.
My favourite thing... How informative it is and how well they explain complicated aspects of Canadian politics (for someone who kind of hates politics but knows I should stay informed).
The drawback... Only really applies to Canadians.
Who would love it... People who hate politics but still want to be informed about Canadian politics.
7. Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack
~ 30 minutes per episode
Number of episodes... 118
Release frequency... Weekly
Host(s)... Callie and Nichole
Format... In depth discussion on a particular vegan or intersectional topic after updates and vegan news.
My favourite thing... Their intersectional approach to veganism.
The drawback... They tend to focus heavily on the United States.
Who would love it... Vegans who want to get into the world of intersectionality (or are already here)!
6. The Mustards
~ 1 hour per episode
Number of episodes... 14
Release frequency... Weekly
Host(s)... Jenny and David Mustard
Format... Jenny and David chat about whatever topic they feel like.
My favourite thing... David's semi-funny anecdote about people they don't know.
The drawback... It's probably only interesting to people who follow them on YouTube and social media and are familiar with them.
Who would love it... Vegan minimalists who like dry humour.
5. Waking Up With Sam Harris
~ 1 hour and 30 minutes per episode
Number of episodes... 70
Release frequency... Weekly
Host(s)... Sam Harris
Format... Sam and guest explore important and controversial questions about the human mind, society, and current events.
My favourite thing... The erudite guests and wide array of topics covered.
The drawback... Sometimes Sam and his guests disagree and get stuck in the weeds.
Who would love it... Fans of big names in the atheist community and those with an interest in current events, politics, religion, and science and technology.
4. The Bearded Vegans
~ 1 hour and 30 minutes per episode
Number of episodes... 74
Release frequency... Weekly
Host(s)... Paul and Andy
Format... Paul and Andy discuss the food they've eaten then dive into a vegan topic.
My favourite thing... Their camaraderie and banter.
The drawback... They sometimes go on a little too long about the food they've eaten.
Who would love it... Vegans who like funny people.
3. Thank God I’m Atheist
~ 1 hour and 30 minutes per episode
Number of episodes... 280
Release frequency... Weekly
Host(s)... Frank and Dan
Format... Frank and Dan alternate sharing global news centred on religion and then discuss/make fun of it.
My favourite thing... How they frame religion as the silly thing it is.
The drawback... Sometimes they ramble on for a little too long (according to my husband). I disagree.
Who would love it... Atheists.
2. Canadaland
~ 40 minutes per episode
Number of episodes... 291
Release frequency... Twice A Week
Host(s)... Jesse Brown
Format... Canadian media criticism and media reporting with at least one guest (a journalist or media figure).
My favourite thing... Jesse's blunt criticism of Candian media.
The drawback... Probably doesn't appeal to non-Canadians.
Who would love it... Canadians who care about our media landscape.
1. Colour Code
~ 40 minutes per episode
Number of episodes... 13
Release frequency... N/A (This is a miniseries that is only 13 episodes long)
Host(s)... Denise Balkissoon and Hannah Sung
Format... Each episode explores another facet of race in Canada.
My favourite thing... The honest portrayal of the current state of race and racism in Canada.
The drawback... There are only 13 episodes!
Who would love it... Canadians searching for discussions of race that don't focus on the United States.
What are your favourite podcasts? I am always open to suggestions!
I would also love to know what your favourite format for a podcast is - interviews, Q&A, segments, big topics... let me know! (I may or may not be planning to start a podcast of my own once I reach my $500 Patreon goal!)
Happy listening!
Until next time,
Vegan Myth Buster: "Cows Need To Be Milked."
Here we go! This is the kick-off for my new series: Vegan Myth Buster. The first myth I'm busting is "Cows Need To Be Milked." I hear this myth thrown around so often that I knew I had to debunk it!
Here we go! This is the kick-off for my new series: Vegan Myth Buster. The first myth I'm busting is "Cows Need To Be Milked." I hear this myth thrown around so often that I knew I had to debunk it!
My aim with this series is to keep the videos short and sweet and informative.
Watch the video here or on YouTube!
What myth should I bust next? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time,
5 Best Things About Being Vegan
This is the last video in my little miniseries surrounding my 4th Veganniversary on April 1st! Be sure to watch the other two videos in the series if you missed them:
This is the last video in my little miniseries surrounding my 4th Veganniversary on April 1st! Be sure to watch the other two videos in the series if you missed them:
Watch it right here or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/O23Zo3IKuM4
It's a beautiful sunny day here in Toronto. I hope you have sun wherever you are, too!
Be sure to let me know what YOUR favourite thing about being vegan is!
Until next time,
Supplements on a Vegan Diet - Are Vegan Diets Nutritionally Complete?
If a vegan diet was healthy, you wouldn't need any supplements. I eat meat and I don't take supplements, so my diet must be natural for humans and healthier than yours.
Oh, carnist logic. Does it really mean that veganism isn't healthy if vegans have to take supplements to maintain optimal functioning of bodily systems?
No, and I'll tell you why.
If a vegan diet was healthy, you wouldn't need any supplements. I eat meat and I don't take supplements, so my diet must be natural for humans and healthier than yours.
Oh, carnist logic. Does it really mean that veganism isn't healthy if vegans have to take supplements to maintain optimal functioning of bodily systems?
No, and I'll tell you why.
Carnists/Omnivores/People eating the Standard American Diet like to harp on the idea that a vegan diet couldn't possibly healthy. That humans are meant to eat meat, or even MUST eat meat (and other animal products) to survive.
They cry: Protein! and Iron! and B12! in the hopes that you'll get freaked out by them yelling random macro and micronutrients in your face, forget all of the scientific evidence, and give up on veganism.
Unfortunately for them, vegans don't give up quite so easily.
So can you get protein on a vegan diet? Yes.
Can you get enough iron? Yes.
Can you get B12? Not really.
But, BUT, hear me out on this one, neither can carnists. Everyone, regardless of diet, is at risk of B12 deficiency. It is estimated that as many as 40% of the US population are deficient in B12, and let me tell you, as much as I wish 40% of the US population was vegan, they're not.
So, yeah, vegans should be taking B12 supplements. But so should vegetarians and carnists. We're all in this "B12-deficiency-waiting-to-happen" boat together, people.*
*Fun fact: most B12 that the animals we raise for food get comes from B12 shots. So if you eat meat, you're just getting a second0hand B12 supplement.
So, B12 aside, if we can get all of the nutrition we need from a vegan diet (and we can, says every major dietetics association I've seen) then why do some vegan and plant-based doctors and nutritionists recommend taking various supplements?
Because:
A) No one is perfect. And:
B) Everyone is unique.
No One Is Perfect
No matter how well you plan your diet, no matter how many superfoods you consume, no matter how many green veggies you pack into your daily smoothie, you will not be perfect. You will not get the exact RDA for every macro and micronutrient every single day. If you're anything like me, you're really bad at planning your diet and sometimes just want to eat cereal and potatoes and there's nothing wrong with that, OK??
Sorry. That got a little out of hand.
But really, it's hard to eat a perfectly planned diet all of the time. And even if you could, we've got to look at what we're working with. Produce isn't as nutritionally dense as it once was, our soil is being depleted, and buying a wide variety of fresh, seasonal, locally grown produce isn't always possible depending on your area and pocketbook.
So let's be a little kinder to each other, ok? Sometimes taking a supplement is the best way to be sure you're getting enough of an important nutrient, without having to obsess over it.
And really, that's better for everyone.
Everyone Is Unique
Some people are pre-disposed to certain nutrient deficiencies like anaemia, just like some people are pre-disposed to liking horrible music. We're all unique snowflakes, and that's great.
What this means is that some people need to get more of certain nutrients than others, and sometimes that means they need to supplement their diet with concentrated sources of those nutrients.
Just leave them be already, ok?
The Supplements I Take
I am not prescribing anything here because I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am simply sharing my experience!
Every day I take B12 and vitamin D, two nutrients that even vegetarians and carnists are likely low on. We touched on B12 earlier, and most people are aware that if you live in a less sunny climate, a vitamin D supplement is a good idea.
A couple times a week I'll take an algea-derived omega-3 supplement (because unless I'm really focusing on it, I tend to forget to eat the plant-based foods that provide omega-3 like ground flaxseeds) and biotin (or vitamin B7) which is meant to aid in maintaining healthy hair, skin, and nails. As you probably know, my hair is quite long and I haven't had it cut for about 4 years. In light of this I like to try to keep it as healthy as I can!
For those who are curious, here are the specific supplements I take:
Vitamin B12 - SBR Nutrition Liquid Dietary Supplement* (You use the dropper to pop it under your tongue and hold it for 30 seconds then swallow. It tastes like cherries!)
Vitamin D - Vitashine by Vegetology 2500iu Vitamin D3 Tablets (This is the only Vegan Society Registered Vitamin D3 supplement)
Omega-3 - Opti3 by Vegetology Omega-3 EOA & DHA Capsules (This one also contains a dose of their vitashine vitamin D3, so you can take this one supplement daily for both uses, if you like!)
Biotin - SBR Nutrition Liquid Dietary Supplement* (You also pop this one under your tongue, but this one is vanilla flavour!)
The point is, taking supplements does not invalidate the health benefits of a plant-based vegan diet. So carnists, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop implying it does!
Do you take any supplements? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time,
*The products from SBR Nutrition were sent to me for review, but all opinions are my own. I have been using them and plan on repurchasing with my own money when they run out. If you're interested in giving them a try you can use the code: plantSBR for 20% off your purchase on their website or amazon.com. If you purchase through amazon.ca you can email Neil at neil@sbrnutrition.com letting him know that I sent you and 20% will be refunded after your product ships!
I am not an affiliate for SBR Nutrition, so I don't make any commission if you decide to purchase from them. If you do want to kick me some change then click the image below and then make your purchase - that way Amazon will send me a couple cents with no extra cost to you!