If you are not familiar with PCRM - Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially good nutrition. PCRM also conducts clinical research studies, opposes unethical human experimentation, and promotes alternatives to animal research.

"Art Of Compassion Award>- Compassion is the most fundamental value in medicine as well as in our day-to-day lives. If compassion were truly put to work—if it were learned and practiced in every aspect of life—our world would be very different indeed. PCRM's Art of Compassion Award recognizes an individual who exemplifies compassion to an extraordinary degree and works to extend this value as broadly as possible.

The Art of Compassion Award medal carries the image of Hippocrates, the Greek physician born in 460 B.C.E. Although he is best known for the Hippocratic oath sworn by all new physicians and his enduring words, "First, do no harm," he also had a broadly compassionate outlook, one that included both humans and animals. "The soul is the same in all living creatures, although the body of each is different," he wrote. Recent recipients of this award is Daran Haber, M.D., for his commitment to the principle of compassion in research and medicine. He testified before the New Jersey State Assembly Education Committee on behalf of a successful bill guaranteeing a student’s right not to dissect animals and spoke out on behalf of 300 neurologists and neurosurgeons against a class at Ohio State University that inflicts severe damage to the spinal cords of mice and rats.

PCRM also gives out two other awards every year - The Benjamin Spock Award for Compassion in Medicine. In 2007 that was presented to David J.A. Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D., creator of the glycemic index. They also award The Henry J. Heimlich Award for Innovative Medicine. In 2007 that was presented by Dr. Heimlich himself to Randal Charlton, founder and CEO of Asterand, a biotechnology company that is revolutionizing scientific research with new non-animal testing methods. Benjamin Spock, MD, besides being a trusted pediatrician, Spock became a vocal political activist and a vigorous advocate for a healthy diet. As a member of PCRM’s advisory board, he called for sweeping reforms of federal food policy and helped publicize the links between cow’s milk and type 1 diabetes. He will remain a source of inspiration for generations to come. He himsself a vegan, Dr. Spock embraced the use of vegan diets in the 7th edition of "Baby and Child Care", the leading guide for parents.

Recent winner of this award is David J.A. Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D., creator of the glycemic index....... Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who proved that heart disease could be completely reversed with a vegan diet. Not one of the patients who followed his diet ever had another episode of heart disease. He called it becoming “heart-attack-proof.”

Dr. Henry Heimlich, MD, (who created the Heimlich Maneuver) - "Dr. Henry Heimlich’s vision and incredible creativity are responsible for medical advances that have saved tens of thousands of lives,” said PCRM president and founder Neal Barnard, M.D. “He is the embodiment of innovation, compassion, and getting the job done." Dr. Heimlich was a vegan. Dr. Heimlich’s work with PCRM began in the late 1980s, when he spoke out against the cruel dog-drowning experiments some had proposed for testing the Heimlich Maneuver. He later narrated a video produced by PCRM and the Massachusetts General Hospital to illustrate Harvard Medical School's new alternative to animal laboratories in medical education. Working with PCRM’s president Neal Barnard, M.D., he produced a series of PCRM public service announcements on first aid, preventive medicine, and nutrition, and spoke out for the reform of federal dietary guidelines.

The award winners are ChristopherToly, who is the principal designer and inventor of the TraumaMan® Surgical Training System, a patented technology that replaces the use of live dogs in the training of surgeons and emergency physicians. The life-like device, which precisely models a human torso and even bleeds when cut, is distributed worldwide and is used to train over 12,000 doctors each year. Another winner of this award is Randal Charlton, founder and CEO of Asterand, a biotechnology company that is revolutionizing scientific research with new non-animal testing methods.

(Please check out www.pcrm.org....and subscribe to their magazine "Good Medicine". This is where you can read about the most recent research done in regards to alternatives to animal testing, studies on nutrition and the benefits of a vegan/vegetarian diet to prevent or cure disease, and so much more. There are hundreds of very informative articles. I highly recommend the website and the magazine.)

• When you look at the comparison between herbivores and humans, we compare much more closely to herbivores than meat eating animals. Humans are clearly not designed to digest and ingest meat

• Meat-eaters: have claws
• Herbivores: no claws
• Humans: no claws

• Meat-eaters: have no skin pores and perspire through the tongue
• Herbivores: perspire through skin pores
• Humans: perspire through skin pores

• Meat-eaters: have sharp front teeth for tearing, with no flat molar teeth for grinding
• Herbivores: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding
• Humans: no sharp front teeth, but flat rear molars for grinding

• Meat-eaters: have intestinal tract that is only 3 times their body length so that rapidly decaying meat can pass through quickly
• Herbivores: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length
• Humans: have intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length

• Meat-eaters: have strong hydrochloric acid in stomach to digest meat
• Herbivores: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater
• Humans: have stomach acid that is 20 times weaker than that of a meat-eater

• Meat-eaters: salivary glands in mouth not needed to pre-digest grains and fruits
• Herbivores: well-developed salivary glands which are necessary to pre-digest grains and fruits
• Humans: well-developed salivary glands, which are necessary to pre-digest, grains and fruits

• Meat-eaters: have acid saliva with no enzyme ptyalin to pre-digest grains
• Herbivores: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains
• Humans: have alkaline saliva with ptyalin to pre-digest grains

I can tell you from my own experience that it can be extremely frustrating, extremely heartbreaking, when you have your beliefs and you want to instill them in your children, but your spouse is on the opposite end of the spectrum with his beliefs. I got married when I was 21 and was pregnant at 23, and although my husband was not vegan, I always assumed that if and when we had children, they would be brought up being vegan. We made the mistake of never really discussing it until I got pregnant with my first child. Our discussions led to arguments and there was going to be absolutely no agreeing with my wishes. I was married to a "meat and potatoes" guy that he continually told me I was not being fair to my children to make such life changing decision FOR them. His feelings were that I made the decision to be vegan on my own, when I was around 10-11, and our kids should be able to make that same decision. He was not against me educating them on the lifestyle, but he insisted they must make the change for themselves. Afterall, he was a meat-eater and he saw nothing wrong with that! Well,as upsetting as it was for me to have to accept, it never made sense! I was raising my children to be Christians and wasn't giving them the choice that way, so what was the difference?? Wasn't my job as a parent to teach my children compassion and respect for ALL life? For me, veganism IS part of Christianity and so therefore it went hand-in-hand with their Christian upbringing. (I will never understand how anyone can be Christian without being vegan, but that's a whole other topic for discussion.) The question I put to my exhusband was 'Isn't being a parent all about instilling our values in our children'? Being vegan was as important a conviction as being Christian...........but obviously not for him.

We went on to have 7 children and with each one the discussions/arguments would surface. I guess I thought in time I could wear him down or even better, perhaps change his own heart and mind so that he himself would make the change! Not to be. Although our children would eventually see their father eating meat, they would also see their mother NOT eating meat, dairy, etc, and not wearing leather and wool, etc. They would hear their mother promoting a vegan lifestyle and explaining the many ways in which animals are exploited and how very wrong this was. Would this be enough for them to follow in my footsteps without making their father out to look like the 'bad guy'??

It was not just my husband.........it was my entire family, his entire family, our friends, our co-workers, our neighbors, and everyone I knew who all had opinions as to how my kids should be raised (dietarily). Sadly there was not one vegan I could identify with and being the minority all the time is tough. Remember this was 30 years ago, and veganism was not something that was embraced as it is today. I was outnumbered and I tried to be open-minded and think perhaps this should be a personal choice.(?) The answer was always 'no'. It is not a personal choice. It should never be a personal choice to exploit and slaughter animals. We should never get to "choose" to take the lives of millions of innocent animals for our own greed/tastebuds/pleasure, whatever you want to call it. In my heart I felt like I would be guilty of "child abuse" if I did not bring them up vegan. I'd be a total hypocrite. A failure as a parent. A failure as a true Christian. I was so overwhelmed with guilt, but looking back I can really understand why vegans should marry fellow vegans or at the very least someone who will respect their convictions when they have children. It's a matter of morallity and ethics for us and there is no gray area. I not only had to educate my children, I was constantly trying to educate my husband,

The arguments continued with my husband and our families until I was forced to "give in". I hate to even admit that. How did I let them make me 'give in'?? I had never given in to the majority before. Afterall, at 10 years old, I began my journey to veganism and a long journey it was, faced with much opposition. I can not tell you the guilt and frustration that I continue to feel today as a mother. I am angry at myself for allowing anyone to influence my decisions as a parent. I cried a lot of tears from being criticized for wanting to be a good mother.

The only control I seemed to have over my dilema was that I would hold off and keep them vegan as long as I could.....and hopefully they would choose to eat as I was. The best I could do (I'm ashamed to even say that) would be to keep them away from meat/meat products as long as possible. It was very frustrating for me cause as I watched each one adopt the "meat-eating american diet", I became more and more disgusted with myself. I tried to make as many meals as possible that were meatless for the entire family, so they would see all of us eating that way, and tried to replace "meat products" whenever possible. The really didn't get a lot of meat products but to get any at all was so wrong! What seemed normal to everyone else, completely tormented me inside. I could only hope in time when they were of age to reason and understand like I was at 10 that they would learn from my example. Preaching never really works. One has to learn and decide on their own, just as one decides what they want to be in life, what faith they want to follow, what hobbies they will adopt, and what makes them happy. In fact, I think when one comes to the realization themselves that billions of animals suffer and die at the hands of man just because man thinks he has the right to do so..........that we don't need meat and meat products to survive....... and makes that change to a vegan lifestyle on their own as opposed to being raised that way, the decision carries a much deeper meaning for them. It did for me.

The most we can be sometimes is merely the best example we know how to be. Actions do speak louder than words, and we learn more from example than lecturing. I will never give up hope that my kids will understand my lifestyle choices and change their heart and thus their diet. I have two kids that do make the connection and I'm waiting on the others! There are some very very disturbing videos throughout my website, showing factory farming and slaughterhouses. I have asked all my kids to watch them and to "see the light". I have three sons who are dating vegan girlfriends, so hopefully they will be a great influence on both : )

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to find a fellow vegan to share your life with : ) That is the best case scenerio for all of us. Only they can share your convictions. If that is not in your cards, and you are in a relationship with a non-vegan, try to convert your partner. If that is unsuccessful, make sure you discuss how you will bring your children up BEFORE you have them! Always stand your ground. Fight for what you believe. As I said, I don't believe preaching is the way. It tends to turn people off. Educate them! Books, videos, websites.....there is a bounty of information out there now. I wish I had had access to such info years ago. Try to get them to attend an animal rights/vegan event, potluck, protest, etc. There is power in numbers and if you can not be successful yourself, perhaps a group effort will work.

Another good idea is to make vegan meals! Include your children and your meat-eating spouse in food shopping and food preparation. Kids love to be involved, and mine love to cook and bake. We made a lot of meatless meals when they were growing up and they loved them. When meat-eaters see we eat more than salad and tofu, they are amazed! There are so many great cookbooks out there. Maybe start out one night a week going "meatless" and go from there, moving to two nights, three nights, etc. If we can't win them over with eithics, we have to go for the stomach! Vegan restaurants are "sprouting" up all over the US and I recently took my children to one where they were totally amazed at how good the food was. I think when we can show alternatives to meat, alternatives that are delicious, people are more apt to see that they can survive without meat.

I have been widely criticized by those who say I am not a true vegan if I did not bring my children up that way and all I can say to them is, until you are in my situation, please don't judge me. I can not put into words how difficult it is to be in a relationship with a non-vegan and the guilt I carry around as a parent, but they will be my children as long as I am alive. My goal in life is to see all my children live a life of respect for all animals through a vegan lifestyle. One added note, I am no longer married to their father.

• Donald Watson (2 September 1910 – 16 November 2005) was founder of the Vegan Society and inventor of the word vegan. Watson was born in Mexborough,Yorkshire, into a meat-eating family. His journey to veganism began when he was very young, at the farm of his Uncle George. There, he says: “ I was surrounded by interesting animals. They all "gave" something: the farm horse pulled the plough, the lighter horse pulled the trap, the cows "gave" milk, the hens "gave" eggs and the cockerel was a useful "alarm clock" - I didn't realise at that time that he had another function too. The sheep "gave" wool. I could never understand what the pigs "gave", but they seemed such friendly creatures - always glad to see me.[1] He realised what purpose the pigs served when he saw one slaughtered, and his life was changed. At the age of 14, he became a vegetarian as a New Year's resolution, and in the 1940s, after learning about milk production, he became a vegan. ” In 1944 he and some friends founded the Vegan Society. Someone in the group would have come up with a word to describe their diets, he believes, but he suggested "vegan", using the first three and last two letters of "vegetarian". It was "the beginning and end of vegetarian", and it stuck. At the age of 95, Watson died in his home in northern England.

The College of Natural Health - This is a Natural Health College, Holistic Nutrition School and School of Natural Healing. Natural Health education is their mission.

The College of Natural Health is a national and international, nontraditional school, granting post-secondary natural health accredited degrees and holistic nutrition accredited degrees.

Their Natural Health Home Study Programs include natural health courses, holistic healing courses and nutrition courses such as the Advanced Natural Lifestyles and Philosophies course.

In this course, you will learn to apply the natural healing philosophies that a healthy diet like the vegetarian diet, raw food diet, vegan diet, fruitarian diet, and natural hygiene diet provides.

If you are interested in Raw Food Certification Courses, check out the Raw Food Network @ http://www.therawvegannetwork.com/course.htm

Natural Healers is the number one education resource for people pursuing careers in the natural healing arts. We are a complete alternative medicine and holistic health school directory and career center. You will find information about massage therapy schools, natural health degree schools, acupuncture schools, personal training certification and chiropractic colleges.

The vegetarian and vegan diet will soon reach the point where one in ten people will consume it in one form or another. As research continues to validate the many health promoting advantages, Stonebridge Associated Colleges brings you a unique course that can put you in a very special position. Diet can aid recovery, or help in the maintenance of all conditions of ill health. The vegetarian and vegan diets are at the cutting edge of nutritional therapy, and an invaluable aid to all involved in health.

Although the course covers all areas of vegetarian and vegan nutrition, the main emphasis is on healing through meat free treatment plans. Areas such as sports nutrition and bodybuilding are also covered. All therapists, as well as those involved in sports, medical and food areas, will gain much from this course.

I can not speak highly enough of PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)! Here is yet another way they are to be commended for their endless efforts to advocate the health benefits of a vegan/vegetarian diet. (Times have changed so much. When I was in high school there were NO options for me as a vegan. If I didn't bring my lunch, I didn't eat!)

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine created the Golden Carrot Awards in 2004 to recognize the leadership of food service professionals doing an exceptional job of improving the healthfulness of school lunches. The Golden Carrot Awards honor food service professionals in both public and private schools. Awards go to programs that feature vegetarian entrees, low-fat meals, fresh fruits and vegetables, and nondairy beverage items and that promote nutrition education.

The Healthy School Lunch Campaign sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), is dedicated to improving the food served to children in schools by educating government and school officials, food service workers, parents, and others about the food choices best able to promote children’s current and long-term health.

2008 Winner of Golden Carrot Award......PCRM worked with Broward County Schools in Florida to explore vegan lunch options that are healthy and taste good. PCRM nutritionists suggested the Gardenburger, and at the request of a Broward County school board member, PCRM helped the district’s food service department roll out the new veggie burger. PCRM president Neal Barnard, M.D., visited each school to speak to parents and administrators about the healthfulness of vegetarian options. Students were so excited about trying the new lunch item that PCRM staffers could barely keep their sample trays full. If students continue to purchase the veggie burgers, administrators will roll out vegan options to the entire district in the fall.

Workshops and Retreats designed by Gabriel Cousens, M.D. to Empower and Inspire Your Personal Transformation. Juice Fasting, Vegan Vacations & Retreats, Zero Point, Live Food Preparation, Conscious Eating, Sacred Relationships, Essene Training, Essene Healing, Fasting & Detoxification.

Tree of Life’s Personal Health & Wellness Programs (Whole Person Healing) is an integrative health program designed by Gabriel Cousens M.D., M.D. (H), and implemented by Tree of Life physicians. This holistic health programs facilitates a way of life that moves guests toward optimum vitality, wellness and awareness.

Check out this website.....This place looks fantastic!! I really wan tto go!

You will find more than 15 "Green Lists" (i.e. cities, cars, chefs, etc) at www.grist.org. At Grist.org you will find the latest environmental news and commentary. I was both impressed and fascinated with the deep committment so many schools and students have made to the environment and "sustainability" (the ability to meet our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs - A dynamic process which enables all people to realize their potential and to improve their quality of life in ways that simultaneously protect and enhance the Earth's life support systems.)

Biodiesel fuel, climate and energy research, recycled construction products, organic gardening and composting, renewable energy, recycled construction products........just to name a few of the fields of study. After reading this article, I have great hope for the future of our planet : ) Check out this great website.

Dissection - I was in 9th grade in 1973 and I had Biology, which required us to dissect a frog. Other than choosing to become vegetarian at 12, It probably was the first time that I fought for what I thought was the "welfare of animals". I took one look at that frog and refused to dissect it, at which time my teacher told me I would get an "F" on the assignment. I took the "F".

Just recently my neice who is 17, a Junior in High School, had to dissect a cat in her science class........she told me that these cats were raised specifically for dissection in schools, and were gassed! How appalling!

Today, things have changed in the sense that students from K-12 have the legal right to refuse to dissect a once-living animal! These laws typically require the school to notify students and/or their parents at the beginning of the course. They allow the student to choose a humane alternative and the laws require that students who choose to opt out of dissection not be penalized for doing so.

Dissection condones cruelty in science. Dissection teaches youth that animals are merely resources for our disposal, not living organisms which experience pain and suffering, and desire only to lead their lives.

Dissection(the cutting up of animals that are killed for that purpose) is the classroom counterpart to vivisection (cutting open live animals). In both cases these animal are treated as disposable objects, creating insensitivity for the students who participate. Still other animals are used in experiments in which they are deprived of food or water, injected with substances that alter their behavior, or killed to obtain cells.

According to Animal Rights Militia biological supply companies do not divulge accurate figures for the total number of animals killed each year in US schools. A reasonable estimate is that about six million vertebrate animals are dissected yearly alone, with an additional, unknown number used in colleges and middle and elementary schools. The number of invertebrate animals is about the same.

The most commonly dissected animals include: frogs, fetal pigs, dogs and cats. Others include dogfish sharks, perch, rats, pigeons, salamanders, rabbits, mice, turtles, snakes, mink, foxes, and bats, crayfish, grasshoppers, earthworms, clams, sea stars, squid, sea urchins, and cockroaches.............along with animal parts such as cow's eyeballs.

One method of obtaining animals for dissection is through special breeding facilities that also cater to the pharmaceutical and cosmetology industries. Many are taken from the wild. Another method is for supply companies to buy dogs and cats from local pounds. They are tossed into crowded gas chambers and gassed to death. Slaughterhouses and pet stores also sell animals and animal parts to biological supply houses.

Alternative to Dissection in Education: http://www.animalearn.org/about.php "At Animalearn, we work to foster an awareness of and a respect for animals used in education. We strive to eliminate the use of animals in education and we are dedicated to assisting educators and students to find the most effective non-animal methods to teach and study science."

(This is taken from the American Anti-Vivisection Society website, http://www.aavs.org/eduAbout.html ) "Established in 1990, Animalearn is AAVS’s education department. Animalearn travels across the country to conduct free workshops for educators on how to implement our various programs and products in the classrooms, and we also deliver presentations to students and student organizations that are hoping to use or promote non-animal alternatives in their education. Additionally, Animalearn frequently delivers presentations to classrooms, which serve to foster an awareness of and a respect for animals and others."

"We strive to eliminate the use of animals in education, and we are dedicated to helping educators and students find the most effective non-animal methods to teach and study science. As a means to achieve this goal, Animalearn has created The Science Bank, our lending program of new and innovative life science software and educational products that enable educators and students to learn anatomy, physiology, and psychology lessons without harming animals, themselves, or the Earth.

"Animalearn provides a whole host of resources for educators and students at no cost. Our programs are suitable for a variety of educational levels, including K-12, college/university, and veterinary/medical. We offer humane education curricula and educational kits that cover issues ranging from dissection to product testing."

You can also check out the American Anti-Vivisection Society's website ahttp://www.aavs.org/eduAbout.html for more information.

Food DOES matter..............you are what you eat!

Food can be your best friend! Discover how you can Detox, Lose Weight, Reverse Diabetes, Conquer Cancer, Beat Heart Disease, Ditch Depression and more using a nutritional approach. It’s not as hard as you think!

Food Matters is a feature length documentary film informing you on the best choices you can make for you and your family’s health. In a collection of interviews with leading Nutritionists, Naturopaths, Scientists, M.D.’s and Medical Journalists you will discover…

• The importance of Nutrition and the Gerson Therapy for treating Cancer whether you have just been diagnosed or are facing stage 4 (IV)
• Natural remedies and foods for Depression and Mental Illness without the harmful side effects of Prozac and other dangerous and addictive drugs.
• How Raw Foods and Detoxification can help you lose weight fast and keep it off.
• Natural alternatives for lowering Cholesterol Levels and beating Heart Disease without expensive drugs and surgery.
• How to choose the most ideal foods for optimum health, abundant energy and longevity.

You can view this must-see documentary online or purchase it. Watch the trailer at: