In this episode we’ll be discussing all things gluten. You’ll learn what gluten is and what health problems can be associated with it. You'll also hear what foods contain gluten and which are naturally gluten free.  We’ll also discuss whether o

  This episode of the podcast is all about bees! You’ll find out why honey isn’t considered vegan, and learn about the five main bee products: honey, bee pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and beeswax. We’ll discuss the purported benefits of each, plu

  In Episode 064 of the Vegetarian Zen podcast we discussed what "cruelty free" really means and how to tell if products and their ingredients are truly made without harming animals. We also debunked some myths about cruelty free products. One of those

  Using live animals in experiments is not a modern concept.  The ancient Greeks practiced vivisection, the dissection of live animals, in order to understand how living organisms functioned.  Historically, animals have been used to test treatments be

  We believe that a plant-based lifestyle should never be an all-or-nothing proposition.  When we became vegetarians, we did it all at once and it was a bit of a struggle.  Some people may be fine with a quick change, however. Same thing goes for tr

In an ideal, natural-food world, ingredient labels on food would be really, really short.  A label on vegetable soup might read like this: vegetable broth onions potatoes carrots tomatoes green beans Instead of this:              

I once thought of raw foods as pretty much just wheatgrass shots (thank you, Sex and the City), really big salads, and snacking on carrot sticks.  Truth be told, these things are just the tip of the iceberg (lettuce) when considering the realm of raw foo

  I love stir fry.  It’s fresh, simple, quick, and lends itself so well to a vegetarian lifestyle.  The fact that I love stir fry made the fact that I wasn’t very good at making it kind of sad.  I, like many other aspiring stir fry chefs, labored

It is a widely-held misconception that the terms "vegetarian" or "vegan" and "athlete" don't belong together.  Isn't it true that athletes need a lot more protein than other people, and that animal protein is the best (or only) viable source?  And what

As a vegetarian or vegan, attending social events can present a challenge.  What if you're invited to a birthday party...at a steakhouse?  How about a Fourth of July cookout with burgers, hot dogs, ribs, and baked beans full of pork bits?  It really ca