Vegetarian Star

Every morning Russell Simmons lights a candle and sits still for 30 minutes as part of his daily meditation routine. That’s only a dream for those of us who don’t know the meaning of “time out.” Luckily, for him, he’s learned that spiritual business is equally important as the financial.

His spiritual practices are what led him to the vegan diet and lifestyle he’s maintained for almost a decade.

“My motivation for eliminating animal products from my diet was [the Hindu and Buddhist practice] ahimsa, or non-violence,” he told Tracey Pepper, free-lance writer for Vegetarian Times. “If you really want to live a happy life, cut the animal products from your diet.” Simmons is featured in the January 2009 issue of the magazine.

As the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, the parent recording company to famous hip-hop acts such as Nas and LL Cool J for you old school folks, creator of his own clothing line, Phat Farm, and the author of a best selling motivational book, Do You! 12 Laws To Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success, he’s certainly reaped large financial rewards, even if he hasn’t been doing it all for the money.

“I never chase money. I used to think that money was part of the reward, but they can’t pay you enough to make you feel good about something you don’t really enjoy. I’ve found that the more I enjoy giving something that’s lasting and promoting happiness, the more lasting happiness I have. It’s always evolving and there’s always going to be some amount of suffering, but I’ve found my business through giving what I think it good.”

Read the rest of Russell’s interview with Vegetarian Times in the January ’09 issue on the stands now to learn what direction he’d like to see hip-hop take in the future.

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Russell Simmons said he originally started yoga because he wanted to meet good looking gals who were doing the same. Soon after, he realized there are so many other benefits besides watching the ladies bend themselves into pretzels. It’s probably safe to say he still gets a lot of female eye candy rewards for going to the studio. We’re sure it’s less than 100%, but not by much. Watch the video below to watch vegan Russell demonstrate yoga. Extra pointers if you see the bottle of Smart Water at his side!

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“I’m a great subscriber to Chrissie Hynde’s perspective that when you’re working for a social cause, the danger isn’t in going far enough or feeling embarrassed or that it’s in bad taste. You’ve got to really push the envelope. Animals are in desperate trouble in the fur farms, in the laboratories.”

—-Ingrid Newkirk, President of People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), when asked if there were any animal rights campaigns she regretted during an interview with Willamette Week.

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“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men.”
—-Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker, best known for her novel, The Color Purple, which was eventually made into a movie and a musical.

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When you first start reading poet Benjamin Zephaniah’s, “Talking Turkeys,” you hear him asking you to pardon turkeys for Christmas.

Be nice to yu turkeys dis christmas
Cos’ turkeys just wanna hav fun
Turkeys are cool, turkeys are wicked
An every turkey has a Mum

You would think Thanksgiving would have been included. But we know Benjamin is a hard-core vegan who wouldn’t want turkeys eaten any holiday, so he must have been in the Christmas groove when he wrote it and that’s perfectly alright.

Since so many people are eating and not talking to their turkeys today, we thought it’d be cool to include a few lines from Zephaniah’s, “Talking Turkeys,” poem. Enjoy!

Yeah, I got lots of friends who are turkeys
Dey all hav a right to a life,
Not to be caged up an genetically made up
By any farmer an his wife

Turkeys just wanna play reggae
Turkeys just wanna hip-hop
Can yu imagine a nice young turkey saying,
‘I cannot wait for de chop’,
Turkeys like getting presents, dey wanna watch christmas TV,
Turkeys hav brains an turkeys feel pain
In many ways like yu an me

For more turkey talk, visit Benjamin Zephaniah.com

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Children and vegetables don’t always mix. But celebrities and vegetables do.

Joanne Rose is an Australian born actress who has made several appearances on the American big screen, including “CSI: New York”.

She is also one of the original lettuce ladies of PETA and has authored several books, including a children’s book, Tommy Tofu Saves the Day.

Tommy Tofu and several friends, including Polly Potato, Casey Carrot, Zachary Zucchini and Lucy Lettuce help teach kids why veganism is important. And even if you and your child aren’t vegan, they still do a lot to emphasize the importance of fruits and vegetables.

The book has received praise from noteworthy celebrities, including Skinny Bitch author Rory Freedman, who thought it was “adorable, educational, and fun.” Ed Begley Jr. said it was “creative and educational at the same time,” and a “must have for every child.”

If you’re interested in ordering to book and learning more about what Joanne has to offer, visit her website.

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If you are in your twenties or younger and you went vegetarian in your teens, you probably existed a great deal on Amy’s Kitchen products after school. From burritos to mac and cheese to tofu pot pies, you can’t go wrong with a healthy product that’s quick to fix, inexpensive, and meat-free.

If you’re still into Amy’s congrats, you’re in good company. Victoria DeSantis, who is on the Western Sales Team with Amy’s Kitchen was watching MTV Cribs one day when she saw Russell Simmons open up his crib to show the cameras his freezer was full of their products.

Talk about a free advertisement.

Russell’s not the only one diggin’ Amy’s at his crib. Their food keeps Death Cab For Cutie from becoming grumpy on tour and Moby’s got some in his fridge as well.

via Amy’s Kitchen

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Move over skinny bitches. Alicia Silverstone is out to prove Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin aren’t the only vegan gals who can give advice about weight loss.

Silverstone’s book, “The Kind Diet,” will be published in the fall of 2009. The book aims to show how your diet both affects your feelings of well being and the environment. Included is a 3-Step program to a better you as well as 75 macrobiotic and vegan recipes.

Director of Rodale publishing company, Pam Krauss said, “Just as importantly, she really makes the plant-based foods that are the cornerstone of her diet sound delicious and indulgent, and her enthusiasm for her program is infectious.”

Silverstone is very outspoken about her veganism and has worked with PETA in the past. She’s even gone so far as to put her dogs on a vegan diet. Could a vegan dog treats cookbook be in the works as well?

The terms of the book deal are not yet disclosed, and neither are any of the recipes. We’re hoping Raw Balls make the cut.

via Market Watch

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