Vegetarian Star

This is part two of the interview with Latin TV personality Marco Antonio Regil. Above Marco can be seen hosting the Spanish version of American game show Family Feud, 100 Latinos Dijeron.

In 2004, you took part in the White House’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. How was that experience? Do you think former president Bill Clinton’s openness to the media about how adopting a vegan diet helped his heart conditions has made an impact on how America views the vegan lifestyle?
Visiting the White House was such a great honor! I was there hosting the 5 de Mayo celebration, produced by Emilio Estefan and sharing the stage with wonderful singers and musicians. This was before becoming a U.S. citizen and I remember how happy I was there.

I think Bill Clinton is a great example to everyone. There’s more and more people joining and breaking the myth of man having to eat meat in order to be manly or strong. I mean, check out Arian Foster, who is the best running back in the NFL. He plays with the Houston Texans and eats a 99% vegan diet. There are body builders, CEO’s, Olympic athletes and, of course, celebrities going vegan. The goal is to be vegan for the animals and the planet (which were my original motivations), but also to be a very healthy vegan. These days, you can find all kinds of comfort foods in their plant based versions – – which could be good news or bad news, depending on how you look at it. It’s wonderful because we can have a vegan doughnut or soyriso (vegan chorizo), but it’s not something I would recommend eating every day!

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Marco Antonio Regil is a popular Latin TV personality who has hosted Spanish language versions of shows such as The Price is Right, Family Feud, Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader and Miss Mexico. He’s also a vegan and very vocal about animal welfare issues. This is the first of a two-part interview.

Latin food consists of so many diverse cultures. Are there certain regions where the dishes are more vegetarian and vegan-friendly than others?
The original Latin American foods were mostly vegetarian. The Incas, Aztecs, Mayas and other ancient cultures ate corn, pumpkin flower, huitlacoche and many other vegan dishes. It was when the Spaniard Conquistadores came that the culture started changing and more meat was included in their diets. So, actually going vegan or vegetarian is just going back to our roots.

Do you have any favorite traditional Latin dishes, meat-based or not, that you make or enjoy as vegan?
Sure! Sage Vegan Bistro in Culver City has a Mexican Chef from Oaxaca. He is the co-founder of the restaurant with his wife. They cook the most delicious Chilaquiles I’ve ever had, vegan or not vegan. Every time I take fellow Mexican friends there, they love it, although they are not vegan. It just blows their minds!

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Christina Pirello has written a new cookbook, Wellness 1000: Simple, Plant-Based Recipes and Sound Advice to Cook Your Way to Vibrant Health. The ebook edition of Wellness 1000 was released today, and the vegan chef and host of PBS’ Christina Cooks! gave an exclusive interview to Vegetarian Star to give readers a preview of what to expect on their electronic readers.

1. During your PBS cooking show, Christina Cooks!, the audience usually leaves with lots of laughter in addition to culinary tips. Can readers expect to find the same humor in Wellness 1000?
It’s hard to translate humor to the written page but luckily we were able to insert 32 videos into the Wellness 1000 so I can say with confidence that people will get a generous taste of my humor, since that is my hallmark. People say that I write like I talk, that they can ‘hear’ me in the pages of my books, so I think we might be all set in the humor department.

And did you hear the one about…?

2. You’ve talked about your Italian roots and growing up enjoying Italian cuisine, both on your site and your show. Italian food can be rich in cheese, cream and other dairy and meat products. Can you talk about some of the vegan alternatives and are there any recipe examples in Wellness 1000?
My Italian heritage is all over Wellness 1000! While I subscribe to a macrobiotic lifestyle, I have adapted it to embrace my Italian-ness and bring out the best of that simple yet elegantly delicious cuisine. Since freshness is the hallmark of Italian cooking, it’s not a big leap from traditional to plant-based. Wellness 1000 is rich in Italian style recipes.

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We told you to stick around and it paid off! Here’s part two of our interview with news anchor Nicole Lapin.

You’ve been involved with several charitable organizations and campaigns like the United Nation’s “Girl Up” initiative. Are there any vegetarian, animal rights, sustainable food or environmental organizations you’re particularly fond of?
You caught me! I can’t say no when a good cause asks for my help…I know, I know, that sounds so Pollyannaish, but it’s true. I have done some work for the Humane Society and am happy to help with any other organizations that need it.

I’ve read in some of your other interviews that you’ve mastered putting together a vegan meal in the most unlikely of places, including gas stations. Can you name some healthy vegan ideas from places where it’s hard to find vegan food like vending machines and convenience stores?
I have to say, I’ve eaten every meal at Starbucks more often than I’d like to admit. They have some really wonderful new options with Two Moms In The Raw and Peeled dried fruit.

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If you’re heading out to the Tribeca Film Festival that’s taking place in Manhattan until May 1, you might be lucky enough to catch of glimpse of Nicole Lapin, an anchor for CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange, the only global show on the network. This amazing journalist who attended Harvard University at the age of 15 and graduated at the top of her class at Northwestern, has covered everything from the 2008 presidential election to the Humane Society’s efforts to keep downer pigs out of the food supply.

Lapin’s schedule with the festival is keeping her pretty busy, but she found time to answer a few questions for Vegetarian Star in an exclusive two-part interview. Here’s part 1.

Tell us more about what you’re doing with the Tribeca film festival this year and how you were approached to be a juror.
I am convinced I snuck my way in. It’s definitely the best type of jury duty I’ve ever done.

Your family is Israeli so you obviously must have grown up eating a lot of Mediterranean and other ethnic foods. It’s been said that many other cultures have diets that are naturally healthier because they are heavily based on grains, legumes and vegetables instead of meat. What were some of your favorite plant-based foods you ate growing up even before you became a vegetarian?
A lot of colorful chopped salads. The staple, of course, is cucumbers, onions and tomato salad with just lemon, salt and pepper as dressing. But then, I have a great nostalgia for cumin cucumber salad and minced eggplant. When my grandfather used to visit, he used to use the salsa bar at Mexican restaurants as a salad bar. I used to think it was weird that he ate a bowl of pico de gallo– but that’s more traditional Mediterranean than any lettuce-based salad. And, oh how it’s come full-circle, I’m that girl at Whole Foods that buys the fresh salsa by the tub…And, um, no chips!

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A few weeks ago, we featured a catchy little song about vegan protein by Jonathan Mann, the guy who’s gained national attention for writing a song every day since 2009. Best of all, he gets PAID to do it, and his written jingles for the likes of people like Steve Jobs.

When he doesn’t have his hand in the vegan cookie jar, Mann is either writing, singing or uploading his creations to YouTube and his site, Songatron.com. Vegetarian Star was lucky enough to catch him when was wasn’t doing either! Here’s the exclusive interview.

Why did you decide to start writing a new song daily?
It started in 2009. I got a flyer for Fun-A-Day, which is a project where folks are invited to make one piece of art for everyday in the month of January. I decided to keep going because it’s been a great exercise for revealing the “good” songs that are inside of me, and it’s also been a nice, media friendly calling card. Also, I really enjoy the back and forth with my YouTube based audience.

A little technical question: RockCookieBottom.com and songatron.com have pretty much the same content. Can you explain more behind the two website names?
Rock Cookie Bottom was a tumblr blog that I had had just laying around for a while, and when I started Song-A-Day, I used it to post all the videos. It had a bunch of things lacking, however, so eventually I got songatron up and running. Which is better, but still lacks, I think!

I read you named the first site “rockcookiebottom” because you have a love for baking cookies. I’m assuming these are vegan cookies. Tells us your favorite vegan cookies to bake and eat.
Do. Bake. Too. Many. Cookies. Ivory said something like, “You’re going to reach the rock cookie bottom of your cookie making!” in reference to how often I make them. It’s a very emotion based thing for me, cookies are tied to being a kid and baking with my mom. I mostly go off of Colleen’s [Colleen Patrick-Goudreau] recipe in “The Joy of Vegan Baking”, though I’ve tried a bunch of others and have been known to…ahem…experiment.

Obviously, we really love the vegan song you sing with your girlfriend Ivory King, “Vegan Myths Debunked.” What was your motivation for writing this?
You know, I think it just kind of happened. We always get asked all these questions, so it seemed natural to turn them into a song.

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Phil Collen has been rocking with Def Leppard since the 80s. At 53 years old, he can still drive the band’s female fans into “hysteria” when he’s seen photographed with his shirt off. This weekend, you catch Phil giving a presentation on exercising and healthy eating at the Los Angeles Fitness Expo. Last week, we gave you a preview of our exclusive Q & A with Phil. Here’s the rest of his story.

On Reasons For Going Veg
I am a vegetarian for ethical reasons. The idea of eating dead bodies made me feel ill. With a simple progression towards being healthier and healthier now I’m currently ‘almost’ total vegan (no eggs or milk) although I do dip into the chocolates on occasion.

Green Living  At Home With Wife Helen
Well, we don’t drive a Prius, but we don’t go around spraying aerosols into the atmosphere and throwing cans and bottles down the gutter. It’s really a common sense issue. Recycling is a given—doing it and using recycled products. We use hemp products too.

Tofu, Tempeh Or Seitan
We [he and Helen] do them all.

Favorite Exercises
Muay Thai Kickboxing training and weight workouts. I also have a spin bike that I’m on all the time.

Eating Healthy On Tour
I eat pretty basic on tour. You can find great vegetarian dishes in different cities. I have a Panini grill which is great for grilling tofu and veggie burgers. I drink lots of water and eat lots of fruit and nuts too.

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The season finale of the Oxygen channel’s “Running Russell Simmons” airs Tuesday at 10/9c. Running’s had only six short episodes, but Simmons’ vegan assistant, Simone Reyes, has had opportunities to demonstrate her values about animals on the show. Vegetarian Star conducted an exclusive interview with Simone, learning this beauty looks just as good in a naked PETA protest as she does behind a desk and computer, as she’s also the author of two books on pets.

Tell us about your journey to veganism.
I joined the animal rights movement about 15 years ago by hooking up with a local, pretty radical group called Activists For Animals. We were small, but loud and powerful. AFA did a lot of on the street grassroots protesting. When I first joined I was still wearing leather shoes…that changed immediately. I became a hard core activist after my first “fur walk” with that group. We yelled at fur wearers and put stickers on their backs that said, “I’m an a**hole I wear fur.” Radical, yes, but it was a great introduction for me. I’m a Leo so we like to do it up big.

You’ve written two books on astrology for pets. That’s a different one! Tell us more about that. If my cat is a Sagittarius, what does this mean about kitty?
I love astrology and I love animals so it made sense to me to pair the two. Let’s see…typically a Sagittarius kitty is adventurous and playful. No animal enjoys being alone but cats born under this sign get especially lonely so definitely get him or her a rescued buddy or at the very least spend more time at home whenever possible. (Simone’s books, Astrology for Cats and Astrology for Dogs, are available through Amazon.)

How did you hook up with Russell Simmons? Did you know he was a vegan before you started working with him and did the fact that you both are ever come up before you got hired?
I was part of the Beastie Boys crew. We all hung out together…connected through David Scilken who we lost way too young. Russell was absolutely NOT a vegan when we met, nor was I. This was in the early days of Def Jam. We didn’t live our lives fully awake until much later. I became vegan way before Russell did.

Favorite eco-friendly fashion brands.
Yes! Cri De Couer , Olsen Haus, Stella McCartney. I also get great tips from www.girliegirlarmy.com that always has new designers showcased who are offering cruelty-free options.

Tofu, tempeh or seitan.
I love tofu! I love tofu sour cream and tofu cream cheese. I love tofu ice cream. I always add tofu to my salads. I’m powered by tofu, no question!

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