Cool Things My Friends Do -- Vegan 1 Day Project 2012

Each Friday on this blog I enjoy highlighting some of the cool things my friends do in their work and personal lives.  

John Merryfield lives in Lake Tahoe, Ca. and Los Barriles, Baja, Mexico with his wife Carol and works as a painting contractor.  He is the founder of Vegan 1 Day - An international challenge for everyone to adopt a vegan diet for at least one day of the the year (August 31). He is an avid surfer, kite surfer, stand up paddler, paraglider pilot and a published haiku poet.  (Author's note... I also have known John since our days in Ms. O'Brien's kindergarten class.  No, he was not vegan nor did he write haiku at that point in time!)

August 31, 2012 is the "Vegan 1 Day Project".  This is an international movement to promote the benefits of a plant based diet.

Our food choices play a significant role, helping to solve some of our societies most urgent problems, like marine ecosystem collapse, climate change, poor human health and global violence. 

Eating animal foods is the elephant in our living room that we all pretend not to see when discussing how we can change the world for the better. 

On August 31st, 2012, a group of extreme SUP paddlers will circumnavigate 72 miles of Lake Tahoe in one day—paddling all day and all night—to promote the Vegan 1 Day Project. They hope to garner international attention from this challenge to encourage everyone to adopt a vegan diet for at least one day out of the year. 

Will you join us by pledging to eat vegan for just one day, 31 August 2012?  Can you help spread the word in your community?

I am already planning to eat at Casa de Luz, Beets Cafe, and The Vegan Yacht (My three favorite vegan restaurants in Austin, Texas) on August 31st.  Who is going to join me?

Have A Great Day

thom singer

Forty Days Vegan

Today marks the beginning of Lent.

This year I have decided to go vegan for the forty day period. It is more an adventure in discipline than anything else.

I was not sure I could do this, and so a while back I tried a few "Test Days" of eating a plan-based diet to see if I could manage this quest. One day lead to two days. Two days became three. I have now been vegan for ten days.

Thus, this is really fifty days vegan.

I am enjoying the experience and I feel great.  I have even survived a four day business trip and having to navigate eating at a corporate conference.  AND... the hotel was down the street from an In N Out Burger, and I did not cave in on my convictions!

I am going to write about my experiences eating vegan on a separate blog (http://www.fortydaysvegan.blogspot.com). Check out how it has gone so far!

I welcome your advice, ideas, support, restaurant suggestions, recipes, etc...

Have A Great Day.

thom singer