Colleen Patrick-Goudreau: Debunking the Myths of Veganism

Talk by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, given Tuesday, April 23, at the Temescal Branch of the Oakland Public Library. This is part the 2013 Oakland Veg week.

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, The Compassionate Cook, is an author and educator dedicated to empowering people to make informed food choices, to debunking myths about veganism and animal rights and to giving people the tools and resources they need to reflect their values of compassion and wellness in their daily lives.

Join Colleen for an inspiring and information-packed lecture that provides responses to everything from "I don't have time to chop vegetables" and "I tried being vegetarian, but I just craved meat" to "I could give up everything, except cheese" and "Vegans don't get enough protein." Q&A to follow, so bring all your questions!

[paszTube]

I was a vegetarian for years. I never could go full vegan, because "I could never give up cheese". About two months ago, I challenged myself to go full vegan for just two weeks. It's been two months now and I'm 100% vegan and don't miss cheese, at all. It's funny how you can think you can never change some bad habits or cravings and then actually completely change them anyway.

[chowang]

Everything about our physiology indicates that we are herbivores. No fangs, claws, slow speed (good luck catching and killing a wild animal without weapons), weak sense of smell (very impractical for hunting), low hearing (also impractical for hunting), inability to digest raw meat etc. There are so many reasons to go vegan, health, enviromental, ethical. The only reason why people consume animal products is because of the lies the meat and dairy industry tells them. Oh, you need meat for protein, you need milk for calcium. Bullshit! Come on people, use your brains.

[cj]

Wow, what an amazing finishing line! 39:40 min 
Thank you for this very straightforward, full of facts, talk

[kssouthwell]

Such an amazing gorgeous lady. Im in love. Thank you Colleen. Your an amazing human. 

[diemuenchnerin]

Thank you, Colleen ... you are a wonderful and convincing speaker ... if I wouldn't be a vegan already i would definitely start now ...

[timinbisbee]

I have been vegan for almost two months. I have never felt more pride in a change made for my life than becoming vegan. I will not go back. The fact that it came so easy for me makes me know it is right. If you are not vegan yet, the change will make an enormous difference in you life in a multitude of ways.

[toddrandall]

You cannot equate organic with veganism. The majority of the population (probably 98%) are NOT vegan. The organic industry could not be successful without lots of meat eating people supporting it. BTW, a lot of meat is marketed as organic. Additionally, the organic movement aims to reduce or eliminate harmful sprays and pesticides. How could 48 people like this comment? I remain hopeful.

[iyannarankin]

Why do I love her so much . She's such a good talker. She makes me proud to be a vegan

[SuperXrunner]

I think people really dont want to change. I saw a girl at my jog lying on the floor doing leg raises with 2 people standing around her. As soon as I saw her I smiled. She later came over to me and said the guy (one of the 2 people) told her she has to do those exercises to get a 6-pack. I told her that alone wont work and I proceed to tell her about the HIIT program if she is short on time. She knows I'm a vegan, so she said to me I love my meat. Not wanting to force everyone to be a vegan. I told her to look up diet types that may suit her. A few days passed, I saw her again and asked, how was your research. She showed me a card and told me she's going to see 'this Doctor'. I said what is he going to do for you? She said, 'he is going to give me a pill, he gives pills. It's easier'. People don't really want to change they want 'Magic'.

[MikeShonVideos]

Love love love, your delivery! You are a blessing. Thank you, for being you.

[waterdragon]

wow, she must have some really nice friends.  most of the time when i tell someone i'm vegan, i never get people asking for advice, i just get ridicule or 'nutritional advice' :-/

[veronique]

How many trolls on these comments are actually paid by the meat and dairy industry? raise your hand. Oh wait, of course you won't. 

[rawmark]

Funny thing she said that I learned a long time ago. One day at the bus stop a neighbor asked me how my thanksgiving was. I told him I had a lovely, compassionate thanksgiving. "Oh, you're a vegan" he commented. "I could never do that" he remarked. I responded and said "Well, you have qualified for my time". Suddenly he was open and he pestered me for the rest of the ride with questions about veganism. See, when I didn't lecture him there was no pressure for him to defend himself and he felt comfortable with letting his hair down and just asking me the normal, silly questions that non-vegans ask vegans. But this was fine. And this is the kind of thing that you develop over time. It's all part of finding your own rhythm and what works for you.

[pinkixora]

The reason why people eat meat is because it is delicious. Of course, food now are designed tod be delicious and addicting. The reason why people dont want to hear the truth about meat industry and the bad effect of animal protein on health is because they are selfish. But, deep inside they care about animals. They know they are doing wrong but it is very hard to overcome the selfishness inside of you to admit that.

[acureforuselesseyes]

I LOVE her cookbooks! They've made my journey into veganism so much fun!

[SunFellow]

I've been vegetarian since 1976 so I generally sympathise with vegan goals. However, i don't agree that it is unnatural for humans to hunt or consume meat because it's not instinctual for us like a cat. A lot of human behavior is learned. Just because we chop down trees, make guitars, and spend years learning how to play them doesn't mean it is unnatural for us. It's also not unnatural for us to learn to read and write with the help of pens, paper, what to speak of computers! Learning-- it's what we do. Humans learned how to hunt and use tools, and that added food group added to our ability to survive in a variety of ecosystems. Likewise, if we adapt to health and ecological concerns by learning how to get all our nutrients from fortified (B12) and plant-based foods, that simply drives home the point again that learning is our modus operandi, not instinct. So comparing us to animals driven by carnivorous instinct is beside the point. We are omnivores, so experimenting with foods is pretty much a non-stop activity for us, and that includes cooking as well, which is a learned activity requiring extensive experimentation. 

[janfredericks]

Thank you for speaking the truth!  We were created to be herbivores - the best diet for all involved.  Jan, God's Creatures Ministry 

[purplemutantas]

"they just need to be schooled on the kingdoms" Actually lady you need to be schooled on the kingdoms. The kingdoms are Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Monera, Protista. Minerals are not alive, so they aren't a kingdom.

[definenormal]

I didn't think I ate a lot of animal products until I stopped. Interesting stuff!

[rawmark]

Wait, did she just make a mistake? Tempeh is just a bean with rice added to it? No, Tempeh is a bean that is fermented with a yeast culture. No rice is added to tempeh unless someone decides to make a brown rice/soybean tempeh. LOL. Just shows Colleen is human. :)