If my children asked me about sex

For a class assignment, I described scenarios where my children asked me questions about sex. We were to write from our own thoughts, with no outside references.

It was more difficult than I thought it would be! I've always said I would be honest and frank with my kids, but when it came down to it, I was at a loss for words!

I did come up with something. Keep in mind while reading that this is a rough version and I had to pad in order to make the word count! I did not look at any advice or references before writing, and I am no child psychologist. My only goal was to be open and honest... and not give them psychological scars!

My 14-year-old daughter asks, “Can you get pregnant the first time you have sex?”

“Mom, can you get pregnant the first time you have sex?”

“Actually, you can. You’ve probably heard otherwise. I know that I did when I was your age. As long as you’ve already started menstruating, you can get pregnant from sex. You can get sexually transmitted infections from your first time too. That’s why safe sex is so important. Birth control pills and condoms help prevent pregnancy, and condoms help prevent sexually transmitted infections. Many other forms of contraception exist, but those are the most common. Do you have any questions?”

“No.”

“Okay. Why were you wondering about it?”

“A girl in my class was talking about it.”

“Are you having sex?”

“No.”

“Well, just know that you can always ask me questions. I’ll do my best to be open and honest with you. Sex isn’t a bad thing. It can be really great! But you have to make sure you’re ready for it. There’s nothing wrong with waiting, even if you feel pressure from your friends. I got made fun of for not knowing much about sex when I was in high school. When you have sex, it should be something you want, and it should be on your terms. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise. At the same time, if you want to have sex, that’s okay too. Just remember that you need to be safe about it. It should be with someone you care about, someone you’re comfortable with, someone you trust. Pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections are not the only bad things that can happen from sex. Pictures and videos can pop up all over social media, and your partner could talk about you behind your back. I’m not trying to scare you. I just want you to know that bad things can happen with sex. That’s why it’s important to be safe and choose someone you trust. And remember that you can talk to me about anything.”

Your 9-year-old son asks, “What is oral sex?”

“Mom, what is oral sex?”

“Oral sex is when someone puts their mouth on someone else’s genitals or private parts. For boys, it’s when someone puts their mouth on the penis. For girls, it’s when someone puts their mouth on the vaginal area. Why do you ask?”

“I heard a boy talking about it at school.”

“Okay. It’s okay to be curious about sex. It’s a part of human nature, and it’s totally normal to want it because it feels good. And I want you to know that it’s okay to ask me any question you have about sex. Oral sex is just one of many types of sexual activity. Like all types of sex, it’s important to be safe. Infections and viruses can still spread through oral sex. It’s important to know your partner and talk about it. Talking is important so everyone is on the same page. There are ways to protect yourself and your partner from getting infections. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, but when is it okay to have oral sex?”

“There’s no set age that makes it automatically okay. I think you should wait until you’re older, though. Sex makes more sense when you’re older. It’s important to be emotionally ready when you decide to do it. And there’s nothing wrong with waiting until you’re ready. Even if the kids at school pressure you or make fun of you, it’s always important to do what’s best for yourself. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah.”

“When it does happen, though, it’s important that you are comfortable with whomever you’re with. You have to be able to talk to each other and trust each other. No one should make you do anything you don’t want to do. No one should feel pressured to do something they don’t want to. It’s always important for both people to want it. And remember that you can always talk to me about anything!”

Gluten-Free Raspberry Pear Crisp with Walnuts

Raspberries and Pears! Mmm...

I've decided that my favorite fruit pairing is raspberries and pears.

During the fall farmers market here in Lincoln, I had the most delicious tart with those two fruits. It was incredible!

I started looking online for gluten-free recipes for a crisp or tart. I found one that looked promising, but I couldn't open the recipe. So disappointing!

So, I decided to make my own.

I know I don't do much with food on this blog, but food is important in everyone's lives. It's how we live. It's what sustains us to experience life! Taste is an incredible sense. It's just another way to experience the goodness in this world.

I hope you enjoy! :)

Gluten-Free Raspberry Pear Crisp
Vegan, Gluten-Free, Paleo adaptable

Filling:
1  pint Raspberries
2  Pears, Chopped
2 tbsp  Sweetener of Choice
Pinch of Salt

Crumble Topping:
1/2 c  All-Purpose Flour/Almond Flour*
1/4 c Coconut Flour
1/4 c  Sweetener of Choice**
1/2 tsp  Cinnamon
1/4 c  Walnuts, Chopped
4 tbsp  Coconut Oil
1 tsp  Molasses
1 tsp  Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Mix the filling and add to greased baking pan.

Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle onto the filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Serve with your favorite creamy, vanilla ice cream or Almond Dream.

Makes four servings.

* You can make it full of gluten-y flour if you're not gluten-free! If you want to make it Paleo, choose your favorite flour.

** If you like a sweeter crumble, double the amount of sugar. I was trying to make mine a little more healthy, so I used about half of the normal amount for crisps.

Nebraska woman finds pleasure in history's mystery

Mary Hollowell was excited when the boxes from Oklahoma arrived in the mail. Like any 11 year old, the mysteries hidden within them intrigued her. When her father opened the packages and found old scrapbooks, diaries and letters, she was even more excited.

Most children would be disappointed that the reveal hadn’t produced a toy or something more fun but not her. The thousands of stories encased inside those pages excited her more than any toy ever could.

Soon after the boxes’ arrival, she found a magazine called Everton's Genealogical Helper and ordered a variety of charts and forms from it. As she filled them out, she became increasingly interested in her family’s history.

Forty-four years later, Hollowell is a marketing director for the Grand Island, Neb., YMCA, but she still carries a fascination for the surprises that surround stories. Her home office has two bookshelves groaning with the weight of family history binders, history books, photo albums and writing how-to books. Her spare desk is covered with papers, BBC television DVDs and more historical biographies.

“I love history, and trying to find out more about your ancestors is sort of like being a detective,” Hollowell said. “You have mysteries that you need to solve.”

Hollowell knows that most people wouldn’t be thrilled to find out simple information like a name or occupation, but for her, one word’s discovery can make hours of hunting worthwhile.

                “When you find the answer, why, you’re really happy,” she said. “You do the genealogical happy dance, which I will not demonstrate for you.”

As a genealogist, Hollowell admires her great aunt on her grandfather’s side, Agnes Russell. Russell was interested in family history too, and she kept notes of oral traditions. Though she was the oldest in her family, Russell was the last to die. She used her time to gather as much family information as possible.

Russell’s cloth-covered diaries are filled with descriptions of rural Nebraska life in the late 1800s. In the first diary, Russell was 13 years old. She wrote three lines a day on topics like her neighbors, her family’s work, her religion and her sister’s death. Because Russell kept diaries throughout her life, Hollowell feels as though she knew her personally.

“I like people’s stories, and I love nothing more than to come across a memoir or diary that someone has written about their life,” Hollowell said. “The world seems so much different in their time than it does in ours.”

Hollowell enjoys learning through people like Russell and the many knowledgeable bloggers she follows.

Every year, she tries to inspire others to dig into the past by teaching a Family History class at the YMCA. She begins with the basics.

“To do a family history, start with yourself; write down everything about yourself,” Hollowell explained. “Then move on to your parents, then grandparents.”

Hollowell said that interviewing older relatives for information and checking courthouses and newspapers is the best place to start. She also said to keep track of births, deaths, marriages and occupations, many of which can also be found online with the use of websites like ancestry.com.

               

            Through her numerous years as a genealogist, Hollowell has come across many tales, so it was hard for her to choose which discovery excited her the most.

After thinking, she settled on Dan Davis, a relative whose story she finds humorous. Davis and his wife were born in Wales and eventually settled in Missouri. In Davis’ will, he made special arrangements for his horse. After Davis died, the horse was to be left to his wife. In the case of his wife’s death, the horse would transfer to his grandson, William.

“Well, his wife lived another 16 years, so I’m fairly certain the horse didn’t make it,” Hollowell said.

Her favorite ancestor, however, is Luther Kallam. At the age of 16, he joined the army during the Revolutionary War. And although he wasn’t at Valley Forge, he crossed the Delaware with George Washington.

Hollowell is very modest and sometimes hesitates to tell Kallam’s story.

“It’s not always safe to say, because some people think that when you’re talking about your ancestors who were in a certain place with certain people, you’re bragging,” she said. “But I had nothing to do with it!”

Since her introduction to family history came from her father’s boxes, she tends to favor his side over her mother’s.

“I was always a daddy’s girl,” Hollowell said. “When I was a toddler, he would rub my back as I fell asleep.”

As Hollowell continued to talk about her family, her blue eyes sparkled from behind her wire-framed glasses, either with joy at past memories or the tears left over from past heartbreaks.

Though Hollowell said her family tree could be seen as boring, she’s loves it.

 “In shows like Genealogy Roadshow, all these people are looking for to prove or disprove a story about a famous ancestor,” Hollowell said. “I don’t have those. I have famers and preachers, and that’s all right. It’s not terribly exciting for most people, but it is for me.”

Patricia Shogren - Obituary

This is my first ever obituary.  It meant a lot for me to be able to honor my grandmother with it.

Patricia Joyce Shogren, 84, of Alexandria died on Sunday, June 9, 2013 at Edgewater Vista Assisted Living.  Services are scheduled at 9:30 am Saturday at the New Life Christian Church in Alexandria.  Visitation will be held at the Anderson Funeral Home from 6-8 pm on Friday.

Floris & Lawrence Kloos welcomed Patricia (Pat) Joyce into the world on November 21, 1928 in Grant County, Minnesota.  While growing up on a farm, Pat grew to be a strong and hardworking woman, and she applied these traits to every aspect of her life.  She was educated at Roseville District #20 and graduated from Barrett High School.  Later, Pat attended Gustavus Adolphus College and also the Minneapolis Northwest Institute of Technology to receive a degree in medical technology.  She worked in both the Hoffman and Douglas County Hospitals.

On December 24, 1950, Patricia married Leslie Warren Shogren at Calvary Lutheran Church in Alexandria, MN.  Soon after they married, she was a naval wife living in Norfolk, Virginia. In the summer of 1954, she moved back to Alexandria. It was here that Pat and Les raised a rambunctious family of six with abundant laughter and abounding love.

Anyone who knew Pat knew her food.  She was an amazing cook and even took her talents to the kitchens of Clear Water Suites and Geneva Bible Camp.  Pat was also very active in her church as well as the Zetetic Club, FATS Club, and the Red Hat Society.  Quilting, especially with her family, was a favorite hobby of hers.  Pat was a fun loving person who was always on the go.  She frequently joined her children for memorable family vacations and road trips. 

Pat loved to dress fashionably, even when she was a child.  One of her favorite childhood memories came at the age of 10 when she received her first store bought coat.  The sparkly sequins that she often wore reflected her luminous personality.  Pat’s legacy will include her spunky and matter-of-fact disposition, but most of all, she will be remembered for her fierce love.  When Pat loved, she didn’t hold back, and her love and generosity will live on in the hearts of those she left behind.

She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant sibling, her husband, Leslie Shogren, and her son, Peter Shogren.

She is survived by numerous people who love and will miss her.  Her children are Deb (Dan) Carlson of Brookings, SD; Jan (Rick) Banke of Alexandria, MN; Paul (Judy) Shogren of Moorhead, MN; Cindy (Dean) Kling of Fargo, ND; Lisa (Gene) Dela Cruz of Apple Valley, MN; and Daughter-in-law, Maridee Shogren, of Grandforks, ND.  Pat also had 20 grandchildren: Molly, Justin (Cassie), Brianne, Andrea (Austin), Jay (Kayla), Logan (Dani), Danielle (Drew), Lucas (Stephanie), Shelby, Meghan (Phil), Whitney, Tessa (Andy), Zachary (Anna), Mitchell, Payton, Arielle, Saree, Onalee, Mikki (Mike) and Jon, and 10 great grandchildren: Davin, Jaylin, Caleb, Blake, Reese, Hannah, Beckett, Brody, Haley, Canyon, and three more to be born in 2013.  She is also survived by her brother, Lawrence Kloos Jr of Hoffman and sisters, Mary Hanson of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Floris Ann Dawson of Caledonia, Ontario.   

Grandma and Grandpa's House

I wrote this when I was in 9th grade (2001).  My grandparent's home was a big part of my childhood, and it's how I'll always remember them.


The van stops; we hop out and start unloading it.  We skip inside the garage, and as we open the door to the house, we hear the TV blaring.  We burst through the door and scamper inside.  Looking straight ahead, I can see Grandpa lounging in his favorite brown leather chair.  "Hey, punk kid," he chuckles as we leap into his lap.  I look over to see Uncle Rick, Uncle Paul, and Uncle Gene snoozing on the comfy blue couch.  As I start to sneak away, Uncle Paul points out that he hasn't gotten a kiss yet.  I wander over to Uncle Paul, but my two little cousins, Payton and Arielle interrupt and come at us screaming with my 14 year old cousin, Meghan, chasing close behind them.  My brothers, Justin and Jay, each take one wiggly cousin and throw them over their shoulders like a sack of clothes.  The children scream as Justin and Jay toss them on the couch and tickle them.

After the torture session is over, we mosey on upstairs.  As we climb the two flights of stairs, we can hear the incessant laughter coming from the living room.  It's my Grandma, Aunt Jan, Aunt Karen, and Aunt Lisa. We can always tell which of the Shogren girls are there because of their laughter.  The each have a loud, distinct laugh.  As I reach the top of the stairs,I turn and look to see Grandma in her blue La-Z-Boy.  Aunt Karen is in the tan, woven chair with her back towards us, Aunt Lisa in one of the barrel chairs, and sure enough, Aunt Jan is sitting in the huge,comfy chair, telling another story to entertain her audience.

We give everyone hugs, and the kids all run off in different directions.  Justin and Jay join Mitch and Zach to play Nintendo in Grandma and Grandpa's room.  Dad goes back downstairs to plop down on the comfy, blue couch to watch golf with my uncles and Grandpa.  Mom sits on the couch while Tessa, Meghan, and I give Payton and Arielle piggy back rides to the park that's up the hill from Grandma and Grandpa's house by the brick church.  I run with Payton to the baby blue slide and Arielle sprints to the swings.  While Payton zips down the slide, Arielle screams, "Higher, higher!"  After we are done playing at the park, we run back to the house to see Grandma, Mom, Jan, Karen, and Lisa in the kitchen, slaving away at supper.  We can hear the loud racket coming from Grandma and Grandpa's room.

Just about then, Grandma announces that supper is ready.  Everyone comes bolting from every direction.  My dad is appointed to pray, "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that we could all be here today, and that we all had a safe trip.  Bless this food to our bodies.  Amen."  The second after he says "Amen," the hubbub starts up again.  Warm, steaming food is all laid out on the counter that separates the kitchen and dining room.  The kids sit down at the kitchen table while the adults sit in the dining room and eat at Grandma's nice, oak table.  When everyone is done eating, the kids do the dishes.  I have to do the dishes tonight.  While I scrub the dishes under the warm, soapy water, I wish I could be playing 007 with everyone else.  "Oh, well.  Tomorrow they have to do the dishes," I think to myself.

"After the dishes are done, the women sit and start talking again.  The men go back downstairs and turn the TV back on.  Meghan, Tessa, and I go talk in the "Pink Room."  The "Pink Room" used to be the "Yellow Room."  It had a mustard yellow dresser, yellow floral wallpaper, and a buttercup colored bedspread.  But, then my grandma turned it pink.  She got a new, pink bedspread and pink wallpaper.  The dresser is still mustard, but everything else is pink.  Tessa and I still wish she had kept it yellow.  Oh, well.  Life goes on.

Soon the adults say it's time to go home.  Meghan, Mitch, Jan, and Rick all get in their navy blue Suburban and drive to their home that's two miles away.  Aunt Karen, Uncle Paul, and Zach pile in their Suburban and drive back to Aunt Jan and Uncle Rick's house to spend the night.  Payton and Arielle are drifting off to sleep because it is so late, and Aunt Lisa puts them to bed.  Tessa and I sleep together in the "Pink Room."

As we lay there in the soft, fluffy bed staring off into the darkness, I think about how much I love being here at Grandma and Grandpa's.  There is always so much love, even if it is shown in teasing, which it most likely is.  But, we always know that we are loved.  Tessa and I talk about what we want to do tomorrow.  We can smell Grandma's washing detergent and fall asleep to the soft squeaking of the bed.

Why Do We Have to Shave?

            I could not wait to start shaving my legs.  My mom wouldn’t let me before I turned 13, and I was so mad at her for it.  All of the other girls started around age 12, and I feel like an outcast for not being able to.  When I started, I began to shave my arms as well.  From all the advertisements and photos of women that I’d seen in the media, I thought women were supposed to be completely hairless.  I stopped shaving my arms when I heard that it was weird to do so.  I didn’t get it then, and I don’t fully understand now why leg and armpit hair is so disgusting, but arm hair is normal.

            A few months ago, I started a conversation on shaving.    I said something about shaving being a man’s idea, and it’s absurd that women have to do such things.  I received all the comments expected too.  “Well, you could just not shave your legs like a hippy.”  “Don’t blame men for your problems.  Most of the time, women are harder on each other anyway.”  Some of the responses were in jest, but even those underlined the deep level of disciplinary body practices that we have as a nation. 

            As far as my research said, shaving was started by advertisers, which doesn’t shock me at all.  Skirts were shrinking in the 1920’s with the Flapper style, so advertisers saw an opportunity to sell more “hygiene” products.  They began talking about “smooth” legs and making women feel insecure about their “unattractive” hairy ones.  Nowhere I could find said that men, specifically, started the leg shaving trend.  However, if you’ve ever seen “Mad Men,” you know that there were no female advertisers in the 1950’s, so I can’t imagine there being any during the 1920’s.  Shaving was an American man’s idea.

            I wish that I could just not shave my legs like some commenters had said.  In fact, I usually don’t.  I rarely shave above the knee, and I go without for months at a time during winter.  I would love to buck the emphasized femininity trends that our country polices us on.  As much of a feminist as I am, however, I still shave during the summer or when I know my legs will be showing.  I don’t want to be judged by anyone, even if I don’t know them, and I hate that.  I hate playing the game.  I have heard all my life what people think about women with hair; it’s the first topic asked about when talking of a foreign (especially European) woman.  When people tell me to just not do it, I know they really aren’t serious, because deep down they know the consequences.  I just ask them this question.  Imagine that I’m interviewing for a job with a nice suit and skirt on, but I haven’t shaved my legs in months.  Do you actually believe that they are going to take me as a serious candidate?  I think everyone, whether they admit it or not, would know the answer to that.

No meat? *gasp*

I'm a vegetarian.  I know right?!  It's terrible!  Horrible!  I mean... what do I even eat!?
Actually, I was a vegan for over a year.  I still try to eat as few animal products as I can, but recently, I found out that I'm gluten intolerant as well.  Cutting out all gluten and all animal products is unbearably high maintenance, so I still eat a little cheese here and a few eggs there.  

Often, I'm asked, teased, and ridiculed about it.  I am called things like "tree hugger," "hippie," "weird."  (I take no offense to any of these names).  While everyone I know is blathering on about how it's strange, different, and not healthy my diet is, I travel inward to a quiet place until they're finished.  "What's the big deal?" I think.  "It's not like I'm affecting them at all.  It's my life, my body.  It has absolutely nothing to do with them."

The fact that it's none of their business never passes through these people's minds.

Meat is an idol.  People love it, cling to it, and defend it with all they have.  A few years back, I met a man who took me and a few others to a steakhouse for lunch.  It was his treat, and we could order anything.  I ordered a salad (what else can I eat at a steakhouse?).  He looked at me quizzically and asked, "Don't you eat meat?" (Because of course, if you choose not to eat meat for a meal, you're automatically suspect).  
I replied, "No" with no attitude, no accusatory tone of voice, no anything.  
"Well, what are you?  Some kind of tree hugger?!"
I sat there stunned.  Are you kidding me?  I literally just met this man 45 minutes ago, and he's judging me because I don't eat certain foods?  And he's treating me like I'm the freak?  What the hell?

This is the kind of thing that vegetarians deal with.  Vegans are treated even worse.

Meat is a religion.  It's "American," though don't ask me how it's remotely patriotic.  It's in every tradition; every holiday has its own special meat.  Turkey, ham, hot dogs: anyone can tell me what holiday is connected with these meats.  People practically worship their foods, especially here in the United States where obesity is such a problem.  Look at how bacon is a fad right now!  It's just meat, smokey and salty and delicious, but people practically worship it.  Why?  What is the big deal?  It's dead, decaying flesh, just like every other piece of meat out there. 

So, the big question.  Why do I choose to not eat meat?  Why do I try my best to stay away from animal products?  Well, I have numerous reasons for it.

First, it's unhealthy.  The only foods that contain cholesterol are animal products.  This is why vegans have such low levels; they only have the cholesterol that their body makes.  Most animal products also have ridiculously high fat content.  Also, fiber is non-existent in animal products.  Numerous kinds of meats are linked with cancer (think hot dogs and colon cancer).  Tell me this: have you ever heard of anyone increasing their cancer risk by eating broccoli?  Apples?  Carrots?  Yeah.  Me either.  Look at the number one killer of men and women in the US- heart disease.  You know what this is caused from?  High blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol (1) ... all things related to animal products.  Vegetarians have a 32% lower risk of getting heart disease. (2)  And I'm not even going to divulge my thoughts about hormones, antibiotics, and steroids.

Next, eating meat is killing the environment. (3)  The UN came out with a study about how animal poop, methane, and feeding hurts the environment worse than all modes of transportation put together. (4)  Yes, that's all planes, trains, cars, boats, and anything else you can think of.  If that doesn't blow your mind, I'm not sure what will.

My third reason is world hunger.  Every hunger person on earth could be fed if we grew plants for human consumption instead of animal consumption. (5)  If we used the land to grow crops for people and not animals, NO ONE would go without a meal.  SEVEN BILLION PEOPLE.  FED.  Wow.

Lastly, I don't like killing things.  I can't stand knowing that I took something's life, whether it's a bug that freaks me out, a frog that I hit with my car, or a cow that I want to eat because I think it's delicious. 
Einstein said, "If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals."  Paul McCartney is attributed with saying,"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we would all be vegetarian."  Whether you find the killing of animals to be moral or not, look in the face of an animal about to die.  They're not stupid.  They know what's going on, and they're TERRIFIED.  They're stressed.  They're hurt.  They are supposed to be stunned to not feel pain, but many times, they're electrocuted in the wrong place and still feel the pain of being sliced open.  Even if they are properly stunnedand feel nothing, they can still be conscious enough to know what's going on. (6)  For me, this isn't worth it.  I don't want to be the cause of anything's death, and I don't want to ingest the cortisol from these scared animals.  

I am a vegetarian for every last one of these reasons, and more.  Since figuring out about my gluten intolerance and eating vegetarian, my body has never felt better.  If I do eat meat, which I have done occasionally in the past few years, I feel sick, heavy, and sleepy.  I like to eat and feel almost immediate energy.  I like knowing that my diet will lower my risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. (7)  And yes, I get plenty of protein.  Vegetables, rice, and beans are full of protein, and soy and quinoa are complete proteins within themselves.  Whenever I'm asked about protein, I think about how the average American eats twice their daily recommended amount of protein. (8)

When someone "pokes fun" at me for my diet choices, I'm expected to smile and blow it off.  They're just teasing, right?  Well, what if I start "teasing" them back?  Maybe I could say, "No, I don't eat hamburgers, but I bet I also won't die of heart disease like you."  Or perhaps, "No, I don't think this meal would taste better with meat.  I don't like food soaked in blood."  What about, "Yeah.  Well, at least I have a much lower risk of dying from cancer than you!"  It's funny, right?  What?  What's wrong?  I'm just TEASING.

My family seems to think that this is a phase that I'm going through or that I'll grow out of it someday.  I'm telling you that's not going to happen.  I've been a vegetarian for almost four years, and I plan to be one until I die.  When I have a family, we're all going to be vegan.  What I put in my body is my issue, but when there are children depending on me, I'll start them out with the healthiest diet that I know.  Will it be hard?  Absolutely.  But a focus on health, on knowing your body, is the core of building who you are.

For more information on cutting out animal products, I highly recommend the documentary, Forks Over Knives, and the books, Skinny Bitch and The Kind Diet.

Sources:
1- http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/your_guide/healthyheart_fs.pdf
2-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21258509
3- http://www.vegansociety.com/resources/environment.aspx
4- http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?newsID=20772&CR1=warning#.USblZqVOOSo
5- http://www.care2.com/greenliving/could-veganism-end-world-hunger.html
6- http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/slaughterhouses.html
7- http://www.eatright.org/about/content.aspx?id=8357
8- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0