Help Us Create a Fresh New Look
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While our events are on hold due to coronavirus, we are working on a major update of our look, including an overhaul of our website, the creation of a YouTube channel, and a redesign of our logo. We plan to debut the new website in the June newsletter, but for now we'd love to hear your thoughts on a new logo. Please take our survey to let us know which one is your favorite.
Take the survey here.
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Win a Great Gift Card in the May Riddle Contest!
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We have three great gift cards to choose from in May:
Simply solve the following riddle and email your answer and gift card preference to
[email protected]
.
The drawings will be held on May 30 and the winners will be announced in the June newsletter.
I grow rapidly
but only at the beginning of my life.
I would expand in all directions
but I am usually contained,
which causes me to rise upward.
My skin gets tough from the heat.
Although I have a rough exterior,
I’m just a big softie on the inside.
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Congratulations to the winners of last month's contest!
Fatmeh Nahle
received an Ice Cream "Not" Social from Ice Cream Plant and
Judy Mattis
received dinner for two from The Kitchen by Cooking With Que for coming up with the correct answer to the riddle (it was a banana!). Winners of our social media contest received a Radical Plants Superdip gift basket and dinner for two from Detroit Vegan Soul! Congratulations to
Elham Alfasih
and
Janelle Bauchan
.
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What Convinced You to Change Your Diet?
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Many of us are veg, vegan, plant-based, flexitarian, or something similar. Do you remember what persuaded you to change your diet? Did you go all in, or did you ease into it?
VegMichigan is developing a major campaign geared toward young adults and we have been researching the most effective approach. Initially, the plan was to create an age-appropriate way to share the many reasons why young people should make the switch, whether for health, the environment, ethics, or any other good reason. Gregg Sparkman (PhD Stanford University, Postdoctoral Scholar, Princeton University) has researched this topic and thinks there might be a more effective approach. He explains that the majority of people do not want to hear information that questions their current behavior. When most hear a message suggesting their current behavior is wrong, their first reaction is to put up their defenses, shut down, and sometimes even dismiss the information to maintain a positive sense of self. Dr. Sparkman's research has shown that explaining to someone why they should change their diet is less effective than simply showing that social norms are changing, and in the future, norms will be different. Social norms are the unwritten rules about how we should behave in society and they are extremely powerful in the individual decision-making process. His data shows that a simple message such as, "most college students are changing and choosing to eat more meat-free meals," has a bigger impact than explaining
why
it is important to change your diet in the first place. His study concluded that presenting emerging social trends is more effective in changing behavior than presenting current statistics or beliefs. In other words, people are more likely to change their behavior when they learn that other people are already changing theirs.
Dr. Sparkman has graciously offered to work with VegMichigan to help tailor an effective message that can improve our impact. Learn more about his fascinating research below.
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Watch
The Game Changers
& Join Our Fun Workout Group
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While we're spending more time at home these days, VegMichigan will recommend a free movie each month. This month's pick is
The Game Changers
. If you missed our in person screening in February, you can now watch it free on YouTube by clicking
here
.
This entertaining and enlightening documentary tells the story of James Wilks, an elite special forces trainer and winner of The Ultimate Fighter, as he travels the world on a quest for the truth behind the world’s most dangerous myth: that meat is necessary for protein, strength and optimal health.
Once you watch the film and are feeling super motivated to work out, please join our fun weekend workout group where we all work out together, separately. Simply share the details of your workout and a healthy plant-based meal you ate. It's a great way to support each other to stay in shape and eat healthy. Some of us are marathon runners and others are just starting to work out, all are welcome!
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Vegan Food Pantries Launch in Metro Detroit
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Our friends at Nosh Pit Detroit and
Shimmy Shack
are putting together vegan food pantries to help distribute healthy vegan-friendly food to those in need.
Nosh Care
and
Shimmy's Cupboard
are currently looking for assistance from grocery stores in putting together vegan boxes for distribution and for donations. If you have a grocery store connection or know anyone who could help, please reach out to
Karen at Nosh Pit Detroit
and
Debra at Shimmy Shack
. We're all in this together!
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VegFest Rescheduled for April 25, 2021 at TCF Center
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VegFest has been rescheduled for
Sunday, April 25, 2021 at TCF Center in downtown Detroit
and we promise it will be worth the wait! We're working hard to reschedule our speaker lineup and many of the vendors we were so excited about joining us will be a part of next year's event. We'll be in touch with details as we work on bringing you a great event next year with inspiring speakers, cooking demos, shopping, delicious food, and fun for the kids!
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While we stay home, we can still be active in causes we care about - from supporting local restaurants and businesses to taking action for animals. Now is a great time to contact your U.S. senators and representatives to ask them to support the
Big Cat Public Safety Act
, which would prohibit public contact with big cats and ban the possession of big cat species, including tigers and lions, as pets. With the recent release of
Tiger King
on Netflix, this issue is more prominent than ever.
Learn more and contact your representatives
.
Locally, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is still urging
Wayne State University
to release the dogs in it's cardiac and hypertension experiments, particularly after two of the dogs have been rehomed due to the pandemic's shut down of campus, while other dogs remain in the lab.
Sign the petition and learn more.
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Recipe of the Month: Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
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Ingredients
1 1/4 cups peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
4 tbsp Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg
1/3 cup almond milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Allow to chill in freezer for 30-60 minutes. Drop tsp sized portions of the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15-17 minutes until cookies have spread and have an even golden brown color. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Cookies will be very delicate and will fall apart if you try to remove them sooner.
Recipe from:
TryVeg.com
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