PETA Offers to by new fridge for Michigan jail

Should Macomb County Jail go vegan in exchange for a new freezer from PETA?
By Sheena Harrison | MLive.com
January 05, 2010, 4:41PM

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is making an offer that it believes the Macomb County Jail can't refuse. The animal-rights group will replace one of the jail's old, moldy freezers if County Sheriff Mark Hackel agrees to serve prisoners a vegan diet for the next year.

Macomb jail inmates have been surviving on bologna and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches after mold was found in the jail's 50-year-old freezers in November. Sheriff's department officials told the Associated Press that the freezers can't be replaced right now because the county doesn't have enough money.

In a letter posted on PETA's Web site, Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman offers to provide a new freezer to Macomb jail if it meets two conditions -- serving vegan meals to prisoners for a year, and tracking their health during that time to see if it improves. The organization also offered to help the jail develop a new vegan menu.

"Our proposal is a win-win-win situation: Inmates will get healthier, many animals' lives will be spared, and the jail will get some new equipment," Reiman said in the statement.

The Detroit News was unable reach Hackel for comment.

Considering the jail's current money crunch, PETA's proposal must be somewhat tempting for Macomb County officials. Should Hackel take PETA up on its offer? And which is the worse punishment for prisoners -- daily bologna sandwiches, or no meat for the next year?


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Alanis goes VEGAN and loses 20lbs!

Not gonne lie, my girl Alanis was getting chubby (and with weird orange hair) for a while. She's adopted a new vegan lifestyle and has lost 20 lbs.

Less than a year ago, Alanis Morissette found herself in a heavy situation: the once-svelte rock star had packed on weight, and the processed food she’d been eating left her feeling unhealthy.

Determined to get back on track, Alanis turned to Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book Eat to Live, a plan that recommends consuming fruit, vegetables, beans and nuts, and avoiding meat and dairy products.

Alanis’ vegan diet — one of the more popular in Hollywood these days — has helped her shed 20 pounds since she began the new regime in September.

Now, the 34-year-old singer who redefined “ironic” is proud to show off her new shape and share her dieting tips with OK! readers.

OK!: How does it feel to have lost 20 pounds?

I feel like a 12-year-old! I’m back to what I was born to be, at my best. I used to get out of bed in the morning and things were aching, and I just thought, this is what happens when you get into your 30s. But now I jump out of bed and have so much energy; I feel very alive. Even after a workout, I feel like if I rest a little bit I could go out dancing all night, so that’s exciting. I have no more aches and pains, and my allergies are gone, too.


OK!: What were you eating that made you gain weight?

A lot of salt and processed grains like bread. I was a sandwich person, and if I had rice, I would pack the salt on.

OK!: Why did you overeat?

All the restrictions and limitations I’d placed upon myself for many years were let loose. I think it was a rite of passage for me. At 21, I was touring with Jagged Little Pill, so I didn’t experience the footloose and fancy-free passage that most people do in their teens and early 20s. My whole life I’ve been overly responsible. So I was fantastically indulgent for a good nine months. I knew it would be a temporary thing, and it was fun. There was a sexiness to my curvier self that I loved.

OK!: Why did you want to find a new eating plan?

Longevity. I realized I want to live till I’m 120. There’s a lifestyle that I am how happily creating that can, as best as is possible, prevent most forms of cancer and other diseases.

OK!: How did you come to choose Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s program?

I went to my favorite bookstore, Banyen Books and Sound, in Vancouver. I saw this book, Eat to Live, and I thought, that’s exactly what I want to do. I wasn’t interested in some fad diet that was unsustainable, like “lose 10 pounds in two weeks.” I don’t believe in diets; I think they’re short-term and a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. So I opened it and flipped through and thought the weight loss is incidental. The primary focus is disease prevention.


OK!: What is your workout routine?

When I’m out on tour, my shows are so physical that that really takes care of it. When I’m not on tour, I do between a half hour to an hour of light weights, running, biking, swimming, probably five times a week. I also love to kickbox and dance.
OK!: What does your boyfriend (attorney Tom Ballanco) think of your weight loss?

He just cares about my well-being. He thought I was sexy at whatever weight that I’ve been. I’ve never felt loved in that way before.

OK!: Will your next big project be to plan a wedding?

I could see in the not too distant future being married with children, absolutely, but I’m in no crazy rush. I wildly respect him. How he views the world, the lens through which he looks at life is very similar to mine. To have that in common makes me sleep well at night.

ABC, 123, baby, you and me girl!

Last night I was discussing with my mom the need to buy lot's of vitamins to make up for the nutriants we were no longer getting from animal products(just milk and egg for me!). To which she responded that she didn't need vitamins because she eats enough "good stuff" to make up for it.

As usual...mother knows best:
The ABCs of Vitamins

Glad I saw this post on Crazy Sexy Life before I went and spent a bunch of money on pills that I can barely swallow!

The Vegan Cowboy!

This is a great clip from The Dr. Oz show about an overweight, diebetic, meat loving cowboy who went vegan for 28 days.

If he can go Veeg - anyone can! This video could be a great conversation starter (esecially with men!).

Check it out: