Hello all, We just wanted to highlight an exciting Young Jains hosted talk at the end of this month by a vegan vet on 'The link between animal welfare, human health and saving the environment'.
We also have a link to a fascinating CNN interview where a 100-year old heart surgeon credits his healthy vegan diet for his longevity, plus an update on the latest Jain Vegans outreach work - with an east London Jain community.
Also see below a reminder of some of the UK vegan related events happening throughout the summer including the upcoming Hugletts Wood Farm 20th anniversary open day and Bristol Vegfest, both happening over the May Bank Holiday. We look forward to seeing some of you there. | Contents - Talk on Animal welfare, human health, environment & compassion - Sunday 31st May
- Other vegan news
- 20th year anniversary for Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary - Sunday 24th May 2015
- Vegfest Bristol: 22 - 24th (Friday evening, Saturday & Sunday) May 2015
- Upcoming vegan events
- Abuse and killing of cows in milk production
- NHS website supportive of a vegan diet
- Alternatives to dairy to help you give up
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1. Talk on Animal welfare, human health, environment & compassion - Sunday 31st May 
Young Jains have arranged for Andre Menache, an exciting guest speaker from the Animal Interfaith Alliance (AIA) to talk about 'The link between animal welfare, human health and saving the environment' in Colindale, North London.
AIA's vision is, ‘A peaceful world where people of all faiths, and all those who believe in a compassionate world, work together to treat all animals with respect and compassion.’
Born in Belgium, qualified vet Andre has been an active campaigner for the past 30 years mainly in South Africa, Israel and the UK. He has held various posts, including that of president of Doctors and Lawyers for Responsible Medicine (UK) and general manager of the Federation of Animal Protection Societies in Israel. Today he provides scientific support to several grass roots organisations, in addition to his official position as director of Antidote Europe, based in France.
Venue: Jain Centre, 6-8 Colindale Avenue, Colindale, NW9 4DR Date & time: Sunday 31st May, 10.30 - 12.30pm
To register for this free event, please contact | | |
2. Other vegan news 1) JVWG Campaign at Health Awareness Day, Leyton, E15
 
On Sunday 3rd May, the Jain Vegans team were invited to present at a Health Awareness Day held in Leyton, east London, a stones throw away from the Olympic Park. The event was organised by National Council of Vanik Association (NCVA) and Shree Jain Samaj East London (SJSEL).
The day began with a series of health related talks (including some on diabetes, dementia and cancer) addressed to all the 220 attendees congregated together in the main hall. Next, visitors could split up and choose to either attend workshops or mingle in a separate hall where several information tables had been laid out. Mahersh Shah, of the Jain Vegan Working Group delivered a lucid presentation highlighting how the hidden violence inflicted on cows in modern dairy production can so easily be missed by the unassuming eye. Other workshops available included ones on eye care, oral/dental are and general health screening.
2) 100-Year-Old Vegan Heart Surgeon Credits Diet with Longevity
Want to live to be 100, without the plague of chronic diseases and decrepitude? Eat a healthy vegan diet!
That’s the message of Dr. Ellsworth Wareham, a 100-year-old vegan heart surgeon who credits a plant-based lifestyle for his health and longevity, reports Mercy for Animals.
CNN’s interview with the spry centenarian revealed that he worked until age 95, he still drives and, apparently, mows lawns. “If you were to give me something to memorize, I would memorize it just as quickly now as I would when I was 20,” he told CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He credits his plant-based diet for his health and wellbeing. “If your blood cholesterol is under 150 your chances of having a heart attack is pretty small.” “So you’re heart attack proof?” Gupta asks. “I’m dealing with an area in which I understand,” he responds.
Watch the interview here. | | |
3. 20th year anniversary for Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary - Sunday 24th May 2015 
Hugletts Wood Farm (HWF) is home to over 200 farm animals and birds, all rescued from the misery of the meat and dairy industry and the horrors of the slaughterhouse. Here, these lucky animals have an opportunity to see out their lives under the loving care of Wenda Shehata and Matthew Sparey. HWF is the only farm animal sanctuary in the UK that operates a dedicated Cow Protection Program. It is also the only vegan farm in the UK that runs such a sanctuary.
Several members of JVWG will be going to the Open Day to celebrate their 20 year anniversary. We welcome you to join us!
Address: Hugletts Wood Farm, Grovelye Lane, Churches Green, Dallington, East Sussex. TN21 9PA
Meet the animals and birds who now all live in peace and tranquillity at HWF. Learn about them and how they are cared for. Hug a cow or two! Enjoy woodland walks and also have a relaxing day.
Marquee and other shelters present. Bring wellies / old shoes if wet. Plenty of hot and cold vegan food and drinks available.
http ://www . veggies . org . uk/event . php?ref=916
https://www . facebook . com/pages/Hugletts-Wood-Farm-Animal-Sanctuary/211947600388
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4. Vegfest Bristol: 22 - 24th (Friday evening, Saturday & Sunday) May 2015 
Now in its 12th year and set to be a culinary treat for all, around 25,000 visitors (of every dietary persuasion) are expected at Vegfest Bristol over this late May Bank Holiday weekend.
The show runs for 3 days, opening its gates to the public at 6pm on Friday 23rd May until 11pm, and then again from 11am - 6pm and from 6.30pm - 11pm Saturday 24th May, and 11am - 10pm on Sunday May 25th. The evenings are filled with live music from headline acts and a fantastic party vibe.
VegfestUk now has annual festivals in Brighton, Bristol and London with the aim of showcasing the very best of what a plant based lifestyle can offer. Being in the summertime, this Bristol festival is typically blessed with long, warm, sunny days - so well worth the trip out west! Highlights at this years show include:
- Over 150 stalls - including food, bodycare, accessories, fashion, merchandise and information
- 15 specialist vegan caterers with food from across the globe
- Health & nutrition talks
- Campaigns & lifestyle talks
- Cookery demos + kids cooking classes
- Kids area & activities
Venue: The Amphitheatre and Waterfront Square, Harbourside, Bristol. BS1 5LL
Tickets: £3 before 5pm, £5 after 5pm (available at the gate)
Event programme: http ://bristol . vegfest . co . uk/programme | | |
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6. Abuse and killing of cows in milk production 
The abuse and killing of cows on dairy farms is the main reason why many members of the Jain community have decided to make a switch to a vegan lifestyle:
- The cow is forcefully impregnated by means of artificial insemination. If a cow isn’t made pregnant, she won’t produce milk.
- The newborn calf is normally taken away from its mother within 24-48 hours. This is traumatic for cows, who, like human mothers, are very motherly and develop strong bonds with their babies.
- Male calves are killed shortly after birth or sold on for meat/leather production. They have no other use to dairy farmers.
- Female calves are kept on to replace their mothers as milk-producing cows.
- The mother cow will be killed when 5-7 years old, even though she could live for 20 to 30 years if given the chance. This is because after bearing a calf and giving milk each year, her milk yield drops such that it is no more profitable for a dairy farmer to keep her alive.
Even though cows on organic farms might experience slightly better conditions, they are still artificially inseminated and killed long before they would leave their bodies naturally. For further information about the way in which cows and other animals are exploited in the milk production process, please visit the Vegan Society website: http ://www. vegansociety. com | | |
7. NHS website supportive of a vegan diet | | |
8. Alternatives to dairy to help you give up It is possible to get a range of dairy free alternatives to traditionally animal based products. Normally available from free-from sections of supermarkets and also from healthfood stores.
You can easily replace:
- Cow milk with Soya/Rice/Almond/Coconut Milk (Supermarket ownbrands, Alpro, Provamel, Bonsoy, Ecomil, Koko)
- Yoghurt / Dahi with plant based curds (Provamel, Alpro, Sojade)
- Butter with vegetable spreads (Pure and Vitalite are commonly available from supermarkets. Note many margarines contain butter milk and thus are not suitable for vegans)
- Cheese / Paneer with Dairy Free Cheeses (Tofu, VBites, Scheese, Tofutti, Vegusto, Vegourmet)
- Ice Creams with sorbets or dairy free ice creams (Bessant and Drury, Swedish Glace, Booja Booja, Worthenshaws)
- Chocolate with dark chocolate (Plamil and Organica do specialist dairy free ‘milk chocolate’ and many brands do vegan dark chocolate)
- Eggs with egg replacement powder (baking) or tofu (scrambled)
- Honey with maple syrup, rice syrup, agave syrup, date syrup or golden syrup
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