Vegan Ireland asks Matt Cooper and Joe Duffy to go vegan

PRESS RELEASE.

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www.veganireland.org

vegansireland@gmail.com

Vegan Ireland press number: 086 100 6763

“Do You Eat Carrots?”

Vegan Ireland asks Matt Cooper and Joe Duffy to go vegan

Recently both popular presenters made surprising statements about veganism on their radio shows.

For example, during discussions last Tuesday (3/1/12) about the recent Rachel Allen shooting pheasants issue, Matt stated that if he were a vegan he’d be starving, while Joe asked a vegan if he ate carrots and whether he’d be happy then if pheasants were captured and killed humanely. Discovering that vegans did not have milk from cows in their tea, Joe said, “Ah, mother of God, how do you survive?”

Joe Duffy Show: http://www.rte.ie/radio/

Matt Cooper, “The Last Word”: http://media.todayfm.com/

Vegan Ireland calls on its members, supporters and the general public to contact Matt and Joe requesting that they respond to the two-week vegan challenge.

Contact Joe Duffy and joe@rte.ie

Contact Matt Cooper at thelastword@todayfm.com

See sample email text below.

Press Officer for Vegan Ireland Dr. Roger Yates said, “We’d like to help open both Joe and Matt’s eyes to the exciting world of Veganism.

“With this in mind, we ask them to live vegan for two weeks, following the detailed meal plans here: http://www.pcrm.org/kickstarthome/mealplan/index_week2.cfm and http://www.pcrm.org/kickstarthome/mealplan/index_week3.cfm

“Vegan Ireland do outreach events every week, and veganism seems no longer to be a mystery to many of the public, so obviously we’re anxious to bring Matt and Joe up to speed on this issue.”

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Sample email text...

Contact joe@rte.ie and thelastword@todayfm.com

Dear [insert Matt or Joe],

What’s this I hear about you being mystified about veganism? Ah, Mother of God, not knowing about vegans in the 21st century! I see that Vegan Ireland [ www.veganireland.org ] have asked you to live vegan for two weeks. Being vegan would be good for you, good for the environment, but most of all good for the animals. Wonderful vegan food is only a mouse click away - http://www.pcrm.org/kickstarthome/mealplan/index_week2.cfm

Yours Faithfully,

[Name]

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Notes.

1. It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes. A vegetarian diet is defined as one that does not include meat (including fowl) or seafood, or products containing those foods. This article reviews the current data related to key nutrients for vegetarians including protein, n-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and vitamins D and B-12. A vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients. In some cases, supplements or fortified foods can provide useful amounts of important nutrients. An evidence-based review showed that vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes. The results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Features of a vegetarian diet that may reduce risk of chronic disease include lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals. The variability of dietary practices among vegetarians makes individual assessment of dietary adequacy essential. In addition to assessing dietary adequacy, food and nutrition professionals can also play key roles in educating vegetarians about sources of specific nutrients, food purchase and preparation, and dietary modifications to meet their needs. http://www.eatright.org/about/content.aspx?id=8357