BUT YOU KILL ANTS
John Waddell interviewed

Sydney-sider, John Waddell started matharon running at the age of 56. He’s vegan and here he talks to Claudette Vaughan about his book "But You Kill Ants."

Claudette: How did But You Kill Ants first come about John?

John: I saw a need for it. I was finding there were so many varied questions being asked about veganism and the vegan lifestyle. Sometimes I just didn't know the answer and other times, about half an hour after the person had left I'd say to myself, "I wish I had said such and such". I thought to myself: "Why doesn't somebody write a book giving as many answers as possible to veganism in one hit?" The answer arrived immediately. That 'somebody' should be me. If I feel I need it, maybe others feel the same way too.

Claudette: Out of all the 100 questions and 100 answers in the book which one is asked the most frequently from non-vegans?

John: That's easy. The one most frequently asked is, "Where do I get my protein from?" This is by far the most common question. I say let's improve that question to: "Where do we find protein and also reduce heart attack, stroke, food poisoning and other risk factors"? Protein is plentiful in wholemeal bread, beans, corn, lentils, peas, oatmeal, broccoli, tofu and nuts. For those who eat less naturally have a look at these figures to compare. Hamburger substitute 'Natraburger' has 7.6% protein and Longa Life's 'Notburgers' also most double at 14.9%; Zoglo's Vegetarian Nuggets and Vegetarian Schnitzels have 17%; Kelloggs 'Nutri-Grain' and Sanitariums 'Nutmeat' contain a whopping 21.9%. You can still do better with 27% in some peanut butters. For comparison, Four N Twenty meat pies have 7.3% protein".

Claudette: What's next most frequently asked question from the book, John?

John: There's a mixture after that but so many questions asked are based around health issues. Questions such as: "Where do I get my strength from"? assuming that if you are a vegan then you must be weak. I answer this by saying: "What do tennis stars eat between games: burgers or bananas? What precedes marathon races: beef barbecues or pasta parties"?

Bananas offer quick energy for tennis players: pasta stores it for the demands of a marathon's 42km. Both are excellent for carbohydrates, the best energy source, which meat lacks. Public knowledge lags behind modern nutrition. Hal Higdon ran six marathons in six weeks, said: "My 1963 training diary is particularly frightening. The pre-race meal was orange juice, bread, milk, and a 6-ounce steak." The word soon leaked out to the sports world that steaks were out, pasta was in... Today, just about any runner knows that spaghetti is a better pre-marathon meal than, say, scrambled eggs or steak.

Claudette: You started marathon running at age of 56. Tell us about that please.

John: I started marathon running at age 56 for the race, 2002 Sydney. Prior to that I was never a runner - in fact, not only the worst in my year throughout my school days, but the worst by far. I became hooked on marathon running (and my training from 3am four mornings a week); Canberra April 2005 is my 11th event. These events attract me for the health aspect but also for the marvelous friendships with fellow-runners where the atmosphere is primarily of helping your opponents through the difficulties of the race rather than beating them. Now I've taken up the additional challenge of ultra-marathons. Because I am not a natural runner, I can only credit my vegan diet for any success. It has brought a win in the Sydney Marathon Over 60s, and a second in the Canberra ultra-marathon for the same age group. If nothing else, it does show that no-one need believe that being on a vegan diet for decades would cause health deficiencies

Claudette: If 'Health' is the first category most people ask you about, in terms of categories, what comes next?

John: Per subject most questions are first asked about health then religion as some see veganism as a clash with a biblical perception that God gave humans permission to eat animals. Ethical questions are asked next, then there's the nonsense ones.

Claudette: Oh yeah! Tell us some of those ones.

John: I like to call them the 'weirdo' questions like: " If animals weren't meant to be eaten, why are they made out of meat"?

In this book I cover the widest spectrum of questions and concerns. When I first started making a list of every objection and question I found I had about 80 odd questions. Then I just waited for the other 20 questions to come to me to make the book an even 100 questions. In my dealings with people I have generally found them uninterested in receiving encyclopedic answers to questions on veganism. They want something to the point that they can use in a debate situation or conversation. So with every question I have limited myself to a one-page only answer, still providing details but user-friendly at the same time.

Claudette: What's the reception been like to But You Kill Ants?

John: It's been very pleasing. It's heartening to hear from people in the vegan and vegetarian scene to hear them say it's been useful to them. What I am finding is it has helped people who have found it difficult to explain why they are vegans. It's that that makes it all worthwhile. The hundreds, perhaps thousands, of hours I've spent compiling this information is being put to good use and that's always gratifying. Now that it's gone into its second edition, it means I've been able to improve on it in some areas I weren't happy with - just a couple of minor things though. With a book it's an ongoing process and one is never really satisfied. Like vegan education, its an ongoing work-in-process.

Claudette: Why is the term 'vegan' threatening to many meat-eaters, especially men?

John: There was once a very successful 70's campaign called, 'Feed the Man Meat'. It is partially responsible for spreading the idea that you can't be a man, if you don't eat meat.

Claudette: And what about your views on Sam Kevovich’s, " On Australia Day Feed the Man Lamb" controversy? He’s says “there is nothing more Australian than lamb on the BBQ” of course ignoring in that statement Australia’s diverse and rich multi-culturistic heritage as well…

John: Yes that's right. Some of us got upset over that but we must find the ability to laugh at ourselves to move forwards on this path. We should be accustomed by now to taking abit of criticism. Remember, we vegans are out-of-the-ordinary. Through their eyes we are abnormal so we have to accept that the majority are going to say, "There must be something wrong with someone who doesn't drink cow's milk and who doesn't eat meat."

Besides that, right from childhood we have to remember most of us come from meat-eating families. We grew up with our parents and I still respect and love my parents, don't you?

I am grateful for the bulk of my life has been illness free so now I can give something back. All profits from But You Kill Ants will go back to the Australian vegan and vegetarian community.

If you are interested in buying a copy of John's book please contact John at johnwaddell@bigpond.com

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON VEGANISM

Australian John Waddell answers all those frequently asked questions on how to become a vegan and stay one.

Q1. Why go vegan?

A1. Let me name the ways.

For health reasons

“There’s no reason to drink cow’s milk at any time in your life. It was designed for calves, not humans, and we should all stop drinking it today.” (Dr Frank Oski, former director of pediatrics, John Hopkins University)

“Don’t have any dairy products in any form.”

(Professor Jane Plant, best-seller scientist).

The world’s most comprehensive survey ever of the connection between diet and disease (Cornell and Oxford Universities’ China Study) found that we should adopt a plant-based diet to prevent 80% of cancers, cardiovascular diseases and other forms of degenerative illnesses.

These super-athletes are vegan:

• Ruth Heidrich, six times age winner of the Hawaii triathlon

• Scott Jurek, winner in 2005 of the world’s toughest endurance race, Death Valley’s 215-kilometre ultra-marathon (where temperatures exceed 50 degrees) and seven consecutive times winner of the Western States 160-kilometre run, featuring steep climbs, snow, rivers and desert • Sixto Linares, world Number One triathlete and 24-hour triathlon world record holder

• Martina Navratilova, oldest tennis grand slam winner

• Pat Reeves, power-lifting champion

• Peace Pilgrim, marathon walker across the United States eight times

For Ethical reasons

“TV coverage of de-beaked, de-feathered, sick, dying and dead hens, crammed into cages in filthy conditions, of eggs laid by living hens on the rotting corpses of their cage mates – scenes such as this have sickened viewers and convinced them they want no part of this cruel, polluting, unhealthy industry.” (Animal Liberation leaflet, “Battery Hens”)

What happens to every dairy cow when she no longer produces sufficient milk? She goes to the slaughter-house. But before she reaches it, our drinking of milk is contributing to her suffering and that of her calves. Soon after birth, usually within 24 hours, her calves are removed so that her milk, which was meant for them, can be taken for humans.

Cows can be heard calling for days for their lost offspring, but it is too late. The options for the calves are:

• Be killed shortly after birth to become pet food.

• Become a milk machine, reared on milk substitutes

instead of mum’s milk and have annual forced

pregnancies in order to produce milk.

• In some countries, spend whole life (shortened to 14-16 weeks) confined without water in a stall where even turning around is impossible.

For Environmental reasons

Cow's milk is an inefficient food source. It takes a great deal of grain and other foodstuffs cycled through cows to produce a small amount of milk. And not only is milk a waste of energy and water, the production of milk is also a disastrous source of water pollution. A dairy cow produces 120 pounds of waste every day -- equal to that of two dozen people, but with no toilets, sewers, or treatment plants.

For Religious reasons

“It is not [God’s will] that one of these little ones [sheep] should perish.” (Jesus)

God’s original, presumably ideal, diet was vegan, one

he will restore in the new earth. (Isaiah 11:6-9). It wouldn’t do any harm to get some practice in now.

Q2. What’s the story with wines and beers?

A2. Gelatine (from fish) and casein (from cows’ milk) are used in some wine and beer manufacture. As a general rule, go for red wines to lessen the chance. An excellent information source for vegan wines and beers is the Vegetarian Network Victoria’s web site.

Q3. What's wrong with silk?

A3. Vegans avoid causing suffering to all creatures, including worms. The production of silk is hardly an enjoyable process for the silkworms. If they try to emerge from their cocoons they damage the silk that they have laboriously formed. To avoid this damage, they are killed before they have a chance to escape. Death comes through being boiled, dehydrated or electrocuted.

Q4. Where do I get my protein if I am vegan?

A4. A simpler question would be: where don’t I get my protein if I am vegan? All foods contain protein. In your supermarket, try finding food labels that show nil protein.

Protein is plentiful in wholemeal bread, beans, corn, lentils, peas, oatmeal, broccoli, tofu and nuts.

For those who eat less naturally, hamburger substitute Natraburger has 7.6 per cent protein and Longa Life’s Notburgers almost double at 14.9; Zoglo’s Vegetarian Nuggets and Vegetarian Schnitzels have 17 per cent;

Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain and Sanitarium’s Nutmeat contains a whopping 21.9 per cent. You can do still better with 27 per cent in some peanut butters. For comparison, Four ’N Twenty meat pies have 7.3 per cent protein.

The average American’s protein intake is double the recommended amount, which means a lot of fat, increased cancer risk and urinary system stress. (1)

In Australia, more than half the adult population and nearly a third of children are overweight. If vegans get less protein than the general population, that is good news. Vegans weigh 15 per cent less than meat eaters; fish-eaters and vegetarians; “especially vegans [have] lower BMI [body mass index] than meat-eaters.”(2)

High protein diets contribute to progressive kidney damage and rob the body of calcium.

If vegan (as opposed to lacto vegetarian) protein deficiency through absence of dairy products still concerns you, most soy milks have 3-3.5g protein per 100ml, compared with dairy milk at 3.3 (Coles’ Farmland) and 4.8 (Dairy Farmers’ Shape). A Cornell University study of 6500 people over six years demonstrated that vegans get “plenty of protein.”(3)

Vegans Martina Navratilova (oldest tennis grand slam event winner), marathon runner Sally Eastall (number two in UK) and triathlete Lucy Stephens eliminate protein concern. If you wonder whether those athletes have not been vegan for a ample time to demonstrate protein deficiency, let me record the outcome of my following a vegan diet for the last 26 years. During that time I have not had a day off sick, and I won my age division (over 60s) in the 2004 Sydney and 2004 Great Ocean Road marathons.

1. Time, 15/7/02 p51

2. Epidemiology Unit, Oxford University, International Journal of Obesity, June 2003

3. www.news.cornell.edu

Q5. What about vitamin B12?

A5. Vitamin B12 is plentiful in meat and dairy products. It can also be found in kelp, beer and rotting garbage and, as a result of bacteria, in minute portions in some land vegetables. Of these, only meat and dairy provide useful B12, so vegans must obtain it from other foods or vitamin supplements. A common source is soy milk. Many lines are fortified with B12, including the larger-selling varieties. So are some meat substitutes and cereals.

Check their labels to see how much of the recommended dietary intake they contain. There are two very favourable factors for vegans regarding B12: the body requires less of this vitamin than any other and it is kind in storing it for us. In spite of that, to be safe, it is important to ensure regular B12 intake. Nutritionists’ suggestions vary, but one microgram three times a day (it’s best absorbed in frequent small amounts) should be fine.

The body uses what it needs; higher intake is considered harmless. Have your B12 levels checked by your doctor or health practitioner because a B12 deficiency can have serious consequences, including neurological damage which may be irreversible. It is more important still during pregnancy to follow these precautions in the interests of the baby’s health. Symptoms of B12 deficiency are “numbness and tingling in the hands and legs, inability to maintain balance when walking, weakness and excessive fatigue, loss of vision and position sense, irregular menstrual cycles and a range of psychological disorders.”*
* Adventist Review 12/9/02

Q6. What about calcium?

A6. The market leader, with nearly 50 per cent, for the main milk substitute in Australia is Sanitarium’s So Good. It has 120mg of calcium per 100ml (the Essential variety has 150mg). So Natural soy milk and some Vitasoy varieties also have 120mg. The recommended dietary intake is 800mg1 per day, so you need less than 700ml a day to avoid a calcium deficiency. For comparison, the calcium content of Coles’ Farmland milk is 114mg per 100ml and Dairy Farmers’ Shape 163mg.

Vegans can get more than enough calcium by consuming a similar quantity of soy milk as the general population does of dairy milk. But that is even if they had no calcium intake from other foods. They also derive calcium from tofu, nuts (almonds and brazil nuts are good), carob, dried fruit, cereals, sesame and sunflower seeds, parsley, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and rhubarb. The claim that you can only get calcium from milk is simply a myth.

Having explained how vegans get their calcium, let us look at how they keep it. Getting calcium is one aspect; keeping it is another. Dr Neal Barnard says that “the key to bone strength is not to maximize calcium intake but to minimise calcium loss.”(2)

Excess protein leads to calcium loss, especially if the protein is from animals. But if you get your protein from plant sources, the body has more calcium to use even with a lower intake.3 Vegans also tend to eat fewer salted products; salt is another offender in causing calcium loss. Thus even if vegans’ calcium intake were less than that of meat-eaters, the retention of it by vegans is greater.

1. There are pregnancy, menstrual and child variations.

2. Food for Life

3. If you would prefer that in technical language, see M B Zemel, Calcium utilisation: effect of varying level and source of dietary protein. Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Wayne State University, Detroit, ncbi.nml.gov

Q7. What about iron?

A7. The Australian Consumers’ Association (ACA) reported that “liver, oysters and mussels are the best sources of iron, followed by beef and lamb, pork and chicken. Soy beans, green veggies, eggs and almonds are also quite high in iron but it is not absorbed as well. Vegetarians should choose from a variety of legumes (beans and pulses), green vegetables, nuts and seeds to get their iron. Wholegrain and wholemeal cereals are good sources.”(1) So are dried figs, prunes, peaches, apricots, apples and grapes. Iron is best absorbed if combined with a vitamin C source such as orange juice. Per kilojoule, broccoli, lentils and soybeans have three times as much iron as meat. The ACA article, on “healthy eating guidelines”, advised “plenty of fruit and veggies”. When it recommended meat in the diet it added “or alternatives”, such as legumes and nuts.

Some products useful for iron and their recommended dietary intake per serve are Corn Flakes (25 per cent), Weet Bix (20 per cent), Nut Feast, Nutmeat, Tender Bits (all 10 per cent).

A concern with meat is excess iron, not just deficiency. “Iron overload promotes fatigue,

arthritis, weakness, impotence, diabetes, shortness of breath, loss of menstrual periods and neurological problems. It can also contribute to heart attacks...No matter how many iron-rich vegetables you eat, your body handles it easily, absorbing only what is needed.”(2)

1. Australian Consumers’ Association’s Choice, March 2003 p26

2. Signs of the Times May 2002 p35

Q8. What's wrong with free-range eggs?

A8. There are two “wrongs” with free-range eggs, one affecting the hens and the other affecting us.

Almost all hens spend their lives in crammed cages to mass-produce eggs. Some idea of their situation can be gained from this description in the Animal Liberation leaflet, “Battery Hens”:

“TV coverage of de-beaked, de-feathered, sick, dying and dead hens, crammed into cages in filthy conditions, of eggs laid by living hens on the rotting corpses of their cage mates – scenes such as this have sickened viewers and convinced them they want no part of this cruel, polluting, unhealthy industry.”

Many of these viewers commendably choose to purchase only free-range eggs. However, a problem remains. Even free-range hens suffer premature death, being killed when their useful laying life is over. The majority of free-range farms also slaughter male chicks and mutilate the chicks by debeaking.

It is better to avoid eggs altogether, not only for the sake of the hens, but also for rewarding yourself with a lower cholesterol intake. An egg is a neatly-packaged cholesterol meal—it has a higher proportion of cholesterol than virtually any other food. Independent organisations such as the American Heart Association warn to take particular note of this.

Q9. Is it possible to be a vegan with a partner who is not?

A9. Is it possible to be a Liberal Party voter with a partner who is not? Is it possible to be a Catholic with a partner who is not? Is it possible to be an alcoholic with a partner who is not?

Not only is it possible to be a vegan with a non-vegan partner, but it is commonplace. Meal times pose the most difficulties, but couples adjust. They may each prepare their own meal, or such parts of the meal that they cannot share. Often the non-vegan will be delighted to discover how delicious vegan meals can be.

Q10. What's wrong with wool?

A10. Australia’s merino sheep are unsuited to the climate. When carrying a full load of wool they are subject to heat exhaustion during the day; when shorn they are subject to dying from cold at night, as a million of them do in Australia each year.

Shearers have time constraints, having to do as many sheep as possible; accuracy falls and cuts to sheep’s skin follow. Mulesing, the industry’s most notorious and painful feature, is a skin-removal operation done swiftly without anesthetic. It is performed to avoid later misery for sheep from blowflies, but is an outcome of this breed’s unsuitability. Mulesing saves labour costs, but at a cost of weeks or months of suffering for the sheep. Some farmers spare the sheep that ordeal and also that of fly strike by regularly inspecting their sheep. If all farmers did likewise,

wool products would cost more. We pay to relieve our dogs’ pain; why then would we not be prepared to do likewise for sheep? Unfortunately, as former inspector Ben Lund says, today it’s “avoid paying workers, mutilate the poor creatures and pretend there’s no other way.”

More cruelty follows wool. Millions of Australian and New Zealand sheep, originally raised for wool, endure being packed on ships for a month, when about 20,000 die each year. We can avoid being part of the suffering of sheep by selecting from the many wool alternatives. It remains true, though, that sheep are more fortunate than other animals used for human desires. They at least have the freedom that intensively-produced animals and birds lack.

Q11. Do airlines serve vegan food?

A11. British, Qantas, Singapore and the various US airlines, for example, are impressive providers of vegan meals. United Airlines managed to serve 200,000 vegan meals in just one year!

The larger the airline, the greater the chance for meal requests to be honoured. Whilst most major airlines rarely fail; African and other small ones rarely deliver. But if we cannot cope with missing an occasional meal on smaller airlines, we may not be suited to traveling anyway.

Vegans too readily complain when airlines fail to provide requested meals, a special service at no extra fare. A large aircraft might carry 400 people. Of all possible meals (vegetarian, vegan, low fat, diabetic, kosher, Muslim, etc) 20 may be specials. Airlines based in developing countries may not understand vegetarianism, let alone veganism. Many Africans do not comprehend a non-meat-eating human. There is almost always something to eat, even if just fruit or bread.

Q12. Is soya lecithin vegan?

A12. Lecithin is a “complex fatty substance containing phosphorus and found in egg-yolk” (Concise Oxford Dictionary). For vegetarians, vegans and those with egg allergies, lecithin’s nutritional benefits are obtainable from soya lecithin. To be sure that there are no animal derivatives, either check individual labels or contact the manufacturer. Now foods states clearly that its lecithin granules come “entirely from soybeans”.

Q13. Is vegetarian oyster sauce vegan?

A13. When oyster sauces claim to be vegetarian, we can be confident that the obvious problem, oyster derivatives, is absent. Mushrooms have usually deputised for the oysters. A typical ingredients list is the Richin brand’s “mushroom juice extractives, water, sugar, salt, starch, caramel, sodium benzoate.” That sauce is vegan, but you need to check the label for the product you are considering to ensure it has no animal extracts, or, even more scary, “extractives”. No checking is necessary if you buy from vegan outlets such as www.crueltyfreeshop.com.au

Q14. What is rennet? Is it vegan?

A14. Rennet is a clotting substance used for curdling milk, which in turn features in cheese and junkets. It comes from the stomachs of newly-born calves and is therefore not vegan.

Q15. What is an acceptable alternative to rennet?

A15. The need for an alternative to rennet arises because it is normally used in the manufacture of cheese, thus removing a staple part of the average diet from the vegan’s plate. However, cheese can be made with rennet from fungi or bacteria.

Q16. Are soy cheeses vegan?

A16. You might have difficulty finding soy cheeses in your local area, and in any case you should check that they are free from the milk proteins casein and calcium caseinate. A hassle-free solution is to buy from a range of vegan choices on offer at www.crueltyfreeshop.com.au

Q17. What is gelatin?

A17. Gelatin, or gelatine as it is usually called in Australia, is used in various foods, especially desserts, and in photography. It comes from animal by-products, namely what is left after the meat industry has taken its share. These include skins, bones, ligaments and tendons, which are boiled to create gelatine.

Q18. What is the vegan alternate to gelatin?

A18. For use in food, there are seaweed alternatives, such as agar-agar and carrageen. Check at your health food store. The photographic alternative is here in a big way: digital photography means that most of us have automatically ceased our use of gelatine in photography without even trying.