#raw alignment

Recently I asked people in my IG story to submit Questions for a blog post. I had some interesting questions regarding veganism, comics and shows. 

Here are my answers 🙂  

Why are your IG stories getting more ‘vegan aggressive’?

So, before I went vegan, I used to hate vegans who were vocal, although I was never confronted personally by them... which, looking back now, I think was unfair. The mere notion of veganism was annoying because why? Because people were spreading memes about vegans who constantly announce they’re vegan? Even though I personally never witnessed that? Or... maybe because that was the thing that everyone does – single out the one that is different... I mean, I made absolutely no sense.  

I told myself when I first made the decision to go vegan, I'm not going to be the one everyone makes fun of. I hid my diet from my co-workers, and intentionally tried my hardest to NOT be vocal about it. And you know what? The second anyone found out about it, I was still criticized. ...STILL.

I didn’t realize how much vegans get criticized until I became one and people noticed it.  

I was constantly told...

If I happened to be tired one day –It's because I’m vegan, rather than my lack of caffeine

If my head ached – it's because I’m vegan, rather than being dehydrated

When I noticed a gray hair –because I'm vegan –like age has nothing to do with it?

So finally, I decided to not only confront those people who were putting me down because of my lifestyle, I started standing against them. I’m not picking fights with random people. I always show respect to those who respect me. However, when people are trying to back me into a corner, I will fight back, as anyone else would.  

I'm defending myself from those who criticize my life, and that’s something that I've never been confident enough to do until recently, because I've just always had social anxiety.  

In some occasions, I speak out against influencers who are making it seem like veganism is unhealthy for their own benefit – not to start drama – but because I feel it’s really hurting the movement and that could be disastrous for animal liberation. I really don’t draw my claws out unless I sense hostility.  

Otherwise, I'm a humble person, who understands that not everyone can see past the constant advertisements, posters, magazine ads and billboards that glorify the meat & dairy industry, and are shoved in our faces on a daily basis... after all, they are literally every-fucking-where … and I was once under that thrall myself because of that. So, I can sympathize.  

Do you prefer Beyond Burger or Impossible Burger?

Without hesitation I would choose Beyond Burger.

When I first tried both burger patties, I got a bit weirded out, because their texture, taste, and even the way it ‘bleeds’ just tastes and feels like real meat- it's kind of scary... for that reason, I don’t eat burgers too often.  

But overall, I love the thickness of the patty, taste and texture of Beyond Burgers way better.

I don’t really consider Impossible Burger to be vegan - I only consider it plant-based.  

Now, what the hell does that mean?  

It is Plant based because there are no animal products in it... But I don’t consider them cruelty free, or vegan, because they do test on animals when there’s absolutely no need to. Animal testing = Animal torture. They have verbally stated that they’re catering to the meat-eating population and have served actual dairy based cheeses with their product while lying about it. [see link here for details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zoibL0mtkk ]

I do believe that [Impossible Foods] are trying to do a genuinely good thing by introducing a plant-based food to meat eaters, I just can’t take a bite out of an impossible burger now, without the thought in the back of my head of lab rats being exploited just so I can eat this. I have no problem with those who eat their products, that’s just how I personally feel.

That being said, even before Impossible foods changed their policy to include animal testing, I still considered Beyond Burger to be the better of the two, again due to the patty thickness and overall taste.

As a possible alternative, I hear the brand LIGHTLIFE is introducing burger patties too, so that’s another option for people who like the ‘realistic’ burger patties.

How do you feel about the comment that pesticides/herbicides and the plant harvesting machines kill small animals and therefore a plant-based diet still kills animals?

So, the thing about veganism is that less animals die as a result of that lifestyle change. So, allow me to yeild the question...What’s worse? Your standard American diet that contributes to billions upon billions of animals being raped, slaughtered, skinned & exploited for our fashion and taste buds...? ...or a plant based vegan diet where a few small animals and insects might be harmed by pesticides?  On the other hand a large percentage of the crops being grown are meant to feed the animals being sent to slaughter, so I really don’t see how this evens the odds here.

Of course, if there were a way to do this without harming even a fly, any vegan would opt for that option – and should that option arise, trust me, I –and most vegans- will make that change. But I personally think that using that to ‘refute’ the lifestyle- which some people do- is ridiculous & idiotic.

I’ve recently started growing my own strawberries, broccoli, limes, peppers and asparagus to take those items off my grocery list, and imo, they taste way better, and are not treated with pesticides. That only knocks a tiny percentage off my menu items list though...

Since my yard size is quaint & small, it’s not practical for me to create an entire home farm to feed myself when I can just go to the grocery store.  

How do you feel about the “ex-vegan" youtubers?

I think it’s very upsetting to have viewers being lied to by their influencers- some of whom stopped being vegan a long time ago, and lied about it for financial gain. It is disrupting the growth in the movement.

Most of these ‘ex-vegans’ have similar things in common:  

raw diets -a dangerous practice-  

Vegan for extreme weight-loss

alkaline water every single day

Juice detoxes for unreasonable amount of time

Did not take medication for gut health, then blamed said ailment on veganism

Water fasting for weeks at a time – with no food at all

Didn't consume enough calories

NONE of their videos talk about doing it for Animals

Over-restricted themselves, often only eating one thing, like papaya for example, for days at a time

The main issue here, is they weren’t eating well, and as a result got sick.  

To be clear... you can get sick from ANY DIET if you’re not getting the nutrients you need.  

Meat eaters, vegans, vegetarians, ... seriously whatever your diet may be– make sure you get the nutrients you need!

But the issue here is that they didn’t take responsibility for spreading the ‘weight-loss propaganda’ and pseudo medicine practices that got them sick in the first place, lied about not feeling well for the sake of their businesses, then proceeded to take money from people buying their programs... while they were feeling sick and potentially making other people sick! ...And none of them have given any refunds for their “meal plans”.

From the veganism movement point of view, the fact that they’re blaming everything on veganism, rather than their dangerous nutrient-lacking practices, is turning every one they’ve influenced away from veganism.  

Most of their influencers who genuinely wanted to go vegan for animals who could have gotten sick from these disgusting practices, are not only having failing health, but also feel helpless that they couldn’t do what they intended for animal liberation... and that’s very disappointing and makes me sad.

Vegan zombie made a video that shares my sentiments.  

See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK_pySNNFK0

Adding to that, how do you feel about the Raw Alignment Interview video?

So, the funny thing about this video is that she got caught in a lie... and she used this interview to sort of justify that lie, and then proceeds to reveal that she was lying some more.  

check these comments below:

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First, she says she stopped being plant-based 3 months prior, then 7 months (September). Another youtuber actually has proof that she messaged her asking about doing less vegan videos on her channel 2 years ago....??? Which she actually denies in this interview. Huh?  ...and then she admits she lied to a fellow vegan because she wasn’t ready to be ‘outed’? ..what?

I still feel left in the dark, and there are way too many contradictions in this video.  What she wanted to be a ‘redemption’ video turned into a sloppy attempt to hide more lies.

On top of that - the guy conducting the interview, claims to be a moderator, and yet is also an ex-vegan who believes that all vegans have digestive issues and are masking it to promote the movement.... um... huh? it’s completely one-sided.

The problem I have with this, is she’s justifying the practice of lying to her audience. IMO, that’s not fair to her audience, whether it has to do with veganism or not, because thousands of her followers were following her advice of only eating avocado with chips for a week straight or water fasting... she’s making people sick... and getting paid for it. It is very upsetting... I hate it when people lie, even more so when the health of other people are at risk.  

See interview video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcV4rUhitPI&t=1052s

What would you tell people who are afraid of going plant-based because of this “ex-vegan" drama?

I would say, do your research! Don’t follow just anyone on YouTube and blindly do as they say. You'll notice most of these fake influencers will tell you to eat one way because it ‘feels good’ rather than saying, ‘hey, this study from world health org proved this is good for you’.

I would also say, don’t be afraid! It's been proven so many times that plant-based foods are healthier and promote optimum health. The CDC, and the WHO have consistently found that meat, dairy and eggs contribute to high cholesterol, diabetes, & heart disease. Meanwhile, a vegan diet includes zero cholesterol, and has been shown to reverse heart disease!

I think a great YouTube channel to look out for is Gojiman because he’s got the nutrition education to give advice and is great at explaining why’s and the how’s. See his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8zKmTVcs5s3IIR2DVlxfzA/videos

Also, when keeping in mind which influencers to follow – pay attention to the ones who talk about the animals. The ones that aren’t vegan mainly for health/weight-loss, tend to promote a way of eating that contains more daily nutrients and calorie intake. It's just a trend I’ve noticed.

Also, I have a lovely playlist of reactions, recipes, and detailed information on the lifestyle you can check out here:  

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcJhPHQwnc_pcg0yQn2rMKPxAMcRLx4BR

Do you have family/friends who aren’t vegan? And how do you deal with them?

Yes! Lots! Haha; and I don’t really ‘deal with them’ in any way.  

They are aware that my husband and I are vegan, and they do joke about it.  

We take no offense, and usually they lay off when we don’t give a reaction.  

I have had talks with my parents about introducing more plants into their diets because they’re getting older and are trying to be healthier, but I don’t over-impose anything on them. I take vegan foods and they at least try them, which is awesome! They’re my family and I'll always care about them no matter what they eat.

When we have parties with friends, I usually bring something vegan, and they’ll try it and most of the time will love it and go back for seconds.  

It's actually not uncommon for vegans to have family and friends who are not vegan.  

So long as there is mutual respect for one another (at least vocally lol), we all get along quite nicely.  

I honestly don’t think I've met a real vegan who doesn’t genuinely care about someone who eats meat.

We're really not a judgmental bunch - I think that’s one of the things people assume about vegans, and it’s completely untrue.  

What is your favorite healthy meal???

Healthy meal... I love Buddha bowls! They're so easy to make and you can make several variations.

My fave Buddha bowl would consist of roasted Sweet potato wedges, quinoa with lime & hot sauce, sautéed edamame, and grilled kale with avocado ….and a sh*t ton of sriracha.  

It’s super filling and is a good source of iron, protein, potassium, magnesium, niacin, folate, lutein, beta-carotene, B vitamins, Vitamin A, B6, E, C, K, Calcium, riboflavin, phosphorus, and Omega 3 fatty acids.  

No joke- it contains all those nutrients, I just looked it up! 

The best thing is that you can make so many different versions of the Buddha Bowl, and I change it up every time!

I never opt for organic foods or gluten free... I just don’t really feel it making a difference in my body, or taste, so why not go for the more affordable items?

What is your favorite vegan junk food?

Pizza – hands down! Although I could order that in, I still love making it from scratch at home - I just love knowing exactly how much of what is going into it.  

We usually do plain cheese using ‘Follow Your Heart’ Parmesan, which melts really well, but every so often, I'll endulge and get some vegan pepperoni from the market.

My husband loves sweets, and I love savory... so, while my fave junk foods include vegan burgers, pizza, corn dogs, hot dogs, tamales, veg jerky.... his favorites include vegan donuts, cinnamon rolls, cakes, and pan dulce.

Do you miss any food since going vegan?

There is honestly a vegan version of anything these days... I'd have to say there isn’t anything I miss.

I've had vegan tamales, pozole, tacos, birria, bolillos, pan dulce, elotes and so much more (yes, I'm mexican- can you tell?).

The only thing I was missing for a while were hot cheetos, but last year I discovered a brand called ‘peatos’ which doesn’t exclusively make vegan chips, but their fiery hot flavor is vegan and fill the void it my heart that cheetos left …. so no. I'm not missing anything at all.

What’s your all-time favorite batman comic story arc?

Okay, so this is a complicated question... one of my top faves is ‘The Long Halloween’ because of the ending.  

Who knew Barbara Gordon could be so evil at a time when the Gotham series wasn’t out yet? That twist gets me everytime I re-read it!

I could easily say I love Crisis on Infinite Earths, Batman Hush, Death in the family, Superman Red Son, Under the Red Hood.... seriously my list is pretty long... but, I have to be completely me honest and some might hate me for saying this, but I actually do love the Flashpoint story arc. 

Flashpoint is kind of a touchy subject because it brought about the new 52 issues that divided some fans.  

But when you isolate the story of Flashpoint, it really gets insane, I mean, it wasn’t just thrown together for the sake of rebooting the universe. Barry Allen had a reason to try to change the past – his love for his mother.  

It sets off a course of events that creates an alternate reality where Bruce Wayne actually dies in the alley with his Mother and His Father, Thomas Wayne was the sole survivor of the mugging, leaving him to be an older, vengeful, blood-thirsty, gun-slinging Batman... and it’s just a nice contrast to the Batman we’ve always seen.  

Sure, take the costume away, and he’s basically the Punisher, but what makes this different, is that we don’t see Batman under that light very often.

Tie in the Amazon war against Atlantis and ...omg, does the drama ensue!  

Plus, that touching letter that Thomas writes to his son, that Bruce gets to read at the end …*cry* it’s so sweet! 

How are you liking the Titans & Doom Patrol series?  

So just so you know, DC Universe online is SO WORTH IT if you are into classic shows/movies and love to read comics – they have a huge collection you can read at your leisure. And the new series that they’re producing are all looking amazing!  

Okay, back to the shows....

I’m going to jump on Titans first...

BEAST BOY

OMG, they mention veganism with Beast Boy! Way to represent! Beast Boy has been a favorite of mine ever since the original teen titans animated series ...I’m going to be honest and admit here that I haven’t read any of the Titans comics before watching that series.  

I love his inclusion in the Doom Patrol. He is well written, with the exception of only being able to turn into a tiger for some reason? I’m hoping that in later seasons, he’ll somehow harness the power to change into tons of other animals as he does in every other incarnation of the character. It’s also weird that he’s not always green...? But appearance isn’t as important as his development. We see his struggles with his powers, especially when he kills someone as a tiger, and how he copes with that. His relationship with Raven feels authentic and for some reason not at all creepy, even though she looks like she’s 10 years younger than him. 

RAVEN

Raven is a bit of a different story, she dwelled further from the comics than usual... not knowing that she is part demon or who her father is, and not having the knowledge of where she’s from is different than the Raven stories that we’re used to... so it takes a while to get used to that idea – not to say that the show fails... but it’s a bit difficult to retrain your brain with these things sometimes. She seems exceedingly whiny at first, until I realized she’s just a teenager, and teenagers, let’s just face, can be very whiny indeed. We’re so used to seeing her as a ‘hardened’ persona; monotone and serious. This show, it feels like they just grabbed a normal girl and put makeup and a wig on her ...and- voila! She's Raven. It’s out of character, but for the sake of the storyline, it actually somehow works. 

ROBIN

Robin shows a fairly dark side that I think we’ve only seen in comics thus far; he is trying to prove himself capable of going solo and as a result tries to disassociate himself from Batman, stating that he doesn’t want to get to the tipping point that he believes Bruce has. I love his history with Dove and the struggle to strive to the best while keeping his head down. I like that he gets to see vigilantes from the cops’ point of views when they put down the idea of Robin coming into their neighborhood. He's a lot more well-rounded here with a bit more history, too. Not only are the Flying Graysons part of his story, but his love life and relationship with Batman play a vital role in his development.  

STARFIRE

At first glance of Star Fire, I had mixed reactions... “I hate that costume”, “why is she wearing fur?”, “why is her skin not orange?” ...and yes, some of that still kinda-sorta bothers me, but little by little, they’re bringing more of her backstory to light as the season progresses, and she ended up being one of my favorite characters.

I still think she should be able to fly, and I do miss how disconnected she is with human culture in other renditions of the character. But once again, this show makes it work, and I love it! 

Also, it looks like next season will give us a more comic-book inspired look to Starfire - so I can’t wait to see how that will turn out.

CYBORG

Why TF isn’t Cyborg in this?!

Oh... he’s in Doom Patrol?! 

So DOOM PATROL, is an interesting series... it’s weird, and just so random, and I actually really love it!

Anything that brings more of the lesser known comic characters will always be something I'd be interested in.

But the fact that this show is just as ridiculous as the comics, I think, is amazing.  

I mean, they gave us a donkey is being used as a portal...  go in the donkey’s mouth, and out his butt?  

A bunch of bad guys made of  dead skin and letters that were never sent...

Using beads dipped in sriracha for a protection spell...

You can’t get more ridiculous that that! This is typically something you only see in comic books and I love that it’s something that they don’t worry about making more realistic on this show, and that’s something that most show runners don’t take a risk in doing.

I can’t really dwell too much on this because I am not completely caught up with the show... but I definitely will be soon!

TITANS & DOOM PATROL – both great shows worth watching!

How excited are you for the JOKER movie?

I don’t think I could possibly be more excited. Joaquin Phoenix is an amazing actor (and vegan)!  

From the trailer it looks like they might be going with the Joker origin story from ‘The Killing Joke’?

However, I think it will purely be based on the development of the joker because it doesn’t look like they’re going to fast forward to the future where he shoots batgirl (and maybe rapes her?) and kidnaps Jim Gordon, and tries to make him break down.... at least nothing relating to that appeared on the trailer, but I guess we’ll have to wait until October to see.

What shows are you watching right now?

Other than Doom Patrol?

On HBO, I watch Veep & Barry and  ...in about a week, I'll be watching Game of Thrones – the anticipation is KILLING me!

On Netflix... I’ve seen part one of the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina ...I love the satanic visuals- so cool! Will be watching Part 2 soon.  

I also love the Punisher series, but we all know that’s not renewed – but it’s fun to re-watch.  

LOVE DEATH & ROBOTS is a great one that has beautiful animation and well, written short stories. 

I often go and re-watch ‘the office’ and the series ‘you’ as well.

Spanish shows I like include ‘Club de Cuervos’ & ‘Diablero’ 

Any new comics recommendations?

Border Town! Omg, I love it!  

Not going to explain... just go read it! ...you’ll see!  

I love writing reactions and answers to questions.

Thanks to those who contributed their questions on IG  

Tried out Alyse Brautigam’s pancake recipe :)

Banana Oat Pancakes

(1 serving)

Blend the following...

- 1 cup dry gluten free oats

- 1 small banana

- 3/4 cup water

- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- dash of cinnamon