Episode 195: “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.”

Welcome to the 195^th episode of Our Hen House, featuring Matt Frazier [transcript], with a review by Beth Lyons, and a special appearance by Lila Fay Singer.
In today’s episode, we discuss the idea of the “vegan police.” When it comes to being judgmental of ourselves and our ethical inconsistencies, where should we draw the line? We’ll discuss an article focusing on being vegan 95% of the time, we’ll chat about how people draw the conclusions that they want to hear – and how we can get them to challenge that, and how we might challenge that within ourselves, too – and we’ll talk about how to “raise the ceiling” of what it means to be truly compassionate toward others. We’ll bring you a “Rising Anxieties” segment where we ruminate on highway billboards and articles about defensiveness, and we’ll share with you a truly moving podcast dedication that will make you get a little verklempt, and perhaps a little inspired.
Joining us today is Matt Frazier, the unstoppable voice behind No Meat Athlete – the wildly popular blog that is now a book, too. Matt, an ultramarathoner who manages to make running and fitness completely accessible to all of us – not just those who consider themselves athletes – will discuss everything from being optimally healthy on a plant-based diet, to tips for new runners, to why chocolate milk is so closely associated with marathons, to why being a runner does not need to go hand in hand with buying lots of crap and over-thinking everything. Don’t miss this eye-opening interview with a truly down-to-earth, inspiring vegan advocate.
Then, we’ll talk apples. ‘Tis the season for them, and guest reviewer Beth Lyons will give us the skinny on this fall delicacy, including her take on which apples to pick this season, which to avoid, which to juice, which to bake, and which to dehydrate. Plus, Jasmin’s 3-year-old niece Lila will weigh in with her thoughts on the matter.
All that, vegan banter, and of course, current events from the world of animal rights.
For a list of the news items we discuss in today’s episode, and then some, take a look at the breaking news ticker at the top of the page, and also check out our list of archived news items.
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“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.” -Helen Keller