Go vegan and get thinner
By Jacqueline Tabas
Jan. 26, 2010 8:54 p.m.
Rory Freedman, co-author of “Skinny Bitch,” a New York Times bestselling book about nutrition, will explain why looking like a skinny bitch is not the only benefit college students can gain from becoming vegan in her appearance on campus at noon today.
“It happened to me in college, when I changed my life,” said Freedman. “In college you’re not with your parents, you’re figuring things out, you’re on your own, and your mind is opening in a way that it never did before, and it’s less about peer and parental pressure and it’s more about what makes sense to me.”
In “Skinny Bitch,” Freedman breaks down why a vegan diet makes sense for her lifestyle. Freedman grew up a meat eater and said that it was not until she became vegan that she became happier and healthier. Freedman presents scientific information about why adopting a vegan diet is healthier for the body and the planet.
Her evidence argues that vegans have lower cholesterol levels and are less prone to heart disease. Freedman also cites data on how factory farming, the practice of raising livestock in high-density conditions, is a leading cause of global warming.
“The facts are out there (that) America is really unhealthy,” said Maral Parsian, coordinator of this event and member of Campus Events Commission. “People need to be more cautious about their health.”
The Campus Events Commission invited Freedman to speak about her book in the hope that UCLA students walk away realizing that they should take the initiative to learn more about their health.
In “Skinny Bitch,” Freedman discusses how readers can start making a transition to a healthier lifestyle.
Freedman gives ideas about what foods readers can choose from and supplies alternative ways for vegans to get protein.
“The kneejerk response to being vegan is: “˜Where do you get your protein?'” said Freedman. “Americans typically get too much protein and vegans and vegetarians don’t have to worry about their protein intake because it’s very easy to get the right amount just by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet.”
Readers such as Lisa Schwartz, acupuncturist for the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center and a vegan, have responded positively to Freedman’s writing.
Schwartz said that being a vegan in the medical field for the majority of her life, she feels that becoming vegan is a worthwhile commitment and that “Skinny Bitch” does a good job of convincing people to at least give being vegan a chance.
The reason Schwartz said she finds “Skinny Bitch” to be not only informative, but also an enjoyable page turner is that Freedman purposely writes her book in a way that anybody can digest.
“It’s almost like your best friend talking to you,” Schwartz said. “It wasn’t just some petty intellectual person. It felt like someone I knew was talking to me.”
Having also worked at UCLA for some time, Schwartz said that UCLA students in particular will benefit from hearing Freedman speak.
“UCLA students come from all over the world,” said Schwartz. “Whether or not they stay here or go back home, they can take all of their education from UCLA whether it be from their classrooms or speakers and they can take that and spread it out to the world.”
