It all started when a man from the organization called me on my cell and told me I had to be at their big gala this year. I had always heard about this organization from friends here and there and the amazing work they do, but had never had the chance to meet and work with them myself. My girlfriend who does work with them a bit let them know I was interested in learning more and they asked her to invite me to their big fundraiser. The timing was really hard for me this year because I was in the middle of home repairs and running a small crew of guys at my house. I just didn’t feel like time was on my side to go this year. After apologetically declining for this event, I asked that they please let me know of any other events I could go to or help at.

My girlfriend asked if she could pass my number along to someone at the foundation. I said of course!

Within the hour, this great man with the company called me and said I had to be at their big gala and why. Within a few minutes, I just couldn’t say no.

I found a dog sitter, put everything at my house on hold, and within the week was off to Minnesota for the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s big 2012 gala.

When I was waiting for my flight, I ran into my friends Marley Matlin and Jack Jason. I had remembered this being an organization that Marley supported, but had completely forgotten this is who she raised 1 Million Dollars for on Celebrity Apprentice! Simply AMAZING!!!

When we got to Minnesota, we were all greeted by a bunch of volunteers who were working with the organization and just the sweetest, most caring people I’ve met in a  long time. You could instantly tell that everything they were doing was out of pure love for Starkey.

That night, the founder and CEO, William (Bill) Austin and his beautiful wife Tani, hosted a mini gala of their own at their gorgeous home. They were so gracious to open up their house to so many friends and strangers. It was a beautiful night regardless of the storm that moved in later and blanketed the estate with a warm, gentle rain.

The next day I was told a lot of people were going to the Starkey facilities to get their hearing tested and to get their aids adjusted. I opted to sleep in and just start getting ready for the gala. We had to be ready fairly early and head over the event-so I didn’t want to be running behind.

We were dropped off at a big red carpet for the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s 12th Annual So The World May Hear Awards Gala. It was hosted at St. Paul’s River Centre and was being supported by over 1,500 people, including President Bill Clinton, Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Marley Matlin and so many, many more. The love for this organization was apparent and abundant.

The Gala consisted of an extremely big silent auction, a live auction, a huge ballroom of tables for dinner, drinks and entertainment and many heartwarming videos of the missions Starkey has gone on over the years. The gala helps to raise money each year to give hearing aids to people in underdeveloped countries. Starkey, which is based in Eden Prairie, donates more than 100,000 hearing aids every year.

The man that stood out from the night and the foundation the most was the founder, Bill Austin. The videos and speeches people gave all spoke of how Bill would be on a mission and not go to sleep until every single person there who needed help, got whatever they needed. He would put a hearing aid in a child who has never heard in their life and watch that little face light up as they heard for their very first time. The videos were definitely tear-jerkers. But how could you not be touched by watching someone receive the gift of hearing for the very first time? Just going on one mission seemed to be a life-changing experience. Bill and his wife Tani have been on hundreds and show no sign of slowing down, ever! They are heros to so many people-it truly was an honor just to meet them and learn about the ways they are changing lives all over the world.

The 2012 gala raised a record $7.6 Million!! Never have I felt so confident that money raised would be put to such great use and help so, so many children and people everywhere.

Here’s a bunch of their videos, documenting some of their past missions: 1st video up…. Haiti Mission

Since the gala, Starkey personally helped one of my family members who has hearing aids. The aids he had were not Starkey aids and the organization felt like their aids would make a bigger difference in this person’s life. So this person flew out to Minnesota to meet Mr. Austin and get tested and then fitted by him personally.

I’d like to share part of the letter that my family member sent to Starkey following his visit:

I really do not know how to begin to thank you for everything you did to make my brief trip to the Center for Excellence a life fulfilling experience.  Never have I met a group of employees so proud of where they work and who they work for.  It must be so rewarding to get up each morning knowing you will be helping a total stranger today enhance their life for the better.

 One always remembers his or her very first impression of a company through the first employee you meet.  My experience began when I met ******, who picked me up at the airport.  He was so proud of Starkey Hearing Foundation and the Center for Excellence he could hardly talk about anything but “Starkey”.  A conversation that was full of pride.

 Then I arrived at the Center for Excellence and my experience took off like a rocket.  From one employee to the next, they did their job with such precision you didn’t feel you were being evaluated and prepared for the next step in your experience.….

A few minutes later I met the heartbeat of the Company, Bill Austin.  What can I possibly say about Bill that hasn’t been said a million times before.  A man of unlimited energy and enthusiasm for what he does…what I saw of Bill Austin’s day was only about 20% of what his whole day must really be like.  A man whose desire is to help other people, especially,  the children of the world through the Starkey Hearing Foundation.  “So the World May Hear”, what more can be said.  It must be so rewarding to be associated with an individual the likes of Bill Austin.…

Upon arriving home Saturday evening, my wife and I went out to dinner.  The restaurant seemed louder than usual; however, my wife said no, the restaurant was always this loud.  The difference, of course, was I was hearing it, truly, for the very first time.  Sunday morning … I heard sounds of nature I had not heard so clearly before.  It was like every bird in the neighborhood was happy and singing.  I was also greeted by squirrels playing, woodpeckers and a rooster in the far distance, dogs barking, and sounds of traffic miles away.  It seemed like the entire world was awake.  For that wonderful experience, I would like to thank you again.

 My newly acquired hearing devices seem to be a part of my body, now.   In most cases, I don’t even know I have them in.  I have to reach up and touch my ears to satisfy myself that I do have them in and that last weekend was not a dream but actually happened.

…so I will close by saying, “thank you to every employee of Starkey Hearing Foundation and the Center for Excellence for making my life richer.”

I cannot thank Starkey enough for the work they do everyday and for giving this person in my life their sense of hearing back. I now understand that there is never a bad time to drop whatever I may have happening in my life to go work with this foundation or for this angel on Earth, Bill Austin. I am forever grateful and available to help this organization in any and every way they will allow me to help. I can honestly say-they are one of a kind and I will continue to sing their praises, knowing that everyday there may be a few more people in the world who can hear that song of thanks!!

To learn more about their foundation, go to: http://www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/

To learn more about Starkey Hearing devices, go to: http://www.starkey.com/

This event will be hosted by Last Chance for Animals, featuring live music, food, drinks, guest speakers (yes, I’ll be one of them), an amazing pet adoption and a shopping spree among many great vendors and so much more!!

BUT WAIT…want to come to the VIP Reception on Saturday night from 7-10pm and hang with me, check out a very cool silent auction, a live art auction, have some food, drink and more? Please REGISTER HERE.  Tickets to the reception are only $30, and all proceeds will go to help in the fight again puppy mills! 

If you want more information about the overall event, check out their official website HERE.

In a nutshell, a puppy mill is a commercial dog breeding facility that is often grotesque in appearance and practice! Their main objective is making as much money as possible, as fast as possible, with absolutely no consideration for the well-being of the poor animals that rely on them for food, health care and love. Many puppy mills have dead animals lying around, animals that are starving to death and feces everywhere. I can’t urge the importance of not supporting any of these horrible facilities and getting every single last one of them shut down forever!! Please, never buy an animal from a traditional pet store or mall!! Unless they specifically state that they only help rescued animals find homes, you have to assume that animal is from a puppy mill. And I understand how hard it is to look at those sad, little eyes pleading for you to take them home. I do! But what basically happens when animals are not bought at the mall is that they should eventually go to your local animal shelter. Then, and only then, can you go and rescue that animal. That way you are helping to put this horrible practice out of business and saving a life at the same time. It’s hard-and you have to be strong. But it’s important that everyone understand what is happening out there and how each one of us can do our part to help. And also know that because of the horrific conditions in a puppy mill, many of the animals get very sick, even if they are not displaying any symptoms at the time they are being shown for adoption. 

PLEASE RESCUE! ALWAYS RESCUE!

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT RESCUING VERSUS PUPPY MILLS. HELP TO EDUCATE EVERYONE-WE MUST WORK TOGETHER!!

So eventually I sought out the help of a nutritionist and lots of tests. This was before the big gluten craze and before Celiac Disease were two little known words throughout households everywhere. Having never heard of any of that, I was clueless about what could possibly be wrong with my diet. So I was completely lost when the nutritionist told me I was allergic to gluten.

She told me that it could come about when someone eats an abundance of it during their lifetime. She explained that bread and pasta were gluten rich. I definitely ate a lot of that-especially when I was growing up in Texas. I also started checking labels and realized that a lot of the vegan meat substitues I used contained gluten.

SO WHAT THE HECK IS GLUTEN EXACTLY, AND WHY DOES IT AFFECT US SO PROFOUNDLY?

Well, technically, gluten is a protein present in wheat, barley and rye. The gluten proteins are found in the mature seeds of the cereal grasses, or the grain. When people with a gluten intolerance eat it, the lining of their small intestine becomes inflamed and damaged. This will hamper the absorption of nutrients, leading to a variety of side effects. Just a few side effects to be on alert for are abdominal pain, bloating, stomach upset, malnutrition and diarrhea.

When you stop eating gluten you enable your intestine to repair itself, possibly allowing you to eat small amounts of gluten in the future without any side effects.

If you think you’re experiencing a gluten intolerance, here’s a small list of foods you may want to try to avoid:

Wheat, barley, rye, spelt, triticale, kamut, farro, einkorn, sometimes oats, bulgur, durum flour, farina, graham flour, semolina & beer (unless labeled wheat free).

Basically, unless labeled otherwise, you’ll have to avoid most breads, pastas, cakes, pies, cereals, cookies, croutons, gravies, imitation meats, matzo, soy sauce, and so much more.

The good news is there’s still a lot of great, nutritions food you can eat! Here’s a list of what you should be okay to eat:

Rice, beans, seeds, unprocessed nuts, eggs, fresh meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, most dairy products, amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn, cornmeal, flax, hominy, millet, quinoa, sorghum, soy, tapioca, teff, wheatgrass and more!

What I’ve realized is that it’s not normal for your stomach to hurt after a meal. When you’re eating the right foods that are truly giving your body what it needs, then it will function correctly and not let you down. So if you’re experiencing pain and discomfort after a meal, maybe give this diet a shot. The best way to test yourself is to cut everything out that’s on the bad list and clean your body out with only foods from the good list. If you really want to do it properly, you should cut out everything for a few days but a very basic diet of rice and veggies. Then, if your body seems to be functioning normally, add just one thing into your diet-maybe it’s bread. Then pay close attention to how your stomach feels, or your body reacts, after eating that bread. If you start experiencing a pain that wasn’t there before, then this may be something you’ll have to start eliminating from your diet for awhile. Trust me-it’s so worth it not to have pain after every meal. You’ll also start having more energy when your body is getting the proper nutrition.

But remember, everyone is different and may have other very unique allergies to random foods. I did a blood test to give me further insight into how my body reacts to every single food out there. But that’s for another day!

There truly is nothing like good health!

I had done allergy scratch tests before, but that just made me swell up and completely uncomfortable. Then someone told me about a nutritionist in town who would test your white blood cells with every food there was and see to what degree, if any, it would swell. The more it swelled, the more allergic I was to that item. So I gave it  try.

The results came in the form of a paper with all of my food allergies listed out and the severity of each allergy. So I have that in my wallet and that gave me more information. But there was still a problem. I would eat everything that seemed to be on my non-allergy list, yet my stomach would still hurt! At this point I’m just so over eating all together!!

Then, a few weeks ago, I was seeing my acupuncturist and she told me about a product that she had just discovered and loved. It’s a botanical enzyme drink that she got at a Japanese grocery store here in LA. it’s all fermented fruit and vegetables. Yes, sounds gross. It definitely smells gross. But I feel like with all of the herbal things I’ve tried over the years, this was nothing.

I got the drink and have been drinking a 25-30ml shot every morning right when I wake up, on an empty stomach.  I have to say, I don’t think I’ve had one stomach ache since I started drinking this stuff! I had always taken digestive enzymes with my meals in the past, and even tried taking probiotics. But nothing ever seemed to work like this drink has. So now I’m sharing this with you!! If any of you feel like this story is familiar and you’re also at your wit’s end, then you might want to give this a try. I can’t guarantee it’ll help of course, but I can tell you it’s made me a much happier eater these days!! Here’s the product and what their site says. Good luck!!!

ABOUT ASKA BOTANICAL ENZYMES: Our body breaks down, digest, absorb and assimilate nutrients from food we consume, and is sustained by a metabolic cycle that is occurring throughout within. Enzyme is a vital agent which works as a “catalyzer” to control those transformations and reactions. 

It is defined as “the substance that makes living possible, and it is the light of life” by Dr. Edward Howell who is a pioneer in Enzyme researches. Some doctor even states that the volume of enzyme within ones body dictates his longevity, because Enzyme’s wide array of mechanisms thought to improve functions of internal organs.

ASKA BOTANICAL ENZYME is the complex nutritional enzyme drink which is made from a mixture of over 60 different plants, which then go through a fermentation process to be diversified and vitalized, making all the necessary nutrients without any oil or fat contents, readily absorbed and digested. It is a living healthy drink.

ASKA BOTANICAL ENZYME is called a“Nutritional Botanical Enzyme Complex Drink”. Proteins that are broken down to amino acid, as well as minerals, vitamins are well blended in, with no fat contents. The sweetness comes from the glucose and fructose, and since these are simple sugars, it won’t stay and accumulate in the blood but is converted into an energy which would sustain the body strength.

Why use 60 different types of fruit, vegetables and seaweeds?

Plants have enzymes that are unique to each kind. By fermenting various plants together will produce enriched enzyme. 
The enzyme itself is not a living cell, however, every living cell contains enzyme and simply put, without enzymes, life would not exist.
There are so many different types of enzymes, and each plays a unique role of carrying out a certain biomechanics of an organism. This explains that some estimate hundreds and thousands of different kind of enzymes that exist, and this is the reason ASKA BOTANICAL ENZYME uses so many variety of plants to have wide variety of enzymes.

Enzyme drink activates metabolism, boosts vitality

The enzyme taken works as a catalyst to boost internal enzymes that already exists. These rejuvenated enzymes start activating, thus gives metabolism a boost. The end result is better gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal and other organ functions, lower blood pressure, and a solution to constipation. Strong metabolism, in turn contributes to better body condition as a whole.

It has both cherry and rose quartz to help attract love into your life. Whether you’re looking to love yourself just a little more, or for the love of that someone special, just set your intentions with this beautiful piece and feel its vibration. Accented by Bali silver and 2 agates, this piece would be a great addition to any collection, or even better…a great gift!

You can purchase this beautiful piece here at ShansenJewelry.com.

Compliments of SHAPE.com…when they interviewed me…

1.  She loves to take Cardio Barre classes. “This workout hits everything—your arms, legs, abs… everything women want to tighten and tone, it does it!”

2.  She believes in being healthy, but not diets. “I’m vegetarian so eating right definitely gives me the energy you need.”

3.  She likes to go hiking, especially at Runyon Canyon in Hollywood.  “I take my five rescue dogs; They love it too!”

4.  She’s not a fan of Pilates. “The first time I tried it, I didn’t get it,” Elizabeth says. “But maybe I just need to find the right instructor to change my mind.”

5.  Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, oatmeal with nuts and berries, dark green kale salads, and tomatoes are some of her favorite healthy snacks. “It’s funny though because I used to hate Brussels sprouts, but now I love them, ” she says. “Veggies dark in color have more nutrients and are so good for you!”

6.  She is a proponent of change. “Clean your system out and experiment with different foods to find out what works for your body.”

7.  One of her guilty pleasures is sweet potato fries. “I love them when they’re crunchy and really well done!” she says. “I also love anything chocolate… oreo shakes, cookies. But I try to get the gluten-free ones because they’re sweetened a little more naturally.”

8.  Her fitness role models are Kelly Ripa and Jessica Biel. “Other people in general inspire me,” Elizabeth says. “Anyone with great arms, a great butt… they all motivate me to work out. Visualize what you want and go get it!”

9.  Meditating is a necessity. “If you take an hour out of your day to meditate, you will progress ten-fold. By staying mentally focused, you can let your worries go.”

10. Yoga is a great way to multi-task. “Yoga is the perfect way to de-stress and work out at the same time,” she says.

Compliments of The Beauty Bean in my words:

I think beauty is… something that comes from within. It’s a confidence, an attitude and an essence that can’t always be described, but is undeniable. Beauty isn’t strictly about physical. If the inside doesn’t match the outside, then the outside doesn’t matter…in my opinion.

I deal with the pressure for body “perfection” by… trying to eat healthy (I’m practically vegan, been vegetarian for over 10 years now, and I’m gluten-free) and doing some kind of cardio, dance, yoga or working out whenever I can. But the bottom line is that I really do it all for me – nobody else. It’s about what makes you happy and what makes you feel energetic, healthy and strong.

When the media analyzes or criticizes my body, or the bodies of others, I feel…like it’s completely rude, inappropriate and bad karma. Everyone should just take care of themselves the way they would like to and if you don’t have something good to say, please don’t say it at all. I feel like when anyone publicly criticizes someone else, especially with regard to appearance, it’s really just reflecting their own insecurities they have about themselves.

Compliments of SELF.com…

What healthy snacks did you rely on to charge you up in the middle of a long day filming?I love Kind Bars. They have so many flavors, are really healthy and taste great. If I’m running around and need to stop somewhere and grab something, I’ll often get the oatmeal at Starbucks and have them make it with soy milk–then I just add the fruit and nuts. It completely fills me up and doesn’t make me feel guilty the way eating crap does.

How do you stay fit and healthy?Besides ballet and yoga, I love it when I can get outside and take my dogs hiking. Anything that gets my heart racing a bit makes me feel like I’m doing something that’s good for me.What’s your guilty indulgence?I love chocolate! It’s the one time I’ll break my gluten free rule and just deal with my stomach possibly hurting. But it has to be really good chocolate for me to deal with the possible pain. Like a great, warm chocolate soufflé!

One way to do that is to find your happy place. For some people that might mean going on a walk in nature, maybe with their doggies. Seeing those happy, furry little faces can be enough to make anyone’s heart soar. Maybe reading a good book makes you happy. Or…shopping! Buy yourself something you’ve been wanting. They don’t call it therapy shopping for nothin’!

Another thing that can not only make you happy, but someone else as well, is a random act of kindness. It can be as easy as slowing down to hold the door for someone, or buying the person in line behind you a cup of coffee. Anything that is selfless, anything that can put a smile on someone else’s face-that can instantly take you from a lower level vibration to a place a little higher and maybe you’ll be less likely to have just one more bad thing happen to you that day.

Maybe you’ll avoid a disaster, like a car accident. Perhaps you won’t lose your job or break a bone. Yes, those are a bit extreme, but you see where I’m going with this. All negative things thrive on lower vibrations and that’s nowhere I want to be. And you must know someone who seems to live on that negative vibration all the time. You know, that person who’s a complete downer and every time they call you actually start getting a headache, or you feel drained of your life force. These are the people you’re best to start cutting out of your life. Trust me on this. Not everyone is meant to stay in your life forever. We are all living out our own karma and have our own path to journey down. Sometimes people cross your path simply to guide you in another direction. Sometimes you encounter people because you have past life issues to work out. But as soon as that karma is complete, it’s time to move on. You must always keep traveling forward and upward. Never get stuck. Never be stagnant. Never let someone pull you into a ditch with them! People love to have company in that ditch. Don’t fall into that trap. Take it from me-there’s nothing good down in that ditch.

And I want to share something that’s really important to remember-it’s sometimes hard to do-but it’s good to at least try to keep in mind. Challenges in life are the only way to gain good karma and basically points with God. Overcoming challenging situations and handling them with grace and style is how we elevate ourselves in this Universe. Nobody’s perfect-nobody handles every situation in the best way possible. But it’s a really good thing to remember the next time someone stabs you in the back or lies to you. Rather than seeking revenge, see it as them giving you a gift. They just gave you an opportunity to elevate your status in your karmic chain while they lowered their own with their negative act. And without these challenging situations, we’d never have opportunities to advance. So next time something bad happens, try to look at it in a whole new light. And by handling it in a positive way, your vibration will hopefully be raised enough that the next thing that happens to you will be something really good!

Code Purple’s Mission: 

In Africa, a child dies from malaria every 45 seconds. This life-threatening disease is caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through bites of infected mosquitoes. Highest at risk are poor communities who cannot afford treatment or have limited access to healthcare, trapping families in a downward spiral of poverty. Ninety percent of malaria related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

ING Activewear, Touch The World and the designers associated with this project are all personally committed to launching one of the largest initiatives to help prevent the millions of African children and adults from dying of malaria every year. Supporters will be playing a direct role to raise crucial funding needed to bring this technology to the masses for support, prevention and education to the more than 225 million cases of malaria reported each year worldwide.

But now comes the documentary called 5 On Monday-5 children. 5 countries. 5 Mondays. 1 deadly infection.

Statistically, if 5 children with malaria enter a hospital in Africa on Monday, 3 out of 5 of them won’t make it until Friday. That’s an alarming statistic and something we should definitely be paying more attention to. A lot of people would be surprised to know that malaria is a bigger killer in Africa than AIDS currently is. I know when I went to Africa, not only did malaria not worry me, but I stopped taking the malaria pills I was given because they were making me feel sick. I figured if I got sick I’d just take some medicine and get better. I had no idea how deadly of a disease it really was!

But something Robin has done is that he’s created a way to battle the disease, not by adding medicines or equipment to the hospitals in Africa, but by creating a way for people to stay safe and not get bitten. Avoiding the disease all together is a much better idea than battling it after you’re already sick. Moskeeto Armor™ is currently available in the form of a purple hoodie that protects people through a 3-weave system that has an inner weave that’s been treated to repel mosquitos. That weave never touches the body on either side, yet creates a barrier of protection around the wearer.

Currently the business model is that whenever someone buys a hoodie, another hoodie is given to someone who needs it in a high risk a region. He’s now coming up on the 1 year mark in Uganda since first distributing his Moskeeto Armor™, and everyone who has received the product has stayed safe from malaria. To see more on this, please watch this video.

The plans for Moskeeto Armor™ are vast and the future is starting to look much brighter for the people currently in a high risk zone for malaria.

Robin is hoping that this documentary will help raise awareness and education about malaria in order to truly fight this deadly disease and win. He’s currently trying to raise $100,000 per country to fund the filming he has planned in each area for 2 weeks. With a 10 week shooting schedule ahead and a start date in just over 50 days, his work is really cut out for him. But if anyone can do it, Robin and his team can!

If you want to learn more about Robin mission or how you can contribute, please check out the following links and spread the word. This is a charity, a mission and a man I truly believe in and support with all my being. I hope after reading everything & watching all the videos, you do too.

CODE PURPLE EVENT

5 ON MONDAY video

Dr. Oz: Sports Drink Spit

AJ tells Dr. Oz you can Boost Your Energy With the Sports-Drink Spit – A recent sequence of studies led by Asker Jeukendrup at the University of Birmingham, England, threatens to radically transform our understanding of how sports drinks work. In these studies, Jeukendrup has shown that simply rinsing the mouth with and spitting out a sports drinks enhances running performance as much as actually swallowing it.

Just spit it out and you don’t get the calories, swish and spit and your body thinks you have energy.

Dr. Oz Reprogram your Taste Buds to Lose Weight

Dr. Oz and AJ has 4 new ways to reprogram your taste buds, Sugar Splash, Cheeto Cheat, The Purée Slip and the Sounds of Silence. Even if you don’t like healthy foods AJ has a solution for it.

A.J. Jacobs has discovered ways to make healthy foods you may not like taste good. Here’s how:

Sugar Splash: A.J. Jacobs recommended a spoonful of sugar to help the vegetables go down. Studies show that dipping vegetables like cauliflower briefly into sugar water can make this cruciferous cancer-fighting food taste better, plus try adding a bit of brown sugar to Brussels sprouts.

Cheeto Cheat: Research shows that people think crunchy foods taste better, so AJ says to add some crunch to your veggies. Add sunflower seeds to your salad or try sautéed broccoli and top with a few crushed Cheetos.

The Purée Slip: Purées are a great secret weapon, purée cauliflower and/or summer squash, then add them to some whole-wheat macaroni and cheese. You’ll get the healthy veggies you need and also consume up to 300 fewer calories per meal.

The Sounds of Silence: Studies show that noise makes food taste worse. To achieve the opposite effect, try eating your veggies in a quite environment. You can also try wearing earplugs or a set of noise-cancelling headphones, or use AJ’s favourite earplugs “Surefire Earplugs” that were designed for law enforcement and available online.

What is foie gras?

On the left: a foie gras liver. On the right: a normal liver. (Photo courtesy PETA. Permission to use freely)

Foie gras – French for “fatty liver” – is the diseased and enlarged liver of a duck or goose, produced through force feeding.

The Animal Protection & Rescue League has investigated all three US foie gras farms and several in France and found rampant cruelty to be the norm. Compassion Over Killing sent an investigator to the largest US farm, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, on a guided tour with a hidden camera and also witnessed the standard cruelty that is required for foie gras production.

Two to three times a day, a worker grabs each bird, shoves a long, thick metal tube all the way down his throat, and an air pump shoots up to two pounds of corn mush into his esophagus.  The industry always refers to the dry weight of the feed, which is about one pound per feeding.  Adding oil and water doubles this weight, making it 20-30% of the bird’s healthy body weight.  Picture 30 one pound boxes of dry pasta and then add water. This is proportionally how much a 150 pound human would be force fed using this formula.

A duck’s liver naturally weighs around 50 grams. However, to qualify as foie gras, the industry’s own regulations require ducks’ livers to weigh an absolute minimum of 300 grams.

The vast amounts of feed pumped down the ducks’ throats causes enormous internal pressure, and the pipe sometimes punctures the esophagus, causing many to die from choking on the blood that fills their lungs. Some birds literally burst, choke to death on their own vomit, or become so weak that they are unable to fend off rats from eating them alive (click to see footage from Sonoma Foie gras–requires Windows Media Player). Other ducks die a slow, painful, and premature death by suffocation from inhalation of regurgitated feed. In fact, because of the massive toll taken on the birds during the force-feeding process, the average pre-slaughter mortality rate is up to twenty times higher than on other duck factory farms, according to the European Union’s Scientific Report on the subject.

According to the ASPCA, ”The birds’ livers become so enlarged…that according to documentation by veterinarians, the animals must experience unspeakable pain and suffering. Birds have literally exploded from these forced feedings. The results of necropsies on dead birds that have been force-fed reveal ruptured livers, throat damage, esophageal trauma, and food spilling from the dead animals’ throats and out of their nostrils.”

In addition to enduring force-feeding, the birds also suffer the same neglectful and abusive treatment of other factory-farmed animals: overcrowding, mutilations (the ends of their beaks are cut off), having all their natural instincts and desires–such as interacting in social groups, mating freely, keeping themselves clean, nurturing their young, exploring their surroundings–thwarted, and eventually being sent to a violent death by slaughter. Throughout the weeks of force-feeding, the birds are kept in either a group pen or an individual cage with only wire or plastic-mesh floors to stand and sleep on.

To make matters worse, the ducks and geese are housed without access to swimming water even though ducks need to be able to immerse themselves in water to remain healthy. Access to water on these farms is so limited that the ducks cannot adequately clean their nostrils and eyes, which can lead to blindness.

This is all for an overpriced, unhealthy appetizer that anyone can do without.  Please navigate this site to learn more about this issue and what you can do to end this barbaric practice.