Believing strongly about the welfare of other creatures is great. Being so annoying that you isolate yourself from an entire country or just your friends at dinner is not so great.

Case inpoint: A vegan and animal rights activist in New Zealand, Nancy Holden, has been denied citizenship to Switzerland twice because her neighbors find her to be an annoying vegan. Shes complained about cow bells, hunting, and piglet racing, as well as the church bells being too noisy.

In Switzerland, local residents of the community youre trying to live in have a say in whether theyll accept you into the country. Thats a wild concept to Americans, who simply put up with whatever bananas neighbors theyre given.

Holten told The Local:

I think I was too strident and spoke my mind too often. Many people think that I am attacking their traditions. But that was not what it was about, it was never about that. What primarily motivated me about the cowbells was the animals welfare.

Complaining to your new Swiss neighbors about their traditions isnt the only way vegans can be annoying and were all pretty annoying when we take ourselves too seriously. Here are a few more ways the vegan in your party might piss off the rest of the gang, and what to say next.

No: Unprompted debate challenges in general

If someones going to the effort to mindfully change their lifestyle, theyve probably done a lot of homework on it before even reaching the table. Everyone should be so well informed but its not an excuse to take any opening to educate your dinner dates on the ills of factory farming and the food industrial complex. Maybe talk about the really adorable goat who dresses up like a duck, instead?

No: Commentary on how gross other peoples food looks

This is super rude for anyone, vegan or not, but if you find yourself at a burger joint surrounded by ground beef done rare, its tempting to gag a little when images of happy cows dance through your head. Either excuse yourself from the meal if its too overwhelming, or focus on your black bean burger or faux bloody meat.

No: Damning everyone to foodie hell

Veganism is a choice, and a pretty admirable one in willpower and commitment to ones beliefs. But everyone makes their own choices for personal reasons, and your own health and wellbeing should come first. When food and morals get tied up together, things get heated. Being judgmental on either side wont help anyone change minds instead, vegans and non-vegans should try to lower their defenses and learn from one another.

No: Bragging when youve pull off a trick

If you bring amazing brownies to a potluck and everyones oblivious to their vegan-ness, dont take the temptation to shout Surprise! Theyre vegan! By the same token, try to be aware of what other peoples food preferences might be when youre an omnivore. Not everyone can eat your three-meat four-cheese lasagna creation. A trick we dont want to see pulled off: Putting animal fat in cash. Ew.

No: Saying anything at all about eggs

Dont take the time at brunch to inform everyone that eggs are chicken periods. Just, no.

They somehow prompt other people to bitch about vegans

Thanks a lot!

Read more:

5 easy ways not to be a totally annoying vegan - Salon

Is Umamis new Impossible burger actually vegan?

Apparently some vegans are running into issues when ordering the new Impossible Burger being rolled out across Umami Burgers in Los Angeles. The problem: They may think theyre getting a vegan burger, but thats not actually the case.

Despite the patty itself being vegan, some meatless bloggers have reportedly run into issues because the bun, sauce, and parts of the finishing process are decidedly not so. Eater reached out to Umami to confirm, though regardless it is worth noting that the Impossible Burger team isnt focused on making a fully vegan burger (bun and all), but instead catering to regular meat-eaters with a more sustainable and similar alternative. There was some apparent confusion when vegan bloggers got served Impossible Burgers with cheese on them at a recent event in Los Angeles, but Umami says only a handful of those in attendance even wanted their burgers made that way.

Heres what Umami has to say:

The Impossible Burger patty was created entirely from plants making it vegan, yes, but its intent is for people who love meat, not vegans. It's a delicious option with sustainability benefits using 95% less land, 74% less water and creates 87% less greenhouse gas emissions, while being 100% free of hormones, antibiotics, and artificial ingredients. While their standard preparation isn't vegetarian or vegan, it's easy to order it that way. Wed like to note, Umami Burger has never claimed that the Impossible Burger would be vegan, just the patty as created by Impossible Foods, is vegan.

Immigrant dinners

Momed in Atwater Village is making its own mark as a place for immigrants to come share their stories and feed people. As LA Times notes, the tucked-away eatery is doing a series of thoughtful dinners aimed at highlighting Americas immigrant issues.

Cascabel Taco Shop is live

Looks like an official opening this week for Cascabel Taco Shop in the Valley. The casual offshoot is now doing lunch right off Riverside Drive.

Tacolandias full reveal

The final, full lineup for this years Tacolandia party is live. The annual event lands this year on June 17, and includes some of the best and biggest names making tacos here and elsewhere, from All Flavor No Grease to the famed Zamora Bros.

Paella on the patio

Saturdays are about to get more interesting thanks to La Carmencita on Highland. The seafood-focused West Hollywood-adjacent space is starting their brunch this weekend, including an ongoing paella project that gets cooked off right on the patio.

Talking about tipping

Caroline Styne of the Lucques Group talks all things tipping, service charges, and back of house staffing in this new interview with the LA Times. Its an interesting insiders look at just how hard it still is to run a restaurant, even one as successful as the 19-year-old Lucques.

Elysian has closed

The quiet Elysian restaurant in Frogtown has closed for dinner, some six years after starting as a pop-up and occasional restaurant space. They leave behind the below note on social media, on their website.

See the original post here:

Vegans Angry at Umami for Serving the New Impossible Burger With Lots of Dairy - Eater LA

Photo courtesy of Janet Kearney

Thanks to hyperbolic media outlets and widespread misinformation, figuring out how to raise vegan kids can be a tough (and lonely) experience.

But thanks to a rapidly expanding Facebook group Vegan Pregnancy and Parenting plant-based moms and dads now have somewhere to turn.

Janet Kearney came acrossthe group a few years ago when she was pregnant with her son and couldnt find any relevant info. Itwas small and not being managed regularly, so she took over. Since then, the numbers have grown exponentiallyand it now includes over 20,000vegan parents.

All kinds of questions are asked and answered in the group. Particularly: how to navigate well meaning orworriedfamily members and friends, explains Kearney. From how to politely ask them to stop with animal products, or to have tactful conversations about boundaries. Its difficult, because the majority of the time, people are just genuinely worried, that the kids arent getting enough calcium or the dreaded p word [PROTEIN]. The community is there to arm them with facts, like, a cup of oatmeal has the same calcium as a cup of yogurt. So that the next time, they can have calm conversations.

The aim of the group is to bring awareness and information to vegan parents around the world through nutrition, articles, and general questions and answers, says Kearney. And its not just a Facebook group. Kearney is working on an official website, which will hopefully be live at the end of August.

I have a great team of people so far contributing towards it: a doctor, a midwife, a scientist, chefs, all plant-based, she says. So members dont have to scroll through the thousands of questions in the group to find something out, and its more organized. Im also trying to create a mini series on Why I went Vegan for the website. A collection of short stories from members, on why they went vegan and how their life has changed.

All in all, the group is asupport system. And hopefully a means of combating myths and misinformation about vegan families. Because whats more wholesome than not causing harm?

There is a misconception that vegans are hippies who sustain on fruits and nuts not your typical suburban family, says Kearney. So it would nice to show that, Nope, were exactly the same as you, we just dont eat animals.

Follow Latest Vegan News onFacebook, on Instagram and Twitter(@LatestVeganNews), and sign up to receive ourdaily headlines in your inbox here.

Original post:

Growing Group Wants to Help Parents Raise Vegan Kids - Latest Vegan News

A 7-month-old baby in Belgium tragically died as a result of the strict diet his parents fed him, which exclusively consisted of gluten-free and lactose-free foods, as well as quinoa milk.

According to the New York Post, the baby's parents, who have only been identified as Peter S., 34, and Sandrina V., 30, self-diagnosed him with food allergies without consulting a doctor first.

"The parents determined their own diagnosis that their child was gluten intolerant and had a lactose allergy," public prosecutors said in court. "Not a single doctor had a dossier about Lucas and child protection services did not know about them."

In court, Lucas' parents claimed that they never took him to a doctor because they didn't notice that anything was seriously wrong with their child.

"Lucas had an eating disorder," Van Meirvenne, the parents' attorney, told the court. "He got cramps when he was fed with a bottle and his parents tried out alternatives."

His mother added that sometimes Lucas would gain a little weight and then lose it, which she thought was natural.

Eventually, the pair did take the child to a homeopathic doctor, who insisted they take him to a real hospital after observing the child's condition.

By the time they did, it was too late.

The 7 month old weighed just 9.47 pounds when he died in 2014, which is half the size of the average baby his age, according to The Independent.

According to the Daily Mail, a prayer card was also found tucked into the baby's diaper at his time of death.

An autopsy found that his stomach was completely empty when he passed away, and his official cause of death was ruled dehydration and malnutrition.

Both parents are both facing up to 18 months in prison for contributing to the death of their son.

(h/t Rare)

Read the rest here:

Malnourished baby dies after parents fed him insanely strict vegan ... - AOL

image via Eat Drink Vegan/Instagram

Eight years ago, in the noisy West Hollywood parking lot of the legendary Roxy Theatre, history was in the making. But it wasnt a soon-to-be-stadium rock band making its Los Angeles debut; it was the first installation of the Vegan Beer Festival, now a rock star in its own right, better known these days as the Eat Drink Vegan festival.

What started with a handful of beer vendors and a few food trucks has morphed into a destination event for vegans and omnivores as well as beer lovers (and there are plenty of non-beer alternatives). Next weekend, the festival will take over the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, with more than one hundred food vendors, ninety breweries, dozens of kombucha brews, wines, and cold brew coffees, and a fifty-vendor deep lifestyle pop-up shop all promoting veganism.

Co-founder Nic Adler says the festivals growth mirrors the booming vegan scene in LA, which was just named the most vegan friendly city in the U.S. by VegNews.

When we first started, it was a beer festival and a few food booths, says Adler. But the food really took off after Adler invited local staple vegan restaurants including Doomies, Sage, and Caf Gratitude to the event. Coupled with the rising popularity of Instagram, people were seeing the drool-worthy food and drink photos and the event became a legit vegan destination, creating in its wake a vegan festival scenein LA no other city has even come close to replicating.

I think we stopped talking about it and just let the pictures speak for themselves, Adler says of the festivals eclectic food and drinks, and the good vibes.

Vegan food, once, and often still, written off as a deprivation diet of steamed vegetables and brown rice is one of the hottest food trends today, especially on Instagram. The festival partners with Instagram influencers for a combined reach of more than 4 million followers that help drive ticket sales and interest in the vendors long after the event wraps up.

By always using Instagram as base for promotion weve really created this community there that transfers well to real life, says Adler.

This years event features several vendors without a daily Los Angeles presence (yet), like Portlands Sizzle Pie and New Yorks Chickpea & Olive, which Adler says is the same as bringing in talent (like musicians). Youve got to fly them in, get them set up and supported, just like a band.

Just like the fashion world is now pivoting away from the traditional runway shows in New York and Paris for pop-up shows in LAs (usually) perfect weather, the food industry is showing the same interest in the market. Whether its a pop-up restaurant or an exclusive booth at a festival like EDV, theres mutual interest from the brands and the locals in bringing the best of the vegan world to LA.

Of course, its also an extremely popular event for local businesses, too.

When we started participating, therewerentany vegan donuts in LA, says Josh Levine, founder of San Francisco-based Donut Farm, which now operates a Los Angeles location in Silver Lake, the citys vegan epicenter. [It] had already been years of people asking us to bring our donuts down there, and we love sharing what we do! We love letting people know about the importance of organic food, and why a vegan diet makes a difference.

Despite the brand and attendee interest in the festival(Adler expects more than 8,000 people this year), less than four percent of the total (U.S.) population is vegetarian, and an estimated half-percent of that is vegan. But you wouldnt know that based on the interest and social buzz EDV and other vegan festivals garner.

Being vegan has come a long way, but its still not easy, says Mikey McKennedy, co-founder of Sizzle Pie. Its ignored by many restaurant menus or at best just an afterthought. Theres a community that forms because of that.

In fact, its that word vegan that Adler says is the festivals Achilles heel. That longstanding misconception that vegan food tastes bad, that its a sacrifice bland, boring food swallowed down bitterly by aggressive animal rights activists in between splashing people in fur coats with red paint. Veganism as a movement may still have an image problem, but thanks to social media and the family of influencers, its beautiful images that may be the solution to remedying that.

As a semi-sleep-deprived dad just recently for the second time and a festival producer (Adler also books the food vendors for Coachella), Adlers enthusiasm isnt compromised. Its actually quite infectious as he describes the event with a joyful buoyancy. We transport you into a vegan Disneyland, says the longtime vegan. But its not just for vegans - you bring your five friends. You give anybody some beer and a couple of donuts and theyre like aw man, I can be vegan.

I feel like its a natural inevitability with the growing popularity of veganism that we would celebrate and promote what we all do, says Levine. And people, including myself, every year are exposed to new things and get to taste new things

Adler agrees. I think most food festivals or beer fests attract a different kind of crowd, he says. Eat Drink Vegan brings in a core millennial crowd, and about three girls to every guy. It makes for a very no bros vibe, he says. Its almost like this love fest, and were all so proud of each other, like music breaking out and getting on the radio. We make each other better.

The food and beer are deliciously motivating, but the event is also a platform for discussing the benefits of the vegan diet, diving into that blur between the gorgeous photos of delicious vegan food and the not-so-gorgeous realities of factory farming and its impact.

Honestly, our goal is to get people thinking about ingredients, says Levine. Organic palm shortening saves lives and habitats, so thats all well use even though it costs more to buy. Organic and fair trade chocolate is important because its not contributing to slavery in third world countries. Saving animals and not contributing to human suffering is where we can make a difference in what foods we buy, he says.

Levines observation mirrors the growing trends in the food industry.

The made-up bucolic farm imagery often found on milk cartons to hide the reality that it was produced in a dark, dank factory farm by cows tethered, drugged, and beaten, is a sales tool of industries moving into extinction. With millennials now steering the market, theyre spending more money on high-quality food than on clothing, a shift away from shopping habits of previous generations. Theyre cooking at home more often and seeking cleaner, fresher, and more exciting ingredients. Theyre also more likely to gravitate toward businesses that value transparency. Companies selling vegan food and products are quick to discuss their ingredients, how theyre sourced, produced, and the impacts theyre not having on the planet as in not creating as many greenhouse gases as livestock production, not putting as much pressure on natural resources, and, of course, not contributing to the widespread animal sufferinginherent in raising animals for food.

I think the future will see vegan food become [a bigger] necessity, says Gary Huerta, Partner of Cena Vegan, a Latin American inspired food truck.

The positive result is companies like ours are poised to deliver high-quality products that are healthy, delicious, and seen as a preferred choice, not a compromise.

That choice was once seen as strictly a sacrifice for ethics, but veganism is now regarded as not just a sustainable choice, but also the healthiest diet choice by the worlds leading doctors, scientists, and nutritionists. Late last year the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the largest organization of nutritionists, came out in support of veganism as a diet appropriate for every stage of the life cycle.

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases, the group wrote inits announcement last December.

But while vegan popularity grows, its the Meatless Mondays and other flexitarian omnivorous diets that are the biggest drivers of the plant-based category growth. (I did a Google search and vegan gets 344 million search results compared to paleo, the popular heavily animal-based diet, which clocks in at just 85 million.) Nondairy milks lead the advance with brands seeing triple-digit sales spikes while conventional dairy sales are flat or on the decline (with the exception of organic and grass-fed dairy, which is also on the increase, signaling consumer interest in more humane animal products). But innovation is happening in all categories, from meats and milks to cheese, butter, and even vegan eggs.

Innovative products are appearing in new markets every day, says DanielleRicciardi, co-founder and CEO of Chickpea & Olive, making its EDV debut this year, being vegan is easy, accessible, and state of the art.

About the time EDV kicked off in 2010, vegan food just started to begin to reap itslong overdue mainstream acceptance.

Even six years ago, people used to sneer and cross the street when they saw the word vegan on our menu, or assume it was all bland tofu (for the record, we are now selling tofu, we are bringing it to EDV, and we swear it tastes like chicken), says Ricciardi. Those days are long gone. Modern vegan businesses are leading the innovation in every field they compete in. Most of our customers are not even vegetarian, but we capture their attention with delicious food. Consumers can unwittingly make compassionate choices, and in the process become excited for similar experiences.

Chef Wes Lieberher, Executive Chef of Beer Belly, a bar and restaurantin LAs Koreatown thats begun serving more vegan options, says the festival is a great way to not only showcase its vegan offerings, but to find inspiration as well. Lieberher has been eating a plant-based diet himself for the last six months and says it has been an eye-opening experience.

His recent foray is an example of whats happening all around the country as people start experimenting with reducing their consumption of animal products.

If Cena Vegan, and other companies like us can get carnivores to start substituting our products for meat, even if its one or two times a week, well have an immediate and positive impact on their health and the welfare of the planet, says Huerta. And if we convert some of those to a vegan way of life, we all win even bigger.

It is so exciting to be a part of this industry and to bring a clean and tasty product to the public, says MelissaSchulman, founder of Yoga-urt, a vegan and organic frozen yogurt shopin Glendale.

Together, we vegan food producers are pioneering a category of cuisine that is sustainable, one that people will be eating for a long time to come, saysCharles Fyffe, CEO and founder of Charlies Brownies. Compassion and sustainability is the way of the future. The passion behind why we make food this way drives us not only to make it taste and look as good, but even better than the original non-vegan versions we grew up with. Seeing the movement grow as we do, and become more widespread and popular is probably the most exciting part of it all.

For Ricciardi, its all about the consciousness shift, which she says is happening globally.

People are learning how food is grown, treated, and raised. They are learning that they dont need animal proteins to be healthy or get protein. The health myths are being busted and the environmental benefits to plant based diets are too great to be ignored, she says.

Nakul and Arjun Mahendro of Badmaash, an Indian gastropub in downtown LA that isnt entirely vegan, say its whole food and vegetable-based dishes are in higher and higher demand these days. The world is changing, people are not blindfolded anymore, we are all waking up and realizing that theres something wrong with the way were eating.

People think being a vegan is a huge inconvenience, say first time festival vendors Staci Stewart and Chris Chavez, co-founder of the vegan Word of Mouth Truck. They dont want to give up foods that they were raised on, or they think vegan food is weird and gross, which couldnt be farther from the truth.

Stewart and Chavez say a lot of it has to do with willful ignorance about our food system. Most consumers dont want to know or are unaware of the impacts eating meat has on the environment, the unspeakable animal cruelty that takes place, and not to mention how it effects their health.

I think we address the problem by educating and listening to one another. Its easy to shut out people who disagree with you, the challenge for both is in having an honest conversation about each others point of view, says Stewart and Chavez.The more you can open someones eyes will help to open their heart, and the evolution of ones self is inevitable.

Were beyond arguing whether our planet can support a carnivorous diet it cant, says Huerta.

Without stages full of bands like Coachella, its the forward-thinking vendors who are the rock stars at Eat Drink Vegan. Each brings not just their own unique foods, drinks, and products, but, like the greatest of rock stars, their own creative invitation to reflect, to contemplate. In this case its a call to look at just how deep our food and lifestyle choices really go. And at this vegan event at least, it is no longer about focusing on the atrocities of animal suffering, but looking at the celebration that it now can be so easily, and deliciously avoided. That a longstanding vegan festival of this magnitude exists is a victory in and of itself worthy of revel.

Theres a really cool culture happening around this. Its this ecosystem that everyone is talking about, says Adler.

People want to be a part of that.

The Eat Drink Vegan festival comes to the Pasadena Rose Bowl Saturday May 27th. Tickets are available here.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

Related on Organic Authority

This is How to Make the Best Vegan Ice CreamThese Vegan Lentil Meatballs Prove Plants are the Superior ProteinIn Los Angeles, a Vegan Music and Food Festival Inspires

Jill Ettinger is a Los Angeles-based journalist and editor focused on the global food system and how it intersects with our cultural traditions, diet preferences, health, and politics. She is the senior editor for sister websites OrganicAuthority.com and EcoSalon.com, and works as a research associate and editor with the Cornucopia Institute, the organic industry watchdog group. Jill has been featured in The Huffington Post, MTV, Reality Sandwich, and Eat Drink Better. http://www.jillettinger.com.

Originally posted here:

LA's Eat Drink Vegan Festival Delivers a Long Overdue Celebration - Organic Authority

Theres a vegan movement sweeping the Twin Cities now heralded by the arrival of vegan croissants at Eureka Compass Vegan Food opening soon in St. Paul. First, we had the nations first vegan butcher in Northeast, then the flood of excitement for a small restaurant in St. Paul and now a pop up is planting roots at 629 Aldine Street in the Midway neighborhood.

The business is the work of Colin Anderson who began with pop ups selling his vegan croissants and tamales. His plan had been to slowly work up to an actual restaurant space, when the opportunity presented itself to takeover the former Eden Pizza. The plan is to sell pastries in the morning, a lunch menu midday and then open for the occasional ticketed dinner.

Hours will unfold as Anderson gets settled into the space, but for now, the ovens are turning on for Memorial Day weekend. Stop by for several varieties of the animal-product-free croissants next Friday May 26 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday May 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Read the original:

Another Vegan Eatery Will Open Soon - Eater Twin Cities - Eater Twin Cities (blog)

Here is what you'll need!

VEGAN PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

3 cups jackfruit, either fresh or canned

teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire

cup vegan barbecue sauce

Preheat your oven to 350F/180C.

If using fresh jackfruit, line your work surface with plastic wrap.

Oil a large knife and cut the jackfruit in half, then into quarters.

Carefully remove the core of the jackfruit by cutting into it at an angle.

Pull each fruit out and remove its seeds and outer coating.

Rinse the fruit thoroughly.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pan or Dutch oven.

Add the onions and garlic, and cook until translucent.

Add the jackfruit, spices, Worcestershire, and liquid smoke. Stir to coat evenly.

Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the fruit has broken down.

Spread the jackfruit on a prepared baking sheet and bake at 350F/180C for 45 minutes, until the liquid has baked out and the jackfruit has a deeper brown color.

Pour the vegan barbecue sauce over the jackfruit, mix and return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Serve warm on vegan buns with vegan coleslaw.

Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.

Originally posted here:

Vegan Pulled Pork Sandwiches | Food and Cooking | journalstar.com - HuskerExtra.com

Whether its for the animals, the environment, or your own health, going vegan is easier than ever, and word is getting out. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics asserts that eating vegan is appropriate for all stages of the life-cycle and that plant-based foods are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Now the Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center in California is giving its doctors, nurses, and other medical staff the information and tools that they need in order to help themselvesand via extension, their patientsmake the switch to delicious, healthy plant-based meals.

By attending cooking demonstrations and nutrition classes, health professionals at the medical center will gain useful skills and knowledge about vegan eating that they can then pass on to their patients, helping the entire community eat healthier and lower the risk of developing many common diseases. The program even includes a 21-day vegan challenge to help people change their habits.

Kaiser Permanente staff members have already learned that one useful tool for getting into vegan cooking is jackfruit, which has a meaty texture that makes it a perfect meat replacement in many dishes.

Tip: You can find seasoned, prepackaged jackfruitin many stores.

13 Jackfruit Recipes That Will Blow Your Mind

The staff is practicing what it preaches: One nurse says that she has already lost 14 pounds since jumping into the program. She told reporters, If Im trying to teach my patients how to eat, I need to be doing the same thing.

Youve come to the right place. No matter where you live or work, PETA can help you get started on the path to a vegan lifestyle. Order our free vegan starter kit, bookmark our two-week vegan meal plan, browse hundreds of plant-based recipes, and get weekly tips sent directly to your inbox by signing up for PETA Living E-News using the form below!

All fields in bold are mandatory.

By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our collection, storage, use, and disclosure of your personal info in accordance with our privacy policy as well as to receiving e-mails from us.

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Doctors and Nurses Go Vegan to Teach Patients How to Do It, Too - PETA (blog) (press release)

A study from New Mexico State University found that 20-minute naps at school can have benefits for high schoolers and college students.

Ray Bogan, Fox News , KIDY 1:28 PM. CDT May 18, 2017

LAS CRUCES, NM - Between studying, work and clinicals, Sabrina Romero is busy becoming a nurse. But Romero has struggled with anxiety over the last year because of an increased workload and the death of her sister.

And with figuring out how to control my anxiety related to what happened with my life and also with school. The sleep pod helped me a lot to relax myself, Romero said.

Romero says taking 20-minute naps in the EnergyPod has decreased her anxiety and increased her test scores.

The sleep pod helped me to calm down and focus on the questions and what its asking me and do my best, Romero said.

Participants get in the EnergyPod and close the barrier. For 20 minutes, they sleep to relaxing music and mellow lighting.

When the cycle is over, they are woken up by vibrations and louder, more intense music.

These teens are coming to school exhausted. Theyre falling asleep in school, theyre falling asleep in gym, theyre becoming obese, theyre not exercising. So, here, if they can [spend] 20 minutes in a nap to rejuvenate, its better than nothing.

After participants used the EnergyPod, researchers found that there was a big difference in high schoolers mood, but not a big difference in their vital signs. But preliminary findings show there is a big difference in college students vital signs.

Those are objective findings. Its really hard to fake a pulse or fake respiration, so that was very significant for us.

Nurses believe if nothing else, the nap is a 20-minute disconnect from electronics.

Participants slept for 20 minutes to get refreshed, but any longer can put them in a deep sleep and lead to grogginess and more fatigue.

The university says their program is also gaining attention from schools all around the country.

2017 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved.

Read the original post:

University Tests School Nap Pods to Reduce Stress | MYFOXZONE ... - myfoxzone.com

Weekend Magazine: You were born in the United Kingdom before you relocated to the United States. How much has being away from Nigeria influenced your style of music?

Demi Grace: The UK has influenced my idea on musical success. As a child in London, I was constantly listening to artists from the US. As an adult, I noticed I started to associate success with reach. If you were known in the US and the UK, then you have reach. I also listened to R&B and rock in London, so I developed an appreciation for multiple genres.

WM: If you grew up in Nigeria, do you think you would have still been a singer?

Grace: If you had asked me this question when I was fourteen years old, I probably would have said no. However, with what I know now about destiny, Im sure I would have found myself in music somehow, even if it was just a hobby.

WM: How encouraging were your parents to your dream of becoming an artist?

Grace: My parents became more supportive of my music as soon as I got my Bachelors Degree.

WM: Your songs have undertones of Afro-pop. How would you describe your kind of music?

Grace: I would describe my music as Pop.

WM: How did your career as a singer begin?

Grace: My career began in Los Angeles while pursuing a modeling career. I met Marc Littlejohn at a casting where he was managing a rock band at the time called A Warrior Nation. He asked if I wanted to sing back-up. Eager for experience, I agreed and sang back-up for the band during college.

WM: You have a racially diverse band presently. Is that intentional?

Grace: Its intentional for me to reflect racial diversity in my live shows because that is actually how I see the world. I grew up in cities that were racially diverse.

WM: What were your early influences in music?

Grace: TLC and Michael Jackson were my earliest musical influences that I can remember. Of course, I was influenced by many more artists, but those are the earliest images and sounds I can remember.

WM: You are passionate about empowering women. To what extent have you been able to achieve that?

Grace: I would like to think I have been able to empower women in my career thus far. Empowering women in the music industry is a journey, not a destination. Its something that I keep in mind when creating music, videos, fashion, and so on. I believe it is something that will motivate me through the rest of my career.

WM: In 2014 you released a track, We Are Not Alone dedicated to the missing Chibok school girls. Do you intend to do another song, especially now that some of the girls have been released?

Grace: I havent considered making another song in honor of their release, however, I am constantly following the progress of the girls any way I can and sharing it on my platform. I hope and pray that they are able to return to a progressive and positive life after what they have been through.

WM: You have worked with artists such as Davido and Banky W. How would you describe the experience?

Grace: Banky W. was lovely to work with. Hes a nice guy, a gentleman. I hosted a party with him in NYC. It was short lived but a pleasant and positive experience nonetheless. I opened for Davido at a concert in NYC, that was a very interesting experience too as it was my first time performing for a predominantly Nigerian crowd.

WM: What Nigerian artists do you look forward to collaborating with?

Grace: I really cant wait to work with Don Jazzy. Hes a genius and more than anything I can literally hear the fun hes having creating. I would also want to know what collaboration with Yemi Alade would sound like. I really like that she isnt afraid to be aggressive in her music.

WM: Aside featuring in advertisements for brands such as Chevrolet and Sephora, you recently modeled for Pantene Pro-V, a brand of hair care product owned by Procter and Gamble. Do you see yourself giving more time to modeling more than you do music?

Grace: I see myself eventually giving more time to music because that was my original purpose for modeling in the first place. Earlier in our interview when I told you I started my music career from a connection I made at a casting call for modeling, I saw that as an idea that I can continue to network and promote my brand as an artist through modeling. Both fields are connected, but the higher priority for me is music.

WM: How do you relax?

Grace: Ironically enough, I relax by listening to music created ten or more years prior to whichever day Im listening. I like to take trips down memory lane. Theres something very relaxing and euphoric in musical memories for me.

WM: What are you working on at the moment?

Grace: I am working on a few new single releases. What makes this project special to me is that my co-producer, Jay Karnell, and I are creating each song from scratch which Im not used to doing at all. I am also creating all of the graphics for each single. Challenging but exciting! The project should be fully released by the end of the summer.

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Home or abroad, music would've found me Demi Grace - Daily Trust