What do Abraham Lincoln, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Charles Darwin, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Leonardo da Vinci and Gandhi all have in common?

They were all vegetarians!

Isn't it refreshing to know that the leaders of previous generations had the consciousness and compassion to love and respect the animal kingdom?!

For years, I have pondered the following questions:

-Is having reverence for animals something that one is born with, or is it something that is acquired, or taught, over the years of a lifetime?

-Why would a person want to eat an innocent animal? A person wouldn't eat his cat or dog, so what is the difference between a dog and a cow and a chicken and a cat?

-Why do human beings think they are superior to animals, when animals are the ones who are so spiritually evolved in their ability to love unconditionally, forgive and be loyal? (Think about how loving, loyal and forgiving your pets are to you...)

-Why do human beings feel it is ok for animals to be tortured?

"As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battle fields.*-Tolstoy

-Why do humans think that animals do not feel fear and pain? (Or do people just chose to bury their heads in the sand, because they feel that meat "tastes good", or they "need the protein"?)

I have been a vegetarian since I was a little girl, due to my love and devotion to my animal friends. Like many people, I believe I was born a vegetarian on a soul level.

At the age of six, I was forced me into one of those "last bite" routines, with a bite of roast, that sent my stomach into convulsions and caused me to get sick, while my mom was ironically reading me the book, "Curious George the Monkey." Needless to say, my meat eating days ended right there and then in front of my friend, George the Monkey. ( I think he sensed my angst!)

Right about now, you might be asking yourself, "Well, what does she eat, if she doesn't eat beef, pork, chicken or fish?" My answer is, "The other hundreds of food sources on the planet."

In addition to ethical reasons, if you suffer from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, stress, or if you smoke, I highly suggest cutting meat out of your diet for the sake of your health. Meat and animal fat can block your arteries and constrict the blood flow to your heart and brain, which can increase your risk for stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Also, the human body has a difficult time digesting meat and when meat is left in the body for an extended period of time, it can become toxic and contribute to colon cancer.

On an energetic and emotional level, "Meat is dead," says Dr. Deepak Chopra, because it does not have any prana (life force) remaining in it, which can contribute to depression, anger, mood swings and lethargy.

When I moved to Kansas City from California eight years ago, I initially had a very hard time getting vegetarian food when I went out to eat. However, I am thrilled to say that things have greatly changed in favor of saving the animals over the years, and that Kansas City now has many restaurants that offer delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes to accommodate your dining needs.

I have compiled a list of my favorite Kansas City vegetarian restaurants and veggie dishes in hopes of increasing the awareness of these options for those of you interested in cutting meat out of your diet:

Eden's Alley, located in the basement of Unity Temple on the Plaza, offers a full menu of vegetarian and vegan dishes, more than any restaurant in K.C., bless them! The spinach loaf with sweet potatoes is my favorite entree on the menu and their veggie burger, with garlic mashed potatoes, has more than enough flavor to help the hamburger lover gracefully make the shift to being a vegetarian. In addition, their garnets and greens salad and the Betty Bailey salad are the perfect choice for a side salad, or as an entire meal. The portions at Eden's Alley are very generous and reasonably priced.

Blue Koi, located on 39th Street, just east of State Line, offers many vegetarian and vegan dishes as well. My favorite main course is "ants on a tree" with tofu and my favorite soups are the vegetarian won ton and the vegetarian noodle, with little corn on the cobs and tofu. Their "crispy tofu with awesome sauce" is one of the best things I have ever tasted in my life! I also love their vegetarian dumplings.

Blue Bird Bistro, located at 17th and Summit, has many vegetarian dishes, including a green curry dish with many fresh vegetables, organic coconut milk, served over jasmine rice. They also have two different salads, made of organic mixed greens with lemon or blueberry vinaigrette dressings. In addition, they serve edamames, which are a fun source of soy, and black bean quesadillas.

PF Chang's, located on the Plaza, has wonderful vegetarian offerings, such as their tofu lettuce wraps, vegetable dumplings, veggie fried rice and coconut curry tofu and vegetables. The sugar snap peas sautéed with garlic are tasty as well.

New Peking, located in Westport, behind Chilies, has my favorite vegetable fried rice and they will add fried or steamed tofu to the rice, and edit the egg if you are a vegan. I love to add their sweet and sour sauce to this dish as well. They serve very GENEROUS portions of veggie rice, which I greatly appreciate, because I am a lousy cook, so this way I always have enough food to take home with me for lunch the next day. (Oh the joy of left -overs in a lonely fridge!)

Cafe Seed, KC's only ALL vegan restaurant! The veggie burger and fries are my favorite dish and they have great salads and vegan cupcakes, joy! Great weekend brunches as well: 2932 Cherry: www.cafeseed.com: 816-561-7333. Please call in your order in ahead of time.

Chipolte: Main Street and 39th Street: Vegetarian Burrito, make it vegan with no cheese or sour cream. Add extra guacamole and salsa for more flavor.

I appreciate you being open minded to my suggestions and for allowing me the opportunity to be a voice for the animals who can not speak for themselves. I feel it is our responsibility as human beings to take care of the animals who can not defend themselves, as we would care and protect a baby, a puppy, or a kitten. I hope and pray that you will open your hearts to acknowledging the divinity within all living beings and the practice of ahimsa (nonviolence), by adding more vegetarian and vegan dishes to your lifestyle.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."** -Gandhi

A Prayer for Loving Kindness (Metta):
May all beings be filled with loving kindness,
May all beings be well,
May all beings be peaceful and at ease,
May all beings be happy.

Namaste
Kathleen Kastner
Owner of Maya Yoga
Exercise Physiologist M.S.

.*www.choices.cs.uiuc.edu/~f-kon/vegetarian.html
** "Peace to All Beings- Veggie Soup for the Chicken's Soul," by Judy Carman of Lawrence, KS.Missouri