think you can do it?

so you have this nasty habit that you want to break.

you consider giving it up for lent, hoping that doing without it for 40 days** will cure you of your addiction. or obsession. or compulsion. or whatever it is that makes you want to do something that's bad for you. or for someone you know.

maybe you succeed. maybe you don't. but at least you tried.

that's exactly what the ladies from your daily thread -- aka lauren and tracy -- and their partner, eco-publisher chelsea green, are hoping will happen when you join their cause and pledge to...

go meatless in may!

they're trying to spread awareness about how eating less meat can slow down global warming; in other words,

The raising of livestock (animals for human consumption), specifically factory farming is a major contributor of green house gases that pollute our planet. The raising of these animals creates 18% of global greenhouse gases, more than all of the world's cars and SUVS.

so when they say "go meatless", what exactly do they suggest you give up?

well, in general usage, "livestock" refers to domestic animals raised on a farm; it includes cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and pigs. and depending on whose definition you decide to go with, it may or may not include poultry; that is, chickens, turkeys, and ducks.

so pick the level of "sacrifice" you think you can live with for 31 days, and pledge to commit to it!

and if you're on facebook, become a fan of the meatless in may page so you can see which of your friends you'll want to eat with this coming month :)

speaking of eating, here are some vegan/vegetarian restaurants that you might want to try. feel free to order anything on the menu, because you won't find any meat in any of their dishes:

bulan thai - locations in los angeles and silverlake
california vegan - locations in hollywood and west los angeles
cinnamon vegetarian - 5511 n. figueroa st, highland park
euphoria loves rawvolution - 2301 main st, santa monica
fatty's - 1627 colorado blvd, eagle rock
follow your heart - 21825 sherman way, canoga park
govinda's - 3764 watseka ave, los angeles
green temple - 1700 s. catalina ave., redondo beach
happy veggie - 709 n. pacific coast h, redondo beach
leaf organics -locations in culver city, sherman oaks, and redondo beach
lotus vegan - 5038 vineland ave, north hollywood
madeleine bistro - 18621 ventura blvd, tarzana
native foods - 1110 1/2 gayley ave, westwood
paru's indian vegetarian - 5140 sunset blvd, hollywood
planet raw (aka juliano's raw) - 609 broadway, santa monica
samosa house - 11510 washington blvd, culver city
the spot - 110 second st, hermosa beach
real food daily - locations in santa monica and west hollywood
vegan express - 3217 cahuenga blvd, los angeles
vegan glory - 8393 beverly blvd, los angeles
veggie grill - 720 allied way, el segundo
vinh loi tofu - 18625 sherman way, reseda

there are many more places listed on the vegetarians in paradise website - click here to check out their list of restaurants in the LA area.

by the way, if you need more incentive to give up eating meat, pick up a copy of karen dawn's thanking the monkey: rethinking the way we treat animals to learn more about how farm animals are raised and slaughtered. i brought it on the plane with me on my recent trip to boston and i couldn't put it down. not only is it clearly-written and very informative, but it has photos and illustrations -- cartoons, even! -- on almost every page. warning: while all the colorful pictures might give one the impression that it's a happy book with a happy storyline, it's actually quite depressing, especially if you can't handle the truth...

** here's a bit of trivia for you: did you ever wonder why lent is said to be 40 days long, yet there are more than 40 days between ash wednesday and easter sunday? here's why:

The season of Lent spans 40 weekdays beginning on Ash Wednesday and climaxing during Holy Week with Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday), Good Friday, and concluding Saturday before Easter... Since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays that occur during Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent, and are referred to as the Sundays in Lent. -- from The Season of Lent, CRI/Voice Institute

just know that this doesn't give you permission to eat meat on sunday during the challenge! :)