Kite Hill’s vegan cheeses taste so much like the real deal that Whole Foods signed an exclusive deal with the dairy-free cheese maker. Kite Hill is a Hayward, California-based company, which was co-founded by celebrity vegan chef Tal Ronnen, who has catered the vegan diets of both Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres. The company has received rave reviews from O Magazine, Food & Wine, Reader’s Digest, and more. Kite Hill’s cheeses include a soft, ripened brie with a rind that’s as real as it can get; two fresh goat milk-style cheeses, including one with truffles and dill; a variety of cream cheeses and a ricotta. They’re also exploring prepared foods with two ricotta raviolis — mushroom and spinach. (ecorazzi.com)

Just another reason to eat vegan: a new study has found that a plant-based diet may ease the nerve pain that can come with diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage resulting from poor blood circulation and high levels of glucose in the blood from which many adults with Type 2 diabetes suffer. Diabetic neuropathy, which is incurable, can lead to ulcers and other infections on the legs and feet, and it's the main reason why some diabetics may require amputation. The new pilot study was led by doctors and nutritionists at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). It was built on previous research that suggests a vegan diet can be as effective as medication for treating diabetes. The results? The adults on the vegan diet found significant improvements in pain relief. In fact, test results showed improved circulation and nerve function. The bonus part: participants lost, on average, 14 pounds. (ecorazzi.com)

Pamela Anderson recreates the famous "Psycho" shower scene for a new PETA campaign against water waste in the meat industry. The ad, which was shot by famed photographer Dave LaChappelle, claims that California's desperate drought crisis has more to do with meat consumption and less with taking really long showers. "Meat and dairy farms drain a third of the world's fresh water," reads the ad. "Making splash for the environment doesn't just mean shorter showers. Try vegan." According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, 55 percent of the country's water supply is drained by animal agriculture, while only 5 percent is used in homes. "Rivers are siphoned off, not just for the animals but also for crops grown to feed animals on factory farms," Anderson says in a press release for the campaign. "Producing one pound of beef uses as much water as about six months of showers." (peta.org)

A fourth-generation farmer has gone from sending cattle to slaughter to saving them. Renee and Tommy Sonnen used to operate Sonnen Ranch in the heart of Texas. They divorced, and then remarried each other six years later, but not before Renee adopted a vegan lifestyle. Thanks to her new way of living, Renee couldn’t bear to send off the next round of calves to the slaughterhouse because of the connection she made with them. So, she gave her husband an ultimatum: another divorce, or go vegan. Luckily for the cattle and their marriage, Tommy opted to go vegan. Thanks to some crowdfunding, the couple has now opened Rowdy Girl Sanctuary where rescued farmed animals can live out their lives in peace. Currently, the farm houses 30 cattle, some chickens, and even a pig. (ecorazzi.com)

Sales of meatless and vegetarian products are soaring, although only 7% of U.S. consumers call themselves vegetarian. The hunger for fake meat — or meatless meat — is getting bigger. So much so that the latest sales numbers of plant-based meat alternatives reached $553 million in 2012,representing a growth spurt of 8 percent from 2010. “We are doubling the business annually,” said Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat, which makes non-animal food products like the Beast Burger and has an active group of investors that includes Bill Gates and former Twitter execs Biz Stone and Evan Williams. The United Nations and the latest proposed USDA guidelines indicate that a switch to non-animal based proteins is necessary for survival of the planet, contended Dr. Joel Kahn, a cardiologist and vegan café owner. “For those reasons, fake meat is a growing market,” Kahn said. Meanwhile, the vegetarian market is a $2.8 billion-a-year industry, and a growing number of Americans–around 22.3 million–say they are inclined to follow a vegetarian diet with events like meatless Mondays. That kind of appetite is already building, said Dan Gillotte, general manager of Wheatsville Food Co-op in Austin, Texas. “People are tasting these products and are often very pleased and sometimes surprised how good they can be,” Gillotte said. “The sky is the limit for the future.” (fortune.com)