September 2008
News For Life
This newsletter, in its 6th year, is designed to keep you aware of the many effects our food choices have on personal health, a sustainable planet and respecting other species. I hope you enjoy it and share it with others!
General News Index:
WHY VEGAN IS THE NEW ATKINS
ATTACK OF THE VEGAN MOLECULE!
MEAT EATERS LIVE A LIE
GOING VEGAN MIGHT BE EASIER
THAN YOU THINK
A DARKER SHADE OF GREEN
WHY EATING A BIG MAC IS
CHEAPER THAN EATING A SALAD
COMMUNITY FORMING -
SANDRA OH GOES VEGAN WITH THE
CAST OF GREY’S ANATOMY
SAUL WILLIAMS MAKES A
HEARTFELT ARGUMENT FOR GOING VEGAN
Health News Index:
EMBRACE THE COLOR PURPLE
CELERY FOR YOUR BRAIN
VITAMIN D: NEW MIRACLE
VITAMIN
PURSLANE - WEED HAS BENEFICIAL NUTRIENTS
TARGETING THE REAL CAUSE OF
SALMONELLA
POPULAR FISH CONTAINS
DANGEROUS FATTY ACID COMBINATION
REFLECTIONS CONQUERING MY
WEIGHT ISSUES AFTER 40 YEARS
ON THE WESTON A. PRICE
FOUNDATION
FOOD FOR LIFE TV:
VIDEO: "OPTIMIZING YOUR
VEGAN DIET FOR BETTER HEALTH"
Environmental News
Index:
NEW VIDEO SERIES: GOING GREEN
WITH CARYN HARTGLASS
VEG-O-LUTION
HOW GORE SHOULD HAVE ANSWERED
THE MEAT QUESTION
HOW TO BE GREEN
THE ONLY DIET FOR A
PEACEMAKER IS A VEGETARIAN DIET
Animal Sentience
Index:
PRECEDENT-SETTING VICTORY FOR
FARM ANIMALS
VIDEO: PEOPLE NEED TO RETHINK
TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
Take Action Index:
USDA ADMITS ORGANIC FRAUD IS
INCREASING--- SIGN PETITION!
FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO
FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!
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General News:
“If you don’t stay informed, then who will tell the others the truth?” JC Corcoran
WHY VEGAN IS THE NEW ATKINS
If you're wondering about the recent articles claiming that
a study found that high-protein diets help lose weight and drop cholesterol,
please take a closer look. First, the "low fat" diet that was
compared to the high-protein one in this study was a full 30 percent fat, which
is not low-fat as the phrase is used by any of the top nutritionists and
scientists who are using low-fat diets to help people lose weight and keep it
off. Second, the study organizers encourage people to eat vegetarian protein
sources, not the animal products encouraged by Atkins and
a well-rounded vegan diet will provide us with a healthy mixture of complex carbs, protein and healthy fats, as well as vitamins, minerals and fiber. Because most nutrition advice is aimed at meat-eaters, it's worth reading up a bit on how to maximize the health advantages of a vegan diet; I like the Optimal Vegan Nutrition web page. And of course we shouldn't think that our healthy new diet means giving up tasty food--web sites and cookbooks with thousands of delicious vegan recipes abound; eating should be a celebration--and we should do it joyfully, like the French and others in the Mediterranean do.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/why-vegan-is-the-new-atki_b_114464.html
ATTACK OF THE VEGAN MOLECULE!
An article in this week’s Daily Telegraph tracing the link between eating animal flesh and the human propensity for chronic diseases has cyber pundits buzzing. At the center of the debate is whether or not humans are “natural” meat-eaters. The larger question, at least from an animal rights perspective, may be: Does it matter?
“Mystery of the Meat-Eaters’ Molecule” explores the discovery that humans, unlike all other mammals, do not produce the molecule Neu5Gc, and that when we ingest certain meat (especially beef) and dairy foods, our bodies believe that molecule to be a foreign invader, generating an immune response to attack it. According to the article’s author, former Telegraph science editor Roger Highfield, “This raised the fascinating possibility that anti-Neu5Gc antibodies are involved in auto-immunity. Auto-immune diseases, such as type-1 or juvenile diabetes and some types of arthritis, occur when the body mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.” Highfield, who has since left the newspaper to become the editor of New Scientist, also notes that consuming the flesh of animals could trigger heart disease and certain cancers...
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Attack-of-the-Vegan-Molecu-by-Mark-Hawthorne-080711-676.html
MEAT EATERS LIVE A LIE
While a big, juicy steak may indeed be culinary nirvana for many, your taste for beef could be based in part on expectation rather than reality. On the assumption that meat is associated with social power in some peoples' minds, researchers rated study participants on what they call a Social Power Value Endorsement measure, to determine their preferences for meat and their cultural perceptions of it...
"Participants who ate the vegetarian alternative did not rate the taste and aroma less favorably than those who ate the beef product," the researchers report in August issue of the Journal of Consumer Research. "Instead, what influenced taste evaluation was what they thought they had eaten and whether that food symbolized values that they personally supported."...
http://www.livescience.com/health/080717-meat-eaters.html
GOING VEGAN MIGHT BE EASIER THAN YOU THINK
Do you want to lose weight and improve your blood glucose levels? Do you want to do it without having to weigh your portions and count your calories? Try a low-fat vegan diet. A vegan diet is one with no animal products: no fish, no eggs, no dairy, and, of course, no meat... Don’t just cut down on meat and cheese... if you eliminate these foods from your diet, you’ll lose your taste for them. She recalled how she used to love brie cheese before she switched to a vegan diet. “Now, brie smells like old socks to me,” she said.
Your diet will come from four food groups: fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and legumes such as beans and lentils. Avoid high-fat foods such as nuts, added oils, and avocado. Take vitamin B12, which you can get in a regular multivitamin.
The foods you’ll be eating are high in fiber and water. You may feel that you are eating a lot, but you’ll probably be consuming fewer calories than you did when you were eating meat and sugary foods. That’s why you won’t need to count calories or restrict portions...
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/08/14/5869.html
A DARKER SHADE OF GREEN
... "Green eating"--eating local produce or meat processed without benefit of hormones, chemicals, or antibiotics, and produced with as little environmental impact as possible--never, ever promised to be particularly healthy. Healthful eating is not the primary goal of green eating. In fact, it's entirely possible--and even probable--that if you eat "green" food, you will likely (unless you are a vegetarian, or a vegan) not be eating anything remotely claiming to be low-fat (low fat products tend to be packed with chemicals to replace flavor); you'll shelve the margarine (thank goodness) and instead prudently swipe a small teaspoon of locally churned sweet butter across your whole grain toast every morning; you'll forgo canola oil cooking spray unless you can be sure that the oil wasn't pressed from genetically altered seeds produced by Monsanto; you'll eat rich and luxurious chevre that came from a goat called Mildred, who frolics her days away in a nearby pasture. You might even spend outrageous sums to buy "natural" meat at your local green grocery emporium--like Emeril must have done on that shopping trip, above -- and have a rich, juicy hamburger to show for it. Assuming it doesn't kill you in the process.
... I talked about a local, natural beef purveyor a few
miles down the road from me in bucolic
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elissa-altman/a-darker-shade-of-green_b_118297.html
WHY EATING A BIG MAC IS CHEAPER THAN EATING A SALAD
We’ve all heard the figures. We know that meat production
uses significantly more land and fossil fuel resources than a vegetarian diet.
But, then, why on earth is it cheaper to eat meat than fresh fruit and
vegetables? The following graph will give you an idea. On the right we have
Federal Dietary Recommendations, compared with, on the left, the government
subsidies that prop up the respective food groups. Almost 75% of
http://www.earthsave.org/newsletters/ES_June08.pdf
COMMUNITY FORMING -
Do you dream of living a peaceful life in harmony with
nature and the environment? Do you love and respect animals? Do the principles
of ahimsa – doing no harm to any living being – guide your life? Then please
join me in planning and realizing an intentional community/non-profit animal
sanctuary in the
For a long time now I’ve worked hard to make my little corner of the world a better place for animals, but I want to do so much more. I want to work together with people of like passion who realize that compassion doesn’t just apply to humans, but to all living beings – from the biggest to the smallest; people who realize that we are all a part of the web of life, and thus, deserving of love and respect.
I have many great ideas, and am looking to put together a team that can make this dream a reality. So, if you’re not averse to hard work and are committed and interested in making the world we share a better place for all, please contact me. Laura
http://reach.ic.org/postings/?action=search_results&category=Community+Forming
SANDRA OH GOES VEGAN WITH THE CAST OF GREY’S ANATOMY
Sandra Oh is not only vegan, but is opening up the eyes of
her Grey’s Anatomy castmates to the veg lifestyle. Star magazine is reporting
that Oh took the cast and crew to Truly Vegan in
Apparently her vegetarian crusade was successful too. A source tells the magazine, “They couldn’t believe how amazing the food tasted. Patrick Dempsey enjoyed the chocolate vegan cake and Ellen Pompeo has gone to Truly Vegan half a dozen times since trying the food.”...
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2008/08/21/sandra-oh-goes-vegan-with-the-cast-of-greys-anatomy/
SAUL WILLIAMS MAKES A HEARTFELT ARGUMENT FOR GOING VEGAN
American poet, writer, actor and musician Saul Williams has just released a fine commentary on the merits of transitioning society away from one involved with factory farming and abusing animals to one that lives in harmony with all creatures and abolishes cruelty. Here’s a highlight of some of the questions he asks:
“How is it that we as human beings can represent both the highest and most developed and lowest and least concerned forms of intelligence of any living species? Are we simply glued to age-old barbaric traditions that cloud our senses and render us inhumane in our dependence on comfort foods and practices? Is our dependence on foreign oil the only thing we need to curb? What about not-so-foreign species?”...
I am sometimes hesitant about making a big deal about my vegan diet, as I have considered it a personal choice worth little discussion. Yet more and more, I have found myself attempting to encourage people who ask me where I find my inspiration, or what issues do I find important, or how can we curb warfare and violence to consider what we ingest...
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2008/08/12/saul-williams-makes-a-hearfelt-argument-for-going-vegan/
Health News:
"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." Hippocrates, the father of medicine.
EMBRACE THE COLOR PURPLE
Anthocyanin produces the purple in some plums as well as peppers and grapes so dark that they appear to be black. These beneficial phytochemicals are concentrated in richly colored foods and may reduce your risk for coronary artery disease and some forms of cancer... Other common choices in the blue-purple-black category include eggplant, blackberries, purple cabbage and purple kale. Some types of lettuce also produce purple leaves. Even more choices exist, however. You'll find some of them at farmers markets and grocery stores that sell heirloom and other specialty varieties...
http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1144290.html
CELERY FOR YOUR BRAIN
At last, celery gets some respect.
http://www.usaweekend.com/08_issues/080713/080713thinksmart-eatsmart-celery.html
VITAMIN D: NEW MIRACLE VITAMIN
Vitamin D is the hottest nutrient in medical circles now. It has been credited with fighting everything from cancer to chronic pain. The latest news:
Cuts heart attacks. Men with low levels of vitamin D are about two times more apt to suffer a heart attack than men with sufficient D, Harvard researchers say. Their theory: Vitamin D lessens inflammation, high blood pressure and vascular calcification, all factors in cardiovascular disease.
Curbs cancer. A research team at the
Prevents diabetes. Men with blood richest in vitamin D were 72% less apt to develop type 2 diabetes after age 40 than men with the least vitamin D, says a new Finnish study. Boosts brain. Older people with depression or dementia may benefit from extra vitamin D, Dutch researchers say. Men and women over 65 with major or minor depression had 14% lower vitamin D levels than their non-depressed peers. And among Alzheimer's patients, those with higher vitamin D levels scored better on tests of cognitive function.
http://www.usaweekend.com/08_issues/080720/080720think-eatsmart-vitamin-d.html
JC note: 3 BIG reasons to get 30 minutes of sunshine EVERY
day (people in northern latitudes like
PURSLANE - WEED HAS BENEFICIAL NUTRIENTS
Hippocrates used it as a medicine. Henry David Thoreau found it in a cornfield, boiled it, and called it a "satisfactory dinner." Many Europeans today eat it as Thoreau did, or chop it up fresh and put it in their salads.
It's known as Purslane--a plant that is a troublesome weed
in many
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3741/is_n12_v40/ai_13298112
Purslane Green Smoothie
3 branches of Purslane, approximately 1 foot long (30 centimeters) stems and leaves but without roots.
4-5 ripe peaches, pits removed
2 cups water
1 cup ice made from pure water
Blend all ingredients well. Enjoy!
Nutritional facts: Purslane contains more of omega-3 fatty acids than any other green leafy vegetable yet studied. Purslane also contains high levels of vitamin E---six times more than spinach. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects cell membranes from breaking down.
TARGETING THE REAL CAUSE OF SALMONELLA
PCRM physicians called attention to the real cause of the
nationwide salmonella outbreak by literally spelling out “It’s the meat,
stupid!” with more than 1,000 tomatoes. The event, which took place in July in
front of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building in
http://www.pcrm.org/newsletter/aug08/realcauseofsalmonella.html
This ranking shows which chains had the most stores with
repeat violations. 1. Arby's 2. Sonic 3. Dairy Queen 4. KFC 5. Popeye's 6.
Wendy's 7. Hardees/Carl's Jr. 8. McDonald's 9. Taco
http://healthinspection.com/articles.cfm?YXJ0aWNsZUlEPTExOA=
POPULAR FISH CONTAINS DANGEROUS FATTY ACID COMBINATION
Farm-raised tilapia, one of the most highly consumed fish in
The researchers say the combination could be a potentially dangerous food source for some patients with heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases that are particularly vulnerable to an "exaggerated inflammatory response." Inflammation is known to cause damage to blood vessels, the heart, lung and joint tissues, skin, and the digestive tract...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708092228.htm
REFLECTIONS ON THE WESTON A. PRICE FOUNDATION
Weston Price was an American dentist who traveled around the world, camera and film in hand, in the late 1920s and early 1930s... He found that as long as these people consumed their native diet, their mouths and jaws developed so that they never experienced crowded teeth, overbites, underbites, or tooth decay. When their wisdom teeth came in, they always had plenty of room. But as his photographs
poignantly showed, once they left the wisdom of their native foods for “civilized” foods the results were ruinous. Now all kinds of dental problems that had been previously unknown became rampant...
... speaking as someone who has great respect for the work of Weston A. Price, I am sorry to say that to my eyes, the foundation that carries Price’s name today is unfortunately exaggerating what was unbalanced in his work, and abandoning much of what was good... the foundation exudes an attitude of “you’re either with us or you’re against us” that is reminiscent of the dark side of cults... Reputable scientists who dare suggest that saturated fat contributes to heart disease are denounced... and totally ignorant.”
... the Foundation has widely publicized an article written by a former member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, Stephen Byrnes, titled “The Myths of Vegetarianism.” The article is harshly critical of vegetarian diets, and concludes with an “About the Author” section which states: “Stephen Byrnes… enjoys robust health on a diet that includes butter, cream, eggs, meat, whole milk, dairy products and offal.” In fact, Stephen Byrnes suffered a fatal stroke in June, 2004. According to reports of his death, he had yet to reach his 40th birthday.
http://www.earthsave.org/newsletters/ES_August08.pdf
CONQUERING MY WEIGHT ISSUES AFTER 40 YEARS
Oh, how I dreaded sitting for this “before” picture, a family photo taken in January 2007. It wasn’t just the weight issue, but the overall path my life was taking. Each morning, after a bad night’s sleep, I would drag myself out of bed to survey what was hurting that day. My list of problems seemed endless. I would often wonder to myself, “Why do I feel so old when I am only in my forties?”... I was raised on the typical American diet of meat and potatoes, and processed foods like Wonder Bread, instant potatoes and rice, and cold cuts. I was overweight, constipated and was developing arthritis even before I reached adulthood...
I had always been convinced that food was the key to unlocking my problems, but since I had never found a way of eating that made me feel better over a long period, I turned to several doctors. But they didn’t equate my issues with the quality of my diet; their answer was always to eat less to lose the weight... The first things I gave up were meat and alcohol; these were easiest for me. Then I let go of the dairy, which was a little harder, and then the added oil. My body started to respond to my dietary changes immediately. Nagging problems began slipping away and gradually I was able to do more and more. Finally, my good health was starting to return. I was now having whole days that were pain-free. With each change came greater health, happiness and energy...
I also started to exercise at the same time I changed my
diet, so each day brings more joy as I literally hop out of bed refreshed,
excited and well-rested. When I’m at home I play tennis and take three-mile
walks on the beach. Last February I was zipping through the tree-top canopies
of
I just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Changing my diet and lifestyle was not something I did overnight, but it does get easier as you go along—and it is so worth it. After decades of struggling, I can’t believe how trim I am and how good I feel. I am turning 50 in October and am actually looking forward to my next decade...
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2008star/aug/donna.htm
FOOD FOR LIFE TV:
PCRM's Interactive Webcass for Anyone Who Wants a Healthier Diet
Nutrition News – Lectures by Neal Barnard, M.D. – Cooking Demonstrations – Your Questions Answered – Shopping Tips – Restaurant Reviews – And More!
http://www.pcrm.org/health/diabetes/support_group.html
VIDEO: "OPTIMIZING YOUR VEGAN DIET FOR BETTER HEALTH"
William Harris, M.D.
http://vsh.voip-info.org/Harris10.html
Environmental News:
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." Albert Einstein
NEW VIDEO SERIES: GOING GREEN WITH CARYN HARTGLASS
EarthSave TV's new monthly food show. Lots of environmental factoids presented in this great educational video. Episode 1 - Breakfast With Oats.
VEG-O-LUTION
... Nearly a decade ago, as an environmentalist, I came to understand there was an innate hypocrisy in using the same mouth to espouse sustainability and to consume the fruits of environmental devastation. It actually happened to me at a farmer’s market: I was perusing the pamphlets at an activist’s table, nodding in agreement with him as he explained the unbridled horrors of milk production. “Yeah,” I said to him, “dairy is the worst.” Then I realized I still held the stick from a Peace Pop between my teeth.
So I became a vegan. I gave up eating anything derived from animals. No more burgers, obviously, but also no more sushi, no more cheese, no more honey. I stopped buying leather... choosing veg is wildly optimistic: it is making ourselves into who we want to be, and proclaiming that conscious change on a global scale is something we humans just might be able to pull off. And that would be nothing less than an act of intentional evolution. Think it can be done? It starts the next time you sit down at the dinner table.
http://commongroundmag.com/2008/07/vegolution0807.html
HOW GORE SHOULD HAVE ANSWERED THE MEAT QUESTION
At the Netroots Nation convention in
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/21/01743/4829/816/554460
HOW TO BE GREEN
... Being green does not have to be complex or expensive. The greenest things we can do are often the simplest: Buying used furniture and clothes, recycling, turning off the lights, and taking our own bags to the grocery store. Instead of spending money at organic restaurants or buying packaged organic foods, try cooking with produce grown in your garden or bought at a local farmers’ market. Eat at least three more vegetarian or vegan meals each week than you currently do-or go all the way-to cut down on the environmental devastation caused by livestock. Contrary to popular belief, going veg can reduce your monthly outlay; sources of protein like tofu and beans are 30 to 40 percent cheaper than their animal-based counterparts like beef and chicken...
THE ONLY DIET FOR A PEACEMAKER IS A VEGETARIAN DIET
... I became a vegetarian with a few other Jesuit novices shortly after I entered the Jesuits in 1982 and later wrote a pamphlet for PETA, "Christianity and Vegetarianism." I based my decision solely on Francis Moore Lappe's classic work, Diet for a Small Planet, a book that I think everyone should read. In it, Lappe, the great advocate for the hungry, makes an unassailable case that vegetarianism is the best way to eliminate world hunger and to sustain the environment.
At first glance, we wonder how that could be. But it's
undisputable. A hundred million tons of grain goes yearly for biofuel -- a
morally questionable use of foodstuffs. But more than seven times that much --
some 760 million tons according to the United Nations -- go into the bellies of
farmed animals, this to fatten them up so that sirloin, hamburgers and pork
roast grace the tables of First-World people. It boils down to this. Over 70
percent of
The United Nations recently published "Livestock's Long Shadow." It concludes that eating meat is "one of the most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." And it insists that the meat industry "should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity."
Much of our potable water and much of our fossil fuel supply is wasted on rearing chickens, pigs, and other animals for humans to eat. And over 50 percent of forests worldwide have been cleared to raise or feed livestock for meat-eating...
But another issue arises, too, over the decades, I've learned that our appetite for meat leads to cruelty to animals -- chickens pressed wing-to-wing into filthy sheds and de-beaked, for example. Animals have feelings, they suffer; they have needs and desires... Animal scientists attest that farm animals have personalities and interests, that chickens and pigs are smarter than dogs and cats...
If you want to be a peacemaker, reflecting the sentiments of Leo Tolstoy, you will want to eat as peaceful a diet as possible. "Vegetarianism," Tolstoy wrote, "is the taproot of humanitarianism." Other great humanitarians like Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer and Thich Nhat Hanh agree. The only diet for a peacemaker is a vegetarian diet.
http://www.ncrcafe.org/node/1965
Animal Sentience:
"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men." Alice Walker, author and activist.
PRECEDENT-SETTING VICTORY FOR FARM ANIMALS
... the
"This is a major victory for farm animals in
VIDEO: PEOPLE NEED TO RETHINK TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
... "Thanking the Monkey" is encouraging people to rethink the way they treat animals. The book was written by Karen Dawn, an animal rights advocate. She said that the book teaches people about the way humans treat animals and about the choices people have. In the book, Dawn looks at all the ways animals are being used by humans, without throwing blood on people. However, the book does take readers through slaughterhouses and cosmetic testing. It also explains how cage-free doesn't mean cruelty-free.
http://www.nbc4.com/goinggreen/17171247/detail.html
Subscribe to her activist newsletter at: http://www.dawnwatch.com
Take Action:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead, anthropologist
USDA ADMITS ORGANIC FRAUD IS INCREASING--- SIGN PETITION!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program
(NOP) announced on August 5th that 15 of the 30 accredited organic certifiers
they recently inspected failed the USDA audit and will have 12 months to make
corrections or lose their accreditation with the NOP. It is clear that there
are numerous violations of organic standards taking place in the
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/642/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1336
FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!
Help educate the public about these vitally important issues. Please forward this newsletter to make a bigger difference in this world than you already are!
http://www.plantpeacedaily.org
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