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Savvy Vegetarian Blog
news and opinion on vegetarian diet and nutrition, vegetarian lifestyle, green living, and environment
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Sat, 30 Jan 2010
What Do Vegetarians Eat On Super Bowl Sunday?
If you're American, you can't help being aware of Super Bowl Sunday. It doesn't matter if your feelings about it are yay or nay, our game day menus will come in handy - whether you're watching the game or celebrating our new national event - UN-Game Day.
Since I care A LOT more about food than sports, I was most interested when my friend Ellen emailed this article excerpt from Super Bowl Sunday Partying, Eating and Consumption Statistics by Os Davis - much funnier than the title suggests.
"According to Hallmark Cards, Inc., The Super Bowl represents the No. 1 at-home party event of the year ... even bigger than New Years Eve ... The average number of people attending a Super Shindig is 17, so, calculating with reference to per capita beer consumption, hosts should probably buy ... a lot.
No matter how the economy slumps, the week before the 'Bowl sees a deluge of shoppers that could well carry the entire national economy. No fewer than $55 million is spent on food for The Big Game. After spending an estimated 10 million man hours preparing all that grub, Americans consume the lot within fifteen minutes, well before the first touchdown.
And speaking of rampant consumption, Super Bowl Sunday marks the day on which Americans chow the second-greatest amount of food. Top dog is Thanksgiving."
Of course, vegetarians aren't immune to game day fever, so we felt it was our patriotic duty to make sure that the vegetarians had lots of veggie goodies to eat on Game Days.
Since even die-hard carnivores love our recipes, we're sure that non-vegetarians will also enjoy a delicious alternative to the standard junk food menu.
We're offering our game day menu and recipes ebook, for the foolishly low price of $1.95, just in time for the peak event, Super Bowl Sunday.
Our game day menu has delicious vegetarian super bowl recipes which you can eat with one hand while your eyes are glued to the TV. We strongly recommend eating only during half time, to avoid choking while screaming, shouting, jumping up and down etc.
In the past, women were expected to hang around on Game Days, in case the guys needed more beer and chips. That practice has fallen off due to portable coolers, and women realizing that they have Better Things to Do.
One of those better things might be getting together with your girl friends, to watch back-to-back Jane Austen movies, especially the ones with Colin Firth. (To be fair, guys can take part in UN-game day too - never let it be said that we practice sex discrimation.)
We've come up with an ebook menu and recipes for those UN-game day events, again offered at the low, low price of $1.95. Our Un-Game Day Menu includes recipes for delicious veggie foods to eat with one hand while watching Colin Firth (hankie or tissue in the other hand).
To promote equality of the sexes, we're offering BOTH game day ebooks for The Insanely Low Price of $2.95! Oh well, it's for a good cause!
The only question is, if the women are busy making food for their Ladies Un-Game Day, who's making the Super Bowl Menu? The guys, of course!
Download your Game Day Menu & Recipes Now
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Sat, 28 Nov 2009
Why We Should Kick The Junk Food Habit And Go Veg! Now!
Dr. Gabe Mirkin: Junk Food Alters Intestinal Bacteria in One Day
From the November 22, 2009 issue of Dr. Mirkin's Health and Fitness Ezine
After just one day of switching from a plant-based diet to a high-fat-and-sugar diet, mice with human intestinal bacteria developed bacteria associated with obesity in humans, and soon became grossly obese (Science Translational Medicine, November 11, 2009).
Dr. Jeffrey Gordon of Washington University in St Louis first showed that certain types of bacteria in the human intestinal tract can break down food more efficiently and help you absorb a greater percentage of calories from the food that you eat. He also showed that humans whose intestinal tracts are dominated by these bacteria tend to be overweight.
In this new study, Dr. Gordon created germ-free mice and fed them a low-fat, plant-rich diet. Then he fed them bacteria extracted from human stool and continued to feed them a low-fat, plant-based diet for one month. By sequencing the microbes' 16S rRNA gene, he showed that the intestinal bacteria in the mice were the same as those living in a healthy human's intestines.
One month later, he switched half the mice to a high-fat, high-sugar diet. After 24 hours, the intestines of the mice had increases in the obesity-causing bacteria, Firmicutes, and decreases in the obesity-preventing Bacteroidetes. The mice continued to grow fatter and fatter, even when switched back to the low-fat, plant-based diet.
What does this mean to you? When you eat a diet rich in refined carbohydrates (fruit juices, sugared drinks and foods made from flour and sugar) and fat (meat, fried foods, and fatty desserts), you develop intestines full of bacteria that thrive on these foods, break down these foods more efficiently, and then absorb far more calories from these foods.
If you want your gut flora to help you maintain a healthful weight, you should eat primarily fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts.
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Fri, 27 Nov 2009
New! Tofu & Quinoa Recipe Collections, Holiday Menus, Subscribe
Vegetarian Recipe Collections: We're very excited about this new direction at Savvy Veg! So far we've put our most popular tofu and quinoa recipes into convenient downloadable collections, with more to come.
All Your Favorite Tofu Recipes: It's wonderful to have all our tofu recipes printed out in one attractive recipe booklet, to keep in a neatly labelled folder in the kitchen. Before we had the recipe collections, we were always running to the computer to look up and print out our own recipes. Or trying to find recipes in haphazard stacks of stained, tattered and scribbled recipes. We feel so professional now!
Same goes for the quinoa recipe collection! We've heard from lot's of people that they'd like to eat more quinoa, but don't know quite what to do with it, or they cooked some quinoa and it turned out badly. It seems that GOOD quinoa recipes aren't that easy to find, which makes our collection of reliable and delicious quinoa recipes quite nice to have around!
We love giving the recipe collections to our friends and family. They make special, much appreciated, and economical gifts - always a bonus! And it means they can make the recipes for themselves and have us over, instead of calling and inviting themselves to dinner all the time! (probably your friends and family don't do that!)
10 Best Vegetarian Holiday Menus is our BIG ebook, at 81 pages. That's because it has over 50 recipes to go with 10 Menus covering special occasions throughout the year - Traditional Vegetarian and Vegan, Gluten Free, 4th of July, Holiday Lite, Birthdays, Game Days, Valentine's Day, etc.
Savvy Veg visitors have been emailing us for some time, asking where they can sign up for our newsletter. NOW you can subscribe, PLUS get 2 free specials reports on Vit B12 and Vegetarian Protein. You'll get our 10 part series on how to go vegetarian, and from time to time, we'll send you new recipes, advice posts, and tips for healthy vegetarian or vegan diet. Subscribe Now!
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New Big Ag Push to Fight World Hunger Misses What Organic Ag Is Already Doing
Posted on Huffington Post 9.22.09 by Timothy LaSalle, CEO, Cornucopia Institute (Rodale)
Article excerpt follows:
The compelling humanitarian goals expressed today at the corporately sponsored Global Harvest Initiative symposium were laudable, as were some of the hunger-relief projects cited. Missing, however, was an honest assessment of the limits of dead-end chemical agriculture to play a leading role in actually feeding people.
Also absent from the high-powered forum was a prominent role for what organic agriculture is already doing to meet the most important goals on the food-hunger-nutrition side of the problem.
The event, despite all the good people presenting and all the calls for curbing the environmental harm of chemical ag, amounted to glitzy green packaging for the same unnecessary gift of chemical dependence for the world's farmers. GHI is sponsored by ADM, DuPont, John Deere and Monsanto. (Yes, the same Monsanto which has promised to double its profits by 2012 with continuing introductions of "high impact technology" seeds.)
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Wed, 11 Nov 2009
Quitting Meat: A Process Of Change, by Jonathan Safran Foer
Published on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 by Huffington Post
...I wonder if more of the difficulty doesn't come from the ways that we talk and think about change. When it comes to meat, change is almost always cast as an absolute. You are a vegetarian or you are not. It's a strange formulation, and it's distracting. (Those who profit from animal suffering and environmental destruction want us to think in dichotomies, rather than practical realities.)
Imagine someone asking you, "Are you an environmentalist or not?" For most of us, caring about the environment isn't an on-off switch, but a set of daily choices that we try to respond to as best we can. I buy energy-efficient products, and turn off lights when leaving a room, and recycle and so on. But I also fly on airplanes. Does my occasional flying completely undermine my identity as someone who cares and tries? Should I, faced with my inability to live consistently, make no efforts to live better?
Obviously not. We don't live our lives on the inside flaps of philosophy textbooks. We live in the world. And in the world, everyone is a hypocrite. In the world, change is not a switch but a process. Being serious about changing requires a certain amount of forgiveness. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't draw lines in the sand, or that we should be quick to accept all of our own apologies.
But if animal welfare matters to us, if the air and water matter, if swine flu and E. Coli matter, if global warming matters, if biodiversity matters, if rural communities matter, if our ability to tell honest stories to ourselves and our children matters... then we shouldn't be distracted, intimidated or misled by someone else's idea of purity. We should begin at the beginning, and begin now.
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Thu, 05 Nov 2009
New Bill to Protect Children from Untested Chemicals
Sponsored by Seventh Generation
Emerging science increasingly links exposure to toxic chemicals with serious health problems. From bisphenol-A in baby bottles to phthalates in children’s toys and flame retardants in nursery furnishings, the modern world is filled with synthetic compounds that research now shows likely cause neurological and behavioral disorders, reproductive and developmental disruption, cancer and other troubles.
There are hundreds of untested chemicals in the products families use every day. The law that directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct safety reviews of chemicals, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), was passed by Congress in 1976. Since then, the EPA has investigated just 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds available to manufacturers today. Critics of the law say it doesn’t give the EPA enough authority to demand that companies supply the information needed to evaluate a chemical’s risk.
Now, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, a coalition of nearly 30 leading non-governmental organizations, is working to help Congress overhaul the nation’s chemical regulations. Other supporters of the coalition include the Environmental Defense Fund, Healthy Child Healthy World and Seventh Generation, the maker of all-natural cleaning products and diapers. The group supports new legislation proposed by several Congresspeople, including Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).
The legislation would require that new chemicals be safety-tested before they are put into products that children and others use. Manufacturers would also have to prove that chemicals already in production are free of danger. This information would be publicly availably so that consumers could see exactly what they’re bringing home.
Learn how you can help the proposed legislation become law
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Wed, 04 Nov 2009
Why I Support Meatless Monday
Some vegans are against Meatless Monday, because they feel that it's an empty gesture which won't make any difference, since those who participate will will just go on eating meat for the other six days of the week. They say that those who support it are deluding themselves that anybody will go veg because of Meatless Monday.
Meatless Monday doubtors could be right or wrong. I don't have a crystal ball to see into the minds and hearts of participants. Regardless, I support Meatless Monday and anything else that gets people to think about their diet and start moving in a more positive direction.
From My Face Is On Fire:, "Clicking through the Meatless Monday website, it becomes obvious that the campaign's sole purpose is indeed to promote better human health. The site spells it out clearly in its FAQ section that the campaign isn't about promoting veganism or vegetarianism--it's about "moderation". The regular consumption of eggs is touted as nutritionally desirable and the consumption of low-fat dairy and fish are also presented as being nutritionally sound options. In fact, the consumption of fish is even encouraged."
The same Meatless Monday article that I read repeated the words 'plant-based diet' numerous times, and included the words vegetarian and vegan. Here's a quote: "Meatless Mondays are a simple yet radical way to change yourself and the planet. By choosing a plant-based diet for just one day a week, you’ll not only nourish your body, you’ll rejuvenate your soul 52 times a year!" I noticed they didn't mention the other 313 days, but it didn't sound to me as if the article was anti-vegetarian or vegan.
For 52 days a year, fewer animals are eaten. That may or may not be significant, depending on how many people participate. Regardless, Meatless Monday can't help but raise awareness of animal suffering, even if indirectly. It teaches people that it's possible to eat meatless meals and be healthy. It helps to loosen the suffocating grip of Big Ag on our culture. It increases public acceptance of vegetarian or vegan diets.
Meatless Monday is a catalyst for those who are leaning toward a plant based diet. Personally, I can't see how Meatless Monday would NOT increase the probability of more people going vegetarian or vegan. It may not happen quite how I think it should, but that's okay.
Although I'm vegan, I wasn't always, and I don't believe that a 100% vegan diet is the only possible way for everyone. Some people can't or don't want to jump in with both feet and go completely vegan overnight.
For some, eating more veggies, fruit, and whole grains, along with eggs, dairy, and fish instead of meat or poultry is a necessary step toward a plant-based diet.
Some take a long time to go completely vegetarian, and will never go vegan. Many stop at semi-vegetarian, or go back and forth between veg and non-veg. Some are vegetarians at home but non-veg when they visit their families. It's all good to me.
Sometimes, I'm disturbed by the anger and impatience I see from vegans toward non-vegetarians or non-vegans. And I wonder, if vegans ran the world, would Meatless Monday be outlawed? Would non-vegans be locked up and forced to eat vegan until they repented? Would Savvy Vegetarian be shut down for not following the party line?
Of Course Not! A vegan diet is above all a peaceful diet. As Mahatma Ghandi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." For me, Meatless Monday is evidence that the change I wish to see in the world is happening.
Comment From R. Low: "Even if some can argue that Meatless Monday is pointless, no one can argue the fact that it will raise animal awareness considerably. I also completely agree that it will help with public acceptance of vegetarianism. As we are right now, less then 5 percent of the entire nation does not eat meat so to most, vegetarianism is uncharted territory. Hopefully this can open up the public's eyes and maybe even give the push that some need to learn more about the reasoning behind it. Meatless Mondays could really make a difference."
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Mon, 14 Sep 2009
Federal Bailout Money To Promote Vegetarian Diet?
Meatless Monday: Beef - It's Not What's For Dinner
Ellen Kanner, Huffington Post: Lighthearted article proposing federal bailout money for veg organizations to compete with beef industry propoganda, includes catchy song/video "Leftovers" by eco-rock band Green Beings, and a great looking recipe for Ethiopian collard greens!
Here's a quote:
"Vegetarian organizations need a little financial stimulus in order to advance the issues giving you the greatest concern -- health care, the economy and green initiatives. Personal health, environmental concerns and a decision to economize are, in fact, the top three reasons people go meatless, whether it's for a day or for forever. Each reason is compelling, serious and profound. But face it, they're not very sexy or fun. Personal motivation and core philosophy have a tough time competing with clever, multimillion dollar ad campaigns. Come on, you know that better than anyone."
Read the article, listen to the video, check out the collard green recipe
If you eat your greens, you deserve dessert! Try SV's most popular dessert recipe, and one of our personal faves: Vegan Lemon Bars from The Joy of Vegan Baking
Enjoy Meatless Monday!
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Thu, 23 Jul 2009
Soy: Widely Accepted As A Healthy Food, But Not By All Of The People All Of The Time
Message For Savvy Vegetarian: Thank you so much for your input on beans and gas formation. I found that very helpful. I appreciate all the points you have made. I have been found to have bacteria overgrowth in the small intestine, and lactose intolerance. (Pretty common.) I also had allergy testing and found that soy beans are high on my "most allergic" list.
Soy in any form doubles me over. I was trying different forms of it when learning about the lactose issue on a breath test, given over several hours. Finding out it was a true allergy for me was not surprising. Food combining is very helpful for people with Crohn's disease, IBS, etc. Almond Breeze is a good alternative to soy for a non-dairy beverage, for example. I am going to try the bean ideas starting today! L.O.
Savvy Veg Goes On About Soy vs Ordinary Beans
Hi L.O. - thanks so much for writing!
I like Almond Breeze too, and also hemp milk - it's high in protein and Omega 3, and has Vitamin B12 added. The downside to non-dairy milk for me is finding some without sugar!
Speaking of soy and beans - I'm amazed by the hold that soy has over people. The food industry has done a great job of convincing vegetarians that they must eat soy! And of sneaking soy by products (and high fructose corn syrup) into every conceivable processed food!
However, I did just publish a balanced, positive article on soy, by Mark Messina, PhD & Virginia Messina, MPH, RD - whom I greatly respect. Their soy article cleared up a lot of soy & health issues for me. While I'm not against soy like I was, I have to confess that personally, I'm still not a fan. Even though I'm not allergic to soy, I only eat tofu 2 or 3 times a week and avoid processed foods with soy added.
Many dietitians recommend regular soy consumption because soy foods are a good plant based source of high quality protein (and calcium). Fortunately, there are lots of other ways for vegetarians and vegans to get good calcium and protein in their diets. For example, from legumes that aren't soybeans.
There are many good reasons why beans and legumes have been a staple food for much of the human race for thousands of years! Tasty, filling, high protein, lots of vitamins and minerals, high fiber, low carb, low fat. Soybeans are only one variety of bean among thousands, and not low fat! Soy protein isolate, used in many processed soy foods, and other foods, is low fat, because it's a by-product of soy oil production. But it's also highly processed, and not a whole food.
The biggest problem I have with soy is that most soy beans grown are gmos - the work of the devil as far as I'm concerned. Cross-contamination with non-gmo and organically grown soy beans is almost unavoidable. Certified organic soybeans are tested for gmo contamination but it's impossible to set zero tolerance. For conventionally grown non-gmo soybeans (used for most tofu), there aren't such strict controls, and of course there are the pesticides and herbicides. I suspect, and some scientists do too, that gmos are a big factor in soy allergies. The Organic Non-GMO Report has plenty of well-documented info on these issues.
Ordinary beans and lentils, on the other hand, are too sturdy and lowly to be messed with much. Often you can grow and dry your own beans, if you're able and so inclined - that includes soybeans, of course. I think that, as with anything else homegrown, there would be a big difference between those soy beans, and anything you can buy at a store. And it's possible, even relatively easy, to make your own soy milk and tofu at home, if you want to.
If you're a soy lover, God bless soy and God bless you! My point is that, as a vegetarian or vegan, if you can't eat soy, you won't go hungry. And if you don't want to eat soy, you don't have to. There are lots of other beans to eat, plus whole grains, nuts & seeds - thousands of varieties, and countless ways to eat them.
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Thu, 09 Jul 2009
Article Excerpt: Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association, July 8, 2009
In the food sector, we cannot continue to hand over 88% of our consumer dollars to out-of-control, chemical-intensive, energy-intensive, greenhouse gas polluting corporations and "profit at any cost" retail chains such as Wal-Mart. The growth of the Organic Alternative is literally a matter of survival. The question then becomes how (and how quickly) can we move healthy, organic, and "natural" products from a 12% market share, to becoming the dominant force in American food and farming. This is a major undertaking, one that will require a major transformation in public consciousness and policy, but it is doable, and absolutely necessary.
But before we overthrow Monsanto, Wal-Mart, and Food Inc., we need to put our own house in order. Before we set our sights on making organic and "transition to organic" the norm, rather than the alternative, we need to take a closer, more critical look at the $50 billion annual natural food and products industry. How natural is the so-called natural food in our local Whole Foods Market, coop, or grocery store? Is the "natural" sector moving our nation toward an organic future, or has it degenerated into a "green washed" marketing tool, disguising unhealthy and unsustainable food and farming practices as alternatives. Is "natural" just a marketing ploy to sell conventional-unhealthy, energy-intensive, and non-sustainable food and products at a premium price?
The Myth of Natural Food, Farming, and Products
Walk down the aisles of any Whole Foods Market (WFM) or browse the wholesale catalogue of industry giant United Natural Foods (UNFI) and look closely. What do you see? Row after row of attractively displayed, but mostly non-organic "natural" (i.e. conventional) foods and products. By marketing sleight of hand, these conventional foods, vitamins, private label "365" items, and personal care products become "natural" or "almost organic" (and overpriced) in the Whole Foods setting. The overwhelming majority of WFM products, even their best-selling private label, "365" house brand, are not organic, but rather the products of chemical-intensive and energy-intensive farm and food production factories.
Test these so-called natural products in a lab and what will you find: pesticide residues, Genetically Modified Organisms, and a long list of problematic and/or carcinogenic synthetic chemicals and additives. Trace these products back to the farm or factory and what will you find: climate destabilizing chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and sewage sludge-not to mention exploited farm workers and workers in the food processing industry. Of course there are many products in WFM (and in UNFI's catalogue} that bear the label "USDA Organic." But the overwhelming majority of their products, even their best selling private label, "365," are not.
Read The Full Article: Ronnie Cummins on 'The Myth of Natural Food'
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Sun, 21 Jun 2009
Hallelujah! The AMA Has Connected The Dots Between Sustainable Food Systems and Health
The AMA's Council On Science and The Public Health Report On Sustainable Food: This remarkable report is like an Earth Save article, only longer and harder to read. Some hardy souls will want to read the whole CSAPH report (hint: starts on Pg. 48). For the rest of us I've extracted a few stunning paragraphs, and translated them into English.
"This report expands on the topic (of sustainable food) to address how medical schools, hospitals, and other health care facilities can model and encourage healthy eating in a manner that supports environmentally sustainable agricultural and food system practices, which in turn may provide additional social, economic, and health benefits to their surrounding communities and beyond."
Translation: The unsustainable American medical system is now expected to be a model for healthy eating. Hospitals will turn their lawns into organic gardens, and serve healthy food to their patients. Doctors will learn about nutrition, and start telling people to eat vegetables instead of red meat!
"The current US food system is highly industrialized, focusing on the production of animal products and federally subsidized commodity crops, such as corn and soybeans. This has resulted in a highly processed, calorie-dense food supply, instead of one rich in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The poor quality diets supported by this system contribute to four of the six leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers. Individuals of lower socio-economic standing are more likely to consume these subsidized, highly processed foods, and are likewise at increased risk of related adverse health outcomes."
Translation: Let me see if I've got this straight. The government tells us to eat lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains. But it rewards farmers for growing crops which support the most unhealthy possible diet for most people. The result is that most of us are very sick, which in turn supports the medical establishment. Why would the AMA want to turn that system on it's ear?
"Beyond the issue of poor nutritional quality are methods of food production and distribution that have additional negative effects on human and environmental health. These methods have contributed to the development of antibiotic resistance; air and water pollution; contamination of food and water with animal waste, pesticides, hormones, and other toxins; increased dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels (including fertilizers); and a food system that is increasingly vulnerable to accidental or intentional contamination. These methods of food production and distribution are inherent parts of the prevailing agricultural system, which is may be referred to as 'conventional farming, modern agriculture, or industrial farming.
Translation: The industrial ag model which has reigned supreme since the 1950's is breaking down, it doesn't work, it can't continue. We get that. But what does that mean for the health care system?
"Clinical approaches to addressing diet-related health concerns are costly and not sustainable. Additionally, it is difficult for individuals to change their eating behaviors when many forces in the social, cultural, and physical environment do not support such change. The public looks to the health care community to provide leadership in the best practices to promote health. Medical schools, hospitals, and other health care facilities are key participants in the food system with potentially significant roles to play in fostering greater awareness, improving purchasing practices, and promoting consumption of healthy and sustainable food."
Translation: We're now so sick from our unsustainable diet, produced by our unsustainable agricultural system, that our health care system is overburdened and nearly bankrupt. Doctors should practice preventative medicine by eating and prescribing a healthy diet!
The report goes on to say that a sustainable food system must preserve the environment, social justice, health, and economic viability. Government policy at every level must support that.
"Agricultural, food, and nutrition policies affect the choices people and organizations have, and in turn the health of individuals, communities, and the environment."
The report concludes that "Unhealthy food systems are not sustainable, and contribute to the very health problems the health care system is trying to solve – at extraordinary costs both economically and in terms of quality of life. It is essential that health care organizations become both models and advocates of food systems that promote optimal health."
Translation: I assume that means that doctors will make their patients eat healthy diets, instead of prescribing toxic drugs which kill as much as cure. But that's a whole other report!
Read the CSAPH report on sustainable food (pg. 48 - 59)
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Fri, 19 Jun 2009
Serving Up Eco-Foodie Alternatives With Mark Bittman, Jim Motavalli, AAEM, Dara Colwell
During the last week I came across these four excellent articles through Twitter. I've been busier than usual, so saved them up to post all at once. That seemed like a brilliant solution to my time crunch, since they're all variations on the theme of living and eating green.
1. Excellent video of Mark Bittman, talking about What's Wrong With What We Eat. Mark Bittman is a cool guy, a great speaker, and wrote a wonderful cookbook "How To Cook Everything Vegetarian" - quite a feat for a non-vegetarian. And that's the one thing that spoils his lovely speech. It's mind boggling that anybody knowing what he does can continue to say "I'm not a vegetarian". It would be so admirable if this hugely influential guy had stood up and said, "Here are all the reasons why I don't eat meat, and why you shouldn't eat meat." Instead he cops out by saying, "... everybody should eat 50% less meat." But ignore my petty bitching. The Bittman video is memorable and well worth watching.
2. Meat Is The Slavery Of Our Time: Author Jim Motavalli is a senior writer at E/The Environmental Magazine and blogs for the Mother Nature Network. Here's an excerpt from his thoughtful and thought-provoking article:
"In the way that slavery, once a broad social norm, later became an unthinkable crime, we can expect to see a similar shift once meat-eating disappears from our planet. Perhaps, some day, the very idea of eating animal flesh will seem as remote as the idea of owning humans does now. So if you're a carnivore, enjoy now -- before the inevitable vegetarian revolution begins."
Citing several animal studies, the AAEM concludes "there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects" and that "GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health." The AAEM provides research and education in the recognition, treatment and prevention of illnesses induced by exposures to biological and chemical agents encountered in air, food and water.
4. Help Save the Earth, Time to Subsitute Hemp for Oil by Dara Colwell, a freelance writer from Amsterdam. This article appears on AlterNet. Industrial hemp and it's diverse applications is a green topic which deserves wide spread public exposure. Here are a few quotes from the article:
"Every man-made fiber we wear, sit on, cook with, drive in, are by-products of the petroleum industry - all of which could be replaced by hemp."
"In 2007, because so many farmers north and south of the border switched to growing industrial corn, the price of corn flour in Mexico skyrocketed 400 percent, sending rioters into the streets. People need to eat and to do so, they have to be able to afford food, which begs the question: How green is ethanol when it deprives folk of basic food?"
"To blindly scapegoat and ignore hemp is backward thinking. At this point, we need to be forward thinking."
Another article by Dara Colwell about industrial hemp
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Tue, 09 Jun 2009
Best Commencement Speech Ever: Paul Hawken, U. Portland, 2009
I've read it several times, and IMHO Paul Hawken's is the best commencement speech ever. It's too long to reprint in full - but here are a few quotable quotes:
"Basically, civilization needs a new operating system, you are the programmers, and we need it within a few decades."
"This planet came with a set of instructions, but we seem to have misplaced them."
"There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: You are Brilliant, and the Earth is Hiring."
"What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world."
"Inspiration is not garnered from the litanies of what may befall us; it resides in humanity’s willingness to restore, redress, reform, rebuild, recover, reimagine, and reconsider."
"The living world is not 'out there' somewhere, but in your heart."
"We are the only species on the planet without full employment. Brilliant."
"At present we are stealing the future, selling it in the present, and calling it gross domestic product. We can just as easily have an economy that is based on healing the future instead of stealing it."
"Working for the earth is not a way to get rich, it is a way to be rich."
Make your day! Read Paul Hawken's Entire Commencement Speech
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Sat, 06 Jun 2009
Myths and Truths About Vegan Diet by Virginia Messina
Article Excerpt: Virginia Messina, June 3, 2009, Seattle Vegan Examiner
Nobody ever seems to be especially neutral on the topic of vegan health. Most are convinced that a vegan diet is either completely dangerous or a magic bullet cure-all. The myths about vegan eating spring from both sides of the argument and are sometimes completely contradictory. Here are a few of the most common ones.
Myth #1: Vegans are at risk for iron deficiency.
Truth: Actually, vegans are less likely to get iron deficiency than lacto-ovo vegetarians. Vegans consume more iron and tend to replace milk (which contains no iron and also inhibits iron absorption) with iron-rich foods. Iron from plant foods is absorbed at a lower rate than from meat, but iron deficiency anemia is no more common among vegans than any other group.
Myth #2: Vegan diets are okay for adults, but not for children.
Truth: Studies show that vegan kids sometimes fall short on a few nutrients compared to omnivore children, but that they have better intakes of other nutrients. All types of diets for children require careful planning. Vegan diets can provide adequate nutrition for children at all stages.
Myth #3: Dairy foods cause osteoporosis because they are high in protein, so vegans — who don’t drink milk — have lower calcium needs than omnivores.
Truth: Two myths in one! Unfortunately, there isn’t a shred of evidence that dairy foods cause osteoporosis. And the idea that vegans need less calcium than omnivores because of differing protein intakes is debatable. The research on this one is all over the place, with lots of conflicting studies. For now, it’s wise and responsible for vegans to meet standard recommendations for calcium.
More myths to be debunked! Read the rest of the article
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Mon, 25 May 2009
Excellent food safety tips for leftovers from Food24, Luscious Leftovers. The article goes on to give recipe suggestions using leftovers, most of them involving animal foods.
BUT... following these food safety tips is important for vegetarians and vegans too. You too can get food poisoning if you're not careful, and that's some serious not-fun!
Foods left out more than two hours should be discarded. You can put hot food directly into the refrigerator or freezer. Divide leftovers into several shallow dishes so they will cool to a safe temperature quickly. Store cooked leftovers in shallow containers that are tightly covered. Try to exclude as much air as possible to reduce oxidation and loss of nutrients, flavour and colour. The smaller the container that you freeze leftovers in, the more quickly and safely the food will freeze and thaw. It's also a good idea to label and date containers that go into the freezer.
Store highly perishable food in the coldest part of the fridge, preferably on a tray of ice. Eat it within two or three days, or as indicated on the product label. The coldest part of the fridge is on the middle and top shelves. The warmest part is in the door, so store eggs in their cartons on a shelf inside the fridge and not in the egg slots. (That also goes for prepared veggie foods like tofu, tofu dogs, seitan, etc)
Always reheat leftovers until they are piping hot all the way through and never reheat food more than once. Reheat soups, sauces and gravies to boiling. Stir to ensure even reheating.
To ensure even reheating in a microwave oven, cover food with a vented covering. Make sure to rotate and stir food halfway through cooking time and stir food again after cooking is completed. Allow food to stand for 5 minutes after cooking. Never reheat leftovers in a slow-cooker. The gradual heating promotes bacterial growth.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!
Learn more about food storage safety from The USDA
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Thu, 21 May 2009
Organic Consumers: Healthy, Local & Organic School Food Now
From the OCA Newsletter, Organic Bytes #174, May 21, 2009
School Food: It's never had a reputation for being good, but these days, it's downright unhealthy. Obesity and a host of diet-related diseases are linked to the school lunch menu, which is loaded with over-processed starches, fats, genetically modified ingredients, and meats laced with hormones, antibiotics and pesticides.
Squeezed into buying on the cheap, school districts buy milk that has been produced with the use of genetically-modified bovine growth hormone and beef that gets recalled for the E. coli contamination that is inevitable in factory farm operations where corn-fed cattle wade in their own waste all the way to the slaughterhouse.
Very few vitamin-rich fresh fruits and vegetables are part of the lunch menu, even though it's universally understood this is the key to improving childhood and long-term health.
The 2009 Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act is an opportunity to change what kids eat at school and raise a generation of kids who understand good nutrition and value locally produced, fresh, organic food.
Take Action: Ask Congress for Healthy Local and Organic School Food
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Wed, 20 May 2009
Ten Things You Can Do to Fight World Hunger
From the The Nation, May 13, 2009 (This article appears in the June 1, 2009 edition of The Nation)
Our planet produces enough food to feed its more than 960 million undernourished people. The basic cause of global hunger is not underproduction; it is a production and distribution system that treats food as a commodity rather than a human right.
In developing countries huge agribusinesses, fat with government subsidies, sell their unsustainable (and sometimes genetically modified) products at a reduced rate, thus making it impossible for local farmers to compete. Farmers who can't compete can't feed their own families or work their own fields. Hunger becomes both the cause and effect of poverty.
Ruth Messinger, president of American Jewish World Service, says sending food aid is not a sustainable way to end hunger. Rather, people must be empowered to raise their own food.
She proposes Ten Things we can do to help solve the world's growing hunger problem.
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Tue, 19 May 2009
EU: City of Ghent Goes Veg One Day A Week To Lose Weight and Save The Planet
Day of the Lentil Burgers: Ian Traynor, Guardian, UK, May 14 2009
On the eve of what is being touted as an unprecedented exercise, the biggest queue in the Flemish university town of 200,000 yesterday was for signatures – to collect a bag of wholefood goodies and sign up for "Donderdag – Veggie Dag", turning the burghers of Ghent into pioneers in the fight against obesity, global warming, cruelty to animals and against the myth that meat-free eating amounts to a diet of soggy lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a foul-tasting bean burger.
The city council says it is the first town in Europe and probably the western world to try to make the entire place vegetarian for a day every week. Tom Balthazar, the Labour party councillor pushing the scheme, said: "There's nothing compulsory. We just want to be a city that promotes sustainable and healthy living."
Every restaurant in the city is to guarantee a vegetarian dish on the menu, with some going fully vegetarian every Thursday. From September, the city's schools are to make a meat-free meal the "default" option every Thursday, although parents can insist on meat for their children. At least one hospital wants to join in.
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Sat, 16 May 2009
Restaurant Survival Skills from Jeff Novick
"Some restaurant survival skills......Before You Get To The Restaurant......Understand what healthy food really is"
Jeff Novick, MS. RD. LD. LN, serves as the Director of Health Education for the National Health Association and as the nutritionist/dietitian for the prestigious McDougall Program in Santa Rosa, California. The following quotes are from his blog article, Restaurant Survival Skills
"Healthy food is unprocessed unrefined whole fresh fruits, vegetables, starchy vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, and in limited amounts, nuts, seeds, avocados, and if you choose to include it, lean animal protein. Unhealthy food can't be transformed into healthy food by a chef. Therefore, you will need to look for restaurants that offer these foods and have them available to you. Otherwise, you are setting yourself up for failure."
"Once you get practice in how to obtain a healthy meal, you should be able to use these principles and eat at almost any restaurant in the US."
According to Savvy Veg, that's the kicker!
From my experience, the biggest problems eating in restaurants are the huge servings of refined carbohydrates (e.g. white rice, pasta, bread), the generous use of fats of dubious origin, the excessive addition of salt and sugar, and the 'hidden' ingredients - i.e. flavorings (such as MSG), preservatives and food coloring - quite toxic and IMO found in 99% of all restaurant food.
Unless it's an actual vegetarian or health food restaurant, there are never any whole grains available (maybe some token 'wheat' bread) in restaurants. Ditto nuts, seeds, avocados, fresh fruits and legumes. Forget about organic!
My husband and I ate at a lot of restaurants on a recent three month road trip. We weren't realistically able to plan ahead, as we didn't usually know where we might stop, and had no time to research, or hunt around in strange towns for just the right place. Gas station employees and motel owners were occasionally helpful, and sometimes we got lucky!
We found, as Jeff suggests, that chefs and servers are often happy - or can be persuaded - to accommodate special dietary needs, depending on what foods they have available. The safest and tastiest places we found were locally owned ethnic restaurants where you can special order something that the restaurant workers might actually eat themselves. More on the subject of eating healthy on the road
Restaurants are in the business of selling food, and they'll do whatever it takes to make it tasty. That means truckloads of calories! On our trip to California, I gained ten pounds that I'm having trouble losing. I blame it on restaurants, but it might also have something to do with my tendency to eat lots of tasty food. Whatever restaurants you visit, my advice is to go heavy on the veggies and light on the carbs. Skip the fried foods and dessert. Avoid all sauces and dressings unless after quizzing the cook, you're satisfied they're safe - better yet, assume they're not.
As Jeff Novick suggests, make it your business to know all the restaurants in your area, where they are, what they serve and what they'll do for you. That way you'll be prepared when your family or friends want to give you a treat and take you out to a restaurant!
If you have to eat out on business, you can impress your colleagues with your restaurant knowledge and suggest several delicious options. Or, you could be one of those obnoxious people who makes a big fuss until everybody gives in and lets them choose the restaurant. If you really want to stay fit and healthy, work for yourself at home, cook your own meals, exercise daily, and don't eat at restaurants at all unless there's no way you can get out of it!
When travelling, I take along a travelling kitchen and prepare my own food as much as possible. It's by far the cheapest and most nutritious way to go anywhere. I've make cooking in motel rooms into a high art!
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Sat, 09 May 2009
Piggish Capitalism, Climate Change, Poverty & Hunger
You'd think that anybody who's paying attention couldn't possibly miss what's going on in the world, but sometimes we can't see the deforestation for the trees.
Yesterday I read three articles which helped me connect the dots: Capitalist greed, leading to planetary destruction and global suffering - pandemics, drought, extreme poverty, starvation, mass migrations, and war. Extracts follow, although I recommend reading all three articles in full for the best effect.
1. Piggish Capitalism Endangers Us All
By David Sirota, from Creators Syndicate, via Common Dreams, May 8, 2009
Even if you don't dig on swine, it has become impossible to avoid them. If you're not pummeled by television reports about Wall Street oinkers, you're bombarded by talk-radio rants about congressional pork and newspaper dispatches about swine flu.
The bacon-flavored themes probably aren't purposefully repetitive, but that's OK because these seemingly unrelated story lines share a common bond: They are each part of what might be called piggish capitalism - an economic theory that mixes subsidization, consolidation and deregulation - and it endangers us all.
Take the pandemic scare: The Associated Press says scientists suspect that swine flu began in a Mexican town that "has been protesting pollution from a large pig farm" partially owned by the Smithfield company. That's the same Smithfield that used three decades of lax anti-trust enforcement and corporate welfare to become one of the few megacorporations now controlling global agribusiness.
Unregulated, taxpayer-subsidized oligopoly spreading risk - sounds familiar, right? It should, because at the very moment agribusinesses were vertically and horizontally integrating themselves, so too were financial firms.
Pigs may, in fact, be the smartest domestic animal. But when charged with managing capitalism, they clearly have trouble comprehending the simplest lessons.
© 2009 Creators Syndicate
David Sirota is a bestselling author whose newest book is "The Uprising." He is a fellow at the Campaign for America's Future and a board member of the Progressive States Network - both nonpartisan organizations.
2. Climate Change Displacement Has Begun – but Hardly Anyone Has Noticed
By George Monbiot, from The Guardian/UK, via Common Dreams, May 8, 2009
Two weeks ago a momentous event occurred: the beginning of the world's first evacuation of an entire people as a result of manmade global warming...this appears to be the first time that an entire people have started leaving their homes as a result of current global warming.
The Carteret Islands are off the coast of Bougainville, which, in turn, is off the coast of Papua New Guinea. They are small coral atolls on which 2,600 people live. Though not for much longer.
There are compounding factors - the removal of mangrove forests and some local volcanic activity - but the main problem appears to be rising sea levels. Over the past few years they have been repeatedly inundated by spring tides, wiping out the islanders' vegetable and fruit gardens, destroying their subsistence and making their lives impossible.
They are not, as the Daily Mail and the Times predicted, "the world's first climate-change refugees". People have been displaced from their homes by natural climate change for tens of thousands of years, and by manmade climate change for millennia (think of the desertification caused in North Africa by Roman grain production).
Their numbers might be small, but this is the event that foreshadows the likely mass displacement of people from coastal cities and low-lying regions as a result of rising sea levels. The disaster has begun, but so far hardly anyone has noticed.
George Monbiot is the author of the best selling books 'The Age of Consent: a manifesto for a new world order' and 'Captive State: the corporate takeover of Britain'. He writes a weekly column for the The Guardian
3. Poverty and Food Insecurity in the Developing World: For Us, Tolls the Bell
"American citizens are chemically modified humans, now being destroyed at genetic level."
By Arun Shrivastava, from Global Research, May 7, 2009
Blaming food insecurity and hunger on poverty [essentially, inability to earn sufficient cash to buy food] has been the official position of most governments and of international institutions like UN-FAO, World Bank, IMF, and CGIAR. Unfortunately such notions serve powerful economic and political interests that perpetuate hunger, malnutrition, diseases, illiteracy, ignorance, urban slums and filth and rural poverty globally.
Those who influence the developmental agenda of governments seldom pause to think that farmers and gardeners can always grow enough food to stave off hunger and malnutrition from less than 200 square meters of land; with about 2000 square meters they can feed themselves quite well with some surplus.
For rural Asians, Africans and South American farmers, growing food has been a way of life. Yet the irony is that they are facing food shortage, hunger, under-nutrition, and poor health.
And yet, instead of addressing issues of nutrition and health, ‘connecting the dots’ as Michael Pollan says, the US Congress is hell bent on introducing laws with global reach that would destroy the very basis of...food security and food sovereignty. That is what the two pending legislations HR875 in the House of Representatives and S425 in the Senate, essentially seek. The latest in the bouquet of legislations is the ‘Global Food Security Act of 2009’ with global implications.
Had it not been for the poor, famished independent farmers of the less developed countries, the oceans would already have turned muddy and air un-breathable. But we are all headed that way.
Arun Shrivastava is a frequent contributor to Global Research
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Wed, 06 May 2009
Keep On Moving! Important Advice For All Sitter Workers And Couch Potatoes From Dr. Mirkin
From the May 3, 2009 issue of Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Health and Fitness Ezine:
The next time you are stuck sitting in one place for a very long time, get up and move. Sitting for extended periods markedly increases your chances of suffering a heart attack or diabetes, and dying prematurely, whether or not you exercise regularly (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, May 2009). This comes from the Canada Fitness Survey that evaluated men and women for "sitting time" in 1981 and followed them for more than 12 years.
We have to explain why sitting increases risk for heart attacks and diabetes, even if you exercise. More than 80 percent of diabetics die of heart disease and diabetes can be caused by repeated high rises in blood sugar and fat after meals. When blood sugar rises too high, sugar sticks to the surface of cell membranes. Once there, sugar can never detach and is eventually converted by a series of chemical reactions to sorbitol which destroys the cell to cause blindness, deafness, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, impotence and all the horrible side effects of diabetes.
The most efficient way to prevent these high rises in blood sugar is to contract your muscles. Contracting muscles draw sugar so rapidly from the bloodstream that they can prevent this high rise in blood sugar. This effect lasts during active exercise, is maximal for up to a half hour after you stop exercising and then gradually tapers off in about 17 hours.
Now we know that you should keep moving for most of your waking hours. Exercise every day, and when you are not exercising, continue to use your muscles. If your job or hobbies require you to sit, get in the habit of walking around several times an hour. Avoid being overweight, and reduce your intake of foods that cause a high rise in blood sugar when you are not exercising. The foods that cause the highest rises in blood sugar are sugars in liquid form and foods made from flour.
Comment From: Jen at Boda Weight Loss Blog "It is funny how the most common sense, simplest knowledge is so surprising. Our bodies were made to move, to stand, to bend and so many health problems come from being sedentary. I know because I have worked most of my life in a job where I stand and move around and once in a while I have to sit at a computer for eight hours a day and it literally wreaks havoc on my body. When I go to stand for a break after a few hours my back is killing me."
Savvy Veg Reply: "I know exactly what you mean! I work at a computer many hours a day, and every hour or so I have to jump up and go do something or else I get all stiff, grumpy and depressed. I swear my intelligence goes down and my weight goes up the more I sit! Amazing to think that a hundred years ago, most people sat very little, now most people seem to sit most of the time, even children."
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Sat, 18 Apr 2009
Spring Cleansing: Detox and Rejuvenate For Health and Beauty
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Fri, 17 Apr 2009
Friday April 17 Is César Chávez Birthday
Remarkably, it isn't well known that César Chávez was a vegetarian, and vegan.
César Chávez said, in 1992, during his acceptance of a Lifetime Achievement Award from In Defense of Animals,
"We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to make all people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect them and love them as we love ourselves. And that's the basis for peace. The basis for peace is respecting all creatures. . . . We cannot hope to have peace until we respect everyone--respect ourselves and respect animals and all living things. . . . We know we cannot defend and be kind to animals until we stop exploiting them – exploiting them in the name of science, exploiting animals in the name of sport, exploiting animals in the name of fashion, and yes, exploiting animals in the name of food."
From an article by Stephanie Ernst: Honoring César Chávez--and His Call to Stop Eating Animals
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Thu, 16 Apr 2009
Help! Organic Consumers Association Under Attack
My favorite non-profit organization, the Organic Consumer's Association, has been attacked by web hackers twice this month. OCA sees these attacks as attempts by their corporate enemies to shut down their website, and shut them up. This week they sent out a plea for help in fighting off the hacker attacks.
Here's their message, from the latest issue of Organic Bytes
"For the second time in a month, sophisticated hackers have attacked the OCA website. The previous attack forced us to delay putting out Organic Bytes for a week. We're not sure whether these cowardly cyber-criminals are agents of Monsanto or one of our other "profits before people" adversaries, but we are sure of one thing: nothing will stop OCA from speaking out and mobilizing for health, justice, and sustainability. Even though OCA's tireless web team have once again foiled the latest assault, these attacks are costing us valuable time and money. We need your financial support to help us strengthen our defenses and ward off future attacks."
Please make a tax deductible donation to OCA today.
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Fri, 10 Apr 2009
Dr. Gabe Mirkin: Update on Vitamin D Deficiency and Sunlight
From the 3.29.09 issue of Dr. Mirkin's Health and Fitness Ezine:
The blood levels of Vitamin D in Americans dropped significantly from 1994 to 2004 (Archives of Internal Medicine, March 2009). This is frightening because low levels of Vitamin D are associated premature death, heart attacks, strokes, and at least 17 different cancers.
The authors blame the drop on campaigns aimed at reducing sun exposure because of the fear of developing skin cancer. They also note that people who rely on supplements rather than sunlight are usually deficient.
The current recommended doses of vitamin D supplements are way too low (200 IU per day from birth to age 50, 400 international units per day from age 51 to 70 and 600 international units from a ge 71 and up). It is impossible to meet your needs for Vitamin D with foods.
To check for vitamin D deficiency, you need a blood test called D3. If it is below 75 nmol/L, you are deficient and should expose your skin to sunlight or take at least 2000 IU of vitamin D3 twice a day for as long as it takes to raise your blood level of D3 to 75 nmol/L.
Basal cell skin cancers (the most common type) are caused by excessive cumulative exposure to sunlight. Melanoma skin cancers can be caused by a single sunburn. Therefore, everyone should go out in the sun, but they should wear hats and use sun screens on the most frequently exposed areas such as the top of the ears, face, and back of the hands. The legs are probably the safest place to expose your skin to sunlight. - Dr. Gabe Mirkin
Savvy Veg Comment: Maybe it's hard to reconcile your fear of skin cancer with your crucial need for Vitamin D. Adding osteoporosis to the list may push you out into the sun. Two critical factors in sun exposure are: how much sun, and when. Learn more from Dr. Alona: Q & A on Vitamin D
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Thu, 09 Apr 2009
Cooking4Carnivores Answers All My Nosy Questions
J. M. wrote back and graciously answered all my questions from the previous post, Veg Cooks For Carnivore
"First, when I say my hubby won't eat anything green, that's just an exaggeration. He does eat green beans, peas, and zucchini. He'll also eat fried okra and the occasional sauteed green pepper. I don't limit myself to just these veggies though. Often times I'll just have a veggie I love (spinach for example) at a meal instead of whatever meat he's having."
"I am slowly but surely expanding his horizons. For example, he used to not eat carrots or melons, and now he does. I just ask him to try it. I don't force him, but I gently encourage. If he hates it, I tell him he only has to have it for that one meal."
"He is open to meatless meals - see my recent post regarding cheese enchiladas for example. We also share a great pesto ricotta pizza sometimes. He would prefer meat over not, but he isn't dissatisfied if I make things like this. We often joke that he has the palate of a five year old, but really he is happy with a lot of things."
"As for the commingling of meat and non-meat products - the short answer is we don't. He uses a separate area on the grill and different tongs. Indoors I use separate pans and utensils - see my post about penne and peppers for pics on how I do this."
"We do share our veggies/sides, and I don't cook two different meals. It's just too hard. That's why I've listed menu ideas at the end of many of my posts to help people figure this out. It's taken me a while to get it down."
"I do do most of the cooking, but I love doing it, so it isn't a chore. He helps clean up afterwards and that's what matters most to me! In general, since I do the planning, shopping, and cooking, he probably makes more compromises than I do. We've learned to make it work though, and other people can too."
"I'm happy to answer more questions if you have them! Thanks again for checking out my blog, Cooking4Carnivores."
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Wed, 08 Apr 2009
Vegetarian Blogs About Cooking For Carnivores
J. M. wrote in response to the following veg/non-veg posts: Conversation With A Non-Vegetarian and this response, No More Taunt The Vegetarian.
J. said "Hey - it's nice to see this discussion. I am veg and married a non-veg. I have worked very hard to come up with dinners we can eat together. I realized this was an issue for lots of people so I created a new blog, Cooking4Carnivores - A Vegetarian's Compromises In The Kitchen. Check it out!"
After visiting J's blog, Savvy Veg - as usual - has a LOT to say:
"Hi J., I checked out your blog, and there are some good recipes! But I'm more interested in the daily details - like how you plan your meals around the meat eater and the vegetarian, how you share the cooking and shopping, how you resolve conflicts. I have about a million questions for you!"
"For instance, you said your husband won't eat anything green, and veggies eat lots of green (ideally) - how does that work? Does he eat any veggies (besides potatoes)? Do you try to expand his veggie horizons, or do you just give him what he wants to eat? Is he open to trying new foods, or having meatless meals - i.e. becoming an omnivore - or is he from the must-have-meat-3-times-a-day-or-die school?"
"Also, you said your husband grills outside while you do something inside. How do you manage co-mingling of veggie dogs and meat on the grill? Do you buy and cook the meat or does he? Does he usually help with the cooking? Do you use separate pans for meat cooking? Does he eat your veggie dishes, with meat on the side, or do you cook two different meals?"
"The questions I get from people about veg/non-veg eating together are mostly about logistics - not just recipes, but how to juggle the different demands at meal time. And power struggles - as in my way or the highway! Sharing food is basic to any relationship, and I admire you for making your veg/non-veg marriage work so well. I just hope you aren't doing all the work, and making all the compromises!"
Find lacto-vegetarian recipes for the carnivores in your life at Cooking4Carnivores
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Thu, 02 Apr 2009
Meat Eating and Global Warming
If someone you know is still on the fence about eating meat, here's something I found on IVU News to help tip them over on the veggie side.
Dr R.K. Pachauri is head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. He is also a vegetarian who urges meatarians to go meatless at least one day a week. Dr. Pachauri's blog features videos of his speeches, as well as interviews and articles.
In this PDF article, Global Warning! The Impact of Meat Production and Consumption on Climate Change, Dr. Pachauri lays out page after page of statistics and graphs.
A Few Samples:
- Livestock production accounts for 70% of all agricultural land and 30% of the world’s surface land area
- 70% of previous forested land in the Amazon is occupied by cattle pastures, and crops for animal feed cover a large part of the remainder.
- Estimated growth in the number of farm animals used per year: 60 billion in 2008, 120 billion in 2050 (in 2008, there were 6 billion people on the planet!)
- 1 kg of beef is responsible for the equivalent of the amount of CO2 emitted by the average European car every 250 km, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for 20 days. Over two-thirds of the energy goes towards producing and transporting the animals' feed.
- A farmer can feed up to 30 persons throughout the year on 1 hectare with vegetables, fruits, cereals and vegetable fats. If the same area is used for the production of eggs, milk or meat, the number of persons fed varies from 5 to 10.
- A person who lives 70 years as a vegan will prevent over 100 tons of CO2-eq.
Read Dr. Pachauri's article and pass it on
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Wed, 01 Apr 2009
No More 'Taunt The Vegetarian'
As I keep saying, the world is going veg!
A vegetarian visitor wrote to say, "I really enjoyed the comments on non veg speaks. I've experienced both kinds of non-veg reactions, sometimes in the same people."
"My husband and I are friends with a couple who had fun playing "taunt the vegetarian", an irritating game where the non-veg places emphasis on meat, rude elaborate descriptions of it, and tells you for the millionth time that they 'couldn't live without steak'...etc. Other than that, they've been great friends."
"One day, they woke up and decided to get healthy - did a bunch of research and found out a bunch of awful things about meat heavy diets, not to mention factory farms. They almost totally cut meat out of their diet, and now are as likely to bring a vegetarian dish to a potluck as I am."
"I haven't heard one rude veggie comment since. Last time they had a do at their place, they made a meat soup, and a veg version for me. I gotta say I'm enjoying the change of tune. The funny thing is, their change came entirely from them. I didn't preach, and they didn't ask."
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Sun, 22 Mar 2009
Tweet! Tweet! Twitter Is The New Newsletter
Savvy Vegetarian Finally Gets A Clue and Joins Twitter
Yes, we're a little slow on the uptake! Every so often I get messages from vistors who say they love Savvy Vegetarian, want updates, and how do they subscribe to our newsletter? I adore fan mail, and am eager to please. But I did an update newsletter before, and felt it took too much time, for too few subscribers, and got bounced out of too many mailboxes.
Twitter To The Rescue! I finally realized that Savvy Vegetarian could join Twitter, post updates, and visitors could get them, without even having to join Twitter.
Although. I think Twitter is fun and stops you from watching lame sitcoms on TV etc. I joined so I can get important updates from The Onion. Some say Twitter also keeps you from working and other worthwhile activities like having a life. But of course Savvy Veg visitors have more strength of character than that!
So, Twitter is the new Savvy Veg newsletter, and you want to subscribe, right? Follow Us On Twitter
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Thu, 12 Mar 2009
Dr. Mirkin: Exercise Over 50 Makes You Live Longer
From the 3.15.09 issue of Dr. Mirkin's Health and Fitness Ezine
In the most recent issue, Dr. Gabe Mirkin talks about exercising over 50 to live longer. Savvy Veg hears from a lot of folks with questions about going vegetarian to lose weight, get fit and improve their health. I tiresomely repeat over and over that eating right is only part of the story. We need to exercise daily to lose fat and build muscle, particularly after 50, to avoid dying prematurely. The study referenced in the following article used men, but of course the findings apply equally to women.
"Men who start or increase their exercise programs after age fifty live longer than those who remain at their present activity levels, according to a study in the British Medical Journal (March 2009)."
"More than 2200 men were checked at ages 60, 60, 70, 77 and 82 years. The greater the increase in exercise duration over that span, the longer their lives were extended. The reduction in early death from increasing exercise was the same as for men who stopped smoking."
"Lack of exercise is associated with obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, osteoporosis, and cancer. Exercising regularly more than halves your chance of dying prematurely (Archives of Internal Medicine, December 2007). Yet more than 50 percent of North Americans do not exercise."
"Exercise prevents disease and increases life span by many mechanisms. The major benefit probably comes from the contracting muscles themselves."
"A high rise in blood sugars and fats after meals damages cells. When blood sugar levels rise too high, sugar sticks to the surface of cell membranes. Once there, it can never get off, eventually killing the cells and leading to blindness, heart attacks, strokes and the other consequences of uncontrolled diabetes."
"Contracting muscles draw sugar and fat so rapidly from the bloodstream that they usually prevent blood sugar levels from rising too high. This effect is maximized during exercise. The effect is maintained for about half hour after you stop exercising and gradually tapers off until it disappears after about 18 hours."
"That explains why you get maximum benefit by exercising every day (rather than three times a week), and why greater benefit is gained by exercising more intensely for longer durations."
Dr. Mirkin doesn't specify the kind of exercise in this article, but there are many other fitness articles on his site.
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Tue, 03 Mar 2009
Savvy Veg Eats Her Way To California and Back
I just got back from a three month road trip from SE Iowa to Northern California and back, with my husband. Unfortunately we didn't entirely escape the Iowa winter, but our journey was remarkable in many ways.
Our 10 yr old Subaru performed beautifully, our 60+ vegetarian bodies did nearly as well, the weather devas smiled on us, and we're still together (road trips are the ultimate test of relationships). The food was mostly good, occasionally memorable!
We ate lunch on the road every day, and in the evenings I usually cooked in our motel room from my travelling kitchen. More about that in a separate post. For now, I just want to tell you about some of the restaurants we encountered on the way.
NOT following my own advice: We never planned our lunch stops ahead or did any research before travelling for veg friendly restaurants. There just wasn't time. When we got hungry we'd cruise the nearest decent sized town for food.
We ate sandwiches in the car a couple of times, and we were forced to eat pizza twice, but otherwise avoided chain restaurants. The one exception was an Applebee's which got the prize for worst food and worse service.
We found that ethnic restaurants were our best bet, Indian or Chinese most of all. They always have rice and beans, go heavy on the veggies, came closest to vegan, and almost every town has one or both. Thai restaurants are becoming more common, and Mediterranean fast food is too (as in falafel wraps etc). Whole Foods has a great deli if you can find a store. They're in most of the bigger cities - we found one in Sante Fe, NM.
Mexican restaurants were iffy - the food quality is often poor, and they mostly don't do vegetables. The Chipotle mexican grill chain is reliable, as everything is freshly prepared on the premises, and there's a veggie option.
We stumbled across a few outstanding (and very affordable) restaurants in our disorganized way:
Tulsa OK: A little mediterranean cafe right off Hwy 44, the 4700 block on E. 51st St between Harvard and Lewis, just West of the Star Fuel Center. It had a silly name, like Happy Spud. We had the best falafel wraps there. I'd love to have their falafel and hummus recipes! Tulsa actually has a LOT of restaurants, including a couple of vegetarian, but this one was easy.
Sedona AZ: Mago Cafe - Korean restaurant above a new age shop, at 207 Rt 89A, in the oldtown area. Essentially a new age noodle house. Very fresh, delicious, healthy food, peaceful atmosphere, and a great view (everywhere in Sedona has a great view). We had yummy dumplings, miso soup, brown rice, veggies, tofu. The presentation and service were lovely. We felt very special eating there - we felt special all the time in Sedona.
Cheyenne, WY: The Dynasty Cafe, 600 W 19th St, had an entire vegetarian section on their menu. We ate fresh, delicious vietnamese food, spiced mild for us (their mild is our spicy). Everything was cooked there, including the divine sauces. They happily substituted green veggies for mushrooms and onions which we don't like.
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Fri, 13 Feb 2009
Vegetarians and Vegans: Diabetes Can Be Prevented and Cured
Dr. Gabe Mirkin talks a lot about plant based diet and exercise, as an effective way to prevent and control diabetes. Savvy Veg hears from a lot of diabetics and pre-diabetic people with questions about going vegetarian, and I recommend his site as an excellent resource for diabetes info
From the 2.15.09 issue of Dr. Mirkin's Health and Fitness Ezine
"In 2007, 233,619 Americans died from diabetes. 60 percent of the U.S. population over 65 suffers from diabetes or pre-diabetes and most have not even been diagnosed (Diabetes Care, February 2009). Four important reports should spur you to act if you have any of the risk factors for diabetes: "Diabetes Doubles Your Chances of Suffering from Dementia" (Diabetes, January 2008); "HBA1c Test Predicts Which Diabetics Will Lose Brain Function" (Diabetes Care, February 2009) "Rigorous Workouts Lasting as Little as Three Minutes May Help Prevent Diabetes by Helping to Control Blood Sugar" (BioMed Central Endocrine Disorders, February 2009); and "Exercise Capacity Predicts Which Diabetics Are at High Risk for Dying Prematurely" (Diabetes Care, March 2009)."
Dr. Mirkin suggests that if you have any combination of the following risk factors, suspect that you may be diabetic and check with your doctor:
- store fat predominantly in your belly, rather than your hips
- family history of diabetes
- overweight
- exercise less than three times a week
- high blood pressure: 140/90 mm/Hg or higher
- HDL cholesterol lower than 35 mg/dL
- triglyceride level greater than 250 mg/dL
- history of diabetes during pregnancy or birth to a 9-pound baby
- thick neck
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- dark, thick skin around neck or armpits
- history of blood vessel disease to heart, brain, or legs
- HBA1C greater than 5.8
- fasting blood sugar greater than 100
- sugar two hours after eating greater than 100
- member of a high-risk ethnic population (e.g., African-American, Hispanic/Latino- American, American Indian, Alaskan Native or Pacific Islander)
"You can become non-diabetic by losing weight, exercising, avoiding refined carbohydrates, and treating vitamin D deficiency so D3 blood test is greater than 75 nmol/L. Read more Dr. Mirkin on diagnosis and treatment of diabetes."
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Sat, 31 Jan 2009
PETA Claims Vegetarians Have Better Sex, Banned
From Super Bowl
This has put me up on my Savvy Veg soapbox!
On Tuesday, NBC declared a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals commercial—featuring, among other suggestive images, a woman preparing to pleasure herself with a broccoli stalk—too racy to be shown during the Super Bowl. The text in PETA's advertisement reads: "Studies show vegetarians have better sex." Do they? Not necessarily, according to Nina Rastogi, Slate, 1.29.08
Ms. Rastogi's article, 'Debbie Does Salad', presents arguments for and against the claim that vegetarians have better sex. Overall, her article is tongue-in-cheek, getting a few laughs by poking fun at vegetarians. After all, the subject couln't possibly be serious - right?
Some of the material in this piece is pretty funny - also dated and irrelevant, as in quotes like this: "Sylvester Graham, the crusading 19th-century dietary reformer and inventor of the eponymous cracker, believed that meat—along with feather beds, coffee, tea, and richly seasoned foods—encouraged the "degenerating habits of luxury, indolence, voluptuousness and sensuality."
Equally silly are the statements that "Vegetarian diets tend to correlate with higher rates of zinc deficiency, which is closely associated with lower testosterone levels and depressed sex drives. Vegetarian women are also more likely to develop amenorrhea (loss of periods), a condition that's usually accompanied by low testosterone, vaginal dryness, and poor libido." Well, yeah! Vegetarians who know nothing about veggie nutrition, or anorexic teenage vegans - maybe. No references for these claims.
If you don't mind vegetarians being ridiculed, read Nina Rastogi's article. If you have a taste for veggie porn, watch the banned PETA video ad, on the same page. Personally, I found the ad offensive and insulting. I think PETA has set back the vegetarian cause by decades, degrades healthy sex between consenting vegetarians, and is anti-feminine - liberation for animals, but not for women!
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Sun, 18 Jan 2009
Did You Stumble Upon Savvy Vegetarian and Love It?
Occasionally Savvy Vegetarian gets a message telling us that a link doesn't work, or there's something wrong with a recipe, or some information needs updating. Believe me, we appreciate it when people care enough to let us know when we mess up! Otherwise, we might take a long time to notice.
But of course, our favorite messages are more like the one we got today from L R:
"I stumbled upon this website about a year ago when I was looking to start eating healthily after being a glutton for the holiday season. The Jamaican Red Bean Soup is what I tried and it was DELICIOUS! My mom loved it so much that I have to make her a pot this year. I made this again this night and I'm ready to dig in with some white rice. Healthy, guilt-free, and so delicious. Can't wait to try the rest of the recipes!"
Nice letters like that always make our day. But when I read L R's words 'stumbled upon', lights flashed, and bells rang! I just had to say:
"Thanks so much for writing, and thanks for your kind words! Speaking of stumbling, have you heard of Stumble Upon? It's a cool website where you can post about web pages you like, vote on pages that other people like, and so on. That way more people find out about the good stuff - like Jamaican Red Bean Soup! I'm glad you stumbled across Savvy Veg - stumble it or any of the other recipes if you like them - there's a stumble button on every page of Savvy Vegetarian."
We won't go and stumble our own pages - that wouldn't be ethical. Maybe even suggesting it to you is shameless self-promotion. But what the heck. If you're a fan of Savvy Vegetarian, Stumble It!
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Fri, 09 Jan 2009
Conversation With A Non-Vegetarian
I had an interesting email exchange yesterday with A., who started with a rant (referring to things I said in my veg-nonveg report.), and ended with some practical suggestions to make life easier for new vegetarian college students.
A: "Respect goes both ways. I am not vegetarian but grew up in a veg-friendly environment and come from a family that eats meat but is not "meat addicted" (we don't eat it often, we don't miss it if it's not there, and we know a diet can be perfectly healthy and balanced without it). I would not dream of mocking, questioning, or interfering with my veg friends' lifestyles."
"I don't think of my veg friends as "closet anorexics", dietary extremists, My Token Vegan Friend, or some other uninformed, dehumanizing, stereotype."
"I would appreciate that they, in turn, do not describe me in terms that bring up images of a blood-slurping lion hovering over a carcass. Those of us who are not vegetarian/vegan are not carnivores: We are omnivores (or "non-veg"). I've yet to meet a person whose diet was primarily-to-exclusively meat, which is what "carnivore" means. Even "meat and potatoes" men eat potatoes. Dogs aren't even true carnivores; they're omnivores, too (mine's favorite treat ever is frozen broccoli)."
"There ARE non-vegetarians out there who already think that vegetarians are normal, do not flee in terror at the prospect of tofu, and have no trouble serving tasty meatless meals. Apparently we are a silent group?"
Savvy Veg: "I agree, respect goes both ways. It does seem that you're a member of a silent group, and so are the vegetarians who respect freedom of choice. It's the extremists who are most vocal - they feel threatened by anybody who's different from them, or they have all the zeal of the recently converted."
"Have you expressed these eloquent thoughts to the veg friends who characterize you as 'a blood-slurping lion hovering over a carcass' because you eat some meat? Maybe it's time to get vocal, and roar at a few people."
"New vegetarians in particular may have difficulty integrating, partly because their own attitudes and demands on other people may be unrealistic or extreme, and partly because they do encounter hostility or resistance."
"This resistance takes many forms, and has some surprising sources - like your own parents, siblings, and friends, also public and semi-public events such as restaurants, parties and company gatherings. The degree of acceptance also depends a lot on where you live. Rural areas in general, and the midwest, tend to be less tolerant, and more meat oriented."
"It takes some life experience as a vegetarian to learn to navigate socially without causing offense or generating hostile behavior. That's true for non-veg as well. I hope that things have evolved, and that it's getting easier for both sides. I'll revisit my reports and revise with your thoughts and experiences in mind."
A: "I went to school in Iowa (pig country) but am from Southeast Texas (beef/seafood country). Even the vegetables here have bacon in them. Well, ours don't, but just about everyone else's do. The irony is that I grew up in a liberal Quaker church environment, and there are lots of veg Quakers. It's a semi-breach of etiquette to bring anything meat, especially red meat, to potlucks (if you do, it should have a little card with a warning on it)."
"Forgive me if you have already written this and I failed to find it on your website, but I'd like to suggest that college campuses are often very good places to network with other vegetarians, even in regions that are not particularly veg-friendly.
Lots of reasons: College is often where we're on our own for the first time and have more control over our lives and eating habits. College is where many of us experiment with our identities. All kinds of people go to college: Even a sports-and-agriculture school like Texas A&M; is going to have a lot of people who are there for reasons other than sports and agriculture."
"I was lucky: I went to a reasonably vegetarian-friendly college. The dining hall food wasn't fancy, and the menu was somewhat limited (for everyone, not just for vegetarians) but it tasted pretty good and always had substantial vegetarian and vegan options."
"Some colleges allow their dorm lounges to be reserved for parties (or have rooms that kids can reserve; ours had rooms in the student union that could be reserved free), or if the vegetarian lives in off-campus housing and has a kitchen, s/he could host a potluck dinner."
"College-age vegetarians ought to try putting up fliers or putting ads in the campus newspaper to try to bring some of those other closet vegetarians and "veg allies" out into the open so they know they're not alone."
"Some of the older students may also have been vegetarian longer and may have food advice, veg cookbooks or recipes, and other helpful suggestions. They may also meet other vegetarian viewpoints in an environment that is less antagonistic than in the "general population," and get pointers on how to communicate with non-veg family/friends in ways that are less likely to raise hackles."
Savvy Veg: "I haven't really covered the issue of college vegetarians networking, but it's an excellent idea. I think that students who are 'different' tend to be more isolated and lonely in high school, but find more like minds at college."
A: "That was certainly me, although not for food reasons."
Savvy Veg: "They also look for support online, but there's nothing like face-to-face."
A: "Definitely"
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Mon, 05 Jan 2009
Second Thoughts on Global Warming and Sustainable Agriculture
Two articles grabbed my attention in Common Dreams today.
Bill McKibben is the author of 'Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future', scholar in residence at Middlebury College, and cofounder of 350.org. In his article, he shoots down a half dozen common delusions about global warming:
- Scientists Are Divided
- We Have Time
- Climate Change Will Help as Many Places as It Hurts
- It's China's Fault
- Solving It Will Be Painful
- We Can Reverse Climate Change
If you're thinking any of those thoughts, read what Bill has to say about climate change, and think again!
Wes Jackson is a plant geneticist and president of The Land Institute in Salina, Kan. Wendell Berry is a farmer and writer in Port Royal, Ky. They tell us why we need a national agricultural policy based on ecological principles, and a 50-year farm bill to forthrightly address the problems of soil loss and degradation, toxic pollution, fossil-fuel dependency and the destruction of rural communities. They're hoping President Obama will stand and deliver. I'm not sure one man can pull this off - I think it will depend on the rising strength of collective consciousness. Read 50 Year Farm Bill and see what you think.
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Tue, 04 Nov 2008
Study Suggests A Vegan Diet Can Improve Diabetes Management
From The IVU Newsletter: Paul Appleby of Oxford Vegetarians (IVU) sent in the following research report:
Journal American Dietetic Association. 2008 Oct;108(10):1636-45: A recent study by David Jenkins and colleagues shows that a vegan diet compares favourably with a conventional diabetes management diet
Study: Changes in Nutrient Intake and Dietary Quality among Participants with Type 2 Diabetes Following a Low-Fat Vegan Diet or a Conventional Diabetes Diet for 22 Weeks. Turner-McGrievy GM, Barnard ND, Cohen J, Jenkins DJ, Gloede L, Green AA.
Background: Although vegan diets improve diabetes management, little is known about the nutrient profiles or diet quality of individuals with type 2 diabetes who adopt a vegan diet.
Objective: To assess the changes in nutrient intake and dietary quality among participants following a low-fat vegan diet or the 2003 American Diabetes Association dietarybrecommendations.
Design: A 22-week randomized, controlled clinical trial examining changes in nutrient intake and diet quality.
Subjects/Setting: Participants with type 2 diabetes (n=99) in a free-living setting.
Research Design and Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to a low-fat vegan diet or a 2003 American Diabetes Association recommended diet.
Main Outcome Measures: Nutrient intake and Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) scores were collected at baseline and 22 weeks.
Statistical Analyses Performed: Between-group t tests were calculated for changes between groups and paired comparison t tests were calculated for changes within-group. Pearson's correlation assessed relationship of AHEI score to hemoglobin A1c and body weight changes.
Results: Both groups reported significant decreases in energy, protein, fat, cholesterol, vitamin D, selenium, and sodium intakes. The vegan group also significantly reduced reported intakes of vitamin B-12 and calcium, and significantly increased carbohydrate, fiber, total vitamin A activity, beta carotene, vitamins K and C, folate, magnesium, and potassium. The American Diabetes Association recommended diet group also reported significant decreases in carbohydrate and iron, but reported no significant increases. The vegan group significantly improved its AHEI score (P<0.0001), while the American Diabetes Association recommended diet group did not (P=0.7218). The difference in AHEI score at 22 weeks between groups was significant (P<0.0001). With both groups combined, AHEI score was negatively correlated with both changes in hemoglobin A1c value (r=-0.24, P=0.016) and weight (r=-0.27, P=0.007).
Conclusions: Vegan diets increase intakes of carbohydrate, fiber, and several micronutrients, in contrast with the American Diabetes Association recommended diet. The vegan group improved its AHEI score whereas the American Diabetes Association recommended diet group's AHEI score remained unchanged.
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Mon, 20 Oct 2008
Dr. Gabe Mirkin, M.D., Report on Gall Stones - Sounds Like a Healthy Vegetarian Diet Is The Answer
We've all heard (or experienced first hand) that gall stones aren't fun. But you know, I've been a veganish vegetarian for a long time, I'm 61, and I've never had a gall bladder attack - touch wood. Which makes me wonder.
Dr. Mirkin's report on gall stones gives me the distinct impression that a healthy vegetarian diet is a great way to prevent them. Not that he comes right out and recommends going veg. But he does say that the best way to treat gall stones is to prevent them, and the best diet for that is a low fat plant based diet. And other interesting things, such as that being overweight or losing weight rapidly are the main culprits, and why. And that having your gall bladder removed isn't always a good idea...
Why not just read the whole report!
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Sun, 12 Oct 2008
Prince Charles' PDG, KB* Speech Against GMO Crops
*pretty darn good, kick butt
HRH Prince Charles gave a tough anti-gmo speech Oct 2 2008. Besides being Britain's heir to the throne, The Prince is also an organic farmer, and environmentalist. He was invited to speak by Dr. Vandana Shiva, international environmental activist, and founder of Navdanya, the Indian pressure group for agricultural reform.
Prince Charles' speech (the Sir Albert
Howard Memorial Lecture) has been pretty much blacked out in the U.S. press, but was covered by
The Independent, UK.
Geoffrey Lean reports: In a provocative address to an Indian audience, the Prince echoes
Gandhi with a stinging attack on 'commerce without morality'.
Video of the full speech is available on YouTube
Although he is one of the richest men in Britain, and has been accused of agitating for personal gain, Prince Charles remains committed to battling GMO crops. "The reason I keep sticking my 60-year-old head above an increasingly dangerous parapet is not because it is good for my health," he said "but precisely because I believe fundamentally that unless we work with nature, we will fail to restore the equilibrium we need in order to survive on this planet."
According to the report in The Independent: The Prince attacked the contention that "GM food is now essential to feed the world", saying that the evidence showed that modified crops' yields were "generally lower than their conventional counterparts". He called them "a wrong turning on the route to feeding the world in a sustainable or durable manner" and "a risky and expensive distraction, diverting attention and resources away from those real, long-term solutions such as crop varieties which respond well to low input systems that, in turn, do not rely on fossil fuels." There was substantial evidence "to show that a growing world population can be fed most successfully in the long term by agricultural systems that manage the land within environmental limits".
Read The Independent's report on Prince Charles' speech
Get Prince Charles' full speech on YouTube
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