This page is for everyone who is looking for books, magazines, articles and sites about: vegetarianism, health, current environmental issues, organic food, cooking, home remedies, alternative medicine, herbs, nutrition, natural homes, green clothing, etc., etc.
We want you to find what you're looking for in this resource guide. But we need help!
There's a lot of knowledge out there, and we know that many of you have valuable information to share. If you have resources you'd like to pass along, please send us an email. We can't guarantee to put in all the submissions we get, but we're open to everything. Contribute to the Savvy Vegetarian Resource Guide
We'd like to hear about web sites, books, articles, magazines, newsletters, and personal experiences touching on the topics above, or anything relevant:
This section of our site will be expanded as time goes on. To start with, here are a few resources that we've found useful.
http://www.bio-integrity.com From the website "Alliance for Bio-integrity", a great article by Stephen Druker exposing the hoax that GE food is safe.
The Answer To Cancer - Is Never Giving It A Chance To Start, by Hari Sharma, M.D. & Rama K. Mishra, G.A.M.S. with James G. Meade, PH.D, Select Books, 2002. This is a book everyone should read, because it's informative, helpful, compassionate, and upbeat. Unlike most "must reads", Answer To Cancer is both wise and witty. James Meade's sense of humor is priceless, making a frightening subject easy to take. You can order it from Amazon.com and also read the reviews.
Becoming Vegetarian - The Complete Guide To Adopting A Healthy Vegetarian Diet, by Vesanto Melina, R.D., Brenda Davis, R.D., Victoria Harrison, R.D., Macmillan Canada 1994. I feel like these authors wrote this book just to help me out. Although it was published in 1994, it's still completely relevant. It's a book I'd feel compelled to write if they hadn't already, but instead, they've done all the hard work. The main focus is vegetarian nutrition, but there's a good introductory chapter, "What is a Vegetarian?", another chapter on how to shop vegetarian, one on vegetarian diplomacy, and a few recipes in the final chapter. If I had written such a book, I would double the length to include more chapters on making the vegetarian transition, including cooking and social adaptation, because those are the hard parts. But hey, that's what Savvy Vegetarian is for! You can order this book from Amazon.com and also read the reviews.
The Bone Density Diet, 6 Weeks to a Strong Body and Mind, by George J. Kessler, D.O., P.C. with Colleen Kapklein, Ballantyne Books 2000. Even though this book on preventing and overcoming osteoporosis is written by A Man, and I suspect he may have some incentive to recommend HRT, there is more than enough excellent material on the alternatives to make it worthwhile. Kessler recommends a diet that leans toward the vegetarian, and thus is easily adapted to vegetarian diets. According to this book, osteoporosis, which afflicts most elderly N. American women, and a significant percentage of men, can be completely prevented, and reversed at any age. Kessler tells you with great confidence exactly how. You can order it from Amazon.com and also read the reviews.
I know there are many other excellent cookbooks, and I'd like to hear about them - these are ones I know & use often. The authors have in common that they love food, and are excellent cooks; they are extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of vegetarian cooking and nutrition, and they are all great teachers, as well as charming & witty. There is a wealth of information about vegetarian cooking in each of these books. The recipes are both reliable & adaptable to different tastes. Many recipes are either vegan, or can easily be converted - Judy Kingsbury
Heaven's Banquet, Vegetarian Cooking for Lifelong Health the Ayurveda Way, by Miriam Kasin Hospodar, Dutton, 1999. This cookbook does a wonderful job of explaining the ayurvedic approach to vegetarian cooking. Miriam Hospodar makes it practical, flexible and simple, and includes a mind-body type questionnaire. She also seamlessly integrates International & Western cooking. Her recipes are pretty much fail-proof, and suitable for beginners. Some of the recipes include dairy products, but not eggs - there are many great recipes for eggless muffins, quick breads, cakes, cookies etc., and the author gives vegan alternatives. The book includes vegetarian cooking lessons, historical background, an index to ingredients, a source list, and lots of great quotes, such as, " Life is a combination of magic and pasta" - Frederico Fellini.
Lord Krishna's Cuisine - The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, by Yamuna Devi, Bava Books, 1987. Lacto-vegetarian. Indian vegetarian cuisine is, in my personal opinion, the best in the world. Maybe it's too hot for most N. American tastes, but if you make it yourself, you can cut way back on the hot spices, which lets the other flavors come through. This book is an exhaustive resource - the Indian vegetarian version of The Joy of Cooking'. There are detailed descriptions of ingredients, equipment, cooking techniques, menus, and hundreds of delicious recipes. My approach in using this book has been to simplify the instructions, not be concerned about missing ingredients, cut down the hot spices, and omit the onions (I don't eat them).
The Moosewood Cookbook 15th Anniversary Edition, by Mollie Katzen, Ten Speed Press, 1992. The original Moosewood Cookbook was the first vegetarian cookbook I bought - I loved the hand lettering and illustrations, and Mollie Katzen's commentary. I also loved the recipes, many of which have become Old Family Favorites. I lent the book to someone a few years ago, and it disappeared - it was falling apart anyway. I recently went to e-bay, and found this new improved version. It has the original recipes, lettering and drawings, but it now has new & updated recipes, plus a proper index, which makes it much easier to use. If you can find a copy - wonderful, if not, try a later edition.
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison, Broadway Books, 1997. This is a recent addition to my cookbook shelf - I've had it less than a year, and it's still in the exploration stage. There's a lot to explore - it's packed with information about all aspects of vegetarian cooking, equipment, ingredients, and 1400+ excellent recipes. It is literally for everyone from complete beginners to seasoned cooks. The recipes are oriented to contemporary urban eating habits, and it tends to the gourmet. So far, I can say that the salad & grains recipes are great. Every time I want to prepare a fancy meal, I go straight for this book. The only quibble I have is that there seems to be onions & garlic in almost every recipe, and I don't like them. But that's no big deal - I just leave them out.
The New Laurel's Kitchen, 1986, Brian Ruppenthal, Carol L. Flinders, Laurel Robertson. It's another cookbook I've had for a long time - I wore out the first copy, and recently ordered the 1986 edition. I like the nutrition tables, and the simple, family oriented recipes, the love and sincerity with which it is written. Nothing can go wrong in your vegetarian kitchen as long as you have Laurel Robertson and friends to protect you. I refer to it often to make sure I'm still on solid ground.
http://www.acresusa.com Bills itself as the oldest largest magazine covering eco-agriculture. Being slow on the uptake, I just came across this the other day in our local public library. It isn't vegetarian, but is well worth reading. The March, 2003 issue feature is about an organic almond orchard which does all it's own processing and sales. There are articles on locally grown and marketed organic food, large scale production and distribution of compost and manure "tea", plus news about organic agriculture, and "the other side of agriculture", along with strong editorial content.
http://www.motherearthnews.com.com The Original Guide To Living Wisely. I found this at the library too, and remembered it from the late sixties and early seventies. It was great to see it still around. Like many entities from the sixties, it has acquired a "normal" veneer, and has bowed to financial reality to a certain extent, but underneath it's as hip, gutsy, and "out-there" as ever. In the April/May, 2003 issue, I found an article which hit hard at the pharmaceutical industry, along with a page of "Herbal Remedies You Can Trust." I learned how to craft a coracle (tiny boat), have a do-it-yourself funeral, complete with home-made casket, build a straw bale house, and much more. Mother Earth News is bursting with all sorts of fascinating information.
http://www.motherjones.com If you're a die-hard bleeding heart liberal tree hugger (ie, committed environmentalist with a social conscience), you'll like Mother Jones. If you're not, you might have a stroke. Either way, read it. I liked Mother Jones, not just because I like anything that supports my world view, but because of its straight-ahead, no b.s. tone. You'll find information in this magazine that you won't find anywhere else. In a recent issue, MJ took exception to the worldwide trend toward privatization of water utilies, segregated retirement communities, lie-detector tests, and methane gas drilling in Wyoming. There was a feature article on a tell-all radio show by a gay ex-con, aimed at prison inmates, and sharp left-leaning political commentary, with little sympathy for W. & Co.
http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com Eco-building for the main stream. Another find at my public library. Lovely layout, and takes it's subject seriously. Each issue has a central theme - the Jan/Feb, 2003 issue was the Community Issue. The main draw for me were the gorgeous shots and descriptions of highly photogenic natural homes. But once I finished drooling, I found practical information about house siding, carpet, house allergens, and healthy desserts (now there's an oxymoron!) I like the abundant resource listings in Natural Home - even the ads are interesting and informative.
http://www.vegetariantimes.com - a magazine for vegetarians. Lightweight, a quick read, recipes, useful tidbits of information, but sometimes fluff, or incomplete information, as in a recent article stating that soy was now considered safe to eat. The article didn't mention that soy has at least 16 known allergens, and should be used with caution. This issue also featured many ads for soy products. Read with a grain of salt, and don't buy the spin-offs. Their cookbook is just plan awful. I include this magazine because any publication that supports vegetarianism is a good thing - let's not be picky about the quality of journalism.
http://www.yogajournal.comI don't live in the same universe as the breathtakingly fit yoga adepts portrayed in Yoga Journal. And, if I can get into the lotus for 30 seconds, and stay awake through my entire meditation program sitting in any postion, I'm having a good day. Be that as it may, I'm always drawn to this magazine. It's always interesting to see what they consider beginners poses, and what the outer limits of human contortion really are. And there are always useful tidbits to apply to my own yoga practice, laughable as it may be.
Again, there are many wonderful products out there, and please let me know if you have some you want to recommend. Like most people, I'm a creature of habit and slow to try something new. If something works for me, I tend to stick with it. These are products I know & use, and don't hesitate to recommend. Most have websites where you can buy the products:
http://www.mapi.com Ayurvedic. Articles, preventative health advice from Vaidya Mishra, ayurvedic herbs and more.
http://www.vegsoc.org Vegetarian Society of the U.K. - a free membership site where you can get vegetarian nutrition info, and find out about the vegetarian scene in Europe.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl USDA. Free search for the nutrient content of most any food, either simple, as in cheese, or by brand name, as in Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
http://www.vegsource.com Vegan political activist online newspaper. Lots of articles & links. Informative.
http://www.bio-integrity.org/health-risks/health-risks-ge-foods.htm Why concerns about health risks of genetically engineered food are scientifically justified.
http://www.greenpeace.org/campaigns/ Green Peace has massive amounts of information on the world wide fight against GE. Find out which foods are GMO free
http://www.egregore.com Herbs as medicine - glossaries, books, links to a wide variety of sites.
http://www.botanical.com A Modern Herbal, herbal experts including Susan Weed, products from Mountain Rose Herbs, lots of links.
http://http://www.greenpeople.org/ This site claims to be the world's largest searchable database of eco-friendly products, including food co-ops, whole food grocery stores, and farmers markets
The Non-GMO Source is a monthly newsletter that features information and resources to help food producers capitalize on opportunities in the non-GMO niche market This should be of interest to the general public also, although this isn't a free newsletter. Articles focus on:
We can't guarantee to put in all the submissions we get, but we're open to everything.
Or you can email us directly: resource@savvyvegetarian.comIf you need to use postal mail, here's the address:
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