w h o a r . c o . n z

“…Healthful cooking doesn’t have to be expensive cooking.

In this week’s Recipes for Health series, Martha Rose Shulman provides five nutritious meals that won’t break the bank.

To create these inexpensive meals, Ms. Shulman relies on pantry staples like pasta and rice … adding beans and peas for extra nutritional value.

Vegetables like onions, cabbage and carrots are also great for those on a budget, are easy to find and can stay fresh in the refrigerator for an extended period, she explains.

Here are five cost-conscious ways to eat healthfully…”

go to source/story>>>Healthful eating on a dime (all-vegan recipes from the NY Times) - Vegsource.com

“…Got milk?

Plenty of people think its perfectly healthy to drink … and advertisements would have you eating dairy all the time.

But it may not be as healthy as you think.

In this weeks UltraWellness blog Dr. Mark Hyman gives six reasons you should avoid milk and explains why it may be at the very root of your health problems.

Dr. Hyman is a smart guy, though we don’t agree 100% with his recommendations …

…(e.g., we don’t recommend any seafoods or other animal products as a source of calcium…

… or anything else)…”

go to source/story>>>Six Reasons You Should Avoid Dairy at all Costs (VIDEO) - Vegsource.com

“…Books like Diet For A New America, Skinny Bitch and the film Earthlings had a profound effect on Ellen’s decision to avoid animal products…”

(recommended-watch..)

go to source/story>>>Ellen DeGeneres on why she went vegan - Vegsource.com

“…factoids, how to win an argument with a meat-eater,…”

* The Hunger Argument

* The Environmental Argument

* The Cancer Argument

* The Cholesterol Argument

* The Natural Resources Argument

* The Antibiotic Argument

* The Pesticide Argument

* The Ethical Argument

* The Survival Argument…”

(recommended-read..)

go to source/story>>>How to Win An Argument With a Meat-Eater - Vegsource.com

“…I’m a vegetable lover.

I eat vegetables at least three times a day: …

… a big garden-fresh salad for lunch and grilled corn and steamed potatoes as side dishes with dinners in the summer.

I don’t have much trouble eating enough vegetables, but I know I’m the exception, not the rule.

One in 4 Americans don’t eat the 5 to 13 servings of vegetables and fruit (the number of servings depends on your calorie intake) that you’re supposed to eat every day for optimal health.

Are you one of those that need a nudge to eat more vegetables?

Here are 3 reasons to fit more in:

* Lose weight: Fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber and recent research shows that consuming more fiber can help you lose weight.

* Reduce your risk of heart disease: You could cut your risk for heart disease by almost 25 percent, suggests one study, simply by adding 3 servings of vegetables (or fruit) to your daily diet.

* Fight cancer and Alzheimer’s disease: Eating vegetables (and fruit) in a variety of colors provides you with a variety of phytochemicals, some of which act as antioxidants that may help prevent heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Probably the excuse I most often hear people give when they say they don’t like vegetables is that they don’t like how vegetables taste.

I think it’s partially because those vegetables were overcooked (and mushy—ew) … or not prepared in the tastiest of ways.

So here are foolproof ways to cook 20 favorite vegetables that bring out their best flavor.

And since it’s summer, and many of these vegetables are at their ripe and delicious best, bursting with nutrients, it’s the perfect time to enjoy them!

For all of these recipes … start with one pound of untrimmed vegetables…”

go to source/story>>>EatingWell: What’s Fresh: How to Cook 20 Vegetables

“…John McDougall MD discusses what dairy products have going for them.

They are a great source of nutrition — for getting fat and growing tumors!

This is Dr. McDougall’s presentation from the 2005 Healthy Lifestyle Expo.

More info and talks available here on DVD: https://secure2.vegsource.com/catalog…”

go to source/story>>>YouTube - The Perils of Dairy

“…The antiquated food pyramid is slowly toppling: …

…the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee—a panel established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—recently recognized the value of a vegan diet…

… and instructed people to eat more plant-based foods!

While the new dietary guidelines still aren’t as good as they should be …

… they do stress the importance of eating healthy vegan foods more than previous guidelines have.

Hopefully, they’ll even convince more people to opt for chickpeas rather than chicken flesh.

With all the health benefits of a wholesome vegan diet—including a slimmer waistline, fewer cataracts, and protection against heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease—

– I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t aspire to be vegan.

I lost nearly 30 pounds when I incorporated more fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes into my diet …

… and I’m the only one in my family who doesn’t suffer from weight problems, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure…”

go to source/story>>>Living // USDA Recognizes Value of Vegan Foods // PETA

“…Tofu scramble is a staple in my home … although I have to admit that it took a while to perfect my own version.

My poor hubby battled through about a month of mushy, overly seasoned, and burnt scrambles.

I’m surprised he even lets me in the kitchen anymore.

But we now agree … breakfast is always the most looked-forward-to part of our weekends!..”

go to source/story>>>Living // Egg-Free Dish: Tofu Scramble Is Delish! // PETA

“…Bill Clinton is still keeping an eye on his waistline, Page Six reports.

The former president stopped by Babette’s in East Hampton last week and ordered, essentially, the diet plate.

A source said, “[Bill] was sitting in a corner banquette, eating a veggie burger and a mountain of vegetables.

He was with Hillary, who had a falafel plate, and her mother, Dorothy Rodham, who ate French toast.”

In April, Chelsea asked her dad to lose 15 pounds by the time her wedding rolled around.

At the time, Bill explained to the New York Post, Chelsea “told me the other day, she said, ‘Dad the only thing you gotta do is walk me down the aisle and you need to look good.’

So I said ‘Well, what’s your definition?’ And she said: ‘Oh, about 15 pounds.’ So I’m halfway home.”

It seems that Chelsea’s vegan eating habits rubbed off on dad–

– Bill lost not 15, but 23 pounds, thanks to a vegetarian diet.

And judging from what was on his plate at Babette’s … perhaps Clinton has decided to stick with the no-meat plan for a while…”

go to source/story>>>Bill Clinton Still Watching His Waistline: Report

“…”Will you join me in lowering our impact?”

That was the subject line on a recent e-mail I sent out to family, friends, column readers and radio listeners …

… asking them to join me for a week in trying to reduce our individual environmental footprint.

Inspired by Colin Beavan’s prophetic book “No Impact Man,” I proposed four pollution- and waste-reducing steps many people could try for a few days:…

… Stop consuming meat, devote one meal a day to eating only locally grown products, avoid producing non-recyclable garbage …

… and refrain from riding in a fossil-fuel-burning vehicle with fewer than three people.

Having now completed this low-impact week, I can report that it was not easy and that I did not achieve perfection — not even close.

However, I can also say I learned a few things beyond how to manage bicycle-seat discomfort.

For one, I discovered that you can find affordable food that isn’t flown in at great energy expense — but it takes initiative.

You have to check food labels at the grocery … or hunt down a farmers’ market.

I was also reminded that we waste an obscene amount of paper and plastic.

Coffee cups, disposable utensils, food wrappers — this offal is everywhere and most of it is used for less than 15 minutes and then discarded.

Avoiding this trash for a week makes you think about the monstrous amount of energy used in producing, distributing and tossing it.

When it came to transportation, I discovered that the inconvenience of eco-friendly choices can come with unforeseen benefits.

Sure, it took effort to get my bike working.

Sure, my “not a morning person” gene didn’t love sweating my way to the office at dawn.

But my “I hate traffic” and “I like saving money” genes enjoyed avoiding congestion and gasoline bills.

These embarrassingly self-evident realizations led to my two biggest “low-impact week” epiphanies of all…”

go to source/story>>>Lessons from a low-impact week - Environment - Salon.com

“…In a separate study, The National Cancer Institute found that soy consumption early in life conferred protection against breast cancer later.

The women interviewed were of Chinese, Japanese and Filipino ancestry … and lived in California or Hawaii.

The findings revealed that those who had consumed the largest amounts of soy foods as children … (between ages five and 11) …

… lowered their risk for breast cancer by 60 percent as adults.

The amount of soy recommended for women to help protect against breast cancer is 25 to 35 grams per day.

The soybean is the only vegetable that contains more protein than carbohydrates.

Protein is made from building blocks called amino acids.

They are linked together in a chain.

Of the 20 amino acids found in the body … eight are considered essential because the body can’t make them … so they must be consumed.

Soy protein contains all of them.

Therefore, it’s a perfect source of protein for humans…”

go to source/story>>>Katherine Nichols: The Soy Controversy

“…Black rice – revered in ancient China but overlooked in the West – could be one of the greatest “superfoods”, scientists believe.

The cereal is low in sugar … but packed with healthy fibre and plant compounds that combat heart disease and cancer.

It was known as “forbidden rice” in ancient China because only nobles were allowed to eat it.

Today black rice is mainly used in Asia for food decoration, noodles, sushi and desserts.

“Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health-promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries …

… but with less sugar … and more fibre and vitamin E antioxidants,” said Dr Zhimin Xu the food scientist who led the research.

“If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran?

Especially, black rice bran would be a unique and economical material to increase consumption of health-promoting antioxidants.”…”

go to source/story>>>Scientists hail health benefits of black rice - Health News, Health & Families - The Independent

“…In a scientific tour-de-force that has been hailed as the most significant breakthrough in wheat production since the cereal crop was cultivated by the first farmers more than 10,000 years ago …

… scientists have decoded the genome of the wheat plant.

As a result, new breeds of disease-resistant crops could be producing higher wheat yields in as little as five years’ time …

… raising the prospect of lower bread prices and greater food security in a more populated world.

And rather than guard their knowledge … the British scientists responsible for the research will today place a draft version of the genome online …

… making it available for free to wheat breeders around the world …

… who will be able to use it to speed up the creation of the new disease-resistant varieties that are urgently needed.

Most wheat breeders currently rely on traditional methods of mixing new crop varieties –

- techniques that have not changed substantially for hundreds of years…”

go to source/story>>>Genome breakthrough heralds new dawn for agriculture - Science, News - The Independent

“… From hideous cruelty and noxious gases to health risks and environmental blight …

… here are eight reasons to remove eggs from your diet.

It was enough to make the nation put down their Egg McMuffins.

Almost a billion “government-inspected” eggs were recalled because they might harbor salmonella …

… a bacterium that causes bloody and mucoid diarrhea, fever and vomiting.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg warned people that if they ate their eggs runny and over-easy, something else could become runny and over-easy — not to mention sunny-side-up.

It’s hard to believe a nation so concerned with cardiovascular disease — 33.5 million take statins —

– would eat the “strokes in a shell” known as eggs … the highest cholesterol food known to man.

And there are even more reasons to remove eggs from your diet.

Here are eight of them…”

go to source/story>>>8 Reasons You Should Stay the Hell Away From Eggs | | AlterNet

“…The ad said: “It’s so good, even the most dedicated vegetarian could turn.

Why do you think we call it the Rebel?”

Complainant A Hirzel’Horn, along with 12 other complainants, objected … saying the ad belittled vegetarianism.

Many were vegetarian for religious reasons, and the ad was equivalent to saying “this burger could make a Muslim ’sway’ while observing Ramadan”.

Advertising agency Antares Restaurant Group Ltd, who ran the ad on TV, disagreed …

.. saying it was designed to use humour and hyperbole to illustrate how delicious the product was.

They did not accept the analogy of the Muslim abandoning Ramadan … as religious groups were likely to have more aligned sense of beliefs.

“We also believe a large number of vegetarians took no offence to this television commercial…”

go to source/story>>>Burger ad complaint not upheld - National - NZ Herald News

“… Jack Norris and Matt Ball started Vegan Outreach in 1993 to fill a void they saw in animal activism at that time.

With the help of volunteers, they now distribute over 1 million pamphlets about the practices of modern animal agribusiness to college students every year.

Devoting a good chunk of his life to animal activism put Norris in touch with former vegans and vegetarians who had gone back to animal products for health reasons.

To figure out why this was and what he could do about it, Norris became a registered dietitian … and founded VeganHealth.org.

And through his blog JackNorrisRD.com, Norris dispels vegan nutritional myths (like that vegans don’t need to worry much about B12 or calcium) …

… and comments on new studies that are relevant to vegans and vegetarians.

I hadn’t heard of Norris when I quit veganism at the end of 2007.

If I had, maybe I would have hit him up for some brain fog dissipating tips before self-medicating with salmon, flounder and Thanksgiving turkey …

… enjoying the results and abandoning veganism forever.

Might I still be vegan if Norris had intervened in time?

If his reputation is to be believed, it’s not impossible.

I’ve heard from multiple vegans who say that following Norris’ Daily Recommendations for Vegan Adults is the surest way to avoid failure to thrive on a vegan diet.

There are plenty of ex-vegans who couldn’t hack it on raw, macrobiotic or low-fat vegan diets …

… but I have yet to interview an ex-vegan who said “I followed all of Jack Norris’ recommendations … and still couldn’t get it to work.”

That — along with Vegan Outreach’s willingness to critique counterproductive aspects of the vegan movement …

… rethink and improve its own strategy … and treat meat eaters as potential allies —

– makes Jack Norris one of the most formidable individuals promoting veganism today…”

(and..this is a p.s at the end of an excellent/informative interview..)

“…Is there anything you want to add?

The reason I decided to do this interview is that I suspect that you are saying publicly what a lot of people are thinking about veganism.

It would be easy for us in the vegan movement to pretend that people with your view should be dismissed as unreachable …

… but I think it’s a conversation our culture is going to have to have.

I just read your post about vegan weddings and it got me thinking about the difference between how you see the world …

… and how most ethical vegans see it.

While some animal liberation advocates approach the subject from a purely rational point of view …

… my sense is that most vegans come to view animals the way they do because they have had a meaningful relationship with one or more.

These relationships led to viewing animals as very similar to humans … with many of the same emotions and having an inner life.

To us, animals are “persons.”

In your post on weddings, you say the following about comparing killing animals to human slavery …

…. “Of course it’s an outrageous comparison, but that’s how many ethical vegans see it (your eyes can open to some truly offensive comparisons once you accept anti-speciesist logic).”

I have never seen someone explain how these comparisons are so offensive; …

… they simply state that they are … and then rely on other humans -who have a clear self-interest in seeing the world that way - to agree.

History has been riddled with one group exploiting another group … and justifying it by convincing themselves that the exploited group is inferior.

The exploiters have failed to recognize these claims of inferiority for what they were at the time – self-interested rationalizations.

So how likely is it that we have finally reached the pinnacle of moral evolution …

… and are now able to set aside our own self-interests to accurately recognize which other groups are inferior?

Even if human slavery is much worse than animal slavery …

… there is still room to believe that animals are more than just pieces of meat to be enjoyed at a wedding.

I hope most people would not consider their dog to be only a piece of meat to be eaten at a wedding reception.

Another difference is that you think veganism is only about symbolism … and doesn’t actually do any good.

If you believe that, then I can see why your attitude is critical towards vegans who are causing such a fuss over something you think is merely symbolic.

The idea behind ethical veganism is not only to remove one’s self from support of animal cruelty …

… but to be part of a growing movement that will one day become the norm.

If someone doesn’t actually become vegan themselves (or close to it) … they cannot be part of such a movement.

You have said that you believe it’s inevitable that any given vegan will one day reject veganism.

While some people try veganism for a while and then stop …

… I know many people who have been vegan for decades … and show no indication of changing.

Our numbers and impact are growing…”

(recommended-read..)

go to source/story>>>Let Them Eat Meat : Interview With a Vegan: Jack Norris RD

“…Critical theorist Slavoj Zizek has an interestingly harsh critique of Western Buddhism … and the meditation tools it employs.

Framing his critique in Marxist terms, he argues that Buddhism is the perfect spiritual tradition to be co-opted by our self-absorbed, destructive, and consumeristic society.

For him, Buddhism represents the perfect ideology for passive acquiescence to the world as it is …

… a panacea of inner peace that fits neatly into an advertising culture where, by now …

… “be present” could just as well be the slogan of a credit card company as an instruction from a meditation teacher.

Zizek writes, “[Western Buddhism allows us to] fully participate in the frantic pace of the capitalist game …

… while sustaining the perception that you are not really in it …

… that you are well aware how worthless the spectacle is —

– what really matters to you is the peace of the inner self to which you know you can always withdraw.”

In other words, for Zizek, Buddhism, in the context of a Western consumer culture …

… allows the individual to believe he is transforming his mind …

… without actually changing the conditions of suffering that shape the individual’s society.

This represents a dangerous type of inner peace - a peace not based on true insight into the interdependent nature of reality …

… but instead based on withdrawal into a mental cocoon …

… some personal oasis isolated from the turmoil of the world outside.

In this cocoon, the whole world can go to hell, and the meditator can — put simply — be ok with that.

In fact, the meditator can even be a willing actor in a system aiding great oppression … and still live at ease … because it’s “all good” anyway.

By practicing “acceptance,” we simply become comfortable with the status quo.

Of course, as is true of most things said by contemporary critical theorists, Zizek’s best point is made more convincingly and artfully by someone else, in this case Stevie Wonder: …

…”Make sure when you say you’re in it but not of it … you’re not helping turn this into the place sometimes called hell.”…”

go to source/story>>>Ethan Nichtern: Radical Buddhism and the Paradox of Acceptance

being somewhat opinionated on a regular basis…i have succumbed to the lure of twitter…

my twitter-name is vegandogs50

“…You’ve probably since discovered a world of delicious dishes beyond mashed potatoes and gravy …

… but we’re willing to bet that even the most refined diner gets an occasional homesick hankering for Mom’s home cooking …

… that nothing but a good old-fashioned green-bean casserole will satisfy.

You’re in luck.

Our vegan-tested, mother-approved versions of Mom’s favorite recipes … such as beef stew, pot roast, and apple biscuits …

… will fill you with fond memories—but not with cholesterol or lots of fat.

Best of all, our versions are so yummy … there won’t be any leftovers for Mom to force you to eat tomorrow for breakfast!…”

go to source/story>>>VegCooking > Mom’s Home Cookin’… Veganized!

“…Every five years, the U.S. government measures the amount of toxic waste in our food supply.

Dioxins are a class of industrial pollutants spewed into the atmosphere …

… that “accumulates in the fatty tissues of humans and food animals consumed by humans.

It is generally believed that the most significant exposure to DLCs [dioxin-like compounds such as PCBs] by humans …

… is from the dietary intake of animal and fish products.”

But which animal products pose the greatest risk?

According to recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency … second only to fish … in terms of PCB levels: … eggs.

This may help explain the findings of a recent study that found that egg consumption …

…”was associated with in increased odds of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, upper aerodigestive tract …

…(includes oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, larynx)…

… colon and colon and rectum combined, lung, breast, prostate, bladder ….

… and all cancers combined.”

Of all the cancers, egg consumption was most tightly correlated with breast cancer risk.

Those eating more than a half an egg a day were found to have nearly 3 times the odds of breast cancer ….

… compared to those that stayed away from eggs entirely.

The industrial toxins found in animal products don’t just contribute to cancer risk.

According to a recent commentary in the journal Reproductive Toxicology …

… “increasing evidence suggests that maternal exposure to toxic chemical compounds may be associated with various congenital [birth] defects …

… pediatric problems … skewed gender ratios … lethal cancers in children and teens … psychosexual challenges …

… as well as reproductive and endocrine [hormonal] dysfunction in later life.”

The author concludes:…

… “I anticipate that future generations of scientists will look back with disbelief at a medical culture that permitted poisoning of reproductive aged women …

… and ignored ramifications to unborn children.”

What if one chooses not to eat meat, fish, dairy, or eggs, though?…” (cont..)

(recommended-read..)

go to source/story>>>Vegans “Significantly Less Polluted” - Vegsource.com

“…The average British carnivore eats more than 11,000 animals in their lifetime …

… each requiring vast amounts of land, fuel and water to reach the plate.

It’s time to think of waste … as well as taste

If we really want to reduce the human impact on the environment … the simplest and cheapest thing anyone can do is to eat less meat.

Behind most of the joints of beef or chicken on our plates is a phenomenally wasteful, land- and energy-hungry system of farming…

…that devastates forests, pollutes oceans, rivers, seas and air … depends on oil and coal …

… and is significantly responsible for climate change.

The way we breed animals is now recognised by the UN, scientists, economists and politicians …

… as giving rise to many interlinked human and ecological problems …

… but with 1 billion people already not having enough to eat … and 3 billion more mouths to feed within 50 years …

… the urgency to rethink our relationship with animals is extreme…” (cont..)

(recommended-read…)

go to source/story>>>10 ways vegetarianism can help save the planet - Vegsource.com

(hey…!…try and find a biscuit that dosen’t have feckin’ milk powder in it….eh..?..)

“…Among Chinese men, calcium consumption — even at relatively low levels and from non-dairy food sources such as soy, grains and green vegetables — may increase prostate cancer risk …

… according to results published in Cancer Research … a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

“Our results support the notion that calcium plays a risk in enhancing the role of prostate cancer development,” said lead researcher Lesley M. Butler, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo.

“This study is the first to report an association at such low levels…” (cont..)

go to source/story>>>Calcium Consumption May Promote Prostate Cancer - Vegsource.com

“… what makes Eat, Pray, Love a spiritual blasphemy is the progression of veal, pork, rabbits, turkeys, lambs, sausages, sardines, octopuses, oxtails and newborns’ intestines that adorn Gilbert’s spiritual plate.

Gilbert knows all about Yoga, mantras, Brahmans, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zen, the Hopi Indians and Apollonius of Tyana;…

… she’s down with St. Theresa, St. Francis, the Kabbalah and Sufism.

But she was absent the day they taught Ahimsa — the doctrine of refraining from causing pain, injury or violence to any living thing.

The doctrine that guides most spiritual leaders — and spiritual paths.

It’s not like Gilbert didn’t think about it. A friend told her eating meat amounted to “eating the fear of the animal at the moment of its death.”

Slaughter terror is what causes “PSE pork” (Pale, Soft, and Exudative) and “red bird” chickens who are literally boiled alive.

It’s just that she decided it was so much gobbledygook–like wearing “orange colored panties, to rebalance my sexual charkas.”

Besides, says Gilbert after leaving the meat-free ashram in India and digging into some pork …

… “I could never be a vegetarian … not with food like this in the world,”…

… throwing out compassion and self-denial — the basis of spiritual observance — in one fell swoop…”

go to source/story>>>Eat, Pray Author So Spiritual She Eats Veal « SpeakEasy

“… How much do we need to learn about factory farms before we stop supporting them?

The New York Times recently published a short article on the lives of 97% of laying hens in America–those raised in battery cages.

According to the report, hens are allotted about 8″ x 8″ of space each … and packed six to a cage.

Although some of the country’s biggest egg-producing states have recently agreed to ban the implementation of new cages for egg-laying hens (existing cages can stay) … the life of a commercially raised chicken remains abysmal.

Jonathan Safran Foer describes the experience of layers and broiler chickens (those raised for meat) in his book Eating Animals.

According to Foer, broiler chickens, whose sole purpose is to “make flesh,” have been engineered to grow at 400% of their natural growth rate …

… so that they can be slaughtered in a fraction of the time.

They are killed at 6 weeks of age … despite the natural fact that chickens can live from fifteen to twenty years.

The unnatural enormity of these birds’ bodies leads to broken legs … slipped disks and sores on the bottoms of their bodies …

… where their skin maintains constant contact with a filthy floor …

… since their legs are to week (or perhaps broken) to sustain their body weight.

So there are birds who are designed to lay eggs and birds who are designed to be eaten.

What about the male chickens born to the layers?

They are, simply put, “destroyed.”

Foer explains: “Most male layers are destroyed by being sucked through a series of pipes onto an electrified plate…

… Some are tossed into large plastic containers,” … where they slowly suffocate.

“Others,” he writes, “are sent fully conscious through macerators (picture a wood chipper filled with chicks.)”…”

go to source/story>>>Isabel Cowles: You Are What You Eat. Are You Comfortable With That?

“…Once, the meat industry acted with impunity … confident that its lobbying clout in Washington could deflect any challenges to its practices.

But now, it finds itself on the defensive.

In northwest Iowa, the EPA has taken the brazen, virtually unheard-of step of actually enforcing the Clean Water Act for CAFOs, or concentrated animal feedlot operations.

The agency has “documented significant water quality problems” with eight mid-sized cattle feedlots there.

“Runoff from CAFOs may contain such pollutants as pathogens and sediment … as well as nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous …

… all of which can harm aquatic life and impact water quality,” the agency declared in a press release.

That’s not the newsflash.

The newsflash is that the agency is actually doing something about it.

Meanwhile, in another CAFO-intensive state, Ohio, factory-scale animal farmers have blinked in a showdown with citizen activism.

The state’s massive egg, hog, and veal industries stand “on the verge of significant change,” reports Erik Eckholm in The New York Times…”

go to source/story>>>The meat industry feels the heat as the sustainable-food movement gains force | Grist

“…Anyone who lives with animals or has observed them at any length will tell you that they can seem pretty darn smart.

Recent studies confirm that they are … in diverse ways and to varying degrees.

So why our history of ignorance, why our dismissal of them as “just a dog” or “just a bird”?

The article pins partial blame on the Bible — on one sentence in particular —

– and the absolute authority that people give to such biblical texts.

Citing the biblical book of Genesis, Jeffrey Kluger (the article’s author) observes …

.. “Human beings were granted ‘dominion over the beasts of the field,’ …and [for many people] there the discussion can more or less stop.”

He’s right.

Truth is, though, the discussion stopped even before that point.

Few people ask, for instance, “What does it mean to have dominion?”

Genesis was originally written in Hebrew, and since every translation involves interpretation …

… we do well to ask about that English word, “dominion.”

(Some translations read “rule over,” instead.)

In biblical Hebrew, the word indeed supposes a hierarchy — someone in a position of power exercises this quality over inferiors.

So “rule over” or “have dominion” is actually quite accurate.

However, its interpretation as the right to exploit and despoil is not…” (cont..)

go to source/story>>>Kristin M. Swenson, Ph.D.: The Bible and Human ‘Dominion’ Over Animals: Superiority or Responsibility?

“…As Tom Philpott wrote in the introductory essay to Grist’s Feeding the City series, urban agriculture took a huge hit once combustible-fuel machines replaced horses — and horse manure — as the vehicle of choice in cities.

Farms need fertilizer, and it’s more efficient to grow where the sources of it live and poop.

However, every day city dwellers throw away huge amounts of organic matter that could be turned into that precious material — through composting.

Yard trimmings and food scraps make up 26 percent of U.S. waste, and once this organic matter hits the landfill, it breaks down slowly due to lack of air: …

… your farmers-market tomato can produce methane, a deadly greenhouse gas, in a not-so-green afterlife.

If you’re going to all the trouble to eat locally grown, organic vegetables …

… it’s rather a shame to truck their remains away to landfill prison … when you could be feeding them back to the earth…”

go to source/story>>>Composting 101 for citydwellers [SLIDESHOW] | Feeding the City | Grist

“…Esquire just published an interview with cultured meat researcher Dr. Morris Benjaminson; …

… it’s the best piece on the topic I’ve seen in months.

Unfortunately, Benjaminson doesn’t mention competing technologies such as Professor Fu-Hung Hsieh’s work developing a soy-based chicken replacement.

Hsieh’s approach delivers what is reported to be an astonishingly realistic product—

- and one that’s years closer to commercialization than cultured meat…”

go to source/story>>>Esquire on Lab-Grown Meat

“…Going vegan isn’t always easy for everyone.

And clearly some people have trouble sticking with veganism for the long haul.

So finding the best ways to support new and potential vegans is an important part of advocacy.

Unfortunately, new vegans sometimes say that they feel discouraged and alienated by some messages they hear from vegan activists.

Based on the comments I hear fairly often, here are a few ideas on what we might do to make it easier for others to go (and stay) vegan.

Be flexible about the transition.

There is no “right” way to go vegan.

Some people drop every animal product from their lifestyle overnight … which is great.

But for most, it’s a process … and we would do well to support people no matter how they choose to approach veganism.

They might appreciate knowing which steps can have the biggest impact on reducing animal use …

… or they might want to start with what feels doable for them and their families.

It doesn’t matter whether they give up particular groups of food one at a time … or just start adding more vegan meals to their menus.

There are no rules on how to go vegan…”

go to source/story>>>7 Ways to Encourage and Support New Vegans | The Vegan RD

“…Dr. John McDougall often points out that “people love to hear good news about their bad habits.”

Indeed, we do.

And if eating cooked food is one of your bad habits …

… you might be interested in the most recent update of my article … Raw Food Vegan Diets.

Enjoy!…”

go to source/story>>>Jack Norris RD» Blog Archive » VeganHealth.org Update: Raw Food Vegan Diets

“…’Priceless collection’ in Russia was never registered so is therefore worthless and does not officially exist, say developers.

Twelve Russian scientists famously chose to starve to death rather than eat the unique collection of seeds and plants they were protecting for humanity

…during the 900-day siege of Leningrad in the second world war.

But the world’s first global seed bank now faces destruction once more … to make way for a private housing estate.

The fate of the Pavlovsk agricultural station outside St Petersburg will be decided in the courts this week.

If, as expected, the case goes against it …

…then the collection of plants built up over 85 years could be destroyed within months.

At stake, say Russian and British campaigners for the station, is not just scientific history …

… but one of the world’s largest collection of strawberries, blackcurrants, apples and cherries.

Pavlovsk contains more than 5,000 varieties of seeds and berries from dozens of countries …

… including more than 100 varieties each of gooseberries and raspberries.

More than 90% of the plants are found in no other research collection or seed bank.

Its seeds and berries are thought to possess traits that could be crucial to maintaining productive fruit harvests in many parts of the world as climate change and a rising tide of disease, pests and drought weaken the varieties farmers now grow.

As it is predominantly a field collection, Pavlovsk cannot be moved.

Experts estimate that even if another site were available nearby … it would take many years to relocate the plants.

In what appears Kafkaesque logic, the property developers argue that because the station contains a “priceless collection”, no monetary value can be assigned to it …

… and so it is worthless.

In another nod to Kafka, the government’s federal fund of residential real estate development has argued that the collection was never registered …

… and thus does not officially exist.

“It is a bitter irony that the single most deliberately destructive act against crop diversity could be about to happen in the country that invented the modern seed bank,” said Cary Fowler, of the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

“Russia taught the world about the importance of crop collections for the future of agriculture.

A decision to destroy Pavlovsk would forever tarnish a cause that generations of Russian plant scientists have lived and, quite literally, died, to protect.”

The station was established in 1926 by Nikolai Vavilov …

… the man credited with creating the idea of seed banks as repositories of plant diversity …

… that could be used to breed new varieties in response to threats to food production…”

go to source/story>>>Pavlovsk seed bank faces destruction | Environment | The Guardian

“…My readings tell me that:

1. The overuse of preventive antibiotics is probably fostering antibiotic resistant bacteria that can infect humans.

Antibiotics are needed to treat sick animals so they cannot be banned.

But they should not be used on all animals as prevention because they are kept in too close quarters.

2. There is a small but significant quantity of valid, scientific, peer-reviewed research that calls into question the meat industry’s claim that growth hormones are harmless.

Even if there was no contradictory research, the levels that the US Government sets for some meats as “GRAS” (generally regarded as safe) are not thoroughly tested and are unacceptably high to many other countries, including the European Union.

3. The use of CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) create major waste disposal problems for soil and water that are significantly lessened by distributed farming.

There are many good books on the subject, but here is a free document from the Union of Concerned Scientists “CAFOs Uncovered”.

If you are busy, at least read the executive summary at the beginning.

I understand that we are addicted to cheap protein as much as we are addicted to cheap oil.

I understand that cheap protein has helped the poor feed their families and kept school lunch prices down.

I understand that improved animal husbandry will likely mean higher meat prices.

If so, I think that we can absorb them.

I think that we have alternatives.

Those of us who can afford it will buy slightly more expensive meats.

Or maybe we will buy less.

Maybe some of us will buy other forms of protein and more fruits, vegetables, and grains.

And this might not be bad.

In addition to my desire to send a message, I have two other motives:

1. I have read scores of testimonials from vegetarians about how going meatless made them feel great.

I want to see how it makes me feel.

2. I love veggies and carbs almost as much as meat.

I want to challenge my outdoor cooking skills and see if I can discover and create new dishes that will satisfy my meat loving readers.

I will also use this as an opportunity to overcome my fear of flour.

I will try to learn to bake on the grill.

So beginning August 9, for 30 days I will become an ovo-lacto vegetarian.

That means I will forswear all animal flesh, but I will allow myself eggs and dairy.

Why not go all the way and leave out the dairy and eggs?

Because I’m chicken.

Ummm, I mean, I’m afraid.

I’m afraid that my cooking skills will let me down, that the temptation to stray will be too great …

… and that nutritionally there are some pitfalls to the strict vegan diet … and I am not knowledgeable enough to implement.

I have learned that one must really understand nutrition to be a strict vegan…”

(sheesh dude..!..it’s not that riddled with ‘pitfalls’..eh…?..that vegan-thing…

you could let google be yr friend… or you could check the vegan-section here at whoar…more info/recipies than you can poke a stick at..eh..?..

..and on a personal/anecdotal level…i’ve been vegan for about 11 years…and lacto-veg for 15 years before that…

..and as for the ‘feeling-good’-factor…?

i can confirm what those vegetarians have told you..and further tell you that one of the big surprises for me in going vegan…

..was that my expectations were for a minimal movement in that feel-good-factor..

..and i was surprised at what actually happened…

..the change from vegetarian to vegan…delivered a quantum-leap in said feel-good-factor..

..and i would submit that the change from vegetarian to vegan..delivers much more than you could possibly hope for…

i also have an 11 yr old vegan-dog…who looks/acts/moves/runs etc….like a hound a quarter of her age…

..(she salivates as i cut up apples for her..and loves tofu/seitan…both major sources of protein for her…)

so dude..why not step it up..?..and go the whole hog…?…eh..?)

go to source/story>>>Meathead Goldwyn: Meathead To Go Meatless: Call Me Potatohead

“…With flavor so deep it’ll drop your voice an octave, this stuff is, well, the bomb.

Once, in culinary school, I walked in on a heated argument between two men about ratatouille ….

… the kind of conversation that can only ever happen in cooking school.

One of these men, Bill Philbins, was a cook with four-star pretensions …

… and he went on about how it should be made by cooking all the vegetables separately and combining them the end.

And, I’m sure, served on bone china with white gloves to a table with purse stools for the ladies.

I think I made fun of him to his face.

Ratatouille is supposed to be a stew, a what-the-hell-are-we-going-to-do-with-all-this-stuff kind of thing.

Summer’s ending, you’re knee-deep in tomatoes and summer squash, and you throw it all in a pot.

Bingo.

But somewhere along the line, Philbins got to me.

And so I stood in my kitchen the other day for something like four hours, sweating tomato juice, and in the end, well, it was the BOMB.

It wasn’t a stew, but more like roasted vegetables bound by a tomato-onion jam that was so deep it would drop your voice an octave.

It was absolutely worth getting into a fight over.

The key isn’t really separating the vegetables … it’s that tomato base. And the key to the base is time — a long, long time.

I love the freshness of tomatoes more than anyone …

… but there’s some serious magic that happens when you put those things through the wringer … and cook the hell out of them …

… condensing and darkening their sweetness …

… compacting their rich, meaty umami until it’s weapons-grade concentration.

Forget tofu, a superb tomato is the great equalizer between meat eaters and vegetarians.

The point of this recipe isn’t to follow it slavishly.

If you want more of this … got less of that … go for it.

Hate shallots?

Skip them…”

go to source/story>>>How to make weapons-grade ratatouille - Eyewitness Cook - Salon.com

“…So this is one of the things I like to do with superb tomatoes other than just stuff them in my yaw —

–a sauce for pasta that consists of hardly more than the sweet juices of the tomatoes themselves … a handful of greens for variety …

… and the gentle bite of a few raw onion slivers; …

…a dish that would fit as well in a picnic as on a tablecloth.

It requires just a touch of work and enough time to boil pasta …

… but it also means that for several agonizing moments … you’ll have to continue practicing the art of anticipation.

After all, it is a little disingenuous for me to say that this sauce takes minutes to make … because really it takes all year.

‘Summer tomato pasta with greens and shaved onion

Serves 2-4, depending on how serious you are about tomatoes.’…”

go to source/story>>>The greatest five-minute tomato pasta on earth - Eyewitness Cook - Salon.com

“…Time to start thinking outside the chicken-bun.

The sales of KFC’s notorious (and bun-less) Double Down are, well, down.

They’re immaterial according to KFC’s CFO.

Fear not, friends, other fast food purveyors are happy to step into the void.

Taco Bell has introduced its $2 meal … McDonalds and Burger King are holding firm with their $1 burgers …

… while Denny’s has developed belly-ballooning meals at $2, $4, $6 and $8.

Sweet, you say!

Who doesn’t want to save cash?

The only problem is this brand of cheap comes at an astonishingly high cost — to us all.

Where do I begin?

Let’s see, we’ve got the health risks and costs associated with the antibiotic dosing of animals on industrial feed lots; …

… the wholesale government subsidizing of corn to feed these animals;….

… the cornfield chemical fertilizer run-off killing rivers and lakes (and an awful lot of fish); ….

….widespread animal waste pollution;…

… an obesity epidemic spurred by cheap, fatty food that costs us $147 billion a year; ….

… the alarming rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among farm animals; …

… the increase in chronic preventable diseases linked with foods high in saturated fats; ….

… let’s not forget that pesky bugaboo, global warming … whether in the form of farting cows … or exorbitant transportation costs; …

… or much closer to home, perhaps right on your plate, the increase in contaminated foods (and deaths) that comes with industrialized food production.

My favorite article on this matter is TIME’s Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food, which spells it out in clear, unmistakable terms.

If you don’t have time for clicking, the man himself, Michael Pollan, put it all together in In Defense of Food:

“All of our uncertainties about nutrition shouldn’t obscure the plain fact that the chronic diseases that now kill most of us can be traced directly to the industrialization of our food:…

… the rise of highly processed foods and refined grains; …

… the use of chemicals to raise plants and animals in huge monocultures; …

… the superabundance of cheap calories of sugar and fat produced by modern agriculture; …

… and the narrowing of the biological diversity of the human diet to a tiny handful of staple crops … notably wheat, corn and soy.

These changes have given us the Western diet.”

High costs, indeed.

So, if this is in fact true, what are we left with?

We all need protein, among other things, to live.

If we’re trying to be careful with our dollars while still managing to eat … is our last surest option the drive-thru lane —

– or are there other possibilities?

In my quest to speak with experts on all matters food, I reached out to Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD LDN, best-selling author of The Flexitarian Diet and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association , to try to get not only an answer but answers:…

… actual things we could and should eat.

Blatner is known for her straight-up nutrition tips and recipes that make a real difference.

“When it comes to health, and cost, I always recommend to my readers and clients a simple swap,” Blattner says.

“You see, when you swap to more meatless meals, you’ll easily meet your protein needs.

Plus, you’ll enjoy added health benefits such as decreased risk of obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Plant proteins are so protective of our health.

They’re a rich source of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

What’s more, meatless is not only delicious — it’s incredibly easy to prepare!”

“Plus, here’s the kicker: it’s also less expensive than a meat-centric meal.

Consider in June 2010, according to the most recent government figures from the U.S. Department of Labor, that one pound of beans was $1.34 …

… versus spending 2.5 times more money for boneless chicken breast ($3.32/pound) and lean ground beef ($3.51/pound) and 4.5 times more money for sirloin steak ($6.00/pound).

That’s real savings you can bank on!

Every week. Every month. Every year.”

Blatner put together this handy swap chart to make it easy for you to see how you can get all the protein you need —

– plus necessary fiber, vitamins and minerals — with these simple tasty substitutions…”

(this one has a very cool/informative chart/spreadsheet…presenting the dietary ‘facts’…)

go to source/story>>>Chris Elam: Cheap Protein: Are You Stuck in the Drive-Thru Lane?

“…In what is being hailed as “the biggest wedding of the year,” former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton will marry investment banker Marc Mezvinsky on an estate in Rhinebeck, New York later this year.

Why are we so excited about the big day?

Two words: vegan menu.

An insider recently told Life & Style magazine ..

… “Chelsea is a vegan. The food will include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes, but there will also be grass-fed organic beef on the menu.”

Besides eating a totally plant-based diet, Clinton is also allergic to gluten and will, therefore, be choosing a gluten-free, vegan wedding cake for the big day…”

go to source/story>>>a href=”http://www.ecorazzi.com/2010/07/27/chelsea-clintons-very-vegan-wedding/?loc=interstitialskip”>Chelsea Clinton’s Very Vegan Wedding « ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

“…Talk of the health risks from “the Western diet” is nothing new.

“Western diet” is shorthand for one that’s heavy in processed sugars, fats, and starches; high in salt and meats; and low in fresh fruits and vegetables.

The diseases long associated with it are diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and cancer.

But a study out of Australia suggests that such a diet may not just put kids’ bodies at risk … but their brains.

Scientists from the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth, believe that eating a Western diet heightens the risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in kids.

The researchers looked at the diets of 1,800 teens involved in an ongoing long-term health study.

They classified the participants’ diets into two categories, “Western” and “Healthy,” with a “Healthy Diet” being one high in fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and fish.

Wendy Oddy, one of the study authors, summarized the findings (via Science Daily): “We found a diet high in the Western pattern of foods was associated with more than double the risk of having an ADHD diagnosis compared with a diet low in the Western pattern, after adjusting for numerous other social and family influences …

… having an ADHD diagnosis was associated with a diet high in takeaway foods, processed meats, red meat, high fat dairy products, and confectionery.”..”

go to source/story>>>Study links ‘Western diet’ with ADHD in kids | Grist

“… An Auckland private investigation firm has been caught out after it attached a sophisticated tracking device to a political campaigner’s car –

- but left the device visible from outside the vehicle.

The GPS tracking device, which used a mobile phone connection to report the car’s position to private investigators … had been attached with magnets.

It is the third time in three years the Sunday Star-Times has caught Thompson & Clark Investigations doing covert surveillance on political groups for corporate clients.

On April 22 this year, animal rights campaigners Jasmine Gillespie-Gray and Rochelle Rees were in Levin, where Gillespie-Gray was in court for filming inside a chicken-processing farm.

The judge dismissed the case and later that day the pair noticed a black box under Rees’ car.

When they removed it, they found the tracking device, a cross between a GPS receiver and mobile phone.

The Star-Times traced the device to Thompson & Clark Investigations, which had obtained the device from Auckland firm Argus Tracking Ltd …

… which advertises tracking services for companies to monitor their own fleets.

Thompson & Clark co-director Gavin Clark declined to comment on “anything we might do operationally”.

Rees said the campaigners were upset but not surprised at finding the device “given the past spying we’ve had to put up with from Thompson & Clark”.

They were relieved they were able to spot it so easily:

“Whoever put it there was incompetent, there’s no other explanation.”

She thought it was “very likely” Thompson & Clark was monitoring them for the Pork Industry Board.

Save Animals From Exploitation director Hans Kriek said he was “99.9%” sure the board was the client …

… because Gillespie-Gray’s group had been focused on visiting their farms and filming conditions.

Asked about the tracking, board chief executive Sam McIver said: “You need to ask Thompson & Clark” …

… but confirmed the board did get “generic” information from Thompson & Clark … to protect its members.

The board passes on information about animal rights groups to pig farmers…”

go to source/story>>>Spies target animal rights campaigners - national | Stuff.co.nz

“…Until very recently, food was invisible as a political issue.

Something is stirring.

Pollan reviews five books that address the heart of the food movement…”

go to source/story>>>Michael Pollan: The Mighty Rise of the Food Revolution | | AlterNet

“… Agriculture Minister David Carter told Parliament today he can’t force the Pork Industry Board to disclose information about the state of piggeries.

The board carried out a nationwide audit of piggeries after reports that in some of them pigs were suffering in sow crates …

… but it doesn’t want the results made public …

… and is looking for ways to get around the Official Information Act.

It thinks that if the piggery reports are held by individual farmers, the information will be outside the scope of the Act …

… and the industry can be saved from embarrassment.

Green Party MP Sue Kedgley asked Mr Carter in Parliament what he was going to do about the board “deliberately evading the Official Information Act”.

Mr Carter said he wasn’t going to do anything.

“Under the Pork Industry Board Act I have no statutory role in that particular board’s adherence to the Official Information Act,” he said.

He told Ms Kedgley she should complain to the Ombudsman, which didn’t please the MP.

“Is he really claiming he has no power, or no influence, over the Pork Industry Board to force it to release these audits that it is seeking to suppress?” she asked.

“Yes, exactly,” Mr Carter replied.

Ms Kedgley said it was a serious offence for a statutory board to try to evade the provisions of the Act and Mr Carter should sack the directors who had “conspired to circumvent it”.

Mr Carter again said he had no powers relating to the board and the Act…”

go to source/story>>>Minister can’t force disclosure | Stuff.co.nz