Global warming labels put on food products
by JoAnn Blake
October 24, 2009 Link to full article below
When it comes to reducing emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases, Swedes are downright serious. The New York Times reported on Friday that Sweden is testing the idea of labeling food to help reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
The labeling effort grew out of a 2005 Swedish study that found 25 percent of national per capita emissions was attributable to eating. An example of the labeling: "Climate declared: .87 kg CO2 per kg of product," which relates to the amount of carbon dioxide involved in the food's production.
Among the recommendations of the nation's new food guidelines are to eat carrots rather than cucumbers and tomatoes (which are grown in heated greenhouses there, which consume energy) and to substitute beans or chicken for red meat because of the emissions associated with raising cattle.
To read the full article: http://www.examiner.com/x-12720-DC-Environmental-Policy-Examiner~y2009m10d24-Global-warming-labels-put-on-food-items
Friday, October 30, 2009
Vertical Farming
Vertical Farming
Monday October 26, 2009 Link to full article below
The world’s population is expanding at an annual rate of about 1.3% and is projected to double its present level of 6.5 billion by 2063. At the same time, rapidly warming climates are threatening to disrupt crop yields. With global agriculture facing some worrisome prospects – some experts predict serious food shortages by 2100 for half of the world’s population – new technologies are emerging with some possible solutions to the planet’s growing food needs.
Vertical farming is a technology that applies soil free methods like hydroponics and aeroponics to the growing of plants in spaces outside of traditional farms. Fruits and vegetables are literally grown vertically, making this type of farming ideal for urban locations and in areas lacking arable land. In these controlled environments, water and energy can be used efficiently and it can be easier to combat pests and plant diseases.
To read the full article: http://www.foodnutritionscience.com/index.cfm/do/monsanto.article/articleId/357.cfm
Monday October 26, 2009 Link to full article below
The world’s population is expanding at an annual rate of about 1.3% and is projected to double its present level of 6.5 billion by 2063. At the same time, rapidly warming climates are threatening to disrupt crop yields. With global agriculture facing some worrisome prospects – some experts predict serious food shortages by 2100 for half of the world’s population – new technologies are emerging with some possible solutions to the planet’s growing food needs.
Vertical farming is a technology that applies soil free methods like hydroponics and aeroponics to the growing of plants in spaces outside of traditional farms. Fruits and vegetables are literally grown vertically, making this type of farming ideal for urban locations and in areas lacking arable land. In these controlled environments, water and energy can be used efficiently and it can be easier to combat pests and plant diseases.
To read the full article: http://www.foodnutritionscience.com/index.cfm/do/monsanto.article/articleId/357.cfm
Kids Have a Part-Time Job: Watching TV
Kids Have a Part-Time Job: Watching TV
Kids are watching more than 28 hours of television every week. How to get your kids out from in front of the television, and outside to play.
By Dan Shapley
10.27.2009 Link to full article below
Man, what a grind.
Kids are putting in serious hours: before school, after school, while doing homework, instead of going outside to play. ... They're watching television. More than 28 hours every week.
That's according to the latest data from the Nielsen Company. The new numbers represent yet another increase in media consumption.
Pre-schoolers, aged 2-5 spend 32.5 hours a week in front of the television, watching TV directly, watching shows recorded by DVR, watching DVDs or playing video games. Older pre-teens, aged 6-11, are still spending 28 hours, a decrease that Nielsen chalked up to this: "They are more likely to be attending school for longer hours." Read another way, school and homework still only manage to cut out 4 hours of TV-watching from their schedules each week.
And consider this: The data only includes television-based media. The Internet, cell phones and other technology is left for another survey.
As the National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour campaign points out, all this time indoors in front of a screen is coming at the expense of unstructured play outdoors. This phenomenon has been called variously nature deficit disorder and videophilia, and there are symptoms to the disease, including obesity and possibly ADHD. Unstructured outdoor play also has been shown -- intuitively and by some science -- to have tangible benefits: It's unstructured time that helps kids develop problem-solving skills, self-reliance, creativity ...
Please read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/kids-television-47102701?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr
Kids are watching more than 28 hours of television every week. How to get your kids out from in front of the television, and outside to play.
By Dan Shapley
10.27.2009 Link to full article below
Man, what a grind.
Kids are putting in serious hours: before school, after school, while doing homework, instead of going outside to play. ... They're watching television. More than 28 hours every week.
That's according to the latest data from the Nielsen Company. The new numbers represent yet another increase in media consumption.
Pre-schoolers, aged 2-5 spend 32.5 hours a week in front of the television, watching TV directly, watching shows recorded by DVR, watching DVDs or playing video games. Older pre-teens, aged 6-11, are still spending 28 hours, a decrease that Nielsen chalked up to this: "They are more likely to be attending school for longer hours." Read another way, school and homework still only manage to cut out 4 hours of TV-watching from their schedules each week.
And consider this: The data only includes television-based media. The Internet, cell phones and other technology is left for another survey.
As the National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour campaign points out, all this time indoors in front of a screen is coming at the expense of unstructured play outdoors. This phenomenon has been called variously nature deficit disorder and videophilia, and there are symptoms to the disease, including obesity and possibly ADHD. Unstructured outdoor play also has been shown -- intuitively and by some science -- to have tangible benefits: It's unstructured time that helps kids develop problem-solving skills, self-reliance, creativity ...
Please read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/kids-television-47102701?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr
The 10 Weirdest, Grossest Ingredients in Processed Food
The 10 Weirdest, Grossest Ingredients in Processed Food
By , WebEcoist
October 30, 2009
[excerpts; link to full article below]
Everyone now knows that processed and fast foods are not the bastions of nutrition, but that shouldn’t make these ingredients found inside them any less revolting. This list sends a clear message: when a packaged food contains more than five ingredients and includes some that are difficult to pronounce, stay away. Make a b-line straight to the organics aisle and go for vegan meals or vegetarian recipes instead.
1. Fertilizer in Subway Sandwich Rolls
While chemical fertilizers inevitably make it into our produce in trace amounts, you would not expect it to be a common food additive. However, ammonium sulfate can be found inside many brands of bread, including Subway’s. The chemical provides nitrogen for the yeast, creating a more consistent product.
2. Beaver Anal Glands in Raspberry Candy
The anal glands of a beaver, conveniently euphemized as castoreum, are a common ingredient in perfumes and colognes but are also sometimes used to -- believe it or not -- enhance the flavor of raspberry candies and sweets.
3. Beef Fat in All Hostess Products
While this may not bother the most ardent omnivore, others are shocked to discover that their favorite childhood treats contain straight-up beef fat. The ingredient comes included a list of other oils that may or may not be used, so it is always a gamble! It is enough to make some of us want to go vegan.
4. Crushed Bugs as Red Food Coloring
After killing thousands at a time, the dried insects are boiled to produce a liquid solution that can be turned to a dye using a variety of treatments. Some people worry that the coloring -- often called carmine or carminic acid -- could be listed as a “natural color,” disguising the fact that there are bugs in the product.
...
6. Sheep Secretions in Bubble Gum
The oils inside sheep’s wool are collected to create the goopy substance called lanolin. From there, it ends up in chewing gum (sometimes under the guise of “gum base”), but also is used to create vitamin D3 supplements.
...
9. Calf Stomach in Many Cheeses
In the UK, all cheeses are labeled as either suitable or not suitable for vegetarians because in Britain -- and everywhere else — many cheeses are made using rennet, which is the fourth stomach of a young cow. In the United States and most other countries, people are left to guess about the stomach-content of their cheese.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/143560/
By , WebEcoist
October 30, 2009
[excerpts; link to full article below]
Everyone now knows that processed and fast foods are not the bastions of nutrition, but that shouldn’t make these ingredients found inside them any less revolting. This list sends a clear message: when a packaged food contains more than five ingredients and includes some that are difficult to pronounce, stay away. Make a b-line straight to the organics aisle and go for vegan meals or vegetarian recipes instead.
1. Fertilizer in Subway Sandwich Rolls
While chemical fertilizers inevitably make it into our produce in trace amounts, you would not expect it to be a common food additive. However, ammonium sulfate can be found inside many brands of bread, including Subway’s. The chemical provides nitrogen for the yeast, creating a more consistent product.
2. Beaver Anal Glands in Raspberry Candy
The anal glands of a beaver, conveniently euphemized as castoreum, are a common ingredient in perfumes and colognes but are also sometimes used to -- believe it or not -- enhance the flavor of raspberry candies and sweets.
3. Beef Fat in All Hostess Products
While this may not bother the most ardent omnivore, others are shocked to discover that their favorite childhood treats contain straight-up beef fat. The ingredient comes included a list of other oils that may or may not be used, so it is always a gamble! It is enough to make some of us want to go vegan.
4. Crushed Bugs as Red Food Coloring
After killing thousands at a time, the dried insects are boiled to produce a liquid solution that can be turned to a dye using a variety of treatments. Some people worry that the coloring -- often called carmine or carminic acid -- could be listed as a “natural color,” disguising the fact that there are bugs in the product.
...
6. Sheep Secretions in Bubble Gum
The oils inside sheep’s wool are collected to create the goopy substance called lanolin. From there, it ends up in chewing gum (sometimes under the guise of “gum base”), but also is used to create vitamin D3 supplements.
...
9. Calf Stomach in Many Cheeses
In the UK, all cheeses are labeled as either suitable or not suitable for vegetarians because in Britain -- and everywhere else — many cheeses are made using rennet, which is the fourth stomach of a young cow. In the United States and most other countries, people are left to guess about the stomach-content of their cheese.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/143560/
PETA: Undercover Investigation Reveals Cows Suffer for Land O'Lakes
Undercover Investigation Reveals Cows Suffer for Land O'Lakes
See video (and read 5 comments):
http://current.com/items/91310702_undercover-investigation-reveals-cows-suffer-for-land-olakes.htm?xid=RSSfeed
A new undercover investigation inside a Land O'Lakes supplier facility in Pennsylvania has revealed routine neglect and cruelty to cows who are milked for the Fortune 250 company's products. Over the course of several months, the investigation documented deplorable, filthy conditions for cows on the farm, such as pens that were filled with deep excrement (see video and photos), and cows who suffered from ailments and conditions so severe that they collapsed and became "downers" but were not put out of their misery or given veterinary care in a timely manner, if at all.
Land O'Lakes "inspected" the farm as recently as June 2009 and even noted that there were areas in need of cleaning (including the milking parlor walls!) but approved the facility nonetheless.
Cows on dairy factory farms are not given much more than the numbered tag that is punched through their ears to identify them. Read more about what happened to a few of the cows who lived and died miserably at one such farm.
The farm's owner and one of his sons were caught on video electro-shocking cows who were in too much pain to stand up. One of the farmer's sons kicked a cow and jabbed her with the blade of a pocket knife. Both the father and son have now been charged with cruelty to animals.
The dairy industry's standard forms of cruelty also led to suffering for these cows. In order to make milking easier, cows' tails were amputated by tightly binding them with elastic bands, causing the skin and tissue to slowly die and slough off and leaving the animals unable to swat away flies, which, in addition to tormenting the cows, also led to the spread of disease. Tail-docking is unnecessary and cruel, which is why it has been condemned by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dairy farmers don’t allow cows―whose pregnancies last for nine months, just like human pregnancies―to spend any significant time with their calves, who are taken from their mothers shortly after birth. Cows are intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time, and they have the capacity to worry about the future.
PETA's investigation also reveals cows and calves who were kept in pens and barns whose floors were covered with deep excrement, which caused foot and hoof problems and fostered the spread of disease. Calves rescued from the farm had pneumonia, "manure scald," ringworm, pinkeye, and parasites. Some cows suffered respiratory distress and had pus-filled nasal discharge streaming down their faces. Abscesses were common on the farm—some of them burst and oozed pus, even as cows were being milked, as can be seen in our video.
World-renowned meat and dairy industry expert Dr. Temple Grandin, after reviewing the footage, said, "The conditions are absolutely atrocious. ... It was obvious that the place was seldom cleaned and ... that many sick animals were not receiving veterinary treatment. ... The dairy manager totally NEGLECTED his animals. ... Many animals suffer greatly."
Please watch the video and read the full article: http://current.com/items/91310702_undercover-investigation-reveals-cows-suffer-for-land-olakes.htm?xid=RSSfeed
See video (and read 5 comments):
http://current.com/items/91310702_undercover-investigation-reveals-cows-suffer-for-land-olakes.htm?xid=RSSfeed
A new undercover investigation inside a Land O'Lakes supplier facility in Pennsylvania has revealed routine neglect and cruelty to cows who are milked for the Fortune 250 company's products. Over the course of several months, the investigation documented deplorable, filthy conditions for cows on the farm, such as pens that were filled with deep excrement (see video and photos), and cows who suffered from ailments and conditions so severe that they collapsed and became "downers" but were not put out of their misery or given veterinary care in a timely manner, if at all.
Land O'Lakes "inspected" the farm as recently as June 2009 and even noted that there were areas in need of cleaning (including the milking parlor walls!) but approved the facility nonetheless.
Cows on dairy factory farms are not given much more than the numbered tag that is punched through their ears to identify them. Read more about what happened to a few of the cows who lived and died miserably at one such farm.
The farm's owner and one of his sons were caught on video electro-shocking cows who were in too much pain to stand up. One of the farmer's sons kicked a cow and jabbed her with the blade of a pocket knife. Both the father and son have now been charged with cruelty to animals.
The dairy industry's standard forms of cruelty also led to suffering for these cows. In order to make milking easier, cows' tails were amputated by tightly binding them with elastic bands, causing the skin and tissue to slowly die and slough off and leaving the animals unable to swat away flies, which, in addition to tormenting the cows, also led to the spread of disease. Tail-docking is unnecessary and cruel, which is why it has been condemned by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Dairy farmers don’t allow cows―whose pregnancies last for nine months, just like human pregnancies―to spend any significant time with their calves, who are taken from their mothers shortly after birth. Cows are intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time, and they have the capacity to worry about the future.
PETA's investigation also reveals cows and calves who were kept in pens and barns whose floors were covered with deep excrement, which caused foot and hoof problems and fostered the spread of disease. Calves rescued from the farm had pneumonia, "manure scald," ringworm, pinkeye, and parasites. Some cows suffered respiratory distress and had pus-filled nasal discharge streaming down their faces. Abscesses were common on the farm—some of them burst and oozed pus, even as cows were being milked, as can be seen in our video.
World-renowned meat and dairy industry expert Dr. Temple Grandin, after reviewing the footage, said, "The conditions are absolutely atrocious. ... It was obvious that the place was seldom cleaned and ... that many sick animals were not receiving veterinary treatment. ... The dairy manager totally NEGLECTED his animals. ... Many animals suffer greatly."
Please watch the video and read the full article: http://current.com/items/91310702_undercover-investigation-reveals-cows-suffer-for-land-olakes.htm?xid=RSSfeed
Top 10 Ways to Go Green This Halloween
Top 10 Ways to Go Green This Halloween
How to Have a Green -- And Cheap -- Halloween
by Diane MacEachern
October 13, 2008 Link to full article below
Here are the top ten tips for a “green” Halloween. They’ll save you money, too!
1. Reuse Costumes
Tap into the treasures hidden in your closet or attic to pull together a fun, no-cost costume (it won’t take any longer than going to the mall, and will be a lot cheaper). Trade costumes with friends and family if you don’t want to wear last year’s get-up. Shop for accessories at yard sales or resale stores. Use your imagination but don’t obsess. The point is to have fun, not be fashionable!
2. Trick and Treat
In lieu of junk food, hand out pencils made from recycled paper, erasers, nickels or dimes – be creative!. My husband used to live in the same neighborhood as baseball legend Casey Stengel – he gave out silver dollars. My neighbor started doling out small cups of apple cider when she realized how much kids love a drink of something when they’re running around like banshees. NatureMoms offers lots of great links to organic lollipops and other fun and healthy treats.
3. Reverse Trick and Treat
Global Exchange is encouraging kids to help educate adults about Fair Trade cocoa by handing Fair Trade chocolates back as they trick or treat. The chocolates are attached to a card explaining why Fair Trade offers an alternative to child labor, low wages for farmers and a healthier environment. Order by October 13.
4. Have a Party
If you opt to celebrate at home in lieu of trick or treating, put out bowls of snacks rather than serve up individual throwaway treat bags. Offer pop corn, hummus and pita chips, carrots and dips, fresh apple cider, bat-shaped cookies and muffins. Kids will enjoy painting pumpkins, decorating cupcakes, reading scary stories, bobbing for apples, and going on “flashlight hunts” in the yard (if the party’s after dark) for hidden Halloween surprises. Send electronic invitations to avoid wasting paper and postage.
5. Decorate with Nature
A trip to your yard or the farmers market will provide everything you need to dress up your house for Halloween: leaves and branches, hay bales, gourds, pumpkins, mums, dried flowers.
To read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/green-products-services/green-halloween-tips-55101302?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist
How to Have a Green -- And Cheap -- Halloween
by Diane MacEachern
October 13, 2008 Link to full article below
Here are the top ten tips for a “green” Halloween. They’ll save you money, too!
1. Reuse Costumes
Tap into the treasures hidden in your closet or attic to pull together a fun, no-cost costume (it won’t take any longer than going to the mall, and will be a lot cheaper). Trade costumes with friends and family if you don’t want to wear last year’s get-up. Shop for accessories at yard sales or resale stores. Use your imagination but don’t obsess. The point is to have fun, not be fashionable!
2. Trick and Treat
In lieu of junk food, hand out pencils made from recycled paper, erasers, nickels or dimes – be creative!. My husband used to live in the same neighborhood as baseball legend Casey Stengel – he gave out silver dollars. My neighbor started doling out small cups of apple cider when she realized how much kids love a drink of something when they’re running around like banshees. NatureMoms offers lots of great links to organic lollipops and other fun and healthy treats.
3. Reverse Trick and Treat
Global Exchange is encouraging kids to help educate adults about Fair Trade cocoa by handing Fair Trade chocolates back as they trick or treat. The chocolates are attached to a card explaining why Fair Trade offers an alternative to child labor, low wages for farmers and a healthier environment. Order by October 13.
4. Have a Party
If you opt to celebrate at home in lieu of trick or treating, put out bowls of snacks rather than serve up individual throwaway treat bags. Offer pop corn, hummus and pita chips, carrots and dips, fresh apple cider, bat-shaped cookies and muffins. Kids will enjoy painting pumpkins, decorating cupcakes, reading scary stories, bobbing for apples, and going on “flashlight hunts” in the yard (if the party’s after dark) for hidden Halloween surprises. Send electronic invitations to avoid wasting paper and postage.
5. Decorate with Nature
A trip to your yard or the farmers market will provide everything you need to dress up your house for Halloween: leaves and branches, hay bales, gourds, pumpkins, mums, dried flowers.
To read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/green-products-services/green-halloween-tips-55101302?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist
How Much Energy Does Your TV Really Use?
How Much Energy Does Your TV Really Use?
3 things to consider before buying your next television (unless, that is, you want to spend hundreds of extra dollars).
Televisions use a tremendous amount of electricity, particularly plasma flat screen models, so look for the Energy Star label and read this before buying your next TV.
10.28.2009 Link to full article below
About four years ago I started noticing that flat-panel, big-screen TVs started to pop up almost everywhere I went. Places like the hotel lobby, the fitness center, restaurants, at the airport and increasingly in our friends' homes. Also overnight, the size of TVs seemed to almost double....
To make a long story short, here is what we found:
* Some of the bigger, less efficient models consumed more electricity each year than a new refrigerator and can cost several hundred dollars to operate over their 10-year life.
* There was a wide range of energy use between similar-sized models. In general, plasmas consumed considerably more energy than equivalent LCD models.
* TVs now represent approximately 5% of U.S. residential electricity use and over 1% of all national electricity use.
To read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/energy-star-televisions-47102802?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr
3 things to consider before buying your next television (unless, that is, you want to spend hundreds of extra dollars).
Televisions use a tremendous amount of electricity, particularly plasma flat screen models, so look for the Energy Star label and read this before buying your next TV.
10.28.2009 Link to full article below
About four years ago I started noticing that flat-panel, big-screen TVs started to pop up almost everywhere I went. Places like the hotel lobby, the fitness center, restaurants, at the airport and increasingly in our friends' homes. Also overnight, the size of TVs seemed to almost double....
To make a long story short, here is what we found:
* Some of the bigger, less efficient models consumed more electricity each year than a new refrigerator and can cost several hundred dollars to operate over their 10-year life.
* There was a wide range of energy use between similar-sized models. In general, plasmas consumed considerably more energy than equivalent LCD models.
* TVs now represent approximately 5% of U.S. residential electricity use and over 1% of all national electricity use.
To read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/energy-star-televisions-47102802?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr
Simple lifestyle tweaks key in climate change fight
Simple lifestyle tweaks key in climate change fight
gence France-Presse
26 Oct 2009 Link to full article below
WASHINGTON—The United States could cut greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of France’s total annual emissions by getting Americans to make simple lifestyle changes, like regularly maintaining their cars or insulating their attics, a study showed Monday.
If U.S. households took 17 easy-to-implement actions—like switching to a fuel-efficient vehicle, drying laundry on a clothesline instead of in a dryer, or turning down the thermostat—carbon emissions could be cut by 123 metric tons a year by the 10th year, the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found [PDF].
“This amounts to ... 7.4 percent of total national emissions—an amount slightly larger than the total national emissions of France,” showed the study led by Thomas Dietz of Michigan State University’s department of sociology and environmental science and policy.
“It is greater than reducing to zero all emissions in the United States from the petroleum-refining, iron and steel, and aluminum industries, each of which is among the largest emitters in the industrial sector,” the study said.
But the lifestyle changes come with a much smaller price tag and no great change to the way Americans live.
To read the full article: http://www.grist.org/article/2009-10-26-simple-lifestyle-tweaks-key-in-climate-change-fight
gence France-Presse
26 Oct 2009 Link to full article below
WASHINGTON—The United States could cut greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of France’s total annual emissions by getting Americans to make simple lifestyle changes, like regularly maintaining their cars or insulating their attics, a study showed Monday.
If U.S. households took 17 easy-to-implement actions—like switching to a fuel-efficient vehicle, drying laundry on a clothesline instead of in a dryer, or turning down the thermostat—carbon emissions could be cut by 123 metric tons a year by the 10th year, the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found [PDF].
“This amounts to ... 7.4 percent of total national emissions—an amount slightly larger than the total national emissions of France,” showed the study led by Thomas Dietz of Michigan State University’s department of sociology and environmental science and policy.
“It is greater than reducing to zero all emissions in the United States from the petroleum-refining, iron and steel, and aluminum industries, each of which is among the largest emitters in the industrial sector,” the study said.
But the lifestyle changes come with a much smaller price tag and no great change to the way Americans live.
To read the full article: http://www.grist.org/article/2009-10-26-simple-lifestyle-tweaks-key-in-climate-change-fight
President signs emergency aid for dairy farmers;
President signs emergency aid for dairy farmers;
Vermont's delegation says more help needed
By Associated Press
October 21, 2009 Link to full article below
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont's congressional delegation says $350 million in emergency funding will give struggling dairy farmers across the country a temporary boost but more help is needed to stabilize the dairy industry and preserve family farms.
The president signed the legislation on Wednesday.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, who sponsored an amendment that added the funds to the bill, says dairy farmers are in desperate need.
To read the full article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-dairy-aid-vermont,0,2394165.story
Vermont's delegation says more help needed
By Associated Press
October 21, 2009 Link to full article below
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont's congressional delegation says $350 million in emergency funding will give struggling dairy farmers across the country a temporary boost but more help is needed to stabilize the dairy industry and preserve family farms.
The president signed the legislation on Wednesday.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, who sponsored an amendment that added the funds to the bill, says dairy farmers are in desperate need.
To read the full article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-dairy-aid-vermont,0,2394165.story
What's So Scary About Michael Pollan?
What's So Scary About Michael Pollan?
Why Corporate Agriculture Tried to Censor His University Speech
By Martha Rosenberg, AlterNet
October 28, 2009 Link to full article below
Even if agribusiness could shut Michael Pollan up, the outspoken author of Omnivore's Dilemma and a journalism professor at University of California, Berkeley, it still has the Los Angeles Times to contend with.
Last week, the Times blasted California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo for downgrading a scheduled Pollan lecture because it received pressure from David E. Wood, a university donor who happens to be chairman of the Harris Ranch Beef Co.
"Agribusiness gets plenty of opportunities to preach its point of view at agriculture schools such as Cal Poly, where the likes of Monsanto and Cargill fund research," the Times wrote, calling the 800-acre Harris Ranch, near Coalinga, whose "smell assaults passersby long before the panorama of thousands of cattle packed atop layers of their own manure,"--"Cowschwitz." Ouch.
And agribusiness has the University of Wisconsin-Madison to deal with.
The land grant, ag-based university, in the middle of dairyland, clearly doesn't remember its roots. It gave Pollan's In Defense of Food, another anti-agbiz screed according to industry, free to all incoming freshmen as part of its common book read program where everyone reads the same book, Go Big Read, in August.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/143519/
Why Corporate Agriculture Tried to Censor His University Speech
By Martha Rosenberg, AlterNet
October 28, 2009 Link to full article below
Even if agribusiness could shut Michael Pollan up, the outspoken author of Omnivore's Dilemma and a journalism professor at University of California, Berkeley, it still has the Los Angeles Times to contend with.
Last week, the Times blasted California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo for downgrading a scheduled Pollan lecture because it received pressure from David E. Wood, a university donor who happens to be chairman of the Harris Ranch Beef Co.
"Agribusiness gets plenty of opportunities to preach its point of view at agriculture schools such as Cal Poly, where the likes of Monsanto and Cargill fund research," the Times wrote, calling the 800-acre Harris Ranch, near Coalinga, whose "smell assaults passersby long before the panorama of thousands of cattle packed atop layers of their own manure,"--"Cowschwitz." Ouch.
And agribusiness has the University of Wisconsin-Madison to deal with.
The land grant, ag-based university, in the middle of dairyland, clearly doesn't remember its roots. It gave Pollan's In Defense of Food, another anti-agbiz screed according to industry, free to all incoming freshmen as part of its common book read program where everyone reads the same book, Go Big Read, in August.
To read the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/143519/
Quiz: Are You Freegan Material?
Quiz: Are You Freegan Material?
http://frugalliving.about.com/library/Quizzes/Freegan_Quiz/bl_are_you_a_freegan.htm?nl=1
http://frugalliving.about.com/library/Quizzes/Freegan_Quiz/bl_are_you_a_freegan.htm?nl=1
Eating animals is making us sick
Eating animals is making us sick
By Jonathan Safran Foer, Special to CNN
October 28, 2009 Link to full article below
New York (CNN) -- Like most people, I'd given some thought to what meat actually is, but until I became a father and faced the prospect of having to make food choices on someone else's behalf, there was no urgency to get to the bottom of things.
I'm a novelist and never had it in mind to write nonfiction. Frankly, I doubt I'll ever do it again. But the subject of animal agriculture, at this moment, is something no one should ignore. As a writer, putting words on the page is how I pay attention.
If the way we raise animals for food isn't the most important problem in the world right now, it's arguably the No. 1 cause of global warming: The United Nations reports the livestock business generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined.
It's the No. 1 cause of animal suffering, a decisive factor in the creation of zoonotic diseases like bird and swine flu, and the list goes on. It is the problem with the most deafening silence surrounding it.
Even the most political people, the most thoughtful and engaged, tend not to "go there." And for good reason. Going there can be extremely uncomfortable. Food is not just what we put in our mouths to fill up; it is culture and identity. Reason plays some role in our decisions about food, but it's rarely driving the car.
We need a better way to talk about eating animals, a way that doesn't ignore or even just shruggingly accept things like habits, cravings, family and history but rather incorporates them into the conversation. The more they are allowed in, the more able we will be to follow our best instincts. And although there are many respectable ways to think about meat, there is not a person on Earth whose best instincts would lead him or her to factory farming.
My book, "Eating Animals," addresses factory farming from numerous perspectives: animal welfare, the environment, the price paid by rural communities, the economic costs.
Please read the full article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/28/opinion.jonathan.foer/index.html
By Jonathan Safran Foer, Special to CNN
October 28, 2009 Link to full article below
New York (CNN) -- Like most people, I'd given some thought to what meat actually is, but until I became a father and faced the prospect of having to make food choices on someone else's behalf, there was no urgency to get to the bottom of things.
I'm a novelist and never had it in mind to write nonfiction. Frankly, I doubt I'll ever do it again. But the subject of animal agriculture, at this moment, is something no one should ignore. As a writer, putting words on the page is how I pay attention.
If the way we raise animals for food isn't the most important problem in the world right now, it's arguably the No. 1 cause of global warming: The United Nations reports the livestock business generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined.
It's the No. 1 cause of animal suffering, a decisive factor in the creation of zoonotic diseases like bird and swine flu, and the list goes on. It is the problem with the most deafening silence surrounding it.
Even the most political people, the most thoughtful and engaged, tend not to "go there." And for good reason. Going there can be extremely uncomfortable. Food is not just what we put in our mouths to fill up; it is culture and identity. Reason plays some role in our decisions about food, but it's rarely driving the car.
We need a better way to talk about eating animals, a way that doesn't ignore or even just shruggingly accept things like habits, cravings, family and history but rather incorporates them into the conversation. The more they are allowed in, the more able we will be to follow our best instincts. And although there are many respectable ways to think about meat, there is not a person on Earth whose best instincts would lead him or her to factory farming.
My book, "Eating Animals," addresses factory farming from numerous perspectives: animal welfare, the environment, the price paid by rural communities, the economic costs.
Please read the full article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/28/opinion.jonathan.foer/index.html
Pigs Use Mirrors to Find Hidden Food
Pigs Use Mirrors to Find Hidden Food
By Hadley Leggett
October 8, 2009 Link to full article below
In just five hours, an average farm pig can learn how to interpret an image in the mirror and use it to find hidden food.
Scientists consider the ability to use a mirror a sign of complex cognitive processing and an indication of a certain level of awareness. In addition to humans and some primates, dolphins, elephants, magpies and a famous African grey parrot named Alex have all been known to retrieve objects or remove marks on their body using a mirror. Now it looks like pigs should be added to the list of clever critters that can master a mirror: After spending five hours with a mirror in their pen, seven out of eight pigs could use the reflection to find a hidden bowl of grub.
“This is the first demonstration of the ability of pigs to use mirrors,” animal behavior expert Donald Broom of the University of Cambridge wrote in an e-mail. “Finding sophisticated learning and awareness in animals can alter the way that people think about the species and may result in better welfare in the long run.” Broom co-authored the paper published this month in Animal Behaviour.
To read the full article: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/pigs-and-mirrors/#Replay
By Hadley Leggett
October 8, 2009 Link to full article below
In just five hours, an average farm pig can learn how to interpret an image in the mirror and use it to find hidden food.
Scientists consider the ability to use a mirror a sign of complex cognitive processing and an indication of a certain level of awareness. In addition to humans and some primates, dolphins, elephants, magpies and a famous African grey parrot named Alex have all been known to retrieve objects or remove marks on their body using a mirror. Now it looks like pigs should be added to the list of clever critters that can master a mirror: After spending five hours with a mirror in their pen, seven out of eight pigs could use the reflection to find a hidden bowl of grub.
“This is the first demonstration of the ability of pigs to use mirrors,” animal behavior expert Donald Broom of the University of Cambridge wrote in an e-mail. “Finding sophisticated learning and awareness in animals can alter the way that people think about the species and may result in better welfare in the long run.” Broom co-authored the paper published this month in Animal Behaviour.
To read the full article: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/10/pigs-and-mirrors/#Replay
Milk glut has dairy farmers killing hundreds of thousands of cows in hope prices will rise
Milk glut has dairy farmers killing hundreds of thousands of cows in hope prices will rise
by MICHAEL J. CRUMB
Associated Press Writer
October 27, 2009 Link to full article below
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — After burning through $1 million in savings and seeing no end to their losses, dairy farmers Jake and Lori Slegers figured they didn't have much choice — they had to kill the cows.
So one day last summer their sons tagged all 1,571 cows, loaded them onto trailers at their farm south of Fresno, Calif., and watched them rumble away to a slaughterhouse.
Lori Slegers said her husband came into the house and broke down.
"He said it was the hardest thing he ever had to do," she said. "Luckily, my boys could do it."
Growing demand in developing nations drove up milk prices when times were good, and dairy farmers expanded their herds. But the global recession hurt exports and left farmers with too much milk on their hands. Milk processors cut the price they were willing to pay farmers, in many cases below what it cost to produce milk.
In the past year, hundreds of farmers have come to the same conclusion as the Slegers: The only way to raise prices is to reduce the supply, and that means killing cows. In some cases, whole herds have been turned into hamburger. In others, farmers have kept their best producers and sent the rest to slaughter.
Please read the full article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-farm-scene-killing-cows,0,6920863.story
by MICHAEL J. CRUMB
Associated Press Writer
October 27, 2009 Link to full article below
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — After burning through $1 million in savings and seeing no end to their losses, dairy farmers Jake and Lori Slegers figured they didn't have much choice — they had to kill the cows.
So one day last summer their sons tagged all 1,571 cows, loaded them onto trailers at their farm south of Fresno, Calif., and watched them rumble away to a slaughterhouse.
Lori Slegers said her husband came into the house and broke down.
"He said it was the hardest thing he ever had to do," she said. "Luckily, my boys could do it."
Growing demand in developing nations drove up milk prices when times were good, and dairy farmers expanded their herds. But the global recession hurt exports and left farmers with too much milk on their hands. Milk processors cut the price they were willing to pay farmers, in many cases below what it cost to produce milk.
In the past year, hundreds of farmers have come to the same conclusion as the Slegers: The only way to raise prices is to reduce the supply, and that means killing cows. In some cases, whole herds have been turned into hamburger. In others, farmers have kept their best producers and sent the rest to slaughter.
Please read the full article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-farm-scene-killing-cows,0,6920863.story
Killing fields: the true cost of Europe's cheap meat
Killing fields: the true cost of Europe's cheap meat
Andrew Wasley
13th October, 2009 Link to full article below
Cheap meat has become a way of life in much of Europe, but the full price is being paid across Latin America as vast soya plantations and their attendant chemicals lead to poisonings and violence
Much of the cheap meat and dairy produce sold in supermarkets across Europe is arriving as a result of serious human rights abuses and environmental damage in one of Latin America's most impoverished countries, according to a new film launched in conjunction with the Ecologist Film Unit.
An investigation in Paraguay has discovered that vast plantations of soy, principally grown for use in intensively-farmed animal feed, are responsible for a catalogue of social and ecological problems, including the forced eviction of rural communities, landlessness, poverty, excessive use of pesticides, deforestation and rising food insecurity.
The film, Killing Fields: the battle to feed factory farms – produced by a coalition of pressure groups including Friends of the Earth, Food and Water Watch and with European coordination by Via Campesina, – documents the experiences of some of those caught up in Paraguay's growing conflict over soy farming and reveals, for the first time, how intensive animal farming across the EU, including the UK, is fuelling the problem.
To read the full article: http://www.theecologist.org/trial_investigations/336873/killing_fields_the_true_cost_of_europes_cheap_meat.html
Andrew Wasley
13th October, 2009 Link to full article below
Cheap meat has become a way of life in much of Europe, but the full price is being paid across Latin America as vast soya plantations and their attendant chemicals lead to poisonings and violence
Much of the cheap meat and dairy produce sold in supermarkets across Europe is arriving as a result of serious human rights abuses and environmental damage in one of Latin America's most impoverished countries, according to a new film launched in conjunction with the Ecologist Film Unit.
An investigation in Paraguay has discovered that vast plantations of soy, principally grown for use in intensively-farmed animal feed, are responsible for a catalogue of social and ecological problems, including the forced eviction of rural communities, landlessness, poverty, excessive use of pesticides, deforestation and rising food insecurity.
The film, Killing Fields: the battle to feed factory farms – produced by a coalition of pressure groups including Friends of the Earth, Food and Water Watch and with European coordination by Via Campesina, – documents the experiences of some of those caught up in Paraguay's growing conflict over soy farming and reveals, for the first time, how intensive animal farming across the EU, including the UK, is fuelling the problem.
To read the full article: http://www.theecologist.org/trial_investigations/336873/killing_fields_the_true_cost_of_europes_cheap_meat.html
Monday, October 5, 2009
10 Wonderful Foods for Fall
The move from summer to fall can be bittersweet: Clearing out the summer clothes to make way for sweaters, and prepping for cold and flu season, and trying to cope with your ragweed allergy. But the seasonal food switch is nothing but sweet - and warm and flavorful and super-nutritious..
Fall for these 10 healthy autumn edibles:
Apples: How you like them apples? There are reasons why apples are the old autumn harvest standby, the magical super-fruit that's supposed to keep the doctor away. At about 80 calories each, apples provide vitamin C and lots of beneficial fibre. Both the soluble and insoluble fibre found in apples help to support healthy digestion and cholesterol levels. Considering the sheer variety of apple types, you could eat an apple a day and never tire of the sometimes tart, sometimes sweet, always good-for-you flavours.
Beets: Beets are versatile, low in calories, naturally sweet, and packed with nutritional B-enefits. Beets are full of folate, a B vitamin crucial to healthy cell growth, especially during pregnancy. Two more B's abundant in beets:betacyanin, a pigment that is a potentially powerful antioxidant, andbetaine, a heart-protective nutrient. Beets are also a great source of fibre.
Bell peppers: Get in on the crunch and colour of bell peppers when they're at their best and most abundant, from August through October. Minus thecapsaicin that makes other peppers so hot, bell peppers offer a cooler, crisper, sweeter pepper flavour to foods. And just one cup of any colour bell provides nearly 300% of the vitamin C you need in one day! Combine that with over 100% of daily vitamin A, and bell peppers burst with antioxidant power. Munch on sliced raw peppers, sauté with a lean protein like tofu or chicken, stir-fry with other veggies, or dice onto a salad for some crunch.
Brussels sprouts: These little mini-cabbage look-alikes belong to the Brassica family of cruciferous vegetables, along with broccoli, kale, and spinach. Though Brussels sprouts top many a least-favoured veggie list, they are worth a bite. Cut a cup of these pods into quarters and braise them along with your favourite herbs and spices for a delicious dose of vitamins and minerals. That one cup yields a quarter of a day's folate, 15% of the fibre and potassium you'll need, 10% of the iron and omega-3 fatty acids, and a staggering 161% of your daily vitamin C requirements.
Cranberries: Bright red and tart to the tongue, cranberries crop up in the autumn to add to the colourful foliage. Whether plucked off a berry bush or cultivated in shallow, sandy pools, cranberries pack in lots of fibre and vitamin C. Because of their unique nutritional profile, cranberries have earned a reputation as a protective food against the bacteria that often cause urinary tract and bladder infections. Toss a handful of the berries into a mixed fruit salad, add them to a vinaigrette salad dressing, mix into hot oatmeal, or bake into muffins and cookies.
Figs: Figs are small, low-calorie fruits, but they are densely packed with nutritional benefits. Potassium, which is essential for proper heart, kidney, and muscle function, is abundant in figs, as is bone-building calcium. And 8 ounces of fresh figs yields 30% of your daily recommended fibre. As with any fruit, figs are a great source of antioxidant vitamins. Extract of fig leaves has also shown potential to support the health of people with diabetes.
Pears: Though softer, sweeter, and more delicate, pears provide just as much vitamin C and fibre as their apple kin. Add to the pear's profile the benefits of the antioxidant mineral copper and a juicy, buttery texture that makes the fruit a natural poached, sliced onto salads, or chunked into hot cereal.
Pumpkins and other squash: The rich, deep colours of pumpkin and other types of squash give a hint at the plentiful nutrients within. Vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene, is abundant in these gourds. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant essential to healthy vision, and it may also boost the immune system and protect the body from the kind of free radical damage that may cause heart and blood vessel disorders and cancer. Squash provides plenty of potassium, a mineral that helps to regulate the kidneys and the heart, as well as the muscles and nerves. You'll also find tons of fibre in these fine fruits, which helps to reduce cholesterol, maintain intestinal health, and moderate blood sugar levels.
Parsnips: Parsnips don't land on too many "superfood" top ten lists, but that's only because they tend to be overshadowed by other veggies. They look a bit like pale carrots, but they actually contain much more heart-friendly potassium and folate than carrots. Folate is a B vitamin required for the creation of healthy cells, and having insufficient levels of it has been linked to cancer and birth defects. Parsnips may have only half the protein and vitamin C of potatoes - but they boast more fibre.
Sweet potatoes and yams: Whether you choose the more common sweet potato or the harder-to-find yam, you'll dine on a nutritious, low-calorie vegetable. Of the two, sweet potatoes have more iron and are a better source of antioxidant vitamin A, but yams have more fibre. The two are about equal in heart-helper vitamin B6, but yams pack more of a punch than sweet potatoes for potassium, which is needed for proper heart, kidney, and muscle function.
Fall for these 10 healthy autumn edibles:
Apples: How you like them apples? There are reasons why apples are the old autumn harvest standby, the magical super-fruit that's supposed to keep the doctor away. At about 80 calories each, apples provide vitamin C and lots of beneficial fibre. Both the soluble and insoluble fibre found in apples help to support healthy digestion and cholesterol levels. Considering the sheer variety of apple types, you could eat an apple a day and never tire of the sometimes tart, sometimes sweet, always good-for-you flavours.
Beets: Beets are versatile, low in calories, naturally sweet, and packed with nutritional B-enefits. Beets are full of folate, a B vitamin crucial to healthy cell growth, especially during pregnancy. Two more B's abundant in beets:betacyanin, a pigment that is a potentially powerful antioxidant, andbetaine, a heart-protective nutrient. Beets are also a great source of fibre.
Bell peppers: Get in on the crunch and colour of bell peppers when they're at their best and most abundant, from August through October. Minus thecapsaicin that makes other peppers so hot, bell peppers offer a cooler, crisper, sweeter pepper flavour to foods. And just one cup of any colour bell provides nearly 300% of the vitamin C you need in one day! Combine that with over 100% of daily vitamin A, and bell peppers burst with antioxidant power. Munch on sliced raw peppers, sauté with a lean protein like tofu or chicken, stir-fry with other veggies, or dice onto a salad for some crunch.
Brussels sprouts: These little mini-cabbage look-alikes belong to the Brassica family of cruciferous vegetables, along with broccoli, kale, and spinach. Though Brussels sprouts top many a least-favoured veggie list, they are worth a bite. Cut a cup of these pods into quarters and braise them along with your favourite herbs and spices for a delicious dose of vitamins and minerals. That one cup yields a quarter of a day's folate, 15% of the fibre and potassium you'll need, 10% of the iron and omega-3 fatty acids, and a staggering 161% of your daily vitamin C requirements.
Cranberries: Bright red and tart to the tongue, cranberries crop up in the autumn to add to the colourful foliage. Whether plucked off a berry bush or cultivated in shallow, sandy pools, cranberries pack in lots of fibre and vitamin C. Because of their unique nutritional profile, cranberries have earned a reputation as a protective food against the bacteria that often cause urinary tract and bladder infections. Toss a handful of the berries into a mixed fruit salad, add them to a vinaigrette salad dressing, mix into hot oatmeal, or bake into muffins and cookies.
Figs: Figs are small, low-calorie fruits, but they are densely packed with nutritional benefits. Potassium, which is essential for proper heart, kidney, and muscle function, is abundant in figs, as is bone-building calcium. And 8 ounces of fresh figs yields 30% of your daily recommended fibre. As with any fruit, figs are a great source of antioxidant vitamins. Extract of fig leaves has also shown potential to support the health of people with diabetes.
Pears: Though softer, sweeter, and more delicate, pears provide just as much vitamin C and fibre as their apple kin. Add to the pear's profile the benefits of the antioxidant mineral copper and a juicy, buttery texture that makes the fruit a natural poached, sliced onto salads, or chunked into hot cereal.
Pumpkins and other squash: The rich, deep colours of pumpkin and other types of squash give a hint at the plentiful nutrients within. Vitamin A, in the form of beta-carotene, is abundant in these gourds. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant essential to healthy vision, and it may also boost the immune system and protect the body from the kind of free radical damage that may cause heart and blood vessel disorders and cancer. Squash provides plenty of potassium, a mineral that helps to regulate the kidneys and the heart, as well as the muscles and nerves. You'll also find tons of fibre in these fine fruits, which helps to reduce cholesterol, maintain intestinal health, and moderate blood sugar levels.
Parsnips: Parsnips don't land on too many "superfood" top ten lists, but that's only because they tend to be overshadowed by other veggies. They look a bit like pale carrots, but they actually contain much more heart-friendly potassium and folate than carrots. Folate is a B vitamin required for the creation of healthy cells, and having insufficient levels of it has been linked to cancer and birth defects. Parsnips may have only half the protein and vitamin C of potatoes - but they boast more fibre.
Sweet potatoes and yams: Whether you choose the more common sweet potato or the harder-to-find yam, you'll dine on a nutritious, low-calorie vegetable. Of the two, sweet potatoes have more iron and are a better source of antioxidant vitamin A, but yams have more fibre. The two are about equal in heart-helper vitamin B6, but yams pack more of a punch than sweet potatoes for potassium, which is needed for proper heart, kidney, and muscle function.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Farmed Out: How Will Climate Change Impact World Food Supplies?
Farmed Out: How Will Climate Change Impact World Food Supplies?
A new study attempts to estimate the effects of climate change on global agriculture--and outline ways to mitigate its most dire consequences
By David Biello
September 30, 2009
Link to full article below
The people of East Africa once again face a devastating drought this year: Crops wither and fail from Kenya to Ethiopia, livestock drop dead and famine spreads. Although, historically, such droughts are not uncommon in this region, their frequency seems to have increased in recent years, raising prices for staple foods, such as maize.
This scenario may simply be a taste of a world undergoing climate change in the mid–21st century, according to a new report from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a Washington, D.C.–based organization seeking an end to hunger and poverty through appropriate local, national and international agricultural policies. By IFPRI's estimate, 25 million more children will be malnourished in 2050 due to the impact of climate change on global agriculture.
"Higher temperatures and changes in precipitation result in pressure on yields from important crops in much of the world," says IFPRI agricultural economist Gerald Nelson, an author of the report, "Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security: Impacts and Costs of Adaptation to 2050". "Biological impacts on crop yields work through the economic system resulting in reduced production, higher crop and meat prices, and a reduction in cereal consumption. This reduction means reduced calorie intake and increased childhood malnutrition."
Nelson and his colleagues, working with funding from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, estimated global agricultural impacts by pairing IFPRI's own economic models for crop yields with climate models for precipitation and temperature from the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. Assuming a world that is slow to adapt to climate change and focused on regional self-reliance, the researchers found that children in the developing world—which are the countries expected to provide the bulk of population growth to nine billion or more by mid-century—will be hardest hit.
"It's not economic development that matters in this case, it's the location on the surface of the Earth," Nelson notes. Without better crop varieties or other agricultural technology improvements, irrigated wheat yields, for example, will fall at least 20 percent by 2050 as a result of global warming, and south Asia as well as parts of sub-Saharan Africa will face the worst effects.
Even without climate change, population pressure alone will cause a spike in food prices without intervention, according to IFPRI's economic model. For example, without climate change, wheat prices might rise from $113 per metric ton in 2000 to $158 per metric ton in 2050—an increase of 39 percent. Similarly, rice prices would soar by 62 percent, maize by 63 percent. But factoring in climate change will boost wheat prices by at least 170 percent and rice by a minimum of 113 percent; the cost of maize will be at least 148 percent higher than at the turn of the century by mid-century.
Nor will the developed world go unscathed. Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science in August noted that corn, soybean and cotton yields in the U.S. will drop precipitously because of additional days where the temperature is above 30 degrees Celsius.
Part of the problem is that the benefits of better plant growth, thanks to higher carbon dioxide concentrations (plants use CO2 for photosynthesis) are more than offset by the impact of higher temperatures and differing precipitation. "If you grow a plant in a bell jar in a lab and increase the CO2 inside, the plants will perform better. [But] will those results translate into farmer's fields? Evidence that we've been getting from farmer's fields suggests perhaps not," Nelson says. And that means fewer calories per person would be available in 2050.
To prevent this agricultural crisis, Nelson estimates, would require an investment of at least $7 billion per year in the most affected countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America for increased agricultural research into, for example, drought-resistant crop varieties. "Crop and livestock productivity–enhancing research, including biotechnology, will be essential to help overcome stresses due to climate change," the report's authors wrote.
These areas will also need expanded rural road and irrigation infrastructure as well as improvements to the efficiency of that irrigation.
Climate change's glacial meltwaters will not aid such irrigation projects. "The glaciers, particularly in the Himalayas, may disappear and cause some of the major rivers to become much more variable, which will have negative effects on yields in south Asia," Nelson notes. At the same time, traditional seed varieties and livestock breeds that might provide a genetic resource to adapt to climate change are being lost.
Crop diseases and insect pests will also thrive in a hotter or more humid climate, and the report does not take into account issues such as current agricultural lands swamped by rising sea levels. "These are conservative estimates," Nelson adds. "Some elements we left out could make those numbers even higher."
Even those areas that will benefit from a changed climate, such as a potential expansion in regional climates amenable to certain crops in Canada, for example, will not solve the problem. "The problem is you'd have to grow corn on some pretty rocky soils," Nelson explains. "It's not clear that you'd get more production even if climate favors them."
And expanding agriculture to feed more people may simply exacerbate climate change. Deforestation, largely driven by conversion to cropland, accounts for roughly 16 percent of global emissions of the carbon dioxide warming the atmosphere.
There is hope, of course. IFPRI's fellows in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research system are developing, for example, drought-tolerant or heat-resistant varieties of staple crops such as wheat and rice. And various efforts such as the Millennium Villages in East Africa may speed adaptation. Already, the Kenyan village of Sauri has boosted maize yields with the help of an influx of donor cash. And some Indian farmers in the state of Bihar have begun to plant hybrid rice strains because they are drought-tolerant and can be planted on lands that were previously difficult to successfully cultivate.
"Agriculture is the sector most likely to be affected by changes in climate of all sectors of society," Nelson adds. "Investment will not guarantee that all negative impacts can be overcome, but business as usual will guarantee disastrous consequences for the human race."
To read the full, excellent article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-will-climate-change-impact-world-food-supplies&sc=DD_20090930
A new study attempts to estimate the effects of climate change on global agriculture--and outline ways to mitigate its most dire consequences
By David Biello
September 30, 2009
Link to full article below
The people of East Africa once again face a devastating drought this year: Crops wither and fail from Kenya to Ethiopia, livestock drop dead and famine spreads. Although, historically, such droughts are not uncommon in this region, their frequency seems to have increased in recent years, raising prices for staple foods, such as maize.
This scenario may simply be a taste of a world undergoing climate change in the mid–21st century, according to a new report from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a Washington, D.C.–based organization seeking an end to hunger and poverty through appropriate local, national and international agricultural policies. By IFPRI's estimate, 25 million more children will be malnourished in 2050 due to the impact of climate change on global agriculture.
"Higher temperatures and changes in precipitation result in pressure on yields from important crops in much of the world," says IFPRI agricultural economist Gerald Nelson, an author of the report, "Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security: Impacts and Costs of Adaptation to 2050". "Biological impacts on crop yields work through the economic system resulting in reduced production, higher crop and meat prices, and a reduction in cereal consumption. This reduction means reduced calorie intake and increased childhood malnutrition."
Nelson and his colleagues, working with funding from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, estimated global agricultural impacts by pairing IFPRI's own economic models for crop yields with climate models for precipitation and temperature from the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research and Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. Assuming a world that is slow to adapt to climate change and focused on regional self-reliance, the researchers found that children in the developing world—which are the countries expected to provide the bulk of population growth to nine billion or more by mid-century—will be hardest hit.
"It's not economic development that matters in this case, it's the location on the surface of the Earth," Nelson notes. Without better crop varieties or other agricultural technology improvements, irrigated wheat yields, for example, will fall at least 20 percent by 2050 as a result of global warming, and south Asia as well as parts of sub-Saharan Africa will face the worst effects.
Even without climate change, population pressure alone will cause a spike in food prices without intervention, according to IFPRI's economic model. For example, without climate change, wheat prices might rise from $113 per metric ton in 2000 to $158 per metric ton in 2050—an increase of 39 percent. Similarly, rice prices would soar by 62 percent, maize by 63 percent. But factoring in climate change will boost wheat prices by at least 170 percent and rice by a minimum of 113 percent; the cost of maize will be at least 148 percent higher than at the turn of the century by mid-century.
Nor will the developed world go unscathed. Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science in August noted that corn, soybean and cotton yields in the U.S. will drop precipitously because of additional days where the temperature is above 30 degrees Celsius.
Part of the problem is that the benefits of better plant growth, thanks to higher carbon dioxide concentrations (plants use CO2 for photosynthesis) are more than offset by the impact of higher temperatures and differing precipitation. "If you grow a plant in a bell jar in a lab and increase the CO2 inside, the plants will perform better. [But] will those results translate into farmer's fields? Evidence that we've been getting from farmer's fields suggests perhaps not," Nelson says. And that means fewer calories per person would be available in 2050.
To prevent this agricultural crisis, Nelson estimates, would require an investment of at least $7 billion per year in the most affected countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America for increased agricultural research into, for example, drought-resistant crop varieties. "Crop and livestock productivity–enhancing research, including biotechnology, will be essential to help overcome stresses due to climate change," the report's authors wrote.
These areas will also need expanded rural road and irrigation infrastructure as well as improvements to the efficiency of that irrigation.
Climate change's glacial meltwaters will not aid such irrigation projects. "The glaciers, particularly in the Himalayas, may disappear and cause some of the major rivers to become much more variable, which will have negative effects on yields in south Asia," Nelson notes. At the same time, traditional seed varieties and livestock breeds that might provide a genetic resource to adapt to climate change are being lost.
Crop diseases and insect pests will also thrive in a hotter or more humid climate, and the report does not take into account issues such as current agricultural lands swamped by rising sea levels. "These are conservative estimates," Nelson adds. "Some elements we left out could make those numbers even higher."
Even those areas that will benefit from a changed climate, such as a potential expansion in regional climates amenable to certain crops in Canada, for example, will not solve the problem. "The problem is you'd have to grow corn on some pretty rocky soils," Nelson explains. "It's not clear that you'd get more production even if climate favors them."
And expanding agriculture to feed more people may simply exacerbate climate change. Deforestation, largely driven by conversion to cropland, accounts for roughly 16 percent of global emissions of the carbon dioxide warming the atmosphere.
There is hope, of course. IFPRI's fellows in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research system are developing, for example, drought-tolerant or heat-resistant varieties of staple crops such as wheat and rice. And various efforts such as the Millennium Villages in East Africa may speed adaptation. Already, the Kenyan village of Sauri has boosted maize yields with the help of an influx of donor cash. And some Indian farmers in the state of Bihar have begun to plant hybrid rice strains because they are drought-tolerant and can be planted on lands that were previously difficult to successfully cultivate.
"Agriculture is the sector most likely to be affected by changes in climate of all sectors of society," Nelson adds. "Investment will not guarantee that all negative impacts can be overcome, but business as usual will guarantee disastrous consequences for the human race."
To read the full, excellent article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-will-climate-change-impact-world-food-supplies&sc=DD_20090930
Very interesting analogy: What Vegans Can Learn from the Gay Rights Movement's Successes
What Vegans Can Learn from the Gay Rights Movement's Successes
By SHERRY F. COLB
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Link to full article below
These are heady times for gay and lesbian rights. Four states now provide for same-sex marriage, and the number is likely to increase in the near future. A Republican conservative who acted as President George W. Bush's Solicitor General is currently bringing a court challenge to the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in that state. Though sexual orientation discrimination continues, much has changed in a country in which, just 23 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Georgia criminal sodomy law and specifically approved its selective application to homosexual couples.
Such success inspires emulation by other groups seeking to end other sorts of persecution. One profound and ubiquitous form of subordination is that in which we humans engage with respect to nonhuman animals. At the present time, the law permits and condones the massive injury and slaughter that is inflicted on billions of animals for purposes of their consumption as food and clothing.
An increasing number of people have come to recognize the injustice of the injury and slaughter, but an overwhelming majority of the population resists this recognition. What lessons might the struggle for gay rights have to teach those who seek to end the systematic torture and slaughter of animals?
A Risky Analogy – But Not One that Should Give Offense
The first thing to note is that there is a risk in analogizing the struggle for gay rights with the struggle for animal rights. The danger that concerns me is not, as some might think, that of offending people. People were (and some continue to be) offended by comparisons between struggles against racial oppression and struggles against homophobia, but it is precisely the resistance to an unfamiliar claim (especially a claim that implicates one's own behavior) that makes it seem "offensive."
If inflicting terrible suffering and death on nonhuman animals who can feel pleasure, pain, and a wide range of emotions represents a real harm – and most people acknowledge, at some level, that it does – then no one should be offended by the suggestion that this harm must stop, just as other harms, once taken for granted as permissible, are now almost universally condemned.
The risk, though, is that of missing the real connection. The proper analogue to a gay person seeking gay rights is not a nonhuman animal, for the latter is not able to seek justice for herself (except by appearing, occasionally, in the public consciousness and awakening rare pangs of conscience and empathy). The proper analogue to the gay person struggling for gay rights is, instead, the vegan struggling for animal rights.
When I use the word "animal rights" here, I mean something very basic – an entitlement to have one's interests seriously considered in people's decision-making process. No one, to my knowledge, is advocating that nonhuman animals be permitted to vote, hold public office, or receive scholarships to state colleges, any more than one would advocate similar entitlements for a three-year-old human. But if a being's interests are taken seriously, then surely one may not inflict torture, misery, and slaughter on that being simply to satisfy one's culinary and fashion preferences.
What Makes Gay Men and Lesbians Similar to Vegans?
Once we recognize that it is the vegan – rather than the nonhuman animal – who occupies the space parallel to that of the gay rights advocate, we immediately see some important commonalities. One is that, unlike race and sex, gay identity and vegan identity are, in part, chosen.
In saying this, I do not mean to suggest that people "decide" whether to be gay or straight, in the way that they decide what books to read. What I mean is that in the absence of surgery or other kinds of mutilation, a person who is white cannot decide to be African-American, and a man cannot decide to be a woman: sex and race are, in that sense, immutable. By contrast, part of what makes the gay rights movement distinctive is that it is possible for a gay man or a lesbian to live (unhappily) as though he or she is straight.
This possibility is, in fact, both noted and encouraged by many who are religiously committed to heterosexuality. It also helps explain why anti-gay advocates say that they supposedly do not discriminate against gay people, because gay people are free – like straight people – to marry someone of the opposite sex.
Because it is possible for a gay person to live as though he or she is straight, however unfulfilling such a life might be, the decision to acknowledge (to others but also to oneself) that one is gay or lesbian is a momentous decision that takes courage and often results in family tensions.
Similarly, ethical vegans make a decision that they will start consuming a vegan diet and wearing vegan clothing. Unlike the non-vegan majority, very few ethical vegans were born into veganism, and thus most necessarily had to question a status quo that treats the farming of animals for their dead bodies as an inevitable and fine state of affairs. Though vegans are routinely asked why they are vegan, non-vegans are almost never asked why they are not. It would, in fact, be considered rude to ask a non-vegan "why do you choose to consume animal products?"
Becoming a vegan often generates family conflicts, in some of the same ways as coming out as gay does. Family members can have a hard time accepting the change and may enjoy bringing up old stories of animal consumption by the now-vegan.
The ethical vegan – and not the nonhuman animal – is the face of animal rights that most people will see (if they see any face of animal rights at all). In the United States, most of the people who contribute to the suffering of animals – those who consume parts of dead animals and the products taken away from live animals, soon to be killed – have rarely had occasion to interact with a live version of what they eat. They do, however, occasionally run into a person who declines the routine American food choices and thereby opts out of a system of persecution and harm.
The notion that this choice is possible can be unsettling to someone who never seriously questioned the legitimacy of consuming animals and their products. Resulting hostility, whether subtle or overt, resembles that of a person who is in fact gay, but fails to acknowledge it to himself, who becomes threatened and angry when interacting with an openly gay person. A conversation with an ethical vegan may awaken the other party to a truth that is, at some level, known but not openly acknowledged: the truth that one is participating daily in the suffering and death of animals – and that there is another way.
Strategy for Vegans
Like a gay man or a lesbian, a vegan can choose from a variety of ways of being a vegan. Some stay in the closet. One woman I know, for example, purchases only vegan foods for her home, but when she is out and about, she either eats what others are eating or claims that she is not hungry, so that people will not know her true identity. She explains that once she knows someone well, she will confide in him or her that she is a vegan.
To read the full article: http://writ.news.findlaw.com/colb/20090902.html
By SHERRY F. COLB
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Link to full article below
These are heady times for gay and lesbian rights. Four states now provide for same-sex marriage, and the number is likely to increase in the near future. A Republican conservative who acted as President George W. Bush's Solicitor General is currently bringing a court challenge to the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in that state. Though sexual orientation discrimination continues, much has changed in a country in which, just 23 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Georgia criminal sodomy law and specifically approved its selective application to homosexual couples.
Such success inspires emulation by other groups seeking to end other sorts of persecution. One profound and ubiquitous form of subordination is that in which we humans engage with respect to nonhuman animals. At the present time, the law permits and condones the massive injury and slaughter that is inflicted on billions of animals for purposes of their consumption as food and clothing.
An increasing number of people have come to recognize the injustice of the injury and slaughter, but an overwhelming majority of the population resists this recognition. What lessons might the struggle for gay rights have to teach those who seek to end the systematic torture and slaughter of animals?
A Risky Analogy – But Not One that Should Give Offense
The first thing to note is that there is a risk in analogizing the struggle for gay rights with the struggle for animal rights. The danger that concerns me is not, as some might think, that of offending people. People were (and some continue to be) offended by comparisons between struggles against racial oppression and struggles against homophobia, but it is precisely the resistance to an unfamiliar claim (especially a claim that implicates one's own behavior) that makes it seem "offensive."
If inflicting terrible suffering and death on nonhuman animals who can feel pleasure, pain, and a wide range of emotions represents a real harm – and most people acknowledge, at some level, that it does – then no one should be offended by the suggestion that this harm must stop, just as other harms, once taken for granted as permissible, are now almost universally condemned.
The risk, though, is that of missing the real connection. The proper analogue to a gay person seeking gay rights is not a nonhuman animal, for the latter is not able to seek justice for herself (except by appearing, occasionally, in the public consciousness and awakening rare pangs of conscience and empathy). The proper analogue to the gay person struggling for gay rights is, instead, the vegan struggling for animal rights.
When I use the word "animal rights" here, I mean something very basic – an entitlement to have one's interests seriously considered in people's decision-making process. No one, to my knowledge, is advocating that nonhuman animals be permitted to vote, hold public office, or receive scholarships to state colleges, any more than one would advocate similar entitlements for a three-year-old human. But if a being's interests are taken seriously, then surely one may not inflict torture, misery, and slaughter on that being simply to satisfy one's culinary and fashion preferences.
What Makes Gay Men and Lesbians Similar to Vegans?
Once we recognize that it is the vegan – rather than the nonhuman animal – who occupies the space parallel to that of the gay rights advocate, we immediately see some important commonalities. One is that, unlike race and sex, gay identity and vegan identity are, in part, chosen.
In saying this, I do not mean to suggest that people "decide" whether to be gay or straight, in the way that they decide what books to read. What I mean is that in the absence of surgery or other kinds of mutilation, a person who is white cannot decide to be African-American, and a man cannot decide to be a woman: sex and race are, in that sense, immutable. By contrast, part of what makes the gay rights movement distinctive is that it is possible for a gay man or a lesbian to live (unhappily) as though he or she is straight.
This possibility is, in fact, both noted and encouraged by many who are religiously committed to heterosexuality. It also helps explain why anti-gay advocates say that they supposedly do not discriminate against gay people, because gay people are free – like straight people – to marry someone of the opposite sex.
Because it is possible for a gay person to live as though he or she is straight, however unfulfilling such a life might be, the decision to acknowledge (to others but also to oneself) that one is gay or lesbian is a momentous decision that takes courage and often results in family tensions.
Similarly, ethical vegans make a decision that they will start consuming a vegan diet and wearing vegan clothing. Unlike the non-vegan majority, very few ethical vegans were born into veganism, and thus most necessarily had to question a status quo that treats the farming of animals for their dead bodies as an inevitable and fine state of affairs. Though vegans are routinely asked why they are vegan, non-vegans are almost never asked why they are not. It would, in fact, be considered rude to ask a non-vegan "why do you choose to consume animal products?"
Becoming a vegan often generates family conflicts, in some of the same ways as coming out as gay does. Family members can have a hard time accepting the change and may enjoy bringing up old stories of animal consumption by the now-vegan.
The ethical vegan – and not the nonhuman animal – is the face of animal rights that most people will see (if they see any face of animal rights at all). In the United States, most of the people who contribute to the suffering of animals – those who consume parts of dead animals and the products taken away from live animals, soon to be killed – have rarely had occasion to interact with a live version of what they eat. They do, however, occasionally run into a person who declines the routine American food choices and thereby opts out of a system of persecution and harm.
The notion that this choice is possible can be unsettling to someone who never seriously questioned the legitimacy of consuming animals and their products. Resulting hostility, whether subtle or overt, resembles that of a person who is in fact gay, but fails to acknowledge it to himself, who becomes threatened and angry when interacting with an openly gay person. A conversation with an ethical vegan may awaken the other party to a truth that is, at some level, known but not openly acknowledged: the truth that one is participating daily in the suffering and death of animals – and that there is another way.
Strategy for Vegans
Like a gay man or a lesbian, a vegan can choose from a variety of ways of being a vegan. Some stay in the closet. One woman I know, for example, purchases only vegan foods for her home, but when she is out and about, she either eats what others are eating or claims that she is not hungry, so that people will not know her true identity. She explains that once she knows someone well, she will confide in him or her that she is a vegan.
To read the full article: http://writ.news.findlaw.com/colb/20090902.html
The Great Egg Debate - Science, Not Emotion, Shows that Caged Laying Hens have Poor Welfare
The Great Egg Debate - Science, Not Emotion, Shows that Caged Laying Hens have Poor Welfare
By Sara Shields, PhD
Tuesday, August 11, 2009 Link to full article below
Previous blog posts on Ham and Eggonomics have addressed the often-touted claim that concerns about the welfare of animals in intensive production facilities are based on emotion rather than science. However, the basis for opposition to the confinement of hens in battery cages is deeply rooted in objective scientific inquiry, and research on the topic is almost as old as the use of the battery cage itself.1
From the beginning of the debate, ethology (the study of animal behavior) has advanced understanding of the effects of cage confinement on the well-being of laying hens and, without a doubt, shown that there are very serious welfare consequences. Studies have demonstrated that there are two basic reasons for this: 1) the animals are deprived of the opportunity to express important natural behavior; and 2) the constraints of the cage prevent exercise, which has profound physical consequences for the health of the birds.
There seems to be a general lack of appreciation for the importance of behavioral expression as a component of animal well-being. Historically, it has been easier to comprehend the role of health, for example, in ensuring good welfare, while it’s sometimes been more challenging to see how behavioral restriction can reduce welfare. The science, however, tells a very compelling story.
One of the most important behavior patterns that hens are prevented from performing in a conventional cage is nesting. Observational studies of feral hens and wild Jungle Fowl (the progenitor of today’s domesticated chickens) have shown that hens will seek out a secretive, sheltered nesting site when they are about to lay an egg.2,3,4 Ethologists have investigated this behavior further in laboratory studies. They have shown that when hens do not have a nest box—as is the case when confined inside a typical battery cage—they express frustration with stereotyped, repetitive pacing movements just prior to oviposition (egg-laying),5 and make “gakel-calls,” the same types of behavior expressed in experiments with hungry hens who are able to see an expected food reward but are prevented from access by a clear Plexiglas-like cover.6,7
To read the full article and see citations list: http://hamandeggonomics.blogspot.com/2009/08/great-egg-debate-science-not-emotion.html
By Sara Shields, PhD
Tuesday, August 11, 2009 Link to full article below
Previous blog posts on Ham and Eggonomics have addressed the often-touted claim that concerns about the welfare of animals in intensive production facilities are based on emotion rather than science. However, the basis for opposition to the confinement of hens in battery cages is deeply rooted in objective scientific inquiry, and research on the topic is almost as old as the use of the battery cage itself.1
From the beginning of the debate, ethology (the study of animal behavior) has advanced understanding of the effects of cage confinement on the well-being of laying hens and, without a doubt, shown that there are very serious welfare consequences. Studies have demonstrated that there are two basic reasons for this: 1) the animals are deprived of the opportunity to express important natural behavior; and 2) the constraints of the cage prevent exercise, which has profound physical consequences for the health of the birds.
There seems to be a general lack of appreciation for the importance of behavioral expression as a component of animal well-being. Historically, it has been easier to comprehend the role of health, for example, in ensuring good welfare, while it’s sometimes been more challenging to see how behavioral restriction can reduce welfare. The science, however, tells a very compelling story.
One of the most important behavior patterns that hens are prevented from performing in a conventional cage is nesting. Observational studies of feral hens and wild Jungle Fowl (the progenitor of today’s domesticated chickens) have shown that hens will seek out a secretive, sheltered nesting site when they are about to lay an egg.2,3,4 Ethologists have investigated this behavior further in laboratory studies. They have shown that when hens do not have a nest box—as is the case when confined inside a typical battery cage—they express frustration with stereotyped, repetitive pacing movements just prior to oviposition (egg-laying),5 and make “gakel-calls,” the same types of behavior expressed in experiments with hungry hens who are able to see an expected food reward but are prevented from access by a clear Plexiglas-like cover.6,7
To read the full article and see citations list: http://hamandeggonomics.blogspot.com/2009/08/great-egg-debate-science-not-emotion.html
Vegetarians Make Plenty of Essential Fats (DHA)
Vegetarians Make Plenty of Essential Fats (DHA)
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2009nl/sep/fav5.htm
DHA status of vegetarians by Thomas Sanders in the August-September 2009 issue of the journal Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids concluded, “…the relatively lower intake of linoleic acid and the presence of preformed DHA (fish) in the diet of omnivores explain the relatively higher proportion of DHA in blood and tissue lipids compared with vegetarians. In the absence of convincing evidence for the deleterious effects resulting from the lack of DHA from the diet of vegetarians, it must be concluded that needs for omega-3 fatty acids can be met by dietary ALA (alpha linolenic acid).”1 ALA is made by plants.
Comment: Your well-meaning friends and family may insist you eat fish in order to get enough of the essential fat DHA for the sake of your brain. The two fatty acids (fats) that are essential for human health are the omega-3 alpha, linolenic acid (18:3n-3; ALA) and the omega-6, linoleic acid (18:2n-6; LA). Only plants can synthesize these two fats. No animal or fish can make these fats, but they can be stored in their bodies. These essential fats are converted in animals, including fish, to longer chain derivatives, such as DHA and EPA. DHA, which stands for docosahexaenoic acid, is a type of fat found abundant in the membranes of the retinas of the eyes and the brain. DHA is naturally found in human breast milk, and preformed dietary sources for adults include fatty fish. The human body has no difficulty converting the plant-derived omega-3 fat, ALA, into DHA or other omega-3 fatty acids, in the liver, thus supplying our needs even during gestation and
infancy.2
With this solid science you can put your friends’ worries at ease—as a non-fish-eater you will be just fine. And you’ll also avoid all that toxic mercury and help restore our oceans.
1) Sanders TA. DHA status of vegetarians. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009 Aug-Sep;81(2-3):137-41.
2 Langdon JH. Has an aquatic diet been necessary for hominin brain evolution and functional development? Br J Nutr. 2006 Jul;96(1):7-17.
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2009nl/sep/fav5.htm
DHA status of vegetarians by Thomas Sanders in the August-September 2009 issue of the journal Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids concluded, “…the relatively lower intake of linoleic acid and the presence of preformed DHA (fish) in the diet of omnivores explain the relatively higher proportion of DHA in blood and tissue lipids compared with vegetarians. In the absence of convincing evidence for the deleterious effects resulting from the lack of DHA from the diet of vegetarians, it must be concluded that needs for omega-3 fatty acids can be met by dietary ALA (alpha linolenic acid).”1 ALA is made by plants.
Comment: Your well-meaning friends and family may insist you eat fish in order to get enough of the essential fat DHA for the sake of your brain. The two fatty acids (fats) that are essential for human health are the omega-3 alpha, linolenic acid (18:3n-3; ALA) and the omega-6, linoleic acid (18:2n-6; LA). Only plants can synthesize these two fats. No animal or fish can make these fats, but they can be stored in their bodies. These essential fats are converted in animals, including fish, to longer chain derivatives, such as DHA and EPA. DHA, which stands for docosahexaenoic acid, is a type of fat found abundant in the membranes of the retinas of the eyes and the brain. DHA is naturally found in human breast milk, and preformed dietary sources for adults include fatty fish. The human body has no difficulty converting the plant-derived omega-3 fat, ALA, into DHA or other omega-3 fatty acids, in the liver, thus supplying our needs even during gestation and
infancy.2
With this solid science you can put your friends’ worries at ease—as a non-fish-eater you will be just fine. And you’ll also avoid all that toxic mercury and help restore our oceans.
1) Sanders TA. DHA status of vegetarians. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009 Aug-Sep;81(2-3):137-41.
2 Langdon JH. Has an aquatic diet been necessary for hominin brain evolution and functional development? Br J Nutr. 2006 Jul;96(1):7-17.
Half Of Fish Consumed Globally Is Now Raised On Farms, Study Finds
Half Of Fish Consumed Globally Is Now Raised On Farms, Study Finds
ScienceDaily
Sep. 8, 2009 Link to full article below
Aquaculture, once a fledgling industry, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally, according to a new report by an international team of researchers. And while the industry is more efficient than ever, it is also putting a significant strain on marine resources by consuming large amounts of feed made from wild fish harvested from the sea, the authors conclude. Their findings are published in the Sept. 7 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"Aquaculture is set to reach a landmark in 2009, supplying half of the total fish and shellfish for human consumption," the authors wrote. Between 1995 and 2007, global production of farmed fish nearly tripled in volume, in part because of rising consumer demand for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish, such as salmon, are a major source of these omega-3s, which are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.
"The huge expansion is being driven by demand," said lead author Rosamond L. Naylor, a professor of environmental Earth system science at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Program on Food Security and the Environment. "As long as we are a health-conscious population trying to get our most healthy oils from fish, we are going to be demanding more of aquaculture and putting a lot of pressure on marine fisheries to meet that need."
To read the full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907162320.htm
ScienceDaily
Sep. 8, 2009 Link to full article below
Aquaculture, once a fledgling industry, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally, according to a new report by an international team of researchers. And while the industry is more efficient than ever, it is also putting a significant strain on marine resources by consuming large amounts of feed made from wild fish harvested from the sea, the authors conclude. Their findings are published in the Sept. 7 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"Aquaculture is set to reach a landmark in 2009, supplying half of the total fish and shellfish for human consumption," the authors wrote. Between 1995 and 2007, global production of farmed fish nearly tripled in volume, in part because of rising consumer demand for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Oily fish, such as salmon, are a major source of these omega-3s, which are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.
"The huge expansion is being driven by demand," said lead author Rosamond L. Naylor, a professor of environmental Earth system science at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Program on Food Security and the Environment. "As long as we are a health-conscious population trying to get our most healthy oils from fish, we are going to be demanding more of aquaculture and putting a lot of pressure on marine fisheries to meet that need."
To read the full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907162320.htm
6 Facts About Native Bees
6 Facts About Native Bees
How to raise one of North America's native pollinators, the orchard mason bee. (Hint: If you have a drill, you can be a beekeeper.)
Simple holes drilled in wood provide homes for native orchard mason bees.
9.30.2009 Link to full article below
Denise Shreeve is a beekeeper of an unusual sort. Instead of honey bees at her home in McLean, Va., she raises native orchard mason bees -- solitary bees that don't produce honey, but do pollinate abundant gardens and crops. Shreeve also designs bee houses -- including some made from antiques -- so backyard beekeepers and gardeners can take advantage of these amazing native pollinators. "I find antique artifacts like this corbel, and drill holes in them for our native bees to nest in," she writes. "They become beautiful yard sculptures that recycle beautiful artifacts and provide nesting sites for our native bees. Does it get any better than that?" Here's her quick primer on native bees:
Orchard mason bees are native to the entire North American continent and are amazingly efficient pollinators, especially of early fruit and nut trees. (It takes only 250 OMB's to pollinate one acre of commercial apple orchards. It would take 25,000 honey bees to accomplish the same task.) After completing a honey beekeeping course a few years ago, and realizing how many chemicals it takes to keep them alive, I decided to research native bees as an alternative. It's been a fascinating project and I know that our native bees (there are over 20,000 different species in North America alone) can certainly take up the slack as our honey bee populations decline. Since they are cavity nesters like blue birds, and cannot drill their own nesting holes, I decided to help grow their populations by designing bee houses for them, similar to blue bird trails that are so popular now.
I could go on and on about these fascinating little insects, but here are a few facts you might find interesting:
orchard mason bee antique house
* Orchard Mason Bees (aka: OMB’s, Mason Bees, Blue Orchard Bees or BOB's) are gentle, mild-mannered solitary bees that rarely, if ever, sting. (Males don't even have stingers.)
* They are not affected by the parasitic mites that are killing the honey bees.
* OMB’s do not make honey, but rather use collected nectar and pollen to feed themselves and their young.
* They don’t have a Queen to defend so will never attack if disturbed, making them very safe around kids and pets, and fun and educational to watch.
* They’re a bit smaller and rounder than a honey bee, and have a beautiful blue-green metallic shine in the sun.
* They are native to North America, unlike honey bees which were brought over from England in the 1630s. This makes OMB's well-adapted to pollinate our plants.
To read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/native-bees-47093002?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr
How to raise one of North America's native pollinators, the orchard mason bee. (Hint: If you have a drill, you can be a beekeeper.)
Simple holes drilled in wood provide homes for native orchard mason bees.
9.30.2009 Link to full article below
Denise Shreeve is a beekeeper of an unusual sort. Instead of honey bees at her home in McLean, Va., she raises native orchard mason bees -- solitary bees that don't produce honey, but do pollinate abundant gardens and crops. Shreeve also designs bee houses -- including some made from antiques -- so backyard beekeepers and gardeners can take advantage of these amazing native pollinators. "I find antique artifacts like this corbel, and drill holes in them for our native bees to nest in," she writes. "They become beautiful yard sculptures that recycle beautiful artifacts and provide nesting sites for our native bees. Does it get any better than that?" Here's her quick primer on native bees:
Orchard mason bees are native to the entire North American continent and are amazingly efficient pollinators, especially of early fruit and nut trees. (It takes only 250 OMB's to pollinate one acre of commercial apple orchards. It would take 25,000 honey bees to accomplish the same task.) After completing a honey beekeeping course a few years ago, and realizing how many chemicals it takes to keep them alive, I decided to research native bees as an alternative. It's been a fascinating project and I know that our native bees (there are over 20,000 different species in North America alone) can certainly take up the slack as our honey bee populations decline. Since they are cavity nesters like blue birds, and cannot drill their own nesting holes, I decided to help grow their populations by designing bee houses for them, similar to blue bird trails that are so popular now.
I could go on and on about these fascinating little insects, but here are a few facts you might find interesting:
orchard mason bee antique house
* Orchard Mason Bees (aka: OMB’s, Mason Bees, Blue Orchard Bees or BOB's) are gentle, mild-mannered solitary bees that rarely, if ever, sting. (Males don't even have stingers.)
* They are not affected by the parasitic mites that are killing the honey bees.
* OMB’s do not make honey, but rather use collected nectar and pollen to feed themselves and their young.
* They don’t have a Queen to defend so will never attack if disturbed, making them very safe around kids and pets, and fun and educational to watch.
* They’re a bit smaller and rounder than a honey bee, and have a beautiful blue-green metallic shine in the sun.
* They are native to North America, unlike honey bees which were brought over from England in the 1630s. This makes OMB's well-adapted to pollinate our plants.
To read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/native-bees-47093002?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr
'Ecokosher' is finding a place at the table
'Ecokosher' is finding a place at the table
New dietary standards commit to treating workers, animals, and Earth with care.
By Dianna Marder
215-854-4211 or dmarder@phillynews.com
Inquirer Staff Writer
Sun, Sep. 27, 2009 Link to full article below (this is an excerpt)
For centuries, rabbis have taught that the kitchen table is an altar.
By this they mean that drawing food from the Earth, preparing it for the table, and eating it is part of a covenant with God - an understanding that we must not defile the Earth or ourselves.
But a growing number of Jews are questioning whether the traditional Jewish dietary laws go far enough and are spawning a national, distinctly Jewish, food movement, with roots in Philadelphia, known as ecokosher.
"The kosher laws actually have nothing to do with sustainable agriculture, treating workers fairly, protecting the air and the water - any of that," says Robin Rifkin, a member of Kol Ami Congregation in Elkins Park. "And that's what we're concerned about."
A small but increasing number of Jews across the usual denominational lines of Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform are feeling an obligation to confront these ethical issues in a variety of ways.
And, in a revolutionary effort, like-minded Jews nationwide are launching a new uber-kosher symbol that could appear on food products as early as next year - a symbol of ethical responsibility demonstrating a manufacturer's commitment to treating workers, animals, and the Earth with care.
To read the full article: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/daily/20090927__Ecokosher__is_finding_a_place_at_the_table.html
New dietary standards commit to treating workers, animals, and Earth with care.
By Dianna Marder
215-854-4211 or dmarder@phillynews.com
Inquirer Staff Writer
Sun, Sep. 27, 2009 Link to full article below (this is an excerpt)
For centuries, rabbis have taught that the kitchen table is an altar.
By this they mean that drawing food from the Earth, preparing it for the table, and eating it is part of a covenant with God - an understanding that we must not defile the Earth or ourselves.
But a growing number of Jews are questioning whether the traditional Jewish dietary laws go far enough and are spawning a national, distinctly Jewish, food movement, with roots in Philadelphia, known as ecokosher.
"The kosher laws actually have nothing to do with sustainable agriculture, treating workers fairly, protecting the air and the water - any of that," says Robin Rifkin, a member of Kol Ami Congregation in Elkins Park. "And that's what we're concerned about."
A small but increasing number of Jews across the usual denominational lines of Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform are feeling an obligation to confront these ethical issues in a variety of ways.
And, in a revolutionary effort, like-minded Jews nationwide are launching a new uber-kosher symbol that could appear on food products as early as next year - a symbol of ethical responsibility demonstrating a manufacturer's commitment to treating workers, animals, and the Earth with care.
To read the full article: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/health_science/daily/20090927__Ecokosher__is_finding_a_place_at_the_table.html
Rare Good News for Red Meat–Eaters
Rare Good News for Red Meat–Eaters
New research implies moderate meat eating helps your health.
By Emily Main
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA Link to full article below (this is an excerpt)
If you choose to include red meat in your meal plans, enjoy it in moderation and opt for organic products.
In the past year, eating meat—especially red meat and processed meat—has been linked to lung cancer, vision loss, and even shorter lives. But a new study, published in the journal Gerontology finds that eating red meat during middle age may have protective benefits for your ability to perform normal daily activities as you age. And while it's not a game changer that will lead health experts to recommend a daily New York strip steak, the study does suggest that eating meat has an upside.
THE DETAILS: Researchers surveyed 3,227 Japanese adults who were between the ages of 47 to 59 in 1980. At that point, they took blood samples, which were measured for cholesterol levels, and asked the participants to fill out questionnaires based on what they eat, specifically asking about consumption of eggs, fish, and meat. Those people were followed for 19 years, at the end of which 2,514 were still living. They were interviewed again and asked about their abilities to perform various "activities of daily life"—feeding, dressing, bathing, toileting, and walking—and whether they could perform those without help, with partial help, or only with full help. The researchers found that a higher intake of meat (more than once every two days) led to a statistically significant decrease in the likelihood that those participants would need help with daily activities. They found no association between intake of fish or eggs and the ability to perform
activities of daily life.
WHAT IT MEANS: It appears there may be a few benefits of meat-eating related to your quality of life—if you're eating a sensible amount and not living on bacon double cheeseburgers. "Red meat has a relatively unique profile of nutrients, compared to other foods," says Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo, PhD, RD, a nutrition counselor in Roseville, CA, and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "It's a good source of zinc, B vitamins, protein, and iron," she says. And this study notes that red meat has high levels of menaquinone, a compound in animal products that one previous study suggests might be protective against cardiovascular disease.
To read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/benefits-meat-eating?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_10_01-_-Top5-_-NA
New research implies moderate meat eating helps your health.
By Emily Main
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA Link to full article below (this is an excerpt)
If you choose to include red meat in your meal plans, enjoy it in moderation and opt for organic products.
In the past year, eating meat—especially red meat and processed meat—has been linked to lung cancer, vision loss, and even shorter lives. But a new study, published in the journal Gerontology finds that eating red meat during middle age may have protective benefits for your ability to perform normal daily activities as you age. And while it's not a game changer that will lead health experts to recommend a daily New York strip steak, the study does suggest that eating meat has an upside.
THE DETAILS: Researchers surveyed 3,227 Japanese adults who were between the ages of 47 to 59 in 1980. At that point, they took blood samples, which were measured for cholesterol levels, and asked the participants to fill out questionnaires based on what they eat, specifically asking about consumption of eggs, fish, and meat. Those people were followed for 19 years, at the end of which 2,514 were still living. They were interviewed again and asked about their abilities to perform various "activities of daily life"—feeding, dressing, bathing, toileting, and walking—and whether they could perform those without help, with partial help, or only with full help. The researchers found that a higher intake of meat (more than once every two days) led to a statistically significant decrease in the likelihood that those participants would need help with daily activities. They found no association between intake of fish or eggs and the ability to perform
activities of daily life.
WHAT IT MEANS: It appears there may be a few benefits of meat-eating related to your quality of life—if you're eating a sensible amount and not living on bacon double cheeseburgers. "Red meat has a relatively unique profile of nutrients, compared to other foods," says Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo, PhD, RD, a nutrition counselor in Roseville, CA, and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "It's a good source of zinc, B vitamins, protein, and iron," she says. And this study notes that red meat has high levels of menaquinone, a compound in animal products that one previous study suggests might be protective against cardiovascular disease.
To read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/benefits-meat-eating?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_10_01-_-Top5-_-NA
8 Reasons You Should Stop Drinking Milk Now
8 Reasons You Should Stop Drinking Milk Now
By Mickey Z., Planet Green
October 2, 2009
Link to full article below
[excerpt]
Environmental Reasons to Avoid Milk
1. Dairy cows produce waste.
Lots of waste. In fact, your average dairy cow produces 120 pounds of waste every day -- equal to that of more than two dozen people, but without toilets, sewers, or treatment plants.
2. Let me repeat: Dairy cows produce lots and lots of waste (and greenhouse gases).
California produces one-fifth of the country's total milk supply. According to MilkSucks.com, "in the Central Valley of California, the cows produce as much excrement as a city of 21 million people, and even a smallish farm of 200 cows will produce as much nitrogen as in the sewage from a community of 5,000 to 10,000 people, according to a U.S. Senate report on animal waste."
3. Milk production ultimately leads to climate change.
The dairy industry is an extension of the beef industry (used-up dairy cows are sent to the slaughterhouse after an average of four years, one-fifth their normal life expectancy) which means it plays a major role in creating climate change. Here's the equation: The dairy industry uses cows before passing them on to be slaughtered by the beef industry which is now recognized as an environmental nightmare. "According to a UN report," writes Brian Merchant, "cows are leading contributors to climate change ... Accounting for putting out 18% of the world's carbon dioxide, cows emit more greenhouse gases than cars, planes, and all other forms of transportation combined." That means the industry of exploiting all cows -- including dairy cows -- involves destructive practices like deforestation and polluting offshoots like runoff.
4. Milk often contains unwanted ingredients.
Under current industrial methods, cow's milk is often a toxic bovine brew of man-made ingredients like bio-engineered hormones, antibiotics (55% of U.S. antibiotics are fed to livestock), and pesticides -- all of which are bad for us and the environment. For example, unintentional pesticide poisonings kill an estimated 355,000 people globally each year. In addition the drugs pumped into livestock often re-visit us in our water supply.
Which brings us to...
Health Reasons to Avoid Milk
5. Cow's milk is for cows.
The biochemical make-up of cow's milk is perfectly suited to turn a 65-pound newborn calf into a 400-pound cow in one year. It contains, for example, three times more protein and seven times more mineral content while human milk has 10 times as much essential fatty acids, three times as much selenium, and half the calcium. Some may like cow's milk but drinking it is both unnecessary and potentially harmful.
6. Milk is actually a poor source for dietary calcium.
Humans, like cows, get all the calcium they need from a plant-based diet.
7. Contrary to popular belief, milk may increase the likelihood of osteoporosis.
To read more reasons and the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/143022/
By Mickey Z., Planet Green
October 2, 2009
Link to full article below
[excerpt]
Environmental Reasons to Avoid Milk
1. Dairy cows produce waste.
Lots of waste. In fact, your average dairy cow produces 120 pounds of waste every day -- equal to that of more than two dozen people, but without toilets, sewers, or treatment plants.
2. Let me repeat: Dairy cows produce lots and lots of waste (and greenhouse gases).
California produces one-fifth of the country's total milk supply. According to MilkSucks.com, "in the Central Valley of California, the cows produce as much excrement as a city of 21 million people, and even a smallish farm of 200 cows will produce as much nitrogen as in the sewage from a community of 5,000 to 10,000 people, according to a U.S. Senate report on animal waste."
3. Milk production ultimately leads to climate change.
The dairy industry is an extension of the beef industry (used-up dairy cows are sent to the slaughterhouse after an average of four years, one-fifth their normal life expectancy) which means it plays a major role in creating climate change. Here's the equation: The dairy industry uses cows before passing them on to be slaughtered by the beef industry which is now recognized as an environmental nightmare. "According to a UN report," writes Brian Merchant, "cows are leading contributors to climate change ... Accounting for putting out 18% of the world's carbon dioxide, cows emit more greenhouse gases than cars, planes, and all other forms of transportation combined." That means the industry of exploiting all cows -- including dairy cows -- involves destructive practices like deforestation and polluting offshoots like runoff.
4. Milk often contains unwanted ingredients.
Under current industrial methods, cow's milk is often a toxic bovine brew of man-made ingredients like bio-engineered hormones, antibiotics (55% of U.S. antibiotics are fed to livestock), and pesticides -- all of which are bad for us and the environment. For example, unintentional pesticide poisonings kill an estimated 355,000 people globally each year. In addition the drugs pumped into livestock often re-visit us in our water supply.
Which brings us to...
Health Reasons to Avoid Milk
5. Cow's milk is for cows.
The biochemical make-up of cow's milk is perfectly suited to turn a 65-pound newborn calf into a 400-pound cow in one year. It contains, for example, three times more protein and seven times more mineral content while human milk has 10 times as much essential fatty acids, three times as much selenium, and half the calcium. Some may like cow's milk but drinking it is both unnecessary and potentially harmful.
6. Milk is actually a poor source for dietary calcium.
Humans, like cows, get all the calcium they need from a plant-based diet.
7. Contrary to popular belief, milk may increase the likelihood of osteoporosis.
To read more reasons and the full article: http://www.alternet.org/story/143022/
Healthy Food for Adventurous Eaters
Healthy Food for Adventurous Eaters
If you crave flavors that are beyond the norm but good for your health, take your taste buds in a new direction with these healthy meal ideas from Chef Amy Chaplin.
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA
Spin your interest in sushi, grains, or soy into an exploration of sea vegetables, ancient grains, or tempeh.
http://www.rodale.com/healthy-meal-ideas?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_09_30-_-Top5-_-NA
Recently, food marketers began talking about a trend towards discovery and adventure when it comes to eating. But we’re not talking about extreme eating here: It’s more about branching out and adding a new ingredient or dish to the mix of foods you’re eating right now. According to a report by marketing research company TNS Landis, tastes favored by "adventurous eaters” include sushi, whole grain dishes, spicy flavor profiles and soy/tofu-based products. We asked Amy Chaplin, executive chef at Angelica Kitchen in NYC, to give us her spin on these foods, with suggestions that are as superhealthy as they are tasty. (You can find the foods she suggests at specialty markets, but some are also available in supermarkets if you troll the ethnic- and bulk-food aisles.)
#1: If you like sushi, try sea vegetables.
Sea vegetables are some of the most nutrient-dense and mineral-rich foods available. Says Chaplin, “Most people are comfortable eating common sea vegetables like nori, which is used in sushi, and don’t mind the small amount of wakame [an edible seaweed] that is commonly found in miso soup." But, she says, if you're ready to plunge into deeper waters for some healthy meal ideas, there are many different kinds of sea veggies that will add unique flavors to your everyday meals.
One example? Hijiki, a black ribbonlike seaweed that is very similar to arame. It detoxifies the body and is an excellent source of calcium, iron, and B2. It also helps normalize blood sugar levels and aids in weight loss. “At Angelica Kitchen we make 'Hijiki Caviar,' which has a salty, fishy taste; it’s hijiki chopped fine and used as a garnish. We add it to our Dragon Bowls—those are bowls of rice, beans, tofu, sea vegetables, and steamed vegetables.” Hijiki is easy to use; it can be soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and added to salads, simmered in soups or stews or, once soaked, added to pies or quiches. Chaplin sometimes adds a pinch to grain pilafs for extra nutrition.
Agar (a.k.a. agar agar, if you're not in a hurry) is another sea veggie to try. Once dried, this seaweed is clear and can be used as a vegetarian gelatin. It’s most commonly found in desserts, as it adds texture but virtually no taste or color. According to Chaplin, agar reduces inflammation, helps promote healthy digestion, and aids in weight loss. It contains no calories, and is said to help dispel toxins from the body. Try it in kanten, a refreshing dessert made from agar and fruit juice. To make it, simmer 1 cup of fruit juice with 1 tablespoon of agar flakes until they dissolve, then chill to set. When it’s completely cooled, blend it in a food processor until smooth, and serve with chopped fresh fruit. At Angelica Kitchen, Chaplin layers kanten in a parfait with nut cream and a cookie crunch.
#2: If you like barley and bulgur, try these ancient grains.
Kamut is an heirloom Egyptian wheat and has many of the same properties as whole wheat; it’s full of B vitamins, protein, vitamin E, and essential fatty acids.
It does contain gluten, though some people who are allergic to gluten may tolerate it. Kamut flour makes a tasty pasta that is similar to whole wheat pasta. Chaplin’s prep tips: “When cooking with whole kamut, the grain needs to be soaked first then boiled for at least an hour. It holds its shape well and so is perfect as a grain salad, or added to hearty stews. We add it to fillings for crepes and turnovers and in roasted vegetable salads.”
Amaranth is a tiny seedlike grain that is high in protein (15 to 18 percent) and contains more calcium than milk. It’s also high in amino acids, fiber, magnesium, and silicon. Says Chaplin, “Cooked alone, amaranth turns out sticky and more like grits, which works well as a porridge. It is best used in combination with other grains like brown rice or quinoa." At her restaurant, Chaplin uses amaranth in a three-grain mix, which also contains teff, (another seedlike grain, also high in protein) and quinoa. Her basic recipe: "To 1 cup of Brown rice or quinoa, I usually add 3 or 4 tablespoons of amaranth," she says.
Chaplin recommends millet for its high amino acid and protein content, and as a rich source of B vitamins, silicon, and iron. Try it in this Millet, Squash, and Sweet Corn Pilaf
recipe from Chaplin’s blog, Cocount and Quinoa. The chef uses turmeric in this recipe, which has anti-inflammatory properties and is a great source of beta-carotene. A bonus is the golden hue it adds to the dish. Chaplin’s tips: “The recipe adapts well to any vegetable combination and so can be made year-round; try it as a savory breakfast with toasted seeds and chopped parsley."
Millet, Squash, and Sweet Corn Pilaf
(from www.coconutandquinoa.wordpress.com)
1 cup millet
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups winter squash in ¾-inch cubes (I leave the skin on)
¾ cup sweet corn kernels, from small-cob corn
2 or more pinches dried arame seaweed (can also use hijiki, wakame, or dulse)
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Pinch sea salt
2 cups filtered water
Wash millet, cover with an inch of water, and soak overnight.
Drain off soaking liquid and place in pressure cooker or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and bring to a boil. If you’re using a pressure cooker, bring it up to high pressure, lower the heat, and cook for 12 minutes. Then remove from heat and let the pressure release, about 8 minutes. Remove the lid once the pressure button has dropped.
If you’re cooking this in a pot, cover, lower the heat and cook for 25 minutes. Allow millet to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Top with your favorite condiments. You can find more grain ideas and recipes in our grain guide.
#3: If you’re a soy fan, try tempeh.
Originally from Indonesia, tempeh is less common than tofu in the West, and is Chaplin’s favorite soy food. Tempeh is a highly nutritious, energy-building food that contains omega-3 fatty acids and a protein content of 19.5 percent. Unlike other soy products, tempeh is a whole food made of fermented, cooked soybeans that are bound together with a mold called Rhyzopus oligosporus. This benevolent mold produces a natural (heat-stable) antibiotic that helps support immune-system function, says Chaplin. The fermentation process also makes tempeh easier to digest. Tempeh is rich in B vitamins, and traditionally made or homemade tempeh is one of the richest sources of B12 around. Unfortunately commercially made tempeh does not contain the vitamin, so try to find the traditionally made type.
Says Chaplin, “I like tempeh best sautéed with olive oil and a sprinkling of tamari [similar to soy sauce] or shoyu [a type of soy sauce]. It’s delicious on a sandwich or with avocado in a nori roll. At Angelica we bake tempeh in many different marinades, like ginger-miso, or maple-Dijon mustard.”
To read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/healthy-meal-ideas?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_09_30-_-Top5-_-NA
If you crave flavors that are beyond the norm but good for your health, take your taste buds in a new direction with these healthy meal ideas from Chef Amy Chaplin.
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA
Spin your interest in sushi, grains, or soy into an exploration of sea vegetables, ancient grains, or tempeh.
http://www.rodale.com/healthy-meal-ideas?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_09_30-_-Top5-_-NA
Recently, food marketers began talking about a trend towards discovery and adventure when it comes to eating. But we’re not talking about extreme eating here: It’s more about branching out and adding a new ingredient or dish to the mix of foods you’re eating right now. According to a report by marketing research company TNS Landis, tastes favored by "adventurous eaters” include sushi, whole grain dishes, spicy flavor profiles and soy/tofu-based products. We asked Amy Chaplin, executive chef at Angelica Kitchen in NYC, to give us her spin on these foods, with suggestions that are as superhealthy as they are tasty. (You can find the foods she suggests at specialty markets, but some are also available in supermarkets if you troll the ethnic- and bulk-food aisles.)
#1: If you like sushi, try sea vegetables.
Sea vegetables are some of the most nutrient-dense and mineral-rich foods available. Says Chaplin, “Most people are comfortable eating common sea vegetables like nori, which is used in sushi, and don’t mind the small amount of wakame [an edible seaweed] that is commonly found in miso soup." But, she says, if you're ready to plunge into deeper waters for some healthy meal ideas, there are many different kinds of sea veggies that will add unique flavors to your everyday meals.
One example? Hijiki, a black ribbonlike seaweed that is very similar to arame. It detoxifies the body and is an excellent source of calcium, iron, and B2. It also helps normalize blood sugar levels and aids in weight loss. “At Angelica Kitchen we make 'Hijiki Caviar,' which has a salty, fishy taste; it’s hijiki chopped fine and used as a garnish. We add it to our Dragon Bowls—those are bowls of rice, beans, tofu, sea vegetables, and steamed vegetables.” Hijiki is easy to use; it can be soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and added to salads, simmered in soups or stews or, once soaked, added to pies or quiches. Chaplin sometimes adds a pinch to grain pilafs for extra nutrition.
Agar (a.k.a. agar agar, if you're not in a hurry) is another sea veggie to try. Once dried, this seaweed is clear and can be used as a vegetarian gelatin. It’s most commonly found in desserts, as it adds texture but virtually no taste or color. According to Chaplin, agar reduces inflammation, helps promote healthy digestion, and aids in weight loss. It contains no calories, and is said to help dispel toxins from the body. Try it in kanten, a refreshing dessert made from agar and fruit juice. To make it, simmer 1 cup of fruit juice with 1 tablespoon of agar flakes until they dissolve, then chill to set. When it’s completely cooled, blend it in a food processor until smooth, and serve with chopped fresh fruit. At Angelica Kitchen, Chaplin layers kanten in a parfait with nut cream and a cookie crunch.
#2: If you like barley and bulgur, try these ancient grains.
Kamut is an heirloom Egyptian wheat and has many of the same properties as whole wheat; it’s full of B vitamins, protein, vitamin E, and essential fatty acids.
It does contain gluten, though some people who are allergic to gluten may tolerate it. Kamut flour makes a tasty pasta that is similar to whole wheat pasta. Chaplin’s prep tips: “When cooking with whole kamut, the grain needs to be soaked first then boiled for at least an hour. It holds its shape well and so is perfect as a grain salad, or added to hearty stews. We add it to fillings for crepes and turnovers and in roasted vegetable salads.”
Amaranth is a tiny seedlike grain that is high in protein (15 to 18 percent) and contains more calcium than milk. It’s also high in amino acids, fiber, magnesium, and silicon. Says Chaplin, “Cooked alone, amaranth turns out sticky and more like grits, which works well as a porridge. It is best used in combination with other grains like brown rice or quinoa." At her restaurant, Chaplin uses amaranth in a three-grain mix, which also contains teff, (another seedlike grain, also high in protein) and quinoa. Her basic recipe: "To 1 cup of Brown rice or quinoa, I usually add 3 or 4 tablespoons of amaranth," she says.
Chaplin recommends millet for its high amino acid and protein content, and as a rich source of B vitamins, silicon, and iron. Try it in this Millet, Squash, and Sweet Corn Pilaf
recipe from Chaplin’s blog, Cocount and Quinoa. The chef uses turmeric in this recipe, which has anti-inflammatory properties and is a great source of beta-carotene. A bonus is the golden hue it adds to the dish. Chaplin’s tips: “The recipe adapts well to any vegetable combination and so can be made year-round; try it as a savory breakfast with toasted seeds and chopped parsley."
Millet, Squash, and Sweet Corn Pilaf
(from www.coconutandquinoa.wordpress.com)
1 cup millet
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups winter squash in ¾-inch cubes (I leave the skin on)
¾ cup sweet corn kernels, from small-cob corn
2 or more pinches dried arame seaweed (can also use hijiki, wakame, or dulse)
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Pinch sea salt
2 cups filtered water
Wash millet, cover with an inch of water, and soak overnight.
Drain off soaking liquid and place in pressure cooker or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and bring to a boil. If you’re using a pressure cooker, bring it up to high pressure, lower the heat, and cook for 12 minutes. Then remove from heat and let the pressure release, about 8 minutes. Remove the lid once the pressure button has dropped.
If you’re cooking this in a pot, cover, lower the heat and cook for 25 minutes. Allow millet to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Top with your favorite condiments. You can find more grain ideas and recipes in our grain guide.
#3: If you’re a soy fan, try tempeh.
Originally from Indonesia, tempeh is less common than tofu in the West, and is Chaplin’s favorite soy food. Tempeh is a highly nutritious, energy-building food that contains omega-3 fatty acids and a protein content of 19.5 percent. Unlike other soy products, tempeh is a whole food made of fermented, cooked soybeans that are bound together with a mold called Rhyzopus oligosporus. This benevolent mold produces a natural (heat-stable) antibiotic that helps support immune-system function, says Chaplin. The fermentation process also makes tempeh easier to digest. Tempeh is rich in B vitamins, and traditionally made or homemade tempeh is one of the richest sources of B12 around. Unfortunately commercially made tempeh does not contain the vitamin, so try to find the traditionally made type.
Says Chaplin, “I like tempeh best sautéed with olive oil and a sprinkling of tamari [similar to soy sauce] or shoyu [a type of soy sauce]. It’s delicious on a sandwich or with avocado in a nori roll. At Angelica we bake tempeh in many different marinades, like ginger-miso, or maple-Dijon mustard.”
To read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/healthy-meal-ideas?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_09_30-_-Top5-_-NA
For Vegetarian Month, let's set the record straight on soy
For Vegetarian Month, let's set the record straight on soy
By ELLEN KANNER
ellenink@aol.com
Link to full article below
Happy World Vegetarian Day, the start of Vegetarian Awareness Month.
We'll mark it here with a consideration of soy, a food formerly known as healthful that's been getting a lot of grief. Much of it is undeserved and comes via Web misinformation, including claims it causes breast cancer, developmental delays, Alzheimer's and man boobs. Yuck. And not true.
Soy may not be the cholesterol-busting miracle we thought it was a decade ago, and it is a major allergen (along with wheat, nuts, dairy, meat, eggs and seafood). But if you're not allergic to it, take a page from Asia, where soy has been a staple for thousands of years.
Asians tend to be leaner, longer-lived and healthier than we are. One difference is how they soy. They consume it in moderation; we make entire meals out of it. Megadosing on anything, whether it's soy, fries or broccoli, isn't smart.
To read the full article: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/1258870.html
By ELLEN KANNER
ellenink@aol.com
Link to full article below
Happy World Vegetarian Day, the start of Vegetarian Awareness Month.
We'll mark it here with a consideration of soy, a food formerly known as healthful that's been getting a lot of grief. Much of it is undeserved and comes via Web misinformation, including claims it causes breast cancer, developmental delays, Alzheimer's and man boobs. Yuck. And not true.
Soy may not be the cholesterol-busting miracle we thought it was a decade ago, and it is a major allergen (along with wheat, nuts, dairy, meat, eggs and seafood). But if you're not allergic to it, take a page from Asia, where soy has been a staple for thousands of years.
Asians tend to be leaner, longer-lived and healthier than we are. One difference is how they soy. They consume it in moderation; we make entire meals out of it. Megadosing on anything, whether it's soy, fries or broccoli, isn't smart.
To read the full article: http://www.miamiherald.com/living/story/1258870.html
McDougall Recipes
McDougall Recipes
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2009nl/sep/recipes.htm
Bountiful Autumn Stew
This vibrant stew takes advantage of many of the garden fresh vegetables available at this time of year.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes (need cooked rice)
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6-8
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups peeled and diced yams
2 cups tightly packed chopped kale
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 large chopped fresh tomatoes
2 zucchini, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place the onion, garlic and ginger in a large pot with a tablespoon or 2 of the broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion softens and turns translucent. Add the remaining broth, the yams, kale, soy sauce, mustard and crushed pepper. Mix well, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes and zucchini, return to a simmer and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Stir in the rice, vinegar and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes or so until flavors are well blended.
Hints: Since I usually have dinosaur (lacinato) kale growing in my garden, that’s what I use in this recipe. I usually remove the tough inner stem from any kale that I use, then chop into bite-sized pieces. To easily remove the inner stem, just grab the bottom of the stem with one hand and pull the other hand firmly along the stem of the kale. The leafy part should easily separate from the stem. Substitute 1 ½ cups cooked beans for the canned beans, if desired.
Hearty Garbanzo Soup
I always seem to focus on soups at the beginning of fall and this year is no exception. They are easy to prepare and serve and very satisfying to eat. Clean up is also easy! This year I also have a large assortment of fresh herbs growing in my garden which I have taken advantage of in this soup.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 4-6
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
1 pound sliced cremini mushrooms
1 ½ cups shredded green cabbage
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
2 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans (see directions)
2 tablespoons tahini
1 large roasted red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1-2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dash sea salt
Place the onion and garlic in a large soup pot with about 1 tablespoon of the vegetable broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion softens and turns translucent. Add the remaining vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, cumin and coriander. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour 1 can of the garbanzos with its juice into a blender jar. Add the tahini and process until smooth. Drain and rinse the other can of garbanzo beans. Add the processed beans and the whole beans to the soup pot, as well as the roasted red pepper and the chili-garlic sauce. Slowly bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the fresh herbs and lemon juice and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Season with a bit of sea salt before serving, if desired.
Hints: Bottled roasted red peppers work well in this dish. You should have about ¾ cup sliced from 1 large roasted pepper.
Thai Rice Noodle Soup
This resembles a creamy coconut-based Thai soup, but it is made with almond milk and coconut extract instead of coconut milk so it is a much healthier choice. The hotness can be adjusted to suit your tastes by using more or less curry paste and Sambal Oelek. This does make a large amount but it keeps well in the refrigerator. (It was so good that last week I ate this for lunch 5 days in a row.)
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
8 ounces thin rice noodles or pad Thai noodles
¼ cup shallots, diced
6 cups vegetable broth
1 ½ teaspoons red curry paste
1 ½ teaspoons oriental curry powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 pieces lemongrass (1 ½ inches each)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ -1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek
1 bunch green onions, sliced 1 inch
2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1 cup baked tofu (optional)
1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms
1 cup snow peas, cut in half if large
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Cook rice noodles according to package directions, rinse in cold water and set aside. (Cover with plastic wrap to retain softness.)
Place the shallots and ¼ cup of the vegetable broth in a large soup pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots soften slightly. Add the curry paste, curry powder, ginger and garlic. Cook and stir until well combined. Add the remaining vegetable broth, the lemongrass, soy sauce and Sambal Oelek. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then add the green onions, cabbage, tofu and oyster mushrooms. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the snow peas, spinach, almond milk and coconut extract. Heat through. Remove lemongrass. Add the cooked rice noodles, remove from heat and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Hints: The thin rice noodles cook up with more volume than the pad thai-type noodles so there will be more noodles in the soup with the thin noodles. The flavors do intensify as the soup rests and I like it even better the next day. If you choose not to use the tofu, add a few extra oyster mushrooms, if desired. If you like cilantro, add some to the soup before serving.
Pho
Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup specialty of rice noodles, tofu, fresh herbs and bean sprouts. The rice noodles are kept separate from the broth so they do not overcook and get mushy. This soup is made in several steps so it does take some time to prepare. The broth may be made a day or two ahead of time and reheated with the tofu, herbs and bean sprouts before ladling over the noodles. An interesting note about this soup: while the broth was simmering on the stove John made a comment about how whatever I was cooking didn’t smell very good, so I worried all afternoon about dinner not being well-received that evening. Not to worry, he loved the finished product and even ate more the next day for lunch. So the smells may be unfamiliar to you or your family, but the taste is fantastic!
Pho Broth
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Servings: makes 8 cups
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, cut in half
2 cinnamon sticks
2 pods star anise
1 teaspoon brown sugar
4 cilantro stems (leaves reserved for soup)
3 basil stems (leaves reserved for soup)
Place all ingredients into a large soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 60 minutes. Strain broth and discard solids. Broth may be refrigerated at this point for later use. Or return to pan and continue with recipe.
Hints: This broth is also delicious for other Vietnamese or Asian style soups, rather than just plain vegetable broth. Try adding some frozen carrots and peas to the broth along with some chopped green onions. Bring to a boil, add some vegetable pot stickers and simmer until pot stickers are tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Baked Tofu
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Marinating Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 25-30 minutes
20 ounces extra firm tofu
¼ cup soy sauce
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Dash sesame oil (optional)
Drain tofu and slice into ¼ inch pieces. Place in a large flat baking dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the tofu slices. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour. (Or place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove from marinade and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through the baking time. It should be brown and crispy on the outside. Remove from oven and cool. Slice into strips or cubes for use in recipes calling for baked tofu.
Hints: This tastes much better (and is less expensive and healthier) than the baked tofu found in packages in many markets and natural food stores. Other seasonings may be added as desired, such as garlic, ginger, balsamic vinegar, or rosemary to change the flavor of the tofu. It’s also delicious just marinated in plain soy sauce. The marinade may be saved in a covered jar in the refrigerator for later use. It will keep for several days. The tofu may also be cubed before baking with slightly crispier results.
Pho Soup
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6-8
1 8.8 ounce package thin rice noodles
8 cups Pho Broth (see recipe above)
10 ounces baked sliced tofu (see recipe above)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
4 green onions, cut into 1 inch strips, then sliced
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
½ cup thinly sliced basil leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime cut into wedges
Hoisin Sauce or hot chile sauce (optional)
Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. (Cover with plastic wrap to retain softness.)
Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and add the tofu. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the bean sprouts, green onions, spinach and basil. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and add the cilantro.
Place a portion of the noodles into individual soup bowls and ladle the broth mixture over the noodles, including some of the tofu and vegetables in each bowl. Serve with lime wedges and either Hoisin sauce or hot chile sauce (such as Sriracha), if desired.
Hints: If you have leftover portions of this soup, store the noodles separately from the broth, so they don’t get mushy. Heat the broth on the stovetop or in the microwave. Submerge the noodles into hot water while the broth is heating, then drain and place into individual soup bowls and ladle the broth over the noodles.
Puttanesca Sauce
This flavorful sauce should be cooked for at least an hour before serving. The longer it simmers the thicker it will get. Serve over polenta, pasta or gnocchi.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 6-8
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
3 14.5 ounce cans fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 14.5 ounce can hearts of palm, drained, halved, and sliced
½ cup quartered and pitted kalamata olives
½ cup quartered and pitted green olives
2 tablespoons small capers, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Place the garlic and vegetable broth in a large pot. Cook and stir for about 1 minute until garlic softens slightly. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, and simmer for at least another 30 minutes (longer is better). Stir in the fresh parsley before serving.
Lima Bean Surprise
This is one of my favorite fast, and delicious, meals that can be put together, cooked and served in only 15 minutes. John has been talking about this meal in many of his lectures lately and so I have gotten many requests for the recipe. I have added some fresh tomatoes to the recipe because they are so abundant in our garden this year.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes (cooked rice needed)
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 3-4
¼ cup vegetable broth
½ tablespoon soy sauce
2 ½ cups frozen lima beans (16 ounce bag)
2 ½ cups shredded cabbage
1-2 teaspoons seasoning mixture (see hints below)
½ - 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed slightly
2 ½ to 3 cups cooked brown rice
1 large chopped tomato
Place broth, soy sauce, lima beans and shredded cabbage in a large non-stick sauté pan and cook stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Add the seasoning mixture of your choice and Sambal Oelek. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally for another 2 minutes. Add rice and continue to cook and stir until rice is heated through and all vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes. Serve at once.
Hints: Bags of shredded cabbage are available in many supermarkets, or shred your own cabbage in a food processor. To thaw the corn slightly, place in a colander and rinse with cool water. If you don’t have leftover cooked rice in your refrigerator, use a package of frozen brown rice and heat it in the microwave. There are many delicious seasoning mixtures on the market. Try Mrs. Dash, or a lemon dill mixture. I often use Lemony Dill Zest by Vegetarian Express. We like to top this with Sriracha Hot Sauce and it is wonderful rolled up in a soft corn tortilla.
Thai Chilli Dressing
By Joyce Everett
This dressing is always a favorite during the 10-day live-in program.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Servings: makes 2 cups
1 cup Mae Ploy Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 cup water
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Pinch of cilantro
1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum
Place all ingredients in a blender jar and process until blended. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Will keep for at least 2 weeks.
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2009nl/sep/recipes.htm
Bountiful Autumn Stew
This vibrant stew takes advantage of many of the garden fresh vegetables available at this time of year.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes (need cooked rice)
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6-8
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups peeled and diced yams
2 cups tightly packed chopped kale
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 large chopped fresh tomatoes
2 zucchini, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place the onion, garlic and ginger in a large pot with a tablespoon or 2 of the broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion softens and turns translucent. Add the remaining broth, the yams, kale, soy sauce, mustard and crushed pepper. Mix well, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes and zucchini, return to a simmer and continue to cook for another 15 minutes. Stir in the rice, vinegar and pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes or so until flavors are well blended.
Hints: Since I usually have dinosaur (lacinato) kale growing in my garden, that’s what I use in this recipe. I usually remove the tough inner stem from any kale that I use, then chop into bite-sized pieces. To easily remove the inner stem, just grab the bottom of the stem with one hand and pull the other hand firmly along the stem of the kale. The leafy part should easily separate from the stem. Substitute 1 ½ cups cooked beans for the canned beans, if desired.
Hearty Garbanzo Soup
I always seem to focus on soups at the beginning of fall and this year is no exception. They are easy to prepare and serve and very satisfying to eat. Clean up is also easy! This year I also have a large assortment of fresh herbs growing in my garden which I have taken advantage of in this soup.
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 4-6
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
4 cups vegetable broth
1 pound sliced cremini mushrooms
1 ½ cups shredded green cabbage
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
2 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans (see directions)
2 tablespoons tahini
1 large roasted red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1-2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Dash sea salt
Place the onion and garlic in a large soup pot with about 1 tablespoon of the vegetable broth. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion softens and turns translucent. Add the remaining vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, cumin and coriander. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour 1 can of the garbanzos with its juice into a blender jar. Add the tahini and process until smooth. Drain and rinse the other can of garbanzo beans. Add the processed beans and the whole beans to the soup pot, as well as the roasted red pepper and the chili-garlic sauce. Slowly bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the fresh herbs and lemon juice and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Season with a bit of sea salt before serving, if desired.
Hints: Bottled roasted red peppers work well in this dish. You should have about ¾ cup sliced from 1 large roasted pepper.
Thai Rice Noodle Soup
This resembles a creamy coconut-based Thai soup, but it is made with almond milk and coconut extract instead of coconut milk so it is a much healthier choice. The hotness can be adjusted to suit your tastes by using more or less curry paste and Sambal Oelek. This does make a large amount but it keeps well in the refrigerator. (It was so good that last week I ate this for lunch 5 days in a row.)
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
8 ounces thin rice noodles or pad Thai noodles
¼ cup shallots, diced
6 cups vegetable broth
1 ½ teaspoons red curry paste
1 ½ teaspoons oriental curry powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 pieces lemongrass (1 ½ inches each)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ -1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek
1 bunch green onions, sliced 1 inch
2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1 cup baked tofu (optional)
1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms
1 cup snow peas, cut in half if large
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Cook rice noodles according to package directions, rinse in cold water and set aside. (Cover with plastic wrap to retain softness.)
Place the shallots and ¼ cup of the vegetable broth in a large soup pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots soften slightly. Add the curry paste, curry powder, ginger and garlic. Cook and stir until well combined. Add the remaining vegetable broth, the lemongrass, soy sauce and Sambal Oelek. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then add the green onions, cabbage, tofu and oyster mushrooms. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the snow peas, spinach, almond milk and coconut extract. Heat through. Remove lemongrass. Add the cooked rice noodles, remove from heat and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Hints: The thin rice noodles cook up with more volume than the pad thai-type noodles so there will be more noodles in the soup with the thin noodles. The flavors do intensify as the soup rests and I like it even better the next day. If you choose not to use the tofu, add a few extra oyster mushrooms, if desired. If you like cilantro, add some to the soup before serving.
Pho
Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup specialty of rice noodles, tofu, fresh herbs and bean sprouts. The rice noodles are kept separate from the broth so they do not overcook and get mushy. This soup is made in several steps so it does take some time to prepare. The broth may be made a day or two ahead of time and reheated with the tofu, herbs and bean sprouts before ladling over the noodles. An interesting note about this soup: while the broth was simmering on the stove John made a comment about how whatever I was cooking didn’t smell very good, so I worried all afternoon about dinner not being well-received that evening. Not to worry, he loved the finished product and even ate more the next day for lunch. So the smells may be unfamiliar to you or your family, but the taste is fantastic!
Pho Broth
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Servings: makes 8 cups
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, cut in half
2 cinnamon sticks
2 pods star anise
1 teaspoon brown sugar
4 cilantro stems (leaves reserved for soup)
3 basil stems (leaves reserved for soup)
Place all ingredients into a large soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 60 minutes. Strain broth and discard solids. Broth may be refrigerated at this point for later use. Or return to pan and continue with recipe.
Hints: This broth is also delicious for other Vietnamese or Asian style soups, rather than just plain vegetable broth. Try adding some frozen carrots and peas to the broth along with some chopped green onions. Bring to a boil, add some vegetable pot stickers and simmer until pot stickers are tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Baked Tofu
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Marinating Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 25-30 minutes
20 ounces extra firm tofu
¼ cup soy sauce
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Dash sesame oil (optional)
Drain tofu and slice into ¼ inch pieces. Place in a large flat baking dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the tofu slices. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour. (Or place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove from marinade and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through the baking time. It should be brown and crispy on the outside. Remove from oven and cool. Slice into strips or cubes for use in recipes calling for baked tofu.
Hints: This tastes much better (and is less expensive and healthier) than the baked tofu found in packages in many markets and natural food stores. Other seasonings may be added as desired, such as garlic, ginger, balsamic vinegar, or rosemary to change the flavor of the tofu. It’s also delicious just marinated in plain soy sauce. The marinade may be saved in a covered jar in the refrigerator for later use. It will keep for several days. The tofu may also be cubed before baking with slightly crispier results.
Pho Soup
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6-8
1 8.8 ounce package thin rice noodles
8 cups Pho Broth (see recipe above)
10 ounces baked sliced tofu (see recipe above)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
4 green onions, cut into 1 inch strips, then sliced
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
½ cup thinly sliced basil leaves
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime cut into wedges
Hoisin Sauce or hot chile sauce (optional)
Soak the rice noodles in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. (Cover with plastic wrap to retain softness.)
Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and add the tofu. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the bean sprouts, green onions, spinach and basil. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and add the cilantro.
Place a portion of the noodles into individual soup bowls and ladle the broth mixture over the noodles, including some of the tofu and vegetables in each bowl. Serve with lime wedges and either Hoisin sauce or hot chile sauce (such as Sriracha), if desired.
Hints: If you have leftover portions of this soup, store the noodles separately from the broth, so they don’t get mushy. Heat the broth on the stovetop or in the microwave. Submerge the noodles into hot water while the broth is heating, then drain and place into individual soup bowls and ladle the broth over the noodles.
Puttanesca Sauce
This flavorful sauce should be cooked for at least an hour before serving. The longer it simmers the thicker it will get. Serve over polenta, pasta or gnocchi.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 6-8
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable broth
3 14.5 ounce cans fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 14.5 ounce can hearts of palm, drained, halved, and sliced
½ cup quartered and pitted kalamata olives
½ cup quartered and pitted green olives
2 tablespoons small capers, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Place the garlic and vegetable broth in a large pot. Cook and stir for about 1 minute until garlic softens slightly. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except the parsley, and simmer for at least another 30 minutes (longer is better). Stir in the fresh parsley before serving.
Lima Bean Surprise
This is one of my favorite fast, and delicious, meals that can be put together, cooked and served in only 15 minutes. John has been talking about this meal in many of his lectures lately and so I have gotten many requests for the recipe. I have added some fresh tomatoes to the recipe because they are so abundant in our garden this year.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes (cooked rice needed)
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 3-4
¼ cup vegetable broth
½ tablespoon soy sauce
2 ½ cups frozen lima beans (16 ounce bag)
2 ½ cups shredded cabbage
1-2 teaspoons seasoning mixture (see hints below)
½ - 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek
1 ½ cups frozen corn, thawed slightly
2 ½ to 3 cups cooked brown rice
1 large chopped tomato
Place broth, soy sauce, lima beans and shredded cabbage in a large non-stick sauté pan and cook stirring frequently for about 2 minutes. Add the seasoning mixture of your choice and Sambal Oelek. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally for another 2 minutes. Add rice and continue to cook and stir until rice is heated through and all vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes. Serve at once.
Hints: Bags of shredded cabbage are available in many supermarkets, or shred your own cabbage in a food processor. To thaw the corn slightly, place in a colander and rinse with cool water. If you don’t have leftover cooked rice in your refrigerator, use a package of frozen brown rice and heat it in the microwave. There are many delicious seasoning mixtures on the market. Try Mrs. Dash, or a lemon dill mixture. I often use Lemony Dill Zest by Vegetarian Express. We like to top this with Sriracha Hot Sauce and it is wonderful rolled up in a soft corn tortilla.
Thai Chilli Dressing
By Joyce Everett
This dressing is always a favorite during the 10-day live-in program.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Servings: makes 2 cups
1 cup Mae Ploy Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 cup water
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Pinch of cilantro
1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum
Place all ingredients in a blender jar and process until blended. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Will keep for at least 2 weeks.
Leaf It for Compost: Instead of bagging up all those pretty fall leaves and stacking them out at the curb, turn them into compost, and save energy and
Leaf It for Compost
Instead of bagging up all those pretty fall leaves and stacking them out at the curb, turn them into compost, and save energy and landfill space.
By Brian Clark Howard
Instead of bagging up all those pretty fall leaves and stacking them out at the curb, turn them into compost, and save energy and landfill space.
Yard waste is the second-largest component of our trash stream (behind paper), according to the EPA, and makes up roughly 20 percent of most communities' haul. Plus, trucking all those bulky bags from homes to the dump requires a lot of fuel, not to mention heaving and sweating by waste collectors.
The kicker is that the leaves of one large shade tree can be worth as much as $50 of plant food and humus, according to CompostGuide.com. Dead leaves are rich in minerals that can help your garden and landscaping grow.
To read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/7058?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist
Instead of bagging up all those pretty fall leaves and stacking them out at the curb, turn them into compost, and save energy and landfill space.
By Brian Clark Howard
Instead of bagging up all those pretty fall leaves and stacking them out at the curb, turn them into compost, and save energy and landfill space.
Yard waste is the second-largest component of our trash stream (behind paper), according to the EPA, and makes up roughly 20 percent of most communities' haul. Plus, trucking all those bulky bags from homes to the dump requires a lot of fuel, not to mention heaving and sweating by waste collectors.
The kicker is that the leaves of one large shade tree can be worth as much as $50 of plant food and humus, according to CompostGuide.com. Dead leaves are rich in minerals that can help your garden and landscaping grow.
To read the full article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/7058?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist
Save Money with Homemade Cloth Table Napkins
Save Money with Homemade Cloth Table Napkins
By Jean Nick RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA
Link to full article below
When I was growing up, my mother used cloth table napkins only on very special occasions, but once I was out on my own, I discovered it's pretty easy to save the paper napkins for the special occasions (large picnics) and use cloth napkins on a day-to-day basis—if you know a few tricks. Using cloth table napkins is a great way to save money, leave some trees standing in the forest instead of heading to the pulp mill, and cut down on the amount of trash you generate.
Local stores should have a good selection of cloth table napkins. I prefer natural fabrics, as they seem to be more absorbent. (If you buy new ones and they don't seem to soak much up, add a cup of white vinegar to the wash the first few times you launder them; vinegar cuts through the natural oils in cotton that can hinder absorbency.) If you have kids or other messy eaters, choose a busy, colorful pattern so stains won’t show as much. For everyday use, you don’t need the priciest damask, though those are lovely for extra-special occasions.
You can also check out thrift or vintage stores, ask elderly relatives if they have a stash they’d like to be rid of, or sew some up if you're handy. You can buy fabric by the yard or, better still, reuse something you already have—napkins are a great way to recycle soft, worn-out flannel shirts or sheets, or other time-softened fabric. Then, you'll be keeping even more waste out of landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each American sends an average of 67 pounds of perfectly reusable towels, linens, and other fabrics to landfills every year.
To make cloth table napkins from scratch, just cut squares the size you prefer (18 inches square is a nice size) and either run a narrow hem around the folded-over edge, or sew over the cut edges with a zigzag decorative machine stitch to keep them from unraveling.
To read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/cloth-table-napkins?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_10_01-_-Top5-_-NA
By Jean Nick RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA
Link to full article below
When I was growing up, my mother used cloth table napkins only on very special occasions, but once I was out on my own, I discovered it's pretty easy to save the paper napkins for the special occasions (large picnics) and use cloth napkins on a day-to-day basis—if you know a few tricks. Using cloth table napkins is a great way to save money, leave some trees standing in the forest instead of heading to the pulp mill, and cut down on the amount of trash you generate.
Local stores should have a good selection of cloth table napkins. I prefer natural fabrics, as they seem to be more absorbent. (If you buy new ones and they don't seem to soak much up, add a cup of white vinegar to the wash the first few times you launder them; vinegar cuts through the natural oils in cotton that can hinder absorbency.) If you have kids or other messy eaters, choose a busy, colorful pattern so stains won’t show as much. For everyday use, you don’t need the priciest damask, though those are lovely for extra-special occasions.
You can also check out thrift or vintage stores, ask elderly relatives if they have a stash they’d like to be rid of, or sew some up if you're handy. You can buy fabric by the yard or, better still, reuse something you already have—napkins are a great way to recycle soft, worn-out flannel shirts or sheets, or other time-softened fabric. Then, you'll be keeping even more waste out of landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each American sends an average of 67 pounds of perfectly reusable towels, linens, and other fabrics to landfills every year.
To make cloth table napkins from scratch, just cut squares the size you prefer (18 inches square is a nice size) and either run a narrow hem around the folded-over edge, or sew over the cut edges with a zigzag decorative machine stitch to keep them from unraveling.
To read the full article: http://www.rodale.com/cloth-table-napkins?cm_mmc=DailyNewsNL-_-2009_10_01-_-Top5-_-NA
Mahatma Gandhi: A Century of Peaceful Protest
Mahatma Gandhi: A Century of Peaceful Protest
He's a huge box-office hit. He's at the top of the
Indian music charts. He's on the front cover of
magazines. One hundred years after Gandhi first called
on his compatriots to resist white colonial rule
without violence, he is back in fashion once more.
by Justin Huggler
Indians this week have been remembering the day which
changed the fate of their nation for decades to come.
A hundred years ago, on 11 September, 1906, a young
British-trained barrister named Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi addressed a meeting of 3,000 Indians in the
Empire Theatre building in Johannesburg and asked them
to take an oath to resist white colonial rule without
violence. It was the birth of the modern non-violent
resistance movement- and it has not been forgotten.
Mahatma Gandhi (1931)
Suddenly the Mahatma is back in fashion in India. Two
years ago, it was unthinkable that the centenary of a
speech by Gandhi, seen as a relic of the past by most
young Indians, would be so much as noticed in a
country that was obsessed not with figures from its
past, but with its headlong rush to embrace modernity.
But today Gandhi has caught the Indian imagination all
over again. He appears as a character in the biggest
Bollywood hit of the summer - a comedy, but one that
even his admirers accept does not degrade his message.
His writings are bestsellers again. He is at the top
of India's music charts too, with a tape of his Hindu
devotional songs, or bhajans. A new Gandhi museum in
Delhi is opening its doors to 2,000 visitors a day.
To read the full article: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0916-03.htm
He's a huge box-office hit. He's at the top of the
Indian music charts. He's on the front cover of
magazines. One hundred years after Gandhi first called
on his compatriots to resist white colonial rule
without violence, he is back in fashion once more.
by Justin Huggler
Indians this week have been remembering the day which
changed the fate of their nation for decades to come.
A hundred years ago, on 11 September, 1906, a young
British-trained barrister named Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi addressed a meeting of 3,000 Indians in the
Empire Theatre building in Johannesburg and asked them
to take an oath to resist white colonial rule without
violence. It was the birth of the modern non-violent
resistance movement- and it has not been forgotten.
Mahatma Gandhi (1931)
Suddenly the Mahatma is back in fashion in India. Two
years ago, it was unthinkable that the centenary of a
speech by Gandhi, seen as a relic of the past by most
young Indians, would be so much as noticed in a
country that was obsessed not with figures from its
past, but with its headlong rush to embrace modernity.
But today Gandhi has caught the Indian imagination all
over again. He appears as a character in the biggest
Bollywood hit of the summer - a comedy, but one that
even his admirers accept does not degrade his message.
His writings are bestsellers again. He is at the top
of India's music charts too, with a tape of his Hindu
devotional songs, or bhajans. A new Gandhi museum in
Delhi is opening its doors to 2,000 visitors a day.
To read the full article: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0916-03.htm
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