Sue Austin: Deep sea diving … in a wheelchair

When Sue Austin got a power chair 16 years ago, she felt a tremendous sense of freedom -- yet others looked at her as though she had lost something. In her art, she aims to convey the spirit of wonder she feels wheeling through the world. Includes thrilling footage of an underwater wheelchair that lets her explore ocean beds, drifting through schools of fish, floating free in 360 degrees. (Filmed at TEDxWomen.)

In repurposing her wheelchair to create fantastical art, Sue Austin reshapes how we think about disability. 

Please view this wonderful video about this incredible woman! http://www.ted.com/talks/sue_austin_deep_sea_diving_in_a_wheelchair.html

Vegan recipes: Spicy Pumpkin Soup, Nara’s Potato Veggie Vegan Yum Soup

McDougall Recipes

PLEASE SEE MANY MORE AT THEIR SITE: http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2012nl/nov/recipes.htm

Spicy Pumpkin Soup
This soup is spicy, yet creamy, a perfect first course for your holiday dinner. It’s easy to prepare ahead and reheat just before serving, another plus for those busy family mealtimes.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8-10 as a first course

2 ¼ cups vegetable broth
1 small mild onion, diced
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 15 ounce can plain pumpkin
1 ½ cups non-dairy milk

Place ¼ cup of the vegetable broth in a large soup pot with the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until onion becomes very soft. Stir in all the spices and mix well. Add remaining broth and pumpkin and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the non-dairy milk and heat through.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth. (Or remove in batches to a blender and process until smooth. Return to pan.) Soup may be refrigerated for later reheating at this time.
Heat slowly, being careful not to boil, and serve in small soup bowls as a first course for your holiday meals.
Hints: 1 ½ cups of any type of cooked, pureed winter squash may be used in place of the canned pumpkin. Try Butternut or Acorn for the richest flavor. If using canned pumpkin, be sure to buy the plain pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie mix variety.

Nara’s Potato Veggie Vegan Yum Soup 
Serves 4

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced small
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, diced large
1 patty pan squash, diced large* 
4 cups (or one carton) of veggie broth
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 large handful of spinach
¼ cup cashews
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

*(or whatever tickles your fancy from the farmer’s market)

Saute garlic and onion in a splash of veggie broth. Add the remaining veggie broth, potato and patty pan squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Turn off heat. Take 1 cup of soup (broth, veggies and all) and place in blender with cashews and nutritional yeast to make a “cheesy” sauce. Add spinach, garbanzo beans and blended sauce to the pot. Stir and cook 3 minutes more. Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper as desired. Enjoy! Yum!

Mary’s note: This recipe was sent to me by a long-time follower, Jen Duffie. She says her daughter, Nara, age 9, is very adventurous in the kitchen. She goes to the farmer’s markets and spends her own money on whatever interesting fruits and vegetables her $5 will buy and then comes home and concocts her own recipes and names them. This recipe is a particular favorite and Nara asked her mom to send it to me. I think it is fantastic that Nara is starting out at an early age loving to cook delicious foods in her family kitchen. She is an inspiration for all young people to get in the kitchen and start cooking!

Growing consideration for hemp

Growing consideration for hemp
December 19, 2012 

Excerpt; click link below to read full article
In this year's November elections, history was made as Washington and Colorado became the first states to pass ballot initiatives to legalize the use of marijuana for recreational use. However, advocates of hemp, a plant you cannot get high from, are still working to change laws that will legalize its production in the U.S., the only industrialized country in the world where it is illegal to grow.

Why does hemp get a bad rap? Simply put, it is part of the Cannabis sativa L species, which also includes marijuana. However, unlike marijuana, hemp is a low THC variety that will not act as a psychoactive drug, and is grown for the use of its seeds, oil and fiber. READ THE FULL ARTICLE : http://www.supermarketguru.com/articles/growing-consideration-for-hemp.html

Focus on the Fight Against Obesity with Coca-Cola

Focus on the Fight Against Obesity with Coca-Cola
Monday December 24, 2012

Excerpt; Click link below to read full article
Established in 1886, The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company offering more than 500 sparkling and still brands that include Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero™, vitaminwater®, POWERADE®, Minute Maid® and Georgia™ Coffee. Consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of nearly 1.8 billion servings a day. We talked to the Coca-Cola Live Positively team in 2010 about their initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where they operate. Recently, we caught up with Ben Sheidler, Sr. Manager, Public Affairs & Communications for Coca-Cola, about their current efforts to tackle one of our planet’s biggest health crises – the fight against obesity.

Why is the fight against obesity an issue related to sustainability?

At Coca-Cola, we believe our business is only as strong as the communities in which we operate. That means we have a role to play when it comes to addressing global challenges, like obesity.  Read the full article: http://www.foodnutritionscience.com/index.cfm/do/monsanto.article/articleId/697.cfm

Superfoods that Fight Colds

Superfoods That Fight Colds
by Amanda MacMillan
Saturday, January 5, 2013

Excerpt; Click link to read full article

They say you are what you eat, so it makes sense that eating healthy foods can help you stay, er, healthy.

"You can't underestimate the importance of good nutrition when it comes to...your immune system," says Karen Ansel, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants—these are what keeps your body strong, and without them you're not giving your body the edge it needs to ward off infection."  Read the list of foods and full article: http://health.yahoo.net/articles/healthcare/photos/superfoods-fight-colds#0

Neal Barnard MD -- Go vegan to avoid Alzheimer's (VIDEO)

Neal Barnard MD -- Go vegan to avoid Alzheimer's (VIDEO)
12/17/12

TO WATCH VIDEO (10 minutes):

http://www.vegsource.com/news/2012/12/neal-barnard-md----go-vegan-to-avoid-alzheimers-video.html

Everyone knows by now that fruits and vegetables promote health, and animal products promote disease.

Just this month another in the thousands of studies -- this one showing that over the 20 year study period, of men who had prostate cancer, those who ate a lot of fruits and veggies were 40% less likely to have the aggressive, fatal form of prostate cancer than those who ate more animal products. 

That's cancer. But what about your brain? 

Today we bring you a fascinating excerpt from a recent presentation by venerated researcher and PCRM president -- Neal Barnard MD. 

Listen as Dr. Barnard tells what research clearly shows about the decline of the brain -- and most importantly, how you can dramatically reduce your chances of becoming an Alzheimer's statistic.

Do not miss this! Share it with everyone you know.

More Chickens May Be Boiled Alive Under USDA’s New Proposed Rule

More Chickens May Be Boiled Alive Under USDA’s New Proposed Rule
by Piper Hoffman
December 18, 2012

Excerpt; click link to read full article
At poultry slaughterhouses, chickens whiz past workers at the rate of 35 per minute per inspector, getting various parts cut off. At one of the early stations their throats are cut, so it wouldn’t seem to make any difference to the chicken how fast the rest of the production line goes, except for this: some of them are still conscious.

Now the USDA is preparing to implement a rule that would increase that speed to 175 per minute per inspector. Inspectors would have less time to examine birds, meaning that “plant employees [would] replace federal government inspectors for certain inspection activities.” In other words, slaughterhouses would, to a significant extent, police themselves. READ THE FULL ARTICLE: http://www.care2.com/causes/more-chickens-may-be-boiled-alive-under-usdas-new-proposed-rule.html

Sign the petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/472/776/333/dont-speed-up-the-lines-in-poultry-slaughterhouses/