While I personally go one step further and eat vegan, I thought these stories were interesting. I believe vegetarianism as a “gateway lifestyle” to veganism.

Vegetarian choices offer healthy lesson

Vegetarian diet offers health benefits: Dropping meat from diet not difficult

You can ease into vegetarianism

SMART KIDS GO VEGETARIAN LATER IN LIFE

It’s that time of year again, when we give way to the temptations of holiday meals and desserts. Some of you are looking at your waistlines and thinking about your upcoming New Year’s Resolutions. I have faced the New Year many times and resolved that “This was the year I lose the weight. This year is different.” Invariably, the year wasn’t any different, and I lost not a pound. However, 2006 was different. I lost a lot of weight, and after a year I don’t feel in danger of putting it back on. I’ve changed my eating habits, my exercise habits, and my knowledge of nutrition was expanded.

So, to kickoff 2007, I’m going to give my list of tips for losing weight, and I will expand upon each of these in later posts in early 2007. Here we go:

1) Unless you’re like the 0.5% of the population that actually has some some sort of glandular problem, you’re fat because of you. It’s your fault, it’s your responsibility. While this might sound harsh, the positive side is that it means you can fix it, because you can control it. Don’t feel bad, feel empowered.

2) You have time exercise. The biggest excuse I hear is that people don’t have time to exercise. I’m calling BS on that. You prolly spend at least thirty minutes a day watching TV, smoking, surfing YouTube, etc. You have the time, period.

3) “Low-fat/fat-free” foods are a scam. In a nation where we have a diabetes problem, the last thing fat people should be eating is sugar infested “low-fat/fat-free” food.

4) Eating vegan will lead to a healthier lifestyle. I’m not saying you will to be 110 years old, but it will make you eat healthier.

5) Eating out is the worst thing you can do. Learn to cook, even if you can only cook pasta dishes.

That’s it for now. I will have five posts expanding on each one of these tips. Follow these tips, and 2007 can be different.

Happy New Year!

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: PCRM Nutrition and Research Assistant Tara Nicotra - info [at] pcrm.org
Date: Dec 1, 2006 2:20 PM
Subject: PCRM Event: Food for Life Diabetes Online Classes

You are invited to participate in the Food for Life Diabetes online series. This exciting new series offers education on diet and diabetes, along with group support. The classes feature lectures by PCRM president Dr. Neal Barnard and cooking demonstrations by PCRM nutritionist Dulcie Ward, R.D.

The next class is Dec. 6 at 3 p.m. EST. Two more classes follow on Dec. 13 and Dec. 20. Each session will last about 1 hour. You will need a high-speed Internet connection to participate. Additional computer requirements can be found here.

Click here to register for the remaining classes in the Food for Life Diabetes online series. Registration for the Dec. 6 class ends on Tuesday, Dec. 5.

Please forward this e-mail to friends, family members, listservs, or associations who might be interested. If you forward this e-mail to 10 or more people or groups, you will be eligible for a free copy of Dr. Barnard’s new book on diet and diabetes.

We look forward to having you join us!

Best Regards,

Tara Nicotra
PCRM Nutrition and Research Assistant

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20016 Phone: 202-686-2210
E-mail: info [at] pcrm.org

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Tagged: animals animal+rights action+alerts pcrm Physicians+Committee+for+Responsible+Medicine health diabetes diet online+courses

Via Grist:

There was a time when Eric Schlosser took his kids out for fast food. But once he started researching an article on the industry, all that changed. The article turned into a widely acclaimed book, Fast Food Nation, which has now been turned into a Richard Linklater-directed film, opening today. And his kids don’t get to eat Happy Meals anymore. Sarah van Schagen talks with Schlosser about his hopes for the new film and his dreams for a revitalized food culture, and offers her take on the film in Gristmill. In Soapbox, a former McDonald’s cook explains why he returned to his farming roots. Bon appetit!

New in Main Dish: Fast Food Damnation

New in Soapbox: Fry Away Home

New in Gristmill: A short review of the new film Fast Food Nation

Also, check out the movie’s website for tons of extra-yummy vittles!

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Sustainable Table - info [at] sustainabletable.org
Date: Nov 14, 2006 12:58 PM
Subject: Sustainable Table and Eat Well Guide Re-Launch Today!

Sustainable Table (www.sustainabletable.org), a leading resource designed to celebrate the sustainable food movement, re-launched our website today, offering enhanced navigation of the site — making it easy to get involved and keep up-to-date with the latest sustainability news, resources, educational tools, and award-winning advocacy films.

New to the website is:

• An updated and expanded Issues section, highlighting easy-to-understand information about industrial and sustainable agriculture

• A new Get Involved section, making it simple for everyone to find out how to make their lives and communities more sustainable

• A growing focus on personal stories. Through the blog, forum, features, and new Stories section, the updated Sustainable Table site will focus on the people behind the sustainable movement, as well as the consumers involved in it.

The Eat Well Guide (www.eatwellguide.org), Sustainable Table’s free online directory of farms, stores, restaurants, and other outlets that offer sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and egg products also re-launched today with enhanced features. In addition to providing consumers an easy-to-use tool to search by zip or postal code, product, growing method, or region to find the nearest wholesome food, the Eat Well Guide (www.eatwellguide.org) now offers:

• More than 7,500 entries

• Consumer reviews of outlets in the Guide

• Expanded “My Notebook” functions where registered users can save their favorite listings and keep notes to refer to in the future

Sustainable Table also has The Meatrix and The Meatrix II: Revolting, our award-winning Flash animation films, in a new digital format, downloadable to handheld media players, video phones, and iPods — free of charge. In addition, we recently released The Meatrix II 1/2, the latest installment of the award winning Meatrix series. Produced by Sustainable Table and Free Range Studios for Participant Productions, The Meatrix II 1/2 was launched to educate consumers about problems at processing facilities and to help promote the social action campaign surrounding the Fast Food Nation movie being released by Participant Productions and Fox Searchlight on November 17th. For more information, visit www.themeatrix.com.

Read the press release about our re-launch, or visit the Sustainable Table media lounge!

Sincerely,

The Sustainable Table Team

The Sierra Club’s Mr. Green shares his top 10 tips for eating well.

Shorter Mr. Green: buy organic, buy local, buy unprocessed/unpackaged, and buy veg; and, when possible, grow and make your own. And always recycle!

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch - news [at] dawnwatch.com
Date: Oct 24, 2006 4:17 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: NY Times front page on humane meat labels — 10/24/06

The front page of the Tuesday, October 24, New York Times includes a story, by Andrew Martin, headed, “Meat Labels Hope to Lure the Sensitive Carnivore.”

It is a great article to see on the front page as it should provide readers with surprising information about standard meat production.

The article focuses on the new “animal compassionate” labels soon to appear at Whole Foods, and tells us, “The initiative was started by Whole Foods’ chief executive, John P. Mackey, a vegan who has been increasingly outspoken on animal-rights issues.”

While in the case of Whole Foods, the standards are driven by the CEO’s personal concern over the issues, labels are sometimes applied simply as a marketing tool to attract compassionate consumers. We read:

“For instance, the United Egg Producers provided an ‘animal care certified’ logo to its members that several state attorneys general said was misleading because it falsely suggested that the chickens were humanely raised. While denying the charges, the group recently changed the label to say ‘United Egg Producers certified.’”

We read about other concerns over humane labels:

“Others question the validity of the certification programs for animal-welfare labels because some allow farming practices like cutting the tails off pigs and allowing animals to be raised entirely indoors.”

And:

“The Animal Welfare Institute and ‘free farmed’ allow nose rings for pigs; the rings make rooting more difficult and prevent the pigs from tearing up the ground. The others do not allow rings.”

One problem with the article is that it quotes people who deliver misinformation. For example, we read of George Siemon, chief executive of Organic Valley: “He noted that the federal government’s organic standards include animal-welfare provisions, like prohibiting cages for laying hens and requiring outdoor access for livestock.”

A story on the front page of the Chicago Tribune, however, on August 20, made told us that the standards are not clear and that cows at the Horizon organic dairy farm are rarely allowed outdoors. (That article is on line at http://tinyurl.com/p68ue.)

The New York Times article includes a sidebar with some information about the different standards of different humane labels — whether they allow, for example, castration (without anesthesia) and tail docking.

You’ll find the article on line here.

The front page story provides a great opportunity for letters to the editor discussing the common treatment of animals used in the US food supply. Good sources of information, and photos, are http://www.FactoryFarming.com and the HSUS publication “Eating for the Animals.”

Or you might wish to write about the horror of under-regulated slaughterhouses, reminding readers how bad the end is for the animals no matter how they are raised. Even if slaughterhouses were better regulated it would make no difference to the hens who are exempt from the Federal Humane Slaughter Act.

The New York Times takes letters at letters [at] nytimes.com.

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published. And please be sure to share you own thoughts and not to use any of my words or references in your letters.

Yours and the animals’,
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.dawnwatch.com/cgi-bin/dada/dawnwatch_unsubscribe.cgi. You are encouraged to forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts but please do so unedited — leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)

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Tagged: animals animal+rights action+alerts dawnwatch meat food+labeling certified+humane eggs animal+compassionate whole+foods animal+care+certified

To support the vegan cause, I like to support business establishments that also promote the vegan lifestyle. I don’t mind paying extra for something if I know its for a good cause. During a recent trip back east I was in Rochester, NY, and due to a friends suggestion, I checked out a place called Two Paisans Pizza. What makes Two Paisans special? They have a good selection of vegan versions of their regular fare. I ordered a number of things from there one afternoon, and I enjoyed it all so much, I am posting this review.

Vegan Trash Plate

Rochester is home to the original Nick Tahou Garbage Plate. Like many, I was introduced to Garbage plates during college. You really couldn’t beat the price of $5.25 when you looked at the amount of food you received. In any case, many resturaunts have their own version of the famous Garbage Plate. Two Paisans is no different in that respect. However, what Two Paisans does offer that no one else does, is a vegan version. I hadn’t had a plate or variation in years, and when I saw that on the menu, I had no choice but to order it.

Two Paisan uses seitan for the meat and Vegenaise as a mayo substitute in the macaroni salad. You get two good sized vegan patties, lots of fries, scoops of macaroni salad, onions, ketchup, mustard, and crumbled vegan burger on top. It was the best plate I’ve probably ever had. Where as “real” plates, have a heavy, fat feeling to them, this vegan plate was all about taste. It was still very filling. It really was an amazing meal. I only wish I could order one and have it airlifted to Kansas City.

Vegan Buffalo Sandwich Sub

This was your standard Buffalo style sub using seitan and Vegenaise. The texture of the Seitan was very good and it tasted great. A very good sub, I only wish I had gotten more.

“Phillysteak” & Cheese Sub

I’ve never had a real Philly Cheesesteak. To me, it looks like a heart attack on a bun. Getting the vegan version doesn’t leave me with much to compare to. It was still a good sub though. I liked the seitan, the peppers, mushrooms, onions and vegan cheese. It was very tasty, and I can’t imagine I’d ever want the “real” thing.

Vegan Calzone

The vegan calzone is not really on the menu. I called up Two Paisans and asked if they could substitute vegan cheese in their veggie calzone, and they obliged. About fifteen minutes later, someone from Two Paisans called me back and asked if I wanted them to throw in some seitan. I said go for it.

The result was a large, tasty calzone that I got three meals out of. The cheese tasted great and I enjoyed the selection of vegetables.

Conclusion

Everything I tried from Two Paisans was quite good. I would definitely go there again if I ever come back to Rochester. It would be probably be my first stop. Hell Food gives Two Paisans a very enthusiastic recommendation.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch - news [at] dawnwatch.com
Date: Sep 25, 2006 8:24 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Artificial hormones in cows’ milk on Boston Globe front page — 9/25/06

The Monday, September 25 Boston Globe has a front page story headed, “2 Dairies to End Use of Artificial Hormones; Hope to Compete with Organic Milk.”

It opens:

“The region’s biggest dairies are rushing to rid their bottled milk of artificial growth hormones in a bid to draw back customers who have switched to organic milk.

“Dean Foods, which operates the Garelick plant in Franklin, and H.P. Hood, which operates a plant in Agawam, are demanding that regional farmer cooperatives supply them with milk from cows that haven’t been injected with synthetic hormones that boost milk production.

“Over the next few weeks, jugs of Hood and Garelick milk with labels pledging ‘no artificial growth hormones’ should start filling supermarket shelves a strategy the dairies hope will satisfy the chief concern of consumers going organic and do so at less than half the retail price of organic milk.”

Demonstrating that artificial growth hormones are not the only concern of organic milk buyers, we read:

“But Nasser Hussain, a teacher from Boston, said he buys organic milk largely because he opposes industrial farming. ‘Organic to me means they let the cows out of the pen,’ he said.”

(Note: Unfortunately that is somewhat misleading. An August 20 front page story in the Chicago Tribune shared complaints that cows on large organic dairy farms are hardly able to graze. It referred to guidelines being sought by the Organic Standards Board that would organic require dairy cows to get about one-third of their diet from pasture four months out of the year — i.e. one ninth of their diet from pasture. See http://tinyurl.com/mz56s for more on that Tribune story.)

You’ll find today’s front page Globe story online here OR http://tinyurl.com/o6blp

It opens the door for letters about the treatment of cows on dairy farms, and from those who have found happy substitutes for cow’s milk.

A nice source of information is http://www.dumpdairy.com

The Boston Globe takes letters at letter [at] globe.com

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be published.

Yours and the animals’,
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.dawnwatch.com/cgi-bin/dada/dawnwatch_unsubscribe.cgi
You are encouraged to forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts but please do so unedited — leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)

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