SoulVeggie

Recipe(s): "Deep Kimchi" & Sauerkraut

It's really a conceptual rush to be making what appears to be a 3,000 - 4,000 year old recipe (or technique, if you will).  Last night I started my 4th kimchi effort.  The first two weren't bad, but combining the techniques of one recipe with the ingredients of the other, made for a superb batch that, after 7 days of lacto-fermentation, come out astoundingly well.

For years, I've wanted to make sauerkraut and kimchi, and only in the past couple of months did I have the homegrown ingredients, time, patience, and "wherewithall" to tackle them.  The process of non-yeast fermentation can been seen in most cultures, I had read so many testmonies to it's nutritional benefits, plus how easy and incredibly tasteful such products can be.

I'd grown a lot of cabbage.  Making sauerkraut is as simple as this:  salt and cabbage (and there variations using other vegetables, spices, etc.).  There are many recipes on the web, but essentially you just cut up cabbage, pound/mix it with salt until enough water is released to cover it, store, skim off the "bloom" daily, and wait two to six weeks (or more).  It's is unbelievable in taste, and I'll never buy the canned pasteurized stuff again.  It's like the difference between store bought and heirloom tomato, the later being light years further in taste (and probably nutritional profile).

There are some 180+ documented Kimchi recipes, some seasonal, some with different vegetables.  I opted for one with Chinese Cabbage (we call it "Napa" and I still have an incredible and hearty crop of them, as well as two kinds of Pak Choi, and Tat Soi growing even with snow and ice last week!).  After cutting up and soaking the cabbage for around 12 hours in a 3 gallon crock, I drained it all, saved the brine, and then added (per this recipe) 3x the amount (as I'm using over 6 lbs of cabbage):  spring onions, jalapenos, ginger, garlic, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, no additional salt, some chili powder (no Korean hot pepper poweder nearby), enough water to cover, and mix thoroughly.

Now I'll be stirring it once or twice a day, adjust flavor if need (may add some additional chopped Pak Choi... my mixture is pretty strong right now), and when I get the "sourness" to the level I prefer, jar, put in 'frig (water or pressure canning would take out some of the beneficial microbes/nutrition/whatever).  Five to seven days!  It keeps for several months.

Here's photos (not all that great) of the kimchi first batch "nekkid," bottled, and then two images of my Pak Choi babies (click on thumbnails for larger images, all ©2009, by Mark Sutton):

Anyway, I urge everyone to look into lacto-fermention (it's raw and no added fat!).  So easy, especially with a food processor if you need to shred or dice.  The most recommended book on the topic, btw, is "Wild Fermention."  I haven't gotten my copy yet, but it's gotten quite a word-of-mouth buzz... almost as good as the buzz that comes from eating homemade sauerkraut and kimchi...

What to say? What to do?

He was leather-skinned, taunt, and yet energetic.  Agewise, a mid 60's Vietnam Vet I met in line at a grocery store who gruffly pointed out to the lady in front of me that this was a "15 or less" items checkout line and that she was way over the limit.  She moved.  We struck up a conversation of sorts.  He'd had a bad day.  Someone had broken into his home, where there were three people on disability (him, wife, son), and stolen $400 and all his medications.

He'd recently had a heart valve "installed" and back surgery.  A tough bird.  Optimistic that you only get one chance at life, and you do the best you can.  Loved his much younger wife.  He despised what was going on in Iraq and Afghanistan.

My purchase:  wheat gluten flour, broccoli, short grain rice, dijon mustard, bagels (no deli within 30 miles of here), raw cashews, fresh shittake mushrooms, ginseng tea, some seltzer.  I glanced at his purchase-to-be while he was talking about his health:  a gallon of whole milk, a six pack of some high fructose-based soda, and a large loaf of "white Wonder Bread."

Gawd... I so much wanted to say something.  I so much wanted to convey all that I know and believe about reversing heart disease from Ornish and Esselstyn's low fat vegan research, but I believed there was no opening.  I wanted to cite the numbers I now know from memory regarding fat, sugar, and salt, veganism, and cardiovascular disease.  I wanted to mention Rip.  I wanted to direct him to Susan's fat free vegan blog and website.

I'd been through this before.  It's not something you just bring up with people, they are often offended, and when I have been able to do so, there's only a tiny time window of opportunity, it was usually a verbal piggyback on my mentioning my diet & heart disease from someone's question that would draw another into the conversation, giving me my opportunity.

But I blew it.  I could have asked him to sit with me in the cafe, or talk a minute in the parking lot, and politely explain to him what I knew about a low-fat vegan diet and heart disease, given him some web addresses, and urged him to check it all out.  I COULD HAVE TRIED.  I could have risked offending him, to help him, but I didn't.  I didn't know what to say, what to do, and this haunts me in this morning's early hours.  A fine old soul, a fiery beacon of optimism in the face of so much tragedy.  I should have done something.

From the short time I interacted with this epitomy of grace under fire, I learned a lot.  I'm now resolved that I'll do better next time.  Maybe we have to make our opportunities and take that chance, and that we won't be seen as proselytizing, but instead as being compassionate.  People need to be made aware of the truth about their health, and then decide what's best for them.  It's not fiction, fantasy, nor theory:  vegan or not, added fat, sugar, and salt increases your odds of developing any number of biological disorders, particularly heart disease.  Moderation kills.

...and so does silence, so does silence.

Video Clip: "We Did It! Artificial Meat!"

A very funny 3 minute Clip from The Daily Show where Jon Stewart, ahem, "skewers" the concept of artificial meat. In this case, pig meat from pig stem cells.  Video expires 01/03/10 and has a rather abrupt ending.  Enjoy!  Mark

Paula Deen's: "Perfect" After School Snack, Y'all

I  hadn't watched the "Food Network" for years and have been able to the past several days (indeed, one of my first posts on this blog was about Emeril, and of course, he's not getting any better... disturbing to see people cheering when he now puts a 1 cup or so of olive oil on highly nutritional microgreens).

Anyway, it's been a mixed blessing.  Some neat ideas, but mostly an amazing array of unhealthy meat, dairy, and fatty food being touted as 'good cooking.'  Tonight I happened to catch the tail-end of an episode of "Paula's Home Cooking."  Paula Deen is a rotund fat/sugar/salt aficionado "chef" who specializes in "southern cooking" (y'know, from where the highest percentage of very obese Americans live, the South), as well as saying "y'all" as often as she can.

Normally I wouldn't bother blogging about Ms. Deen (too easy, obvious that her meals are nutritional roadkill), but I'll make an exception tonight.  She was making "healthy and perfect after school snacks" for children.  I caught the last one.  The Pretzel Peanut Bark.  She called it the "perfect snack" twice.   It's white chocolate, salted pretzel sticks, and salted roasted peanuts.  I did a quick ballpark estimate of the nutritional profile PER ONE SERVING:

• 1733 mg of sodium (two-thirds of what the American Heart Association says an ADULT should have per day)
• 46. g of fat (two-thirds the American Heart Association says an ADULT should have per day)
• 50.2 g of sugar (the American Heart Association recommends no more than 37.5 grams for an ADULT per day)

Unbelievable.  It's a dietary disaster for an adult, how much more for a child?  And she called this the perfect after school snack.  Ironic too, is that all the snacks she demonstrated making in this episode were spread out on a table in front of TOWERING LARGE PLATE OF FRESH BEAUTIFUL FRUITS.  In reality, the PERFECT snacks were the fruits put there as eye candy.

"Paula's Home Cooking" indeed.  Perfect for getting you later put into a home for any number of diet-related disorders, and a "perfect" way to get kids even more addicted to fat, sugar, and salt, than they already are (where by genetics or environment).  Forget taxing sodas.  Take a percentage of her profits from her various interests and give it to children's nutritional awareness programs.  They'll need all the help they can get if their parents buy into Paula's nonsense... y'all.

Dr. Cow's Cheese Nutritional Bull

Just read a post about Dr. Cow's Cheese from the generally nutritionally oblivious blogger at:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/11/dr-cow-tree-nut-raw-vegan-cheese.html

The blogger wrote, quoting directly from the Dr. Cow's website, that the "cheese" is low fat.  Note that the product's website provides NO nutritional information on their products (just ingredients, why?).  How does she know it's "low in fat?"  She just posted some of the website text.  How useful!  What a fine bit of research in recommending this product.  She even had the audacity to claim she was posting the "complete nutritional info" regarding the cheese.

Bull$hit.  What's the fat and sodium content per serving?  Information not available.  I couldn't find it doing basic web searches.

The cheese?  It's basically ground up nuts.  And if mostly cashews, for example, than two tablespoons (1 ounce) would amount to 12 grams of fat.  I'm guessing twice as much for a normal serving of that "low fat cheese."  That's about a third of a day's worth of fat according to the American Heart Association (on a 2,000 calorie diet, 60 grams of fat per day), and a day's worth according to the guys who reversed heart disease through diet (Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn).

This kind of mindless parroting of a product's website PR without a little bit of research into the actual nutritional profile of a product being reviewed irritates the hell outta me.  Kathy should be ashamed by making such "low fat claims" and that she's either too lazy or doesn't care enough to do better.  IMHO, one shouldn't take ANY food product review seriously unless the reviewer has shown some respect for his/her readers and done the basic nutritional profile research and provided same.

Just because it tastes "gud" and the product's website says it's "healthy" isn't enough.  I'd like to think that most people are smarter than this.  And Dr. Cow is negligent in not providing nutritional information about their products.  Kat is negligent in buying into it.  It's NOT low-fat.  Can't be, judging from the ingredients list.

It's not the taste that matters, it's what's IN what you eat that does.  Read the labels.  Ignore the silly blogger.

Video: Al Gore "goes crazy"

Although it's satirical (SNL), I can't help thinking of the possible impact if he actually does... note the reference to "Factory Farming."  That's new.  Enjoy!

Vegan Heart-healthy Spiced Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe

Check it out:  another great no-added fat recipe from Susan that shows it's really easy to make a heart-healthy happy vegan potatoes au gratin without adding needless fat in the form of tofu sour cream, earth balance, "cheese" slices, veganaise, and a vegan buttery spread as the recipe after her's below does:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/03/creamy-scalloped-potatoes.html

Ironic that some think a highly fat-ladden multi-potato layered gratin with a ton of added fat is "elegant" or "is a home style comfort-food recipe with some serious snob appeal. Potatoes gone chic." (from:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/11/triple-spiced-creamy-potatoes-au-gratin.html

What a myopic view of nutrition, health, heart-safety, and food in general!  Heart disease, when I last checked, has little "chic" or "serious snob appeal."  The added fat in this recipe would make even the conservative the American Heart Association collectively squirm.  That a blogger claims his/her recipes are a "must read" and are "healthy" and are "chic" is indicative of the blogger's ego --- a good sign of a narcistic attitude that is often mistaken as enthusiam to be trusted.  Certainly isn't a sign of nutritional savvy and informed advice.

But, in this case, it must be nice to be so indulgent as to purchase three types of potatoes from non-local sources, highly processed fake cheese (which is really just added fat), tofu sour cream, a buttery spread, veganaise, and create a high-fat meal around them.

Ain't real food ('cept for the potatoes), ain't happy, ain't sustainable.  Let the "serious snobs" go with the cardiovascular disease.  Me?  I'll go with the certain, peer-reviewed science of "no-added fat" vegan diet and a longer healthier happier life.  I'd rather avoid all the problems shown to be associated with added fat than be "chic."

After all, isn't life worth living well?  That's REAL elegance.

A Library in One Book: "1,000 Vegan Recipes"

What drives a person to write 20 veg'n cookbooks?  What compels and inspires a chef to work countless hours in the kitchen developing, rejecting, re-trying and finding new or innovative ways to bring foodstuffs together?  Behind in my own efforts, I know how easy it is to underestimate the time, resources, trials, and tribulations involved. Tough job, and although one might do a few books just for the money, it takes real inspiration, dedication, and a spiritual will to help the animals and promote veg'nism by being willing to go through that process over 20 times.

Robin sent me a copy of her latest effort, "1,000 Vegan Recipes" a few weeks ago, and since then I've been marveling at, among other things, the sheer magnitude (and physical weight!) of what's she's just accomplished (disclaimer:  I did the website work/design for her "Global Vegan Kitchen" website).  We interacted soon after and I asked her about how the hell she pulled it off.  So many testers (over 30), so many recipes, so many ingredients.  Most notable about her response was this amazing bit of information:

"Three years."

...it took her over three years get this book in public hands!  Three years of labor giving birth to an amazing collection of recipes, resources, advice, and menus.  An encyclopedic recipe set of creativity, practicality, and efficiency, all in a single 612 page book.   And here are the numbers:  80 appetizers and snacks, 253 salads, sandwiches, and soups, 170 main dishes, 46 breads and muffins, 138 cookies, cakes, and other desserts... and that's not all.  Pages of menus groups by such topics as "Family-Style Dinner," "Casual Company Dinner" and the "Seasons."  Several pages for types of ingredients explanations, online resources, and a comprehensive "vegan pantry" checklist!

And the recipes --- they shine as well-tested and glow with simplicity of effort as well as ingredients.  Enthralling.  A breadth and depth to a vegan cookbook like none ever done before (and not likely again).  Check out the following:  "Pomegranate-Infused Lentil and Chickpea Stew," "Tempeh and Sweet Potato Shepard's Pie," "Rotini and Almond-Mint Pesto with Orange Zest," "Pistacio-Pear Couscous Salad," "Chai Spice Cookies," "Vegan Pound Cake(!)," "Strawberry Parfaits with Cashew Creme," and "Pumpkin Waffles with Cranberry Syrup."  Of course, those are just the tip of a "Titanic-sized" iceberg.

Back when I reviewed her "Quick-Fix Vegetarian," I likened that effort to a series of minuets.  In contrast, her latest book is a gourmet library of music to be played in the kitchen, enjoyed, and treasured countless times for years to come.  I highly recommend "1,000 Vegan Recipes."  It's several books in one, and those with special dietary preferences (no added fat, etc.) will find most recipes easily adaptable.  Be sure to check out Robin's Vegan Planet blog, and website, where you can sample recipes from most of her books.  And here's the link to the "1,000 Vegan Recipes" sampler.  Surf over and sample the music!  It's beautiful.

"Going Rogue" On Vegans

"Besides addressing her views on the McCain campaign and the media, Palin, a passionate Alaskan hunter, takes aim at vegetarians. Palin states, “If any vegans came over for dinner, I could whip them up a salad, then explain my philosophy on being a carnivore: If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat?”

The accommodating host went on to explain, “I love meat. I eat pork chops, thick bacon burgers, and the seared fatty edges of a medium-well-done steak. But I especially love moose and caribou. I always remind people from outside our state that there's plenty of room for all Alaska's animals -- right next to the mashed potatoes.”"

[Full article edited from here and below.]

IVU "Vegetomical" Image of a Woman

Way kewl... although tomatoes are a fruit.  One of the cleverest uses of fruits/veggies for an ad I've seen in awhile.  The original source is here.  Click on image for larger version.  Enjoy!

10 Thanksgiving Survival Tips for Vegans

[Note:  this is a re-post of a popular post I did a year ago.  This one's for you V.!]

"I thought it might be fun to put together a quick ad hoc list of some of the "survival tips" that have served me well when faced with attending a Thanksgiving Dinner with carnivorous family and/or friends.  I take no responsibility as to whether these will or will not work for anyone in particular as they are based upon my own experiences.  Use them wisely...

1.  BRING VEGAN FOOD:  often people will tell you it's not necessary to bring anything, but I've found it's best to ignore that advice and bring one, preferable at least two vegan dishes.  It's best (and safest) to have made them once before, unless you are very skilled in the kitchen.  I think it's rare that anyone would turn you away at the front door for bringing food!  Find out if you can bring a big salad (with fresh veggies and a fine no-fat dressing).  Find out if there's something you can bring veganized.  If nothing else, you'll look less conspicuous with a full plate than one with some crudite sans dressing and limp greens.  Don't have a recipe?  Use the GOOGLE, Luke.

2.  BRING FOOD THAT DOESN'T ATTEMPT TO MIMIC MEAT:  with the possible exception of "Gimme Lean Sausage" for making a stuffing (it's really close to that ground up dead spiced pig taste and texture),  I've found that bringing meat analogues (particularly that odious and overpriced "Tofurkey") invites people to miss the point.  They focus on contrasting the "fake" meat with the real, instead of relishing the intermix of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains.  If fellow guests are a bit more veg'n friendly than most, maybe seitan or tofu done right (gravy counts), but think that out carefully.  I tend to think that incorporated IN a dish rather than as "steaks" or the like is more likely to be accepted.  Mom couldn't handle the TVP chunks in an entree I brought once (but then, I pointed them out to her in advance... bad move).  Try to define yourself, if asked, by the incredible variety of nature's bounty that you will eat rather than that which you won't.

3.  BRING A CROCKPOT DISH:  soup, entree, or better yet, dessert (if you've not already made something).  The beauty of the crockpot is that it's easy to prepare something, travels well, and in case the oven and burners are already used up in your target location, you can always find a plug (I usually bring a power strip or extension cord), and serve FROM the crockpot.  Winter Squash Bisque, Tofu/Artichoke Spread ("No-Cheese Cookbook," Stepaniak), Apple Brown Betty, Fruit Cobbler --- examples of very easy and effective crockpot foods.

4.  BRING SUBTLETY:  resist the temptation to proudly proclaim that the food you bring is "no-added fat vegan."  They will probably already know you are vegan, and it's more fun when sometimes, after sampling your wares, they say, astonished:  "Hey!  This is good... is this vegan?"  I'm more inclined to live with "added fat vegan food" at a holiday gathering if someone has been thoughtful enough to at least make something vegan.  Let's face it:  to many vegan is radical, a "no added fat" vegan could easily cause conceptual brain seizures. Now, if I had heart disease or diabetes, I would let the main host know in advance, and have a short concise explanation as to why I won't eat "added fat" vegan ready to use when asked.  It's also usually pretty obvious as to what has dairy in it, but eggs are a bit more devious when it comes to bread.  I tend to go situation dependent:  if things are hectic, I'll either skip the debatable food product or have a very small helping.  If things are a bit more laid back, I would have already asked, in the kitchen, what's vegan and what's not (esp. if chicken broth is used invisibly).  Doing this at the dinner table can easily (and rightly so) be seen as rude and draws the wrong kind of attention.

5.  BRING BREAD:  if you've mastered making bread, especially with a bread machine, time a 2 lb. loaf to finish close to when you leave (if by car).  People ALWAYS like homemade whole grain bread (I often make a no-added fat spread like hummus or something more holidayish to facilitate slathering onto bread slices).  Vegan cookies are also a winner.

6.  BRING A BEVERAGE:  alcoholic or not, it's always a sign of good etiquette.  Also:  I always have a few caffeine and no-caffeine herbal teas in my computer bag, jacket, or pocket.  It's rare that you can't get hot water!  Vegan egg nog in a crockpot is a show-stopper, made easier these days with Silk Soy Egg Nog (and recipes for making it from scratch on the Web).

7.  BRING SOME PREPARED EXPLANATIONS & WEBSITE ADDRESSES:  memorize a short 30 second and longer 2 minute explanation, that's not insulting or derogatory, as to why you are vegan.  Voice the first ONLY if/when asked "why are you vegan?"  As Howard Lyman, aka, The Mad Cowboy" puts it:  that's your 30 second window of opportunity when they are paying attention.  Sometimes family members or friends will express interest in learning more about your diet.  In my case, I might write down my soulveggie blog, www.fatfreevegan.com, www.goveg.com, www.madcowboy.com, www.pcrm.org, and www.vegblogs.com, as starting points for learning "why" and "how."

8. BRING A SENSE OF HUMOR:  preferably self-deprecating... if teased, laugh... use that disarming smile... if the situation is particularly mellow, you might risk teasing back, but BE CAREFUL.  Often it's okay to tease the vegans, but not the reverse (people tend to rationalize, feel defensive, or guilty).  During one Thanksgiving my father was confused that I was drinking wine during dinner.  I lightened the moment by saying, "whoops...  I better go call the Vegan Guru and double-check!"  Then I mentioned something about great vegan margaritas.  I've also made jokes about "hunting down" wild vegetables, the danger of dealing with a rabid block of tofu in a soybean field, and that I'm not completely vegan:  do you realize how many bacteria are dying in my gut as we speak?

9. BRING UNDERSTANDING, A POLITE ATTITUDE, & (if necessary) SILENCE:  trying to convert carnivores to veganism at Thanksgiving is like trying to talk people into joining AA at a beer or wine-tasting party --- akin to "spitting in the wind" and just torques people for no justifiable reason.  Exclaiming "ewwww, how gross" loudly when being offered a drumstick isn't necessary or particularly useful.  The same probably holds true for throwing tomato sauce or catsup on Great-Grandma Pearl's mink sweater or yelling out:  "I can't believe you all are eating slabs of a giant dead mutant bird's corpse with it's organs minced and sauteed delicately in gravy as a topping!"  Bonus tip: an in depth discussion of pus cell counts in milk and cheese might get you shot by a blunderbuss or tossed out into the snow.

10.  BRING COMPASSION & LOVE:  these are family and/or friends.  This is a festive gathering, not a lecture on animal rights, diet and heart disease, or environmental degradation.  Focus on the good in the people there and not what they eat or what they wear.  Focus on setting and being an example.  Like it or not, you will be seen as representative of vegans everywhere, and if you misbehave, unfortunately (if not unfairly), it reflects on all of us.  I've converted more people to veg'nism by setting an example than by proselytizing, and I suspect its more effective in the long term (and takes less emotional energy).  A loving, thankful, thoughtful, understanding, giving, and happy vegan will accomplish more than an arrogant sanctimonious obnoxious know-it-all malcontent.

Having been both, I prefer the former.  That's the "me" I want remembered.  Here's my "Thanksgiving 2005" Post where I think I really started to catch-on to the best way to approach these events.  Enjoy.

...and a "Happy Vegan Holidaze" to all!  Mark

@2008 by Mark Sutton... if used elsewhere, please credit me and my blog.  Thanks!"

1.  BRING VEGAN FOOD:  often people will tell you it's not necessary to bring anything, but I've found it's best to ignore that advice and bring one, preferable at least two vegan dishes.  It's best (and safest) to have made them once before, unless you are very skilled in the kitchen.  I think it's rare that anyone would turn you away at the front door for bringing food!  Find out if you can bring a big salad (with fresh veggies and a fine no-fat dressing).  Find out if there's something you can bring veganized.  If nothing else, you'll look less conspicuous with a full plate than one with some crudite sans dressing and limp greens.  Don't have a recipe?  Use the GOOGLE, Luke.

2.  BRING FOOD THAT DOESN'T ATTEMPT TO MIMIC MEAT:  with the possible exception of "Gimme Lean Sausage" for making a stuffing (it's really close to that ground up dead spiced pig taste and texture),  I've found that bringing meat analogues (particularly that odious and overpriced "Tofurkey") invites people to miss the point.  They focus on contrasting the "fake" meat with the real, instead of relishing the intermix of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains.  If fellow guests are a bit more veg'n friendly than most, maybe seitan or tofu done right (gravy counts), but think that out carefully.  I tend to think that incorporated IN a dish rather than as "steaks" or the like is more likely to be accepted.  Mom couldn't handle the TVP chunks in an entree I brought once (but then, I pointed them out to her in advance... bad move).  Try to define yourself, if asked, by the incredible variety of nature's bounty that you will eat rather than that which you won't.

3.  BRING A CROCKPOT DISH:  soup, entree, or better yet, dessert (if you've not already made something).  The beauty of the crockpot is that it's easy to prepare something, travels well, and in case the oven and burners are already used up in your target location, you can always find a plug (I usually bring a power strip or extension cord), and serve FROM the crockpot.  Winter Squash Bisque, Tofu/Artichoke Spread ("No-Cheese Cookbook," Stepaniak), Apple Brown Betty, Fruit Cobbler --- examples of very easy and effective crockpot foods.

4.  BRING SUBTLETY:  resist the temptation to proudly proclaim that the food you bring is "no-added fat vegan."  They will probably already know you are vegan, and it's more fun when sometimes, after sampling your wares, they say, astonished:  "Hey!  This is good... is this vegan?"  I'm more inclined to live with "added fat vegan food" at a holiday gathering if someone has been thoughtful enough to at least make something vegan.  Let's face it:  to many vegan is radical, a "no added fat" vegan could easily cause conceptual brain seizures. Now, if I had heart disease or diabetes, I would let the main host know in advance, and have a short concise explanation as to why I won't eat "added fat" vegan ready to use when asked.  It's also usually pretty obvious as to what has dairy in it, but eggs are a bit more devious when it comes to bread.  I tend to go situation dependent:  if things are hectic, I'll either skip the debatable food product or have a very small helping.  If things are a bit more laid back, I would have already asked, in the kitchen, what's vegan and what's not (esp. if chicken broth is used invisibly).  Doing this at the dinner table can easily (and rightly so) be seen as rude and draws the wrong kind of attention.

5.  BRING BREAD:  if you've mastered making bread, especially with a bread machine, time a 2 lb. loaf to finish close to when you leave (if by car).  People ALWAYS like homemade whole grain bread (I often make a no-added fat spread like hummus or something more holidayish to facilitate slathering onto bread slices).  Vegan cookies are also a winner.

6.  BRING A BEVERAGE:  alcoholic or not, it's always a sign of good etiquette.  Also:  I always have a few caffeine and no-caffeine herbal teas in my computer bag, jacket, or pocket.  It's rare that you can't get hot water!  Vegan egg nog in a crockpot is a show-stopper, made easier these days with Silk Soy Egg Nog (and recipes for making it from scratch on the Web).

7.  BRING SOME PREPARED EXPLANATIONS & WEBSITE ADDRESSES:  memorize a short 30 second and longer 2 minute explanation, that's not insulting or derogatory, as to why you are vegan.  Voice the first ONLY if/when asked "why are you vegan?"  As Howard Lyman, aka, The Mad Cowboy" puts it:  that's your 30 second window of opportunity when they are paying attention.  Sometimes family members or friends will express interest in learning more about your diet.  In my case, I might write down my soulveggie blog, www.fatfreevegan.com, www.goveg.com, www.madcowboy.com, www.pcrm.org, and www.vegblogs.com, as starting points for learning "why" and "how."

8. BRING A SENSE OF HUMOR:  preferably self-deprecating... if teased, laugh... use that disarming smile... if the situation is particularly mellow, you might risk teasing back, but BE CAREFUL.  Often it's okay to tease the vegans, but not the reverse (people tend to rationalize, feel defensive, or guilty).  During one Thanksgiving my father was confused that I was drinking wine during dinner.  I lightened the moment by saying, "whoops...  I better go call the Vegan Guru and double-check!"  Then I mentioned something about great vegan margaritas.  I've also made jokes about "hunting down" wild vegetables, the danger of dealing with a rabid block of tofu in a soybean field, and that I'm not completely vegan:  do you realize how many bacteria are dying in my gut as we speak?

9. BRING UNDERSTANDING, A POLITE ATTITUDE, & (if necessary) SILENCE:  trying to convert carnivores to veganism at Thanksgiving is like trying to talk people into joining AA at a beer or wine-tasting party --- akin to "spitting in the wind" and just torques people for no justifiable reason.  Exclaiming "ewwww, how gross" loudly when being offered a drumstick isn't necessary or particularly useful.  The same probably holds true for throwing tomato sauce or catsup on Great-Grandma Pearl's mink sweater or yelling out:  "I can't believe you all are eating slabs of a giant dead mutant bird's corpse with it's organs minced and sauteed delicately in gravy as a topping!"  Bonus tip: an in depth discussion of pus cell counts in milk and cheese might get you shot by a blunderbuss or tossed out into the snow.

10.  BRING COMPASSION & LOVE:  these are family and/or friends.  This is a festive gathering, not a lecture on animal rights, diet and heart disease, or environmental degradation.  Focus on the good in the people there and not what they eat or what they wear.  Focus on setting and being an example.  Like it or not, you will be seen as representative of vegans everywhere, and if you misbehave, unfortunately (if not unfairly), it reflects on all of us.  I've converted more people to veg'nism by setting an example than by proselytizing, and I suspect its more effective in the long term (and takes less emotional energy).  A loving, thankful, thoughtful, understanding, giving, and happy vegan will accomplish more than an arrogant sanctimonious obnoxious know-it-all malcontent.

Having been both, I prefer the former.  That's the "me" I want remembered.  Here's my "Thanksgiving 2005" Post where I think I really started to catch-on to the best way to approach these events.  Enjoy.

...and a "Happy Vegan Holidaze" to all!  Mark

@2008 by Mark Sutton... if used elsewhere, please credit me and my blog.  Thanks!"

10 Non-edible Unique Uses for Vegenaise!

Sometimes another vegan blogger can inspire you to greater heights of creativity and awareness.  Kat's astounding "50 ways to use Vegenaise:" certainly had an impact on my thinking about the marvelous primarily canola oil-based non-food product:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/11/fifty-yummy-uses-for-vegenaise-spread.html

Although I blogged about this already (here), I've come to realize that Kathy missed many NON-edible uses of Vegenaise.  It's such a versatile substance, that I'm proud to offer 10 other uses for Vegenaise (and I won't even claim they are "uber-creative" as Kat does):

1) LIP GLOSS:  schmooze Vegenaise on your lips and you'll excite any significant other with the refractory look.  When bored, you can the tongue it all into your mouth for a tasty treat.

2) SQUEAKY JOINTS;  got a hinge that squeaks?  Slather a little Vegenaise into the hinge and you'll be moving that door silently in no time.

3) SWIMMING:  wanna reduce drag from that swimmer's cap?  Cover it with Vegenaise.   If you wanna go pro, cover your entire body with Vegenaise and you'll be able to swim faster.

4) FURNITURE:  unsightly dry wood?  Rub a good smear of Vegenaise into the furniture wood to bring back that healthy shine.

5) GREASE & PAINT:  add a little sugar to Vegenaise and use to remove grease and paint from your hands.

6) GARDENING:  rub Vegenaise on your gardening shovel, spade, fork, etc., to reduce rust possibilities.  CAUTION:  do NOT lick said equipment afterwards due to possible e.coli and other pathogens infection.

7) SHAVING:  slather Vegenaise on your face (or legs, feet, or pits) for a "great tasting" alternative to shaving cream and get rid of that natural abnormal hair.

8) HAIR CONDITIONING:  smear Vegenaise into your hair, massage liberally, and rinse... bring back that normal sheen that was always there to begin with.

9) LEATHER RESTORER:  got an old pitcher's mitt that's a bit dry?  Massage a batch of Vegenaise into that mitt and return it to it's former catching glory.

10) ACNE:  mix some salt into Vegenaise and apply to affected skin areas.  Get rid of those zits!

Isn't it wonderful?  How many healthy food products can also do so many non-food related things?  And at 9 grams of fat per tablespoon, it's a real bargin.  There aren't any fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains as versatile as Vegenaise!

Seriously, Vegenaise, despite taste and texture, is FAT.  Mostly canola oil.  Stop adding FAT to your diet and you'll be healthier.  Rid yourself of your taste addiction.  FAT is not a food... although in a pinch, the hinge thing is really useful....

NOTE:  some of the above suggestions come from (here) with playful editing.

50 Ways to Lose Your Ticker

Wow... here's a "vegan" blogger going "whole hog" on promoting added fat  (a nutritionally useless non-food, Vegenaise) in your diet, by having the dietary callousness to list 50 ways to add fat to what you eat, labeling this effort "creative and yummy, " and in effect, demonstrating a stunning complete obliviousness to the many heath issues that have been shown to be problematic with all that added fat:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/11/fifty-yummy-uses-for-vegenaise-spread.html

Sure, let's ignore 20 years of peer-reviewed research regarding added fat & heart disease, as well as the American Heart Association's recommendations regarding added fat.  After all, you're being "creative" and this is all "yummy."  Right?

How bad is this?  Vegenaise is 9 grams of canola oil fat per tablespoon (about a half a day's worth of fat from the guy's who've reversed heart disease, Ornish and Esselstyn) and one sixth a day's worth of fat as advised by the American Heart Association.  Kat lists fifty ways to ADD FAT (Vegenaise) to your food...  Obesity, heart disease, and a host of physical disorders plague society, and she's is advocating adding more fat to your diet 'cause it tastes good.

My favorite is:  "50. Eat it with a Spoon..."

That's not funny.  It's sad.  To Kathy, all that matters is that it "tastes good," regardless of the impact that added fat can have on your cardiovascular system, brain (Altzheimer's,), pancreas (diabetes), and overall health (obesity).  Added fat-related disorders are bankrupting health care and destroying the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people, and she gleefully advocates adding "vegan mayo" to oatmeal cereal for breakfast (#46), yogurt (#14),  as a dip for tempeh (#21), with pancakes, (#36), and in sorbet (#37).

Check it out.  It doesn't get more ignorant than this.  Another "must see" post by probably the most nutritionally misleading and myopic "vegan" blogger on the Internet.  And she has the audacity to egotistically self-proclaim her ideas on adding fat to everything but drinking water as "uber-creative."  Yeah, right.

I suggest that "uber-oblivious" might be a more accurate description.  "Uber-deluded" a close second.

Anyway, have a "healthy happy life."  Ignore Kathy's advice at "Healthy Happy Life."  You'll live longer, happier, and with greater chanes of avoiding Heart Disease, Altzheimer's, Obesity, and Diabetes.  After all, can someone really take the advice of a fat addicted blogger who recommends putting vegan mayo in sorbet seriously?

Video: How to Make Your Own Swine Flu Vaccine!

This hilarious video shows how you can make your own Swine Flu Vaccine.  Although quite satirical, there's enough truth in the matter (see the source of video, which lists/discusses actual ingredients) to make it all very interesting.  Of course the vaccine is not vegan... and I wonder how many people would want to know that egg white and mercury derivatives are part of what's being injected into your arm or snorted with the vaccine nasal spray?  Not surprising that the ingredients of the vaccine are not emphasized by most media coverage.

Ruining Broccoli: Making the "Best" the "Worst"

Broccoli is, indeed, a super vegetable.  What a nutritional profile!:  Antioxidents, calcium, protein, vitamin A, C & K, fiber --- the whole biochemical kit'n'kaboodle is fantastic.  Imagine my surprise when a vegan cook manages to take a superb no-fat mega-vegetable and transmute it into deadly pieces of cardiovascular killing shrapnel.

Over at "Super Vegan" (here), our cook dips each broccoli flowerette into Veganaise, sprinkles on some Nutritional Yeast, and then broils 'em all.  We're talking around a tablespoon of Veganaise per broccoli flowerette.  The photo of the "dish" shows 8 flowerettes.  Why is this a problem?  At 9 grams of pure fat per tablespoon/per flowerette (1 gram of saturated fat), that broccoli has been magically transformed from an incredible, essentially no-fat, and totally healthy product of nature into a total of 72 grams of artery-clogging added fat for the one serving (even at 1 teaspoon of Veganaise per flowerette (not likely), it's still a total of over 26 grams of fat per serving).

To put this into perspective:  the ENTIRE Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast (no vegetables in sight!) is around 50 grams of fat.  The guys who've, independently, reversed heart disease (Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn) recommend 14 to 24 or so grams of fat PER DAY, and even the stodgy American Heart Association recommends no more than 60 grams of fat TOTAL per day (2,000 calorie diet). That broccoli now contains around  8 grams of saturated fat which is about half what is recommended by the American Heart Association for women per day.

Wonder full, healthy, tasty, nutritionally dense, broccoli... slathered in pure non-food fat, saturated fat, and broiled.  Well over a whole day's worth of fat in a side dish.  Hardly "the best" broccoli recipe as claimed, and pretty high in the running, imho, for the absolute worst.  No longer a "super food" by any stretch of the imagination and a pretty sad example of how something so healthy (and vegan) can quickly be turned into quite the opposite.

Bleech...

This clever Embeddable Flash Animation showing icons representing numbers of animals being killed in "real time" for food in the United States is available at the very interesting website:  Animal Visuals.  Check it out!

Average & Total Numbers of Animals Who Died to Feed Americans in 2008

Stunning piece of work from valid statistical sources, broken down in detail by type of animal as well as year.  Note that 8.5 billion land animals died, and some 71 billion sea animals.  There's a bunch of interesting and appalling stats herein, but the grand finale:

ALL ANIMALS
Total number died for food: 80 billion
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 270
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 21,000

... tells the sad tale.  You can read this all in greater detail here.  Kudos for Noam (and UPC) for the fine work.

Dirt Candy & Rip Esselstyn on "Protein Myth, Moderation"

I'm still amazed at vegan bloggers who focus on protein issues and/or promote excessively high added fat/oil recipes (most recently, "Chef Amanda Cohen's Veggie Power Girl's Dirt Candy Greek Salad Recipe" that clocks in at over 60 grams of FAT per serving (a whole day's worth of fat according to the Feds, 3 to 4 times what Dr. Esselstyn would recommend per day):

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/10/chef-amanda-cohens-veggie-girl-power.html

... Amanda's the founder of the "Dirt Candy" Restaurant.  Hell, I'd rather eat dirt candy than her "powerful" heart attack special salad.  I didn't even factor in the "8 cups of canola oil" to fry the "2 Trumpet Royal Mushrooms" in (I'm not joking, 8 cups... that's a half gallon of oil).  IMHO, she deserves recognition only as a vegan chef who's apparently oblivious to the well-documented incredible negative impact of fat and saturated fat on the human biosystem.  Is she serious?  A half-gallon of oil for frying two mushrooms?  That's insane.

Anyway, in related repose, I've been thinking about some things Rip (author of, "The Engine 2 Diet" and son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn) had to say in my Mad Cowboy Interview with him (posted yesterday).  Rip's a solid believer of his father's research that reversed heart disease and advocates no added fat in your vegan diet.  Of note:

On the Issue of Protein:

M:  "In your book ["Engine 2 Diet"], you also list a bunch of the myths of a plant strong diet.  What would you say is the biggest one amongst these myths?"

R:  "I'd have to say the biggest one is protein. I get asked about that at least twice a day.  I just say that if your consuming enough calories you never have to worry about getting enough protein."

On the Issue of Moderation:

R:  "With my Dad, that message is perfect.  Depending upon whom I'm speaking to, I'll hit the moderation.  I was speaking to a group of firefighters the other day, and a guy asked me: "How much red meat can I have a week?  Isn't everything in moderation fine?"  I'm like, no, you know what? The whole phrase "everything in moderation" is why we're in such dire straits right now in this country.

One of the things about "Engine 2 Diet" is that what Howard is doing, my father's doing, and McDougall, Ornish and Fuhrman are doing, is we're trying to create a whole new paradigm in health and weight loss.  To me, every other diet program out there concentrates solely on the outside of your body instead of what's inside your body.  To me, we're creating beauty from the inside out."

To further quote Rip, vegetable oil is "synthetic goo."  It's not real food.

Now keep in mind, those are the words of a Professional Vegan Firefighter and award-winning Triathlete.  His father's 20+ years of peer-reviewed research has shown how to reverse heart disease with a no-added fat vegan diet.  One of the only two documented researchers to do this (Dean Ornish is the other). 

Who are you going to trust and believe in, a nutritionally ignorant blogger and/or vegan chef, or the guys out there doing it and proving it in real life?  Heart disease is the biggest killer of people, vegan and non-vegan, male or female, in this country.  And it's not the only chronic disease associated with too much added fat in your diet.

Go vegan, and go no-added fat vegan.  Your body will be healthier, happier, and the odds are that you'll live longer.  That's real power, and it's independent of gender.

Full Interview with Rip here.  Interview with Rip's father here.

Video: "Don't Have a Cow, Mankind."

Amusing sub-60 second clip from The Simpsons about Krusty's new "Burger Squared," admittedly a crime against nature.  Ironically, it's what people who eat hamburgers from fast food restaurants are currently consuming. The "Mad Cow" Special...  Enjoy!  (Note:  what's Howard Lyman's relationship to the Simpsons?  He was invited to speak to the writers and as a result, Lisa became vegetarian! Here's what he had to say about it all (from a previous post))

Latest Mad Cowboy Newsletter - Rip Essy Interview/Recipes

Here's the Intro, Table of Contents, and a Direct Link to the latest Mad Cowboy Newsletter:

LINK:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/message/88

"10_19_09:  Engine 2 Interview, Mutant Milk, & SpiderVeg"

Howdy! Welcome to the 67th issue of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter.

In this issue we're proud to present a Mad Cowboy Interview with the amazing vegan firefighter/author, Rip Esselstyn. Rip's the son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and has built upon his father's remarkable research via some very practical and easy-to-do ways in his diet/exercise/lifestyle book, "The Engine 2 Diet."  There's also three of his recipes for you to try!

Moving on further, there's articles about Mutant Milk, how saturated fat enables Altzheimer's, some surprising statistics on what we eat, Brainfood at the White House, a great new position paper by the ADA on the Vegetarian Diet, and more about that same diet reducing cancer risk.

Continuing in this edition, there's the intriguing proposal for a 50 year Farm Bill, 70 pages of solutions to our agricultural woes, the real cost of food, the new composting mandate in San Francisco, how animal abusers are losing, AETA is winning, new math contrasting a vegan diet with a carnivore's, and the Amazing SpiderVeg!

... as always, a tip of the hat to our new subscribers: y'all can browse past issues at the Mad Cowboy Newsletter Archives:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/

Here's hoping everyone is warm, and to quote Rip: "plant strong" this Winter!

Mark, MC editor/webmaster

***********************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

00: Quote(s) from Howard
01: A Mad Cowboy Interview with Rip Esselstyn
02: Three Recipes from "The Engine 2 Diet"
03: The Vegan Mind-Bender Contest Winner/Challenge!
04: Mad Cow Info Round-Up
05: Mutant Milk, Fat & Altzheimer's, US Fatter, What We're Eating
06: Brainfood, Veg Diet Reduces Cancer & Chronic Disease Risks
07: The Digital Vegan
08: 50 yr Farm Bill, Ag Solutions, Real Food Cost, Composting SF
09: Animal Abusers Lose, AETA Wins, Veg Math, Spider Veg!
10: Howard's Schedule
11: Quick Bytes
12: Closing Thoughts

Top 10 Items Sold At Grocery Stores 06/2008 to 06/2009

[Cited data from an article (with graphical chart) by Mark Bittman, "What We’re Eating."  Sales are ranked by dollars (in the billions).  A very sobering view of the Standard American Diet and how shortsighted it is that this and related preventative issues aren't part of the current "Health Insurance" debate debaucle: 

              ITEM                                         SALES ($B)                             % CHANGE
1.)  Carbonated Beverages                      $12.00                                         1.86
2.)  Milk                                                     $11.20                                        -8.44
3.)  Fresh Bread & Rolls                             $9.57                                         4.77
4.)  Beer/Ale/Hard Cider                             $8.17                                         5.42
5.)  Salty Snacks                                        $8.09                                         9.75
6.)  Natural Cheese                                    $7.64                                         7.75
7.)  Frozen Dinners/Entrees                       $6.13                                         0.18
8.)  Cold Cereal                                          $6.11                                         2.12
9.)  Wine                                                     $5.49                                         3.72
10.) Cigarettes                                            $4.63                                        -2.18

SOURCE: INFORMATION RESOURCES INC. (IRI)

Boo! Hiss! Scaring New Vegetarians about Protein

It's really disturbing to see a vegan blogger, when asked about becoming vegetarian, still groups foods into "protein" and "non-protein." [See: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/10/ask-kathy-can-i-go-veg-with-my-food.html]  This is such an amazing fallacy.  In a previous post (about the same blogger) I noted many non-legume, soy, and wheat gluten, sources of proteins in plants and grains (all vegetables, fruits, grains, etc., have protein, btw). 

IMHO, she should have told her it's not a big worry, and that a diet full of grains, legumes, and vegetables will be more than sufficient.  But to suggest that there are many non-soy, mainstream options on the Whole Foods shelves? Why not mention any good produce department as well?

Instead, promoting the myth about having to worry about protein is not giving good, reliable, or accurate advice to the would be newbie.  Here's some useful opinions:

"Should I be worried about getting enough protein on a vegetarian/vegan diet?  No, not as long as you're taking in enough calories. Official recommendations suggest that eating 8% of our daily energy as protein will provide an adequate amount. National and international recommendations for protein intake are based on animal sources of protein such as meat, cow's milk and eggs. Plant proteins may be less digestible because of intrinsic differences in the nature of the protein and the presence of other factors such as fibre, which may reduce protein digestibility by as much as 10%. Nevertheless, dietary studies show the adequacy of plant foods, as sole sources of protein as does the experience of healthy vegans of all ages... it is easy to see that plant foods can supply the recommended amount of protein as long as the energy requirements are met. The short answer is: "No, sufficient protein can be obtained by eating a variety of foods..."  [The International Vegetarian Union's FAQ]

"11. How do I get protein on a vegan diet?... "  Protein is an important nutrient required for the building, maintenance, and repair of tissues in the body... As long as the diet contains a variety of grains, legumes, and vegetables, protein needs are easily met."  [Dr. Neal Barnard, PCRM  in "Reversing Diabetes"]

"Myth #1: Plants are low in protein:  Plant foods are generally abundant in protein. For example, lettuce gets 34% of its calories from protein, and broccoli gets 45% of its calories from protein. Spinach is 49%. Cauliflower is 40%. Celery is 21%. Beans range from 23% to 54% depending on the variety. Grains are 8% to 31%. Nuts and seeds are 8% to 21%. Fruits are the lowest at around 5-8% on average.  If you wanted to suffer from protein deficiency, you’d either have to seriously restrict total calories (i.e. starve yourself), or you’d have to eat a really messed up, unbalanced diet like nothing but low-protein junk foods and certain fruits. But in those cases, protein deficiency probably won’t be your biggest risk.

Personally I’ve never met anyone suffering from protein deficiency in the USA, vegan or otherwise. The much greater risk (in the USA at least) is overconsumption of protein."  ["The Great Protein Myth."]

"Often when people consider going on a vegetarian or vegan diet, they are concerned about getting enough protein. Your diet cuts out all meat and dairy so how do people get protein?:  It's important to know that there is no such thing as protein deficiency if you're eating enough calories. If you look at the largest animals on the planet they get all the protein they need by eating green leafy vegetables. I talk about this in the book. Mother's breast milk is 5% protein. We as human beings can only use about 12 percent of our calories from protein. It's the one maco nutrient we cannot store. It's a non-issue as long as you're eating enough calories"  [Vegan Firefighter, Rip Esselstyn, author, "Engine 2 Diet"]

So, I'm hereby calling on Kathy to PLEASE stop with the continued promulgating of the fake and erroneous so-called "vegetarian" or "vegan" protein issue, and to stop emphasizing protein in any diet or from limited sources.  It's so wrong, unscientific, and negligent of dietary reality; it's not helping the cause and is instead, perpetuating an unnecessary anxiety for those considering a healthier, happier, and longer life through a vegan diet.  That they learn the truth is important, and what you wrote misses much of it. If you really care about helping people, then give them the "whole" story, and not just what sounds like corporate "Whole Foods" PR.

"A Vegan Zombie's Vegan Twinkie'

In a short article about how Woody Harrelson, while acting in his new movie, "Zombieland," insisted on vegan twinkies made from corn with no sugar.  Says Woody:

"I'm not a Twinkie lover. I don't do sugar or dairy either. When we finally shot my Twinkie-eating scene in the movie, they had to give me a specially made mock Twinkie made of corn meal. It could spur a healthy Twinkie revolution."

The author of the article then recommends a vegan twinkie recipe from Schmoofood & Vegan Lunchbox (here).  How unfortunate.  I've blogged about the clever author of Vegan Lunchbox years ago when it started out, but in recent times I stopped reading her blog for the most part when she was praising "Pringles."

Anyway, I checked out the "Schmooed Food" twinkie recipe and did the math:  28 grams of vegan olive oil/shortening/margarine fat per twinkie, and a whopping 52 grams of sugar per serving.  Oh, and there's 7 grams of saturated fat per twinkie.

Put into perspective:  Ornish & Esselstyn (who've reversed heart disease) recommend between 14 and 24 grams of fat per day (around 10% of your total calories), the Feds no more than 60 grams of fat per day.  Regarding sugar:  the American Heart Association recommends no more than 37 grams of sugar PER DAY for an ADULT man, and no more than 16 grams of saturated fat per day for an adult woman.

Wow... a day's worth of useless added non-real food fat, a half day's worth of saturated fat, and over a day's worth of sugar in ONE "healthy" vegan twinkie.  Now imagine the physiological effect on a child's body.  Reminds me of some dialogue from the 1984 movie version of "Ghostbusters:"

"Dr. Egon Spengler: I'm worried, Ray. All my readings point to something big on the horizon.

Winston Zeddemore: What do you mean, big?

Dr. Egon Spengler: Well, let's say this Twinkie represents the normal amount of psychokinetic energy in the New York area. Based on this morning's reading, it would be a Twinkie thirty-five feet long, weighing approximately six hundred pounds.

Winston Zeddemore: That's a big Twinkie."

Fitting too, that one actually "injects" the filling into the twinkies.  That's not unlike injecting sugar and fat into your cardiovascular system when you eat one.  And It's ironic that the standard definition of the Hebrew term "shmoe" is essentially a "stupid" person.  But regardless, there's just no way I'd ever eat this schlock, vegan or not.  It's a nutritional short-range missile with multiple warheads of fat, saturated fat, and sugar.  Best to avoid it's negative impact on your body and target instead, real food.

[BONUS: check out the excellent summary article concerning oil, it's impact on your body, and cited articles, at the "Happy Healthy Longer Life" blog.  For a graphic of a real vegan zoombie, click here.]

[NOTE 10/16/09:  Happy Healthy Longer Life Blog link fixed... apologies!]

Consciously Deep-Fried Butter @ The State Fair of Texas

The Award-winning Deep-fried Butter (article), (award) was not a surprise (I lived in Dallas).  But it's not much worse than the "Conscious Chef" recipe I evaluated in my previous post.  To wit:

• Let's assume a stick of butter is cut-up, breaded, and deep-fried for the Texas State Fair award-winning appetizer.
• The self-proclaimed "Conscious Chef" (noted in my previous post) fries a breaded meat sub in oil, fries udon noodles in oil (and drizzles oil over them), and then uses 1/2 cup of Earth Balance to make a mushroom sauce.
• Here's the revelation:  that 1/2 cup of Earth Balance, in fat grams, is the same as 1 stick of butter.

CONCLUSION:  the "Conscious Chef" has created a gourmet vegan entree (minus as much, but still high saturated fat), that is pretty much (or more) as totally fatty and unhealthy as the Texas State Fair's Award-Winning "deep-fried butter."  He's using, amongst the other fat additions,  the equivalent of well over a STICK of butter, in terms of fat grams, for his "beautiful and filling" vegan entree.

Wow.  Both recipes are creative ways to insult your cardiovascular system and promote gawd knows what other physical ailments.

It's ironic that we laugh at the "deep fried butter," and praise the intrepid vegan chef's work, when in fact, both attempts are pretty much similar in being nutritionally blasphemous to our bodies when ingested.  At least the vegan chef is honest enough to admit that to him, "fat is flavor."  Yet, both "chefs" know full well it's a taste addiction.  "Frying the butter" versus "frying in butter" is of minimal differential.  Both cater to taste addication.

How "conscious," and more important, healthy, is this?  Why is it that a vegan chef's recipe is, in terms of fat, pretty much as bad as a State Fair's Award-winning "Deep-fried Butter" and still promoted on a popular vegan blog?  Are we so desperate as to be excited about some vegan recipe or a Chef getting Oprah-attention that we ignore evaluating the recipe or body of work from nutritional criteria just 'cause we're so happy to see something vegan?  Too simplistic and narrow-minded.  We must do better than this.

Ultimately, imho, "Moderation kills" (Esselstyn, Campbell, and McDougall).  Going vegan isn't the answer, but going very low-fat vegan, and re-calibrating your fat receptors, is.  Let's stop praising recipes just because they are vegan, and instead, extoll them because they are both vegan AND healthy.

Let's be truly "discriminating."

The Unconscious Cook & "Fat Equals Flavor"

Vegan Chef Tal Ronnen is "known for his convincing Oprah to try going vegan," but when a fav vegan blogger posted a video cooking recipe of his, I was stunned to learn more about his approach to vegan cooking.  An excerpt from the blog post:

"Tal Ronnen, the notorious chef that got Oprah to [try to] go vegan [and failed], shares his enticing, unexpected vegan dishes with everyone who relishes eating beautiful, flavorful, and filling food. In the Conscious Cook every recipe delivers on his promise to omnivores and foodies: “You won’t miss the meat.”" [but the added fat will still mess with your cardiovascular system]

Okay, I decided to check out Tal's video for "Chicken Scaloppini."  I won't embed it on my blog.  It's horrendous and I can't justify promoting his cooking and attitude. I've check out some of his recipes on Oprah's blog... bleech...  But here's the YouTube link cited by The D.B. and then my ad hoc comments/observations:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9A3ahO_t_8 

Here's some comments and quotes about/from the video:

First of all, he's using Gardein Chicken Fillets, and I won't fault him for the ridiculous expense of spending $4 to $5 for 2.5 oz. of 11 grams of protein per serving (hell, you could get 4 lbs. of lentils or 3 lbs. of tofu for the same price).  See this post for more on protein issues.

Okay, in the video, he dredges the cutlets in flour, and FRIES them in OIL (fat).  Is excited that he can "cook it like a traditional protein."  Ignoring that there are many vegetable and grain sources of protein that don't need to be dealt with like "meat."  Figure at least two TBL of oil (probably more):  24 grams of fat.  It's so clever!  He's doing all the same things he would have done if the "protein" was "veal" or "chicken."

He makes a mushroom sauce.  About a half cup of Earth Balance processed goop is added (judging from the video, he doesn't say how much).  That's about 88 grams of fat.

We're already at a total of an estimated 112 grams of fat for a 4 serving dish.  He praises Earth Balance (which is essentially pure fat, and not a real food):

"A lot healthier than butter or margarine."  [not a helluva lot if you consider heart disease]

Then, in a classic moment, justifies using it:

"Fat equals flavor."  [what a narrow and addicted perspective... you are a slave to your taste for fat and probably oblivious of what even the conservative Feds say about fat ingestion and heart disease, diabetes, and obesity]

Fries the udon noodle cakes.  In oil.  Pouring oil over them.  Add another 2 TBL of oil here (I'm being kind):  24 grams of fat.  Running total:  136 grams of fat.  Then, this amazing statement, that tells me he has no idea as to what a healthy vegan diet is:

"Traditionally, people have focussed on creating low-fat vegetarian food.  And, ah, fat does equal a lot of flavor... so I've kinda taken the other approach in using really good and healthy fats.  So if you focus on the "center of plate protein" have have some really good fat, you have a vegetarian dish that is more fullfilling than something you might have eaten in the 70s, like a plate of steamed vegetables and a sandwich with hummus and sprouts, or something like that.  Hippie Food."

The chef is dietarily clueless.  I'm guessing around 30+ grams of unnecessary added fat per serving of his dish, which is ONE HALF of the total daily fat recommended by the Feds for a single person, and over 100 % of what Essy, Ornish, et. al. (the guys who reversed heart disease)  recommend is where's this is at.  Is "fulfilling" more important than promoting degenerative diseases via excessive fat consumption?

"Fat equals flavor?"  Tal says this a couple of times in the video. Even the American Heart Association would be disturbed by his attitude and approach.  And Esselstyn has shown you can lose your taste for fat.

Is Tal really that blind regarding consuming fat and heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and Altzheimer's?  The fat grams in his single dish are amazing...  But then, even ONE fatty meal messes with your blood vessels for over six hours.  The Discriminating Brute was so "discriminate" as to note that "Chef Tal" is known for his beautiful, flavorful, and filling food (at least the word "healthy" wasn't erroneously slipped in there).

Hell, I'd definitely go with (and relish) the "hummus and sprouts" sandwich and steamed vegetables he dismisses in the video as "hippie food" before eating his excessive heart-attack special added fat-ladden fried entree.  The "protein-centric" view he speaks of is also so retro and, with all due respect, nutritionally myopic.  No wonder Oprah went "off the vegan wagon" if this guy was advising her.  Hardly a whole foods and systems approach to diet.  "Fat equals flavor?"  What a shallow perspective of food preparation.

Fatty non-vegan recipes substituted with a "vegan meat" but still, with all the added fat, imho, are not any kind of achievement to praise.  The addiction continues.   Not really an impressive or "conscious" or "discriminating" concept.  Substituting a meat analog while continuing the excessive use of added oils common in "high end culinary cooking" is harding an advancement in health.  It's "unconscious" of dietary reality.  We're killing ourselves via added fat, sugar, and salt.  Tal's vegan recipe is pretty much as unhealthy as the non-vegan equivalent.

IMHO, a "conscious cook" would take the "health characteristics" of a meal into consideration and act accordingly.  Stop with the added oil and the dellusion that "fat adds flavor."  That's akin to saying to an alcoholic that "vodka adds life."  People are addicted to the taste of fat, salt, and sugar, and that's irrespective of their being vegan or not.  Don't cater to it.  Help them get past this... learn the subtleties of taste and flavor that are beyond gross fat... that would be conscious, compassionate, AND creative.  Not to mention, healthy.

Protein: Continuing the Myth & Ignoring Other Sources

I figured that by now, any reasonable vegan would know that the Myth about our needing to worry about where we get our protein is just, for the most part, a myth.

So here comes a blogger who's listing a "Top Ten Protein Sources" for vegans... claiming "power" and "resistence to disease" from said protein, and, while not mentioning what the recommended amount per day might be (which varies quite a bit from the more respected vegan nutritionists, to the WHO, to the overstated US Fed recommendations), proceeds to list these sources and their "protein" per serving amounts in grams (with no sense, again, of what the daily recommended total might be, and that it varies with age and gender):

• Tofu:  8 g
• Edamame:  4 g
• Soy milk/yogurt: 7 g
• Tempeh:  22 g
• Pea Soup:  8 g
• Whole Raw Nuts: 5 g
• Field Roast Vegan Sausage:  12 g
• Hummus:  2 tbl -- 1 g
• Spirulina Powder:  1 tsp -- 2 g
• Hemp Milk:  4 g

Now, I've no quibble with some of these being reasonable, although some are high in fat (as the blogger notes), but here's my ad hoc "TOP TEN" list, showing how narrow those recommendations are, and how that blogger's post stokes the myopic illusion that tofu, beans, and nuts focus are the only ways to meet your protein needs (stats source):

• 1 serving broccoli (cooked):  8 g (more than, or equal to EIGHT of that top ten )
• 1 baked potato:  7 g  (more than, or equal to SIX (almost eight) of that top ten)
• 1 cup brown rice:  5 g  (more than, or equal to FIVE of that top ten)
• 1 cup quinoa:  8 g  (more than, or equal to EIGHT of that top ten)
• 1 cup millet:  6 g   (more than, or equal to FIVE of that top ten)
• 1 cup chard (cooked):  3 g   (more than, or near FOUR of that top ten)
• 1 cup turnip greens and chopped turnips (cooked):  5 g  (more than, or equal to FIVE of that list)
• 1 cup kale (cooked):  2 g (beats the hummus and spirulina powder)
• 1 cup rye:  25 g (tops EVERYTHING on that top ten list)
• 1 cup of buckwheat:  23 g  (tops EVERYTHING on that top ten list)
• BONUS:  1 cup cornmeal:  9.9 g  (tops EIGHT of that top ten)
• EXTRA BONUS:  2 slices homemade whole wheat bread:  8 g
• EXTRA EXTRA BONUS:  1 serving whole wheat spaghetti:  7 g
  

And get this, what I've listed above, for the most part, have less fat, contain more useful nutrition (broccoli in particular), maybe fiber, higher quality, similar quantity of protein, and are generally cheaper.  What's not to like?

In any case, here's a link to an excellent article by Dr. McDougall about the topic of "protein," and here's a link to a "high" mainstream view of protein RDA.):

Finally, the the address of the post I'm discussing (said blogger won't let me link from here to there, for some inexplicable reason):

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/10/get-more-vegan-protein-power-up-top-ten.html

Bottom line:  sure, you get get protein from nuts, beans, seeds, algae.... but don't forget that you can also get it from a variety of vegetables and whole grains.  To suggest, omit, or imply otherwise, just promotes a mind-set and ignorance that the Meat/Dairy Food Corporations (and some bloggers) encourage to our nutritional detriment.

NOTE 8 hrs. later: comments were inadvertantly turned off (bad new TypePad interface).  They are back on.

Probiotic Health Claims Dismissed (finally...)

I've noted many vegan (and non-vegan) bloggers extolling the wonders of "probiotics," in drinks, yogurts, to freeze-dried nonsense.  I've been amazed at the number of health claims made and how little (if any) are substantiated (not unlike that of the "foreign tropical fruit with anxiodant of the day" childishness).  The focus on a single micronutrient, to the exclusion of synergic interactions in the original source with other substances, is, imho, narrow-minded.

The European Union has weighed in on the matter in a rather significant way.  It's also important to note that, unlike in the U.S., since there's universal health care, it's in the government's interest to (a) get serious about health claims and (b) try to help people be as healthy as they can (one of the reasons there's often less salt and sugar in the SAME food product produced and sold in the U.S., then shipped to the EU).

Here's an excerpt from the article of interest (full article HERE and below):

General health claims for "probiotic" drinks and yogurts have been dismissed by a team of experts from the European Union.  Their opinions will now be voted on by an EU Committee which is drawing up a list of permitted health claims.  Scientists at the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) looked at 180 health claims for the supplements.  They rejected 10 claims and said a further 170 had not provided enough evidence of their effects...

EFSA is reviewing all health claims made for food products following the introduction of a new EU law in 2006 which stipulated that all medical-sounding marketing claims must be verified.  The European Commission will eventually consider the list drawn up by the EU committee and develop legislation which will be voted on by member states..."

THE TAKE-AWAY MESSAGE:  don't believe any health-related claims without reasonable and sourced evidence.  People blogging nutritional advice without without doing so are probably altogether too trusting of probable food company hype (and quotes from a company's website).  With the Internet and various search engines, there's just no excuse not to take a few minutes and see what the truth or probable truth is... and always, "follow the money."

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Placebo Effect (video excerpt from The Colbert Report)

Not directly related to veganism and diet or nutrition, but hilarious nonetheless (esp. the last few minutes about sugar oin this sub-7 minute video excerpt... I don't know how long it will be available (probably through the season)).  Enjoy!

Top 100 Health Twitters & A Reality Check

A  "Top 100 healthy twitters list" from the following blog was recently posted with one vegan blogger on it:

http://www.lpn-to-rn.net/blog/category/features/

It's interesting to note that there is no contact information on the blog, no identification of whom runs it, and there only two posts:  100 health experts on twitter, and 100 ways to reduce health care costs (essentially links to news sources, articles, and insurance groups).   Why no background information?  Why no information on the organization or individuals who run the two-post blog and corresponding website?

A WHOIS search shows the domain was registered by Annie Gavin of Iowa City, Indiana.  Why isn't her name on the website or blog (or anyone else's for that matter)?  What's the raison d'etre?  Apparently, to promote online degrees and get paid by organizations who have people inquire about their programs through her online submission form:

http://www.lpn-to-rn.net/

Sure, there are some interesting people noted on the "twitter" list, but calling them all "experts" is quite a stretch (and I've looked at some of their corresponding web sites).  Maybe some of the honored will promote, er, mention, er, link to her blog/website... but do they know about her business?  Do they even know who recommended them?

Regardless, we do get some wellness advice from a listed "expert:"

"Do the healthy thing and follow the Top 17 wellness tweeters.  See them here..."

After all, Ms. Gavin (or rather, whomever wrote the 2 posts) recommended them, so they must all be good, healthy, happy, and knowledgable experts.  Like the listed vegan blooger wellness "expert" who recently promoted Whole Food's mostly meat and dairy school lunch recipes (I'm particularly fond of the "red meat" and "protein" recipes), and created a "day's worth of energizing" recipes that had almost twice the daily fat recommended by the Feds (around five times that of the recommendations of heart disease experts Caldwell Esselstyn and Dean Ornish).

"Healthy TWITter experts" indeed...

A "Mighty O" Heart Attack

A usually interesting vegan blogger today was praising "Mighty O Donuts" in Seatte.  To quote the blogger:

"Their donuts are all vegan and organic. Because there are no animal derived ingredients they are cholesterol free. Mighty O's are made locally, right in the shop and contain no trans fats, artificial colorings or ingredients and are calorie free."

Well, let's glom the nutritional numbers see if we can figure out what the little kid shown in her photo is actually eating.  Sure, it's going to be essentially flour, fat, oil, and sugar (that's what's in a donut).  I'm guessing it's the "peanut sprinkles" chocoloco (BTW: most of the other donuts are much HIGHER in the numbers below).  They don't note the fat content of the peanut sprinkles.

Here's the numbers and percentages for a 2,000 calorie a day grown ADULT:

FAT:  16 grams (almost a third of the total fat for an adult for a day a la Federalists, essentially full-day for Esselstyn and Ornish (who've reversed heart disease:  14 to 24 grams of fat per day)

SAT FAT:  7 grams (about 35% of what the American Health Association recommends for AN ADULT)

SUGAR:  16 grams of sugar (a little under half what the AHA recommends daily for ADULT MEN)

Wonderful.  At least, as the website notes so loudly, that their donuts are "organic," "clean," "non-gmo," and contains "nothing artificial.  After all, we wouldn't want a dirty heart attack.  What the are doing might sound noble ('environmental," "free trade," yadda yadda yadda...), but in reality they are making and selling a highly addictive and decidedly unhealthy VEGAN processed food fat, sugar, and oil delivery vehicles.

...and some wonder why are kids are showing such high obseity and Type II Diabetes rates!  It ain't just because the're not vegan, kiddos.  It's the glazed or sprinkled ticking nutritional time bombs served with a smile.  But, since the saturated fat can feed Altzheimer's, maybe they'll forget about it later.

Here's the company's "core values" (no direct link, badly designed Flash navigation):

• "Respect for individuals, community, and culture" (but we don't care if our products are nutritionally useless and promote heart disease, diabetes, Altzheimer's and obesity)
• "Respect for nature and the environment" (except for your cardiocascular system)
• "Recognize that continual improvement is necessary for our growth and existence.  Be innovative."  (...find new ways to package fat, sugar, salt, and flour, with a high profit margin, to sell to taste addicts)
• "Preserve modesty as an essential tenant to serve others" (WTF? Well, maybe it's "clean" modesty)
• "Be truthful.  Recognize that our success is based on more than profits." (that's true!  It's based on selling fat and sugar-ladden flour products with nano-nutritional value that significantly increase the odds for a shorter life span, while feeding the buyer's addictions)

It's also ironic 'cause they list a ton of artificial food-like ingredients they are avoiding and even include a link to a webpage about "Food Additives" that can cause cancer.  Pity they've missed the heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and Altzheimer's potential from their "natural" ingredients (oil is natural?  I've yet to see an "olive oil" well.).

Transcend your taste bud's addiction to fat, sugar, and salt... transform them into discriminators of REAL food, and not such deep-fried or baked sugar, fat, and flour nutritionally vapid nonsense as "Might O" Donuts.

That's PRESERVING LIFE... and being seriously RESPECTFUL to your body and to those people that love you.  Your health is based on more than taste... And that's the recognizable truth.

False Energizing (Day One)

A "vegan" blogger has been writing a series on "energizing meals and foods" and I thought it would be interesting to do a fat analysis of the recipes for DAY ONE.  I can't give you a direct link (she's so proud of her work she blocks me from linking to her from here), but here's the address:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/09/foods-for-your-mood-series-part-two.html

Now, IGNORING dessert and sugar or salt content, here's the nutritional breakdown (all per one serving and approximate):

"Upon Rising: Handful of raw cashews and glass of tea or fresh juice:  2 oz (quarter cup): 

24 grams of fat

Breakfast: Super Enzyme Banana Pineapple Smoothie with protein powder added or 1-2 vegan sausage patties for protein:  assume ONE patty (Morningstar): 

3 grams of fat

Mid-Morning Snack: Pop Quiz Toast-Ups (any nut butter and fruit combo)  (all the spreads are high in fat:  assume 1 T): 

12 grams of fat

Lunch: Fennel Arugula Citrus Salad with 1 cup of edamame soy beans and sunflower seeds added (slice of sprouted grain bread optional) --- didn't add up soy beans and sunflower seeds:

8 grams of fat (for avocado)
12 grams of fat (olive oil)
4.5 gram of fat (1/2 T of vegannaise)

Afternoon Snack: "My Glass is Greener" Green Juice (add some ambrosia-style trail mix if extra hungry)  --- I'm ignoring the trail mix, might be fried in oil, the nuts are fatty, but overall, this is insignificant with what will clearly be an amazing amount of fat per person.

Dinner: Sweet Potato Mash with Lemon Pepper Tempeh Cubes side of Crunchy Cool Jicama Slaw

12 grams of fat (olive oil, one serving)
18 grams of fat (1/2 tempeh block, assume a cup)

3 grams of fat (olive oil, one serving)
4 grams of fat (vegannaise)

Bedtime Munchie: One Nutty Peanut Butter Brown Cookie

Ignoring "bedtime munchie," my ad hoc analysis shows that in DAY ONE, the recommended "ENERGIZING" menu of recipes easily exceeds 100 GRAMS OF FAT for one person.

The Feds recommend no more than 60 grams of fat per day on a 2,000 calorie diet, Esselstyn and Ornish recommend 14 to 26 grams of fat per day.

This vegan menu, under the delusion that it's "energizing," for one person, has almost 2 times the daily recommended fat from the Feds, and roughly FIVE times recommended by the guys who demonstratively reversed heart disease.

Energizing?  It's a fat-ladden monstronsity, and, imho, ill-advised. Certainly NOT "healthy and happy" unless you want "happy healthy" heart disease, obesity, and a host of other physical ailments.

From the menu creator:

"Foods for Your Mood: Energizing Menus.
*Note that this is an example diet of how I eat for energy, your dietary needs may vary so always consult with your own doctor or dietitian."

Nuts... you don't need to consult anyone.  Just do a basic nutritional breakdown using Google's Search engine.  The fat facts don't lie.  "Dietary needs might vary?" Sure, someone out there needs twice the daily fat the Feds recommend, so it's okay.

Can't wait to check out "Day Two" if I've the stomach for it.  Probably not.

Identify this Vegetable and Win Something!!!

Yes... it's come to this...  I've decided to stop criticizing on all those vegan bloggers proclaiming healthy views but still shilling unhealthy vegan products or recipes and giveaway contests, to join the Gravy Train (think "Pink Floyd" and "Have a Cigar")... as such, my first giveaway contest.  After all, do you really think electrons are free?

Here's a photo of the mysterious vegetable:

Now, all you have to do is figure out what vegetable it is.  WHAT could be simpler?  (Click on image for larger image if you are confused)

Soooo, what will you win if you are chosen in the drawing of accurate answerererers?  A FREE packet of "Mama Mark's" Instant Aqua Water! An amazing product, with no fat, no salt, no sugar, no fiber, and lots of nutrition (t's kosher, yet gluten and trans-fat free, and will help you replace sweat!!).  Based on the same stuff recently found on Mars and the Moon by SCIENTISTS using TECHNOLOGY.

Think of it!  All you need to do is simply "add water" to this gourmet secret mixture of a thousand no spices and you'll get the bonus of two hydrogen atoms for every oxygen!  It's VEEGUN... so it must be happy, healthy, and good!  It's scientifically proven that this special water is so so so so so good for you that you must have it, you must have it, you must have it.  Yummy!  Can't go three days without it.  The taste is amazing, and the health benefits are so frickin' numerous and obvious we don't bother to write them up.  It's the "anti-antioxidant!"  It's ENERGIZING!  It's Coconut Water without the Coconut which means you get MORE water!  Wow.... so happy and healthy!

Instant Vegan "Di-hydrogen oxide..."  And folks, it's organic (and free trade). You can drink it, you can pour it on your head, you can pour it on other parts of your body, hell, you can pour it on just about anything that needs pourage!  So come on Internet Tube-ites,  let's get those guesses a flowing!  First 10,000 responders get a free recipe USING Mama Mark's Instant Aqua Water (note: PDF format).

LEGAL DISCLAIMER:  Mama Mark's Instant Aqua Water might cause immediate hydration, periodic bladder flushing, a heightened sense of non-de-hydration, an intense wetness, profound watery-like feeling, and spots on some fabrics.  Use with caution, do not operate heavy equipment while consuming, add alcohol at your discretion, use a drip-free glass, don't use on Gremlins, cats might get pissed, keyboard Pepsi Syndrome may occur, and always, always, take with tongue-in-cheek (above the neck).  Offer void where people are rational.

CONTEST RULES:  you must be able to breathe without moving your lips, live on Planet Earth, are primarily carbon-based, believe in vegan food product reviews without nutritional analysis of same, and waste hours responding to contests like this.  Spelling counts, you pay for postage and any residual psychiatric counseling.  Scorpios with Venus ascendent need not apply.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:  about 1 second before this is posted.

Whole Foods Lunchbox Program: Whole Foods Bull$hit

This is a wonderful example of a vegan blogger's absurdity regarding veganism, corporate PR, and nutrition (http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com --  she won't allow links from my blog to hers and re-directs them (that's how proud she is of her work), which, if you think about it, is pretty stupid.  Why wouldn't she want people to read her posts?).

In this post, http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/09/whole-foods-healthy-school-lunch-video.html, she promotes the Whole Foods Lunchbox Program and a video contest.  A classic Corporate PR attempt to spin Whole Foods stuff into healthy meals for kids.  And yet, she promotes it.  WTF?  Here's the link to their recipes (the sub-links sometimes don't have URLs):

"Does your child's school need a healthy lunch revolution? Well you're in luck because Whole Foods is sponsoring the Healthy School Lunch Video Contest featuring Chef Ann Cooper, "The Renegade Lunch Lady". The contest is all a part of their "School Lunch Revolution" campaign currently underway. "  (words of wisdom from Kathy)

Here's the catch:  check out the link to their website.  NOTHING under vegetarian yet (guess they were too busy).  Here's the recommended "cheeseburger" recipe link, and there's nothing without dairy in the "calcium" recipes menu option.  There's also no recipes under "Fruit" (guess that's a toughie).  Most of the Whole Grain recipes involve dairy, and or meat.  Oh, it's got a "great" section on "Red Meat" recipes.  And ALL the category "protein" recipes contain meat.  Whole Foods ain't got beans?

Way to go Kathy!!  Whole Foods is promoting largely meat and dairy based lunches for kids, and you in turn, probably without bothering to look at their website, are doing the same.

And you have the nerve to call yourself a "happy, healthy vegan."  You're promoting an unhealthy meat and dairy-based lunch program that is anything but lucky.  It encourages obesity, cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.  And in children...

What is lucky, is maybe some people will read this and realize that this kind of lack of basic research into nutrition, content, ingredients, and the demonstrable adherence to whatever a product's company says on their website without analysis, isn't doing anyone any good.  Digital fluff, nutritional hype.

IMHO, promoting a meat and dairy-based lunch program, as a self-proclaimed vegan, is hypocritical.  And, again, imho, you should be ashamed.

Your Heart: An Apple or Apple Juice?

I was at a local farmer's store this afternoon and heard a man asking about the sugar content in their homemade apple juice (no preservatives).  Apparently, he's developed heart disease recently and he's trying to adjust to cutting back his sugar and fat.  I struck up a conversation and checked out the label on a pint (roughly two cups) of Fresh Apple Juice.

At first it appeared as though it was 29 grams of sugar, but that was for one serving (one cup).  That pint of apple juice has 58 grams of sugar.  Clearly something for him to avoid.  I wrote down some URLs I've memorized that will help him learn more about low-fat, reversing heart disease, and low fat vegan recipes.

To put it in perspective:  the nutritionally conservative American Heart Association recommends 25 grams of sugar per day for woman (6 teaspoons, or 1/8 cup), on average, and 37.5 grams for men (9 teaspoons, roughly 1/5 cup (12 t = 1/4 cup)). 

That pint of juice has over twice a full day's recommended sugar for women, around 1.5 times recommended for men.

This got me thinking.  Awhile back Dr. McDougall weighed in on whether juice is a good idea.  I decided to check into the total sugar in one apple (medium):  13 grams (source).

That pint of apple juice, minus skin and any fiber, has over FOUR TIMES THE SUGAR OF ONE APPLE.

An apple a day will help keep the heart doctor away, but a pint of apple juice will increase your risks of heart disease.  Stick with one of nature's greatest gifts:  whole fruit.  More nutrition, more fiber, less sugar (and absorbed much slower), and cheaper!  What's not to like?

Super Award-winning Vegan Pie Recipe: Insulting Your Arteries & Brain

This 1st place award-winning vegan pie recipe is a real eye opener.  Let's glom the nutritional numbers (leaving out the non-fat ingredients):

38 grams of fat per serving (6 servings per pie is average)

12 grams of saturated fat per serving

TOTAL FAT:  as percentage of Preventing Heart Disease Recommendations (14 to 24 grams, Esselstyn, et. al.):  300% to over 150%

As percentage of the Feds Daily Fat Total Recommendation (60 grams):  over 50%

TOTAL SATURATED FAT PER SERVING and AS % RECOMMENDED BY THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION (16 grams):  around 75% recommended

Mostly this unnecessary and added fat and saturated fat comes from Earth Balance, which is, (to quote Rip Esselstyn regarding oil), "synthetic goo."  It's not a real food by any stretch of the imagination and is essentially nutritionally void.  Remember, even ONE high fat meal can affect the elasticity of your arteries for several hours.  Saturated fat has also now been linked with Altzheimer's disease (here), in addition to heart disease.

"What about in Moderation?" some people will whine:  let's read what Dr. T. Colin Campbell (lead investigator of the largest study on diet in history, who also advocates the same low fat recommendations of Ornish and Esselstyn) has to say in a recent interview:

"KF: Isn't anything in moderation ok, as long as we don't overdo it?

TCC: I rather like the expression told by my friend, Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., MD, the Cleveland Clinic surgeon who reversed heart disease and who says, "Moderation kills!" I prefer to go the whole way, not because we have fool-proof evidence showing that 100% is better than, say, 95% for every single person for every single condition but that it is easier to avoid straying off on an excursion that too often becomes a slippery slope back to our old ways. Moreover, going the whole way allows us to adapt to new unrealized tastes and to rid ourselves of some old addictions. And finally, moderation often means very different things for different people."

From even the governmental conservative food corporation-influenced standard, at over 50% of the daily fat recommended per day, and 75% of the saturated fat, this is hardly a "super" or "award-winning" recipe in regards to your cardiovascular system and brain.  That's it's vegan is a useless determinent.

Let's hope more people begin to understand that taste isn't as important as how what's in what you eat affects your body, and in particular, your heart and mind.

ADDENDUM:  just noted how ironic it is that a vegan blogger has quoted  (http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/09/casein-most-relevent-cancer-promoter.html  -  she won't allow links from my blog to hers, guess the truth bothers her) what Campbell said in that same interview about casein, milk, cheese, and cancer, and then recommended "Follow Your Heart Cheese," omitting the above quote and not mentioning how incredibly high that synthetic goo is in fat,  IMHO, if you're going to quote someone, at least don't leave out what that person says (and believes) which runs totally against what you then advocate.  It's either careless or hypocritical, and certainly bad blogging.

Saturated Fat & Altzheimer's: The Link

09_0904: "...research has revealed the link between Alzheimer’s disease and [saturated] fat intake.  In one of the first studies of its kind, Curtin Alzheimer’s expert Professor John Mamo has explained why foods high in saturated fat can increase the likelihood of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease...

“Our study found that some dietary fats damaged the ‘blood-brain-barrier.’ The blood-brain-barrier is an important membrane that regulates what is normally allowed in and out of the brain, like important nutrients.”  Professor Mamo said Alzheimer’s disease was characterised by the presence of a protein in the brain called amyloid, which caused inflammation and cell death.

“Stopping amyloid deposits from forming is the key to slowing or preventing Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.

Professor Mamo’s Curtin research team found that saturated fats, like those found in poor quality processed meats, caused an increase in amyloid delivery from the blood to the brain, resulting in a “brain overload” of amyloid..."

[NOTE:  there are many NON-ANIMAL sources of saturated fat:

"In general, the main sources of saturated fat are from animal products: red meat and whole-milk dairy products, including cheese, sour cream, ice cream and butter. But there are also plant-based sources of saturated fat, principally coconut oil and coconut milk, palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, and palm oil. And while you probably don’t go to the store and buy these—with the exception of coconut milk—these plant-based saturated fats crop up in a number of commercially prepared products. Cocoa butter is in chocolate. Coconut oil and palm oils are in anything from non-dairy whipped toppings and coffee creamers, to cookies and cakes." SOURCE

Many vegan food products have high amounts of saturated fat (cookies, fake cheeses, and candy bars, are examples).  The Newman's Organic Chocolate Bars I slam in previous posts have 100% of the daily recommended saturated fat TOTAL for women.

What a killer... 2/3 the daily sugar and 100% the daily saturated fat as recommended by the American Heart Association.  Newman's Super Dark Chocolate bar offers greater chances of contracting not only heart disease, but, apparently, Altzheimer's as well.  Maybe the "happy" blogger should reconcider promoting them.

And to those who whine about moderation...how to you know when you've reached the limit?  Better to get rid of the taste addiction in the first place.

Article citing study: here and below.  Go low fat vegan and stop rationalizing otherwise.  The evidence of the deleterious aspects of added fat just keeps growing.]

Response to Happy Herbivore

[NOTE:  Since posting this yesterday, I read a study that implicates Saturated Fat in helping cause Altzheimer's disease.  Here's a link to my post about the study.]

I posted a few coments regarding another fat-sugar-ladden chocolate bar giveaway on Happy Herbivore early this morning.  The first was a link (she removed this without telling me or anyone).  The second was to point out the nutritional numbers on the products being promoted, and the third, in response to the blogger, politely asking is it really worth it?  Don't know what else has gone on there, after the blogger deleted my link, I lost interest.

Anyway, the blogger sent me an e-mail.  Unfortunately, I didn't intend to post any more comments (and said as much), but a friend told me that she posted a large comment, effectively exaggerating and blowing things outta proportion.  Didn't realize the e-mail was the same comment (she didn't tell me).  So, in the interest of fairness, here's the exact long e-mail I sent back to her.

I don't like doing this in public, but she's left me no choice.   FYI, Mark

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To: Happy Herbivore <happyherbivore@gmail.com>
From: Mark Sutton <msutton@soulveggie.com>
Subject: Re: Comments

Mark, you are nothing short of a bully. You’ve harassed VeganDad and now you’re terrorizing my giveaway. Yes I run a fat-free blog & believe in a low fat / no added fat diet. Though, the body does need some fat to survive and as someone else pointed out, there have been dozens of studies have shown that dark chocolate is beneficial and HEALTHY if eaten sparingly. There are plenty of raw foodists who also preach the benefits of dark chocolate. That said I am not ADVERTISING dark chocolate. I am giving it away. Newman’s kindly sent me free products. I was not paid for them. I was not paid to review them. I was not paid to give them away. They were free promotion items I was sent and since they gave me so much, I decided to share it with others AT MY EXPENSE.

[Terrorizing?  Hardly.  Harassing?  Gimmee a break.

'Sides, each of those bars contain a day's worth of saturated fat and 2/3 a days worth of sugar (according to the AHA).  I just pointed out the truth.  You run a fat-free blog and believe in a low fat/no added fat diet, and you giveaway this processed junk and think that it's okay morally?

That's your call, and open game to voice opinion on.

"Sparingly?"  Yeah, someone's going to eat part of a bar and save the rest for later.  Right.

The truth is, that to drive up your stats and promote your website, you are promoting, effectively forever, vegan junk food that isn't healthy.  Extra credit for tweeting, joining a newsletter, etc., using free fatty chocolate bars as bait.  Watching those numbers rise is a rush, isn't it?

As I wrote, hardly terrorizing, "I love your recipes" (what a bully!!), "but despise the giveaways. " That's my prerogative.  I got many supportative e-mails from my own posts about what you're doing (note:  never linked directly to your site or used your blog name).  They all, unanimously, can't believe you'd promote such products.  They've questioned your credibility and motivation.

And it is advertising.  Why do you think they sent you the stuff for free?  You are being used, and in this case, it's to promote unhealthy fat and sugarful vegan junk food.]

[Rest of the Long E-mail Response is Below]

Promoting Vegan Junk Food Forever & Instant Karma

Without realizing the temporal consequences, many vegan bloggers have taken a liking to receiving free vegan food products from companies, and then promoting them, regardless of the nutritional content, and generally ignoring same.  They praise and praise the products, offer giveaways, and all to drive more traffic to their blog.  They usually cite product claims straight from the company's website without investigating their validity.

I've written about this many times.  Most recently here, here, and here.

In correspondence with a long-term vegan online friend today (and owner of an extremely popular vegan blog), my friend pointed out that these bloggers are, in effect, promoting unhealthy (fatty, salty, sugary) junk food to the vegan community, and since they've blogged about the product, they have, in effect, provided FREE ADVERTISING FOR THIS JUNK FOOD FOREVER.

How proud they must be... a new term comes to mind to describe them:  the Perpetual Vegan Shill. 

Encouraging people to buy and consume excessively fatty fake cheeses, ridiculous fatty and sugar-laden candy bars, and other nutritionally useless products.  And with the Internet, it's forever on their blogs.  They should be totally ashamed, especially those bloggers who extoll "healthy" vegan food and "no to low fat vegan recipes" on their blogs but get all excited about giving away highly processed vegan junk food.

But wait!  They'll get more free vegan products to eat and write about, and the cycle perpetuates itself.

Very very sad.  Selling your vegan soul for free products by promoting vegan junk food, forever... and in return for encouraging people to eat badly, you get more free food and more hits!  Is it really worth it?

IMHO, to quote John Lennon, "Instant karma's gonna get you."

[09_0911:  Addendum:  Wow!  The Happy Shillavore has just posted another giveway of Newman's Own Chocolate Bars (only if you subscribe to her Newsletter).  How weird.... a vegan chef promoting no to low-fat vegan recipes giving away free high fatty/sugary vegan candy bars (nutritional analysis and original commentary here) to stimulate site hits and Newsletter subscriptions  How sad.]

"Newman's Own Organics Dark Secret"

It's really ironic when a superb vegan chef, who's created some marvelous no- and low-fat vegan recipes, actively promotes (and does a giveaway to drive more traffic to her site) a product that, on the surface, seems to be reasonably healthy and good, but is, in fact, far from both.  However, since they sent her a free box of stuff to review, guess that's okay.

The blogger is giving away 3 "Newman's Own Premium Dark Chocolate Bars" at random to people who leave a comment on her post.  They get an extra "entry" for Tweeting or Blogging about her post.

But the blogger hasn't bothered to either seek or note the nutritional breakdown of these junk bars (hey!  they're ORGANIC... that MUST be good).  So let's take a peek at the Nutritional Analysis of one of these puppies (Newman's own doesn't bother to provide the RDA percentages at their website):

1) FAT:  28 grams of fat (that's double to over the total recommended per day by the guys who've reversed heart disease, Ornish and Esselstyn), and about half recommended per day by the Feds.  It's also 16 grams of saturated fat, and that's 100% of the total daily saturated fat (a heart disease promoter) recommended for women by the Feds.

2) SUGAR:  16 grams.  That's 2/3 of the TOTAL sugar recommended per day by the American Heart Association for women (25 grams), and about 1/2 of the TOTAL recommended per day for men.

Newman's Own Dark Secret:  that chocolate bar is a very effective fat/saturated fat/sugar delivery vehicle for inviting heart disease, let alone, obesity and diabetes...  Even ONE high fat meal is tough on your arteries.  Such a gracious giveaway... giving people a chance to win a free chocolate bar, and ultimately, giving three people a greater chance for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

However, to keep getting vegan freebies, one must not worry about all that fat/sugar stuff.  It's someone else's decision to eat the stuff... all that matters is promoting more blog traffic to get more freebies, which will, in turn, promote more blog traffic!  An endless cycle...

But then hey, a free organic heart attack is better than one that's not, right?

The Controversial Muppet Hunt

The 1980s TV comedy ensemble, "Friday's" was quite edgy and at times better than SNL.  Here's where they satirize "seal hunts" and aside from being funny,  it's quit clever and makes a good statement about how wrong and evil the real hunts are.  The "stab" later at those who wear fur is priceless.  Enjoy!

Reason #2: A Food Nazi Recommends "Go Max Go" Again

I posted about the fat in "Go Max Go" vegan candy bars awhile back (here), was called a "Food Nazi."  Today, the American Heart Association released sugar intake daily recommendations that provide evidence for considering "Go Max Go" vegan candy bars a DOUBLE hit on your cardiovascular system.  My original post was about the very high added oil/fat content in these products.  Now, we know that it's also the sugar content that is threatening to our health.

The stodgy and conservative A.H.A. recommends no more than 100 calories from sugar per day for women, 150 calories per day for men.  Here's some translations of note (primary source):

1) 1 gram of sugar is 4 calories
2) 1 teaspoon of sugar contains around 15 or 16 calories (4.2 grams of sugar)
3) 8 teaspoons of sugar (like, one 12 oz. can of soda) is 33 grams (around 130 calories)
4) 8 teaspoons of sugar is a little over 2.5 Tablespoons of sugar  (1/2 cup of sugar)

AHA recommendations:  max daily of 37.5 grams of sugar for men, 25 grams for women

"Go Max Go" candy bars:

JokerZ:  22 grams of sugar  (close to a day's worth for a woman)
Twilight:  29 grams of sugar  (over a day's worth for a woman)
Buccaneer:  33 grams of sugar  (over a day's worth for a woman and close to that of a man)
Mahalo:  18 grams of sugar

So, if you want an extremely high-fat high-sugar nutritionally useless vegan "treat" that has potential impact on you manifesting obesity, Type II Diabetes, and/or Heart Disease, I highly recommend "Go Max Go" candy bars.  They are very effective fat and sugar delivery vehicles, and the most important bonus, they taste gud!

THE RANT:  going vegan doesn't mean that using vegan "crappy food products" instead of the original "non-vegan crappy food products" is better for all animals.  The animal not being saved, exchanging one taste addiction for another, is the human animal.

Something to think about the next time you read a recipe with 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of olive oil or Earth "Balance," and/or tablespoons of Tamari.  Added fat, sugar, and salt are the "unholy trio."   We vegans can, without knowing it, kill ourselves by what we eat by ignoring the "trio" just as efficiently and unknowingly as the omnivores doing the same.  The only difference is that they increase their odds of disease by ingesting animal products and less fresh produce, and as a vegan, you can decrease the odds, but if you pay attention to added fat, salt, and sugar, you can drastically reduce those odds.

Just because a product is vegan, doesn't mean it's healthy.  You newbies out there have a unique opportunity: this knowledge is readably available through the Internet, demonstrated by Science in recent years (known by such as Esselstyn, Ornish, Barnard, and McDougall for decades), and you lucky b*st*rds can take advantage of this early in life, extend your life, and enhance the quality of your later life... believe me, it's worth the initial effort.

All you need is a little discipline and will power to re-calibrate your tastebuds and food desires.  The same abilities you used to become vegan in the first place.  Reject what vegan and non-vegan companies would have you buy to fullfill your addiction, increase their profits, and instead, reboot your tastes. 

"GO" for "MAXimum"  health and optimal nutrition:  stop buying and consuming unhealthy vegan products.  Your heart, pancreas, brain, libido, and body, will thank you, and serve you even better.

PETA Video: Jiminy Glick Interviews Ronald McDonald

Jiminy Glick Interviews 'Ronald McDonald'

Bonus Footage of Glick and McDonald.

How to be a Vegan Shill & "Use the Google Luke"

1) Post incredible praise over a product that was sent to you by the producer, extoll its virtues without any proof, and if possible, focus on taste and claim it's the "best" at "name that presumed nutritional attribute" ever and that you couldn't live without it.

2) Repeat every health benefit mentioned on the product's website without noting that this information is all from that website, and you've done no research to validate or confirm any of the health claims.  Here's part of the vegan blog post that prompted this post, with my italized comments... the "bold" text is directly from the product's website and was cited by said blogger verbatim:

"Key Health Benefits:

O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is excellent for replacing lost electrolytes from exercise or illness

[yeah, 60 mg salt (2% daily) and 670 g of potassium (19% daily)... big whoop... how did those Kenyan marathoners ever do without coconut water to replace their lost electrolytes?  I think this is a typo and it's only 670 mg of potassium.]

O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is an all-natural sports/energy drink

[does this really mean anything significant?  "All-natural" and "energy" (just 15 g of carbs (5% daily requirement)]

O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is a natural isotonic beverage – contains a similar level of electrolytes found in human blood.

[So, with this logic, would drinking blood be a good idea?  "isotonic" just means the same salt concentration as is in blood.  Notice the fine marketing spin on the concept.]

O.N.E.™ Coconut Water may help promote smoother, more hydrated skin

[Wow, it "may" help promote, etc.  Maybe it might also provide eternal youth!  You never know...]

O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is non-allergenic

[Presumably... is this really a big issue and has it been thoroughly researched?  Just more marketing b*s*t.]

O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is rich in potassium. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and heart function

["Rich" in potassium is good?  Check this out:

"Another dietary measure to lower blood pressure is to consume a diet rich in potassium. A potassium-rich diet also blunts the effects of salt on blood pressure, may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones, and possibly decrease bone loss with age. The recommended intake of potassium for adolescents and adults is 4,700 mg/day. Recommended intakes for potassium for children 1 to 3 years of age is 3,000 mg/day, 4 to 8 years of age is 3,800 mg/day, and 9 to 13 years of age is 4,500 mg/day.  Potassium should come from food sources.  Fruits and vegetables, which are rich in potassium with its bicarbonate precursors, favorably affect acid-base metabolism, which may reduce risk of kidney stones and bone loss. Potassium-rich fruits and vegetables include leafy green vegetables, fruit from vines, and root vegetables.":  SOURCE

...yes, potassium helps regulate blood pressure and heart function, but the only reason to bring this up is to IMPLY that this high-priced liquid placebo will do the same for you.  This stuff, if they didn't make a typo, has much more than the daily recommended amount by health.gov above).  More likely, it's 670 mg of potassium.  Yup, more than a banana (470 mg) as they note on their website.  Big deal. You could buy 3 to 4 POUNDS of bananas for the probable cost of one bottle of O.N.E. Coconut Water.  Anyway, here's a list of potassium amounts in fruits/veggie/etc., for comparison.]

O.N.E.™ Coconut Water is an effective oral rehydration medium and keeps the body cool."

[So are water, beer, chilled wine,a nice Mojito, cold juice, and even better, water and a fan, for "exrteme enhanced effective oral and environmental rehydration."]

3) giveaway free samples of said product that the company sent you.

And, in the event you've read the info at O.N.E.'s website, "gently flash pasteurized" is a marketing way of saying "we boil this stuff at 160 to 165 degrees for 15 to 30 seconds."

But, at least they didn't point out or claim that it's Kosher, has no wheat gluten, no animals were tortured during it's processing, and is trans-fat free --- as some of the vegan junk food producers do.

What a waste of money...  Be a Happy Hydrovore!  Stick with water and/or fruit.  Environmentally sound, fresh, nutritious.  Way natural...

...and always do your homework.  The more something is praised, promoted, and marketed, the greater the claims, stated virtues and promises, the more you should be skeptical and do a little bit of research to know what real and what's hype, especially if lazy bloggers or prouct promotors don't:

"Use the Google, Luke."

Superb Article about Howard Lyman, aka, "The Mad Cowboy"

During years of working with Howard I've reviewed many articles about him.  The following is likely the best and most spot-on I've seen.  It's also current, although Howard's 71st birthday will be in mid-September.  It's also worth noting that not only is he a self-proclaimed "hard core" animal rights vegan, he is dedicated thoroughly to a no added fat/oil regimen with as little salt and sugar as possible.

Here's some short edits from the article here (and below);

"...Decades before cult foodie books "Fast Food Nation" and "The Omnivore's Dilemma" topped best-seller lists, or this summer's shock documentary "Food, Inc." hit theaters, Lyman was speaking what he calls "the straight facts." The message was this: Corporate greed is killing American agriculture, and we're digging more graves with our forks than any other tool..."

"...It takes the amount of material to cover the sharp end of a pen to cause mad cow disease in a human, and you've got anywhere between 200 and 1,000 different animals in one 4-ounce burger?" Lyman said. "Not a good idea to me..."

"...Lyman regularly travels the country speaking his simple message: If we don't watch what we feed ourselves, and how we utilize our planet, we're going to go just like the dinosaurs.

"The more I learned about it, the greatest feeling I had was knowing that no animal had to die for me to live," Lyman said. "But when I stopped and looked at it, my health, or the health of the animals, is insignificant compared to the health of the planet..."

Check it out!

[Mad Cowboy website, free Mad Cowboy e-Newsletter]

Myth: "Food Must Taste Good" & A Healthy Chips Alternative

A vegan blogger posted the phrase "Food Must Taste Good" today, which was her lead-in to reviewing a bunch of "Food Must Taste Good" chip products (mostly vegan junk food).

She praised the hell outta them, and used a lot of buzz phrases from their website, "no trans-fats," yadda yadda... and even though they are baked, it's important to realize that they are essentially spices, refined flour, and added fat.  She calls them healthy, but never mentioned the nutritional content, which is available on their website (amazing how far they reach to find some way to extol their products..."kosher?"). 

LIke, what's the fat grams total per serving? (6... that's high... a third to a fourth recommended daily fat by Esselstynn and Ornish)  What's the sodium content?  You write they are a good source of dietary fiber?  Says who? (oh, the website does...  must be true... refined grain flours are a wonderful source of fiber, right?)  But then she acknowledges that: "I’m hopelessly in love with them."

Yeah, right. But didn't meat, cheese, and eggs used to "taste good?"

The "food must taste good" mantra is a god-send for food companies that make a financial killing by biologically killing us through convincing us that refined flour, salt, fat, and in other cases, sugar, are "real food."  If anything, the past few decades have shown how the food industry's mastery of what we get addicted too is surpassed only the tobacco industry and various other drug dealers.  Obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and type II diabetes.  The real fruits of their marketing research and laboratories.  The pinnacle of the "agricultural revolution."

But then, they know all too well that sugar, salt, and fat are addictive.  That's why they put them into just about every processed food product.  We pay extra for their diminishing the nutritional value of real food and increasing it's addictive effects.  We threaten our health and screw up our internal biochemistry in consuming their frankenfoods, but "HEY!  IT TASTES GOOD!!!"

Real food should be FIRST, as nutritious and as unadulterated as possible.  THEN, if it tastes good, it's a double-win for you, your body, your life, and society in general.  Real food doesn't come packaged in foil bags.  Think about it:  why are there so many types and brands of chips?  Because they are CHEAP to make in bulk, are comprised of generally inferior ingredients that might resemble food at some point in their life cycle, and they are addictive... helluva business (and profit margin).  Make it cheaply, sell it higher, and as a bonus, it's naturally addictive.  Added sugar, added fat, and added salt:  the deadly trifecta.

For healthy corn tortilla chips, cut up corn tortillas, sprinkle with cumin or paprika, arrange on no-stick cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees until crisp (around 5 minutes, depending upon your oven).

Try them with homemade salsa, you'll be in love with them, be avoiding the useless added fat and salt, and truly be a heart happy herbivore!

Homestyle Heart Attack Pot Pie & A Healthy Alternative

Just glommed a vegan "healthy happy Homestyle Tofu Pot Pie" recipe blogged (at http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/)  yesterday.  As busy as I am (harvesting, digging, fencing, etc.), a quick "fat fact check" on this "killer" recipe was in order.  Here's the ingredients with significant fat in them:

1/4 cup oil:  8 grams sat fat or 48 gram fat
1 block (10 oz) extra firm tofu:  about 13 grams fat
4 T olive oil:  8 grams sat fat or 48 gram fat
1 cup full-fat soy milk:  .5 grams sat fat or 4 grams fat
3 T vegenaise:  3 grams sat fat or 27 grams fat

Total:  140 grams of fat  (around 20 grams of saturated fat).

At 4 servings (avg. for a 9" pot pie):  that's at least 35 grams of fat PER SERVING.  Unbelievable.  Remember, the entire Denny's Grand Slam breakfast is around 50 grams of fat (14 grams saturated).  This recipe has, per serving, has about 2/3rds the TOTAL fat content of the entire Grand Slam Breakfast.

Why does this matter?  Well, the guys who've reversed (and in theory, prevent) heart disease (Esselstyn & Ornish), and Barnard (who's reversed Type II diabetes with diet) recommend 14 to 20 grams of fat total PER DAY.  The Feds recommend around 60 grams of fat per (25% of a 2,000 calorie a day diet).  So, that tofu pot pie has over half the daily fat recommended by the Feds in ONE serving or over 1 1/2 times the recommended fat by the three good doctors on the high end.

You can read about the amazing impact just ONE high fat meal can have on your cardiovascular system, for 6 hours, here (courtesy Rip Esselstyn, vegan firefighter).

Please be kind to your cardiovascular system and pancreas.  Avoid the "Homestyle Heart Attack Pot Pie" and instead, try this neat and clever "Savory Swiss Chard Pie" from the always amazing Susan Voisin:
(http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/06/savory-swiss-chard-pie.html)

... it's a fine low-fat vegan pot pie (you could easily use other vegetables), it has less than 3 grams of fat per serving (the tofu pot pie has over 10 times that per serving), and significantly less saturated fat.

Now that's a Happy Heart-Healthy Recipe for a Longer Life!

[ADDENDUM:  08/09/09:  2300 est.:  It's amazing.... said blogger above just bashed a recipe (http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/08/my-review-of-melissas-ten-dollar.html -- Kathy's so proud of her posts that she prevents my blog from linking to them) from some cable food network show as being unhealthy, too fatty, etc.  Surprisingly enough, the per serving of the the torte recipe she complained about (35 grams of fat) is the SAME amount of fat grams per serving of the recipe for "Homestyle Tofu Pot Pie" she posted yesterday.

That blogger also seems to still think that "saturated fat" is the only significant issue regarding health.  For a read on issues about fat, check out a previous post I made summarizing the issues:

http://soulveggie.blogs.com/my_weblog/2009/01/15-reasons-to-avoid-vegetable-oils.html

I do think that if one is going to come down on a recipe for having too much fat, then you probably, from a credibility standpoint, shouldn't post a recipe with the same numbers the day before.  That doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

Furthermore, we need to realize, even as vegans, that added oil/fat is wrong, and it's not food... real food... the sooner we get past this taste addiction, the better.  You can have it as a vegan or non-vegan, and that's what altogether too many vegans don't realize.'  But, despite what some people say, you CAN "reset" your taste receptors to not desire fat if you want to.  It takes several weeks, been there, done that.

It works, and will help keep your heart working, too.

"Here's Looking At You, Veg..."

Been checking off the list of promises and commitments pushed because of my finger injury the past 2 mos.  #241: "take self-photo for friends/family" item grew too big and needed attending to.  Have also gotten queries about what I look like after 18 months following Essestyn's no-added fat vegan diet recommendations.

As such, this past Friday, after a long hard day in the yard, including fencing, wearing an inappropriate shirt, too lazy to get out various tripods and adjust lighting, ended up just using camera in self-timer mode on one of the kitchen sinks, in the typical "harvest time messy kitchen." 

So here's the non-photoshopped version.  Unfortunately, no time to add hair, muscle, remove kitchen items, put "Moderation Kills" tatto on forehead, "I Heart No-Fat tat" on shoulder, or add fake bottles of olive oil and empty packages of "Follow Your Heart Cheese" around the periophery.  But, you can at least CLICK on the small photo to get a larger version in a pop-up window...

Now, on to more harvesting, preserving, digging, weeding, and hopefully getting to those comment responses later this week.

09_0819 Addendum: in answer to some queries, "No, that box of Michael Collins originally contained bottles of wine when it arrived to the house.  Never have had MC.  Running late on posting, incredible veggie harvest..."

New Film Trailer: "What's "Organic" About Organic?"

"[This film]... rings the alarm for the need to develop an ecological consciousness.  The film illustrates that the organic food debate extends well beyond personal choice and into the realm of social responsibility.

Each of the film’s characters is intimately connected to the organic world; they’re farmers, activists, and scientists.  While many folks can easily endorse “organic,” the characters in the film take the discussion beyond just shopping for another eco-label. As we glimpse into each of their lives, we see how organic agriculture has the potential to solve many of our environmental and health problems.  The film will explore how organic farming can be used as a soil and air protection system, a healthy solution to toxic pollution, and an innovative means to combat global warming.

WHAT’S ORGANIC ABOUT “ORGANIC?” delves into the debates that arise when a grassroots agricultural movement evolves into a booming international market.  As the film moves from farm fields to government meetings to industry trade shows, we see the hidden costs of conventional agriculture.  We also see how our health, the health of our planet, and the agricultural needs of our society are all intimately connected.  The film compels us to look forward, towards a new vision for our culture and encourages us to ask, “What should our future food system look like?”

[Love the phrase: "conscientious consumption" from the trailer.  The "about" excerpt above is from the really kewl and resource-full website here.  Check it out and pass the URL around. Oh, and go low-fat vegan... been too busy harvesting, preserving, planting, watering to do much else than this quickie post... still slow in typing with finger recovering...]

EATR: The Vegetarian Biomass-Eating Military Robot

"A steam-powered, biomass-eating military robot being designed for the Pentagon is a vegetarian, its maker says.

Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — that's right, "EATR" — "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site.  But, contrary to reports, including one that appeared on FOXNews.com, the EATR will not eat animal or human remains.... “If it’s not on the menu, it’s not going to eat it,” Finkelstein [Cybernetics "Expert"] said..."

"...The advantages to the military are that the robot would be extremely flexible in fuel sources and could roam on its own for months, even years, without having to be refueled or serviced..."

[Frackin' wonderful... a "vegan" robot... must be part of the "Forever War" effort...  Full article here and below.  Gotta wonder how much DARPA money will go into "feeding" this stupid project instead of people.]

New Surgeon General: Do as I Say (Not as I Do)

Obama just announced his pick for Surgeon General, and I've this nagging concern about her appointment.  Sure, she's got an impressive resume of achievements, motivation, compassion, and intelligence.  But, and I'm probably going to take some heat for this, is this enough?

"The president praised her [Dr. Regina Benjamin] as a "relentless promoter of prevention and wellness," and a New York Times profile of her work in Bayou La Batre called her an "angel in a white coat." She even won a prestigious "genius" grant from the MacArthur Foundation last year. There's no question she's an accomplished doctor familiar with the struggles of the poor and disadvantaged."  (from here).

Her role is to be the "Nation's Doctor."   Clearly she's qualified, has the chops to do this, and well.   So what's bugs me?

Dr. Benjamin, with all due respect, you are appear to be severely overweight.  Have seen the photos.  You've two, almost three, chins.  In your role as Surgeon General, you'll probably wail against obesity, the faux food that people consume that promote obesity and resulting related "diseases:"  heart, diabetes, Altzheimer's, cancer... and I've no doubt that you'll push hard to get the need for US citizens to eat heathy, exercise, and get healthy (and also, thereby reducing the incredible cost these "metabolic disorders" bring upon our economy, let alone, the personal & emotional impact upon individuals and families).  You'll also push for universal heath care, and I won't go into the irony of this in that those non-vegans are such an unnecessary burden on the health care "system."

But, Dr. Benjamin, again, with all due respect, what level of credibility does a significantly overweight (and as such, person of higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, Altzheimer's, and cancer) have with just "words?"  How can it be that you are so brilliant, so insightful, so caring, so giving, that you cannot find the discipline, personal will power, and self-examination to maintain a reasonable BMI?  You are a gifted doctor from a State (Alabama) that has an abysmal level of obesity and corresponding or related physical disorders.  Couldn't you muster the intestinal fortitude to keep your weight at a reasonably healthy level?  Can't you be "relentless" in "preventing" your own odds of dis-health in the future by dropping that weight?

Sure, one can "know the wisdom," "pontificate the wisdom," and not "follow the wisdom."  We are, after all, not perfect.  But then, isn't someone obese advising others to eat healthy, exercise, loose the excess weight, and live longer, not unlike an alcoholic lecturing on the evils of alcohol?  For what it's worth, when I see a 'fat' chef, I question the value/wisdom/nature/credibility of his/her "culinary skills."  If you are making healthy meals, you should, imho, be (and at least, appear) healthy.

Anyway, Dr. Benjamin, I sincerely do wish you well in your tenure and hope that you do great good in your role as largely a spokesperson for real health.  I also hope that you consider setting an example:  losing your excess and unhealthy body mass.  That would truly have a powerful positive inspiring impact, underscore the seriousness of your concerns,  and amplify the value, importance, and gravity, of your vital messages.  After all, aren't these your true goals?

...and better yet, why not go low-fat vegan?... and it'll be easy, effective, permanent, and have greater personal and social consequences than just personal or collective health.  The research is in, and the conclusions are obvious. 

One doesn't have to be a "genius" to understand, accept, embrace, and promote them.