The Politics of Food

Coffee in New Jersey? TERRIBLE! Hellllooooo Teavana

2012-02-06T17:22:00.000-08:00

Typical of someone moving from San Francisco to South Orange, New Jersey, I am disgusted by the coffee here. Options are Starbucks or cafes serving shit water in a mug. San Franciscans are seriously spoiled and now I am forever ruined living here with no coffee options. We basically stick to making coffee at home, there is one company here in New York called Irving Farm and they make some delicious coffee but it ain't cheap.
Low and behold, a small wonder lurks inside the Short Hills mall (try not to gag.) Teavana. I was "teaducated" by my good friend Rebeca who is a tea genius. We ordered a hot tea there last week - it was just the jasmine green tea with a bit of sweetener (some fancy german sugar) and since then I have been back three times! My second visit I had green tea mixed with a citrus flavored tea and it was delicious.
I have never been a fan of MATE teas. Talk about gross. BUT, today I tried Morning Mate tea with a bit of sweetener and it was unique in its chocolatey nutty flavor that I bought some to bring home. Tea is not cheap, but it is so much better for you than coffee. The amount of teas to choose from is overwhelming but the woman who works there is super knowledgable and always comes up with some unusually tasty blends. Just tell them how much caffeine, hot or cold, sweet or not and they will give you whiffs of various teas until you fall in love with one or two. The other bonus of this new discovery is that I don't have to worry about the milk debacle. I don't need milk in my tea so its a non-issue.
Today I had to read a story to my daughters class and I just ingested a huge cup of tea with 100% caffeine. I was a little nervous I was gonna sweat and freak out because of the anxiety caffeine can bring about but I was totally fine and I even feel a little snoozy, not all high. Needless to say, I am a tealiever.

Cinnamon YUMMIES

2008-02-06T20:45:00.001-08:00

Suddenly I have 2 items to report that are both hosting lil' miss cinnamon. I am on a waffle-a-thon for breakfast because they make such delicious, easy waffles with lots of great ingredients like Omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. (Think Dr. Oz on Oprah)
Both of these can be found at your local Whole Foods, although the yogurt is fairly new so you may need to request it.

1. TURTLE MOUNTAIN SO DELICIOUS Cinnamon Bun Yogurt - complete with B12, CRUCIAL for vegans!!! This smooth and creamy number really is decadent, so dreamy and SO good for you! It has 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams protein and 30% of your daily b12. Not bad!

2. MAPLE CINNAMON Waffles by Lifestream/ Nature's Path - Like cinnamon toast, these yummy treats provide 4 grams of protein and fiber. (2 waffles in a serving) Add some soy butter and YUM!

How much pesticide are you eating?

2008-01-17T08:24:00.001-08:00

I am not so great about washing every fruit and vegetable I eat. I somehow assume that I can handle a few germs or ickies that are lurking. Foodnews.org makes it easy on us by charting the highest to lowest pesticide loads for each fruit and vegetable. Peaches are number 1 (the worst for pesticides) while onions are the best and close to pesticide free. This chart will determine which items might need special produce wash beyond the plain water rinse. OR, just be sure to buy organic (almost always a better option.)

The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peaches	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apples	96
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	83
7	Cherries	75
8	Lettuce	69
9	Grapes - Imported	68
10	Pears	65
11	Spinach	60
12	Potatoes	58
13	Carrots	57
14	Green Beans	55
15	Hot Peppers	53
16	Cucumbers	52
17	Raspberries	47
18	Plums	46
19	Oranges	46
20	Grapes-Domestic	46
21	Cauliflower	39
22	Tangerine	38
23	Mushrooms	37
24	Cantaloupe	34
25	Lemon	31
26	Honeydew Melon	31
27	Grapefruit	31
28	Winter Squash	31
29	Tomatoes	30
30	Sweet Potatoes	30
31	Watermelon	25
32	Blueberries	24
33	Papaya	21
34	Eggplant	19
35	Broccoli	18
36	Cabbage	17
37	Bananas	16
38	Kiwi	14
39	Asparagus	11
40	Sweet Peas-Frozen	11
41	Mango	9
42	Pineapples	7
43	Sweet Corn-Frozen	2
44	Avocado	1
45 (best)	Onions	1 (lowest pesticide load)

Fish Ranch

2008-01-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

Growing up in the East Bay (in relation to San Francisco) I was always so confused by this exit off the freeway in Berkeley called "Fish Ranch Road." Now I know that Berkeley in its activist ways was just warning us of the trouble to come. 60 minutes featured the grim future of Blue fin Tuna. The fattier the better, these big blues have become a commodity and is featured in your local GROSS-ery stores. Sushi is big business. Even the Mitsubishi's are in the sushi biz, buying up boatloads of blue fins as they come into shore.
Basically, fish are even falling victim to factory farming. The insatiable need for this fish at sushi restaurants has created a demand that can no longer be met. Now, "fish ranches" have been developed to keep the fish fattened up with sardines, then reeled in to be flash frozen in -75 degree Fahrenheit, sawed up into chunks and served up for $.50 at some crap sushi restaurants.
Just wait friends, soon enough meat and fish and animal products will come at a premium, not .5o cents for 2 slices of a fish's body on vinegar/sugar rice. I will keep hoping for that day to come....I suppose I should write it down in light of THE SECRET.

The joy of Chocolate Chips

2008-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

I cannot tell you how addicted I have become to the chocolate chip. I pretty much can't settle on a dessert that doesn't incorporate my little brown friend. My husband and I have discovered a ridiculous recipe for "chewy granola bars" in Vegetarian Times Magazine. There are a few details I have added just in case you are allergic to nuts or cannot find some ingredients on the list. So FAR from healthy, these granola bars will grab and run away FAST with your willpower. You have been warned, but please ignore it.

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS

Vegetarian Times Issue: July 1, 2007 p.78 — Member Rating: 1111
These treats will be just as tender and chewy at the end of the vacation as they were at the start (if they last that long).
Ingredient List

Makes 25 squares

* 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
* 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
* 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots (I like dried cherries better)
* 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (if you can't find mini just use regular)
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (eew, I don't add these, I am not fond of walnuts)
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/2 cup maple syrup
* 1/2 cup almond butter (if you are allergic to nuts, use soynut butter)
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 2 large egg whites (USE EGG REPLACER, you will NEVER know the difference)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt in bowl. Stir in apricots, chocolate chips and walnuts.
3. Beat brown sugar, maple syrup, almond butter, oil and egg whites with electric beater until smooth. Stir in oat mixture.
4. Spread mixture in prepared baking dish, and pat down firmly. Sprinkle top with remaining salt. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm. Cool 20 minutes before slicing into bars. Unmold, and store in airtight container.

Nutritional Information

Per SQUARE: Calories: 202, Protein: 4g, Total fat: 8.5g, Carbs: 29g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 97mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 14g

Know the ICKY from A-Z for FREE!

2007-12-30T19:52:00.000-08:00

GOOD NEWS for youz VEGANS! I am sure you have an Ipod already OR you were given one for Christmas or Hanukkah, so go ahead and download a list of animal derived ingredients for FREE. All you do is go HERE and copy it to your Ipod. Now you can be in the know AND rock out at the grocery store.

Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert

2007-12-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

After hearing about this book and feeling like the last person on earth to read it, I tracked down a copy from one of my fellow Moms. Ready for my spiritual journey to begin all snuggled in my bed, I found myself understanding her words which resulted in my having great respect for her easy-going attitude towards views on "God" and other controversial topics. She wasn't trying to be politically correct or overly dramatic to make a point. I found her tone refreshing. UNTIL, I got to the page about her desire to eat VEAL in Italy.
I had a really hard time accepting Ms. Gilbert's story about a spiritual journey with much introspection after reading her desire to eat veal on the way. EVERYONE knows the cruelty involved in raising veal. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, is another story.
Having respect for animals is an important part in creating harmony in your life. If you believe that God is me, you, everyone....doesn't that include the chicken you are eating and your pet dog? Studies on violent offenders frequently reveal abuse of animals earlier in life. Learning to love all of Earth's creatures is the first step to having love for yourself.
I couldn't go on after reading that sentence. Ms. Gilbert's credibility is lost in a simple four letter word starting with a V.
To read more on the sadness of raising veal read this.

Cravings

2007-11-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

I might be an odd specimen. I tend to go through stages when I have really strong cravings for foods that are not exactly high on people's lists of desirables. From about June to August I desperately needed spinach in my lunch and/or dinner. The last couple of months I have been SO obsessed with Dinosaur Kale. I suppose I am needed iron or something, but I find it funny that something green and leafy can make me so happy!
Vegetarians tend to share their bouts with gas. I find gas to be funny, and my husband and I get a good laugh when discussing or hearing it. I noticed when I was pregnant, I rarely had gas. I don't have any idea why that is. Even now, 6 months after having my baby girl, I still don't get gas as often as I used to. I remember EVERYTHING giving me gas to the point of thinking I had a real problem. Even Gas X didn't solve the problem. I am shocked that I can eat onions and garlic in dishes that I make and not have an issue afterward! Garlic is another craving I have been experiencing lately. YUM!
My best friend on the other hand (who is vegan) was extremely ill for about a week with pain in her lungs and overall just feeling horribly. The last straw was her arm going numb. Thinking she needed to boost her immunity, she was downing ridiculous amounts of garlic. After rushing herself to the ER, the doctor discovered that she had an allergy. She is allergic to GARLIC! No more Wildwood Aioli for poor Michelle.

Yay Natalie Portman!

2007-11-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

As I crawled into bed last night, I decided to read my latest issue of Teen Vogue that arrived in my mailbox earlier that day. I will NOT renew my subscription when it runs out, however, because it makes me sick how they go about advertising to teens. Is it just me or were we targeted to buy $1000+ purses in 1988? Scary.
Fortunately, something good comes of this over the top rag this month because Natalie Portman is on the cover. The editor explains how NP will not wear fur or leather, so they had plenty of some vegan brand of shoes on hand. I LOVE reading that in a magazine that girls pull their beliefs and behaviors from.
I know, I am 32 and shouldn't be reading a teen magazine to begin with. I DO read other periodicals of quality such as the NY Times. Sunday's paper featured various vegetarian restaurant reviews centered in San Francisco. Even though I live in SF, I do like to check out where veg out of towner's come to eat when they are visiting. The article covers the sad fact that 1 in 100 restaurants in San Francisco are vegetarian. I always feel that SF is undermining their cruelty-free residents by no offering more options when eating out. Its interesting that someone visiting makes that point! Anyway, the usual suspects are patronized. Millennium, Greens (which has always been just OKAY in my opinion), Herbivore and Cafe Gratitude. Reading about their meals made me hungry. Check it out if you want to visit San Francisco and you are veg curious!
EXPANDING THE FRONTIERS OF THE VEGETARIAN PLATE

Absurdity at its finest

2007-11-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you have seen the commercial for this incredibly wasteful and odd new product ironically called "One's" (I think TWO'S would be more appropriate considering they are prunes) but there is one spectacularly ridiculous quote by a "hip teen" which is: OH, THAT IS SOOOOO COOOL!

I am not quite sure that ANYONE would call an individually wrapped laxative snack SO COOL. The commercial features a representative passing out samples and of course getting nothing but extraordinary reviews.

As with many products on the market these days, I wonder where this idea came from. Who, in the right mind during this time of eco-awareness, decided to create more waste than the prunes do in the toilet by wrapping each one individually in plastic? I am sure whoever it was is going to be wondering where their job went in a couple months.

Strange Days

2007-10-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

I still feel outnumbered when it comes to living a vegan lifestyle. I ask myself every day why there are not more people in my camp. I am nobody special. I don't use some magic powers to avoid animal products. I easily shop for clothing and shoes without cruelty. I enjoy my soy latte just like the dairy slurpers do. I can go to most restaurants and order a decent meal even if it consists of tidbits of sides.
I do feel hopeful though, as this weekend I stumbled upon a story about a MEGATREND of vegan children. Apparently Moms N Dads are frightened of animal products and the junk that rides sidesaddle with them. Some delightful examples are pesticides, e-coli, and additives that plump up the meat. Jim Cramer of CNBC is responsible for noting this trend. 3 million children don't eat meat in America? I guess I am not alone after all! Read more here.
There was also an interesting article about the importance of buying organic I read this morning. This specific study proves that organics have better impact on your health than conventionally grown items. Read more here.
Lastly, how great is a good old pb&j sometimes? Damn it hits the spot when feeling lazy and wanting a sweet treat. I love creamy pb from Whole Foods (organic of course) and some mixed berry jelly without the stupid seeds on some yummy 5 grain sourdough. MMMMM!

Lets Go Halfsies

2007-09-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

Almost every week, I end up throwing out food that goes bad as a result of my cooking for two. I find it frustrating that stores cannot figure out that a number of their customers are single folks or families of 2. I end up buying a huge bushel of parsley instead of the 2 teaspoons the recipe calls for. Same with cilantro and celery. DAMN that celery, it drives me nuts how much I have to toss out. I contemplated composting, but I am not sure what to use it for. What do I do with compost when its done doing its thing? I know I could just look it up on the internet, I will have to do that today after this post. Please, Whole Foods, could you consider selling smaller loaves of bread, smaller bunches of herbs, half containers of liquids like soy milk (which goes bad after 1 week of being opened, I never end up using it all) and smaller boxes of cereal. I guarantee this would revolutionize the supermarket business. People would shop more often if they buy smaller quantities of food items and I would even be willing to pay more for the extra effort it takes to produce/ design the new containers. Mark my words, this is the next big thing like how magazines and newspapers have followed this trend of smaller sizes to be more eco-conscious. Good stuff comes in small packages after all!!!

Sebastopol, Berkeley, etc.

2007-09-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend we spent time in Occidental at our "country house" as my New York City originating husband likes to call it. After a delicious meal at a restaurant in Sebastopol called SLICE OF LIFE, I pondered the following: How do veg conscious towns and cities come to be? My smarty pants B.F.F. Michelle said that its usually a college town thing. I agreed, but its not always the case. Obviously a location like Berkeley falls into that category. What about the towns that are unique for no apparent reason, not housing a college or sporting a city vibe? Some country towns are seriously lacking restaurants in general except for maybe a Denny's or Applebee's but others are very thoughtful in their choices of what is acceptable to grace their land. Sebastopol fought to keep McDonalds out, sadly unsuccessfully.
I want to know why certain towns are so diverse and down to earth. Why is Healdsburg a meat haven with so few choices for vegans, when Sebastopol is a goldmine for those wanting a meal that never mooed or clucked? If anyone knows why this is, please fill me in. Recommend a book or something because it is so interesting to me!

Vegan Consultant Reporting For Duty

2007-08-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

I suppose I have been at the right place at the right time lately. I LOVE assisting new vegans with choices on a variety of items. It can be overwhelming to scan the faux food aisle. Between the soy meats, cheeses, non-dairy sour creams and milks, desserts, it can be tough to choose. The other day I clicked on a link to a blog by a man who was ready to give up on veganism because he was training for a sport and finding that he was NOT getting enough of certain nutrients. I commented on his blog, basically directing him to my blog entries about protein and how best to obtain it. He wrote back still a bit discouraged because of his special situation. I remembered the vegan triathlete Brendan Brazier who is a role model to many athletes vegan or not. He came out with a line of products for vegans including bars and drink mixes that do not have soy or any scary ingredients that you wouldn't recognize. My new friend read his website after my direction toward it and was so grateful. I was so happy to help, it really made my day to keep someone on the vegan track.
Yesterday, I sat and had a chat with a neighbor I barely know and happened to mention I am vegan probably because we were discussing pregnancy, etc. Strangely enough she and her husband were just discussing how they wanted to move in that direction with their diet. She suggested I give her some easy recipes to start with and I suggested I cook for she and her family someday because I LOVE to show off some of the best recipes I have. Of course, I went overboard and gave her about 8 GREAT recipes ranging from CANDLE CAFE'S CAESAR SALAD, VEGETARIAN TIMES CHEWY GRANOLA BARS & PICASSO'S PAELLA from the BLOSSOMING LOTUS restaurant cookbook. I also included the VEGAN LUNCHBOX book as my daughter is far from being in school yet and I can get myself another copy easily. I also baked a batch of my favorite vegan cookies adapted from the MOOSEWOOD CLASSICS cookbook. I hope she enjoys all of the things I gave her, I would just love to see another vegan family a couple doors down!
At Whole Foods yesterday I encountered a couple struggling to pick out a cheese, notably a vegan one. I could tell that they were picking up items with "vegan" on the label. I asked them if they needed help picking out vegan cheeses. Being quite the connoisseur I suggested the FOLLOW YOUR HEART brand cheddar and mozzarella. I also let them in on the cheese to die for (SHEESE) but let them down easy when explaining you have to order it online from Portland!
There is nothing better than having meaningful run-in's with strangers. I don't know these people at all, but because we are on a similar path they are friends of mine instantly! I hope to meet more vegans or vegan hopefuls around town, this world will be a better place if so.

Protein Woes

2007-05-16T09:04:00.000-07:00

For all vegans (and vegetarians) the subject of protein intake is a popular one. Dr. John McDougall released a newsletter in April of this year that covers this subject at length. He admits that sadly our policy makers and educators remain "ignorant about our nutritional needs." The American Heart Association incorrectly states that plant proteins are "deficient in 1 or more amino acids and therefore regarded as incomplete proteins."

John explains that "proteins are made from chains of 20 different amino acids that connect together in varying sequences - similar to how all words in a dictionary are made up of the same 26 letters...plants are made up of structurally sound cells with enzymes and hormones, they are by nature rich sources of proteins. Plants are so nutrient equipped, that they satisfy protein needs of some of the largest animals like elephants, hippos, giraffes, and cows.

More, Dr. McDougall states that the WHO (world health organization) recommends that men and women obtain 5% of their calories as protein.
38 grams for men, burning 3000 calories per day
29 grams for women, burning 2300 calories per day
The above totals are easily met by unrefined starches and veggies. "Rice alone would provide 71 grams of highly usable protein and white potatoes would provide 64 grams of protein." For a child, in the first 2 years of life, the best option is human milk which is 5% protein. Millions of laboring folk in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America survive on half the protein we do here in the states, without deficiency, obviously the popular understanding of protein needs are flawed.

Page 4 of the newsletter includes a chart of amino acid requirements provided by Dr. William Rose, check it out, you will be shocked by how simple it is to obtain all amino acids in a veggie diet.

Another surprising fact I read is that potatoes alone will do if you are looking to proper nutrients in your diet. "The potato is such a great source of nutrition that it can supply all of the essential protein and amino acids for young children i times of food shortage. Researchers found that this simple potato diet provided all the protein and essential amino acids to meet the needs of small children."

EXCESS PROTEIN (unlike fat) cannot be stored. McDougall explains, "Proteins are made of amino acids, and are, therefore acidic by nature. ANIMAL proteins are abundant in sulfur-containing amino acids which break down into very powerful sulfuric acid. These amino acids are abundant in hard cheese, red meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs, and their acids must be neutralized by buffers found in the bones. The bones dissolve to release the buffering materials; eventually resulting in a condition of weakened bones (osteoporosis). Released bone materials often settle and coalesce i the kidney system, causing kidney stones. Fruits and vegetables are largely alkaline, preserving bone health and preventing kidney stones.

Let's also remember the environmental impact! Livestock produces 18% of the greenhouse gases, says the doc, and these food animals occupy 26% of the ice free surface of the earth and 33% of the total arable land is used to produce their food.

High protein foods are usually high profit foods. The protein myth must live on because of ego's and money.

Please check out the entire newsletter here: THE MCDOUGALL NEWSLETTER

For laughs & more....

2007-05-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

Even though there is nothing funny about how wrong these food items are for consumption, I think this experiment is notably hilarious because of the primary point it makes. Basically, its a photo journalistic journey of fast food ads versus reality. I especially like the reference to "pump cheese."
To add to the fun, I clicked onto the link on the same page for "fast food reviews" and just about peed my pants. Read the one for KFC, which consequently received a FAT "D" on its report card:
KFC - If there's anything more disgusting than biting into a piece of "fried" chicken and having half a quart of hot water (or something) roll down your chin, I don't know what it is. KFC is fuckin' grotesque. Hard, deep-fried grease shells, "water," snapping veins, people sucking marrow out of shiny bones, great sheets of animal skin hanging from the corner of glistening mouths... it's like something out of a Dean Koontz novel. This is a place for people not fully evolved to exercise their basic animal instincts, and indulge in a bloody feeding frenzy. It gives me the creeps just thinking about it. Oh sure, I'm a proud carnivore and everything, but I'm not a fucking dingo! I just experienced a full-body shiver. Shit! D
Apparently, this guy is named Jeff Kay, he lives in Pennsylvania and he is my new source of entertainment.

Google has been alerting me of postings in response to the Science Daily Article on SOY and weight loss. As an individual wary of the whole subsidized farming mess discussed by Michael Pollan in the Omnivores Dilemma, I worry that all of this reporting is just promotional junk supporting more soy farming and cheap filler ingredients in our food. As a vegan, I do eat the occasional soy product, but honestly not so often and I always choose organic.
An excerpt from the article in Science Daily:
"Injections were given three times a week for two weeks; during that time, the animals had unlimited access to food and water. Food intake was measured 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after injection, and the rats were weighed 24 and 48 hours after injection. All rats received the same amount of exercise, and all rats lost weight.

But, after the third injection, de Mejia and Vaughn noticed a significant weight loss in the group of animals that had received one of the soy hydrolysates, even though the animals hadn't changed their eating habits. In this instance, soy protein appeared to have caused weight loss not by reducing food intake but by altering the rats' metabolism."

Heck, sounds like some good results to me (sad for the rats being tested on of course), but I also investigated the companies funding this study. First, SAI Company. Check out Seiberling Associates, Inc. website for yourself and judge whether or not you think something is fishy about the fact that they work with endless dairy clientele, but they are claiming that soy (a dairy alternative) can help you lose weight. I seem to recall a recent campaign by the dairy council claiming that milk everyday can help you to lose weight. I wandered to Dale Seiberling's personal website (he is the self proclaimed CIP EVANGELIST) whatever that means. The info on the site is like another language, that of farming, etc.

The other source of funds for this research is the Illinois Soybean Association. I read through some of their site, and they are obviously ALL business! I read about a new and exciting product for the soy industry, which is a chew toy made of soy for the piglets that are being weaned...basically its supposed to provide nutrition and lessen the the stress of weaning thus "minimizing fighting." This makes me sad.
Of course, they mention the word biodiesel endlessly to act like they care about environmental issues. I am surprised to see that Disney is running its trains on biodiesel at their parks! Pretty neat.

Its sad that I feel that most research is always born of ulterior motives. I suppose being an adult, you learn what to trust and what to turn your nose up at. Just in, I read a report about the supposedly untrustworthy and sneaky Humane Society and Farm Sanctuary. The report is basically trying to accuse these groups of eliminating ALL animal products from our diets. Uh, AND.......The article makes them sound SOOO awful for demanding that people cut out animal products from their diet and that EVEN IF "Congress," Martosko continued, "could require U.S. farmers to supply every pig, chicken, duck, and cow with private rooms, daily rubdowns, video iPods, and organic meals catered by Wolfgang Puck. But even this wouldn't satisfy activists who actually believe farm animals have the 'right' not to be eaten."

I love how killing animals for food and supporting factory farming is OK, but standing up for animals and insisting that we take a look at how we abuse them is ridiculous! Really nice touch, labeling the Humane Society as "dishonest" about their goals.

I guess I am making up for lost time today.....

2007-04-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

I find that "feeling guilty" is a ridiculous reason NOT to eat meat. Its so subjective. The New York Times put out an article this week in the DINING IN section called VEAL TO LOVE, WITHOUT THE GUILT. This guilt angle is so self-absorbed. First, let me share with you the definition of "guilt."
According to my computer dictionary, here is the definition.
guilt |gilt| noun the fact of having committed a specified or implied offense or crime : it is the duty of the prosecution to prove the prisoner's guilt. • a feeling of having done wrong or failed in an obligation : he remembered with sudden guilt the letter from his mother that he had not yet read.
If you eat animal products, you do not have the sense that its wrong, or you would not do it. There is no guilt associated with something you do that you do not see as wrong. The veal industry has been tarnished for many years, even though factory farming harms ALL animals that end up on the dinner table. Its not enough to eat steak, chicken or fish, most Americans feel entitled to "gourmet" foods that are completely unnecessary like veal, foie gras or sweetbreads. Let me remind you that each of these are named some fancy word instead of seeing on the menu the following.
WELCOME TO OUR RESTAURANT, here are our specials today!
TENDER BABY COW

or
FORCE FED DUCKS FATTY LIVER

or
PANCREAS FROM LAMBS

An understanding between humans and their actions needs to happen. With all of the talk on climate change and other environmental warnings, maybe some will realize that they cannot just frivolously have everything they want because its there and available. Guilt does not enter my thoughts when I decide whether or not I should partake in something i know is not right. UNDERSTANDING and ACTING is the process I go through in every inch of my day. Go on, continue living with your head in the clouds. I know I am not living fully unless I am present in my actions as much as I can be. Its as simple as that. Too bad simplicity is totally uncool in most of my fellow humans eyes.

Don't be fooled by so called alleviated guilt when it comes to eating something like veal. Just because the calf gets some grass time and some visits with mom doesn't mean its okay to kill him for food.

Gettin' Old....Who CARES?

2007-04-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

I spotted some wrinkles on my forehead and between my eyes last week. I suppose I don't really pay much attention when it comes to detecting "aging" on my face. Immediately my brain shifted into "what cream now!?" mode. The more I thought about it, the more I smelled bullpoop. I am definitely not one to buy into the creams and masks, etc. I don't even like facials so much. They just make me break out and look like crap. I can pick my own zits just as well. This is why I am proud to present this article on cosmetics called A FRESH FACE OR JUST A WASTE, by Tom Glaister.
"You have to think of cosmetics as decorative and hygienic, not as things that are going to change your skin. A $200 cream may have better perfume or packaging, but as far as it moisturizing your skin better than a $10 cream, it probably won't."
That is exactly what I suspected. Tom also covers the sad state of affairs of an unregulated cosmetic industry in the U.S. and the reality of animal testing.

2007-04-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a fully vegan baby shower with our closest friends yesterday. My best friend Michelle manufactured a huge amount of lasagne, garlic bread, salad and appetizers like a professional while my sis and brother in law brought cakes from a bakery in Berkeley called LUST, a vegan bakery. We had a lemon frosted spiced poppy seed cake of sorts that was unbelievably delicious. The other cake was chocolate with peanut butter laced in between each layer. The cakes looked as amazing as they tasted, so vegans and non-vegans, go to Micky to bake your cakes for any occasion.
I feel unbelievably lucky to have such a creative and thoughtful group of friends and family. I notice when the plan is to throw a vegan party, many complement the menu and want to know more about the ingredients and recipes. There is a curiosity that comes along with trying new things, especially delicious food! My friend Melissa is so excited about this blog and about veganism in general. She left our party and bought 5 books on the subject and contacted me with additional questions. I cannot tell you how great this makes me feel. I don't need to do anything extra, its just another day for me, but people notice whether I realize it or not!
I know you have heard enough of this pet food recall already, but I thought I would direct you to a great article on the WHOLE DOG JOURNAL website that tells you how to choose a food for your dog. I just read that another food was recalled, Natural Balance Venison and Rice dry dog food.
Another random tidbit, do you ride motorcycles? Well, check this out! Vegan motorcycle gear!

Vegan "Fashion"

2007-04-09T21:30:00.001-07:00

Excuse me for not standing up for my kind, but I can't help but be suspicious of all of this press on vegan fashion. Often you will see the words, "oxymoron" or "crunchy" or "impossible." I suppose I am misinterpreting these articles for advice when they are really just giving soft hints that vegans have absolutely no fashion sense. Let me guess, yeah, she is a chubby tie died chick who wears hemp sandals and her best friend is her dog. WHAT? Okay, I am sure there are a couple vegans who fit this description but I am here to let you know that there is variety in the vegan community.
Lest I remind you that "dressing vegan" is easy. Go to any store, cross leather, wool and fur off yer list. A recent interview I read was with a vegan image consultant. READ: Vegan Bullshit Consultant. Honestly, it just goes against the whole idea of being vegan. I think most of us are aware of what we buy and consume less than the average American. I am not sure people need help in the clothing department when it comes to creating JUST the perfect vegan image.
I must admit, some stores are better than others when it comes to shopping for vegan goods. Where to look is more important that what to look for. I wouldn't recommend shopping on vegan websites for clothing. Catalogs like Delia's or affordable stores like Payless feature some pretty fashionable items! American Apparel has some great items for comfy clothing that is made locally without the guilt of sweatshop action. I love Forever 21, but I am frightened to find out how and where their clothing is manufactured. Ebay is a GREAT resource for vegan shoes and vintage and recycled clothing.
Sorry for being so skeptical of my fellow vegan friends, but its just so American to focus on fashion instead of the bigger issue(s). Factory farming, addiction to cheap food, pollution, etc.

What can I do?

2007-04-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Recently there is a flood of envirospeak by various politicians. Obviously they are responding to reports proving that news around climate change is anything but good by organizations like the UN Climate Panel.
I am having a really hard time with this. Politicians like John Kerry or Al Gore just rub me the wrong way because their job title has the word POLITICIAN in it. Something like the environment (that word is even making me nauseous because of the abuse it is receiving lately) getting mixed up with people who tend to tell whatever they think might sound good to the public for votes or money from their up and coming best seller. Yesterday I almost lost my lunch listening to Teresa Heinz and John Kerry spew the same old shit about a greener world and the subject of environment. I want to share this photo to put more puke in this paragraph.

I apologize for my negative attitude, but when politicians pretend to represent causes near and dear to our hearts, I start to worry. I am sick of hearing the same rhetoric over and over followed by larger than life solutions. Cut carbon emissions, buy a hybrid. How about following a vegan diet? That is something you can take charge of THREE times a day. How about CONSUMING LESS junk? How about NOT taking a bag at the store when you buy one item? How about spending 10 minutes at the coffee shop to relax and drink your latte out of a mug instead of wasting a paper cup, sleeve, and plastic top every day (maybe 2 or 3 times per day!?) How about shopping for recycled clothing, not buying junk on sale just because its on sale? How about a reusable water bottle instead of plastic ones?
Okay, so today I can claim these activities as MY contribution to consuming LESS.
1. Vegan meal for breakfast, lunch (consumed at home, on a plate, no waste)
2. Unplugged items around the house that do not need to be running today (computer, television/cable box, toaster, cell phone/computer chargers, heater off)
3. Donated clothing, side table and pillows to the local thrift store to be reused by someone else.
4. Walked the dogs on a local trail to avoid driving to dog park.
5. Shopping at whole foods for as many LOCAL foods I can for a party tomorrow.
6. Didn't run the water while brushing teeth (this is a bad habit of mine)
What are you doing daily to prove that your choices are of conscious mind?

Give me some EVERYDAY solutions that I can put to use please!!!!

Friday facts

2007-03-30T08:47:00.001-07:00

This week drummed up quite a selection of topics for a food studier like myself. First, Burger King and their noble decision to try to include as much as they can of cage free eggs onto their breakfast sandwiches in addition to purchasing a small amount pork from sows that are allowed to move around instead of being chained and caged up. They admit that the amount they would need to fulfill demand is high, so they are starting with what can be supplied in hopes that more farmers will stand up to the challenge and change their ways. YAY for the King! Its crazy how these HUGE companies have the power to change the state of our farms and lives of animals everywhere. WHY NOT choose the noble way? They also mention that this NOT a marketing ploy, they just wanted to try to be ahead of the curve when it comes to what their customers want. Hey, whatever, keep up the good work.
AGAIN, Milk is getting a bad rap. Read this from the FREE MARKET NEWS website:
"MILK CARRIES INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Thursday, March 29, 2007 - FreeMarketNews.com

Got milk? Don't drink it until you have read this article.

First of all. Milk doesn't taste like it did in grandma's day. It is homogenized and pasteurized. That has been assumed to make milk one of our safest foods. Not so, according to a new study in Vegan Outreach.
Food borne diseases are found in milk. The CDC estimates that 97% of food borne diseases come from animal foods. Thousands die each year from these diseases.
One result of food borne disease is arthritis. Another feared complication of food borne disease is Guillain-Barre syndrome where paralysis and-or death occurs.
Crohn's Disease affects a half million Americans with severe symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fevers. This disease lasts a lifetime. Crohn's Disease comes from bacteria in milk.
Patricia Doyle of the International Society for Infectious Diseases recommends rice milk as substitute for cow's milk. Ultra High Temperature processed milk is available in most supermarkets.

Get a good laugh at this Lindy West article from a newspaper called "The Stranger" which is circulated in Seattle. Its a hilarious account of a trip to the Vegetarian Fair called EVERYTHING GONE GREEN.
Here is my favorite part of the article, the very end.
"A lot of people like to hate on vegetarians because, obviously, a lot of vegetarians are annoying. Wearing a T-shirt that says "LICK ME, I'M VEGAN!" is annoying. Soy cheese is annoying. Giving a person a stinky, judgy eyeball because maybe they tried a McGriddle once as a joke and it turned out to be totally good and they like to secretly eat one on the way to work once in a while, but this time they forgot to dispose of the evidence before you got in the car, is annoying. (And if you object to my meat mobile so much, maybe next time you can hitch a ride on the tofu truck, Judgy "Judge Reinhold" Judge-face.)
But guess what? Most of every segment of the population is annoying, including the carnivorous ones. Rush Limbaugh (way more annoying than homeopathic medicine) eats at least 17 steaks a day. Mosquitoes (did you know that "mosquito" means "annoying" in Latin?) regularly gorge themselves on the blood of innocent human babies. And it's a widely accepted fact that Hilary Duff literally devoured her own sister, Haylie Duff, mistaking her for a smoky glazed ham, and replaced her with a less argumentative animatronic robot. Annoying! So until you haters can prove to me that vegetarians are statistically more annoying than the rest of us, I'm staying staunchly on their side. What can I say? I've got a soft spot for the veggie little bastards. At least as long as they keep giving me free cookies."
Hilarious.

Mad, Not gonna take it anymore

2007-03-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

As I was going about my business yesterday, I pondered the fact that vegans are frequently receivers of some nasty verbiage. I tried to think up all of the vegan cut downs used by confused eaters of meat who just try so damn hard to prove that our way of life is wrong. The usual suspects in way of arguments are usually that: animals do not have souls, plants are alive so how can you eat them, nature wants you to eat a mix of available foods, animals wouldn't be on this earth if we weren't supposed to eat them, and so on. My reasoning for cutting animal products from my diet is simply because I LOVE ANIMALS. I owe that realization to my husband as he helped me to come to this conclusion many years ago. You can argue your tongue off with all of the passion and facts but when it comes down to it, there is nothing anyone can say that proves otherwise when it comes to my love for animals. YES, I do make many sacrifices to live the way I do, but I cannot tell you how amazing it is to live in such harmony, knowing there is not leather on my feet or skin/blood on my plate. Lets examine the differences between name calling when it comes to vegans/vegetarians versus meat eaters.
VEG: Tree Hugger, Granola, Hippie, veganity (i guess this is the animal free insanity), self-righteous morons, twig eaters, "like the Taliban", oh and my favorite and most offensive VAYGUN.
MEAT: murderer, cannibal, butcher, etc.
If given a choice, I would rather be a tree hugger or twig eater than a murderer. I have never gone to the extreme of calling anyone who eats animals as such. I am a rare specimen, an educator, not a whiner. I think the name calling is an interesting tidbit that comes up often on my google searches when researching the word VEGAN. When I think about how much peace my lifestyle brings me because of the ability to separate myself from any animal suffering is something you cannot buy. Yeah, I know it feels good to go out to dinner and buy yourself a nice steak to savor for dinner. But, try to buy the sense of calm and love I feel when I choose NOT to. I am the lucky one!
I would like to dedicate this post to my vegan friend Michelle, who is an amazing person in general but I do owe this peaceful life I live, to her. Thanks M!

Mish Mash of GOOD NEWS

2007-03-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

Its a lazy Saturday here in Marin County, the fog bank is trying its best to creep over the bay. We are protected by Mr. Mount Tamalpais, so the fog stays out of our 'hood and spends most of its time over in San Francisco and the water towns of the county. I decided to check up on my e-mails and Google searches on a variety of issues. After sifting through the pile, I am seeing the sunny side of the bay, out of the gray yucky fog.
First, I would like to share with you a sweet report from the Farm Sanctuary. Below is a movie featuring J.D. Piglet, who was rescued by a New York woman. The details read: "He was found by a kind woman, abandoned, sopping wet and shivering in a western New York yard. A recent thaw had apparently washed J.D. downstream and onto the woman's property. A phone call to Farm Sanctuary swept the little piglet away again, delivering him into a new life, full of love, caring and health at our New York Shelter."
Watch him in action, its quite possibly the cutest thing I have seen in awhile.

The CALGARY HERALD, a Canadian newspaper, featured an interesting article on Soy this week. I am including the entire article below, because its FULL of information on this controversial lil' bean called Soy.

"There's so much confusion about soy," says Mark Messina, who holds a PhD in nutrition and is president of Port Townsend, Wash.-based Nutrition Matters, a consulting company.
He has studied the health effects of soy for almost 20 years and says there is so much information floating around that it's no wonder confusion reigns. As far as he's concerned, soy is just fine."
"Soy foods are low in saturated fat, they contain a lot of dietary fibre and they're an excellent source of protein," says Carole Dobson, a registered dietitian with Calgary-based Health Stand Nutrition Consulting.
So what's the worry? The controversy stems from a bioactive compound found in soybeans, called isoflavones. Some people are concerned about isoflavones because they're a hormone-like compound.
"They have some estrogen-like effects," says Messina. "But they are much different than the hormone estrogen and probably are very selective on what tissues they affect."
This should be good news to the reader who wrote a letter to the editor saying he would not buy soy products anymore because "a man doesn't need estrogen and the effects of it became quickly obvious."
We're not sure exactly what he was referring to, but Messina says men have no reason to worry.
"There's just absolutely no effect of soy on testosterone levels," he says. "The few studies that have looked at semen quality in men have not found any adverse effects, as well."
The same reader claimed soy can cause accelerated puberty in girls, reproductive problems and increased difficulty getting pregnant.
While there are studies examining a link, there has been no conclusive scientific research to prove this.
"There's no actual study that links soy intake in men or women with specific negative health results," says Dobson.
If anything, eating soy may help slow the onset of puberty because it is low in saturated fat.
"Saturated fat is the fat that increases our bad cholesterol. It's been related to our population becoming more obese," she says.
And as we get fatter, puberty comes earlier.
"Especially in girls, puberty gets triggered by a certain amount of fat on the body," Dobson says.
Misconceptions about adverse effects are common, says Messina, considering thousands of papers are published every year about soy. With enough study and speculation, you can say almost anything about the topic.
"But you have to look at the totality of the evidence," he says. "When you look at all the data, it's pretty convincing that soy is safe."
What often happens is soy gets a bad rap because people are comparing recent study results with high expectations generated by studies from 10 years ago. Take cholesterol as an example.
"What you've seen more recently is that the effects are very modest," he says. "Even if soy protein lowers bad cholesterol by three or four per cent, over a period of many years, that alone would result in a reduced heart disease risk by probably about 10 per cent."
And that's just from the soy protein. If you're replacing foods that are higher in saturated fat with soy foods, you'll lower your cholesterol even more.
Women with breast cancer often question the benefits or dangers of soy.
"I'm definitely comfortable with breast cancer patients consuming soy foods," says Messina.
The only caveat is for women using the drug tamoxifen to treat breast cancer. There have been animal studies showing soy both enhances and inhibits the efficacy of the medication.
"I think we'll actually see that it's safe, but you have to err on the side of safety," he says.
There are many other ongoing studies looking at potential benefits for women, such as how consuming soy may lessen the severity of hot flashes or prevent bone loss after menopause. There's even a study examining how consuming soy as a young girl may reduce the risk of breast cancer later in life.
Messina says the outcomes look encouraging, but definitive results from the long-term studies are needed before confirming the benefits.
"I'm optimistic, but it's still speculative," he says.
Messina recommends consuming two to three servings of soy foods per day. One cup (250 mL) of soy milk or a half cup (125 mL) of tofu equals one serving.
If you don't eat that much soy food, he says isoflavone supplements can act as a backup. Supplements do not contain soy protein, but Messina says isoflavones are the key behind most of the purported benefits of soy. The only exception is when it comes to cholesterol reduction, because it looks as if the protein -- not the isoflavones -- is responsible. In that case, supplements may not help much.
Health Canada, for its part, maintains soy foods can be included as part of a balanced and healthy diet for both children and adults. Fortified soy beverages were added to the food guide because Health Canada deems them "a nutritionally adequate alternative to milk," and a good option for people who do not consume milk products.
But the endorsement stops there.
"Health Canada does not consider any claimed human health benefits of soy consumption such as the reduction of cancer risk, the prevention of osteoporosis and the relief of menopausal symptoms to be sufficiently supported by the scientific evidence," writes Paul Duchesne, media relations officer with Health Canada, in an e-mail.
What everyone agrees on is that soy is low in saturated fat and is a great source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. For now, it seems soy foods should be eaten like any other food -- in moderation.
"I just look at it as one other healthy food you would want to include in your diet like a fruit or vegetable. If we confirm the hypotheses that it has some of these other benefits, that's fantastic," says Messina. "If it doesn't, it still deserves a place at the table."

Now lets have a round of applause for WOLFGANG PUCK who, after hearing from the FARM SACTUARY folks, decided to take Fois Gras & Veal off the menu while adding more VEGGIE OPTIONS! Read more about the campaign on the FARM SANCTUARY website.

Unmotivated

2007-03-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

Lately I have struggled to put together a worthwhile post. In two months I will be having a baby girl and my energy level is uh, lets say, missing temporarily. I spoke to my best buddy Michelle (and featured reader of this months VEG News) today about how finding a job can be tricky when you have strong beliefs in certain departments. As concerned vegans, we both yearn to spread the gospel in a fun, engaging and exciting way. A career can take over your life. For this reason, its important that you are not working for a cause/product that contradicts your beliefs. My husband is experiencing a refreshing surge of energy as a result of his new job. He works for a company called Tesla Motors, a company taking the lead in teaching America that our presence in the middle east and our reliance on oil for our vehicles is unnecessary. Electric cars are one answer to cleaning up our environment and promising our kids a safe future.

Someone else of note is a man called Rich Cizik. Rich is a guy who is willing to speak up about environmentalism even though he is looked down upon by his Evangelical cohorts. The Evangelicals call him a democratic sympathizer because "green issues" are NOT something of a priority to them. Rich responds with this:
"It's time we return to being people known for our love and care of the earth and our fellow human beings."
Its sad that a sect of people who believe in God do not want to protect something that He created. What is the point of spreading Gods word if it is not taken seriously? Oh go ahead, just pick and choose what you think applies and live by it. We all know how effective inconsistency is. Referring to my religious vegan blog posting back in December would be proper right about now. There are descriptions for each religion as to why veganism or vegetarianism goes along with the Bible and other religious texts.
As Michelle and I discussed earlier today, why do humans want to be violent towards animals? In China, tigers are raised in factory farm conditions for meat and wine (what?)
"Tigers are naturally solitary creatures that roam over dozens of square miles, so it's hardly surprising that life in the cages drives them insane. I saw numerous examples of stress-related repetitive behaviour.
The mature animals paced back and forth across their cages for hours on end - three steps forward, three steps back. Some hurled themselves at the bars of their prison cells, while others simply stared into space.
Over-crowding drives the creatures to attack each other, often resulting in death. Officially it is only the tigers killed in such fights that can be eaten or turned into wine. But it is clear that many of them die as a result of a bullet to the head.
They are not the only animals killed. For entertainment, visitors to the animal park can watch the 'live killing exhibition', a sick spectacle in which animals are 'hunted' and torn to pieces by tigers while onlookers cheer.
I watched in horror as a young cow was stalked and caught by a tiger. Its screams filled the air as it struggled.
Virtually all the tigers from the Guilin farm end up at a winery 100 miles to the north, their carcasses dumped in huge vats of rice wine and left to rot for up to nine years.
The Chinese believe that the tiger's strength passes into the wine as its body decomposes. They also believe that it is a powerful medicine that wards off arthritis, strengthens bones and acts as a general tonic.
Smelling like a mixture of methylated spirits, antiseptic and congealed meat, it is difficult to believe that anyone would willingly drink it, and yet people pay up to £100 a pint for it."
Read more about this shitty practice at: The Daily Mail
Read about a couple of badasses who are working to try to eliminate animal suffering in the UK. We love you Drs. Stephens and Hadwen!
"A CARDIFF University researcher has joined forces with the UK’s leading non-animal medical research charity to find humane replacements for animal testing.
Dr Phil Stephens and the Dr Hadwen Trust have teamed up to replace wound experiments in animals in order to prevent pain and suffering.
Wounds are particularly common among the elderly, affecting 30% of over 60-year-olds and costing the NHS over £1 billion a year.
Effective treatments are desperately needed, but current animal ‘models’ used in research not only cause suffering but are unreliable because they cannot accurately reproduce the characteristics found in human wounds."
Hopefully this posting will remind me how motivated some people are to make this world a better place. I need to continue to share my insights with you lucky people who stumble upon this page in order to balance out the sad state of affairs going on all over the world (i.e. tiger farms).

VEG Food Attitude, Movie, Morningstar - Egg on their Face

2007-03-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this article! "Vegan Dishes PETA offers to Cook for Al Gore"
Fried "Chicken", Collard Greens, Creamy Chive Mashed Potatoes, Chickenless Gravy, and American Apple Pie! Sorry Al, you can't be a meat-eating environmentalist.

Morningstar Farms serves up plenty of vegetarian alternatives to frozen food snacks like buffalo wings and veggie burgers. Unfortunately they use eggs in almost all of their products. Lets work together and coerce them to STOP using eggs. They get their eggs from chickens mistreated and kept in battery cages. Shameful. Here is what we can do to stop this!

Please contact Morningstar Farms® and politely request that they remove eggs from their products. Let them know one of their biggest competitors, Gardenburger®, has already made this decision for all but one of its products.

1. Submit Your Comments Online
Send your polite and thoughtful comments directly to Morningstar Farms® using our online form.
2. Make a Call: 1-800-962-1413
Call Kellogg®’s customer feedback hotline at 1-800-962-1413, Mon. thru Thurs. 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. or Fri. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, Eastern Standard Time.
1. Say: “Representative.”
2. Press 2 for product information
3. Press 1 for general inquiries
3. Write a Letter to:
Morningstar Farms®
c/o Kellogg® Consumer Affairs
P.O. Box CAMB
Battle Creek, MI 49016

Thank you so much! Our efforts can help free many hens from horrible lives in battery cages.

Want to see a cool movie in San Jose at Cinequest 2007? Read this review:
Blood Car
(U.S.; 75 min.) In some ways, my favorite film at Cinequest. Is there anything worse than a filmmaker who goes in for violence and neglects the sex? Fortunately, Atlanta maniac Alex Orr's Little Shop of Horrors-ish midnight-movie gives his audience both barrels. In the near future, gasoline is $38 a gallon. Archie Andrews (Mike Brune) is a gentle vegan school teacher who is trying to solve our fossil fuel addiction. Aided by Lorraine (Anna Chlumsky) at the wheat-grass stand, he's just about perfected an engine that runs on chlorophyll, but it turns out that human blood is the only catalyst that makes the fuel work. Archie descends into a one-way spiral of madness as he feeds innocent humans into his car. And his conscience is numbed by the sexual excesses of Lorraine's rival, the hot-pantsed female butcher Denise (Kate Rowlett). And then the government finds out about the blood-powered automobile. Believe it or not, Orr makes the murders and the love triangle so diverting that the no-blood-for-oil message is never as obvious as it might seem. Rowlett and Chlumsky are so much fun—savor the vegetarian girl's batty flirting, in contrast with Rowlett's old-time bad-girl dialogue: "I'm sick of stalkers. Damn sick of them. And if I don't let you buy me food or let you [unprintable sexual act] me, you'll be in the bushes with the rest of them, crying and whacking off every time you get two beers in you." Plays with short If I See Randy... (RvB) (Mar 2, 10:30pm, SJ-Rep; Mar 4, 8:30pm, C12, Mar 10, 1:30pm, C12)

UGG boots

2007-03-05T07:16:00.000-08:00

Do all of these cute lil' kids, teens and Mill Valley wanna-be SoCal dads prancing around in their warm and cozy boots realize what they are wearing on their feet? Let me share:

Yes, lambs and sheep. The skin of, precisely. I have a feeling that most kids would shy away from wearing baby sheep on their feet if they just put two and two together. I found this information on the UGG Australia website: (note the last line, phew! Thank God they use clean sheep)

"UGG® Australia uses only the best quality sheepskin exclusively. Twin-faced sheepskin is used in many of our core products. A piece of twin-faced sheepskin has been treated on both the fleece side, and the skin side.
The wool of genuine sheepskin is extremely dense (more-so than any synthetic), which provides for a more comfortable and durable material.
Fleece breathes, wicks moisture away, and allows air to circulate, keeping feet dry.
Sheepskin is naturally water resistant & therefore small amounts of moisture will not seep through or damage it.
UGG® Australia sheepskin is naturally thermostatic & therefore will keep bare feet warm in temperatures as low as -30F and cool in temperatures as high as 80F (Sheepskin will naturally insulate by keeping feet warm in the winter & cool in the summer).
The sheep that we use have finer wool & cleaner skin."

Get with Pam Anderson and quit the Ugg habit for good.

"Mohr" about vegan diets reducing global warming

2007-03-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Noam Mohr, a physicist with degrees from Yale and Penn, explains how the vegan diet should NOT be overlooked when environmentalists discuss ways to lower the rate of climate change in our lifetime. I am thrilled to hear that there is a solution to global warming at our fingertips RIGHT NOW. Until the Tesla electric roadster & sedan are produced and for sale, get off the animal products! Eliminating animal products from your diet is an option here and NOW, and according to Mohr, exponentially slows down global warming compared to changing over to a hybrid or low emissions vehicle.
READ THIS & start making your vegan grocery list!
McDougall newsletter featuring Noam Mohr.

Tips & Facts

2007-02-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight I picked up Vegetarian Times Magazine. Feelings are mixed with the rag, because a lot of the issues they write about seem to ignore the fact that eating eggs, cheese and milk contribute to the problems they feature. For example, "According to a 2006 report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, animal farms around the globe generate 18 percent more greenhouse emissions than all of these transportation methods combined." (methods being cars, trucks, and buses) Its not surprising that the dairy industry supports the livestock industry including veal production. Veg Times began the article by stating that "eating beef is even worse for the environment than the greenhouse gases emitted from cars, trucks, and buses." I am certain that milk comes from cows, cows live on farms, cows emit greenhouse gases. Sadly, 70% of former forestland in Latin America is now used for grazing fields. Oh well, I guess eliminating meat eating leads to a shift in how people think about food and how it affects the world we live in. I don't expect everyone to go vegan today, but sometimes its hard to swallow stories that only tell half the facts.

TIP: Freeze an onion for 10 minutes prior to cutting. This will eliminate the sulfur oils that make you cry when handling onions.

I had no idea! Foot powders and sprays (including baby powder) used to eliminate athletes foot and such are created from talc rocks which absorb moisture and odor. Talc is closely related to ASBESTOS, a harmful mineral, which is linked to ovarian cancer (among other things.) T for Toes is made by lush, ad its made with lime, tea tree oils ad horsetail herbs to eliminate odor and moisture. Its a natural solution to icky toes. Another option is a mineral salt spray by Crystal Foot Deodorant spray.
Psoriasis and Dandruff shampoos often contain coal tar which is linked to cancer AND irritates and aggravates certain types of scalp psoriasis. Try instead: Max Green Alchemy Scalp Rescue Shampoo OR John Masters Organics Zinc & Sage Shampoo with Conditioner.

Green Carpet, Brown Skies

2007-02-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

An adventure to Los Angeles this past week resulted in my walking down the "green carpet" at a Global Green Party, standing idle on the 405, indulging in too much faux meats at Papillon in El Segundo, and weeping over my idiotic decision to only pack 2 pairs of not yet broken-in shoes from Payless. L.A. is great to visit, but I am not sure how people live there. I shake in my PVC boots when processing thoughts of daily driving in the city o' smog.
My husband escorted Chris Paine (one of the nicest men alive, directed the documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car') down the green carpet after cruising up in the Tesla Roadster. I winced at the prospect of walking down that green carpet. Terrified, I stood back like a dog in the vet parking lot until I realized that my only way in to the party was on my husbands arm. No wonder celebrities wear shades 24-7 because without any camera's flashing my eyes were being sizzled out by all of the flashes bright and eager to go off. On my trail was Petra Nemkova, James Blunt, Penelope Cruz, and Chevy Chase. The food offered still featured meat items (which I think is hypocritical because meat consumption and production is largely responsible for destruction of the earth/ greehouse gases) like chicken skewers. I ate some veggie skewers with eggplant, bell peppers, onion & the other one had purple potatoes, yellow squash and onion. The marinara sauce on the veggies was loaded with garlic, I am sure I offended plenty of people that night with my dragon breath. Purple potatoes are likely flown in from South America, as they are not in season until fall. Squash is in season during the summer, so I am not sure if those are flown in from warmer climates at this time of year. Bell peppers are also summer season veggies. I am certain that the food was provided by Whole Foods yet again, so I will check on these items at the store tomorrow and find out how much jet fuel was needed to provide the food at the party. People need to learn about the benefits of eating seasonally and locally. That doesn't mean eating at the corner donut shop every morning. The food at the party was tasty, and I must give the planners "props" for providing three vegan options to eat, but honestly I wish they would take advantage of their platform to teach people about the food side of things when it comes to contributing to global warming.

Besides reporting on this party, I was interested in sharing some highlights of the March '07 issue of Natural Health magazine. First, there is a new line of CHAMPION sportswear that features an eco-friendly collection of workout tops, shorts, pants, and sports bras. These sporty digs are made from coconut shells, otherwise discarded as the fruit is used for food in Indonesia. Other features of Cocona (this fabric) are: it naturally wicks away sweat, traps odors and shields against harmful rays. Awesome!
I can only keep up hope that more locally made fabrics and clothing come our way soon. I wish there were clothing farmers markets where you could go in and buy pants, tops, skirts, jackets that were made from eco-fabrics from local farm by- products. Hey, if they are making workout wear from coconut shells, I think my hopes are not far fetched!

My New Favorite 3 Bands

2007-02-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

If you need some new additions to your Ipod, might I suggest: MENOMENA, PRESSURE KILL COMMON STYLE & THE ACCIDENTAL SONS. OH so good. Menomena is a sweet mixture of Super Furry Animals, Blur/Gorillaz, Built to Spill, but with a fresh new twist. So refreshing.
PRESSURE KILL COMMON STYLE is still pretty new to me, the album is waaayyy too short but so darn enjoyable. THE ACCIDENTAL SONS are a carefree group of boys that make some lo-fi, memorable music for any occasion.

Topics of the week

2007-02-18T15:37:00.000-08:00

This week in journalism seemed to be catering to my every whim. The NY Times featured 3 items that are worth discussing. How Old McDonald Keeps His Farm spotlights how independently run farm owners are making some extra dough via tours labeled as agri-tourism. Tomorrow, you may walk into the office and find an evite to the staff for a visit to a location like Harley Farms. You will enjoy "team building" exercises involving milking goats and learning how their cheese is made. I must admit that sounds better to me than falling backwards into a pile of dirty hands in a "trust" game. On their farm live 200 American Alpine goats. These friends might chew on your pants a bit, but they munch on pasture and roam free which makes for some low stress-laden goat cheese. I suppose you are supposed to learn from the goat, how to function at work with less stress.
Agri-tourism allows family farms with integrity to stay small and dedicate themselves to quality artisan cheese-making. In case you are curious, in 2005 the average income of a farm is $81,420, $66,782 being from other sources of income besides actual sales of the farms products. They call this extra income "off farm income."
Agri-tourism prevents the need for farmers to go out and get a second job in most cases. I would like to poo poo the owner of Sun Ranch in Cameron, Montana. Roger Lang is his name, and he likes to set up summer adventures including programs in fly fishing and hunting because they just don't make money off the cows in the summer. Basically, this guy is not sure how else to make money unless he is putting something to death. Now that is a MAN!

Those of you allergic to peanut butter, I sometimes feel sad for you because PB is one of my favorite foods. Today, I am thrilled because 2 of the most important people in my life are allergic to peanuts and DO NOT eat peanut butter. This is good news for once because guess who lurks within a couple of crap brands of PB? That is right, salmonella. HOW? Oh boy, I am not sure I want to know how it got into jars of Peter Pan and Great Value Wal-Mart PB. 300 people fell ill this time. No deaths, but ConAgra can pat itself on the back for being the very FIRST peanut butter producer to include salmonella in their products for no extra cost to you! Ugh. Look on lids for code number 2111, if you bought it, you can return it to the store for a refund. Salmonella infection sickens 40,000 people in the US and kills 600 annually. Where will it pop up next?

Should you trust your makeup? I was not aware that the cosmetics industry is unregulated. When it comes to nasty chemicals, like formaldehyde, nothing is prevented from entering your tube of lipstick or mascara. I tend to purchase all natural cosmetics that are not tested on animals, so I generally feel safe trusting those companies. Go to the drug store and you are dealing with a different set of rules.
The California Safe Cosmetics Act took effect on January 1 of this year and requires cosmetics companies to tell state health authorities if a product contains any chemical on several governmental lists that are known to cause cancer or harm the reproductive system. Even traces of these chemicals NEED to be reported. One guilty party is known as phthalates, a group of chemicals used in nail polishes, fragrances, medical devices and shower curtains - these have an effect on reproductive systems of lab animals and can be absorbed and excreted by the human body.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is publicizing their concerns about chemicals in cosmetics in hopes that soon there will be greater governmental regulation and intervention when it comes to these unsafe product ingredients.
Our smarter, more concerned friends over in the European Union imposed new regulations on the industry in 2004, banning more than 600 chemicals from use in cosmetics. Later this year they will introduce and put into motion a program called REACH (registration, evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals) which will require companies that produce chemicals or use them in their products, packaging, or manufacturing, to collect comprehensive data on the possible risks of the substances to human health and to the environment. This new law will cost an estimated $6.7 billion (out of the chemical industry's pocket) over the next 10 years but it could save up to $70 billion in health costs over the next 30 years!! That is amazing to me. Apparently this is in response to increasing reports of early puberty, asthma and other allergies.
Chemicals that must be reported here in California under the new law are: acetate (in some hair dyes,) formaldehyde, a preservative, and toluene, a solvent used in some nail products.
Here is a list of SAFER companies taken from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website.
Consumer Reports also features a piece on safety and cosmetics.

Now that you have the info, don't be buying junk makeup dammit! Better to be safe than sorry. One of my favorites is ECCO BELLA makeup. The foundation is amazing, the mascara is great and the blush comes in many lively colors that you will love. My favorite lipstick is hemp organics LOVE. You can buy it at Whole Foods for about $7.

Poleng Lounge - another vegan wonderland!

2007-02-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

It's another Valentines Day that my man is on a biz trip. Lucky for me, I had a date with a good friend of mine, Andrea. With reservations at Poleng Lounge in San Francisco, we were on our way with rumbling stomachs. Upon arrival, we marveled at the decor and the exciting menu. First, we ordered Buddha's Treasures. This tiny package is a homemade dumpling filled with a tasty mix of mixed vegetables served with a salty and tangy sauce with a bite. Next, we opted for a variety of nibbles such as sweet potato fries (perfectly cut into small skinny fries, not the clumsy fat ones) served with a damn spicy banana catsup & the smoked salt smothered grilled edamame pods. Lastly, we tried the Indo-Thai Eggplant Temple. The eggplant comes with a delicious flat bread and a sauce that I didn't try because I am sure its not vegan. The flat bread I DID try, it was flaky and tasty, and tasted better than the eggplant which was supposed to be the star on the plate. The eggplant was cooked perfectly, it was just kinda flavorless without the sauce. For dessert we chose the tapioca which featured coconut and soy milks. It was so yummy, but the toasted coconut on top, I was not a big fan of.
The Buddha treasure was definitely the most memorable dish....SO tasty I could have eaten about 10 of them. The service was impressive, our waiter was helpful but not pushy. He gladly accommodated my request for a fancy virgin cocktail. I had no suggestions, just whatever. I ended up with Monkey Love Juice, which was gone in about 2 minutes because it was just too easy to drink. Not too sweet and perfect complement to my salty meal.
Nice work Poleng, I will be back.

Sheese En Route

2007-02-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

So I emailed Black Duck Imports, the company that so kindly ships us SHEESE, a spectacular vegan cheese product. Here is the response, as I suspected:
Hi Keri-
Glad you like the Sheese.

You are correct - the Sheese is made in Scotland and shipped in pallets to us here in Florida. We take orders from individual stores and then ship it to them. If distributors wanted to pick it up, we would get the pallets to them for them to sell to the stores, but there are not enough stores with it right now to get a distributor interested. Hopefully that will happen soon.

Scott Myers responded in less than 24 hours, what a good guy. We are going to have to keep the compliments going out to them and begging for it in stores in our locale so that we don't have to feel guilty about our cheese traveling so far to get to our tummies. Soon enough, we will have a production site in the US because of the stupendous demand. Spread the word, and the Sheese.

Green Weddings, Sheese Review, & Hempmilk

2007-02-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

My wedding was one of the most exhilarating days ever. Darryl and I got married at the Regency Building in San Francisco in a Gothic room of dark reds and large fancy chandeliers. Our guests dressed in period costumes as we wed on the weekend before Halloween. The pictures were dreamy and the experience is something of a blur but unforgettable. These days, "green" weddings are becoming the rage. Gathering at an organic farm for the ceremony, carrying a bouquet of local flowers, sipping sparkling wine from the nearby winery, and dining on vegan meals featuring seasonal produce from the farm at which you are tying the knot. Sounds so responsible its sick. I LOVE IT! Going the extra green mile (literally), some couples plan to offset carbon usage via guests being transported to the event by purchasing carbon credits from companies like TerraPass. Companies as such finance wind power plants and projects that collect cow manure and use it to make methane that is burned for electricity. This replaces coal and stops emissions from unburned methane which itself is a global warming gas. TerraPass figures out how much of the carbon credits to buy depending on the method and how far you are traveling. For example, airlines say that each gallon of gas (either jet or car) moves a passenger about 20 miles, so a 1000 mile trip uses about 50 gallons. This would cost you $9.95 at TerraPass, to offset the carbon released by your travels. Read the article in the NY Times for info on specialty services to make your party guests green with envy. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/fashion/11green.html?_r=1&ref=style&oref=slogin

Sheese, the most talked about product in the vegan community lately, is as good as people say it is. I CANNOT tell you how delicious the "blue cheese" flavor is. I am going to try, but honestly, its THAT good. I opened up the package I ordered from FOOD FIGHT in Oregon, knowing my Sheese awaited me inside. At first I hesitated because the package says to "keep refrigerated" but obviously it had to travel to me from Portland. So, I set it in the fridge and tried not to be paranoid a few hours later when I dove in with a fork to try it out. Shocking. The texture is hard, not rubbery. The flavor is tangy and creamy without the moldy yuck of real blue cheese. This is PERFECT for a sandwich. Its salty and tasty, not flavorless, rubbery and gag worthy. I have not attempted to melt it yet, apparently its a challenge but it tastes so good I don't care. I have yet to try the cheddar and chive, I promise to give you my reaction as soon as I do. At $9 a package, this damn cheese better be good, right? Well, I can say that I would rather eat this than some imported cheese from France that is loaded with rennet and god knows what else. I even think Sheese would hold up in accompanying a good glass of vino!
Yes, this cheese product is imported from a company called Black Duck Imports. I am not sure how far this product must travel to get to my fridge, but I sent an email asking. I will keep you posted on how many carbon credits we have to buy to make up for this!

Living Harvest just announced the launch of the first shelf stable hempmilk product. I am thrilled to see an alternative to nut and soy milks. My husband is allergic to most nuts, and isn't wild about soy milk. How many complaints do we have to hear about the soy issue....ugh, I am going for the hemp! I ordered the chocolate flavor - DOWNRIGHT delicious! I was really impressed. Thick, rich chocolately goodness made from whole hemp nuts. Hemp nuts have a balanced source of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids, all 10 essential amino acids, vitamins A, B2, B12, D, E, folic acid, naturally occurring minerals magnesium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus PLUS 46% of recommended daily calcium. I am excited to try the original and vanilla flavors now.

Why I love my husbands B.O.

2007-02-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

Sadly, many perfumes contain harmful chemicals. Valentines day is a big day for marketing sexy fragrance commericals on tv and in magazines. Well, here are some icky ingredients that come FREE with the highly romanticized fragrances people give their lovers as a gift.

Phthalates: Common plasticizing ingredients linked to birth defects in the reproductive system of boys at exposure levels typical for about one-quarter of U.S. women [2, 3]. Lowers sperm-motility in adult men [4]. Studies in laboratory animals show significant developmental toxicity [5] and damage to adult reproductive, adrenal, liver, and kidney organs [5]. Under consumer pressure, some cosmetic companies recently agreed to remove phthalates from their products — but many others have not. Our product tests show phthalates in nearly three-quarters of 72 name-brand products tested [6] [and link to not too pretty], even though none of these products contained the term "phthalate" on the ingredient label. Instead, in most cases these phthalates were almost certainly hidden in the product's fragrance.
Musks: Artificial musks accumulate in our bodies, and are often detected in breast milk and blood [7-10]. Musks come in two basic types, nitromusks and polycyclic musks. Nitromusks are linked to skin irritation, sensitization [9,10], and even cancer in laboratory studies [11, 12]. They are also linked to reproductive and fertility problems in women at high levels of exposure [13]. Laboratory studies also suggest that both polycyclic musks and nitromusks may affect hormone systems [14-19]. While the European Union has banned use of some nitromusks in cosmetics and personal care products [20], the use of polycyclic musks as an alternative to the more toxic nitromusks has increased. In the US, all musk chemicals are unregulated, and safe levels of exposure have not yet been set.
Allergic reactions: Fragrances are considered to be among the top five known allergens [21, 22], and are known to both cause asthma and trigger asthma attacks [23, 24]. Unfortunately, EWG's 2005 detailed survey of approximately one-third of the industry safety panel's ingredient reviews revealed that allergen and sensitizer determinations were made with little scientific rigor and inadequate safety margins.

The Environmental Working Group lists many items that are chemical and fragrance free that will prove that you REALLY DO LOVE your significant other!

This morning on NPR, bullfighting, suicide, and a prediction

2007-02-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

Two interesting stories popped up on NPR this morning.
First, Spain is having second thoughts about their tradition of killing and torturing bulls for amusement. Bullfighters in training attend subsidized schools that are run by some of the best bullfighters in Spain. One of the matadorks has a wooden leg and the other has been pierced about 30 times in his career. This "tradition" is being marked as barbaric (nooooo, really?) and more than 70% of the populous in Spain has no interest in attending these events. The nations environmental minister is trying to keep bulls from exiting the ring in a state of rigor mortis. Instead, she would like them to just be bloodied, stabbed, injured, suffering, and miserable. Hey, if you are going to torture the animal, the least you can do it let it die and move on to a more peaceful lifestyle where humans DO NOT exist.
The other show I heard this morning touched on the subject of suicide and young people. (mainly teens and college students) One point they made is that isolation is a contributor to suicide. If a person is different than most of his/her peers (gay, trans-gender, handicapped, etc) the statistics say that suicidal tendencies increase. That seems pretty obvious. One point made by the guest was that cell phones have a huge impact on suicide rates. Apparently, because of the connectivity, kids can call parents at any time and talk things out if they are having trouble with school, friends, or relationships. I never even thought about that shift in the relationship between kids and parents these days. Yeah, give your kid a phone and you can call and check up whether they answer or not, but the option of the child being able to call anytime with good or bad news is helpful in many ways.
A doctor at UCSF was saying that she had 5 students in the past two weeks come into her program because of attempted suicide. College is an interesting experiment. Its a time to meet an entirely new population of which you might meet a group of people to bond and hang out with no matter WHO you are....OR, your loner tendencies in high school keep you from making any headway in a new environment ripe with opportunity to make new friends. College is a time of liberal thought and appreciation of uniqueness of your classmates. Sure, you don't like everyone you meet automatically, but it seems more likely that former loners are accepted into social situations they may not have been before. Most of the suicides in college are probably related to the isolation and pressures of having to keep tabs on yourself as no one is really there to push you to do your homework or go to class. If you fall behind, no one else is there to pick up the pieces but YOU! Keep that cell phone handy for times of trouble.

On a lighter note, I have a prediction. Music has proven to be stagnant and a bit too rock electro for a bit too long. 80's hipster fashion has been lingering and seems really stale. The next big thing is a movement towards a gypsy lifestyle (def. of gypsy is: One of a vagabond race, whose tribes, coming originally from India, entered Europe in 14th or 15th century, and are now scattered over Turkey, Russia, Hungary, Spain, England, etc., living by theft, fortune telling, horse jockeying, tinkering, etc.) Youth of today seem more and more irritated that they have to hold down a job and make money for someone else when they themselves get paid crap. I find myself listening to new-ish bands like BEIRUT, which encapsulate dramatic and romantic vocals with instruments of ye olden days like horns and accordions. I imagine a drift towards the lifestyle of fleeting moments, less attachments, experiencing life on the go, but fully through music and nature. Well, maybe a gypsy lifestyle minus all of the stealing and crime. What I am trying to say is that people are fed up with trying to convince the government that war is bad, and the next move will be a romantic anarchy of sorts. Investing in the moment, not caring as much about the dollar signs, but the astrological signs. We'll see.

My New Favorite Lunch Spot

2007-02-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

I posted yesterday feeling a wee bit sad and left out when it comes to suitable meals for vegans. My vegan tank was refueled today as I approached the menu board at FRJTZ in Hayes Valley in San Francisco. A new location will open at 590 Valencia soon. Frjtz features belgian fries, crepes, sandwiches, salads, tea and art! Apparently DJ's spin there too in the p.m. I experienced shock and awe when reading the enticing ingredients of the BOSCH salad. Spring mix with quinoa, veggie salami, green onion, tomato, avocado, mango, cilantro dressed with a TASTY AS HECK tangerine-balsamic vinaigrette. I ordered that masterpiece alongside a small order of fries with white truffle oil and artichoke truffle ketchup. The ketchup is heavenly! They have roughly 22 dipping sauces for the fries, 7 of which are mayo based but the rest are vegan friendly. The fries were good, but they could have been better. They might have been a bit overdone, a tiny mushy inside, but they were very crispy on the outside. Oh whatever, they were still delicious.
Many of the sandwiches can be veganated. That is my new word I just made up. I like it. Anyway, the savory crepes are mostly meat based. The sweet crepes are mostly vegan just so long as you leave the whipped cream out. Nutella is NOT vegan, so sadly that crepe is off the list. The Claudel Crepe sounds amazing with caramelized apples, cinnamon, almonds. I am pretty sure caramelized apples involve butter somehow...hmmmm. The Daum is roasted pineapple, shaved coconut, brown sugar and toasted almonds.
I will be back for sure. See you in the valley for some fries.

Vegan Options Dwindling

2007-02-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

I don't know if its just me, but it seems as if my vegan options are dwindling. Even in the San Francisco Bay Area, many restaurants are closing down or eliminating their veggie options. I tried to patronize my local raw/vegan joint in Fairfax called Lydia's Lovin' Foods but I noticed the restaurant had a sad FOR RENT sign in the window. Okay, so the service was crap but Fairfax is known for their slow, hippie ways. I assumed that I had to adjust my perspective when entering the town of self proclaimed freaks and peaceniks. My backup plan kicked into gear, which is choosing from various hot/cold prepared foods at GOOD EARTH Grocery across the street. I guess this is a lesson in not stereotyping, because I thought Fairfax types would lean towards vegan cuisine. It seems that much of their options include eggs and butter.

They have about 5 different pizzas now, which look delicious but all have cheese. I remember buying vegan pizza there for lunch once. I remember often picking up a tasty seitan or tempeh dish there for my husband and I for dinner. I would drive out there to shop for local produce (which they ALWAYS feature, they have the BEST produce) and bulk items sometimes not available at Whole Foods. Good Earth is NOT cheap, its quite pricey. I stopped going so often because of the dwindling vegan selections. The salad bar is really my best bet there. If you go, try the Caesar. The croutons are tasty!
The only reason I can come up with for this downward trend is that the bulk food preparation is too expensive when using vegan ingredients. I suppose there is not much of a demand for vegan pizza when its sitting next to 4 other dairy cheese pizzas. I used to order Noah's Bagels with Tofutti at my local shop in Greenbrae. Unfortunately, they eliminated Tofutti cream cheese from the menu which leaves me with peanut butter as the next best choice. I think people should give Tofutti a try, its amazing! So tasty, I think many would choose it over cream cheese once they have tried it. Noah's needs to put out some samples of bagels with a bit of Tofutti and determine reactions of the customers. This stuff lasts awhile, I don't see how it could expire too soon and cause them to lose money providing it for the lactose intolerant or vegan customers. Tofutti is cholesterol free, while Philly Cream Cheese has 40 mg of it! Tofutti has 2 grams of Saturated Fat, while Philly has 6!
Whole Foods tends to serve the same damn vegan items in their hot food meal deal section. Always the curry that is flavorless or the damn dahl that tastes nothing like dahl. I do appreciate the sandwich section providing soy mayo, eggless tofu salad, hummus, and other tofus. I wish I had more to choose from.
Another yummy restaurant called Geranium closed down recently in SF. I don't know why, the food always tasted great and the service was acceptable. Cafe Gratitude is multiplying, which is a plus. Unfortunately, raw food makes me feel ill sometimes. Its so heavy that my tummy has trouble after a small meal there. The desserts are AMAZING! Strawberry shortcake, highly recommended! Look out for the new location in San Anselmo, Marin County.
Another restaurant nearby, Paradise Seafood and Vegetarian, a faux meat Asian place closed down and is now replaced with yet another Indian restaurant. Running a restaurant ain't easy. I suppose I have to accept that vegan restauranteurs have good intentions, but maybe lack experience or business sense.
I suppose I should stick to writing. One thing I do know, you will be the first to know if I find the perfect spot for a hearty vegan lunch or dinner. Until then, cook for yourself!

Chemical free baby and momma

2007-02-05T20:49:00.000-08:00

Food isn't the only thing to worry about when you are pregnant. When a friend of mine asked if i registered for baby loot yet, I admitted that I hadn't and got right to work that night. I cannot tell you how long it took me to figure out the right bottles, burping cloths, sheets, breast pump, onesies, car seat, and high chair...I could go on. I am very focused on quality versus quantity when it comes to items for my baby. My style is very modern and simple, which usually means higher cost! I thought I would share with you moms hoping to create a clean, environmentally responsible, vegan and safe nursery for your baby, the items that I researched and eventually picked out after four hours on the computer!

Cribs can run you anywhere from $200 up to $4000! If you search for modern designs, you will notice that most are in the $1500 range. Most are chemical free, so you don't necessarily have to worry about that. I luckily found a crib I wanted on the Home and Living site. The Emily Crib is apparently high quality, gets high ratings from customers and comes in about 8 colors. I loved the black. The Da Vinci line of cribs does not use harmful finishes. Home and Living is offering free shipping for most of the cribs offered on their site. I bought the matching changing table in addition to the crib, plus the additional pieces that turn the crib into a bed your child can grow into for $550. The crib I had my eye on originally is $1200 plus shipping! Yikes.
I found an organic crib mattress at the Natural Sleep Store. Choose the package and you get a organic cotton fitted sheet, organic mattress pad and mattress for around $350. This seemed to be the best deal of all sites I searched.
Crib sheet sets are pricey as HECK! A set with a bumper, fitted sheet, and if you are lucky a blanket will set you back $300. The George Collection is available on most organic baby websites.

It is bright white with either a stitching of a lion or deer or bunnies. The whole set is expensive, but if you just order the bumper cover and a plain fitted sheet plus a pillow cover, the price should stay a lot lower than $350!
Target surprisingly carries a number of organic cotton towels for the bath, organic receiving blankets and onesies. California Baby bath and grooming products contain sustainable and organic ingredients.

You can find a Newborn Gift Set on the Target website too. Yay Target!
Now, I thought that the bottles I picked out for breast milk were free of PVC's but I am getting some conflicting information on this. Glass bottles or opaque plastic bottles seem to be safer choices. Big surprise, PVC's are BANNED in Europe but still legal in the U.S. Annoying. The Childrens Health Environmental Coalition rates PVC's as something to avoid. They list some brand names to avoid and others to consider as alternatives.
Seventh Generation seems to be the best of environmentally responsible disposable diapers. Amazon.com even sells them!
Good luck with your registry. I found it tough to choose the best or safest products because most stores do not willingly give up information about chemically laden products! Egiggle.com gives criterion for every item. Look for the R. It stands for responsible. This includes "environmentally" responsible. Target.com carries some organic items. Ourgreenhouse.com is where I picked out my sheets and other basics because all items are organic and chemical free. This registry experience is just one step to prepare me for demands of motherhood!

Sheese FINALLY! & other fun

2007-02-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

I just discovered that Sheese is finally available on-line through the Food Fight website. What is Sheese? WELL, its only the most talked about cheese substitute in the veg community, featured in 6 flavors like Blue (supposedly something to bow down to), Gouda, various cheddars, Mozzarella, and Cheddar and Chives. I am ordering some asap, I promise to report back to you on the truth of these claims that Sheese is what we all have been waiting for. By the way, the nutritional information bodes well. This product is hydrogenated oil free and features natural ingredients.

Friday, my husband, sis and her man (my bro in-law) decided to go to dinner at Meze's restaurant in the marina district of San Francisco. The service was notably friendly and patient, but the food was seriously a perplexing tasteless experience. Usually vegans and meat eaters can co-exist well at Greek restaurants. Meze's is a casual place with a good Greek wine list (being pregnant I couldn't enjoy but the rest of the crew did) and the place was actually packed. We ordered a vegetarian meze plate first. Babaganoush, dolmas, feta cheese, some greens and beets, and spanikopita arrived nicely on a platter. I only ate the Baba and the Dolmas because of the absence of cheese but they were both on the sweet side. I thought that was odd, but ate them anyway. Next, my husband ordered some fried smelt, which came with a white sauce that looked like a scoop of lemon sorbet on the plate. He looked confused because the smelt tasted like nothing with some unflavored batter dipped in some flavorless white condiment. Another dish came (I think it was cod) which was sooooo salty that it seemed like an accident. My brother in law attempted to enjoy a cold Greek beer that just tasted like bud light.
Maybe our unsettling experience at this restaurant was a reaction to any Greek food other than Kokkari in San Francisco near the Embarcadero. Parents of a good friend from college named George run Kokkari and know exactly how to serve up PERFECT mezes. Highly recommended for vegans or vegetarians, just be sure to ask if a dish comes with cheese. Sometimes it sneaks in as a garnish of sorts. The pitas are to die for and dang, just the first course will fill you up! You will need to plan ahead financially and schedule-wise because a reservation is definitely necessary. Its a hot spot!

Tints of Nature Hair Coloring

2007-02-02T06:48:00.000-08:00

Here I am as your guinea pig for a new brand of "organic, natural hair coloring" called Tints of Nature. I bought it at Elephant Pharmacy but I know its available at some Whole Foods stores. My hair to start was dark brownish black, faded from a blue black with some ash blond roots. My natural hair color is light, but I prefer other colors to my own!
My goal was to get a nice light brown with some gold red tones. Of the selection of colors T.O.N. offers (quite a few actually), none looked as if they fit that description so I decided to lighten my whole head and then put in a reddish color. There are two lighteners available. One is for dark brown hair and the other is for light brown. I started with a box of the dark brown to blond and quickly figured out that there was NO WAY the amount of the mixture was going to cover my entire head. I tried, but came out with a spotty leopard look of copper and dark brown and some lighter blond. Not pretty. Last night I used the lightening kit which is recommended for lighter brown to blond and covered the spots that were still fairly dark that I apparently missed. It did the job, but boy was I nervous having to "spot check" every little dark area on my head.
This morning I am using the red to cover my whole head. Its quite bright, I like the brighter reds because reds seem to fade easily.
So, here are my recommendations.
1. If using the lightening options, be sure to buy 2 kits if you have chin length or longer hair. That stuff just sucks up into your hair and isn't easy to spread around.
2. Buy another applicator brush if you plan to lighten your entire head. The brush that comes with it is for highlighting and is a real pain if you are doing an overall job.
3. Follow the directions and be sure to do your ends before your roots when you have super dark hair. But remember to do your roots because the end result will be some greyish brown roots with yellowish blond copper in the rest of your hair.

I am not a professional, so take these suggestions as my experience and hopefully they will help you when you decide to try this stuff out. The good thing is its free of ammonia and parabens and is NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS! You will notice that the lightener doesn't burn like most do. The smells are pleasant instead of harsh. The other ingredients they use are organic.
Check out their website here: http://www.tintsofnature.com.au/tints_of_nature.html

Beans NOT beef!

2007-02-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

I dig Science Daily. Read this article called EAT TO LIVE: Cut beef, save the globe.

......the [new years] resolution I propose: Reduce your consumption of beef.
Cows do more harm to the environment than cars.
Livestock generates 18 percent more greenhouse-gas emissions as measured in carbon dioxide (CO2) than transport. It is responsible for producing 65 percent of human-related nitrous oxide, which compared to CO2 has 296 times more GWP. That's Global Warming Potential, in science-speak. Most of this, according to a report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, comes from manure.
Manure is responsible for 37 percent of all human-induced methane, mainly produced by the digestive system of livestock. That's 23 times more warming power than CO2. It also accounts for 64 percent of ammonia, which contributes significantly to acid rain.
Alright, so you're one of those -- increasingly rare -- people who think the whole global-warming issue is a load of hot air. Consider this instead:
Thirty percent of the entire land surface of the Earth is now given over to the raising of livestock. While most of that is in pasture, 33 percent of arable land feeds not people but cows, pigs and sheep.
We are expected to double our global meat production by 2050, from 229 million tons in 1999-2001 to 465 million tons. The output of milk is expected to rise from 580 million tons to 1043 million.
As we become more prosperous, our meat consumption increases. To feed the livestock that feeds us, we need more land to make more pasture. In Latin America 70 percent of what used to be forest in the Amazon basin has now been turned into grazing land.
The more we focus on feeding cattle, the more we diminish the biodiversity of the globe. Fifteen out of 24 key ecosystem services are reckoned to be in decline, with the prime blame laid at the feet of our clove-hoofed friends.
They're chomping through so much grass that 20 percent of their pastures has been written off as overgrazed, the land now vulnerable to compaction and soil erosion. Overgrazing also disturbs water cycles, reducing replacement both from the sky and the diminishing water table. Where drylands have been turned over to livestock, the problem is even more severe. The land is become desert.
The biodiversity loss of marine ecosystems in the South China Sea has been blamed on contamination by phosphorous and nitrogen, coming from the on-land waste of animals, the antibiotics and hormones used in their feed, the fertilizers and pesticides applied to the crops that fatten them, along with chemicals from tanneries.
Want another slice of that beef? Instead, why not nip in your car down to your supermarket for another protein source.
Refer to my protein posting on Sunday for ideas!

"Firsts"

2007-02-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

That pivotal day leading to the banishment of meat from my diet forever reveals a short but interesting story. All my life I accepted meat on my plate at almost every meal from bacon at breakfast to meatloaf at dinnertime. I KNOW I mentioned in an earlier post my infatuation with liverwurst sandwiches on wheat with ketchup, gross. Even grosser, I admit I dabbled in a bit of sorority madness during my second year of college at Pacific, in Stockton in 1995. As a Delta Gamma I not only proudly donned an anchor sweatshirt 'round campus but also paid to eat exclusively in the sorority house kitchen most meals.

Sitting at the table for dinner one night, I separated a piece of meat from the chicken bone and literally thought, "This could EASILY be the bone of my dog, featuring HIS meat and not some faceless chicken." That was it. I couldn't stomach the idea of eating meat again. Granted, I did eat shrimp and crab on occasion, and continued to peruse and consume items found in the dairy aisle until about 3 years ago when I began following a strict vegan regimen.
I remember how elated I felt to be on a new adventure. Humans CRAVE "firsts." First time you travel to a foreign land, first time you drive a car by yourself, first time you drive your new car, first child being born, having sex for the first time, first boyfriends, your first job, etc. There is a need for fresh experiences. Giving myself the confidence to become a vegan who makes sacrifices for animals and the earths well-being was challenging at first, but now its almost like a series of "firsts" everyday. There is always someone new to talk to about food and how great it feels to go to the doctor with no fear of health problems. There is always a new product to try at the store or a new restaurant featuring vegan items. Honestly, it may seem as if the bar is set low so expectations are met, but I cannot tell you how GREAT it feels to not be responsible for ANY animals being slaughtered or treated poorly because I WANT to eat a steak, drink some milk, eat some cheese or wear a cows skin on my feet. Talk about a huge weight pulled from the shoulders.
I find that my choice to partake in no animal anything results in my desire to try new things in other aspects of my life. Take this blog for instance. If I did not strictly follow my own advice, no one would read this blog. Thanks to my dedicated readers, I am fueled enough to continue writing! I know old habits die hard, but remember the first time you took a trip to Europe or made out with your girl/boyfriend? Damn thats fun! Its time to make a couple of changes to renew your life. Its easier than you think. For one day, try eating foods that your great-great grandmother would recognize as food. I think you will be surprised in how many firsts you experience in this experiment!

2007-01-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

I feel the need to post this information because the subject comes up everyday in the life of a vegan. I know its annoying, but "Where do you get your protein?"
The recommendation for protein for adult male vegans is around 56-70 grams per day; for adult female vegans it is around 46-58 grams per day.
Here are stats of some vegan protein sources: (food item, serving size, protein count)
Tempeh, 1 cup, 41 grams.
Seitan, 3 oz, 31 grams.
Soybeans, 1 cup, 20 grams.
Lentils, 1 cup, 18 grams.
Black Beans, 1 cup, 15 grams.
Kidney Beans, 1 cup, 13 grams.
Chickpeas, 1 cup, 12 grams.
Tofu, 4 oz, 11 grams.
Quinoa, 1 cup cooked, 9 grams.
Bagel, 1 medium, 9 grams.
Peas, 1 cup, 9 grams.
Peanut Butter, 2 tbsp, 8 grams.
Almonds, 1/4 cup, 8 grams.
Broccoli, 1 cup, 4 grams.
Spinach, 1 cup, 5 grams.
Brown rice, 1 cup cooked, 5 grams.
Whole wheat bread, 2 slices, 5 grams.
Soy milk, plain, 1 cup, 7 grams.
Oatmeal, 1 cup cooked, 6 grams.
VERSUS:
White Meat Chicken, 4 oz, 35 grams.
White Meat Turkey, 4 oz, 33 grams.
Lean Pork Loin, 4 oz, 31 grams.
Egg, one, 6 grams.

Basically, its easy to eat sans cruelty and still (GASP) get your protein. This subject gets even more fun when you are pregnant as you are accused on abusing your child in utero because you don't eat your meats. Lets all get educated and realize that a lot of what we hear is seriously a product of Nutritionism. (more on this subject tomorrow as Michael Pollan wrote an amazing article for the times this Sunday!)

Whole Foods MEALS for FOUR under $15 "veganized"

2007-01-28T10:17:00.000-08:00

After many discussions about eating well ending in my feeling like a spoiled brat who can "afford to eat fresh produce and healthy foods," I am on a mission to prove that healthy habits by way of shopping at the supermarket is not solely for middle or upper class consumers.
I wish I got paid for the amount of times I promote Whole Foods but honestly, I am just thrilled that a place exists that actually puts each of their products through a careful evaluation. I reported awhile back that POM juice producers were guilty of some nasty animal testing and I noticed that Whole Foods promptly pulled POM off their shelves. Whole Foods features foods that are free from artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats. Knowing that you don't have to check every damn label for junk added to your cookies, crackers, etc, can make grocery shopping fun again!
365 Everyday Value is a self-branded collection of staples featured at the store. Each item is priced low, most are staples that you need on hand like cereal, canned goods, frozen foods, spices, even coffee. Another featured brand is 365 Organic Everyday Value which is a line giving you all of the benefits of organic food at unexpectedly low prices. Usually these items are available in larger quantities to pass the savings on to the consumer.
Available at every store, is a pamphlet that features MEALS for FOUR under $15. This appears to be updated as the seasons change. Buying foods that are in season can save you a lot of money. Trying to buy organic berries right now is a joke. I think they will run you about $6 a package!
The meals featured in this pamphlet are NOT vegan, and only one option is vegetarian. I vote that you opt for the faux meat versions of these tasty recipes. You will notice the price will probably be LOWER and the taste will be BETTER, flesh and blood free!
Recipe #1 is Butternut Squash Ravioli - this recipe can easily be vegan by choosing a veggie ravioli instead of cheese, using soy butter, and omitting the cheese, perhaps sprinkling some nutritional yeast on top for added protein and B12.
Recipe #2 is Shrimp & Feta Pizzas - Easy to make this vegan and even tastier! Substitute shredded mozzarella with vegan mozzarella from Vegan Gourmet, omit the shrimp and feta and add vegan pepperoni (cholesterol free and low fat vs. cholesterol laden shrimp) and some sliced leeks and potatoes. (in season) YUMMY!
Recipe #3 is Coconut Red Pork Curry - okay, lets just leave the cute pig out of this. If you want to replace this "ingredient"
READ: Pork Tenderloin =

then you can go this route: Substitute pork with veggie ham (bacon flavor) OR you can use tofu or seitan as each are delicious meat substitutes that are delicious in curry sauce.
Recipe #4 is Slow Cooker Hoisin Beef Stew - No need to sacrifice a sweet cow for this recipe.

READ: Beef =
I have a secret for you. Vegecyber features AWESOME beef chunks for your frozen food collection. Try not to eat them before you even cook this recipe because they are fantastic! Unfortunately they feature dairy, whey protein. So, if you are VEGAN, pat yourself on the back and use the "lamb" chunks. These don't contain any animal products at all. The rest of the recipe is vegan friendly except the call for beef broth, just use veggie bullion cubes which are tasty and much more affordable than buying broth in a can or box. You never need the whole can or box which is wasteful. The cube is WISE as it lasts and is easier to measure out!

Recipe #5 is Peruvian Sopa La Minuta - "minute soup"
Again, get out your veggie bullion cubes and your ground beef substitute which is easy to find in most grocery stores these days. Otherwise, I recommend shrimp balls which are a delicious addition to soup. Tofu is also great in soups.

I often opt for a mix of seasonal veggies, for example, right now here are some in-season fruits and veggies to choose from: BRUSSELS SPROUTS, GRAPEFRUIT, LEEKS, ORANGES, PARSNIPS, PEARS, SHALLOTS, POTATOES, TANGELOS, TANGERINES, WINTER SQUASH, GARLIC AND ONIONS. I get out the wok, melt soy margarine or warm some olive oil, toss in crumbled tempeh, sliced tofu, or sliced seitan. Next, I add my seasonal veggies like thinly sliced leeks, halved brussels sprouts, and kale. Steam up some parsnips, whip them up with some soy milk and shallots to serve the stir fry on top of. Sprinkle the finished product with a flavored salt like rosemary or truffle. YUMMY! Flavored salts last forever and add gourmet flavor for just pennies a meal. Make your own by adding fresh herbs to coarse sea salt. Try adding lemon rind or even dried chili's to add some heat.
Highly recommended, and on "special" is a mushroom herb salt on Saltistry's website. Its a mix of herbs and four different mushrooms. 5 oz for $10 will last you many delicious meals and beware, it can be addictive! As they say on their page, "don't worry about getting too much sodium because its beneficial to consume sea salts daily as they naturally contain many trace minerals."

All vegan/vegetarian meats can be ordered online (note the shipping cost) at www.vegecyber.com. These alternatives are great to impress your meat eating friends or to spoil your vegan friends when they come over for dinner. I don't recommend eating much of this stuff because its not exactly healthy to eat faux meats every night for dinner. Make sure you check the ingredients of everything first, as some items do contain whey protein, which is a milk product. I recommend trying the crab and prawns (awesome in stir fries with yummy sauces) which are both vegan.

You can also order online faux meat treats at May Wah.

Starbucks: Lowfat, hormone, half decaf, dry, grande mocha

2007-01-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

CONSUMERS URGE STARBUCKS TO HOLD THE HORMONES IN ALL 50 STATES

Starbucks makes a move toward artificial-hormone free dairy after last month's "Hold the Hormones" campaign, but consumers want more.

New York—January 17, 2007—Immediately after Food & Water Watch's nation-wide "Hold the Hormones" campaign culminated in a National Call-In last month, Starbucks announced an increase in rBGH-free dairy in several states, amounting to 37 percent of their total supply. Several news organizations recently reported that the coffee giant now has plans to go 100 percent hormone-free, an announcement that Food & Water Watch's Wenonah Hauter described as "encouraging" but said "we would like to see Starbucks commit to a timeline for completely switching over to hormone-free milk."

New York-based nonprofit Sustainable Table, which has been promoting the campaign by urging consumers to write, call, and leave letters at Starbucks, is now circulating an updated letter encouraging Starbucks to convert fully. The site also hosts an interactive map where consumers can find a state-by-state listing of rBGH-free dairy suppliers, as well as the Eat Well Guide, an online directory of small farms and other sustainable food outlets. The Meatrix II: Revolting, the second in the Meatrix series, centers on dairy production and hosts an action alert advising viewers to take part in the campaign.
RBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) is a genetically engineered artificial growth hormone created to increase milk production in dairy cows. It causes health complications in cows and there is concern about a possible link to cancer in humans.

About: Sustainable Table celebrates the sustainable food movement, educates consumers on industrial farming and food-related issues, and helps build community through sustainable food. The program includes the Eat Well Guide, an online directory of sustainbly-raised meat, poultry, dairy and eggs in the United States and Canada, and the Meatrix film series. The Meatrix II: Revolting was produced by Sustainable Table and Free Range Studios. The original Meatrix has been viewed by over 15 million people around the world and translated into 30 languages.
Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer rights organization, based in Washington, D.C., that challenges the corporate control and abuse of our food supply and water resources. Visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org or www.holdthehormones.org for more on why Starbucks should go hormone-free.

Top Notch Pet Foods

2007-01-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

My dogs are not full-time herbivores. They usually get a mix of foods and I often change their kibble each time I run out because their tummies can handle the switch easily. I don't recommend this for most dog moms and dads because it can cause an annoying and inconvenient bout with diarrhea or gas. There is absolutely no excuse for feeding your pet junk food. Brands often found in grocery stores like Safeway are made with byproducts like chicken feathers and poop, downer animals, bones, blood, intestines, lungs, ligaments, pesticide residues, antibiotics, and molds contained in pet food ingredients. Meat from sick animals may be loaded with drugs, some of which are known to pass unchanged through all the processing done to create a finished pet food (such as penicillin and phenobarbital). Between 1995 and 1999, there were two major recalls of dry dog food by different manufacturers due to mold contamination of grain ingredients. Some fungal toxins are very dangerous. The second recalled food killed more than 20 dogs. Never buy a food containing “by-product meal” or “meat and bone meal.” These rendered products are the most inexpensive sources of animal protein. The contents and quality of these meals can vary tremendously from batch to batch, and are not a reliable source of nutrition for your animal. Healthy and environmentally responsible foods are available at large chain stores like Petco & at small mom and pop stores in your neighborhood. Here are some great choices in different price ranges to keep your pup in tip top health.
MY FAVORITE FOR THE PRICE, QUALITY, AND AVAILABILITY:
NATURAL BALANCE VEGETARIAN DOG FOOD OR ORGANIC CHICKEN FORMULA

CASEY & WILEY (my moms doggies) and SAMMY & HB (my vizslas) go NUTS over:
Merrick's Grammy's Pot Pie Canned & Dry Food....new bags I saw announce "ORGANIC at no extra cost to you!" Merrick has an interesting business model. They help us choose food for our pets by naming them after popular human meals or creative mixes with interesting ingredients. They are very meat-minded, but they also offer organic so I feel okay recommending it over other brands.

IF YOUR DOGS BEG FOR FRUIT.....
CASTOR & POLLUX Natural Ultramix features natural chicken as the #1 ingredient! Fortified with Vitamins & Minerals. Wholesome fruits & vegetables that you can really see! There are banana chips, carrots, bananas, papaya, apples and blueberries in this food! Yummy.
C&P also features an organic food called ORGANIX.

Looking to BEEF UP YOUR KARMA?
KARMA dog food is 100% organic (ALL ingredients in the food, not just the meat is organic), the box is made of recyclable materials, and they manage the food from the way their ingredients are farmed to where the dog food is sold.

Other honorable mentions are:
EAGLE PACK Holistic Formulas
Jeffrey's Pet Food Store (soon online!) in the San Francisco bay area.
Its quite easy to make your pets food if they have allergies and such. A book I used to utilize daily when I made my dogs meals by hand was Dr. Pitcairn's Natural Health for Cats and Dogs book. Its available on Amazon.com.

Vegan Travel #1 PALM SPRINGS

2007-01-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

I am seriously disappointed when it comes to searching for vegan travel sights either online or even books. I tried to find a source of inspiration online as I hoped to take a nice trip with my husband before our baby is born, but the lack of thrilling travel tips for vegans became frustrating. Just because I am vegan doesn't mean I want to go on a trip to detox or do 50 yoga classes in a weekend. This is my attempt at collecting information on easy trips to take that are remotely affordable and fun too! Geesh, is that too much to ask!?
I decided to write about PALM SPRINGS as a destination today. The main reason for this is a great article in Sunset Magazine with cool hotels and interesting hiking trails & a certain restaurant that ROCKS!
I can probably speak for most vegans that eating is a huge consideration when traveling. In L.A. about six months ago, I ate at a wonderful restaurant called Native Foods. I couldn't get enough of the gyro dish I had. I also took with me a slice of banana chocolate chip cake for later and OH MY LORD! So delicious. I bought the cookbook too. I made the monkey bars at home and many other savory goodies that come highly recommended! Palm Springs hosts Native Foods restaurant which has been in business for over 10 years. The chef to thank when you eat there is Tanya Petrovna. She is the CEO of the Native Foods collective and her cookbook gives a brief history as to how she came to be head honcho and a proud vegan.

Another sweet deal is the Veggie and Tea House. If you are in the mood for some veggie asian food that is filling and delicious, check out their amazing website with pictures AND nutritional information! This restaurant is an hour out of Palm Springs so maybe on the day you feel like taking a road trip. Oh, and I KNOW that us dedicated vegans will travel to EAT!
There are a number of kitchy hotels in Palm Springs. The following locations have ALL of the character you need at a decent price. I don't see that any of these have a restaurant on the premises, so no need to get upset about the hotel sizzling up bacon in the morning or slicing rump roast in front of you at dinnertime.

The Chase Hotel is a beauty, very clean and basic modern decor. Rates for this time of year range from $119 for a standard room, add about $20 for your own kitchen. Totally worth it for us vegans!

The Desert Hills Hotel is another modern gem featuring kitchens in most of their rooms. Hotel rooms are around $100 and studio suites will run you around $120. What a deal! They also offer complimentary cruiser bikes for your riding pleasure. This hotel is a short three blocks from downtown shops and restaurants.

If you have more money to spend on a fancier joint, try the Movie Colony Hotel. This place features a sunset wine hour around the firepit, featuring fancy California wines, private patios, top notch linens and decor, spa services, cruiser bikes and concierge. The rates are around $200 and up. Seriously swanky! Oh, and walking distance from downtown.
Palm Springs is chock full of vintage and recycled shopping destinations.
Check out furniture at Modern Way
and vintage clothing at Celebrity Seconds where you can literally buy clothing worn by Hollywood's biggest stars!
For outdoor activities, you can visit Palm Canyon where you will witness critters abound and some interesting vegetation. Depending on the time of year, you might see streams flowing and remember if its HOT, bring lots of water!
Don't forget to visit the Joshua Tree, not to be missed! Just be aware of most guides are in Hummers which is obviously not ideal. Bicycling is permitted on public roads, both paved and dirt. There are no bicycle paths along roads. Bikes are prohibited on back country and nature trails.
Beware, there is a place called The Living Desert which hosts some native plants which is intriguing but they also have a zoo which is super depressing for us vegan types!
Getting there is simple, look up any info on transportation at www.palm-springs.org or call 1.800.347.7746.

Water Signs

2007-01-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

I am a Pisces, a fish, I suppose I see myself fit to give my opinion on the latest involving my surrounding element: Water!
Apparently there has been some controversy surrounding this liquid our bodies are partly composed of. (In men about 72% of the body mass is water. This value is about 68% in women due to a higher proportion of body fat. This is the total body water.) First, there was the radio contest held in California proving deadly as a contestant ingested too much water to win some video game console.
"Jennifer Strange, 28, died last Friday after taking part in a competition to win a Nintendo Wii console on Sacramento's KDND-FM.
In the contest, "Hold your wee for a Wii", about 18 contestants tried to drink as much water as they could without going to the toilet.
After several hours, Strange finished second in the contest, winning tickets to a Justin Timberlake concert. But by then she was already feeling ill from the effects of drinking too much water. Her stomach had swollen and she was complaining of headaches."
I am sure I don't have to go into detail about this. Its just plain sad and irresponsible of the radio station to not have demanded paramedics be on the scene just in case something were to happen.
The next round of water bashing is the result of hotels and sassy restaurants always asking if you want "bottled water, still or sparkling, or JUST TAP water?" to accompany your meal. I must admit that I sometimes feel awkward saying that I want tap water. They make you feel like this should be some special occasion and that the water should be special too. Hotels like the Ritz in New York are top notch on service but also on the scale of ridiculousness:
"In New York the Ritz-Carlton Hotel recently appointed a water sommelier to advise customers on which types of water would go best with which foods. "It's been extremely well received," says Filip Wretman, who usually stocks three sparkling and three still waters but can obtain as many as 80 with 48 hours' notice. "People are interested in the taste but also the history: our Fiji water is so pure because it fell as rain 450 years ago, before the industrial revolution."
Uh huh, that is what all of us wanted out of our dining experience, the history of the water we are drinking.
On TreeHugger I found this piece by Times of London food commentator Giles Coren: "Mineral water is a preposterous vanity. It is flown and shipped around the world, from France and Norway at best, from Japan and Fiji at worst. It is bottled in glass that is mostly thrown away and is stupidly heavy to freight, or in plastic which never, ever, decomposes and just goes to landfill or ends up in one of the “plastic patches” the size of Texas currently gyring in our oceans.
Food snobs and restaurant critics make a big song and dance about mineral waters they like and don’t like. New York’s Ritz-Carlton even caters to the whim of abstemious punters with a dedicated water list and sommelier.
The vanity of it! While half the world dies of thirst or puts up with water you wouldn’t piss in, or already have, we have invested years and years, and vast amounts of money, into an ingenious system which cleanses water of all the nasties that most other humans and animals have always had to put up with, and delivers it, dirt-cheap, to our homes and workplaces in pipes, which we can access at a tap.
And yet last year we bought three billion litres of bottled water. 3,000,000,000 litres! I have no idea how much that is. But it seems a lot. Especially when we were fooled into buying it because of labels that said “pure as an alpine stream”, “bottled at the foot of a Mexican volcano” or “cleansed for three million years beneath a Siberian glacier”. What morons we are."
Way to stand up for the drowning of our perspective on a basic necessity of life.
Let us start a new trend. Turning down the bottled stuff and demanding the tap water is environmentally sound. (Unless you are traveling to a location with fecal flavored water) Feel good when you leave the restaurant for choosing the clearly wiser option. TAP ain't CRAP!

I miss my bananas

2007-01-18T19:48:00.000-08:00

I used to buy banana's every time I made a trip to the store. They are so tasty and convenient. Most bananas travel from Central and South America and doused in pesticides, so I thought I should cut down and only buy bananas that come from a closer location with less chemicals. Many other items fall into this category. Tomatoes and avocados are good examples. Plenty Magazine features alternate choices for those with a hankering for foods that are not locally available or in season.

Above is a picture of Pawpaws (already love them because of the name)which are grown in America in the Spring. Most purveyors sell puree of pawpaw year round at farmers markets for use in smoothies (this is what I used all of those bananas for!) or to enjoy as dessert or with breakfast. What do they taste like? As a member of the cherimoya family, Paw squared tastes like a tropical mix of mango, pineapple and banana. If you have never tried a cherimoya, you HAVE to try one. Its like banana custard in a fruit! Don't eat the seeds though, they are toxic.
There is a new eco-friendly fair-trade banana company called Oke which is coming to a natural food store in your area.

For our veggie eatin' friends outside of California and Arizona, mixed greens and lettuce in general is scarce during off-season months. Other tasty options to replace your need for a good salad are locally grown turnips, cabbage, carrots, and parsnips...these provide the same vitamins and minerals as dark leafy greens.

Tomatoes appear all year round for us lucky Californians....but other than Floridians, most other states don't see these red gems unless its summer. Off-season tomatoes never taste AS delicious as a summer sun drenched one, but if you MUST, buy the hothouse version. Tip: use summer tomatoes for canning or make sauce to freeze for use during the winter months.

If you haven't noticed already, its citrus season in California! I have enjoyed a variety of fruits lately that are super tasty and delicious from tangerines to basic navel oranges. When these tasty treats are not available locally, an alternative to try are kumquats which can survive in lower temperatures than other citrus fruits. If local lemons are not available, substitute white wine or vinegar in equal parts for juice in recipes. Lemons are limes are fairly easy to grow yourself...I even have meyer lemon tree that is still alive under my care! Its a miracle.

Generation Gap

2007-01-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

Naturally I gravitate to those that are closer in age and maybe look like the creative type. At first glance, humans seem to connect to those like themselves. Too bad, more often than not, we judge people by their appearance and first words out of their mouths instead of getting to know them. I accept that most business trips I attend with my husband result in my attending spouse dinners and activities. Sometimes I enjoy chatting with elders and I tend not to judge from the get go because women my moms age have different priorities and may not dress like me or care about the latest music on college radio. Tuesday night I took in an earful from 2 of the women, one being very high powered, working with celebs and government types, maximizing their visibility. The other is a mom with kids in college in different states with no job. Between the two, I was informed of the importance of woman power in addition to the demands of having not ONE but multiple children.
I walked away from dinner feeling worked, so out of it. I see that there is a HUGE difference in the way the late 40's crowd and the 30-ish crowd prioritizes their goals. For example, many women upward a generation from mine seem to be very focused on equality and building strength of women everywhere. The generation before that seems to believe in the homemaker/at home mommy as being just fine and acceptable as a respectable job. MY generation seems to focus on a mix of professions, but many are concerned with the future of this planet. We have been inundated with racial and gender equality since the first day at school. There is no question that everyone should be treated equally, its just so automatic to my generation. We may not be perfect in treating every single person with respect, but that is a different subject.
What I am trying to get at is, our environment is at the forefront of our lives today. We are emotionally involved in our work. My discussion with the ladies seemed dismissed when we veered off into the department of food politics. Habits die hard. One of my dinner friends did not like animals at all. She eats a lot of meat she said. Totally foreign to me....apparently areas in northern Maine do not have access to fresh produce? What? I dunno if that is true but the main point made was regarding healthy eating being more expensive than your fast food. I had to make my point about Americans spending the least percentage of their income of any country on food, but health care spending is highest.
I cannot accept that in this day and age of various methods of transportation, that states in America do not have access to fresh produce. If you are poor, can you not grow some food for very little, using very little space? I realize fast food is cheap, but there ARE ways to eat on the cheap and still eat healthy.
I pledge to find out if and how eating healthy can be as affordable as junk food. If anyone knows of current data that supports this idea, please let me know! AND, if you live in northern Maine, please tell me whether or not you can access produce.
I suppose I will just keep truckin' and reporting on my new favorite read, "The Bloodless Revolutions" which discusses the history of vegetarianism. Its so interesting! More later.....

A Vegan Perspective

2007-01-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

Expectations as a vegan can become (I don't want to say LOW) but simplified over time. Yesterday my husband and I were at the Oakland airport and I knew I better eat something before our flight because of the unpredictable pregnant appetite I have. I think I am not hungry, then 10 minutes later I am dizzy with hunger. We decided on Mexican food from 360. I saw the word VEGAN next to a mixed veggie burrito on the menu. I immediately just decided that is what I should get because the actual word VEGAN was up on the board! Then I started looking around and noticed that there were smoked tofu salads, quesadillas (not vegan obviously), and more. I reminded myself that mixed veggie burritos usually SUCK because I just don't like squash, zucchini and bell peppers. What a mushy mix of bitter junk. So I decided on the rice and bean burrito with tofu and guacamole. I was shocked at how yummy the 'rita tasted. The tofu was well seasoned, the guac had bite, and there wasn't too much onion in the salsa. I hate tasting my burrito for the rest of the day because of those damn onions! Its sad because I LOVE salsa.

We are staying at the Four Seasons for a couple of days in Scottsdale on business. I am sitting in my hotel room satiated after enjoying the following: old-fashioned oatmeal with dried berries, fresh strawberries and blueberries, and a huge soy latte. I was worried when I woke up about getting a proper coffee. I didn't see soy milk on the menu so I thought I would ask and heck yes they had it. You know when you get room service, you dread getting the meal because you just KNOW its gonna be mushy and cold. Well, not at the Four Seasons! Its super cold here right now so I thought for sure I would be eating lukewarm oatmeal. It was piping hot, and my latte was even hotter! Simple pleasures, I tell ya! I will have to see what choices I have when it comes to food at dinner tonight with some of the lovely spouses I met last night.

One more thing, if you are looking for a spectacular chocolate chip cookie recipe, look no further. New Classics by Moosewood Restaurant
Replace the eggs with egg replacer
& use dark/vegan chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli or Scharffen berger) and use soy margarine or soy butter.
Oh my, I cannot tell you how tasty these are right out of the oven AND the next couple of days (if they last that long!)

Disorders & Solutions

2007-01-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

My good friend Michelle told me a story about an older couple perusing the aisles at Whole Foods, looking to buy some tasty vegan food. The amount of confusion bouncing back and forth between the two was enough to power the store for a couple of days. Michelle stepped in and offered her assistance in the ice cream department, as some frozen soy desserts are sub-par while others will blow you away. The amount of frustration this couple seemed to have generated could have easily been tamed by setting up a shopping trip with the store. Whole Foods offers tours that cover your entire list. Whether you are allergic to gluten, dairy, nuts, or you have specific dietary needs like vegans and maybe pregnant moms or diabetics, they will take you through the store and show you what items you can choose from. I highly doubt Costco or Albertson's will hook you up with service like THAT! Check out your local store at: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/ and search for store tours.

Health & Fitness Journal reports via Science Daily that Supermarket tours are growing in popularity as people diagnosed with Coronary Heart Disease and other fairly common diseases need to make changes in their nutritional choices. They decided to examine the effectiveness of educating patients with heart disease in the store, so they can see exactly what things they should be buying to stay healthy.

"The study -- Prevent it: using grocery store tours as an educational tool to promote heart health -- looked at whether grocery store tours are a popular and successful method of informing people about healthy-eating.
A “grocery store tour” is a group educational session held at the participant’s normal supermarket rather than in a clinical or work site setting. A nutritionist or dietician guides the session, providing information on healthy food choices and demonstrating how to read a food label. Members of the group share with each other healthy shopping tips and recipes for nutritious and enjoyable meals.
The researchers ran and evaluated eight of their own “heart-healthy” tours. The tours were free and covered all the practical evidence-based dietary advice believed to influence risk for CHD.
The study found the tours are an effective way in increasing nutritional knowledge with 75 per cent of the group saying they felt they had learned a lot of new information. Longer-term effectiveness of the tour was assessed using a postal questionnaire in which group members reported a range of healthy dietary changes."

Knowing first hand how helpful meditation and mindfulness is when suffering from anxiety, I believe this method applied to treating young women with eating disorders is a swell idea. Most therapies for ED's are so focused on food and controlling eating, that less time is spent on defining triggers of binges or emotions that might create these behaviors. "Mindfulness" involves meditation like exercises that help people live in the moment, developing a healthy acceptance of self and becoming aware of potentially destructive habitual responses. This program taught in Queensland resulted in the following:
"Women who have been through the program report less dissatisfaction with their bodies, increased self-esteem and improved personal relationships," Ms Morgan said.
"They learn that thoughts and emotions don't have any power over us as they are just passing phenomena and aren't permanent."

That last lesson is so powerful when you are suffering with all-consuming anxiety or illness like bulimia/anorexia. Humans LOVE to be distracted by television, radio, computer (yeah you reading this!!!), shopping, drinking, drugs, exercise, whatever....but when we have to wait patiently for something in silence with no book or newspaper to read, something comes over us. Its a bit scary, those moments of nothing. Anyone who has learned to meditate will probably tell you that the first couple of times are really uncomfortable mentally and physically. 10 minutes can seem like an eternity! Its an adventure, learning about yourself. Honestly its crazy to see the same themes pass through your head over and over. Of the thousands of thoughts that we have in a day, we probably are aware of about 10% of those!

That is one reason why I think pregnant women feel so blissful most of of their pregnancy. Its the time when you are present, feeling this life growing in your belly, getting kicked here and there, experiencing your physical changes really keeps you in the moment. Not a coincidence! When you pay attention, you better watch out, you might learn something about yourself and others! It can be a pretty amazing experience.

Uncruel Beauty - Vegan Fashion in NY Times!!

2007-01-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

I cannot tell you how many times I have read the Sunday Styles portion of the NY Times, hoping and praying one day there will be something about cruelty-free fashions! Finally, there is an awesome article today in the Thursday Styles (I think they just started this Thursday Styles section recently) about vegan fashions beyond the usual Stella McCartney goodies.
Read about some seriously fashionable vegan items and get happy!
Uncruel Beauty

Dell wants to plant trees

2007-01-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

I think the stoner dude that used to be in the Dell ads must be consulting them towards "greener" practices.
Michael S. Dell, gave a speech yesterday urging the electronic industry to foster the planting of trees to offset the effect on the environment of the energy consumed by the devices they make.
"Plant a Tree for Me" is a new program started by Dell. Customers are asked to donate $2 for every notebook computer they buy and $6 for every PC, which will be given to the Conservation Fund and the Carbonfund, two non-profit groups that promote ways to reduce or offset carbon emissions, to buy and plant trees.
Dell promises to cover the administrative costs involved in the program. Dell also offers free recycling of their old computers. They are on track to complete their goal of recycling 275 million pounds of old computers from customers by 2009.
Hey, more power to them. Stating a specific goal AND making an effort to physically do something about tech pollution. This is timely news since I just posted about recycling technological items a few days ago.

Oh so SHOCKING!

2007-01-10T15:29:00.000-08:00

The New York Times yesterday featured an article titled: Bias Is Found In Food Studies With Financing From Industry. The report they refer to is that of PLoS Medicine Journal which is the first systematic study of bias in nutrition research.
There were 24 studies of soft drinks, milk and juices paid for by the industry. 21 had either favorable or neutral results while 3 were unfavorable. The 52 studies that were NOT industry funded, 32 were favorable or neutral and 20 were unfavorable.
Apparently, these results mirror the pharmaceutical industry. Food involves everyone whereas drug studies affect a smaller population. Food studies influence governmental recommendations or guidelines which are supposed to be science based. Its an issue of protecting public health.
One example of a study is one of carbonated beverages conducted in 2003, funded by the American Beverage Association. The results found that boys with higher body weights did not consume more regular soft drinks than boys who were not overweight but did consume more diet soft drinks. Basically, don't worry Mom and Dad, obesity has NOTHING to do with soft drink consumption! Not so fast, the bevie industry was BUSTED in 2003 in a study of soft drinks in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found a direct relationship between the number of soft drinks consumed and obesity. Foundations sponsored that study.
Professor Marion Nestle, my idol, says, "For people who think science is completely objective, these results might come as a big shock."

Out of work??

2007-01-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

Here is an awesome opportunity to get close to animals and probably get some free turkey during the holidays!

Enjoy!

Dear Mrs. Jones, your kid is FAT

2007-01-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

I sure am glad I grew up in a time when chubby was hot. The 80's were hilarious that way. Having a lil' padding was healthy and normal. Not only were people not into stick skinny heroin sheik, most children were apt to play outside on their bikes or in my case a red wagon, steering from inside of it, down dirt paths and peoples driveways. We would play hide and seek almost every weekend on summer nights and I honestly don't remember much of video games or television for extended periods of time. Sure, I did wake up at the crack of dawn to watch the lineup of Saturday cartoons/programming (Smurfs, Looney Tunes, Kids incorporated, etc.) By the time those were over and I ate my breakfast, I was outside to find my neighborhood gang to put on GREASE 2 plays and make up dances to Prince with a baton. Its no secret that todays kids know more about computers than their parents and have friends all over the world thanks to My Space and others. Sounds great but this homebody computer attitude is taking a toll on American kids physically.
Teachers are sending home notes to parents saying that their child has an abnormal BMI "score." School nurses and physical ed folk admit that BMI is not a perfect test but it IS an effective and low cost way of measuring whats normal and healthy. Parents are outraged that the school is butting in and trying to tell them how to raise their kids! My kids is going to be anorexic/bulemic if you keep sending these notes home!!?? My child counts every piece of popcorn she eats because of the note!!!
Okay, I am not a parent YET, but I do have a baby coming in about 4 months. I am already affecting my fetus but my current dietary habits. I am vegan, I eat a great mix of organic veggies and carbs and proteins and I take my prenatal vitamins. I AM responsible for my childs health. Just because the kid is going to be outside of my body doesn't mean I am no longer responsible for what I stock in our cabinets and fridge to eat.
Most parents are likely furious with the news that their kid is overweight for the following reasons:
1. This means fat mom and dad have to change what they eat for dinner and/or what goes into the kids lunch box.
2. This change may mean more time involved in preparing healthy meals for the child and the entire family.
3. Healthy food CAN be more expensive, although you need less of it because its usually more satiating and higher quality.
4. Some responsibility will have to be admitted as the parent is ultimately in charge of what the kids eats.
BOOOO HOOOOO!
Now, I would be extremely pissed if I were a parent of a child who packs a healthy, nutritious and pricey lunch everyday while the school serves up Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, chips, candy, donuts, sodas, and more junk....but they send home a note saying how my kid has an eating problem and is above average on the fat meter.
Schools absolutely need to provide cutting edge nutrition courses and physical education to do their part. Even counseling kids who need the help like they do for those who have mental problems or learning disabilities. Unhealthy food and overweight is essentially hindering kids from excelling in other aspects of their lives. Parents DO expect the school to notify them if their child is showing signs of mental or physical illness...shouldn't this include notification if the child is overweight? Its something that can be taken care of, reversed, managed.
Some schools have taken responsibility and provided only healthy alternatives to junk food in their cafeterias. No soda, just water. No high fat foods, low fat options. More salads, less pizza. I would like to hear a parent try to convince me that its harder to change yours and your kids diet than permeate the bureaucracy of a school to provide more nutritious food. GOOD LUCK!
More than three times a day parents have the opportunity to be a good influence via their food choices. Involve your child in the process. They can help you cook, study up on seasonal produce, make it a fun game when you go to the store. Reward kids for their healthy choices. Take them out for sorbet instead of pus cream. (a.k.a ice cream)
Oh, and this is quite interesting:
"A study published in the British Medical Journal has found a connection between kids with high IQs and their decision to go vegetarian later in life. A study from the University of Southhampton and Southhampton General Hospital compared data from a 20 year period for children whose IQs were tested at age ten. Of the 8,179 women and men in the study, 366 were vegetarian by the age of 30, nine were vegan, and 123 reported being vegetarian but eating chicken or fish. The connection between high IQ and vegetarianism continued to be statistically significant after controlling for social class and better education. The researchers also suggest that this higher chance of vegetarianism may help explain why people with higher IQs tend to have better cardiac health."
If the number of vegans were higher in that study, the results would have been even MORE amazing! hee hee

Doing Coke at the Movies

2007-01-07T22:36:00.000-08:00

I have some serious pet peeves about going to the movie theater these days. First of all, I always pay the extra buck twenty five to buy my ticket on Fandango so I don't have to wait in line and stress out about getting a seat inside the theater. Today I walked up to the ticket stand and some old man is behind me, basically riding me piggy back because he has his ticket out and he is READY to go in. I had the nads to tell the ticket taker that "someone is in a reeeeeal hurry" loud enough so the rush hour grey could hear. Once I found an appropriate seat, I sit with no choice but to be tortured by 10 minutes of horrible previews. There is a new ad from your "oh so caring" friends at Coke, a scary animated piece about some scary dude who is actually a nice dude who goes around "spreading the love." I wanted to spread my lunch all over the seats in front of me, because I seriously think people fall for this shit. Next, a woman sat next to me and I could hear her wheezing stuffy nose breathing throughout the entire movie. I felt bad for getting annoyed, I wanted to be compassionate. I must say, The Painted Veil was a good movie, at least, but the last complaint I have is that of the lack of vegan popcorn and snacks in general at the movies. Oh, that is another thing, the munching of popcorn........so darn loud and repetitive.
Here is a list of some popular candies that just happen to be vegan, if you are at the theater and insist on animal-free snacks.
Jolly Ranchers (lollipops and hard candy), Jujubees, Jujyfruits, Lemonheads, Mambas, Smarties (U.S. Brand), Sour Patch Kids, Starburst (jelly beans and hard candy), Sweet Tarts & Twizzlers, Hot Tamales, Mike and Ikes, Blow Pops, Laffy Taffy, Now and Laters, Cracker Jacks.
OR,
Bring your own:
Microwave popcorn (hold the butter, please), Foney Baloney, Tofurky Jerky, Veggie Bootie
Fruit leather, Pretzels, Clif Bars, Hydrox cookies or Newman-O’s.

Natural Wound Care & Vegan Vitamins

2007-01-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

My best friend Michelle (soon to be a black belt) with aches, pains and bodily injuries sent me this info about using tree sap instead of crazy glue to close up any cuts you might have, naturally! Crazy glue is always a scary ingredient to deal with. You can only imagine the laundry list of things that can go wrong while using it! It does contain some nasty chemicals, so check out this info below as an alternative!

Homemade Tear Repair

Get some sap from any tree. The tree sap in this formula is what seals the wound. The tree sap is part of the tree's immune system. When the tree is cut, the tree uses the sap to seal the wound and kill bacteria. It is supposed to work the same when WE use it to fill cuts. If you don't have a tree around that has been injured and has sap flowing out, make a cut on a healthy tree yourself and collect the sap. Keep some around for the winter time when the sap is not flowing and you cannot
collect it fresh.
Now, you can choose to mix with the sap equal parts of whatever antiseptic herbs you have lying around: goldenseal, echinacea, tea trea oil, garlic. If you can't get fresh tree sap, try to purchase some myrrh gum. Whether you mix the herbs with the sap or not, you need to dowse the cut with an antibiotic tincture made with equal parts of these herbs before you put on the sap.
Now if the sap is hard, you must mix it with Bacardi's 151 Rum. You will need alcohol this strong to dissolve the tree sap. It will not dissolve unless you have 75% alcohol.
A nurse in England who worked with Dr. Schulze, an MD and master herbalist, said this formula works better for wounds than anything she had seen in 30 years of being an emergency room nurse in Northern Ireland. If you tape shut the wound for 12 hours, it totally seals the wound better than stitches and you won't need anything for infection.
Also, slippery elm bark is spoken of as a "glue." You can make a poultice out of it by mixing slippery elm and whatever other antibiotic herbs you want to add. Slippery elm should be at least 1/3 of your poultice mixture. Add enough hot water to make a gummy, gluey consistency. Besides being a glue, slippery elm draws out poisons, soothes the skin, and reduces inflammation. Once it dries, it takes a lot of effort to remove it. My source says that if you add a layer or two of cotton gauze over the poultice and press it in, it will make a cast even an orthopedic surgeon will admire.
Now, I supposed you could just make some of this sticky mixture, glop some on the tear with the edges as close together as possible, and let it dry.
Of course, if you don't have the other herbs, just the slippery elm and water can be used also.
I would love to know if anyone has tried this method, and if you have, give us your results! OR, even better, give us some dirt on mishaps with crazy glue!

VEGAN VITAMINS (not all vitamins are VEGAN??)

The following nutrients often found in your bottle of vitamins originate from an animal source:
Vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol): derived from animal sources such as lanolin, a waxy fat extracted from living sheep's wool; many companies claim that their products are vegetarian even though they contain D-3, because after laboratory conversion to an isolated nutrient, there is virtually no molecular animal residue remaining.
Vitamin D-2* (ergocalciferol): derived from fish liver or fish skin oils, and is also processed to the point of being considered synthetic.
Glucosamine*: derived from (dead) crustacean shells, and bioidentically synthetic
Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite (MCHC): derived from bovine bone matrix
Calcium*: most often derived from bone meal, oyster shell, egg shell and coral
Glandulars: derived from animal glands
Pancreatic Enzymes: derived from porcine, bovine sources
Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly, Propolis: nutrients harvested from worker bees
Gelatin: derived from porcine, bovine or fish
The following nutrients are stabilized with animal derived gelatin:
In order to stabilize many fat-soluble nutrients for tableting or encapsulation the oil forms are converted to powder form. Each powder particle is coated with a thin, protective gelatin beadlet to stabilize potency, freshness and integrity. The gelatin is derived from fish, porcine or BSE-free certified bovine sources, and usually less than 1% weight.
Vitamin A* (palmitate, acetate)
Beta-carotene (synthetic, Dunaliella)
Lutein
Lycopene
Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols)
The following nutrients are also available in vegetarian forms:
D-2 (ergocalciferol): microbiologically derived from saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is commonly known as baker's or budding yeast.
Vitamin A (palmitate): stabilized with BHT
Beta-Carotene (Blakeslea trispora): uses soy alginate derivatives as a stabilizer
Glucosamine: produced through a proprietary fermentation process using corn dextrose, citric acid and aspergillus niger fungal starting material.
Calcium: derived from mined limestone

As a mom to be, I knew I had to suck it up and take a prenatal vitamin. I have used the same vitamins for about 2 years and I have to recommend it highly for a few reasons.
You only have to take ONE tablet, ONCE a day! YESSSSSSSSSSS!
These vitamins never make me feel sick to my stomach, good formula for moms-to-be with morning sickness and just plain nausea over just about anything.
This particular brand is stamped with a label that says VEGAN GUARD. It means that this specific formula DOES NOT CONTAIN animal products.
The winner is: RAINBOW LIGHT Vegan Guard Vitamins

Amazon.com has Rainbow Light Vegan Vitamins on sale for around $1 a vitamin (so $1 a day) plus shipping which becomes free if you spend another $5 or so!

Little bites o' good news & one sucky one

2007-01-05T17:02:00.000-08:00

Starbucks says "screw YOU trans fats!"
Stand-alone Starbucks stores in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington will have no trans fats in their food as of Wednesday. Not all of the shops will follow suit just yet, but its a good start!

HOT STUFF!
Solar power is also emerging as a kind of status symbol, a glamorous mark of personal responsibility. Celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Alicia Silverstone, Carlos Santana and Tom Seaver, have installed solar systems. (Edward Norton runs a campaign in Los Angeles, encouraging his fellow celebrities to install solar panels on their homes and to make donations for systems in low-income housing.)
The vogue began in earnest a year ago, when the state legislature approved the California Solar Initiative, one of the most ambitious solar programs in the world. The legislation took effect at the start of this month but was preceded by a stopgap measure with similar terms that ran throughout 2006, offering homeowners a rebate on top of the federal tax credit of up to $2,000 that has been available nationwide since 2006.

I am off to Portland in March, and I CANNOT wait to visit the FOOD FIGHT grocery, which is completely vegan!! YAY! I just read this on their website today. I cannot fathom this, its just another unbelievable/unnecessary activity practiced by a fruit juice company of all things...to find a new way to lure in customers. Say goodbye to this one! (I don't think I have ever had this juice in my life anyway)
Juice companies, such as Naked Juice, Frutzzo, Old Orchard, and Lakewood, make delicious and healthy 100 percent pomegranate juice without harming a single animal—yet POM has paid experimenters to do the following:

Lock week-old mouse pups—whose mothers were fed pomegranate juice—in a chamber with almost no oxygen for 45 minutes in order to induce severe brain damage. The babies were decapitated, and their brains were removed for study.
Critically damage the arteries of rabbits in order to simulate erectile dysfunction—a bizarre attempt to suggest that drinking pomegranate juice might alleviate this ailment.
Induce heart disease (atherosclerosis) in mice who were fed POM—the mice were then killed and cut open to examine their hearts.

To end on a happier note, this darn bag is super cute and available on the Food Fight website.

The Dump

2007-01-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite activities is taking a bunch of junk to the local dump and tossing large items into the pit. I am NOT a pack rat and parting with stuff I haven't used in months is easy for me to do. We plan to move sometime in the next year, so I have some exciting trips to the dump planned. The one question I have is what to do with old technology that sits around. I dream of throwing an old monitor into the pit, watching it break and the sound alone is worth the 10 bucks the dump men charge you to empty a car full of junk. I know computers and such should be recycled because the stats are staggering when it comes to how much tech waste we produce! Here are the facts:

More than 315 million computers are expected became obsolete by the year 2004, containing an estimated 1.2 billion pounds of lead, 2 million pounds of cadmium, 400,000 pounds of mercury and 1.2 million pounds of hexavalent chromium. This makes small business computer recycling a paramount necessity.

Household Hazardous Waste, is the EPA's term for that old monitor or computer that you have sitting in your closet or garage.

More than 20 million PCs became obsolete in 1998 -- but just 14% of those were recycled or donated. Through the end of 2002 that number estimate to be over 80 million.

In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency banned cathode ray tubes from landfills because of their high amounts of lead. An average computer monitor contains about 8 pounds of lead. Lead can also be found on computer circuit boards. The mercury, lithium, and cadmium found in many PC batteries are toxic at high levels. Other toxins, such as PCBs, are used in computer capacitors and are also hazardous.

In just one year, over 112 million pounds of valuable materials were recovered from disposed electronics for recycling and reuse. Materials includes steel, glass, plastic and precious metals

Few corporate executives know that they can be fined or jailed for improper disposal of computers, according to a recent survey by Hewlett-Packard Financial Services. More than 75% of respondents underestimate the cost of computer disposal. More than 65% of executives with purchasing authority are unaware of the fines they can face for ignoring environmental regulations.

Here are a few companies that will deal with your no longer wanted tech items:
http://www.pcdisposal.com/contactus.htm?
http://www.crc.org/
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/donate.htm

My favorite vegan items!

2007-01-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

I think after that last post, a list of vegan goodies is totally in order.

Food Items:

FABE's vegan mini cookies, chocolate chip and peanut butter are both delicious.

Hip Whip - Now and Zen's non dairy whipped cream in the freezer section

Kettle Chips - Sea Salt and Vinegar or Organic Salted
Tofutti Ice Creams - Wildberry and Chocolate Almond Bark and the Cookie flavored one
GREEN bars - nutrition bars that are so tasty and good for you!
Whole Foods Bulk Dark Chocolate Covered Raisins
Wildwood Tofu Veggie Patties - in the refrigerated aisle
Tofutti Cream Cheese substitute
Amy's Frozen Vegan Pizza - it has such a unique flavor! no cheese!
Hint Pomogranite/Tangerine water
Whole Foods Vegan Chocolate mousse!
La Brea Rosemary Fresh Baked Bread

Tees:
Pink Spike t-shirts and more! All Animal prints, so soft, great fit and donations are made regularly to animal charities/causes. Run by VEGANS! www.pinkspike.net

Little Otsu tee's - http://www.littleotsu.com/catalog/index.php

Belts, Wallets, purses: Alternative outfitters
http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com

SHOES!
www.payless.com
www.delias.com
www.ebay.com (vintage and vegan!)

Hopes of Extinction

2007-01-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

Looking back, I realize how ridiculous it is that slavery used to be the norm. Human beings treated like crap because of their skin color. What about the refusal to let women vote? I cannot imagine there are many organizations trying to ban women voters from doing there thing at election time. What about men wearing powdered wigs ALL of the time? George Washington seemed to think he looked quite dapper in his sweet white rag.
I am predicting that a couple of completely unnecessary activities will be slowly but surely abandoned within the next 5 to 10 years. First, the wearing of leather. Second, the consumption and wearing of fur. Third, I think that meat consumption will be forced to lessen as we decrease our need for leathers and animal products in general.
Animal products are ruining our planet. Americans are insanely greedy in that they think they need anything and everything they want when they want it. There is no thought process for most consumers after they see an ad in a magazine they idolize or a celebrity they love is donning something new and exciting....its sad. The American way is to not think about what you are doing, just DO IT! Stress yourself out about your boyfriend or your load of debt or your thinning hair or your fat ass. Don't worry about what climate (mental and physical) your child and grandchild are going to have to endure because of your splurging on unnecessary goods.

I encountered a mild challenge when wanting to purchase a car last year. I used CARTELLIGENT (they act as a middleman between you and the dealer) so that I could order an Audi Wagon with NO LEATHER inside. He assured me that was completely fine but I could not order any other special features because CLOTH SEATS only come in the base model. Whatever, the car rules, it gets decent gas mileage until I buy my TESLA electric sedan. But, we found it odd that we could not pay them more money for other features if we wanted to. They refused because the car would have to be taken off the assembly line and that is a no no apparently. When I arrived about 4 months later to pick up my special order vegan Audi wagon, there was leather on the friggin' steering wheel and gear shifter. UGH! So they had to take the car in to be re-upholstered with vinyl that looks just fine and hardly any different than the leather. It holds up just as well, cleans easily and is void of any animal skin! I was dreaming of putting my salesguys skin on that steering wheel after waiting months for a special ordered car that ended up with leather after all. So frustrating. Anyway, Americans are obsessed with leather because they seem to think its so luxurious. If I have to listen to another woman brag about her friggin' handbag (which is an animal skinbag, yes, skin peeled off an animal, bloody and gross until they tan it and dye it to oblivion until it basically looks like vinyl anyway) her husband bought her for Christmas.....POW! I think I might have the ONLY vegan Audi in America. Interestingly enough, in Europe, cloth seats and vinyl options are more common than leather options. Its some weird American obsession to buy leather over its alternatives that look and feel the same. I challenge someone to put that same leather coat or shoe on, fresh off the animal. If they can deal with that, they might want to seek counseling. Leather tidbits from PETA's website: "What's Wrong With Leather? Millions of cows, pigs, sheep, and goats are slaughtered for their skin every year. They are castrated, branded, and dehorned and have their tails docked without anesthetics. Then they are trucked to slaughter, bled to death, and skinned. Leather is not simply a slaughterhouse byproduct—it’s a booming industry. The meat industry relies on skin sales to stay in business because the skin represents the most economically important byproduct of the meat-packing industry, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Animal skin is turned into finished leather through the use of dangerous mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, cyanide-based oils and dyes, chrome, and other toxins. People who have worked in and lived near tanneries are dying of cancer caused by exposure to toxic chemicals used to process and dye the leather. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a solvent used in tanning leather appears to be associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer. When you buy leather products, you may be purchasing leather from Asian dog and cat tanneries; because product labeling rarely indicates where the skins originate, there’s no way to know for sure. Visit CowsAreCool.com for more information on the leather industry."
Fur, I know this is so tired. I don't even think I need to explain how sick this industry is. Russia and China are the big fur buyers right now and they basically think they look hella rich in those coats. I have news for you, real men don't need to wear fur to appear wealthy and distinguished. Faux Fur buying tips on PETA's website: " Forget about coats with fur collars and trim and fur accessories. Again, read labels to weed out cruel products. Cruelty-free faux furs made of plush modern synthetics are becoming easier and easier to find. Fabulous Furs sells elegant, stylish coats that are completely faux. Many other designers and manufacturers are specializing in fabulous faux furs as well, including Charly Calder, Faux, Purrfect Fur, and Sweet Herb."
Veal is my next prediction for "soon to be extinct list." I think we will be DONE with this cruel practice in 5-10 years. I am absolutely SHOCKED when I see it on the menu. I will NEVER go into a restaurant that carries a VEAL dish. I thought we were done with this! I remember being in high school 13 years ago and hearing how people boycott veal often. Its coming baby cows, your day is coming soon, no worries. This situation is NOT like factory farming, I mean there was never a time of "conscious veal" production. Its just flat out cruel and completely excessive. What else can you eat on the menu? Oh, there are probably only maybe 20 other items, PASS ON THE VEAL! (oh, and Veal is a by-product of the dairy industry because, what else do you do with male calves? Can't milk 'em!) PETA says on veal: "Because of these extremely unhealthy living conditions, calves raised for veal are susceptible to a long list of diseases, including chronic pneumonia and diarrhea. A study published in the Journal of Animal Science found that calves who were kept in “smaller housing units” had difficulty keeping themselves clean and had trouble “extending their front legs and changing from a lying to a standing position,” which resulted in joint swelling. It was also determined that stereotypical stress behaviors such as tongue rolling and “sham-chewing” (the act of chewing without food in the mouth) increase when smaller pens were used and as calves got older.(8)

After enduring 12 to 23 weeks in these conditions, these young animals, many of whom can barely walk because of muscle atrophy or sickness, are crowded into metal trucks for transport to the slaughterhouse.(9) On these trucks, they are trampled and suffer from temperature extremes and lack of food, water, and veterinary care.

Veal crates are prohibited in Britain, and the European Union has instructed its members to phase them out by the end of 2007.(10) In the meantime, Dutch farmers are required to keep calves in group pens.(11)

Federal Oversight of Illegal Drugs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has never approved the use of hormones on veal calves, but in early 2004, federal officials found a “suspicious lump” in a Wisconsin calf, which turned out to be a hormone implant, commonly used in adult cows but not allowed in young animals.(12) The subsequent investigation revealed that as many as 90 percent of U.S. veal calves are illegally fed synthetic testosterone, and a spokesman for the American Veal Association confessed that the practice had been going on for 30 years.(13)

A decade prior to that discovery, federal agents found more than a dozen veal production companies that had been giving calves clenbuterol, an illegal and toxic drug that speeds growth and increases anemia in the calves. Even trace amounts of clenbuterol can cause severe illness in humans, including increased heart rate, tremors, breathing difficulties, fever, and even death.(14)

What You Can Do
Ask your state legislators to sponsor bills that would prohibit the use of veal crates. Check out NoVeal.org for more information.

In addition to refusing to eat veal, don’t consume dairy products—veal calves are a “byproduct” of the dairy industry. Discover the joy of soy instead! Fortified soy, almond, oat and rice milks provide calcium, vitamins, iron, zinc, and protein but contain no cholesterol. They are perfect for cereal, coffee, and soups and also work well in baked goods and other recipes. Many other delicious dairy alternatives—such as soy cheese, Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream, Silk creamer, and Soy Delicious nondairy ice cream—are available in health and grocery stores. "

Until this test tube meat thing takes off, I am going to put some serious energy into spreading the word on why meat eating is NOT going to be forever. Just like oil folks. We are all at the party of plenty where fairly cheap oil and food is the norm. I know most won't act until Mr. and Mrs. Desperate Measures show up and prevent you from filling up your hummer today or eat that KFC bucket o' chicken. Wake up friends, its happening in front of your eyes. A shift in consciousness has to occur. Take note of your actions and purchases throughout the day. Are they good for you and your grandchildren to be? Don't believe the "flex fuel" lies. Read about supposed "green" solutions because most of it is catchy bullshit. Can't wait for that episode of Penn and Teller's "bullshit!!!!"

Influence of Mom & Dad, oh and Joaquin Phoenix

2006-12-31T14:29:00.000-08:00

I don't tend to search out celebrities as leaders of the animal rights community. I was looking today out of curiosity, who is famous and vegan. Surprisingly enough, there are quite a few including Carrie Ann Moss from the Matrix movies, Daryl Hannah, Woody Harrelson and my favorite of the group Joaquin Phoenix. Mr. Phoenix has been vegan since childhood. He apparently just finished a documentary on human dependency on animals for food, clothing and more. A summary of his movie EARTHLINGS, which is out on DVD as of November of this year:

"Earthlings is a documentary about factory farming and mankind's dependence on animals for food, clothing, entertainment and use in experimentation, but also shows how moral those relations are.
With an in-depth study into pet stores, puppy mills and animals shelters, as well as factory farms, the leather and fur trades, sports and entertainment industries, and finally the medical and scientific profession, Earthlings uses hidden cameras and footage to chronicle the day-to-day practices of some of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit."

Joaquin refuses to wear costumes made of animals. He wore faux leather items in the Gladiator.

Since Joaquin was raised by his amazing parents as a vegan child, he exercised his refusal to partake in promoting animal products at an early age. Remember his hot brother River (who sadly died of a drug overdose in 1993) who wept at the sight of his girlfriend Martha Plimpton chowing down on soft shell crab at a restaurant?!
The Phoenix children appeared in various commercials in the beginning of their careers as actors, but NOT for products promoting meat, milk or ANY animal product of any kind.

As a child, I grew up eating meat with my family. We ate pork chops, meatloaf, chicken legs and one of my favorite sandwiches was liverwurst on Roman Meal wheat bread with ketchup. I used to eat those lovely colored marshmallows by the half bag...mmm, hooves and by-products. Another tradition was a glass of milk with every meal until I went to college. I made up for the milk with every meal by a new latte habit.

These days, my parents are vegetarians and I am proud to be vegan. Its a huge relief to know during the holidays we don't have to eat a bird or pig as a tradition. I intend to raise my baby as vegan as possible! I have learned so much over the years about maximizing nutrition and taste when it comes to vegan food. The bay area ROCKS for vegan food, supplies and restaurants. All I can do is set an example for my child to follow and possibly my child will lead others as a result.

GO VEGAN! Have something to be proud of at EVERY MEAL! You will never know until you try, just how easy and rewarding this lifestyle is. Simply: embrace change and you will prosper.

Cloning your next meal

2006-12-29T13:00:00.001-08:00

Can't you just imagine, your next Cafe Mocha made with milk cloned from the best of dairy cows? Or, your next juicy steak originating from that big ol' steer produced by science? No, I am not talking about the test tube meat post, I am referring to the latest FDA news regarding cloning of cows to produce oh so delicious steak and dairy products. Apparently this testing period has been going on for about 6 years, and the conclusion, after much delay, is that "milk and meat from some cloned farm animals are safe to eat." This has not been formally approved by the FDA, and the technology is still super expensive so its not likely that you will witness science project meats staring back at you in the aisles I avoid at all costs anyway. Joseph Mendelson, legal director for Food Safety (an advocacy group) says that the decision is still half baked because consumer surveys show that most people are opposed to cloning animals in general, let alone for food. FDA officials claim that the food from cloned animals is indistinguishable from the other food, therefore no labeling is required. The FDA collected a substantial amount of data and compiled it into a 700 page "draft risk assessment" that concludes that milk and meat from cloned cows, pigs and goats (and their offspring) were "as safe to eat as the food we eat every day." Even though cloning has been legal since 2001, there has been a voluntary moratorium on selling milk or meat from cloned animals in order to study the issue. Apparently, experts say, some of those products may have leaked into the food supply. That is comforting.
No one yet has succeeded in cloning chickens or poultry. Farmers who have been producing milk or meat from cloned livestock have been either consuming it themselves or throwing it out because of the struggle to get this cloned product passed through the FDA formally. The FDA seems to be interested only in the cloning companies, not so much the agriculture industry, according to Joseph Mendelson.
A survey conducted last summer by the International Dairy Foods Association found that 14% of women would turn away any dairy product labeled as originating from a cloned animal. Another poll by the Pew Initiative for Food and Biotechnology yielded results saying that 64% of consumers were uncomfortable with the whole cloned food idea. Other countries are not attempting this strategy, just the USA. Of course, this could lead to other countries blocking US meat from crossing their borders. Carol Tucker Foreman, director for food policy at the Consumer Federation of America says consumer groups would ask food companies, retailers and restaurant chains to shun products from cloned livestock. Soon we will see milk with a million labels of what is NOT inside. NO hormones, NO cloned animals involved in the making of this milk....etc.
Experts stand by their position that cloning is too expensive to be used to make animals in order to grind them up into burgers or sausages. Farmers and breeders are cloning prized livestock generally so they can breed them in a traditional fashion. This means that most food from cloning will come from the sexually produced offspring of the cloned animals.
Michael Pollan weighs in on this issue and reminds me of an article about the modern pig farms in New Yorker magazine "awhile back. He explains that cloning animals for meat and milk would be one step further down the path that's gotten us into big trouble in agriculture- monoculture. Cloning brings more uniformity to the genetics of commercial beef and dairy herds, and wherever you have a monoculture, its exquisitely vulnerable to all kinds of shocks, in this case disease. To keep a paddock full of genetically identical animals healthy would take more than drugs. This seems like a big thing for the pharmaceutical industry more than anyone. Just because we can do it, doesn't mean we should do it."
The modern pig farm article in the New Yorker discussed how this specific farm thought that breeding pigs and isolating genes to make the pigs LEANER was the best way to go. No they create nothing but these pigs that have little fat content and a super high metabolism. They are kept far away from where the farmers live to lessen the chance of contamination. Farmers and farmhands are required to wear a hazmat suit in order to go in and work with the pigs. If anyone drives a tractor too close to the pig house, the pigs freak out over the noise and even die because of the panic they experience. They have screwed with the pigs genetic makeup so much that they are so far from being a normal pig on a farm with outside pasture to munch on and mud to roll in that they are literally dying from stress as a loud noise strikes or a contaminated person enters their quarters. Consumers seem to shun the skinny pigs. They want fatty bacon, not lean bacon. So now that this specific farmer has bred his pigs to be lean, he no longer has the fat hogs to breed and make the fatty bacon again. Basically, you screw with the pig, you get the um, hooves?? I wish they had horns.
I think Americans REALLY need to stop a minute and take a second to figure out what they can live without. Everyone is so eager to consume MORE food, MORE fur, MORE junk. I find it sad that we cannot do things a proper, healthier way to really enjoy life like the Italians SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT.
"Slow Food U.S.A. is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the food traditions of North America. From the spice of Cajun cooking to the purity of the organic movement; from animal breeds and heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables to handcrafted wine and beer, farmhouse cheeses and other artisanal products; these foods are a part of our cultural identity. They reflect generations of commitment to the land and devotion to the processes that yield the greatest achievements in taste. These foods, and the communities that produce and depend on them, are constantly at risk of succumbing to the effects of the fast life, which manifests itself through the industrialization and standardization of our food supply and degradation of our farmland. By reviving the pleasures of the table, and using our tastebuds as our guides, Slow Food U.S.A. believes that our food heritage can be saved." http://www.slowfoodusa.org/about/index.html#1
Do you REALLY need that super whopper special sauce crap between two buns with a huge order of fries and a super giant size chemical laden soda on ice? Do you need to eat that GIANT bag of cheetos between breakfast and lunch? What about that bloody steak on sale at Safeway for .99 a pound? yuck.
Go to your farmers market, see what is in season, enjoy what is supposed to be enjoyed this time of year. As I type I am eating a delicious pear from Oregon, and damn its just as good as an ice cream or a fatty candy bar. Take pride in what you eat, don't shame yourself dammit!

Mr. Floatie, The Turd that Saved British Columbia

2006-12-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, so its rare that shit saves the day. This turd is the creation of People Opposed to Outfall Pollution (okay, POOP!) who felt down in the dumps about the daily disposal of more than 34 million gallons of raw sewage being released into the fragile Straight of Juan de Fuca.

Mr. Floatie, above, a walking, talking seven foot poop succeeded in embarrassing political officials responsible for this mess which resulted in the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment ordering the city to stop the dumping of raw sewage by June of 2007.
More of the story at: http://www.poopvictoria.ca/just-flushed-news-events

Stereotyping this blogger

2006-12-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

This morning I was enjoying the UTNE Reader while sipping my Tully's vanilla soy latte in a mug. Oh so environmentally aware I am. I honestly feel guilty these days if I use a paper "to go" cup. I wonder if those around me pinpoint me as some typical Marin County liberal who reads all of the leftist magazines but is far from walking the walk. I honestly feel self-conscious when reading magazines like these because they create a persona of the reader without any dialogue between the reader and the onlooker. I am far from liberal and I am far from being a conservative! I don't automatically vouch for abortion as a right to choose for women just because I am one. I believe that adoption CAN be a viable solution when a "mistake" happens. (I know, SHOCKING) I listen to a variety of radio shows for ENTERTAINMENT, like Howard Stern, Michael Savage and various NPR programming. I also feel strongly about animal rights issues and hate the idea of big corporations recklessly running our economy and destroying our planet for the love of $$. The American way is sometimes very frustrating but I realize that I am extremely lucky to have been born and raised here. The last thing I want is to give you a bunch of cliches. I am sick and tired of hearing the same old crap which is a product of too much information via television, radio, and Internet. Everyone is an expert with a bumper sticker on their car that says it all.
The thought I had today was that of this blog creating a personality for me via technology. A story in the Utne Reader explains that all of this "techno-enthusiasm" (meaning that we are all so connected, so global and informed as a result of cell phones, computers, etc.) is creating a communications culture that has decreased the time available for us to sit and think, uninterrupted. For example, my husband and I saw a bobcat walking past our house the other night. The first thing Darryl did was reach for his cell phone to tell SOMEONE about this hilarious scenario we just went though. I suppose we could have just laughed about it, but that wasn't enough. There is a strange trend in media culture for people not to know what they think until they get a sense of what everyone else thinks. SCARY! It seems as a feeling emerges, people share the feeling to see if they have the feeling. Sometimes they don't have the feeling until they check if other people have it too. This kind of behavior used to be associated with adolescents, with their need for validation. (Utne Reader, Jan-Feb 2007, Our Blackberries, Ourselves)
I know that sharing my thoughts with my readers helps me to sit down and think about what complex issues are in my life at the time. But, will the readers sit and form their own opinions or do we just get online and read stuff we already agree with and learn nothing new??? I seem to have similar conversations with people in person and online through this blog because food is such a hot topic and ALWAYS will come up no matter who I talk to. But does the listener form the same opinion about me as my reader who doesn't get the benefit of my witty sense of humor and relaxed attitude when sharing my knowledge of food politics, animal rights and environmental concerns? Probably not. But, what is great about this opportunity is the ability to reach out to like-minded people who I may never get to meet otherwise and the possibility of touching someone's life who is new to the subject matter and lives many miles away, where we never otherwise would have crossed paths.
Living a vegan lifestyle is mostly upside. The occasional nuisance can bring you down, and the support I get from responses or comments from other vegans or friends that read this blog is totally necessary! It keeps me runnin' like the Doobie Brothers say.
My goal in writing this Politics of Food blog is really to get people to think for themselves. Although you are reading what I am learning from various media or experiences, I expect the words to take up a bit of space in your brain and then sprinkle over your life like the 7000 pounds of confetti in times square for New Years, whenever relevant. Hopefully my personality comes through in doing so, and the stereotyping going on throughout the day is stomped out by having an actual conversation with that judgmental onlooker.

Didn't go to church.....AGAIN!

2006-12-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

But, here is a glimpse into various religions and their views on consuming animals. Thanks to Eric, my brother-in-law for forwarding this article my way as I am poorly educated on the subject of religion and interpretation of various religious texts. The entire article can be found at: http://www.vnn.org/world/WD9811/WD22-2539.html

According to the Bible, there were plenty of animals, but none were used for meat. The Garden of Eden was rich in grains and nuts, and once Adam and Eve fell from grace, God provided a field of vegetables and herbs to eat.
It wasn't until the FLOOD (yeah, remember the flood with Noah and the animals on the ark) that vegetation was destroyed and people were allowed to eat meat. Interestingly enough, meat had to be drained of blood which started the Jewish Kosher laws.
Several passages in the Bible left some Christians and Jews feeling morally obligated to choose a vegetarian lifestyle. Some say that their body cannot act as a temple when eating meat because they view it as a sin, therefore God cannot work through them as a result, unless they cut unhealthy foods like meat and excess sugar from their diets.
Seventh Day Adventists are orthodox in their views and roughly half of them are vegetarian. When God created people, meat was not an offering. He must have known what was healthiest for his creation to eat! The Mormon Health Code called the Word of Wisdom recommends meat only in the winter, or of cold or famine. Use sparingly.
Apparently Jesus was a vegetarian. He did multiply and eat fish (oookay!) but according to PETA, those stories were relayed WAY after they happened. Isn't that the entire Bible? Its not as if it was written in real time?? I like using PETA as a religious reference in my blog.
Hindus don't eat much beef as they see cows as being reincarnated human souls....Hare Krishna's only eat foods that Krishna will accept and he doesn't accept meat, fish or eggs. Hallelujah!!!

Judaism and Vegetarianism: http://www.jewishveg.com/ja.html
"Here you are faced with G-d's teaching, which obliges you not only to refrain from inflicting unnecessary pain on any animal, but to help and, when you can, to lessen the pain whenever you see an animal suffering, even through no fault of yours." (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Horeb, Chapter 60, Section 416)

Latter Day Saints, Veg Mormons: http://www.ldsveg.org
..."Next, we learn from Gen.1: 29, 30 -- 'And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree, yielding seed, to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.' From these verses wo learn, that the earth yielded neither noxious weeds nor poisonous plants, nor useless thorns and thistle; indeed, every thing that grew was just calculated for the food of man, beast, fowl, and creeping thing; and their food was all vegetable; flesh and blood were never sacrificed to glut their souls, or gratify their appetites; the beast. of the earth were all in perfect harmony with each other; the lion ate straw like the ox -- the wolf dwelt with the lamb -- the leopard lay down with the kid -- the cow and bear fed together, in the same pasture, while their young ones reposed, in perfect security, under the shade of the same trees; all was peace and harmony, and nothing to hurt nor disturb, in all the holy mountain.

Christians and Vegetarianism: http://www.all-creatures.org/cva/
In Genesis 2:15, God instructed Adam to “till” and “keep” the Garden of Eden, and by analogy we may see caring for God’s Creation as our sacred task. The typical meat eater’s diet can easily consume up to 14 times more water and 20 times more energy than that of a vegetarian. Indeed, current use of land, water, and energy is not sustainable; resource depletion threatens to cause hardships for humankind this century. Already, 40 percent of the world’s agricultural lands are seriously degraded.
Jesus said that God feeds the birds of the air (Matt. 6:26) and does not forget sparrows (Luke 12:6). The Hebrew writings forbid inhumane slaughter or cruelty towards beasts of burden (Exod. 23:5; Deut. 22:6–7, 25:4). Yet, in the United States, virtually all food derived from animals is obtained through intensive factory farming methods. Nearly ten billion land animals are slaughtered each year, over a million every hour, and the number of aquatic animals killed for food is far greater. These animals suffer greatly from stressful crowding, barren environments that frustrate their instinctive drives, amputations without anesthesia (including debeaking, dehorning, tail docking, and castration), and other painful procedures (Bernard Rollin, Ph.D., Farm Animal Welfare).

Slaughter typically involves terror and, often, great pain (Gail Eisnitz, Slaughterhouse). Illustrating the industry’s callousness, animals too sick to walk are painfully dragged to slaughter rather than humanely euthanized. Typical of the industry’s attitude, John Byrnes wrote, “Forget the pig is an animal. Treat him just like a machine in a factory” (Hog Farm Management).

I wish that I knew of a church that really did preach veganism. I would be there partying it up for Midnight Mass EVERY Christmas Eve. I know you cannot take the Bible literally because it is essentially a storytelling device. I feel hopeful that I am not alone in preaching the good word on leaving the animals be.

Totally BACKIN' me UP!

2006-12-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

Intoducing, Campylobacter jejuni!

It appears that Consumer Reports just released a study proving that WAY TOO much of our chicken supply is riddled with salmonella or campylobacter (a foodborne pathogen that'll cause some MEAN diarrhea) Even the organic options were not looking so good. GO VEGAN after reading this darn article.

"If you eat undercooked or mishandled chicken, our new tests indicate, you have a good chance of feeling miserable. CR’s analysis of fresh, whole broilers bought nationwide revealed that 83 percent harbored campylobacter or salmonella, the leading bacterial causes of foodborne disease.
That’s a stunning increase from 2003, when we reported finding that 49 percent tested positive for one or both pathogens. Leading chicken producers have stabilized the incidence of salmonella, but spiral-shaped campylobacter has wriggled onto more chickens than ever. And although the U.S. Department of Agriculture tests chickens for salmonella against a federal standard, it has not set a standard for campylobacter.
Our results show there should be. More than ever, it’s up to consumers to make sure they protect themselves by cooking chicken to at least 165° F and guarding against cross-contamination.
Think premium brands are safer? Overall, chickens labeled as organic or raised without antibiotics and costing $3 to $5 per pound were more likely to harbor salmonella than were conventionally produced broilers that cost more like $1 per pound.
Moreover, most of the bacteria we tested from all types of contaminated chicken showed resistance to one or more antibiotics, including some fed to chickens to speed their growth and those prescribed to humans to treat infections. The findings suggest that some people who are sickened by chicken might need to try several antibiotics before finding one that works."

Article in its entirety: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/chicken-safety-1-07/overview/0107_chick_ov.htm

What you can do to encourage the government to quit "wingin' it" with food safety standards, sign this petition demanding something be done about this problem:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/915614256

2017, A Meat Odyssey

2006-12-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

Test Tube Meats are the next big thing to appear between your buns. No more factory farming or animal abuse...just some glass beakers and tubes of stem cells growing into your burger or chicken patty. The latest issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN magazine explains current projects underway.
Morris A. Benjaminson, a biology professor at the Touro College School of Health Sciences and president of Zymotech Enterprises in Bay Shore, N.Y., is pursuing his idea of growing animal skeletal muscle tissue into a fillet or steak in small chambers. Morris and his team extracted stem cells from fish embryos and used them to grow muscle cells by stimulating them electronically, mechanically, hormonally and nutritionally. With adequate funding and some adjustments will soon yield what will be a tasty fillet mignon! The success story as of late is the tiny mass of tissue that looks, smells and cooks like a fish fillet. This technique could yield in a mass production of boneless chicken breasts for a fraction of the cost of a commercial farm, without possibilities of salmonella and other contamination found in supermarket poultry. Not to mention, NO CRUELTY! No animals harmed, as it is possible to take a muscle biopsy from a live farm animal and culture the isolated muscle cells. If stem cells are used, these would likely be from a farm animal embryo.
Dutch researchers at Utrecht University are using pig stem cells to produce vat-grown pork. Their goal is to feature a minced meat for use in burgers, tacos, sausages and pizza toppings within the next couple of years.
Jason Matheny, a doctoral student at University of Maryland runs the nonprofit group called NEW HARVEST. Their vision is that of "meat sheets" made up of layers of animal muscle and fat cells. They plan to use inexpensive nutrients like plant or fungal sources that could potentially bring the price of meat down to $1 per pound! Omega 3 fatty acids could be added in addition to other heart healthy ingredients. NEW HARVEST predicts certain products such as chicken nuggets or burgers will be available within several years but it will be at least a decade until the technology is developed to actually produce a steak or a lamb chop.
The NEW HARVEST website is SUPER interesting! Check it out for info on why this test tube idea is attractive and makes a heck of a lot of sense. Meat Farmers will have to dust off their science textbooks or rely strictly on growing veggies. I suppose they will still need animals for dairy needs. (even though we could easily live without it!) Here is a paragraph about the project at NEW HARVEST:
"One novel line of research is to produce meat in vitro, in a cell culture, rather than from an animal. The production of such "cultured meat" begins by taking a number of cells from a farm animal and proliferating them in a nutrient—rich medium. Cells are capable of multiplying so many times in culture that, in theory, a single cell could be used to produce enough meat to feed the global population for a year. After the cells are multiplied, they are attached to a sponge-like "scaffold" and soaked with nutrients. They may also be mechanically stretched to increase their size and protein content. The resulting cells can then be harvested, seasoned, cooked, and consumed as a boneless, processed meat, such as sausage, hamburger, or chicken nuggets."
READ MORE at: http://www.new-harvest.org/aboutus.htm
We can support this cause or look at more sad photos about the reality of cruel practices like raising calves to be veal on your plate.

Tidbits

2006-12-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

CHICO THE LAMB
I read this story today in the Farm Sanctuary "Thank You" email and just about cried when I saw how cute this damn lamb is.
His name is CHICO and he was rescued by two girls who got to know him and couldn't deal with seeing him off to slaughter.
"Before leaving, the two friends wrote letters to the camp, urging the director to spare his life and release him to their care. They had not heard back from the camp by the time the girl and her family came to the shelter for a visit. Thankfully, though, our education department staff learned of Chico's plight from the girl, and Farm Sanctuary eagerly agreed to help save him.
Not long after, the farm camp agreed to relinquish guardianship. Chico was brought to the shelter from the camp in the family mini-van, riding in the back with the two girls, who comforted him the whole way. Their caring words assured him that he would be going somewhere very special, and that no harm would ever come to him. Excited for the first few hours of the drive, he bleated curiously and looked out the windows. By the end, he was sleeping peacefully in the back. The life Chico was meant to live had finally begun, and the girls learned a very important lesson. Speaking up for farm animals in need can make a true impact that can forever change their lives for the better. Now, Chico's long life can be full of salt licks and head scratches, and romps through the rolling fields at Farm Sanctuary with his other rescued sheep friends."
Read the full story here: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/adopt/rescue_chico.htm

NUTRITION FOR YER EARZ
I know this is a food politics blog but.....I was hiking today with my dogs listening to my ipod. I thought about all of the confused folk out there who will get 20 ipod gift cards and have no idea what to buy with them. I have a mix of suggestions, a.k.a my favorite records of 2006.
In no particular order, here are some winners for you to consider: (band, album name, description)
1. White Rose Movement, KICK, for those who like to boogie to brit rock electro with a 'tude.
2. The French Kicks, TWO THOUSAND, mellow indie rock with feeling.
3. Mew, AND THE GLASS HANDED KITES, a more theatrical version of Pinback - and yes, he does pull of the vocals live....its AMAZING!
4. Sound Team, MOVIE MONSTER, for those that love Spoon or the Strokes
5. The Rapture, PIECES OF THE PEOPLE WE LOVE, just plain good. Emotion and fun rolled into one. Again, the vocals are impressive and lyrics will make you cry if you really listen!
6. TV on the Radio, RETURN TO COOKIE MOUNTAIN, this is wacky in the best way. Captain Beefheart of today.
7. Grizzly Bear, YELLOW HOUSE, mellow and impressive tunes for the coolest of kids only.
8. Beck, THE INFORMATION, every song on here (except for one that sounds like Eddie Vedder took over the microphone) is good.
9. Swan Lake, BEAST MOANS, okay, the first song on here is just insanely great. The mix of sounds makes my brain overload on happy juice.
10. Human Television, LOOK AT WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO, kinda Red House Painters-ish, just plain pleasant as heck.

Last item of the day: SALMON FARMING IN CHILE
I know salmon is downright delicious. It used to be my favorite when I ate fishies. I suppose I did not know the extent of what it takes to feed these carnivores?! What is odd is that the farmed salmon eat WILD caught fish. (huh? The salmon are good enough to eat wild caught goodies but humans should eat the farmed junk?) It takes 3 pounds of wild fish to produce 1 pound of salmon! If you add the fish caught to make oil added to the meal, the figure is much higher. Chile is home to the largest unchecked salmon farming industry. Many Chilean farmed salmon are raised in high densities, often with 100,000 to 200,000 packed into pens where they swim around in a poopy antibiotic soup. This leads to major disease breakout which means more antibiotics are necessary, resulting in antibiotic-resistant strains of disease. The vicious cycle continues as more powerful antibiotics are needed to fight these diseases. Other marine life also ingest uneaten pellets meant for the salmon in addition to some fecal matter from the salmon. Chile's salmon production of 600,000 tons of fish sewage is equivalent to that of greater Santiago - Chile's largest city housing 6 million people. EEEWW!
Salmon feces and uneaten pellets on the ocean floor release arge quantities of nitrogen into the water, in turn exacerbating red tides (marine algal blooms whose toxins harm marine life and make shellfish poisonous to eat.)
I wish I could recommend safe salmon but I don't know if I can!? If you want more info about the ocean and what we need to do to save it from turning into a pool of poop check out the following: www.oceana.org

Should I ALWAYS buy organic?

2006-12-18T18:27:00.000-08:00

Kirsten Johnson Painting via Cloud King

I frequently shuffle through the produce section looking for primarily local but also organic goodies to bring home. Most often then not, organic items are more expensive than conventional. Surprisingly, organic selections are sometimes NOT necessary when it comes to certain fruits and veggies. Back in February, Consumer Reports put out a helpful piece on what items should always be organic purchases while others are not worth the extra money.

BUY THESE ORGANIC WHEN AVAILABLE:
What Apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries.

Why The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s own lab testing reveals that even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others. Based on an analysis of more than 100,000 U.S. government pesticide test results, researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., have developed the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables, above, that they say you should always buy organic if possible because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides. Among fruits, nectarines had the highest percentage testing positive for pesticide residue. Peaches and red raspberries had the most pesticides (nine) on a single sample. Among vegetables, celery and spinach most often carried pesticides, with spinach having the highest number (10) on a single sample. (For more information on pesticide levels for other types of produce, go to www.foodnews.org .)

What you’ll pay About 50 percent more on average for organic produce, but prices vary based on the item and the time of year. A Consumer Reports price survey conducted in the New York City area in October 2005 found a premium of 24 percent on organic strawberries and 33 percent on grapes and spinach. Organic Idaho potatoes cost 101 percent more than conventional. When you buy organic produce in season at a farmer’s market or directly from local providers, however, you might avoid paying a premium at all.

What Meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy.

Why You greatly reduce the risk of exposure to the agent believed to cause mad cow disease and minimize exposure to other potential toxins in non-organic feed. You also avoid the results of production methods that use daily supplemental hormones and antibiotics, which have been linked to increased antibacterial resistance in humans.

What you’ll pay Often double the price of nonorganic, though you might save money by buying direct from local farms. For instance, in December 2005 the Organic Trade Assocation reported that in Iowa, organic ground beef was available for $4.25 a pound and beef tenderloin for $16 a pound.

What Baby food.

Why Children’s developing bodies are especially vulnerable to toxins and they may be at risk of higher exposure. Baby food is often made up of condensed fruits or vegetables, potentially concentrating pesticide residues. Michelle Faist, a spokeswoman for Del Monte, says that even though its baby foods are not organic, pesticides and heavy metals are kept below government-recommended levels.

What you’ll pay Varies widely by store.
IF PRICE IS NO OBJECT, buy THESE ORGANIC:
What Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples, and sweet peas.

Why Multiple pesticide residues are, in general, rarely found on conventionally grown versions of these fruits and vegetables, according to research by the EWG. So if you’re buying organic only for health reasons, you may not want to pay 22 percent extra for organic bananas, let alone more than 150 percent for organic asparagus--the premiums we found in our price survey of several New York City area supermarkets.

What Breads, oils, potato chips, pasta, cereals, and other packaged foods, such as canned or dried fruit and vegetables.

Why Although these processed products may have lower levels of contaminants in them, they offer limited health value because processing tends to wash away important nutrients. The process of milling organic whole grains into flour, for example, eliminates fiber and vitamins, though they are sometimes added back in. The more a food is processed, the less health value its organic version offers, especially in products such as cereals and pastas with labels that say “made with organic ingredients.” Read the list of ingredients and you might find that while the flour is organic, the eggs aren’t. The processed foods with the most added value are labeled “100% Organic” and “USDA organic.” Price premiums vary. In our survey, organic Heinz ketchup cost 25 percent more than the conventional product; organic minestrone soup was only 8 percent more.

FYI: Wheat seems to be no different in nutritional value when conventional OR organic.

Don't Bother buying the following ORGANIC:
What Seafood.

Why Whether caught in the wild or farmed, fish can be labeled organic, despite the presence of contaminants such as mercury and PCBs. Some wild fish such as bluefish are very high in PCBs, and tuna and swordfish are laced with mercury. The USDA has not yet developed organic certification standards for seafood. In the meantime, producers are allowed to make their own organic claims as long as they don’t use “USDA” or “certified organic” logos. California, however, recently passed a law that prohibits the use of any organic labeling on fish and other seafood until either state or federal certification standards are established.

What Cosmetics.

Why Unless a personal-care product consists primarily of organic agricultural ingredients, such as aloe vera gel, it’s pointless to buy organic in this category. Most cosmetics contain a mix of ingredients, and USDA regulations allow shampoos and body lotions to carry an organic label even when water is the primary ingredient, Hydrosol may also be listed as a primary ingredient in organic products even though it may be primarily water infused with only a small fraction of organic plant material. While the USDA claims that organic labeled-cosmetics follow the same standards as food, we have found indiscriminate use of synthetic ingredients and violations of food-labeling standards. “Many of the ingredients in personal-care products didn’t grow out of the ground but in test tubes--they’re chemicals,” says Lauren Sucher, director of public affairs at the EWG. Just because a product has the word “organic” or “natural” in its name doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safer. Only 11 percent of ingredients found in personal-care products, organic or not, have ever been screened for safety. In fact, when the EWG conducted its own safety rating of these products (available at www.ewg.org ), scoring them on a scale of 0, for those posing lowest level of concern, to 5, for the highest concern due to potentially unsafe ingredients, those with scores of 4 or more included benign-sounding Naturessence All Day Moisture Cream.

Weird Fish Restaurant in SF RULES!

2006-12-16T15:17:00.000-08:00

Last night we oiled up our insides at Weird Fish where VEGANS, VEGETARIANS and FISHY folk can mingle and enjoy exciting dishes. As a vegan, I must admit when there is something fried on a menu AND it happens to be animal free I get super excited. For example, we ordered fried YO YO's as an appetizer, which are fried pickles! Oh so tasty and unique. I had a hard time choosing between the sweet potato taco with the option of ALMOND CHEESE as a topping with rice and beans OR the fried, marinated tofu OR the Po' Boy (portabello slices fried with slaw and some cocktail sauce.) I decided on the po' boy without slaw (it had some mayo in it) and the roll and sauce was so tasty that I didn't miss the slaw much. I am sure it tasted even better with it though. I also ordered a side of fries (half russets, half sweet potato) which were perfectly salted and crispy. As a pregnant lady, I have to pass on the tempting wine/beer list but the ginger lemonade tasted very lemony and not so ginger-y which I like. Not too sweet, not too sour, it was a perfect complement to the salty, deliciously fried food.
I cannot express how nice it is to have more than one choice of items on a menu to be thrilled about. I totally bypassed the salad section and didn't even have to consider those to get something that fit my dietary needs. I love salad, don't get me wrong, but sometimes on a cold ass night in San Francisco, all you want is warm comfort food served by super nice people that are not too pushy or sassy. The host, under lots of pressure, brought the waiting folk drinks and didn't seem at all stressed about the number of people waiting to get in outnumbering the total number of tables inside!! The hostess I called earlier that night was down to earth, really great....I felt like I was talking to a friend whose house I was coming to later on for dinner!
The tables are beautiful, the decor is simple and nautical but elegant at the same time. The bathroom is cute and the sign out front with the horse/fishmaid is oh so mystical. The menu's are well done, easy to read and informative as they alert customers of the sustainable methods practiced by Weird Fish. Organic and local foods are used to provide customers with the best tasting food of the season. YAY! Go check it out:
WEIRD FISH, 2193 Mission St., San Francisco,CA,94110
Oh, and you can call ahead to put your name on a list either 20 minutes ahead of time (for 2) or about 35 minutes for a table of four....no reservations though.

Clean Schemes

2006-12-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

Its been a long hard road to find environmentally friendly and generally healthy alternatives to the usual household cleaners. Since I became pregnant, I insisted that all cleaners I had were to be tossed out and replaced with "natural" or "safer" products. A friend of mine named Jody who is a big motivator from across the country asked me to write a bit about this chemically laden problem.
Most of us basically use what Mom did when we were kids. Obviously Mom knows best! Sorry Mom, but formulas for natural alternatives to heavy cleaners are easy to find and not expensive. Being a wee-bit phobic of germs, I sometimes worry that dirty stuff is still lurking on my hands or floor after using the gentle, non-toxic options, but I think I will opt for germs instead of cancer.
The following is an overview of junk found in popular household cleaners that should scare you a bit, found from the Bi-O-Kleen website.

DISINFECTANTS: (example, Lysol) The most common chemical used to kill bacteria are phenol (a particularly hazardous class of chemicals), quaternary ammonia, pine oil, and sodium hypochlorite, otherwise known as chlorine bleach. Using chlorine bleach is particularly hazardous because they react with ammonia or acids to release toxic gases. There are thousands of accidents each year caused from mixing bleach with other cleaning products. These are all corrosive and toxic chemicals.

TUB & TILE CLEANERS: (um, the scrubbing bubbles you see on TV) These products dissolve dirt without scrubbing. The reason they can do that is because they usually contain glycol ethers or chlorine bleach. This is yet another strong and hazardous chemical which is used in most of today’s bathroom cleaners for mold and mildew. The warning label may read something like this, "Not recommended for use by persons with heart conditions or chronic respiratory problems". "Do not mix with acids, ammonia or other household cleaners". "Use only in well ventilated areas". So what are glycol ethers? Well, they have been known to cause birth defects in laboratory animals (not tested by Bi-O-Kleen), and pregnant or nursing women should avoid using these kinds of products. They can damage red blood cells or bone morrow, causing anemia. And using these products in small confined spaces, such as bathrooms, makes some inhalation of glycol ether inevitable. Like chlorine bleach, it is readily taken in and absorbed through the skin, even when no damage to the skin itself occurs (that is why you can taste a lot of these products in your mouth).

TOILET BOWL CLEANERS: (should be sold with gloves, mask, and eye protection) There are a variety of toilet bowl cleaners out on the market. You have liquids, crystals, and tablets. The most hazardous cleaners are usually the liquids and crystals often marked DANGER. They contain strong acids and are toxic and corrosive. They can burn skin and eyes on contact.

DRAIN CLEANERS: (drain-oh oh) Accidental consumption, even the smallest amount, can cause severe damage or death. Inhalation and skin contact can cause damage to the skin, eyes and lungs. Drain cleaners are another temporary solution because they often end up damaging and corroding drain pipes, making for a bigger mess in the future.

LAUNDRY DETERGENTS: Commercial laundry products contain most of these ingredients including: metasilicates, borax, free silica, cationic fabric softeners, borine, petrochemical surfactants, toxic algaecides and sanitizers, artificial fragrance and coloring, and fillers. When you are washing your clothes with these kinds of products, you are wearing them against your skin all day, absorbing any left over residue your wash did not rinse away. These cleaner are also hard on your clothes, washing machine and dryer, leaving residues behind that build up each time you wash causing corrosion of washing machines and dryers, and fading and thinning of clothes.

Not only the chemicals present problems, what about the animal testing? Corrosive products dousing bunnies and mice? How does that feel in your eye lil guy? Check this website where you can type in product names and find out if they test or not.
http://www.navs.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ain_pt_whois
Here is a list of some products tested on animals:

BRILLO PRODUCTS - Clean Shine - Country Air - Crystal Shine - Fabulous - Fine Care - Laundry Soft - Nice N' Fluffy - Plumbers Aid - Power Scrub - Swiss Pine - Tile Action - Touch of Glass - Xtra detergent - Brita
Clorox products - Combat - EverClean - EverFresh - Formula 409 - Fresh Step - Glad products - GladWare - Lestoil - Liquid-Plumr - Pine-Sol - S.O.S. - Scoop Away - - Soft Scrub - Tilex- Tuffy

After trying many brands, I FINALLY found one that I feel completely devoted to and highly recommend. Bi-O-Kleen is my favorite overall.
They have amazing automatic dishwashing powder (lasts FOREVER) for your dishwasher that completely cleans my glasses, no spots left behind.
Also, their clothing detergent ROCKS! Its the best and also is concentrated and a great deal.
I recommend all of their products but specifically the above are my favorites.
Here is their website, I buy their stuff at WHOLE FOODS.

http://www.bi-o-kleen.com/products.htm

Take it from me, a germ phobic chic who actually enjoys cleaning.....go natural!

Global Green Party Observations & Frustrations

2006-12-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

A picture speaks 1000 words.
This past Tuesday, I was lucky enough to attend the Global Green Ecofabulous party in San Francisco. Global Green's mission is clean transportation, building green cities and schools, promoting recycling and clean water. As a VEGAN, these parties are always an opportunity to meet like-minded people AND maybe Orlando Bloom (I did get to see his cute lil' face close up) and Leonardo DiCaprio who hosted the event. Shamefully, Leo never even emerged from the VIP room upstairs. I did notice someone across the street covering up the huge Victoria's Secret picture of Giselle (his ex-girlfriend) in her bra. I saw the picture at the beginning of the night....about an hour later I see some woman placing a huge piece of butcher paper or something over the picture. Hilarious!

Complaint number 1: On the "green carpet," I noticed quite a few patrons of the party donning fur lined hoods and collars on their coats and plenty of leather. Most people pulled up in taxi's but some in their large SUV's and Towncar limo's. Two of the girls were self proclaimed "party crashers" who attend celebrity strewn events in San Francisco and write about it on some website. They obviously had no clue what kind of party this was because they were all decked out in their furs. Gross. Here they are, sweet talking a man out front.

Complaint number 2: The party was catered by WHOLE FOODS (where I always shop for groceries and most of my personal supplies.) I suppose Global Green thought this was going far enough. The menu consisted of: chicken skewers, lil' roast beef sandwiches, tons of brie cheese and some other cheese not sliced, just chunked on the plate. There were bruschetta, one with tomato and cheese, the other with salmon and cheese. Another plate consisted of pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, melons and some sliced baguette that was chewy and not good by itself. But, this was all I could eat being vegan and pregnant. I ate a few bites of fruit and bread as to keep from passing out. They had Hint water which I liked. That was the only positive on the food and drink side. May I remind you that none of the fruits listed above are in season. Let's guess how far those fruits had to travel to get to the party. UM, clean transportation huh? Those Costa Rican pineapples had to be transported by plane and truck which is clearly a HUGE waste. Why not teach your patrons a lesson on LOCAL SEASONAL foods!?! There are plenty of choices when it comes to locally produced cheese. Why not inform these people who are learning about GREEN CONCEPTS why its important to consider not only YOUR mode of transportation but how far your food travels to get to your plate?? OR, teach them about "fabulous" vegan foods? Millennium Restaurant would have been so honored to feature some of their foods at this event. They are strictly vegan and unbelievably delicious!

Complaint number 3: The fashion show disappointed me. There was one dress i loved. It will run you $3200. That sucks. The rest of the clothing was uninspired and really just run of the mill. I admire anyone willing to put up with the fashion industry, especially those using eco-friendly fabrics, but I expected more I guess.

I did meet someone very sweet named Maria who runs a clothing company called Marfar Designs. She makes tee's made from hemp and organic cotton. We discussed how difficult it is to meet people in San Francisco and that everyone is so damn clique-y. You gotta prove yourself to these Franciscans before they will give you a chance. Well, good luck Maria and Go VEGAN! (She guiltily admitted her leather boots were uh, real.)

Last but not least, thanks to the guy in the background of the top photo. He proved why a percentage of the population of environmentalists immediately turn people off from learning about the cause. He tried convincing me of creating "positive realities" in order to really turn this world around. So vague, so hippy-dippy that I honestly was ready to puke. I promise we are not all like that. I would never even call myself an environmentalist. My favorite quote of his was in response to a story I told him about giving a class I taught a list of the factory farms to avoid when shopping at the grocery store. Here it is: "You see, I totally disagree with that because you are giving them something they CAN'T buy instead giving them a list of some really GREAT FACTORY FARMS!" Aw, hell. Walk away Keri, walk away.

Desensitization

2006-12-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

As a professional dog trainer, I often use the term "desensitize" to describe the process of the dog recognizing something or someone to a point that no longer yields a reaction albeit barking, crying, jumping up, biting. As a new vegetarian or vegan, the usual reaction to others eating meat or questioning WHY they cut animals out of their diets is a visceral one. I would get really fired up, defensive or even cry when people would challenge me. I clearly needed desensitization. Its not something that happens overnight. After about 8 years of vegetarianism, 3 years of veganism, I know that the calm and knowledgeable approach usually makes much more of an impression than a "passionate " one. I think PASSION is a given when you are vegan. Cutting out all animal products including leather, dairy, all meats, certain sugars (ridiculous but most run of the mill sugars like C&H are processed through animal bones to remove the naturally occurring brown sugar cane color) and more speaks for itself when it comes to being dedicated to a cause.
A good example of this calming of the mind/body when it comes to what others choose to do happened yesterday at Whole Foods. My husband Darryl and I had to do some shopping, so I told him to get his lunch and sit and read the paper while I shop because I really don't mind at all. I ran into our neighbors who are vegan (awesome!) and told them to go chat with Darryl as he is eating his short ribs or something up front reading his paper. He has an exciting new job for TESLA MOTORCARS so I knew they would want to hear all about it. He told me later in a faux scolding tone that he was NOT eating short ribs, he had a veggie sandwich with cheese! I was so proud.

Yes, Darryl eats meat. With his new job though, the environment is downright environmentally aware and I notice some changes happening in ME and HIM even though I already think about this subject quite a bit. I try to use my cloth bags when shopping EVERY time, not just once in awhile. Now that I am back on the coffee wagon I bought a mug to bring with me so I don't waste a cup everyday by throwing the paper cup, plastic top AND lil' collar in the trash. I usually get one large shopping bag when I am buying clothes or gifts and put them all in that bag. I eat at home more often on plates instead of using TO GO boxes out at restaurants or grocery stores.
It is amazing how much waste we generate. All the products we use in one day? Write out a list one day, and be prepared to be blown away! Check that list against websites like the National Anti-Vivisection Society for animal testing. Check out what harmful chemicals exist in the cleaners you use at home. Is there trans fats/ hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup in your food? This is just shameful!!! One day at a time, learn a bit about yourself. You'd be surprised at who you really are.

Cow or Pig, NOT Beef or Ham

2006-12-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

OR

Adopt a Sanctuary Cow or a Pig Today and Receive the Candle Cafe Cookbook!
http://www.candlecafe.com/cookbook.html
This holiday season, help spread compassion by participating in Farm Sanctuary's Adopt a Farm Animal Project! Whether you are sponsoring an animal for yourself, or giving the gift of sponsorship to a friend or loved one, you will be helping to support a rescued farm animal in need. Plus, for a limited time only, if you sponsor a pig or a cow, you will receive the much-loved Candle Cafe Cookbook as part of your benefits package!
To order, click here or contact FARM SANCTUARY at 607-583-2225 ext. 225, or email sponsorship@farmsanctuary.org.

The CANDLE CAFE RULES! Its in NYC, I usually try to go whenever I am in the area. Their dishes are so satisfying and they have a huge variety of top notch stuff. Some of the best vegan food I have ever had. So sponsor an animal and get the cookbook for nuthin!

Big Apple Bans Transfats in Restaurants

2006-12-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

Damn, sometimes I am amazed that something THIS major happens in a big city like New York. People of all sorts live there, meaning that a lot "goes" without question. For example, New Yorkers who want to change the sex on their birth certificate can do so without question. Interesting enough. Yesterdays paper dropped another bomb consisting of a major municipal ban on TRANS FATS in restaurants. My day began in a the best of ways. I write these entries, hoping to educate others on their rights when it comes to food an health. Knowing that something SO HUGE like banning trans fats in restaurants can happen in New York gave me hope to continue this method of gentle nagging!
So here is the deal. As of July 2007, only tiny amounts of trans fats will be allowed in every restaurant including fast food or fancy food. Trans fats are chemically modified food ingredients that raise levels of BAD cholesterol which is linked to heart disease. Basically, trans fats have a longer shelf life than other fats and they are mainly used in baked goods, fried foods, salad dressings, and margarine. About 10% of NY restaurants will (likely fast food & places that have a standard menu) face the requirement of posting caloric content of all their menu items nearby the ordering area by the cash registers.
Now, I know restaurant owners are angry because suddenly they need to find new suppliers (most products they use already arrive with trans fats, they don't just add them while cooking) and change some recipes around. This was my favorite quote in the NY Times article from Dec. 6 by Dan Flesher a National Restaurant Association spokesman: "This is a misguided attempt to social engineering by a group of physicians who don't understand the restaurant industry." Correct me if I am wrong, but don't physicians make money from sick people? Social engineering? Sorry if this group of health department officials decided that obesity is finally a problem and needs to be handled. Here is another WAAHHHH moment by O'Neil White, a baker at Sweet Chef in Harlem. "Things without trans fats are harder to get and more expensive."
Oh, don't worry Mr. White in Harlem, I believe that economics works in your favor here. The entire state of New York is now in need of products without trans fats. I am sure there are many suppliers AS WE SPEAK rearranging their ingredients to meet the demand of their NY customers. This makes these ingredients/products easier to find, amounts plentiful, prices will fall.
Chicago is next on the list of trans fat warriors. I am sure California (I hope) does the same. Its sad that people cannot decide for themselves that they are overweight and need to avoid foods made with trans fats. That is where the health department has to step in and remind us:
Approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million obese, and 9 million severely obese.

Approximately 30.3 percent of children (ages 6 to 11) are overweight and 15.3 percent are obese. For adolescents (ages 12 to 19), 30.4 percent are overweight and 15.5 percent are obese.

Dearest Restaurant owners: Thank your lucky stars someone stepped in to make a change. The people who pay for YOUR food on your family's table are going to die if they keep eating JUNK you serve them. A dead customer is NOT a paying customer.

I am also thinking now of the vegan/vegetarian restaurants laughing all the way to their lunch breaks because they don't have to change ANYTHING on their menus!

Joanna Newsom - New Low

2006-12-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

7X7 Magazine, based in SF, featured this disgusting photo of Joanna Newsom with a fox fur (minus the face!?) on her head. What you can't see is the paws that dangle down which appear in the actual magazine...somehow got cut out in this online photo. I am glad I have never been able to stomach her music because if I did, I would be puking with anger that someone I admired was wearing a dead animal on their head for a photo shoot. Oh so cute Joanna.

Fish & Fires

2006-12-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

For some reason I knew there would be an interesting tidbit for me to share in the NY Times today. Tuesday is my favorite day for reading the Times because of the Science section. An interesting study by Erin N. Kelly, a doctoral student in Alberta Canada, yielded some unexpected results. This project started out as an examination of how mercury in water, invertebrates and fish in the Canadian Rockies varies with elevation. It just so happens that a huge forest fire ablaze at the time created a new element for Ms. Kelly to study. She and her adviser came up with the idea that it might be interesting to see what happened with mercury concentrations in the lake. The findings? Well, the fire increased the concentration of mercury in rainbow trout fivefold. The culprit? Nitrogen and phosphorus ended up in the lake and increased the production of algae, which led to more young fish (primarily rainbow trout.) Adult fish began eating the younger fish which meant the amount of mercury in their diet went WAY up. "Its possible that forest fires could cause concentrations in fishes to go over consumption guidelines," Ms. Kelly said.
I don't know if you guys living in the bay area notice that the weather is a little bit TOO mild these days. Today I marveled at the fact that I needed no jacket as I emerged from the hair salon in San Francisco. Its a little scary. It seems that the average high temperature for December according to weather.com is 56 degrees. Today was 64 degrees and its the beginning of the month, so maybe this is normal and I just forget. Global climate change increases the number of forest fires. This could also ramp up the mercury levels in freshwater fish.
For SEAFOOD LOVERS, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium website as they have a guide to the east/west coasts safest fish.
http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp

Sunday Funny #1

2006-12-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

I HAD to post this picture my husband took for me of IAN'S Miniburgers with the superhero character at the bottom screaming out "I'm a SUPERFIT KID!!" What in the hell is that for? Apparently if you buy lots of Ian's products and you partake in this contest, you earn points.
There are 4 burgers in a box, 2.5 oz each.
A serving is 2 burgers which yields:
360 calories
12 grams of fat (4 grams saturated fat)
25 mg cholesterol
sodium 450 mg
42 grams of carbohydrates
5 grams of sugar
22 grams of protein
No vitamin A, C or calcium but it does provide 30% of daily iron needs.
A wimpy 1 gram of fiber is provided.
Kudos to the company as they do have something right, there are no preservatives or artificial colors or additives. The beef patty is from Coleman Farm/Ranch and they seem as eco-aware as ranchers can get.

Lets just quickly compare the beef miniburgers with a Burger King Veggie Burger (w/o mayonnaise) made with Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie Patties (175 gram serving vs. the 130 gram serving of the miniburgers)
300 calories
7 grams fat (saturated is 1.5)
870 mg sodium
46 grams carbohydrates
14 grams protein
4 grams dietary fiber
35% iron needs
10% of Vitamin A needs
8% of calcium needs
6% Vitamin C needs

BOCA burger has a great feature on its website where you can compare the nutritional stats of a boca product with its meaty counterpart.

Happy eating...K

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act and Animal Cruelty

2006-12-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

This Friday while sitting in Jury Duty, I picked up a SF Weekly newspaper to fight the boredom. The first article I read by Matt Smith about Boycotting Feinstein involved a new proposed law that would put activists in jail for hurting a company's bottom line. Michael Markarian, executive vice president of the Humane Society of the United States says, "The language of this legislation was too broad and vague, and could be interpreted to infringe upon lawful practices, such as protest, whistleblowing, or boycotts." Here is what Feinstein has to say on the AETA website:
Senator Feinstein Statement:

“The tactics used by animal rights extremists have evolved in the face of our current laws, and consequently, the scope of their terror is widening,” Senator Feinstein said. “We need the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act to fight these tactics, including the latest trend of targeting any business and associate working with animal research facilities.

“Just three months ago, extremist activists acting in the name of animal rights attempted to firebomb the home of a UCLA primate researcher. The home where they placed their bomb actually belonged to a 70-year-old neighbor of the scientist. Thankfully, the device did not ignite. But it did lead another prominent UCLA researcher to quit in fear. We must recognize that scientific research is not only a legitimate career, but also an invaluable facet of medical advancement, conducted by respectable professionals deserving our support. The deplorable actions of these eco-terrorists threaten to impede important medical progress in California and across the country.

“Unfortunately, this type of activity has been going on for awhile. In August 2003, two bombs were placed at the Emeryville offices of Chiron Corporation, a pharmaceutical company in the Bay area that employs 4,400 employees as our nation's 2nd largest manufacturer of flu vaccines.”

Matt Smith explains, Feinstein says that the above behaviors such as violence, threats, vandalism or harassment assaults are already illegal. Her bill criminalizes ordinary protest activites that weren't illegal before.

I think back to the experience Marion Nestle had writing her book on Food Politics. She explains that not ONE person she spoke to allowed her to formally quote them as saying what they said with a name responsible for those words. She explains in great detail how powerful lobbying leaves citizens out of the loop when it comes to fair and balanced law-making. There is a sneaking suspicion that large corporations relying on animal testing to produce "safe products for humans" played a role in this new "bipartisan legislation."

The commentary regarding affecting the bottom line of a company via activism confuses me because a simple act like boycotting with signs out in front of KFC. No violence, no physical harm, just signs that explain how KFC chickens are factory farmed and abused. This might steer people away from eating there. This somehow affects the daily profits, is this potentially going to end some folks in jail?

What frustrates me is that there are plenty of ways in todays world to test products without using animals.

10's of millions of animals are tested on annually. A majority are rats and mice. The following is an example of cruel testing taken from the National Anti-Vivisection Society website:
The Draize test is the most well known eye and skin irritancy test. It attempts to measure the harmfulness of chemicals by observing the damage they cause to the eyes and skin of animals. In the Draize test for eye irritancy, solutions of products are applied directly into the eyes of conscious rabbits. During the test period, which usually lasts at least seven days, the rabbits may suffer extreme pain, and blindness often occurs. At the end of the test period, all the animals are killed in order to determine the internal effects of the toxic substances. The Draize test for skin irritancy consists of immobilizing an animal while test substances are applied to shaved and abraded skin. (Skin is abraded by firmly pressing adhesive tape onto the animal’s body and quickly stripping it off. The process is repeated until several layers of skin have been exposed.) The Draize test was introduced about 50 years ago by Food and Drug Administration toxicologist John H. Draize. Since its inception, the test has been strongly criticized for its extreme cruelty and inability to provide reliable data that can be extrapolated to humans.

A couple of the most commonly used non-animal product safety tests include:

Murine Local Lymph Node Assay (ILNA), a method for assessing the allergic contact dermatitis of chemicals. The peer review panel concluded that the ILNA is a valid alternative to currently accepted guinea pig test methods, and that the ILNA reduces the number of animals required for testing and eliminates animal pain and distress.

Corrositex, an in vitro (test tube) method for assessing the dermal (skin) corrosivity or burn potential of certain classes of chemicals using a collagen matrix barrier as a kind of artificial skin.

More details on Animal Testing/Cruelty an be found at:
http://www.navs.org/site/PageServer?pagename=index

For a tiny price of $12, you can get this book on their website:
"Personal Care For People Who Care is the most comprehensive listing of companies that do and do not test their products or ingredients on animals. The 200-page 12th edition contains over 600 listings of cosmetics, household, personal care and companion animal products from which to choose. The book is easy-to-use and small enough to take with you whenever you shop."