Livin’ Veg

The Truth About Soy March 1, 2010

Soy is used in pretty much everything these days. But vegetarians and vegans eat even more of it than the average person. People tend to worry about something called phytoestrogens that are found in soy. Those compounds are similar to estrogen but not nearly as strong. You may have heard of men not wanting to eat soy because they are worried their body will be infected with estrogen. (Many men hate feeling like they are in any way female.)

Neal Barnard from the fabulous organization PCRM wrote a great clarifying article on soy for the Huffington Post. In it, he discusses all of the rumors and gives scientific data to back his assertion that soy is totally safe and even beneficial for the body. He talks about breast cancer, fibroids, thyroid health, hormones in men and women, and other health issues.

Here is part of what Dr. Barnard had to say about cancer:

Women who include soy products in their routines are less likely to develop breast cancer, compared with other women. In January 2008, researchers at the University of Southern California found that women averaging one cup of soymilk or about one-half cup of tofu daily have about a 30 percent less risk of developing breast cancer, compared with women who have little or no soy products in their diets (1). However, to be effective, the soy consumption may have to occur early in life, as breast tissue is forming during adolescence (2-3).

Read the full article for all the facts. Then, next time someone talks to you about soy being sketchy, tell them what you know.

Hospitals In England To Promote Vegetarian Menus January 7, 2010

When I first saw this article, I thought it was going to be about health. But hospitals in England are taking meat off the menu in order to reduce their carbon footprints. They are fighting global warming through vegetarian foods. Meat, as I understand it, will not totally be gone, but it will be greatly reduced.

NHS chief Pencheon said:

“We should not expect to see meat on every menu,” said Pencheon. “We’d like higher levels of fresh food, and probably higher levels of fresh fruit and veg, and more investment in a local economy.”

They also want to stop using plastic water bottles, reuse equipment more often and other steps to become more environmentally friendly.

I love that their healthcare (gov’t run healthcare by the way) sees the link between animal agriculture and climate change. It won’t just be great for the earth. It will also be fantastic for the health of the patients. I can’t even imagine hospitals here doing something like that. We are so far behind in so many ways. I thank the NHS for leading by example and making changes that will benefit us all. Read the full article here…

School Foods Are Unhealthy But Are They Also Dangerous? December 11, 2009

According to the article in USA Today, the answer is yes.

In the past three years, the government has provided the nation’s schools with millions of pounds of beef and chicken that wouldn’t meet the quality or safety standards of many fast-food restaurants, from Jack in the Box and other burger places to chicken chains such as KFC, a USA TODAY investigation found.

For a country that claims to care about the welfare of children, we certainly have a scary way of showing it. The article goes on to say that the USDA has bought thousands of tons of chicken meat from spent egg laying hens. Meat that KFC and Campbells soup won’t even touch! If not sold to schools the chickens would most likely be compost or pet food.

Vegan or not, send this article to every parent you know. McDonalds and Costco’s standards for meat are way higher, testing their ground beef 5 - 10 times more than the USDA does on a typical school day. I think all parents will be able to agree that school food in this country needs serious reform. Read the article for more details on school food. And take action. If you live in NY, visit www.healthylunches.org

Dr. Oz Turns Meat Loving Cowboy Vegan! November 12, 2009

Dr. Oz has been a long time advocate of a plant based diet. He knows it can reverse diabetes, heart disease and help a person lose weight. Don’t believe me or know a friend who you’ve told about the health benefits who doesn’t believe you? Have them watch Rocco the meat loving cowboy. When he comes on to the Dr. Oz show, his health is in shambles. But after a 28 day vegan diet and some exercise, he is now on the path to a much healthier life.

This is inspirational to anyone but I think it’s super important for people who have health issues and continue to eat the typical American fast food diet. Check out the video and share it with people you love.

Also check out Operation Muffin Top(ple), another Twolia blog, to read about the mental health effects of eating processed foods.

Factory Farming Featured On “Bones” November 9, 2009

Don’t you just love it when mainstream television takes a controversial animal topic and brings it to the forefront? That’s what the tv show “Bones” did last week by investigating a murder on a factory farm. They even show Farm Sanctuary’s footage of real factory farming and give tons of information on the practice throughout the episode. The characters comment repeatedly on the deplorable conditions, the adverse health effects the farm causes in the community, and the horrific smell that makes it difficult for the community to do anything other than live in stench. One of the show’s characters is so upset by the things she has learned about factory farms that she tries to raise the money to save a pig. While many other characters think she’s being unrealistic in her desire to save one animal when billions die every year, it’s a nice addition to the plot and gives a face to the animals people only normally see as food. (She brings a picture of the pig around with her as she tries to collect money and says Look at that face!” Yes everyone. Please look at that face. That’s the face of your bacon in the morning. Well, probably not you as this blog is called Livin’ Veg but you know what I mean.)

The lead actress Emily Deschanel is a vegan, Farm Sanctuary supporter, and over all awesome AR advocate. I’m sure she had something to do with the episode’s content.

Watch the entire episode on Hulu.com for free…

New Vegan Books Making A Splash November 2, 2009

There are a variety of awesome looking vegan books that have just been released into the market. (Just in time for the holidays!) Here is a little round up.

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (The same guy who wrote Everything is Illuminated. This book made Natalie Portman switch from vegetarian to vegan. I also saw it in the front window of my local book store! Here is a blurb: “The everyday horrors of factory farming are evoked so vividly, and the case against the people who run the system presented so convincingly, that anyone who, after reading Foer’s book, continues to consume the industry’s products must be without a heart, or impervious to reason, or both.”)

The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone (Silverstone is a long time vegan, activist and all round rad lady.  This book talks about health, happiness and diet all while choosing the diet that saves lives - human and farm animal.)

The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen (Tal was Oprah’s personal vegan chef while she did her 21 day diet cleanse and is behind the great org Veg Advantage that helps schools and other places vegefy their cafeterias. A fab looking cookbook.)

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (These ladies hardly need an intro but in case you don’t recognize their names, they wrote Vegan With a Vengeance, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and the Veganomicon. My husband loves cookies and pre-ordered this baby like 6 months ago.)

Put them on your wish list for the holidays or just treat yourself.

The Simpsons Halloween Episode Pokes Fun At Evil Meat Practices October 21, 2009

On The Simpsons Annual Halloween special, they did a skit on a new kind of burger. “The Burger Squared.” Why is it squared? Because it’s made by cows who are killed, fed to other cows, and then those cows are killed and made into a burger. They turn the cows into cannibals. What happens when they do this disgusting practice? The people who eat it are contaminated and turn into “Munchers.” Munchers are basically zombies.

I thought it was a great episode and successfully poked fun at the heinous things humanity does to farm animals. Also, the risks we take when we eat foods made by irresponsible factory farms. Making the people zombies was funny but the real consequences of eating tainted meat aren’t so silly. Mad cow, e-coli, etc.

When Lisa hears about the burger she says that it’s an abomination. Marge responds and says, “Now Lisa, you’re a vegetarian but these cows have made a different choice.” So great! Obviously farm animals (and domesticated animals in general) have no say in what they eat. It’s up to humans to care for them. And the fact that cows are herbivores makes this episode all the more great in its disturbing satire. Thank you Simpsons for continuing to tackle big issues through ridiculousness. You’re awesome.

Watch the episode for free here!

Woman Paralized & Brain Damaged From Eating Hamburger October 5, 2009

In the fall of 2007 Stephanie Smith went over to her mother’s house for a hamburger. Soon after eating that burger she had bloody diarrhea, her kidneys shut down and she had to be put in a nine week induced coma just to stop her from having seizures.  When she woke up, she was paralyzed from the waist down and had suffered brain damage.

How could a hamburger do all that? The E. coli strain known as O157:H. Ms Smith’s case was the extreme. The NY Times article says:

Meat companies and grocers have been barred from selling ground beef tainted by the virulent strain of E. coli known as O157:H7 since 1994, after an outbreak at Jack in the Box restaurants left four children dead. Yet tens of thousands of people are still sickened annually by this pathogen, federal health officials estimate, with hamburger being the biggest culprit. Ground beef has been blamed for 16 outbreaks in the last three years alone, including the one that left Ms. Smith paralyzed from the waist down. This summer, contamination led to the recall of beef from nearly 3,000 grocers in 41 states.

Consumer protection when it comes to food in this country is abysmal. This article (watch the video too) outlines the ways in which our food system is making so many people per year sick. Companies are not testing the meat. They are not watching out for the health of their consumers. Obviously, not eating meat at all (as I would suggest) makes you less susceptible to this problem (although we all remember that spinach recall - any food that comes into contact with cow feces can contain E. coli).

Stephanie was a children’s dance instructor when she fell ill with food poisoning. Tougher industry standards should be in place in every respect when it comes to the production of food. Especially when we all know the kinds of conditions animals are raised in with modern agriculture (factory farming).

Shikai Products Are Totally Vegan September 23, 2009

For a while now I’ve been using Shikai shampoo and conditioner. It’s one of those products that you’ve seen all around but you might never have realized that they are vegan. No animal ingredients. No animal testing. Score!

This is one of those brands that I love because they are available at major stores. And non veggies don’t even know it’s vegan. They do so well because they have a great product. I bet the majority of users have no idea about the animal factor. Obviously awareness is good. But I’m always excited when a veg brand makes it in the non veg world on merit alone.

So if you’re looking for a new shampoo, check your local store and try Shikai products. They smell good and leave hair soft. I should know. I’ve been using their shampoo and conditioner for months. And no, Shikai did not contact me or give me free products to write this review…although if they are reading, I wouldn’t say no:)

Vegan Banana/Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe! September 22, 2009

For years my husband and I ate cereal every morning. We grew increasingly tired of it but didn’t feel like we had any other low maintenance options. That is until we considered smoothies.

For a few months now we’ve been drinking banana/peanut butter smoothies for breakfast and they are divine! Filling, yummy, healthy, raw and easy. (Although the clean up is obviously more time consuming than just eating cereal.)

Here is the recipe we have found to work really well. It feeds two people:

- 2 bananas (make sure they are fully ripe - no green bits or the smoothie will be grossly thick and lack flavor)
- 4-5 spoonfuls of peanut butter
- 1 tbsp of flaxseed oil
- 2 spoonfuls of raw cacao nibs
- 7-10 pieces of ice (depending on the size of your ice cubes)

Put them all in your blender at the same time and turn that sucker on. The cacao nibs will leave little crunchy bits in your smoothie that add wonderful texture. The flaxseed oil ensures you get some of your omegas for the day. Peanut butter gives you protein. And bananas provide you with fruity goodness.

Enjoy!