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The Finish Line!

3/30/2014

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by Shannon Blankinship

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Whether you made it all 31 days easily, you quit in week 1, or you’ve been counting down to April 1st at every meal, you should be proud of the effort put forth. It was tough, yes, but look at all the great things you have done for yourself, your community, and the world!

In just 31 days, you have made a difference in the world in so many ways! Look at the numbers below, and ask yourself is the sacrifice made compensates for the reduction in deforestation, water use, waste disposal, energy consumption and communicable disease.

Per-capita meat consumption has more than doubled in the past half-century and as a result, the overall demand for meat has increased five-fold. That, in turn, has put escalating pressure on the availability of water, land, feed, fertilizer, fuel, waste disposal capacity, and most of the other limited resources of the planet.

Deforestation

Recent world harvests, if equitably distributed with no diversion of grain to feeding livestock, could provide a vegetarian diet to 6 billion people, whereas a meat-rich diet could support only 2.6 billion.

With a present population of over 6 billion, the question of whether we get our protein from animals or plants has direct implications for how much more of the world’s remaining forest we have to raze.

In Central America, 40 percent of all the rainforests have been cleared or burned down in the last 40 years, mostly for cattle pasture to feed the export market—often for U.S. beef burgers.

Complex grassland destruction followed, as herds of domesticated animals were expanded and the environments on which wild animals such as bison and antelope had thrived were trampled and replanted with monoculture grass for large-scale cattle grazing.

Water Use

The standard diet of a person in the United States requires 4,200 gallons of water per day (for animals’ drinking water, irrigation of crops, processing, washing, cooking, etc.). A person on a vegan diet requires only 300 gallons a day.

Water experts calculated that we humans are now taking half the available fresh water on the planet—leaving the other half to be divided among a million or more species. Species by species, we find that the heaviest water use is by the animals we raise for meat. One of the easiest ways to reduce demand for water is to reduce the amount of meat we eat.

It takes 550 liters of water to produce enough flour for one loaf of bread in developing countries, but up to 7,000 liters of water to produce 100 grams of beef.

If you shower every day and your showers average seven minutes (flow rate 2 gal/min) then you use 5,110 gallons of water to shower every day for a year. Every POUND of California grass-fed beef uses 2,464 gallons. You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you would by not showering for six months.

Waste Disposal

Rivers carrying livestock waste are dumping so much excess nitrogen into bays and gulfs that large areas of the marine world are dying.

Giant livestock farms, which can house hundreds of thousands of pigs, chickens, or cows, produce vast amounts of waste. In fact, in the United States, these “factory farms” generate more than 130 times the amount of waste that people do.

Nutrients in animal waste cause algal blooms, which use up oxygen in the water, contributing to a “dead zone” in our rivers where there’s not enough oxygen to support aquatic life.

Energy Consumption

The journey that steak made to get to your refrigerator consumed staggering amounts of energy along the way. First, growing the grain to feed the cattle, which requires a heavy input of petroleum- based agricultural chemicals. Then, fuel required to transport the cattle to slaughter, and thence to market.

Next, hauling the world’s meat thousands of miles often overseas to butcher and sell. After being refrigerated, it has to be cooked. It takes the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline to produce a pound of grain-fed beef in the United States.

It takes, on average, 28 calories of fossil fuel energy to produce 1 calorie of meat protein for human consumption, whereas it takes only 3.3 calories of fossil- fuel energy to produce 1 calorie of protein from grain for human consumption.

One ton of methane, the chief agricultural greenhouse gas, has the global warming potential of 23 tons of carbon dioxide. A dairy cow produces about 75 kg of methane a year, equivalent to over 1.5 tons.

Livestock emit 16 percent of the world’s annual production of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

While 56 million acres of U.S. land are producing hay for livestock, only 4 million acres are producing vegetables for human consumption.

Communicable Disease

A report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 89 percent of U.S. beef ground into patties contains traces of the deadly E. coli strain.

Animal waste contains disease-causing pathogens, such as Salmonella, E. coli, Cryptosporidium, and fecal coliform, which can be 10 to 100 times more concentrated than in human waste. More than 40 diseases can be transferred to humans through manure.

Not only is mortality from coronary heart disease lower in vegetarians than in nonvegetarians, but vegetarian diets have also been successful in arresting coronary heart disease. Scientific data suggest positive relationships between a vegetarian diet and reduced risk for obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and some types of cancer.

While it may have been 31 days of struggle, you did a good thing. Applaud yourself, and consider going meat free more often. Don’t wait till next March to try it again, but consider Meatless Monday or limiting meat to only once or twice per week. You can do it!

*Note, these numbers are all averages. The data here was sourced from The WorldWatch Institute with a vision for a sustainable world and can be found at: www.worldwatch.org/node/549.
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No Meat March Live Webinar - Bruce Friedrich

3/17/2014

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Veggie in a Nutshell - 3 Reasons to Go Meatless

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Join us for a special LIVE WEBINAR on Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 7 p.m. EST hosted by Bruce Friedrich of Farm Sanctuary. Learn the important reasons everyone should try a meatless month and beyond. Bruce will breakdown what eating a vegetarian diet really means to you, the planet and animals.

Check out some of his articles published on Huffington Post:

  • USDA: Time to Stop the Chicken Industry From Boiling Birds Alive
  • Bill Gates and Sergey Brin Take on the Impending Climate Change Apocalypse
  • Farm Bill Could Overturn Dozens of State Laws. Why Does Tea Party Darling Steve King Want to Centralize Power in Washington?
  • Meatonomics: The Bizarre Economics of the Meat & Dairy Industries
  • McDonald's Cruelty: Creating Mentally Broken & Physically Destroyed Animals
  • An Advent Book Recommendation: For Love of Animals: Christian Ethics, Consistent Action

    Register For the Webinar

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About Bruce Friedrich

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Bruce Friedrich, Senior Policy Director
Bruce Friedrich leads Farm Sanctuary’s policy and litigation efforts and has introduced the world to who farm animals are as individuals through the Someone, Not Something project. His articles on farm animal issues appear regularly in The Huffington Post, and Bruce has penned opinion pieces for USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, and many other publications. Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals features a contribution from Bruce on whether there is such a thing as “humanely raised meat” (spoiler: the answer is no). Bruce co-authored The Animal Activist’s Handbook with Matt Ball, executive director of Vegan Outreach, about which Princeton bioethicist Peter Singer raves: “Rarely have so few pages contained so much intelligence and good advice. Get it, read it, and act on it. Now.”

In addition to writing on the subject, Bruce has discussed farm animal issues on a number of television programs, such as the Today show and CBS Evening News, as well as a variety of programs on MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN. He has also participated in debates on the topic of eating meat at most of the top colleges and universities in the country, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, and MIT. In 2008, his animal protection efforts earned him the title of the meat and poultry industry’s second “biggest enemy” in the country (the CEO of The Humane Society of the United States took the top spot) by the editor of Meat & Poultry magazine.

Before joining Farm Sanctuary, Bruce worked at PETA for 15 years, including as vice president for international grassroots campaigns. Bruce also spent two years working as a public school teacher in inner-city Baltimore where he was named “teacher of the year” for his school and six years at a Catholic Worker homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Washington, D.C. He earned degrees from Grinnell College, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and Johns Hopkins University.

Bruce shares his life with his wife, Alka Chandna, Ph.D., and three perfect cats named Rena, Tigger, and Angie.

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No Meat March Webinar - 5 Secrets to Detoxing

3/15/2014

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Join us for a special LIVE WEBINAR on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 7 p.m. EST hosted by Dr. Jon Repole of Jacksonville Health and Wellness. Learn how to eliminate your addiction to meat and dairy with these 5 secrets to detoxing!

We live in a toxic world, and are exposed to 1000’s of pollutants on a daily basis. These toxic substances are everywhere and can include such things as the pesticides and hormones in our food, the fumes from traffic, and even toxic materials used to make computers, water bottles and phones. The number one source of toxicity, however, comes from animal based foods! Our bodies have a limited capacity for eliminating these toxins before dysfunction and breakdown begins and we begin to experience negative signs and symptoms like headaches, irritability, belly fat, mood swings, bloating, breakouts, fatigue, hypertension, and more.  

Come join us as we expose the 5 Secrets to Detoxing that will help you to break the addiction to animal and processed foods – especially the addictive DAIRY TRAP. We will guide you through a proven system that will cleanse both your internal body (organs of elimination – liver, kidney, lymph tissue, skin, lungs, and intestines) and external environment from these potential hazardous toxins. The benefits of detoxing are many and include: decreased sugar and “carb” cravings, increased energy, increased vitality, restoration of our body’s innate intelligence and a return to homeostasis. You will receive the tools necessary to hit the re-set button on your eating habits. This detox program will be presented in such a way that makes it completely customizable especially for those with special needs such as: Candida, Diabetes and Cancer. All participants will gain access to a FREE detoxification guide to help you along your journey!

    Register for the Webinar

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About Dr. Jon Repole

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Dr. Jon Repole holds a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from NYCC, a B.S. from Siena College, a Holistic Health Practitioner and Nutritional Consultant degree from the Global Institute for Alternative Medicine, as well as certificates and post doctorate education in plant based nutrition, endocrinology, anti-aging, neurology and functional medicine. He is a member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine & Institute for Functional Medicine where he has completed training in ‘Applying Functional Nutrition for Chronic Disease Prevention & Management.’

Since 2001, he has been working with patients integrating a new paradigm of healthcare based on dietary and lifestyle medicine along with various “hands-on” therapies and modalities. He fosters partnerships with his patients and is determined to find the true causative nature of each person’s health challenge while helping to uncover or unlock their highest self/potential. He has developed an educational curriculum for his patients through one-on-one counseling, workshops, weekend cooking classes, manuals, recipes, and books. He uses the unique “5 Steps to Wellness” paradigm along with a revolutionary plant based dietary intervention called the 100% DIET. It was developed over a 14 year period in working with 1000’s of patients and conditions (heart disease, autoimmunity, hormonal dysfunctions, weight loss, fatigue, depression, diabetes, etc.). The 100% DIET is based on eating 100% of our foods from 100% natural sources. Treatment plans are individually tailored for each individual focusing on the whole person – mind, body and spirit.

Education:
  • New York Chiropractic College - Doctor of Chiropractic
  • Global Institute for Alternative Medicine - Nutrition Counselor & Holistic Health Practitioner
  • American Clinical Board of Nutrition (Diplomate Of Clinical Nutrition): Board Eligible
  • Cornell University & the T. Colin Campbell Foundation - Certificate In Plant Based Nutrition
  • Institute for Functional Medicine - training in 'Applying Functional Nutrition for Chronic Disease Prevention & Management'
  • Functional Medicine University - training in the application of Functional Medicine
  • Siena College - B.S.
  • University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic - Completion of Anti-Aging Certification
  • University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic - Functional Endocrinology Certification
  • University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic - Brain/Neurotransmitter Certification
Licensure:
  • New York
  • Florida
Memberships & Associations:
  • Florida Chiropractic Association 2005-Present
  • Florida Chiropractic Society 2005-Present
  • Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine 2007-Present
  • Earth Save International 2006-Present
  • American Chiropractic Association 1997-2002
  • International Chiropractic Association 1997-2002
  • Certificate of Attainment from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners 2000,2001
  • Institute for Functional Medicine

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How to Stock Your Veggie-Inspired Pantry

3/14/2014

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Alongside the usual savory and sweet items that every pantry needs, there are a few ingredients that are particularly useful for vegetarians or those wanting to eat more meatless meals. As a lifelong (since age five) vegetarian and sometime vegan, here are the items that I like to keep on hand for protein, texture, and flavor. Of course, each household's pantry will vary according to personal taste, ethnic background, and food allergies. Let us know what you would include in the comments.• Beans. Though I like to keep a variety of dried or canned beans, I always make sure my pantry has at least two: lentils and chickpeas. Lentils cook quickly and are great additions to soups, pilafs, and salads. I like to throw chickpeas into pasta dishes and vegetable braises and stews. Pinto, black, kidney, and cannellini beans are also good to have on hand. • Tempeh. Once you know how to prepare it, tempeh can be one of the best staple sources of protein. It can be refrigerated for a week or two (check the date on the package) and will keep up to several months in the freezer.

• Tofu. Like tempeh, tofu is not strictly a pantry item, but it's an essential for vegetarian kitchens. I like to keep blocks of refrigerated extra firm tofu for baking and frying, vacuum-packed silken tofu to blend into dressings and puddings, and dried tofu for soups and stir-fries. Stay tuned for a tofu post later this month.

• Grains. Using a variety of grains lends nutrition, texture, flavor, and interest to vegetarian meals. I like to keep my pantry stocked with brown rice, white rice, quinoa, spelt, farro, millet, and bulgur.

• Nuts. I always have almonds and cashews and try to keep pistachios and pine nuts around, too. Whole or chopped nuts can be used in salads and grain dishes. Ground nuts can add body to lasagna. And there's always pesto. Extend the life and freshness of nuts by keeping them in the freezer.

• Dried fruits. Raisins, dried apricots, dates, etc. are not only great for snacking but they can add interest to grain dishes, vegetable braises, and sautéed greens.

• Vegetable stock. I prefer to make stock from scratch and keep it in the freezer. But if you don't have the time or inclination, Better than Bouillon is a great option.

• Nutritional yeast. I've sung the praises of nutritional yeast before, and it can be used in sauces, as a coating for tofu, and sprinkled on potatoes and popcorn.

• Miso. I like to keep both light and dark miso paste in the refrigerator for different degrees of savoriness, but if I had to choose just one, it would be the mellow white variety. Miso makes excellent soup as well as dressings for salad, vegetables, and tofu.

• Tahini. Tahini or sesame paste often works in conjunction with miso in my kitchen. A quick tahini-miso sauce (try adding lemon juice and garlic, too) can be poured over steamed vegetables, tofu, or tempeh for simple weeknight dinners.

• Dried sea vegetables. I like to keep several kinds of seaweed, from sheets of nori that can be wrapped around rice and vegetables, to kelp/kombu that adds flavor to broth, to hijiki that can be reconstituted and used in salads and vegetable dishes.

What else would you add to this list?

Originally published on thekitchn.com.


Want to know what grains to keep on-hand?
Click the image to discover the 7 good ones to go out and get today!

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Confessions of an Omnivore - Part 1

3/13/2014

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by Don Carpenter

I am a recovering Omnivore. Why recovering? I believe that eating meat is not a necessity, but a habit foisted upon us as soon as we’ve cut our teeth. Like many people who’ve realized they’re addicted to something I am in recovery.
Hi, my name is Don and I eat meat.

So why do I want to stop? I’ll explain. Perhaps you’ll find your own reason here. My wife, Lisa, is fond of three-pronged attacks. If you're going to use a pronged attack the accepted number is three. I've never heard of a four- or five-pronged attack.  Have you?

 So three it shall be: Mind, Body, and Spirit.



I'd also like to note that this is a personal choice. I'm not trying to convert anybody. Writing this down is my own learning process and it helps me remember why I’m doing it. I'm simply sharing my thoughts. Live whatever way you feel is best for you.


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MIND
Money!



Being vegetarian costs less. I'm saving money for that lair I've always wanted (sharks with laser beams not included). And speaking of saving money, my health care costs will go down! It is possible to spend more money, and though my raw vegan friend Tonya Kay has said, "I don't have a discount body" when discussing the cost of organic produce, you’ll generally spend less. Poor people worldwide thrive on a diet of rice and beans. With a little knowledge and ingenuity you can have an exotic and nutritious meal on the cheap. Heck, you don't even have to cook it! And it can be fun!




Shelf Life Differential


Leave some lettuce on the counter for a day. Leave out some uncooked beef for a day. Which one is likelier to make you sick if you eat it? If you eat meat you need to constantly worry about cross contamination. When you hear stories about contaminated vegetables on the news the cause is generally pesticides or contaminated runoff from livestock. Eating fruits and vegetables is safer; much, much safer.


Efficiency


Being vegetarian is an efficient use of resources. Twenty vegetarians can live off of the same amount of land as 1 meat eater. If Americans cut down their meat intake by only 10% enough grain could be freed up to feed 60 million people.  Result? The cost of food around the world would drop and more people could be fed. The use of modern agricultural methods has resulted in increased efficiency of grain production but the cost of bread, etc. continues to rise. Why? Most grain grown isn't fed to people.



Pollution:  The presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects



You can be a climate change denier. I'm really OK with that. Climatology is a new and inexact science. It's OK to be skeptical. What's not OK is pollution. 

It's not OK to pollute the water you drink, the air you breathe and the food you eat. Don't let some corporate shill denying climate change so he can make a buck con you into believing pollution is OK. There are no pleasant after effects of pollution, and the industrialization of livestock farming has created a monster.

 When I say "industrialization", I'm not talking about the small family-owned farms or what they call hobby farms in Texas. I mean the large scale operations. They have been a significant problem in the recent past.

 In 1993, overflow from an outbreak of cryptosporidium in Milwaukee's drinking water supply caused 100 deaths and sickened 430,000 people. The same type of runoff has also caused algae blooms and fish kills. I didn't have to go to Wisconsin to find those. I just looked at the St. Johns River in Jacksonville where I live.

 The air pollutants from these farms have also been linked to causing and increasing people's vulnerability to respiratory illness. The effects aren't limited to people. They can make plants more vulnerable to disease as well.

These are just a few examples. A great deal of information is available on this subject. Go out and read some of it.


USDA Wisconsin
Contamination from Seaboard Farms in OK
Spontaneous Abortions possibly caused by runoff from feedlots, CDC
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BODY

The human animal is one of the most adaptive species on the earth. We live in a variety of climates and in all sorts of terrains. One reason we can do this is because we're omnivores. People can eat darn near anything, but we don’t have to.



Three ounces of Zonocerus Variegatus’, commonly known as grasshoppers, have around 21 grams of crude protein, 7 grams of vitamin A, 5 grams of iron, and 35 grams of calcium plus other human nutritional requirements. Technically grasshoppers are way more nutritious than beef. Insects can be an absolutely fabulous source of food and we are very capable of digesting them and using the nutrition provided. So why not? Because in the Western world it's not culturally acceptable. There is a movement in the United Nations led by Professor Arnold van Huis trying to change this. And he is not the first to suggest this by far. Vincent M. Holt published a pamphlet on the subject complete with recipes in 1885. The practice even has a name, entomophagy.



I’m not trying to get you to eat bugs. What I’m trying to get across is that alternatives to what we view as traditional sources of proteins are not a new idea.

You don’t need to eat insects. You also don’t need to eat meat. Humans can get most of the nutrition we need from a plant based diet. There are very few nutritional concerns but you can get supplements in the modern world.  Supplements you should be taking even if you eat meat. There is no real NEED to eat meat. It's a WANT.

 You can eat meat, grasshoppers, or beans (the best known high protein vegetarian option). Of those choices only beans offer no cholesterol, decrease the chance of heart disease as well as cancer, and are high in fiber. Oh yeah, and you don't have to capture and kill beans. They're pretty docile.



Besides heart disease and cancer eating meat can contribute to:

Osteoporosis

Kidney stones

Gallstones

Diabetes

Multiple Sclerosis

Arthritis

and more!



If I am vegetarian I will live longer. I will likely be in my 70s should my daughter Grace decide to tie the knot. I want to dance with my loving wife, Lisa, at my daughter's wedding. I've started taking dance lessons and would really like to be there. I may be good by then, you never know!

Think of vegetarians and skinny, pale and weak? Think again! VGirlsVGuys is a project of photographer Melissa Schwartz, an accomplished artist and vegan activist.

SPIRIT

This is a less selfish topic that some of you will hate. Remember, I’m not trying to change any minds. This is all for me. Do what you will.

Think for a minute on the topics I written on above, specifically the items under MIND. By becoming vegetarian I stop thinking about what’s happening and start doing something about it. If enough consumers vote with their wallets, changes will be made. Of course these industries are heavily subsidized by billions of tax dollars. You’ll have to speak louder than lobbyists. It will take millions of people to out yell those megaphones of millions of dollars in political donations. I do hereby add my tiny voice.

I’ve also done something I don’t recommend for any meat eater. I found out where my meat comes from. I don’t mean cows, chickens, pigs and fish. Despite popular opinion I am not an idiot. I’ve simply stopped living under the illusion that the animals I have consumed were healthy and well cared for. They weren't. They often lived in deplorable conditions that, if done to a single animal in your backyard, would cause your arrest for animal cruelty. I’m not exaggerating. Look it up. What you’ll find will probably be old footage because laws have been passed preventing the filming of activities inside of factory farms and animal processing companies. It’s bad for business, you see; your lobbyist dollars at work.


Time Magazine - Caged Hens: An Undercover Investigation Reveals Apparent Animal Cruelty at an Egg Farm
Video Shows Farm Workers Kicking, Tossing Piglets


Nobel prize winner predicts a rise in veganism


I am a healthy omnivore that’s chosen to care for himself and his world by becoming a vegetarian.
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CONCERNS

But where will I get my protein?


Protein, protein, protein! Everybody wants to know where vegetarians get protein! Protein is not going to be a problem! There are other things you should give more thought to.


B12


If you are a strict vegan, or even mostly vegan, there is a good possibility you will develop a B12 deficiency if you don’t take a supplement. And even though B12 is found mostly in the meat of animals, with smaller amounts found in eggs and milk, a deficiency often occurs in meat eaters as well. Some cereals are fortified but it’s not adequate. Take a vitamin supplement. Many daily vitamin tablets are sufficient, you just need to read the label.


Iron


There are a plethora of sources for iron in a vegetarian diet:  

Tofu, black strap molasses, amaranth, lentils, swiss chard, dulse, lima beans, potato, wheat germ, pinto beans, kidney beans, dandelion greens, kale, pumpkin seeds, black beans, spinach, broccoli, almonds, pumpkin, beet greens, brewers yeast, quinoa, teff, figs, raisins, prunes, green beans, millet, whole wheat, parsley, kelp, oats, corn, peanuts, cashew butter, almond butter, blueberries, bananas and raspberries.



You can even increase the iron content of your tomato sauce by cooking it in an iron skillet. No kidding!

The caveat is that plant based iron must be accompanied by vitamin C to be absorbed, but that will not be a problem with a vegetarian diet.


Zinc


Zinc is essential for the immune system, the nervous system, and your skin. If you are prone to infection increase your zinc intake for a boost. You can take a supplement but it’s not really necessary. You can eat wheat germ or go for more tasty options like swiss chard, lima beans, baked potato, oats, mustard greens, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, rice, kidney beans, ginger root, wild rice, peas, leeks, lentils, cashews, sunflower seeds, and lima beans.


Omega-3s - Look here


Almost all Americans suffer an insufficiency in these fatty acids. A great many vegetarians make an exception and take a fish oil supplement, but Omega-3s can be gotten by using flax seed oil, or by using flax seeds in your diet.  Some can be gotten by including raw walnuts.


Calcium


You can get this essential nutrient by using calcium enriched products such as soy milk, or you can just eat your greens! Greens are where it’s at! Ready vegetarian sources of calcium are: Cooked turnip greens, torula yeast, collard greens, cooked rhubarb, spinach, oatmeal, tofu, broccoli, dandelion greens, swiss chard, blackstrap molasses, soy flour, mustard greens, almonds, baked beans, filberts, oranges, cooked kale, fresh spinach, tahini, and garbanzo beans.



Still obsessed with protein?


How much do you need?

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.
Examples:  a 220 pound male would need about 100 grams a day and a 120 pound female needs 55 grams.


An ounce of cooked meat or fish has about 7 grams of protein. An average serving size should be, and I say should because most eat way more, 3 ounces. This gives us an average of 21 grams per serving. So how does a diet of vegetables, dairy and eggs stack up?


One egg has six grams of protein. I can’t remember the last time I sat down and ate one egg. I think I was a five or so. UNRELATED TRIVIA:  Why are there 100 folds in a chef’s toque (that tall white hat)? They represent the different ways to cook an egg.


One cup of milk has eight grams of protein. A 16 ounce glass, two cups, has 16 grams of protein. Dairy products are a real heavy hitter in the protein department. How do you think little calves grow into 1200 pound cows? The downside is that dairy products are often high in fat, and not the good kind, so be careful.


Lacto-Ova Vegetarians will not have a problem with protein. How about Vegans?


The common bean is the el magnifico of protein in your everyday vegetarian meal. Most beans have between 7 and 10 grams of protein per half cup. That’s half a cup! That’s 4 ounces people! And variety? There’s a taste and texture for every mouth!  


Common types of beans on the American table are:
Black beans
Black eyed peas.
Cannellini beans
Chickpeas, also known as garbonzo beans, are a personal favorite
Great Northern beans
Kidney beans
Lima beans
Pinto beans
Navy beans, also known as Boston beans


Another type of bean that’s becoming more common is the soy bean. The versatile soy bean is widely used in meat and dairy replacements. The edemame bean, an immature soy bean, makes a tasty high protein addition to your plate as well in salads or as a snack.

Bean sprouts are a great way to add protein to a meal. The most widely used type of bean for sprouting is the mung bean. Mung bean sprouts provide 3 grams of protein per cup. Not as much as a mature bean but nothing to sneeze at.


Broccoli. Broccoli? Yes, broccoli. This bright green member of the cabbage family has been prepared in every possible way imagined. Broccoli offers 3 grams of protein per ounce both cooked and raw. Besides the protein this vegetable offers 100% or more of vitamins C and K and smaller amounts of many other vitamins. Your mother and grandmother were right; eat your broccoli!


You can also find small amounts of protein in unexpected places, like a tomato. Two tomatoes contain a gram of protein. Two carrots also has a gram.


And what of the favorite canned vegetable of a famous muscular seaman? Spinach has a little less than a gram a cup. The squinty eyed sailor would be better off with kale at two grams a cup. I’m surprised he didn’t choose seaweed. You’d think a world traveler like him would know that nori, usually used to wrap sushi but great in a salad, packs a massive protein punch at over 11 grams a cup! Move over meat! You’ve just had your butt kicked!


Protein is NOT a problem!
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Be Proud of Your Food - Chef Inspirations

3/13/2014

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by Shannon Blankinship

I didn't go veg on purpose. I gave myself a (I'm saying it!) one-month challenge, and never went back. What helped me to fully embrace this new food palate was finding chef inspired foods that matched what I like to eat, and helped curb the cravings from a more traditional diet. Being vegan or vegetarian isn't a diet of limitations but a vastly expanded palate of flavors, textures and aromas that never fails to impress and satiate. Here is my chef inspiration, and maybe finding yours will aid this “March” challenge. Yes, you are now at liberty to Pinterest "vegan" followed by your favorite food, "brunch", "lunch", "dessert", and even (beware!) "cupcake".
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Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, host of the community access vegan cooking show and food blog The Post Punk Kitchen, changes the game in vegan baking. Baking powder biscuits with white bean tempeh sausage gravy is a home-run at every brunch gathering. The basic "scone" recipe makes mouths drop, and you can craft them in 100 different ways. Your basic pancake, gravy, pizza, and falafel have all been made better, simpler, and completely vegan. Tofu, tempeh, and seitan recipes cover all the higher level protein main courses.

In Vegan Brunch, the idea that breakfast foods are impossible on a vegan diet has been quashed as you attempt to choose what to make for your next gathering that will impress as well as delight. In Appetite for Reduction, Isa takes all of her basic recipes and makes them low fat. She transforms "Shepherd's Pie" into an upside-down lentil based and caulipots-topped savory and hearty entree substituting the traditional mashed potatoes and beef. What you can do with a protein packed can of chickpeas and this book is amazing!

In Veganomicon, Isa delivers the “bible” for vegan cooking. Every question is answered, and the basics are all covered. Isa knows about a good dessert too. The book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World is a game changer including the Margarita Cupcake and Banana Split Cupcakes. Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar has something for every occasion, minus animal butter, milk and eggs. In Vegan Pie in the Sky, Isa has done the work of converting traditional pie recipes requiring 4-6 eggs into a vegan masterpiece. Maple Pecan Pie (made with tofu!) is as good as any of your grandmothers pecan pie dishes and deserves front row at the Thanksgiving table.

Her most recent book Isa Does It seals the deal on the vegan lifestyle. There is no excuse not to begin supplementing even a totally carnivorous diet with some of these recipes, and truly begin to change the world.

Find your chef inspiration and maybe you will also see that being vegan isn't giving up anything, but gaining an entirely new and delicious perspective.

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5 Tips to Eating Healthy on the Go

3/10/2014

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by Brandy Carvalho

Eating on the Go
One of the more daunting things to do when new to the vegetarian/vegan world is to find food when traveling. Don’t stress! There are plenty of resources and tips to help you get through any trip you have planned. And you can use these tips at home, too, to find great veg food at your local restaurants.

1.  The #1 tool for many traveling veggies is HappyCow.net. This website lists vegetarian- and vegan-friendly restaurants for cities and countries around the world. You can find sample menu items, links, prices and reviews. The website is free, or there is a cheap app to download that I find well worth the $2.

2.  Do a quick internet search for a city’s local vegetarian or vegan meetup or social group. Send a quick email, asking for suggestions. Veggies love to showcase their local cuisine! There are also great websites like The GGG’s www.VegJax.com to help all over the country! A quick internet search will help you find them.

3.  Think ethnic! Many international cuisines have lots of veggie options, and you may get to try something new. Look for Asian, Ethiopian or even Jamaican!

4.  Do your homework. It takes some extra time, but look for restaurants BEFORE you arrive at the city. You may save yourself some frustrations. Also, check to make sure restaurants are still open.

5.  If you can’t find ideal veg restaurants, there is no shame in visiting a grocery store and making your own meal. You can enjoy lunch in a park, or dinner under the stars.  Don’t let a vacation or work trip dampen your No Meat March pledge!

Here is a list of national and local veg-friendly dining guides I've found so far that covers popular cities:

NATIONAL:

http://www.tryveg.com/

https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/

http://nwveg.org/restaurants

http://www.adaptt.org/restaurants.html


LOCAL:

http://www.bostonveg.org/restaurants/
- Boston, MA

http://www.vsh.org/Veg-Friendly-Maui.htm - Maui, HI

http://www.vegcf.org/veg-dining-guide.html - Orlando, FL

http://supervegan.com/restaurants.php - NY

http://www.vegparadise.com/restaurants.html - Los Angeles, LA

http://vegancrunk.blogspot.com/p/memphis-vegan-dining-guide.html - Memphis, TN

http://vegtriangle.com/ - Raleigh/Durham, NC

http://thecharlestonplant.com/ - Charleston, SC

http://rhodeislandveganguide.blogspot.com/ - Rhode Island

http://www.vegdc.com/restaurants.php - Washington D.C.

http://www.vegsarasota.com/restaurants  - Sarasota, FL

http://www.vegmadison.com/restaurants.html - Madison, WI

http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/austin/restlist.html  - Austin, TX

http://www.popcitymedia.com/features/vegetarianrestaurants103112.aspx - Pittsburgh, PA

http://www.eatitdetroit.com/2012/04/hot-list-veg-heads-guide-to-everyday.html  - Detroit, MI

http://vegancarolina.com/veg-friendly-dining-guide/ - North Carolina

http://www.vegobx.com/ - Outer Bands

https://sites.google.com/site/njvegetarian/restaurants  - New Jersey

http://vegsandiego.com/ - San Diego, CA

http://www.valleyveg.org/the-valley-veg-dining-guide.html - Western MA

http://slcveg.com/ - Salt Lake City, UT

http://vermontvegetarians.org/restaurants.php  - Vermont

http://www.vegsf.com/restaurants.html - San Francisco, CA

http://www.vegsouthflorida.com/ - South Florida

http://oaklandveg.com/resources/dining-out/ - Oakland, CA

http://www.vegseattle.com/VegRestaurants.pdf  - Seattle, WA

http://www.veganmilwaukee.com/restaurants.html  - Milwaukee, WI

http://vegsyracuse.com/ - Syracuse, NY

http://www.scribd.com/doc/203704763/Philly-Veg-Dining-Guide - Philadelphia, PA

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5 Easy Ways to Make Plant-Based Eating a Reality

3/9/2014

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Join us for a special LIVE WEBINAR on Thursday, March 13, 2014 at 7 p.m. EST hosted by Food for Life Instructor, Heather Borders. Learn how to make plant-based eating a reality in 5 easy steps!

Want to add more plant-based foods to your day-to-day, but not sure how? Feel like you can't cook to save your life? Not sure how to differentiate healthy foods from foods just marketed to be healthy? Exhausted after prepping for a plant-based meal? Yep, I'll cover
that and address any frustrations you have experienced on your journey to healthier lifestyle.

This American culture certainly doesn't make it easy to *sustainably *follow a plant-based lifestyle. But armed with some new information and practical advice on how best to make a few behavioral changes, you can make significant progress towards eating more plant-based meals. Your health (and animals and mother earth) will thank you greatly!

The webinar will include:

  • How to Read Food Labels
  • Organic 101
  • Your New Normal: Time Saving Tips & Tricks
  • "Shmecipes"- Easy Mix & Match Recipes

    Register for the Webinar

Submit
ABOUT HEATHER BORDERS

Heather Borders offers a variety of nutrition programs focused on helping people incorporate more plant-based foods into their day-to-day life. Cooking classes, nutrition education, label reading, grocery store tours are just a few of the programs she offers to clients as the Food For Life Instructor for Jacksonville.

Heather's passion and belief in the healing power of food began after an "experiment" to see if see if her husband's cholesterol would drop by eating a whole foods, plant-based diet. When the cholesterol numbers plummeted and the energy increased, there was no turning back. Now knowing that chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's are largely preventable, in spite of bad genes, Heather is enthusiastically seeking to spread the word.

Her enthusiasm for plant-based nutrition education persists because she wants to help people improve their quality of life and believe plant-based living has the most significant impact on a person's health. Heather is very excited about cooking and meeting people with similar interests!

To keep up with future events, make sure you like Food For Life Jax and follow Heather on Twitter as FFLJax!
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How to Start your Workout Program

3/9/2014

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By Juan-Carlos Asse

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Getting started in the gym can be one of the most difficult parts of an exercise program. Making the decision to get started is a daunting challenge for most people and often times it is easier to say “I’ll just get started tomorrow”. I promise you that the sooner you get started the better! You will have more energy, sleep better at night, have less body aches, think more clearly, and feel better about yourself once you get started. 

     How do you get started? I can't stress enough the importance of starting slow when beginning a workout program. How many times have you seen people go so intensely the first day that they can't move for a week because they are so sore and then don't want to workout at all? Or even worst get injured because their muscles are so weak? Start slowly and increase your intensity every 2 weeks by a manageable amount of weight and reps. Muscles adapt to being used, but will tear if they are overstressed. I recommend starting off with walking fast, 30-second planks, and 12 rep sets for the rest of your body parts. Don't do more than one or two sets for each body part. Listen to your body. If your muscles feel pumped up, then that is good enough. After you build up you base strength you can start increasing weight or intensity. I highly recommend using a good trainer to start you up safely and keep you injury free.

Once your are rolling, here are a few tips to maximizing your time in the gym:

1. Make sure you eat at least a 45 min to an hour before you attack the weights. It's important to have enough fuel in your body to get through your workout! As a plant based trainer, I recommend oatmeal with a banana in it or a brown rice cake with almond butter.  

2. Set goals for yourself prior to your workout. For example, say I am going to do at least a 100 push-ups before I leave the gym. You will always accomplish more going after a goal. 

3. Make sure you are properly hydrated. Nothing will sap your energy more than being dehydrated. Drinking water consistently throughout the day is the key to not letting that happen! You don't have to guzzle down a ton, just be consistent. Chia seeds and beet juice also help you stay hydrated longer for an endurance workout.

4.  Get a good workout partner or personal trainer. Let's face it; we all get more reps in when someone is pushing us. If you know what you are doing in the gym, workout with someone who challenges you and pushes you. If you are not confident, hire a good personal trainer! Nothing is as important as your health, so invest that money in the only body you have!

5.  Have a music playlist ready that motivates you. I have seen so many different preferences for workout music! It really doesn't matter what type of music you listen to, as long as it pushes you to get those extra reps in!

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Nuts are Cool!

3/8/2014

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Heating nuts prior to use releases aromas that increase flavor. Warming can be accomplished by toasting in the oven, or by dry sauteing on the stovetop. Take care not to toast a nut too long or it will impart a bitter, burnt flavor to the dish. If possible, the oven method is the best. Spread the nuts on a pan in a single layer, place in a 300 degree F oven and roast, mixing periodically until they achieve the desired color. Time will vary based on the type of nut, the cut, and the desired finished color. Briefly warming nuts in the oven before adding them to batters will also help prevent them from sinking to the bottom. Sizes/Counts Some nuts are referred to in size by a count. For example 18-20 Pistachios, 21-25 Pistachios, 240 Cashews, 320 Cashews. This refers to the number of nuts per ounce or pound. The higher the number, the smaller the nut.

Nut Nutrition: The nuts that are highest in monounsaturated fat are almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts. Nuts are high in calcium, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E and fiber.

Storage: Shelled nuts can be stored, airtight in a refrigerator for up to four months or frozen for up to 6 months. In-shell pistachios do not freeze well because when they thaw, moisture can become trapped inside the shells.

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Almonds

California leads the world in almond production. Each spring much speculation begins over the size of the new year’s almond crop. The weather plays a crucial part in the development as it does in all crops. If it is too cold or if there is too much rain in California in February as the blossoms are forming on the trees, then the bees can’t get out to pollinate the crop! The term nonpareil comes from a French word meaning “having no comparison” or “having no equal.” Toasting almonds before using in recipes intensifies their flavor and adds crunch. Almonds are packed with calcium, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin E.

Almond Measures:

  • 1 cup sliced almonds = 3 ounces
  • 1 cup slivered almonds = 4 ounces
  • 1 cup whole almonds (shelled) = 5 ounces
  • 1-cup whole almonds (5 ounces) will yield approximately 1-2 cups when ground in blender or food processor.
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One pound of almonds equals:
  • 3 cups whole, natural or blanched
  • 3 cups chopped
  • 3 cups (scant) chopped
  • 3 cups slivered
  • 4 cups finely ground
  • 5 cups sliced
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Brazil Nuts

The Brazil nut is a 3-sided nut that is actually the seed of a wild-growing tree that towers high above the other jungle growth in South America’s Amazon River basin. Harvesting the nuts is a dangerous occupation because the heavy, falling pods cannot be seen as they crash to the ground. The pods contain from 8-24 nuts that are each enclosed in individual shells. These pods are generally opened on the spot, and the nuts move down the river, through various collection points to central gathering areas in the sea towns. Shelled nuts are graded and packed for export while the whole nuts are loaded on ships where they are ventilated and dried on their way to world markets. Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, a powerful antioxidant.
Cashews

The cashew is the kidney shaped nut that grows on the outside and bottom of the cashew apple, a yellow-orange fruit. The cashew tree blooms once a year between November & January and the fruit ripens fully in two months. From harvest to final shelling, a great amount of hand labor is required. The cashew is encased by a honeycombed shell that contains a toxic, stringent oil that is capable of blistering human skin. The cashew tree is a distant relative to poison ivy and sumac, so even its foliage must be handled with extreme care. Processing includes several heating and steaming steps to remove the nut so that even a “raw” nut has already received a mild roasting.
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Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are also called filberts. They have a brown skin that can be removed by heating them at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until the skin begins to flake. Place a handful of nuts in a dishtowel, then rub vigorously until most of the skin is removed.
  • One pound of hazelnuts (shelled, whole) equals 3-1/2 cups.
Macadamia Nuts

The macadamia tree was first grown only for ornamental purposes. Macadamia trees first bear nuts from five to eight years, reaching full maturity at 15 years with a yield of only 55 to 100 pounds of in-shell nuts per season. The limited quantity of nuts, as well as the difficulty in shelling, makes macadamias very expensive. The harvest season begins when the nuts mature and fall from the tree. The hard brown shell is 1/2 inch thick and is covered in a fibrous husk. Unlike other nuts, the macadamia has no outer skin, and the light tan nut looks as though it has been blanched. The shelled nuts are placed in water, and the highest grade, (the largest nuts with the highest oil content), float to the surface and are scooped up. The nuts are then graded by size and style.
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How many Peanuts?
  • Approximately 1 pounds raw unshelled peanuts = 1 pound raw shelled = 3 cups.
  • Approximately 5 ounces raw shelled peanuts = 1 cup.
  • 12 ounces roasted shelled peanuts = 2 cups.
  • Approximately 2 cups roasted shelled peanuts ground will yield 1 cup peanut butter.
  • 12 ounces peanut butter = 1 cup.
Peanuts

Peanuts became a cash crop in the south after cotton had depleted the soils and the boll weevil had destroyed much of the cotton. The peanut is actually a legume and is related to the soybean. Peanuts were thought so highly of by ancient Peruvians that they buried pots of peanuts with their mummified dead to nourish them during their journey to the hereafter. Peanuts are also called groundnuts and goobers or goober peas because after flowering, the plant bends down to the earth and buries its pods in the ground. Shelled peanuts should be refrigerated in an airtight container and used within three months. Peanuts are high in fat and rich in protein.
Pecans

Pecans are the only tree nut native to the United States. They are a member of the hickory family and were a chief winter food of Indians and colonists.

One pound of pecans equals 4 cups halves, 3-3/4 cups chopped.

Pine Nuts

Pine nuts come from several varieties of pine trees. They are also known as Indian nut, pinon and pignolias. The nut is actually inside the pinecone, which must be heated in order to be removed. The labor-intensive process is one of the reasons that pine nuts are so expensive. Pine nuts are a primary ingredient in the making of Pesto Sauce along with basil, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Pistachios

Pistachios date back to the Holy Lands of the Middle East, where they grew wild in the high desert regions. Legend has it that lovers met beneath the trees to hear the pistachios crack open on moonlit nights for the promise of good fortune. A rare delicacy, pistachios were a favorite of the Queen of Sheba, who demanded all her land’s production for herself and her court. The natural color of the pistachio shell is light tan and the nutmeat is yellow-green. The familiar red pistachio is sprayed with food grade dye. In the past, water spots and other defects on the shell were concealed by the red dye. Today with improved processes and harvesting techniques, there is less damage to the pistachio shell and red dye is applied more as a tradition than a necessity. If the nuts are not processed (hulled and dried) within 12 to 24 hours, the shell will be stained. The California industry has invested millions of dollars in equipment to process its pistachios quickly to avoid staining and sell the nuts in their natural color shells. California processors dye a small percentage of their pistachios not by necessity, but to meet the desires of those consumers who prefer the colorful shells. Pistachios are rich in calcium, thiamin, phosphorus, iron and vitamin A.

Pistachio Measures:

  • About 1 cup of in-shell pistachios = 1/4 cup nutmeat (30 g, 1 ounce)
  • 8 ounces of in-shell pistachios yields approximately 2 cups of nutmeats
Walnuts

English walnuts are also called Persian walnuts. They are a potent source of Omega 3 oils.
  • One pound of walnuts equals 3-3/4 cups halves; 3-1/2 cups chopped.
Flax Seeds

The most common use of flax seeds is to produce linseed oil, which is commonly used in paints and varnishes, but the tiny flax seed contains several essential nutrients including calcium, iron, niacin, phosphorus and vitamin E. It’s also a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Poppy Seeds

It takes about 900,000 tiny poppy seeds to equal a pound.
Sesame Seeds

Sesame Seeds may be the oldest spice known to man. The most famous reference to sesame seeds came in the tale of Ali Baba and the forty thieves. “Open sesame” was the magic password, which opened the door to the robber’s den. The phrase referenced the fact that ripe sesame pods burst open at the slightest touch, scattering their seeds. Sesame Seeds were brought to America by African slaves. In their dialect they are known as “benne” seeds and are still referred to today as benne seeds in Charleston and New Orleans.
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Original post from Tropical Foods
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