March 2010

GREETINGS

 

Regarding the Great American Meat-Out, we decided at the January potluck to see if we could work with the UWM animal rights group to do something there for that event. The group there now is Vive, and our contact with Ellie, its current leader, was positive, so we are planning to table with Vive on Friday, March 19, the day before the official Meat-Out Day/ first day of Spring. I also had the idea to help attract people to our table by offering sample tastes of non-dairy “ice creams,” and we are now investigating whether the Student Union would allow that (probably yes if the sample sizes are so small that they would not compete with the Union’s food vendors), and if so where we can get the little sample cups and spoons. In addition, we will again be tabling at Alverno College the day before that, on Thursday, March 18, over the lunch hour from 11 AM to 1 PM. We have also learned of the possibility that MARV might be able to have a table at a Green Festival to be held at the Domes at the end of March.

After March comes April, and with it Earth Day. For the last few years we have tabled at the Urban Ecology Center’s Earth Day events, and I have arranged for us to do so again at the Riverside campus event on Saturday, April 24, from noon to 4 PM. I’m still working on finding out if the UEC will also have tabling at their Washington Park Earth Day activities; if they do we would probably be able to participate- if we could get enough people to man both sites. Stay tuned.

M.A.R.V. ACTIVITIES

Sunday, March 7, regular potluck at the Friends’ meeting House, 3224 N. Gordon Pl. in Riverwest (from Humboldt Ave., go east on Auer a few short blocks to the parking lot). Food theme is “Eating of the greens.”

March 18, 11 AM- 1 PM, Meat-Out tabling at Alverno College

March 19, time TBA, Meat-Out tabling at the UWM Student Union

Apr. 24, Earth Day tabling at the UEC

Subsequent regular potlucks will be on Apr. 4, May 2, and June 6.

Other veg-friendly potlucks

There will be not be a macrobiotic potluck in March.

The Urban Ecology Center’s vegetarian potluck will be on Thurs., Mar. 18, at 6:30 PM at 1500 E. Park Pl. – bring plate and fork as well as your meatless dish. Phone is 414-964-8505.

To find out about Vegan Meetup’s possible March events, check the Vegan Meetup website.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

 

“3 years ago…I realized that my version of the typical American diet was contributing not only to …chubbiness…but also to the early signs of diabetes, heart disease, and more. I’ve reduced my consumption of animal products… and…processed foods. I eat mostly…plants – beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. I’ve lost weight, my cholesterol has dropped, I sleep better, and I’m happier. Not bad. And a bonus is that my plant-based diet is better for the planet.”

-- Mark Bittman, food writer and chef

NEWS

Animal foods are still bad.

The Union of Concerned Scientists’ newsletter pointed out that reducing beef consumption “can provide environmental and health benefits” and added that confinement feedlots are particularly bad in causing antibiotic overuse, manure pollution of air and water, and meat that contains high levels of unhealthy fats. Meanwhile, California is planning to install monitors for methane emissions from, among other things, dairy ranches and farms.

Cattle are of course not the only problem. Wisconsin State Farmer reported on a lawsuit by the state of Iowa against two companies that operate eight large hog confinement operations for failure to comply with laws regarding manure management.

There was only one salmonella outbreak reported last month, traced to salami made in Rhode Island – although they actually found the germs in containers of black pepper used to make the salamis. How the salmonella, which comes from animals, got into the pepper was not reported (and probably not known).

In fact, I noted several varied instances of true cluelessness in last month’s news. One involved former president Bill Clinton, who needed a stent put into his chest artery just a few years after quadruple bypass surgery. And his cardiologist insisted that it was just a typical post-bypass thing, and that Clinton was really eating and exercising right – even though Chuck and I distinctly remember a news report just last year about how, on his way to a conference about food, obesity, and health, Clinton stopped on the way for a jumbo burger, fries, and shake… Then there was a report that New York City, as part of its effort to stem childhood obesity, had banned home-baked goodies from school fundraisers – but will allow sales of processed foods like Poptarts and Doritos (as if having nutritional information on the package will stop kids from eating junk!). And a New York Times op-ed piece blithely suggested that modern science should be able to genetically engineer food animals so that they won’t suffer from the conditions in which they are confined; at least I can report that the letters to the editor in response to this notion condemned it unanimously, with several pointing out that eating less meat instead, so as to eliminate factory farming, would make a lot more sense all around.

There were some worrisome bits of food news about vegan liquids. The NY Times reported on a Scottish beverage: a wine made by Benedictine monks that is 15% alcohol plus has as much caffeine per bottle as 8 cups of coffee, and is contributing further to an already serious drinking problem there. And while there is arguably too much of that substance, a more serious problem is the ongoing increase in water shortages; this has now prompted Califonia to make a law mandating a 20% decrease in per capita water use by 2020.

Fish swim in water, and the fishery situation is so serious that Europe is pressing for a ban on commercial fishing of bluefin tuna. Another positive trend in response to bad news was reported in the Natural Resource Defense Coucil’s magazine: In California’s Kern County, water shortages and other problems are now causing regular farmers and ranchers to switch their land over to wind farms. And milk (not vegan but used by some vegetarians) was in the news when the USDA finally banned intensive confinement dairies from qualifying as organic.

Meanwhile, plant foods are still good for you.

Dr. Neal Barnard, answering questions about weight control in Vegetarian Times, recommended three tricks: eating high-fiber foods to fill the stomach (that is, beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains); keeping fats, including oils, to a minimum; and avoiding sugar.

A Prevention item on the health value of brightly colored fruits and vegetables pointed out some of the diseases that different kinds of produce help prevent. Dark green lettuces, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, and soybeans contain phytonutrients that help fight Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and lung cancer; red strawberries, tomatoes, apples, cranberries, watermelon, radishes, and pomegranates help prevent cell damage and breast and prostate cancers; orange squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots, cantaloupe, oranges, corn, pineapple, and lemons protect against heart disease, stroke, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis; white garlic, onions, pears, blackeyed peas, and cauliflower help control high blood pressure and cholesterol, and prevent bone loss; and purple grapes, figs, blueberries, red cabbage, black currents, eggplant, black beans, and plums help protect against memory loss, premature aging, cancer, and heart disease.

Vegetarian Times ran items on amaranth and oats. It pointed out that amaranth is high in iron, fiber, and calcium, among other nutrients, and rich in protein as well; leaves and seeds and their flour can all be eaten. And oats and oatmeal are full of protein, B vitamins, calcium, iron, and beta-glucan (an especially heart-healthy fiber).

A Prevention article looked at how quickly the body responds to starting various healthy habits. For example, starting to eat substantially more fruits and vegetables than most Americans currently do starts to help one’s health within just 14 days, while cutting down on saturated fat (equals animal foods) will lower cholesterol within 3 to 6 months.

Another Prevention article on recovering energy after chronic inadequate sleep suggested eating for stamina by having smaller meals plus small snacks that contain complex carbohydrates, some protein, and tiny amounts of healthy fats; examples included a handful of nuts, or low-fat protein spread on crackers. Similarly, snacks for weight loss diets were suggested as combining a bunch of popcorn with a bit of trail mix, or baked potato chips with bean dip.

Finally, there was a long article on the advantages of eating whole foods rather than processed ones. There has now developed quite a lot of evidence that eating simple whole foods without additives, colorings, flavorings, sweeteners, etc. can have a major and positive impact on a person’s health. Specific suggestions included getting rid of soda and foods containing corn oil, shopping mostly in the perimeter of the supermarket (where produce is found) rather than the aisles where the junk foods and sodas live, and buying foods without labels (like an apple) instead of ones with labels (like apple-flavored toaster pastry). Generally speaking, the more hands have touched a food and the more things that were done to it, the less healthy it is. Many examples were given: an orange is better than orange juice which is better than orange drink; strawberries are better than strawberry jam which is better than strawberry jello; fresh spinach is better than bagged prewashed spinach which is better than frozen creamed spinach; corn on the cob is better than 3-ingredient baked corn chips which are better than cornflakes; garlic is better than jarred minced garlic which is better than bottled garlic marinade; 100% whole wheat bread is better than partly whole grain which is better than fortified white bread; edamame is better than tofu which is better than frozen veggie-burgers. You get the idea.

CONNECTIONS

Skimming through the latest E Magazine, I saw an ad that became more fascinating the longer I read it. A Well-Fed World was advertising itself as a new organization concerned about feeding the world, the oil crisis, and global warming, and as seeking a food system that “prioritizes nutritious meals for everyone… enriches the environment instead of polluting it… makes eating healthy green choices easy and commonplace.” The full-page ad’s text spoke of working at policy, organizational, and local levels. And so on. I couldn’t figure out from the ad whether this group was into promoting vegetarianism – as all its declared aims might suggest – or is totally clueless. The only hint came at the end, where they offer to donate $25 to Food For Life’s vegan feeding program in Haiti for each person who asks for their informational packet before Earth Day. That was the only use of the V-word on the page.

So I went online and looked them up. And they are indeed promoting vegetarianism, in a quite nuanced way: while perceiving veganism as an ideal, they pragmatically recognize that the whole world will not likely go vegan overnight no matter how desirable that might be – and also point out that if everyone cuts their animal-food consumption in half, that would be a much greater reduction (50%) than if just a few percent go vegan. So they are promoting any level of eating less animals and more plants, just like MARV does. You can find them on the internet at: awellfedworld.org.

A couple of interesting events will be taking place in March at the Urban Ecology Center. On Saturday, March 6, at 1-2 PM there will be a seed swap at the Riverside Park UEC, 1500 E. Park Pl. Anyone who collected garden seeds last year can trade them with other gardeners for new crops or varieties.

Also, if you’re considering joining a Community Supported Agriculture farm but haven’t yet hooked up with one, or if you want to know more about it, or you want meet the farmer before signing up, the UEC will hold its 8th Annual Local Food and Farmer Open House on Saturday, March 13 from noon to 4 PM. This will also be at the Riverside Park location.

After all, vegetarians (like everyone, really) should certainly be eating plenty of produce, and fresh local organic produce in season is the best as far as taste and nutrition go as well as being best environmentally. And it really does not get any fresher or more local than growing it yourself or getting it from a CSA. So both of these events can help you improve your food supply.

OCCASIONAL HUMOROUS BITS DEPT.

A “news” headline in the Onion read: “Vegan unaware pineapple he’s eating once used to beat cow to death.”

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Comedienne Carol Liefer explained to Vegetarian Times that “I recently became vegan because I felt that as a Jewish lesbian, I wasn’t part of a small enough minority.”