More news about the health issues with meat.

 

BREAKING MEDICAL NEWS September 12, 2012

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
Meat Bad for You and Environment
September 12, 2012
...

People who consumed the least amount of red and processed meat products had reduced risk for heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer, compared with those who consumed the most, according to a new study in the British Medical Journal Open. Men and women who consumed the least amount of red and processed meat products had a 9.7 and 6.4 percent reduced risk for heart disease, 12.0 and 7.5 percent reduced risk for diabetes, and a 12.2 and 7.7 percent reduced risk for colorectal cancer, respectively. Researchers used British National Diet and Nutrition Survey data to estimate dietary intake of 1,724 adults in the United Kingdom.

Authors also noted that each participant who consumed the least amount of red and processed meat in this study used 0.45 tons less of carbon dioxide emission equivalents per year, compared with those who consumed the most. Red and processed meat products are a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

Aston LM, Smith JN, Powles JW. Impact of a reduced red and processed meat dietary pattern on disease risks and greenhouse gas emissions in the UK: a modelling study. BMJ Open. 2012;2:pii:3001072.

THE SOURCE: http://www.pcrm.org/health/medNews/meat-bad-for-you-and-environment

Please go to the original source...more information is to be found there.

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Vegan crock-pot Marinara sauce - Great for canning

I made this wonderful marinara sauce last week with tomatoes from our deck garden that we added to some others we bought from a farm stand, and some that were given to us by friends.  It's wonderful and I ended up putting 13 cups in the freezer for the winter.  Hopefully I'll make another batch to have on those cold winter days when we want comfort food. 

Marinara from fresh tomatoes (vegan)

Fill the crock of your slow cooker with fresh tomatoes.  This will let you know how many you’ll need.  Now take them out, wash them, core them, and cut them up.  You can peel them if you want but it’s not necessary.  (To peel, drop them one by one in boiling water for just a moment, then plunge into ice water.  The peels will come off easily.)  Replace them in the slow cooker and add a few extra tomatoes if you want to fill the crock up more. Cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.  When they’re done, you can use a blender to crush them further, or put them in a food processor, or smash them with a potato masher.
The marinara recipe calls for 6 cups of the above cooked tomatoes.  My pressure cooker holds about 17-18 cups so I triple the recipe below.

 Marinara ingredients (I tripled these for my crockpot):

1 tsp olive oil

1 large onion, minced (I only doubled the onion amount, the onions were pretty large)

3 cloves garlic, minced (I do the onion and garlic in my food processor so I don’t have to cry while cutting them)

6 cups cooked diced tomatoes (above)

1 TBSP agave nectar or sugar (Agave nectar has a lower glycemic index than sugar and is absorbed on a more gradual basis by the body.  They have it at most grocery stores, and H-Mart)

1 tsp dried basil.  I used my own spices from my garden but you have to adjust the amount.  I chopped up the rosemary leaves really small. I kept tasting the marinara and adjusting.  Don't get too carried away, the herbs become stronger when they sit.

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp dried rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste.  I used very little since I usually add my sauce to some diced tomatoes when I’m making pasta and canned tomatoes have lots of salt in them.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes longer.  You can do this the night before you make the sauce, just store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Then combine all the ingredients in your slow cooker.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  About 10-15 minutes before serving, add water if needed.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Freeze the extra in ice cube trays, resealable freezer plastic bags, or freezer containers.

Vegan Zucchini Bread

It's the season for gardens full of ripe zucchini.  This bread is relatively low in fat and has no animal products, no white flour, no white sugar.

1/2 cup oil.  I use grapeseed for it's light taste.  I would not recommend Canola because the rapeseed that it comes from is a very genetically mutated plant. I'm not a fan of oil in my food but I haven't experimented with applesauce as a substitute on this yet.

1 cup natural unprocessed sugar.  You can find this in any good grocery store as "sugar in the raw" or "turbinado sugar".

2 cups grated zucchini.  Get the excess water out of it by squeezing it on paper towels.  It should be 2 cups after reducing the liquid in it, but don't take every molecule of moisture out of it, you want nice moist bread.

1/4 c soy or almond milk.  You can use any variety of plant milk you want, either unflavored or vanilla.

1 tsp pure vanilla extract.  The artificial works, too...but I like the taste of the pure.

2 cups Whole wheat flour, all purpose

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts.  I like walnuts so I used them (store nuts in the freezer so they don't get rancid so fast.)

You can also add raisins, some ground cloves, or other kinds of nuts.

Mix everything together.  Bake about 55 minutes in a 350 degree F oven.  Cool on a rack 30 minutes, and enjoy.

Good news for my waistline

I'd been slowly gaining weight, especially since my sister passed away at the end of June last year.  It was just a little bit here and there, but it was getting difficult to button my pants and my knees, back, feet, and ankles were screaming at me!  I just got off the scale, I have now lost about 8 pounds in 15 days.  It's no gimmick, here's how I did it.

You know I'm very committed to the vegan lifestyle, but I was using too much of the meat substitutes that were mostly made up from oil.  I was also eating a lot (A LOT!) of carbs, and not being careful about things that had egg or milk in them like I should.  I kept getting vertigo and would be able to look back and see why (maybe butter on the veggies or something like that).  Hubby said he wanted to look over the Engine 2 diet (http://www.engine2diet.com/) so I bought the book one day at whole foods.  It gave me a very easy to do and consise clean up of my diet.

So far it's been great.  I have lost a little bit daily, and my mood swings are gone, I feel good, and the only issue that I have is if I don't drink enough water while I'm flying to keep me hydrated which is certainly not the fault of the diet.  This is basically an easy one, it's just vegan, but tells you how to get the amount of fat (oil) and salt and sugar out of your diet...very well put especially for the men in the audience.  Their website (link above) is fantastic and you can food journal there and ask for help from the community if you'd like.  The science and studies behind their diet are included, so you can do more research if you'd like.  Best of all, I am NEVER hungry!  Enjoy!

The Argument for Veganism

Pick a reason, there are too many to count...

The Hunger Argument
Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100 million
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people:20
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock:80
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90
How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of edible flesh from feedlot beef: 16

The Environmental Argument
Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more
Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75
Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million
Amount of meat imported to U.S. annually from Central and South America: 300,000,000 pounds
Percentage of Central American children under the age of five who are undernourished: 75
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pound of rainforest beef: 55 square feet
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses:1,000 per year

The Cancer Argument
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week: 3.8 times
For women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times
For women who eat butter and cheese 2-4 times a week: 3.25 times
Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times.

The Cholesterol Argument
Number of U.S. medical schools: 125
Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours
Most common cause of death in the U.S.: heart attack
How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds
Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat: 15 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat, dairy or eggs: 4 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of meat, dairy and eggs by 10 percent: 9 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption by 50 percent: 45 percent
Amount you reduce risk if you eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from your diet: 90 percent
Average cholesterol level of people eating meat-centered-diet: 210 mg/dl
Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol level is 210 mg/dl: greater than 50 percent

The Natural Resources Argument
User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production
Amount of water used in production of the average cow: sufficient to float a destroyer
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000
Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13
Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260
Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78
To get 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2
Percentage of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by U.S. that is devoted to the production of livestock: 33
Percentage of all raw materials consumed by the U.S. needed to produce a complete vegetarian diet: 2

The Antibiotic Argument
Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban
Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support

The Pesticide Argument
Common belief: U.S. Department of Agriculture protects our health through meat inspection
Reality: fewer than 1 out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues
Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99
Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8
Contamination of breast milk, due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in animal products, found in meat-eating mothers vs. non-meat eating mothers: 35 times higher
Amount of Dieldrin ingested by the average breast-fed American infant: 9 times the permissible level

The Ethical Argument
Number of animals killed for meat per hour in the U.S.: 660,000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker
Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job-injury in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker

Addiction to Cheese

Cheese has cassein in it.  Cassein causes cancer in the body, and if you already have cancer it will cause those cells to grow out of control. (Check out "The China Study" book, and especially the documentary "Forks Over Knives".  It's hard to give up because of morphine like substances in it, but it can certainly be done.  Dairy foods, especially cheeses are very dangerous to our health.  Vegetarians that still eat dairy are not only still contributing to the horribly cruel dairy industry, but they are consuming this cow milk protein that causes disease and death.  Here's the science behind why it's hard to give up cheese...

Dr. Jenna Taylor: Addiction to Cheese is Real Thanks to Casomorphins
From the site:  http://www.yumuniverse.com/2011/04/25/dr-jenna-taylor-addiction-to-cheese-is-real-thanks-to-casomorphins/

If you talk to anyone who has recently switched, or is considering a switch, to a plant-based diet, more often than not, they claim that cheese is their weakness. So why is this? After all, doesn’t cheese smell like dirty socks?
The answer is casomorphins—protein fragments, derived from the digestion of the milk protein, Casein. The distinguishing characteristic of casomorphins is that they have an opioid effect. Yup. Opioids are among the world’s oldest known drugs. Dependence can develop with ongoing administration, leading to withdrawal syndromes with abrupt discontinuation. Opioids are well known for their ability to produce a feeling of euphoria, motivating some to recreationally use opioids. But if it’s already a huge part of our diets in America, so who will actually have to experience the uncomfy withdrawl? You guessed it. Those who try to kick dairy to the curb.
Casein is a hot topic for vegans and plant-based eaters because it can be found deceptively listed in the ingredients of certain dairy-free and vegan cheeses. You may be familiar with it in that regard, but the addicting qualities of Casein are somewhat unknown. As Casein breaks down in the stomach producing the peptide, casomorphin (an opioid), it acts as a histamine releaser [1], which is also why so many people are allergic to dairy products; An estimated 70% of the population worldwide!
Ok, back to the opioid effect. It takes 10lbs of milk to make 1 lb of cheese. As milk is turned into cheese, most of its water is removed leaving behind concentrated casein and fat. So, concentrated dairy products, like cheese, have especially high levels of opiates, even morphine.
At this point you might be wondering what the evolutionary basis might be for these opiates to be in a mammal’s milk. Dr. Neal Barnard, founder and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), explains that, “It appears that the opiates from mother’s milk produce a calming effect on the infant and, in fact, may be responsible for a good measure of the mother-infant bond. No, it’s not all lullabies and cooing. Psychological bonds always have a physical underpinning. Like it or not, mother’s milk has a drug-like effect on the baby’s brain that ensures that the baby will bond with Mom and continue to nurse and get the nutrients all babies need. Like heroin or codeine, casomorphins slow intestinal movements and have a decided antidiarrheal effect. The opiate effect may be why adults often find that cheese can be constipating, just as opiate painkillers are.”
The European Food Safety Agency, in response to a number of studies and public health concern, did a scientific literature review in 2009 to assess the potential health impact of casomorphins and similar biologically active peptides [2]. Much of the review centers addressing the overarching question (although several avenues were explored in detail): Do casomorphins have potentially deleterious health effects? The concern of course stemming from the addictive capacity of opioid drugs.
The jury on that specific question is still out and a lot of the research is conflicting. There is discussion as to whether or not enough of the casomorphins cross the intestinal wall and get into the blood stream and ultimately cross the blood-brain barrier, etc. It discusses the data implicating this as a factor in Autism, etc.
While, I believe this is great information and I applaud the European Food Safety Agency for looking into it (note: our government has not), I think we are asking the wrong question!
I mean does it really matter “how addicting” it is and in what amounts does are able to get into the bloodstream, etc?
Common sense alone tells us that: We know with opioid drugs, different people react differently to them and different amounts affect people differently. I suspect it isn’t too much of a stretch to conclude that this is also the case for substances that produce an opioid effect. Further, it is generally accepted that binging on drugs on a daily basis is bad for us even in sufficiently small quantities, thus, again consuming highly concentrated forms of analogous substances probably isn’t the best plan either.
The question isn’t whether or not the casomorphins themselves have potentially deleterious health effects, the question is do dairy products on the whole have potentially deleterious health effects!
And that answer is a resounding YES.
The casomorphins only explain why we like cheese so much and why it is so hard to give it up. It’s the sugar (lactose), animal protein and the saturated fat content (which triggers IGF-1 in the body, and is the reason it is now being strongly linked to several cancers) that make it so bad for you.
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Are you, or have you, experienced withdrawal symptoms
from dairy? Share your experiences with us below…
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For more info, check out these related articles:
Cheese as an Opioid, and What the heck are Casomorphines? (The Plant Rx)
Why Cheese is Like “Dairy Crack”: Because It’s Got Morphine In It [Food] (gizmodo.com)
Lessons Learned: From the participants in the plant-based health study (theplantrx.com)
Breaking the dairy addiction (soulsearchingvegan.com)
Know the Signs of a Milk Allergy (everydayhealth.com)

Sources:
1. Kurek M, Przybilla B, Hermann K, Ring J (1992). “A naturally occurring opioid peptide from cow’s milk, beta-casomorphine-7, is a direct histamine releaser in man”. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 97(2): 115–120. doi:10.1159/000063326. PMID 1374738.
2. Review of the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides European Food Safety Agency, Scientific Report (2009) 231, 1-107

Avocados, yummy!

Avocados are a favorite of my son and mine...we'll eat them on everything! They're very healthy...

Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but a healthy diet and exercise plan may help reduce your risk of developing the life-threatening illness.

The American Heart Association (AHA) Dietary Guidelines recommend a diet that has at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, contains up to 30% of calories from fats (primarily unsaturated) and is low in saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fats and sodium while being rich in potassium. Avocados can help you meet the AHA dietary guidelines because they have both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat and contain potassium.

Avocados are a fresh, natural, wholesome part of a healthful diet. They’re irresistibly rich in flavor and, avocados also provide vital nutrients and phytochemicals. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases.

There are 13 vitamins that the body absolutely needs: vitamins A, C, D, E, K and the B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 and folate). Avocados naturally contain many of these vitamins.
MONOUNSATURATED FATS (3g per serving) – Helps to lower blood cholesterol if used in place of saturated fats.

VITAMIN K (6.3 mcg/8% DV per serving) – Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in blood clotting. It is known as the clotting vitamin, because without it blood would not clot. Some studies indicate that it helps in maintaining strong bones in the elderly.

FOLATE (27 mcg/6% DV per serving) – Promotes healthy cell and tissue development. This is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is also essential for metabolism of homocysteine and helps maintain normal levels of this amino acid.

POTASSIUM (152 mg/4% DV per serving) – In the body, potassium is classified as an electrolyte. Potassium is a very important mineral to the human body. It has various roles in metabolism and body functions and is essential for the proper function of all cells, tissues, and organs: It assists in the regulation of the acid-base balance; assists in protein synthesis from amino acids and in carbohydrate metabolism; and, it is necessary for the building of muscle and for normal body growth.

VITAMIN E (.590 mg/4% DV per serving) – A fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant that protects the body tissue from damage caused by unstable substances called free radicals. Free radicals can harm cells, tissues, and organs. They are believed to play a role in certain conditions associated with aging. Vitamin E is important in the formation of red blood cells and helps the body use vitamin K. At lower levels, vitamin E may help protect the heart. Vitamin E also plays a role in healthy skin and hair.

LUTEIN (81 mcg) – A carotenoid (a natural pigment) that may be associated with a lower risk of eye diseases. Lutein is an important antioxidant that may help your eyes stay healthy while maintaining the health of your skin. It provides nutritional support to your eyes and skin and has been linked to promoting healthy eyes through reducing the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older.

MAGNESIUM (9.0 mg/2% DV per serving) –An essential mineral for human nutrition. Magnesium in the body serves several important functions: Contraction and relaxation of muscles; Function of certain enzymes in the body; Production and transport of energy; and Production of Protein.

VITAMIN C (2.6 mg/4% DV per serving) –A water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development. Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which are by-products that result when our bodies transform food into energy. Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

VITAMIN B6 (0.086 mg/4% DV per serving) –A water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. The body cannot store them. That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet. Vitamin B6 helps the immune system produce antibodies. Antibodies are needed to fight many diseases. Vitamin B6 helps maintain normal nerve function and form red blood cells. The body uses it to help break down proteins. The more protein you eat, the more vitamin B6 you need.

I eat several avocados a day in my salads and with grains and beans. I also massage the rich avocado oil on my face twice a day for an amazing complexion.

Thank you for the great information to the "Vegan" page on Facebook!

Vegan Black Bean Soup

This is a great go-to recipe to make a bunch of and freeze in individual containers for when you want some but don't want to make any (though it's a really easy recipe). Just don't freeze the garnishes. It's pretty filling, but you can add vegan sour cream, brandy, or garnish with tomato, red onion, or corn as shown here.

Ingredients
2-15 ounce cans of black beans OR you can save money by soaking a package of black beans yourself.  I do mine in the crockpot on low heat overnight so that they are a bit softer than just soaking them in plain water.  Rinse them first, pick out any stones, then cover them with water plus about 4 inches and soak.You need about 3-4 cups of beans plus some of the liquid.  If you put the beans in a measuring cup, just add enough water to fill it per cup and that should be plenty.
1-15 ounce can of tomato puree. 
1 cup corn (canned or frozen).  Look for corn that has the Non-GMO Project label on it.  That's corn that has not been genetically mutated in the laboratory to contain antibiotics and other things that nature didn't ever intend it to have.
2 cups Vegeatable broth.  You can buy it or make it yourself.  I buy it in 4 cup boxes.
1 TBSP Chili powder.  I will admit that I use about half of this, I'm not fond to food that is too spicy.
2 Garlic cloves, minced.
2 tsp cumin powder
Black pepper to taste
1/2 onion chopped.  If they're large onions, half is fine, but if the onions aren't huge, you can put in the whole thing.
1 stalk celery, chopped.  Again, you can put 2 in if you want more substance and fiber.
1-2 carrots peeled and chopped.
1 TBSP healthy oil:  Olive, rice bran, grapeseed...I do not use Canola to cook in as it has been genetically mutated and is unstable when heated.

Saute onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in 1 TBSP healthy oil.  Add spices and bring to a boil.  Puree one of the cans of beans either with an immersion blender or in your blender or food processor.  Add all of the beans to the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Add the corn, puree it a little more if you'd like with the immersion blender (or not, depends on how crunchy you want your soup).  If you need more liquid in your soup, add a bit more veggie broth or water sparingly.

Garnish with cilantro leaves, vegan sour cream, onion, tomato, or corn.  Enjoy!