May 2003

Dr. Gregor’s talk on March 29 about mad deer disease went really well. We had a pretty good crowd of 25 or 30 people, which was bigger than the crowd he spoke to at UWM earlier that day, and he turned out to be an excellent speaker, extremely knowledgeable about his subject and able to make it interesting to hear about. He may possibly be back in our area sometime in the next few months, and if so we should talk about having him again.

Although there is a general consensus in MARV that holding our regular potlucks at the Friends’ Meeting House is a good idea, quite a few people have mentioned missing the greater intimacy of going to each others’ homes for potlucks, and we have remained open to the option of having additional gatherings besides the regular ones. Chuck and I have decided to avail ourselves of this option, in honor of his 21^st year/ "coming of age" as a vegan (any excuse will do). Readers/MARV members/ friends are therefore invited to a potluck at our house in Shorewood on Saturday, June 14 (this is called planning ahead). We are asking for RSVPs (414-962-2703) so we can have a clue about how much of that good chili to make.

We note again that even though the potluck topic in May will be macrobiotics, people can bring either a macrobiotic-type dish to pass or whatever else you fancy.

Finally, the fact that Spring is moving right along does not by any means indicate that it is too late to sign up with a Community Supported Agriculture farm, which will bring you a bounty of local, fresh, organic vegetables all season – see the Connections section for details.

Sunday, May 4, 5:30 PM, regular potluck at the Friends’ Meeting House, 3224 N. Gordon Pl. (from Humboldt Blvd. in Riverwest, go east on Auer a few short blocks to the parking lot). Presentation on macrobiotics by Pat O’Neill.

Subsequent potlucks will be held at the same time and place on June 1, July 6, Aug. 3, and Sept 7. June’s topic is a smoothie demo.

Saturday, June 14, extra potluck to celebrate Chuck Quigley’s 21^st year as a vegan. 2201 E. Jarvis St., Shorewood, 5 PM. RSVP (414) 962-2703.

The May macrobiotic potluck will be at 5 PM on May 18 at Pat O’Neill’s house, 2431 N. Bartlett; call her at 964-9759. And of course all macro folks are invited to MARV’s May 4 potluck which will feature a macrobiotic theme.

"Despite the fact that health-conscious people in developed nations are choosing to eat less meat, worldwide meat consumption continues to rise…(b)ecause eating meat has been perceived as a measure of economic and social development…Meat is more than a dietary element, it’s a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Reversing the factory farm tide will require thinking about farming systems as more than a source of economic wealth."

-- a May/June 2003 Worldwatch magazine article on "Factory Farming in the Developing World"

As follow-up on an item we reported last month, the measure slipped into the big federal budget bill, which would have undermined the organic standard for chickens, has now been repealed in the only way it could be, by an act of Congress. Less good news is that Tyson Foods was acquitted of charges of recruiting illegal immigrants for its poultry plants (a setback for them would have been nice).

Another predictable but unfortunate item is the discovery of chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin elk as well as deer; the elk in question had been imported from Minnesota. On the other hand, a very exciting bit of news buried in the back of the NY Times was a study of the Fore people of New Guinea – where prion diseases were first identified – which found that some people have a gene that protects them from developing such diseases; follow-up on this discovery found the gene signature to be very widespread in many human populations. One implication is that cannibalism may be much more widespread in the human past than previously suspected. Another could be that finding out how this gene works might give a starting point for finding a way to stop the spread and development of prion diseases including their human forms.

As if meat by itself wasn’t worrisome enough, Conscious Choice magazine reports that meat irradiation is on the brink of greatly increasing. But other food news suggests that meat-eating is even bad for the animals. According to one item, Canadian salmon farms have spread parasites to wild fish; another reported on the quarantine and mass slaughter of chickens in such different places as Belgium and New Mexico, due to disease outbreaks in flocks. But not even vegetarian food is necessarily safe: there was a report of Chinese children being sickened by contaminated soymilk, seriously enough that three of them died.

Yet another report by the Center for Disease Control has reinforced that pregnant and breastfeeding vegans definitely need to take a B-12 supplement for their babies’ brains and nervous systems to develop properly. On the other hand, vegetarians may have some protection against overconsumption of iron, which builds up in the body if you don’t menstruate; iron overload is associated with premature aging and such chronic diseases as arthritis, cancer, cataracts, diabetes, osteoporosis, and retinal, liver, and brain disorders.

Speaking of osteoporosis, the NY Times Science and Health section did a report in late April on protecting one’s bones without hormone replacement therapy – and got the dietary advice exactly wrong, asserting that animal protein is protective but vegetable protein is not, and that vegetarians may therefore be at higher risk. My letter to the editor was not published, nor was any other retraction, so be prepared for misinformation being out there.

There was also plenty of news about good vegetarian foods.

A Delicious Living article on controlling blood pressure describes diet as the starting point, and recommends increasing high-fiber fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes, as well as using plenty of onions and garlic in cooking. Another article in their April issue focused on eye health, including the fact that eating bilberries (or closely related blueberries, cranberries, and huckleberries) can help prevent or alleviate many eye diseases including macular degeneration, retinopathy, glaucoma, night blindness, and even cataracts and near-sightedness.

A third article reported on researchers’ hopes that getting plenty of B vitamins could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease by helping control homocysteine levels; sources include green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, and bananas. A Conscious Choice article, on the other hand, described recent research which suggests that a diet high in saturated fats may lead to the development of Alzheimer’s. Though come to think of it, these two ideas could both be true and part of a larger picture.

Other good food news includes the item that eating whole grains seems to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease; two slices or more of whole grain bread per day were enough to make a difference in a Journal of the American Medical Association study. Another JAMA article reported that eating a bit of peanut butter or other nuts several times a week lowered the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

Prevention magazine (which does tend to promote dairy) nonetheless reported on a European study which found that substituting veggie "cheese" for real dairy cheese lowered cholesterol a measurable bit. And a paper presented at an American Heart Association conference reported that eating ½ cup per day of low-salt roasted soy nuts lowered blood pressure as much as some drugs. Another tidbit is that eating more antioxident vitamins may help prevent or control asthma; vegetables and fruits are of course the prime sources. And yet another heart-health tidbit came in a Prevention article on triglycerides, which recommended cutting back on sweets and refined carbohydrates while filling up on whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in order to bring high triglyceride levels down to safe ones.

Meanwhile, a daily glass of (vegan) carbonated water can help improve symptoms of indigestion and constipation. And sweet potatoes were mentioned in another Prevention article as containing high quality protein as well as very high levels of carotenoids, copper, vitamins C and E, and fiber, while having a low glycemic index (i.e., they do not make the blood sugar rise suddenly).

Prevention also had an article balancing the plusses of drinking a little red wine on a regular basis (it helps relax you, enhances dining, and boosts good HDL cholesterol) with the minuses – increased risk of breast and colon cancer, and possible interference with absorbing the B vitamin folate. Their suggestion is that rather than stop drinking, people should increase their folate consumption, through eating dark green leafies, legumes, oranges, peanuts, sunflower seeds, whole grains, and folacin-fortified grain foods. And the magazine’s latest diet plan, though not vegetarian at all, did at least start making a distinction between good carbohydrates such as those found in whole grains and whole vegetables and fruits versus bad carbs found in refined and processed foods.

On a different note, a recent study found that tea – but not coffee – contains a substance that seems to prime the immune system to resist infection from bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Finally, both the April Delicious Living and the March Healthwise magazines did articles on how foods affect moods. To ease stress, low-fat, low-calorie carbs are recommended, such as whole grain foods, fresh fruit salad, vegetable bean soup, popcorn, and of course certain herb teas. Chamomile tea and bananas were suggested for calming the mind. Carbs that can help cheer one up, probably by increasing the brain chemicals tryptophan and serotonin, include brown rice, leafy greens, and beans; the good fats in omega-3 fatty acids and avocadoes also help. Broccoli, oranges, sweet potatoes, and peaches may help clear the mind, while getting enough water, and eating oatmeal with wheat germ and smaller more frequent meals may help maintain energy levels.

CONNECTIONS

FARM, the Farm Animals Reform Movement that brings us the Great American Meat-Out, reminds us that its Animal Rights 2003 activities will include conferences in D.C. on June 27 through July 1, and in L.A. On August 1 – 5. For further info, phone (888) FARM USA or see the Internet: http://www.AnimalRights2003.org.

As mentioned above, it’s Spring, and there’s still time to sign up with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation. CSAs, also called subscription farming, offer people the opportunity to pay a farmer a fixed sum at the beginning of the agricultural year and then receive a share of the harvest. In this way, small family farmers and organic growers are kept in business, since the subscribers effectively share the risks of a poor harvest, while consumers reap the advantages of getting fresh, local, organic food, usually in considerable abundance. Chuck and I have been doing this for several years and are very pleased, and not only with the quantity and quality of produce we receive. There is also great variety – almost anything that can be grown in southeast Wisconsin – and as a result we have tried and learned to like all kinds of crops and dishes that we would never have otherwise tasted. And on top of that, there is the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing that our food was not unecologically shipped thousands of miles nor unecologically conventionally grown. You can usually buy either a half share or a whole share, depending on how much produce you can consume. This year’s crop of local CSA farms include:

Backyard Bounty, Plymouth, Laura Comerford, (920) 892-4319

Full Harvest Farm, Hartford, Chuck Frase and Terry Vlossak, (262) 673-6760

Genesee Community Farm, Waukesha, Pat-rick O’Day, (262) 542-8973; this one requires weekly labor contribution as well as money to subscribe.

Nature Creek Farm, Belgium, Dan Conine, (920) 994-2365, direct sales as well as CSA

Pinehold Gardens, Oak Creek, full for this year; call (414) 762-1301 if you want to be put on next year’s waiting list.

Prairie Dock Farm, Watertown, Greg David, (920) 262-9996

Rainbow Farmers Cooperative, Milwaukee, Will Allen, (414) 527-1546

Rare Earth Farms, Belgium, Steve Young, (262) 285-7070

Springdale Farm, Plymouth, Peter and Bernadette Seely, (920) 892-4856

Stella Garden, East Troy, Kim Bair or Janet gamble, (262) 642-3303, ext. 111