November 2004

And here we are, at the beginning of November, with our tenth annual Pre-Thanksgiving Feast less than three weeks away. Press re-leases have been sent, flyers have been posted, registrations are starting to come in, and it’s time to move into high gear. If you are still waiting to send in your registration, stop waiting! We need to receive them by November 17. If you’ve already volunteered to help, thanks; if you haven’t yet signed up to do something, now is the time. Call Jody at (414) 764-7262 – this event cannot come off unless lots of us make it happen. People are needed for food preparation, set-up, meal-serving (we do make sure that servers get to eat, too), and clean-up. And we all have fun.
I did give a talk about food issues, including vegetarianism (of course), at Marquette University on Oct. 30. There were just a few attendees but they did seem really interested and took plenty of our literature; something of the sort may even be repeated in future.
Meanwhile, our November potluck and Nov. 20 Feast will not be the only chances for people to celebrate the season together this year. The November macrobiotic potluck will be held at Wellspring CSA/ Bed and Breakfast up near Newburg, as part of Wellspring’s usual pre-Thanksgiving potluck gathering which this year is also a “farm aid” concert event. As it happened, I ran into Mary Ann Ihm, who runs Wellspring, at the Outpost Wellness Fest in September, and she expressed the hope that MARV folks would join in this year. Pat O’Neill will be coordinating the potluck dishes if you’re interested in going.

M.A.R.V. ACTIVITIES

Sunday, Nov. 7, regular potluck, 5 PM, at the Friends’ Meeting House, 3224 N. Gordon Pl. in Riverwest (from Humboldt Blvd., go east on Auer a few short blocks to the parking lot). Focus will be a vegan brownie contest/ tasting!

Subsequent regular potlucks will be at the same time and place on Dec. 5, Jan. 2, Feb. 6, and March 6.

Saturday, Nov. 13, 5 PM, we’re invited to join the macrobiotic potluck for a feast and farm aid concert at Wellspring (see Connections below for directions). This is set up as a potluck and/ or donation, with suggestions for a voluntary donation in the $15 to $25 range if you are so inclined but $5 less if you bring a dish. Call Pat O’Neill at (414) 964-9759 if you need to carpool and/ or to coordinate food, OR reserve directly by phone at (262) 675-6755.

***Saturday, Nov. 20, 5 PM, our Pre-Thanks-giving Feast and annual fund-raiser, at Unity Evangelical Lutheran Church on Oklahoma Ave. Pre-registration is required, so call me right away if you need a registration form (414) 962-2703. See you there! ***

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“Green vegetables are the food most missing from modern diets. They strengthen blood and immune systems, prevent cancer and fight depression naturally.”
-- holistic health and nutrition counselor Cynthia Stadd, quoted in E magazine.
 

NEWS

Mad cow disease and the beef products that carry it popped up in the news again in October, first in a report that Japan has confirmed its 13th case of the brain-wasting disease of cattle, and then in a report that Japan will resume importing beef from the U.S. (imports had been stopped after a report of a mad cow case here). Meanwhile, in a closely related news item, our own FDA announced new steps being taken to prevent material from mad-cow-diseased animals from being used in making products from vaccines and drugs to cosmetics. No details were released, but it is known and acknowledged that cow bits are used in making all kinds of pharmaceutical and personal care products, and far too little is known about the risks of such products spreading the disease to people.
In a separate news item, there was a report that chronic kidney failure has more than doubled in the U.S. between 1990 and 2001. The increase was linked to obesity by researchers – but eating too much protein is a known stress on the kidneys as well, leaving one wondering if the (generally meat-heavy) high-protein diets are such a good idea. And yet meat-eaters seem oblivious to any problems from their diet, to the extent that there was a report of Peruvians breeding a new and bigger variety of guinea pig, especially intended for eating (guinea pigs are a traditional food in the Andes). Might such an effort cause a few more people to connect the dots between animals’ use as food and the same creatures’ pet potential?
On a happier note, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s “Entrée” section gave us some good press with a whole article on how even meat-eaters and fine chefs are discovering that vegetarian food doesn’t have to be dull and icky. And another real piece of good news is the announcement that General Mills is moving towards whole grains in their packaged break-fast cereals. I have not yet had a chance to look at one of the new boxes to see whether this means 100% whole grains or just lip service and a small percentage change, but it certainly looks like it could be a step in the right direction, nutritionally speaking.
In other positive developments, Delicious Living magazine published an article on states and cities throughout the U.S where farmers and activists have come together to ban bioengineering of food. And on the subject of retaining and using original, native, natural food crops, the Journal-Sentinel ran a big article on efforts of Native Americans to rein-vigorate both awareness and use of the native American crops like corn, beans, squashes, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, peppers including chilis, and asparagus (but also bison – oh, well).
Other recent food-related news included some political maneuvering regarding dairy price supports, a warning that recent hurricanes may result in significant price swings for vegetables, and a report on political violence in Haiti interrupting food aid following hurricane Jeanne.
As is becoming more and more common, water is in the news again. One frightening development is that male fish in the Potomac River are now producing eggs, for reasons about which scientists can only speculate – but one of several theories is that chicken estrogen, from chicken manure that is getting into the water, might be responsible. A related issue is the water quality here at home and the concerns about dumping of sewage into Lake Michigan, partly, it would seem, as a result of a sewer being clogged by a meat-packing company last summer. And then there is the simple matter of who gets to use which water, with a meeting being held in October to discuss suburban needs versus the need to keep water in its own watersheds.
As always, there is much good news about various plant foods.
Swiss chard, which actually originated in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, is being touted for all the usual reasons that dark green leafy vegetables are recommended: it’s rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and even protein. And while chard, like spinach and beet greens, is high in oxalic acid which tends to make its calcium unavailable, a new report in E magazine reveals that cooking destroys the stuff that interferes with calcium absorption, so that just by cooking these foods, their nutritional useful-ness is increased. And of course, one of the vitamins supplied by chard (as well as all other dark green leafies) is folate, which turns out to help protect against breast, colon, and pancreatic cancers. Prevention magazine meanwhile reminds us that ginger is not just good for cookies: it is also proven to reduce arthritis inflammation and pain. DeliciousLiving pubished this good news about soy: its high levels of plant estrogen do not seem to increase risk for breast and uterine cancers. DL’s produce of the month this time was Asian pears, which provide vitamins A, C, and B-complex, plus fiber, calcium, and potassium, as well as being delicious.
I saw various lists this month of foods considered especially useful in preventing illness –and not surprisingly they are mostly plants. A book from the American Cancer Institute, for example, lists the following as cancer-protective: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and other vegetables in the same family; beans including soybeans; berries and cherries; onions, garlic, chives, and other members of the allium family; vegetables (and fruits) with deep orange, yellow, and red flesh; tomatoes; medicinal mushrooms; green tea; and nuts and seed including flax seeds; the only cancer-preventing food mentioned that was an animal food was oily cold-water fish, which were named only because of their omega-3 fatty acids, which our loyal readers know are also available from the flax seeds, and flax seed oil and hemp seed oil.
Not surprisingly in this light, Delicious Living’s “5 foods for breast health” listed whole crushed flax seeds, cabbage-family vegetables, green tea, and olive oil (as well as the darn cold-water fish). The magazine’s list of good foods to help ward off infections included garlic, yogurt with live cultures, citrus fruits, tea, carrots, chili peppers, ginger, onions, water, and chicken soup (though many other clear-broth soups might do as well); its list of additional foods for better immunity included barley, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, cranberries, grapes, plums, horseradish, pump-kin, raspberries, strawberries, shitaki mush-rooms, wasabi, wine in moderation, and honey. And for those who do include honey in their diet (or medicine chest!) we are reminded that honey includes significant traces of enzymes, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and anti-oxidents, and is known to have antibacterial properties when applied topically to wounds. Meanwhile, Prevention ran a list of foods whose fiber content may be heart-protective: bran cereals, beans and lentils, whole wheat spaghetti, artichokes, bulgur, cooked spinach, raspberries, dried plums, and green peas. And finally, peppermint has been used traditionally for stomach ache and indigestion, and now it turns out that smelling it seems to enhance both alertness and athletic performance.

THE VEGGIE TABLE (ALMOST)

There is a new lunchtime eatery in town: the new café at the Riverwest Co-op. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet had the chance to try it out, despite its really exciting-looking menu, which features 7 vegan and 2 vegetarian sandwiches and only one with tuna, as well as soup and grain of the day, various smoothies, coffee, tea, and bakery. It is attached to the Riverwest Co-op, on the corner of Clarke and Fratney Streets, and is open for lunch – call (414) 254-7933 for exact hours if you want to check it out. And if you do get the chance to go before we do, and want to review it or just share your impressions with us, let me know (962-2703).

CONNECTIONS

As mentioned above, we MARV folks have been invited to join the macrobiotic folks at Wellspring on Nov. 13, so you might like to know a bit more about the place. I have reported here previously about Community Supported Agriculture, and Wellspring has been an organic CSA since 1988. As part of the CSA operation, the farm also operates a strong instructional program, with a garden summer school for teens in the summer that teaches basic gardening, food preparation, use of herbs and respect for nature, and a garden internship program in which interns teach what they’ve learned to volunteers and students, including those who come on field trips from neighboring schools.
In addition to the farm, Wellspring operates
as a retreat and conference center for individuals and small groups up to 35 people, with 32 acres of nature trails, woods, meadows, ponds, and gardens, and is also a Bed and Breakfast with ties to Hostelling International.
As anyone with a garden or CSA membership knows, this year was a horrible one agriculturally, and Wellspring could definitely use any Farm Aid that November 13’s event might provide. If you are interested, directions are: Go north on I43 to the Saukville-Port Washing-ton exit (Hwy 33), then go left through Saukville on 33 and go 5 more miles to Newburg. Turn right on S. Main, cross the bridge, and immediately go right on Hickory Rd., about ½ mile to the Wellspring sign. Turn right on the gravel driveway to 4382 Hickory Rd.

ADDITIONAL SEASONAL QUOTE

From the November Prevention:
“Q: My 16-year-old son recently became a vegetarian. What can I cook for Thanksgiving for him that will also satisfy our other guests?
A [from Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D.]: Congratulate your son for making such a smart decision. As a vegetarian, he’ll reduce his risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Better still he stands a good chance of adding years to his life…
It’s easier than you might think to prepare a lavish Thanksgiving feast that will please vegetarians and meat eaters alike. The trick is to come up with at least one showstopping entrée to present along with the turkey and then offer plenty of traditional holiday side dishes, such as your mother’s sweet potato casserole…”