August 2007

GREETINGS

I write these words with a brain melted by summer heat and a weekend in Spring Green: it is definitely that time of year when people think more of vacationing than of activism. Nonetheless, this would be the right time to consider adding to our repertoire. World Vegetarian Day is on October 1. One reason that MARV has never done anything for that day is that this is the time of year when we would have to figure out what to do and arrange to do it, and in the past we never have.

This ineffectual state of affairs does not have to continue. What we would need to do is think now of an event or activity and then organize it. Should we suggest proposing to work with the Urban Ecology Center on something? Should we try asking the mayor’s office for a proclamation about it? Should we propose an article in the Food section of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (perhaps with a link to Columbus Day and the fact that European discovery of the New World gave potatoes, tomatoes, corn, and chili peppers to the entire eastern hemisphere)? Should we try to get on talk radio for the occasion?

Please give us feedback on this, as well as on the question I asked in this space last month about issues involving recycled/ recyclable plates for the PreThanksgiving Feast. Email me at chuckgyver@ispwest.com, or phone us (Louise and Chuck at 414-962-2703 or Jody and David at 414-764-7262), or just come to a potluck and express yourself.

M.A.R.V. ACTIVITIES

Sunday, August 5, 5 PM, regular potluck 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).

Theme will be Mexican food.

Subsequent regular potlucks will be on September 2, October 7, November 4, and December 2.

Other veg-friendly potlucks

This month’s macrobiotic potluck will be at noon (note the time) on Sunday, Aug. 12, at the home of Emily Federsen Kellty, 6506 Silver Beach Rd. North (Harrington Beach exit off the highway). Phone 262-285-3331 for directions.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“ ‘…we’re learning to present things in a more moderate way,’ Mr. Baur [of Farm Sanctuary] said. ‘Would I love everyone to be vegan? Yes. But we want to be respectful and not judgmental.’

“Certainly, concerns over health and food safety, and a growing interest in where food comes from… has made animal welfare an easier sell.”

NEWS

There were news items this month of assorted ways in which animal foods and animal farming are not good for you. Breast cancer has now been linked to carcinogens in cooked meat. Last year’s nationwide e. coli outbreak from spinach has now been blamed on cow manure from a ranch near a spinach field. Bird flu antibodies showed up in a flock of 54,000 turkeys (can we say “industrial agriculture”?) in Virginia. A study found that pregnant women who eat a lot of meat tend to have sons who are less fertile than they should be, while low-fat dairy consumption seems to increase infertility risk in women, and a new study from the American Journal of Epidemiology links dairy consumption to increased risk for Parkinson’s disease. But sometimes you don’t even have to eat animal foods to be at risk: methane gas from a manure pit at a dairy farm killed 5 people in July. So it’s good that air emissions from hog farms are starting to be studied (even if the farms are protected from prosecution during the study period). As far as food poisoning goes, there was a massive recall of Castleberry Food canned meat products due to botulism, but (sorry to say) the salmonella problems that caused recent food poisonings came from hummos at a Chicago food fest, and from Veggie Booty snack foods.

Seafood, however, is an animal food, and one in the news in July. One item reported on the seriousness of decreasing tuna stocks: it’s now so bad that Japanese chefs are looking at using deer or horse meat in sushi instead of traditional tuna fish! The FDA, meanwhile, actually blocked sale of 5 kinds of farmed fish from China after years of warnings about chemicals used in raising these fishes (begging for questions about allowing US citizens to eat fish with bad stuff in it during those years…).

Besides the news about bad animal foods, there were various food issues to report on this month. The Farm Bill is moving through Congress, and while there may be some significant improvements over previous Farm Bills, this one may still contain large subsidies for commodity crops – including corn, even though prices and demand for it are high (see Dialog below). Another current issue is that we still do not have country-of-origin labeling on food, even though Congress mandated it 5 years ago and consumers do want it.

A different controversy focuses on whether eating produce really protects from cancer. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute recently reported finding scant evidence that consuming lycopene – either as food or as supplements – gives protection, while a government study found no significant protection from breast cancer recurrence by eating a diet high in vegetables and fruits. But stay tuned.

Another issue involves milk and milk advertising. A NY Times op-ed touting bio-engineered milk brought a storm of letters in protest (the only supporting letters came from the biotech industry). At the same time, the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board is using high school students for their milk mustache ads – yet meanwhile the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) reports success in getting the FCC to put a stop to ads claiming that dairy consumption helps weight loss.

Another interesting issue, alluded to in our Quote of the Month, is that increasing general awareness of the similarities between animals’ minds and feelings and those of humans, along with increasing awareness about how farm animals are treated, is all starting to make a really noticeable change in how people shop and eat, with more people eating less meat and seeking animal products (when they do eat them) that are naturally and humanely raised.

An item in the NY Times Science section has finally (I think) explained to me about green potatoes. On the one hand, yes, when a potato is green or has a green spot, that does mean that a poisonous substance is present – but no, it is not so dangerous that you can’t eliminate all problems by simply cutting out the green spot and safely eating the rest of the spud.

And of course, many plant foods continue to be good for you.

The latest issue of Good Medicine, the PCRM publication, features stories about people successfully controlling type two diabetes by adopting a low-fat vegan diet. Cancer researchers in Hawaii found that foods rich in flavonoids (apples, broccoli, onions, kale, and berries) may decrease risk of pancreatic cancer. A new study found that even a little bit of dark chocolate may give health benefits, also possibly because of its flavonoids. And a different report found that organic foods have more flavonoids than commercially grown items. A new study found that age-related macular degeneration is also related to eating simple carbohydrates ( sugars, white bread, etc.), while eating more complex carbs (vegetables, fruits, whole grains) seems to be protective.

Seasonal produce highlights this month include fruits. Delicious Living pointed out that plums are full of fiber and vitamins A and C. The same could be said for peaches, also now in season. And Prevention discussed the pleasures of eating your water in the form of watermelon (which is also an excellent source of lycopene). Other seasonal foods at their peak right now are green beans, carrots, summer squashes including zucchini, cucumbers, sweet corn, and tomatoes.

Delicious Living had an item about coconut. Although coconut does contain a good deal of saturated fat, it is a vegetable fat and does not seem to raise blood cholesterol, while on the other hand it may have antimicrobial and anti-viral properties. Coconut flour has a low glycemic index (it helps keep blood sugar stable), and coconut oil is good for cooking with, as well as for salad dressing. Prevention, however, reports that good old virgin olive oil may help prevent ulcers as well as being heart-healthy.

Something in pistachio nuts seems to relax arteries and keep blood pressure lower, while something in chile peppers’ capsaicin may help fight fat. Prevention gave tips for keeping teeth healthy, which included drinking black and green teas, whose polyphenols (an antioxident) help stop plaque from sticking to teeth; eating carbohydrates as part of enough food to make plenty of saliva which will wash food bits away from gums; and getting plenty of vitamin C (think fresh produce) – as well as getting enough calcium in your diet.

An odd item in Prevention addressed eggs, with the conclusion being that most of the good nutrients are in the yoke – so people who eat egg whites only (in an attempt to avoid the cholesterol) might as well not bother with them at all, at least nutritionally.

THE VEGGIE TABLE

We reported a few months ago that Casablanca features a really nice vegetarian lunch buffet, so we would be negligent if we did not also give you notice that Shahrazad does too.

Shahrazad is a well-established Middle Eastern restaurant located on Oakland Ave. in the block south of Locust St., and Chuck and I finally got around to trying their $6.95 vegetarian lunch buffet. It was highly satisfactory. The spread included a good variety of Middle Eastern-type salads and cooked dishes, each with distinctive and well-seasoned ingredients and taste. Some of the salads had yogurt as an ingredient, but there were many vegan choices. Shahrazad also has a regular dinner menu with a variety of vegetarian options, but for value-for-the-money, the lunch buffet can’t be beat.

CONNECTIONS

A “Farm Fresh Atlas of Southeastern Wisconsin 2007/2008” is now available in many places that sell food or even kitchenware. Its purpose is to help connect eaters with local food sources, including CSAs (subscription farms), farmers’ markets, U-Pick farms, and so on. Although it does not list every single CSA (and may have other holes as well), it is nonetheless a good tool for anyone seeking information to help you eat more locally.

Eating locally greatly decreases the greenhouse gases needed to feed you; it helps keep good local farmland growing food instead of becoming more suburban sprawl; it helps keep food dollars in the local economy. Keep an eye out for the Farm Fresh Atlas for the info you need to put local eating into practice.

DIALOG

As mentioned above, corn prices are up, for the reason that using corn-based ethanol for fuel is becoming a significant and serious issue.

The impetus for fostering a switch from gasoline to corn-based ethanol in this country comes from the fact that corn-growing is well-established, so it seems on the surface like an easy way to seek energy independence. But there are very grave problems.