SoulVeggie

Video Clip: "We Did It! Artificial Meat!"

A very funny 3 minute Clip from The Daily Show where Jon Stewart, ahem, "skewers" the concept of artificial meat. In this case, pig meat from pig stem cells.  Video expires 01/03/10 and has a rather abrupt ending.  Enjoy!  Mark

Paula Deen's: "Perfect" After School Snack, Y'all

I  hadn't watched the "Food Network" for years and have been able to the past several days (indeed, one of my first posts on this blog was about Emeril, and of course, he's not getting any better... disturbing to see people cheering when he now puts a 1 cup or so of olive oil on highly nutritional microgreens).

Anyway, it's been a mixed blessing.  Some neat ideas, but mostly an amazing array of unhealthy meat, dairy, and fatty food being touted as 'good cooking.'  Tonight I happened to catch the tail-end of an episode of "Paula's Home Cooking."  Paula Deen is a rotund fat/sugar/salt aficionado "chef" who specializes in "southern cooking" (y'know, from where the highest percentage of very obese Americans live, the South), as well as saying "y'all" as often as she can.

Normally I wouldn't bother blogging about Ms. Deen (too easy, obvious that her meals are nutritional roadkill), but I'll make an exception tonight.  She was making "healthy and perfect after school snacks" for children.  I caught the last one.  The Pretzel Peanut Bark.  She called it the "perfect snack" twice.   It's white chocolate, salted pretzel sticks, and salted roasted peanuts.  I did a quick ballpark estimate of the nutritional profile PER ONE SERVING:

• 1733 mg of sodium (two-thirds of what the American Heart Association says an ADULT should have per day)
• 46. g of fat (two-thirds the American Heart Association says an ADULT should have per day)
• 50.2 g of sugar (the American Heart Association recommends no more than 37.5 grams for an ADULT per day)

Unbelievable.  It's a dietary disaster for an adult, how much more for a child?  And she called this the perfect after school snack.  Ironic too, is that all the snacks she demonstrated making in this episode were spread out on a table in front of TOWERING LARGE PLATE OF FRESH BEAUTIFUL FRUITS.  In reality, the PERFECT snacks were the fruits put there as eye candy.

"Paula's Home Cooking" indeed.  Perfect for getting you later put into a home for any number of diet-related disorders, and a "perfect" way to get kids even more addicted to fat, sugar, and salt, than they already are (where by genetics or environment).  Forget taxing sodas.  Take a percentage of her profits from her various interests and give it to children's nutritional awareness programs.  They'll need all the help they can get if their parents buy into Paula's nonsense... y'all.

Dr. Cow's Cheese Nutritional Bull

Just read a post about Dr. Cow's Cheese from the generally nutritionally oblivious blogger at:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/11/dr-cow-tree-nut-raw-vegan-cheese.html

The blogger wrote, quoting directly from the Dr. Cow's website, that the "cheese" is low fat.  Note that the product's website provides NO nutritional information on their products (just ingredients, why?).  How does she know it's "low in fat?"  She just posted some of the website text.  How useful!  What a fine bit of research in recommending this product.  She even had the audacity to claim she was posting the "complete nutritional info" regarding the cheese.

Bull$hit.  What's the fat and sodium content per serving?  Information not available.  I couldn't find it doing basic web searches.

The cheese?  It's basically ground up nuts.  And if mostly cashews, for example, than two tablespoons (1 ounce) would amount to 12 grams of fat.  I'm guessing twice as much for a normal serving of that "low fat cheese."  That's about a third of a day's worth of fat according to the American Heart Association (on a 2,000 calorie diet, 60 grams of fat per day), and a day's worth according to the guys who reversed heart disease through diet (Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn).

This kind of mindless parroting of a product's website PR without a little bit of research into the actual nutritional profile of a product being reviewed irritates the hell outta me.  Kathy should be ashamed by making such "low fat claims" and that she's either too lazy or doesn't care enough to do better.  IMHO, one shouldn't take ANY food product review seriously unless the reviewer has shown some respect for his/her readers and done the basic nutritional profile research and provided same.

Just because it tastes "gud" and the product's website says it's "healthy" isn't enough.  I'd like to think that most people are smarter than this.  And Dr. Cow is negligent in not providing nutritional information about their products.  Kat is negligent in buying into it.  It's NOT low-fat.  Can't be, judging from the ingredients list.

It's not the taste that matters, it's what's IN what you eat that does.  Read the labels.  Ignore the silly blogger.

A Library in One Book: "1,000 Vegan Recipes"

What drives a person to write 20 veg'n cookbooks?  What compels and inspires a chef to work countless hours in the kitchen developing, rejecting, re-trying and finding new or innovative ways to bring foodstuffs together?  Behind in my own efforts, I know how easy it is to underestimate the time, resources, trials, and tribulations involved. Tough job, and although one might do a few books just for the money, it takes real inspiration, dedication, and a spiritual will to help the animals and promote veg'nism by being willing to go through that process over 20 times.

Robin sent me a copy of her latest effort, "1,000 Vegan Recipes" a few weeks ago, and since then I've been marveling at, among other things, the sheer magnitude (and physical weight!) of what's she's just accomplished (disclaimer:  I did the website work/design for her "Global Vegan Kitchen" website).  We interacted soon after and I asked her about how the hell she pulled it off.  So many testers (over 30), so many recipes, so many ingredients.  Most notable about her response was this amazing bit of information:

"Three years."

...it took her over three years get this book in public hands!  Three years of labor giving birth to an amazing collection of recipes, resources, advice, and menus.  An encyclopedic recipe set of creativity, practicality, and efficiency, all in a single 612 page book.   And here are the numbers:  80 appetizers and snacks, 253 salads, sandwiches, and soups, 170 main dishes, 46 breads and muffins, 138 cookies, cakes, and other desserts... and that's not all.  Pages of menus groups by such topics as "Family-Style Dinner," "Casual Company Dinner" and the "Seasons."  Several pages for types of ingredients explanations, online resources, and a comprehensive "vegan pantry" checklist!

And the recipes --- they shine as well-tested and glow with simplicity of effort as well as ingredients.  Enthralling.  A breadth and depth to a vegan cookbook like none ever done before (and not likely again).  Check out the following:  "Pomegranate-Infused Lentil and Chickpea Stew," "Tempeh and Sweet Potato Shepard's Pie," "Rotini and Almond-Mint Pesto with Orange Zest," "Pistacio-Pear Couscous Salad," "Chai Spice Cookies," "Vegan Pound Cake(!)," "Strawberry Parfaits with Cashew Creme," and "Pumpkin Waffles with Cranberry Syrup."  Of course, those are just the tip of a "Titanic-sized" iceberg.

Back when I reviewed her "Quick-Fix Vegetarian," I likened that effort to a series of minuets.  In contrast, her latest book is a gourmet library of music to be played in the kitchen, enjoyed, and treasured countless times for years to come.  I highly recommend "1,000 Vegan Recipes."  It's several books in one, and those with special dietary preferences (no added fat, etc.) will find most recipes easily adaptable.  Be sure to check out Robin's Vegan Planet blog, and website, where you can sample recipes from most of her books.  And here's the link to the "1,000 Vegan Recipes" sampler.  Surf over and sample the music!  It's beautiful.

10 Thanksgiving Survival Tips for Vegans

[Note:  this is a re-post of a popular post I did a year ago.  This one's for you V.!]

"I thought it might be fun to put together a quick ad hoc list of some of the "survival tips" that have served me well when faced with attending a Thanksgiving Dinner with carnivorous family and/or friends.  I take no responsibility as to whether these will or will not work for anyone in particular as they are based upon my own experiences.  Use them wisely...

1.  BRING VEGAN FOOD:  often people will tell you it's not necessary to bring anything, but I've found it's best to ignore that advice and bring one, preferable at least two vegan dishes.  It's best (and safest) to have made them once before, unless you are very skilled in the kitchen.  I think it's rare that anyone would turn you away at the front door for bringing food!  Find out if you can bring a big salad (with fresh veggies and a fine no-fat dressing).  Find out if there's something you can bring veganized.  If nothing else, you'll look less conspicuous with a full plate than one with some crudite sans dressing and limp greens.  Don't have a recipe?  Use the GOOGLE, Luke.

2.  BRING FOOD THAT DOESN'T ATTEMPT TO MIMIC MEAT:  with the possible exception of "Gimme Lean Sausage" for making a stuffing (it's really close to that ground up dead spiced pig taste and texture),  I've found that bringing meat analogues (particularly that odious and overpriced "Tofurkey") invites people to miss the point.  They focus on contrasting the "fake" meat with the real, instead of relishing the intermix of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains.  If fellow guests are a bit more veg'n friendly than most, maybe seitan or tofu done right (gravy counts), but think that out carefully.  I tend to think that incorporated IN a dish rather than as "steaks" or the like is more likely to be accepted.  Mom couldn't handle the TVP chunks in an entree I brought once (but then, I pointed them out to her in advance... bad move).  Try to define yourself, if asked, by the incredible variety of nature's bounty that you will eat rather than that which you won't.

3.  BRING A CROCKPOT DISH:  soup, entree, or better yet, dessert (if you've not already made something).  The beauty of the crockpot is that it's easy to prepare something, travels well, and in case the oven and burners are already used up in your target location, you can always find a plug (I usually bring a power strip or extension cord), and serve FROM the crockpot.  Winter Squash Bisque, Tofu/Artichoke Spread ("No-Cheese Cookbook," Stepaniak), Apple Brown Betty, Fruit Cobbler --- examples of very easy and effective crockpot foods.

4.  BRING SUBTLETY:  resist the temptation to proudly proclaim that the food you bring is "no-added fat vegan."  They will probably already know you are vegan, and it's more fun when sometimes, after sampling your wares, they say, astonished:  "Hey!  This is good... is this vegan?"  I'm more inclined to live with "added fat vegan food" at a holiday gathering if someone has been thoughtful enough to at least make something vegan.  Let's face it:  to many vegan is radical, a "no added fat" vegan could easily cause conceptual brain seizures. Now, if I had heart disease or diabetes, I would let the main host know in advance, and have a short concise explanation as to why I won't eat "added fat" vegan ready to use when asked.  It's also usually pretty obvious as to what has dairy in it, but eggs are a bit more devious when it comes to bread.  I tend to go situation dependent:  if things are hectic, I'll either skip the debatable food product or have a very small helping.  If things are a bit more laid back, I would have already asked, in the kitchen, what's vegan and what's not (esp. if chicken broth is used invisibly).  Doing this at the dinner table can easily (and rightly so) be seen as rude and draws the wrong kind of attention.

5.  BRING BREAD:  if you've mastered making bread, especially with a bread machine, time a 2 lb. loaf to finish close to when you leave (if by car).  People ALWAYS like homemade whole grain bread (I often make a no-added fat spread like hummus or something more holidayish to facilitate slathering onto bread slices).  Vegan cookies are also a winner.

6.  BRING A BEVERAGE:  alcoholic or not, it's always a sign of good etiquette.  Also:  I always have a few caffeine and no-caffeine herbal teas in my computer bag, jacket, or pocket.  It's rare that you can't get hot water!  Vegan egg nog in a crockpot is a show-stopper, made easier these days with Silk Soy Egg Nog (and recipes for making it from scratch on the Web).

7.  BRING SOME PREPARED EXPLANATIONS & WEBSITE ADDRESSES:  memorize a short 30 second and longer 2 minute explanation, that's not insulting or derogatory, as to why you are vegan.  Voice the first ONLY if/when asked "why are you vegan?"  As Howard Lyman, aka, The Mad Cowboy" puts it:  that's your 30 second window of opportunity when they are paying attention.  Sometimes family members or friends will express interest in learning more about your diet.  In my case, I might write down my soulveggie blog, www.fatfreevegan.com, www.goveg.com, www.madcowboy.com, www.pcrm.org, and www.vegblogs.com, as starting points for learning "why" and "how."

8. BRING A SENSE OF HUMOR:  preferably self-deprecating... if teased, laugh... use that disarming smile... if the situation is particularly mellow, you might risk teasing back, but BE CAREFUL.  Often it's okay to tease the vegans, but not the reverse (people tend to rationalize, feel defensive, or guilty).  During one Thanksgiving my father was confused that I was drinking wine during dinner.  I lightened the moment by saying, "whoops...  I better go call the Vegan Guru and double-check!"  Then I mentioned something about great vegan margaritas.  I've also made jokes about "hunting down" wild vegetables, the danger of dealing with a rabid block of tofu in a soybean field, and that I'm not completely vegan:  do you realize how many bacteria are dying in my gut as we speak?

9. BRING UNDERSTANDING, A POLITE ATTITUDE, & (if necessary) SILENCE:  trying to convert carnivores to veganism at Thanksgiving is like trying to talk people into joining AA at a beer or wine-tasting party --- akin to "spitting in the wind" and just torques people for no justifiable reason.  Exclaiming "ewwww, how gross" loudly when being offered a drumstick isn't necessary or particularly useful.  The same probably holds true for throwing tomato sauce or catsup on Great-Grandma Pearl's mink sweater or yelling out:  "I can't believe you all are eating slabs of a giant dead mutant bird's corpse with it's organs minced and sauteed delicately in gravy as a topping!"  Bonus tip: an in depth discussion of pus cell counts in milk and cheese might get you shot by a blunderbuss or tossed out into the snow.

10.  BRING COMPASSION & LOVE:  these are family and/or friends.  This is a festive gathering, not a lecture on animal rights, diet and heart disease, or environmental degradation.  Focus on the good in the people there and not what they eat or what they wear.  Focus on setting and being an example.  Like it or not, you will be seen as representative of vegans everywhere, and if you misbehave, unfortunately (if not unfairly), it reflects on all of us.  I've converted more people to veg'nism by setting an example than by proselytizing, and I suspect its more effective in the long term (and takes less emotional energy).  A loving, thankful, thoughtful, understanding, giving, and happy vegan will accomplish more than an arrogant sanctimonious obnoxious know-it-all malcontent.

Having been both, I prefer the former.  That's the "me" I want remembered.  Here's my "Thanksgiving 2005" Post where I think I really started to catch-on to the best way to approach these events.  Enjoy.

...and a "Happy Vegan Holidaze" to all!  Mark

@2008 by Mark Sutton... if used elsewhere, please credit me and my blog.  Thanks!"

1.  BRING VEGAN FOOD:  often people will tell you it's not necessary to bring anything, but I've found it's best to ignore that advice and bring one, preferable at least two vegan dishes.  It's best (and safest) to have made them once before, unless you are very skilled in the kitchen.  I think it's rare that anyone would turn you away at the front door for bringing food!  Find out if you can bring a big salad (with fresh veggies and a fine no-fat dressing).  Find out if there's something you can bring veganized.  If nothing else, you'll look less conspicuous with a full plate than one with some crudite sans dressing and limp greens.  Don't have a recipe?  Use the GOOGLE, Luke.

2.  BRING FOOD THAT DOESN'T ATTEMPT TO MIMIC MEAT:  with the possible exception of "Gimme Lean Sausage" for making a stuffing (it's really close to that ground up dead spiced pig taste and texture),  I've found that bringing meat analogues (particularly that odious and overpriced "Tofurkey") invites people to miss the point.  They focus on contrasting the "fake" meat with the real, instead of relishing the intermix of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains.  If fellow guests are a bit more veg'n friendly than most, maybe seitan or tofu done right (gravy counts), but think that out carefully.  I tend to think that incorporated IN a dish rather than as "steaks" or the like is more likely to be accepted.  Mom couldn't handle the TVP chunks in an entree I brought once (but then, I pointed them out to her in advance... bad move).  Try to define yourself, if asked, by the incredible variety of nature's bounty that you will eat rather than that which you won't.

3.  BRING A CROCKPOT DISH:  soup, entree, or better yet, dessert (if you've not already made something).  The beauty of the crockpot is that it's easy to prepare something, travels well, and in case the oven and burners are already used up in your target location, you can always find a plug (I usually bring a power strip or extension cord), and serve FROM the crockpot.  Winter Squash Bisque, Tofu/Artichoke Spread ("No-Cheese Cookbook," Stepaniak), Apple Brown Betty, Fruit Cobbler --- examples of very easy and effective crockpot foods.

4.  BRING SUBTLETY:  resist the temptation to proudly proclaim that the food you bring is "no-added fat vegan."  They will probably already know you are vegan, and it's more fun when sometimes, after sampling your wares, they say, astonished:  "Hey!  This is good... is this vegan?"  I'm more inclined to live with "added fat vegan food" at a holiday gathering if someone has been thoughtful enough to at least make something vegan.  Let's face it:  to many vegan is radical, a "no added fat" vegan could easily cause conceptual brain seizures. Now, if I had heart disease or diabetes, I would let the main host know in advance, and have a short concise explanation as to why I won't eat "added fat" vegan ready to use when asked.  It's also usually pretty obvious as to what has dairy in it, but eggs are a bit more devious when it comes to bread.  I tend to go situation dependent:  if things are hectic, I'll either skip the debatable food product or have a very small helping.  If things are a bit more laid back, I would have already asked, in the kitchen, what's vegan and what's not (esp. if chicken broth is used invisibly).  Doing this at the dinner table can easily (and rightly so) be seen as rude and draws the wrong kind of attention.

5.  BRING BREAD:  if you've mastered making bread, especially with a bread machine, time a 2 lb. loaf to finish close to when you leave (if by car).  People ALWAYS like homemade whole grain bread (I often make a no-added fat spread like hummus or something more holidayish to facilitate slathering onto bread slices).  Vegan cookies are also a winner.

6.  BRING A BEVERAGE:  alcoholic or not, it's always a sign of good etiquette.  Also:  I always have a few caffeine and no-caffeine herbal teas in my computer bag, jacket, or pocket.  It's rare that you can't get hot water!  Vegan egg nog in a crockpot is a show-stopper, made easier these days with Silk Soy Egg Nog (and recipes for making it from scratch on the Web).

7.  BRING SOME PREPARED EXPLANATIONS & WEBSITE ADDRESSES:  memorize a short 30 second and longer 2 minute explanation, that's not insulting or derogatory, as to why you are vegan.  Voice the first ONLY if/when asked "why are you vegan?"  As Howard Lyman, aka, The Mad Cowboy" puts it:  that's your 30 second window of opportunity when they are paying attention.  Sometimes family members or friends will express interest in learning more about your diet.  In my case, I might write down my soulveggie blog, www.fatfreevegan.com, www.goveg.com, www.madcowboy.com, www.pcrm.org, and www.vegblogs.com, as starting points for learning "why" and "how."

8. BRING A SENSE OF HUMOR:  preferably self-deprecating... if teased, laugh... use that disarming smile... if the situation is particularly mellow, you might risk teasing back, but BE CAREFUL.  Often it's okay to tease the vegans, but not the reverse (people tend to rationalize, feel defensive, or guilty).  During one Thanksgiving my father was confused that I was drinking wine during dinner.  I lightened the moment by saying, "whoops...  I better go call the Vegan Guru and double-check!"  Then I mentioned something about great vegan margaritas.  I've also made jokes about "hunting down" wild vegetables, the danger of dealing with a rabid block of tofu in a soybean field, and that I'm not completely vegan:  do you realize how many bacteria are dying in my gut as we speak?

9. BRING UNDERSTANDING, A POLITE ATTITUDE, & (if necessary) SILENCE:  trying to convert carnivores to veganism at Thanksgiving is like trying to talk people into joining AA at a beer or wine-tasting party --- akin to "spitting in the wind" and just torques people for no justifiable reason.  Exclaiming "ewwww, how gross" loudly when being offered a drumstick isn't necessary or particularly useful.  The same probably holds true for throwing tomato sauce or catsup on Great-Grandma Pearl's mink sweater or yelling out:  "I can't believe you all are eating slabs of a giant dead mutant bird's corpse with it's organs minced and sauteed delicately in gravy as a topping!"  Bonus tip: an in depth discussion of pus cell counts in milk and cheese might get you shot by a blunderbuss or tossed out into the snow.

10.  BRING COMPASSION & LOVE:  these are family and/or friends.  This is a festive gathering, not a lecture on animal rights, diet and heart disease, or environmental degradation.  Focus on the good in the people there and not what they eat or what they wear.  Focus on setting and being an example.  Like it or not, you will be seen as representative of vegans everywhere, and if you misbehave, unfortunately (if not unfairly), it reflects on all of us.  I've converted more people to veg'nism by setting an example than by proselytizing, and I suspect its more effective in the long term (and takes less emotional energy).  A loving, thankful, thoughtful, understanding, giving, and happy vegan will accomplish more than an arrogant sanctimonious obnoxious know-it-all malcontent.

Having been both, I prefer the former.  That's the "me" I want remembered.  Here's my "Thanksgiving 2005" Post where I think I really started to catch-on to the best way to approach these events.  Enjoy.

...and a "Happy Vegan Holidaze" to all!  Mark

@2008 by Mark Sutton... if used elsewhere, please credit me and my blog.  Thanks!"

10 Non-edible Unique Uses for Vegenaise!

Sometimes another vegan blogger can inspire you to greater heights of creativity and awareness.  Kat's astounding "50 ways to use Vegenaise:" certainly had an impact on my thinking about the marvelous primarily canola oil-based non-food product:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/11/fifty-yummy-uses-for-vegenaise-spread.html

Although I blogged about this already (here), I've come to realize that Kathy missed many NON-edible uses of Vegenaise.  It's such a versatile substance, that I'm proud to offer 10 other uses for Vegenaise (and I won't even claim they are "uber-creative" as Kat does):

1) LIP GLOSS:  schmooze Vegenaise on your lips and you'll excite any significant other with the refractory look.  When bored, you can the tongue it all into your mouth for a tasty treat.

2) SQUEAKY JOINTS;  got a hinge that squeaks?  Slather a little Vegenaise into the hinge and you'll be moving that door silently in no time.

3) SWIMMING:  wanna reduce drag from that swimmer's cap?  Cover it with Vegenaise.   If you wanna go pro, cover your entire body with Vegenaise and you'll be able to swim faster.

4) FURNITURE:  unsightly dry wood?  Rub a good smear of Vegenaise into the furniture wood to bring back that healthy shine.

5) GREASE & PAINT:  add a little sugar to Vegenaise and use to remove grease and paint from your hands.

6) GARDENING:  rub Vegenaise on your gardening shovel, spade, fork, etc., to reduce rust possibilities.  CAUTION:  do NOT lick said equipment afterwards due to possible e.coli and other pathogens infection.

7) SHAVING:  slather Vegenaise on your face (or legs, feet, or pits) for a "great tasting" alternative to shaving cream and get rid of that natural abnormal hair.

8) HAIR CONDITIONING:  smear Vegenaise into your hair, massage liberally, and rinse... bring back that normal sheen that was always there to begin with.

9) LEATHER RESTORER:  got an old pitcher's mitt that's a bit dry?  Massage a batch of Vegenaise into that mitt and return it to it's former catching glory.

10) ACNE:  mix some salt into Vegenaise and apply to affected skin areas.  Get rid of those zits!

Isn't it wonderful?  How many healthy food products can also do so many non-food related things?  And at 9 grams of fat per tablespoon, it's a real bargin.  There aren't any fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains as versatile as Vegenaise!

Seriously, Vegenaise, despite taste and texture, is FAT.  Mostly canola oil.  Stop adding FAT to your diet and you'll be healthier.  Rid yourself of your taste addiction.  FAT is not a food... although in a pinch, the hinge thing is really useful....

NOTE:  some of the above suggestions come from (here) with playful editing.

50 Ways to Lose Your Ticker

Wow... here's a "vegan" blogger going "whole hog" on promoting added fat  (a nutritionally useless non-food, Vegenaise) in your diet, by having the dietary callousness to list 50 ways to add fat to what you eat, labeling this effort "creative and yummy, " and in effect, demonstrating a stunning complete obliviousness to the many heath issues that have been shown to be problematic with all that added fat:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/11/fifty-yummy-uses-for-vegenaise-spread.html

Sure, let's ignore 20 years of peer-reviewed research regarding added fat & heart disease, as well as the American Heart Association's recommendations regarding added fat.  After all, you're being "creative" and this is all "yummy."  Right?

How bad is this?  Vegenaise is 9 grams of canola oil fat per tablespoon (about a half a day's worth of fat from the guy's who've reversed heart disease, Ornish and Esselstyn) and one sixth a day's worth of fat as advised by the American Heart Association.  Kat lists fifty ways to ADD FAT (Vegenaise) to your food...  Obesity, heart disease, and a host of physical disorders plague society, and she's is advocating adding more fat to your diet 'cause it tastes good.

My favorite is:  "50. Eat it with a Spoon..."

That's not funny.  It's sad.  To Kathy, all that matters is that it "tastes good," regardless of the impact that added fat can have on your cardiovascular system, brain (Altzheimer's,), pancreas (diabetes), and overall health (obesity).  Added fat-related disorders are bankrupting health care and destroying the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people, and she gleefully advocates adding "vegan mayo" to oatmeal cereal for breakfast (#46), yogurt (#14),  as a dip for tempeh (#21), with pancakes, (#36), and in sorbet (#37).

Check it out.  It doesn't get more ignorant than this.  Another "must see" post by probably the most nutritionally misleading and myopic "vegan" blogger on the Internet.  And she has the audacity to egotistically self-proclaim her ideas on adding fat to everything but drinking water as "uber-creative."  Yeah, right.

I suggest that "uber-oblivious" might be a more accurate description.  "Uber-deluded" a close second.

Anyway, have a "healthy happy life."  Ignore Kathy's advice at "Healthy Happy Life."  You'll live longer, happier, and with greater chanes of avoiding Heart Disease, Altzheimer's, Obesity, and Diabetes.  After all, can someone really take the advice of a fat addicted blogger who recommends putting vegan mayo in sorbet seriously?

Top 10 Items Sold At Grocery Stores 06/2008 to 06/2009

[Cited data from an article (with graphical chart) by Mark Bittman, "What We’re Eating."  Sales are ranked by dollars (in the billions).  A very sobering view of the Standard American Diet and how shortsighted it is that this and related preventative issues aren't part of the current "Health Insurance" debate debaucle: 

              ITEM                                         SALES ($B)                             % CHANGE
1.)  Carbonated Beverages                      $12.00                                         1.86
2.)  Milk                                                     $11.20                                        -8.44
3.)  Fresh Bread & Rolls                             $9.57                                         4.77
4.)  Beer/Ale/Hard Cider                             $8.17                                         5.42
5.)  Salty Snacks                                        $8.09                                         9.75
6.)  Natural Cheese                                    $7.64                                         7.75
7.)  Frozen Dinners/Entrees                       $6.13                                         0.18
8.)  Cold Cereal                                          $6.11                                         2.12
9.)  Wine                                                     $5.49                                         3.72
10.) Cigarettes                                            $4.63                                        -2.18

SOURCE: INFORMATION RESOURCES INC. (IRI)

"A Vegan Zombie's Vegan Twinkie'

In a short article about how Woody Harrelson, while acting in his new movie, "Zombieland," insisted on vegan twinkies made from corn with no sugar.  Says Woody:

"I'm not a Twinkie lover. I don't do sugar or dairy either. When we finally shot my Twinkie-eating scene in the movie, they had to give me a specially made mock Twinkie made of corn meal. It could spur a healthy Twinkie revolution."

The author of the article then recommends a vegan twinkie recipe from Schmoofood & Vegan Lunchbox (here).  How unfortunate.  I've blogged about the clever author of Vegan Lunchbox years ago when it started out, but in recent times I stopped reading her blog for the most part when she was praising "Pringles."

Anyway, I checked out the "Schmooed Food" twinkie recipe and did the math:  28 grams of vegan olive oil/shortening/margarine fat per twinkie, and a whopping 52 grams of sugar per serving.  Oh, and there's 7 grams of saturated fat per twinkie.

Put into perspective:  Ornish & Esselstyn (who've reversed heart disease) recommend between 14 and 24 grams of fat per day (around 10% of your total calories), the Feds no more than 60 grams of fat per day.  Regarding sugar:  the American Heart Association recommends no more than 37 grams of sugar PER DAY for an ADULT man, and no more than 16 grams of saturated fat per day for an adult woman.

Wow... a day's worth of useless added non-real food fat, a half day's worth of saturated fat, and over a day's worth of sugar in ONE "healthy" vegan twinkie.  Now imagine the physiological effect on a child's body.  Reminds me of some dialogue from the 1984 movie version of "Ghostbusters:"

"Dr. Egon Spengler: I'm worried, Ray. All my readings point to something big on the horizon.

Winston Zeddemore: What do you mean, big?

Dr. Egon Spengler: Well, let's say this Twinkie represents the normal amount of psychokinetic energy in the New York area. Based on this morning's reading, it would be a Twinkie thirty-five feet long, weighing approximately six hundred pounds.

Winston Zeddemore: That's a big Twinkie."

Fitting too, that one actually "injects" the filling into the twinkies.  That's not unlike injecting sugar and fat into your cardiovascular system when you eat one.  And It's ironic that the standard definition of the Hebrew term "shmoe" is essentially a "stupid" person.  But regardless, there's just no way I'd ever eat this schlock, vegan or not.  It's a nutritional short-range missile with multiple warheads of fat, saturated fat, and sugar.  Best to avoid it's negative impact on your body and target instead, real food.

[BONUS: check out the excellent summary article concerning oil, it's impact on your body, and cited articles, at the "Happy Healthy Longer Life" blog.  For a graphic of a real vegan zoombie, click here.]

[NOTE 10/16/09:  Happy Healthy Longer Life Blog link fixed... apologies!]

Consciously Deep-Fried Butter @ The State Fair of Texas

The Award-winning Deep-fried Butter (article), (award) was not a surprise (I lived in Dallas).  But it's not much worse than the "Conscious Chef" recipe I evaluated in my previous post.  To wit:

• Let's assume a stick of butter is cut-up, breaded, and deep-fried for the Texas State Fair award-winning appetizer.
• The self-proclaimed "Conscious Chef" (noted in my previous post) fries a breaded meat sub in oil, fries udon noodles in oil (and drizzles oil over them), and then uses 1/2 cup of Earth Balance to make a mushroom sauce.
• Here's the revelation:  that 1/2 cup of Earth Balance, in fat grams, is the same as 1 stick of butter.

CONCLUSION:  the "Conscious Chef" has created a gourmet vegan entree (minus as much, but still high saturated fat), that is pretty much (or more) as totally fatty and unhealthy as the Texas State Fair's Award-Winning "deep-fried butter."  He's using, amongst the other fat additions,  the equivalent of well over a STICK of butter, in terms of fat grams, for his "beautiful and filling" vegan entree.

Wow.  Both recipes are creative ways to insult your cardiovascular system and promote gawd knows what other physical ailments.

It's ironic that we laugh at the "deep fried butter," and praise the intrepid vegan chef's work, when in fact, both attempts are pretty much similar in being nutritionally blasphemous to our bodies when ingested.  At least the vegan chef is honest enough to admit that to him, "fat is flavor."  Yet, both "chefs" know full well it's a taste addiction.  "Frying the butter" versus "frying in butter" is of minimal differential.  Both cater to taste addication.

How "conscious," and more important, healthy, is this?  Why is it that a vegan chef's recipe is, in terms of fat, pretty much as bad as a State Fair's Award-winning "Deep-fried Butter" and still promoted on a popular vegan blog?  Are we so desperate as to be excited about some vegan recipe or a Chef getting Oprah-attention that we ignore evaluating the recipe or body of work from nutritional criteria just 'cause we're so happy to see something vegan?  Too simplistic and narrow-minded.  We must do better than this.

Ultimately, imho, "Moderation kills" (Esselstyn, Campbell, and McDougall).  Going vegan isn't the answer, but going very low-fat vegan, and re-calibrating your fat receptors, is.  Let's stop praising recipes just because they are vegan, and instead, extoll them because they are both vegan AND healthy.

Let's be truly "discriminating."