SoulVeggie

Re-Post: "Sojourn to Burger King"

Was thinking about upcoming planting & memories of this earlier post came to mind. Posted in 2005, most people following this blog probably haven't read it. One of my favorites, as well as truly intense.  Enjoy!  Mark (Been busy dealing w/ tragedy & work. Hope to announce cookbook's title later this month).

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[I wrote this back in May 2002.  The veg'n community was "a buzz" with the arrival of the BK Veggie Burger.  The burger made quite a stir, and invited many debates (among them, is buying one supporting BK's negative impact on society's health and our environment? Eric Marcus of the great "vegan.com" stunned many with his thoughts on the matter).  I hadn't been to a fast food restaurant in years and documented what transpired.]

Oh, gawd... I feel so unclean......

I had to run some errands in Burtonsville, MD, late this morning, and there was this Burger King in the parking lot of the strip mall.  Girding my loins, adjusting my shades, pulling up my pants, I went in.  I tried to swagger a bit, like some of the workmen I saw going in... look tough... you're walking into a store painted in primary colors... could be worse... could be McSlaughter's....

Felt like I was a Dallas fan in a Redskins bar, only I had sunglasses on and no one knew any better.  What do I do? A long line.  Quite the mixture of ethic backgrounds, generally lower middle income.  What sort of demented artist designed this place?  They are so happy selling dead animal products.  Better get in line.

The people behind the counter wear uniforms... are they a para military force of some kind?  The assault on my sense was almost too much.  They spoke some numerical code... "I'll take a Number 4, she wants a Number 5 without onions, I want a super-this and a mega-that"..... very confusing...

I checked out the menu overhead... gaudy and bright.. Yup, the "BK Veggie"  $2.29...  Lord... look at the other products on the menu... my internal calorie counter was going off the scale.  Unbelievable fat-laden and salty food... look at all the dead meat.   I hear Schossler chuckling with a little Twilight Zone music in my head.... look at all the crap they are selling, and buried in that visual abuse is the "BK Veggie" (next month the big promo for all BK's will be Chicken Whoppers, btw).

The lady and kid in front of me were fascinating.  She was clearly his grandmother, and thin as a rail.  The kid must've been around 8 or 9 years old, and rarely have I see any child so obese... he had, literally, three chins.. his ear lobes were the size of my thumbs... it was awful to see what happened next.  She order fried chicken fingers, large order of fries, and a Diet Coke or Pepsi for the boy.  Absolutely amazing.

I placed my order.  "BK Veggie Burger, microwaved."

"Microwaved?" the guy behind the register said, slightly above the yelling of people in the kitchen making and delivering orders (they were very busy.... french fries literally flying around).

"Yup... I'd like it microwaved. You can do that... I checked.  I don't want it cooked on a meat greasy grill."  Was that a mummered rustling from people behind me I heard, or thought I saw peripherally?

He went over to the manager, who was barking orders at the adolescents in the back.  He nodded after a pause, looking at me like I'm an alien.. Hmm, one of "them."  "Okay" was the final pronouncement.

"Here or to go?" the kid asked me.  Hell, I don't know, I thought.... how is this done?

"Ahh... h-here.." I stammered (did the people behind me think I was from a foreign country? I thought to myself).  I paid the blood money.

"Number 61"... guess that's me.  I raised my hand... "You got the veggie burger?" "Yup." "Here!" he dashed to bark out more orders.

The burger was wrapped in Burger King paper and on a plastic brown tray.  Now what?  Are people watching me?  Get a seat, yeah....

Ketchup... sure... grab some packages... napkins... dodge the crowd at the soda fountain.... get seat for good recon (near the kid and his granny).  Try to look nonchalant... cool... with it.... Master of the BK Domain....

Okay.... let's take a bite.... not bad... OUCH! (I don't own a microwave and forgot about the heat...).  It was small, edible, relatively tasteless.... the bun was like eating styrofoam with a slight crust...

"Eat all your chicken fingers before they get cold" the wise Grandma was advising her grandson, as he was shoveling french fries into his gaping maw while grooving on his plastic toy that came with the meal.

I forced more of the burger down.... looking at people around me.... amazed at what they were eating, as though this is civilized and we are the greatest nation in the world.

I'm done... now what?  Jeez... look at the people in the line... at least two-thirds of them are very overweight.  Wonder if there's a connection?

Now what?  Okay... save napkins and ketchup not used.... throw away stuff, advertisement paper place mat trashed, put tray on trashcan.  Unclean... unclean....

I sneaked out the back door.... Ah.... fresh air... sunshine.... it's over.  The cognitive assault had abated.  I was free again... felt like gargling with carrot juice.

Okay, Eric... I bought one outta support for the movement.  Would I do it again?

Only under extraordinary circumstances.  Yes, it's encouraging to some, especially if they promoted it better (at this store it was almost invisible), and Mr. Marcus made good points.  Yes, I would urge every veg'n to buy at least one BK Veggie Burger, even if you throw it away.  I think he's right that it must succeed, or rather, it would be sad if it did not.  Presumably, the other Fat, er, Fast Food chains are watching.

But then, as comparison, at the Giant across the parking lot from the BK, bagels are fifty cents, boca burgers are about a buck apiece when buying a pack of four, tomatoes (or what pass for them), run around 99 cents a pound.  The salad bar is around $2.50 to $3 a pound. Across the street at the incredible Amish market, potato wedges (huge potato) are a buck, handmade burger rolls, six to a pack, about $2.20. Tons of fresh produce, grains, legumes (beans usually $1/lb., millet somewhat less).  The local farmer's markets will open in a few months... fresh local produce.

Limp lettuce, translucent tomato slice, pale mayonnaise, and some carrot flecks in the veg patty.  $2.29 plus tax, lotta paper wasted. Flourescent light and red/yellow color overdose.

Progress?

As luck would have it, packages of vegetable and greens seeds were on sale for 10 cents apiece at the Dollar Store near the BK.  Bought twenty packages (brocolli, mustard greens, lettuce, basil, dill, parsley, etc... most will be micro-greens for me... 30 to 40 gourmet salads for about 5 cents apiece (many many more if I grow them past adolescence), some soil, water, and sunshine).

That's my idea of progress.  This brand of seed is usually six to ten times more in cost.  You can buy organic seeds cheaper in bulk, elsewhere.

The kid was in the Dollar Store, too, his Grandmother buying him candy, among other things.  She was trying so hard to please him and he had her by the pocketbook via her heart.  And in her love for him, his heart was going to have a rough time from the lifestyle being encouraged by her emotions.  How sad!

I shoulda slipped him some seeds..... told him they were magic, and that with love and attention, they would make him strong and healthy, extending his life and enjoyment of same.  He would be able to run faster, jump higher, laugh louder, love longer, and think better.

Of course, that's a fairy tale... and no plastic toys accompanied the seed packets.

 

[Twitter @solveggie]

MeatOut 2011: On Activism and Activists

Thinking about "Meatout 2011" as I wrote this post, my mind wandered back to my first "Meatout" experience many years ago, when I noted dedicated vegetarians/vegans from the Vegetarian Society of DC (the oldest such group in the country, I'm since a life member), huddled behind a table on the Washington Mall in freezing weather, cheerfully providing information to and answering questions from visitors to the Mall.

"What dedication..." I remember thinking.  They have a cause, and they are devoting their time, unselfishly to try to educate the public about the negative issues associated with eating meat, dairy, and eggs.  I admired them for that dedication and self-sacrifice, eschewing personal comfort and the usual focus on form stuff instead of deeper spiritual matters.  They're not calling it in, sending a check, they are actually on the front lines talking TO people and doing something active.

Since that time, I've done my share of overt activism in the streets handing out information, which was by no means as dedicated as those women who, in freezing weather, would protest the wearing of fur at the Galleries in North DC area.  Nowhere near as impressive as the tired but happy look in the eyes of the Mad Cowboy, aka, Howard Lyman, as he came back from a cross country lecture tour, inspired and on fire by the excitement generated and the feedback he received from the lucky people he spoke to.  Then there's the long long hours I saw Alex Hershaft (FARM) put in on his tireless and endless quest to avoid the animal holocaust he perceives occurring now versus the actual Holocaust he experienced as a child.  The inspired diatribes of Robert Cohen's daily column (the NotMilkMan) for so many years.

Personally, among other things, I've edited some 70 issues of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter (zero to 4,700 subscribers), been head photographer at AR200X Conferences (meeting so many dedicated people), helped write/edit a book of vegan recipes, developed/producted/edited/managed some 4 DVDs for the vegan madman called Howard.  Guess I'm a covert activist.  Then there's this blog.  Recently hit my 500th post.  Wow... all that ranting.

Activism, the activist... they are of a different breed than most people.  They care more for an ideal or altruistic goal then making money, focusing on having fun, and other superficial non-important non-spiritual drives.  Self-sacrifice flows in their blood.  They have a fire inside, something that propells them forward, no matter what the cost, no matter what the consequences, to help promote and make the changes that society must, eventually, incorporate for the greatest good.  They are the leading edge, they are the vanguards of newer ethics, consciousness, and awareness.  They force society to look at itself and re-examine it's values.  They are a mirror to the Medusa society is in danger of becoming if people don't evolve.  Balance to them is stagnation, there's a lot of work to be done.  They don't just think it, they put things into motion and do it.  They engage. They know there will be conflict, there will be risks, but they have the inner faith that a positive outcome will manifest.  Energy follows thought.

As I struggle with my cookbook, the long hours, the overall financial gamble, some ridicule, some personal disappointments,  I take comfort in knowing that I'm doing the right thing.  Of course it'll be a no-added fat cookbook, and help promote reversing and preventing heart disease (the number one killer of people in this country, vegan, vegetarian, or not).  I take some solace in recognizing that I'm not alone.  There are many activists out there, working their butts off every day, and with Twitter I've had the delight of getting to know many of them casually, who are striving to do better, and make this world a better vegan place.  THEY ARE ON FIRE!

Meatout is one of the more important activism efforts in the veg'n community. The world's largest grassroots dietary education campaign!  Year after year, FARM tirelessly promotes, educates, incites, encourages, and supports this effort (among many others) to help educate people about why meat is just plain bad.  Animal rights, the environment, spiritually, and health.  Hard to argue with all that these days, whereas two decades ago, we were considered deluded and there just wasn't as much compelling evidence to support what we knew was right, as is available now.  No easy way to distribute videos of factory farm abuses or dietary statistics.

With even the UN acknowledging the health and environmental benefits of a vegetarian (vegan) diet, we no longer need feel ashamed (if we ever did) nor shy nor crazy in our belief that going vegan is the best thing that a person can do, for themselves, for others, for the animals, and for the planet.  It was all that early activism, faith, and trust that got us this far, and it will be the same that helps us continue to spread the word.

So, give a kind word to the activist, a hug would help, try to understand their driven nature & desire to do good, that they are not trying to be difficult but simply want to move us all forward.  Respect them for the role they play in society and give them encouragement.  Without their efforts, we'd be stagnant, and significant change would be an extremely slow process even more vulnerable to Corporate bullshit. The activists are the catalyst in the meta-social chemical process of progress. They make it happen.

We're vital.  We are networking.  We are making press, the media is aware of us, and the change is happening.  I can't believe the number of articles or news items related to a vegan or vegetarian diet I see weekly.  Just astounding.  And then,  I'm no great fan of Oprah, but when even Oprah has her staff going vegan for a week, we can rest assured, we are no longer on the fringe.

We are the future.  And that's what Meatout and all veg'n activists are working for.

Take a moment to be proud.  Breathe in, breath out...

Now, get back to work and spread the word.  Network, tweet, blog, get out on the streets, get active.  DO SOMETHING.

There's a lot to be done... and lots of animals, people, & environment to protect.

 

Twitter: @solveggie

10 Additional Heath Benefits of Daiya Cheese

I'd been exploring Twitter & responding w/ some Tweets about the high fat content of Daiya Cheese, when the company tweeted back and said they wanted to talk to me about the health benefits of their products.  I responded, essentially, that the products were high fat, basically added oil, and nutritionally useless. What's to talk about?  Thought about this some more and decided to visit their website after a 2 yr hiatus (had blogged about them awhile back).

Keep in mind that the only two guys to reverse heart disease, Drs. Esselstyn and Ornish, with 20+ years of peer reviewed research to support their claims, recommend between 12 (or so) and 24 grams of fat per day (depending upon your caloric intake:  they prefer 10% of your calories from fat, NO added oil), I decided to be magnanimous and help provide Daiya with some additional health claims they can truthfully use.

First, what are the ingredients in Daiya Mozarella Cheese:

"Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and /or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavours, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, citric acid (for flavor)."

Second, here's the "health" claims on their website:

- cholesterol free

- trans fat free

- free of all animal products (vegan)

- free of common allergens including:  dairy (casein and lactose), soy, gluten, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts (excluding coconut)

- free of artificial ingredients

- free of hormones & antibiotics

A fine and thoughtful analysis by the Daiya team, even though a pile of rocks or leaves would easily be determined as "healthy" by the exacting criteria used above.  In the case of the leaves, maybe healthier.

It seems that the healthy benefits of Daiya Cheese are measured by what it DOES NOT CONTAIN instead of WHAT IT DOES CONTAIN, or as "compared to dairy cheese" (unless you take into account the fat, which isn't much of a difference).  One-fourth cup is 6 grams of just fat (and a slice of pizza would normally have around 1/3 cup, probably 8 grams of fat).  Have two slices of a Daiya dosed pizza and you've killed a day's worth of fat (according to Esselstyn/Ornish/Barnard/McDougall/Campbell).

Anyway, I decided to help them out.  Here's an additional 10 health claims they can add to their website for Daiya Cheese (as could many vegan cheese products) and be truly honest:

1) REDUCES HEART DISEASE POTENTIAL:  less plaque forming (which causes 90% of heart attacks) than from dairy or meat sources.  Of course, eliminating added oil totally would reduce that potential to near zero, but that's not the point.  It's LESS.

2) VERY SAFE TO EAT:  contains no glass shards which would irritate or cut-up your esophagus.

3) HUMANE:  not tested on mice, rabbits, cats, dogs, or platypus ducks.

4) EASIER DIGESTION;  contains no significant amounts of any nutrient (phytochemicals, antioxidants, micronutrients, any vitamins or minerals)... nutritionally useless means less demand on your digestive system.

5) "VEG" FRIENDLY:  suitable for pesco-vegetarians, bovo-vegetarians, swino-vegetarians, avian-vegetarians, and chitinous-vegetarians.  Flexi-vegetarian issues still being studied.

6) IMMUNITY BUILDING:  contains coconut oil, the #1 source of plant-based saturated fat, to help you build a tolerance to a substance the American Heart Association says should be limited in your diet.

7) ANALGESIC:  eliminates the emotional pain of re-calibrating your taste receptors to not crave fat and actively promotes your taste addiction to fat, thereby decreasing your stress.

8) FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS FREE:  contains no E.Coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Avian Flu, Mad Cow Disease, or Ergot Fungus (bummer).

9) CONTAINS NO REAL FOODS; which would be another demand on your digestive system.  The Pea Flour is borderline.  Glycerin (not a real food) and oils "slide through" your system, although, what is a vegan natural flavor?  However, the Xantham Gum is essentially slime, which is a real food, kinda sorta, although icky in concept. I also prefer my yeast "active."  Let the little buggers earn their keep.

10) WEIGHT-REDUCER:  does a fantastic job of making your wallet lighter & therefore less of a physical burden.

Of course, admittedly, shredded cardboard laced with coconut and olive oil would probably have a superior nutritional profile to that of Daiya Cheese, and many other vegan cheeses.  Cheaper, higher in fiber, but probably doesn't melt as well.

"Eating Animals" Quote & Dr. Martin Luther King

This is a link to my post during last year's Martin Luther King Day:

http://soulveggie.blogs.com/my_weblog/2010/01/eating-animals-quote-martin-luther-king-jr.html

Been on a bit of blog hiatus for personal reasons (wanting to not post some things very much on my mind I'll regret later), as well as very busy working on my cookbook & exploring social media.  Best to all, Mark

Trailer: "Dive: Living Off America's Waste"

The numbers are amazing.  96 billion lbs. of edible food tossed into landfills in this country a year. That works out to 3,000 lbs. of food per SECOND.  Sure, it's not all vegan, but it is FOOD.  The following trailer is most interesting and resonates to me in particular because of an experience I had a few weeks ago.

I was at a local Giant grocery store a few weeks ago, talking with one of the produce managers I've gotten to know over the past few years (such that he'd even ask my advice on vegetables with customers, and in return, he'd listen to me wail over personal issues).  I noticed that he was removing slightly blemished HUGE green peppers from the "sell" bins to two boxes.  He told me that people wouldn't buy them, and those two boxes of incredible green peppers were going to be thrown out.  He couldn't sell them to me, or even give them to me (would have been easy to preserve in any number of ways).  Apparently, this kind of practice is rampid in the industry and has to do with health laws, legal issues, yadda. 

In thinking about this regarding all the other produce in the huge store, I realized that there must be a tremendous amount of viable useful and edible produce being tossed into dumpsters every week.  The movie DIVE appears to address this matter directly.  Had I the discretionary time, this is a social issue I would love to tackle:  why are we throwing away all this edible food in current times of economic trauma?  It's a larger social issue that's not being addressed.  Some restaurants and stores do allow non-profits to "harvest" the throwaways, but that the biggies, WalMart, Trader Joe's, Giant, don't, is bothersome.

As consumers, most Americans are so damn conditioned to think produce must be pristine and blemish-free.  As a farmer, I know better. Give me slighty blemished freshly grown organic broccoli, tomatoes, zukes, kale... over the antiseptic artificial store-bought stuff any time. A good paring knife can do wonders.

Here's the trailer, a direct link to the website, and an interesting article about it all:

Dive! Trailer from Compeller on Vimeo.

Article: "6,000 New Salad Bars"

This is wonderful. Even though there's bound to be some meat, dairy, & fatty foods involved, it is, imho, a huge step forward. The following article (severely edited below) was a tip-off from PCRM.  Thanks, y'all!

"USDA removes major barrier to Michelle Obama’s salad-bar initiative:  First Lady Michelle Obama announced last week that a new public-private partnership, Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools, would make it possible for as many as 6,000 salad bars to be installed in U.S. school cafeterias at an estimated cost of $15 million. Contrary to what hundreds of irate commenters directed to Grist from a link by the Drudge Report feared, the salad bars will not be mandatory lunchtime eating for the nation's youngsters, not taxpayer-funded. If parents like Sarah Palin want their kids to eat cookies for lunch, no one is going to stop them..." [SOURCE]

New Mad Cowboy Newsletter Out - Msg. from Howard, & Mr. Clucky

Title: A Special Holiday Msg. from Howard, Recipes from Vegan Unplugged!, Mr. Clucky

TOC and Direct link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/message/94

"Howdy!  Welcome to the 71th issue of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter.

This edition features a special holiday message from Howard!  You can also learn about Mr. Clucky, Dennis Kucinich's book, how the food industry wants to change the name "high fructose syrup" (and avoid connections with a study showing how HFS feeds cancer), that a new study shows that organic strawberries not only taste better, but are better for your health.  Further on, you'll see some Monsanto backlash, an unusual study about how plants "think" with light, that there was actually a Texas Veggie Fair during the humongous Texas State Fair, more concerns about Frankenfish, and that the oldest Brit is vegetarian.

Don't miss the fine recipes from "Vegan Unplugged!" a unique survival guide and vegan cookbook, quite a few videos worth glomming in the "Vegan Digital Media Theater," how $4.2 billion is being spent to convince you to eat "fast food," and that the Tea Party wants to eliminate "Puppy Mill" legislation.  And of course, there's the obligatory "Mad Cow Info Round-Up."

... as always, a tip of the hat to our new subscribers:  y'all can browse/search through past issues at the Mad Cowboy Newsletter Archives at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/

Here's hoping everyone has a fine, warm, and enjoyable Vegan Thanksgiving with friends and family! Be patient with your non-veg relatives or associations, and set an example by being grateful for what blessings we do have and giving thanks where due.

Best regards, Mark    MC editor/webmaster

***********************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00: A Special Holiday Message from Howard
01: The Vegan Mind-Bender Contest Winner/Challenge!
02: Recipes from "Vegan Unplugged!" by Jon Robertson
03: Mad Cow Info Round-Up
04: HFS Feeds Cancer/Name Chg., US Avoids Vegs, $4.2 Billion
05: Study: Org. Strawbs Best, Monsanto Wins/Loses, Plants Think
06: Vegan Digital Media Theater
07: Tex Veggie Fair, Kucinich Cookbook, Oldest Brit is Veg, Quivers
08: Frankenfish, Mr. Clucky, Pam Anderson, Tea Party vs. Puppies
09: Quick Bytes
10: Closing Thoughts"

Xtreme Eating 2010 Awards: Cheezilla, Sneaky Pizza, Pestocide, +

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has put together a devastating list of "bad food" awards for 2010.  As usual, they are making a good point, and it's great to see them get some press for noting how unbelievably awful some of these foods are nutritionally:

"With two out of three adults—and one out of three children—overweight or obese, you’d think that restaurants would have some interest in keeping their patrons alive and dining out longer.

With mandatory calorie labeling on the horizon for chain restaurants, you’d think that restaurants would be dropping high-calorie items from their menus.

With close to 30 percent of young Americans too heavy to join the military, you’d think that restaurants would at least stop introducing new heavyweight items.

Nope. It’s business as usual in the restaurant industry. And that means it’s business as usual around here.  Welcome to our 2010 Xtreme Eating Awards."

Kudos to the whole CSPI team for bringing these sad issues to public concern.  Pity that these companies don't really care what they are doing to our collective health (and adding immeasurably to overall healthcare costs a few years from now).

"Faith-based" Nutritional Advice or "WTF?"

It's not often I see the diametrically opposed juxtiposition of a fine article, in this case, on the marketing efforts of Fast Food companies, contrasted with the author's own recipes.  Just absolutely amazing.

Here's the deal:  Kristin writes this excellent article about Fast Food Companies marketing to kids and minorities, here.  Makes sense, points out some real problems, has a lot of stats (not referenced, but consistent with what I know from past research).  Then, in the "footer" to the article is a link to her blog.  I'm thinking, "holistic nutritionist" there must be some good recipes there.

Boy, was I wrong.  The most current recipe (here) at that time was a Killer Quiche (emphasis on "killer").  A real "heart attack" waiting to happen.  Refined spelt flour, eggs, butter, whole milk, and a paltry 1 cup of chopped spinach to be spread around four servings.

How ridiculous.  I did the math.  Close to 400 calories and over 40 grams of fat per serving.  To put this into perspective, even the grossly conservative American Heart Association weighs in at no more than 80 grams of fat PER DAY.  Esselstyn and Ornish, who've prevented heart disease, weigh in at 15 to 25 grams of fat per day TOTAL.  One half the fat, per serving, that the AHA recommends per day for an adult.  She must be so proud!

So, a slice of that quiche has about as much fat as a Burger King Whopper and the same amount of calories.  What a winner!  In fact, the Whopper has more vegetables per serving then her quiche!

Refined flour, butter, whole milk, eggs, and a little tiny bit of spinach, and Kristin calls this "healthy and satisfying."

It gets worse.  In private e-mail exchange, which I won't quote here as I haven't asked permission, she points out that these are "traditional foods" and asserts that this makes them intrinsically healthy, and she never bothers to worry about the fat in her recipes.

Unbelievable.  She is essentially saying she knows more than Esselstyn, Ornish, Barnard, McDougall, Campbell and the American Heart Association.  She actually gets paid to counsel people on nutrition and feels that a vegan or vegetarian diet negatively impacts, among other things, your "reproductive capabilities."  Babe, come on over and I'll show you otherwise.

What a load of, well, crap.  What's traditional?  Drinking blood in the Latin American countries during the Mayan period?  Eating sheep intestines (haggis) in Ireland?  Possum in West Virginia?  Consumption of insects which is common in some countries?

It's just stunning to be reminded that there are people out there that actually believe drinking the raw breast milk from another species, that eating congealed pus-filled cheese, and ignoring the amount of fat in a meal is all good and "traditional."  These ignorant people are helping kill us in large numbers.  Unknowingly, with positive motive, they are promulgating absurd and scientifically unfounded myths about diet that altogether too many people, too lazy to do the research, buy into.

She has the audacity to all herself a "holistic nutritionist."  What colossal ego and overall silliness.

Oil is NOT a whole food, neither is raw milk, nor cheese, nor dead animal corpses.

Do your homework and actually help people to live longer, Kristin.  Start with science.  No wonder so many of your clients have problems with a plant-based diet.  A "faith-based diet" is about as sound as a "faith-based foreign policy" and we KNOW where that's gotten us.

Check this out:  15 reasons to avoid vegetable oils, all referenced and cited.  Ironic that your article didn't provide a single source.  Guess we're suppose to believe everything you wrote 'cause you're a "holistic nutritionist."

You are, imho, a well meaning ill-informed promoter of a diet that helps kill people earlier than necessary.  I've got the science, peer-reviewed research, and studies on my side, wadda you got?  Show me the studies that demonstrate the incredible health benefits of cheese, milk, or meat, that aren't industry funded.

Until you can show me some serious, non-industry-funded studies, that praise the anti-cancer or heart disease contribution of meat, dairy, and eggs, your advice is totally unfounded in reality.  There's no real definition of "traditional" and it's clear that the consumption of so much fat is unhealthy.  You prey on the ignorant, without realizing such.

And the bigger reality is that an epidemic number of Americans are dying from disease every year that could be prevented by eating properly.

IMHO, You are not part of the solution; you are part of the problem.  Desperate people buying into such warm and comfy phrases as "traditional foods."

How sad and unnecessary.  I apologize for my anger in this post, but, imho, people like you easily delude others into believing your non-researched nonsense, and that affects the quality of their lives.  And, you called me, in e-mail, "seriously misinformed,"  I've been called stupid, opinionated, and arrogant.  It ticks me off.  I'm NOT stupid.

It's about time we get real with this organic, holistic, raw, local, silly traditional or "paleolithic" stuff.  The underlying foundational issues are fat, sugar, and salt.  THEN the issues of organic, holistic, raw, vs. local come into play.  And just because you believe something is true, without a shred of evidence, doesn't make it so.

Lives are at stake, and the stakes are high.

 

OT: Good Causes, the Battle, & Loving the Imperfect

I've been taking some serious flack from someone's who's opinion means a lot to me over my gamble to focus on my cookbook and not pursue other contracts or full-time work.  I admit that the stress of the past six months has been extraordinary, largely from external events of which I had no control, and that it has probably cost me a relationship that meant the world to me.  Despite this all, I found myself awakening this morning with re-invigorated determination that I'll find a way.  The book's concept is too cool and unique (as echoed by a well-known veg'n bookbook author who I've been discussing it with for two years), and I've got to do it.

While making tea in the kitchen I happened to listen to an interview on TeeVee about a play on Broadway about Vince Lombardi that's been getting much notice.  A little research led to the following two quotes that relate somewhat to how I feel, and may be helpful to many of you out there advancing your own causes or endeavoring to evolve and sustain a relationship:

"The extraordinary question Lombardi posed that day was this: “What is the meaning of love?”  Yes. What is the meaning of love?

He was serious. There was a method to his madness. He explained: “Anybody can love something that is beautiful or smart or agile. But you will never know love until you can love something that isn’t beautiful, isn’t bright, or isn’t glamorous. . . . Can you accept someone for his inabilities?”

Now keep in mind, this was Lombardi, the leonine coach who also made famous the statement: "Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing."

According to Skoronski, the great coach then proceeded to connect the dots. Lombardi explained to the players that any of them may not regard any particular teammate as equally talented or equally capable. But a loving commitment to the team and to all the teammates would enable a better player to help a lesser player."  [source]

------------  and the following fine quote:

"I don't say these things because I believe in the ‘brute’ nature of man or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle — victorious."  --- Vince Lombardi [source]

...time to get back to work...