SoulVeggie

Interviews: The NotMilkMan & Natural Disaster Preparedness

Robert Cohen is a vegan original. Brilliant, hardcare animal rights, & one of the 1st to publish and speak out loud about the dangers of drinking cow milk.  His daily "notmilk" column inspired me to go vegan (pus cells), start the largest vegan Yahoo Group (The Mad Cowboy Newsletter), start one of the 1st vegan blogs (this one), and write the first vegan pizza cookbook.  How wonderful that he gets two sessions with Dr. Don. Here's the link to the audio stream as well as a downloadable mp3. Robert has to be heard.

Also, a few weeks ago, I did a radio broadcast with Dr. Don on "Natural Disaster Preparedness," also touching on the vegan perspective of same.  We talked little about my book and, imho, there's a lot of useful information and tips for people.  At the time of the broadcast, I was snowed in!  Here's a link to the audio stream and downloadable mp3.

Finally, glom the rest of Dr. Don's archives.  He's interviewed some of the best, ever, regarding living a truly healthy life. Campbell, Esselstyn, Barnard, McDougall, Klapper, cookbook authors galore, and more.

While you were sleeping...

BTW:  you might have missed this, but the entire world adopted a "plant-based" diet last night.  This has freaked-out global markets and promoted high-level fiscal concern for most countries as economies across the world are now drastically collapsing; billions of people are suddenly without work, and small farmers don't have the capacity to deal with the demand for whole, unprocessed, non-GMO'd, real food.  Issues of what to do with, literally, billions of tortured factory farmed animals is suddenly a major concern on many levels.

It's not clear what the cognitive tipping point was in helping people understand that the best medicine for most of what ails them is preventative and restorative from whole, unprocessed, real food.  Certainly Drs. Caldwell Esselstyn, John McDougall, Neal Barnard, Michael Greger, Fuhrman, and T. Colin Campbell, among others, may be culpable in their dedicated, scientifically documented, and tirelessly consistent efforts to point out that a plant-based diet can effectively prevent, let alone reverse, many types of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hyper-tension in humanoids.  They been ridiculed for years, and maybe now they'll get the praise they deserve for swimming up the so-called nutritional knowledge stream for so many years.

However, the sudden collective recognition and ability to separate emotional attachment to food from logical recognition of nutritional value and source implications of what we consume, has staggered the industrial-food complex.  They cannot make money on whole plant-based foods, without adding, to varying degrees, oil, sugar, and salt... these food-like products proven to be tremendously detrimental to human long-term health.  Their corporate holdings are now collapsing as fast as an artery with an ill-fit heart valve stent.

The impact of so many people consuming primarily healthy whole foods, eschewing processed food-like products, and embracing a wholistic plant-based dietary lifestyle has been devastating to the financial and political status quo.  Millions of people in restaurants, support businesses, and fast food venues are being laid off, while said businesses must close their doors from lack of customer interest and purchase.  They were not ready for what obviously had to happen, they were not prepared.  There was no long-term strategy based upon the many nutritional realities that have emerged over the past decade. The Health Care Industry is possibly beyond repair.

Civilization, as we conceive of it, has been irrevocably transformed, and the resulting implications cross across literally all human devices, endeavors, and support systems.  What we eat is fundamental to our existence, and the food corporations have been messing with the concept in irresponsible manners long enough, solely concerned for short-term profits and not long-term health.  Their bluff has been called, they cannot force us to buy their products.

Even so, we be in deep nitrogenous do-do, people.  And we must get past our collective political, mental, and emotional biases to deal with this serious New Reality.  Politicians grandstanding on TeeVee eating cheese, drinking milk, and gnawing on steaks isn't going to change this inevitability nor sway us from the understanding and final awareness that meat, dairy, and highly processed food, are killing us by the millions.

It's not going to be easy, such a mega-paradigm shift is going to generate a lot of collateral damage in the manifestation process.  But given the stakes at hand, the entire human race and the ability of our planet to support carbon-based lifeforms, it's abundantly clear that we have no choice.

We have to transcend.  We have to accept transformation of our consciousness from one predicated by lower-based taste addictions to one embracing our knowledge of a healthier way to live, to thrive, and to love.

We... just... have... no... choice...

Namaste, Mark

[This is my personal "Happy Anniversary" post... as one of the very first vegan bloggers, today "marks" my 8 year anniversary.  I started my blog to (1) promote a plant-based diet, (2) communicate well-referenced and related scientific studies/evidence supporting such, (3) to force myself to write regularly (which led, eventually, to my book), and (4) to torque people and organizations when I deemed it necessary.  Of course, too, it became a wonderful vehicle for ranting on occasion, but also, as I've learned, a vehicle for personal transformation of sorts.  I do apologize, somewhat, to those I've pissed off in the process of growing up.

The post above is an "Einstein Thought Experiment" of sorts, and, I believe, suggests all kinds of interesting implications.  As noted in a recent interview, I LIKE TO THINK.  We all need to think more about the ramifications of our belief structures.  I obviously don't have all the answers, which also upsets me at times, as we are collectively headed for a major global conflaguration involving lifestyle, the environment, the animals, and the ability of our planet to support carbon-based lifeforms.  It's going to happen, of this there is no doubt.  

Are we going to be prepared?  That's the really tough question.  It's the question that Congress should be answering, i.e., our water, air, soil, health, and food, in the future, instead of spending an absolutely assinine and absurd amount of time passing over 40 bills to de-fund something, Obamacare, that they cannot do.

Anyway, as a personal indulgence for a day or two, here's a couple of links to some of my favorite posts the past 8 years, along with a link to a special short-term discount for purchasing an autographed copy of my book.

I hope to be around in another 8 years to see what's happened, how I've hopefully grown, and that maybe this civilization can start acting as though they've been blessed by their very existence instead of abusing same.  You are what you eat and don't excrete, to put it bluntly.  The human body has had 4.5 billion years of testing to learn how to optimize good matter input into long-term health.  That conclusion has become inescapable, and imho, is of vital importance to our species if we're going to be around here in any significant numbers several years from now.  We MUST embrace these changes in thinking.  We literally "have no choice."

I love you all.... Mark

 About the Hex Globe

"The Milk Cellar at Chez Ignorante" 

"My Sojourn to Burger King"

"Heart goes BAM!"

"My Vegan Tipping Point"

"Identify This Vegetable and Win Something"

"The Experimental G-BOMBS V-12 Pizza Prototype"

A Special "Heart Healthy Pizza" Cookbook Anniversary Discount

 

Digital Radio Interview with Me: "I Like Thinking"

About a year ago, I did my first interview in promoting my self-published book.  It was in Fairfax, VA, and I spent days preparing.  I showed up with a pizza ('natch), hobbling with a cane (from a leg injury) and in quite the physical pain.  It was a struggle, and the start of a new and longer experience.  The interviewer, Daniel Michael, had started an online radio station (Mainstreet Universe) and I was one of his first interviews, ever.

Last night, it was an extraordinary experience to interview with Dan after all this time.  We've both grown, gained knowledge, and I felt so relaxed and comfortable to be with the guy who helped initiate my marketing efforts a year ago.  It was so strange, but fitting, to have spent an hour interviewing Dr. Neal Barnard, in person, a few days earlier (for the Mad Cowboy Newsletter, out next month), then spend time with Dan and his team.

I've done a lot of interviews in the past year, but this one was special, and I think the results show a maturation process effected that almost scares me.  I appeared to be lucid, engaging, and polite.  Go figure.  Why I don't do dairy or oil, global water issues, growing food... it covers an interesting range of topics.  Probably the most "wide-range" interview I've done so far.

My final statements in this session struck me today as I reviewed the broadcast:  "I like being asked questions.  Questions make me think.  I like thinking."

That about sums it... I need a lot of rest, though.  Dr. Barnard was incredible and last night was a catharsis of sorts.  Lots to, well, "think" about.

Here's a link to the audio of the interview with Dan and his team.  I'm honored and delighted to have been there and recognize that growth is sometimes tasking, but it does occur, and not often in ways you can possibly anticipate.  As I noted in the interview, plants, when under stress, produce additional and extra nourishment that that aids tremendously in our own health when consumed.

Not unlike our own lives in a similar ongoing process.  Here's a link to the audio of our chat:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/daniel-michael/2013/08/07/main-street-universe-vegan-pizza

"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.

 

Update: "Milk in 2009 Contained Less Pus Than 2008 Milk"

It was realizing the amount of pus cells allowed in milk (concentrated in cheese) that was the foundation of my vegan tipping point.  Once again, Robert Cohen has written about this issue in current context.  Here's his latest post, with a link to the full post here.  Vegetarians who consume dairy products may ignore the animal cruelty and environmental issues, but the health issue herein is somewhat inarguable.  You WILL be consuming cow pus cells if you drink milk or eat cheese.  That's a fact.  Thank you, Robert.

"Milk in 2009 Contained Less Pus Than 2008 Milk

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently released the dairy industry's latest national pus figures. This has got to be great news for those milk drinkers who recoil at the mention of pus in milk.

In 2008, the average liter of milk sold in America contained 247 million pus cells.

In 2009, the average liter of milk sold in America contained only 227 million pus cells.

Rejoice!

Since there are 33.8 ounces of milk in one liter, the average ounce contains just 7,307,692 pus cells. That translates into 87,692,397 pus cells in an average 12-ounce glass of milk. Yummm.

Ten pounds of milk are required to produce one pound of hard cheese. Twelve pounds of milk are required to manufacture one pound of ice cream. Pus can be rather tasty when either sugar or various bacterial cultures are added to fermenting milk. As for the number of pus cells in cheese or ice cream treats, you do the math. I've got to go take a vomit break....

Milk clearly has become less disgusting. Please wake me when the pus cell count gets to zero.

Question for milk drinkers: If you were told that your next glass of ice cold pure white milk contains 88 disgusting pus cells, would you go ahead and drink it anyway? The truth is that the actual amount of pus in that glass is one-million times greater! Bon appetit!"

Great Interview with Rip Esselstyn (re: Daiya Cheese, too)

Excerpt:

"Roseann: What about Daiya? Have you had it?

Rip: I have, I’ve definitely tried it. If I’m not mistaken, it’s 70% fat; it’s loaded with canola oil. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten to the point where I’ve not been eating cheese for so long that even though it’s not dairy per se, to me it tastes just like cheese, and I find it revolting.

Roseann: I have to say, when it first came out, I was addicted. I was eating so much of it, I think I just bottomed out. It was definitely nice to have a meltable “cheese” again, but it does feel almost as heavy and clogging as actual cheese.

Rip: Exactly."

[Note:  full interview from above here, and know that Daiya has more fat grams than whole milk mozzerella, here. Mad Cowboy Interview with Rip, Mad Cowboy Interview with his father).

70th Issue of MadCowboy Newsletter Available

Here's the INTRO, TOC, and a direct link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/message/93

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Howdy!  Welcome to the 70th issue of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter.

In this issue we've a 1 hour video of Howard lecturing in Washington back in January 2010, and some articles/opinions about the recent debate Howard participated in on the topic:  "Can You Be An Environmentalist and Eat Meat?"  There's also some vegan recipes from the world's most prolific vegan cookbook author, Robin Robertson, and her latest achievement:  "Vegan on the Cheap."

Further on down there's our "Mad Cow Info Round-Up," an article on why you might not want to use Agave Syrup, how "school lunches" are a National Security Threat, and a fine essay about the growing "Food Movement."  In honor of VegNew's 10th Anniversary, there's a link to a Mad Cowboy Interivew with the VegNews Editor "way back when," and onward some interesting advice/please from the UN regarding diet and agroecology.  You'll also read about the President's Panel recommendations on Cancer and the Environment, find some fine things (don't miss the Esselstyn/Campbell team-up in "Forks Over Knives") to watch and listen to in the "Vegan Digital Media Theater," learn how PETA is taking on BP, and much more.  And don't miss the return of our "Quick Bytes" resources section!

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

Here's hoping everyone stays cool for the summer and that a bountiful harvest from your home gardens is just now hitting its stride!

***********************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00: Howard in the Media of Note
01: The Vegan Mind-Bender Contest Winner/Challenge!
02: Recipes from "Vegan on the Cheap" by Robin Robertson
03: Mad Cow Info Round-Up
04: Agave Bad, Lunch Threat, Fatal Junk Food, Food Movement
05: VegNews Interview, 5-Day Clean-out, Vegan Athlete Award
06: UN & Vegan Diet/Agroecology, Dead Zone, POTUS Panel & Cancer
07: Vegan Digital Media Theater
08: PETA vs. BP,  Unappetising McTruth, Disturbing Dairy
09: Quick Bytes
10: Closing Thoughts

Chef Makes Cheese from Wife's Breast Milk

I laughed at the following, especially considering my satirical essay, "The Milk Cellar at Chez Ignorante" written/posted back in 2006.  Here's a link to the article where the following edited excerpt is from:

"This Chelsea restaurant has gone from brasserie to brassiere.  Chef Daniel Angerer is letting diners at Klee Brasserie munch on cheese made from his wife's breast milk.  "It tastes like cow's-milk cheese, kind of sweet," he told The Post.  The flavor depends on what the cheese is served with -- Angerer recommends a Riesling -- and "what the mother eats," said Angerer... Breast milk doesn't curdle well due to its low protein content, so a little moo juice has to be added to round out the texture, Angerer said.  After blogging about his efforts with the human cheese, customers started demanding a sample, he said.  "The phone was ringing off the hook," the chef said. "So I prepared a little canapé of breast-milk cheese with figs and Hungarian pepper."

...Mason is now prodding her husband to make gelato.

After inquiries from The Post, health bigs said yesterday that even though department codes do not explicitly forbid the practice, they have advised Angerer to refrain from sharing his wife's milk with the world.  "The restaurant knows that cheese made from breast milk is not for public consumption, whether sold or given away," a spokeswoman for the city Department of Health said."

[When you think about it, that makes significantly less sense than allowing restaurants to serve goat and cow cheese.  We're born to consume breast milk from a human, not from a bovine or goat.]

Latest Mad Cowboy Newsletter - Rip Essy Interview/Recipes

Here's the Intro, Table of Contents, and a Direct Link to the latest Mad Cowboy Newsletter:

LINK:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/message/88

"10_19_09:  Engine 2 Interview, Mutant Milk, & SpiderVeg"

Howdy! Welcome to the 67th issue of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter.

In this issue we're proud to present a Mad Cowboy Interview with the amazing vegan firefighter/author, Rip Esselstyn. Rip's the son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and has built upon his father's remarkable research via some very practical and easy-to-do ways in his diet/exercise/lifestyle book, "The Engine 2 Diet."  There's also three of his recipes for you to try!

Moving on further, there's articles about Mutant Milk, how saturated fat enables Altzheimer's, some surprising statistics on what we eat, Brainfood at the White House, a great new position paper by the ADA on the Vegetarian Diet, and more about that same diet reducing cancer risk.

Continuing in this edition, there's the intriguing proposal for a 50 year Farm Bill, 70 pages of solutions to our agricultural woes, the real cost of food, the new composting mandate in San Francisco, how animal abusers are losing, AETA is winning, new math contrasting a vegan diet with a carnivore's, and the Amazing SpiderVeg!

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

Here's hoping everyone is warm, and to quote Rip: "plant strong" this Winter!

Mark, MC editor/webmaster

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

00: Quote(s) from Howard
01: A Mad Cowboy Interview with Rip Esselstyn
02: Three Recipes from "The Engine 2 Diet"
03: The Vegan Mind-Bender Contest Winner/Challenge!
04: Mad Cow Info Round-Up
05: Mutant Milk, Fat & Altzheimer's, US Fatter, What We're Eating
06: Brainfood, Veg Diet Reduces Cancer & Chronic Disease Risks
07: The Digital Vegan
08: 50 yr Farm Bill, Ag Solutions, Real Food Cost, Composting SF
09: Animal Abusers Lose, AETA Wins, Veg Math, Spider Veg!
10: Howard's Schedule
11: Quick Bytes
12: Closing Thoughts

Whole Foods Lunchbox Program: Whole Foods Bull$hit

This is a wonderful example of a vegan blogger's absurdity regarding veganism, corporate PR, and nutrition (http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com --  she won't allow links from my blog to hers and re-directs them (that's how proud she is of her work), which, if you think about it, is pretty stupid.  Why wouldn't she want people to read her posts?).

In this post, http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/09/whole-foods-healthy-school-lunch-video.html, she promotes the Whole Foods Lunchbox Program and a video contest.  A classic Corporate PR attempt to spin Whole Foods stuff into healthy meals for kids.  And yet, she promotes it.  WTF?  Here's the link to their recipes (the sub-links sometimes don't have URLs):

"Does your child's school need a healthy lunch revolution? Well you're in luck because Whole Foods is sponsoring the Healthy School Lunch Video Contest featuring Chef Ann Cooper, "The Renegade Lunch Lady". The contest is all a part of their "School Lunch Revolution" campaign currently underway. "  (words of wisdom from Kathy)

Here's the catch:  check out the link to their website.  NOTHING under vegetarian yet (guess they were too busy).  Here's the recommended "cheeseburger" recipe link, and there's nothing without dairy in the "calcium" recipes menu option.  There's also no recipes under "Fruit" (guess that's a toughie).  Most of the Whole Grain recipes involve dairy, and or meat.  Oh, it's got a "great" section on "Red Meat" recipes.  And ALL the category "protein" recipes contain meat.  Whole Foods ain't got beans?

Way to go Kathy!!  Whole Foods is promoting largely meat and dairy based lunches for kids, and you in turn, probably without bothering to look at their website, are doing the same.

And you have the nerve to call yourself a "happy, healthy vegan."  You're promoting an unhealthy meat and dairy-based lunch program that is anything but lucky.  It encourages obesity, cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.  And in children...

What is lucky, is maybe some people will read this and realize that this kind of lack of basic research into nutrition, content, ingredients, and the demonstrable adherence to whatever a product's company says on their website without analysis, isn't doing anyone any good.  Digital fluff, nutritional hype.

IMHO, promoting a meat and dairy-based lunch program, as a self-proclaimed vegan, is hypocritical.  And, again, imho, you should be ashamed.