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Vegetarian cooking blog from Delicious TV

Senate bans Japan beef imports amid mad cow row

The U.S. Senate voted twice on Tuesday to keep shipments of Japan's Kobe beef out of the United States until Tokyo ends its ban on American beef, imposed 19 months ago as a precaution against mad cow disease.

Senators said the votes were a signal of frustration with Japan, traditionally the No. 1 customer for U.S. beef exports. The U.S. cattle industry says it loses $100 million each month the market is closed.

'It's just unfair,' said Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson, decrying the continued ban as unjustified dawdling. 'It is time to move beyond soft talk to harder talk.'

A delicacy, Kobe beef comes from Wagyu cattle massaged with sake and fed a diet enriched with beer. Japan shipped $800,000 of the beef annually to U.S buyers before the ban.

Massaged with sake?!?

1,000 chickens that rode out the storm now escape the frying pan / Vacaville woman leads rescue effort at Mississippi farm

Hurricane Katrina left behind a still untold death toll, but it apparently spared the lives of some 1,000 lucky chickens.

Now, instead of meeting their fate in a Mississippi slaughterhouse, the birds are on their way to the Bay Area and other parts of the United States where they will live out the rest of their lives in sanctuaries and backyards.

'Some folks say, 'Why save chickens when there are people and dogs and cats to save?' '' says the birds' savior, Vacaville resident Kim Sturla, who traveled to Mississippi to rescue the chickens after learning about their plight on television.

'I'm looking at it from the perspective of their lives,'' she said. 'The life of the chicken is as important to him as the life of the dog or cat is to them.'

Exclusive Interview with Brooke Gallupe of Immaculate Machine

Close on the heels of our interview with The Organ's Jenny Smyth, Brooke Gallupe of Immaculate Machine took time to talk to MeatFilter about the life of a vegan musician.

MeatFilter: How long have you been a vegetarian and a vegan?

Brooke Gallupe: I've been vegetarian my whole life. I've eaten meat twice: once as a child I was forced by a neighbor who thought my parents were being negligent, and once by accident recently. The former I don't remember, but the latter was traumatizing. On the birthday before last (Aug.2004), I resolved that I could be doing more, challenging myself more, and became vegan. Politically and ethically, I think being vegan is good, so while I don't expect everyone to become one right away, I felt it was important for me to make a good example of myself. Especially since it was so easy for me; it's a small step from being vegetarian, and I am surrounded by pretty vegan-sympathetic people.

MF: What are your musical influences?

BG: My musical influences are varied, but mainly in the rock/indie/punk/pop kind of scene... older bands like The Clash, The Smiths, The Velvet Underground as well as a lot of Canadian contemporary music - The Constantines, The Arcade Fire, The Hidden Cameras. I like bands that have a subversive political attitude, regardless of whether they sing overtly about politics.

MF: When you're on the road with the band has it been hard to find good vegan food?

BG: Not at all. It's all about knowing what you can eat. Being vegetarian and eating well all my life, I was always baffled by people who asked what I could possibly eat. If you really can't think of any vegetarian dishes, you must have pretty boring eating habits. There are tons of things, and being vegan is the same. I'll eat burritos without sour cream or cheese, or falafel, or veggie burgers. We often shop at grocery stores, which is cheaper and easy to make vegan.

MF: What city have you been to that had the best eating options?

BG: In Toronto, I ate a lot of Indian food, which is very often vegetarian or vegan. In Montreal it's middle eastern (ie falafel). In Vancouver there's quite a few great vegetarian retaurants, including a 24 hour one called The Naam. In Victoria I get Phad Thai and ask for no egg or fish sauce. Every cosmopolitan city has options, but obviously the smaller the town, the harder it is to eat well. I'm looking forward to touring through California for the food.

I think it seems harder to become vegan than it actually is. Soy substitutes for dairy are omnipresent, because so many people are lactose intolerant these days. Unless you live in the smallest redneck town in a meat-guzzling family, you have very little excuse -and even then, my vegan girlfriend is the daughter of a butcher from Sudbury, ON. I'm very excited to be seeing so many new places on our upcoming tour with The New Pornogaphers. Maybe I'll meet some friendly vegans too.

Big thanks to Brooke for his time and to Yvette Ray at Mint Records for setting up the interview. Be sure to check out the new Immaculate Machine CD, Ones and Zeroes

Vegan diet causes weight loss, without exercise, calorie-counting, or portion limits

PCRM >> News and Media Center >> Breaking Medical News Archive >> Vegan diet causes weight loss, without exercise, calorie-counting, or portion limits:

A low-fat vegan diet causes significant weight loss, even without exercise, calorie-counting, or portion limits, according to a study conducted by PCRM researchers and published in the September 2005 American Journal of Medicine. Sixty-four overweight women were randomly assigned to either a low-fat, vegan diet or a more moderate low-fat (control) diet based on National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines. The vegan group lost an average of 13 pounds in 14 weeks, compared with 8 pounds for the control group. The weight loss of the vegan group was partly attributable to the low calorie content of plant-derived foods. In addition, the vegan group showed a 16% increase in its after-meal calorie-burning speed, referred to as the thermic effect of food. This, in turn, appears to be due to the fact that the vegan diet improved insulin sensitivity by 24%. Improved insulin sensitivity allows nutrients to more rapidly enter the cells of the body to be converted to heat, rather than to fat.

Related reports have described the acceptability of the diet and its effects on nutrient intake.

Vegan Diet Helps Postmenopausal Women Shed Weight

DNC: Health News - Vegan Diet Helps Postmenopausal Women Shed Weight:

Postmenopausal women are able to lose weight and improve insulin sensitivity more effectively when following a low-fat, vegan diet that excludes meat and dairy products, according to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine.

Neal D. Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and colleagues at Georgetown University Hospital and George Washington University conducted the research.

Unlimited Servings

Half of the 59 participants -- all of whom were overweight, postmenopausal women -- followed a vegan diet. The other half followed a control diet based on National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines.

'The study participants following the vegan diet enjoyed unlimited servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other healthful foods that enabled them to lose weight without feeling hungry,' noted Dr. Barnard.

The simplicity of a vegan diet appeals to many people who are busy with work and family -- and familiar recipes often are easy to adapt.

'As they began to experience the positive effects -- weight loss and improved insulin sensitivity -- the women in the intervention group became even more motivated to follow the plant-based eating plan,' Dr. Barnard observed.

CNN.com - Pet rescuers race against time - Sep 9, 2005

On the flooded streets of New Orleans you can hear the dogs barking for miles. They are trapped -- in houses, on roofs, tied to porches. They are frightened and hungry.

For the pets left behind after Hurricane Katrina, relief is on the way, but it's a race against time.

'It's a dire situation,' said Melissa Seide Rubin of the Humane Society of the United States.

Rescue workers are worried most about pets locked inside homes and whose food and water supply may have run out. For them, rescue is their only chance of survival.

Vegan / Vegetarian "Fried Chicken"

No chicken fried chicken recipe. click link above for full recipe:

# 1/2 cup textured soy protein
# 1 tablespoon vegetarian 'chicken' bouillon powder
# 1/2 cup vegan pancake mix, dry (approximately)
# 2/3 cup crushed cornflakes (approximately)
# Salt, pepper, other seasonings
# Oil for frying

Vegetarian Belts - Vegan & Vegetarian clothing

Expensive belts.

This is where you can buy the best non-leather belts in the world! You can also buy bracelets and handbags too. All products on this site are from Truth, a Canadian company whose unique products are made with the highest quality. Everything is made in Canada.

Vegetarian glucosamine market expands

"Japanese firm Kyowa Hakko Kogyo will begin marketing a refined version of Cargill's vegetarian glucosamine on its home market next month, to meet steadily rising demand for quality forms of the joint health ingredient."

Kyowa Hakko to market Cargill's vegetarian glucosamine