Cookbook review "You Won t Believe It s Vegan - Inside Bay Area"

Cookbook review "You Won t Believe It s Vegan - Inside Bay Area": "Vegans are like everyone else — they want their food to be yummy and maybe even to taste like it comes from a fine restaurant. As it turns out vegans may just get their wish thanks to 'You Won t Believe It s Vegan ' a book by vegan restaurant owners Lacey Sher and Gail Doherty. Their book shares a fun uncompromising unapologetic way of eating for vegans and for everyone else."

Vegan baking tips | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

Vegan baking tips | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com: "Susan Kaplan is an experienced cook but wanted to learn more about vegan baking to create desserts all four would enjoy; she's often cooking three different dishes.

So the Norfolk mom recently drove to the Virginia Beach kitchen of Betsy DiJulio, another accomplished cook who's been a vegan for two years. DiJulio had an impressive menu ready to prepare: cookie-dough brownies with chocolate ganache, gingerbread cupcakes with orange cream-cheese frosting, chocolate mousse pie and oatmeal dried-cranberry cookies. All without dairy milk, butter or chicken eggs."

Lawyer also sculptor, marathoner, vegan -- chicagotribune.com

Lawyer also sculptor, marathoner, vegan -- chicagotribune.com: "He took up sculpture as a young attorney, displaying his work at the Old Town and Gold Coast Art Fairs. He began distance running in middle age, completing several marathons. In his 60s, he gave up meat, trying, mostly in vain, to convince old friends of the benefits of a vegan lifestyle."

Low Sperm Count Linked to Beef

Consumption of beef by women during pregnancy may alter a male's in utero testicular development and compromise his future reproductive capacity, researchers here reported.

The reason could be residual anabolic steroids in the meat, Shanna Swan, Ph.D., of the University of Rochester (N.Y.), and colleagues, reported online in the March 28 issue of Human Reproduction.

In a study of 387 fertile partners of pregnant women, men whose mothers reported eating more than seven beef meals a week while pregnant, had a sperm concentration more than 24% lower than that of men whose mothers ate less beef, they found.

In addition, three times more sons of high-beef consumers had a sperm concentration that would be classified as subfertile according to World Health Organization standards, compared with men whose mothers ate less beef, said Dr. Swan and colleagues.

MedPage Today - Eating Beef in Pregnancy Linked to Reduced Sperm in Adult Sons

The Post Punk Kitchen: Vegetarian cooking & vegan baking with no attitude

An online vegetarian cooking show:

"We've always loved cooking shows but they tend to be gross. So we thought it would be nice if there was something watchable for vegetarians. And people who may not have fancy accoutrement. (Please say that word in a french canadian accent because it's funnier that way)."

Vegan Lunch Box

Good recipes

"Here are some recipes from my cookbook, along with others I've created exclusively for free on my website. Don't forget to browse through the Vegan Lunch Box Blog archives for dozens of additional menu ideas, product and cookbook recommendations, and easy recipe ideas."

Children with a high IQ are more likely to become vegetarian :: University of Southampton

"Intelligent children may be more likely to be vegetarian as adults, suggests a University of Southampton-led study published online by the British Medical Journal today.

The study led by Dr Catharine Gale of the University's MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre looked to see why people with higher IQs appeared to be less likely to suffer from heart disease.

'We examined the records of 8179 men and women aged 30 years, whose IQ had been tested at the age of ten. Twenty years on, 366 (4.5 per cent) of participants said they were vegetarian. Of these, 9 (2.5 per cent) were vegan and 123 (33.6 per cent) stated they were vegetarian but reported eating fish or chicken,' says Dr Gale.

'Those who were vegetarian by the age of 30 had scored five IQ points above average at the age of ten. This can be partly accounted for by better education and higher occupational social class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.'"

Vegan diet taught as cancer deterrent

"Studies have shown that people on plant-based diets tend to have significantly lower cancer rates than those on meat-based diets, according to a Cancer Project handbook distributed at the class."

Milk in tea erases health benefits

Yet more proof that Milk is a load of bollocks!

Drinking tea can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke but only if milk is not added to the brew, German scientists said Tuesday.

Research has shown that tea improves blood flow and the ability of the arteries to relax but researchers at the Charite Hospital at the University of Berlin, Germany, found milk eliminates the protective effect against cardiovascular disease.

"The beneficial effects of drinking black tea are completely prevented by the addition of milk, said Dr. Verena Stangl, a cardiologist at the hospital.

"If you want to drink tea to have the beneficial health effects you have to drink it without milk. That is clearly shown by our experiments," she told Reuters.

Tea is second only to water in worldwide consumption so any benefits could have important public health implications. But until now it was not known whether adding milk had an impact.

Stangl and her team discovered that proteins called caseins in milk decrease the amount of compounds in tea known as catechins which increase its protection against heart disease.

They believe their findings, which are reported in the European Heart Journal, could explain why countries such as Britain, where tea is regularly consumed with milk, have not shown a decreased risk of heart disease and stroke from drinking tea...

Chicken safety 1/07: Dangerous bacteria, Contamination

f you eat undercooked or mishandled chicken, our new tests indicate, you have a good chance of feeling miserable. CR’s analysis of fresh, whole broilers bought nationwide revealed that 83 percent harbored campylobacter or salmonella, the leading bacterial causes of foodborne disease.

That’s a stunning increase from 2003, when we reported finding that 49 percent tested positive for one or both pathogens. Leading chicken producers have stabilized the incidence of salmonella, but spiral-shaped campylobacter has wriggled onto more chickens than ever. And although the U.S. Department of Agriculture tests chickens for salmonella against a federal standard, it has not set a standard for campylobacter.

Our results show there should be. More than ever, it’s up to consumers to make sure they protect themselves by cooking chicken to at least 165° F and guarding against ­cross-contamination.

Think premium brands are safer? Overall, chickens labeled as organic or raised without antibiotics and costing $3 to $5 per pound were more likely to harbor salmonella than were conventionally produced broilers that cost more like $1 per pound.

Meat, milk from cloned animals OK'd - The Boston Globe

"A long-awaited study by US scientists has concluded that meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring are safe to eat and drink and should be allowed to enter the food supply without any special labeling.

The finding is a strong signal that the Food and Drug Administration will endorse the use of cloning technology for cattle, goats, and pigs when it publishes a key safety assessment intended to clear the way for formal approval of the products. That assessment is expected this week."

Official: Vegetarians are smarter

Mr Spock, being from the planet Vulcan might have stated these words: "Vegetarians are Logical". Now he can say 'Vegetarians are Smarter'.

A scientific study by a Southampton University team in the British Medical Journal reports that the average vegetarian tend to have five IQ points more than the average person.

However, the report seems to indicate it isn't the exclusion of meat that makes one smarter because "there was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who reported eating fish or chicken."

This suggests to me that intelligent people tend to eat healthier and because of this they are more likely to gravitate towards a vegetarian diet. And because Brits tend to become vegetarian more out of ethics than health (the exact polar opposite to their American counterparts in my estimation), maybe there is a correlation between intelligence and empathy. I guess we'll have to wait for that study.

BBC - High IQ link to being vegetarian

Forget the Cheerleader. Save a cow, save the World.

No superpowers required; just go Vegetarian
A United Nations report is now saying what I've been saying all along: meat eating hurts the planet more than anything else.

A United Nations report has identified the world's rapidly growing herds of cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral reefs.

The 400-page report by the Food and Agricultural Organisation, entitled Livestock's Long Shadow, also surveys the damage done by sheep, chickens, pigs and goats. But in almost every case, the world's 1.5 billion cattle are most to blame. Livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together...

The Independent - Cow 'emissions' more damaging to planet than CO2 from cars

Give out vegan-friendly sweets this Halloween

"Vegans have no need to be scared on Halloween. Even though some candies have hidden animal products, there's still a variety of tasty treats to please even the pickiest of trick-or-treaters.

You could be trying to raise a vegan child or just want to hand out treats that don't betray your beliefs.

There is a surprising amount of vegan candy available produced by vegan and mainstream companies.

Some vegan food companies, such as Sun Flour Baking Company (www.sunflourbaking.com), offer vegan-friendly Halloween gift baskets of goodies.

Parents who want to keep their children vegan on this candy-filled holiday should be prepared.

Look for a vegan-vegetarian-friendly Halloween event to attend or make a game of sorting candy post-trick-or-treating. If your children are old enough to read, tell them to look for animal products such as gelatin, casein, honey, lard and pepsin in the ingredients list of the candies they collected.

Put all the candy with animal products in a special trade-in pile and have a variety of vegan candy to swap for the nonvegan candy.

Peta Kids (www.petakids.com) offers this list of vegan candy to use as a guide:

Airheads taffy, Atkins peanut butter bars, Blow Pops, Brach's Cinnamon Hard Candy, Charms lollipops, Chick-o-Sticks, Cracker Jack, Cry Babies, Dem Bones, Dots, Dum-Dums, Fireballs, Goldenberg's Peanut Chews, Hubba Bubba bubblegum, Jolly Ranchers (lollipops and hard candy), Jujubees, Jujyfruits, Lemonheads, Mambas, Mary Janes (regular and peanut butter kisses), Now and Later, Pez, Ring Pop lollipops, Smarties (U.S. Brand), Sour Patch Kids, Starburst (jelly beans and hard candy), Super Bubble, Swedish Fish, Sweet Tarts, Tropical Source mini chocolate bags, Twizzlers and Zotz."

US recalls ground beef over E.coli worries

"A US meat processing firm is recalling some 2,360 kilograms of ground beef possibly tainted by E. coli bacteria, health officials said, just weeks after several people died from contaminated fresh spinach."

Def Leppard Guitarist Rocks a Vegan Diet

Legendary rock band DEF LEPPARD is enjoying critical acclaim for its 12th studio album, 'Yeah!', and — in the midst of a whirlwind world tour — guitarist Phil Collen took time out of his busy schedule to record a public service announcement (PSA) for PETA in which he sings the praises of a vegetarian diet.

'Not only is a vegetarian lifestyle healthier, it's better for the animals and for the environment,' says Collen, who has been a vegetarian for more than 20 years. Visitors to PETA's Web site GoVeg.com can watch Collen's videotaped interview and enter a drawing to win a Fender guitar signed by Collen, which he has had with him on this current tour.

In an exclusive interview with GoVeg.com, Collen talks about how making the connection between living, breathing animals and the carved up bodies on his plate was what convinced him to forgo animal flesh once and for all.

'It started freaking me out eating dead body parts,' he says. 'The whole Jeffrey Dahmer fridge concept of things was weird. It started when I was a kid, but you know, you have that whole parent propaganda when they say, 'Oh no, you got to eat this, and it's OK,' and even when you go, 'Well, that chicken is kind of like...a dog,' and they go, 'Come on, eat, eat, eat your meat,' and I always felt kind of uncomfortable. And I think when I got to a certain age, when you start making choices for yourself, that's when I was like well, I am not going to do this anymore.'
"

Vegan Diet Bests ADA Plan at Diabetes Control

"The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a crusading group that has long ranked vegetarianism high on its agenda, has made a compelling case for a low-fat vegan diet to improve glycemic control.

Both a low-fat vegan diet and a diet following American Diabetes Association guidelines improved glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes, found a 22-week study partially funded by NIH and published in the August issue of Diabetes Care.

But the vegan diet was better, reported Neal D. Barnard, M.D., an adjunct associate professor of medicine at George Washington University, who is president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and colleagues.

The vegan diet -- consisting of fruits, vegetables and grains but no animal products and only limited added fats -- did a better job of lowering glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels, body weight, and LDL, reported Dr. Barnard."

Study: Low-fat, vegan diet might be best for type-2 diabetes

"People with type-2 diabetes might be able to lose more weight and deal better with the disease by following a low-fat, vegan diet - rather than commonly recommended low-carbohydrate diets - a study released Thursday found.

The study, conducted by the vegan organization Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and George Washington University, followed 99 people with type-2 diabetes for 22 weeks - half ate a vegan diet and half followed dietary guidelines from the American Diabetes Association.

Members of both groups lowered their weight, and improved blood glucose control and cholesterol levels.

But those who avoided meat and dairy had greater success, said Neal Barnard, president of PCRM, a nonprofit organization that focuses on preventive medicine and nutrition, and promotes vegetarian diets and alternatives to animal research."

Vegan cuisine is much more than 'rabbit food'

Interesting article, includes recipe for ravioli with vegan parmesan cheese:

"For the last 23 years my husband and I have evolved into a lifestyle free of animal products or by-products-a plant-based diet-which advocates health and compassion. We no longer allow meat, dairy or egg products or by-products into our diet. Our lifestyle has been labeled vegan. We are vegans!

And, for the last 23 years I have heard the same question, 'So...what do you eat?' Usually followed by 'rabbit food?'"

Why Vegan / Try Vegetarian

Some good points made in this article:

"For modern animal agriculture, the less the consumer knows about what’s happening before the meat hits the plate, the better."