Eating Well

Vanilla Walnut Non-Dairy Milk QUICK!

2011-02-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

Quick 2 minute VANILLA WALNUT milk:

1 cup walnuts

1/2 tsp (or more) Vanilla Bean powder,

or vanilla extract will do in a pinch

1 Tbs Agave nectar or other sweetener, if desired*

1 cup or so of water

Blend. Pour in enough water to make it a Liter of Vanilla Walnut Milk.

No Vita-mix or Blend-Tec super blender are needed. No soaking, no straining. No dairy. Happy vanilla walnut milk!

*if you opt-out of using any sweetener, then soak the walnuts for a couple hours in water to remove any bitterness. Rinse well. Blend.

Alternatives to Cow-milk

2011-01-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

Okay. So after reading the extensive amount of evidence showing how unhealthy dairy is for us, such as from T.Colin Campbell's ground-breaking book "The China Study" we know that it is best for us--and best for the planet, to ween ourselves off the bovine breast-milk.
After finally getting off the dairy, about seven years ago, I went to my friendly Co-operative market here and perused the dairy-free 'milks'. I've of course had soy milk many times, but then tried almond, hemp, hazelnut and coconut. Some of these are unflavored, sans carob, chocolate or vanilla, but still most have added sugars and some have many ingredients.
Even before reading Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "Food Politics," by Marion Nestle, which were two very influencial books to me, I have been avoiding foods with a paragraph for an ingredient list and opting for those with perhaps five ingredients or less. I definitely avoid those with very long names that many dietitians cannot even identify. With much of the soy milk sold in stores being of the GMO variety, I would of course avoid those. Illegal to be sold in Europe and in Canada due to safety concerns, but safe for Americans? No thanks.
So there are some decent options in the store that I use on occasion, such as unsweetened coconut milk but I would rather make it fresh. Besides, stocking store shelves on the east coast with cases of almond milk, that came all the way from California and which probably includes 1/2 cup or less of non-water ingredients per quart, well, is almost like buying those wasteful little plastic bottles of water. There are better ways!

There are some decent options in the store that I use on occasion, such as unsweetened coconut milk. But I would rather make it fresh. Even in the stores though I haven't seen Walnut milk. Perhaps it would be much more expensive than other milks, but I have been making my own.

After viewing a recipe online at Eat Raw Vegan, I of course modified it significantly, so here is my recipe:

Vanilla Walnut Milk

1/2 cup Walnuts, raw (organic if possible)
1/4 cup Dates, pitted
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla bean powder*
(vanilla beans cut open and scraped out, so much better than an "extract")
5 cups water

Soak the walnuts for several hours (or just overnight) in enough water to cover them completely. Discard the water and rinse well to reduce the tannins and bitterness. Also soak the dates in another container in 1/2 cup water (of the 5 cups). Start blending with some of the remaining 4 1/2 cups of water on full power and gradually add the rest of it. If it is blended well enough there will be no residue to filter, it should be smooth and ready to go!

Stay tuned for additional recipes for dairy alternatives!

Do you need eggs in baking?

2011-01-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine just asked me: 'Can I use flax seed meal as an egg substitute? Is that even possible? Great question. Some people really see the recipe as the way it has to be, but with such a high-quality substitute that is much healthier and doesn't have the food-safety concern of Salmonella enterocolitis (Salmonellosis)

No need to keep eggs in the fridge for baking when Flax is cheaper, healthier, a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, essential fiber and protein, without the risk of salmonella, as are a concern with eggs--especially those from factory farms as is the case with the majority of eggs consumed in the United States.
each Tablespoon of ground* Flax, or "Flax Meal" provides, according to: Nutritiondata.self.com , 1600 mg Omega-3, 2g of cancer preventing Fiber and 1g Protein with only 37 calories.
*I have an inexpensive "coffee-grinder" that I only use for the purpose of grinding flax.

--> For baking, instead of each egg, substitute:
1 Tablespoon ground Flax
3 Tbs Water (or Almond/Walnut/or Soy milk)

Ground flaxseed has many uses, such as in soy/coconut yogurt, mixed with some water and dabbed onto a pizza crust or on the top of bread will help to create a browning effect in the oven. It is also useful in smoothies, such as:

Super-hero Smoothie:
1 cup (or so) Kale, just the leaves, setting thick stems aside for other use
1-2 bananas fresh, ripe ( or frozen over-ripe bananas, saved for such use)
1 apple, de-cored or 1 orange
Blend well with just a couple cups of water, just enough to keep things moving. Add a couple tablespoons of ground flaxseed as desired.

Note:Since Flax is so high in Omega-3, if you grind it (i.e. make Flax Meal) find an empty jar to re-use and store in the fridge to keep it fresh.
Grinding the flax will puff it up, slightly increasing its volume, so measuring a tablespoon of ground (unpacked) flax will have 1600mg Omega-3/37 Calories vs 2300mg/55 Calories in whole/non-ground flaxseed, which may be more important if making large batches of egg-free baked treats.

USDA, a conflict of interest?

2010-07-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

Post is in response to:

Article: "Dietary Guidelines Hearing Unleashes a Predictable Circus of Food Lobbying"

By Melanie Warner | Jul 9, 2010

to read her article, go to:

http://industry.bnet.com/food/10002685/dietary-guidelines-hearing-unleashes-a-predictable-circus-of-food-lobbying/#comments

=================================
Response:
============

Government decision makers and lawmakers, etc, upon entering office must fill out and abide by conflict-of-interest statements. If a judge for example owned a million in shares of Monsanto, would need to recuse her/himself if there were a criminal case brought forth. If this is true to avoid problems with certain areas of government, how is it that it is allowed elsewhere? The United States Department of Agriculture's first interest is in promoting Industrial Agriculture. Message: eat more eat MORE. The USDA also has the job of pretending at the same time to be a good source of nutrition advice, promoting their Food Guide Pyramid Scheme and the last pyramid that even put 100% of the emphasis on exercise since there isn't even food in the picture. An often abbreviated design, the picture of a person running up a rainbow pyramid doesn't really bring home the message that the USDA cares about your nutritional health. The language has even been weakened. Message: choose certain foods in moderation. The messages of the USDA have been purposely watered down into meaningless language, eat less sugar became choose in moderation.

Until the Dietary Guidelines and the Pyramid--or any other picture that has a goal of simplifying the nutrition message--until these guidelines our out of the hands of the USDA, and out of the pocket of Industrial Agriculture, I do not expect much of value to be published. It isn't about science and the healthy recommendations that scientists, advisors, and committees have pushed for years, it's about the Pork, Cattlemen, Sugar, Salt, etc. lobby groups are WINNING OUT OVER PUBLIC HEALTH.

The USDA itself is a conflict of interest. How can they possibly give fair nutrition advice based on science and extensive research, when their primary goal is to promote, i.e. sell MORE of certain foods--often the ones we would be better off eating less of or avoiding entirely: beef, chicken, pork, dairy, foods high in sugar and high in salt, which are often foods with any nutritional value processed out of them.

We need to discontinue this practice of collusion with industry and get serious about nutrition. Since the Dietary Guidelines are designed to prevent and control disease, it would be very logical and practical to allocate the resources and responsibility to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC.gov.
The CDC wouldn't be afraid of saying eat less salt it can promote hypertension and ulcers, eat less meat, it is high in saturated fat and Americans already consume more than twice the protein we need, which stresses the kidneys. The lobby groups wouldn't have a say. Why do they need to? My health is more important than industry lobby groups worries about the facts being told.
Here's to the CDC Food Guide Target, emphasizing the nutritional benefit of moving towards a more plant-based way of eating.

Two thoughts to end with.
>> If the public in the United States were to have available to them general nutritional recommendations based on science, emphasizing the benefits of moving towards a plant-based diet, wouldn't this really be a great way of attacking the costs of sickcare?

>>Why is it that when becoming a physician the Hippocratic oath is taken, but through education (1 class or less is required in Nutrition) and in practice the advice to: “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food,” this advice of the Father of Modern Medicine is mostly ignored?

Thank you, now I'll get back to enjoying my local organic mixed field green salad, topped with avocado, walnuts, celery, carrots and garden cucumbers, apple cider vinegar and a touch of E.V. olive oil Yum!

Favorite vegan, plant-based Recipes

2010-02-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

Nutmeat a.k.a. Super-good

Sun-dried Tomato Pâté & Wrap

Servings: Makes about 2 cups.

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts

1 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked 4 hours, drained*

*only drain (& save) if sun-dried tomatoes are salted

1+ clove garlic add more if you like!

Dried chilies ~3, or Crushed red pepper

~1/3 cup Oatmeal, instant, dry

Filtered water, add gradually

Wrap:

·Ezekiel sprouted grain tortillas ·Spinach, Romaine

·Basil, fresh ~2-3 leaves per wrap. ·Veganaise

Preparation: Drain s-d tomato & lightly rinse. Save this tomato broth for salad dressing base, etc.

>Place chilies, oats and garlic ingredients into your food processor. Blend well. Add other ingredients. Blend to desired consistency, adding water as needed.

Roll up into tortilla and cut like a sushi-nori rolls.

****

--This is a recipe I found online at: but modified since the s-d toms. are very salty and do not need tamari/soy sauce as originally recommended. Also, I have found that adding the oats a) make this much lower in fat per serving and it is sort of inert, a healthy whole food that increases fiber, lowers fat (and cost).

More recipes will be added as I find, make and approve them. Happy eating (=

Let's just surround people with junk food, every moment of their lives.

2009-01-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

We have an epidemic of obesity in the United States with 2/3 of the people here overweight or obese. It seems to be getting worse every year. I'm trying to imagine how difficult it would be for a parent who is trying their best teaching and encouraging their child how to be healthy, especially as it relates to eating. We are surrounded by advertising, sometimes we don't even realize we are targets of marketing, but children have an especially tough time figuring out that Batman doesn't really eat fast 'food', it's just an advertisement.
I see some steps in the right direction, like some grocery stores, including Wegman's, offer candy-less checkouts. Other places though, are going in the wrong direction. When I was getting my small, fuel-efficient car inspected (drive less!) I was dumbfounded to see:

Free high fat, high sugar frozen treats--and it's about to snowstorm! Does this auto dealer wish to make it difficult for parents with nagging children and others who may have a tough time with self control? Is it really necessary to succumb people to health-detracting food-like-substances at every point in their lives? I looked in the case for a healthy alternative, but alas, not even one could be found.
If we are going to reverse this awful trend of increasing occurrences of obesity, cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer and other nutrition related life-shortening medical problems, we need to make some big changes in the way we do things in this country. Allowing corporations to continuously push Eat More Eat More messages to both adults and children just will not work.

Some guy posted on my Change.org wall

2009-01-01T21:56:00.001-08:00

After careful consideration, I made a few posts, created a couple ideas and had promoted a few ideas of others from www.Change.org , a wonderful website that is to be submitting their top 10 ideas to the Obama Administration in the next few days. These top ideas will be followed by a national campaign! Well I just checked my wall and someone posted a message there which seems--coming from a science-based background--it seems laughable, until I realize that much of the public think this way. That really is scary.

First, his post:
Daniel Fish*:

"Since the beggining (sic) of time cow's have been a sign of a family's wealth. It is still that way is some places. Cows are not people. The only purpose barn yard animals ever had were for food. I agree that raising them by means of crowded unsanitary conditions is not being good stewards. If you think you will get society to believe not eating animal fat is good for them you living in a fantasy land. It may sound cool to young women who have no connection to the homestead farm from which we all have evolved. My sister and many of her friends have been stanch vegans. They regret deeply the effects it has had on their health. In order to recover from a deadly spiral they now eat animal fat. Raw Milk is the chocked full of enzimes (sic), vitamins and dense nutrition that can only be assimalated (sic) by animal fats.

{We already have plenty of digestive enzymes to break down our food, but many humans lack much or really any lactase, so we can't even digest milk well. Vitamin D is added by UV-light. Dense nutrients? Artery clogging saturated fat and cholesterol, obesity-promoting high levels of calories. Dense in calories, exactly what Americans are consuming too much of.}

My sister says she has caused irrivocable (sic) damage to her health due her pratice (sic) in vegan eating. She is the one who has turned me on to whole milk. I do not advocate abusing animals and want the government off our backs in all arenas. {The government should stop promoting milk, a body-fluid that many cannot even consume and tolerate in the short term--allergy/intolerance}
We should join forces and fight the filthy rich not one another. I support the ethical treatment of man also. {Was she binging on oreo's and vanilla soy milk? They're vegan. I eat a variety of minimally processed plant-based foods. }

I would encourage what sound science on nutrition proves that animal fat is equivelant (sic) to a sound and properous (sic) healthy life.
{ I can't even fathom what this means. Eat bowls of lard? I thought 2/3 of Americans are already overweight/obese with many put on cholesterol and hypertension meds to mask consequnces of diet, and without any dietary changes recommended. hmm.}

I am posotive (sic) the need for health care and AMA doctors is intertwined with speeding up the need and frequency for which we need this system pushed on us by the extreme wealthy.

I hope you will investigate the proof of sound dense nutrition instead of cool pop culture eating myths. If man started off as vegans man would no longer be on this planet.

Posted by Daniel Fish on 01/01/2009 @ 08:10PM PST

Now my (surprised) comment:

Mr. Fish--In regards to your comment below,
I appreciate your concern to find answers as to what a healthy diet really means. An exclusively plant-based diet with the possible exception of Vitamin B-12 , provides all the nutrients a human body needs.
{B12 is easily obtainable from using tasty Nutritional yeast http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lesaffrehumancare.com%2FNutritionalYeast%2FConsumer%2FvegSupport.pdf&images=yes (inactive) or from a B12 Supplement.}
As an athlete consuming a plant-based diet, aka 'vegan', I easily consume more than enough protein and many more vitamins and minerals without high levels of saturated fat and other unwanted consequences of consuming large amounts of animal products such as are in the Standard American Diet, SAD.
First you tell me that "My sister SAYS (my emphasis) she has caused irrivocable (sic) damage to her health due her pratice (sic) in vegan eating." Without taking a look at her daily intake, I wouldn't have much information to prove causation the lifestyle choice of being 'vegan' is suggested to have had on her health.
Then you tell me that sound science recommends we eat lard, which is precisely what animal fat is. If you have sound scientific evidence, please show it to me. As a Dietitian, I have never seen anything of the sort. I've seen the exact opposite. Years of research has shown that diets high in Saturated Fat, the animal fat you are recommending we consume, promotes cardio-vascular disease like heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. There is just zero benefit and many dangers in following a diet that is high in animal based foods, which is especially worrisome if you have a GOAL of eating more lard for some purported benefit.
If this is really a concern of yours, which it seems to be you would benefit from reviewing the science, which is the Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted, funded by Oxford and Cornell Universities and the National Institutes of Health, read The China Study, by T.Colin Campbell, PhD & Thomas M. Campbell.

Posted by Daniel Keough on 01/01/2009 @ 09:42PM PST

*Posted on both participant's walls without all the "(sic)" and {comments} through change.org

Worried about offending the host?

2008-11-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

Originally posted on:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/shopping_blog/2008/11/ask-alana-screa.html

<<<<

"Ask Alana"

I became a vegetarian three years ago. This holiday season, I have been invited to spend a holiday dinner with a friend and her family. While I would very much like to participate in the festivities, I am concerned that my dietary restrictions will be a problem. I don't want to inconvenience my hosts by requiring them to cook a special meal for me, but I also dread the thought of loading my plate with salad at the dinner table whilst having to answer why I'm not partaking in the rest of the bounty (in my experience, people take offense when one does not eat what is offered). Can I accept the invitation without offending?

-- Jenny Carleton, Montclair, N.J.

Jenny,

So the thought of eating meat makes you want to jump into the burning fires of Mordor? Poor you. It must not be fun to be a vegetarian in a season where many holidays revolve around eating assorted birds. I hope your friend's family isn't Maori, because their holiday meal includes burying meats in hot stones and then digging them up a little later to chow down.

You can accept the invitation without offending, as long as you're not going to use the meal as a platform to talk about the evils of meat and how eating a turkey is as immoral as eating a baby. After all, the Indians probably came to the Pilgrims' dinner and saw the lobster that was allegedly served for the first Thanksgiving and thought "Eeeww, don't they know it's a bottom feeder?" But they still sat down at the table and ate together and probably didn't even make cracks about the buckles on the Pilgrims' hats.

However. There are two schools of thought as to how you should approach the meal. Advice columnist Amy Alcon says "it's unpolite to have all these special dietary needs." She recommends bringing a vegan salami in your purse and eating it when no one's looking so you won't get hungry. But Collen Patrick-Goudreau, a vegan and the founder of Compassionate Cooks, says that's baloney. She recommends contacting the host and, after profusely thanking her for the invite, telling her that you're vegetarian. You could then offer to bring a vegetarian main dish such as stuffed pumpkins, or ask the host to set aside a small bowl of stuffing and other side dishes so you can add your own non-meat ingredients. If you know the host well, you might even advise her as to how to prepare a vegetarian side dish. "I encourage people to live their own values and stop worrying what the truth will do," she said.

I think both ideas are a little preposterous, to tell you the truth, Jenny. Putting salami in your purse is just plain gross, even if it's vegan. And asking your host if she wouldn't mind cooking you a vegan turkey is kind of like asking your friend if you look fat in those jeans. What is she supposed to say?

I recommend reminding your friend that you're a vegetarian, just so her family isn't surprised, and bringing a side dish that you can eat. You're supposed to contribute something as a guest anyway. Then you can fill up on side dishes, or at least put some other ones on your plate. I have found that if you move your food around your plate just so, people won't even notice if you're eating a lot of the same thing -- or nothing at all. Although if you really want to make sure you'll get enough to eat, you can take after the Maori and bury an extra dish in your friend's backyard a few days before the big meal. Dig it up only in the case of emergency.

-- Alana
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

My comment:

Alana says that "I think both ideas are a little preposterous." I really think her advice is based on a following the same Standard American Diet, and thinking that there is no other way. This is preposterous. The host can have her meal like she wants it and also include new friends--or in general those following a plant based-diet. There were some wise words within this article however, says Collen Patrick-Goudreau, a vegan and the founder of Compassionate Cooks:

"I encourage people to live their own values and stop worrying what the truth will do."

Stop worrying, just put it right out there! Why be sneaky about who you are? Hiding food in your purse? That nuts. It is best if you are truthful and communicate your personal choice to this host or to anyone inviting you to eat with them. And it is your choice, if they can't respect your lifestyle then that really say much about them being understanding and supportive.
There is a rule about following a plant-based aka vegan diet: don't leave home without it. If you know you'll be gone for several hours or the whole day, pack some food! In this case depending on time constraints the visitor could contact the host and speak to them about her concern and offer to a) bring one or more foods to share b) if your host has kitchen space for you: bring some ingredients and come early to help make and modify something into a vegan food. You just don't want to make extra work for the host. This can easily be done by letting people get to know you and staying true to your personal decisions.

Everyone enjoy this holiday, if you don't celebrate it maybe just find something to be thankful for. If this appreciation relates to someone, let them know!

Daniel.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids = Essential! Where can I get me some?

2008-11-24T22:22:00.000-08:00

Topic & My comment originally posted on:

Website of Professor Marion Nestle, Author of Food Politics (among other books):
http://whattoeatbook.com/2008/11/22/upgraded-health-claim-for-omega-3/

<<<<<<<<

Upgraded health claim for omega-3?

November 22, 2008

Yes Virginia, there is indeed a trade association for everything and omega-3 fats have their very own. This one is hard at work trying to get the FDA to approve a full health claim (as opposed to the current qualified claim) for omega-3 fatty acids and heart disease risk. The FDA now allows this statement: “Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease” (my emphasis). I can understand why the omega-3 industry wants something stronger. Health claims, as I keep insisting, are about marketing, not health.

« Food safety: China to send inspectors to U.S.?

Reverse obesity in New York City: here’s how »

Since I know that nutrients in foods work best when they’re together–like a symphony, I focus on eating healthy WHOLE food.
There are many benefits from eating Walnuts:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?pfriendly=1&tname=foodspice&dbid=99

or Flax Seed (to help access all the flax seed's nutrients, I like to use coffee grinder, then store them and walnuts each in their own jar in the refrigerator)
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?pfriendly=1&tname=foodspice&dbid=81

Both are a great plant-based source of protein, provide us with fiber to keep our gut healthy, are high in Essential Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and taste yummy in a green smoothie or with soy yogurt!

Comment by Daniel Ithaca,NY — November 24, 2008 @ 9:27 am

>>>>>

It is very important to realize that supplements don't necessarily:
--have the same effect as the foods which they are otherwise a part of.
--have a consistent amount of the Vitamin, Mineral, or other nutrient you are wishing to consume. Some brands may have 100% of what they say some may have 10% and some may have more than the stated amount.
We may have read that foods containing Vitamin E are healthy for us, for promoting cardiovascular health especially. The supplement industry sees these research articles and extrapolates-takes it out of context- the information to mean that taking a Vitamin E supplement, must also be healthy for cardiovascular health. We know in the case of Vitamin E that opposite may actually be true. Some studies have shown Vitamin E supplements increase problems with heart disease.

from: http://www.healthcastle.com/vitaminE-heart.shtml

"Johns Hopkins University also performed a meta-analysis of 19 clinical studies
and they published their findings in January 2005. The result showed that a daily
dose of 400 IU or more Vitamin E increased the risk of death from all cause."

Food companies often extrapolate this information as well, adding certain nutrients to their usually highly processed/high calorie foods. 100% Vitamin C with lots of pictures of fruit! But it could have just 2% Fruit juice if you look carefully.

Sources of Vitamin E: nuts, leafy green vegetables, are two great healthy sources of this important nutrient.

The important issue here: eat healthy nutritious, especially organic, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds etc. to get your nutrients, health doesn't come in a pill!

"Food Miles: A Real Issue Or a Distractor, from www.whattoeatbook.com post

2008-11-17T22:22:00.000-08:00

http://whattoeatbook.com/2008/11/16/food-miles-a-real-issue-or-a-distracter/#comment-51343
Marion Nestle's post:

November 16, 2008

The Mercatus Institute has produced a report arguing that food miles - the environmental cost of the distance food travels - is a meaningless concept based on erroneous assumptions, and that the “buy local” movement is focused on the wrong issues. I don’t know anything about the Mercatus Institute other than what is on its website, and I don’t recognize the names of its members. Anybody know anything about it? Here’s what the Wall Street Journal said about this group in 2004.

My comment, as posted:

<<<<<

I like the idea of keeping information about food simple and not critiquing all the factors that surround the issues of healthy food. It’s so complicated for people already!
*Michael Pollan says: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. (food = something your grandmother would recognize as being edible).
It is pretty amazing how when someone eats a varied diet that is mostly (or even fully) minimally processed Plant-Based using Local– *In Season* –vegetables and fruits when possible, it is the best thing for their bodies, AND for the environment.

If “Food Miles” is a major concern, it is because the amount of energy expended–wasted–to get the food to us, wherever we are in the world. If this is the real concern wasted resources relating to food then why not focus our attention to the biggest culprit of waste? The meat and dairy industry are a tremendous burden to the environment, especially in the United States, with the manure lagoons of factory farms that eventually seep into our water supply, the huge amounts of water wasted, the vast quantities of GMO grain needed to be planted, harvested, shipped to these industrial protein factories. And we can’t forget the petroleum based fertilizers and pesticides that are produced, transported to corn fields, often over-sprayed and also end up reeking havoc in our water, contributing to things like the Dead Zone in the Gulf Of Mexico. http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/01/06/gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-expanding-possibly-due-to-corn-bubbl/ We need legislation to stop the governmental support, at all levels, for these factory farms.
It is great to be concerned where our food comes from to make sure it is safe http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/press/releases/fda-bans-milk-products-from-china-for-the-time-being-article11132008, and compare the wasted energy in getting it to us if a comparable food can be made closer to home, but why is it that people are not focusing on the main environmental issue relating to food?
**Reducing your meat and dairy consumption is the most important thing the average person can do to be “green;” to lessen their impact upon the environment. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/07/food.foodanddrink
Is this because meat and dairy consumption weigh so heavily upon the Standard American Diet?
Are we ready for the truth or do we just want to dabble around with less important issues such as “Food Miles” that might be easier to deal with than taking a look at our own diets.
People used to have all kinds of misconceptions about the use of tobacco. We now know that its use is detrimental to our health. The culture changed to accept that tobacco use is a habit we can live without.
When will be ready to accept that our greatly excessive meat >>>>>and dairy consumption are concurrently putting great stresses on our bodies and on our Earth?

Comment by Daniel Ithaca, NY — November 18, 2008 @ 1:20 am

>>>>>

Food Miles, it is of minor concern. Eating local--when in season, organic (top 12 to buy organic based on pesticide residues: Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Grapes- imported, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Red Raspberries, Spinach, Strawberries) plant-based minimally processed foods is of most importance.

NYTimes article: "Are Schools Really to Blame for Poor Eating?" & my comments on the NYT blog

2008-11-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

Below the published & pasted article are the comments I have made. Use the link to read all the comments.
<<<<<
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/are-schools-really-to-blame-for-poor-eating/
November 10, 2008, 2:17 pm

Are Schools Really to Blame for Poor Eating?

Tara Parker-Pope, on HEALTH

Schools have been vilified for giving kids access to soda in vending machines. But new data suggests that school soft drink sales may not be an important factor in how much soda kids drink.

In the current issue of The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers compared soda consumption among nearly 500 students in Maine who attended seven schools over two school years. Four of the schools cut back on soft drink availability at the schools, while three of the schools made no changes.

Notably, all the students were drinking less soda by the end of the study period, but there were no meaningful differences in overall soft drink consumption among the different schools. The data suggest that curbing soft drink availability at school doesn’t result in meaningful changes in beverage consumption patterns. While there were no changes in overall soda consumption, there was a notable shift in diet soda drinking among girls. If the school cut back on soda availability, girls were less likely to drink diet soda, compared to girls in schools that made no changes.

The data are the latest to suggest that schools may not play as big of a role in kids’ poor eating habits as widely believed. Last year, The American Journal of Public Health published a provocative study showing that childhood weight problems often get worse in the summer, when kids are out of school.

Data from kindergarteners and first graders found that body mass index increased two to three times as fast in summer as during the regular school year. Minority children were especially vulnerable, as were children who were already overweight.

Notably, even children who were too thin and needed to gain weight appeared to have better eating habits during the school year. They actually gained more weight while in school and less in the summer.

Even so, much of the focus on childhood nutrition and obesity remains in the nation’s schools. Today, The Times reported that even the school bake sale is disappearing as districts impose strict standards on the food served on school grounds.

The old-fashioned school bake sale, once as American as apple pie, is fast becoming obsolete in California, a result of strict new state nutrition standards for public schools that regulate the types of food that can be sold to students. The guidelines were passed by lawmakers in 2005 and took effect in July 2007. They require that snacks sold during the school day contain no more than 35 percent sugar by weight and derive no more than 35 percent of their calories from fat and no more than 10 percent of their calories from saturated fat. "
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My Comments, copied from the NYTimes blog:

Children don’t need to consume soda–and definitely not at school. The children most likely to spend their money on junk like soda are from families of the lowest income.
There are so many areas to work on, especially at school. Is soda to blame? Just as much as other sugar drinks like High Fructose Gatorade, or any other sugar+water=”sports drink”.
Another area of concern is the lack of good-tasting vegetables. I see a lot of elementary school children a hot dog and chocolate milk for lunch. Then a second hot dog. Getting into this habit of drinking a sugary drink with a highly processed food is something they are learning as a way of life.
*As a country we are either investing the students health creating lifetime habits–or we’re not. We need quality food for the school districts, so they at minimum exceed the federal USDA recommendations for % from fat and % sugar. Since Trans Fat is Toxic, eliminate added trans fat (not .5g per serving, actually avoid all products with part. hydrogenated oils).
*Dessert at lunch? We don’t need ice cream or desserts served at lunch. It is sending the wrong message.
*Sugary milk every day? How about no sweetened milks (chocolate, strawberry, etc) or at least limit serving them to maybe 2 days a week.
*Any grains served shall be Whole Grains: pasta, bread
An elementary school, http://www.icsd.k12.ny.us/bjm/ , is lucky enough to have its second year of being able to provide all the students with a morning fruit and an afternoon (mostly local, organic) vegetable snack. Many students are encouraged to at least take a “no thank you bite”. Continually re-introducing these veg. & variety of fruits to kids seems to work really well!
“Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.” President-Elect Obama
When these children become adults let them know how the changes we are making today have had an impact in their health and in their lives.

— Daniel Keough

and

Is this a problem just for over-weight children, or their families? What about children who appear healthy but like so many young people in recent years are developing diabetes very early in life. Is it their problem?
This is a societal problem and it isn’t about focusing on what diseases we can prevent. Let’s focus on eating healthy and investing–in school, at home and elsewhere, in our health. Let’s invest in health-care, so that we don’t need to invest so much in the big business of sick-care in the not-so-distant future.
Parents and others: contact your schools, ask what you can do to support them in serving healthy foods. Volunteer! The health of these children is important, right?
*Please contact your
Representative http://www.house.gov/ and your
Senators at http://senate.gov/
Let them know we need to invest in our children’s health now with increase funding for nutrition education and in school foods which don’t contradict the lessons, but support them. Please act!

— Daniel Keough