Thursday, December 29, 2011

Numbers 2

The ecological Footprint:

■ 70 per cent of forestland cleared in Amazon was to get plain pastures for livestock
■ 6 kilograms of plant protein when consumed by the animal makes 1 kilo gram of animal protein that can be further consumed. This is called energy-in to energy-out ratio and is on an average 25:1. 25 calories consumed by an animal produce 1 calorie of protein. This ratio is the lowest in a cow – 40:1.
■ 40 percent of all the grains of the world, grown on one third of all arable lands, are fed to the livestock.
■ 73 percent of maize, 95 percent of oilmeal is fed to animals.

Excretions:
■ Livestock excreta is 130 times more in volume than that of the entire human population put together.
■ Rate of production is 87,000 pounds per second

Emission:
■ Belching and flatulence of cattle releases methane. And as per the industry figures, the ratio of meat to the total carbon emitted is:
■ 1 kg of beef – 34.6 kg carbon
■ 1 kg of lamb – 17.4 kg carbon
■ 1 kg of chicken – 4.75 kg carbon.

Source below. Viewer discretion is advised for some meat pictures : http://www.gobartimes.org/themes/gobartimes/poster/2010_march_meat_mania.pdf

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Cant give up Cheese? Its because cheese is Dairy Crack!

Researchers discovered the protein casein, which breaks into casomorphins when it is digested and also produces opiate effects. In cheese, casein is concentrated, and so is the level of casomorphins, so the pleasurable effect is greater. Neal Barnard, MD said, “Since cheese is processed to express out all the liquid, it’s an incredibly concentrated source of casomorphins—you might call it dairy crack.”

It turns out that morphine is found in cow milk and human, purportedly to ensure offspring will bond very strongly with their mothers and get all the nutrients they need to grow.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/cheese-contains-morphine.html#ixzz1hKgF1Ymi 
Watch a fun Video at http://screen.yahoo.com/why-cheese-is-addictive-27621244.html
or Watch Dr Neal Barnard's Video about food addictions.. how chocolate, cheese, meat, and sugar release opiate-like substances. Dr. Barnard also discusses how industry, aided by government, exploits these natural cravings, pushing us to eat more and more unhealthy foods.

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Another day another Crap! nip some men.. shall we

So another state in India is now killing dogs left, right and center and all possible other directions as well. People get paid 20 Rupees , that is 40 cents to kill a dog.

This is the brilliant measure to control the stray dog population..
Read more about it below. Viewer discretion is advised coz the pictures on the link are not pretty.

Though I am not sure how much help it will be.. but sometimes petitions do work.. We can try!

On another note, there is a Bear hunt in NJ here.. where 200 bears were already killed and the total the govt is planning will get harvested is 600..!!
yes 600 bears will be slaughtered to control the population.

Cant we humans come up with ways to co-exist with the animals!

Oh wait, we cant, because there are almost 7 BBillion of us, and since there arent any predators to keep the human population in check.. we have to check the population of the other animals for our frigging convenience.

I dont know what happened to that program in India, where the government was awarding monetary compensation if men voluntarily got neutered after 3 kids.. now that is something that needs to be implemented far and wide...
Snip Snip..

Saturday, December 03, 2011

some random blab.. not so..

We went towards Veganism because of my love for dogs.. though now I talk more about other animals, dogs always hold a dear place in my heart..

some stories will always make my heart cry out so loud that I want to just catch hold of everyone around me ..on the street.. on my friend circle.. anywhere and just drill this into their heads till they agree.. like totally drill it with a drilling machine if u will...

PLEASE THE HELL ADOPT.. DONT BUY A PUP!


"It is hope that dies last, and their dejection broke our hearts."

..Seriously.. an AKC judge who judges the breed championships for crying out aloud..

you cant really trust any so called "Nice" breeder.. with a slightly better home in issaquah.. and the not so suitable dogs hidden away in a dark basement in burien. 100 dogs were rescued... and the breeder might not even get charged..!!

The basement was so dark that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. The windows were blacked out and there was ripped up plastic hanging from the door jam at the entrance of the room. There had to be a pungent stench of urine and feces. The sound of dogs frantically barking almost overpowered a radio.
Neurotic dogs going in circles, eating themselves in a dark dark dungeon..

I will judge you, if you were told by me and other people about not buying and you still choose to buy.. i will.. i am sorry but i will.

This is washington state, where western part atleast has single digit kill rates and 20% or so in the eastern part.
CA has kill rates of 60% in so any counties.. that its just ridiculous the way dogs are treated like the newest fashion..
gaah.. this crazy world and humans..
I am sorry but i Will judge you!

Monday, November 21, 2011

To tell or not to tell Part 2

Part 1 here http://offspaces.blogspot.com/2011/11/to-tell-or-not-to-tell.html

Come to think about it, if I had a sudden problem or life threatening occurrence and the tests showed the c word, and I needed an emergency action like finding the right doctor and then immediate surgery and so on.. would I want to know about whats going on?.. I might totally be in nervous hell anyway.
or if i had an accident and lost 3 of my limbs.. would I want to know before the surgery which will try to attach some of them?

Another thing that I dont get.. is not letting anyone stay with the patient in the ICU. someone who just woke up from an unknown and stressful surgery, finds no one around.. how ridiculous is that? Some places might not have personal room ICUs but most do.. i remember vaguely that there was this thing with a call button.. but I could never find the remote thing or focus thoughts in my mind to figure out its location and the location of the call button.. duhh.. the patient is doped up and the brain is half shut people.. there needs to be someone around to listen to the whispers or tiny actions..

Hubbs says I have a bit of angst against doctors.. well its not the doctors really.. its the medical system and the way things work. I know It cannot be perfect anywhere, but the least everyone could try to do, is find ways to help the patient with anything, help them be more comfortable, painfree ... that... does not happen.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

To tell or not to tell

I just found out a major difference in the way severe news is dealt with in India versus here in the US.
If you get tests done and are diagnosed with the T or the C word, the doctors are not going to tell You in India. You will be the last to hear most likely once the treatment has already been decided. The decision is usually left on your family or whoever is with you.
On the other hand, in the US, The doc will either call you for an appointment or just call and tell you on the phone while you are at work all alone with no support really. Yeah thats what my totally heartless primary care physician did.. of course I changed him for this and some other reasons..

But the question here is, what is better.. should the patient immediately know? or slowly get to understand? the slow realization is what happens with the news slowly trickling in because of tests, doc visits and hints by the family.

Does that help you be stronger about the problem, or just the one full on smack on the head is easier.

And what about your own say in your treatment and doctors and information. I am quite a control freak, and I probably wouldnt be able to trust someone else's judgement about my treatment plan. would you?

I remember I was a total control freak all through my stay in the hospital, asking nurses about the meds they were giving me and dosage and such. that brain activity and knowledge saved me from a couple of errors for sure.

What do u think?

Friday, November 04, 2011

Why Vegan? Reverse Diabetes

A 2006 study, conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine with the George Washington University and the University of Toronto, looked at the health benefits of a low-fat, unrefined, vegan diet (excluding all animal products) in people with type 2 diabetes.5 Portions of vegetables, grains, fruits, and legumes were unlimited. The vegan diet group was compared with a group following a diet based on American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines. The results of this 22-week study were astounding:

  • Forty-three percent of the vegan group and 26 percent of the ADA group reduced their diabetes medications. Among those whose medications remained constant, the vegan group lowered hemoglobin A1C, an index of long-term blood glucose control, by 1.2 points, three times the change in the ADA group.
  • The vegan group lost an average of about 13 pounds, compared with only about 9 pounds in the ADA group.
  • Among those participants who didn’t change their lipid-lowering medications, the vegan group also had more substantial decreases in their total and LDL cholesterol levels compared to the ADA group.
Read the rest of the article here http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=129
and some success stories at PCRM here http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=612

Video about how a plant based diet helps reverse type-2 Diabetes.


Why Vegan? Part 4

Why no dairy?
If you think about the figures,theres a 50% chance of bull calf being born .. and even with a requirement of the bulls in india by farmers, the dairy industry produces so much in excess that about 8 Million calves are slaughtered or starved to death every year.

There is no way to ensure the pasture fed, free range, well cared for, not slaughtered or anything esp in India. Cow slaughter is illegal in India and so is dowry, bride killing, and girl child abortion.

As far as US is concerned, there is a big veal and beef industry but the dairy industry still produces an excess of about 700,000 calves/year which are disposed off at birth. and most pasture fed, happy cow labels are misleading. check http://www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html for your local dairy listings. even 5 star rating means low cull rate, not NO cull rate.

Why Vegan? The last heart attack

Dr Sanjay Gupta at CNN explores plant based diet and its effects in reducing and reversing heart disease and talk to Bill Clinton. Watch the video here.

Why Vegan? Part 3

Why Cow's milk, or goat's or buffalo's milk? why not Hyena's milk. it is much higher in Calcium! its because these animals are herd animals, herbivores, docile and easy to control. If we could control the carnivorous and ferocious hyena, they would be factory farmed for their milk too.

There is NO nutritional component of Cows milk that is necessary for humans more than a hyena's milk.

Cows do not "give" milk. We steal it from them.

Humans are the only mammals drinking any kind of milk into adulthood. -Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

See her video here..


Why Vegan? Continued..


Photo courtesy: julieoneill.
That is a dying baby calf.. starving slowly to death in a local, small, family run, "caring" dairy farm in the holy city of Rishikesh.. where cows are "worshipped".

From Julie's blog post.
"In north India there is a holy city called Rishikesh. It is a par­adise for yoga lov­ing veg­e­tar­i­ans. The respect for cows fills the air here. As they roam freely, vis­i­tors and res­i­dents alike gen­tly stroke their fore­heads and offer them treats of fruits and veg­eta­bles. Through the streets traffic patiently waits for the noble beasts to pass.

Here espe­cially, the cow is con­sid­ered sacred and no meat is allowed in the entire city! But plenty of milk is con­sumed. I decided to pop into a small fam­ily run dairy just off of the main drag in Rishikesh. I fig­ured that if any­where in the world mother cows would be treated well it would be here. If there was any­where that I could have a guilt free cheese sand­wich it should be here. The fol­low­ing pho­tos are from this small fam­ily run dairy."

Please read her entire post here. http://www.julieoneill.com/blog/?p=1438

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Why Vegan?

It is not about giving up your favorite foods!

It is about replacing them with similar foods which are pain free!

It is not about restricting your diet and suffering from the nutritional consequences.

It is about opening it up instead, to fresher plant based foods and knowing what and how nutritionally balanced food your body needs!

It is not difficult to go Vegan. Just think about anyone you love, who has feelings and can feel pain, going through the pain and suffering animals have to go through.

It is about living healthy, eliminating diseases created and made worse by us, by our food choices.

It is not just a diet, it is a state of mind about everything around you. If you dont eat your dog, you cannot possibly wear fur.

There are lots more facets to this state of mind. Find atleast some in yours.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Beauty from the eyes of a volunteer

Some pictures from Animal Aid Unlimited, a sanctuary for the neglected beings!



Scrub me tooo!


We all live together




cute piggies


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

a day break

screwed up my eyes coz of over reading.. someone tell me to stop!!!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

grrr

rant time!
Begin rant
grrr.. too hot.. horrid mood..
got my tripod.. but it seems more of a pin as of now for the photography. hubbs keeping moving my set up and its tiring to put it all back again.. grrr.. thats defintely a space problem.. need some 200 sq ft to myself for the food photography set up which currently resides in the living room..
hubbs been extreeeeemmmly busy this week..
gotta finish up so many things... uggghh
End Rant!

On a happier note.. We put up some "Hot car is an oven for your Dog" flyers, with phone numbers of Seattle animal control and non emergency police, around the block and on alaskan, Hempfest was for 3 days and 2 days were going to be really hot. Last year a few dogs died in hot cars :( and some others were rescued by police breaking windows. Amazingly some people took the phone number flags from the flyers! I am so happy about that!! Of course, hubbs took out time to go on Alaskan way to put the flyers in the sun with all that packing tape!. some brownie points for that. now I just hope next week is a bit light for him else both of us will go a bit crazy!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Well done Abba

Well Done Abba 2010 political satire Hindi film directed by Shyam Benegal, has a couple of storylines. One of them about, how a well that is to be built in a village, gets stolen.
Its not just a story or a film, it is reality.

Dad told me a story the other day. I dont know the entire pre and post circumstances and all the exact details. Heres what happened in short.
One of the NGOs decided to do something for a village close to our home town. So they decided that since sanitary conditions in most villages are below par, they should build some auto flushing toilets or something. So they got some experts together including Dad to go to the village for specs and numbers.
And guess what happened. They found that there was no drinking water supply in the village? On paper, there were supposed to be 9 Bore wells in the village and hence a decent water supply and distribution. The bore well money either from the the government or the World Bank, on paper, was used to make the bore wells.
But no bore wells! Hello Corruption! All of it went to god knows who. The officials, higher ups, panchayat (local village self governmental)?

The villagers used water from one dirty lake, shared by all animals and people to do all sorts of things.. Walk to the lake, boil and filter the water through a cloth and drink. What would they do with A self flushing toilet!

Ironical isnt it. Luckily Dad informed me that they challenged the authorities, and while the case would go on, they also got some hand pumps installed. Some part solution for this village... but what about all the millions of small villages all across the country? And we wonder why the farmers commit suicide.

This story is not to make you cynical of the country, people and corruption. The story is about small changes, and not giving up. Though it is difficult for one person to deal with the big problem, a set of people working tirelessly towards a cause do make a change however small. The cases and investigations might take forever, the laws against similar issues might also take time to be passed and then later implemented, but there can be short term solutions. We just have to get together and find them. Help thy neighbor and help each other.

Friday, August 12, 2011

conversations

V's Mom M: Should I send u ghee and wheat laddoos?
V: We dont eat Ghee(clarified butter) anymore
M: Why not
V: Coz it is an animal product
M: but you will get skin disease, if you dont eat ghee
V: No mom
M: It is essential for health
V: no mom
M: and you will get skinny
V: no mom, it gives you heart disease and is not needed.
M: Ok, so what about milk
V: We are transitioning to non dairy milk
M: what is that
V: almond, rice , oat, etc milk
M: but cow gives milk since ages to humans
V: no mom, the cow is kept pregnant and then the calf is killed as soon as it is born.
M: on no.. they cant kill the calf
V: Then what will they do with the calf
M: oh my god. I am not going to visit the US. they kill calves there...

conversation got interrupted at this point, else it was going to go towards how in India, the number of calves killed per year is 10 times that in the US. (8-10 million calves per year in India)

Sunday, August 07, 2011

Virgin Coconut Oil. why it is heart healthy

You've no doubt noticed that for about the last 60 years, the majority of health care officials and the media have been telling you saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative consequences, including high cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Meanwhile during this same 60 years, the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed.

Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60 percent of their total caloric intake from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease? (1)

The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.

The operative word here is "created," because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened substance that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits -- just about all experts now agree, hydrogenation does nothing good for your health.

These manipulated saturated fats are also called trans-fats -- and you should avoid them like the plague. But if one form of saturated fat is bad for you, does that mean all saturated fat is bad for you?

Absolutely not!

The Tropics' Best Kept Secret

The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in native tropical cultures, where coconut has been a primary dietary staple for thousands of years.

Back in the 1930s, Dr. Weston Price found South Pacific Islanders whose diets were high in coconut to be healthy and trim, despite high dietary fat, and heart disease was virtually non-existent. Similarly, in 1981, researchers studying two Polynesian communities for whom coconut was the primary caloric energy source found them to have excellent cardiovascular health and fitness. (2)

Where were all the clogged arteries and heart attacks from eating all of this "evil" saturated fat?

Obviously, coconut oil was doing nothing to harm the health of these islanders.

It may be surprising for you to learn that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil is actually good for you and provides a number of profound health benefits, such as:

• Improving your heart health.(3)
• Boosting your thyroid. (4)
• Increasing your metabolism.
• Promoting a lean body and weight loss if needed.
• Supporting your immune system. (5)

Coconut oil even benefits your skin when applied topically and has been found to have anti-aging, regenerative effects.

So, what are coconut oil's secrets to success?

How Coconut Oil Works Wonders in Your Body

Nearly 50 percent of the fat in coconut oil is of a type rarely found in nature called lauric acid, a "miracle" compound because of its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties. (6)

Coconut oil is also nature's richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.

LCTs are large molecules, so they are difficult for your body to break down and are predominantly stored as fat.

But MCTs (7) , being smaller, are easily digested and immediately burned by your liver for energy -- like carbohydrates, but without the insulin spike. MCTs actually boost your metabolism and help your body use fat for energy, as opposed to storing it, so it can actually help you become leaner.

Back in the 1940s, farmers discovered this effect accidentally when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.

It didn't work!

Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.

Coconut oil has actually been shown to help optimize body weight, which can dramatically reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (8). Besides weight loss, boosting your metabolic rate will improve your energy, accelerate healing and improve your overall immune function.

And several studies have now shown that MCTs can enhance physical or athletic performance.(9)

And finally, as we have already discussed, coconut oil is incedibly good for your heart. The truth is this:it is unsaturated fats that are primarily involved in heart disease and too much sugar and processed foods, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as you have been led to believe. (10)

Coconut Oil in Your Kitchen

Personally, I use only two oils in my food preparation.

The first, extra-virgin olive oil is the best monounsaturated fat and works great as a salad dressing. However, olive oil should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes olive oil susceptible to oxidative damage. So for cooking, I use coconut oil exclusively.

And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to cook with.

Why?

Three primary reasons:

1) Cooking your food in omega-6 vegetable oils produces a variety of very toxic chemicals, as well as forming trans-fats. Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil, actually oxidizing the oil, which causes even worse problems for your body than trans-fats.

2) Most vegetable oils are GM (genetically modified), including more than 90 percent of soy, corn and canola oils.

3) Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, throwing offyour omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Nearly everyone in Western society consumes far too many omega-6 fats -- about 100 times more than a century ago -- and insufficient omega 3 fats, which contributes to numerous chronic degenerative diseases.

There is only one oil that is stable enough to withstand the heat of cooking, and that's coconut oil. So, do yourself a favor and ditch all those "healthy oil wannabes," and replace them with a large jar of fresh, organic, heart-supporting coconut oil.

Dr. Joseph Mercola is the founder and director of Mercola.com. Become a fan of Dr. Mercola on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, and check out Dr. Mercola's report on sun exposure!

Follow Dr. Joseph Mercola on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mercola

----------------------------
(1) Kaunitz H, Dayrit CS. Coconut oil consumption and coronary heart disease. Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, 1992;30:165-171

(2) Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: The Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561

(3) Raymond Peat Newsletter, Coconut Oil, reprinted at www.heall.com. http://www.heall.com/body/healthupdates/food/coconutoil.html An Interview With Dr. Raymond Peat, A Renowned Nutritional Counselor Offers His Thoughts About Thyroid Disease

(4) Baba, N 1982.Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diet containing medium-chain triglycerides, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 35:379

(5) Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century
(6) Isaacs CE, Litov RE, Marie P, Thormar H. Addition of lipases to infant formulas produces antiviral and antibacterial activity, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 1992;3:304-308.

Isaacs CE, Schneidman K. Enveloped Viruses in Human and Bovine Milk are Inactivated by Added Fatty Acids(FAs) and Monoglycerides(MGs), FASEB Journal, 1991;5: Abstract 5325, p.A1288.

Mitsuto Matsumoto, Takeru Kobayashi, Akio Takenakaand Hisao Itabashi. Defaunation Effects of Medium Chain Fatty Acids and Their Derivatives on Goat Rumen Protozoa, The Journal of General Applied Microbiology, Vol. 37, No. 5 (1991) pp.439-445.

(7) St-Onge MP, Jones PJ. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12975635

(8) Geliebter, A 1980. Overfeeding with a diet of medium-chain triglycerides impedes accumulation of body fat, Clinical Nutrition, 28:595

(9) Fushiki, T and Matsumoto, K Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by consumption of medium-chain triglycerides, Journal of Nutrition, 1995;125:531. http://www.coconut-connections.com/hypothyroidism.htm
(10) Barry Groves, PhD. Second Opinions: Exposing Dietary Misinformation: The Cholesterol Myth, parts 1 and 2

Post Reproduced from :

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Sunday, July 10, 2011

Best Oils to cook With!

So Many oils and so many ways to cook!. Which ones are the best at what temperatures.

Non-processed and organic saturated fats (the kind that are solid or semi-solid at room temperature) are typically the best for cooking at high temperatures, as they will not go rancid nor oxidize.

When an oil goes rancid or oxidizes, it produces free radicals. Free radicals are the anti anti-oxidant. Where anti-oxidants help prevent signs of aging like wrinkles and heart disease. Free radicals cause premature aging and diseases.

When cooking at high temps or with a high flame you should use a good, hearty saturated oil or fat that will remain stable when being heated and not produce any free radicals. Such fats are butter, coconut oil, sesame oil.

When using a low flame, or baking-- monounsaturated cold- pressed, organic, extra virgin olive oil
is a good choice. Olive oil will go rancid and create free radicals at high temperatures (or with a high flame). A good general rule of thumb: if you’re cooking with more than a medium flame on the stove-top: DON’T use virgin olive oil. Use organic coconut or sesame oil, butter or ghee instead. Since this is about vegan diet, butter and ghee are out!
For high temperature baking, you can use light olive oil.

High Heat/Frying/Browning

  • Coconut oil
  • Palm Oil

Medium Heat/Light Sauteing

  • Olive Oil
  • Sesame Seed Oil
  • Hazelnut Nut Oil
  • Pistachio Nut Oil

Low Heat/Baking

  • Pumpkin Oil
  • Sunflower Oil

No Heat

  • Flax Seed Oil
  • Hemp Seed Oil

Also, avoid cooking with any of the commercial vegetable oils: cotton seed oil, soy oil, corn oil, canola oil, hemp oil and grapeseed oil; all margarines, spreads and partially hydrogenated vegetable shortenings. They're over processed, offer us no nutrition and all the processing adds toxic chemicals which are just not good for anyone.

Here is some reading about oils



Saturday, July 09, 2011

Conversations

While discussing some activists who risk going into labs and factory farms or other places to do under cover investigations to expose cruel practices and abuse, or who break in to save animals..
Me: Those activists are brave.. I dont know why people call me brave.. i am just living my lifean dealing with whatever comes my way.
Hubbs: Dont worry babe, Once u are out and about and all ready to roll again you will do all that too.
Me: U sure?!
Hubbs: Yeah. u are a passionate person
Me: So u r saying u are ok with the idea that u will have to bail me out from jail some day.
Hubbs: Sure.. There are risks in everything.. u r brave..
Me: Hmm, I am not sure I am that brave.. the idea of spending any time in a windowless cell is scary.. we will see.

Did you all know that you cannot be charged for trespassing if you enter someones property, where any animal is not getting its basic needs like food and water? Well, now u know.. so if your neighbors dog is not getting fed, please do give him some food! And if he is kept on a chain more than 10 hours a day, please contact Dogs Deserve Better in the US.
6-8 million pets are euthanized each year in the US, that is one per 8 seconds.
Please Adopt and talk about adoption with anyone who is thinking about getting a dog or a cat.

Buying = killing 2 animals. One in the shelter and the other that could have taken the place of the adopted animals.

Friday, July 01, 2011

day today

soo what do i do everyday..
Read up my regular does of blogs if my eyes cooperate...
Check up on articles and posts on facebook..if my eyes cooperate
Read up some vegan blogs, recipes, cook, bake and write up my food blog! 
share posts, write up articles or blog posts if my eyes cooperate..
Share dogs, who are on the euthanization list, for adoption, try to find people who want to adopt them, email or post on rescues near the dogs, write to people on craigslist, pledge and donate some funds to a rescue can pull the dogs out and more, if the eyes cooperate.

If they dont.. then its all about listening to a book.. which is quite boring these days because I havent spent enough time to find some other good authors.. already exhausted the book supply from the usual authors.!

I stumbled upon these set of volunteers and rescues in new york and in California,  who are trying hard to reduce the euthanization rates in the area shelters. Its quite ridiculous, the number of healthy dogs and even puppies that are put down, just because of lack of space and no adoption interest within the 3 day hold period. So the volunteers try to take pictures of the dogs every few days and put them up on facebook and share them on the local rescue pages, and some others volunteer to go pick up the dog, some transport them, some foster the dog for the rescue and take them to weekly adoption events etc.
Lots of volunteer options.. But dogs that can be pulled out depends on the availability of foster homes. Lots of dogs are also adopted out of state, but there is the time period in which the adopters get approved and the rescues can arrange for transport.. and the shelter does not keep the dog for that long a time..
Half the dogs I share and connect and keep track of, are not there when I check a few days later. those cute tiny fluffy white maltese or poodles, chihuahuas, gsds, huskies.. all adoptable breeds.. but they dont get a chance because the shelters do not give them enough time.
Its an amazing job all these volunteers are doing and i try ti support in whichever way I can!

Thats my day!


Monday, June 13, 2011

Vegan Nutrition: Milk nutrition Facts


Cow Milk (Organic Valley Whole Milk) for comparison.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (240ml)
Servings Per Container 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 150Calories from Fat 70
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 5g25%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 30mg10%
Sodium 120mg5%
Potassium 360mg10%
Total Carbohydrate 12g4%
Dietary Fiber 0g0%
Sugars 11g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A 4%• Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 30%• Iron 0%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Cow Milk: 1% low fat Organic Valley Milk:

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (240ml)
Servings Per Container 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 110Calories from Fat 25
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2.5g4%
Saturated Fat 1.5g8%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 15mg5%
Sodium 125mg5%
Potassium 380mg11%
Total Carbohydrate 13g4%
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 12g
Protein 8g
Vitamin A 10%• Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 30%• Vitamin D 25%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Below are some of the alternatives to dairy milk and their nutrition facts. The values are for supermarket versions of the milks. If home made, the sodium and sugar content is far below the supermarket versions.


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1 cup (245.0 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories
120
Calories from Fat
18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
2.0g
3%
Saturated Fat
0.1g
1%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat
1.3g
Cholesterol
0mg
0%
Sodium
86mg
4%
Total Carbohydrates
24.8g
8%
Protein
0.4g
Vitamin A 0%Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 2%Iron 1%
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet


Read about the nutritional benefits of almonds here http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=20
Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats as are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1 serving ( g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories
60
Calories from Fat
23
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
2.5g
4%
Saturated Fat
0.0g
0%
Trans Fat
0.0g
Cholesterol
0mg
0%
Sodium
140mg
6%
Total Carbohydrates
8.0g
3%
Sugars
6.0g
Protein
1.0g
Vitamin A 10%Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%Iron 0%
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet




Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1 cup (240.0 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories
100
Calories from Fat
36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
4.0g
6%
Saturated Fat
0.5g
3%
Polyunsaturated Fat
2.4g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.9g
Sodium
120mg
5%
Total Carbohydrates
8.0g
3%
Dietary Fiber
1.0g
4%
Sugars
6.0g
Protein
7.0g
Vitamin A 10%Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 30%Iron 6%
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
See more extended nutritional details


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1 serving ( g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories
140
Calories from Fat
45
% Daily Value*
Total Fat
5.0g
8%
Saturated Fat
0.5g
3%
Trans Fat
0.0g
Cholesterol
0mg
0%
Sodium
130mg
5%
Total Carbohydrates
20.0g
7%
Dietary Fiber
1.0g
4%
Sugars
14.0g
Protein
4.0g
Vitamin A 10%Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 50%Iron 6%
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (240ml)
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 20
Calories 130
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 2.5g4%
Saturated Fat 0g0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 110mg5%
Potassium 120mg
Total Carbohydrate 24g8%
Dietary Fiber 2g8%
Sugars 19g
Other Carbohydrate 0g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A 10%Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 36%Iron 10%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie

Cashews contain no cholesterol (like cow’s milk) and are a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, copper, and iron. Read more about health benefits of Cashews here http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=98

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Amount per Serving
Calories 79
Calories from Fat 57.6
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.4g
9%
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 62mg
2%
Total Carbohydrate 4.5g
1%
Dietary Fiber 0.4g
1%
Sugars 0g
Protein 2.1g
4%

Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat
68.6%
Carbs
21.4%
Protein
10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs.


Soy Milk is the highest in protein, but there are too many controversies around Soy.
Hemp Milk is a Good Source of Omega-3 Fats: Hemp milk is a relative new-comer on the alterna-milk scene. Its big claim to fame is that it is an excellent source of omega-3 fats. A single serving of hemp milk provides an entire day’s recommended intake of omega-3 fats. That’s about four times as much as you’d get in soy milk and six times as much as you’d get from cow’s milk. It’s not terribly high in protein, however.
Almond Milk is Lower in Calories: If you’re counting calories, almond milk tends to be quite a bit lower in calories and sugar than most of the other non-dairy milks. It also contains monounsaturated fats, which are the same heart-healthy fats found in olive oil. Almond milk is fairly low in protein.
Oat Milk Provides Fiber: Oat milk offers fiber as well as a moderate amount of protein, about 4 grams per serving. However, it is on the higher end in terms of sugar and calories.
Rice Milk is Non-Allergenic: Rice milk is one you’re least likely to be allergic to. However, it’s the lowest in protein and tends to be higher in sugar and calories.
Cashew Milk is more like whole milk with the creamy high fat and moderate amount of protein, but unlike whole milk, it is all heart healthy fat.

Eventually, all dairy alternatives give you sufficient nutrition without all that extra saturated fat, bad cholestrol, antibiotics and carcinogenic hormones! Depending on the non dairy milk chosen, the diet can be adjusted to add a little extra calcium or protein if needed. Check out the Vegan nutrition series to get an idea about if additional calcium or protein is even needed and which fruits and vegetables help.

My earlier post about whats in dairy milk..http://offspaces.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-milk-or-not_28.html

The nutrition charts were reproduced from either the milk company's website or caloriecount.about.com . I am not a nutritionist, these are facts and statistics from articles by nutritionists, doctors, usda nutrition charts.