hypnagogic

conversations

2012-02-04T23:18:00.000-08:00

V: we dont use milk coz cow isnt treated well and cows are not happy. (no one beleives that calves are killed)

Relatives(cousins and wives in India on the phone): where did you go to check on the cow if the cow wasnt happy.

V: we know

R: here the cows are happy, we give them peda(indian sweet made of cows milk!)

V: ok, we use cashew milk

R: why make cashew milk, eat the cashews. cow milk is complete food

V: it is not food for us, it is food for the calf.

R: dont drink tea or coffee. tea and coffee is bad for health

V: ok

R: ok we need to drink milk tea and gajar halwa now

V: omg ghor paap! (absolute sin... eating non veg is considered sin in certain castes in india.. so repeating the same thing for milk)

R: ok, talk to you later

Why Vegan- Part 4

2012-02-01T22:25:00.000-08:00

So, if you think that there are higher powers like the government or corporations, who will protect you from all the crazy additives, processed crap, genetically modified, cancer causing, deathly horrendous things........ you would be So Wrong...

For example, think about Smoking.

Smoking is directly linked to several cancers. Over 40 carcinogens have been identified in cigarette smoke. In the US, smoking is estimated to cause 90% of lung cancer. Men who smoke two packs a day increase their risk more than 25 times compared with non-smokers. Of the 180,000 people diagnosed in the United States alone each year, 86% will die within 5 years of diagnosis.

And what does the government do? put a tiny warning at the bottom of a pack.. Get the drift??

This is exactly the problem with the food industry. No one is going to tell you dairy is bad. The dairy industry, like the tobacco industry is large enough to lobby and make you believe otherwise.

You know Why it is difficult to quit Smoking.. because it is addictive and the withdrawal effects make it very difficult... do you think a smoker can think clearly and logically think and decline a smoke, without rock hard determination?

It is a similar problem with things like cheese. They are addictive.. If you say you cannot give up cheese because you love it too much.. it is like a smoker with lung cancer saying I cannot give up Smoking because I love it too much.

That is Not your logical brain speaking.

Ma and her discussions

2012-01-29T22:22:00.000-08:00

CCW: Chana chor-garam wala( roadside vendor who sells fried chickpea snacks).

CCW to Ma: aunty take some chana chor today

Ma: oh it is fried

CCW: it is good and fresh and you take it all the time

Ma: what did you fry it in

CCW: same old regular oil

Ma: which oil, kerosene?

CCW: no no peanut oil i think

Ma: tell me properly which oil

CCW: phalli oil

Ma: which phalli

CCW: soybean oil

Ma: i cant eat soybeans

CCW: but its soybean oil

Ma: I cant eat soybeans coz of thyroid problem and most likely that soybean is gmo. Is it organic soybean oil?

CCW: what is organic

Ma: ok, you lost a customer.

Me to Ma: Did you reduce your milk consumption, since 70% of all milk in india contains detergent and urea.

Ma: yes, we get it from milk man now, so it not polluted, the cows have access to a field, and we dont drink at night.

Me: Did you ask your milk man what the cow eats

Ma: yeah some dried fodder from his field

Me: cow should eat fresh grass

some days later

Ma: cow goes into field once she finishes weaning calf and eats green grass

Me: where does the calf go and who decides when he is weaned

Ma: offo, Talk to dad

some days later

Ma: They sell bull calf to neighboring farmer

Me: are you sure?

Ma: I will get you their phone number to ask these questions

Numbers 2

2011-12-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

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

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

2011-12-24T15:33:00.000-08:00

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.

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

2011-12-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

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.

http://keralatourism.strays.in/

The petition to sign is here http://keralatourism.strays.in/index.php/2011/11/sign-the-petition-boycott-kerala-tourism-to-stop-animal-slaughter/

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..

some random blab.. not so..

2011-12-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

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!

Read a story about another set of tortured dogs here http://www.pasadosafehaven.org/2011/11/pasados-seeks-maximum-sentencing-in-akc-judge-backyard-breeding-case/

"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!

To tell or not to tell Part 2

2011-11-21T16:08:00.000-08:00

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.

To tell or not to tell

2011-11-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

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?

Why Vegan? Reverse Diabetes

2011-11-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

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

2011-11-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

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

2011-11-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

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

2011-11-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

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..

2011-11-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

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

Why Vegan?

2011-10-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

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.

Beauty from the eyes of a volunteer

2011-09-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

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

Scrub me tooo!

We all live together

cute piggies

See the rest of the album here http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.278328435510884.78832.100000011890735

a day break

2011-09-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

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

grrr

2011-08-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

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!

Well done Abba

2011-08-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

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.

conversations

2011-08-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

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)

Virgin Coconut Oil. why it is heart healthy

2011-08-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

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 :

Huffington Post: Coconut Oil Benefits: Dr Mercola

Best Oils to cook With!

2011-07-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

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

http://www.suite101.com/content/2010-guide-to-healthy-cooking-oils-best-cooking-oils-a231305

Conversations

2011-07-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

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.

day today

2011-07-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

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!

Vegan Nutrition: Milk nutrition Facts

2011-06-13T18:54:00.000-07:00

Cow Milk (Organic Valley Whole Milk) for comparison.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup (240ml)
Servings Per Container 4

Amount Per Serving

Calories 150

Calories from Fat 70

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 8g

12%

Saturated Fat 5g

25%

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 30mg

10%

Sodium 120mg

Potassium 360mg

10%

Total Carbohydrate 12g

Dietary Fiber 0g

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 110

Calories from Fat 25

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 2.5g

Saturated Fat 1.5g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 15mg

Sodium 125mg

Potassium 380mg

11%

Total Carbohydrate 13g

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.

Rice Milk: How to make your own Rice Milk.

Serving Size

1 cup (245.0 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories

120

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

2.0g

Saturated Fat

0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat

0.3g

Monounsaturated Fat

1.3g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

86mg

Total Carbohydrates

24.8g

Protein

0.4g

Vitamin A 0%	•	Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 2%	•	Iron 1%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Almond Milk: How to Make your own Almond Milk

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.

Serving Size

1 serving ( g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

2.5g

Saturated Fat

0.0g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

140mg

Total Carbohydrates

8.0g

Sugars

6.0g

Protein

1.0g

Vitamin A 10%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%	•	Iron 0%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Soy Milk: How to make Soy milk

Serving Size

1 cup (240.0 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories

100

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

4.0g

Saturated Fat

0.5g

Polyunsaturated Fat

2.4g

Monounsaturated Fat

0.9g

Sodium

120mg

Total Carbohydrates

8.0g

Dietary Fiber

1.0g

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

Hemp Milk: How to make hemp milk

Serving Size

1 serving ( g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories

140

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

5.0g

Saturated Fat

0.5g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

130mg

Total Carbohydrates

20.0g

Dietary Fiber

1.0g

Sugars

14.0g

Protein

4.0g

Vitamin A 10%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 50%	•	Iron 6%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Oat Milk: how to make Oat Milk

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup (240ml)

Amount Per Serving

Calories from Fat 20

Calories 130

% Daily Values*

Total Fat 2.5g

Saturated Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0g

Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 110mg

Potassium 120mg

Total Carbohydrate 24g

Dietary Fiber 2g

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

Cashew Milk: How to make Cashew Milk

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

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.

http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/which-non-dairy-milk-is-best.aspx

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.

http://offspaces.blogspot.com/2011/05/vegan-nutrition-calcium.html and

http://offspaces.blogspot.com/2011/05/vegan-nutrition-protein.html

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.

No work work

2011-06-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

And that is definitely why I have so much time on my hands to attract all sorts of news.. read and read (though i hardly can read more than a page every hour) and be all preachy... And there is always reasons like, maybe if I was working I wouldnt be doing things for animals, or going vegan or being super preachy!..

I dont know.. But I'd like to think, that I would still find time to do the things I am passionate about, at some point or the other..

I was a member of the local SPCA and WWF(World wildlife fund) when I was in high school, though at that time the SPCA was hardly active as an organization. I was also similarly preachy :). I went through a few years of giving up meat till I hit college(bachelors).. Then the focus on animal causes took a backseat in between admissions, exams, general frilly teenage life and so on.. I gave up meat again some years into college(undergrad).. and my memory fails me about how preachy or not I was, but hubbs reminds me otherwise. According to him, I was blabbing animal rights, leather and activism when he met me.. and he thought that I was a bit weird :D:D .. wasnt nuts enough for him to not marry me eventually though ;)

Cut to coming to the US for my masters and that was one busy 2 years, then job and a mix of work, overwork, study and fun life..then of course getting married and another year went by!. Looking back on those 5-6 years(2001-2006).. I can see how I didnt take any time out for my passion for animal welfare.. It seems like a combination of busyness, out of sight out of mind(you dont see enough animal cruelty right in front of your eyes in the US as you would in India), friend circle, money(oh yes, u start earning the first time in your life and want to party and spend it all, though I saved enough to put some in my ridiculously expensive wedding)... Of course I could have done things a bit differently.. but who doesnt get caught up in life life.. Though the hidden passion was already showing up in my dissatisfaction with my work.. it was like a feeling of not doing enough for someone, for some thing for some bigger cause..

Then anyway, this train hit a mountain and got derailed and on a completely, randomly, way off track... the track of recovery.. where you have to be selfish and work on yourself.. If you cant survive by yourself, you cant do anything for anyone else...

And the last few years has been about recovery, hobbies, passion.. cooking..blogging.. animals, reducing suffering, environment.. and so it goes.. doing things that keep me motivated.. make me happy!

There are several examples of people who work full time and still find time and energy for causes that are dear to them, be it animal welfare, people welfare, child and women abuse, environment, ecology, health, schools, economy, education, medicine, anything and everything that is not just about them, its about the bigger picture.. the bigger solution..

this week

2011-06-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

things to do this week

Food blog:

Sticky buns

shu mei

Pet blog:

move sale to ebay

General:

sign petitions and more petitions!

and stress less! self to brain: i know u will be anxious in new territory.. thats fine.. lets just take the anxiety along for a ride!

gee i sound like an activist

2011-06-02T20:24:00.001-07:00

duh... i dont know what else someone talking about the planet, animals and health would sound like..

I also get suggested to stop reading about all the problems of the world and putting them in my head.. well how else would you know what to do to solve them!.. i am learning to compartmentalize, so hopefully I dont look depressed anymore..:)

i should probably move the nutrition posts to the food blog. If you havent already, check out some strawberry laddoos on the food blog! and if you want more of my blabber.. then follow me on twitter.com/betit19

Erika and Claire

2011-05-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Erika and Claire from Animal Aid Unlimited last week.

From their website:

"Animal Aid is a US-based 501(c)3 charitable organization that runs a busy animal hospital and shelter in Udaipur, Rajasthan India, where ownerless street animals are rescued, healed, loved, and returned to the neighborhoods from where they came.

On their website you will find amazing animals and dedicated volunteers from all over the world working together with Animal Aid’s staff who serve fallen angels with tenderness, respect, and joy. Animal Aid’s purpose is to both bring relief to suffering animals, and to awaken compassion among people. Showing everyone a path for action. They have emergency rescue hotline and a sanctuary for the disabled animals as well."

We didnt realize where the 2 hours went. Usually, I freeze and speak minimally when new people visit me. But I was yapping away this time even though my balance was a bit off. We discussed about their organization, some others like Karuna Society and Visakha SPCA and the work of FIAPO(Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations). Among these orgs, they handle all sorts of things from helping one abuse case of a pet or a stray to rescuing, treating and providing a sanctuary to any animal from cows, dogs to donkeys, Or reaching the community with a message of compassion, about treating animals as sentient beings, about veganism, about the abuse at dairy and meat industry and so on. They work on legislation or campaigns to help any animal problems as caged birds, stray dogs and cats, to stopping establishment of big factory farms and automated slaughter houses. Wildlife protection, sacrifices, animal birth control programs, Vegan meals for the poor, ban on plastic bags, you name it and one of these orgs is already working on it. And still there is so much to be done, so many campaigns to support, and continuous and collective effort to be made.

Just a short discussion about these kind of issues help put things in perspective. Whether you are a compassionate person or not, a vegan or not, you are still a human, capable of evaluating and understanding. You can think and know, about the pain and suffering all around you. You can, take a little time, find some little to do, and make a difference.

Please read about the organizations mentioned below.

There are many more smaller focussed orgs and rescues all over India. I will post about some of them every few weeks!. Do give these orgs a few minutes of your time and help in any way you can, be it a donation or sending needed supplies or volunteer work on site or administrative(online).

To Soy or Not to Soy

2011-05-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

Soy has become synonymous with Veganism mainly because of its easy accessibility and use as substitutes as fake meats and cheese. But there is a lot more to Soy than meets the eye. Heres a note compiled by Manish about the Pros and Cons and history of Soy. There is more to Vegan diet than just Soy. We hardly consume any soy products (knowingly) at our home. There is an occasional tofu or tempeh dish once in maybe a month. Of course, Soy in some form or the other happens to enter all kinds of processed food in the US. So unknowingly, we do consume some of that. Please read the note below to decide your own consumption options about Soy.

Original Note on Facebook by Manish Jain For specific questions about the note, post them on his note or on my food blog's facebook page here.

How Soy Became Known as a "Health Food"

But first, let's review a bit of the history behind soy that created this misperception in the public's mind.

Years ago, tropical oils, such as palm and coconut oil, were commonly used in American food production. However, these are obviously not grown in the US. With the exception of Hawaii, our climate isn't tropical enough.

Spurred on by financial incentives, the industry devised a plan to shift the market from tropical oils to something more "home grown." As a result, a movement was created to demonize and vilify tropical oils in order to replace them with domestically grown oils such as corn and, primarily, soy.

For the most part, they've been very successful in their campaign to paint soy in a healthy light. So, the information I have to share with you may disappoint and challenge many of you, especially vegetarians, because vegetarians and vegans use soy as one of their primary sources of protein.

But I'm here to tell you that after studying this issue very carefully, I'm convinced that unless the soy you're consuming is fermented, you're putting your health at risk.

Fermented Soy is the Only Type of Soy with Health Benefits

There's only one type of soy that can be construed as a health food, and that is fermented soy.
Examples of health-promoting fermented soy foods include:
Natto
Miso
Tempeh
Natto is actually a phenomenal food. It's a fermented soy product that can be a bit challenging to locate, but you can usually find it in Asian food stores. It's very high in vitamin K2, which is a phenomenal vitamin, much like vitamin D.

Together, vitamin K2 and vitamin D provide a large number of significant health benefits, such as improving bone density and reducing your risk of heart disease and cancer, just to name a few.

Natto has probably the highest concentration of vitamin K2 out of any food.

Miso and tempeh do not contain vitamin K2 but they are also fermented forms of soy that are excellent sources of health-promoting natural probiotics.

The fermentation process is what makes the soy a healthy addition to your diet, as it breaks down the goitrogens, isoflavones and other harmful elements in the soy.

It's important to realize that tofu is NOT a fermented soy product, and should not be consumed if you want to avoid the health problems associated with non-fermented soy.

It is also important to understand that while fermented soy is healthier for you, it is not wise to consume it in large quantities because it is still loaded with phytoestrogens, like isoflavones, which can cause detrimental feminizing effects.

What's So Bad About Unfermented Soy?

One of the primary reasons for avoiding soy products is because the vast majority of soy grown in the US is genetically modified (GM) soy. The GM variety planted in 91 percent of US soy acres is Roundup Ready—engineered to survive being doused with otherwise lethal amounts of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide.

Monsanto produces both the Roundup Ready soy seeds and the herbicide Roundup.

The logic -- if you can call it that after all factors are considered -- behind GM crops such as soy is that you can decrease the cost of production by killing off everything except the actual soy plant.

Unfortunately, consumers pay a hefty price in terms of health instead.

Are You Willing to Risk Eradicating Your Future Family Lineage?

Some of the more recent research shows that many of the health problems do not even occur in those who consume these GM foods. Some of the most devastating harm may occur in the second and third generations!

I recently interviewed GMO expert Jeffrey Smith about the latest findings by Russian scientists, who discovered that GM soy effectively sterilized the third generation of hamsters...

One group of hamsters was fed a normal diet without any soy whatsoever, a second group was fed non-GMO soy, a third ate GM soy, and a fourth group ate an even higher amount of GM soy than the third.

Using the same GM soy produced in the US, the hamsters and their offspring were fed their respective diets over a period of two years, during which time the researchers evaluated three generations of hamsters.

Shockingly, the second-generation of GM soy-fed hamsters had a five-fold higher infant mortality rate, compared to the 5 percent normal death rate that was happening in the controls.

Worse yet, nearly all of the third generation hamsters were sterile! Only one single third-generation female hamster gave birth to 16 pups, and of those, one fifth died.

Another bizarre side effect found in the GM soy-fed groups was an unusually high prevalence of an otherwise extremely rare phenomenon – hair growing inside the animals' mouths. (You can see the images here.)

These are just a couple of concerns. There are certainly many others, and I've written extensively about the health hazards of GM foods. If you're new to this topic and want more information, my article Everything you MUST KNOW About Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods is a good place to start.

You can also find lots of additional information about GMOs on the site www.ResponsibleTechnology.org, created by Jeffrey Smith. We're working with Jeffrey, who is one of the leaders of the movement to restrict the use of GM foods in the United States, as they have done in Europe, primarily through consumer awareness and action to motivate industry changes, because there is NO government regulation against it.

Your involvement is vital in this respect. And avoiding soy products, including soy derivatives found in most processed foods, is part of it.
But soy is not the only GM food to beware of.

The easiest way to avoid ending up with any type of GM food in your shopping cart is to do some pre-planning using this free non-GMO shopping guide. There's also a free iPhone application available in the iTunes store, which you can find by searching for ShopNoGMO in the applications.

ResponsibleTechnology.org also offers additional guides you can hand out to friends, health care practitioners, and decision makers within your community, along with free online videos, podcasts, and articles that you can repost and republish.

Why All Organic Soy is NOT the Answer Either

All of that said, even if you were fortunate enough to find organic soy, there are still several other significant concerns with unfermented soy that make it far from attractive from a health standpoint.

Soy contains a number of problematic components that can wreak havoc with your health, such as:
Goitrogens – Goitrogens, found in all unfermented soy whether it's organic or not, are substances that block the synthesis of thyroid hormones and interfere with iodine metabolism, thereby interfering with your thyroid function.

One common source of soy is soy milk. Many consume it as an alternative to milk or one of their primary beverages. Soy milk is a significant contributor to thyroid dysfunction or hypothyroidism in women in the US.
So if you're a woman struggling with low thyroid function and you're consuming soy milk, that's a giant clue you need to stop drinking it immediately.
Isoflavones: genistein and daidzein – Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, which is a plant compound resembling human estrogen, which is why some recommend using soy therapeutically to treat symptoms of menopause. I believe the evidence is highly controversial and doubt it works.
Typically, most of us are exposed to too much estrogen compounds and have a lower testosterone level than ideal, so it really is important to limit exposure to feminizing phytoestrogens.

Even more importantly, there's evidence it may disturb endocrine function, cause infertility, and promote breast cancer, which is definitely a significant concern.

Drinking two glasses of soy milk daily for just one month provides enough of these compounds to alter your menstrual cycle. Although the FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, no warnings exist on soy.
Phytic acid -- Phytates (phytic acid) bind to metal ions, preventing the absorption of certain minerals, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc -- all of which are co-factors for optimal biochemistry in your body. This is particularly problematic for vegetarians, because eating meat reduces the mineral-blocking effects of these phytates.

Sometimes it can be beneficial, especially in postmenopausal women and in most adult men because we tend to have levels of iron that are too high which can be a very potent oxidant and cause biological stress.However, phytic acid does not necessarily selectively inhibit just iron absorption; it inhibits all minerals. This is very important to remember, as many already suffer from mineral deficiencies from inadequate diets.

The soybean has one of the highest phytate levels of any grain or legume, and the phytates in soy are highly resistant to normal phytate-reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking. Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans.
Natural toxins known as "anti-nutrients" -- Soy also contains other anti-nutritional factors such as saponins, soyatoxin, protease inhibitors, and oxalates. Some of these factors interfere with the enzymes you need to digest protein. While a small amount of anti-nutrients would not likely cause a problem, the amount of soy that many Americans are now eating is extremely high.
Hemagglutinin -- Hemagglutinin is a clot-promoting substance that causes your red blood cells to clump together. These clumped cells are unable to properly absorb and distribute oxygen to your tissues.

Soy to Avoid

As I mentioned, tofu is not fermented soy so it should be avoided.

Other examples of common soy products to avoid include soy protein and isolated soy protein powder, which you'll find in many protein bars and protein drinks.

Isolated soy protein powder is actually not a naturally produced substance. Production takes place in industrial factories where a slurry of soy beans is first mixed with an alkaline solution to remove fiber, then precipitated and separated using an acid wash and, finally, neutralized in an alkaline solution.

Acid washing in aluminum tanks leaches high levels of aluminum into the final product.

The resultant curds are spray- dried at high temperatures to produce a high-protein powder. MSG, a well-known excitotoxin that can cause neurological damage, is frequently added as well.

Another common form of soy you're likely exposed to is soy oil, which brings us back to where we started.

Ninety-five percent of the foods Americans spend their money on are processed foods, many of which contain soy oil.

Soy oil is extremely high in omega-6, which is highly susceptible to oxidative damage. And although you do need omega-6, soy oil is a terrible source as it is highly processed and refined, which severely damages it.

Consuming a diet high in processed foods, which by default is high in soy oil, is a primary contributor to the severe imbalance most people have in their omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, which in turn contributes to creating disease.

Other harmful soy products I've not already mentioned include:
Soy cheese
Soy ice cream
Soy yogurt
Soy "meat" (meatless products made of TVP)
Soy lecithin

Infant Soy Formula – Perhaps the Most Dangerous Soy Products of All

But perhaps one of the most harmful types of soy products that you need to be extremely cautious of is soy infant formula.
I strongly recommend every single mother to breastfeed for a minimum of six months, preferably longer. There is absolutely no question that breastfeeding is the most healthful option for both you and your baby. Conventional physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, many women choose not to breastfeed their child, leaving them with few alternatives.
Most opt for conventional formula, which has its own health risks, courtesy of inadequate nutrition (there are at least 400 nutrients in breast milk that are not found in formula), combined with excessive fructose and toxic contaminants.

But many children are allergic to conventional formula, and these parents can easily be convinced that soy formula is the solution.

Sadly, soy formula is FAR worse than conventional formula, in large part due to its excessive levels of phytoestrogens. The estrogens in soy can irreversibly harm your baby's sexual development and reproductive health. Infants fed soy formula receive a level of estrogen equivalent to five birth control pills every day!

Infants fed soy formula have up to 20,000 times the amount of estrogen in circulation as those fed conventional formulas!
In addition, soy formula has up to 80 times higher manganese than is found in human breast milk, which can lead to brain damage in infants, and altered behaviors in adolescence.

So please, do not ever feed your baby soy formula, and warn others who are pregnant or who you know are considering using formula over breastfeeding.

The next best alternative to breast milk is to make a healthy homemade infant formula. There may be others, but here is one recipe for homemade formula created by the Weston Price Foundation, which I believe is sound.

Educate Yourself about the Health Effects of Soy

I encourage you to continue reviewing the evidence against soy if you're still skeptical.

There are also some great books on this topic that document this information in clear detail and provide countless references that you can validate for yourself. One of these books, which I recommend very highly, is The Whole Soy Story by Dr. Kaayla Daniel.

There's a lot of information out there, and I understand the challenge of trying to explore these health issues. Many times motivations must be taken into account in order to sift through the information and get to the heart of the matter.

In the case of soy, as I mentioned, a primary motivation appears to have been promoting the sale of domestic soy in the US, as this increases profits, as opposed to benefitting your health…

The purpose of this site is to gather this varied information, present it to you, and offer you the starting point to do your own independent research. Because once you have the information, you have the power to take control of your own health.

SOURCE :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soybean

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/13/soy-controversy-and-health-effects.aspx

http://www.mothering.com/food/whole-soy-story

http://rheumatic.org/soy.htm

http://hiddensoy.com/soy-milk-dangers/

http://hiddensoy.com/the-dangers-of-soy-for-women-and-infants/

http://hiddensoy.com/remove-soy-from-your-diet/

http://hiddensoy.com/surprising-places-soy-is-hidden/

http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/soy.htm

To find least processed, organic and non GMO Soy Products Brands, check the Cornucopia Rating Scorecard http://www.cornucopia.org/2009/05/soy-report-and-scorecard/?gclid=CJfkrZ7zkqkCFUkZQgod60hgqg

Have a great day and hope this note was helpful!

this and that

2011-05-25T11:45:00.001-07:00

been a while since I blabbed ... well nothing much happening really

same old same old.. all weekdays are pretty much similar... and weekends are weekends..

Weekdays I am usually busy reading something or the other, sometimes trying to organize the reading so my head doesnt keep getting all jumbled up between animal rights, petitions, causes, food, nutrition, veganism, networking for dog/cat adoptions and so on .. So some days i try to focus on just one thing for a few hours before switching.. while others i just keep switching whenever something bombards my facebook or twitter! and then after a few my eyes usually get tired and i rest and listen to audiobooks for the hour or the day..

I do feel a bit low about the fact, that I am not doing as much as I could, if I wasnt so much in this anxiety funk, but then I would be busy fostering with not enough time left to read and network and such.. There's a whole lot of stuff to do out there, even if I cannot participate physically. Theres a lot to learn too... A Lot I tell you,..

Theres a lot going on in most major cities in India with respect to helping the stray animals. Volunteers open up their home and hearts and work on making life better for the strays on their own time, be it treating maggot infested wounds, some regular diseases, or just caring for the strays in the locality.. Wanna join in with the effort or just get inspired.. Hop on to the facebook group below. Its a closed group, so you might have to wait on the admins to approve your request.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_114243695324551&ap=1

more yapping later! Have a fun week!

off the grid today

2011-05-22T13:38:00.001-07:00

today... if u see me on fb,, tell me to go and rest!

Vegan Nutrition: Calcium

2011-05-16T15:24:00.003-07:00

Calcium is important for bones, which are constantly being broken down and built back up. Vitamin D regulates calcium absorption and excretion, especially when calcium intake is low.

Calcium is a component of bones, but is more immediately needed in the blood to keep muscles, such as the heart, contracting efficiently. The body preserves blood calcium levels at the expense of bone calcium. Calcium alone though is not enough to keep bones healthy. It is combination a of a balanced calcium and Vitamin D intake.

While not found in many foods, vitamin D can be made by the action of sunlight (UV rays) on skin.

If you get exposed to the following amounts of midday sun (10 am to 2 pm), without sunscreen, on a day when sunburn is possible (i.e., not winter or cloudy), then you do not need any dietary vitamin D that day:

light-skinned: 10 to 15 minutes
dark-skinned: 20 minutes
elderly: 30 minutes

Chart below for Calcium content in various vegetarian foods.

Calcium Tips

Many non-dairy milks are now fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and/or vitamin B12. Many orange juices are fortified with calcium.
Shake calcium fortified non-dairy milks before pouring as the calcium can settle to the bottom.
The calcium in kale, broccoli, collard greens, and soymilk is all absorbed relatively well.
The calcium in spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens is not well absorbed, due to their high content of oxalates, which bind calcium.
Calcium supplements can inhibit iron absorption if eaten at the same time.
In addition to the calcium in the leafy greens listed on the right, leafy greens also contain vitamin K which is good for bones.
The Daily Value for calcium on food labels is 1,000 mg. Therefore,if a food label says it has 25% of the daily value, it means it has 250 mg of calcium per serving.

Most people seem to be getting enough calcium, whereas vitamin D is a bigger concern. Hence a lot of the alternative or regular milk is often fortified with Vitamin D. More Detailed research, statistics and the Complete article at http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/bones#vitD

Another link of interest http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm and the calcium content chart from the link.

As mentioned on the chart, Oxalic acid, which is found in spinach, rhubarb, chard, and beet greens binds with the calcium in those foods and reduces its absorption. These foods should not be considered good sources of calcium. Calcium in other green vegetables, like kale, collard greens, Chinese mustard greens, and Chinese cabbage flower leaves is well absorbed. Fiber appears to have little effect on calcium absorption.

Conclusion:

The US recommended intake for calcium is 1,000 mg for most adults. The UK's recommended intake is 700 mg. Given the results of the EPIC-Oxford study on vegan fracture rates, it is prudent to get 700 mg per day.

For the average vegan, a well balanced diet can usually take care of the calcium intake. To ensure optimal levels, drinking one glass of fortified milk or orange juice each day in addition to an otherwise balanced diet will work just well!!

friiiidayy and selfish peeps

2011-05-13T15:19:00.001-07:00

eyes still blahed out prob coz i dint really rest them much.. I am getting addicted to reading..:).. see i am still writing..

and another lesson for the day.. just stop trying to discuss anything with indifferent and selfish people.. who love to live in their own tiny world..and argue for the sake of arguing without even taking time to research anything on their own..

I end up converting my irritation into anxiety..even if the discussion is online and not in front of the person.. its too stressful on me... thats what u get for being passionate about something.. lets stick to talking about weather and other harmless things! and discussions only on grps with similar minded people! i love the Indian vegan and Indian Animal Network grp on Fb. They are open minded, have a wealth of information and have the same final interest even if they are not all on the same page about the path to getting there..

have a great weekend u'all.. i'll work on the chocolate chip cookie recipe post..

got a few more minutes after this blabber.. then please do visit the Petitions page on my pet blog http://find-me-a-happy-pet.blogspot.com/p/petitions.html and sign a few. The newest ones will usually be under PETA or ASPCA action alerts.

blah eyes

2011-05-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

too much reading.. rest day today... have to balance the reading now.. so i can do some drves in between.. coz if the eyes go yuck.. then driving and walking and everything gets affected.. coz balance goes yuck too.

Videos on Veganism

2011-05-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

A short movie ( in Hindi ) which explains importance of Veganism. (No blood or gore, just a nice message in the video)

Expand your circle of compassion and the love will come back to you a thousand times.

Same video in English.

We are simplifying our lives, buying less and living more because we know that the Earth provides enough to satisfy everyone's need, but not everyone's greed.
But there is one connected choice that sometimes gets overlooked. It's one of the most far-reaching personal, practical and ethical choices you can make. With this choice we can help...

... feed ourselves and every hungry person on the planet.
... end deforestation -- replenish the deep woods of the North and save our disappearing rainforests.
... revitalize our rural landscapes and save family farms.
... stop the number one polluter of water and the number one waster of water.
... return our oceans to thriving underwater worlds teeming with life and wonder.
... make cancer and heart disease a rarity instead of a common occurrence.
... stop the unnecessary suffering of billions and billions of animals.
... and return wild lands to their rightful owners.

This powerful choice can be done by everyone every day... by you... right now.

Vegan.

Every day you are invited to make choices. Live your values. Change the world.

It's that simple.

Numbers

2011-05-07T19:36:00.000-07:00

• 1 pound of cheese = 10 pounds of milk

• 1 gallon of ice cream = 12 pounds of milk

• 1 pound of butter = 21.1 pounds of milk

• 1 pound of ghee(clarified butter) needs about 28 pounds of milk

• Americans eat the equivalent of 10 acres of pizza every day! Americans eat an average of 29 pounds of cheese every year—over a lifetime that’s more than a ton of cheese

• Average U.S. cow produces 53 pounds of milk= 6.2 gallons a day.

• Cows eat over 90 pounds of food each day

• Cows drink over 35 gallons of water every day, in the summer time that is sometimes

doubled

Dairy Milk alternatives !

2011-05-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

From http://www.care2.com/greenliving/milk-alternatives-easy-greening.html

Almond, Rice and Oat milk are relatively easy to make at home.

Almond Milk
With only 2 grams of protein per 8 ounces, almond milk is not that impressive in the protein department—but almonds are one of the healthiest foods around. They’re rich in magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium, and calcium. Almond milk has a nice sweet, nutty flavor and a good consistency, which makes it good for drinking as well as a good dairy substitute in cooking.

Hemp Milk
A personal favorite: Hemp milk is new to the market and is made from seeds grown in Canada, where growing hemp is legal. It is a good source of omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids, calcium, and phosphorous, and is commonly fortified with other vitamins and minerals. One (very delicious) brand, Living Harvest, states that unlike soy protein, hemp protein doesn’t contain high levels of enzyme inhibitors, phytates, which can interfere with the proper assimilation of essential minerals, or oligosaccharides which cause flatulence and stomach distress.

Oat Milk
Oat milk is gaining in popularity and availability. It is high in fiber, is cholesterol and lactose free, and contains vitamin E, folic acid, and other trace elements and minerals. Oats are also rich in phytochemicals, naturally occurring chemicals in plants that help fight diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke. It is said to be highly tolerated by people with multiple allergies—however it’s not good for people with gluten intolerance.

Rice Milk
Rice milk is processed from brown rice and typically contains rice syrup, evaporated cane juice or another natural sweetener. It is usually fortified with calcium or vitamin D. It is generally very sweet, and pretty watery. The main drawback of rice milk is that it is mainly just a source of carbohydrates—it is a good dairy substitute for cooking, but shouldn’t be used as a replacement for nutrients.

Soy Milk
There was a time when soy was considered nothing short of a miracle bean. But times have changed. The preponderance of GMO strains drifting into soy fields is alarming (it is estimated that 90 percent of soy is genetically modified), and people are increasingly acquiring quite serious allergies to soy. If you drink a lot of soy milk, you might want to read the arguments about possible health issues associated with soy. Dr. Kaayle Daniel, author of the book The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Health Food says: “Soy isoflavones–the plant estrogens in soy most often credited with cancer prevention–are listed as carcinogens in many toxicology textbooks. They have also been proven to be mutagenic, clastogenic and teratogenic.” Excessive soy intake has also been linked to an increased risk of thyroid disease, and some feel that soy’s phytoestrogens may attenuate testosterone levels in boys. The jury may still be out on soy, but the bottom line might just be that soy milk is significantly more processed than the other milk alternatives.

Vegan Nutrition: Protein

2011-05-07T16:09:00.000-07:00

Charts reproduced from http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/protein.html

We need only 2.5 to 10% of our calories from protein. And all vegetables have more than that. Not some vegetables, all of them.Vegetables average around 22% protein, beans 28%, and grains 13% .

Check the below chart to see the different types of protein content in some vegetables and compare to the "Need" row for a 5 ft 11 inch 181 lb individual.

Click picture to enlarge

A good amount of whole beans, lentils, peas, whole grains, nuts and vegetables is all you need to maintain all complex protein balance.

Read about how Milk protein is actually bad for the body in my earlier post about Milk here .Protein in milk has been linked coronary deaths and to hardened, narrowed arteries.

More comprehensive protein requirements and tables

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/protein

There is also a calculator at the bottom of the above link to calculate your complex protein requirements and most common protein sources.

Some other usually asked questions and comparisons to meat/eggs.

http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/protein.html

Keep a lookout here for more of the nutrition series to see how to balance your daily vegan meal, and also check out my food blog for vegan options and sample vegan menu with balanced nutrition and meal nutrition values, posted weekly on wednesdays( starting the coming week).

Have a great weekend u' all

borrredd

2011-05-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

i get super bored the day my eyes dont work well .. coz i cant read much, write much, do anything on the computer much.. i am typing blindly.. will prob corret spell mistakes tomm:!!

listening to book today.. and getting hubbs to find time to read the Hundred Year Lie to me.

Atleast, this time the eyes went bonkers after almost a month instead of a week..

To do next week: Fix recipe index, plan daily vegan menu, connect with vegan food bloggers, plan a vegan blog hop...phew..

Skepticism or Inaction ??

2011-05-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

I am the aggressive passionate activist in the house and hubbs is the skeptical practical thinker. Between the both of us, our discussions about, any issues I come across or things I would like to change or feel strongly about, usually cover a good number of arguments that I would need to know and answer to when discussing with others.

When I discussed about going vegan, giving up milk and eggs because of ethical reasons, he needed some more reasons. Eventually we discussed ethical, health and environmental reasons for a convincing conclusion.

A similar discussion on the weekend with friends led to a familiar first reaction. As hubbs pointed out to me later that day, that we had had that discussion before, and he had a similar reaction to it. Like any big change, if you extrapolate it , the event and the change become too big for the mind to fathom. This usually leads to skepticism to make the small change.

For eg. Going vegan, if we start thinking of say , if most of the world or the entire world goes vegan, will that actually be beneficial and balanced for everyone?. will that not affect the current man animal, environment balance. Sure it would. According to most research and statistics, that is the best path for this planet to survive, but as with any big long term change, things can go differently, which no one can completely predict. Does that mean that we do not take that step, of going vegan completely or few days a month or whichever small step towards what we currently know as a better path?

We all are dependent on gas. We already know what that dependence is doing to the world, to our health, to the environment. If we decide to take the step to reduce gas consumption, and then extrapolate it to a world in the future when our gas consumption is extremely minimal, can you actually imagine a world like that? I dont think so.. In the slow path to getting there, there could be several other influencing factors that could change things. The shift of power from the gas producing countries, other political, ecological, economical impact depending on what other source of energy gets tapped into. But does that change the fact that the better path to take right now is to reduce our gas consumption?.

And hence eventually we concluded that the skepticsm is because of inaction inertia. Because we do not know both sides of the coin well enough, or all of the future consequences, and because there are already overwhelming number of problems to solve on the world, it is human nature to choose the least or no action path.

If everyone in the world goes vegan( which it self is such a far far away eventuality), the cows are not going to rule the earth.

Veganism is not about food. It is a belief system. That tiny change causes a lot of small and big ripples, which we might not be able to see. Try going completely vegan for just 2 days. Not a commitment, not an exam, no judgement, just an experiment to listen to your body. No milk, cheese, ghee, any dairy, eggs and also organic and as less processed as possible. And leave me comments on what your body told you.

Some reading about how organic, humane are just keywords these days which may or may not be enforced, other statistics and reading

http://crisisboom.com/2011/03/24/usda-refuses-to-enforce-organic-standards/

http://ocveganista.wordpress.com/why-vegan/

http://organicfood.einnews.com/article.php?oid=YJ2ZP0TDE+KA8A

http://www.ecolips.com/notes-from-the-prez/is-organic-in-an-end-game-article

http://humanemyth.org/

sunny sunday

2011-05-01T18:57:00.001-07:00

Its a suunnyyy dayyy today...!

We are still struggling a bit to replace the eggs and milk, but the enticement and dependency is reducing day after day.

I am subbing milk with almond or rice milk here and there already to transition the taste and I've replaced eggs from everything except breakfast. The day I find a good protein breakfast to replace the eggs.. bye bye eggs! I just do not like tofu. Sprouts and vegan multigrain pancakes do work on a lot of days. And I have ideas to make multi lentil idlis or uttapams, but those are a developed taste esp for mornings. Both of us think of them as a big meal. Lets see, some more reading, some more recipe trials and we will be there. I have to really like the stuff to eat a good amount of it, coz the stress affects the whole digestion system and hence I get very choosy.

In the midst of all this healthy food, my appetite is getting better.. but at the same time I am also getting more active and eating healthier than ever, which means my weight is still stuck.

And also going through the the dilemma that all new vegans go through. Do u appreciate or like recipes or pictures or food discussions of non vegan food?

As hubbs pointed out yest, when it comes to meat, if people dont eat it , they keep it at home for others who do, they dont appreciate the looks and smells of dishes containing meat for whatever reasons, be it releigious or personal choice. With Milk and eggs, its a bit of a different story. Will we keep dairy milk at home when we transition to a completely vegan household?

People

2011-04-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Its all about passion. The discussions on a common platform with similar minded individuals are not arguments and are not about why the topic of discussion is even being discussed. It is more about defining the problem and finding a solution or just enumerating the different viewpoints. But as soon as the discussion goes out onto a non similar minded people platform, it can easily evolve into a crazy debate.

I try to not jump into most of such debates or even if i do jump in, I put in a lot of thought by putting forth multiple viewpoints. I sometimes will discuss with hubbs before jumping into the discussion too. Coz as I mentioned before. the excessive passion about a particular thing can make you close minded too, it does hamper my ability to look at things differently sometimes.

I get a new point of view from hubbs for almost all discussions, and can eventually think it out and put forth great arguments. It is the times when these well written and, would work for most people, points of views, get shunned by a close minded person, that gets to me. I am learning to ignore such situations, because the people who are closing their minds and rambling on without even knowing enough about the topic do not have anything to lose. I lose, because my passion can convert to argument anxiety. The exasperation easily does. and that state of mind never helps. I am learning I am learning. As I told one of my friends today.. There are more than 6 billion of us.. cant take each one of us seriously. And keep the emotions out of the discussion.. that keeps the exasperation from building and hence less stress!

mental note

2011-04-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

- Deliberately accept the anxiety

- ask your brain what would it rather do, what would it prefer to feel

- mentally go through the situations again and again and accept the stupid negative thoughts before the actual event!

my creative brain takes me through negativity hell when i am anticipating a timed event.. time to train it to accept and think positive!!

changes..

2011-04-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

I need to overhaul my inspiration blog roll on my food blog .. thats one long task.. also have to update the recipe index.. poof

My current blog roll is a mix of a lot of bread blogs, baking blogs, veggie and non veggie and some other mixed blogs. I guess it is difficult for everyone to keep up the variety and change on their blogs..I struggle to keep the blog interesting as well. Also with a shift to vegan options as much as possible, I also need some interesting as well as likable(my palate is a bit restricted and cautious to totally new ingredients or recipes, and i do not like tofu, seitan and other meat substitutes). So I am looking to vegan blogs and trying to add the interesting one to the google reader, facebook as well as the blog roll on my blog.

Theres more to life than butter and sugar, and blogs baking buttery and sweet cakes and cookies and decorating need to be moved to separate blogroll!!

no wonder hubbs says that my mind is so occupied these days planning something or the other.. Thats the problem with no deadline.. work keeps piling up!

The sun's gone on a vacation after a short trip to seattle last week.. Back to grey rainy days!

more wacky lights and camera angles

2011-04-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

I was trying to watch some American Idol today.. They keep adding more wackier neoner lights to the set and more and more cameras and angles.. making is almost impossible for me to watch..

I could just listen to the singers.. but this season isnt doing much justice to its name.. bye bye TV.

On another note, took out the weighing machine today and obviously did not like the reading.. theres a reason why hubbs had hidden it. most likely i am bouncing back from a low I hit in between , but still lower weight than I what I should be at.. gaining weight is tiring..

Communication

2011-04-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

when hubbs is in a meeting

Me: when are your PT appts

Hubbs: thu/fri

M: what about today

H: friday

M: whens your appts

H: 5:20 pm

M: i have to schedule some other things this week at 4 .. are you free today

H: i have appt

M: today?

H: at 5:20

M: you said thu/fri

H: ok

M: ok what

H: in a meeting

M: i know ping me when u r free

H: ok

later...

M: when are your appts

H: 5:20

M: huh.. days

H: today and friday i think..

Early morning.. chats with 4 people at the same time.. phew... one conversation led to the thoughts which end up confusing everyone... stray dog adoption in India.. sponsored by the pet grooming and food companies.. alls good.. lots of adoption drives, strays getting good homes and care, less dogs on street, less abuse of the strays..

but what about pet food.. more demand of commercialized pet food.. means more factory farmed chicken and meat.. no good deed is ever a win win..

i say that its mostly win, getting dogs off the street and into homes, all fixed dogs, mo more reproduction, more pet owners, more people who will be a bit more compassionate towards dogs.. think about it.. if people cannot even be compassionate towards their own pets who are like family members.. can you expect them to understand compassion towards cows and hens and other animals they never ever get to meet.?

The honey conundrum

2011-04-19T10:20:00.001-07:00

Partly Reproduced from the article http://www.slate.com/id/2196205

Whenever I read about veganism or talk about it with someone, I end up with questions about honey. Honey stumps a lot vegans, because it leads to a lot more arguments about the insect world and just makes veganism sound extreme and not sensible. The worry is usually over the ethics of honey production without worrying over the entire beekeeping industry.

Honey accounts for only a small percentage of the total honeybee economy in the United States; most comes from the use of rental hives to pollinate fruit and vegetable crops. Commercial bees are used in the production of about 100 foods, including almonds, avocados, broccoli, canola, cherries, cucumbers, lettuce, peaches, pears, plums, sunflowers, and tomatoes. Even the clover and alfalfa crops we feed to dairy cows are sometimes pollinated by bees.

Life for these rental bees may be far worse than it is for the ones producing honey. The industrial pollinators face all the same hardships, plus a few more: They spend much of their lives sealed in the back of 18-wheelers, subsisting on a diet of high-fructose corn syrup as they're shipped back and forth across the country. Husbandry and breeding practices have reduced their genetic diversity and left them particularly susceptible to large-scale die-offs.

Even the vegans who abstain from honey end up dining on the sweat and hemolymph of exploited bees. There isn't really an alternative: We can't replace our insects of burden with machines, as we've done for the mules that once pulled our tractor rakes. You might try to do right by seeking out wind-pollinated grains and fruits tended by wild insects. But what about the bugs that inevitably perish in the course of any large-scale agriculture? Even the organic farmers are culpable: They may not spray synthetic pesticides, but they do make use of natural chemicals and predators to kill off unwanted animals.

We do not know enough about the insect nervous system to know if they feel pain or how much suffering are they conscious about. The suffering as we know is felt only by living things with a developed nervous system. Eventually we can keep going down the path of all living things to a single cell organism and if there is any suffering involved. The debate becomes useless at this point.

The point of veganism is not being extremist about such issues. It is about reducing suffering in as many ways as possible, in being kind to as many living things involved, is understanding that self preservation will eventually lead to pain and death of say agriculture pests or mosquitoes and such. And it not just about animals as well. It is about people too. Reducing suffering and being kind to your fellow human being. Whenever possible.

Its a way of life, a state of being.

To read about the honey debate and other discussions about colony collapse disorder and more, read the complete article at http://www.slate.com/id/2196205

Some more information about the cruelty in the honey industry. http://www.veganpeace.com/animal_cruelty/honey.htm

To read more views about veganism, health resources, discussions and other details check out

http://www.veganoutreach.org/about/index.html

conversations

2011-04-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

General discussion with hubbs about how some people go vegan quite easily vs some who are always on the fence.

I was telling him about Mihika , who went vegan as a teenager in a meat family and how she convinced most of her family to do so with her! Its an amazing achievement considering, you are not the in charge of the kitchen and grocery shopping and are not the one who makes decisions in the home! Do read her story here!

Then the discussion went into me telling him to watch, some videos about the meat industry. He said, that he was still scarred by the fur video i had sent to him a few years back where animals are skinned alive and since then he hasnt bought any fur or leather.. So I pointed out to him, that the video essentially was effective in making that permanent change in his head.. so maybe he should watch just a few seconds or clips of Earthlings .. the vegan making documentary.. to help make the move towards giving up meat!

sunday movie making

2011-04-17T16:59:00.000-07:00

so hubbs filmed chewie playing fetch near the p-patch and the video kept rolling when he put the camera cap back on.. so now i have to edit that part out or make another video some other day.

I decided to edit it using the new windows live movie maker.. downloaded it and stuff and tried some editing.. and wow.. it is some amazing piece of non intuitive crap.. i got so pissed at it, that i wrote the same feedback to them.. then hubbs comes along and sez..

hubbs: well its too non specific feedback.. they cannot use it..

me: well i dont have any other feedback about it, coz i cannot figure out how to use it without spending some money on a movie editing course!

hubbs: so what does that feedback mean.. do you want it to be intuitive or do you want it be non crap.. or do u want it to be intuitive non crap..

me: hmm i want it to be intuitive crap.. coz even if it is crap it will atleast be intuitive enough to use... and make less people crazy..

partly sunny saturday

2011-04-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

I sound like a weather station..:)

Weather is one of the big topics in Seattle.. cant help it.. it is so grey and cloudy three quarters of the year..:) so any sunny day.. we seattleites go crazy!!

Here's a typical seattle year description http://theoatmeal.com/blog/seattle_weather .. very accurate and very funny!

This week there were Blogathons and Adoptathons all over the Pet blog world.. So I have been busy updating my other blog http://find-me-a-happy-pet.blogspot.com/ blogging for the change for animals and a bunny adoptathon.

Also posted some yummy recipes on http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/, some vegan chewy ginger cookies , some main course dishes and a lemony bread!

Have to do some more research on animal abuse laws and sign some petitions next week!

Have a great weekend y'all..