To Soy or Not to Soy

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

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

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

Vegan Nutrition: Calcium

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

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

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

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

• 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 !

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

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

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 ??

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

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

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

- 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..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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..

Why use cruelty free products? Toxins, cancer, us and the environment.

So apart from the fact that cruelty free products are not tested on animals and a lot of them do not contain animal ingredients. The companies which care about the animals also care about the health impact on people and the environmental impact.

The regular bath and body products, soaps, shampoos, moisturizers, household cleaners, laundry and dish cleaners and so on.. contain carcinogens, irritants, allergens, hormone disruptors, and other hazardous materials which can affect you and your body and the kids in all sorts of ways. The parabens, sulfates, phosphates are carcinogenic to humans and eventually end up in oceans polluting and poisoning them.

Here are some examples of daily products and carcinogens in them http://www.wikicancer.org/page/The+list+of+carcinogens

Here is a list of all possible hazardous materials http://www.preventcancer.com/press/pdfs/hazardous.pdf

Here's how to make you own green and non toxic cleaning kit http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-non-toxic-cleaning-kit.html#

There are many more detailed articles on the web about what toxins affect your health in which way. Look up the ingredients in your current set of products and do a web search!

Finding a safe daily use or household product, which is safe for us, for the environment and is kind to animals(non animal tested) seems like a long research task.. But it is easier than that.. The companies that stick to their policy of being cruelty free, also have policies about ingredients, where they come from and their impact on the people, animals and the environment

The products you pick out from the cruelty free list at Leaping Bunny or PETA are definitely going to have all natural ingredients(some have completely vegan options as well), no parabens, sulfates or other harmful chemicals, containers made with recycled or recyclable materials, non animal tested, certified organic, non genetically modified and so on. Or We can also make our own non toxic house cleaning products !

My earlier posts about Animal testing http://offspaces.blogspot.com/2009/11/animal-testing.html

and Cruelty free options and what we use in this household http://offspaces.blogspot.com/2011/02/cruelty-free-alternatives.html

Back..

From no where.. :) I dont know what i was doing last week.. Just keeping busy i guess with food blogs, petitions, reading about rescues and other efforts in India and so on..

and listening to some screwball romantic comedy books by Susan Elizabeth Philips and Jennifer Crusie.

Today is a sleepy day coz of all the warm sun... Last week i screwed up my eyes one night and got all jittery again.. Training the brain to accept the other anxiety symptoms seems relatively possible, but how do you train it to like or be neutral about dizziness or bad balance!.

Have to take some nice pictures of my lemony fresh soft and squeezy multigrain mini loafs and put up on the food blog!

If anyone wants to read about why you should or should not get a dog, head to http://find-me-a-happy-pet.blogspot.com/

Tuesday.

The sun is out and about... for a change.. and i need to stop signing petitions for a while.. the graphic images get to me after a while.. its almost like torturing myself... and though theres some good news here and there.. Anne the elephant is finally free and Patrick the dog is finally looking like a dog.. theres a lot more to be done!!

Signing petitions.. writing mails to people and so on.. The mass movement in the above cases got the happy results.. it is not easy to move the rusted machinery without a ton of oil and push!!

I got some conditioner for chewie's long hair which is getting dry at the ends!. the hair is softer but not really shinier.. lets see after a couple of uses...

Time to plan up evening snack and dinner.. herb tofu creamed and cucumber sandwich... and some aloo baingan(potato eggplant curry)...

Perspectives

One of the most frequent questions(after going over the usual frequent ones) that crop up in why vegan argument is about the bugs. Why do dogs have more care and abuse rights than chicken.. and why do chicken have more rights that bugs. I mean who ever thinks twice before squashing a bug. So when we really can kill a living thing without a though, how does it matter that a living thing is getting killed for food?

Here is what I think . In the wild, carnivores like lions, tigers also kill their prey, and if you watch national geographic, you know that the whole process of stalking and killing looks like a very cruel and painful slaughter. But the carnivores cannot survive without that food, and the animals that get killed had a normal, natural life in the wild, till they were killed.

Applying the same argument to bugs/ticks/fleas/mosquitoes, that they had some natural life before the infestation became a problem and they had to be killed.

Humans being omnivores though do have a choice. For their carnivore self, if they can simulate a somewhat natural life of the animal, before they slaughter it, then eating meat would seem more acceptable. But the problem is, that even in organic and humane farms, the life of the hens,cows,goats is far from natural and enjoyable, with only limited access to sunlight, perches, space and green pastures to roam and such. And there is no way to guarantee that the animals had a decent and not miserable life before the slaughter. This is one of the reasons a lot of us are going vegan. Because there are very very few ways to ensure the kindness in the meat or dairy industry.

Veganism really, is not extremism, it is about being aware and kind. Being aware of what goes on in each product you consume, being Kind to the animals, kind to the people, being aware of the options, and making good choices for yourself. being kind to yourself, your health, your environment, your earth.

My ringgg

Conversation with hubbs

Hubbs: I am feeling so bad about hitting the pole and destroying the back lights of the car...

Me: Its alrite babes

Hubbs: I keep hitting something or the other.. the car is a mess

Me: I know.. thats why we should go to the cheaper fix shop Maaco.. coz u will scratch the car again in a month anyway..:))

Hubbs: How can i be so bad at parking.

Me: Its alrite sweets.. You are too engrossed in work problems and too overconfident about your parking skills..

Hubbs: Wow.. precise points, is it.

Me: And I got my ring today, so I cant yell at ya.. dont worry, its just a car :):).. Did u see my pretty ring.. here, look at it again..:)) love ya sweetpea!

Conflict free or recycled diamonds.

(Bluenile.com, Brilliant Earth.com)

Overwhelmed

Getting overrun by all the horrendous stuff human beings can do... starving their pets, beating them as their personal frustration boxing bags everyday, pretty much nasty and nastier stuff.

In my subscriptions to 40 odd food sites, 20 odd fashion gurus and sites, 10 odd architecture ones and 15 odd animal rescues/blogs.. I get 90% animal and pet news and 90% of that is bad with a very few happy stories thrown in between.

I mean comeon, foodies and fashion peeps are not producing enough content! So I am back to adding some more food and fashion and some random news subscriptions/fan pages to my daily reading to balance out the content....phew.. sometimes I think I was better off not reading.. but thats not gotten anyone anywhere.. giving up on something you can possibly do.. Its an eye workout for sure!

Tuesday contruction

Jack hammers and drills... gaah..

when will the construction here stop.. let me guess.. never.. its either the railroad or the viaduct or something else.. All to probably kick start the economy with more and more construction jobs since last few months.. need a sound proof home.. dint like the noise cancelling headphones.. too heavy and make my ears too hot!

Also realized yesterday, that after being out of the professional loop for 4 years, my definition of political correctness has become stagnant and did not upgrade to what it should be after 4 more years of professional exposure.. it is amazing that hubbs can talk more politically correct than me now:) He has grown so much in the last few years, that I am so immensely proud of him... :)