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April 1, 2008 – Evolving Appetites

Welcome to Evolving Appetites’ monthly newsletter. Short, informative and hopefully fun to read veggie bits. Let us know if we don’t deliver on this – we always love feedback from our readers. Contact info is at the bottom of the page.

In this issue:

• Honouring Earth Hour – Looking Forward to Earth Day – April 22
• Light-hearted hypocrisy – for ALL environmentalist wannabes: “Welcoming Homer the Tree Hugger”
• Heart Health Speaker
• Recipe of the month: Quinoa/Asparagus Salad
• EVENTS update – Evolving Appetites Celebrates Earth Day

Earth Hour – Earth Day

Did you switch off your lights on Saturday, March 29^th from 8 – 9 pm? Earth Hour garnered much media attention, and more importantly, participation around the globe from all walks of life. This just goes to show the power of the individual, media, and the power of the internet. While most agree, turning the lights off for an hour, regardless of how many participate, mostly amounts to a symbolic gesture, the consciousness raising power of this event can’t be discounted. What’s important here is to note that we can bring together millions of people and work towards a common goal – saving ourselves, and preserving the planet for future generations.

To this end, for all those who want to continue making a difference, please consider choosing plant-based meals as often as possible. Even if you’re not ready to go “hard-core vegan” just yet, every time you choose a meatless meal, you’re choosing to help the environment. Just like every time you switch off your lights, or drive less, or switch to energy-saving light-bulbs, eating less meat helps reduce your carbon footprint. (As the Humane Society of the US poster on the right suggests, eating meat is more damaging to the environment than driving a car. This fact is based on research by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, summarized in a report titled “Livestock’s Long Shadow” – available at: http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0612sp1.htm)

The caption for the poster reads: “Which one of these contributes more to Global Warming? Below the Car key and fork, it says, “It’s not the one that starts a car.”

Earth Day is coming up Tuesday, April 22. Perhaps host a pot luck or gather some friends and go out to celebrate at a vegetarian restaurant. Or choose the recipe below, or visit previous issues of this publication for additional recipes. Try going meat-free for a meal, a day, a week, a month or even a lifetime – whatever inspires you.

Just a few statistics for you to consider (source: John Robbins – author of “Diet for a New America” and “Diet for a New World – May All be Fed”) While the statistics are US focused, the picture in Canada is much the same.

• User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the US: Livestock production (yes, more than washing cars, watering lawns, drinking, etc.)
• Amount of water to produce a pound of wheat: 25 gallons
• Amount of water to produce a pound of meat: 2,500 gallons
• Cost of common hamburger if water used by meat industry was not subsidized by US taxpayer: $35/pound
• Current cost of pound of protein from beefsteak, if water was no longer subsidized: $89
• Fossil fuels needed to produce a meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 50 times more
• Or, to put it slightly differently, the amount of land required to feed a meat eater: 7.5 acres – amount required to feed a vegetarian: 0.5 acres. (almost 8 times the difference!)
• Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pounder hamburger: 55 sq. ft.
• Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 species extinct per year.

So you see folks, there really is no such thing as a 99-cent hamburger – we pay for it steeply with destruction of the planet and damage to our own health.

Welcoming Homer the Tree Hugger

George Meyer is a long-time writer on The Simpsons. This piece originally appeared on The Green Room, a series of opinion articles on environmental issues running weekly on the BBC News website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5237038.stm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you a hypocrite? Because I certainly am.

I'm an animal lover who wears leather shoes; a vegetarian who can't resist smoked salmon. I badger my friends to see the Al Gore movie, but I also fly on fuel-gulping jets.

Great clouds of hypocrisy swirl around me.

But even a fraud has feelings. And this summer, I'm feeling uneasy; I'm starting to think that our culture's frenzied and mindless assault on the last shreds of nature may not be the wisest course.

True, when you go for a stroll on a Sunday afternoon, nothing seems amiss.

But as we know from horror movies, that's exactly when the giant alien embryos come blasting out of the sidewalk.

We're melting the ice caps, ripping up the rain forest, and vacuuming the oceans of everything that wriggles.

Since I went on my first date in high school -- a Foghat concert, if you must know -- more than 200 species of frogs have disappeared forever.

Recently, polar bears and hippos were added to the threatened list. Polar bears! Hippos!

Are we really gonna wreck the whole planet? 'Cause that's a big move. That's like something a crazy stripper would do.

I know, plenty of people aren't worried.

Technology will bail us out. Nothing a few pollution-eating nanobots can't fix.

And if the ecosystem does collapse, we can always load ourselves into enormous rockets, and make a fresh start on Jupiter.

But here's the thing: I don't want to move to Jupiter. I don't even want to move across town.

Precious knick-knacks would get broken; I'd have to order new stationery.

Let's be real: even a well-planned move to Jupiter would be stressful, and tough on relationships. For this reason alone, we should not turn the earth into an apocalyptic hellscape.

That said, if we did turn the earth into an apocalyptic hellscape, a sick part of me would find it thrilling.

I would enjoy watching dazed stockbrokers and ad men clawing at the dirt for edible roots. I'd remind them that they'd been warned of their folly, right here on the BBC website.

And they'd all grunt ruefully, and make me their king.

Yes, it's a charming fantasy. But life on a poisoned planet might not be much fun.

Even now, folks are firing missiles at their neighbours. Imagine how grouchy they'll be when it's 20 degrees hotter, and the water tastes like turpentine. Huge brawls will erupt over the smallest things, like who's going to sweep up all the butterfly carcasses.

A bleak picture, to be sure.

If there's any reason for hope -- and there isn't -- it lies in man's occasional binges of co-operation.

Once in a while, humanity will pull together for a noble cause, like tsunami relief. To save our planet, we'll need that kind of heroic effort, in which all types of people join forces for the common good.

No, really, I'm serious. For years, the environmental movement has enlisted the world's most selfless and enlightened souls.

No more. We're broadening our sights; and by broadening, I mean lowering.

We will now accept:

* Ignoramuses
* Poseurs
* Backstabbers
* Know-it-alls
* Opportunists
* Busybodies
* Hypocrites (like me)
* People Who Talk a Good Game
* Total Nutjobs

It's wide open. If Michael Crichton ever comes to his senses, we'll even take him. He's a big fellow, maybe he can lug around pamphlets or something.

So join us. We won't judge you. If you are not currently choking a panda, welcome aboard!

Heart Health Speaker Available

Is your community group, place of worship, seniors' organization or other group looking for a speaker in the Greater Toronto Area? I’m a certified Heart Health speaker for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM – www.pcrm.org) and available to deliver a FREE talk to community groups. The presentation includes information based on the latest research on heart disease prevention and even reversal. It can be as short as 20 minutes, or as long as you want it to be. Includes hand-outs and materials for further follow up on how to keep your heart healthy. Please contact me to schedule. Phone: 416-491-9904 or info@evolvingappetites.com

Quinoa/Asparagus Salad – Serves 4 – Spring is HERE!

Quinoa is pronounced “keen-wa” – an ancient grain used by the Incas and Aztecs. It’s a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids (protein building blocks). Good source of fiber, calcium and iron too. This salad packs a whopping nutritional punch! Quinoa is available at most health food stores, bulk stores and even some mainstream grocery stores.

• 2 cups water
• 1-1/2 cups quinoa, washed, rinsed & drained (if you don’t wash it, it will have a bitter taste)
• 1 pound asparagus, lightly steamed and cut into 1" piece
• 3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, julienne
• 1/4 cup fresh chives or green onions, chopped (can also substitute chopped red onion)
• 2 tbsp tamari OR soy sauce OR Bragg's Liquid Aminos
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper (or roasted red pepper for variation)
• ½ cup of pecans or walnuts (optional – add if you want a heartier main course meal)

In medium saucepan, bring the water and tamari or soy sauce to a boil. Add the quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender but slightly crunchy, about 15 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a serving bowl and toss with olive oil. When cooled to room temperature, mix in the asparagus, lemon juice, red pepper, basil and chives/green onions. Add more tamari to taste, if needed. Mix in nuts if using. Serve on a bed of mixed greens with cherry tomatoes.

A further note on Quinoa: you can substitute cooked quinoa cup for cup in any recipe that calls for brown rice, white rice or couscous and instantly increase the nutritional value of that recipe.

Events update:

Next issue: May 1

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Tell us what you think – is the newsletter too long, too short, or just right? What would you like to see more of? Less of? Tell us your veggie success story, and we’ll publish it [we reserve the right to edit for space and clarity]. Contact us at info@evolvingappetites.com

Previous Issues

September 2007

October 2007

DISCLAIMER: This site does not provide medical advice. This website is for information purposes only. The nutritional information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health practitioner with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Evolving Appetites and its owner accept no liability for any injury arising out of the use of material contained herein, and make no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the contents of this publication.