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March 1, 2009 – 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:

• Veg health: Nutrition month reminders
• Earth Hour is March 28 – YOU can make EVERY hour count
• A quick follow-up on Chicago’s veggie health chief
• Recipe(s) of the month: Tempeh stir fry
• EVENTS update

Veg Health – Nutrition Month

I’m amazed at the amount of misinformation and confusion about nutrition that clogs mainstream info sources. I just perused the Dietitians of Canada website to see what healthy recipes they recommend for nutrition month, and shook my head in disbelief that they pass off a chili flank steak or brisket and stuffed roast pork as part of their “healthy eating” recipes. The latter is listed as having 14.6 grams of fat per serving (most of it would be saturated, although they neglect to point that out) and only 1.8 grams of fibre, and no mention of cholesterol, which is present in every animal product. Their “Let’s Make a Meal” plan does not have vegan options for dinner. And the most outrageous piece on that “game” is you can choose a brownie/cake/pastry or a candy bar as a snack. Whatever the reasons for disseminating this outright dangerous advice (and there are plenty), it makes many of us want to throw our hands up and just eat whatever we feel like. But before you reach for that artery-clogging slice of pizza or grease-laden fries, take heart in the fact that good nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need a science degree to create simple, tasty, nutritious meals.

We’ve covered several specific conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis and obesity in this section in previous issues. But also realize that if you’re eating meals that help reverse heart disease, those same meals will help reduce the risk for diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, cancer and other ills. The prescription for what ails the human body is the same for all of these conditions: a low-fat, high-fibre, whole foods plant-based lifestyle. Meaning a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, legumes (lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds) and whole grains.

What does a one-day healthy menu look like? Here’s a sample of one of my recent one-day intakes:

Note how all the food groups are covered: Fruit and leafy greens in the breakfast smoothie, plus strawberries as a snack later. The Vega powder also provides hemp, yellow pea and flax protein, plus a multitude of other nutrients. Grains are covered off in the burrito wrap at lunch and brown rice at dinner. I took in more veggies in the burrito filling, plus tomatoes, onions and peppers in the flax crackers, and lots of veggies in the stir fry at dinner. My protein came from the black beans at lunch, tempeh at dinner and snack of flax crackers. The only “extra” was the chocolate chips. Yes I could have done without them.

A breath of fresh air in mainstream media came in the Globe and Mail last month, where the paper’s registered dietitian Leslie Beck endorsed a vegan diet:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090204.wlbeck04/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/

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.

Beyond Earth Hour – Make EVERY hour count

On March 28, from 8:30 – 9:30 at respective local times, millions of people around the world will be turning their lights off to take part in Earth Hour. There are events taking place all over the world with people gathering to share their concern over the fate of our fragile planet. This symbolic gesture is wonderful for raising awareness about global warming and other pollution that threatens the quality of life on earth.

But if you want to make a difference every single day, change what’s on your plate at breakfast, lunch and dinner to have the greatest impact. Livestock agriculture (production of beef, pork, chicken, farmed fish and other animals) causes more damage to the environment than all of transportation combined (UN Food & Agriculture Organization’s report “Livestock’s Long Shadow”). Not all of us can afford a hybrid or electric car, but each and every single one of us has the ability to change our food consumption habits – an empowering choice. It’s a question of will. Consider the fact that the world’s cattle alone consume the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people. So we’re feeding more food to cattle than we are to the entire planet’s population. This is the most inefficient use of resources – it takes an average 6 kg (13.2 lbs) of crops to produce 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of carcass meat for human consumption. And that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There’s so much more destruction related to livestock agriculture. This is not a sustainable model. Either we awaken to the fact and make changes willingly, or the choice will be made for us. Let’s choose to live on this planet as if we want to stay.

The Toronto Vegetarian Association is hosting Beyond Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28 at the University of Toronto’s Hart House. I’ll be speaking at that event on the impact of our food choices on the planet. See event details below under “Events update”. City councilor Adam Vaughan will also be a guest speaker at this event. Hope to see you all there!

Chicago’s Veggie Health Chief continues crusade

Chicago health commissioner Dr. Terry Mason who encouraged city residents to take up a vegetarian lifestyle had a very successful meatless January (see February 2009 issue for story). Weekly events in addition to various special events throughout the month drew in large, enthusiastic crowds, eager to learn about healthy eating.

On the final Wednesday in January, Dr. Mason put the question to the group: should we continue down this path of mutual support and learning, meeting regularly to discuss healthier diets and lifestyles? The response was an overwhelmingly enthusiastic “Yes!” So, regular meetings will continue to be held at Soul Vegetarian for the indefinite future.

Dr. Mason also has a Re-Start website in development at http://www.restart4health.com/index.html

On his live, weekly radio show, Doctor in the House, Dr. Mason typically starts the show by offering a brief recap of the previous week’s Re-Start efforts and a look ahead to next week.

We applaud Dr. Mason’s efforts to make Chicago healthy!

Sweet & Sour Tempeh stir fry – Serves 4

It took me a while to acquire the taste for tempeh – a fermented soy bean product. It has a slightly bitter aftertaste which can be mostly remedied with marinating, and then stir-frying. But if your taste buds haven’t yet graduated to tempeh, then you can easily substitute extra-firm tofu in this dish, with equally good results, but not the fibre that tempeh offers. If you are using tempeh, start the night before to allow marinating time. Tempeh is available in the freezer at health food stores and some large grocery stores than have a health section.

Combine tamari or soy sauce, lime juice and hot sauce and/or ginger if using and pour into a shallow covered dish or pan. Toss tempeh or tofu cubes and marinate 6 – 8 hours (stir occasionally to marinate all the cubes evenly).

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, remove tempeh or tofu cubes with a slotted spoon and add to skillet. Cook for 7 – 8 minutes until nicely browned and crispy. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine left over marinade, plum sauce, ketchup, apple or orange juice and arrowroot powder and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

In a wok or large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and broccoli and sauté until onions are translucent, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add peppers and mushrooms and cook another 2 – 3 minutes (don’t over cook veggies – leave a little crunch in them). Add the tempeh and sauce and stir to combine well. Heat until sauce thickens and coats veggies and tempeh evenly.

Serve over cooked brown rice, quinoa or high-fiber noodles with additional hot chili garlic sauce on the side if desired.

Events update:

Next issue: April 1, 2009

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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.