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October 1, 2007 – Evolving Appetites
Welcome to Evolving Appetites’ monthly newsletter. Every month, we’ll bring you the latest in health and environmental news, healthy living tips, fun facts and at least one recipe. We welcome your suggestions, comments, and ideas for future issues. Contact info is at the end of the newsletter.
In this issue:
- Evidence mounting on the link: eating meat and global warming – Canadian Press, Sept. 12, 2007
- Success story – Pat Chapman, Eliot Lake, Ontario
- Recipe of the month: Squash stuffed with wild & brown rice
Eating less meat could slow climate change, experts say
Last month’s issue featured an item from The Globe and Mail demonstrating the connection between animal agriculture (eating meat) and global warming.
In mid September, Canadian Press released an article on the same subject that has been studied by scientists who submitted their work to the British medical journal The Lancet.
In the article, the expert advice is to eat fewer steaks and hamburgers. Reducing global red meat consumption by as little as 10 per cent could cut the methane and nitrous oxide emitted by cows, sheep and goats that contribute to global warming.
"We are at a significant tipping point," said Geri Brewster, a nutritionist at Northern Westchester Hospital in New York, who was not connected to the study. "If people knew that they were threatening the environment by eating more meat, they might think twice before ordering a burger."
Other ways of reducing greenhouse gases from farming practices, like feeding animals higher-quality grains, would only have a limited impact on cutting emissions. Gases from animals destined for dinner plates account for nearly a quarter of all emissions worldwide.
"That leaves reducing demand for meat as the only real option," said Dr. John Powles, a public health expert at Cambridge University, one of the study's authors.
With demand for meat increasing worldwide, experts worry that this increased livestock production will mean more gases like methane and nitrous oxide heating up the atmosphere. In China, for instance, people are eating double the amount of meat they did a decade ago.
Eating less red meat would also improve health in general. Powles and his co-authors estimate that reducing meat consumption would reduce the numbers of people with heart disease and cancer. One study has estimated that the risk of colorectal cancer drops by about a third for every 100 grams of red meat that is cut out of your diet.
Success story – Pat Chapman, Eliot Lake, Ontario
Pat Chapman has been a friend of mine for many years. I’m going to let her tell her story of transformation in her own words. I know you’ll be inspired by her success.
After Nimisha sent me a copy of a DVD title “Eating”, I became a vegan almost overnight. This video showed me how to save the planet and feed the millions of starving people by changing my personal eating habits. I became a vegan, though, mainly for the sake of the animals.
As a naïve Canadian, I once assumed that farm animals were protected from cruelty by our governments. Wrong. Those poor animals suffer such unspeakable cruelty, that it makes what happened at Auschwitz look like a cakewalk. I cannot be a part of that and live with myself.
A side effect of this decision is that I have lost 1/3 of my body weight and am very healthy. My arthritis is better and I have greatly reduced my chances of contracting heart disease and cancer.
This is extremely important to me because I am disabled and recently had to move 500 miles away from family and friends. I may not have back up but I now have a plan.
All I need now is a plan to stop the horrific cruelty that awaits billions of farm animals across the continent.
Squash stuffed with wild & brown rice
This is a very pretty dish, and an extremely satisfying main course. Impress your non-vegetarian friends and family this Thanksgiving by presenting this as an option to turkey. The turkeys will have something to be thankful for, as will your arteries.
Here I’m suggesting acorn squash, but you can use any variety – butternut, hubbard, etc. Also, this recipe can seem time-consuming – but if you cook the rice a day in advance, and store it covered in the fridge, it’ll be a breeze the next day to assemble.
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 acorn squash, halved lengthwise; seeds and membrane removed (see note)
- 1 cup organic brown rice
- 1/2 cup wild rice [if you don’t have any, just substitute additional brown rice]
- 4 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 - 4 TBSP water or broth for sauteeing
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup diced celery
- 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (or other nut such as walnuts or hazelnuts)
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
- ¼ tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375º F.
2. Cook both varieties of rice together in broth or water with ¼ teaspoon of salt (omit salt if broth is already salted). Note: I rinse my rice before cooking – it eliminates a lot of debris present in brown rice. Soaking it for a few hours prior to cooking will cut down on cooking time. Soaked rice will cook in about 30 – 35 minutes. Cook until all the water is absorbed and rice is light and fluffy.
3. Meanwhile, place squash halves, cut side down, into a large shallow baking dish or cookie sheet (you may need two). Bake for 30 minutes.
4. In a skillet, sauté onion in water or broth until it becomes transparent [add more if onions start to stick]. Add the celery and sauté a couple of minutes. Remove from heat. Using a large mixing bowl, blend this mixture together with the cooked rice, cranberries, nuts, apricots, and remaining seasonings.
5. When done, remove the partially baked squash from the oven. Spoon out some of the cooked squash and mix it with the rest of the ingredients. Be sure to scrape only a little; you want to leave squash in the shells, too.
6. Press the rice mixture into each squash cavity, mounding rice as much as possible. (Depending on how large the squash are, you may end up with some leftover rice mixture, which makes a great side dish by itself.)
7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until squash flesh is thoroughly tender.
Note: Don't discard the nutritious squash seeds. Instead, rinse the seeds and remove the membrane. Pat dry. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and spread the seeds evenly on the sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt or any other favorite seasoning. Bake the seeds in a 375º F. oven for about 15 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Enjoy immediately as a warm snack, or store them in an airtight container for up to one week.
Side dishes you can include to complete the meal:
Vegan mashed potatoes (substitute regular soy milk for moo juice; use a bit of olive oil as a substitute for butter in your regular mashed potatoes recipe)
Corn
Green beans sautéd with garlic
Baked or boiled beets
(All these colours will make for a beautiful presentation!)
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Don’t miss our free health seminar at Loblaws Bayview Village on November 13th! Click here for details.
Next issue: November 1
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