[SusDet Announce] [VegMichigan] March Newsletter & News For Life

Thu Mar 8 00:23:41 EST 2007

In this March 2007 VegMichigan newsletter:

1) Great American Meatout is March 18
2) Hops for Hope
3) Summer Rejuvenation Retreat with David Wolfe and Kerrie
Dancing Butterfly
4) Earth Day Expo
5) News For Life

1) Great American Meatout is March 18

Mark your calendar to attend VegMichigan's premier event:
the Metro Detroit Great American Meatout, on Sunday, March
18, from noon-5 pm.  This year the event takes place at a
NEW, LARGER location:  Ferndale High School, 881 Pinecrest
(south of 9 Mile, west of Livernois) in Ferndale.  Spend
the day learning about vegetarianism or simply how to eat
healthier by cutting back on meat at this annual event,
taking place in all 50 states and 25 countries. The local
event is sponsored by Natural Awakenings Magazine and the
Medicine Cabinet Pharmacy.  

Food from local restaurants, first-rate speakers (including
renowned vegan author Dr. Michael Greger, plus 10 others),
cooking demos, exhibitors and more will teach how a
plant-based diet benefits human health, as well as the
planet and its creatures.  Admission is $10 adults, $5
students, children 6 and under and VegMichigan members
FREE. For discounted admission and schedule details, or to
volunteer your help, visit http://VegMichigan.org/meatout.

This is a wonderful opportunity to expose a loved one or
friend to the many benefits of plant-based foods!

2) Hops for Hope

Hops for Hope: An Easter Benefit for Midwest Rabbit Rescue,
Saturday, April 7th, 2-4 pm, Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St.,
Ypsilanti.  Tickets $20, half-priced for non-drinkers,
children under 12 free.  Advance tickets ONLY, available at
http://rabbitrr.org, or call Jill at 734-717-8545 for more
info. Tickets will NOT be sold at the door. 

This beer and chocolate-tasting benefit will feature six to
eight styles of beer from Ypsi's own Corner Brewery, paired
with a wide variety of Fair-Trade chocolates from Equal
Exchange, Dagoba, Divine and the Endangered Species
Chocolate Company.  There will also be a vegetarian
appetizer buffet, Fair-Trade coffee, and beautiful Easter
baskets full of Fair-Trade goodies for auction! Proceeds
benefit 100 rabbits currently in the care of Midwest Rabbit
Rescue.

3) Festive Summer Rejuvenation Retreat with David Wolfe and
Kerrie Dancing Butterfly

Lectures, nature hikes, yoga, meditation, gourmet raw
cuisine, and more. And it's all taking place in Watervliet,
Michigan - near Lake Michigan.

For details, and to reserve your spot, see
http://www.journeysforthesoul.com/spring-michigan-07.htm

4) Earth Day Expo

The Earth Day Expo is coming once again to the Oakland
University campus at the Oakland Center on Saturday, April
21st from 10am-6pm. It will provide a wide variety of fun
and informative activities, including:

- green, healthy product & service exhibits
- alternative vehicle/renewable energy displays
- earth-friendly music & entertainment
- healthy planet film festival
- kid's corner and fun activities for all ages
- free samples, handouts, and door prizes

Indoor and outdoor product exhibits, informational
displays, hands-on demonstrations, award-winning films, and
expert presentations will promote:

- complementary healthcare & wellness
- efficient & renewable energy
- holistic fitness, exercise & nutrition
- alternative vehicles & transportation
- natural personal care and beauty
- sustainable living & green building
- healthy home, lawn & garden 
- organic food, restaurant & farming
- earth-friendly clothing & accessories

Thanks to the generous support of sponsors and exhibitors,
there is no charge for admission to the expo or any
activity. There will be plenty of healthy, delicious food &
snacks available at reasonable prices, as well as unique
products and services offered for sale by exhibitors.

For more information on attending, sponsoring, exhibiting,
volunteering or presenting, please visit
http://earthdayexpo.org, email earthdayexpo at aol.com, or
call UHEAC at (248) 693-1021.

News For Life

This newsletter is designed to keep you aware of the many
relationships our food choices have on our lives; from
personal health, a sustainable planet to respecting other
species.

General News Index:

Human Health and Planet Health—Same Solution
Better Sex and Longer Life
Eat to Cheat Your Age
Pills or Papayas? Americans Want Healthful Foods, Not More
Medicines
The Food Industry Buys Nutrition Research-Threatening Your
Family's Health
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Being Vegan and Eating Soy: Myths, Truths, and Everything
in Between
Fighting Disease, the Vegan Way
Is There A Connection Between Food and Spirituality?
At Our Hands: A Pictorial of Animal Exploitation
Cows With Guns Video

Health News Index:

Onions are Anti-Cancer
Nuts and Your Heart: Eating Nuts for Heart Health
Stressed Fruit May Be Healthier for You
Some Foods Found To Prevent, Treat Disease
Red Meat May Increase Diabetics Heart Disease Risk
BSE: How Risky Is It to Drink Milk?
Most Tap Water Polluted by Dirty Municipal Infrastructure
Farmed & Dangerous
Video - Heart Attack Proof with Caldwell Esselstyn

Environmental News Index:

Exposed—EU Bottom Trawling in the North Atlantic
Deep-Sea Fisheries Scrape Bottom of the Sea

Animal Sentience Index:

Chimps May Have Used Hammers 4,300 Years Ago

Problem Solving:

Tell USDA to Keep Drugs Out of Our Food!

*********************************************************

General News:

Human Health and Planet Health—Same Solution

An amazingly simple win-win opportunity stares us in the
face: a global switch to a plant-food-based diet will solve
the diseases of over-nutrition and put a big dent in global
warming with one U-turn—since the up-to-now insatiable
appetite for foodstuffs made from livestock (cows, sheep,
pigs, and chickens) are at the root of both disasters...
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/jan/warming2.htm

Better Sex and Longer Life

... The single biggest step men can take to live longer is
to adopt a vegetarian diet. Statistics are quite clear on
this point. Vegetarians, male and female, outlive everyone
else. They automatically eat more foods that promote
longevity — vegetables, fruits and whole grains — to make
up for the hole in their diet caused by avoiding the
fat-laden meat that all-too-soon brings the male pump to a
dead stop... And eating less meat might also preserve your
sexual potency. By age 60, about one in four North American
men has experienced impotency, and, in most cases, blocked
arteries are to blame. Tofu anyone?... To top it all off,
vegetarianism may actually make you a nicer person. A study
conducted by Boston University's School of Medicine from
1987 to 1989 found that the more fiber in a man's diet, the
less likely he is to be overly aggressive and domineering...
Eating less meat cuts your cancer risk. Cooking creates
carcinogens on meat, especially chicken... Baldness depends
largely on genetics, but the more meat and fat a man eats,
the higher his testosterone level and the more it converts
within the hair follicle to dihydrotestosterone, which is
basically follicle poison. So going veg now can greatly
increase your chances of keeping your hair... No matter
your age, men, it's never too late. Drop meat from your
diet and beat the odds. A healthy 70-year-old man has more
in common with a 30-year-old male than he does with an
unhealthy man his own age. And remember: The longer you
live, the more you'll find yourself outnumbered by
women...
http://www.betternutrition.com/document/212

Eat to Cheat Your Age

We're living longer than ever before, but who wants to look
their age? Fortunately, science is proving that the food we
eat can put the brakes on the aging process, both on the
inside and the outside. Investing in a healthy diet now can
help reduce the likelihood of suffering from ailments such
as failing eyesight, arthritis and heart disease, as well
as fatigue and lackluster skin. Many of the visible effects
of aging, such as wrinkles, and also those that we can't
see, such as deterioration of the heart and eyes, are
caused by free radicals -- highly reactive molecules that
damage cell walls and the genetic material within cells.
Free radicals are hard to avoid, as they're produced
naturally in the course of everyday life: Factors such as
smoking, pollution, and overexposure to sunlight can
accelerate their production. But eating lots of
antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables can be a powerful
defense against them...
http://www.thirdage.com/news/articles/ALT02/07/02/08/ALT02070208-01.html

Pills or Papayas? Americans Want Healthful Foods, Not More
Medicines

If you thought Americans would rather pop a pill to treat
illness than make major diet changes, think again. A new
survey shows the vast majority would rather change their
diets—including trying a vegetarian diet—than use
medicines... Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine, prescribes the vegan
diet... eat no animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, fish)
but enjoy all other foods in abundance. With a strict
vegetarian diet, there is no need to monitor portions or
weigh ingredients or track calories and fat grams. In his
latest book, the doctor cites research that proves this
dietary decision (not crash-diet or fad-diet) lowers blood
pressure and results in a natural weight loss...
http://www.physorg.com/news89653217.html

The Food Industry Buys Nutrition Research - Threatening
Your Family's Health

... The main finding of this study is that scientific
articles about commonly consumed beverages funded entirely
by industry were approximately four to eight times more
likely to be favorable to the financial interests of the
sponsors than articles without industry-related funding. 
Of particular interest, none of the interventional studies
with "all industry support" had an unfavorable
conclusion... Anyone serious about knowing the truth about
human nutrition and working from a solid foundation of
knowledge needs to read the basic research on protein, fat,
carbohydrates, oils, milk and meat that was performed from
the late 1800s to the 1970s; at a time when researchers did
not have their hands in the pocketbooks of big business...
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/jan/fav5.htm

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

A CSA is a way for the food buying public to create a
relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of
produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people
become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of
the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the
season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or
monthly payments. Some CSAs also require that members work
a small number of hours on the farm during the growing
season...
http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
VM Note: Find a farm near you at this website! 

Being Vegan and Eating Soy: Myths, Truths, and Everything
in Between

Soy foods have received a great deal of attention in the
media in recent years. Very little that the public hears
about soy is neutral. Depending upon whom you choose to
believe, soy is either a wonder food or the next
asbestos... Since most of the studies that raise concerns
about soy consumption seem to focus on pre-metabolized
isolates or other similarly processed forms of soy, the
wisest choice to is to choose to eat soy foods as part of a
balanced diet and in the least processed form available. Soy
can be a valuable source of protein in a vegetarian or vegan
diet, but it should not be relied upon as the sole source of
protein... Choosing traditional and less processed forms of
soy (such as tofu, miso, tempeh, edamame and even soy milk)
over highly-processed soy foods (such as soy cheeses, soy
meats, and soy protein isolates) is likely to be a safer
choice...
http://www.vegfamily.com/health/vegan-soy-information.htm

Fighting Disease, the Vegan Way

As often as Kirstie Alley needs to purchase new pants to
fit her ever expanding and shrinking waistline, Americans
embrace the diet-of-the-moment, searching for the next
quick fix. From low-fat to Atkins and grapefruit or cabbage
soup, we are willing and ready to dig ourselves out of the
grave of ill-health by any means possible...
http://www.portfolioweekly.com/Pages/InfoPage.php/iID/2473

Is There A Connection Between Food and Spirituality?

... many spiritual teachers and mystics all over the world
believe that there is a direct connection between
spirituality, psychic powers and the food we eat... our
physical structure and psychological processes are not
meant for meat. Meat-eating animals have sharp fangs to
tear meat. They salivate heavily to predigest the meat
before it even reaches the stomach. They have short colons
so the meat they eat gets out of their body or is excreted
at once.  Meat easily rots and must be eliminated quickly,
otherwise it becomes toxic. Vegetable- and fruit-eating
animals do not have fangs. They do not salivate heavily
when eating and they have long colons. Fruits and
vegetables do not rot or become toxic as fast as animal
meat... when an animal is butchered or killed, it releases
toxins that get absorbed by humans when they eat the
meat... ... societies that avoid eating meat are also
highly spiritual, while those that are meat eaters are the
most materialistic in the world... A vegetarian diet is
conducive not only to a peaceful and quiet mind, but also
to spiritual growth and understanding.
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=49055

At Our Hands: A Pictorial of Animal Exploitation

In the spirit of the old adage that a picture is worth a
thousand words, we've created At Our hands: A Pictorial of
Animal Exploitation. Be forewarned: The images within our
site are extremely graphic. They are undeniable in their
documentation of the exploitation and brutal treatment of
animals worldwide at the hands of human beings...
http://www.atourhands.com/home.html

Cows With Guns Video
http://www.3dweb.no/galleri/stuestolbm/bilder/anim1.swf

“If you don’t stay informed, then who will tell the others
the truth?”
Anonymous

Health News:

Onions are Anti-Cancer

Folklore says that eating onions and garlic wards off
illness. Now, research says the duo may prevent cancer. In
a large study, Europeans who often eat the most onions and
garlic have lower cancer rates. In fact, eating onions more
than once a day cut the risk of colorectal cancer by 56% and
esophageal cancer by 88%. Eating lots of garlic
significantly cut risk of ovarian, kidney, esophageal and
oral cancers, and pancreatic cancer, too, says a recent
U.S. study of onions and garlic. Getting the credit:
organosulfur compounds (which partly account for garlic's
strong taste and odor) and antioxidants (such as quercetin
in onions).
http://www.usaweekend.com/07_issues/070204/070204thinksmart.html#eatsmart

Nuts and Your Heart: Eating Nuts for Heart Health

Eating nuts helps your heart. Learn from a Mayo Clinic
specialist how walnuts, almonds and other nuts help lower
your cholesterol when eaten as part of a balanced diet...
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nuts/HB00085

Stressed Fruit May Be Healthier for You

Believe it or not, fruits and vegetables grown in adverse
weather conditions or insect attacks may be healthier for
you, as these plants release more flavonoids. The amount of
flavonoids - antioxidants linked to disease prevention found
in fruits, nuts and vegetables - depends on how much stress
the plant has endured, says a US government report... Such
factors may explain why one flavonoid varied between 31 to
114 milligrams in 100-gram samples of the same variety of
sweet red cherry...
http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=93428

Some Foods Found To Prevent, Treat Disease

An age-old adage says that "an apple a day keeps the doctor
away," and now science is proving that saying has more
validity than previously thought... "Some of these
phytonutrients can decrease your risk of diseases,"
Peitzmeyer said. "Examples include heart disease, lowering
your cholesterol and blood pressure, cancer, osteoporosis,
and diabetes too."... fighting certain kinds of cancers...
fighting strokes... help prevent cell degeneration and
Alzheimer's disease... boosting the immune system... may
prevent some cancers...
http://www.wlky.com/health/10903114/detail.html?rss=
lou&psp=news

Red Meat May Increase Diabetics Heart Disease Risk

High consumption of red meat and heme iron from the diet
may raise the risk of coronary heart disease amongst
diabetics by 50 percent, says new research from Harvard...
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=73424&m=1FNU117&c=yhpgkjfymtnzesv

BSE: How Risky Is It to Drink Milk?

Prion proteins found in commercial milk. In a first-time
global breakthrough, a Swiss start-up firm has succeeded in
detecting prion proteins in the milk of humans, cows, sheep,
and goats. This again raises the question of a "mad cow
disease" risk from drinking milk. Tests are underway to
verify disease-causing prions in milk...
http://www.nutritionhorizon.com/newsmaker_article.asp?idNewsMaker=13266&fSite=AO545&next=0

Most Tap Water Polluted by Dirty Municipal Infrastructure

As the United States becomes a nation of 300 million, the
country's older cities face the reality of overpopulation,
crumbling infrastructures, and the health concerns raised
by both, especially those related to the availability of
fresh water... "Investigations conducted in the last five
years suggest that a substantial proportion of waterborne
disease outbreaks, both microbial and chemical, are
attributable to problems within distribution systems," said
the National Research Council in a report released in
December for the Environmental Protection Agency...

... "I advise everyone to avoid drinking water from the
tap, no matter how clean the city claims it to be," said
consumer health advocate Mike Adams. "Even when cities
claim their water is clean, they may still add toxic
fluoride chemicals and chlorine, which we know promotes
bladder cancer. Filtering your water is crucial for
protecting your health."
http://www.newstarget.com/021504.html

Farmed & Dangerous

Fish have long been revered as a healthy alternative to red
meat and a great source of those ever-crucial omega-3
essential fatty acids. But few people know that most fish
today are mass-produced. Have you had salmon lately?
Whether bought in a store or ordered in a restaurant, odds
are great that—far from what you've been led to believe by
advertisers—your meal was born in a plastic mold. It was
raised on a fish farm, caged in cramped quarters and unable
to swim freely. It was forced to fatten up on food pellets
like a marine couch potato. That may not concern you as
long as the resulting fillet packs a full range of health
benefits. But the fact is, it doesn't... Your salmon was
also likely fed carcinogenic and mutagenic pesticides to
help it shed its inevitable beard of sea lice—the
consequence of remaining inactive in a tiny cage. But wait,
it's a healthy pink color, isn't it? Well, sure it is—you
chose it. That's color number 33 on drug giant Roche's
color list. Extensive market tests were conducted to
determine the precise shade of salmon color that appealed
most to target consumers... To get omega-3s into your diet,
rely on non-fish oils—quality virgin olive oil, coconut oil
or flaxseed oil...
http://www.betternutrition.com/document/203

Video - Heart Attack Proof with Caldwell Esselstyn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLNA12RKFdE

"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your
food."  
Hippocrates, the father of medicine.

Environmental News:

Exposed—EU Bottom Trawling in the North Atlantic

Commercial fishing kills billions of animals each year,
many of them thrown back overboard as "bycatch." In this
clip, Greenpeace documents fish and other marine species
killed and discarded by bottom trawlers.
http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=bottom_trawl&Player=wm&speed=_med

Deep-Sea Fisheries Scrape Bottom of the Sea

An international team of leading fisheries economists,
biologists, and ecologists is calling for the abolition of
government fuel subsidies that keep deep-sea fishing
vessels moving to deeper waters... "Industrial fisheries
are now going thousands of miles, thousands of feet deep
and catching things that live hundreds of years in the
process - in the least protected place on Earth,"... In a
few hours, the massive nets that drag the bottom and weigh
up to 15 tons, can destroy deep-sea corals and sponge beds
that have taken centuries or millennia to grow... most
deep-sea fishing occurs on the high seas (international
waters) far from the watchful eyes of regulatory
agencies... this highly destructive form of fishing would
be unprofitable without heavy government support...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070218130829.htm

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for
survival of life
on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." 
Albert Einstein

Animal Sentience:

Chimps May Have Used Hammers 4,300 Years Ago

An international research team, led by archaeologist Julio
Mercader of the University of Calgary, said yesterday it
had uncovered the hammers, dated to that time, in the West
African country Ivory Coast. It would be the earliest known
use of tools by chimpanzees. The hammers were used to crack
nuts, a behaviour still seen in chimps in that area...
http://www.thestar.com/News/article/181035

"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They
were not made for humans any more than black people were
made for white, or women created for men."  
Alice Walker, author and activist.

Problem Solving:

Tell USDA to Keep Drugs Out of Our Food!

A Canadian company is poised to ramp up production of
genetically-engineered safflower to 1,000 acres in
Washington State. The company has engineered the safflower
plant—typically grown for the vegetable oil obtained from
its seeds—to produce a drug to boost the immune systems of
farmed shrimp.

Growing drug-producing food crops outdoors poses risks to
public health and threatens the economic well-being of
farmers because these crops are likely to contaminate our
food supply.

Urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fulfill its
responsibility for protecting our food by banning
drug-producing safflower and other "pharma" food crops
grown outdoors...
http://ucsaction.org/campaign/2_21_07pharma_safflower

*********************************************************

If you received this national newsletter from a friend and
would like your own free subscription, please send a blank
email to us with "subscribe" in the subject line to
mail at vegmichigan.org

If you are interested in VegMichigan activities and would
like local information, be sure to indicate that in your
email to us.

We NEVER share our email list with any other organization
or business.

To UN-subscribe, simply reply to this email and change the
subject to "unsubscribe."