1. ***Special
VIM Event***
02/17, Thursday, 7 PM, VIM sponsored
lecture "Diet As Disease Prevention" with Kerrie Saunders PhD,
she says, "Americans eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) today
have a 1 in 2 chance of dying of a heart attack, and a 1 in 3
chance of dying from cancer. Research from around the world tells
us that there is a way to make a dramatic difference in these
unbelievable statistics, by changing lifestyle factors 100% within
your control! We'll look at cancer, blood sugar disorders, heart
attack, stroke, and obesity from a whole new angle, and get
practical advice on how to make the switch to a cutting-edge,
health promoting food and fitness plan." Roseville Public Library,
29777 Gratiot 586-445-5407.
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2.
Disease-Fighting Vegetable
Medley
Original Source: Consumer Reports
Original Date of Publication: 11.2004
Variety, the spice of life, is also the path to good health. In
recent years researchers have shown that various phytochemicals -
substances that plants use to ward off insects, viruses, bacteria,
and cell mutations - can lessen disease risk in people and animals
who dine on the plants containing them. Phytochemicals affect the
color of many vegetables and fruits; hence the advice to eat a
rainbow of produce has replaced the old view that green is
supreme.
http://www.pcacoalition.org/news/2004_11_vegtables.php
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3.
Potential Synergy of Phytochemicals in Cancer Prevention
Rui Hai Liu, Department of Food
Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that regular
consumption of fruits and vegetables is strongly associated with
reduced risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cancer and
cardiovascular disease. It is now widely believed that the actions
of the antioxidant nutrients alone do not explain the observed
health benefits of diets rich in fruits and vegetables, because
taken alone, the individual antioxidants studied in clinical
trials do not appear to have consistent preventive effects. Work
performed by our group and others has shown that fruits and
vegetable phytochemical extracts exhibit strong antioxidant and
antiproliferative activities and that the major part of total
antioxidant activity is from the combination of phytochemicals. We
proposed that the additive and synergistic effects of
phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables are responsible for these
potent antioxidant and anticancer activities and that the benefit
of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is attributed to the
complex mixture of phytochemicals present in whole foods. This
explains why no single antioxidant can replace the combination of
natural phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables to achieve the
health benefits. The evidence suggests that antioxidants or
bioactive compounds are best acquired through whole-food
consumption, not from expensive dietary supplements. We believe
that a recommendation that consumers eat 5 to 10 servings of a
wide variety of fruits and vegetables daily is an appropriate
strategy for significantly reducing the risk of chronic diseases
and to meet their nutrient requirements for optimum health.
http://www.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/134/12/3479S?maxtoshow=&HITS=
10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=tomato+broccoli&searchid=110209
1661947_4417&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&volume=134&issue=12&journalcode=nutrition
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4.
Vegetarian Diets Lower Blood
Pressure
Vegetarian diets lower blood
pressure significantly, according to an article in this month’s
Nutrition Reviews. Observational studies have shown that
hypertension is significantly less common among vegetarians, and
subsequent clinical trials showed that such diets lower blood
pressure in individuals with either normal or high blood pressure.
Among the major presumed mechanisms are the diet’s ability to
reduce blood viscosity, its high potassium content, and its effect
on body weight. The article was written by Susan Berkow, Ph.D.,
and Neal Barnard, M.D., of the Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine.
Berkow SE, Barnard ND. Blood pressure regulation and
vegetarian diets. Nutrition Reviews, January, 2005.
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5.
Comparing Four Popular Diets
The Journal of the American
Medical Association reports the results of a head-to-head
comparison of four popular diets: Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers,
and the Zone. Tufts University researchers randomly assigned 160
people to the four diets, gave them an instruction book and four
educational sessions, and then tracked their weight over the next
year. After the first two months, participants were encouraged to
follow their assigned diets only insofar as they felt inclined
to.
At the one-year mark, the average weight loss was 3.3 kg (7.3 lb)
for Ornish, 3.2 kg (7.0 lb) for the Zone, 3.0 kg (6.6 lb) for
Weight Watchers, and 2.1 kg (4.6 lb) for Atkins. These numbers are
group averages, including both compliant and noncompliant dieters;
weight loss was greater for those who continued to follow their
diets. About half of the Ornish and Atkins dieters and two-thirds
of the Weight Watchers and Zone dieters reported continuing to
follow their regimens over the entire year.
Low-density lipoprotein (“bad”) cholesterol dropped by 12.6% in
the Ornish group, 11.8% for the Zone group, 9.3% for the Weight
Watchers group, and 7.1% for the Atkins group at one year.
Dansinger ML, Gleason JA, Griffith JL, Selker HP, Schaefer EJ.
Comparison of the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers, and Zone diets
for weight loss and heart disease risk reduction. JAMA
2005;293:43-53.
For information about nutrition and health, please visit
www.pcrm.org.
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6.
GOT ENOUGH MILK?
When the U.S. Department of Agriculture releases a new version
of the food pyramid later this year, it’s likely that adults will
be told to down not two but three glasses of milk a day to keep
the doctor away. But according to Alternative Medicine (Nov/Dec.
2004), some experts think such a recommendation would be
dangerous, because research links excess dairy consumption to
cancer. The Center for Science in the Public interest also points
out that some researchers working for the USDA have ties to the
National Dairy Council. Utne, January-February 2005
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7.
Meat Raises Colon Cancer
Risk
A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association
confirms the findings of earlier studies linking meat consumption
to colon cancer. In the Cancer Prevention Study II, involving
148,610 adults followed since 1982, the group with the highest
meat intake had approximately 50% higher colon cancer risk,
compared to those with lower intakes.
The study found no relationship between white meat and colon
cancer among men and found a negative relationship in women. The
study did not report results for vegetarians within the cohort.
Such data are of interest because earlier studies have indicated
that those consuming white meat, particularly chicken, have
approximately a threefold higher colon cancer risk, compared to
vegetarians.
PCRM Editorial comment: We hope that the study’s sponsor, the
American Cancer Society, will be encouraged by these findings to
discontinue its beef-promoting Cattle Barons’ Ball fundraisers,
held annually in cities throughout the U.S.
Chao A, Thun MJ, Connell CJ, et al. Meat consumption and risk of
colorectal cancer. JAMA 2005;293:172-82.
Fraser GE. Associations between diet and cancer, ischemic heart
disease, and all-cause mortality in non-Hispanic white California
Seventh-day Adventists. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;70(suppl):532S-8S.
For information about nutrition and health, please visit
www.pcrm.org,
www.CancerProject.org,
www.AtkinsDietAlert.org.
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8.
All Bottled Up
Bottled water flies off the
shelves, but smart money is on filter systems. If you are
confused about safe drinking water then this article is for you!
http://www.grist.org/advice/possessions/2004/05/04/mcrandle-bottled/index.html
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9.
Herbalist Certification
Training
VIM member Mary Light is a
clinical medicinal herbalist and scholar for over 20 years, and
friend of the plants for life. She offers various classes for
beginner and practitioner students who wish to add to their body
of knowledge. A 200 hour Herbalist Certification training is
offered beginning May, 2005.
Additional 1 or 2 day classes are offered throughout the year, and
may not be listed on this site. Contact Gaia Center for
information or to be added to the list for herbal and botanical
training.
Gaia Center for Holistic Studies
PO Box 3599
Ann Arbor, MI. 48106
www.gaiahealingarts.org
matagaia@yahoo.com
Phone: 734-945-3385
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10.
The Raw Living Foods Home
Study Program
The Living Foods Lifestyle training program, developed over the
last 28 years at Creative Health Institute (co-founded by Dr. Ann
Wigmore), is once again available in a home study version, and Jim
Carey is once again managing the deliveries. Please visit
www.WigmoreDiet.com for
more information, or email
james@wigmorediet.com with your problems or questions.
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11.
Differentdaisy.com
A Different Daisy (vegan owned
and operated), your online source for vegan information, recipes
and vegan products (many that are hard to find). www.differentdaisy.com
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12.
EPA offers air-pollution
immunity to factory farms
On Friday, while inaugural revelers were still shaking off
their hangovers and tending to their square-dance-induced
blisters, the Bush EPA officially unveiled a deal whereby factory
farms can get more than two years of immunity from the Clean Air
Act if they join a voluntary program to measure their emissions.
Enviros say the strategy stinks as bad as the huge piles of
doo-doo that are emitting toxic gases at factory farms around the
country.
http://grist.org/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=4109
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13.
Enzymatic Therapy
An innovative manufacturer and distributor of nutritional
supplements and natural medicines, today announced the rollout of
new vegetarian UltraCaps(TM). These vegetable-based capsules are
being introduced in response to growing public concerns over BSE
(mad cow disease) and increased demand for vegetarian capsules.
ttp://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050114005560
&newsLang=en or
http://tinyurl.com/6ujsm
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14.
Plants vs. fish & omega 3
oils
Plant omega 3 fat is found in the seeds and oils of rape, soy
and flax, and nuts, particularly walnuts. Research shows that
plant-based omega 3s reduce the risk of secondary heart attacks by
70 percent compared to 35 percent for fish and, unlike fish oils,
give long-term protection against the disease.
VeggieHealth, Winter 2004
www.vegetarian.org.uk
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15.
VegVideo
A television show that educates the public about the realities
of factory farming and the alternative of a compassionate
vegetarian diet. Airing documentaries, interviews and
investigations, VegVideo shows the extent of mistreatment that
occurs inside factory farms. Over 10 billion animals are killed
for food every year in the U.S. and the stories of their suffering
is seldom told. Anyone interested in helping to get this
programming on in the Metro Detroit area?
www.vegvideo.org
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16.
Stop
the USDA
Ask your friends, family or any concerned consumer to tell USDA
to protect the food supply from pharma crop contamination! Did you
know that crops are being genetically altered to grow
pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals? A new report from the
Union of Concerned Scientists found that current production
practices and federal regulations are insufficient to keep these "pharma"
crops out of our food supply. Go to the following link to tell the
USDA to do a better job protecting our food from pharma crops:
http://www.ucsaction.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=23460&ref=38950
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17.
Sierra Magazine's Letter To
The Editor
VIM’s letter in response to this article:
http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200501/mrgreen.asp
Dear Editor:
Talk about loose talk on meat-eating, Mr. Green said a mouthful!
There is an abundance of protein in plant-based foods and there is
no need for "complete protein" in our diet. Given enough calories
from whole plants, our bodies can assimilate all the amino acids
we need for big powerful muscles, such as those exhibited by other
herbivores (i.e. gorillas, elephants, bison, elk, moose).
While Mr. Green may be proud of his heritage of cattle
exploitation, there wasn't one cow around when the formally deep,
rich topsoil of North America was being formed. We have lost most
of that now, the leading cause being beef production.
Animal agriculture has soared to the number
two cause of environmental degradation around the world. Even
practiced "organically," it can significantly impact soil erosion,
desertification, rainforest destruction, habitat loss, species
extinction, air and water pollution, water and fossil fuel
consumption, acid rain, global warming, and a host of other
serious and related problems.
Instead of exporting our unsustainable
agricultural practices, the United States should be leading the
world in life-affirming plant-based nutrition. Two good places to
start are www.pcrm.org and
www.veganoutreach.org.
Sincerely,
James Corcoran
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