1. VIM's Special Event!

Saturday ~ June 18, 2005

11:30 am - 6:00 pm ~ VIM Tabling with Jim Corcoran speaking at 1 PM & Dr. Kerrie Saunders speaking at 4 PM at Irene's School of Myomassology's Holisticpalooza, 26061 Franklin Road., Southfield, MI. 10 1/2 Mile ~ West of Telegraph. Free and open to the public! call (248) 350-1400.

It took four years and a whopping $2.4 million, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture has finally rolled out a redesigned version of the Food Guide Pyramid. Unveiled April 19, the new "MyPyramid" is supposed to offer Americans clear guidance on how to eat a nutritious diet and maintain a healthy weight. But somewhere, somehow, this ambitious renovation project went terribly wrong. As a nutritionist, I think the result is an unsightly graphic that seems almost deliberately calculated to mislead consumers struggling with obesity, diabetes and other diet- related illnesses. http://www.rednova.com/news/display/?id=147466&source=r_health

What the USDA urges people to eat to remain healthy does not match what it pays farmers to grow. Fruit and vegetable farmers receive no subsidies from the government, though fruits and vegetables should make up the largest share of Americans' diets, according to the new pyramid. http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/chitribts/20050502/ts_chicagotrib/usdassubsidiesignoreitsowndietaryadvice

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has added three compounds found in grilled meats and eggs to its growing list of cancer-causing agents. The heterocyclic amines MeIQ, MeIQx, and PhIP form when meat and eggs are grilled or cooked at high temperatures. They are also present in cigarette smoke. Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, news release, January 31, 2005

Soy-food consuming populations of people, like the Chinese and Japanese, have a much lower incidence of heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer of the breast and prostate. From this observation, many researchers have come to the conclusion that ingredients in the soybean have anticancer, antihypertensive, and anti-cholesterol benefits, and also act as a natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy. Soy foods have become synonymous with health food and vegetarianism. http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/april/050400.htm

Researchers say that most cases of breast cancer can be prevented through such means as eating plant-based, organic food such as grains.

Cincinnati surgeon Dr. Christine Horner says there is a way to reverse increasing breast cancer rates. She advises women to protect against the disease by: avoiding health-destroying fats like trans fats and saturated animal fats; thinking Asian by making whole soy foods, green tea, maitake mushrooms, garlic, turmeric and wakame seaweed part of their diet; taking a good daily multivitamin; taking protective supplements daily such as calcium D-glucarate, grape seed extract, selenium and CoQ10; avoiding red meat, sugar, alcohol and smoking; keeping weight down; exercising regularly; going to bed by 10 and getting up by 6; optimizing melatonin production by keeping the bedroom dark; using non-toxic products; daily practicing stress-reducing techniques such as yoga and meditation; and, staying positive and taking care of their needs.

A new study from Purdue University counters the notion that dairy products encourage weight loss, an idea touted in dairy industry advertisements. Researchers assigned participants to one of three groups: (1) a control group that maintained its usual diet, (2) a medium-dairy group consuming 1000-1100 mg of calcium daily, or (3) a high-dairy group consuming 1300-1400 mg of calcium daily. Participants in the two dairy groups were instructed to compensate for the addition of dairy products by reducing consumption of other foods so as to keep their energy intake unchanged. 

None of the groups lost weight. In fact, the high-dairy group gained 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) over the year, which was slightly (although not statistically significantly) greater than the weight gain in the control group (0.8 kg, 1.8 lb) and the medium-dairy group (0.8 kg, 1.5 lb). 

http://www.pcrm.org/news/archive050408.html 

A low-fat diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans has twice the cholesterol-lowering power of a conventional low-fat diet, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050502/25036.html?.v=1

Before I made the switch, I couldn't imagine not eating a tenderized animal ever again. It was too far-fetched, too abstract, too undoable. I used to have a nice chunk of some kind of carcass at every sitting. Bacon for breakfast, chicken for lunch, steak for dinner and it all tasted so bloody (literally, rare) good. But then I discovered a book -- or better stated -- it found me: Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser. I was appalled by the conditions that I read about in the meat industry -- from meat being left out in the sun too long, to employees' body parts getting tossed into the grinder and assimilated with the rest of the produce. Not to mention how meat packing plants, in an attempt to save money, would take rotten meat and put it into the feed for cattle, chicken and the like.

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?menu=c10400&no=225114&rel_no=1

Nutritional issues of which vegans should be aware, focusing on recommended daily intakes of important nutrients. 

http://www.veganhealth.org/shv/

Today's "factory" farms, which crowd thousands of animals into tightly confined areas, give factory smokestacks a run for their money when it comes to polluting the air with ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and other potentially dangerous substances. The livestock sector, for example, produces 73 percent of our nation's ammonia emissions, and factory farms contribute the lion's share of this pollution. One industrial egg-producing facility in Ohio released 800 tons of ammonia into the air in one year.

Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org), Catalyst Spring 2005

On February 28, the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York held that a 2003 Bush administration farm pollution rule violates the Clean Water Act by allowing large-scale livestock farms to apply animal waste to land without federal or state oversight or public input. The ruling resulted from a lawsuit filed by Waterkeeper Alliance, the Sierra Club, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, charging that the Bush rule shielded factory farms from liability for damage caused by animal waste pollution.

Note: A 10,000 head hog farm produces as much waste in one day as a town of 25,000 people!

Organic farms are home to more birds, butterflies, bats and even earthworms than their conventional counterparts, British researchers have found. Farms that do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides are not only safer for wildlife, they also offer more diverse habitats in which plants and animals can thrive. In fact, steep declines in both the number and range of wildlife can be traced to modern agriculture, with its dependence on chemicals, according to the report published in the March 2005 issue of the journal Biological Conservation. The relative decline in the number of earthworms alone means less fertile farmland - a problem organic farms don't face. 

May 2005 Vegetarian Times

When genetically engineered (GE) crops first came on the market in 1996, proponents claimed that they would need far less pesticide than conventional crops. Most genetically engineered crops are modified to either tolerate the herbicide glyphosate (HT crops) or to produce their own insecticide (Bt crops), so in theory, fewer applications of pesticide on GE fields would be sufficient to take care of pests. For the first three years of use, this was true. However, a new report by agricultural economist Dr. Charles Benbrook, "Genetically Engineered Crops and Pesticide Use in the United States," shows that farmers now use more pesticide on the top three GE crops-corn, soybeans, and cotton-than on conventional varieties.

http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/page.cfm?pageID=1542 

Sells over 500 vegan products--specializing in natural, organic products for babies and kids.
http://store.kidbean.com/

Vegetarian Summerfest 2005 features experts in the fields of health, nutrition, animal rights, the environment, exercise and related lifestyle areas, plus talented chefs. Here are just some of the dozens of presenters:

T. COLIN CAMPBELL,PhD
JOHN A. McDOUGALL, MD
HOWARD LYMAN
RUTH HEIDRICH, PhD
MICHAEL GREGER, MD
GEORGE EISMAN, RD

Cutting-edge Educational Sessions: Health and Nutrition, Lifestyle Issues, Cooking and Recipes, Animal rights and compassionate living, Earth stewardship, Exercise and fitness.

Opportunities to Meet Others of Like Mind Hundreds of attendees - all ages Social gatherings for everyone: singles, couples and families.

Great Natural Food, Vegan Meals Prepared under the direction of "Gold Medal Winning" chef, Many organic ingredients.

June 29 - July 3, 2005
The Conference Center at Pitt-Johnstown
Johnstown, PA

http://vegetariansummerfest.org/

Sowing Veggie Seeds in School Foodservice

Parents, teachers, doctors, and other concerned citizens can play a key role in helping a school turn its foodservice around. Activists can also help get legislation passed to promote vegetarian options in schools.

http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm05winter/gm05winter01_3.html

Atoms Juice Cafe will be opening in the Guardian Building in Downtown Detroit (500 Griswold at Congress), hopefully within the next sixty days. We will be an Eco-friendly Cafe and Raw Juice Bar. Seating will be available in the amazing historic Guardian Building atrium. We will be offering organic health food, desserts, fresh raw juice and smoothies to Downtown Detroit's lunch crowd. We will also offer a Sunday Brunch and limited dinner events.

Atoms is a limited liability company. We are looking for people who would like to become voting members in the company (3 people willing to invest $10,000 each and one $5,000 -- the business is valued at $200,000). If interested, contact us at atomsguardian@excite.com or call Kevin at 965-5555 or John at 313-300-7709. Thanks, John & Kevin

Do you know the best spots for dancing? VIM needs you! After the monthly Dine-Out event, VIM would like to go dancing, but we need someone to find cool places that are close to that month's restaurant. The Dance Location Coordinator or DLC would need to work with our Dine-Out Coordinator (Karen Hagglund) to determine the where, when and how much (as well as dress code, if applicable) each month. If you are interested, please contact Karen at (248)544-4030

Hi, I am looking to find a place to buy all black men's dress lace-up shoes for an office setting. Do you know of a store near Mount Clemens that would sell them? I am not comfortable with buying shoes on-line. Thanks, BW

Hi BW, Payless Shoes does carry all man-made material dress shoes, but the quality is pretty low. You may want to go to www.cowsarecool.com and ask some of the stores if they have any local outlets to try shoes on. Other than purchasing on-line I can't really help you. I have bought on-line, but talked directly to the seller to make sure of what I'm getting. I have been pretty happy with my experiences. Good luck!

Hi, I was thinking about attending a function, a vegan potluck on May 29th. However, I am not a true vegan...close, but not fully. Are there vegetarians who are a part of your group who are marginally lacto and/or ovo-vegetarian? How would you feel about someone who is not fully vegan coming to a function or becoming a member, who is wearing leather and silk, etc? Thank you, EJ

Hi EJ, Yes, you are welcomed to come!!! Most of our readers are not vegan. Learning about such things is a journey and we are here to assist you along the path. Since there are many alternatives to silk and leather (as well as other animal products) in most peoples closets it would be preferred if you left them at home when attending a VIM function. If you have only leather shoes then by all means wear them. I hope that I have answered your questions and I look forward to meeting you there.

Hi, This guy's columns are great!!! I think you may have had a reference to the one titled, "Mad as Hell" in a past bulletin, but here is a link to show you them all! Feel free to peruse them and offer up a link to a favorite one or two (or even this link below) in a future e-mailing. BD
"On or Off the Mark" by Mark Reinhardt http://tinyurl.com/59txc

Please patronize these restaurants.  We have a printable restaurant list on the web site. Just open this link below and print the pdf file: http://veggiesinmotion.org/restaurants/Restaurants.pdf

"I want to thank you and VIM for the important work that you do. Covering the Meatout has affected me like no other event. The reasons to become a vegan were overwhelming. It just made perfect sense and how easy it was to do. I went home that evening and my wife and I cleaned out our refrigerator and pantry of all animal products and gave them away to a shelter. We have been vegan ever since. Again, thank you and organizations like VIM."

Keep Up the Good Work, Del, Ferndale Cable Camera Operator/Editor

Note: Del put together a wonderful hour long video of the Meatout and it has been showing on Ferndale cable as many as 20 times a week. He made copies of it for distribution to other cable outlets in metro Detroit. We are indebted to him! Incidentally, look for a screening of it at an upcoming VIM Potluck at Unity of Livonia.

VIM's own Jenney Gordon was mentioned in VIM's own Dr. Kerrie Saunders' column in the May/June issue of VegNews. Jenney was a former baton twirling national champion. For anyone interested, she teaches baton in the metro Detroit area. To subscribe to the cutting edge magazine VegNews log-on to vegnews.com. Don't miss another issue!

Cows With Guns: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/cowswithguns.php

You can mix and match whatever veggie is in season during the spring and summer months ahead.

Veggie and Tofu Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Prepared Brown Rice

1 Onion, coarsely chopped
1 lb. String Beans, trimmed and halved
1 lb. Zucchini
1 lb. Cauliflower, florets
1/2 cup Peas, fresh or frozen
1 lb. firm Tofu
Oil

Sauce

1 cup Water
1/3 cup Peanut Butter, natural, smooth
1 tbsp. Corn Starch
4 Garlic cloves
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Ginger, ground
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

Prepare the sauce first by placing all ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blending until smooth. Set aside.

Press tofu for 20 minutes to remove some of the water. (Place tofu on a plate in the sink with another plate on top. Weigh down with a heavy book or large cans of tomato juice). 

While vegetables are being prepared, put on some brown rice to serve with!

Cut the zucchini into bite-sized pieces and break apart the cauliflower into small florets. Cut tofu into pieces approximately one-inch squared.

Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, put in onions and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add all of the vegetables together with a 1/4 cup of water and stir-fry until tender.

Turn the heat to low and add the tofu and peanut sauce to the vegetables. Stir until the tofu is heated through and the sauce thickens. Cook for another minute, serve hot with brown rice.

VIM'S PUBLIC OUTREACH
For all other regional events go to: http://www.veggiesinmotion.org/calendar

VIM Library Display for the month of June
Roseville Public Library
29777 Gratiot Ave.

Thursday ~ June 2, 2005
7:30 pm ~ VIM Raw Food Potluck and Food Preparation Demo. Unity of Livonia, 28660 5 Mile Road, Livonia, MI. between Middlebelt and Inkster Road. Bring your favorite RAW VEGAN dish sized for 8 servings or a $7.50 donation. Call Flo or Jerry at (313) 541-0162

Friday ~ June 10, 2005
7:00 pm ~ MUGS & JUGS - Shoot pool or just shoot the breeze at Plush Pockets, 28202 Dequindre Road, Warren. Plush Pockets is on the east side of Dequindre between 11 Mile and 12 Mile Roads, just south of the Krogers and the Universal Mall. Contact Peter at 248-515-3367 or just show up.

Saturday ~ June 11, 2005
7:00 pm ~ VIM Dinner Club at the Jade Palace, 13351 W. 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park. Let's give a big thank you to this restaurant for participating in our Great American Meatout this year. Owner Tony Mar will prepare a family-style dinner for us at the fixed price of $14, tax and tip included. Our delicious all-vegan Chinese menu is as follows: Vegetable Spring Roll, Curried Singapore Noodles, Garlic Green Beans, Hong Shui Tofu, Vegetable Fried Rice, Fortune Cookie, Tea or Soft Drink. Your $14 in cash will be collected at the door by Karen. To attend, you MUST give an RSVP by June 9th. Contact Karen at (248)544-4030 or email thorndike@yahoo.com. This link will take you to a map for the restaurant's location: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&country=US&add
tohistory=&searchtab=home&address=13351+W.+10+Mile+Rd.&city=Oak+Park&s
tate=MI&zipcode=48237   Also NEW this month- some of us plan to go dancing after dinner! Please join us at Boogie Fever, 22901 Woodward Ave., in Ferndale (northwest corner of 9 Mile and Woodward). There is no cover charge before 9 PM, and $6 after. So put on your dancing shoes!

Wednesday ~ June 15, 2005 through Saturday, June 18, 2005
9:00 am - 5:00 pm ~ VIM Garage Sale- To volunteer or make donations. Libby's House, Waterford, MI. For more info call VIM at (248) 616-9679. Saturday hours will be 9:00 am - 12:00 noon.

Saturday ~ June 18, 2005
11:30 am - 6:00 pm ~ VIM Tabling- Jim Corcoran Speaking at 1 PM & Dr Kerrie Saunders is speaking at 4 PM at Irene's School of Myomassology's Holisticpalooza, 26061 Franklin Road., Southfield, MI. 10 1/2 Mile ~ West of Telegraph Free and open to the public! call (248) 350-1400.

Saturday ~ June 18, 2005
12:00 noon ~ VIM Vegan Potluck Picnic- at Metro Beach., Mt. Clemens, MI. $4 vehicle entry. For more info call Jim R. at (248) 577-0864.

Wednesday ~ June 22, 2005
1:00 pm ~ VIM Lecture- Achieving Optimal Health with Jim Corcoran, President of Veggies In Motion at Oak Park Jewish Community Campus, 15110 W. Ten Mile, Oak Park, MI. Free and open to the public! For more info call (248) 592-2300. 

Sunday ~ June 26, 2005
1:00 pm ~ VIM Vegan Potluck and a Sharing of "Journeys to Veganism - How it all Vegan for Me". Unity of Livonia, 28660 5 Mile Road, Livonia, MI. between Middlebelt and Inkster Road. Bring your favorite VEGAN dish sized for 8 servings or a $7.50 donation. Call Flo or Jerry at (313) 541-0162.

Monday ~ June 27, 2005
1:00 pm ~ VIM Lecture- Vegetarian talk with Jim Corcoran, President of Veggies In Motion. Lecture on health, environment and ethics. Lincoln Towers, 15075 W. Lincoln, Southfield, MI. Greenfield and Lincoln. Free and open to the public! For more info call (248) 592-2677.