By Wayne Pacelle on July 13, 2009
It’s week two of Crazy Sexy Life’s Meatless Monday campaign and we hope you’ll join us again for the ride! In today’s blog, Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the US sheds more light on the profound effect we can all have on the planet and the wellness of our fellow beings just by modifying our choices as a consumer.
At The HSUS, we are engaging in a range of cost-cutting management actions to cope with the downturn in the economy, but we are doing our best not to cut any essential animal protection programs. Especially in tough economic times, the determined actions of The HSUS and other animal protection groups are needed more than ever for animals in crisis.
Consumers are having to make tough cost-saving decisions, too. And as they strike some non-essential items from their shopping lists, they are shrinking demand for certain products that cause harm to animals. For example, the fur industry, which produces a luxury product, is experiencing waning sales. The Federal Trade Commission reported in 2005 that an estimated 3.5 million animal fur garments and accessories were for sale annually in the United States, and in 2009, that number has dropped to just more than 1 million—an astonishing decline of more than 70 percent. In fact, prices for seal pelts from Canada have declined by a record amount, though part of that steep decline is due to our closing markets for the pelts through policy changes in Europe and elsewhere.
Gourmet magazine is reporting that people are reducing to some degree their consumption of meat products. Given the inordinately high per capita consumption of animal products in America, this is good news for animals, the environment, and public health. The HSUS is a big tent organization, and we support people who want to switch to more humanely raised animal products, reduce the amount of meat in their diets, or try a vegetarian lifestyle—but the reduction of meat consumption is one of the best things we can do for the planet given how unsustainable the current levels of factory farming are.
Reductions in meat consumption means less support for factory farms—many of which confine animals in small cages or crates, and subject them to other procedures and handling practices that compromise their welfare. In fact, Smithfield Foods, which has pledged but not yet completed the shift toward eliminating gestation crates for sows, reported major financial losses during the last quarter, and it says it needs to shrink its pig population to account for decreasing demand. The dairy industry is also in the throes of reducing its size because of oversupply.
Gourmet notes “the USDA estimates that the production of meat from every major category of farm animal will drop for the first time since 1973.” This is also good news for the environment, since the massive numbers of animals on Confined Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs, produce enormous volumes of waste, and pollute watersheds and streams. It also means less in the way of greenhouse gas emissions, since the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has reported that the animal agriculture sector worldwide accounts for 18 percent of all emissions—more than the entire transportation sector.
Unfortunately, some members of Congress don’t want the farm animal industries to do their fair share to combat the problem. Lawmakers aligned with the Farm Bureau and other ambassadors of agribusiness are actively working to exclude agriculture from the impact of any remedial actions to reduce climate change. As a result, you may hear from The HSUS soon to contact your lawmaker to turn this situation around.
As Gourmet’s editor Ruth Reichl noted in a powerful editorial about the detriment of raising so many animals for food on factory farms, “Now it is becoming increasingly clear that we ought to change our ways.”
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By Kris Carr on May 6, 2009
Glitter glam!
Before I get started on todays post, check out the newest items in our store! The number one question we get at CSL is: What juicer and blender do you use and where can I get them? Finally, we have our top picks.
OK, Food & Lifestyle Journal time…
Here are some basic questions that will guide you through the 28 days. It would be wonderful if you could answer them at the end of each day. This way you can track your progress and identify your weaknesses. I look at these questions like a road map. You’ll see where you’ve been, where you are and where you’re going. Hope my 20 questions helps. They sure keep me in line!
1. What did you eat today and did you juice? Please include breakfast, lunch, dinner and any in between snacking. Remember to choose from a wide variety of healthy (organic when possible) veggies, leafy greens, sprouts, gluten-free grains, beans, nuts and seeds. If you can get your hands on some wheat grass – good for you! One 2 oz shot on an empty stomach can really perk you up.
2. How much purified water did you consume? My Suggestion: drink up to half your body weight in ounces. Example: I weigh 128 pounds. 128 divided by 2 = 64 Oz. So I need to drink eight 8 oz glasses of water. You can include fresh veggie juices in your calculation.
3. Did you abstain from coffee?
4. Did you abstain from alcohol?
5. Did you abstain from gluten?
6. Did you abstain from animal protein?
Note: I suggest that you eliminate all flesh and dairy products for the 28 days. If that isn’t possible please reduce your flesh consumption to no more than twice per week. Remove dairy completely.
7. Did you choose low-glycemic sweets – if at all?
8. How were your cravings?
9. Did you have any detox symptoms?
10. What supplements did you take?
11. How was your elimination?
12. Did you dry brush today? How about exercise? Did you move your body for at least 35 minutes?
13. Did you meditate for 15-20 minutes?
14. Did you chew your meals mindfully?
15. What time did you stop eating? 3 hours before bed is optimal.
16. What time did you go to sleep and for how long? 8 hours is optimal.
17. How did you feel emotionally physically?
18. How do you feel emotionally?
19. Did you laugh out loud and tell someone you love them today?
20. Did you spend time in nature? Even 5 minutes is better than nothing.
Bonus question: On a scale from 1-10 how do you rate your overall energy and attitude today?
If you would like to include a record of your pH in this journal that would be helpful. Remember that pH fluctuates all the time. Use it as an educational tool and not as the be all end all guide.
You can start tracking and graphing your urine pH 3 times per day for about a week to get a basic snapshot of your acid/alkaline level. Although the blood pH is more accurate, urine is a helpful gauge worth exploring. Urine is far more accurate than saliva. You don’t have to get you’re blood pH tested unless you’re really curious. If your sick, tired, overweight, etc, more than likely your pH is acidic.
Remember, the first reading in the morning will always be acidic due to the metabolic process of overnight repair. Therefore, start with the second reading and take the others BEFORE eating meals. You can find many litmus papers (pH strips) online or at health foods stores. A good measure falls between 6.5 and 7ish. Happy testing!
Peace & scribbles,
Kris
ps- Congratulations to our April Contest winner, Jessica Stone from Ripe London. Here is her raw Dulce de Leche Bars recipe…
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By Lilli Link, MD on April 8, 2009
The second most frequent question I hear when I tell someone I eat a primarily raw vegan diet or suggest one of my patients try it is, “Don’t you need milk for your bones?” If you don’t want to read all the way through the blog to get the answer, I’ll give it away right now: No!
Why would someone choose to stay away from dairy when ice cream and cheese taste so good and it’s supposed to be healthy? Even the government says we should be eating it. One reason to avoid dairy is based purely on logic, not science. It makes no evolutionary sense. No other mammal drinks milk after infancy, and certainly not the milk of a different species. In addition, although most people of European descent have adapted over the years so that they don’t lose the enzyme (lactase) necessary to digest dairy, more than half of the world’s population is lactose intolerant and can’t digest it.
But if those reasons aren’t convincing enough, here is a list of problems that have been shown in scientific studies to be associated with eating dairy: constipation, acne, asthma, and eczema. With regard to cancer, the evidence indicates dairy may be linked to a decreased risk of some cancers and increased risk of others. But it definitely increases a hormone called IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) which is a tumor promoter – something we cancer survivors would just as soon avoid. Finally, it is full of antibiotics, dioxin and hormones. Even if you are drinking organic milk from a cow who was never injected with bovine growth hormone, the milk is still full of the hormones she produced naturally.
So there are a lot of reasons to stay away from dairy. But doesn’t it help make your bones stronger? How else can you get enough calcium in your diet? The US RDA for calcium is 1000-1300mg/day, depending on your age and gender. In fact, it is hard to consume that much calcium if you are not eating dairy. This may be where the confusion begins. In a study that compared calcium consumption in different countries, the countries with the lowest calcium intake, about 500-1000mg/day, had lower rates of hip fractures (the dreaded outcome of low bone density) than the countries with the highest calcium intake (over 1000mg/day). Another study showed that countries with the highest consumption of animal protein intake had the most hip fractures, whereas the countries with the highest vegetable protein intake had the fewest hip fractures.
Although a number of studies show that eating dairy is associated with a decreased risk for fractures, a similar number of studies show it makes no difference. One of the major obstacles to getting a true picture of the importance of dairy for bone strength is the way the studies are done. Study participants are asked what they usually eat and then followed to see how many end up with broken bones. Since milk is touted as a healthy food, the people who eat the best and exercise the most are also the ones likely to be eating the most dairy. Curiously, of the scientific review articles about dairy and osteoporosis, most of the ones that showed a favorable association between dairy and bone health were sponsored by the National Dairy Council.
Since people from other countries who eat much less calcium than we eat have fewer fractures, maybe it’s not all about how much calcium we eat. Actually, more important is how much we keep. There are two other nutrients, in particular, which affect how much calcium we hold onto: protein and sodium. The more protein and sodium we eat, the more calcium we urinate out. So if we eat less protein and sodium (which are all too commonly consumed in a Western diet), we probably don’t need to eat as much calcium.
The other side of the equation is the absorption of calcium. It is better absorbed in an acidic environment, such as with vitamin C. That means that the lemon juice on your green leafy vegetable is helping you absorb the vegetable’s calcium. And vitamin D also increases the amount of calcium absorbed by the body.
Finally, it is becoming increasingly clear that there are other nutrients that are also very important for bone formation, such as vitamin K (high in dark green vegetables) and magnesium (high in green vegetables and seeds).
If you are wondering if a raw vegan diet can be okay for your bones, there has actually been a small study which suggests that it is. In this study, the people following the raw vegan diet were much thinner and had lower bone density (which goes along with being thinner). The reassuring part of the study was that the blood markers of bone turnover (i.e., how much bone was formed and broken down) showed no difference between those who followed the raw vegan diet and those who followed a typical American diet that contained almost twice the amount of calcium as the raw vegan diet.
Perhaps you are starting to think you might like to take dairy out of your diet, and you want to be sure you are still getting enough calcium. Good sources are dark green vegetables, nuts and seeds. Especially good foods are collard greens, kale, almonds and sunflower seeds.
Now if you are interested, theoretically, in cutting dairy out from your diet, but need some added incentive, read on. (If you still want to enjoy your milk, however, I suggest you stop reading now!) As a result of the milking process, cows often have mastitis (an infection of the udder), making dairy full of white blood cells, aka, pus. This means your yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, etc., are also full of pus.
It’s been 10 years since I have had dairy of any kind, and at this point I no longer even miss the cheese that sits on top of my former favorite food: pizza. But if you think you need some milk or cheese substitutes there are plenty of vegan (e.g., soy or rice-based) and raw (e.g., nut or seed-based) options to satisfy your palate!
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By Kris Carr on November 1, 2007
My nightstand is always overflowing with cookbooks, diet books, nutrition guides, and stats. I am obsessed! Anyway, I’m reading a fabulous diet book right now and finding it to be pretty darn accurate, especially when it comes to the dairy devil. It’s called Skinny Bitch and we’ve all seen it in every store. I’m gonna water down their analogy on dairy (cause it’s wicked gross and hilarious), but to me it was one of those AH HA moments.
So Thanksgiving is coming up. You may go home and visit your mom. When you arrive and need a snack will you latch on and suckle? EW!!!! When we look at nature do we see animals nursing beyond their youth? The answer is no. Also, do you see a gorilla milking a rabbit? A deer suckling a tiger? Nope. Breast milk of any kind is intended for the specific species and it is only for the early stages of life during the baby’s biggest growth spurt. Cow’s milk grows a 90-pound calf into a 2,000 pound cow over the course of two years. And we wonder why we’re overweight!
Here’s a good factoid: We need the lactase enzyme to digest lactose but between the ages of 18 months and four years we lose 90-95% of that enzyme. So basically we are all pretty much lactose intolerant. But it’s MUCH bigger than that and it’s quite simple too. Dairy products are disease producing. High protein diets (dairy and animal meat) create a highly acidic state in the body (remember we’re all about the pH and alkalinity), dairy load us up with mucus, stops up our colons, and creates an environment for cancer cells to thrive in.
But where will I get my calcium Kris? Dairy ain’t the place loves! Moo juice actually leaches calcium from your body. Check this out: the countries with the highest consumption of dairy also have soaring rates of osteoporosis. Are ya connecting the dots? Milk is also one of the most common causes of food allergies and congestion (mucus) and high cholesterol. Got milk? No thanks. I get my abundant amounts of calcium from leafy greens like kale, collards, cabbage, kelp, mustard greens, seaweeds, sesame seeds (the best source), chickpeas, broccoli, watercress, raw nuts, and lots of other plant friends. No stress on the body, mind, colon, or environment. How nice!
We have been led to believe that milk is an essential part of good health. In reality, dairy milk contributes to the overall breakdown of our systems. If you really can’t see yourself giving up milk and meat, at least choose the best quality. Raw foodies advocate the use of raw (unpasteurized) goat’s milk as an alternative to cow’s milk because it doesn’t have casein, it’s easier to digest, and it is closer to the consistency of human milk. You can also wean yourself off cow’s milk with rice, oat, almond, or soy (in moderation – I’m not a big advocate) as well. Meat should be organic, grass fed, and consumed in SMALL portions. Picture it as a side dish next to loads of veggies and a big salad. The American Dietetic Association came up with a good visual: The average serving of meat, it says, should be to the size of a deck of cards. Not a football or shingle. Capiche?
This information can be tough to swallow for folks who were raised on animal products. It certainly was for me. I grew up across the street from a dairy farm! My grandmother was a chef who cooked up a hunk of flesh daily. Tongue-and-Spam sandwiches were a favorite in our house. Looking back, I can see why becoming a veggie-head was easy for me!
Agribusiness doesn’t rely on quality; they push quantity, speed, and the increasing demands for cheaper products. As a result, the animals now raised for our consumption are jacked up with hormones, antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides, and other medications that ultimately find their way into our rivers, land, and bloodstreams. We shouldn’t just ask why organics are so damn expensive; we should ask why crap food is sooo cheap!
On more factoid and off ya go: Dr. T. Colin Campbell, professor emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University, teaches that one of the biggest causes of cancer is a diet that is higher than 10% animal protein! Americans eat way more than that. He estimates that “80% to 90% of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other degenerative illness can be prevented, at least until very old age, simply by adopting a plant-based diet.” WOW!
Big food for thought today. What do you think?
Peace & Veggies and no moo juice,
K
Updated: September 14, 2011
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