New Series: Volume 4 Number 1 SPRING 2004

American
Ahimsa Lights The Way
New Series: Volume 4 Number 1
SPRING 2004
Vegan
Hot
Dogs!
Late night in Orlando’s
entertainment district, hungry
crowds wander the warm
humid streets socializing their
way to the next nightclub. A
friendly vegan dog barks a
cheerful welcome to those
searching the alternative
scene: vegan hot dogs!
Brandy is an eight-year-old
chowbridorshep retriever who
never misses a shift. She loves
coming to work and has her
own regular visitors.
The worker behind the
stand is John McKee, vegan
entrepreneur, who spent his
childhood in Green Bay
Wisconsin, home of the (meat)
Packers.
Continued inside on page 5
INSIDE:
Dying to Lose Weight
Soy Dogs in America’s Ballparks
A Taste of Southeast Asia
Dr. Albert Schweitzer
Vegan Lunches for NY Schools
Empty Cages
Adolf Hitler
SPRING
1
Gardening Without Chemicals
New Vegan Cafe American
PartyVegan
Time: 4-1,
Recipes
for 2004
Entertaining
Eat Your Vegetables
Sweet Onion Inn
Vegan Chic Fashions
Vegan Athletes
AHIMSA
ABSTINENCE from Animal Products
HARMLESSNESS with Reverence for Life
INTEGRITY of Thought, Word, and Deed
MASTERY over Oneself
SERVICE to Humanity, Nature, and Creation
ADVANCEMENT of Understanding and Truth
THE AMERICAN VEGAN SOCIETY is a non-profit,
non-sectarian, non-political, tax-exempt educational
membership organization teaching a compassionate way
of living by Ahimsa (see above) and Reverence for Life.
VEGANS — pronounced VEE-guns — live on products
of the plant kingdom, so exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy
products (animal milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, etc.), eggs,
honey, animal gelatin, all other items of animal origin.
VEGANISM ALSO EXCLUDES animal products such as
leather, wool, fur, and silk, in clothing, upholstery, etc.
Vegans usually try to avoid the less-than-obvious animal
oils, secretions, etc., in many soaps, cosmetics, toiletries,
household goods and other common commodities.
AN EDUCATIONAL CONVENTION is held each
year, at Malaga or elsewhere.
INDIVIDUAL MEDICAL ADVICE is not given; AVS
educates on ethical, ecological, aesthetic, healthful, economic aspects of vegan living in general.
KNOWLEDGE AND OPINIONS in articles (or
books, tapes, etc., listed or reviewed in American Vegan )
represent the views of the individual authors, not necessarily those of the society or American Vegan.
CONFIDENTIALITY: AVS' membership list is never
rented or given out for commercial use or solicitations.
NO PAID ADVERTISING: any notices printed are for
informational value to our readers, and unpaid.
ARTICLES or items may be submitted for possible
publication. Please enclose SASE for return of unaccepted material.
American Vegan
THE COMPASSIONATE WAY
AHIMSA is a Sanskrit term meaning
non-killing, non-injuring, non-harming.
AVS defines it in daily life as
Dynamic Harmlessness, spelled out at right.
AMERICAN VEGAN SOCIETY
Since 1960
Founder: H. Jay Dinshah
AVS Council Members & Officers
*Freya Dinshah, Malaga NJ –President/Editor
Roshan Dinshah, Malaga NJ –1st Vice President
*Rosemary O’Brien, Woodbridge NJ
–2nd Vice President/Secretary
*Anne Dinshah, Erie PA –Assistant Editor
*Andy Mars, Los Angeles CA
Daniel J. Dinshah, Delran NJ –Treasurer
* Gabriel Figueroa, Austin TX
*Council
Web site hosted by VegSource
Volume 4, Number 1— Spring 2004
ISSN: 1536-3767 © 2004
CONTENTS
1, 5—Vegan Hot Dogs!/Vendor
3—Editorial
3, 17—Books
4—Updates in Veg Nutrition
4—Service in Celebration of Animals
4—Animal Ethics Program
6—Soy Dogs in America’s Ballparks
7—NY Schools Offer Vegan Lunches
8—A Taste of Southeast Asia
10—Vegan Chic
11—Book review: Empty Cages
12—Outstanding. Organic Athlete
13—Dying to Lose Weight
15—Lose Weight the Healthy Way
16—Eat your Vegetables
16, 17—Notices
17—Gardening Without Chemicals
18—Albert Schweitzer: Seraphic Vegetarian
20—Party Time: Recipes for Entertaining
22—Book review: Hitler: Neither Vegetarian
Nor Animal Lover
24—Book review: Dominion
25—Book review: Stories Rabbits Tell
26—Warning
26—Vegan Baby
27—Consumer News
28—Notices
29—Vegan Information Points
30—Conference Calendar
31—Vegan Health Study
31—AVS membership/subscription
Front Cover Design: Scott Depew
Front Cover Photos: André Szekely
Back Cover Photo: Anne Dinshah
Printed by Prompt Printing Press Inc., Camden NJ
2 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
Editorial:
RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
Family members and I (already vegetarian) became vegan some 45
years ago when we learned of the cruelty complicit in eating eggs and
drinking milk; not because we thought we would live longer. At that time
we thought we might be sacrificing our health, but was life worth living at
such a price? We had a youthful enthusiasm for doing the “right” thing at
whatever cost, but we soon found benefits.
Improved skin, less colds, and allergy relief were some of the advantages. As we grew older we were not slowed by overweight, arthritis and
other complaints common in our age groups. That such health rewards to
the vegetarian/vegan population should not accompany an overall increased longevity surprised many who read Dr. Michael Greger’s article
(AV 3-2), Maximizing Vegetarian Nutrition, referencing recent studies. Dr.
Charles Vaclavik (AV 3-3) presented a valuable critique of longevity studies in Vegetarianism and Mortality (see below).
American Vegan values discussion in its pages and does not expect
uniform viewpoints. As always, opinions expressed are not necessarily
those of AVS or this magazine, but are those of the authors.
Examination of health studies, and vegetarian/vegan-ism is important.
We thank the Doctors for sharing their expertise, valuable information,
and interpretations with us. Vegan living has advantages but it is not a
panacea. We need to know about particular advisements.
Many factors impact on the quality and length of our lives. Individual
constitutions and circumstances vary. We each make choices that increase
or reduce factors that affect our health. Interesting details and even major
points occurring in health studies may be lost in summaries and headlines.
Further information is in The Long Term Health of Western Vegetarians presented by Paul Appleby at the World Vegetarian Congress, Edinburgh Scotland, July 2002. This and follow-up articles by Dr. Greger and
Dr. Vaclavik are available from AVS. We commend Dr. Stephen Walsh’s
book Plant Based Nutrition and Health. It explains how vitamin B12 is
necessary for the metabolism of folate and regulating homocysteine levels
which when elevated become a threat to life. Jack Norris’ article on B12 is
at http://veganhealth.org/b12.
It takes courage to live by our convictions. It can be stressful to swim
against the tide of those around us. We can be healthy and live long
enough if we live well. As Dr. Greger believes, “We have a tremendous
untapped potential for significantly increasing our lifespan with a healthy
vegan diet and that means making sure we’re getting our vitamin B12
among other things.”
Look after yourself and one another.
Yours For A More Compassionate World,
Freya Dinshah
PLANT BASED NUTRITION AND HEALTH —
Stephen Walsh PhD, 2003.
Scientific evaluation of vegetarian diets. Recent nutrition
studies. Recommendations for
vegans. 248pp 6x9” $17.95
THE VEGAN DIET As
Chronic Disease Prevention—Kerrie K. Saunders
PhD 2003 Choices in diet offer powerful strategies for
health. 244 pages 5x8” $15.
A BASIC COURSE IN
VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN NUTRITION —
George Eisman MA, MSc,
RD 2003 How the nutrientapproach to nutrition can be
satisfied using all vegetarian
foods. Course tests and certification offered. 146 pages
8½x11” $21.95
BECOMING VEGAN —
Vesanto Melina MS RD and
Brenda Davis RD 2000 How
to get enough protein, calcium,
fats, carbohydrates, vitamins,
and phytochemicals. Diet in
pregnancy; for children, adults,
athletes, and elderly. Food
pyramid. 282 pages 7x10”
$16.95
Order from AVS
American Vegan Society
56 Dinshah Ln PO Box 369
Malaga NJ 08328
Ph: (856) 694-2887 Fax: -2288
www.americanvegan.org
Sign on to our E-Alert
Re: Vegetarianism and Mortality –Vaclavik, in AV Winter 2004., an apology
It was not AVS or Dr. Vaclavik’s intention to imply that Dr. Greger misquoted the studies referenced when the
word “actually” was used instead of “also” (AV3-3 p11, para 3). AVS retracts the statement, and Dr. Vaclavik
apologizes for the error and any discredit accorded Dr. Greger. Mortality of Vegetarians and Non-Vegetarians (Am
Jrnl Clncl Nutrn 1999) page 519 Table 3 says: “The all-studies death rate ratio for all causes of death was 0.95 (95%
CI: 0.82, 1.11).” –Of statistical insignificance according to the confidence interval.
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 3
Dr. Michael Greger: UPDATES IN VEG NUTRITION
Vegan Diets Deficient in Three Nutrients? Well, Meat Eaters are Deficient in Seven!
Data on the dietary intakes of vegans was published August 2003.[1] The diets of about 100 vegans were recorded for a week and were found deficient in calcium, iodine and vitamin B12. Using the same standards, the standard American diet is deficient in seven nutrients! The diet of your average American is not only ALSO deficient in
calcium and iodine, it's deficient in vitamin C, vitamin E, fiber, folate, and magnesium as well.[2]
Not only does the American public have over twice as many nutritional deficiencies in their diets, vegans were
shown to have higher intakes of 16 out of the 19 nutrients studied, including calcium. The vegans were getting more
than enough protein on average and three times more vitamin C, three times more vitamin E, three times more fiber.
Vegans got twice the folate, twice the magnesium, twice the copper, twice the manganese.
And of course the vegans had twice the fruit and vegetable intake and half the saturated fat intake, meeting the
new 2003 World Health Organization guidelines for fat intake and weight control.[3] Almost 2/3 of Americans are
overweight.[4] In contrast, only 11% of the vegans were overweight. Almost one in three Americans are obese.[4]
Zero of the 98 vegans in this study were obese.
So when a meat eater asks you ,"Where do you get your B12?", you can counter with, "Where do YOU get your
vitamin C, vitamin E, fiber, folate, and magnesium?” And while you're at it, you can ask them how they keep their
sodium, saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol intake under control (not to mention their weight).[5]
[1] Results from the German Vegan Study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 57(August 2003):947.
[2] USDA. Food and Nutrient Intakes by Individuals in the United States, by Region, 1994-96.
[3] World Health Organization Technical Report Series 916. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. 2003.
[4] Centers for Disease Control.
[5] Then you can finally answer their question and proudly say B12 fortified foods or B12 supplements :) Of course the fact that we're seriously
deficient in B12 should not be taken lightly. Evidence suggests that our low B12 intakes may be shaving literally years off of the lives of vegetarians and vegans, so make sure you get your B12!--I recommend "Vitamin B12: Are You Getting It?"
Take Some Greens for Your Blues?
Tufts researchers just discovered a link between major clinical depression and depressed levels of the
B vitamin folate in the blood.[6] We don't know yet if it's cause and effect, but it's perhaps yet another reason to eat your greens!
[6] Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter. August 2003. 21(6):2
To subscribe to Dr. Greger’s free once-a-month email newsletter send a blank email to:
mailto:[email protected].
June 13 2004:
From The Institute for Animals and Society:
Interfaith Service in
Celebration of Animals
The first British Interfaith Service in
celebration of animals, sponsored by
the World Congress of Faiths, will
be held at Golders Green Unitarian
Church, Hoop Lane, London, on
June 13 starting at 3 pm. "I believe
that religions should speak out on
behalf of the protection of animals"
said the Rev. Professor Andrew
Linzey. The service will include
readings, prayers and meditations
from representatives of the Buddhist,
Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Christian
and Jain faith traditions.
Further information from The Rev.
Professor Andrew Linzey, phone 441865-201565 or email at:
[email protected] .
Animal Ethics
Program
Enrollment is now open for the
Fall 2004 classes in the Animal
Ethics program. The classes are
produced by the Community College of Baltimore County Maryland, and the Institute for Animals
and Society (IAS).
Animal Studies 101: Animals
and Society is a 3-credit intro-
ductory class in animal ethics
and related issues. ANST 101
will be taught at CCBC’s Dundalk
campus on Monday evenings for
15 weeks starting on August 30.
The second 3-credit class,
Animal Studies 193: Racism,
Sexism, Speciesism: Living in
a More Than Human World, is
4 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
a study of prejudices, and our
place on Earth. ANST 193 will be
taught at CCBC’s Dundalk campus on Thursday evenings for 15
weeks starting on September 2.
Space is limited, and students
are already enrolling!
The ANST 101 and ANST 193
instructors are CCBC’s
Brenda Stevens Fick, and IAS
Executive Director Kim W.
Stallwood.
Please contact:
Brenda Stevens Fick at (410)
285-9877 or [email protected].
Kim W. Stallwood at (410)
675-4566 or kim.stallwood@
animalsandsociety.org.
Vegan Hot Dog Vendor
by Anne Dinshah
As a boy, John used to ride his
bike on streets which ran among
some of Wisconsin’s renowned
cheese factories.
There are five reasons why
John McKee wanted to start his
own vegan hot dog business:
•
•
•
•
•
Cheap start-up
It’s something he believes
in doing
He can work outdoors
Brandy can come too
He was sure it would
work.
John knew the area. Downtown Orlando is full of artists and
musicians. He is located near an
alternative club. University areas
are great locations for this business.
The stand gets a mix of clientele: eighty percent are regulars
who work or go out downtown.
Most satisfying to John are the
twenty percent newcomers. For
only two dollars they try something new and usually like it. It’s
an incremental thing. Next time at
the store they may try a veggie
dog or think more before eating
another meat dog.
John didn’t go straight from
peddling his bike in Green Bay to
peddling vegan hot dogs in Orlando. At the University of Notre
Dame, he double majored in English and Government, and sang in
the Glee Club. He first moved to
Orlando to work for Disney. He
was a show performer, Prince
Eric in The Little Mermaid. Also,
Disney sent him to Japan for
seven months to play Prince
Charming.
He then went to Duke University and earned a Masters degree
in Environmental Management.
He taught environmental education as a park ranger in New York
City, and then for a nonprofit organization in the San Bernadino
area. He took government jobs,
but got tired of the bureaucracy
and returned to Orlando.
John has been a vegetarian for
nine years. He got into it for environmental reasons such as the
waste of water resources, and because of the abusive treatment of
farm animals. He learned that
most people become vegetarian
for health reasons. He made the
personal commitment to become
vegan when he began the vending
business in the Spring of 2000.
Brandy is 99% vegan. She eats
Natural Balance® Vegetarian
Formula for Dogs and, of course,
loves vegan hot dogs. When a
well-meaning passerby gives her
a bite of something non-vegan,
John doesn’t interfere.
Brandy and John work five
nights a week, 10pm-3am. He
hired a part-time college student
who works the other two nights a
week. The stand is open every
night. On Thursday evenings they
also sell at the Farmers’ Market
6-9pm.
John and Brandy conducted
personal taste tests to determine
the best vegan hot dogs: Loma
Linda® Big Franks; they have
good flavor and an impressive
look. They come in a can so it is
easy to take care of them. John
makes the toppings himself and
heats everything on-site.
Unlimited toppings are included in the two-dollar price.
The best-selling is chili &
“cheese”, second is Hippy
(spinach & artichoke), third is
Buddha (everything). Toppings
are: sauerkraut, onions in sweet
red sauce, vegan chili, spinach/artichoke, mushrooms, and
vegan “cheese”. Nacho chips
with the same toppings are $2,
cold drinks are $1, but the educational (vegan, environmental, animal rights) literature is FREE!!!
John takes the cost argument
away from newcomers. He is not
in this to make a lot of money, he
prefers students to be able to afford the vegan dogs. A plain meat
hot dog in the area begins at
$1.50 and goes up to $3.50 for
sausage.
John will be in Utah this summer with his girlfriend, Kelly
Fitzpatrick, who is costume supervisor for the Summer Shakespeare Festival. With her busy
schedule, Kelly loves having a
boyfriend who is a good cook!
John wouldn’t mind working
again in the National Parks education programs. However, he is
intrigued by the idea of starting
additional stands in a new location of the country. If he franchises, he envisions having the
stands run by vegan college students who are into the music
scene. Perhaps he’ll put them at
the Packers games, or on the
streets of your city!
Meantime, vegan hot dogs will
still be available in downtown
Orlando. John’s friend Kelly
Shockley will be manning the
cart. For more information:
John McKee
601 Delaney Park Dr #2
Orlando FL 32806
(407) 540-0795
[email protected]
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 5
“Get yer veggie dogs here!”
More Soy Dogs to be Sold in
America’s Ballparks in 2004
Oakland, CA, April 2, 2004:
“Take me out to the ball game.
Buy me some peanuts and veggie
dogs.” That’s right. This baseball
season we’ll see an increase in
the availability of veggie dogs at
baseball stadiums all over the
country. Eleven Major League
Baseball stadiums will be offering the item, including both Bay
Area ballparks, San Francisco
Giants’ SBC Park and Oakland
Athletics’ Network Associates
Coliseum. The latest Major
League ballpark to add the item
to their menu is San Diego Padres’ Petco Park, which will offer
veggie dogs in multiple stands
throughout the stadium.
Baseball fans are thrilled with
this addition to the concession
fare. Only four years ago, there
were no MLB stadiums offering
veggie dogs on the menu. This
changed when actress/activist
Johanna McCloy created Soy
Happy, a consumer advocacy service that promotes the addition of
viable vegetarian alternatives to
mainstream venues. She began
contacting baseball stadiums, empowered interested consumers to
offer suggestions at their local
venues, and offered liaison assistance between concessionaires
and existing manufacturers. The
response was overwhelming. “It’s
truly a food revolution whose
time has come,” says the Soy
Happy web site.
The rise in popularity of vegetarian alternatives to hot dogs at
baseball stadiums is a reflection
of the overall demand for soybased meat alternatives.
In a recent survey conducted
by Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, an expert analyst on consumer behavior and food trends,
and editor and contributor to
NBC's Today Show, 68 percent
of respondents said that they consume soyfoods as a regular part
of their diet. The survey, Lempert
states, "shows how important
healthy eating has become to the
U.S. consumer." Mintel Consumer Intelligence issued a report
on the market for vegetarian
foods in 2001 and found that
“while only 2.5% of American
consumers are consistent vegetarians, it is estimated that 25% of
consumers replace meat with
meat alternatives at least for some
meals.” Mintel estimates that
most respondents to their survey
were meat eaters and that the
market for alternatives has only
grown in the three years since
they issued this report.
Soy-based meat alternative
sales have been growing at a rate
of 15-20% a year, with sales
reaching approximately $600 million in 2003. Why the rise in
sales? Americans no longer have
to sacrifice their favorite food
experiences for health. Baseball
fans can still have a tasty dog at
the ol’ ball game!
6 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
Opening month for baseball
also happens to be Soyfoods
Month. “With two out of three
adults, and one out of every five
children overweight in the U.S.,
baseball fans can now select a
low calorie and high protein soy
dog for better health at the ballpark,” says Nancy Chapman,
President of the Soyfoods Association of North America.
For more information:
Soy Happy! PO Box 20495
Oakland, CA 94620
(510) 508-4309
www.soyhappy.org
Veggie Dog Ballparks confirmed:
San Diego Padres: Petco Park.
Lightlife's Smart Dogs (veggie dogs)
and veggie burgers will be offered in
multiple stands for 2004 season!
Milwaukee Brewers: Miller Park.
Veggie dogs will be sold in 3 locations
San Francisco Giants:
in 2004!
Pacific Bell Park. They have added a
second location for 2004!
Toronto Blue Jays: Sky Dome.
Toronto's Sky Dome provides the first
branded veggie cart in any Major
League Baseball stadium, offering
veggie dogs, veggie burgers, and
other tasty fare (mostly vegan, too).
Cincinnati Reds: Great American
Ballpark. Houston Astros: Minute
Maid Park. Seattle Mariners:
Safeco Field. Chicago White
Sox: U.S. Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park). Los Angeles
Dodgers: Dodger Stadium.
Florida Marlins: ProPlayer Stadium. Oakland Athletics: Network Associates Coliseum. Norfolk
Tides (Triple A): Harbor Park.
NY State Passes Resolution Recommending Vegan Food in
Schools
Albany New York, May 3 2004–
The New York State Legislature unanimously passed a resolution requesting that local school
districts provide daily vegan meal
options to their students, offer
healthier choices for à la carte
and vending items, and present
nutrition education to reinforce
these healthier options. Farm-toschool programs, organic where
possible, will be encouraged to
promote the consumption of local
fresh produce from New York
State. The measures are in response to the crisis of childhood
obesity and diet-related health
problems.
Senator Kenneth P. LaValle
(R-C-I), Port Jefferson, and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-51st
District) introduced the resolution
after being approached by the
New York Coalition for Healthy
School Lunches, a grassroots
group of concerned parents, educators, medical professionals, religious leaders, and students. The
resolution passed the Senate on
March 24 2004 and the Assembly
on April 26 2004.
Recent studies indicate that
about one-half of New York City
children and more than onequarter of New York State children are overweight or obese,
which puts them at a higher risk
of developing serious health
problems including heart disease,
diabetes, asthma, and cancer. The
Unified Dietary Guidelines,
which represent the consensus of
the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society, the American Dietetic Association, the American Heart Association, and the National Institutes of Health, state in part that
we should "choose most of what
we eat from plant sources" and
"eat high-fat foods sparingly, especially those from animal
sources."
Adding plant-based options to
the daily menu also addresses dietary needs related to religious,
cultural, and ethical considerations of New York State’s diverse
population. “Because the USDA
Dietary Guidelines state ‘get most
of your calories from plant food,’
vegetarian meals would exemplify these recommendations, and
help to get more vegetables,
fruits, whole grains, and legumes
into children, —foods they are
not getting nearly enough of,”
said Amie Hamlin, Director of
the New York Coalition for
Healthy School Lunches.
The Coalition’s next focus will
be to translate the plan into action
by working with school districts,
appropriate state agencies, and
other organizations. If you live in
New York state and want to help,
please contact them.
The New York Coalition for
Healthy School Lunches is part of
a national grassroots project organized by CHOICE (Citizens for
Healthy Options in Children’s
Education). “New York is joining
California and Hawaii in setting a
groundbreaking example in the
fight against obesity, adult-onset
diabetes in children, cancer, and
the beginning stages of heart disease,” says Susan Wieland, Executive Director of CHOICE.
For more information and to
view the resolution please visit
www.healthylunches.org.
Contacts:
Amie Hamlin (631) 286-1343,
[email protected]
Lydia Antoncic (914) 837-4747.
VEGAN DOGS!
Canned:
Loma Linda Meatless Big Franks
Loma Linda Meatless Linketts
Loma Linda Meatless Little Links
Worthington Foods Inc. (Kellogg)
Worthington OH
(Not vegan: Other Worthington
products contain egg whites.)
From the freezer section:
Original Tofu Pups
Smart Dogs
Lightlife Foods, Turners Falls MA
(800) SOY-EASY (769-3279)
www.lightlife.com
(Not vegan: Lightlife’s Grill
Ready Dogs contain egg whites.)
Good Dog
Jumbo Original Veggie dogs
Yves Fine Foods, Inc.,
Delta (Vancouver) BC Canada
(800) 667-YVES (9837)
www.yvesveggie.com
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 7
A Taste Of Southeast Asia
John B. Surgalla
I thought I would start my vegan culinary tour of Southeast
Asia in New York. I had flown
down from Buffalo the day before and I was determined to walk
as much as possible before leaving that night for the long flight
to Manila.
So, I set off from my midtown
hotel to 263 Tenth Street
(between Avenue A and First
Avenue) in search of one of the
three Manhattan locations of
Quintessence, an organic raw
food restaurant. I had no problem
finding menu items that would
prepare my palate for the epicurean adventure awaiting me. The
sesame sea salad featured three
types of sea vegetables in a sesame sauce and sufficed as an entree. The exquisite coconut cream
pie was a high point of my grand
food tour. The cream was comprised of luscious fresh baby coconut and the crust was crushed
carob. I thought I had best give
myself an opportunity to walk off
my meal before attempting another; so, I sauntered north towards 75th Street and the Candle
Café, located at 1307 Third Avenue. I felt I had worked up
enough of an appetite (though
just barely) to attempt my second
assignment. I chose an Asian
style wrap which was comprised
of ginger soy grilled tofu, grilled
scallions, coconut-basmati rice
and assorted stir-fried vegetables
wrapped in a spinach tortilla. The
wrap was accompanied by a shiitake and edamame salad and a
roasted tomato salsa. Perhaps my
choices tilted more towards East
Asia than Southeast Asia; however, I was satisfied that the coconut in both meals was enough to
validate my theme.
Buoyed by my successful
Manhattan prelude, I now braced
myself for the challenges of airline food. I was heartened by my
choice of airlines. Cathay Pacific
provides its vegetarian customers
with a number of options, including Chinese, Indian or Western
vegetarian meals. I opted for Jain
meals for my flights to Manila via
Vancouver and Hong Kong. This
option ensures adherence to
strictly vegetarian principles and
in addition excludes root vegetables. The flight from New York
to Vancouver featured dal
(lentils) with mixed vegetables,
rice, a roll, salad, and fruit. The
flight to Hong Kong featured tofu
and vegetables, with roll, salad
and fruit. My only complaint was
not specific to Cathay Pacific, for
it seems ubiquitous in the airline
industry to include melons with
all vegetarian meals. I am blessed
with a hardy digestive system and
a cast-iron stomach, but one food
combination rule I have learned
to respect and honor is to eat melons alone or not at all, to avoid
gastric distress.
The Philippines at first can be
unsettling for a vegan, because
animal products are routinely
mixed with vegetables, and finding a vegan entree on a typical
menu is a rarity. This was my
sixth trip, and with each trip I
found locating a vegan meal easier. The sprawling city of Manila
poses no problem at all with its
8 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
vast selection of ethnically diverse restaurants. I have found
satisfying vegan meals in Spanish, Thai, Indian, Japanese, and
Korean restaurants in the Makati
business district and in the trendy
Malate neighborhood.
In Manila, I met up with two
good friends who would accompany me on my gastronomic journey. Malls are popular in Manila
and food courts provide a variety
of ethnic foods suitable for vegans. In the new Greenbelt 3 Mall
in the Ayala Center, I ate at Chimara which fashions itself as a
"neo-vegan Café". The café offers
a variety of wraps, salads and
other light fare. One should note
that the term vegan is not applied
precisely here, as tuna and dairy
items appear on the menu, although I was able to order truly
vegan items without difficulty.
My friends and I left Manila
and spent a week traversing the
main island of Luzon by car.
The roadside fruit stands sustained us in our daily lengthy
drives. We consumed fresh rambutans (red spiny fruit with sweet
gel-like flesh inside), lanzones
(luscious gel-like flesh, but avoid
the small bitter seed), and custard
apples (lumpy greenish-brown
skin encasing very creamy flesh)
in prodigious quantities, and
stopped for the occasional coconut. Fresh fruit is reason enough
to tour this part of the world.
Mango, papaya, coconut, pineapple, banana, calamansi, durian,
jackfruit, avocado and a myriad
of other native fruits are seasonably available.
We headed north towards the
mountain provinces and stayed in
Baguio, the "City of Pines". This
region is where many Filipinos
vacation to get a little relief from
the tropical heat. We lunched at
the Geo Café & Organic Deli, at
101 Leonard Wood Street, a
pleasant dining room in a small
building detached from the
kitchen. The food was fresh and
of good quality. Interesting local,
environmentally-friendly products are available for sale.
Next stop, Subic Bay Freeport
Zone, the site of a former major
United States Naval base. The
base has been transformed into a
complex of hotels, restaurants
and other businesses, and is now
a tourist destination. Visit the butterfly house, or perhaps experience an afternoon of jungle survival training with a retired Filipino army instructor. After learning how to drink fresh water from
the stem of a bamboo plant on
our jungle expedition, we made
our way to the Subic Korean
Restaurant, Building H8811 Rizal Hi-way. The homemade tofu
was delicious and the traditional
array of appetizers included numerous tasty vegan selections,
including, of course, kim chi.
Tagaytay, a popular day-trip
from Manila, is the site of the
world's smallest volcano, Taal.
Taal is actually a volcano inside a
much larger volcano, and the rim
of its caldera is the site of many
restaurants and resorts. Our destination is Buck Estate in Alfonso,
Cavite, which brings us to
Sonya's Secret Garden. The extensive organic vegetable and
flower gardens are the site for a
restaurant, gift shop, and villas
for rent. The restaurant is in a
greenhouse without the usual
chemical greenhouse odors. All wide selection of vegan foods,
you smell are the flowers and the raw and cooked. Raw selections
delicious, fresh, mostly organic included a "mashed potato", which
food. The meal is preset and was not actually a potato, but
much of it is vegan. The owner, mimicked the texture and consisSonya Garcia, assured me that tency; guacamole; tomato basil
vegans easily would be accom- soup; and banana ice cream.
modated. I found no difficulty Cooked options included a tasty
finding a variety of vegan choices sayur campur (stir-fried mixed
in the preset meal. Much of the vegetables). We chose to seat
meal is grown on the premises. ourselves for lunch in the small
The meal features several courses library, which contains a collecincluding, among other items, tion of books on healthy diets and
salad, mushroom and black olive lifestyles.
pates, breads and an
entree. The decor of the
villa rooms is exquisite
and the views of the
lush tropical foliage are
outstanding.
Driving further
south to the Bicol region, we felt impelled
to try the local peanut
brittle-like specialty
made from the native
pili nut. Bicol is the
site of Mt. Mayon, the
world's most perfect
volcanic cone, and a
model for that volcano
school project which
vexed many of us as
youths.
After a week in the
Philippines we moved
on to Bali, Indonesia. Asian Markets in U.S. cities, such as this
Bali has a number of in Philadelphia PA, provide opportunity to try
unusual produce.
Photo by Anne Dinshah
choice destinations for
Also in Ubud is the Andalan
vegans. A good choice in nearly
any Indonesian restaurant would Health Food Store, located at #1
be gado-gado (steamed vegeta- Jalan Jembawan, where you can
bles with peanut sauce often pick up a host of vegan snacks
served with rice) or nasi goreng and other products. We stocked
(stir-fried vegetables and rice). up on baked tapioca and cinnaJust be sure to check to see mon bread, sun dried banana
whether or not eggs are normally cookies, and flax crackers flavored with seaweed, sesame, and
included in the recipe.
The Ubud Sari Health Resort, pizza flavorings. Upstairs is Bali
located at #35 Jalan Kajeng, has a Buddha, which has a regular and
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 9
raw vegetarian menu. They feature a wide selection of sandwiches, pastas, soups and rice
dishes. The raw pumpkin soup
was very good. You may wish to
try one of the traditional Indonesian herbal health drinks.
Worth a visit is the Monkey
Café, a comfortable vegetarian
restaurant on Monkey Forest
Road in Ubud. A good choice is
the Balinese rijstafel for two,
which included a tempeh and tofu
satay among a host of other
dishes. For a late night meal or
delicious mixed fruit drink, check
out the Jazz Café, which features
live music most nights. I caught a
band comprised of both American-styled jazz musicians and traditionally garbed gamelan musicians who played an entertaining
fusion of American and Balinese.
I wanted to experience a little
of the sacred and a little of the
profane on my first trip to Bali.
My expectations were that Ubud
was more the spiritual center of
Bali in contrast with the party atmosphere prevalent in the beach
town of Kuta. To some extent I
think that is true, I was not surprised to find healthy vegan food
in Ubud, but I found some treasures in Kuta as well. Our favorite
was the small and difficult-to-find
Happy Buddha on 143 Jalan
Raya Kuta. The extensive menu
is vegan and prices are very reasonable. It is a bit off the tourist
track but well worth the effort to
find. More easily found on the
main drag in Kuta, Jalan Legian
is Aroma's Café, a charming spot
to enjoy fresh fruit or vegetable
drinks. Their menu has several vegan entrees. We relaxed to the
sound of running water as a small
canal wended its way through the
restaurant a few feet from our table.
Our last stop was Hong Kong,
with its wonderful variety of vegan treats. After Indonesia and
the Philippines, Hong Kong
menus seem a little pricey, but
there is enough of a selection that
you can eat well on a budget.
When you arrive at the airport
on Lantau Island, consider spending a day on Lantau before venturing off to Kowloon and Hong
Kong. The most famous stop on
Lantau is the Po Lin Monastery,
the site of what is said to be the
largest seated bronze Buddha in
the world. You can buy a ticket
which includes a vegetarian
lunch as well as entrance to the
Buddha statue and grounds. After
your meal consider a walk up
Lantau Peak. A path to the trailhead can be found near the Buddha, alongside the monastery.
The views are breathtaking and
you can view the Buddha from
various vantage points, as you
ascend the peak.
On Kowloon, we tried Branto,
an Indian vegetarian restaurant
on No.9 Lock Road. You have to
enter the building and take an
elevator to the restaurant. There
is more than one restaurant in the
building, but only one Indian
vegetarian place. If it looks
closed, don't be afraid to knock.
There are a host of popular
Chinese vegetarian restaurants to
choose from, each with a wide
selection of vegan dishes. When
in Hong Kong I am particularly
drawn to those dishes featuring
exotic mushrooms, but there is
enough variety to satisfy almost
any craving. We tried the
Healthy Vegetarian Restaurant
in the Wan Chai neighborhood
on Hong Kong Island. I had a
fresh squeezed apple/carrot juice
with my mushroom-laced entree.
10 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
An excellent listing of restaurants is available on the Hong
Kong Vegan Society website:
www.ivu.org/hkvegan/gb/hkrest
.html. Be sure to call ahead to the
restaurant you choose, because I
found that some listed on the
website had closed.
Another excellent source of
restaurant listings can be found at
the Happy Cow World Vegetarian Restaurant Guide website:
www.happycow.net/asia/index
.html. I strongly advise spending
a little time on the Internet before
leaving on your gastronomic adventure. I find it much easier to
collect relevant information from
vegetarian websites than by using
travel guidebooks or trying to isolate the likely vegan-friendly restaurants in the local yellow pages.
With a little preparation, you will
likely find that there are many
wonderful vegan culinary opportunities available to you.
Attorney John B. Surgalla, is a
member of Tronolone & Surgalla PC
Family Law firm, Buffalo New York.
He has been in general practice for
19 years. He became vegan 21
years ago. John travels for pleasure.
NEWSWEEK, MARCH 22 2004
The national weekly news
magazine enthused over vegan
shoes, accessories, handbags,
and belts under the heading:
STYLE: VEGAN CHIC
Blue high-heeled shoes from the
Kubersky sisters’ MooShoes in
New York (www.mooshoes.com)
Vinyl messenger bags & wallets
in bright colors by not-yet-vegan
Rebecca Pearcy of Queen Bee
(www.queenbee-creations.com),
Portland OR. Fabulous matt and
nat handbags from Montreal QC
Canada. (www.viavegan.com)
Groovy belts and guitar straps
in fabric prints, from Sparkle Craft,
Austin TX.
(www.sparklecraft.com).
Book review:
EMPTY CAGES
Facing the Challenge of Animal Rights
Tom Regan
During the summer of 1972,
the coincidence of the tragic death
of his beloved dog companion
Gleco and his contemplation of
the writings of Mahatma Gandhi
aroused budding philosopher Tom
Regan to the concept of animal
rights.
In 1976, one year after the
publication of Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation, Regan collaborated with Singer to write Animal
Rights and Human Obligations.
As fundamental philosophical differences arose between the two,
Regan went his own way and in
1983 wrote the scholarly groundbreaking The Case for Animal
Rights, which will forever provide
the basis for granting rights to
animals.
Tom’s many accomplishments
speak for themselves and every
accolade bestowed upon Empty
Cages is well deserved. However,
in my view the significance of
this book goes beyond its searing
indictment of animal exploiters or
its stated purpose of engaging and
encouraging those referred to as
“muddlers”. My hope is that
Empty Cages will become a valued reference for every animal
rights advocate (ARA) — not a
book to be passed from one activist to another; a book that becomes saturated with highlighter,
and dog-eared from use.
After explaining what it means
to be an ARA in Part I, Regan
moves on to a discussion of
rights. His logical progression
from human to animal rights not
only arms us with an easily understood justification for granting
rights to animals, but also quickly
eliminates the often-used claim
that animal rights activists don’t
care about people.
Parts III and IV uncover the
lies and deception of animal exploiters while providing an up-todate description of how animals
are exploited in America. The
painstakingly researched data and
sources, combined with a perspective honed during Tom’s
many years as a movement
leader, make a compelling case
against the many forms of animal
abuse. Accompanying notes and a
website provide detail in support
of each area.
By understanding the rights
arguments and becoming conversant with key facts and figures,
the effectiveness and credibility
of any ARA will be greatly enhanced. Before attending a demo,
tabling at community day, preparing a protest sign or pamphlet, or
just prior to a social or family
gathering — which inevitably includes explaining why you’ve
chosen a vegan diet —, spend five
minutes with this book.
What may be Empty Cages’
greatest contribution is the frank
assessment of the current state of
the movement and the blueprint
for “Moving Forward”, located
near the very end. In this short,
carefully-conceived portion, activist Tom Regan courageously
denounces “violence, tasteless
ads, and self-righteous preening”,
while calling upon national
groups to enter into an “active,
honored collaboration” with the
grassroots to abolish eleven specific forms of exploitation. From
my perspective, those in the
movement who have been looking for leadership and a plan for
action can find it in these pages.
Those who disagree with Tom’s
assessment and believe the movement is well on course should ask
themselves what Regan might
have missed in his past thirty
years in the struggle.
Empty Cages is an enjoyable
read. Written in an accessible and
more personal tone than most
books on animal rights, it will
surely make you cringe, but it
also provides several entertaining
stories and a few good laughs.
Being a seasoned, male ARA, I
was feeling a bit relieved, but not
surprised, at having maintained
my composure throughout the
book. Much to my surprise, the
very last paragraph really got me.
I would divulge too much by explaining here, but I do want Tom
to know that all he need do is tell
me a time and a place. I will bring
enough vegan jerky to last us a
year.
Review by Robert Leonard.
EMPTY CAGES Facing the
Challenge of Animal Rights –
Tom Regan. Published 2004. 229
pages. 6x9” $21.95. From AVS
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 11
“It is clearly the most personal I have
experienced Tom being which paves the
way for the frank and honest assessments and recommendations he makes
through the book.... It made me laugh
and cry, but beyond emotion came the
realization that this amazing man may be
the only person in the movement who
truly understands where we are today
and actually has a realistic vision for the
future. It seems to me Tom had a purpose far beyond writing another book
when he began Empty Cages" -RL
“After reading the book I'd like to do
whatever I can to encourage every ARA
(Animal Rights Advocate) to read Empty
Cages and keep it close by as a reference - it is the best AR book I have ever
read.” -RL
EMPTY CAGES
(Book review on preceding page.)
Robert “Bob” Leonard has been active in the
animal rights/protection community in Delaware and
nationally over the past ten years. In 1999 he retired
from "Corporate America" to encourage and facilitate
multi-issue grassroots animal rights activism.
He is currently Vice President of Delaware Action
for Animals, Delaware State Coordinator of the
HSUS's Humane Activist Network, Director of Geese
Peace in Delaware, and serves on the Delaware Attorney General's Task Force on Animal Cruelty and
Interpersonal Violence. He is also active in national
grass roots organizing and encourages others with
this interest to contact him.
[email protected]
Outstanding
The University of Chicago Vegan Society
was selected from over 300 student organizations as the Outstanding Student Organization
for 2003-2004.
The presentation was made at the College
Honors and Awards Assembly, May 26 2004.
http://vegan.uchicago.edu/
12 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
Organic Athlete
Champions Plant-Based Diet
for Athletes
March 23, 2004, Santa Rosa, CA
Many athletes want to know if a vegan
diet is compatible with top athletic performance. While meat and protein are often associated with power and strength, many
sports nutritionists and elite athletes agree
that plant-based nutrition is optimal.
Organic Athlete is a new nonprofit organization bringing together athletes of all
ages and abilities to learn about and promote healthy lifestyles.
To provide the information needed to
spread the word, Organic Athlete recently
launched its website as a resource for athletes and fitness enthusiasts interested in
improving health and performance. It offers
articles on health and nutrition, interviews
with vegan athletes, and more to come.
As an example for aspiring vegetarian
athletes, the website also features updates
from the all-vegetarian Ritchey/Organic
Athlete Elite Cycling Team. Through seminars, training rides, and athletic example,
the team of "athlete activists" delivers the
message that athletes can succeed on a
plant-based diet. Vegetarian groups, athletic
clubs, and other organizations can invite the
Organic Athlete Cycling Team to potlucks
or other events..
Athletes in any sport can join. Members
get access to exclusive monthly online chats
with vegetarian athletes and nutritionists,
discounts on team merchandise, a monthly
e-newsletter with training, diet, lifestyle tips,
and more.
Contact:
Bradley Saul
Organic Athlete
(707) 332-0865
[email protected]
www.organicathlete.org
DYING TO LOSE WEIGHT
The Fad and Fiction of ATKINS and all High Protein Diets
KC McQuillan, RN, MA
The popular Atkins diet is a low carbohydrate eating plan currently invading menus and recasting many unlikely food products as
healthful or, “Atkins friendly”. It offers rapid weight loss without the
sacrifice of foods like steak, butter, bacon and cheese. But this latest
diet trend can help you lose a lot more than just weight – it can also
put you at serious risk for permanent health damage, besides perpetuating the cycle of animal cruelty, environmental destruction and high
cost medical care made inevitable by our heavy meat and cheese diet.
Most major health organizations advise a regular diet low in saturated fats (most heavily present in eggs, butter and meats) and high in
complex carbohydrates. While individuals following the Atkins diet
are delighted with their weight loss success in the short-term, they
are often unaware of the risks associated with a prolonged highprotein diet. In addition, recent media reports have publicized the
successes without providing the information that a concentrated protein, low carbohydrate diet can be detrimental to one’s health over
sustained periods, taxing both the heart and kidneys. With “Atkins
friendly” products springing up and television hawking the newly
realized benefits of old products low in carbohydrates, it is apparent
that the health of the masses is being sold out for profit.
The human body is designed
to run on carbohydrates, specifically, glucose. This is why cultures around the world have traditionally centered their diets round
complex and unrefined carbohydrates (which break down easily
to glucose). In fact, many tissues,
including the brain, can ONLY
use glucose as fuel. When carbohydrates are restricted from the
diet, the body is forced to burn its
secondary fuel –fat. When cells
burn fat instead of glucose, byproducts known as “ketones” are
produced, creating a state called
“ketosis.” Ketosis (which also
occurs in people with uncontrolled diabetes or those suffering
starvation) leads to weight loss
because it decreases appetite and
causes significant water loss. Immediate side effects of ketosis
include fatigue, nausea, aggression and low blood pressure.
The Nutrition Committee of
the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of
the American Heart Association
states, “High-protein diets are not
recommended because they restrict healthful foods that provide
essential nutrients and do not provide the variety of foods needed
to adequately meet nutritional
needs.” Indeed, “Atkins friendly”
menus do not come close to
achieving the recommended daily
values for fiber, calcium, iron,
vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, and
thiamin. High-protein, high-fat
dietary patterns, when followed
over the long term, are associated
with increased risk of the following conditions:
Hurting your Heart: Heart
disease remains the number one
killer in the western world. High
protein diets contain significant
amounts of foods the American
Heart Association tell us contribute to this common killer. Typical
high-protein diets are extremely
high in dietary cholesterol and
saturated fat. However, such diets
pose additional risks to the heart,
including increased risk for heart
problems immediately following
a meal. Evidence indicates that
meals high in saturated fat adversely affect the flexibility/
compliance of arteries, increasing
the risk of heart attacks. A recent
study shows that even one fatty
meal can increase your risk of a
cardiovascular event in the period
immediately following the meal.
Cancer: One out of every two
Americans will be diagnosed with
cancer and it is now the number
two killer of children. Highprotein diets are typically low in
dietary fiber which research indicates protects against cancer.
Colorectal cancer is one of the
most common forms of cancer
and is among the leading causes
of cancer-related mortality. The
1997 report of the World Cancer
Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research, Food,
Nutrition, and the Prevention of
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 13
Cancer reported that, based on
available evidence, diets high in
red meat were considered probable contributors to colorectal
cancer risk. Although fat is the
dietary substance most often singled out for increasing one’s risk
for cancer, protein itself also
plays a role. The National Research Council noted a link between cancer and protein in 1982.
Populations that eat meat regularly are at an increased risk for
cancer and researchers now believe that the fat, protein, natural
carcinogens, and the absence of
fiber in meat, all play roles.
Complications of Diabetes:
Kidney and heart problems are
particularly common in people
with diabetes. Diets that further
tax the kidneys and reduce arterial flexibility are not recommended for people with diabetes.
The safest approaches to preventing or slowing kidney problems
include controlling blood glucose
levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, and decreasing protein intake to low normal levels.
Osteoporosis: Diets that are
rich in protein, especially animal
protein, are known to cause the
body to excrete calcium through
the urine. When humans metabolize animal protein, an acidic environment is created within the
body. Calcium is sequestered
from the bones to neutralize the
acid and is lost in the urine, resulting in bone loss. Countries
with lower-protein diets have
lower rates of osteoporosis and
hip fractures.
Kidney Function: Harvard
researchers reported recently that
high-protein diets were associated
with a significant decline in kidney function, based on observations in 1,624 women participat-
ing in the Nurses’ Health Study.
The good news is the damage was
found only in those who already
had reduced kidney function at
the study’s outset. The bad news
is that as many as one in four
adults in the United States may
already have reduced kidney
function, suggesting that most
people who have renal problems
are unaware of that fact and do
not realize that high-protein diets
may put them at risk for further
deterioration. The kidneydamaging effect was seen only
with animal protein; plant protein
had no harmful effect. Over time,
individuals who consume very
large amounts of animal protein
risk permanent loss of function.
When people eat too much protein, they take in more nitrogen
than they need. This places a
strain on the kidneys, which must
expel the extra nitrogen through
urine. People with kidney disease
are encouraged to eat low-protein
diets. Such a diet reduces the excess levels of nitrogen, and can
help prevent kidney disease, too.
Calcium Stones: Increased
calcium excretion increases the
risk for kidney stones. During its
passage through the ureters, calcium leached from bone material
can solidify into kidney stones.
The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that high animal protein intake is largely responsible for the high prevalence
of kidney stones in the United
States and other developed countries, and recommends protein
restriction for the prevention of
recurrent kidney stones.
Decrease in Mental Clarity:
Another immediate effect the dieter may notice on a high-protein
diet is reduced mental capacity. A
recent study shows that mental
14 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
functioning is impaired by ketosis.
Constipation: If one chooses
to try a high-protein diet, be sure
to have plenty of laxatives on
hand. High-protein diets cause
constipation because they are
composed chiefly of foods that
are completely free of dietary fiber. Low-fiber diets are also believed to cause varicose veins,
hemorrhoids and hiatal hernia.
Dehydration: Carbohydratedeficient diets cause dehydration,
draining the body of its most important element, water! In fact,
this is the main reason that the
initial weight loss for people on
these diets is so rapid.
Bad Breath: This unpleasant
side effect is caused by the ketones produced when your body
is forced to burn fat. Although
halitosis isn’t physically damaging, it could seriously damage
your social or business life.
Environmental Devastation: According to a 1991 Gov.
of Canada study, about 40 kg of
manure are produced for each kg
of edible beef that is marketed.
Meat production on average requires 10-20 times more energy
than does grain production. Cattle
production is the primary contributing factor in all causes of desertification. Every steak has the
same global warming effect as a
25-mile drive in a typical North
American car.
Animal Suffering: The increased factory farming production necessary to feed the demand
for cheap animal protein leads
directly to the suffering of millions of sentient beings.
Carbophobia is clearly overtaking common sense
Atkins has been selling books
for years but what impact has it
had on obesity? Consider that
obesity is now officially the number one killer of Americans. A
recent review of 107 research
studies on high-protein, lowcarbohydrate weight-loss diets
concluded that weight loss was
associated with longer diet duration and restriction of calories,
but not with reduced carbohydrate intake. Despite press accounts of seemingly dramatic
weight loss, the effect of highprotein diets on body weight is
similar to that of other weightreduction diets. Three recent
studies (Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and a medical center in Philadelphia) suggest that the average weight loss
with high-protein diets during the
first six months of use is approximately 20 pounds, or about half a
pound per week. This is not demonstrably greater than that
which occurs with other weightloss regimens or with low-fat,
vegetarian diets. An educated
guess could be made that the
foods offered on Atkins’ plan
could be the real reason for its
popularity, not the science it is
based upon.
The Truth
Obesity is on the rise simply
because people are eating more
and doing less. One reason is that
portion sizes have ballooned. In
fact, portion sizes have continued
to grow in parallel with expanding waistlines. Many compensated by eating more carbohydrates, when nutrition experts began urging us to eat less fat. The
problem is that many fat-free
foods have just as many calories
as the original high-fat versions.
Complex carbohydrates are the
secret to health AND weight loss.
A low-fat diet based on complex
and unrefined carbohydrates from
natural whole plant foods like
leafy greens, vibrant seasonal
vegetables and fruits, beans and
whole grains will cause effortless,
permanent weight loss without
hunger, while promoting good
health.
You can eat delicious dishes,
such as black bean chili, multigrain stuffed sweet potatoes, zucchini pesto lasagna, and seven
layer burritos, and lose weight
without having to make yourself
sick eating meals of fried chicken
wrapped in bacon stuffed with
cheese. Most importantly, it’s a
program you can stick to for the
rest of your long, healthy, compassionate, environmentally conscious and vital life.
KC McQuillan is a critical care nurse
with a masters degree in nutrition.
She runs her holistic healing practice
and a catering business from the
Kind Café in Philadelphia’s Northern
Liberties section.
Lose Weight the Healthy Way with Kind Cuisine
Base your diet around leafy greens, vegetables and fruits.
Eat unrefined complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains
(bread, rice, pasta, cereals, etc.), starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet
potatoes, etc.) and legumes (beans, split peas, lentils, etc.) in moderation if trying to lose weight.
Avoid refined carbohydrates, such as white flour, refined white
rice and sugar.
Fresh is best in season, but frozen is better out of season.
Avoid fats and oils, including so-called “good” oils. Get your
essential fats from modest amounts of raw nuts and seeds.
Avoid animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, shellfish,
dairy products and eggs. You don’t need them.
Avoid alcohol. It only provides empty calories and it taxes the
body.
Read labels. Avoid products that have chemical additives, fats,
animal products, excessive salt and excessive sugar.
Exercise regularly. Find something you enjoy doing and stick
with it. You don’t need to join an aerobics class—walking is great
exercise, and costs you nothing.
Work with your doctor. Always consult with your doctor before making any major change in your diet and exercise habits.
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 15
Atkins said:
EAT YOUR VEGETABLES!
To be fair, Dr. Robert Atkins made some good points that everyone should heed. He told people to
abandon the American diet of refined carbohydrates, for whole unrefined foods. He said that sugar,
refined white flour, and junk foods are bad for health. We should all shun them. He extolled the value of
nuts and seeds. His diet includes, albeit in controlled quantities, nutrient-dense carbohydrates, primarily
in the form of vegetables such as salads of raw greens and tomato, lightly cooked collards, broccoli, and
asparagus. (How many people eat any vegetables, except potatoes?) Some fruit, particularly berries, are
praised. His program for controlling weight after losing the pounds is more liberal and varied with
additional vegetables, and may include items such as sweet potatoes, beans, whole grain bread, and
strawberry-tofu smoothies. Still, the Atkins Diet cornerstone is protein and fat—mostly of animal source.
The worst problem is a public that has latched onto the idea that it is ok to eat as much animal protein
and fat as it wants, and just “hold the fries!” and “no bread, please!”. The meat industry and commercial
interests are taking advantage of the trend, and restaurants are catering to it. Advertised in a workers’
café window we saw. Low-Carb Special: 3 eggs, cheeses, choice of meats $3.49. For those who still
want cake, it is available with artificial sugar substitute and a special high fiber bake mix. Any missing
nutrients can be supplied from a pill bottle!
—FD
NEW JERSEY
VEGETARIAN WORKSHOP, Saturday June 5 2004 11am to 3pm, Monmouth County Library,
125 Symmes Dr, Manalapan NJ 07726 Speaker: Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Vegetarian/Vegan Food sampling,
Peaceable Kingdom film, Children’s activities. Info contact: (732) 780-0478 or (732) 985-1663
PENNSYLVANIA
ANNUAL VEGGIE FEST Saturday June 26 2004 noon to 4 pm at Hoopes Park, (W. Ashbridge St
& Hoopes Pk Ln) West Chester PA. Enjoy vegan food, live music by Tony Maiken, and fun activities. Literature, books, exhibits, T-shirts. $8 per person, $22 per family, $5 per child 12 & under. Rain date Sunday
June 27. CARE, PO Box 847, West Chester PA 19381 (610) 738-9978 Web: www.libertynet.org/care
SWEET ONION INN
The owners of Sweet Onion Inn, in the beautiful
Green Mountains of Vermont, serve delicious organic,
totally vegan meals to their guests. As former health
food store owners they know about good health, and
the value of quality ingredients. They use only natural
cleansers, and all rooms are supplied with vegan
soaps. As innkeepers they have been serving the vegetarian community for ten years and extend an invitation to AVS members and friends.
Coupon from American Vegan
Sweet Onion Inn
Lodging with Organic Vegan Breakfast and Dinners.
Coupon redeemable for $30 off any two nights in a row.
Discount will be given at arrival.
On-line availability and booking can be found at
www.sweetonioninn.com or call us at (800) 897-6490.
PO Box 66, Hancock VT 05748
New café in Toms River New Jersey
East Coast Vegan is at 313-A West Water Street
(across from the post office and next to Simply Skin Spa).
Phone: (732) 473-9555
“Chef Mike Pollack is a great cook and makes terrific seitan!”
“Baked goods are excellent!”
“ A wonderful place!”
16 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
Apprentice sought
Learn all aspects of business at
Kind Café
724 N 3rd Street
Philadelphia PA 19123
(215) 922-5463
www.kindcafe.com
THE PIG WHO SANG TO
THE MOON: The Emotional
World of Farm Animals —
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson.
A compelling study of animals
who usually end up on the dinner
table. Hard cover 2003, 277pages
$25.95 (Both books from AVS)
NATIVE FOODS Restaurant
Cookbook —Tanya Petrovna
Vegan Recipes that entice and
satisfy. Learn from an expert!
2003, 328 pages 7½x9”, $16.95
Getting Married?
You want your vegan wedding of a lifetime to go off without a
hitch. That can sometimes be easier said than done. You need a
catering service that truly knows the meaning of vegan. You want
a wedding dress for which silkworms were not killed. Most important, you want to be able to eat your own wedding cake without
wondering what’s in it.
www.vegetarianwedding.net has a data base of listings from
catering services to photographers, and even vegetarian honeymoon specialists, nationwide! We are also looking for vendors to
list with us, so if you are a catering service, photographer, baker,
wedding dress designer, makeup artist, musician, or reception
venue, please contact [email protected].
EARTH TALK from the Editors of E The Environmental Magazine
,
GARDENING WITHOUT CHEMICALS
Dear EarthTalk: I want to garden
this spring without using chemicals. Are there any safe, nontoxic garden herbicides? —D.
Muller, Jackson MS
There are now several natural
herbicides on the market. One of
the most effective natural ingredients is corn gluten meal, a yellow
powder that is a waste product of
the corn milling process. While
the meal has been used in dog,
fish and other animal foods for
years, it has only recently been
marketed as a natural herbicide.
As researchers at Iowa State University’s (ISU) Horticulture Department discovered, the material
naturally inhibits the growth of
seeds’ initial root systems, while
doing no harm to already established plants.
ISU researchers say that once
vegetables or flowers have their
first true leaves, corn gluten meal
can be safely and effectively applied to kill weeds. ISU scientists
also note that, because corn gluten meal is high in nitrogen, it is
beneficial to surrounding plants,
doubling as a fertilizer.
It has been reported that corn
gluten meal is particularly effective against dandelions, pigweed,
crabgrass, plantain and curly
dock. ISU scientists suggest an
application rate of 20 pounds per
1,000 square feet and they say the
product remains effective for five
to six weeks. Researchers say that
corn gluten meal should be applied to lawns about three to five
weeks before weeds begin to
grow.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of
Pesticide Programs urges people
to decrease the amount of chemical herbicides used to battle
weeds. There are already more
than 865 active ingredients registered for use in pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. About 350
pesticide products, including herbicides, are used on the foods we
eat and to ward off pests from our
homes and pets. But pesticides
and herbicides often contain toxic
substances that are harmful to
human and ecological health.
ChemFree+ is one brand of
herbicide that uses corn gluten
meal. Available from Chem Free
Lawns, it is advertised as both a
natural weed control and fertilizer
for lawns and gardens, harmless
to people, pets, groundwater, insects and soil microorganisms.
Comparable products include
Dynaweed, from the American
Natural Products Company, and
“A-Maize-N,” from Planet
Natural.
CONTACT:
Chem Free Lawns, (952) 473-2127,
www.chemfreelawns.com;
American Natural Products Company, (800) 221-7645;
www.americanatural.com;
Planet Natural, (800) 289-6656;
www.planetnatural.com;
Iowa State University’s Horticulture
Department, (515) 294-2751,
www.hort.iastate.edu;
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs, (703) 305-5440,
www.epa.gov/pesticides.
GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL
QUESTION? Send it to EarthTalk,
c/o E/The Environmental Magazine,
P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881.
Or submit your question at
www.emagazine.com, or e-mail us
at [email protected]
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 17
Albert Schweitzer: Seraphic Vegetarian
Dr. Harry Gershenowitz
Albert Schweitzer was born
January 14 1875 in German Alsace. He was educated at various
Alsatian schools, and at eighteen
was admitted to Strasbourg University. Before he was 30, he had
won an international reputation as
a writer on theology. His intellectual growth included becoming an
organist and authority on organ
building. He became an interpreter of the works of the church
music composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and was
recognized as an authority on
Bach’s life.
At twenty-two he went to Paris
to study philosophy at the Sorbonne. Two years later,
Schweitzer took his degree in
philosophy and accepted a lectureship in theological subjects.
In late October 1905 he became a student again in order to
become a medical doctor. He
continued his teaching at the university, his preaching, his research, and his music. He became
an expert in tropical medicine and
received his credentials as a
medical missionary,
Prior to World War I the Paris
Missionary Society feared that
Schweitzer would bring Pan Germanism to the African area. He
had to convince the Society that
he was only interested in practicing medicine.
He sailed to French Equatorial
Africa (now Gabon) on Easter
Sunday 1913 with 70 or more
cases of medical supplies in the
hold of the ship. Upon arriving he
converted a henhouse to a basic
hospital. Of necessity he was his
own apothecary. Leprosy was the
chief disease of a region where 40
languages are still spoken.
He raised monies from his parishioners, and by giving concerts
for the Paris Bach Society which
he had helped found. The funds
were needed to build a hospital at
the village of Lambaréné, He was
becoming a universal man as a
scientist, a humanitarian, and a
theologian, and over a period of
time developed his philosophy of
Reverence For Life as the basis
of his ethics.
During World War I the
French government considered
him a German subject living in a
French colony and therefore a
prisoner of war who must remain
under house arrest. After the end
of the Great War he made occasional visits to Europe to give organ concerts to raise money for
the hospital.
In 1949 he visited the United
States for the first time as an act
of friendship to address the
Goethe Centennial at Aspen
Colorado. In recognition of his
noble efforts, in 1952 he was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
and then used the $33,000 prize
money to expand the hospital and
establish a leper colony. Understandably, he did not go to Sweden to receive the Prize because
of the need to be at his hospital.
In 1955 Queen Elizabeth II
conferred Great Britain’s highest
civilian award, the Order of
Merit, for his humanitarian
achievements.
18 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
During all this time he had to
win the confidence of the local
people to use modern medicine
and not put their conditions of
poor health in the hands of the
African fetishers (folk doctors)
who practiced magic rituals for ill
people.
The friends and colleagues of
Albert Schweitzer developed a
world view and shared their accomplishments with the learned
colossi of the humanities.
This group was not formally
organized but expressed in their
works the belief that the components of reality have an existence
other than the mere sum of their
parts—a configurative approach
to self-fulfillment and esthetic
considerations in a competitive
and diverse world. A credence of
denial of anthropocentrism
brought man to respect all forms
of life and to avoid ecological and
social disasters by making responsible judgments.
Who were these men and what
were their backgrounds of
enlightened thought? Were there
other philosophies that influenced
the development of Schweitzer’s
gestalts, and advanced his spiritual evolution?
The occidental classical scholars were the following: Romain
Rolland (1866-1944) who was a
novelist, playwright, poet, historian and biographer. Rolland and
Schweitzer shared their transcendent idealism. An old friend was
Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) celebrated Austrian author best
known for his accurate biogra-
phies, notably of Marie Antoinette (1932) and Mary Stuart
(1935). He was also a dramatist
and a critic. A trusted friend was
the distinguished Ernest Renan
(1823-1892) a renowned French
philologist and an apostle of the
scientific approach to history, religion, and literature.
Admiringly, the famous illuminator of truth Adlai Stevenson
(1900-1965)—the former presidential candidate—visited Lambaréné and was escorted around
the hospital by Dr. Schweitzer.
Stevenson saw a large mosquito
on the Doctor’s arm and promptly
crushed it. The Doctor said
sharply “That was my mosquito!”
With intense concentration the
Doctor studied both French and
German philosophers. These
thinkers offered views on profound questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and related fields.
–A voluminous study of great
men who possessed limitless
learning: J a c q u e s R o u s s e a u
(1712-1778), Voltaire (16941778), Immanuel Kant (17241804), Johann Gottlieb Fichte
(1762-1814); Georg Hegel (17701831 Hegelian dialectic), and Johann Goethe (1749-1832).
In addition Schweitzer investigated the Stoic doctrines founded
by Zeno (340-265 BC) which explained the meaning of life and
the nature of the good. He pondered on the writings of the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu (604
BC) proponent of Taoism who
applied mystical contemplation.
In his praiseworthy book “ The
Philosophy of Civilization”
(1932) Dr. Schweitzer deliberated
and wrote: Until he extends the
circle of compassion to all living
things, man will not himself find
peace.
Furthermore the Doctor carefully weighed his words and recorded: In Reverence for Life men
must again find the desire and
ability to think.
He continued:
If man affirms life, he accepts
it as having meaning and validity
for him, he deepens and exalts his
own will to live and feels compulsion to give to other living things
the same Reverence for Life that
he gives to his own.
A man is truly ethical only
when he obeys the compulsion to
help all life which he is able to
assist, and shrinks from injuring
anything that lives…. The ethics
of Reverence for Life is the ethics
of Love, widened into universality.
He was especially sensitive to
the suffering of animals. No animal was to be wantonly killed,
and the hospital compound was a
zoo of free-moving animals.
Can the philosophy of life be
totally understood? The curer of
the healing art replied:
Philosophy will never be complete and can never be complete
by the very nature of philosophy.
The human mind is capable of
infinite growth.
To sum up the essence of a
prophet who loved and respected
life, Schweitzer was one of the
founders of the call for a moral
and spiritual course of conduct.
He taught that the humanities had
much to offer the sciences and
that the scientific method could
enrich the humanities.
Schweitzer’s ideal of Reverence for Life was expressed in
his conviction of observing vegetarianism.
He declined the most promising offers. He could have made
his choice of becoming a profes-
sor in any of the disciplines of
theology, philosophy, history, or
musicology in America, England,
France, and pre-1933 and post1945 Germany.
Schweitzer’s staff was universal and included victims of the
European holocaust.
Albert Schweitzer died at
ninety on September 5, 1965 at
the hospital he built in Lambaréné. He was buried in a grave
without superfluities, with a simple cross that he made.
What a man!
Translated text of letter from
Dr. Albert Schweitzer,
Lambaréné,
République Gabonaise
2.5.1965
To: American Vegan Society
Malaga NJ 08328
U.S.A.
I have read your magazine
with great interest so far as I
have received it. In our time
we came upon the idea of
Reverence for all Life.
Philosophers all over the world
in earlier times never gave any
thought to it. But we have to do
it because it belongs to the
characteristics of man to be
kind and compassionate to all
creatures even to the tiniest
ones. The idea of Ahimsa
contains the idea of Reverence
for Life.
I thank you for sending me
your magazine regularly. I am
convinced that the destiny of
man is to become more and
more humane. I had and have a
kinship with Indian thinkers
and I was a friend of Gandhi.
With kind thoughts,
(signed) Albert Schweitzer
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 19
PARTY TIME: Recipes for Entertaining
Michelle Samples
with Vinni Samples
Assisted by Jill Hahn
VEGAN
COOKING
CLASS
Knoxville
Tennessee
Photos: Freya Dinshah
12/02/ 03
Date Bars
Azuki Paté
1 cup azuki beans
2½ cups water
3 inch piece kombu
2 Tbsp. sesame butter
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. umeboshi vinegar
2 scallions, chopped
¼ cup chopped parsley
Bring azuki beans and water to
a boil. Add kombu. Cover pot,
and simmer on medium for 50
minutes. When beans are soft,
purée in a suribachi (or food
processor) with sesame butter,
vinegars and lemon to make the
paté. Stir in scallions and parsley.
Can add ¼ cup chopped walnuts
for variety.
Use as a dip for vegetables or
baked chips. Or, stuff into pita
bread wedges.
1 cup dates; medjool are best
½ cup water
Pinch sea salt
½ cup safflower oil
¼ cup water
½ cup rice syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups rolled or quick oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup chopped nuts
Pinch sea salt
Simmer the dates in salted water for about 10 minutes until
soft. Mash to make a thick paste.
Beat together oil, water, rice
syrup, and vanilla. Thoroughly
mix dry ingredients and then
combine with oil-syrup mix.
Press half of the oat mixture
into the bottom of a 9x9” pan.
Cover with date filling. Top with
remaining oat mixture.
Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes
or until lightly brown.
20 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
Apple Turnovers
Filling:
2 cups dried apples
½ cup currants or raisins
4 cups apple juice
1 Tbsp. arrowroot
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. agar flakes
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ cup apple juice
Simmer apples and raisins in 4
cups apple juice for 15 minutes.
Stir arrowroot, cinnamon, agar
and salt into ¼ cup apple juice.
Add to cooked apple mixture. Let
cool.
Pie Crust:
3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup corn flour (meal)
½ tsp. sea salt
½ cup corn oil or safflower oil
1½ cups apple juice
Mix wheat and corn flours,
and salt. Whisk oil and juice before stirring into flour. Let rest
for 15 minutes. Roll out pastry.
Cut into equilateral triangles of
about four inch sides.
Assemble: Put a spoonful of
filling in the middle of pastry triangle. Fold two points of triangle
over filling, then roll towards
third point. Place point down, on
an oiled cookie sheet. Bake at
350ºF. for 30 minutes.
Indian Pudding
1½ cups blue corn meal
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins
½ tsp. sea salt
6 cups apple juice
½ cup barley malt
½ cup sesame tahini
1 tsp. vanilla
Michelle Samples presents
her Tuesday evening
Vegan Cooking Class
Photo: Freya Dinshah
Michelle Samples has been teaching vegetarian cooking for 18
years and has improved her health through applying macrobiotic philosophy. Her recipes have been published in Delicious magazine as
well as Bountiful Health. Her vegan classes are dynamic, fun and very
informative.
Mix all ingredients together
She has studied at the Kushi Institute and has undergraduate dein a large baking pan. The mixture is very liquid but will thicken grees in Microbiology, Medical Technology, and a Masters in Public
as it bakes. Bake at 350ºF. for 30 Health. She is a licensed Massage Therapist, and certified in Shiatsu.
Michelle has a 9-year-old daughter Vincenzia (Vinni) who has
minutes, stirring occasionally. Let
cool for 30 more minutes. It will eaten this way since birth. Vinni loves to cook and surprised her parents by making breakfast of miso soup with vegetables and tofu so
continue to thicken.
they could sleep longer! She plays the violin, (she is in the symphony),
plays piano, rides horses, and plays golf. She attends a Waldorf school
Tofu Cheese Ball
in Knoxville.
1 lb. tofu
Michelle’s husband Greg is a macrobiotic counselor.
1 Tbsp. sesame tahini
Michelle teaches with her daughter by her side at Well by Nature
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
on Tuesdays. To make reservations for the classes call (865) 5842 Tbsp. umeboshi vinegar
3864. Michelle may be personally reached at (865) 986-7401. E-mail
2 Tbsp. barley miso
[email protected] . Her address is 11130 Kingston Pike #251, Knox2 scallions, chopped
ville TN 37922
1 celery sliced thin
¼ tsp. thyme
Dressing for Collards
Collard Greens
¼ cup chopped parsley
Pull leaves off stems. Save the ½ cup soymilk
2 Tbsp. red bell pepper
collard stems to make soup stock. ¼ cup safflower oil
1
½ cup roasted pecans, chopped
To roast pecans wash, place on
a baking sheet. Put in 200ºF. oven
and leave for 2½ hours.
Crumble tofu. Whisk tahini,
lemon juice, vinegar, and barley
miso. Combine all ingredients
except pecans. Let sit for two
hours. Hand mold into a ball, then
roll in the roasted pecans.
Roll and slice collard greens to
make ribbons. Put into a pot of
boiling water. Cook until tender
but still bright green — about
three minutes.
Suribachi: a ceramic bowl
with an unglazed ridged surface, used like a mortar with
a wooden pestle.
¼
1
1
3
1
3
1
of a small onion
clove garlic
lb tofu (soft, e.g. Mori-Nu ®)
Tbsp. lemon juice
tsp. sea salt
Tbsp. umeboshi vinegar
Tbsp. fresh dill.
Put in blender and whiz together until creamy.
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 21
Book review:
Hitler:
Neither Vegetarian Nor Animal Lover
by Rynn Berry
The case for vegetarianism
is, in my opinion, unassailable.
How can anyone defend an
animal-based diet that involves the gratuitous slaughter
of billions of animals every
year, most of them raised under extremely cruel conditions
on “factory farms”? How can
one defend a diet that has so
many devastating effects on
human health; that significantly accelerates global climate change, species extinction, soil erosion and depletion, the destruction of tropical
rain forests and other valuable
habitats; and that requires far
more land, water, fuel, and
other agricultural resources
than plant-based diets? –All
this at a time when billions of
people lack adequate food and
clean water.
The answer is you can’t,
and that is why people who
eat meat try to change the
subject by asking such questions as, “Doesn’t the Bible
say eating meat is moral?”
“Aren’t you wearing leather
shoes?” and perhaps most often, “Wasn’t Hitler a vegetarian?”
Of course, what Hitler ate or
did not eat is really irrelevant.
Would anyone cite Hitler's abstinence from smoking to discredit nonsmokers? However,
Hitler's alleged vegetarianism
is brought up so often that it
invites a response. And we
should be very thankful that
Rynn Berry’s thoughtful and
carefully documented book
convincingly proves that Hitler
was neither a vegetarian nor
an animal lover throughout
most, if not all, of his life.
First, a digression to indicate
how I played a role in this
book being written. In 1991,
Berry wrote to The New York
Times commenting on the
vegetarianism of Isaac Bashevis Singer and how this important feature of Singer’s life had
been glossed over in his recent obituary. A positive response to Rynn’s letter from
Janet Malcolm drew a reply
from another Times reader.
Under the headline “What
About Hitler?” the writer
scolded Ms. Malcolm for implying that the universal acceptance of vegetarianism will
bring about world peace because, “Adolf Hitler was a
vegetarian all his life and
wrote extensively on the subject.” Following that letter, in
September 1991, The New
York Times published my response under the headline,
“Don’t Put Hitler Among the
Vegetarians.”
In it, I pointed out that Hitler
would occasionally go on
vegetarian binges to cure himself of excessive sweatiness
and flatulence, but that his
22 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
main diet included meat. I also
cited Robert Payne, Albert
Speer, and other well-known
Hitler biographers, who mentioned Hitler’s predilection for
such non-vegetarian foods as
Bavarian sausages, ham, liver,
and game. Fortunately, The
Times had a second letter in
that same issue that helped
convince doubters. Under the
headline, “He Loved His
Squab,” another correspondent cited a passage from a
cookbook that had been written by a European chef, Dione
Lucas, who was an eyewitness to Hitler’s meat-eating. In
her Gourmet Cooking School
Cookbook (1964), Lucas,
drawing on her experiences as
a hotel chef in Hamburg during
the 1930s, remembered being
called upon quite often to prepare Hitler’s favorite dish,
which was not a vegetarian
one. “I do not mean to spoil
your appetite for stuffed
squab,” she writes, “but you
might be interested to know
that it was a great favorite with
Mr. Hitler, who dined at the
hotel often.”
The above correspondence
is discussed in detail in Rynn
Berry’s introductory chapter,
“An Exchange of Letters.”
Berry’s slim book has a superb
26-page introduction by Martin
Rowe, founder of Lantern
Books publishers. Rowe eloquently discusses how the
question about Hitler’s alleged
vegetarianism is an attempt to
change or drop the subject of
vegetarianism. He points out
that the argument, “Well, Hitler
was a vegetarian”, becomes
shorthand for silencing the
complicity we all have in the
killing of others. Ironically,
Rowe sees recent trends toward a vegetarianism that
“honors the earth, the animals,
the welfare of the human
body, and the health of the
world as a whole” as part of
“the ultimate reply to Hitler.”
There are many more vegetarian-related insights in Rowe’s
introduction that make it by
itself almost worth the price of
the book.
Berry has carefully researched everything available
about Hitler’s alleged vegetarianism, and he cites several
biographies to buttress his
case. For example, Robert
Payne's The Life and Death of
Adolf Hitler, which has been
called definitive, scotches the
rumor that Hitler might have
been a vegetarian. According
to Payne, Hitler’s vegetarianism was a fiction made up by
his propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels to give him the
aura of a revolutionary ascetic:
“Hitler’s asceticism played an
important part in the image he
projected over Germany. According to the widely believed
legend, he neither smoked nor
drank, nor did he eat meat or
have anything to do with
women. Only the first was
true. He drank beer and diluted wine frequently, had a
special fondness for Bavarian
sausages and kept a mistress,
Eva Braun, who lived with him
quietly in the Berghof. There
had been other discreet affairs
with women. His asceticism
was fiction invented by Goebbels to emphasize his total
dedication, his self-control,
and the distance that separated him from other men. By
this outward show of asceticism, he could claim that he
was dedicated to the service
of his people.
“In fact, he was remarkably
self-indulgent and possessed
none of the instincts of the ascetic. His cook, an enormously
fat man named Willy Kanneneberg, produced exquisite
meals and acted as court
jester. Although Hitler had no
fondness for meat except in
the form of sausages, and
never ate fish, he enjoyed caviar. He was a connoisseur of
sweets, crystallized fruit and
cream cakes, which he consumed in astonishing quantities. He drank tea and coffee
drowned in cream and sugar.
No dictator ever had a sweeter
tooth.”
As Berry points out, not
even the loosest definition of
vegetarianism could be
stretched to fit Hitler’s gastronomic preferences. He also
shows that biographical materials about Hitler’s “vegetarianism” are contradictory. Hitler
was sometimes described as a
“vegetarian” by writers who
also mentioned his fondness
for sausages, caviar, and occasionally ham. For example,
the April 14 1996, Sunday
magazine edition of The New
York Times, celebrating its
100th anniversary, included
this early description of Hitler’s
diet in an article previously
published on May 30 1937, “At
Home With The Fuhrer”: “It is
well known that Hitler is a
vegetarian and does not drink
or smoke. His lunch and dinner consist, therefore, for the
most part of soup, eggs, vegetables and mineral water, al-
though he occasionally relishes a slice of ham and relieves the tediousness of his
diet with such delicacies as
caviar…”
Of course, as Berry points
out, Hitler’s philosophy and
actions are poles apart from
those generally associated
with vegetarianism. Furthermore he argues, if Hitler had
been a vegetarian, he would
not have banned vegetarian
organizations in Germany and
the occupied countries (Berry
devotes an entire chapter to
this); nor would Hitler have
failed to urge a meatless diet
on the German people as a
way of coping with Germany’s
World War II food shortage.
Because animal-based diets and agriculture are so destructive, it is important that
we dispel all false challenges
to vegetarianism, including the
recurring myth about Hitler.
Hitler: Neither Vegetarian Nor
Animal Lover does it definitively. I hope it gets the wide
readership that it deserves.
Then, perhaps people will focus on the important vegetarian-related issues, and on history’s vegetarian humanitarians.
Reviewed by
Richard H. Schwartz, author :
Judaism and Vegetarianism,
Judaism and Global Survival
Hitler: Neither Vegetarian Nor Animal Lover,
by Rynn Berry. Pythagorean
Publishers, 2004. 81+ pages,
5½x7½”, paperback. $10.95
available from AVS.
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 23
Book review:
DOMINION
The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals,
and the Call to Mercy
by Matthew Scully
In the winter of 2002–2003, a
co-worker told me of a Wisconsin
Public Radio discussion of a book
about animal suffering, and about
blood sport, written by a former
Presidential speech-writer! I
knew instantly that this was a vital book for me, a former whiteknuckled blood sportsman, now
vegan advocate for Earth and all
its Life. Tragically, both the author and title had been forgotten.
Then mention of this book began
turning up frequently in my other
reading. It was apparently having
an impact. That book was Dominion by Matthew Scully.
Dominion is Scully's discussion of a word in Genesis 1:2426. "...And God said, let us make
man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion...." Scully thinks that something has gone terribly wrong.
His appraisal first sets out the
general state of affairs regarding
animal suffering and our part in
it. Then he goes into specific examples to offer detail and support
for his views. He did three things
to gather information to substantiate his case, any one of which
would likely prove beyond the
endurance of most of us. He attended an annual convention of
Safari Club International, an annual meeting of the International
Whaling Commission, and then
plunged into the living hell of a
factory hog farm!
His courage, dedication and
persistence make his views worthy of attention.
For all his exceptional qualities, it seems to me that Scully is
torn between two types of perception: one that may be called
"compartmentalized", and another
that I call "continuum". The vast
majority of Scully's statements
seem to fall within the sphere of
continuum thinking, in which differences are seen to be of degree,
not of kind. All life shares in the
same abilities and characteristics,
and these are variable among and
within individuals and species.
But in a few prominent places,
like the opening sentence, he sees
humanity forever set apart from
animals by language and reason.
Curiously, this inconsistency
seems so imbued with compassion and kindness that it draws
forth the same from me. I think
this dichotomy actually strengthens the work and makes it more
accessible because it depicts a
struggle in which many of us are,
or have been, engaged.
Scully's writing style ranges
all the way from scholarly to
commonsense colloquial.
The way he dismembers the
precepts of those with whom he
takes issue is methodical and relentless. Indeed, very little compassion is shown those who display the greatest degree of brutality and callousness. That is difficult to read, but valuable to hear.
24 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
Scully addresses the issues
politically, advocating enforcement of existing laws and enactment of new ones. This seems
ironic to me, as it comes from a
vegetarian of some 25 years; but
after all, he is a former Presidential speech-writer!
Scully's work is a constant appeal and encouragement to people
of all beliefs and faiths to use
their initiative and lead lives of
greater awareness, compassion,
conviction, courage, integrity and
justice. He is also aware of the
effects and power of the NGO
community. Investment in both
areas is appropriate and effective;
both incorporate the powers of
example and persuasion.
About his purpose in writing
Dominion, Scully says that if "a
spirit of kindness and clemency
toward animals is stirring in the
world, I hope with this book to
encourage it". The book's power
and its reception show that goal
well fulfilled. I regard Dominion
as monumental and hope to hear
more about and from this author.
Reviewed by Michael Riegert,
Stetsonville Wisconsin
DOMINION The Power of Man,
the Suffering of Animals, and
the Call to Mercy by Matthew
Scully. Published 2002, St. Martin's Press. 434 pages with index.
Hard cover 6½x9½” $27.95; now
in soft cover 5½x8¼” at $14.95.
Order from AVS.
Book review:
Stories Rabbits
Tell
A Natural and Cultural History of a
Misunderstood Creature
by Susan E. Davis
& Margo DeMello
Reviewed by Francie Lapin
Seeing the main title, I thought
of cute bunnies hopping about
reciting children’s stories. Then I
noticed the book weighs more
than my ceramic dinner dish!
Intrigued to do more than just
nibble on a corner, I discovered a
fascinating scholarly work of rabbit history.
The book begins with a big
cabbage of rabbit history, from a
human perspective. Habits of rabbits, books about rabbits, rabbit
artwork, wild rabbits, rabbit mannerisms, and the human-bunny
interaction of house rabbits are
thoroughly examined. Some photos are absolutely adorable!
The midsection of the book
made me growl and laugh as it
discussed the misconceptions of
rabbits as evil (like witches), and
the exaltation of rabbits as cultural icons (cartoons). Rabbits are
frequent symbols of fertility,
spring, and femininity. They are
also tricky, cunning, or cuddly
subjects for children’s stories.
Some have the task of shamelessly shilling products for human
monetary gains.
The toughest chapters to read
are about rabbit meat and fur, and
use of rabbits by vivisectors. I
never realized how many beautiful bunnies, looking just like me,
are tortured. New Zealand Whites
(my breed) are commonly selected for all three of these horrible fates.
It is alarming to hear about the
meat industry’s treatment of rabbits. I had to stop frequently to
wipe my tears as I learned about
their unhappy lives. The USDA
doesn’t classify rabbits as
“livestock” so they don’t fall under the protection of the Humane
Slaughter Act. Humane slaughter
centers on the idea that animals
should be unconscious and unable
to respond to fear and pain, usually by stunning. Without this
protection rabbits are allowed to
be live tortured in death. Even
when processors try to stun rabbits by breaking their necks, they
remain conscious for thirteen seconds. Many processors hang rabbits upside down with hooks
through their hind legs and cut
their throats while conscious during those thirteen seconds. Other
processors may smash the rabbits’ heads with pipes.
Before “meat” rabbits meet
their horrifying death, American
breeders typically keep six young
energetic rabbits in a cage that is
twenty-four inches by thirty
inches, no room to romp and run.
There is a photo of rabbits in a
German facility so crammed into
cages that their legs hang out
through the wires. Rabbit breeding facilities often house hundreds of rabbits, similar to the
battery cage operations for laying
hens. They suffer health problems
and injuries due to the stressful
conditions.
Luckily humans now make
great synthetic materials so it is
not so common to raise rabbits
for fur. Unfortunately, rabbits
continue to be exploited extensively for experiments with cosmetics, drugs, diseases, and other
nasty human things that don’t belong with rabbits.
I am first-paw familiar with
the pet rabbit industry, as it is
where I started my life. I was an
abused bunny, so badly mistreated that I learned to defend
myself by biting humans. I was
fortunate to land in a foster home
and then was adopted into a loving bunny-educated home. Sadly,
many others die from painful
abuse or neglect. Many humans
view bunnies as cute pets, but
haven’t thought of the responsibilities. Often children receive a
bunny for Easter, but quickly tire
of it. They should have been
given a stuffed toy bunny instead.
Bunnies are a multi-year commitment, and deserve at least the
thought and dedication given a
cat or dog. The plight of the typical pet bunny is brought to light.
Overall I highly recommend
this wonderful book on rabbit history. It is enlightening for people
and rabbit-people. However, one
would not want to read it all in
one sitting. Eat a carrot, read a
chapter, then go frolic!
Francie Lapin is a beautiful fiveyear-old rabbit resembling the
classic white Easter bunny. After
a rough life as a baby bunny, she
was adopted by bunnymom,
Anne Dinshah. They live happily
at Bunnyside, a cozy home near
Erie PA where Francie and her
boyfriend Tucker have the run of
the house. When not reviewing
books for American Vegan, Francie enjoys scampering the staircase, playing chase, napping on
a sunlit carpet, eating kale and
other greens, and thinking.
Stories Rabbits Tell
A Natural and Cultural History
of a Misunderstood Creature
by Susan E. Davis & Margo DeMello Pub. 2003, 358 pages,6x9”
soft cover $22. Order from AVS.
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 25
WARNING
The Surgeon General and the United States Department of Agriculture
have determined that eating beef can cause health problems, involves
cruelty to animals, and involves degradation of the environment.
What if fast food packaging
and supermarket packages bore
the above warning? In the world
of human bodies, animals, and
ecological reality–as opposed to
the meatrix world of politics and
"economic reality"–the evidence
is in. We know enough to warrant
using the above label.
In regard to beef, the present
atmosphere in the United States is
remarkably similar to the situation just prior to the passage of
laws requiring warning labels on
tobacco products. The tobacco
companies denied the evidence
until they began to appear foolish.
Much was at stake: billion dollar
businesses which employed a
huge work force would be in
jeopardy. We had economic reasons for not wanting to believe
that tobacco company claims
were a "pack" of lies. But the tide
turned, and in California we even
have a law prohibiting smoking
in all public buildings. My cynical friends were in shock. They
didn't think that we could protect
people from huge corporations.
Time now to protect people,
animals and nature from the gigantic corporations that profit
from a product which involves a
much wider range of hazards.
Beef production and consumption
is not just a health hazard for humans. The feedlot method of producing beef in the United States
is cruel, and the environmental
damages are manifold.
Gene Sager
The human health issues are
now fairly well known: the
American Medical Association
and other mainstream sources
have informed us of the way beef
is linked to heart disease, cancer,
and obesity. Less well known is
life in the feedlot. A feedlot is a
barren, relatively small, fenced
area where cattle are fattened for
market. The crowding suppresses
the instincts of the animals (no
grazing, no breeding, no nursing,
etc.). The "terrain" is just dirt,
excrement, and urine. Crowded
animals must be fed antibiotics
regularly; disease spreads rapidly
in such close quarters. This is the
grim reality of factory farming.
Some Americans are aware
that grain-fed beef production is
at least 10 times less efficient
than human consumption of soy
and grains as a source of protein.
Beef production is so inefficient
that it takes ten fields of grain to
produce one pound of protein
from grain-fed beef, whereas if
we eat the grain instead of feeding it to cattle, one field is sufficient to produce a pound of protein. What people don't realize is
that this 10 to 1 ratio results in
incredible waste and pollution.
To produce beef, we need 10
times more land, 10 times more
water, 10 times more pesticides,
and 10 times more fuel to run
tractors to work the fields, result-
26 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
ing in 10 times more pollution
from fossil fuels. The cutting of
rain forests to produce grain and
beef is a part of the story that the
media has brought to our attention.
Just as the tobacco companies
denied the facts, the American
Cattlemen's Association and the
beefpackers are attempting to
deny the realities, or at least play
them down. They would like to
keep us in the "meatrix." But the
facts are against them, and on
three counts: human health, animal cruelty, and environmental
concerns. Any one of the three
would be sufficient to alert us to
the dangers; all three together
constitute cause for alarm and
cause for warnings to the public.
Gene Sager, Palomar College
San Marcos, California
VEGAN BABY
Welcome to Wilson Geiger, born
March 4 2004 at Bryn Mawr
Hospital, weighing in at 8 lbs. 3 oz.
His parents, Allison and Scott
Geiger of Dresher Pennsylvania, are
AVS members, and coordinators of
Philly Club Veg.
CONSUMER NEWS:
Made of soft,
breathable
simulated
leather uppers
and linings. Adjustable hook
Melissa
and loop straps
at the forefoot and ankle, and a
giving elasticized heel band.
Hand-sewn cobblers stitch construction with multi-density cushioned footbed, natural latex rubber
sole and KALSO® Negative
Heel™
Technology. Black
or sandstone
brown.
(UK) Vegan Society certified components & construction. Many
styles of
Vegan casuals for men and
women.
Earth Vegan Footwear
*New line of vegan shoes*
151 Newton St
Waltham MA 02453
(877) 746-3364
www.earthvegan.us
Commercial products today
are often advertised as
"wholesome", "natural", or
"cruelty-free", with no clear
standard of what is really
meant. Some firms don't see
insects as animal; products using lanolin (wool fat) or fish
parts are sometimes sold as
"non-animal". We are pleased
to list some mail-order catalogs
and websites you’ll find helpful, selling vegan clothing,
shoes, cosmetics, toiletries, etc.
For a list of 200+ ingredients
commonly used in foods, cosmetics, etc., see
VEGANISM: Getting Started
(AVS/Ahimsa publication).
Sources of Non-Animal Items
Amberwood
Route 2 Box 300, Milford Road
Leary GA 31762 (912) 792-6246
Laundry/household cleaning products, toiletries/cosmetics, women's
quality belts/bags/wallets.
Beauty Without Cruelty (USA)
175 West 12th Street
New York NY 10011
Lists items non-animal-tested, and
non-animal products. List, info: $5
Different Daisy Webstore
Christi Wymer
10766 State Route 139
Minford OH 45653
www.DifferentDaisy.com
Supplements, apparel, cosmetics,
body care, household cleaners, first
aid, + info, recipes, events, & more.
Working Vegan Network.
Heartland Products Ltd.
Box 218
Dakota City IA 50529
(515) 332-3087, (800)-441-4692
www.trvnet.net/~hrtlndp
Men’s/women’s footwear:
safety, athletic, hiking, dress; also,
luggage, belts, baseball gloves.
moo shoes: alternatives to leather
207 East 26th Street
New York NY 10010
(212) 481-5792
www.mooshoes.com
Non-leather shoes and accessories.
Pangea
2381 Lewis Avenue
Rockville MD 20851
(800)-340-1200
www.veganstore.com
Toiletries, shoes, T-shirts, clothing,
bags, food items, dog food, etc.
soles of the earth
Roger Romanelli
2046 West Charleston Sreet.
Chicago IL 60647
(773) 252-SOLE (7653)
[email protected]
Footwear and accessories.
Veg Essentials
7722 W. Menomonee River Pkwy.
Wauwatosa WI 53213
Ph/Fax: (414) 607-1953
(866) 88VEGAN (888-3426)
www.veganessentials.com
Soap; bath, body, dental-care items;
cosmetics; flavorings, and sweets.
The Vegetarian Site
David Sudarsky
PO Box 64956
Tucson AZ 85728
www.thevegetariansite.com
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
►Vegans generally obtain vitamins
and minerals in natural foods rather
than extracts or supplements.
(See Do You Need Vitamin Supplements? article by Dr. Agatha Thrash,
from AVS.)
Freeda Vitamins, Inc.
36 East 41st Street
New York NY 10017
(800) 777-3737
www.freedavitamins.com
Non-animal supplements.
Pioneer Nutritional
Formulas, Inc.
304 Shelburne Center Road
Shelburne Falls MA 01370
(800) 458-8483 orders
(413) 625-8212
www.pioneernutritional.com
Some Pioneer Formulas have Vegan
Action’s seal of approval.
Prescription 2000:
3301 Arden Way, Suite 2
Sacramento CA 95825
(916) 483-1020
(877) DO-VEGAN (368-3426)
www.prescription2000.com
NOT A SUPPLEMENT BUT A
COMPLETE MEAL
The Ultimate Life
Box 4308
Santa Barbara CA 93140
(800) THE MEAL (843-6325)
www.ultimatelife.com
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 27
VEGFAM
Feeds the hungry without
exploiting animals
VEGFAM
The Sanctuary, Lydford,
Nr. Okehampton
Devon EX20 4AL, UK
Checks to American Vegan Soc.,
marked for overseas relief will be
forwarded in £s
VEGFAM PROJECTS, 2002 & 2003
AFGHANISTAN: Water for villages and vegetable
gardens. IRAQ: Water. KENYA: Upgrading shallow
water wells. MALAWI Dedza: Seeds (corn, beans,
vegetables, white & sweet potatoes, and cassava).
Mzimba: Emergency feeding, garden tools, water,
seeds (soybeans, sunflower, corn, peanuts, phaseolous
beans), and support for veganic farming initiative.
SOUTH AFRICA: Seeds for planting (droughttolerant traditional local varieties of grains and legumes), tools SUDAN: seeds for planting.
Compassionate people will end their support of
animal exploitation when they realize the suffering a
non-vegan lifestyle causes.
VEGAN OUTREACH seeks to engage those peo●CONSULTING SERVICE ●DEMO GARDENS
ple through the widespread distribution of its illustrated
●COOKING DEMOS
booklets, Why Vegan? & Vegetarian Living.
INSTITUTE for
PLANT BASED NUTRITION.
JIM & DOROTHY OSWALD, COFOUNDERS
333 Bryn Mawr Ave, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
Phone: (610) 667-6876, Fax: (610) 667-1501,
web: www.plantbased.org
Dairy Products are not necessary.
Plant Foods are Healthier
The Vegan Society was formed in England
in 1944 by a group of vegetarians who recognized the ethical compromises implicit in
dairy vegetarianism.
Vegans can help you live a full, healthy
life free from any dependence on the factory
farm, veal calf unit, and slaughterhouse.
For free information, Outside England
please include an International Reply Coupon (available from your local post office).
The Vegan Society
Donald Watson House
7 Battle Road
St Leonards-on-Sea
E Sussex TN37 7aa
ENGLAND
28 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
VEGAN OUTREACH
211 Indian Dr. Pittsburgh, PA 15238-1222
www.veganoutreach.org
GO VEGAN Radio
with Bob Linden is a one-hour weekly syndicated
radio show heard on Sundays at 1 pm Pacific Time
in Los Angeles on HOT TALK AM–830 KPLS,
and 6 pm in San Francisco on owned and operated
CBS/Infinity’s KYCY – 1550 AM.
BIG NEWS: 9 radio stations “GO VEGAN”…
Along with LA & SF above, now we're on WBPS890 Boston Sunday 7PM-Eastern, WRMN-1410
Chicago Wednesday 3PM-Central, KSHP-1400 Las
Vegas Monday 10PM-Pacific, KLMO-1060 Boulder-Denver Sunday 8PM-Mt, KSKE-610 AspenBreckinridge-Vail Sunday 8PM-Mt, KWYD-1580
Colo Springs Sunday 8PM-Mt, KDMN-1450 Buena
Vista CO Sunday 8PM-Mt Archived for worldwide
replay at www.GoVeganRadio.com.
Go Vegan has been on the air over 2 years now
at a cost of $2000 each week for radio and network
airtime. Donations are being sought by this registered nonprofit to keep the show going. Make
checks payable to Go Vegan/SEE, and mail to
Bob Linden/SEE, PO Box 220025
Newhall CA 91322. Ph: (818) 623-6477
VIP page
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 29
CONFERENCE CALENDAR
WASHINGTON DC
Animal Rights 2004 National Conference, July 8 to 12 2004, Washington DC. The Sheraton,
Tyson’s Corner VA. Farm Animal Reform Movement www.AR2004.org, (888) FARM-USA (327-6872)
PENNSYLVANIA
Vegetarian Summerfest, Wed. July 21 to Sun. 25 2004 at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown PA
This event marks the 30th anniversary of the North American Vegetarian Society and their 30th conference.
PO Box 72, Dolgeville NY 13329. Phone (518) 568-7970 Web: www.navs-online.org
FLORIDA
NHA Conference July 22 to 26 at Regency House Natural Health Spa, 2000 South Ocean Drive,
Hallandale FL. Drs Burton, Fuhrman, Goldhamer, Sabatino, Scott, Sidhwa + Novick, Nowakowski. To
register call (800) 454-0003 or (954) 454-2220. National Health Assn, PO Box 30630, Tampa FL 33630
NEW YORK
Living Now Festival (Raw Foods Camp), July 29 thru August 1 2004, at Great Blue Heron Campground 2361 Waits Corners Rd. Panama, NY 14767. Info: Green Sun,12060 Townsend Rd., Springville
NY 14141. Phone: (716) 592-7547, (888) 902-9619. Web: www.greensunhealing.com
NORTH CAROLINA
EMPTY CAGES, 19th Annual Compassionate Living Festival Friday October 1 to Sunday October 3, Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center, Research Triangle Park NC. Details from
The Institute for Animals and Society, 3500 Boston St, Ste 325, Baltimore MD 21224.
Phone: (410) 675-4566. Web; www.animalsandsociety.org
BRAZIL
36th World Vegetarian Congress November 8-15 2004. Costão de Santinho Resort & Spa in
Florianópolis, Brazil. Details from the International Vegetarian Union at www.ivu.org/congress/2004 or
from Marly Winckler, Servidão do Nilton, 412 Praia de Cacupé, 88050-170 Florianópolis SC Brazil;
Phone: 0055 48 2351609 E-mail: [email protected]
“Fashion with a conscience – the new chic”
is hitting the headlines in the Brazilian media. The January issue of MTV magazine published a fashion article
featuring creations by designers and labels associated with the aims of the campaign.
The creators of this new campaign, Danielle Ferraz and Priscila Leite, recently visited Florianópolis to seal a
partnership with the University Fashion School to promote the first cruelty-free Veg Fashion show. The show will
take place in November 2004 during the World Vegetarian Congress at Costao do Santinho . All “looks” will be in
accordance with a concept of fashion which promotes the well-being of people and animals as well as conservation of natural resources – a concept which includes clothing made from natural fibers and recycled materials, and
without the use of leather, fur or other animal products.
One section of the show will be organized by the Fashion School of Santa Catarina State University (UDESC).
Another section will be organized by Treetap®, a company that produces synthetic leather from vegetable material. Treetap is a fabric rubberized with natural latex, vulcanized by an exclusive technological process, and especially developed for the wild seringals (rubber plant forests) of Amazonia. Production of Treetap is a sustainable
economic alternative for the rubber tapper populations, helping to preserve their traditional cultures and the biodiversity of the Indian Lands and Extraction Reserves.
Verdurada
Verdurada is a traditional show of bands — normally hardcore-punk-straightedge — in which there are also
speeches on vegetarianism and veganism, politics and workshops, debates, exposition of videos and art. During
the 36th World Vegetarian Congress there will be a Verdurada with at least 8 bands. At the end of the show free
vegan food is distributed.
30 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
Your Address Label
shows above your name the year
at the end of which your membership expires. If you are a Life
member, you will see “Life”. If you
have inquired but not yet joined
“Inq” appears above your name.
VEGAN HEALTH STUDY
Vegans, vegetarians, and supporters are asked to participate in nutrition
research investigating the long-term effects of vegan diets. Michael Klaper, MD
is directing the Study which is designed to develop guidelines to help those following vegan and vegetarian diets to do so with optimum benefit to their health.
You can take part in this study in any or all of the following ways:
1. Complete the questionnaire survey and follow-up reports–online or by mail..
2. Provide blood and urine samples for laboratory testing (fee required).
(Includes 1-hour telephone consultation with Dr. Klaper to interpret lab results.).
3. Be a sponsor or benefactor–donate tax-deductible funding for the study.
DEFINITIONS
VEGAN: Uses no animal-source
food or clothing.
TOTAL VEGETARIAN: Uses
no animal-source food, vegan in diet
only; still using some animal items
such as leather, wool.
VEGETARIAN: Uses no flesh,
fish, fowl (products of slaughter),
For further information, and to enroll online, visit:
www.veganhealthstudy.org
To request a printed questionnaire, write:
Vegan Health Study
c/o Institute of Nutrition Education & Research
1601 N Sepulveda Blvd #342
Manhattan Beach CA 90266
AMERICAN VEGAN SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP
BASIC MEMBERSHIP is open to all: vegan, vegetarian, or non-vegetarian.
ADVANCED Membership (voting, office holding) is open to vegans practicing Ahimsa (send for application form).
MEMBERSHIP/SUBSCRIPTION is $20 per calendar year (or 4 issues). ($10 student/low-income within U.S.A). Join
before midyear, receive back issues from Spring Issue or join later and you’re on to end of next year. Use form below,
copy, or just write information. Pay by check/money order/credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express).
LIFE MEMBERSHIP IS $200; Life Patron $500 or more; Life Benefactor $1000 or more. Each type includes lifetime
(your or AVS, as the case may be) American Vegan subscription. Each type payable at one time or in installments, normally completed within two years.
IRS REGULATIONS permit tax-deductibility for all actual contributions (including Life Membership donation beyond
the first $100—due to the value of the lifetime American Vegan subscription).
FEES paid for annual membership, or books, tapes, conventions, etc. are paid for value received so are not tax-deductible
according to IRS regulations.
CANADA: Please remit in $U.S. only, by International Postal Money Order, or Bank Cashier’s Draft on account in a
U.S.A. bank. Or use credit card. OVERSEAS: $20 sea mail; $25 air mail. As above; or United Kingdom personal check
in ₤ Sterling at current exchange rate.
American Vegan
Together we explore and apply compassionate
living concepts, and reflect on the beauty of life.
We learn
How to save the animals
How to revere the Earth
How to care for ourselves
Ethics●Food●Clothes, & more
People follow a vegan lifestyle for ethical reasons, for
health, for the environment.
A vegan diet is an adventure in taste offering an amazing
variety to please the palate. Vegetables, grains, fruits and legumes are the basics from which delicious meals are made.
Foods from plants best provide for all people in the world.
Vegans exclude flesh, fish, fowl, dairy products, eggs,
honey, animal broths and gelatin, and other items of animal
origin.
Vegans dress with care; fashion with compassion is the
style. We do not use leather, wool, fur, or silk, and choose
animal-free soaps, toiletries, and consumer products.
Learn to live in harmony, creating a better world for all.
Subscribe to American Vegan
A-V 4-1
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Check or credit card accepted ….New subs. …Renewal
Send with name and mail address to:
American Vegan Society
PO Box 369 Malaga NJ 08328
Phone : (856) 694-2887 Fax: (856) 694-2288
www.americanvegan.org
American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004 31
STORIES RABBITS TELL!
American Vegan
Published quarterly by
The American Vegan Society
A NONPROFIT EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION
56 Dinshah Lane P.O. Box 369
Malaga, NJ 08328-0908
Phone: (856) 694-2887 Fax: (856) 694-2288
www.americanvegan.org
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
32 American Vegan 4-1, SPRING 2004
Book review inside, page 25.
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