Vegetarian Information

Have you heard about the big milk controversy? Outspoken spokesperson for The Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation, Heather Mills McCartney (soon to be x-wife of singer Paul McCartney) is bringing the dangers of modern milk to attention of the press.

"As Heather Mills McCartney speaks out about the health problems associated with dairy products, physicians and nutritionists with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) are urging U.K. consumers to try an experiment: Eliminate milk and other dairy products from their diet for three weeks to experience firsthand the health benefits of a dairy-free diet," according to a PR Newswire release.

Although I don’t agree with a lot of what Heather Mills McCartney believes, I do agree with the the facts. Homogenized pasteurized milk causes many health problems. Despite the fact that the dairy industry, with their money and power, want you to think otherwise.

The problem isn’t with milk. Dairy products have been a major part of many cultures’ diets for thousands of years. Many people and races throughout history have lived almost solely on milk and dairy products, and have been extremely healthy for it. But the dairy products we have in our grocery stores now are very different than the dairy products consumed by people in the past.

The problem today is how we get our dairy products and how they are processed. Modern dairy cows are exposed to hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides, and fed a diet of high-protein soy and grain based feed instead of traditional grass feeding methods.

And then the milk they produce is homogenized, which alters the organic structure so the cream will blend into the milk. Unfortunately the new smaller fat particles don’t work well in our bodies, and can get into the blood stream. There is a very high correlation between countries that drink homogenized milk and the rise of atherosclerosis.

Pasteurizing milk is heating it until it is a dead food with little or no benefit to us. It is robbed of its enzymes and many of its vitamins. Today’s milk is know to cause allergic reactions in many individuals, because of the lack of enzymes needed to process the milk in our bodies. Enzymes are killed when they are heated to temperatures over 120 degrees F.

The modern milk produced now is something highly processed and unnatural. If that isn’t enough, when they make 1% and 2% milk, they add non-fat dried milk to these products to lower the fat percentage. Non-fat dried milk is ultra-processed, which oxidizes the cholesterol. Rancid (oxidized) cholesterol and fats are also what promote heart disease. Dried milk contains a very high nitrite content as well.

You will be hearing more and more about the dangers of modern milk. If you want safe healthy milk, try organic, raw milk from grass fed cows. Raw milk still has all its nutrients and enzymes, and many people have found it helpful for allergies, asthma problems and other health conditions. To find a source of raw milk near you go to http://www.realmilk.com

My challenge to you is instead of eliminating milk products for three weeks, switch to organic raw milk products for three weeks. Once you try it, and experience the benefits and taste for yourself, you won’t go back to the imitation grocery store stuff! For more information on the benefits and safety of raw milk visit the site at http://www.realmilk.com

By Dianne Ronnow © 2006 Mohave Publishing. All rights reserved.

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This article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and this resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

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After turning down a hamburger and explaining their vegetarianism, many vegetarians are asked, “So do you wear leather?” This is a valid question. Many vegetarians often ask themselves, “How can I continue to wear leather if I am refusing to eat animals?” There are several solutions to this problem. Many vegetarians decide to give up leather, just like they gave up meat.

Linking leather to the meat industry is easy to do, considering the fact that cowhide is the most common hide used to make leather products. The Leather Industries of America trade association says that very few animals in the United States are raised specifically so that their hides can be used in leather products.

But cows are only one of the animals whose hides are used for coats, shoes, wallets, belts, etc. Other leather products are made of sheep, pig, horse and deer. Some “exotic” products even use alligator, snake or seal skin.

Many vegetarians who choose to forgo leather wonder what they should do with all of the leather that they currently own. There is no single answer to this question. Some decide to slowly phase out leather products, either donating them to charity or giving them to friends who wear leather (throwing away leather is not a good bet, since most leather is not biodegradable due to the tanning process). Other vegetarians will continue to wear their leather products but refuse to buy new ones.

A reasonable concern is whether synthetic leather products made of petroleum are better for the environment than chemically-tanned leather products. Both products do a degree of damage to the environment. Some people who opt for synthetic products argue that by avoiding leather, people are at least helping to alleviate some animal cruelty.

Some vegetarians give up synthetic leather-like products altogether either because of the ecological damage or because they do not wish to give the impression that leather is ethically permissible. Leather alternatives for these people may include cotton, hemp, or reused rubber. On the other hand, some vegetarians argue that by wearing synthetic leather products, they are showing people that there is a way to achieve the look they like without resorting to the mistreatment of animals.

Many companies who sell leather clothes products also sell synthetic clothes products due to their lower production costs. Although these companies do not have ethical motives for selling non-leather goods, customers who buy their non-leather products are arguably making a statement that they demand non-leather products over leather ones.

Those people concerned about the materials used to make certain clothes products should contact the companies who make them and ask, although unfortunately in some cases company representatives are uninformed about the contents of their companies’ clothes products.

There are also companies whose primary motive for selling non-leather products is their concern for the earth and animals’ wellbeing. Such companies include VeganEssentials and MooShoes. These companies, among others, have their own vegan mail order catalogs. In the case of VeganEssentials and MooShoes, customers need not worry about whether their products contain leather, since all of the products are vegan.

Michael Russell
Your Independent Vegetarian guide.

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Makes 2 servings in 45 minutes
VEGETABLES / Asian (India) / Side Dish / Stove / No marinating

Much of the Indian population is vegetarian, and they enjoy the most extensive vegetable dishes in the world.
This is not only because of the predominant Hindu religion with its respect for all living creatures.
Also feeding 1 billion Indian people nowadays can be done much more efficiently by growing vegetables in stead of animals.
Last but not least: when a refrigerator is not available, it is much easier to use up small portions of vegetables, in stead of having to slaughter and store 1 big animal.

For vegetarian dishes, you will notice that each Indian region has distinct cooking techniques and flavoring principles to prepare them.

You have probably also noticed that there are many, many “curry”-recipes. Actually “Kari” is the Tamil (one of the many languages spoken in India) translation for the English word “sauce”. And “curry” is the western way of pronouncing this word.

Before coming to Malaysia, my simple western recipe for using chick peas was to add them in thick soups… Since Malaysia is the melting pot of all Asian cuisines, I notice that there are as much chick pea curry recipes as that there are people here.

Here is one of them: a home-cooked chick pea curry recipe from my Indian friend Ssussi. She uses a lot of fresh ingredients and her recipe takes a bit more of your time than expected for such a simple yet delicious dish.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 can of chick peas (15 1/2 Oz; 439 gr)
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
* 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
* 1 green chilly, finely chopped
* 2 medium well ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped
* 1 tablespoon fresh coriander chopped
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 10 g vegetable oil

* Spices:
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tea spoon “garam masala”
- salt to taste

PREPARATION

1. Drain chick peas, reserving the liquid.

2. Cook the onions, ginger garlic, chilies and turmeric in the vegetable oil until golden and softened.

3. Add the tomatoes and cook to soften, then add the ground coriander and chick peas.

4. Cook for 10 minutes, add the reserved liquid and cook a further 10 minutes.

5. Add “garam masala”, lemon juice and stir in the fresh coriander. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes, adding more liquid, if needed, to make a sauce.

Serve with “naan bread”, “chapati” or as a side dish.

The Skinny Cook aka Stef Glassee, is a Belgian chef living in Malaysia : the melting pot of Asian cuisine.

Find more delicious home-tested recipes at : http://www.theskinnycook.com
Skinny Cooks’ Home-Recipes : Eurasian Cooking, Food and Tips!

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