I make my world with my thoughts....

Across Canada, the recent outbreak of listeriosis has prompted a massive recall of hundreds of brand name prepared meats. Last evening during the 6 o'clock news the business editor suggested that this fiasco may mean the end of the huge Maple Leaf Foods due to the potential civil lawsuits which could amount to billions of dollars. And let me not forget that at current count, 14 people in Canada have died from eating contaminated products. This count will no doubt rise as the incubation period for the bacteria once consumed is 70 days (that is...symptoms can take as long as 70 days to manifest after consumption of tainted product).

For a brief moment I felt triumphant jubilation. Yes, bring Maple Leaf to it's knees - one less slaughterhouse. OK so this was not one of my more mindful, compassionate moments....the bankruptcy of Maple Leaf Foods would have far reaching effects financially not only for it's employees, but it's customers and suppliers. (This would include my former employer who sold to peripheral business' in the huge circle of this particular meat processing plant.) Therefore much suffering would ensue from the loss of jobs. The CEO of Maple Leaf has accepted full responsibility for the contamination and offered a sincere apology to those suffering with the ill effects and to the families of those individuals who succumbed to the infection.

I also discovered in my research that listeriosis can come from not only contaminated uncooked meat but also dairy products (soft cheeses) and vegetables. Obviously we must all be vigilant in our handling and preparation of all foods to avoid any kind of contamination. Unfortunately, in this outbreak the bacteria found it's way into the product after it was cooked and processed, i.e. in the packaging section of the line.

But back to my earlier stance, albeit a smug one. Most likely if the huge Maple Leaf falls, someone else will come in to fill the spot. So no, I don't believe that the demise of one meat processor will slow down or eliminate a portion of the suffering involved in the slaughter of millions of animals that are off-loaded regularly at Maple Leaf's guarded warehouses.

However, I believe more and more passionately that my thoughts affect and create the world I live in. Hence, I choose to water a seed of hope (borrowing words from Thich Nhat Hahn) my hope, that this world, this planet will come to be one where the human population does not eat animal flesh, does not exploit animals in research, entertainment or personal pleasure.

I think I am not the only one who nourishes this hope. Regardless, people, especially my fellow-Canadians, must be giving some thought to the meat they are throwing in their shopping carts.

On a lighter note (but still deadly serious), a friend forwarded this interesting link: a blog on the London (UK) publication, Daily Telegraph. I quite enjoyed the read - established facts presented with dry wit!

Rice and Beans

This is another quick to assemble, nourishing dish: Caribbean Beans & Rice.
I typically use the following ingredients: 1 onion, 2-3 cloves minced garlic, 1 stalk celery (diced), 1 carrot (diced), 1 red pepper (diced), 1 large can stewed, diced tomatoes + an equal amount water, 1 large can beans (black or your choice) drained, 1 can corn drained, 1 cup rice, dried hot red peppers (a few pieces), Tabasco sauce, Turmeric 1 tsp, vegetarian chicken soup base powder 1 tbsp.
Fry the onion & garlic & celery & red pepper in a small amount of oil (until onion translucent). Add spices and veg'n chicken soup base powder. Add rice and keep frying a few minutes. Gradually add the remaining ingredients. Bring the pot up to almost a boil, then turn down to simmer for 30 minutes or so. The liquid should absorb nicely during this time, leaving a fluffy mixture of rice, beans and vegetables. (This is one dish I completely eye-ball as I have made it so many times, but just a reminder, when using rice....the equation is 2 (liquid) to 1 (rice)...hence 1 cup rice needs 2 cups fluid, in this case the fluid from the tomatoes + extra water.)

Of course, now I need to go downstairs and check my pot to see if my "eye" was accurate enough tonight?

(Rice & Beans was recommended, in times past, as a 'complete protein' for those choosing a vegetarian diet. However, current research now says it is not necessary to combine foods at a single meal to get all the amino acids . As long as you are eating a balanced, varied food diet, you should obtain ample amounts of protein.
You will also notice I have used Turmeric; this is one of those spices that has great health benefits (anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory), hence I look for opportunities to add it to my daily intake. More about Turmeric on future posts.)

In-store dietitian, Veggie Table & Affinity Buffet

FYI: In-store dietitian service available at Main Street West (Hamilton) Drugstore (inside the Fortinos). Call 1-877-637-8589 for register for a one hour free consultation.
(I have been told that the RD is knowledgeable in specific requirements for vegans and vegetarians.)


Omni Television runs a vegetarian cooking show on Sundays at 4:30 called VEGGIE TABLE. The recipe for the "jambalaya" pictured in the side bar was taken from this show (slightly altered from their version). Good show - very realistic. This afternoon, the chef accidentally dumped in too much pepper because the lid on the shaker was loose. Oops....she quickly laughed it off and scooped / scraped out the pile. Any producer who would leave that blooper in really understands kitchen dynamics!


REVIEW OF NEW BUFFET @ Affinity Vegetarian Restaurant
(John Street, Hamilton)
D E L I C I O U S ! ! !
Visited Affinity on Friday for lunch with my son. The owners have put together a small but ample selection of their wonderful dishes plus two large urns of soup. Unfortunately, we missed the soup and started at the buffet table. Once we ate the various samples of the varied dishes we went back to have just a bit more of what we particularly loved. (Hence no room for soup!). My favourites were the battered eggplant which was browned in a thick savoury sauce, and a seitan, carrot & white radish stew. We rounded out our lunch with a pot of Roiboos tea in the most charming small tea cups with saucers. Service as usual was friendly - I love this place! Buffet is $8.99 per person and pot of tea was $5.99.

Carrot & Beetroot Salad

From the GI (Glycemic Index) blogspot dated February 1, 2008

Researchers from the Health Science Centre at Jikei University in Tokyo , studying 18,000 subjects came up with the following easy to remember 1 - 2 -3 grid to help people change unhealthy patterns into health promoting habits. Incorporating all 3 steps into your lifestyle will result in lower measures of "metabolic syndrome" (high blood pressure, high blood glucose and blood fats, abdominal obesity).

NONE OF - 1 - SMOKING


LESS OF - 2 - FOOD & ALCOHOL


MORE OF - 3 - EXERCISE, REST AND ENJOYABLE ACTIVITIES.


Simple? Yes. Nothing we didn't already know? True.

Turns out though that a number of us have a hard time following these guidelines even knowing the obvious - that we are going to feel and be much healthier.



From the same newsletter, I decided to try the Carrot and Beetroot Salad. Who knew that a beet (uncooked) is basically a bulbous carrot? I always assumed you had to cook and pickle beets to enjoy them. Curious? Try this recipe; even my husband who is not a huge fan of salads, enjoyed it. We were both surprised by how satisfying this combination was - crunchiness, sweet & sour , colourful - eaten with chopsticks, we actually savoured the taste and texture! A nice change from the usual sit down, eat, get up and leave the kitchen, all within 5 minutes maximum (regardless of how much time one took to prepare the actual meal!).

I adjusted the dressing to my taste by adding some ginger jam (about 1 tablespoon).

2 cups salad greens, 1 crisp green apple, chopped, 2 medium carrots, grated, 1 medium beet, peeled and grated, 2 oz. almonds roughly chopped.

2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil (you can use the lemon juice to coat the apple slices - but I combined both and then added the ginger jam as I felt the taste was too sour).

Layer serving dish with greens. Mix all other ingredients and pour dressing over. Toss and pile over the salad greens. (Pictured at right under caption "For dinner tonight...").

I don't eat this way for my health...

Call me a Pavlovian dog, but when I see a quiz, specifically ones with 10 questions or even better - 5, I am compelled to read on. My obsession must be abating. I find now, that instead of gathering the equipment needed to "take a quiz" (paper, pencil, selecting a place where I will not be disturbed) I peruse the items, with contained glee, not even bothering to sit down, reading & tallying points in my head. No mean feat, considering I am mathematically challenged!

Yesterday morning, was a perfect example. You may have noticed, if you live locally, the "Will you live to 100?" article in yesterday's Spectator. Only 5 questions. Perfect. True or False (idiot proof). It was the last one, #5, that was the clincher. You'll see why.

1. The thinner you are the longer you'll probably live (T or F).
2. Sleeping at least 8 hrs a night can add years to your life. (T or F)
3. Early retirement will protect you from life-shortening job stress. (T or F)
4. People who eat candy live longer than those who don't. (T or F)
5. Giving up meat and animal protein will increase your lifespan. (T or F)

So you can see by my high-lighted T's and F's which were the correct choices. Anyone could have passed this quiz with flying colours. Even me. They were trick questions - I was surprised by a couple of the explanations.

(1) I knew that a few extra pounds on our frames as we age is a good thing, particularly for women.
(2)I did not know that 5-7 hours of sleep was optimal (hell....some nights seem like I'm awake for 5-7 hours!!) but yes, I did know that excessive sleeping was a symptom of depression. I wouldn't call an 8 hr sleep during the night excessive nor indication of depression.
(3) Enjoy your work and you won't want to retire. The study indicated that people who retired at 65 outlive those who retired at 55. (Dam... that was my magic number.)
(4) People who indulged in a few sweet treats during the month lived on average 11 months longer (this brought to mind all kinds of amusing scenarios). As we all know, in particular dark chocolate, with it's good for the heart properties is a favourite. (Mmmmm...I keep a Cocamino Dark Chocolate bar in my desk at work and have 2 squares every day. I don't know about my heart, but my mouth says it is good.)
(5) and finally....guess who lived the shortest? Vegans. According to a German study, the moderate vegetarians (what's a moderate vegetarian?) had the longest lifespan. (But could this be offset by those 11 months in (4) above by indulging in more candy?)

The quiz was reprinted from an article published by Rodale Press, written by Amanda MacMillan. What was not provided were the sources. Amanda only included rather vague references such as "Harvard study" and "German study". I don't know who funded the studies either.

I leave you with a quote from for a "Future to be Possible" by Thich Nhat Hahn (page 107):

Some vegetarians are too extreme, and are unkind to those who cannot give up meat-eating. I am more comfortable with a meat-eater than an extremist vegetarian who is filled with self-righteousness. (as said by Sister Chan Khong).

Ouch....that hit a nerve... just a bit.

Depression & Essential Fatty Acids

The Todo Institute Newsletter (current issue) contained contained an interesting piece about depression and Omega 3 and 6 in the diet. We have all heard about EFA's or essential fatty acids, and in particular Omega 3 and Omega 6. EFA's cannot be produced by the body, hence we need to ingest them from our food choices. The recommended ratio by dietitians is 1:3 (Omega 3 to Omega 6). The typical diet in this part of the world is the reverse, 15:1 (Omega 6 to Omega 3). Apparently, this is to due to our consumption of meat, animal products and common cooking oils.


And what does all of this have to do with depression you might ask? The writer continues, referring to the April 07 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, that researchers looked at people whose diets were high in the Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio and found that these people manifested more depressive moods. These scientists felt that diet does have an effect on the body and even more so, for people living with depression.


You will often read that eating fish is a sure way to make sure you are getting proper EFA's, but here is an interesting point made by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine . The Omega 3 found in fish oil is not as stable as the Omega 3 found in plant sources. Fish oils tend to decompose and in doing so can release those dreaded "free radicals".

If you are following a vegan or vegetarian pyramid here are some sources of both Omega 6 and Omega 3:

OMEGA 3: flax seed (contains twice the amount found in fish oil); mustard seeds, pumpkin seeds, soya beans, walnut oil, green leafy vegetables, grains, spirulina, flax seed oil (or linseed oil) canola oil, soya oil

OMEGA 6: vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, hemp seed, safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, soya oil

One of my favourite sources is hemp seed hearts which I sprinkle on my cereal in the morning. I also use ground flax seed as well. Fortino's sells Manitoba Harvest Hemp Oil and Seeds. My son has also purchased hemp hearts in bulk at the Horn of Plenty in Dundas

If you are interested in reading the in depth details, click on the highlight links above.
I'm repeating myself here, but I highly recommend the PCRM website for interesting and useful information about a plant based diet.