1. VM's Special Event & Announcements

VM Retreat Prize!

One lucky attendee at the VM Retreat 2005 will win a free registration (over $100 value) for the North American Vegetarian Society's Summerfest 2006! This gift certificate is compliments of VegNews (visit www.vegnews.com to subscribe to this great magazine). You must attend our retreat to win, so sign-up today! Go to www.veggiesinmotion.org  then touch the VM Retreat banner.

VM's Second Retreat

"VegMichigan invites you to a weekend of fun and education! Join us for any part of August 26th, 27th and the 28th (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) for a wonderful time in Columbiaville (10 miles NW of Lapeer) at the Tibbits Nature Sanctuary and Land Stewardship Center. There will be food, classes, hikes, canoeing, games, camping, swimming, bonfire and more." Three mouth-watering vegan meals, starting with lunch on Saturday will be prepared for attendees. DUE TO LIMITED FACILITIES WE MUST CLOSE REGISTRATION AT THE FIRST 50 PRE-PAID PARTICIPANTS. Sign-up Now!

Saturday, August 13, anytime from 2-4 PM. We will meet in the parking lot of St. John’s Church (corner of Woodward and 11 Mile). Come out and show Detroit that we don't just eat green, we're green through and through!

What’s the Green Cruise? It’s a parade where people will be walking, canoeing, biking, running, rollerblading, hiking, swimming – pretty much any mode of transportation that doesn’t burn fossil fuels will be in the parade.

We’ll walk in a square up and down Woodward for close to two hours to bring attention to our cause. Then we will have a short rally at 4pm in St. John’s parking lot to celebrate our efforts! VM will be tabling at the event.

http://www.sierraclub.org/community/oakland 

3. Healing foods - You are what you eat

Food is an intricate part of our lives. It is a tradition and a celebration. Food is not only our energy for the day but also an important source of phytonutrients. The term phytonutrient or phytochemical refers to any plant-based substance that has demonstrated nutritional value in the human diet.

http://www.ashland-wi.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=5&story_id=204820 

Harvard psychiatrist Andrew Stoll (and other researchers since 1999) have studied omega-3s as a treatment for bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. "IN EVERY CASE, THE DATA HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE," Stoll says. http://www.tankdc.com/New_Folder/Vitamin%20Cure%20article.htm 
Thanks to Dan B.

Note from VM: Good vegetarian sources of omega-3’s include flaxseed and flaxseed oil, canola oil, soybean oil, soybeans, walnuts, walnut oil, and (especially) purslane. (See table for specific foods and amounts.) http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2001sep/2001sepomega3.htm 

 5. Experts Know – Drug Companies Buy Research and Medical Journals

As a practicing physician I do not know how to correctly prescribe medications. The reason for this is that the pharmaceutical companies have fashioned so much dishonest information about their products that common knowledge about them is utterly unreliable. As you will learn from reading the following article, even the most respected medical journals and the research they print are tainted beyond belief. After finishing this article you will further understand why my primary goal in your care is to get you out of the medical, surgical, and pharmaceutical businesses – and this can be done most effectively and safely by helping you regain your lost health. Sick people take drugs and visit doctors – healthy people don’t.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/june/050600richardsmith.htm 

6. Vegetarian women weigh less than meat-eaters

Women who eat little or no meat are less likely to be overweight than their more carnivorous peers, according to a new study. The findings, they point out, run counter to the current "fad" of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets. "Plant foods are generally high-carb," Newby said, "but they also contain a lot of fiber -- which helps you to feel full -- and they also have other nutrients that are important to overall health." Because these nutrients may help ward off heart disease and cancer, she noted, there are "lots of good reasons" besides weight control to eat a plant-based diet.

http://a.abcnews.com/Health/wireStory?id=879070

7. Acne Link To Milk

In Harvard research, teens that drank three-plus glasses of milk a day, especially skim milk, reported the worst acne. Outbreaks were 44% higher in skim milk drinkers than in non-milk drinkers. Possible reason: hormones in milk.

http://www.usaweekend.com/partners/mktgpromo/
050717articles/050717thinksmart.html 

8. Letters to the Editor

Vegan diet healthy, tasty

As a dietitian, I agree that adapting to a vegan diet is much easier than most people think. Many Americans are looking for a safe and effective way to lose weight and stay healthy, and a vegan diet offers just that.

A recent study showed that the acceptability of a low-fat, vegan diet is high. It found that participants on the vegan diet lost more weight and experienced increased energy more than those on a conventional low-fat diet.

That’s not surprising, since people on vegan diets tend to eat nutritious, high-fiber foods, which keep them feeling satiated but have fewer calories than meat- and dairy-based foods. In addition, this diet is naturally low in artery-clogging saturated fat and full of vitamins and minerals.

What’s more, 93 percent of these study participants described their new vegan diet as good, moderately good or extremely good. In other words, their health improved — and they enjoyed what they were eating.

Kim Seidl, M.S., R.D., Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C.

http://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/
GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=8144&Section=Letters 

Eating Sustainable Meat Is No More Ethical

Editor - I was disappointed to see another laudatory article about sustainable animal agriculture ("Outstanding in his field," July 6). Thanks to such tributes, this trendy, elitist food system has usurped its way into people's consciousness as the "ethical" way to eat. The lionization of people who raise living, feeling beings to be killed to satisfy people's taste buds is surreal. And there is no mention of the terror animals experience as they are violently slaughtered.

If it is "ethical" to live off the bodies of animals who are harmed a little less than others, isn't it still more ethical not to live off their bodies at all?

Only a plant-based diet is truly sustainable - using fewer resources, being affordable for everyone, protecting our health, and making us truly compassionate people, not being responsible for the death of animals.

COLLEEN PATRICK-GOUDREAU, Oakland, CA

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/
archive/2005/07/13/FDGLRDM5GQ1.DTL 

9. Vegan Athlete: Seattle man amazes everyone in 135-mile marathon

Look at the photo of the man crossing the tape, arms raised in victory, mouth frozen in a primal yell. He hardly looks as if he's just run 135 miles, through 115-degree desert heat, from the lowest point in the United States to the slopes of one of its highest points, Mount Whitney. You wouldn't know that this was his first time racing the Badwater Ultramarathon, or that he shattered the course record by more than half an hour, or that he was a full two hours ahead of his closest competitor.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/othersports/233630_jurek22.html 

10. The World’s Sexiest Vegetarians Are…

We know it wasn’t easy to pick just one Venus and one Valentino from this long list of vegetarian delights, but somehow you did it, and the votes are finally in. Joss Stone and Chris Martin are the winners in peta2’s second annual “World’s Sexiest Vegetarian” poll. For all the entire list go to: http://www.peta2.com/outthere/o-sexyveg05.asp 

Legumes — a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils — are typically low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in protein, folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also have phytochemicals, a group of compounds that may help prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Article includes tips for selecting, storing and serving legumes

http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=
155D6641-E93A-4470-5DAB36AA0A92239 

12. Raw-food fervor starting to sprout

Interest in eating food in its pure form, uncooked and unprocessed, is growing. Celebrities swear by the raw diet and local stores scramble to keep raw products in stock. And at the uncooked heart of it all, are San Diego natives David Wolfe and Thor Bazler, the founders of Nature's First Law. "It's no longer some niche, weird thing that some kind of crazy hippie is doing out in the desert somewhere," Wolfe said. "This is a mainstream, middle-class idea that is doable for anyone, and it gives people some control."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050614/
news_1b14raw.html 

Leo Kevin Cavazos, said it’s a common misnomer that vegans live on salad. "I need more food than that," said Cavazos, a home cook who specializes in dishes such as tofu sandwiches, Asian stir-fries, hummus and baba ganoush...most vegans adopt the lifestyle for health, medical, environmental, political, moral and ethical reasons... Armendariz became a vegan six years ago as part of her conviction as a human rights activist while studying at Monterrey Tech. "I became a vegan when I made the connection with human rights and the environment and the treatment of animals," said Armendariz.

Eliminating meat and animal related products isn’t hard to implement as part of daily life. "It’s just like cooking anything. You can make it simple. I make my husband a sandwich with fried tofu slices, spinach, lettuce, tomato and peanut sauce. He loves it," Armendariz said. "People who say it is too hard to eat this way are used to eating fast food."

http://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=
/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=8039&Section=Valley%20Life 

Within this country alone, if Americans reduce the amount of meat consumption by just 10%, it would free up enough land to grow 12 million tons of grain - enough to save the millions of children and adults starving to death on our planet each year.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33256.asp 

The Bush administration altered critical portions of a scientific analysis of the environmental impact of cattle grazing on public lands before announcing Thursday that it would relax regulations limiting grazing on those lands, according to scientists involved in the study.

A government biologist and a hydrologist, who both retired this year from the Bureau of Land Management, said their conclusions that the proposed new rules might adversely affect water quality and wildlife, including endangered species, were excised and replaced with language justifying less stringent regulations favored by cattle ranchers.

http://www.howlingthemoon.org/archives/2005/06/two_retired_spe.html 

Growing demand for meat has become a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future. Total meat consumption has increased five-fold in the past half century, putting extreme pressure on Earth’s limited resources, including water, land, feed, and fuel.

http://www.worldwatch.org/press/news/2004/06/21/ 
Thanks to Dan B.

Oklahoma's attorney general, Drew Edmondson... says phosphorous from poultry litter runoff fuels algae growth that reduces the clarity of rivers and streams, depletes oxygen and can kill certain populations of fish.

He remembers that, as a college student, he could stand chest-high in the Illinois River and still see his toes. "I've seen it change," Edmondson said. "It's nice to have green land. It's not so nice to have green rivers."

http://www.enn.com/biz.html?id=837 

Quality Assurance Inc., which certifies "organic" food, explained their role in the certification process and what "organic" labels mean. Basically the "circle" USDA Organic label means that it is GMO and irradiation free. The other USDA "organic" labels do NOT contain that guarantee. Organic Consumers Association agreed that the "circle" USDA organic label is the only label guaranteeing that the product is GMO and irradiation free.  Obviously if a product says that it is GMO free, consumers are left to decide on their own if they believe the producer of those claims.

Thanks to Brad W. for this information.

Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats grocery stores both committed in 2001 to using only non-genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in their company brand products. Now Whole Foods, the world’s largest supplier of natural and  organic foods, has announced it will label its products, including all organic food, GE-free. Growers and producers who sell to Whole Foods will have to substantiate their non-GE practices through documentation and independent laboratory tests.

http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/feed/page.cfm?pageID=1814 

Those little stickers on fruit and vegetables contain different PLU codes depending on whether the fruit was conventionally grown, organically grown or genetically modified. The PLU code for conventionally grown fruit consists of four numbers, organically grown fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number nine (9), and GM fruit has five numbers prefaced by the number eight (8).
Thanks to Yusif B.

Science has provided us with compelling evidence that animals are more like humans than we previously thought - at the very least, they are sentient. Why all the fuss? What's wrong with the way we interact with animals at the moment? Nothing, if you don't accept that animals have their own feelings and emotions, or accept it but still don't care. But if you do care, then you will realize that the moral relationship we have with animals is deeply troubled. It becomes impossible to maintain moral blindness to the way we treat them.

We treat our pets like members of the family while hardly sparing a thought for the billions of animals slaughtered globally for meat, science and cosmetics. Perhaps we have no choice but to go forward and find some new settlement that works better for both them and us. To stand a chance of thinking this one through - and it does affect every one of us - we need to ponder awhile. [This is from the introduction to a thought-provoking series of articles in New Scientist examining the relationship of humans and animals.]

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18625025.700 

Ethiopia - A 12-year-old girl who was abducted and beaten by men trying to force her into a marriage was found being guarded by three lions who apparently had chased off her captors, a policeman said Tuesday. "They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest."

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050621/ap/d8as4l9o1.html 

A Saint Louis Missouri TV station, KSDK, aired a piece on corporate hog farms on the Tuesday, July 12, 10pm news. It is available to watch on line at: http://ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=81786 

The video piece concentrates more on the cruelty aspects, including footage of sow gestation crates (individual cages so small that the pigs can hardly move), horrible overcrowding in communal enclosures, and dying pigs. Watch the story on line if you can.

Chickens are the most numerous birds on the face of the planet. And they're undoubtedly the most abused. A New York Times article paraphrased avian expert Chris Evans's assessment of chickens' faculties: "Chickens exist in stable social groups. They can recognize each other by their facial features. They have 24 distinct cries that communicate a wealth of information to one other, including separate alarm calls depending on whether a predator is traveling by land or sea. They are good at solving problems."

While it's now becoming the norm within the scientific realm to recognize these animals' cognitive abilities and their behavioral needs, the birds are still treated as if they were inanimate objects. Unfortunately, the industry also operates virtually free of any legal animal welfare regulations. If the poultry industry will not voluntarily begin acting to improve animal welfare, the government must take action to prohibit the worst practices, as Europe is beginning to do already.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0606/p09s02-coop.html 

Save Humpback Whales

In response to Japan’s horrific proposal to slaughter humpback whales in international waters, IFAW created a Stop Whaling Action Center to collect signatures from around the world. Once you’ve signed the petition, please pass it along to friends, family and neighbors who care about making sure we don’t lose the songs of the sea forever.

http://www.stopwhaling.org/site/c.itJ0JdMNIqE/b.727367/k.32AE/
Take_Action/apps/ka/ct/contactcustom.asp

 Support a Permanent Ban on "Downers"!

Please contact USDA Secretary Johanns and let him know that you strongly oppose any measures to weaken downed cattle protections. Tell him that it is a consumer health risk to allow sick animals for human food, and will decrease consumer confidence in our food supply.

http://www.nodowners.org/how2help.htm

 Trader Joe's Eggs

National grocery store chain Trader Joe's has thus far refused to enact a policy to stop selling eggs from hens confined in tiny wire coops called battery cages. Egg-laying hens in battery cages are the most intensively confined animal in the United States, each cage providing less than a sheet of paper of space per bird. Trader Joe's competitors -- Whole Foods and Wild Oats -- have both adopted corporate policies against selling any eggs from caged hens.

Send your own personal message to Trader Joe's urging them to stop selling eggs from battery-caged hens. Just click the link below: https://community.hsus.org/campaign/traderjoes?rk=Dda5Hw91aRBzW

Thanks to Karen H.

I wanted to let everyone know that I got a series of 4 video tapes from Veg Video (www.vegvideo.com) and they are going to be aired on Comcast's public access channel in the downriver area. Right now it airs on Tuesdays at 2 a.m. August 1, 2005, it will start airing on Mondays at 2 a.m. & Tuesdays at 3 a.m. In the fall, it could possibly be aired on Friday and Saturday nights. Some of the 15 cities where it will be aired are Woodhaven, Allen Park, Ecorse, Flat Rock, Trenton, and Berlin Township.

Lisa L.

Taking place at The Farm, Summertown, Tennessee: Wednesday, August 10 to Sunday, August 14, 2005. Kids' Vegan Summer Program, Sunday, August 7 to Sunday, August 14, 2005.

The American Vegan Society will be going to The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee for its summer conference this year. Concurrently it will be running a summer program for kids ages 7 to 14 which is available as a 7-day or 4-day program. Care for children 2 to 6 is available to enable parents to attend lectures.

For speakers' list, rates, and more information, go to:
www.americanvegan.org
Freya Dinshah, American Vegan Society, PO Box 369, Malaga, NJ 08328
Phone: 856-694-2887
Fax: 856-694-2288

Home Made Popsicles

The perfect match for hot weather. If you've got a freezer, you can make the frozen pops yourself, even if you don't consider yourself a cook. (There's no cooking involved.) So gather those craft sticks, stock up on paper cups and get out the blender.  Here are some suggestions to get you on your way to making frozen pops. Combine any flavors to taste, pour into containers and freeze.

* Juice or fruit nectar combinations, such as mango-orange, pineapple-banana or others.
* Tropical Pops: 1 cup pineapple juice, 2 cups diced mango, 2 bananas and 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice.
* Frozen Pina Colada: 1-1/2 cups pineapple juice, 1/2 cup cream of coconut.
* Coconut Mango Freeze: Juice from 1 lime, 3 scoops mango sorbet, 1 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup water.
* Citrus Pops: 1 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup grapefruit juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 sliced banana tossed in a bit of lemon juice.
* Watermelon: Pureed watermelon chunks, apple or pineapple juice, and lemon juice.

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

Thursday ~ August 4, 2005

7:30 pm ~ VM Raw Food Potluck and Food Preparation Demo, "Green Smoothie". What's in a "green smoothie" and why is it beneficial. Unity of Livonia, 28660 5 Mile Road, Livonia, MI. between Middlebelt and Inkster Road. Bring your favorite RAW VEGAN dish sized for 8 servings or a $7.50 donation. Call Flo or Jerry at (313) 541-0162.

Saturday ~ August 6, 2005

3:00 pm ~ VM Potluck At The Beach Have some fun in the sun. Bring a vegan dish for min. of 8 servings, towel, bathing suit, beach chair, bike, roller blades, Frisbee, etc. No rain cancellation. Stony Creek Beach, Shelby Township, MI. Off of Van Dyke, use the east beach exit. Vehicle Entry Permit is $20 Annual-$12 Seniors- $4 Daily. RSVP on website calendar http://www.veggiesinmotion.org/calendar/index.htm

Tuesday ~ August 9, 2005

7:00 pm ~ VM Board Meeting in Jim & Meriam's home, Madison Heights, MI. Call or email for direction if you plan to attend. Jim or Meriam at (248) 616-9676.

Friday ~ August 12, 2005

7:00 pm ~ Mugs & Jugs- Shoot pool or just shoot the breeze. Plush Pockets, 28202 Dequindre Road, Warren, MI. Located on the east side of Dequindre between 11 Mile and 12 Mile Roads, just south of Krogers. Call Peter at (248) 515-3367.

Saturday ~ August 13, 2005

7:00 pm ~ VM Dinner Club at La Shish Restaurant, 32401 Van Dyke Ave., Warren, MI. North of 13 1/2 Mile (Masonic Blvd.), west side of Van Dyke. They will be preparing a special vegan combo dinner for us at the fixed price of $17 per person (tax, tip, and drink included). Please RSVP by August 8th. For more info call Karen at (248) 544-4030.

8:30 pm ~ VM Dancing After Dinner Club! We will meet at the Atomic Dog, which is located inside Pampa Lanes bowling alley. They will have a DJ playing "techno-retro-disco" music., 31925 Van Dyke Ave., , MI. 13 1/2 Mile (Masonic Blvd.), west side of Van Dyke. Please RSVP by August 8th. For more info call Karen at (248) 544-4030.

Saturday ~ August 20, 2005

4:00 pm ~ VM Potluck at the Red Oaks Waterpark in Madison Heights. Bring your swimsuit, towel, and a vegan dish (enough for 8) to pass. 13 Mile between John R and Dequindre., Madison Heights, MI. None Resident: $9.75, Resident Over 43" tall: $8, Non Resident 30"-43" tall: $5.25, Resident 30"-43" tall: $4.50. Call VM at (248) 616-9676.

Sunday ~ August 21, 2005

3:00 pm ~ VM Potluck At The Beach Have some fun in the sun. Bring a vegan dish for min. of 8 servings, towel, bathing suit, beach chair, bike, roller blades, Frisbee, etc. No rain cancellation. Stony Creek Beach, Shelby Township, MI. Off of Van Dyke, use the east beach exit. Vehicle Entry Permit is $20 Annual-$12 Seniors- $4 Daily. RSVP on website calendar http://www.veggiesinmotion.org/calendar/index.htm

Friday ~ August 26, 2005 through Sunday ~ August 28, 2005

Join VM for a Retreat in Columbiaville (10 miles NW of Lapeer) at the Tibbits Nature Sanctuary and Land Stewardship Center. There will be food, classes, hikes, canoeing, games, camping, pond swimming, bonfire and more. $30 person ($25/Paid VM Member) and $20 per child under 12. Registration must be in by August 21st. See website for details and payments: http://www.veggiesinmotion.org/retreat or make payment to: VM, PO Box 71311, Madison Heights, MI 48071. For more information call Jim at (248) 616-9676. 

1:00 pm - 3:30 pm ~ VM VEGAN Potluck and a "Sprouting Demo" with Alan Moglovkin. Alan is back again to show us how to sprout seeds and beans. Unity of Livonia, 28660 5 Mile Road, Livonia, MI. between Middlebelt and Inkster Road. Bring your favorite VEGAN dish sized for 8 servings or a $7.50 donation. Call Flo or Jerry at (313) 541-0162