1. VM's Special Event & Announcements

Vegetarian Classes This Fall!

Learn all the important reasons to switch to a plant-based diet and then learn how to prepare some delicious food. Register with a loved one or a friend, they will thank you afterward!

Classes taught by Jim and Meriam Corcoran, founders of VM.

Special Offer: A free vegan cookbook, "Veggie Lovers Cookbook" to anyone registering as a result of this newsletter! Just let us know what class you have registered for. Here are the location and names of classes:

• Livonia Community Education Enrichment Program
  October 10th AND 12th, 7-9PM, food samples on the 12th!
  Register for "Vegetarian 101" by calling 734-744-2602
  

• Novi Community Education
  October 3rd AND 5th, 7-9PM, food samples on the 5th!
  Register for "Vegetarian 101" by calling 248-449-1206
  

• Southfield - Irene's Myomassology
  Saturday October 8th, 9AM-1PM, includes Lunch!
  Register for "Vegetarian 101" by calling 248-350-1400
  

• St. Clair Shores Community Education
  October 17th AND 19th, 7-9PM, food samples on the 19th!
  Register for "Food For Life" by calling 586-285-8880
  

• Utica Adult Enrichment
  September 26th AND 28th, 7-9PM, food samples on the 28th!
  Register for "Food For Life" on-line at:
  http://www.ucscommunityeducation.com/ce_home3_1.htm or by calling 586-797-6900
  

• Warren Enrichment Classes
  September 19th AND 21st, 7-9PM, food samples on the 21st!
  Register for "Food For Life" by calling 586-574-3219

VM is tabling at Troy Daze this year and we want you!

Troy, Michigan has a Fall Festival at Bouland Park (off Crooks between Big Beaver and Wattles) that draws 100,000 visitors. This is a perfect opportunity to reach out to the public about the many benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.

No experience is necessary to help us table; we will pair you with people who have done it before. It's easy and effective! Please select a time you can help, and e-mail us your contact information. Working together we can make this a healthier, more sustainable and compassionate world!

Available dates and times are:

• Friday September 16th, 4PM-7PM or 7PM-11PM

• Saturday September 17th, 11AM-3PM, 3PM-7PM or 7PM-11PM

• Sunday September 18th, 11AM-3PM or 3PM-7PM

"So, what is my prescription for good health? In short, it is about the multiple health benefits of consuming plant-based foods, and the largely unappreciated health dangers of consuming animal-based foods, including all types of meat, dairy and eggs. I did not begin with pre-conceived ideas, philosophical or otherwise, to prove the worthiness of plant-based diets. I started at the opposite end of the spectrum: as a meat-loving dairy farmer in my personal life and an 'establishment' scientist in my professional life. I even used to lament the views of vegetarians as I taught nutritional biochemistry to pre-med students." - pg. 21.
www.thechinastudy.com

VM Note: We have this book in stock and we're offering it to VM members for $20/copy (a savings of $5!).

3. UIC Researchers Show How Cancer-Preventing Foods Work

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are unraveling the biochemical mechanism by which functional foods combat cancer. "Compounds like sulforaphane in broccoli and resveratrol in wine have been shown to prevent cancer," said Andrew Mesecar, associate professor of pharmaceutical biotechnology in the UIC College of Pharmacy. "They do that by signaling our bodies to ramp up the production of proteins capable of preventing damage to our DNA. "We now have a good idea how that signal works."
http://www.worldhealth.net/p/uic-researchers-show-
how-cancer-preventing-foods-work-2005-07-28.html

Since 1985 Dr. Esselstyn has conducted the longest running study which proves that heart disease can be arrested or reversed by a low fat, plant-based diet.
http://heartattackproof.com/

5. The Nutrition Rainbow

One simple way to eat more healthfully is to add more color to your plate. Did you know that the more naturally colorful your meal is, the more likely it is to have an abundance of carotenoids, as well as other healthy nutrients? Carotenoids are the pigments that give fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, their bright colors. Beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein are all different varieties of carotenoids that act as antioxidants with strong anti-cancer properties. The chart below shows the cancer-fighting and immune-boosting power of different-hued foods.
http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm05summer/rainbow.html

6. Whole Grains: High in Nutrition and Fiber, Yet Low in Fat

Whole grains haven't had their bran and germ removed by milling, making them better sources of fiber — the part of plant-based foods that your body doesn't digest. A high-fiber diet can help lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. A high-fiber diet may also lower your risk of other disorders, such as hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome and the development of small pouches in your colon (diverticular disease).
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=D
56B9CBF-9BD4-4FF7-A7EC0D78F3EEFA7B

7. Low-Fat Diet Improves Breast Cancer Survival

A new report concludes that breast cancer survivors may reduce the risk of recurrence by following a low-fat diet. A National Cancer Institute study followed 2,437 post-menopausal breast cancer patients for five years after standard surgery and cancer treatments. Researchers instructed 1,462 of the patients to continue their regular diets, while 975 patients were given intensive counseling with a dietitian to reduce their fat intake. Low-fat dieters with estrogen-negative tumors experienced a 42 percent reduction in recurrence. 
http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm05summer/nyn.html

8. The Great Lakes: Health Warnings Persist About PCBs, Mercury Found in Fish

Among the contaminants are PCBs, mercury and dioxins, which can build up in fish to dangerous levels. Tainted fish are the main way pollution gets from the water into people. The chemicals have been linked to cancer, liver damage and other long-term health problems, though many of the effects of eating tainted fish still aren't fully known.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/project/0508/10/Z11-275414.htm

New toxins appear in lakes

Evidence of a new crop of chemicals building up in the waters.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/project/0508/14/Z12-275418.htm 

9. Mercury: It's Toxic. Get Tested.

The Sierra Club is co-sponsoring a project to raise awareness about the dangers of mercury pollution. For $25, you can order a test kit to find out how much mercury you have in your body.
Order a kit at www.sierraclub.org/mercury 

10. Fish Consumption Multiplies Prostate Cancer Risk

Researchers found that fish intake was the only dietary factor significantly associated with increased risk of developing prostate cancer. Men who ate fish products four or more times per week had a 54 percent increased risk of developing prostate cancer compared to men who consumed fish products fewer than two times per week.
http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm05summer/nyn.html

"Changes in diet and lifestyle that we found in earlier research could reverse the progression of coronary heart disease may also affect the progression of prostate cancer as well..."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=28979

12. Dark Chocolate Lowers High Blood Pressure

Eating dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure, boost normal responses to insulin to keep blood sugar levels down, and improve blood vessel function in patients with high blood pressure, according to new research findings. All of these effects would be expected to decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The report in the medical journal Hypertension is just the most recent to link dark chocolate with beneficial health effects. In an earlier study, consumption of the bittersweet candy reduced blood pressure and increased insulin sensitivity in healthy subjects.
http://www.worldhealth.net/p/dark-chocolate-lowers-high
-blood-pressure-2005-07-28.html

VM Note: These results do NOT translate over to milk chocolate!

A new study conducted by researchers at The University of California Irvine suggests that folates or B-vitamin nutrients found in oranges, legumes, leafy green vegetables and folic acid supplements are more effective in limiting Alzheimer’s disease risk than antioxidants and other nutrients.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050817/health.htm#6

Both fruit also contain beneficial phytonutrients (plant-based nutrients), antioxidants and carotenoids. Phytonutrients are thought to play a key role in human health. Currently, studies indicate that phytonutrients may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis and eye ailments.
http://www.vvdailypress.com/2005/112437144038443.html

In a recent interview, Olympic track star Carl Lewis, who was a vegan during his best years, says he believes that “most athletes have the worst diet in the world, and they compete in spite of it.”

Dr. Graham, who has trained many Olympic-caliber athletes, explains, “Every nutrient known to be essential for human health is available, in proper concentration, in plant foods. This is not so with animal-based foods, as there are many essential nutrients totally absent in them.”
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prwebxml253235.php

ARAMARK nationwide research has revealed that, out of more than 100,000 college students surveyed, nearly a quarter said finding vegan meals on campus -- which contain no meat, fish, poultry or other products derived from animals such as dairy, eggs or honey -- was important to them.

To better serve its customers and in honor of Vegan World Day on June 21st, ARAMARK (NYSE:RMK), a worldwide provider of managed services, has increased its number of vegan menu items on campuses and continues to work with campus vegetarian and vegan resource groups to meet customer demand.
http://askmerrill.ml.com/markets_news_story/1,2263,%7B296FD963-C6C3-
4AB9-B3F2-5688D821D7CC%7D,00.html 
Thanks Maida G.

Factory farms bear little resemblance to the family farms of a century ago. Animals are given drugs and diets designed to make them grow faster or produce more milk or eggs. They are crammed in small spaces and not allowed to practice any of their natural behaviors — such as walking freely, grazing, or for chickens, preening and taking dust baths.

For vegetarians, the fact that animals aren't killed to produce dairy products and eggs may make their consumption acceptable, but for vegans, it is not.

Dairy cattle are not allowed to nurse their newborn calves, who may be taken away from them within a day of their birth. Veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry, with many dairy cows' calves going into confining, dark crates for the duration of their short lives in order to produce white veal.

And factory egg production is as much of a horror to some, with hundreds of thousands of chickens crammed into cages so tightly that they cannot spread their wings. Baby chicks' beaks are routinely cut off shortly after birth to prevent them from hurting each other in unnaturally tight quarters.

"For modern animal agriculture, the less the consumer knows about what's happening before the meat hits the plate, the better," Michael Pollan wrote in "New York Times Magazine."
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=
/20050817/LIFESTYLE/508170303/1024/NEWS01  

A review of modern dairy practices by Farm Sanctuary concluded that the industry has moved toward more intensive production at the expense of animal welfare. Production is being consolidated in mega-dairies with hundreds or thousands of cows, while the total number of farms is half what it was in 1991. Milk production per cow is 66 percent higher than it was 30 years ago, and cows are sent to slaughter after only 3-4 lactation cycles, despite a potential 20-year lifespan. Most cows do not have access to pasture. Practices including tail cutting and rough handling, and conditions like lameness and mastitis (infected udder) are common.
Downloadable file at:  http://www.farmsanctuary.org/campaign/dairy_report.pdf

Dairy cows have overtaken automobiles as the number 1 air polluter in parts of California, according to a Los Angeles Times article. A New York Times editorial discussed “the eye-stinging, nose-burning smell of cattle congestion in rural California,” acknowledging that something had to be done. What nobody wants to say, in this land of milk and cookies, is that we shouldn’t be drinking cows' milk.

In the last edition of his Baby and Child Care bible, Dr Benjamin Spock made it clear that cows' milk is for baby cows, not for human children. He wrote that it was “too rich in the saturated fats that cause artery blockages” and that it “slows down iron absorption.” He suggested that it may cause ear and/or respiratory problems and may be linked to childhood onset of diabetes.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050817/asp/atleisure/story_5122315.asp

Organic farming produces the same yields of corn and soybeans as does conventional farming, but uses 30 percent less energy, less water and no pesticides, a review of a 22-year farming trial study concludes.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/norm071805.cfm

This guide is worth getting or a least reading! 
Downloadable file at: http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/farm/gve.pdf 
Thanks to Maida G.

There's nothing funny about canned hunts, the practice in which wealthy "hunters" pay a hefty fee to kill animals in enclosed areas. But the Humane Society of the United States is hoping their satire can help spread the word about trophy hunting's dirty little secret. Watch their animated short, which drives home the "drive-thru" convenience of canned hunting.
http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/stop_canned_hunts/yak_in_the_box/

http://www.goodiebag.tv/video/ttt.htm
Thanks to Karen H.

September 9, 10 and 11, 2005, free lectures and food preparation demonstrations, great food and fun!
www.veg.ca/foodfair

Where in this world can you find a business lowering their prices to better serve their clients? Creative Health Institute has done just that. The two-week program includes everything. Creative Health Institute, 112 W. Union City Rd., Union City, MI 49094 - (866) 426-1213 toll-free, email Info@CreativeHealth.us 
http://annwigmore.com/news/LivingFoodsNews20050813.htm

INNate Vegetarian Cafe
18700 Woodward Ave
313-366-2247
11AM-7PM M-F
Great organic vegan food!
10% discount w/ VM membership card.

Presenter, Consultant and Bestselling Author Dr. Kerrie Saunders, MS, LLP, PhD is now accepting new clients in Port Huron, MI and Farmington Hills, MI.  A Customized Food and Fitness Consultation with Dr. Saunders is tailored to YOUR specific needs and goals, helping you learn ways to: Identify and correct nutritional deficiencies, Lose excess body fat, Lower cholesterol, Lower blood pressure, Fight food cravings, Prevent cancer, Live with food allergies or intolerance, Balance blood sugar (diabetes/hypoglycemia), Enhance athletic performance, and Prevent heart disease and stroke. We will also work with your MD to achieve medication reduction or elimination whenever possible.  Special Grand Opening Invitation All VM Members and Member Referrals will receive $40 off the regular 90-Minute Intake Session Fee of $160.  By appointment only. Please call (810) 622-8687. Special Rate only through October 15, 2005.

Serves 4

Grilled sweet potatoes require close attentionÑbut the results are worth it. Slice them too thick, and they won't cook through; slice them too thin, and they'll char quickly. So slice carefully, and keep an eye on the grill.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
1 tsp. grated or minced lime zest
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt to taste

Sweet Potatoes
2 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 3/8-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 scallions, white and tender green parts, sliced
3 Tbs. orange, mango or pineapple juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Prepare medium-low charcoal fire, or preheat gas grill (or broiler).

2. To make Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette: Combine lime zest, juice and vinegar in large bowl.
Whisk in oil until completely blended. Stir in cilantro, garlic and salt.

3. To make Sweet Potatoes: Add potato slices to vinaigrette, and let marinate a few minutes.
Using slotted spoon, transfer potato slices to grill. Turn occasionally, basting with remaining
vinaigrette, and cook until tender when pierced with fork, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Return grilled potatoes to vinaigrette. Add red pepper, scallions, juice, salt and pepper;
toss gently. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 270 CAL; 3G PROT; 14G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 34G CARB; 0MG CHOL;55MG SOD; 6G FIBER; 13G SUGAR

Almond Cream

A recipe in my "Basics" section, this can be used for many things, from smoothies to a cultured almond yogurt, even a "cheese" cake. I buy blanched almonds so I do not have to take my time to skin them, and I have found they sprout after soaking - so they must be living!

Soak overnight and drain: 1 cup almonds (I used skinless).
Blend with 1.5 to 2 cups purified water (I use distilled). 
Blend well into a velvety smooth cream. 
May add: Vanilla - 1-3 teaspoons; Sweeteners: 3 soaked medjool dates OR 1-2 Tablespoons agave nectar or honey.
You may wish to use a thicker almond cream for yogurt or pudding-like desserts, and the thinner one for smoothies to which fruit (raspberries, bananas, peaches, etc.) is added.

For yogurt: Set the drained almonds in a kitchen cupboard for a day, and then blend with water.
Keep the almond cream plain, without sweetener or vanilla, which would inhibit the level of culturing we would like to achieve. The almond cream, kept in a covered dish in the fridge, will culture further in one more day, thickening and becoming slightly tangy as yogurt is.

Serving suggestion: use the Almond Cream direct from the blender, serving in small bowls, and topped with fruit.

Seasoned Dried Tomatoes

Pretty soon here we are going to be able to get pecks and bushels of tomatoes at farmers' markets for a song. Make a deal ahead of time with a farmer at your local market so they have what you need set aside. You will be happy you did this when winter is here and you have jars and jars of luscious seasoned dried tomatoes for sauces, salads, crackers, burgers, sandwiches, and pates!

Slice and place on Teflex sheets atop mesh dehydrator trays: Tomatoes, cut into 1/4 to 1/3 inch slices, no thinner.
Season with your choice of sea salt (a little!! Not a lot!), pepper, perhaps some garden herbs such as dill or thyme on some of the trays, and a light sprinkle of lemon directly from the wedge. There is no need to add oil of any kind.
If you like to use Spike, or any other seasoning, even garlic, that is fine. Leave some trays plain, too.

Dehydrate at 100 degrees for a couple of hours and then flip over the sheet to which the tomatoes are sticking, removing the sheet. Dehydrate a couple of more hours, or until dry (conditions vary with the weather) for storage in glass jars.

Submitted by Mary Light
Gaia Center for Holistic Studies
www.gaiahealingarts.org PH: 734-769-7794
author: Joy of Live Foods- The Energing Cuisine

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

Thursday ~ September 1, 2005

* Through September 30, 2005 ~ VM Display will be at Oakland Community College, Royal Oak, MI. Main floor, near library. Call VM at (248) 616-9679.

* 7:30 pm ~ VM Raw Food Potluck and Food Preparation Demo. 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 ~ September 3, 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, 4300 Main Park Drive, Shelby Township, MI. Off of Van Dyke. After entering Eastwood Beach tollbooth, go to the left amenities and look for the VM signs. Vehicle Entry Permit is $20 Annual-$12 Seniors- $4 Daily. FREE grilled veggie burger/veggie dog for those who RSVP by replying to this email and letting us know you will attend.

Monday ~ September 5, 2005

* 3:00 pm ~ VM Labor Day 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. FREE grilled veggie burger/veggie dog for those who RSVP by replying to this email and letting us know you will attend.

Friday ~ September 9, 2005

* 7:00 pm ~ VM Mugs & Jugs. Shoot pool or just shoot the breeze. Vegan burger available! 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. RSVP Peter at (248) 515-3367.

Saturday ~ September 10, 2005

* 7:00 pm ~ VM Dinner at Blue Nile Restaurant, 545 W 9 Mile Rd., Ferndale, MI 48220-1798. Blue Nile is an Ethiopian place. Some of the options I remember are green collards, red lentils, yellow split peas and a paler cabbage sautéed with jalapeno. If you've never been, there is an all-you-can-eat option for somewhere around $16.00. To attend, you MUST give an RSVP by September 8th. Contact Dean at (248) 544-4702.

* 8:30 pm ~ VM Dancing After Dinner Club! We will meet at Boogie Fever. 22901 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, MI. On Woodward, north of 9 Mile Rd. Please RSVP by September 8th. For more info call Dean at (248) 544-4702.

Thursday ~ September 15, 2005

* 7:00 pm, The 40 minute, award-winning documentary "The Witness" and discussion after at the Baldwin Public Library, 300 W. Merrill, Birmingham, (248) 647-1700. In the film, Eddie Lama explains how he feared and avoided animals for most of his life, until the love of a kitten opened his heart, inspiring him to rescue abandoned animals, become a vegetarian, and ultimately, to bring his message of compassion to the streets of New York. Bring someone you love to see this film! Brought to you in cooperation with Southeastern Michigan Animal Rights Team (http://animalrights.meetup.com/4) and VM.

Friday ~ September 16, 2005

* 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm ~ VM Tabling. VM will have a booth at the Troy Daze Festival. Bouland Park, Troy, MI. Off Crooks between Big Beaver and Wattles To volunteer give us a call or email us VM at (248) 616-9676

Saturday ~ September 17, 2005

* 12:00 noon ~ VM Vegan Potluck Picnic- at Starr Jaycee Park, W 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI. on the Southside of 13 Mile just East of Crooks Road. For more info call VM at (248) 616-9676

* 11:00 am - 11:00 pm ~ VM Tabling. VM will have a booth at the Troy Daze Festival. Bouland Park, Troy, MI. Off Crooks between Big Beaver and Wattles To volunteer give us a call or email us VM at (248) 616-9676

Sunday ~ September 18, 2005

* 11:00 am - 7:00 pm ~ VM Tabling. VM will have a booth at the Troy Daze Festival. Bouland Park, Troy, MI. Off Crooks between Big Beaver and Wattles To volunteer give us a call or email us VM at (248) 616-9676

* 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, 4300 Main Park Drive, Shelby Township, MI. Off of Van Dyke. After entering Eastwood Beach tollbooth, go to the left amenities and look for the VM signs. Vehicle Entry Permit is $20 Annual-$12 Seniors- $4 Daily. FREE grilled veggie burger/veggie dog for those who RSVP by replying to this email and letting us know you will attend.

Monday ~ September 19, 2005

* 7:00 pm ~ VM's Food For Life. Two hours both days. Monday lecture on health, environment and ethics, Wednesday cooking class. Warren, MI. Register for "Food For Life" Call Warren Enrichment Classes at (586) 574-3219. 

Sunday ~ September 25, 2005

* 1:00 pm ~ VM Vegan Potluck 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

Monday ~ September 26, 2005

* 7:00 pm ~ VM's Food For Life. Two hours both days. Monday lecture on health, environment and ethics, Wednesday cooking class. Utica, MI. Register for "Food For Life" Call Utica Adult Enrichment at (586) 797-6900.

Hi, my name is Cecilia and I had a cold when I was first brought to the shelter. Thankfully my foster mom took good care of me and now I am ready for my new forever home. I am a sweet 1.5 year old kitty who is already litter trained. I can be a little shy but I do seek affection. Please consider being my new family. Learn more about me at: http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=4406226 

Kim Korona
Community Humane Initiatives Coordinator
Michigan Humane Society
(248)-799-7400 x127
kkorona@michiganhumane.org
www.michiganhumane.org

Don’t miss the Michigan Humane Society’s 14th annual Animal Care Fair, sponsored by Pet Supplies “Plus”, on Saturday & Sunday, Aug. 27 & 28 at the Southfield Municipal Complex (26000 Evergreen) from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The event features hundreds of adoptable animals, huge discounts at the “Pet Supplies “Plus” Bargain Tent” and exciting animal demonstrations – fun for the whole family! For more information, visit www.michiganhumane.org or call 1-866-MHUMANE.