Blog Posts

Some EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Initiatives for 2012

12/27/2011

It's useful to know on which initiatives the EPA is working. It provides a snapshot on the current progress we are making to create a sustainable environment. This article summarizes one of the main tensions faced by politicians when creating environmental policy - help the environment or protect jobs.
http://www.pri.org/stories/science/environment/environmental-protection-agency-has-rough-2011-shows-uneven-progress-7563.html

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Sea Vegetables

12/27/2011

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If you are interested in expanding to new ingredients beyond the common vegetables used in most veggie meals, one option is to explore sea vegetables. There are more edible sea veggies than the seaweed wrapped around sushi. To be honest, I haven't used sea vegetables in my cooking except for a short time when I made my own sushi at home. However, in many kitchens in Asia and other parts of the world, consuming sea vegetables is very common and nutritious. This article lists some of the ones you're likely to find in the supermarket or specialty markets. It also provides some nutrition information.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/health/fl-jjps-sea-1228-20111227,0,4301038.story

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Learning to Enjoy Vegetarian and Vegan Food

12/24/2011

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The process to becoming vegetarian or vegan is gradual and the pace is determined somewhat by how much you enjoy and appreciate the cuisine. Learning to enjoy a satisfying meal without meat or even dairy products is the first step recognizing that living off such food is feasible and pleasurable. So the question is where do you start? What is your first meal and what is going to be your comfort food?

If you are not used to a vegetable and whole grain based diet, then these are difficult questions for sure. Changing your eating habits is one of the hardest things to do, especially if fantastic alternatives are not identifiable and immediately available. One technique that I used and that many vegetarians have followed is to start eating more Asian and Mediterranean foods. Asian foods include Chinese stir-fries, Japanese tofu dishes, Thai noodle dishes, and Indian curries. Mediterranean foods include Greek salads and lentil soups, meatless Italian pastas and eggplant dishes, Middle Eastern grain dishes made with couscous, and Spanish vegetarian paellas. Ethiopian cuisine also offers many vegetarian options. In fact, the more you explore, the more great meals you can find from cultures around the world.

I started the transition by learning to enjoy vegetables from a mixture or Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, and Indonesian dishes. The food tasted so good, I didn’t even care that meat was not an ingredient. It was the flavor from the spices that won me over. The food was also filling and gave me great energy. Once you starting trying new flavors and cooking styles, the vegetables almost become a secondary concern. They are just a vehicle and foundation to try the different flavors. They also absorb the flavors better in my opinion increasing the enjoyment of the dish.

As you start to eat more types of food from around the world, it starts to give you perspectives on your own local cuisine and how vegetables are cooked and prepared. It also begins the process of learning to enjoy the veggies for their own flavor. You learn to pick and choose the ones you like and create ways of eating them based on all of the recipes that you’ve tried previously. Finally, it becomes apparent that it’s not hard to duplicate the flavors simply in your own kitchen and before long you’re developing uniquely personal recipes for food that you love and can eat any time.

This is the transition that I went through and it was very expansive and transformational. I came to realize how many flavors there are to try and I learned to like so many new ingredients. The world became a more interesting place and it started by simply trying new food. I hope you can enjoy a similar experience!

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Beef Consumption Dropping

12/24/2011

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The latest statistics indicate that the consumption of beef in the U.S. has dropped 13% since 1980, in part due to more people eating leaner meats and switching to a vegetarian diet according to this article.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=8478304

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Does Preference for Salt Start During Infancy?

12/22/2011

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A major theme for me in cooking and eating is the reduction of sodium. Without constantly watching the amount of sodium used in the foods we consume, our intake levels usually surpass the daily recommended amount. When cooking meals at home, it's easy to control, however, it's also easy to add salt when cooking or serving. It's very difficult to control the salt levels when eating out, even when you ask the server to notify the cooks to add no extra salt to the meals.

The research study in the article concludes that preference for salt may start during infancy based on the foods that babies are given. It is possible to reeducate your taste buds at any time to enjoy the flavor of food without the presence of salt. However, it becomes more difficult if you've been conditioned to the taste of salt from infancy. The test results from the research project are kind of interesting.
http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Preference-for-salt-may-begin-in-the-cradle-scientists-warn

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Top 5 Nutrition Trends for 2012

12/21/2011

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A recent survey of 200 nutritionists revealed five health trends for 2012. Check out this article and stay on trend!
http://www.pgstorebrands.com/top-story-survey_reveals_top_five_nutrition_trends_for_2012-1310.html

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Healthy Food Options in Airports?

12/20/2011

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Probably one of the hardest things to do is eat healthy in an airport, especially if you have no time. Most restaurants are fast food chains and the fast casual dining options can be very expensive. Some of the smaller kiosks in the terminals offer fruit and veggie sandwiches, but that's about it. Sometimes you're better off eating nothing. Now, due to the demand for nutritious food, airports are adding more vegetarian options. This article talks about the trend and improvements at U.S. airports.
http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Airports+increase+nutritious+options+survey+finds/5886710/story.html

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Eating Healthy is Affordable

12/20/2011

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I hear it mentioned often that eating healthy is expensive. I think that this may apply to premium packaged goods that are targeted to consumers who want to pay a lot for ultra high quality goods. However, in general, I found that my grocery bill went down when I made the transition to a meatless lifestyle. I was also able to make what I bought go further. So I was happy with the change. If you find that buying vegetables does hurt your shopping budget, here are some shopping tips.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyle/eating-healthy-doesnt-have-to-take-a-toll-on-your-budget--1301135.html

Also, I produced an audio cast on 10 tips to buying affordable vegetables and fruits that might be helpful as well. It can be found on the "Table of Contents & Audio Casts" page on this website Hope it helps!

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UN Conference on Climate Change - Durban, South Africa

12/12/2011

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The UN concluded its 17th conference on climate change. It's a collaboration of 200 countries that try to work out ways globally to reduce environmental degradation and, most importantly, the warming of the planet. It's a difficult issue to tackle with so many countries involved. The following article offers critical comments about the effectiveness of the conference.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/11/science/earth/climate-change-expands-far-beyond-an-environmental-issue.html?_r=1

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TzuChi General Hospital Taipei - Best Vegetarian Cafeteria

12/12/2011

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While the vegetarian and vegan trend in the U.S. is just starting to reach mainstream status, in other parts of the world, it’s already very popular. The city of Taipei has had a prominent vegetarian culture for a long time. Taipei is the largest city in Taiwan, a small island country near the coast of China. Taiwan has several large cities, beautiful mountains, and long rivers.

     It’s also one of the most vegan and vegetarian friendly places I've ever visited. Vegetarian food is the focus of many trendy restaurants, food stalls in outdoor markets, and street vendors who offer flavored tofu. Families in Taipei, I was told, will visit vegetarian restaurants often to add variety to their dining. The food is very unique and creative since they use many forms of tofu and all types of mushrooms.

When I told my colleagues in Taipei during a visit that I was a vegan, they decided to surprise me and took me to lunch one day to the Tzu Chi General Hospital. I must admit that I was a bit shocked to be going to a hospital for lunch. I try to avoid them as much as possible by living a healthy lifestyle. But they insisted that there was something special inside. They were right!

We walked through the large entrance of the hospital into a beautiful sunlit lobby. A flight of wide stairs in the center of the lobby took us to the floor below. We rounded a corner and entered a massive cafeteria with space to hold more than 500 people. It was still early so the cafeteria was empty except for a few doctors sitting in a corner in conference. My colleagues were delighted with my amazement and explained that this was a Buddhist hospital and the cafeteria served only vegetarian food with many vegan options. I was eager to see what they offered.

What I saw next completely surprised me! It was a vegetarian buffet with at least fifty different dishes. I couldn't believe it and thought I had found paradise. I loaded up my plate with as much food as possible, sampling every option including great stews, tofu dishes, vegetable mixtures, salads, soups, and rice dishes. Every single possible vegetable imaginable was offered on this buffet line in unique recipes including squash, yams, pumpkin, and eggplant, with some vegetables I couldn’t even identify. One notable dish had thin marinated tofu skins wrapped around mashed vegetables in a vegan gravy.

   The food was charged by weight and my friends told me to make sure I ate everything or the Buddhist nuns would scold me for not eating what I took - food which could have been given to the poor. For me, however, it was no problem. I finished two huge plates of food and had room for more. My colleagues ate lightly and watched as I enjoyed my meal.

By the time we were done, the massive cafeteria had filled completely and a line had formed outside the doors. Every table and every chair was taken! It was enthralling to see over 500 people eating vegetarian and vegan food together. The sight inspired me greatly.

   I was told the history of this wonderful hospital as I finished my food. The founder is a Taiwanese Buddhist nun named Cheng Yen. She ran away from her family at a young age and became a nun in 1966. After seeing the plight of the poor she started a relief association which led to founding a free medical clinic. That small clinic eventually grew into six large and prestigious hospitals throughout Taiwan.

    When Dharma Master Cheng Yen first became a nun, her master said to her, “Work for Buddhism and for all beings.” With this phrase as a guide, the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation gradually became an international humanitarian organization. The compassion and grace of the founder was evident in the dining hall that day.

     I left the cafeteria with a happy feeling having witnessed the height of vegetarian cooking and ideals at the same time, humbled by the power of one person’s generosity to help so many people. As vegetarian and vegan diets become more popular in the U.S. and around the world, so is the chance for great works of peace, cooperation, and caring for all life as demonstrated by the vibrant vegetarian culture of Taipei. My colleagues were all smiles knowing that they had surprised me and that I had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. When I returned home I was more enthused than ever to make vegan food. I often think of Cheng Yen and her gift of goodness to the people of Taipei.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheng_Yen

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