Free Vegetarian Eating and Meal Planning Guide

It's Meat-out Week sponsored by FARM, In Defense of Animals, and other nonprofits...and it's always a good time to eat more healthily and humanely. Whether you want to cut back a little bit, try Meatless Mondays, or "meat-out" for good, go to www.VegKit.org to request a great, FREE 32-page Veg Starter Kit. You can also sign up for another freebie, Meatout Mondays, an upbeat weekly e-newsletter with delicious veg recipes and health news to help you and your family. Just click the title of this post to get there.

Book Review: Animals Make Us Human

Animals Make Us Human: Creating The Best Life for Animals by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson.

Autism has given the equivalent of a sixth sense to Temple Grandin, an expert in designing humane systems for handling animals used in agriculture. She has developed an uncommon affinity for understanding the sensibilities, sensitivities, motivations and fears of nonhuman animals. This 2009 book shares practical insights to help people better understand the animals in their lives, including dogs, cats, horses, pigs, cows, chickens, zoo inhabitants, and wildlife. As Grandin helps you learn about learning, you will experience flashes of insight page by page. You’ll discover the real reasons why negative reinforcement (such as in horse training) so often fails, what works better – and why. You’ll come to understand why nonhuman (and human) animals react to novel stimuli they way they do, the unfortunate widespread adoption of animal handling techniques that consistently backfire, core emotions such as fear and seeking – and why, and how, acting in anticipation of a reward is usually more motivating and triggers more brain activity than having the reward. Don’t read just read the parts about the species in your own life; nuggets of enlightenment abound.

For an alternative and enlightening view, please see the editorial by Jeffrey Masson and Jeff Nelson at http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/masson_grandin.htm

Must hear alt-Americana

William Elliott Whitmore is an alt-Americana voice that must be heard. From doubtfulsounds.wordpress.com: "[WEW's new album] Animals In The Dark takes a defiant stance against authority.... addressing current social and political themes, Whitmore frames them with a sound that is as old as the blues itself. The instruments are primarily acoustic with guitar, banjo and minimal drums.... His voice [sounds] like it contains the a century of dust and nicotine from the corners of rural America.”

Double Security Summit in DC

FOSE teamed up with GovSec at the Washington Convention Center to show off the latest tech advances for the public sector.
On view:
* IES Interactive Training (ies-usa.com) demonstrated their simulation programs, and dared put a high-caliber gun in the hands of Ms. Question Authority (me). Turns out that I’m a pretty good shot. Watch out, bad guys.

* T3 Motion Personal Mobility Vehicles. Segways, move over. These T3 plug-ins get 30 miles on a single change and go 25 miles an hour.

* 3-D TV!

5 easy green ways to save $ at home

Veggies protect your prostate (if you have one)

The Molecular Nutrition and Food Research just published data that suggests a diet high in vegetable intake can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The primary mechanism of this protective vegetable effect is antioxidant protection against DNA and cell damage.

Trick New Bikes for Easier Commuting

Robin's Eco Simple column in this Sunday's Examiner (DC regional and San Francisco regional editions) ... two cool new bicycles to make self-powered commuting easier. The article appears on page 29 of the San Francisco and bay area editions, and in DC area editions including: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?eid=a6c97966-b6e5-461d-814e-600abef44cb2&pnum=44

Love Handles Put the Squeeze on Lungs

Another reason to battle bulging love handles: Not only is abdominal obesity associated with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and other health problems collectively known as “metabolic syndrome,” a new study indicates that a high waist circumference is strongly associated with decreased lung function.

Paris-based researchers analyzed data from more than 120,000 people and published the results this month in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The researchers adjusted for age, sex, BMI [body mass index], smoking history, alcohol consumption, exercise and cardiovascular history. Natalie Leone, M.D., of French National Institute for Health and Medical Research wrote: "We found a positive independent relationship between lung function impairment and metabolic syndrome due mainly to abdominal obesity.” They defined abdominal obesity as having a waist circumference greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.

Home Sweet Savings

Click the link above to access Robin's latest Eco Simple column in editions of the Examiner nationwide, including DC and San Francisco. By the way, the price-per-square-foot of the featured home – Heather's Home – is ONLY $117!

Soybean dish lowers Alzheimer's and heart attack risk

Newswise - A vegan food renowned in Asia for its ability to protect against heart attacks also shows a powerful ability in lab experiments to prevent formation of the clumps of tangled protein involved in Alzheimer’s disease, scientists in Taiwan are reporting. Their study is in the Feb. 11 issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Rita P. Y. Chen and colleagues point out that people in Asia have been eating natto — a fermented food made from boiled soybeans —for more than 1,000 years. Natto contains an enzyme, nattokinase, that has effects similar to clot-busting drugs used in heart disease.Nattokinase is sold a dietary supplement to improve the body’s circulatory system. The scientists term this the first study on whether nattokinase also can dissolve amyloids. Those tangled proteins are involved in Alzheimer’s disease and several other health problems.

In the study, the nattokinase degraded several kinds of amyloid fibrils, suggesting its possible use in the treatment of amyloid-related diseases. “Moreover, since natto has been ingested by humans for a long time, it would be worthwhile to carry out an epidemiological study on the rate of occurrence of various amyloid-related diseases in a population regularly consuming natto,” the scientists say.

Rain gardens: improve your yard, save our waterways

About rain gardens and how to make one - my Eco Simple column in the Feb. 8 Examiner ... DC, MD, Virginia and San Francisco editions. Access by clicking this post's title.

Link to the article in the DC edition: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?eid=21460818-da15-4092-b578-5009726b98ed&pnum=36

Valentine for your body and brain

Eating a Mediterranean diet appears to be associated with less risk of mild cognitive impairment—a stage between normal aging and dementia—or of transitioning from mild cognitive impairment into Alzheimer’s disease, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

“Among behavioral traits, diet may play an important role in the cause and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease,” explained Nikolaos Scarmeas, M.D., and Columbia University Medical Center research team in the article. Previous studies have shown a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease among those who eat a Mediterranean diet, characterized by high intakes of vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals and unsaturated fatty acids, low intakes of dairy products, meat and saturated fats and moderate alcohol consumption. While fish is also allowed on the Mediterranean diet, registered dietition Gail Nelson writes in VRG.org that you can get its healthy benefits (primarily omega-3 fatty acids) from fish-free foods such as flaxseed oil, ground flaxseed (good on salads), canola oil, soybean oil, soybeans, walnuts, walnut oil, and purslane.

The Mediterranean diet may improve cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and blood vessel health overall, or reduce inflammation, all of which have been associated with mild cognitive impairment. Individual food components of the diet also may have an influence on cognitive risk. “For example, potentially beneficial effects for mild cognitive impairment or mild cognitive impairment conversion to Alzheimer’s disease have been reported for alcohol, fish, polyunsaturated fatty acids (also for age-related cognitive decline) and lower levels of saturated fatty acids,” noted the New York-based research.

Courting rituals in the wild

Cool examples of animal mating rituals shared by the National Wildlife Federation:

* Extreme makeover, avian edition: The male bower bird is a woman’s dream: he’s an excellent carpenter and fabulous decorator. He builds a stick structure called a bower and then decorates it to impress the ladies. He picks a monochromatic color scheme for his decor, which can include shells, feathers, flowers, and even bits of string, plastic and other man-made items – all to entice a female companion.

In spring, male house wrens migrate north a week or two before the females. They use that time to build multiple nests to impress the girls. When a female finally picks a male and one of his abodes, she moves in and rebuilds his “bachelor pad” nest.

* Flashy fake-out: Some insects take advantage of the visual displays of the opposite sex as a way to score a meal. Male fireflies flash their light and wait for the females hidden in the vegetation to flash back. One species has learned to mimic the return flash of the female of another species, and when the hopeful male shows up to introduce himself, she eats him, then goes on to mate with a male of her own species.

* Man-icures: To impress a particular gal, a male painted turtle swims to face her and then waves his long claws in her face in the hopes of turning her on.

* Wing bling: In the bird world, guys sport the fancy ornamentation. Females usually have drab, earthy colors – for camouflage as they sit on the nest. A male’s flashy feathers are an indication that he’s in good health and can father fit offspring with a good chance of survival.

Valentine from a Sexpert: Are *you* just not that into you?

He’s not chasing you? He's not calling you? He's avoiding you? These may be signs that a fairytale ending may elude you.

The concern goes beyond “He’s just not that into you.” May be that you’re not that into you.

Here’s a sexpert hypothesis on why women pursue Mr. Wrong: "Many women believe that they will be able to change a man's mind and persuade him to live happily ever after with her," said Domeena Renshaw, MD, author of Seven Weeks to Better Sex and director of Loyola University’s Health System Sex Clinic. "However, women cannot change men. They can only change how they react to them in this scenario."

Low self-esteem also may be to blame, notes Renshaw, whose less sexy title is professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "Women send signals that they do not value themselves when they repeatedly engage in situations or relationships with men who are not interested.”
Women also may make excuses for the “unclear behavior” of love targets, because they haven’t accepted that their feelings are not mutual.

"I encourage women to concentrate on finding happiness within themselves rather than waiting for men to call or commit," said Renshaw.

Society sometimes suggests that a woman’s worth is measured by her ability to find and keep a man, even though long-entrenched custom has been to let the men court and call the women.

Here’s some self-love potion: "If women can learn to empower themselves, give themselves due credit and know when to walk away from a dysfunctional situation or relationship, it will free them up to meet someone who is genuinely interested," said Renshaw. "We should learn from experience and understand that healthy relationships are built on mutual respect and recognition."

Mayo Clinic thumbs-up for vegetarian eating

There’s more to being a vegetarian than cutting meat from the menu. The February issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource offers suggestions for a well-balanced vegetarian diet -- and some reasons why it’s worth considering.

The vegetarian menu emphasizes the food that U.S. dietary guidelines say all Americans should eat regularly -- fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and other legumes. Vegetarian diets often are lower in calories than the typical American diet. So it’s no surprise that on average, vegetarians are thinner than their nonvegetarian peers. And eating a mainly plant-based diet can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

The increasing variety of meat-free options makes the transition to vegetarian easier than ever before. With a little planning, a vegetarian diet can meet all nutritional needs. Important nutrients to include are:

Protein: Besides eggs and dairy products, you can get protein from soy products, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Meatless products such as tofu dogs, soy burgers and texturized vegetable protein can be excellent sources of protein. Many meat substitutes, such as tofu and tempeh, are made from soybeans. Soy offers a balance of all essential amino acids, just as meat does. These meat substitutes often are lower in calories and saturated fat than meat.

Calcium: Low-fat dairy and dark green vegetables such as broccoli, collard greens and kale are good sources of calcium. Tofu enriched with calcium, fortified yogurt (available in soy-based) and juices also are options.

Vitamin B-12: This is found in animal products including milk, eggs and cheese. Those who eat only plant-based foods (vegans) can get B-12 from enriched cereals, fortified soy products or by taking a supplement.

Iron: Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, baked potatoes with skin, dark leafy vegetables and dried fruit are good sources of iron. Eating foods high in vitamin C (strawberries, citrus fruits) along with iron-rich foods can help increase iron absorption.

Zinc: Zinc is found in whole grains, soy products, legumes, nuts, wheat germ, mushrooms and peas. It’s also found in dairy foods and eggs.

Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource is published monthly. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. Subscribe via 800-876-8633, extension 9751, or www.bookstore.mayoclinic.com.

30 reasons to try vegetarian eating

Watch more videos at PETA.org

Greener Cleaners

Click the title to access my column in the Sunday, Jan. 25 editions of the Examiner nationwide.

Diabetes Diet Instead of Drugs

In various editions of the Examiner newspaper nationwide. Click title above to access.

e-cycle used electronics - an easy guide

click title above for article appearing in Examiner editions nationwide

Gadgets for a Small Planet

Click the title to access the Tierneys' Examiner article on fun little energy-saving, money-saving, low-carb footprint gadgets.

Baltimore area editions: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?eid=f20281d3-5526-44be-890b-7b73133de2eb&pnum=44

DC area editions: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?eid=35fbc666-6258-4509-a5c4-87a07a19da3e&pnum=34

Also in San Fran and others. Plus, in the Examiner's nation online edition: http://www.dcexaminer.com/entertainment/Weve_got_you_covered_on_gifts__for_techies_who_love_the_planet_121408.html