VRG-News: The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter
Editor: Sonja Helman & John L. Cunningham
Volume 10, Issue 9
December 2006
CONTENTS
- Chomp! Vegan Cookies Discount Offer
- Panda Express - Not Vegetarian
- Call-A-Dietitian Day
- What To Eat Before And After Workouts
- Reducing Breast Cancer Risk
- 2006Vegetartian JournalOnline Issue 3
- Upcoming Events And Conferences
- Recipe - Cranberry Salad
- Veggie Nuggets
- Special Offer From VRG
- Director Of Development Corner - Use Goodsearch & Help VRG!
- VRG Vegetarian Scholarships
- Job Opportunities And Internships Available
- About The Vegetarian Resource Group
- About VRG-News
1) Chomp! Vegan Cookies Discount Offer
Want a delicious cookie that's vegan? Then you have to try CHOMP! cookies! They are delicious, organic, and contain no refined sugar. They have terrific flavors such as Blitzn' Almond Butter, Almond Coco Nutz, Lemon CocoMon, Nutty Oatmeal Rayzen, Trippin Chip, and Toff-e-Licious Chip. CHOMP! is offering an online discount of 50% to readers of VRG-News! This discount is applied to the total order amount before shipping. When you place your order, type 'VRG1' in the promotional code section. You can use this discount as many times as you like until one month from the date of this newsletter. A great way to try each flavor is with the 6 cookie Sample Pack. We recommend ordering several since you are not going to want to share! For more information and to order, visit the CHOMP! cookies website.
2) Panda Express - Not Vegetarian
Most of you have probably eaten at or at least seen the popular quick-service Chinese restaurant, Panda Express. It is common to find them at airports and food courts. You may not be aware that with the exception of the steamed rice, their food is not vegetarian. Their website unequivocally states "we do not offer vegetarian meals." Their food is prepared with a chicken base. For more information, you can go to their nutrition page on the web http://www.pandaexpress.com/menu/nutrition.aspx. They responded to our email saying, "Although some of our stores are transitioning to using a vegetable broth we still do not offer vegetarian entrees." If you would like to offer positive comments to Panda Express regarding your desire that all their restaurants use vegetable broth, you can contact them through their website http://www.pandaexpress.com.
3) Call-A-Dietitian Day
If you have general nutrition questions, Mark Rifkin, MS, RD, LDN, will be available from 2:30pm - 5:30pm EST on Friday, January 12. To reserve a 20-minute time slot, please email the VRG office at [email protected] or call (410) 366-8343.
Be advised that these sessions are not individualized nutritional counseling. Such advice should only be provided through direct in-person contact with a qualified health professional. There is no charge, but if you do commit, please call on time. Otherwise you are taking someone else's spot.
Mark Rifkin, a longtime VRG volunteer, is a Registered Dietitian and has a Master's Degree in Health Education. He has been presenting on food-related topics for more than seven years. Currently, he is starting a private practice in Baltimore, MD, that focuses on plant-based nutrition for prevention, as well as treatment of various chronic diseases and conditions, including diabetes, overweight/obesity, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, gout, women's health concerns, cancer, and early-stage kidney failure.
4) What To Eat Before And After Workouts
Q:��I've heard a lot about pre- and post-workout nutrition. Is there anything I can do nutritionally to maximize recovery and muscle maintenance/gain?
A:��What you put into your body before and after your workout can greatly influence your performance and body composition. Taking advantage of this window of opportunity around workout time can be of benefit to any athlete/exerciser.
There has been a lot of good research about how to use nutrition to your advantage before and after workouts. For the sake of this answer, I will define a workout as a planned session of activity lasting between 45 and 90 minutes, and it must be more difficult than walking. With pre-workout nutrition, it is important to try and have a small meal/snack about 30 minutes to one hour before you begin. Getting in some quality protein should be a priority along with a natural form of complex carbohydrate. If you like to take your meal/snack closer to 30 minutes before your workout, you may want to stick with a liquid supplement or bar. Shakes and bars will digest quickly and aren't bulky. Eating too much food so close to exercise can leave you feeling weighed down and bloated. Post-workout nutrition will be fairly similar to pre-, with one difference. A more refined carbohydrate can be used to accelerate the recovery process. And don't skimp on the protein after your workout either.
Some good pre-workout snack options: 1 cup soy milk with 1 tablespoon rice protein 2 tablespoons rice protein in water and 1/2 cup of fruit 1 scoop of soy protein (approx 20-30 grams) in water and 1/2 cup fruit 1/4 cup uncooked oats, 1/4 cup soy milk, 1 tablespoon rice protein powder (mixed like a pudding)
Some good post-workout snack options: 1 cup chocolate soy milk with 1 tablespoon rice protein and a banana 2 tablespoons rice protein in juice and 1/2 cup fruit 1 scoop of soy protein (approx 20-30 grams) in juice and 1/2 cup fruit 1 packet instant flavored oats, 1/4 cup soy milk, 1 tablespoon rice protein powder (mixed like a pudding)
*Note: Rice protein can be found at health food stores as a powder
Remember, everyone is different. Find the combo that you tolerate best. The basic combinations of the above foods/drinks will be different depending on body size (e.g., a lot of muscle), and goal (weight management, muscle gain, etc). Train hard!
by VRG member Ryan D. Andrews, MS, MA, RD, CSCS, CISSN
This information is not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional.
5) Reducing Breast Cancer Risk
Every year more than 200,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer. Close to 41,000 women in the United States die each year from breast cancer, making it the number one cause of cancer death in Hispanic women and the second most common cause of cancer death in white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women. There are some things that women can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer - exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol intake have all been shown to reduce risk. A recent study points to another possible way to reduce breast cancer risk - markedly reduce or eliminate red meat. This study examined more than 90,000 premenopausal women and found that those women who had the highest intakes of red meat (more than 1-1/2 servings per day) had close to twice the risk of breast cancer as did women eating 3 or fewer servings of red meat per week. Beef, pork, hamburgers, hot dogs, and processed meats like salami and bologna all appeared to increase breast cancer risk. The increased risk was for a common form of breast cancer called estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. The incidence of this type of breast cancer has been increasing in the United States.
A number of factors have been proposed to explain red meat's role in breast cancer. These include carcinogens found in meat, hormone residues in beef, and enhancement of tumor development by heme iron, the form of iron that is found in meat. While we can't be certain how red meat increases breast cancer risk, it seems clear that red meat is linked to breast cancer risk as well as to risk of other cancers including colon cancer and pancreatic cancer.
The study on red meat and breast cancer received a great deal of media attention. Maybe it will be a wake-up call for young and middle-aged women who want to do whatever they can to reduce their risk of breast cancer.
Cho E, Chen WY, Hunter DJ, et al. Red meat intake and risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:2253-9.
6) 2006 Vegetarian Journal Online Issue 3
The following articles from Issue 3 of the 2006 Vegetarian Journal are now available online:
Easy as Apple Pie- Chef Nancy Berkoff jazzes up this American classic and other fruit pies.
Cuban Family Cooking in a Vegetarian Kitchen- Cecilia Peterson makes her favorite family recipes meat-free.
Vegetarian Certifications on Food Labels - What Do They Mean?- Jeanne Yacoubou, MS, examines the standards behind the symbols.
Do You Want Your College or Other Food Service Operator to Serve More Vegetarian Options?- Develop an action plan with Ron Pickarski's practical tips.
Nutrition Hotline- What causes kidney stones?
Veggie Bits-
- Vegan fruit leather
- Vegan ballet shoes now available in North America
- Parma! Vegan Parmasan
- and more
Scientific Update-
- Update on German Vegans: Positives and Negatives
- Raw Food Diets Also Have Positives and Negatives
- Health Benefits of Organic Diets for Children
- Flaxseed Oil Improves Blood Omega-3 Fatty Acid Concentrations
- and more
Vegan Cooking Tips- Salads for Every Course
Book Reviews:-
- Horizons: The Cookbook By Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby
- Food Plants Of The World By Ben-Erik van Wyk
- La Dolce Vegan! By Sarah Kramer
Vegetarian Action: Evelyn Kimber- An Interview with the Boston Vegetarian Society's President by Melissa Wong
To read these articles go to: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue3/index.htm
The Journal features recipes and informational articles, product and book reviews, news for vegetarian activists, and up-to-date information about vegetarian health and nutrition. If you are not currently a subscriber to the Vegan Journal, why not subscribe today?
Subscriptions to the Vegan Journal are $25/year in the U.S. (please inquire for subscription rates outside the U.S.). Accepted forms of payment, in U.S. funds, are Visa, MasterCard, checks drawn on U.S. banks, and postal money orders. When joining, please send us your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. If paying by credit card, please include the card number and expiration date.
If you join online at http://www.vrg.org/journal/subscribe.htm for $30 or more, you will receive a copy of the Vegan Handbook, a $20 value! (U.S. addresses only)
If you choose to join by mail, subscriptions should be directed to:
The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Dept. IN
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
Fax: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected]
7) Upcoming Events And Conferences
**********************************************************************
Fairfax Station, VA: Vegan Soups & Stews
Start the new year with winter-warming one-pot meals on Sunday, January 21 from 10am-1pm. Learn to make vegetarian soup stock and build from there into heart-healthy soups and stews such as Minestrone, Lentil Barley, Potato Leek, Herbed White Bean Cassoulet, North African Stew, Paella, Black Bean Fejoda, "Beef" Stew, Vegetable Melange, Goulash, Seitan Bourgiugnonne, Hoppin' John, Moong Dal, Pasta Fagioli, and cornbread.
$45/person; $80/couple; $40/VSDC and VRG members. Classes include recipes, food samples, and manufacturers' samples and coupons. Gift certificates available. Make checks payable to Mimi Clark, 9302 Hallston Ct., Fairfax Station, VA 22039. Sorry, no phone reservations. Call (703) 643-2011 for space availability.
**********************************************************************
Orlando, FL: 6th Annual Compassion for Animals Action Symposium
From January 26 to 28, 2007, VegEvents will host the 6th Annual Compassion for Animals Action Symposium at the Regal Palms Resort in Orlando, Florida. This event is an opportunity to: brainstorm with representatives from Florida and national organizations, share ideas and mingle with long-time activists and newcomers in Animal Ethics and Environmental Issues, participate in group discussions and project planning, and network with like-minded individuals
Registration for the symposium is $75. For information about lodging and carpooling visit http://www.vegevents.net/events.htm, or email VegEvents at [email protected].
**********************************************************************
Fort Lauderdale, FL: Vegan Dinner at Sublime Restaurant
The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a Vegan Dinner at Sublime Organic Natural Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on the afternoon of Sunday, February 18, 2007. For details, call VRG at (410) 366-8343 or email [email protected].
**********************************************************************
Seattle, WA: Vegfest 2007
The Vegetarians of Washington will hold their 6th Annual Healthy Vegetarian Food Festival on March 24-25, 2006, at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. Attendees will be able to try over 500 food samples, view cooking demos by vegetarian chefs, and listen to vegetarian health professionals speak on vegetarian nutrition and health.
Admission is $5 for adults. Children under 12 are free. For more information, visit the Vegetarians of Washington website at http://www.vegofwa.org.
8) Recipe - Cranberry Salad
(This recipe appears in Meatless Meals for Working People by Debra Wasserman & Charles Stahler)
(Serves 12)
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup orange juice or apple juice
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 2 stalks celery, chopped finely
- 1 apple, chopped finely
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Blend cranberries, juice, and raisins together in a blender. Pour in to a large bowl and add coconut, celery, apple, and walnuts if desired. Toss well before serving.
| Total calories per serving: 102 | ||
| Fat: 3 grams | Total Fat as % of Daily Value: 5% | |
| Protein: 1 gram | Iron: 1 mg | Carbohydrate: 20 grams |
| Calcium: 14 mg | Dietary fiber: 2 grams | |
9) Veggie Nuggets
MorningStar Farms Good Food for a Good Cause Grants
MorningStar Farms, maker of meatless foods for over 25 years, has awarded $1,000.00 to the "Kids Cook" program at Loring Elementary School in North Minneapolis, and to the Chicago Public Library's "Libraries Revitalize Communities" group. The Good Food for a Good Cause grants program invited people to nominate a worthy group or organization they wished to support. In addition to the cash award, both groups received vegetarian food items from MorningStar Farms to be served at their cause-related events.
For more information about the Good Food for a Good Cause program, visit the MorningStar Farms website.
10) Special Offer From VRG
While supplies last, VRG is offering copies of Conveniently Vegan by Debra Wasserman for the low price of $7.00! This price includes shipping via media mail rate within the United States. Normally these sell for $15 plus shipping. Please note these copies have slightly scuffed covers. Please visit http://www.vrg.org/catalog/convvegan.htm for more information on the book. To order, link to https://www.vrg.org/secure/order.htm or call (410) 366-8343 M-F 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST. If ordering online, please type 'VRG-NEWS offer' in the 'Additional Notes' section. You can also mail a check made payable to The Vegetarian Resource Group to VRG, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
11) Director Of Development Corner - Use Goodsearch & Help VRG!
Did you know that something you do everyday can help raise money for The Vegetarian Resource Group? Every time you search the Internet, use http://www.GoodSearch.com and with every click, money goes to your favorite school or charity, such as The VRG. The site is powered by Yahoo! so you'll get the same search results that you're used to. Last year, search engines generated close to $6 billion in revenue from advertisers. With GoodSearch, part of this advertising revenue will now be directed to The VRG. Happy Searching!
12) VRG Vegetarian Scholarships
The VRG will again award $10,000 in college scholarships. Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, we will give two $5,000 college scholarships to graduating high school students who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. The students must be graduating high school in 2007. The deadline is February 20, 2007. For more information or to read about past winners, go to http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm
13) Job Opportunities And Internships Available
Line Cook & Bartender/Barista
Great Sage, located in Clarksville, MD near Baltimore, is a vegetarian, organic restaurant that seeks to provide the highest quality gourmet foods created from only plant-based sources. The owners and chefs of Great Sage hope to create an upscale alternative to the standard vegetarian sandwich shop. Great Sage is currently looking to fill the positions of Line cook and bartender/barista. For more information, visit the Conscious Corner website.
Internship
Responsibilities depend on background, major if in college, and interest of applicant. Tasks may include research, writing, and/or community outreach. Internships are helpful for students working toward journalism, English, and nutrition degrees. Business majors can obtain experience related to the business aspects of a non-profit organization. Activists can learn new skills and gain a broader knowledge, as well as share their expertise. Positions open throughout the year for all ages (including high school students living in Baltimore). Internships are unpaid. Send resume and cover letter to: The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; [email protected].
About The Vegetarian Resource Group
Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthful changes in your school, workplace, and community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization. Financial support comes primarily from memberships, donations, and book sales. The Vegan Journal, a print magazine, is a benefit of membership in The VRG. (For more information, please see the Vegan Journal online.)
If you would like to make a donation, become a member, volunteer, or find out more about The VRG, contact us at:
The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
Fax: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.vrg.org
Donate: https://www.givedirect.org/donate/?Action=GC&cid=1565
The contents of this newsletter, and our other publications, including Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.
About VRG-News
VRG-News is the monthly e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource Group. This is an announcement list, so subscriber messages are not accepted by the list. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or corrections to VRG-News, direct them to [email protected]. Thanks!
If you are a new subscriber, you might enjoy reading past issues of VRG-News online at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/index.htm.
If you wish to cancel your subscription to VRG-News, send an e-mail message to [email protected] with the following message: SIGNOFF VRG-NEWS
If you wish to subscribe to VRG-News, send an e-mail message to [email protected] with the following message: SUB VRG-NEWS {your first and last name}
Do not include the {} when you enter your name. The newsletter will be sent to the e-mail address from which you are subscribing.
Contents of VRG-News are copyright 2006 by The Vegetarian Resource Group. The newsletter may be freely distributed in electronic or print form provided its contents are not altered and credit is given to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
Thanks to volunteer Stephanie Schueler for converting this article to HTML.
� 1996- The Vegetarian Resource GroupPO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203
(410) 366-8343���Email: [email protected]
Jan. 21, 2006
The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegand Journal and Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.
Web site questions or comments? Please email [email protected].