Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Man the Hunter is Poppycock

Kansas City infoZine - 'Man the Hunter' Theory Is Debunked in New Book - USA: "'Man the Hunter' Theory Is Debunked in New Book
You wouldn't know it by current world events, but humans actually evolved to be peaceful, cooperative and social animals.


Washington University, St. Louis, MO - In a new book, an anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis goes against the prevailing view and argues that primates, including early humans, evolved not as hunters but as prey of many predators, including wild dogs and cats, hyenas, eagles and crocodiles.

Despite popular theories posed in research papers and popular literature, early man was not an aggressive killer, argues Robert W. Sussman, Ph.D., professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences."


"One of the main defenses against predators by animals without physical defenses is living in groups," says Sussman. "In fact, all diurnal primates (those active during the day) live in permanent social groups. Most ecologists agree that predation pressure is one of the major adaptive reasons for this group-living. In this way there are more eyes and ears to locate the predators and more individuals to mob them if attacked or to confuse them by scattering. There are a number of reasons that living in groups is beneficial for animals that otherwise would be very prone to being preyed upon."

Vegetarianism reaches Iceland

Vegetarian History is made. Before we know it the Inuits and eskimos will be eating Tofu.Icelandic history - first veg banquet for Kalam:- - World News - Webindia123.com: "Icelandic history - first veg banquet for Kalam:-
Reykjavik | May 31, 2005 9:42:21 AM IST


Iceland created history when it hosted its first ever fully vegetarian state banquet to specially honour visiting Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, a vegetarian.

The menu for Monday's banquet -- which included a tomato and sprouts salad, a main course with aubergine and dessert -- perplexed many of the Icelanders invited to the event as also the sizeable non-vegetarian contingent in the presidents entourage.

Icelandic meals are rarely without fish or lamb, and a fully vegetarian meal was a novelty for most of the Nordic islands citizens at the banquet for 250."

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Mirror.co.uk - News - IS IT END FOR LINDA BANGERS?

Mirror.co.uk - News - IS IT END FOR LINDA BANGERS?: "IS IT END FOR LINDA BANGERS?
By Daniel Boffey
LINDA McCartney's frozen veggie sausages are facing the axe.
In 1994, 500,000 were sold - more than ex-Beatle husband Sir Paul's record sales.
The Linda McCartney line is still among the most popular frozen vegetarian food range in Britain.
But Heinz, which owns it, is poised to sell. A spokesman said: 'Sadly the sausages are under review. We will report back in nine months.'
Advertisement
The range was launched in 1991 and veggie Linda advised on packaging and design and promoted the products. When she died from cancer in 1998 it was worth 25million.
Sir Paul pledged to keep control of the brand after genetically-modified soya was found in some frozen sausages.
But in 1998, United Biscuits, which made all the products under licence to the McCartney family, sold to Heinz now said to be worth £190million. Sir Paul was unavailable for comment last night."

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Cricket Ace Champions Dairy Free Vegetarian Diet

Chappell recommends vegetarian diet for all : Cricket OFF-THE-FIELD : CricketZone.Com: "Chappell recommends vegetarian diet for all
25th May 2005 22.43 IST
By Agencies



Former Australian captain and the new coach of the Indian cricket team Greg Chappell has been recommending vegetarianism for all, from athletes to businessmen, and credits his vegetarian diet for improving his own health.

In his book 'Health and Fitness', Chappell says that giving up meat and dairy products in favour of healthier foods like soya and vegetables made him feel stronger and healthier.


''We are the only species of animal on earth that still consumes milk products after being weaned. To make things worse, we do not even consume our own milk products but get them from another kind of animal,'' Chappell wrote in his book.

''Dairy milk is a perfectly balanced food for calves but for nothing else. It does contain certain nutrients, but it also contains things which do us much more harm than the nutrients do us good,'' he said.

When Chappell became vegetarian, he discovered that the illness that had plagued him all his life disappeared. ''I gave up red meat at the same time as I gave dairy foods, but while the benefits of avoiding red meat took awhile to become evident, the effect of giving up dairy food was immediate,'' Chappell wrote.

''Clearly, I had been showing all the symptoms of lactose intolerance. Within days, literally, of giving up milk and cheese, these symptoms disappeared,'' he added.

Chappell joins highest Indian wicket-taker Anil Kumble , who has also appeared in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) advertisements promoting healthful veggie foods. "

Greg Chappell

Greg's Cricket Centre

Interview with Gregg Chappell

The Vegetarian Society

The Vegan Society

Key nutrients for optimum vegetarian or vegan diet

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Vegetarian Caterers Need Nutritionists & Training

Vegetarian Caterers Need Nutritionists & Training: "A top UK Nutritionist warns that people choosing the vegetarian dish of the day, a vegetarian sandwich or vegetarian ready meal thinking it's a healthier option could be making a big mistake and caterers are to blame. Sometimes it's not even truly vegetarian and that could cost caterers £millions."

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Vegan Trends in food service

Trends in food service: "Trends in food service
(18 May 2005)
Aramark's 'Just 4U' food service programme divides menu choices into the following headings: Low Fat, Heart Healthy, Carb Counter, Cal Smart, Vegetarian, and Vegan.
In a survey of 100,000 US college students conducted by Aramark, 24% said vegan dishes were important to them, while 18% wanted low-carb dishes on the menu."

Milk, Heart Disease and Stroke

In the Bristol Study that claimed to prove milk that wasn't as bad for health as some nutritionists believe it appears the effects could be more to do with what the milk replaced rather than the milk itself.

Not only did the best subjects switch to semi skimmed milk to cut down on saturated fat, but they also exercised more and consumed less alcohol - hardly conclusive evidence to defend cow's milk.

In the Oxford study, one of the largest ever studies of vegetarians the vegans (who consume no dairy) did best on avoiding heart disease and reduced risk of stroke.

Milk diet, Heart Disease And Stroke Risk: "The men, who were all aged between 45 and 59, were taking part in the Caerphilly Cohort Study, which was set up between 1979 and 1983.

They were given comprehensive health check-ups, including a heart tracing (ECG) at the start of the study and subsequently every five years for a period of 20 years. Hospital and family doctor records were also checked.
During the study period, 54 men had a stroke and 139 developed symptomatic ischaemic heart disease (heart attack or angina), and 225 died.

At the start of the study, virtually all milk consumption was whole (full fat) milk, but a random sample of the surviving men in 2000, showed that almost all of them had switched to skimmed or semi skimmed milk within the preceding eight years.
Men who consumed the most milk every day (a pint or more) had a higher energy intake, suggesting that they were more active. Cholesterol levels and blood pressure readings were similar in high and low milk consumers (less than half a pint)

Men who drank the least milk tended to drink the most alcohol.

Men who drank the most milk had a lower risk of ischaemic heart disease or stroke than those who drank the least, and in the case of stroke this risk was significantly lower. The findings held true even for those men who had started out drinking full fat milk.

###


Milk consumption, stroke, and heart attack risk: evidence from the Caerphilly cohort of older men, J. Epid"

Vegetarian incompetance costs McDonald's $10 Million

The World is changing - at last vegetarian issues are being taken seriously and Companies are going to be made to pay if they get it wrong - Watch out Gordon Ramsay!

NCM > Supersize This - McDonald's Disburses $10 Million As French Fries Fallout: "The 24 recipients include a diverse array of organizations, ranging from Tufts University in Boston to groups like the Preventative Medicine Research Institute, North American Vegetarian Society, American Vegan Society and the Muslim Consumer Group for Food Products.

The final disbursement comes after years of litigation. First there was a class action lawsuit against McDonald's, which McDonald's agreed to settle.

The settlement is a landmark in corporate accountability in this country, said Harish Bharti, the Seattle, Wash.-based attorney who had filed the class action lawsuit against the giant restaurant chain that catapulted him into the national limelight. India-West, which broke the story, won top journalism awards from two ethnic media organizations - the New California Media and South Asian Journalists Association - and both Bharti and India-West landed on the front page of the New York Times.

Bharti decided to take on McDonald's at a time when most attorneys shied away from taking on the giant, renowned for its deep pockets and determination to stand its ground in court.

Bharti said what is unique is that he demanded that the corporation agree to acknowledge wrongdoing, something big companies are loathe to do.

"I wanted them to admit wrongdoing and (offer an) apology, which was like a foreign language at that time," Bharti told India-West.

As part of the settlement, McDonald's said in an official apology: "McDonald's sincerely apologizes to Hindus, vegetarians and others for failing to provide the kind of information they needed to make informed dietary decisions at our U.S. restaurants.

"We acknowledge that, upon our switch to vegetable oil in the early 1990's for the purpose of reducing cholesterol, mistakes were made in communicating to the public and customers about the ingredients in our French fries and hash browns. Those mistakes included instances in which French fries and hash browns sold at U.S. restaurants were improperly identified as 'vegetarian.'

"We regret we did not provide these customers with complete information, and we sincerely apologize for any hardship that these miscommunications have caused among Hindus, vegetarians and others."


Monday, May 23, 2005

British Airways Wins Worst Caterer Award 2005

British Airways Wins Worst Vegetarian Caterer Award: "London nutritionists Foods For Life have marked The Vegetarian Society's National Vegetarian Week by awarding British Airways 'The worlds' favorite airline an award for what they described as the worst vegetarian 'special meal' they have ever had.

British Airways worst catering for vegetarians

(PRWEB) May 21, 2005 -- 'The worst Vegetarian Caterer of the year award 2005.' Winner BA

The authors of a best selling UK healthy vegan cookbook by Hamlyn, London nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston and husband Tony food writer and vegan cook love their food.

They paid extra to fly with British Airways to Prague thinking they were more likely to get fed well, they also turned down the offer of a free upgrade to keep their 'special meal'.

'What we got was a small soggy white bread finger roll with some limp salad and a pot with three pieces of melon - not what you would expect from the 'world's favorite airline'' says Yvonne.

'The meal that everyone else got wasn't great from a nutrition point of view but would have been easy to find inexpensive vegetarian replacements - our meal was free of protein, freshness, the chocolate biscuit, the muffin, the juice and even the water that everyone else got'

'I dread to think what was in the water or juice that stopped it being vegetarian.'

The competition for this Award was stiff, apparently Hells Kitchen star and Michelin acclaimed foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay came a close second. He's always making jokes about slipping meat into vegetarian dishes showing a clear lack of understanding about allergies.

A vegetarian is unlikely to visit Mr Ramsay out of choice whereas I've previously had good meals on British Airways. Many non-vegetarians used to choose the option on BA flights because it was better than the meat choices. "The standards are obviously slipping and we want to nip it in the bud before they give vegetarian food a bad name.” adds Tony

Many people choose the vegetarian option because they think it’s going to be healthier. Quite often it’s tasty, but smothered in cheese so no healthier than a meat dish. The British Airways serving we got was neither healthy nor tasty.

To nominate your favorites for best and worst go to:
Make a Difference Awards www.Vegan-awards.org.uk

PICTURE AT Worst Vegetarian Food

FULL STORY

British Airways

British airways Complaints Form

BA Top of Complaints list

British Airways Reviews

Sunday, May 22, 2005

GWYNETH PALTROW & CHRIS MARTIN - Birthday Vegan Feast

GWYNETH PALTROW - PALTROW AND MARTIN GIVE BABY APPLE A VEGAN FEAST: "PALTROW AND MARTIN GIVE APPLE A VEGAN FEAST
Gwyneth Paltrow contacts and agent
GWYNETH PALTROW and her husband CHRIS MARTIN gave their daughter APPLE a feast to remember for her recent first birthday party, when they feted her with vegan dishes.
Friends and relatives - including Paltrow's mother BLYTHE DANNER - gathered at the couple's New York City townhouse on 14 May (05) for a range of vegan dishes catered by Teany, a local eatery co-owned by MOBY.

Co-owner KELLY TISDALE says, 'Gwyn wanted to personalise the cake, so she had a big apple made out of raspberry puree on the vegan cheesecake.' "

TeaNY - New York * Vegan Recipes * ColdPlay - Chris Martin * Gwyneth Paltrow

Saturday, May 21, 2005

A Veggieburger a day keeps the Doctor away?

EU - WHSC :: Press Releases :: Article Detail: "What Would 100 Billion McVeggie Burgers Mean? Healthier Customers, Study Says
Do you want that with soybeans?
As junk food consumption continues to escalate, Emory University researchers would like to change the nation's fast food habits.
If the next 100 billion burgers sold under the Golden Arches were veggie-based instead of beef, Americans' cholesterol levels, fiber intake and overall health would all improve, according to an article in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study's senior author is Erica Frank, MD, MPH, vice chair and associate professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine. Elsa Spencer, PhD, an Emory University post-doctoral fellow, and Nichole McIntosh, MD, a former Emory University School of Medicine student, are the other authors.
Dr. Frank says the impetus for the study was seeing the McDonald's signs that say 'Over 100 billion burgers sold.' The study compares the McVeggie burger with McDonald's beef burger and asks what if the next 100 billion burgers were McVeggie patties instead of beef? McDonald's customers would benefit from an estimated 1 billion more pounds of fiber, 550 million fewer pounds of saturated fat, 1.2 billion fewer total pounds of fat and even 660 million more pounds of protein, the authors say.
'I wondered how Americans and the environment might look different if these burgers had been veggie burgers instead of cow burgers,' says Dr. Frank. 'The bottom line of the study is that the McVeggie burger substitution would provide over a billion fewer pounds of fat, one billion more pounds of fiber, and even more protein.'
McVeggie burgers are sold in Canada and in some major cities across the United"

Friday, May 20, 2005

Free Vegetarians sex with vegetables movie

Really Rude Food

The Vegetarian Society have ressurected that fantastic movie that they made with The Co-op Bank in the 1990's Steve Connor days with the rudest sexiest food that you've ever seen a vegetarian play with. If I remember right this got a 15 certificate by the British Censures the first time around. PeTA have used this too.

I guess times change but the old classics never die. This is a vegetarian society message that really could change your life. You will never see a chilii, an asparagus or rice in the same way ever again.






Who knows this may even beat the Paris Hilton video in the viral charts.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Gordon Ramsay is Hell for Vegetarians

There's seems to be only one thing Gordon Ramsay hates more than vegetarians and that's traffic wardens. He once said he'd rather work for the vegan society than be traffic warden.

But there's nothing he seems to find funnier than poisoning vegetarians with a sneaky bit of meat.

"one day he's going to kill someone or be sued" says Tony Bishop Weston from Foods For Life. If he's as cavalier with a little bit of butter as he is with a little bit of meat someone allergic to dairy could end up in hospital. There is new legislation going through europe which may result in chefs doing this sort of thing ending up in jail.



Herts24: "To make matters worse, Mr Ramsay is also shown laughing and making jokes after giving an unsuspecting vegetarian a pizza with Parma ham in it at a public tasting session in Lanterna.

'Whether it was accidental or deliberate we don't know, but to take the attitude that it was funny is very disrespectful,' said Tina Fox, chief executive of The Vegetarian Society.

'Why he thinks it's so amusing I don't know. Would he find it equally amusing if an anaphylactic customer died at the table due to eating nuts?'

Owner Mr Scott admitted: 'It wasn't pleasant for the poor chap, and it wasn't intentional, but we did find it funny afterwards.'"

Tony - Foods For Life

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Healthy BK Veggieburger? You aint got it!

Sorry Burger King and Kelloggs but you just don't get it.

Most vegetarians and vegans are doing it for ethical reasons. (over 40% www.vegsoc.org) so you are unlikely to win their hearts with a burger with GM ingredients and battery farmed eggs.

If you think your customers want it healthy then again the health conscious consumers know that battery eggs aren't healthy and avoid GM foods just cause their safety is unproven so a good reason to give up meat (animals eat GM soya) is a good reason not to eat morning star.

You got it Burger King ? Nice try but could do better - No Vegetarian Society Approval for this one - sorry guys.

Vegetarians 'HAVE IT YOUR WAY(R)!': " BATTLE CREEK, Mich., May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Kellogg Company and
Burger King Corporation announced they have launched a new BK VEGGIE(R) Burger
in BURGER KING(R) restaurants throughout the United States. The new burger
features a patty produced by Kellogg's Morningstar Farms division, and will
give consumers a new vegetarian choice when they eat out.
BURGER KING restaurants, already known for allowing consumers to customize
their burgers, will give the same HAVE IT YOUR WAY(R) options to diners who
purchase the new BK VEGGIE Burger from Morningstar Farms. Burger King
Corporation is the only national quick service restaurant to offer a
vegetarian burger nationally.
'Consumers have told us that when they eat out they want the vegetarian
options and great taste that Morningstar Farms gives them at home,' said Alan
Gravely, vice president marketing, Kellogg's Frozen Foods, 'We are excited
that our relationship with Burger King Corporation will enable consumers to
balance the convenience of dining out with their nutrition and diet
priorities.'

Monday, May 16, 2005

Vegan Skinhead Stuns Star Wars fans at World Premier

Vegan skinhead Natalie Portman stunned everyone at the world premiere of the sixth and final Star Wars movie, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.



Natalie's new hairstyle stuns fans - Yahoo! UK & Ireland News: "Star Wars actress Natalie Portman stunned the Cannes Film Festival with a new skinhead look.
The 23-year-old beauty has shaved off her hair in preparation for her next role as a freedom fighter in the film V for Vendetta.
Her Sinead O'Connor style skinhead drew gasps from onlookers as she arrived on the Riviera ahead of the world premiere of the sixth and final Star Wars movie,
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Portman's radical new look is in marked contrast to the elaborate hairstyles she wore in the Star Wars movies.
The Oscar nominated actress has played Padme, Queen of Naboo, in all three films.
'I feel very lucky to have played this part,' she said.
'It was an amazing opportunity to play the same character more than once. It's always sad at the end of a film when you have to say goodbye to everyone. Ending a film and knowing you will see everyone again was just fantastic.'
Portman will be joined on the red carpet by co-stars Hayden Christensen and Samuel L Jackson, together with director George Lucas.
Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, will miss the premiere because he is in London rehearsing for West End musical Guys and Dolls. "

Vegans Starve their Children

Why don't we ever get these kind of headlines when meat eating Parents are caught sending their kids to school with a packet of bacon crisps and a can of coke for breakfast? or dinner ladies who serve turkey twizzlers to our children?

Hopefully stories like these will encourage vegetarians and vegans to fully research what they eat and what they feed their children.

yes it's simple but not 'rice and beans' simple.

East Valley Tribune | Daily Arizona news for Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale

Kids of vegan parents still
By Irene Hsiao, Tribune
A Scottsdale couple’s three children were still hospitalized Thursday after police said they were malnourished on a vegan diet.

Blair Parker, 34, and Kimu Parker, 35, were indicted on felony child abuse charges as their 11-year-old daughter, 9-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter recover in a hospital.

The Parkers, who are being held in a Maricopa County jail, could face 10 to 24 years in prison on each count, said Bill FitzGerald, spokesman for the county attorney’s office.

"It’s appalling to me what human beings do to children at times," said Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. "This case really strikes home to me because I have children in the same age bracket. It was very hard to review the evidence and the photographs in the case, but we will be pursuing this case very aggressively."

Blair Parker brought the 3-year-old girl to the hospital when she suffered symptoms of seizures April 23, police said. Doctors discovered the girl weighed 12 pounds and called police. Police found two other children who were malnourished and underweight. The 11-year-old was 36.5 pounds and the 9-year-old was 29 pounds, police said.

The Parkers told police they don’t believe in consuming animal products and ate vegetables, rice and beans, a police report states.

"We continue to see cases in which there’s been horrific mistreatment of children either left in cages, closets or not nourished, and it’s a very troubling trend," Thomas said. "It’s incumbent on people in law enforcement positions in particular get a better sense as to why this is happening."

Thursday, May 12, 2005

New Vegan Website for National Vegetarian Week.



A new vegan website just in time for National Vegetarian Week looks keen to turn Atkins on it's head although there doesn't seem much need as Atkins UK has already gone bust.

All for vegans and everyone else too.

Vegan websites, products, services, news and people.

"Of course you don't need to be vegan to enjoy being here - that's the wonderful thing about vegan things - they can be enjoyed by everyone.Kinder to people, animals and the environment."

We wonder if this like so many other websites will fall by the wayside - this is nothing more than a collection of links so far.

www.for-vegans.co.uk

Saturday, May 07, 2005

Free Websites for Vegetarian & Vegan Groups



FREE webspace and websites for vegetarian and vegan groups!!

"Local Veggie Web (LVW) : is a FREE content management system and hosting service with the specific aim of providing local vegetarian and vegan groups with an easy to use tool to create highly functional and visually appealing web sites to support their activities. "

Supersize Me Director Goes Vegan on New TV Show

The Sun Newspaper Online - UK's biggest selling newspaper: "SUPER SIZE ME director and star Morgan Spurlock is set to front a new reality TV series which challenges people to spend 30 days in very demanding circumstances.
The award-winning documentary maker, who spent 30 days eating nothing but McDonald's fast food for his hit breakout film, will host 30 Days on America's FX network.
Among the 30-day challenges, Morgan will switch careers with his fiancee, a vegan chef, and spend a month trying to live on minimum wage."

Vegan Raptor Dinosaur Gives up Meat.

Vegan Dinosaurs : "Paleontologists in Utah announced yesterday that they had discovered a new species of dinosaurs. The new species, named Falcarius utahensis, uncovered two years ago at a dig site near the town of Green River is about 13 feet long and 41/2 feet tall, and was a primitive member of the therizinosaur group of feathered dinosaurs reports New York Times . The Fosssils suggest that the dinosaur was becoming more vegetarian, moving away from its meat-eating ancestors.
Dr. James I. Kirkland, a paleontologist with the Utah Geological Survey, said , 'the beginnings of features we associate with plant-eating dinosaurs.' The teeth were not the sharp, bladelike serrated teeth of the typical predator, but smaller and adapted for shredding leaves. 'I doubt that this animal could have cut a steak,' he said."

Vegetarian diet beats low fat diet for low cholesterol cholesterol.

Low-fat, veggie-based diet lowers high cholesterol - Healthypages news: "Low-fat, veggie-based diet lowers high cholesterol
03.05.2005



Though low-fat diets have long been advocated for lowering high cholesterol levels, a study published Monday points up the importance of replacing fatty foods with nutritious fare -- not fat-free cookies and chips.

In a comparison of two low-fat diets -- one plant-based and one packed with the convenience foods typical of the American diet -- researchers found that the plant-based menu lead to greater reductions in study participants' LDL cholesterol, the 'bad' form of cholesterol linked to cardiovascular disease.


After four weeks, the 59 men and women who followed the vegetarian-style diet saw their total cholesterol fall by an average of 18 points (that is, milligrams per deciliter of blood) and their LDL drop by 14. That compared with 9 and 7 points, respectively, among 61 adults on the comparison diet.


According to the researchers, the findings underscore what experts now generally believe about traditional dietary advice for cutting cholesterol: the directive to go low-fat was overly simplistic.


It's thought that the advice led many people to opt for reduced-fat processed foods, but not the fruits, vegetables and whole grains that can help lower cholesterol, according to lead study author Dr. Christopher D. Gardner of Stanford University in California.


The simple avoid-fat message, he noted in an interview with Reuters Health, has been changing in recent years to instead advise people on what foods to favor -- including fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains.


And these latest findings support that move, Gardner and his colleagues report in the March 3rd issue of the Annals of Internal"