The Island Vegetarian of Hawaii Quarterly Newsletter supporting human health, , and ecology Volume 12, Issue 4, Oct - Dec 2001

Inside

· President’s Message

· John Westerdahl

· Animal Rights Corner

· Calendar of Events & Bookstore

· Eye on the Environment

· Meet Our Members

Public Lectures From left: Brian Tottori (HPC Foods), Mae Isonaga (DOH), Laurie Veatch (VSH), Pat

Moore (VSH), Lola Irvin (American Cancer Society), Mayor Harris, Eileen Towata Antonia Demas, PhD (VSH), Bill Harris (VSH). “HEALTHY SCHOOL LUNCHES” 3 Mayor Signs *McCoy Pavilion* 5-A-Day Proclamation

Bill Harris, MD by Bill Harris, MD

“COVERING ALL THE n August 31, 2001 members of the Hawaii 5-A-Day Coalition presented BASES” OMayor Jeremy Harris with a colorful basket in his office on the third November 14 floor of Honolulu Hale. He in turn signed a proclamation designating September Ala Wai Golf Rec. Center 9-15 as 5-A-Day Week, encouraging citizens to consume five servings of and daily, in accord with recommendations of the USDA and most health organizations. Rozalind Gruben, AHSI In conjunction with the Proclamation, the Department of Health will distrib- “PERMANENT ute free 5-A-Day book covers to public school students, and city buses will be WEIGHT LOSS carrying full color ads featuring our local 5-A-Day boy “Ikaika,” meaning THE VEGETARIAN WAY” “healthy.” VSH would like to thank Mayor Harris for recognizing the importance of his December 12 constituents including more fruits and vegetables in their diets. We also thank Ala Wai Golf Rec. Center our 5-A-Day volunteers for their tireless efforts to ensure that this important Proclamation was passed by the legislature and signed by the Mayor. The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 See page 18 for an update on the vegetarian school lunch resolution. Page 1

VSH extends its President’s deepest sympathies to the victims of the Message September 11 ter- rorist attacks and to by Alida Rutchick, M.Ed. their families. We hope for and will continue to It Takes All Kinds work toward a world that re- places violence and hatred with love and compassion.

s you are probably aware, the the stated positions. If we destroy our The Island Vegetarian A mission of the Vegetarian Soci- environment and have no planet to ety is to educate with regard to the dwell on, human health and animal The Island Vegetarian is published effects of diet not only on human rights are moot points. On the other quarterly by and for the members of the health, but on the well-being of ani- hand, if we seriously degrade our Vegetarian Society of Hawaii mals and the environment as well. health, we won’t be in a position to P.O. Box 23208 Of the three basic reasons for be- think and act effectively about the Honolulu, HI 96823-3208 ing a vegetarian, most of us empha- planet or anything else. And of 808-944-VEGI (8344) size one or another. I have found that course, it is undeniable that the ani- E-mail: [email protected] this emphasis is usually a function of mals are suffering acutely every day. www.VSH.org an individual’s initial experience of or Out of respect and concern for all

Visit our website introduction to as well of these viewpoints we have intended for newsletter archives as his or her subsequent exposure to to balance fairly the attention we give and more. the thinking and sensitivity of other to the three areas; that one or another vegetarians. I myself began long ago may seem to be dominant or ne- as a “health” vegetarian, having been glected from time to time is really the Board of Directors influenced by Paul Bragg’s The Mira- result of opportunities that present President: Alida Rutchick Vice President: Laurie Veatch cle of Fasting. After joining the themselves for monthly speakers or Secretary: Mary Arakaki Vegetarian Society, however, and newsletter articles. In this issue we’re Treasurer: Elaine French learning of the environmental effects happy to inaugurate an environmental Directors: Jim Brown of animal agriculture as well as think- column. VSH VP Laurie Veatch has Bill Harris, MD ing more about the animals over the a special interest in this area, which Elaine Johnson past decade or so, my concern for she shares with her son, who is an en- Karl Seff, PhD these other effects of -eating has vironmental ethicist. We thank her for grown to rival my health interests. I her contribution to this issue, and we attribute this change to a spiritual and encourage others with environmental Newsletter Committee intellectual maturation, for which I interests to submit their ideas or arti- Alida Rutchick Helen Wells thank the Vegetarian Society. cles to the newsletter editor. We have Jim Brown Lately some have questioned also recently given attention to animal what our emphasis as an organization issues. We were privileged to hear the should be with regard to these three “the most influential living philoso- Mahalo to all our volunteers… areas of concern. Some have ex- pher” speak to us on the philosophical pressed a desire to hear less of animal underpinnings of the animal rights

rights, others have wondered why we movement. We sponsored this event The opinions expressed in this don’t mention environmental issues cooperatively with our friends in Ani- newsletter are those of the writers more often, and still others, I’m sure, mal Rights Hawaii, 90% of whose and do not necessarily reflect those have their own preferences. members are estimated to be vegetar- of the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii. What’s the proper balance? ian; many are VSH members as well. Which need is more critical or more Questions also have arisen lately immediate? Arguments have been put of whether we should address areas forward by the proponents of all of (See President’s Message on page 19)

Page 2 The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Update

by John Westerdahl, PhD, MPH, RD

Journal of The American Dietetic Association Features Planning Vegan Diets for Infants and Children

he featured cover articles of the in the general population. terol than do children’s omnivore diets, T June 2001 issue of The Journal of For the first 4 to 6 months of an in- some studies indicate that they may be The American Dietetic Association (J fant’s life beast milk should be the sole low in calcium. In addition, bioavail- Am Diet Assoc. 2001;101:661-669 and food with soy-based infant formula as ability of zinc and iron from J Am Diet Assoc. 2001;101:670-677) an alternative; commercial soymilk foods can be low. Special attention focus on for infants and should not be the primary beverage un- should be given to promoting dietary children. This is a historical event, as til after age 1 year. In addition, be- habits that enhance absorption of zinc never before has this topic been the cause infants require a sustained intake and iron from plant foods. Absorption highlighted cover feature of this pres- of vitamin B-12 to support rapid can be increased, for example, by soak- tigious scientific nutrition journal, the growth, unless the mother’s diet is sup- ing dried beans and discarding the main scientific and professional journal plemented or includes B-12-fortified soaking water before cooking; using read by registered dietitians world- foods, it is important that breastfed ve- fermented soy products like wide. gan infants receive a regular supple- and can also enhance zinc absorp- The two articles are entitled: ment of vitamin B-12 (0.4 micrograms tion. Vitamin C and other organic acids “Considerations in planning vegan di- per day for the first 6 months, 0.5 mi- found in vegetables enhance the ab- ets: Children” and “Considerations in crograms per day beginning at age 6 sorption of nonheme iron (the type of planning vegan diets: Infants.” Both months). Furthermore, because zinc iron found in plant foods), a fact that articles were written by Ann Reed levels in human milk naturally decline emphasizes the importance of these Mangels, PhD, RD, FADA and Vir- during the lactation period, foods con- plant foods in the child’s diet. Parents ginia Messina, MPH, RD, personal col- taining zinc are typically added to the may want to consider giving their ve- leagues and friends of mine. Here are infant’s diet. Sources of zinc for vegan gan children a vegetarian multi- summaries of the articles: infants include zinc-fortified infant ce- supplement containing both zinc and reals, , whole , wheat iron for nutritional insurance against a Planning Vegan Diets for Infants germ, and . While zinc is available diet that may not be sufficiently varied. The American Dietetic Association in these foods, its bioavailability is re- Further, good sources of omega-3 and The American Academy of Pediat- duced by the phytate found in whole fatty acids should be emphasized to rics state that appropriately planned grains and legumes. enhance synthesis of the long-chain vegan diets can satisfy nutrient needs The timing of solid food introduc- fatty acid docosahexanoic acid; vegan of infants and promote normal infant tion is the same as that recommended diets for children should include growth. for non-vegetarians. Tofu, dried beans, sources of linolenic acid such as Breast milk composition of vegan and vegetarian meat substitutes are in- ground flax seed, walnuts, and soy mothers is similar to that of the non- troduced as protein sources around 7 – products. (Note that protein needs are vegetarian except for the fat composi- 8 months to support growth of infants, easily met with a varied diet that pro- tion: breast milk appears to be lower in who have a higher protein need than vides adequate calories.) saturated fat and eicosapentaenoic acid older children. In conclusion, Parents of vegan (EPA) and higher in linoleic acid and children should identify good sources Planning Vegan Diets for Children linolenic acid. It also appears to be of vitamin B-12, riboflavin, zinc, cal- lower in environmental pollutants such Although diets of vegan children meet cium and, if sun exposure is not ade- as DDT, chlordane, and polychlori- or exceed recommendations for most quate (not to worry in Hawaii), vitamin nated biphenyls; in most cases levels nutrients and include more fiber and D. The authors advise that parents as- were just 1 to 2 percent of those seen less total fat, saturated fat, and choles- (See Nutrition Update on page 20) The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Page 3 Here in Ha- AGAINST attempting this.) The Trouble waii we have a Cassava is a staple food through- tuber called out the tropics, particularly in Africa, With Taro: taro. Poi is South America, and the Pacific. A A Tale of Two Tubers made from the few gardeners grow it in Hawaii, but ground-up root it does not appear in the list of food by William Harris, M.D. of the plant and crops put out by the Hawaii Depart- VSH Board Member is a staple in the ment of Agriculture at www. traditional Ha- hawaiiag.org/. In Gold Coast (now Ghana, Africa) waiian diet. But Interesting comments on taro in there was a disease of infants called the real nutri- Hawaii can be found at: www.nass. “kwashiorkor” by the Ga tribe, mean- tion is in the taro leaves. Nutrition usda.gov/hi/vegetble/poi.htm, www. ing “the sickness the older child gets values of the leaves are about as good earthfoot.org/lit_zone/taro.htm, and when the next baby is born.”¹ These as those of spinach, but as with spin- www.folklife.si.edu/vfest/hawaii/ kids get swollen bellies and the clas- ach, taro leaves contain oxalic acid, taro.htm. sic signs of protein/energy malnutri- which interferes with calcium ab- Below is a table of some nutrient tion (PEM) because with Momma sorption. Unlike spinach, though, taro values, limited by the FAO data on now nursing the new arrival, child leaf (called luau leaf in the stores) cassava leaf. ³ You can see that the number one gets weaned onto boiled contains oxalic acid to the max. Re- leaves are a much better bet than the cassava root, a tuber with nutrient cently I tried eating part of a raw taro tubers from which they grow. Now if values even less impressive than the leaf and added one more experience we could just breed the oxalic acid potato and containing only 37% of to my list of things never to be tried out of the taro and the cyanide out of the Recommended Daily Allowance again. However, the stinging, burn- the cassava!

(RDA) for protein per Calorie.² This ing, closing off the back of your is a good reason for mothers to breast throat symptoms can be largely 1. Maurice E. Shils, James A. Olson, Moshe Shike: Modern nutrition in health feed the first child longer. Too bad eliminated by steaming the taro leaf and disease -8th ed. ISBN 0-8121-1485-X the cassava leaves (not to be con- until it says enough already and just (set). Library of Congress 92-49855 fused with casaba, a melon) contain hangs there limp, lifeless, and deeeli- 2. The USDA Nutrient Database for Stan- cyanide, because if they could be eas- cious, usually 20-40 minutes, de- dard Reference, Release 14 is available pending on the sensitivity of your on CD-ROM from the Government ily eaten, they would have nutrient Printing Office for $17.00 (including values about the same as spinach or gag reflex. Alternately you can find shipping and handling). Orders by tele- kale, and the children could be fairly pre-cooked frozen luau leaf in the phone, 202-512-1800; FAX, healthy. Cassava (Manihot esculenta) supermarkets, which, after being re- 202-512-2250; or on the internet, http:// is also called manioc, or the tapioca cooked, goes down without a strug- www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/sale.html. th Stock Number 001-000-04679-9. You plant. 16 century Portuguese explor- gle. Cassava, both root and leaf, can can also download the database as a 5 ers found that the Brazilian Indians also be persuaded to part with its load MB zipped flat spreadsheet at my web- had learned to detoxify the tubers by of cyanide by drying, steaming, and site: http://www.vegsource.com/harris/ peeling, grating, and squeezing the pulping, but the risks are higher here food_comp.htm since inadequate preparation pro- 3. Food and Agricultural Organization of pulp into long, supple cylinders the United Nations (FAO) data on cas- called tipitis, made of woven plant duces a really bitter and potentially sava leaf at: http://www.fao.org/ fibers. fatal dinner. (VSH recommends WAIRdocs/x5425e/x5425e0m.jpg.

Nutrient - Percent of Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) per Calorie (Raw) Taro Root Cassava Root Potato Taro Leaf Cassava Leaf Spinach Calcium (Mg) 800 106% 28% 24% 701% 2800% 1138% Cholesterol (mg) <300 0 0 0 0 0 0 Iron (mg) 18 90% 31% 117% 982% 950% 698% Niacin (mg) 15 79% 78% 275% 528% 500% 523% Protein (gm) 50 59% 37% 105% 522% 850% 429% Riboflavin (mg) 1.6 27% 37% 61% 1327% 1150% 1277% Thiamin (mg) 1.4 124% 80% 174% 730% 550% 449% Vitamin A (RE) 1000 0% 0% 0% 422% 6000% 6914% Vitamin C (mg) 60 147% 472% 914% 4540% 16650% 7857% Page 4 The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 a thing for "prestigious" steak (with egg), and/or some peanuts houses, and that made me pretty sad. without a special request, as hap- Circus Circus' Pink Pony restaurant pened to me twice in my scooting did have a burger that I de- around the mainland. And I heard voured after five days of salad bars from more than one flight attendant and fruit boats. that they are pushing the airline to Too late I found four good pros- automatically place 2-5 extra vege- pects in the telephone book. The tarian meals on each flight, as in- Breathe Oxygen Bar, 4750 W. Sa- variably people ask for them. We can hara Av. (258-4202) and 3977 W. all write to our airlines and ask for Quendo Rd. (258-7092) told me they this, especially for the longer flights. serve four vegetarian dishes. Every- one I talked to on the phone raved Vegan in Vegas about Raw Truth Café, 3620 E. Fla- What’s on the

by Helen Wells, MA mingo Rd. (450-9007), said to have a Radio? "100% Raw and Organic Menu." An- t's hard to be vegan in Vegas, other market in Las Vegas is Wild I but it's possible. There is Oats Community Market, 517 N. plenty of food in Vegas, but usually Stephanie St. HD, 7250 W. Lake less than 1/4 of a typical buffet is ve- Mead Blvd. LV (942-1500), part of a gan; nevertheless, one can survive larger chain of natural food stores for a week there, especially if one with deli. goes by Rainbow's End Natural If I go back, I'd like to stay at any Foods, 1100 E Sahara Ave. (737- hotel that is close to one of the vege- 7282) and stocks up for the hotel tarian restaurants. I'd also be pre- room. (I noticed that the downtown pared to forage through ethnic restau- hotel we stayed at didn't have a small rants that are independent of the ho- refrigerator in the room, but you may tels. I recommend telephoning ahead be able to request one for a fee.) to any Mexican restaurant to find out If eating out is your priority on a if it has anything on the menu with- vacation, however, you're going to be out lard. a bit disappointed with Las Vegas. It seems that the bigger the hotel Yes, the buffets do not lack in let- and the more people who have to be tuce, tomatoes, baby corns, pickled served, the less variety and accom- beets, pastas, watermelons, cling modation for the likes of vegans, Nutrition and You Ruth Heidrich, PhD peaches, etc. But, by the third day vegetarians, those who keep kosher, Terry Shintani, MD my stomach had a reaction, in part, etc. Some of the big hotel restaurants John Westerdahl, PhD I'm sure, to the non-organic produce have to feed so many people so Sundays 8-9 p.m. from the buffets' salad bar sections. quickly that the foods and menus K108 (AM 1080) Non-vegan vegetarians will fare tend to be very standardized. Yes, I Call in line: 524-1080 better. The Venetian had several res- regret to say that I was served a little taurants throughout its canal-way, bit of waitress "attitude" for ordering almost all with something a vegetar- a la carte vegan in a fancy hotel res- Health Talk ian could eat. Taxi drivers told us taurant. Hosted by Hesh that the Venetian is the local favorite And a reminder: reconfirm your Saturdays 8-9 a.m. eating venue, and maybe that's why vegetarian or vegan meals about two K108 (AM 1080) its restaurants seem to have more of a days before your flight. (If you fly Call in line: 524-1080 reality check. Circus Circus was very Continental, you might have a 50% weak in the vegetarian department, chance of getting them if your karma with is similar to mine.) The plus: the air- and, from my experience with the Listen on the Internet lines are cutting back so much on the Mexican, lard-ridden restaurant Sundays 8 am (9 am after 10/21/01) extras, that everyone may only be there, in my opinion, almost down- www.GoVeganRadio.com/ right "anti." Las Vegas in general had served a banana and/or a muffin

The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Page 5 thought, "Oh, I’ll take a nibble of this , in order to neutralize Taro Tale taro raw (as I might a potato in order them (for poi, the taro is pounded mer- to test its freshness). This was a big, cilessly to mush, and the crystals go By Helen Wells, MA huge, horrible mistake. For those of that way). My cure was to sit up half hope you'll find this story amus- you who don't already know, taro must the night drinking milk, and I will say I ing. I can laugh now, but at the be cooked in ways that will neutralize that the first swig offered some imme- time I was in a lot of physical pain. the crystals in it. In other words, raw diate relief. Nevertheless, some dam- Well, I was in the Republic of the taro is full of crystals that, when eaten age must have been done by the steely Marshall Islands (RMI) working at the raw or improperly prepared, feel like little crystals, because I had a belly College of the Marshall Islands (CMI) razors cutting your intestines into little ache for about a week thereafter. And in the capitol of Majuro circa 1996 slices. It is dangerous to eat raw taro; going to the bathroom …oh my gosh. when I decided to try to cook my own it is certainly painful as all get-out. When my students found out what taro. I had eaten this wonderful starch The islanders say it's "poisonous" to I had done, they wanted to laugh, but out there in its lumpy, coconut milk eat improperly cooked taro. I don't they tried to be polite. They held back form, and I had thoroughly enjoyed it. know if that's scientifically correct, but until I told them they could go ahead; I Years later I would read James Mich- after my second bite of raw taro (I had wouldn't be offended. Then they rolled ener's ravings about taro in the book wanted to try it again because I all over the room laughing, and I didn't Hawaii and think, “Oh, here is another thought the first bite tasted weird), I begrudge it. Knowledge of the powers one of his historical tangents,” but this knew that something was very wrong. of taro is intimate to them from an one I could really relate to. Here early age. It was a pretty basic in Hawaii we all know about concept in the culture, and I poi, the dusky purple/blue bland love for people to laugh. So, pudding form of taro, but in the then and now, too, I smile Marshalls the coconut milk ver- about the whole thing. I hope sion is the taro recipe of choice. that you will try some taro -- It is served alongside delec- but with a good recipe that you table breadfruit that's been baked follow properly. in the ground. Don't believe it Local taro of Hawaii is when people say that the Pacific good, but I really like Okina- Isles only have Spam tastes, al- wan taro (it has cute brown though I have to concede that stripes). I get it from Longs the low atolls yield few fruits Drugs (where you can also pick and vegetables and that the up "jobo"/burdock root in sea- starches of taro, breadfruit, and son). I wouldn't say that I'm a rice dominate. We could get taro connoisseur, but you can fresh local bananas, but most of bet that I'm a pretty thorough taro cooker! When I teach a the other fruit was shipped in Taro patch at the Polynesian Cultural Center (fair to poor freshness). new group of Marshallese stu- Nevertheless, as a vegetarian dents here, I tell them my taro there, when I was invited to a party I I left the four taros boiling away while story, and it really breaks the ice fast. could count on getting my fill by I clutched my stomach and began to Well, here's an aside: Even better "starching out." There wasn’t the think of going to the hospital. than taro root is taro top cooked the greatest vegetarian variety, but I didn't It was one of my luckier moments way they fix it in Guam. I want to tell go hungry. It was after one such party when my next door neighbor answered you that you haven't lived until you've that I decided to try to make my own my knock. He was another professor at had taro greens. Again, you have to taro. First, at the grocery store I identi- CMI who happened to have his doc- cook them thoroughly, but they're my fied exactly what a taro was. I bought torate in plant genetics. When I told favorite green of all time. We all have four small taro roots, about the size of him what I had done, he burst out preferences, but in my opinion taro red potatoes. This was my first mis- laughing. "You did what? You did greens are better than spinach, any take: my brain thought, "Oh, these are what?" I told him again and again that kind of kale, mustard, collard, or tur- like potatoes." Actually, taro is quite I had eaten raw taro. When he stopped nip green -- and I like those, too. Taro different from a potato, as I was to laughing, he told me about the crystals greens can be used in any recipe that soon, almost tragically, find out. in the taro root and that the taro had to (See Taro Tale on page 11) At home I peeled the taro and be thoroughly cooked, preferably with

Page 6 The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Mad Cow Disease in this country. He it (remove fiber), and process it, alternatively had the audience rolling (remove nutrients). If you eat whole in the aisles with laughter and wiping foods, you get the most satiety. tears from their eyes. Antonia Demas, Ph.D. discussed Michael Gregor, MD had a the national School Lunch Program. similar theme in, "Mad Cow Disease: She says that we are feeding to 40 What The Media Is Not Telling Us." million children foods that promote

He said that despite USDA claims, disease. She told us how in one inner there are probably cases of this dis- city school system with a high juve- ease already in our food supply. He nile delinquency rate she set up a 30- predicts that these tiny proteins, day experiment in which a group of which are virtually indestructible and incarcerated kids were fed a vegan Summerfest 2001 have a long incubation period, will diet and asked to write their feelings

by Ruth Heidrich, Ph.D. infect seven to ten million Americans and activities in a daily journal. The VSH President Emeritus with the human form of Mad Cow children reported more energy, wak- Disease between 2010 and 2020. ing up feeling good, and losing their he true world leaders did not Neal Barnard, MD spoke about desire for illegal drugs. Many were T meet in Italy at the 2001 Genoa "Turning Off The Fat Genes." To de- taken off attention deficit disorder 8 – they met at Summerfest 2001 at termine the minimum number of medication, and their grades went up. the University of Pittsburgh at Johns- calories you need to keep your fat- Carol Adams presented the con- town, Pennsylvania! Those who have burning system working (the leptin cept of the "absent referent," which the vision to propose and work for system), multiply your ideal weight explains why we can't eat pets changes in agriculture, food choices, by 10. If, for example, your ideal (animals we know and love) but can and conservation of our resources are weight is 130 pounds, then you need eat meat (animals we don't know and the true leaders – those who see that to eat 1300 calories to keep burning don't love). As long as the animal is our present path of squandering our fat. Eating fewer calories results in presented in a cellophane wrapper, it precious water, feeding our your body going into a starvation is an absent referent, and therefore crops to animals, and destroying our mode, which cannot be sustained. Get can be eaten. She quoted Franz decreasing arable land -- most of all the animal fat out of your diet and Kafka: "Now I can look at you in which is used to produce steaks and lose one pound a week! Carbohy- peace; I don't eat you anymore." hamburgers -- is leading us on a path drates themselves are not the prob- Ruth Heidrich, Ph.D. (yours of destruction. lem, but they often are vehicles for truly) spoke on "Osteoporosis: the What follows are summaries of a transporting fat (for example, toast, Calcium Deficiency Myth,” the main few of the presentations at this year’s potatoes, and pasta transporting but- theme being that porous bones are event. But first I want to tell you how ter). caused by protein excess and exercise wonderful it was to walk into the John McDougall, MD spoke on deficiency. I also presented two other Summerfest dining hall and find a “The Ten Most Common Drugs Peo- talks, "Making A Vegan Diet Even spread so sumptuous that I hardly ple Take" and how the need for most Healthier" (illustrating the evolution knew where to start. Salad bars over- of these can be avoided simply by from a "tea-and-crackers" diet flowed with a variety of greens -- and changing the diet. Best examples are through "Oily Vegans," the "Burn, every other color of fresh, raw veg- cholesterol-lowering drugs, heartburn Blacken, and Char Vegans," all the gies. Three entrée bars offered dishes and acid reflux drugs, Premarin way to raw), and "Eating for Mara- so novel that I wondered how Chef (horse estrogen), diuretics, beta thons and Triathlons," stating that a Ken Bergeron came up with his ideas. blockers, ACE inhibitors, and other low fat vegan diet can not only sus- The Kale Pumpkin Soup, for exam- drugs for treating high blood pres- tain heavy athletic activity but that it ple, was delicious enough to be a des- sure. is, in fact, the best diet for athletes. I sert. The dessert bar looked and Jeff Novick, RD discussed the also led several early morning runs tasted so sinfully good that it was “Satiety Index” and dispelled a few that were surprisingly well attended. hard to believe it was all vegan and myths such as that it's fat that makes Five days of good information, so healthy. you feel full. He said that it's actually good food, and good people -- all fired the open- water first, fiber second, and nutrients this -- and getting to meet the true ing salvo with his story of being a third. Fat is dead last! So, what do leaders of the world. fourth-generation cattle rancher- food manufacturers do? They dehy- turned-vegan and his concern about Ask Dr. Ruth: www.vegsource.com drate our food (remove water), refine Website: www.ironlady.com The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Page 7 dark yellow color and a strong, sweet There I am, in a restaurant that How to Prepare a smell. I think they taste a bit like ba- serves meat, and one of my cowork- nana. Discard the white stems that ers or students sees me and begins to Jackfruit are around the yellow pods. Discard freak out; without looking at or ask- any yellow pods that are not ripe ing about what exactly is on my by Helen Wells, M.A. enough. Extract the seeds and place plate, he or she exclaims, "I thought

them in a pot for boiling. you were a vegetarian!" really ripe jackfruit is heav- Below you see what is edible Horribly, the worst encounters of enly to eat, but cutting one up A that was extracted from the jackfruit: this sort are usually with meat-eating is a messy enterprise. Fruit fanatics a delightful bowl of yellow “flowers" friends and family members who will appreciate adding this exotic that can be added to salads or eaten watched me over the years as I’ve fruit to their list. as is and jackfruit seeds in a pot. On worked to become vegetarian. In the first photo below you see a web page I found it said to boil "You have to give me a list of the whole fruit. A ripe one is slightly them at least 5 minutes, but a friend what you're eating now," a close soft. The one pictured is on the small of mine from India said to boil them relative tells me. "I never know what side and is just barely ripe. much longer, so I boiled them for 40 to fix for you," she says bitterly. In minutes. After boiling, they'll have a actuality I have told her several times thin crust that easily tears away. In- that I've changed; that I'm not the side is a wonderful, starchy but deli- same as before; not eating the same cious seed. Its texture is that of a foods that she eats. It has become an large, bland, boiled peanut, but it has emotional issue for her. its own taste. Usually it's this type of person, someone who has an issue with my vegetarianism, who gives me a hard time. I believe my vegetarianism resonates with some kind of "guilt chord" deep within them. And, if The first step is to oil your knife. they chance to see me in Subway, for The center white part of the jackfruit example, they're thrilled to tease or is extremely sticky. You'll have to even ridicule me even though I'm clean your knife more than once in eating a no-mayo, no cheese vegetar- the process of cutting up the jack- ian sandwich. The result is that I can fruit. Don't oil the handle, but do oil be paranoid about eating out. Never- the blade before you start to cut. Be theless, I do it; I want vegetarianism Cleanup is interesting. Neverthe- very careful. to go mainstream and I believe that less, this is a culinary adventure As soon as you cut the fruit interacting with restaurant owners worth undertaking. open, you'll smell the jackfruit scent, and others will benefit society by in-

which is a bit like that of a banana. fluencing the market to produce more vegan foods and other prod- What I Eat, ucts. The up side of the issue of con- Not Where frontation while eating out is that

by Helen Wells, M.A. such scenarios have happened to me less in Hawaii than anywhere else I or an earlier issue of the VSH have lived. I'm very thankful to the F Island Vegetarian I was asked vegetarians who preceded me and for my picture to go with my article. who worked hard to educate and in- Secretly, I had been dreading such a fluence others here. By contrast, request. among many levels of society in The dread has to do with eating pockets of the Mainland a visit to an out. Sometimes the greatest difficul- ethnic restaurant may be a once-in-a- Extract the seeds and the yellow pods that are shaped like garlic or ties in being vegetarian are not the (See What, Not Where on page 13) flowers. These yellow parts are edi- taboo food temptations but the hard ble if they are ripe enough, having a times that other humans give us.

Page 8 The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Animal Rights Corner

eral authorities illegal slaughter and Beyond the Law sale of meat, but the perpetrators are still in business. The Hawaii state by Cathy Goeggel cruelty law does not exempt farm Animal Rights Hawaii animals from protection; we need Co-Founder dedicated enforcement to end the ost vegetarians view the most egregious violations. M slaughter of animals for food Beyond the Law: Agribusiness as barbaric and unnecessary. Those and the systematic abuse of animals who continue to eat animal flesh of- raised for food or food production is ten excuse their habit by stating that a 60-page booklet by David Wolfson, there are laws that protect animals. Esq. Wolfson describes how agri- Why, there is business has even a federal hu- “…if one person is unkind to an ani- been able to mane slaughter mal, it is considered to be cruelty, but change state anti- law that is sup- where a lot of people are unkind to ani- cruelty laws to posed to make mals, especially in the name of com- exclude farm animals’ deaths merce, the cruelty is condoned and, animals from What You Can Do swift and once sums of money are at stake, will even the most painless. Meat be defended to the last by otherwise in- basic legal pro- Contact Your telligent people.” tection. He eaters usually Newspaper aren’t interested Ruth Harrison (Animal Machines) states, “... thirty in delving too states have en- sk your local paper to write deeply into an area that just might acted laws that create a legal realm A a story on the advantages affect their dining pleasure. whereby certain acts, no matter how of a vegetarian diet or the cruel- The sad truth is that the federal cruel, are outside the reach of anti- ties of the factory farm or write laws regarding “food” animals are cruelty statutes as long as the acts are a letter to the editor on the sub- infrequently enforced, and the trend deemed ‘accepted,’ ‘common,’ ject. You Can Save the Animals: in the USDA is to further weaken ‘customary,’ or ‘normal’ farming 251 Simple Ways to Stop protection for these animals. ARH practices.” By their cruel practices Thoughtless Cruelty (1998), by has documented continued violations they define what’s legal. Meat eaters . Available at of the Humane Slaughter Act at the and others should not be comforted PETA.com for $11.96. Farmers’ Cooperative, and by the false belief that farm animals with the exception of a brief closure, are slaughtered humanely. the butchers of Ewa have not been Copies of the Wolfson booklet ¹ Many of the cows and pigs slaugh- fined and they continue to kill pigs are available from ARH for $2.50. tered in Eva were born and raised in and other animals daily.¹ We have Please send checks to ARH at the Canada, trucked to California, and also investigated and reported to fed- address below. brought across the Pacific in a ship. Within days of arrival their throats are slit and they bleed to death. “Isn’t vegetarianism a personal choice? Why try to force it on everyone else?” Animal Rights Hawaii From a moral standpoint, actions that harm others are not matters of personal P.O. Box 10845 choice. Murder, child abuse, and are all immoral. Our society Honolulu, HI 96816 now encourages meat-eating and the cruelties of factory farming, but history (808)941-9476 teaches that society also once encouraged slavery, child labor, and many other www.AnimalRightsHawaii.org practices now universally recognized as morally wrong. Source: PETA.com Email: [email protected]

The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Page 9

Eye on the Environment

The Environment is Hurt by : Part One

by Laurie Veatch, M.A., VSH Vice President

art one of this two-part article perennial plants are eaten and tram- plant and animal species, and sub- P focuses on damage to forests and pled by cattle, and clay soils are stantial contributions of the green- other ecosystems caused by raising compacted and rendered impervious house gas carbon dioxide to the at- animals for human consumption. to water; when rains arrive in strong, mosphere. Part II, in the next issue of this news- sudden downpours, they wash away Destroying tropical tree cover letter, will discuss the impacts of ani- the destabilized soils. begins the process of land degrada- mal farming on water Ranchers over- tion. Shallow, acidic, and nutrient- use and purity, en- stocking their land poor soils rapidly lose phosphorus ergy consumption, with cattle contribute and other nutrients when forest is and climate change. to weed invasion and converted to pasture. After the land Forests, drylands, erosion. Spain and is used up, ranchers abandon it for and wild species are Portugal still bear the land newly cleared of forest vegeta- lost to ranchland and scars of pro-sheep tion. land converted to land policies that be- Where forests diminish before crop production for gan hundreds of years advancing ranches, so too does the animal food. Cud- ago. The western diversity of life. The tropical forests, chewing ruminants United States is like- covering under 7 percent of the (cattle, sheep, goats) wise left with a sad earth's land area, contain perhaps graze on half of the earth's land area. legacy: the great cattle boom of the half of the earth's species. In the U.S. 70% of domestic grain last century annihilated native Information in this article is based on use is for livestock. mixed-grass ecosystems. And unsus- the Worldwatch Institute's "Taking Many of the world's range lands, tainable practices, including over- Stock: Animal Farming and the Environ- covering one third of the Earth's land stocking and grazing cattle for too ment," Alan B. Durning and Holly B. surface, carry scars from livestock: long in the same place, continue on Brough. weeds instead of diverse ecosystems, much of the 110 million-hectare area depleted soils, eroded landscapes. of public land the federal govern- Cattle are an important factor in ment leases to ranchers. “This we know: The earth does the reduction of dryland ecological Some studies indicate that half of not belong to man: man belongs productivity. Initially, cattle over- U.S. range land is severely degraded, to the earth. This we know: all graze perennial grasses, allowing an- its carrying capacity reduced by at things are connected like the nual weeds and tougher shrubs to least 50 percent. The narrow stream blood that unites one family. All spread. The new weeds anchor the bank habitats crucial to arid-land things are connected. Whatever topsoil poorly and leave it vulnerable ecology are in the worst condition in befalls the earth befalls the sons to trampling hooves, wind, and rain. history, according to a 1990 report of of the earth. Man did not weave Without the cover of perennial the U.S. Department of the Interior. the web of life. He is merely a grasses fires that naturally control Forests also suffer from livestock strand in it. Whatever he does to bushes lose their tinder, and shrubs production as tree branches are cut the web, he does to himself.” expand unchecked. As the variety of for fodder and entire stands are lev- plant species dwindles, spe- eled to make way for pastures. Ef- Attributed to cies also vanish. fects of forest clearing include the Chief Seattle, 1787-1866 In areas of intermediate rainfall loss of watershed protection, loss of Page 10 The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Burdock Root VSH Dineout Photo Essay Wednesday, 10/17/01, 6:45 pm by Helen Wells, M.A. Thai Kitchen 94-300 Farrington Highway, Wai- pahu (corner of Farrington and Leo- kane), 671-9488

lease join us for a dineout. Thai P Kitchen is a sleepy little gem sure the roots cook at least 15 min- that has been serving mant great utes. Keep stirring and don't let the vegetarian selections, and offering roots stick. The liquids will begin to VSH a 10% discount too, for as caramelize. After 15 minutes remove long as I have been a member. from the stove after most of the liq- The restaurant is owned and run uid is gone but before the caramel- by Cecil and his wife, who is a for- I purchase burdock root at ized burdock burns. mer chef at Keo's. She is in charge Long's Drugs or Foodland. A root is Serve as a side dish or on top of of the kitchen, and her cooking re- about 1 1/2 feet long; its diameter brown rice. flects some of the exotic touches of ranges from that of a dime to that of the prior restaurant at more afford- a quarter. Use a peeler to scrape off able prices. The restaurant is a the brown outside. The freshly ex- quiet, charming, casual spot. posed white root almost immediately We hope to see you there. turns a darker color. That's okay; you Please call 944-VEGI at least 24 don't need to scrape it any more. Just hours in advance if you plan on at- rinse off the root after it has been tending. completely scraped once. Elaine Johnson

HELP WANTED!

Assistant Public Taro Tale (Continued from page 6) Relations Director

elp spread the VSH message calls for spinach, but the best way to in our community. Many im- eat them is to blend them up and cook H Cut the root into pieces about the portant jobs need to be done, from them well in coconut milk with salt size of French fries. Where the root and a little lemon. On Guam they add distributing flyers to contacting is thickest, you may need to quarter a lot of garlic. The down side is that members of the media. Or bring it. Remember, this is a pretty tough they're really hard to get. Supposedly your new ideas. root (more so than potatoes or car- one has to sacrifice the whole taro Newbies and professionals are rots), so the pieces have to be small plant to the harvest of the young taro welcome, and other volunteer posi- enough to be able to cook through. leaves, and most farmers can earn tions are also available. Cook on high in a pan for at least more for the taro root later. If you 15 minutes in 1/3 cup of Bragg Liq- You can make a difference! know of a source, please e-mail me at uid Aminos or soy sauce, 3 cups of Please give it a try. once! ([email protected]) water, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and Contact a Board of Directors one tablespoon of black pepper. Add member or call 944-VEGI (8344). more water if you need to, to make

The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Page 11 The Fiber Study Colon Cancer: The idea that a high-fiber diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains Red Meat v. prevents colon cancer suffered a set- back last year after two studies failed Smoking to find an effect. But the latest re- search, which experts say is the most edited by Robert Moses, reliable to date on the link between VSH Venue Coordinator eating habits and cancer, found that LYON, France (AP) -- New re- those who ate a high-fiber diet had search indicates that eating lots of 40 percent less chance of developing red meat may create as much of a colon cancer than those who ate the certain cancer-promoting chemical in least roughage. the colon as smoking does. The find- The study, which involved peo- ings, presented in June 2001 at the ple from nine European countries, European Conference on Nutrition had the widest range in fiber intake and Cancer, were part of a study that of any study to date. At the start of also appears to revive the theory that the study in 1993, questionnaires What’s Cooking? fiber wards off colon cancer, the sec- separated subjects into five catego- ond most deadly cancer worldwide. ries of fiber intake. The top and bot- Here are some vegan cooking tom 1 percent were excluded to classes being held this quarter: Dates to Remember eliminate extremes, leaving approxi- mately 80,000 people in each of the Kapi’olani Women’s Center October remaining categories. 535-7000

1 There were 176 colon cancer October 27: “Vegetarian Favorites 2 Mohandas Gandhi's birthday: diagnoses in the group who ate the Around the World” ”Live simply that others may least fiber and 124 cases in the November 10: “Vegetarian Chilifest” simply live.” group that ate the most -- a signifi- December 15: “Entertaining – Vege- cant difference of 40 percent. 2 World Farm Animals Day tarian Style” This finding redeems fiber as a 3 VSH meeting: Antonia Demas, potential anti-cancer agent, said McCoy Pavilion Nicholas Day, a cancer expert at Windward School for Adults 16 World Food Day/World Anti- Cambridge University in England (Kalaheo High School 254-7955)

McDonald’s Day who was not involved in the investi- November 17: “All About Organic 17 VSH Dineout: Thai Kitchen (see gation. Day has criticized previous Foods” page 11) studies on nutrition and cancer, say-

November ing that they were too small, were limited to one country at a time, in- Lyon Arboretum—Manoa 1 cluded narrow ranges in eating pat- 988-0456

2 World Ecology Day terns, and didn’t measure precisely December 1: “Vegetarian Sandwich 14 VSH meeting: Bill Harris MD, enough to detect the effect of small Ideas” Ala Wai venue differences in nutrition. 21 VSH Thanksgiving Dinner at Govinda’s Restaurant, Call Like to Down To Earth Lifestyle Center 947-7678 595-3947 for reservations. Hike? 22 Thanksgiving is Murder on October 6: “Ono” Vegan Party Turkeys Day VSH members take a Pupus with Yana Lehua 23 Fur Free Friday hike on the 3rd week- November 3: “Healthy Holiday Recipes Part 1” with Carol Lent December end of each month. To be notified of upcoming hikes send December 1: “Healthy Holiday 3 World Conservation Day your full name, phone number, and Recipes Part 2” with Yana Lehua

12 VSH meeting: Rozalind e-mail address to Robert Moses at Call in advance for fees, location, Gruben, Ala Wai venue [email protected]. time, and registration.

Page 12 The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 beef fat, can be seen. Also on page 8 is a full page arti- What, Not Where cle about Sandra's Cafe with a pic- (from page 8)

ture of Sandra and her coworkers. It says that Sandra Gaines opened a lifetime occurrence, and a visit to a farmer's market in October 1999. vegetarian restaurant may never hap- "After many customers saying how pen at all. they would buy more of the fresh With the efforts of vegetarians veggies if they had the time to cook who have come before me as well as them or even knew how to cook the specter of diseases such as “Mad them, she decided to open the restau- Cow,” perhaps we vegetarians are en- rant." tering a period of greater acceptance The restaurant reviewer selected a and expansion. Deep in the veggie plate consisting of "boiled Eventually the naysayers of these squash, fresh corn, and mashed pota- and similar efforts toward human pro- Heart of Texas toes" (not necessarily the best gress are finally pressured into better

By Karl Seff, Ph.D. choice). The salads are fresh and behavior. This is one of the good as- VSH Board Member green, she says, and the more tradi- pects of civilization. For example, in tional dishes come with things like the recent century the concept of hu- he July 2001 issue of the East "a cup of purple hull peas," and a man rights was defined, gained mo- T Texas Journal reached me (on slice of tomato as a garnish. mentum, and became a universally Oahu) in August. Although I de- Moving along now, on page 13 is accepted standard. Another thought cided years ago not to renew my a picture of a Texas Fruit Fairy. It is along this line is that by extending subscription, occasional issues keep a big color ad by the Titus Regional rights to animals we are wrenching coming. The Journal is published in Medical Center with the words human progress to a higher level. The Mt. Pleasant, TX, a town that I vis- "Hold the gravy, Ya'll." This fairy is last words: Judge me on what I eat, ited by mistake in 1997, I think; I a middle-aged fella with a mustache not where I eat it! needed to get out of the car and walk and boots, a semiunravelled straw around a little. Mt. Pleasant is most hat, and a funny of the way from Dallas to the Louisi- looking little lei. He ana border and an hour's drive from is showing off his the President's Ranch. fruit basket, promot- On page 8 is an advertisement ing fresh fruits and for Sandra's Cafe that says, "Proudly vegetables "to im- serving homecooked vegetables prove the physical, fresh from the mental, and social market." Now health of his fellow that's a new one employees." "Future for the East plans are to expand Y’all come back. Texas Journal. this education and Country ham, awareness into the eggs, and community." The hashbrowns from fairy says, "You can't the Pitt Grill, or beat a Fresh Fruit." cheesecake from Laura's Cheesecake Looks like Texas and Bakery, or a chopped beef sand- is startin' to come wich plate from Bodacious Bar B-Q around. If so, it will (all in that issue) are more the tone. be good for its Heart, On page 17 a Brownie Skillet Sun- not to mention all of dae is shown: a big pecan brownie is its other parts, and Volunteer Patrick Moore was on hand when the above VSH fried up and served with a scoop of Texas has lots of bus ad was photographed. The “15% Off Life Expectancy” ice cream on top. On page 22 a ham- parts. ads were displayed for one month in the 525 City & County burger with a whole mess of long bus fleet and generated significant interest in vegetarianism. dark fries on the side, likely done in (photo: b.vegan)

The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Page 13 tion are organic or otherwise un- onions, pineapple, oranges, bananas, sprayed, I say it's a good deal and a papayas. Some of these are organic, Reviews great idea for a holiday gift. According some unsprayed, and some conven- to the brochure, you may choose 15 tional) $49.99, Small Produce Basket items from a long list. $39.99, Grocer's Basket $49.99, Spe- There is a wealth of information cialty Basket $59.99. They guarantee Molokai Market about Molokai Market Baskets, its his- satisfaction. tory, etc. on their website at www. If you want a basket with jams, Baskets molokaiorganics.com. I don't want to mac nuts, sea salts, etc., they offer duplicate that information here, but let those, too. That is the Specialty Basket. by Helen Wells, MA it suffice that this is the kind of com- The grocer's basket has "hi-quality received a sample box of produce pany whose philosophy is in line with natural foods, well known brands, eth- I from Molokai Market Baskets, and mine, that is, vegetarian. It is a great nic tastes & themes." It includes a se- I give it a "thumbs up." The cardboard source for those who are vegetarian, lection of pastas, grains, beans, side box was 16 X 10 1/2 X 13 inches, and vegan, or raw foodists. We can order dishes, sauces, oils, chips, crackers, it was filled with much attractive, fra- when we like or become monthly breads, nut , and soy products. grant, and delicious fresh produce: 2 members. I don't own a car, so the Their phone number is 1-888-959- green bell peppers, 2 oranges, 2 red thought of having my organic produce 9411, and they accept credit card or- onions, 4 small eggplants, 4 young delivered to my door is quite appeal- ders. Janie Bryan there tells me that if squash, 6 carrots, 2 large yellow leaves ing. The website shows color pictures you are a VSH member, you will re- of chard, 3 large pink leaves of chard, a of the baskets/items. It also provides ceive an extra item of produce. Every- large bunch of broccoli (4 big stems), 3 definitions for the following terms: thing in my box was fresh. I plan to lettuce (more than one kind), 2 papa- certified organic, organically grown, order, especially before company de- yas, a large bunch of bananas, 2 apples, unsprayed, and conventionally grown. scends for the holidays. and bags of herbs (basil, thyme, oreg- Here is what they charge for the ano, and Italian parsley). The box indi- produce baskets: Organic Basket cated that this was the "organic, gour- $49.99, Molokai Basket (14 of the fol- Vegetarian Snacks met, regular." It all weighed 17 lbs. lowing, lettuce mix, basil and herbs, The brochure prices it at $49.99, and ginger or garlic, cucumbers, roma to- At Miao De that includes home delivery. Consider- matoes, sweet potatoes, taro roots, bok Bodhisattva Society ing that most of the items in this selec- choy, eggplant, peas or beans, sweet by Helen Wells, MA

alking through Chinatown, I W discovered the delicious vege- tarian snacks served on the inside left of the Miao De Bodhisatva Society Buddhist shrine at 1120 Maunakea St. #175 (529-8698). First I tried the vegetarian dump- lings, six for $2. You can ask for some free hot plum sauce to make them spic- ier. Eaten this way, they were incredi- bly good. I also tried the taro spring roll at $1.00. I snarfed it down because it tasted so good. For first place as cho- sen by my tastebuds, the spring roll tied with "small rice soup" that sells for $2.00 small, $2.50 large. This soup is hotter than you might suspect, so don't burn your tongue when you try it.

Produce from Molokai Market Baskets. (See Reviews on page 20)

Page 14 The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 SH Recording Secretary Mary V Arakaki was born and raised in Minneapolis and moved to Hawaii as a Meet Our Members Northwest flight attendant. Living on by Alida Rutchick, M.Ed. the North Shore, enjoying all the local foods, starting to gain weight, and no- ticing that she had a constant cold, she Mary Arakaki decided to look for a healthy solution at Celestial Natural Foods in Haleiwa. She read the book, Diet for a Small Mary met future husband Bill a Nick is a life-long vegetarian. In his Planet, and, in Mary’s words, “A light year after becoming a vegetarian. She kindergarten class when he was bulb went on. I had never considered says, “I had heard that the way to a “student of the week,” his classmates the impact our food choices have not man’s heart was through his stomach. wrote of him, “You are healthy be- only on our health but on the environ- Well, at that point my cooking would- cause you eat a lot of fruits and vegeta- ment. I started reading all the books I n’t have won Bill’s gall bladder, let bles, and you don’t eat a lot of candy.” could find on vegetarianism. The reali- alone his heart, so I started experiment- Mary and Bill were thrilled to think zation that most deeply affected me ing.” In this way Mary discovered one that their family “may be planting was how much of our grains, water, of her natural talents; she has since seeds in the thinking of these kids and and energy are squandered to feed live- done cooking demonstrations at VSH showing them that eating healthy is stock. I will never forget the words I monthly meetings and has also partici- cool.” And now that Nick is into sports read in Peter Burwash’s book: ‘Every pated in Dr. Harris’ Kaiser Permanente (he plays soccer and is a yellow belt in six seconds someone in the world Lifestyle Program, demonstrating and judo), they have the opportunity to in- starves to death.’ Peter went on fluence the parents as well by to say that, ‘If a significant sharing healthy, delicious number of people gave up eat- vegetarian food at potlucks. ing a significant amount of When Nick was born, meat, we could feed a lot more Mary resigned from the airlines people for a lot less money.’ I and went back to school; she is decided then and there to be a senior this year in the UH part of the solution rather than Manoa Food Science and Hu- part of the problem.” That was man Nutrition Dietetics pro- more than ten years ago, and gram. Mary says, “Nutrition is Mary has been a vegetarian a fascinating and fairly new ever since. field of study, and there is still At first having no idea what so much to learn.” Her goal is to eat and finding shopping at to complete graduate studies the health food store akin to and to become a Registered shopping in a foreign country, Mary explaining the health benefits of her Dietician. She plans to continue to joined VSH and found the information, recipes. She and Bill were married one support VSH, in part by sharing what fellowship, and mentors needed in or- year later, and Bill became a vegetar- she learns of current research. der to move forward with her new ian by default. Finally, Mary cautions us, “I would commitment. And after changing to a Bill also experienced dramatic like to add that simply eliminating ani- low fat vegetarian diet, she immedi- health improvements after becoming mal foods doesn’t necessarily mean ately lost the weight she had gained, vegetarian. He had been told that he that your diet is optimal. It is essential and her immune system was strength- would be on medication to manage his to include a variety of whole foods in ened so that her “constant cold,” be- triglycerides for the rest of his life. our diets.” lieved to be the result of exposure to When he changed his diet, however, he We feel very fortunate to have the many germs on the airplanes, was a quickly lost 20 pounds, and he’s been Mary as a VSH leader; we are de- thing of the past. Since then she has off his medication for three years! lighted by her accomplishments, her been an active volunteer for VSH in What “bothers” Mary is that when she enthusiasm and dedication, her lovely one capacity or another – serving on and Bill met, he couldn’t run because smile, and her warm and welcoming the Board, coordinating the VSH table of his aching knees, but now he leaves personality. We wish her the best in at the annual Health and Fitness Expo, her in the dust -- and he’s 55 years old! her studies and her career as an educa- and more. Mary and Bill’s six-year-old son tor of our community!

The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Page 15 Thanksgiving Eve Je Suis Dinner Planned Vegetarienne!

by Elaine Johnson, MBA by Eileen Towata, Ph.D.

he holidays will soon be upon us, en veciteryanim.” “Saya tak T including one of our favorite “B makan danging.” No matter events, our Thanksgiving Eve Dinner - how you say it (in French, Turkish, - an opportunity to celebrate Thanks- Malay or any other language¹), “I’m a giving with like-minded friends in a vegetarian” is cause for celebration, healthy, cruelty-free, environmentally especially on October 1, World Vege- conscious way. There's always an tarian Day. Here in Hawaii it’s easy to abundance of delicious food that meets take a global culinary restaurant tour our health and ethical requirements. and/or a shopping expedition. We’re Last year the venue for our dinner fortunate to have restaurants featuring moved to Gauranga's Restaurant, now cuisines of many countries of the world called Govinda's Restaurant. The folks as well as numerous markets where there put together a truly memorable shoppers can purchase ingredients for feast at the very reasonable price of forays into preparing their own dishes. $10 for adults and $6 for children un- But we also have another, less recog- der 11. The response was overwhelm- nized resource that “foodies” and/or ing -- 500 people attended in 5 seat- naturalists will enjoy. Follow the rain- ings. This year Govinda’s will be of- bow in Manoa Valley and you’ll strike fering us the same great dining experi- gold at the end. The spectacular Harold ence at the same price. The event will Another L. Lyon Arboretum, up a twisting, be held on Wednesday, November 21, turning road just past the Paradise Park the evening before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving parking lots, will reward you on many The all-vegan menu tentatively in- Dinner levels. Affiliated with the University of cludes: Hawaii, the arboretum provides a beau- tiful and tranquil setting. According to · Tossed salad he Vegetarian Society, in coop- its website (www.hawaii.edu/ · Gluten turkey T eration with Animal Rights Ha- lyonarboretum), it is committed to re- · Nutloaf waii (ARH), will once again provide a maining a repository for tropical · Mashed potatoes healthful pre-Thanksgiving meal to the plants, including native Hawaiian · Stuffing 300 men, women, and children who plants. The website can be accessed for · Gravy reside at the Institute for Human Ser- a virtual tour of many interesting parts · Cranberry sauce vices in Honolulu. of the grounds, and maps are available · Baked yams “We want to help those in need at the visitor center to help point out · Green beans almondine this holiday by providing a meal, but areas and specific plants for those who · Whole wheat rolls we want to give a healthy meal that visit in person. · Pumpkin pie will not only taste good and fill their Although not native to Hawaii, · Baked apples stomachs but that will also increase some of the important spice-yielding · Herbal tea their overall health,” said VSH Board member Jim Brown. tropical plants are grown at the arbore- Please make your reservations The totally vegan meal will be pre- tum. These plants had an interesting early, as seating will be limited. Call pared with the help of Down To Earth past as the spice trade developed centu- the restaurant directly at 595-4013. Natural Foods and will be served at ries ago, and they might also interest Currently we have 5:00 and 6:30 pm noon on November 19. people who eat and enjoy flavorful seating times planned. Additional Many thanks to last year’s wonder- foods today! Did you know that the times may be added if needed. ful volunteers. Those wishing to help brown curled tube-like pieces you pur- Govinda's Restaurant is located at with this year’s worthy cause are en- chase as “cinnamon” are pieces of bark 51 Coelho Way, off the Pali Highway. couraged to call the VSH hotline at from the cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum We look forward to seeing you there. 944-8344. (Continued on next page)

Page 16 The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 sources. ² Page 64 in From the Produce Isle – The Je Suis Vegetarienne! Volunteers in many capacities are Cuisine of Greens, Fruits, Grains and (from previous page) always welcome at the arboretum. Call Beans from an Island Kitchen. 1999. Ei- zeylanicum)? Small bits of the bark are 988-0471 to find out more about the leen M. Towata. ground into powdered cinnamon that different ways you can put your en- may be used to flavor your Thanksgiv- ergy, talent, and interests to work. In ing tofu pumpkin pie. Nutmeg and the meantime, head to your favorite What’s on TV? mace are two other spices that we often spice purveyor for supplies and try taste in desserts, especially holiday your hand at this easy soup² based on cookies. These come from the same some ingredients and flavors of fara- tree (Myristica fragrans). Nutmeg is way Morocco. the seed, and it tastes best when freshly Eileen’s Favorite Pasta Soup ground. Mace comes from a bright scarlet colored membrane that sur- Yield = 9 cups rounds the seed. Another favorite fla- voring, especially during holidays, is · 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes · 1 onion, diced vanilla. You may be surprised to find where it comes from. Visitors to the · 3 cloves garlic, minced · 2 celery stalks, diced arboretum grounds should look for the climbing Vanilla planifolia orchid. It · 1 teaspoon ground turmeric produces pods that contain many tiny · 1 teaspoon ground cumin “Animal Rights” black seeds where the vanilla flavor is · ½ teaspoon ground ginger Olelo, Channel 52 concentrated. Vanilla pods are rather · ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon New Time: Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. pricey, and it’s no wonder when we · 1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced discover that hand-pollination of the · 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables flowers is necessary for these pods and · 4 cups vegetable stock “McDougall, M.D.” their seeds to develop. That means a lot · ½ cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed/ sorted KHET, Cable Channel 11 of tedious work! Saturdays at 3 p.m. This is but a small “taste” of what · 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed/drained you can see during a visit to the arbore- tum. There are many other beautiful · ½ cup chopped cilantro (Chinese and interesting plants there – some parsley) “Vegetarian” decorative/ornamental, others useful · 4 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, Olelo, Channel 52 for dyes, building materials, and the broken to 2” lengths Thursdays at 7 p.m. like, and still many more that are food · 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Look for the or medicinal plants. Set aside some Put all ingredients except the spa- lecture in Oct. & Nov. time for a visit Monday through Satur- ghetti and lemon juice into a large soup day for a self-guided tour or call 988- pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and 0456 to join one of the scheduled cook (covered) for 15-20 minutes or guided tours. You can learn about until lentils are softened. Add the spa- plants, enjoy the beauty of nature, and ghetti and cook about 10-12 minutes get some exercise (and we can all use more, until spaghetti is desired consis- more of that!). Classes on gardening, tency. Add lemon juice, stirring to cooking, and other topics are held combine, and serve. regularly. In addition, there’s a won- derful series of science workshops for ¹ The Spring-Summer 2000 issue of Vegan film star Alicia Silverstone teachers and nature-related classes for GOOD MEDICINE, the publication of Physicians Committee for Responsible (“Clueless”) provides the voice for children. This past summer saw the in- Medicine, contained these phrases as well Sharon Spitz, the orthodontically- troduction of the children’s class, as translations in many other languages. challenged teen struggling with life “Planting Around the World.” Collec- What a great help for world travelers who and being newly vegan on tions from the garden such as cacao, are trying to order or shop for foods while “Braceface,” Fox Family, Olelo cinnamon, nutmeg, and others were away from home! Their website, located at Ch. 30. Check your local listings. used to study geography and the global www.pcrm.org, contains an abundance of distribution of food and natural re- information – and recipes, too!

The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Page 17 schools do not have this. Assisted . He spoke of the Vegetarian School NSMP is available from the Kokohead awareness of animal issues the book office for managers who are eager to helped achieve and that while animal Lunches: Update begin anyway. cruelty on factory farms has not im- Kids who are used to hamburgers proved significantly in the U.S. in the by Bill Harris, M.D. and hot dogs are likely to go for veggie 26 years since his book was published, [email protected] burgers and soy hot dogs, but some of the trend is at last changing. For one he 5-A-Day and alternative vege- these items do not meet USDA stan- thing, cages are no longer getting T tarian school lunch resolution, H. dards for meat and dairy equivalency. smaller. In fact, the two biggest ham- C.R. No. 151 H.D. 1 S.D. 1, was If these are served, therefore, the burger chains have recently instructed adopted by the Hawaii State Legisla- school cannot be reimbursed by the their suppliers to increase the size of ture earlier this year and VSH volun- USDA. With NSMP it would be easy the cages for chickens and to stop de- teer Cheryl Chung reports that Castle to produce nutritious USDA-compliant beaking and forced molting, a cruel but High School is offering a vegetarian meals from common produce items, common practice where chickens are menu. On August 29th I spoke to but the bottom line is that if the kids starved for up to two weeks to induce Eugene Kaneshiro, director of the Ha- won’t eat it, the school can’t break higher egg production. waii School Food Service (SFS), about even selling it. The increase in cage sizes is hardly other progress in implementation, and I believe we have an opportunity perceptible, and while animal rights he said that on Maui, Kamalii, and here for VSH members who are handy advocates won’t rest until the animals Haiku Elementary Schools (SFS man- with both food and kids to contribute are free to live their lives in peace, ager John Cadman gets the credit here) some ideas. these slightly better conditions after have been offering veggie meals for some time. Singer Lecture In the future VSH hopes to be able to provide a list of schools offering or Attracts 200 leaning toward the alternative veggie meals. However, SFS is not mono- by Jim Brown lithic, and the final say on whether VSH Board Member veggie meals are available will rest pproximately 200 people heard with school principals and lunchroom an inspiring lecture by Princeton managers. Parents should contact their A University philosopher Peter Singer at children’s schools and let those people the September 2nd joint VSH/Animal know that there’s a market. You can Rights Hawaii meeting at McCoy Pa- also tell them that the SFS Office on vilion. Oahu has developed a three-week Professor Singer began his presen- vegetarian menu cycle that meets decades of increasingly smaller cages tation with slides of intensive confine- USDA standards. The paper work has are at least a step in the right direction. ment of animals on factory farms and been done and now it’s up to you and It was clear that many in the audi- described how egg-laying chickens are the schools. ence were shocked by parts of the pres- debeaked and crammed into small Unfortunately, Food-Group Based entation, but all appeared to be appre- cages with other hens, where they have Menus rather than Nutrient Standard ciative, as the applause was loud and so little space that they live their lives Menu Planning (NSMP), are still used. long. Dr. Singer answered questions never being able to spread their wings. NSMP would allow recipes to stand on and autographed books for an hour af- Dr. Singer’s conversion to vege- their own nutritional merits rather than ter his lecture. tarianism in 1971 while studying phi- be compared for equivalency to meat Dr. Bill Harris videotaped the lec- losophy at Oxford was next up in his and dairy. However, Mr. Kaneshiro ture for the VSH television series “The talk. He related how he studied the says that only about 20% of schools Vegetarian” seen on Olelo cable chan- works of Aristotle and Kant but even- across the US have gone to NSMP, nel 52, Thursdays at 7 pm. Dr. Singer’s tually agreed with the utilitarian view mostly because food managers are not lecture is scheduled to air on October espoused by Jeremy Bentham, who ready for the changes. Although the 11 and November 8. Set your VCR. asked, “The question is not can they Oahu SFS office at 1106 Kokohead Vegan refreshments were provided reason? Nor can they talk? But can Ave. has the necessary computer pro- by Down To Earth Natural Foods. they suffer?” grams to analyze the recipes, the SFS Professor Singer also appeared at Professor Singer followed with a managers at most Hawaii public Maui Community College on Sept. 4. discussion of his 1975 landmark book, Page 18 The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 President’s Message (from page 2) that are closely related to our stated was clean, not stinky as an animal farm purpose of educating regarding the ef- Internship usually is, and not antisocial in its de- fects of diet. These areas would in- meanor. People work kindly with ani- clude topics such as household pollu- Program mals and visitors, live nicely with their tion of waterways by the use of phos- neighbors in their community, and get by Karl Seff, Ph.D. phates in detergent, animal experimen- volunteer help from local veterinarians tation for medical purposes or use of arm Sanctuary has written to our and supporters. Visitors leave trans- animals in the production of cosmetics F Society to ask if any of us wish to formed by their experience. My short and fur coats, and health issues such as join their Volunteer Internship Pro- visit to Pigs knocked my socks off. food supplements and alternative thera- gram. You will fall in love with the ani- peutic modalities. Our response to this is a national non- mals. They are accustomed to fair is that while many of us as individuals profit organization that operates the treatment by humans, and in that safe have opinions on and interest in these country's premier shelters for abused environment they have developed per- matters, they are outside the scope of farm animals. There are two shelters, sonalities. our mission as an organization and of- one in the Finger Lakes region of New If you are interested in the Farm tentimes outside our areas of expertise. York and the other in a scenic region Sanctuary internship or to learn more, Therefore, as an organization we take of Northern California. They get thou- call Michelle Wafner, Farm Sanctu- no position on these matters. In ad- sands of visitors annually and have ary's Education Coordinator, at 607- dressing the three areas that are within been featured on countless national and 583-4512. The website is our scope, as always, we invite your regional news stories. They offer day www.farmsanctuary.org. Applications suggestions, opinions, and questions. tours, weekend farm events, and a are available by writing to Farm Sanc- In the last issue I promised to give vegetarian B&B, all designed to teach tuary's national office at PO Box 150, you the results of our spring fundrais- people about farm animal abuse and Watkins Glen, NY 14891. ing letter. I'm happy to report that this what they can do to prevent cruelty. letter brought in over $1600 in dona- Internships are open to all individu- tions, which will be most helpful in our als 16 years or older. The most impor- efforts to bring you the top vegetarian tant qualifications are a strong commit- speakers in the world. As you know, ment to animal rights and a personal the expense incurred to bring someone commitment to vegetarianism. Possible to Hawaii can be daunting, especially intern duties include working at the for a humble non-profit group. But shelter (cleaning barns and helping with your support we will continue to with farm chores), in the office bring in outstanding speakers such as (helping with mailings and administra- , MD, John McDougall, tive projects), or in the education cen- MD, Professor Peter Singer, and other ter (leading tours and staffing the gift well known experts who will be com- shop). Internships begin on the first of ing soon. every month and require at least a one- Our second fundraising letter will month commitment (two to three be sent out in early December. The months are preferred). Interns work a “I feel that spiri- Board understands that we’re all bom- full-time 40-hour week. The position is tual progress does barded by requests from non-profits, so unpaid, but housing (kitchen, bed- demand at some stage we’ll be limiting our appeals to just rooms, bathrooms) is provided. that we should cease two per year. We hope you’ll be as Farm Sanctuary is the ideal place generous in response to our holiday for interested individuals to explore the to kill our fellow letter as your were in the spring. many facets of grassroots activism and creatures for the Mahalo. to help effect positive social change. satisfaction of our Let me add something personal. I bodily wants.” visited Pigs, a Sanctuary in West Vir- Mohandas Gandhi ginia about three years ago; it was Assassinated 1948 nothing at all like what I expected. It The Island Vegetarian • Oct - Dec 2001 Page 19 about your selections. Reviews You can get your selections to go Nutrition Update (from page 14) (Continued from page 3) or you can eat on one of three little stools by a low counter. Note that the These two items were absolutely heav- items in the window are only a sample sure their vegan children eat foods enly, definitely the big winners. There of what is available inside. The rice containing all of these nutrients; this is were all kinds of delightful, small, soup is behind the counter, and you not difficult to do these days, they tasty, fresh greenery and carrot bits in have to ask for it. I observed that Chi- point out, as a lot of the vegan foods the soup. It was a great surprise. natown shopkeepers came in just to eat on the market are fortified with these I also ate one of the "vegetable bar- this soup, so it must be rather authen- making this not much of a concern. becue on a stick" for $1. It had carrots, tic. The American Dietetic Association cucumbers, mushroom, and seasoned Don't forget that the place is a states that with appropriate food gluten that wasn't too spicy. Buddhist shrine, so there will be re- choices vegan diets can be adequate By this time I was filling up, but I corded chanting going on in the back- for children of all ages. was given a free sample of “bean and ground and, at times, incense burning. roll,” which sells for $4.00 in its non- If you sit at the counter to eat, one of John Westerdahl is the Director of Health Promotion and Nutritional Ser- sample state. It had gluten and mush- the shrine volunteers will probably vices at Castle Medical Center in room. I couldn't see where the beans play the dubbed video of "Liao-Fan's Kailua. He also serves as the Hawaii came into the picture, but maybe they Four Lessons," a classic Buddhist work State Coordinator for the Vegetarian were in the larger piece of the roll that about good and evil. Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of I didn't get to try. I'm not a big mush- Hours for the food are 9:30 a.m. to The American Dietetic Association. room or gluten fan, but those who are 5:30 p.m., Mon-Sat. Because the shrine He is the Nutrition Editor for Veggie will not want to miss the barbecue also conducts services on Saturday and Life magazine, coauthor of The Mil- stick or the bean and roll. at some other times, I advise that you lennium Cookbook: Extraordinary I discussed the vegetarian sand- telephone to double-check that it is a , and co-host of the Honolulu talk radio show, Nutrition wich in the window, which appeared to good time to stop by. On the other and You on KWAI 1080 AM Radio. have mayonnaise. The shrine worker hand, if you are in Chinatown anyhow, said that it did indeed have mayon- you could just look in the window or naise. My advice is to be sure to ask stick your head in to see if the snacks are being sold. I really recommend this "Be the change you want food, and I hope that the shrine contin- to see in the world." ues to offer this service. At the prices they’re charging, you know that Gandhi they’re doing this as a service and not for profit.

Vegetarian Society of Hawaii PRESORTED P.O. Box 23208 STANDARD Honolulu, Hawaii USA U.S. POSTAGE PAID 96823-3208 HONOLULU, HI PERMIT NO. 645 Address Service Requested

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