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October 2011 Archive for A Passionate Voice

Even at an early age, Cheryl Day was a passionate and practical advocate for agriculture. Check out her viewpoint on current agricultural topics.

Monster Mash-Meatful Monday

Oct 31, 2011

Is your family Tricking or Treating tonight? Either way satisfy their monster appetite with this naturally nutrient-rich dish, Monster Mash Meatball Soup [Compliments of Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner].

This Hearty soup is fit for any Halloween feast and fueling every goblin in your household with high-quality protein, ten essential nutrients, and complete amino acids in one serving brought to you by lean beef.

Monster Mash Meatball Soup

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) frozen fully-cooked beef meatballs
1 cup frozen vegetable mixture, such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
2 cups water
1 can (14 to 14-1/2 ounces) ready-to-serve beef broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with roasted garlic
3/4 cup uncooked Halloween pasta shapes

Spooky Decorations:

Dairy Sour Cream Full Moon
Black Olive Bats
Parmesan Cheese Ghosts
Creepy Croutons

Instructions

1. Combine frozen vegetables, water, broth, tomatoes and pasta in large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 8 minutes or until pasta is just tender.

2. Meanwhile microwave meatballs according to package directions. Add meatballs to soup; simmer 3 minutes or until meatballs are heated through. Garnish with spooky decorations, as desired (see Cook’s Notes).

Cook’s Notes

To make dairy sour cream full moon, spoon small amount of sour cream on top of soup forming full moon shape. To make black olive bats, thinly slice olives crosswise into rings. Cut rings in half. Place olive slices on top of sour cream full moon to form bat wings. To make Parmesan ghosts, place ghost shaped cookie cutter on baking sheet. Place shredded Parmesan cheese inside cookie cutter, pressing down slightly with fingers to form shape. Carefully remove cookie cutter and repeat to make desired amount of ghosts. Bake in 350°F oven for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly. Remove ghosts with spatula to wire rack; cool completely. Serve with soup. To make creepy croutons, cut sliced white bread into Halloween shapes with cookie cutters. Place shapes on baking sheet; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake shapes in 350°F oven about 10 minutes or until bread is toasted and cheese begins to brown.

Nutrition information per serving:

483 calories; 3 g fat; 4 mg cholesterol; 1776 mg sodium; 36 g carbohydrate; 17 g protein; 8.3 mg niacin; 0.2 mg vitamin B₆; 1.7 mcg vitamin B₁₂; 2.2 mg iron; 4.2 mg zinc.

This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B₁₂ and zinc; and a good source of vitamin B₆ and iron

Find more great lean beef recipes at the Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner Website.

Did You Know?

Lean meats contain heme IRON, which is a much more easily absorbed by the body than nonheme iron found in plant foods. Heme iron is important dietary component for cognitive health, including boosting memory and improving the ability to learn and reasoning. A great reason you should include lean meats in your children’s diet every day.

Be Safe this Halloween!

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Dear America

Oct 24, 2011

October 24, 2011-Food Day

Dear America:

I, an American Farmer, urge you to start a real dialogue about the America’s Food System with me. For you see, today-October 24, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has declared it Food Day. For me, Food Day is 365. Disappointingly, instead of having an honest conversation with farmers, the CSPI has chosen to organize a campaign that spreads untruth about the way I raise my crops and animals to feed you.

Every day, I thank God for giving me the skills and natural resources to produce safe, abundant, healthy food for my country and the world. As a parent and consumer, I only support agriculture practices that are safe for my family and yours.

I raise corn, soybeans, and beef animals on my farm. I recognize the need to seek improvements, embrace new technology, and invest in continuing education to improve my part -the beginning- of food production to yield healthy choices to people everywhere.

Unfortunately, the CSPI purposely leaves one valuable nutrient-rich food from its list of healthy food choices –Beef, Pork, Lamb (Only seafood, low-fat dairy, and poultry). It is implied by the CSPI that animal proteins [excluding low-fat dairy and poultry] are unhealthy.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines-My Plate, My Health- recommends a balanced diet from all food groups-Fruits & Vegetables, Grains, Dairy, and Protein- combined with physical activity for a healthy lifestyle. The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage people to “get more nutrition from their calories” by choosing nutrient-rich food among all food groups. The Meat and Bean group provides protein but not all proteins are created equally. Unlike most plant sources of protein, animal proteins such as lean meats supply’s most readily accessible and easily absorbed source of iron and zinc-essential nutrients for muscle growth and good health. Meat can help you get the most nutrition-Protein, Iron, Zinc- all wrapped up in tasteful serving. Lean meat like Beef can help you get the most nutrition for fewer calories. Calorie for calorie, lean beef is one of the most flavorful and efficient ways to meet the daily value for 10 essential nutrients like iron, zinc and B vitamins and beef also provides 20 grams of protein per serving

The fact remains most Americans including myself need to make better food selections, strive for portion control, and just simply get off the couch more.

My family is proudly among the 98 percent of U.S. Farms that are operated by a family or individual. As a ninth generation farmer, protecting the environment and my animals are a priority. The decisions my family makes on the farm is based on peer-reviewed science that is verified and respects the consumer values.

I urge you not to partake in questionable campaigns like the CSPI’s Food Day but engage in conversation with Real Farmers. It could be as simple as visiting a local farm or participate online by joining honest Food Dialogues everyday.

Thank you for attention on this matter and look forward to discussing the one thing that connects us all -our food.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Day, American Farmer

Read More on Food Day

My 2 Cents about Changes to Child Labor Regulations

Oct 19, 2011

As a parent and farmer, I have been stewing over the proposed changes to Child Labor Regulations by the U.S. Department of Labor. I decided I could not stay quiet on the matter.

I respect the need to improve safety on the farm especially for children and we all can find news stories of agriculture related injury or death to children. The safety of my family is extremely important to me.

However, I have to ask can we exercise some Common Sense with the new Child Labor Regulations?

Proposing new provisions for Children employed in Agriculture

Children under the age of 18 cannot work with Animals and handle Pesticides.
No one under the age of 18 can work on timber operation, at grain elevator-grain bins-silos-feedlots-stockyards-livestock exchanges-livestock auctions.
Children under 16 would be prohibited to operate most power-driven equipment including connection and disconnecting implements.
All Youth cannot operate electronic devices while operating equipment including Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

As I look over the revisions, I reflect on common jobs for high schoolers:

Working at hog confinement or feedlot facility
Soil Testing Fields-Pulling Samples (Use GPS and ATVs)
Worked in the Cattle show barns rinsing calves-feeding animals and other duties including preparing for cattle sales or shows.
Feedmill – stacking bags to grinding feed
Grain Elevators- My Personal experience, I grow up as a grain elevator brat. In high school I was employed at my parent’s company keeping the books for feed customers, testing grain, running the scales, and other odd jobs (lifting feed bags into vehicles for customers).
Set-up Gates at the Livestock Auction House
Ran tractors and other equipment on Grain Farm.
Baling Hay

All the listed jobs above if hired by the agriculture business or farmers, seasonal or not, would be in violations of the proposed standards. So how many of you have held one of these positions?

Clearly, I support safety of Children but I also believe in learning by doing. These new provisions will prevent agriculture from teaching young adults skills in agriculture. In addition, as a farmer I could not hire a cousin or nephew or niece. Likewise, a grandparent could not employ their grandkids.

All 4-Hers and FFAers are not bless enough to live on the farm but eager to explore the world of agriculture through employment or internships. FFAers especially use farm labor as their Supervised Agriculture Experience.

For example, my daughter now 13 wants to be a large animal veterinarian. I am not a vet by trade. I would want her to seize opportunities to learn with experts in that field in high school or beyond.

Yes, I do realize the proposed changes do exempt my children working on my farm and I am thankful I have started them on the path of owning their own animals-Yes my daughter has paid taxes. If the child owns the animal then you cannot ban them from working with them.

I also have to wonder how the Dept. of Labor would look at my parents employing my brothers, sisters, and myself at the Grain Elevator. I admit I was not in the grain pit because my parents had the common sense to realize that is a dangerous job for young adults but I did pinch my fingers many time manually using the probe to gather grain samples grain trucks. Since, I am Vertical challenged, I had to climb up above my height to collect samples [yes- using ladders over 5ft is no-no for children in these revisions].

Obviously, I do not have the answers and some of the proposed changes make sense. However banning young adults from working with animals or learning new skills by running equipment seems extreme. Food for thought: Maybe the young adult have to complete safety courses.

The fact remains we can not stay silent on the issue. The agriculture community needs to educate the U.S. Department of Labor on the logistics of these changes. The agriculture community will be facing workers NOT trained properly in the field of agriculture and more importantly preventing us to encourage children not raise on the farm to explore a career in agriculture.

Join us by posting your respectful comments online, the U.S. Department of Labor, by November 1, 2011 or by Mail: Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3502 200 Constitution Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20210. Identify comments with RIN 1235-AA06.

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5 Common Myths about Food

Oct 16, 2011

Today- October 16-is Blog Action Day, an annual event to focus bloggers on one global topic. The 2011 topic is FOOD- A fitting topic for this farmer. As a farmer, my life passion is all about using God-Given talents and his natural resources to produce food for the world. Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge about the food we eat is filling the consumer’s mind with fallacious statements about Food.

Therefore on this Call to Action Day, I present 5 Common Myths about Food

5. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is more fattening for me than Table Sugar (Cane Sugar)

Fact: High Fructose Corn Syrup is sugar made from Corn. In fact, it is more accurate to call it Corn Sugar. Corn Sugar and Table Sugar has the exact same number of Calories.

Corn Sugar and Table Sugar both contain Fructose and Glucose. Cane Sugar is 50% Fructose and Glucose. Corn Sugar is either 42% Fructose and 58% Glucose -OR- 55% Fructose and 45% Glucose. As the commercial says “Sugar is Sugar”. Our body metabolizes it the same no matter if the sugar comes from corn or sugar cane.

Do not take my word for it, ask an expert.

High fructose corn syrup … is nutritionally equivalent to sucrose. Both sweeteners contain the same number of calories (4 per gram) and consist of about equal parts of fructose and glucose. Once absorbed into the blood stream, the two sweeteners are indistinguishable.”
- American Dietetic Association, Hot Topics paper on High Fructose Corn Syrup, December 2008

So why does the U.S. use so much Corn Sugar? In my opinion, it is Logistics. While we do grow some sugar cane in the U.S., it is largely grown in more favorable climates of Brazil and India (top world producers). Field Corn is widely produced in the United States. It is easier and cheaper for America’s Food Companies to use a home grown product.

4. Antibiotics fed to livestock and poultry are causing humans to be resistance to antibiotics.

Fact: Farmers and Ranchers have been administrating antibiotics by the label approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after extensive layers of testing and protocol to treat sick animals, prevent illness, and maintain the health of animals for over 40 years. As a result, the U.S. provides the consumer with the safest food possible.

Did you know that activists in Denmark called for the ban of all antibiotics? Result- more livestock and poultry became sick and required greater use of antibiotics. Furthermore, the ban on antibiotic in Denmark did not have a substantial impact on the incidence of antibiotic-resistant food-borne illness in humans - SafeFoodInc.org

Experts actually concluded that overuse and improper use of antibiotics in humans is the leading caused to human resistance to antibiotics. So a run to the border to obtain Mexican Antibiotics to take at will is more dangerous than farmers and ranchers administrating antibiotics supervised by licensed veterinarians by the label. Get the Facts.

Editor Note: Each farm or ranch has an established protocol for the use of antibiotic. As a farmer of a cow-calf operation, the health of the animal is extremely important to me. I can only speak for my farm but we only use antibiotics to treat sickness. Our first line of defense for our animals that are under stress or going to be facing a stressful environment-weaning or traveling or extreme weather pattern-is to use a natural probiotic products filled with essential vitamins and minerals. If an animal is diagnosed as being ill then an antibiotic is administrated after consulting the veterinarian by the label.

3. Organic Food is more Nutritious

Fact: First of all, it must be noted that organically raised food, plant or animal, must be meet or exceed the requirements of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to be Certified Organic. Every step of raising the crop or animal must be inspected and certified by the USDA or it is NOT CERTIFIED ORGANIC. The USDA has never claimed that Certified Organic food is more nutritious than conventionally produced food. Certified Organic label defines the way the food was grown, handled, and processed.

Did you know that Certified Organic does not mean reducing Pesticides?

Organic fruit and vegetable growers use insecticides and fungicides that are approved for organic growers. These are inorganic substances (such as copper and sulfur), microbes and toxic plant extracts. They are all registered as pesticides by the EPA and pass the same regulatory safety tests as do the synthetic chemicals used by non-organic growers.

However, since the inorganic substances, microbes and toxic plant extracts are not as effective as synthetic chemicals, organic growers spray more often than non-organic growers and use a greater tonnage of pesticides per acre than do non-organic farmers. -SafeFoodInc.Org

2. Genetically Modified Foods are bad for your health.

Fact: For years, scientists have been naturally cross-breeding plants and animals to create the most desirable traits. In fact, the use of yeast to produce bread was one of the earliest uses of biotechnology.

Simple Facts about Biotechnology

Biotechnology can be a scary scientific name but its definition is the use of scientific discoveries about living things to solve problems. Biotechnology borrows the good gene from a healthier plant and lends it to the weaker plant. As a result, scientists make more healthy plant with good genes. In nature we see this is all the time- The survival of the fittest. So think of Biotechnology as the Survival of the Fittest with a BOOST OF INNOVATION.

Advances in Biotechnology, now allows scientists to extract desirable DNA from one species (naturally- occurring) and inserting it in another. These GMOs are commonly used in agriculture to create seeds that are resistant to disease or insect. This exciting innovation has changed the world of farming. We now can plant seed that does not require as much pesticide to be applied.

The amount of land to farm or raise livestock is shrinking at alarming rate. We cannot scientifically produce land. At the same time the number of humans in the world is rapidly increasing. The amount of food we produce must also increase. Technology advancements, like biotechnology, can increase the amount of food raised on the same amount of land.

For the consumer, plant biotechnology benefits the consumers today by:

Nutritionally-Enriched Food
Reduce Pesticide Application
Longer-Lasting, Fresher Produce
Allows farmers to produce more on less land

Read the entire Biotechnology Guide.

There is no scientific, peer-reviewed, documented research or FDA statement that says GMO foods is bad for your health. After all how long have you been eating products made with yeast?

1. Going Meatless can improve your health.

Fact: Cutting out meat is not an instant remedy to improving your health. In fact it could do more harm than good. The USDA’s latest information-My Plate, My Health- on a healthy lifestyle depends on a balanced diet from all food groups-Fruits & Vegetables, Grains, Dairy, and Protein- portion control, and physical activity.

The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage people to “get more nutrition from their calories” by choosing nutrient-rich food among all food groups. There is a large assumption that Americans are eating too much from the Meat & Bean group but in fact many Americans are not meeting the USDA’s recommended servings from this group each day. In fact, as you get older your body slowly loses muscle mass, strength, and endurance.

The Meat and Bean group provides protein but not all proteins are created equally. Animal Proteins provide all of the essential building blocks (amino acids) that your body needs for optimal health. Unlike most plant sources of protein, lean meats supply’s most readily accessible and easily absorbed source of iron and zinc-essential nutrients for muscle growth and good health. Meat can help you to get the most nutrition for your Calorie intake. Protein, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin Bs all wrapped up in tasteful serving.

Other thing to consider:

The biggest myth about Red Meat is its fat profile. For Example let’s look at Beef: Half the fat in beef is monounsaturated-the same type of heart healthy fat found in salmon and olive oil. In addition 1/3 of the saturated fat of beef is stearic acid. Researchers have shown that stearic acid has neutral or cholesterol lowering effect.

Sources:

CornSugar.com

SafeFoodinc.org

NCGA Biotechnology Guide

BeefNutrition.org

My Plate, My Health

Croplife Ambassador Network

Animal Agriculture Alliance

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4-H at Wally World

Oct 12, 2011

Last week, the U.S. celebrated National 4-H Week. Many agriculturalists, including myself, proudly say, "I got my start in 4-H." As a kid, my opportunity to lead began with 4-H. Today, I still serve this great organization as a club leader and volunteer. 4-H is not just for rural or farm kids. Every child age 5 to 18 can gain great life skills and explore an array of interests through individual selection of projects.

Saturday, my club met for its monthly meeting. The day was filled with great opportunities, from officer selection and activity planning for the year...

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...to serving the community by planting bulbs in the local library's flowerbeds.

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The day's activity concluded with a trip to Wal-Mart.

Yes, we did! We had 4-H at Wally World. Thanks to great coordination between Wal-Mart and the National 4-H Council, local clubs were able to demonstrate the power of the wind. My club conducted a wind energy experiment in the toy section of our local Wal-Mart.

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Here is the great part. The shoppers of Wal-Mart, young and old, could interact with Macon County 4-H'ers and see that 4-H is more than livestock, crops and tractors. It was interesting as an adult to observe how my members tackled the challenge of building a wind turbine from wood rods, a hand-held motor and a fan (I just handed them the box with instructions as we entered the Wal-Mart) and how they interacted and encouraged shoppers to join the table of fun.

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Looking back, this activity at Wal-Mart was more than just a science experiment -- it was a social experiment, filled with life lessons and leadership skills. If your child has not had the experience of 4-H, I encourage you to introduce him or her to the club today by contacting your local Extension office. The 4-H year is just beginning.

What is 4-H?

4-H is a community of more than 6.5 million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. The 4-H community also includes 3,500 staff, 538,000 volunteers and 60 million alumni.

4-H’ers participate in fun, hands-on learning activities supported by the latest research of land-grant universities focused on three areas: healthy living, citizenship and science. Youth can experience 4-H by becoming a member of a 4-H club, attending a 4-H camp or joining school-based or after-school 4-H programs. 4-H'ers can compete with their projects in contests at the local, state, regional or national levels and also attend conferences and events.

What do the four H's in 4-H stand for?

Head, Heart, Hands and Health are the four H's in 4-H, and they are the four values members work on through fun and engaging programs.

Head - Managing, Thinking
Heart - Relating, Caring
Hands - Giving, Working
Health - Being, Living

What is the 4-H pledge?

"I pledge my head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service,
and my health to better living,
for my club, my community, my country, and my world."

4-H history:

A.B. Graham started the first 4-H group in Clark County, Ohio, in 1902. The first club was called the "Tomato Club" or the "Corn Growing Club"
T.A. "Dad" Erickson of Douglas County, Minn., started local agricultural after-school clubs and fairs, also in 1902.
Jessie Field Shambaugh developed the clover pin with an H on each leaf in 1910, and by 1912 the groups were called 4-H clubs.

Visit 4-H.org

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Meatful Monday-Supper on the Go

Oct 10, 2011

During the farming season, my tailgate serves as our family’s dining table. It is not uncommon for me to travel numerous miles and across several counties to reach the family harvesting crew. For me in this busy time, it is extremely important to serve my family a hot nutritional meal to keep them healthy during long hours of work.

As I was tearing down the back roads, I pose the question- Does every Mom use their vehicle as make shift kitchen? Especially during the farming season I would carry everything but the kitchen sink if I could.

If you were to ask me the best feature on my truck

•E-85

•Hauling Capacity

•Stylish

•Remote Starter

•Easy Auxiliary Hook UP for My Tunes

•On Star

NO!

It is my seat warmer.

This feature is not my favorite because Illinois’s cold winters or that majority of the time I am cold. Personally, I use the seat warmer and insulated containers as my personal warming oven.

On this Meatful Monday, I thought I share a quick easy recipe for on the go families. This recipe is version of the Awarding Winning Recipe my daughter’s Cook-Off Time won 1^st place at National Jr. Angus Show. In addition, I am big fan of Illinois Salsa – Red Cactus. It is a very sweet salsa that all kids and adults love.

1 Can of Biscuits (Grands works the best)

1lb of ground lean beef (could substitute sausage, ground pork, turkey,etc.)

Shredded Cheese

Red Cactus Salsa

Cook the meat completely, season to taste, and crumble into small pieces. Press each biscuit into 5-inch round. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Spread approximately 1 Tablespoon each of Salsa, ground meat, and cheese [it is actually personal preference rather you like more Salsa or cheese-I eyeball and do not measure] on half of the circle. Make sure to leave ½ inch of edge. Fold dough over filling, press edges with fork to seal.

Bake 375 degrees 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.

The great part of this recipe is it tastes just as good cold and my family fights over the leftovers. You can make it ahead time reheat and serve or pack to go.

Meatful Mondays Facts

There is no scientifically valid reason to join the Meatless Monday Fad. Experts all agree a balanced diet from all food groups with correct portion sizes is the best solution for healthy lifestyle. Hear what the Experts Say about Meat:

“Beef. It's the perfect muscle food because it's packed with protein and

creatine-both build muscle, which basically acts like bubble wrap around

tendons and joints.”

- Women’s Health Magazine, September 2008

“A healthy diet includes a variety of meat and vegetables in addition to other foods. Meat and vegetables both provide essential nutrients to support health and prevent illness and diseases.”

- Livestrong.com, March 2011

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Pork "Be Inspired" Meatful Monday

Oct 03, 2011

October is National Pork Month. I admit this beef farmer also enjoys eating pork. After all, variety is the spice of life. It is like one farmer said to me when I was small: "I love steak, but I do not like raising cattle." Likewise, I have tried raising pigs as a kid and I did not enjoy it.

So, this Meatful Monday is inspired by pork. My feature recipe is one of the great recipes you can find on the website, sponsored by the Pork Checkoff.

Apple-Cranberry Sirloin Chops

4 boneless sirloin chops, 3/4-inch thick
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup apple cider, OR apple juice
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick coating. Heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of chops with pepper. Brown chops on each side in hot skillet. Add apple cider. Cover tightly; cook over low heat for about 8 minutes or until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time.

In a small bowl combine cranberry sauce, honey, orange juice concentrate, ginger and nutmeg. Pour over chops. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until heated through.

Serves 4.

Nutrition

Calories: 248 calories
Protein: 23 grams
Fat: 7 grams
Sodium: 69 milligrams
Cholesterol: 67 milligrams
Saturated Fat: 2 grams
Carbohydrates: 28 grams
Fiber: 1 grams

Side Note: The sauce in this recipe is great with different cuts of pork-pork steak, ham, ham loaf.

Remember to always use a food thermometer to insure all meat has been cooked to the right temperature. The USDA has new recommendation for Pork:

Pork today is very lean and shouldn’t be overcooked. To check doneness, use a digital cooking thermometer. The National Pork Board follows the guidance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which recommends cooking roasts, tenderloins, and chops to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F., followed by a 3 minute rest time, resulting in a flavorful, tender and juicy eating experience. Ground pork, like all ground meat, should be cooked to 160 degrees F. Pre-cooked ham can be reheated to 140 degrees F. or enjoyed cold.

Pork Nutritional Facts

Pork packs nutrients in every lean serving. A 3-ounce of pork offers 8% of the daily value of Vitamin B-12, a micronutrient NOT found in plant-based food. In addition Pork is an "excellent" source of protein, thiamin, vitamin B6, phosphorous and niacin, and a "good" source of potassium, riboflavin and zinc, yet contributes only 6 percent of calories to a 2,000-calorie diet. Fresh pork is naturally low in sodium.

The Pork Be Inspired Website also has great tools for every cook to use:

Information on Cuts of Pork including Nutrition
Ask the Butcher
Safe Handling, Cooking, and Storing of Pork
Recipes

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Can I Pay You $1,000 NOT to Eat Meat?

Oct 01, 2011

The North American Vegetarian Society kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month with World Vegetarian Day.

"Make a difference this October by informing others about the benefits of vegetarianism. You will be helping to create a better world because vegetarian diets have proven health benefits, save animals’ lives and help to preserve the Earth."

If an individual makes an educated, well-researched effort with hard-core facts to make a dietary change, that is their business and not mine. However, if you make a dietary decision based on falsehoods placed in a promo then SHAME ON YOU.

I have several issues with Vegetarian Awareness Month and the current campaign to switch the world to the vegetarian way of life.

Closer Look

Myth: Vegetarianism mproves health benefits

Truth: Straight-up lean cuts of meat give you more bang for the buck. Meat is a great source of high-quality protein that no single vegetarian food can provide.

Facts about cholesterol from the American Heart Organization:

It may surprise you to know that cholesterol itself isn't bad. In fact, cholesterol is just one of the many substances created and used by our bodies to keep us healthy. Some of the cholesterol we need is produced naturally (and can be affected by your family health history), while some of it comes from the food we eat. Learn more about the sources of cholesterol.

Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and food. Your liver and other cells in your body make about 75% of blood cholesterol. The other 25% comes from the foods you eat. Cholesterol is found only in animal products. Diet and physical activity contribute to overall blood cholesterol levels as well as the cholesterol that is made naturally by the body. The amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood is controlled in two important places: the liver and the intestines. The liver produces cholesterol (using it to make digestive — or bile — acids) and also removes cholesterol from the blood. The intestines absorb cholesterol, which comes from food and from bile.

Know your Fats

LDL cholesterol is affected by diet. Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which ones don't is the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease. In addition to the LDL produced naturally by your body, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can also raise blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats appear to not raise LDL cholesterol; some studies suggest they might even help lower LDL cholesterol slightly when eaten as part of a low-saturated and trans-fat diet.

Fats have an essential role in your health. Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth. They also help protect your organs and help keep your body warm. Fats help your body absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones, too.

Closer Look at Lean Cuts of Meat (3-oz. serving):

Cut of Meat	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Sat. Fat (g)	Cholesterol(mg)	Protein (g)	Iron(mg)	Zinc (mg)
Daily Value	2000	65	20	300	50	18	15
Chicken Breast -Skinless, Boneless	140	3.0	0.9	72	26.4	0.9	0.06
Turkey- Skinless, Boneless	115	0.6	0.2	71	25.6	1.3	1.5
Beef-Eye Round & Steak	144	4.0	1.4	53	25.3	2.1	4.3
Ground Beef-95% Lean	139	5.1	2.3	65	21.9	2.4	5.5
Pork-Loin Chop	141	3.6	1.3	65	25.4	0.5	1.8
Tenderloin	159	5.4	1.9	80	25.9	1.2	2.5

* Daily Values Source: USDA Compare Other Cuts of Lean Meats

Meat and other animal products provide additional essential natural nutrients like zinc, protein, iron and B vitamins. These nutrients build strong muscles, provide energy, build healthy immune systems and improve cognitive development. The key to a healthy lifestyle is selecting lean cuts of meat and a variety of food choices for a balanced diet.

I also invite you to read last Monday’s blog post, which compares plant proteins and animal proteins.

Myth: Vegetarianism helps to preserve the Earth

Truth: Anti-animal agriculture groups always state that raising animals for beef will single-handedly destroy the Earth. Here are the facts straight from Judith L. Capper, Ph.D., an assistant professor of dairy science in the Department of Animal Sciences at Washington State University:

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) claims that national carbon emissions would be reduced by 4.5% if everyone in the U.S. chose a vegetarian diet. This is an impressive achievement given the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cites livestock production (including poultry and horses) as accounting for only 3.1% of total U.S. emissions. Where does that extra 1.4% come from?

Let’s do the math based on the EPA numbers. The EWG report focuses on the impact of red meat and dairy, so if we remove poultry and horses from the EPA’s 3.1% figure, we get a total red meat and dairy impact of 3.05%. Divide that by 7, and the impact of one meatless day per week is equal to 0.44% of the U.S. carbon footprint – and that’s assuming that the U.S. population of 311 million people all adopts this lifestyle change.

0.44% is minuscule. It’s a tiny fraction of the impact that we could make on the national carbon footprint. But if we put it in consumer-friendly numbers, it’s like taking 5.7 million cars off the road each year, or planting 4.5 billion trees. Sounds far more compelling now, doesn’t it?