Talking stick 2

PEOPLE who eat chicken, minced beef, pork chops and lettuce may develop an immunity to the drugs used to treat potentially fatal conditions such as meningitis and pneumonia. Seven years after a landmark report by the Joint Expert Technical Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance warned of drug immunity being passed through the food chain from animals to humans, an investigation is to be launched to measure the risk to consumers. Scientists have long warned that the overuse of antibiotics, such as growth promoters in chicken, cattle and pigs, can breed drug-resistant bugs that may impede antibiotic treatments of diseases in humans. The inquiry, due to be completed next May, will estimate the amount of antibiotic-resistant bacteria existing in food. Chicken, minced beef, pork-shoulder chops and iceberg lettuce heads will be the initial focus of the study, after overseas research identified them as containing common antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Canberra Hospital Infectious Diseases Unit director Peter Collignon welcomed the research, saying people had the right to know what they were eating. "This is an issue and we need this data," Professor Collignon said."It is beyond doubt that whenever you use antibiotics, you get resistance.

But the animal industry seems to be denying this is happening. "In Australia we use 250,000kg of antibiotics in people every year. In animals we use 500,000kg… With profit-driven farming, farmers are forced to maximize their profit in order to stay competitive. If they don't use growth hormones to boost the production of meat they will be driven out of business. Using growth hormones accelerates the metabolism of the animal. The stress of accelerated metabolism combined with the conditions of factory farms make animals more susceptible to disease. In order to counteract this animals are routinely given massive amounts of antibiotics. People then eat the bodies of these animals and in this way ingest large amounts of antibiotics and potentially antibiotic resistant bacteria. This is what happens when you have meat eating and a profit driven economy.
The solution to this is a simple principle at a fundamental level - stop eating meat.

The key to raising healthy vegetarian children is knowledge, Very few committed vegetarians will be swayed by other people's opinions of their diet. Instead, arm yourself with information" The Pond's family doesn't eat meat or fish but does eat eggs and dairy products. "Both of my children, 5 and 7, are in excellent health, are above average in their growth percentiles, have never had a cavity, and excel in school," Pond says. Joanne Huntington of Riner, Va., has degrees in food science and nutrition from Cornell University, but she says her real expertise comes from being the mother of six vegetarian children. It is perfectly possible to raise a healthy child as a vegetarian.
Instead of worrying about the absence of meat in the child's diet, think about the baby's health in general, Is
the child healthy? Is the child exploring the world at full speed? A child's health-care provider needs to know about the family's nutritional lifestyle, and should watch for adequate growth as part of regular check-ups.
Still, oatmeal and yogurt is a monotonous diet, Toddlers like finger foods, and they like to graze.
How the parents raise their child, and whether they choose vegetarianism for their family, is their personal decision! Vegetarianism is not only a safe option but health-supporting choice that can give a strong advantage for living a long, happy, and disease-free life!

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History of Soybeans
Soybeans come to us from the Orient. During the Chou Dynasty (1134-246 BC) the soybean was designated one of the five sacred grains, along with barley, wheat, millet and rice. However, the pictograph for the soybean, which dates from earlier times, indicates that it was not first used as a food; for whereas the pictographs for the other four grains show the seed and stem structure of the plant, the pictograph for the soybean emphasizes the root structure. Agricultural literature of the period speaks frequently of the soybean and its use in crop rotation. Apparently the soy plant was initially used as a method of fixing nitrogen. The soybean did not serve as a food until the discovery of fermentation techniques, sometime during the Chou Dynasty. Thus the first soy foods were fermented products like tempeh, natto, miso and shogu (soy or tamari sauce).

At a later date, possibly in the 2nd century B.C., Chinese scientists discovered that a puree of cooked soybeans could be precipitated with calcium sulfate or magnesium sulfate (plaster of Paris or Epsom salts) to make a smooth pale curd -tofu or bean curd. The use of fermented and precipitated soy products soon spread to other parts of the Orient, notably Japan and Indonesia. Although the highly flavored fermented products have elicited greater interest among scientists and epicures, it is the bland precipitated products that are most frequently used, accounting for approximately 90% of the processed soybeans consumed in Asia today. The increased reliance on bean curd as a source of protein, which occurred between 700 A. D. and the present time, has not necessarily been a beneficial change for the populations of the Orient and Southeast Asia.

Fit for Human Consumption?
The Chinese, did not eat the soybean as they did other pulses (legumes) such as the lentil, because the soybean contains large quantities of a number of harmful a substances. First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors which block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion.

These"antinutrients" are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking and can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer. The soybean also contains hemagglutinin, a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Trypsin inhibitors and hemagglutinin have been rightly labeled growth depressant substances. Fortunately they are deactivated during the process of fermentation. However, in precipitated products, enzyme inhibitors concentrate in the soaking liquid rather than in the curd. Thus in tofu and bean curd, these enzyme inhibitors are reduced in quantity, but not completely eliminated.

Soybeans are also high in phytic acid or phytates. This is an organic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all seeds, which blocks the uptake of essential minerals-calcium, magnesium, iron and especially zinc-in the intestinal tract. Although not a household word, phytates have been extensively studied. Scientists are in general agreement that grain and legume based diets high in phytates contribute to widespread mineral deficiencies in third world countries.

Analysis shows that calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are present in the plant foods eaten in these areas, but the high phytate content of soy and rice based diets prevents their absorption. The soybean has a higher phytate content than any other grain or legume that has been studied. Furthermore, it seems to be highly resistant to many phytate reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking. Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans. Thus fermented products such as tempeh and miso provide nourishment that is easily assimilated, but the nutritional value of tofu and bean curd, both high in phytates, is questionable.

When precipitated soy products are consumed with meat, the mineral blocking effects of the phytates are reduced. The Japanese traditionally eat tofu as part of a mineral-rich fish broth. Vegetarians who consume tofu and bean curd as a substitute for meat and dairy products risk severe mineral deficiencies. The results of calcium, magnesium and iron deficiency are well known, those of zinc are less so. Zinc is called the intelligence mineral because it is needed for optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. It plays a role in protein synthesis and collagen formation, it Is involved in the blood sugar control mechanism and thus protects against diabetes; it is needed for a healthy reproductive system.

Zinc is a key component in numerous vital enzymes and plays a role in the immune system. Phytates found in soy products interfere with zinc absorption more completely than with other minerals. Literature extolling soy products tends to minimize the role of zinc in human physiology, and to gloss over the deleterious effect of diets high in phytic acid.

Nitrosamines, which are potent carcinogens, are often found in soy protein foods, and are greatly increased during the high temperature drying process. Not surprisingly, animal feeding studies show a lower weight gain for rats on soy formula than those on whole milk, high-lactose formula; similar results have been observed in children on macrobiotic diets which include the use of soy milk and large amounts of whole grains. Children brought up on high-phytate diets tend to be thin and scrawny. Blood type A people should be nearly vegetarians. The above information should make it clear that you should avoid most soy products unless they are fermented (tempeh and miso).

"I have been using tofu and Tamari for almost fourty years and feel great!!"

Fermenting makes minerals available for absorption, produces vitamin B12 and increases the content of other vitamins and enzymes. The disuse of fermenting in the preparation of stable foods is one of the causes of chronic disease.

Miso - Miso is a fermented soybean paste. It is a savoury, high protein seasoning made from soy beans, grain (usually rice or barley), seasalt, water and Aspergillus Oryzae culture. The wonderfully fragrant aroma of traditional miso has been compared with that of freshly ground coffee. In Japan, over 70% of the population starts each day with a health-giving, nutritious, and warming cup of Miso soup instead of coffee. It's alkalising effect wakes up the body and mind, providing it with a steady supply of high-quality energy that lasts all morning. Miso is used as an all-purpose seasoning, but it is much more than just that. Highly nutritious, it is a concentrated source of complete protein, containing 17 amino acids which enables easy digestion. In addition, the digestion inhibiting enzyme trypsin which is always a problem in raw or under-cooked soy beans is destroyed during fermentation. The B-vitamins-riboflavin, niacin and B12 - are each increased during fermentation of miso.

Miso is respected as a food and a medicine .

Use mainly Hatcho Miso: It is the highest in lactic acid, it contains only soy beans.
Tamari Soy Sauce - Tamari is also called natural Shoyu. Tamari is a traditional soy sauce made from four basic ingredients; soy beans, wheat, salt and water. Wheatless Tamari known as genuine or real Tamari is also available. Tamari has a number of beneficial effects on the body. It stimulates the secretion of digestive fluids in the stomach, has a preservative effect on food and fosters the growth of healthy bacterial cultures in the intestinal tract. Further, it improves circulation and strengthens the contractions of the heart and often completes the protein balance of food since it includes the amino-acids, usually lacking in cereal grains.

Tempeh - Tempeh is an excellent food, it contains only 157 calories per 100 gram serving. It is low in saturated fats and contains an abundance of lecithin plus essential polyunsaturates such as linoleic acids. These acids perform the vital functions of emulsifying, dispersing, and eliminating deposits of cholesterol and other fatty acids that may have accumulated in the vital organs and bloodstream.

Tempeh is crisp, delicious, and nourishing and may be steamed, boiled, baked, or sauteed. It is enjoyed with a wide variety of grains, vegetables, and noodles and may be used in soups, salads, sandwiches or to serve as a delicious main course at meals in place of meat, and to become the protein backbone of a vegetarian diet. Tempeh should always be cooked before eating.

Tofu - Soy Bean Curd - Tofu has been the low-cost protein food of the Asian diet for more than 2000 years. Tofu is made by curding the milk of the soybean. Tofu is very versatile picks up the taste of the foods it is combined with, and has a variety of textures depending upon how it is cooked. It may be sliced, cubed, diced, pressed or mashed and boiled in soups, sauteed with vegetables or grains, or baked in casseroles. It may also be used in dips, sauces, dressings, and desserts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  According to a 2006 study recently released by the United Nations, the meat industry is the #1 source of environmental pollution, topping even the transportation industry/act of transportation! A great way to stop this is to cut back on your meat consumption, go vegetarian, or even go vegan.

    Global warming. Overexploited natural resources. Deforestation. Wasted land. Water and air pollution. The most serious environmental problems of our time are all directly linked to eating meat.
A 2006 United Nations report summarized the devastation caused by the meat industry by calling it "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." The report recommended that animal agriculture "be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity."
Many leading environmental organizations, such as the National Audubon Society and the Sierra Club, are now establishing the link between eating meat and eco-disasters like climate change. According to Environmental Defense, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than a half-million cars off U.S. roads.