the island vegetariansalty do not “pickle” your throat membranes with too concentrated a salt...

84*-

** The Island VegetarianVegetarian Sciciety of Hawaii Quarterly Publication

I r-side

*Ask Dr. Klaper

l President ‘3 Message

*Man’s Best Friend

l Ruth’s Trip to Turkey

l Pull-out Calendar

l Science Corner

l Quick & Easy Recipe

l Restaurant Review

l Feast on Five

l What’s Vegetarian?

l On the Menu

Public Lectures

Membership MeetingJune 14

Alyssa MoreauJuly 12

Neal PinckneyAugust 9

Arthur BrownsteinSept 13

Ask Dr. KlaperBy Michael Klaper, M.D.

Dear Dr. Klaper:

I have recently become a lacto-vegetarian, and I’ve had one sorethroat episode after another. Do you have any ideas as to why this

may be happening and some suggestions for the best way to treat afull-blown sore throat? D.T., Kaneohe

Dear D.T.:

R ecurring sore throats in a dairy-consuming vegetarian raiseseveral possibilities. The membranes lining the throat are well

endowed with mucus-secreting glands. Smearing dairy proteins, likecasein and lactalbumin, on these sensitive throat membranes severaltimes a day (in milk, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, etc.) may cause mucusto drip down the back of the throat, causing frequent swallowing andresulting inflammation.

Dairy proteins are not the only possible allergy-inciting culprit infoods - other proteins from soy, peanut, or wheat (or for that matter,most any other plant or animal protein in a given individual person)may incite a mucus drip - and resultant irritated sore throat. If such afood-based allergy is suspected, eliminate that food for several weeksand see if the symptoms clear. Then, reinstitute the food and see ifthe symptoms recur. If so, plan to avoid that food long term.

Another cause of frequent sore throat episodes is a chronic bacte-rial infection of the paranasal sinuses (spaces in the skull bones thatmake our voice more resonant and that connect into the nasal cav-ity). Whether a case of acute or chronic infectious sinusitis is dis-charging bacteria-laden secretions down the back of the throat is aquestion to be answered with the help of your physician. Appropri-ate diagnostic tests (physical examination, scans, etc.) may be re-quired to confirm or rule out this diagnosis. Other serious causes ofsore throats (tumors, etc.) can also be investigated at that time.

More likely your frequent sore throats are a sign that the resistance

(See Ask Dr. Klaper, page 2)

Ask Dr. Klapercontinued from front page

of your throat tissues, as well asyour general body immunity,has temporarily decreased -largely as a result of how youhave been operating your body

Popular immune-depressingforces include late night cel-ebrations, hours spent in ciga-rette smoke-filled rooms,alcohol ingestion, prolongedexposure to air conditioning, anunbalanced diet that may betop-heavy with refined sugars,processed, salty and excessivelyspicy foods and is deficient inimmune-enhancing fruits andvegetables), emotional stress,etc. Such common immune-crippling features of Twenty-First Century life may allowmicrobes that normally live inyour throat but are usuallyprevented by your normallyhealthy immune system fromcausing infection - to takeadvantage of your now weak-ened defenses. Thus, whileunwise choices and actions canopen the door to frequent sorethroats, better decisions canfortify us against them.

Once the sore throat is in fullforce, you can help your bodyovercome the problem bycorrecting the imbalances thatfostered the sore throat as wellas improving the local condi-tions in the throat tissues. Startby enhancing your immunestatus through:

a) getting enough sleep,b) drinking enough pure,

room temperature water, andc) eliminating any immune-

damaging influences such ascigarette smoking, and refinedsugar eating.

Important: If your throat isvery inflamed when you look inthe mirror (red, swollen tissues,possibly with white spots onthe tonsils), and if you feelsystemically ill (chills, fever,

muscle aches, etc.), you shouldsee your doctor to determinewhether your throat infectionis caused by Streptococcusbacteria. If any lab test yourdoctor performs confirms thatyou have a true “Strep throat,”respect this microbe - it cancause serious damage to yourheart valves and kidney (rheu-matic fever). In this situation itis important to follow yourphysician’s advice.

To help improve local condi-tions in the throat tissue, takeadvantage of an old fashionedremedy - gar&ing reallyworks! Why? Gargling three tosix times in 24 hours with warmsalt water will:

a) wash the throat mem-branes free of the overlayingmucus layer, which containsinflammation-inciting proteins,microbes (including Strepbacteria), and more, and

b) dilate the blood vessels andbring the white blood cells,natural antibodies, and anyantibiotics to the throat area.

To prepare an appropriatesolution for safe gargling, take aglass of water just slightlywarmer than room temperatureand add a pinch of salt - justenough to make it taste slightlysalty Do not “pickle” yourthroat membranes with tooconcentrated a salt solution.

A solution of healing herbsmay also be used to gargle.Steep 1/3 teaspoon golden sealpowder in I cup warm water,strain, and gargle. (A quart ofgolden seal solution can bemade and stored in the refrig-erator - I teaspoon of goldenseal powder per quart.) Avoid

The Island Vegetarian l July 2000

gargling with hydrogen perox-ide and/or tea tree oil, as thesepotent substances can actuallyinjure the hypersensitive throatmembranes.

To gargle, hold the glass ofsalt water in your hand, openyour mouth, and take a deepbreath in. Tilt your head back,slide a generous mouthful ofsalt water to the back of yourthroat, and, with your mouthstill open, breathe out throughthe water. Continue until theend of the breath, and thenexpectorate the salt water intothe sink. Repeat until the fullglass of salt water is used.

Finally, remember that yourthroat membranes are in-flamed. To avoid retarding theirhealing, do not do aam toidlamethemfiu-the~

I. Don’t burn your already-irritated throat membraneswith heat (hot soups, coffee,tea) or acidliquids (orangejuice, citrus fruits, pineapple,cola drinks, etc.)2. Don’t injure your throat

membranes mechanicaliy!Avoid scratchy foods such aspotato chips, celery stalks, etc.,until your throat is pain free.3. When your throat is very

sore, it is not important to eatsolid foods at all. Just keep upwith your fluid losses by drink-ing at least two quarts of waterdaily When it’s comfortable toswallow, soft, room tempera-ture, non-acidic foods (peaches,carrot juice, non-citrus fruitsmoothies) will aid healing.

4. When swallowing is com-fortable, a daily high-potencymultivitamin tablet can helprestore the body’s metabolic


balance. If you’re going to takeVitamin C tablets, don’t use achewable form, which canmake the throat more irritated.

Most sore throats subsidealmost completely within 24 to72 hours of initiation of treat-ment. If you aren’t experiencingrelief in that time, check backwith your physician.&

Michael Klape?; M.D. is a nation-ally recognized a&o?; lecture?; andauthority on vegetarian nutrition.Readers should consult with theirown physicians for issues of concern.

President’s Messageby Alida Rutchick, M.Ed.

A loha. More change ishappening at VSH thatwe think will be appre-

ciated by our membership. Youmay have noticed that thisissue of our newsletter covers afour-month period. That’sbecause we’re currentlytransitioning to a new quartersystem. While in the past we’vedivided the year into seasons(summer, fall, etc.), we’vedecided that it would be sim-pler for all if we followed theusual calendar quarters. Thusbeginning with our Octoberissue, newsletter periods andour calendar of events willcover three months of activitiesthat begin in October, JanuaryApril, and July of each year.Keeping membership expira-tions consistent with thiscalendar will result in somememberships being extendedfor a month or so. Our office

(See President’s Message, page 9)

Man’s Best Friend-Unrequited Love?by Elaine Johnson, MBAAnimal Rights Hawaii

I t has been recognized foryears that companionanimals have multiple

positive effects on the physicaland mental health of humans.The Hawaii VeterinaryAssociation’s Pet Exposition, tobe held on May 13- rq,cel-ebrates the bond betweenanimals and their humans. Isthere a dark side, though, topet ownership?

The benefits of pet owner-ship are obvious to anyone whohas ever taken an animal intothe home. They provide com-panionship when we’re lonely,affection when we’ve had adifficult day and a sense of playwhen we get too serious. Inclinical settings dogs and otheranimals have been used in avariety of circumstances. Autis-tic children have responded toanimals in cases where nothingelse has worked. Extremedepression in the elderly hasoften responded well to animaltherapy, and there are manyknown cases where people whodon’t respond to any othertherapies respond to affectionfrom an animal.

What do companion animalsget in return for their relation-ships with us? Sometimes theyget a loving home and familyfor life. All too often, though,they get heartache and betrayal.I answer calls to the AnimalRights Hawaii telephone line,

(See Man’s Best Friend, back page)

We 3

A Serving of Turkeyand GreeceBy Ruth E. Heidrich, Ph.D.

N o, I didn’t get servedany turkey in Turkey,but I sure had to fend

off a lot of grease in bothTurkey and Greece - in theform of olive oil. In fact, I wasinformed by a proud Turkishguide that Turkey was now theworlds leading producer ofgrease, I mean, olive oil. Ti-avel-ing in foreign countries as avegan is challenging, but itcertainly can be done.

Let me back up a bit. OnMarch q2000, I boarded aplane bound for Istanbul,Turkey It was a grueling over-night flight (over 9 hours in theair), but fortunately I hadordered vegan meals, whichhelped ease the discomfort ofsuch a long time in the air.Most airlines have availabledecent and sometimes delec-table vegan meals as long as youorder at least 24 hours in ad-vance and specify exactly whatyou want, e.g., no dairy, no oil,etc.

We were heading for anIslamic country, and I hadconcerns about being able toadhere closely to a strict,mostly raw, vegan cuisine. As arunner, too, I had a concernabout being able to run in mytypical running attire, abbrevi-ated by Islamic standards.

After arriving at our hotel indowntown Istanbul, we walkedseveral blocks and found a shopwhere we purchased fresh fruit.Through hand gestures and

body movements, I purchased a“lunch” of tomatoes, parsley,pears, and bananas. Differentbut satisfying! That night thehotel served an all-you-can-eatbuffet for the equivalent ofabout $10. There were loads offresh veggies and fruits andeven some whole grain breads,which I rarely eat, but I didhave to sample Turkish breadthat night. The next day we hada bus tour of Istanbul and someof the outlying areas. I took onboard the bus extra fruit andveggies from the morningbreakfast - just in case we raninto vegan-unfriendly territory

We left Istanbul for Athensby cruise ship. After unpacking,I decided to explore theplacethat would be “home” for thenext six days and five nights.Naturally, hunger led to asearch for the three restaurantson board. The one that bestsuited any vegan’s needs was thebuffet: its hours and freedom ofselection made it our favorite.

After exploring the restau-rants, the next priority was thefitness center. It was perfect:treadmills, stationary bikes,stairmasters weightmachines...and a great sauna!Outside the fitness center,there was a small pool and asmall running track (which waswasted since the ship stoppedin a different port each day,allowing for “real” running).

Our first port of call was theancient and historically impor-tant site of Ephesus, on thecoast of Turkey Everythingseemed so bright, especiallybecause the weather was sunnyand warm, and because so much

of ancient Ephesus was builtwith white marble and lime-stone. Ancient history sur-rounded us, facing us at everystep and turn. Magnificent! Somany Kodak moments, includ-ing one of the goddess Nike!

Then we were off to Crete.Lunch was included and every-one wanted to slather our foodwith olive oil and crumblygoat’s cheese. They look soshocked when we refused, as ifyou can’t really mean “no oil, nofeta”! After the tour it was timeto go for another run to “earn”the wonderful array of freshfruits and veggies on board theship.

At last we arrived in Athens.It’s huge with people every-where. Time for sightseeing,running on the actual course ofthe original Olympics, climbingup to the majestic Parthenon,running and hiking up anddown hills.

While at sea, I gave a lectureon why veganism and dailyvigorous exercise were good foryou. You might imagine thaton a cruise ship not a lot ofpeople wanted to hear what Iwas saying. They somehow havethe idea that clogging yourarteries, depressing your im-mune system, and developingflabby muscles is fun! Andwhen I tell them that fruits andvegetables really do taste thebest and that running can feelgreat, they seem to have a hardtime understanding that. Ireally did have fun and camehome just as fit as when Ileft!&


Sehool LunchNutrition

I n the past there has beenskepticism that a veganmeal entree could meet

Recommended Dietary Allow-ances (RDAs) and be bothacceptable to students andpractical for the Hawaii SchoolFood Service (SFS) kitchenworkers. We might turn thequestion on its head and ask if a“meat-a-tarian” diet could meetthe RDAs. The answer isprobably no. I added 129 com-monly available dairy, egg, fish,meat, and poultry foods in onehundred gram increments intoNutritionist IV software (I) andaveraged them for nutrients. Ina day’s RDA of Calories (about2000 Cal.) there was no fiber,very little vitamin C, and ashortage of magnesium. The fatcontent was 59% of Caloriesand the cholesterol content was424% of the upper limit RDAof 300 mg/day

By contrast, 93 vegetablestreated in the same way had amean fat content of 17% and nocholesterol, and they weredeficient only in vitamin B12. Ihave always felt that the way toraise healthy children at homeis to keep the refrigeratorstocked only with nutritiousand healthy foods and let thekids eat as much as they wantof whatever they want, which iswhat they usually do anywayThe same philosophy mightwell apply to the school lunchprogram. Suppose that we startwith a balanced vegan entreethat everyone can eat and thenlet the ovo-lacto-vegetarian

Science CornerBy William Harris, M.D.

students add on cheese, eggs,and milk, and the omnivoresadd fish, meat, and poultry asthey go down the line.

animalfoodsthatthey’re used to. We explain thatit’s easier for them to add inthese foods than for their(admittedly few) vegan class-mates to take them out andpoint them further down theline where those items arewaiting. Here is the nutrientanalysis for three types ofschool lunch all based on thesimple vegan entree. (See chart,page 6)

What are the results nutri-tionally? Let’s start with asimple vegan mix of r cupcooked black beans, I cupbroccoli, I raw carrot, I cupkale, I tomato. The kids won’teat it like this, so for flavor let’sadd I lemon, I onion, I clovegarlic, I fluid ounce of salsa.Now we have a fairly nutritiousmix and, depending on howmuch cooking, grinding, andmixing the chefs perform, areasonably tasty one as well.However, the dietitians will benoting that this very low fatmix, healthy for adults, doesnot have enough fat for kidswho need more Calories forgrowth. So we add in 2 tbspspeanut butter, seeds, or nuts.One gram of Red Star T-6635+Nutritional Yeast insuresenough vitamin B12, addsflavor, and increaseseverybody’s intake of the otherB vitamins as well. The retailcost for this much yeast isabout 1.5 cents and is probablyless in bulk.

Without going into recipeand preparation details, we nowhave an entree that meets100% of the RDAKalorie forcarbohydrate, fat, protein, and15 minerals and vitamins. How-ever, some students are nowgrousing because they want the

“But those vegan meals aremonotonous. Same stuff everyday no variety” In fact thereare 208 readily available beans,breads, fruits, grains, nuts, andvegetables, as opposed to 129animal source foods. Further-more, all nutritionally balanceddiets are monotonous becausethey deliver the same mix ofessential nutrients day after dayThat’s the whole idea. Themeals change but the nutrientsremain the same. The challengeto SFS meal planners is to findcombinations of inexpensivehealthy foods put together insuch a way that the kids will eatthem. It’s not too difficult, andthere’s nothing unique aboutthe basic vegan meal shownabove.

There are some caveats.Vegan children have no troubleachieving their nutrient re-

(See Science Corner, page 6)

We5The island Vegetarian . July 2000

Science Corner Nutrient Analysis Vegan

continued from page five

quirements, but they need toeat about a third more food byweight or volume to getenough Calories. The humanstomach maxes out at a vol-ume of about I liter and that’swhy vegans are usually slender.By contrast, omnivores haveno trouble getting enoughCalories but in the processpick up cholesterol and toomuch fat. In the table abovethe numbers jump around asanimal food Calories areadded. Some of them go upand some go down, but as longas the kids eat enough food,no one is in danger of beri-beri, B12 deficiency, pellagra,protein deficiency, or severalother classic nutritionaldeficiencies over which thedietitians agonize.

% of Caloriesfrom:CarbohydrateF a tProteinCholesterol (mg)Nutrient - Percent of(RecommendedDaily Allowance[RDA] per Calorie ):Calcium (Mg)Fiber (gm)Folate (ug)iron (mg)Magnesium (mg)Potassium (mg)Phosphorus (mg)Riboflavin (mg)Thiamin (mg)Vi tamin A (RE)Vi tamin 812 (ug)Vi tamin 66 (mg)Vitamin E (mg)Vitamin C (mg)Zinc (mg)

RDAVegan Vegan

(+ 1 cup (+ milk + 12% fat mi lk) slice lean beef)

6D%-80%1 O%-20%1 O%-20%

<300

5 3 5 0 3 42 6 2 7 4 42 2 2 3 2 2

0 18 9 6

BOO2 2

4 0 0

3 : :2 0 0 01 2 0 0

1 . 61 . 4

1 0 0 03

2 . 21 06 01 5

1 2 5 % 2 3 1 % 1 5 4 %3 6 8 % 3 1 3 % 2 0 5 %885% 7 6 0 % 5 0 5 %3 1 6 % 2 6 0 % 2 1 3 %2 9 9 % 2 7 5 % 1 9 0 %4 1 9 % 4 0 7 % 2 8 9 %2 7 5 % 3 2 0 % 2 5 8 %3 1 6 % 5 0 6 % 3 5 7 %4 8 2 % 5 9 1 % 3 9 8 %

1 0 0 4 % 8 6 1 % 5 6 6 %1 0 8 % 3 3 0 % 4 3 7 %3 0 5 % 3 6 9 % 2 6 5 %6 2 6 % 5 0 9 % 3 3 7 %

1 4 7 6 % 1 2 0 2 % 7 9 0 %1 0 9 % 1 1 5 % 1 4 5 %

Health Statistics, a division of theCenters for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC), shows thatapproximately one in five chil-dren in the United States be-tween the ages of 6 and 17 isoverweight (i.e., body mass index{BMI} exceeded the 95th percen-tile of BMI for those of theirsame age and sex). In the 30 yearssince NHANES I was begun thenumber of overweight children inthe U.S. has more than doubled.And, it seems, children are justkeeping up with their parents.The NHANES III study foundthat over one-third of adults areoverweight.“&

Quick and Easy Dinnerin Ten Minutes

by Alyssa Moreau

Sesame-TamariKale & Pasta Dish

However, something iscausing 20-30% of the nation’sschool children to be over-weight (2). Any guesses whatthat might be? (Hint: checkout how much a slice of “leanbeef” adds to the % of Calo-ries from fat.)

12 oz whole wheatspaghetti noodles

1 bunch kale, deribbedand chopped

2 T sesame oil, to taste2 T tamari, to taste2 T sesame seeds, toasted

References:

Cook whole wheat pasta in boilingwater for five minutes.Add chopped kale to cooking waterand continue to cook for 3 moreminutes.

I. N-Squared ComputingNutritionist IV, ~2.0. SalemOR, 1992

2. http://wwwmayohealth.org/mayo/97o+tm/overweig.htm

Vegetarian on OleloVSH presents “Vegetarian,”a weekly Public Access lVprogram. Channel 52 on

Thursdays at 7:oo - 8:oo p.m.

Drain pasta and kale mixture. Placein a bowl and add the tamari,sesame oiland toasted sesame seeds.

Serves 4

“The third National Healthand Nutrition ExaminationSurey (NHANES III), con-ducted from 1988 to 1994 bythe National Center for

Nutrition and YouJohn Westerdahl, M.P.H, R.D.,

C.N.S.and Terry Shintani, M.D.Sundays 7:oo - 9:oo p.m.

on I<108 (AM 1080).Call in to 524-1080.

* Variation: Saute Mrs. Chenq’s soycheese with some garlic and add tocooked pasta


Restaurant ReviewViet CafeBy Helen Wells

B eing picky about vegetarian food, I’m always onthe lookout for restau-

rants that will gladly modify adish to meet my vegetarianpreferences. I recently foundsuch an agreeable place at theViet Cafe in McCully ShoppingCenter. The restaurant is smalland done in a contemporarydecor of black, lavender, andneon-esque lighting. It caught myeye because every time I passedit, it was full of customers. Al-though it serves meat, it also hasan adequate vegetarian section onthe menu, including wonderfulfresh juices and smoothies.

On this my first visit there Idecided on summer rolls for$4.25, sauteed vegetables inseason for $8.95, fresh lemonadefor $2.00, and fresh young coco-nut juice for $3.00. Other veg-etarian items included spring rollsfor $7.95, salad for $7.95, curry for$7.95, fried rice for $7.95, softfried rice noodle for $8.95, andhot and sour soup for $8.95.

Fresh juice and bean drinkswere $2-$3.50. These delightedme most, and I can see myselffrequently stopping in for thesimple pleasure of one of thesewell-priced juices. The juice/shake selection included soursop,coconut, pineapple, papaya,avocado, strawberry, green azuki,mung bean with tapioca stripe,and combinations thereof. Mylemonade was served in a cold,tall fountain glass and was de-lightfully light and fruity Iquickly guzzled that and then

The island Vegetarian l July 2000

tried the fresh young coconutjuice. This took a bit longer inpreparation but was worth thewait. What I initially thoughtwas crushed ice at the bottom ofthe glass was actually smooth,delicious young coconut meat,the likes of which I used to enjoyon Guam and in the MarshallIslands. I drank this juice slowly,allowing it to warm up a bit sothat I could better taste itssweetness.

The spring rolls came arrangedattractively with a bowl of peanutsauce and a dollop of hot sauceon the side. Ingredients were ricenoodles, lettuce, and tofu. Theywere simple but very fresh, andthat’s just the way I like them.

What I appreciated about thesauteed vegetables was that theycould be made to order for mewith what I wanted in them.This is always a good test forrestaurants. If the restaurantcannot make something to order,the chances are pretty good thatthey have already cut and mixedthings up well in advance. Youhave no idea how long thoseingredients have been prepped -

since morning? yesterday? thebeginning of the week? Here Igot what I wanted - cabbage,broccoli, green bell pepper,carrots, and some tofu. It cameout hot and good.

The waiter was extraordinarilypatient with me. In fact, all of thewait staff was polite and profes-sional in spite of the full house. Iobserved another table where avegetarian couple was enjoyinghot and sour soup and vegetarianrice noodle dish, and I detectednothing but satisfaction.

The only negative of myexperience was that the smokingand the non-smoking “sections”are really only the two differentsides of the restaurant, divided bythree large plants. I had to moveover to the far right wall toescape the fumes when oneperson lit up.

In conclusion, I was impressedby the freshness of the ingredi-ents used and the great juicemenu. Perhaps if enough vegetar-ians try Viet Cafe, it will expandits vegetarian menu. Lets askthem for dishes we want and seeif they add them. Why not?&

Feasting on Fiveby Eileen M. Towata, Ph.D.

Y

1 ive A Day! The catchyslogan reminds us to eatat least five servings of

week - do you tend to eat theFvegetables and fruits each-dayfor better health. The averageAmerican falls short of thatgoal; one recent survey of over15,000 American adults foundless than 1/5 of those ques-tioned ate five or more serv-ings. Other surveys reachsimilar conclusions - we justaren’t including enough veg-etables and fruits in our dailydiets.

How are you doing? If you’reeating a vegetarian diet,chances are pretty good thatyou’re getting more vegetablesand fruits than the typicalAmerican. (Hopefully you’renot a peanut butter and jellysandwichifrench fries kind ofvegetarian!) One-fourth cup ofraisins on your morningoatmeal, 3/4 cup of grapefruitjuice - you’ve had two servingsalready; That large salad of twocups of dark greens you had atlunch gives you another twoservings and the banana youhad before your late afternoonrun gives you yet another. Addin more for the vegetable-ladendinner you’ll have. If you’redoing well on the servings perday, getting at least five andtrying for more like nine, is ittime to consider deQ?Health experts recommendthat we eat a diversity of veg-etables and fruits. Think aboutwhat you eat over a typical

same few foods? Are your fruitchoices limited to oranges andbananas? Is romaine lettuceyour only leafy green? Weshould strive to eat vegetablesand fruits of many colors, avirtual rainbow of nature’s best.Some experts recommendeating foods from each of thesecategories: citrus fruits, darkleafy green vegetables, darkyellow/orange/red vegetables,and cruciferous (cabbage fam-ily) vegetables. Even withinthese groupings we have manychoices. Broccoli, for example,is probably the best knowncruciferous vegetable, but itsrelatives like Brussels sprouts,kale, cauliflower, and othersdeserve a place on our plates,too.

To learn more about veg-etables and fruits, log on tosites like wwwdole5adaycomfor nutrition facts, games forkids, educational materials andmore. For information aboutevents and other items of localinterest, visit Hawaii’s Five ADay Coalition site atwwworgsites.comihi/hawaiiSaday/.

On your next trip to thegrocery store, health foodsstore, open market, or whereveryou shop, why not try some-thing new? You

Take the Five A Day Funquiz by choosing the correctfruit or vegetable foreach clue.

7 Looking somewhat like alarge green pinecone, this fruithas juicy custard-like pulpinside. You may know it byanother name - custard apple.

7 The “spiny” red skin hidesdelicious, sweet white fruit.

7 It’s hard to imagine thatdesserts can be made from thisstrong-smelling fruit! The tasteis reputed to be good - if youcan get past the smell!

7 Peel off the dark brown skinand cook well to soften. Piecesof this carrot-like root veg-etable are often included inJapanese dishes.

C Peel off the thin paperybrown skin and enjoy the crispy,mild, slightly sweet insideseither raw or cooked. It’s aningredient most often associ-ated with Mexican cuisine.

7 Thin, papery brown huskscradle a small green fruit. It’soften cooked with other ingre-dients to make salsa Verde orother green sauces.

I. CHOP SUEYYAM (JICAMA)

2. CHERIMOYA3. DURIAN4. TOMATILLO5. BURDOCK (GOBO)6. RAMBUTA

(+!I:S!f:$$Z :WE SKIMSmJ)


can often gethelpful sugges-tions on prepara-tion simply byasking.&

Al ways Ask,“What’s Vegetarian?”

by Helen Wells

A couple of my friendsand I on Guam alwaysmade a point of asking

“What’s vegetarian?” whereverwe went - to restaurants, topicnics, to wedding celebra-tions, to pot luck dinners.Since I’ve moved to Hawaii,much more vegetarian food isavailable (and I’ve gained theweight to prove it), but I stillmake a habit of asking, “What’svegetarian?”

The more we ask for veg-etarian foods, the more thefood industry will hear us. Inother words, we vegetarianshave money and we want to buyvegetarian, so sell us what wewant. It’s unfortunate that intoday’s economic climate manypeople’s ideals are not shapedby introspection but by what-ever drives the economy Wecan still hand out “Why Ve-gan?” pamphlets on campusesto reach the impressionable,educated, and/or philosophical,but we must also, more andmore, work through the eco-nomic structure. We must worksubtly as well as overtly, and wemust work tirelessly:

“What? Nothing vegetarianon your menu? Nothing at all?”

“Can you make this withoutchicken?”

“Would you please add a tofudish to your menu?”

One thing that pleases megreatly is that we vegetariansare not ridiculed to the degreethat we once were. In fact, I


can’t recall the last time anyoneoffered up a tiresome “rabbitfood” joke. In addition, vegetar-ian items are showing up onmenus and finding their way tomajor grocery store chains. Iam delighted by this progress,but we still have far to go.

We have to attack on twofronts. Certainly one approachis to support the animal rightsactivists and those vegan andvegetarian organizations thatconsistently lead the fight byeducating the world about thedangers and evils of meat-eating. Spread the philosophyBut simultaneously the otherapproach that should be madeis that of popularizing vegetari-anism by verbalizing, everychance we get, our preferencefor vegetarian products.

“What do you have that isvegetarian?”

“Do you have a vegetariansection?”

“Is there meat (or chickenstock or fish sauce) in thissauce?”

We must ask in front ofstrangers, our teenagers, ourparents, our bosses, our clients,our students, our neighbors. Inthis way also the vegetarianphilosophy is spread. Day today we have to ask, “What’svegetarian?” even if we alreadyknow the menu inside and out.

Once I was handing out“Why Vegan?” flyers at theUniversity of Guam. I wassurprised by how many peoplewanted to learn more abouthow to be a vegetarian. In fact,some people told me that theywould like to change the aspectof the Chamorro culture that

emphasized meat-eating be-cause they saw so manyChamorros with medical condi-tions that were attributable tothis habit.

If vegetarianism has a toe-hold on Guam, a place thatmany residents call “The Spar-nCapital of the World,” canthere be any doubt that themovement now has a bit ofmomentum? We must realizethat this momentum is here.We must not waste any time,but must make all efforts, bigand small, to encourage theexpansion of vegetarianism.

“What, you don’thave tabbouleh?“A

President’s Messagecontinued from page 3

volunteers will be working onmaking this adjustment, whichwe expect to go smoothlyThanks for your patience if werun into any unexpectedhitches or glitches in the pro-cess.

In the next few weeks veg-etarian members will be receiv-ing in the mail a ballot for theupcoming board of directorselection and a brief survey inwhich we’ll be asking for yourinput regarding the quality ofour newsletter and for anysuggestions you may have forcontent. Please return yourcompletedballotandsur-vey. We want to be sure thatour actions reflect the wishes ofthe majority of our members.Mahalo for your input and havea happy and healthy summer!~

S ample various ethniccuisines and even re-gional U.S. fare, and

you’re likely to see that leafygreens have found their wayinto many dishes! A peek at themenu in a Chinese restaurant,for example, will often showchoi sum as a featured veg-etable. At New Year’s we see anabundance of feathery anddelicate mizuna in the grocerystores, often used in the Japa-nese soup called md tradi-tionally eaten on January I forgood luck. When eating a greenpapaya salad in your favoriteThai restaurant (hold the fishsauce, please), take a bit of thecrisp lettuce and shreddedcabbage usually served alongwith the shreds of green pa-paya. Won bok kim thee?What a great accompaniment,especially if it’s hot and spicy, tosome brown rice! Growing upin the eastern US. I especiallyrecall the importance of cab-bage in the dishes prepared bypeoples of eastern Europeanroots who had settled in thearea. My grandmother madethese humble leaves into adelicious, peppery filling for ahomemade flattened bread.“Wilted” salads of lettuces andspinach were often populardinner fare. I don’t recall mak-ing use of the overly abundantdandelion greens in the area,

supposedly tender and a favor-ite for wilted salads. We workedhard to rid our yards of themwhen perhaps we should havebeen cultivating them fordinner instead! Although Ispent a good many years on themainland, it wasn’t until movingto Hawai’i that I tasted collardsand beet greens. Often associ-ated with the southern U.S.,greens such as these are nowfinding their ways into marketsall over the country Othergreens like Swiss chard and kaleare also common in markets.It’s easier than ever to get moregreens into our diets!

Most of the above-men-tioned greens are used com-monly as “cooking” greens.There are also many leafygreens that are more ofteneaten raw They can be enjoyedin combination with othergarden favorites to make saladsor tucked into whole grainbreads, for example, to makesandwiches. Try romaine,peppery arugula (a favorite inItalian markets), slightly bitterendive, escarole, pungentwatercress or a mix of these.Those who like to juice will nodoubt have their favoriteconcoctions that include somegreens as well.

If you’re inclined to try yourhand at gardening, greens canbe a rewarding and useful

“crop.” Several years ago wewere fortunate to get cuttingsof two different varieties ofedible Hibiscus. We found theplants to be “low-maintenance”with a good number of healthyleaves always ready to bepicked. Like spinach, the leavescook down quickly and aregreat additions to soups andstews such as the recipe belowCheck with your garden centerspecialist to be sure you get theright varieties for consumption,not ornamentals. Collardgreens also proved to be fairlylow-maintenance. Aside fromthe occasional feeding-frenzyfestivals hosted by our residentslugs, we usually have a decentamount of leaf matter to har-vest. These tougher greens takea bit more cooking time. On aninteresting aside, collards aresimilar to the primitivenonheading cabbages domesti-cated in Europe long ago. Theydo well in hot weather, a condi-tion that we experience inHawaii year ‘round. A relativeof watercress is another con-stant in our garden. It growswell in soil and requires littleattention beyond that offeredby our automatic sprinklersystem, yet yields plenty ofpeppery leaves. These arewonderful in salads and excel-lent when wilted and sprinkledwith sesame seeds and a little


shoyu. Pak wan, whose newyoung branch tips and leavesare most often consumed(either raw or cooked), is an-other resident of our garden.This plant, native to areas fromIndia to Malaysia, has receivedattention recently as a nutri-tional powerhouse. A mere halfcup provides the followingpercentages of daily require-ments: 22% of Vitamin A; 15%

of iron; 10% protein; 5% cal-cium; 138% Vitamin C (Hawai’iHorticulture, Feb. 2000, Vol. 3,Number 2). Although wehaven’t yet used this plantextensively, I plan to work withit more now that I’ve seen thenutritional breakdown! We planto add vine spinach to ourgreens selection soon, as agardening friend also on theWindward side describes it aseasy to grow with tasty leaves.Much of our gardening hasbeen done by trial and error -and hasn’t included many local/ethnic vegetables. Recently wecame across a great little publi-cation called Iikwai’t’Horti-c&ure, which features grow-ing hints for ornamentals aswell as edible plants. Informa-tion about plant origins as wellas uses and recipes are in-cluded. Check out the websiteat wwwhawaiihorticulture.comfor ordering information as wellas all kinds of good info.&

plate LunchandPotluck Favorites ClassSat, July 8 8:30 -11:30 a.m.Windward School for AdultsTo register call 254-7955

The island Vegetarian l July 2000

Greens and Lentil Stew

4 cups vegetable stock (or 11.5 ounces tomato/vegetable juicediluted to 4 cups with water)

1 cup red lentils, rinsed/sorted2 cloves garlic, minced1 medium onion, diced1 tablespoon curry powder1 small dried chili pepper, chopped3 to 4 cups coarsely chopped dark leafy greens (collards, chard,

kale, etc.)1 l/2 cups okra (1” length pieces)2 tablespoons lemon juice1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes

salt, to taste

B ring stock and lentils to a boil in a large pot, reduce heat andsimmer (lightly covered) about 15 minutes. Stir frequently to

prevent sticking. Yield = 4 1/2 cups.In the meantime, put several tablespoons of water in a non-stick

skillet and heat it. Add garlic and onion and cook until onion beginsto soften. Add curry powder and chili pepper, stirring constantly forabout I minute. Remove from heat and add the mixture to the len-tils.

Stir in the chopped greens and okra after the 15 minutes. Simmeran additional 15 minutes, until greens and okra have reached desiredtenderness. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice, nutritional yeastflakes, and season with salt to taste.

Notes: Use red lentils, not brown. They can be found in healthfoods stores; you can also find nutritional yeast flakes there. Forthose who like a spicier dish, add a little more curry powder and a bitmore chili pepper. For handling chili peppers, use gloves; avoidrubbing eyes, nose, etc. after handling chili peppers and wash handswell. (Reprinted by permission: From the Produce Isle - The Cuisineof Greens, Fruits, Grains and Beans from an Island Kitchen. Copy-right 1999. Eileen M. Towata. Available through VSH.)

Vegetarian Cooking Classes by Eileen TowataKapi’olani Women’s Center

To register call 535-7000

TheVk~Pantry I’m Giving Up Meat...Sat., June 3 9:30 - II a.m. NowWhat Do I Eat?

Sat., Aug 5 I - 2:30 p.m. Saturdays, June 10,17, & 249:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Crea* Cuisine: Palate-PleasingPlant-Based DishesSaturdays, Aug 12,19, & 26 from 12 - 2 p.m.

Page II

Man’s Best Friendcontinued from page 3

and I am frequently appalled bycallers’ attitudes toward theirown and others’ animals. Oftenthe calls are from someone whois moving and has decided thatit will be inconvenient to takethe family pet along. They’vedecided that their animal willsomehow be better off startingwith a new family than beingmoved, and the pet is supposedto understand that the aban-donment is for his own good. Ifhe’s lucky enough to get a homeinstead of being killed alongwith all the other unwantedpets, it may become a lifelonghome, or just another tempo-rary stop until the next familyfinds him inconvenient or tooexpensive. On a variety ofoccasions I’ve been at theHawaiian Humane Societywithin hearing distance ofowners who are leaving theirpets behind. Once I heard ateenage boy say that no one inthe family had time to walk thedejected looking, older terrierwhose leash he handed over tothe intake worker. A womanactually turned in a pet becauseshe had reupholstered, and thepet’s hair showed too much onthe new furniture. In many ofour neighborhoods, “pet” dogs

Vegetarian Society of HawaiiPost Office Box 23208

Honolulu, Hawaii

96823-3208, USA

are kept on 5-6 foot chains fortheir entire lives and notwalked or played with. Pet catsare routinely “set free” and theresulting overpopulation ofwild, starving, sick cats isdaunting. The State Depart-ment of Health showed its lackof concern for these poorcreatures recently by proposingan administrative rule makingit illegal for people to feed wildanimals, even the colonies ofcats that have been neuteredand are being cared for byheroic souls.

Of course, everything isrelative. Even these animals’lives compare favorably withthose of the millions of animalsthat are killed in this countryeach year for food, and themillions more, many of themdomesticated animals, who dieexcruciating deaths alone inresearch labs, often in filthyconditions on a cement floor.

What can be done to levelthe playing field? Becominginvolved in the legal battles aswell as on a personal level is ofgreat importance. On a per-sonal level, speak up wheneveryou see someone mistreating ananimal, either through crueltyor neglect. Avoid buying prod-ucts that are made from animalparts, like leather, or are tested

William Harris M.D.1765 Ala Moana #1880Honolulu HI 96815

on animals, such as Proctor andGamble products. AnimalRights Hawaii will have a tableat the Pet Expo to educate thepublic on these issues andothers and would welcome thehelp of anyone who shares ourphilosophy that all animals havea right to live their life withoutbeing hurt or killed for humanconvenience. We’ll also be atthe 50th State Fair, openingMay 26, protesting performinganimal shows. This year the fairis featuring nine brown bearswearing muzzles and four sealions (two of whom were wildand captured in Chile). In Julywe’ll be at the Hawaii Farm Fairprotesting the fact that 4Hteach children to nurture ananimal on a very personal, oneto one level and then selling itfor slaughter to the highestbidder.

If you can join us at any ofthese events, please call 941-9476 or write to [email protected] can also write to us if youwould like to receive news onother upcoming events andlegislative hearings&

ANIMAL RIGHTS HAWAIIPO BOX 10845HONOLULU, HI 96816

Vegetarian Society of HawaiiCalendarofEvents

June - Sept 2000

Membership Meeting and Video PresentationA Diet for All Reasons

June 14

C ome together for our Annual Membership Meeting.Officers wilI summarize activities during the past

year and report on major changes and decisions thathave been made. Input from the membership is invitedand welcome. In Part II of this evening, the excellentvideo A Diet for AD Reasons by Michael Klaper, M.D. wiDbe shown. In this fast-paced, well illustrated presentationDr. Klaper concisely presents all of the reasons for avegan lifestyle. Dr. Klaper is the Director of the Institutefor Nutrition Education and Research, a non-profitorganization that provides seminars for physicians andother health professionals on the utilization of nutritionin therapy and in the prevention of disease. Be maintainsa private practice, lectures widely, and is actively in-volved in research on vegans. You know him also from hisfrequent articles in our Quarterly Newsletters.

Neal PinckneyHeart Disease-Is There a Magic Bullet?

August 9

M ore than 725 people have graduated from Dr. NealPmckney’s ten-week Healing Heart Support Groups

at Kaiser, HMSA, Tripler, and Castle Hospitals. By theirown statements, 49 of these have avoided heart bypasssurgery. Dr. Pinckney has his Ph.D. in psychology, taughtfor many years in the California State University system,and was in private practice for 30 years. His very success-ful book, The Healthy Heart Handbook, is his story, theresult of his personal encounter with heart disease. Healso devotes thne daily to a healthy-heart discussiongroup that he maintains on the internet. Tonight he willdiscuss the pros and cons of many of the current diets,such as the Ornish, McDougall, Shintani, Atkins, Pritikin,The Zone, and dozens of others (new books are publishedevery week), in the prevention of heart disease.

Alyssa MoreauDips and Spreads

July 12

I t’s fun and easy to dip! Alyssa Moreau and SharonDuBois, her partner this evening and in Devine Cre-

ations, their new vegetarian catering company, will showus how many dips and how many dippers there can be,opening up this area of easy summer “dining.” Withbreads and crackers dips may be used as spreads. Dipsand spreads can be healthy and low fat, and they can begood sources of fiber and the B vitamins. Adding a fewnuts or pumpkin seeds can “boost” them to anothersatisfying level. Dips and dippers such as raw veggies orhomemade flax seed crackers are a good way to combatfalling blood-sugar levels in the mid-afternoon. Come letAlyssa and Sharon spread your dipping imagination. Ofcourse, this demonstration wiD end with a tasting session.

Arthur BrownsteinThe Therapeutic Value of a Vegetarian Diet

September 13

P hysician and author Arthur Brownstein from thePrinceviIle Medical Clinic on Kauai delivered a close

and personal message to us in August, 1998. Since then,his book Healing Back Pain Naturally has been published,and he is working on his second book, which discusses thebody’s healing system, and achieving a state of vibranthealth. In his practice he sooner or later points out thebenefits of a plant-based diet to nearly all of his patients.Dr. Brownstein is an Assistant Clinical Professor at theJohn Burns School of Medicine at U.H. He is board certifiedin preventive medicine, and his experience includes workwith Dean Or&h, M.D. Trained in yoga in India, he usesthat as well as diet in the treatment of disease. With hiswife Nutan, a 19th generation vegetarian since birth, theyare raising their son in the same style.

Monthly public lectures are held at the Ala Wai Golf Course recreation facility, second floor, 404 Kapahulu Avenue, 0.2 miles behind the Waikiki-Kapahulu Library, beginning at 7:oo P.M. All lectures are free and open to the public. Call 808~q44-VEGI or visit http:l/vsh.org for more information.

Boolts VSHBookstore

The (Almost) No Fat Cookbook (Bryanna Clark Grogan) .............................. $10.95The (Almost) No Fat Holiday Cookbook (Bryanna Clark Grogan) ................ $12.95Animal Connection (Agatha/Calvin Thrash, M.D.) ........................................ $6.95Cook Healthy Fast (Dick Allgire) .................................................................... $15.95Cooking with Natural Foods (Muriel Belts) ................................................... $14.95Diet for a New America book (John Robbins) ............................................... $14.95Eco-Cuisine (Ron Pi&w&i) ........................................................................... $16.95Fabulous Beans (Barb Bloomfield) .................................................................. $9.95Fat-Free & Easy (Jennifer Raymond). ............................................................ $10.00From The Produce Isle (Eileen Towata) ......................................................... $11.99Garden Cuisine (Paul Wenner) SALE ............................................................ $10.00Healthy Heart Handbook (Neal Pinckney, Ph.D.) ......................................... $11.95Luscious Low-Fat Desserts (Oser, Marie) ...................................................... $11.95McDougall Health-Supporting CookbookVol. II (Mary McDougall) ............ $9.95MegaHealth (Marc Sorenson, Ed.D.) ............................................................. $14.95Most Noble Diet (George Eiiman, R.D.) ......................................................... $9.95Newstart Lifestyle Cookbook (Christenson & De Vries) ................................ $19.99Nonna’s Italian Kitchen (Grogan, Bryanna Clark) ......................................... $14.95Peaceful Palate (Jennifer Raymond) .............................................................. $15.00Pregnancy, Children, and the Vegan Diet (Michael KIaper, M.D.). ................ $9.95Race for Life book (Ruth Heidrich, Ph.D.) ..................................................... $14.95Scientific Basis of Vegetarianism (William Harris, M.D.) ............................. $15.95Simply Good Recipes and More from C.C.C.T. (C.C.C.T.) .............................. $7.95Table for Two (Joanne Stepaniak) .................................................................. $12.95Uncheese Cookbook (Joanne Stepaniak) ....................................................... $11.95Vegan Nutrition: Pure and Simple (Michael Elaper, M.D.). ........................... $9.95Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition, Basic Course (George Eisman, R.D.) ........ $21.95Vegetarian Secrets Atsuko Kitchen, HB (Atsuko Tsubota) ........................... $29.95Why Do Vegetarians Eat Like That? (David A. Gabbe). ................................. $11.95

MistI Speak Vegetarian T-Shirt (Specify S M L XL) ....................................... $15.62VSHT-Shirt (Specify S M L X L Women’s One Size). ........................... $15.62Diet for All Reasons video (Michael Elaper, M.D.) ....................................... $22.00Vegetarian Chef video (Elaine French) .......................................................... $19.95Four Food Groups poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$6.00

To order items from the bookstore, on aseperate sheet of paper enter your name andaddress and list the items you would like to

purchase. Add 20% to the totalfor shipping. Please make checkpayable to Vegetarian Society of

Send order/application to:Vegetarian Society of HawaiiPO Box 23208Honolulu, Hawaii 96823

Veqetarian Society of Hawaii Membership Application- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1Please Print: Yes, please enroll me as a member. 1

I, Name(s)My dues are enclosed. I

I

/ ,Street AddressIIIIIIIIIIII

Please check one:0 $20 regular (1 year)0 $12 full-time student (1 year)0 $30 couple or family (1 year)0 $400 life membership

City, State, Zip

Home Phone ( 1(add $4 if for a foreign address)

Work Phone (

Fax t 1

Email

#

1

D Ex

$- additional donation

Please check one:0 Vegan (no animal products at all)0 Vegetarian (no flesh, fish, or fowl)0 Associate (not yet a vegetarian)

L --------------------___---------A

Vegetarian Society of Hawaii Membership Survey -- June 2000(for all VSH members, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian)

Aloha, VSH members. We are requesting input from you with regard to the value you receive from the VSHnewsletter. Because this activity is labor intensive and is one of the largest cost items in our annual budget (eachissue costing our organization over $800 to print and mail, which amounts to approximately 21% of our totalquarterly expenses), we want to assure that it is meeting a genuine need. Please assist us in serving ourmembership in the best way we can by completing and returning the following survey.

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3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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11.12.

13.

14.

Do you read the VSH newsletter? [ IYes [ I No

How valuable to you overall is the information in the newsletter?1 2 3 4 5 6Not at All Somewhat

Do you consider the newsletter a major benefit of VSH membership?

7 8 9 10Extremely

[ 1 Yes [ I No

How valuable to you are the following regular features?

a. Ask Dr. Klaper 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0b. Calendar of Events 1 2 3 4 5 6 i 8 9 1 0b. President’s Message 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10c. Recipes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0d. Restaurant Reviews 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 IOe. Science Comer 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0

Which of the following topics would you like to see more on in the newsletter:

a. animal rights 1 1 c. gardening [ ] e. recipes 1 1b. environment [ ] d. legislation [ ] f. other

What would you like to see less of?

Do you prefer a standardized format for the newsletter, or would you prefer a more “whatever-is-current” format?

Any other suggestions for improving the newsletter?

Do you regularly access the VSH website? 1 1 Yes [ 1 No

If the hard copy newsletter were discontinued, would you access the website more often?[ 1 Yes [ 1 No

Do you recommend that VSH continue to publish this newsletter in hard copy? [ ] Yes E 1 Nowebsite only? [ ] Yes t 1 No

If the newsletter were discontinued, what would you suggest replace it?

Any additional comments?

(Please fold this survey in half, tape or staple, affix postage to the addressed portion, and mail to VSH.)

Mahalo!

the island vegetariansalty do not “pickle” your throat membranes with too concentrated a salt...

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