7 minutes of food philosopher Sherry Strong at tokyo



This was a great "naked talk" at TEDxTokyo. This is just half of it (in full it's about 14-min). The sound and video are weak since I was using a Flip, so crank up the volume. Sorry about laughing into the camera one time -- and you can hear my buddy Barry Eisler (http://www.barryeisler.com/ ) laugh and comment too as he was sitting next to me. Barry, by the way, also gave a fantastic, inspiring talk just like the pro that he is. He's a great writer, of course, but he's a great speaker too.

Checkout Sherry's website: http://www.sherrystrong.com/  She is an amazing person.

In future perhaps a few of these TEDxTokyo talks will be online in HD. There was a great pro camera crew with several cameras so I look forward to seeing the videos. There were several talks that were as good as any TED talk I have seen. Really good stuff.

As far as the first TEDxTokyo goes, I'd give it an A+. It was not perfect, of course, if you judge critically. However, if you factor in the high degree of difficulty of doing all of this for the first time and with volunteers and sponsors, etc. then I have to give it a '10.' I was blown away. I was worried on the day before since there were lots of technical issues to iron out, but they did it! Patrick, Todd, Jason, et al should stand up and take a bow -- this TEDxTokyo absolutely blew me away. Next year it will be even better. Can't wait.

The Healthiest Foods on Earth


PineappleSpeeds post-surgeryPromotes joint healthReduces asthma inflammation

BlueberriesRestore antioxidant levelsReverse age-related brain declinePrevent urinary tract infection

SpinachHelps maintain mental sharpnessReduces the risk of cancers of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostateTop nutrient density

Red Bell PepperReduces risk of lung, prostate, ovarian and cervical cancerProtects against sunburnPromotes heart health

BroccoliReduces diabetic damageLowers risk of prostate, bladder, colon, pancreatic, gastric and breast cancerProtects the brain in event of injury

TomatoReduces inflammationLowers risk of developing esophageal, stomach, colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancerReduces cardiovascular disease risk

AppleSupports immunityFights lung and prostate cancerLowers Alzheimer’s risk

ArtichokeHelps blood clottingAntioxidant SuperfoodLowers “bad” cholesterol

ArugulaLowers birth defect riskReduces fracture riskProtects eye health

AsparagusNourishes good gut bacteriaProtects against birth defectsPromotes heart health

Avocado

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The Hive, a UTMT endeavor promotes community-based beekeeping. Its main objective is to support, train and partner with beekeepers across the country in the production and marketing of high quality single flora gourmet honey that is available seasonally across India.

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• Organic Certified USDA NOP, EEC 2092/91 and NPOP cereals; pulses; cotton, tea, vegetable & plant based oils; various essential oils; herbs, spices; other botanicals such as aloe vera, soap nuts; honey and beeswax.
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Call us at 9833154478 for free home delivery in Mumbai and VPP courier service acros the country.

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'Drinking too much cola can cause fatal heart problems'

Cola (pic: Rex)
Drinking too much cola can cause fatal heart problems, experts have warned.

The sugary drink has already been linked with obesity, tooth decay, diabetes and softening of the bones. Now doctors believe it can lead to hypokalaemia, where potassium levels in the blood fall too low.

It can cause an irregular heartbeat, associated with heart attacks, and muscles can become paralysed.

In one case, a 21-year-old who drank three litres of cola a day suffered a heart blockage. She fully recovered when she stopped drinking it and took a potassium supplement.

Researchers believe the drink’s high sugar and caffeine levels make the body excrete too much potassium. Dr Moses Elisaf, of the University of Ioannina in Greece, said: “Excessive consumption can lead to a range of health problems, including irregular heartbeat and paralysis.

“Most people recover when they stop drinking cola and start taking a potassium supplement.”

The Soft Drinks Association said: “These are extreme cases. Cola can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.”

Candy Bar From Mars Aims For Women From Venus

 
The Fling. Image courtesy of Taylor Global, Inc.
The "Fling" is the first new chocolate bar Mars has introduced in more than 20 years. Courtesy of Taylor Global Inc.
 
The Fling. Image courtesy of Taylor Global, Inc.
The word "finger" is an industry term for a long, slim confection, Mars spokesman Ryan Bowling says. Courtesy of Taylor Global Inc.
 
Promotional postcard for the Fling. Image courtesy of Taylor Global, Inc.
A promotional postcard for the Fling. Courtesy of Taylor Global Inc.
 
The Snickers bar has a new sibling, and it's a girl.

She's sexual, uninhibited — and only 85 calories. The "Fling" is the first new chocolate bar Mars has introduced in more than 20 years.

Wrapped in a shiny pink and sliver package, this delicate "chocolate finger" is intended for women. The word "finger" is an industry term for a long, slim confection, Mars spokesman Ryan Bowling says, but with ads that invite you to "Pleasure yourself" in pink lettering, consumers might come to other conclusions.

The tag line on the package is "Naughty, but not that naughty." A TV spot starts with what looks like strangers having sex in a store dressing room. Currently the candy bar can be bought only California and online, but if all goes well, Mars is hoping women will be having Flings all across the country. But is this hyper-feminine, hyper-sexualized marketing coming on too strong?

"The overall campaign feels weird," Lisa Johnson says. "It feels creepy." Johnson is the co-author of Don't Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy — and How to Increase Your Share of This Crucial Market. She describes the marketing as a "full-frontal attack."

"The language of it has so much sexual innuendo, you could pack it into a trashy novel." Johnson says marketers are taking the connection women often make between chocolate and sensuality too literally. "There are other things you can do that can hit this note without banging on it."

Bowling says the campaign has been received well so far. Whether the Fling will keep calling itself a "finger," however, remains to be seen.

100 Useful Websites for Vegetarians and Vegans

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Whether you’re a hard core vegan or someone who’s interested in making the transition from meat eater to vegetarian, the Internet is full of resources and guides for your reference. From nutrition information to yummy vegetarian recipes to hot spots just for kid vegans, check out our list of 100 useful websites for vegetarians and vegans.
Nutrition and Reference
Learn how you can satisfy your nutrient needs without eating meat or even dairy by reading these reference guides.
  1. USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory: Look up nutrient information for different vegetables here.
  2. NutritionData Vegetables: On this site, you can look up nutrition data, including calories and vitamins, in all types of vegetables and veggie meals.
  3. MyPyramid.gov: Learn all about the food pyramid and find out how many servings of fruits and vegetables you should be eating every day.
  4. The Vegetarian Society Basic Nutrition Information Sheet: Here you’ll learn ways to get your protein without eating meat and how being a vegetarian is healthy.
  5. MedlinePlus Vegetarian Diet: This resource from MedlinePlus organizes articles and fact sheets about vegetarian nutrition, conditions, issues, and more.
  6. Soy: Health Claims for Soy Protein, Questions About Other Components: Find out if soy is really a substantial alternative in this article from the FDA Consumer.
  7. What’s In Food: Get information about antioxidants, food additives, food composition, vitamins, and more.
  8. Nutrition During Pregnancy for Vegetarians: Pregnant vegetarians and their friends and family can find resources for staying healthy and balanced here.
  9. Vegetarian diet: How to get the best nutrition: Learn how to plan out your diet so that you get the right amount of nutrients. This guide also explains every niche of vegetarian and vegan.
  10. Vegetarian Network Victoria: This Australian resource dispenses information about nutrient needs, vitamins and minerals, shopping tips, how to avoid animal products, and more.
Blogs
Get a real-life perspective on vegetarianism and veganism from other conscious eaters who love to swap recipes, share news stories, and more.
  1. The Vegan Experiment: Since July 2008, this meat lover has been experimenting with veganism. See how he’s doing.
  2. BeanDiet: BeanDiet is a blog by a nutritionist who wants to educate Americans on the importance of eating right.
  3. Shoes With Souls: This vegan fashion and shoe blog posts about eco-friendly style choices.
  4. Savvy Vegetarian: This vegetarian lifestyle blog has channels for recipes and cooking, advice, and more.
  5. It’s easy being vegan!: This blogger covers everything vegan from animal cruelty to yoga to finding meat alternatives.
  6. Almost Vegan: Find exotic vegan recipes and other conscious meal ideas here.
  7. FatFree Vegan Kitchen: This blog is packed full of "sinlessly delicious" recipes for health-conscious vegans.
  8. The Veggie Blog: On The Veggie Blog, a blog from Happy Cow, you can read about organic gardening, nutrition, animal rights, and more.
  9. SoulVeggie: Here you’ll learn about the news stories and special events relevant to vegetarians and vegans.
  10. Groovy Vegetarian: Another vegetarian lifestyle blog, Groovy Vegetarian mixes compassion and "eco-friendly fun."
Food Data
These charts and calculators will help you discover the real content of foods
  1. The World’s Healthiest Foods: Get nutrition data for all kinds of foods, especially fruits and veggies.
  2. International Food Information Council Foundation: The IFIC Foundation lists food information, food safety updates, ingredients, dietary guidance, and more.
  3. FDA: Look up recalls and food safety information here.
  4. CalorieKing: The next time your friends give you a hard time for being a vegetarian or vegan, show them the stats on their favorite fast food meal here.
  5. The Nutrition Source: Vegetables and Fruits: The Harvard School of Public Health explains which fruits and vegetables are the most nutritious.
  6. The 11 Healthiest Autumn Fruits and Vegetables: Find out why avocados, kiwi, green beans and eggplant are some of the healthiest options around.
  7. Fruit Nutrition Database: Get all kinds of information on storing, selecting and preparing fruits here.
  8. Nutrition Information for Raw Fruits, Vegetables and Fish: These poster charts display nutrition facts, including calories, fat, sugars, and vitamin information for commonly consumed fruits and vegetables.
  9. Nut and Seed Products: NutritionData provides information for all kinds of nuts and seeds, including almonds, raw acorns, cashew butter, coconut milk, and more.
  10. What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?: Use this resource to discover which fruits and vegetables are in season at different times during the year.
Organic and Environmental Issues
Not all organic enthusiasts are vegans and vegetarians, but they do share an appreciation for eco-conscious, compassionate, and healthy living. Find resources for cooking, growing food and more in this list.
  1. Environmental Infomration: The Vegetarian Resource Group has lots of articles and links about the ethical treatment of animals, energy and global warming, low-carbon food alternatives, and more.
  2. Organic Authority: Get organic food recipes and tips for living an organic, eco-conscious lifestyle.
  3. Health Benefits of Organic Food and Environment: This guide outlines the benefits of living and organic lifestyle.
  4. Organic Trade Association Environmental Facts: This resource provides information and statistics about how organic lifestyles preserve the environment.
  5. 49 Reasons Why I am a Vegetarian: This simple site outlines different ways that being a vegetarian helps the environment and your own personal health.
  6. Environmental vegetarianism: Let Wikipedia help you understand this form of vegetarianism, which holds that cultivating animal products results in pollution.
  7. Meat and the Environment: This page also explains why the meat industry has been called "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems."
  8. Vegan Action: Find information about going vegan, as well as all the environmental benefits that a vegan lifestyle produces.
  9. Environmental Destruction: Vegan Outreach’s resource on the environment explains how climate change, water sanitation and other issues are impacted by the meat industry.
  10. Organic Consumers Association: Visit this site to learn about organic and environmental news, advocacy campaigns, and more.
Growing and Gardening
Learn how to grow your own vegetables and fruits here, helping you save on grocery bills and eliminate toxins.
  1. BackyardGardener.com: This site has a blog, forums and plenty of references and guides for learning about seeds, products, vegetables and more.
  2. Vegetable Gardening Guru: Here you can learn about preparing and building the soil, dealing with insects, identifying plant diseases, and harvesting.
  3. Vegetable Gardening in Containers: Texas A&M University has put together this guide for deciding which vegetables to grow in a container, how to transplant vegetables, how to fertilize them, and more.
  4. Vegetable Gardens Can Save Big Money: Besides being healthy, vegetable gardens can save you money at the grocery store, this article reports.
  5. The Cheap Vegetable Gardener: This blog is full of unique tips and photos for vegetable and fruit gardeners.
  6. Growing Tips for Garden Vegetables: This chart explains when to plant which vegetables and how to space them.
  7. Home Orchard Society: Get tips on growing fruit from this website.
  8. Gardening: Fruits and Vegetables: The DIY Network has lots of resources for planting apple trees, tomatoes, early spring veggies, organic produce, and more.
  9. Growing Killer Tomatoes: Learn about the history of tomatoes, how to care for them, and how to harvest them.
  10. Vegetable Garden Layout: This page explains how to prepare soil, choose a location, organize your garden, and decide what and how much to plant.
Communities and Forums
Join up with other vegans and vegetarians to swap recipes, share news stories, and more.
  1. Wellsphere Vegetarian Community: Read blogs, meet other vegetarians, and learn about healthy living here.
  2. VegPeople: This forum includes threads for animal rights, teen vegetarians, and more.
  3. Vegan Represent: Vegan Represent is a vegan forum for everything from health to eating to responsible shopping.
  4. VeggieFishing.com: This online dating site is just for vegans and vegetarians.
  5. Vegiac: Gluen-free vegetarians network and chat on this site.
  6. ASPCA Vegetarians of the world: This group on the ASPCA community posts photos and events for animal-loving vegans.
  7. Veggie Boards: These boards are described as "the largest and most active vegetarian forum online."
  8. Veg Haven: Join groups, watch videos, post photos and more to find out what causes other vegetarians and vegans are taking up.
  9. VegSpace.com: This vegetarian community features recipes, groups, blogs and more.
  10. Peta2: Young animal activists, vegans and vegetarians connect on this site to share newsworthy items, recipes and more.
Recipes
Here you’ll find loads of yummy vegetarian and vegan recipes for every meal of the day.
  1. VegCooking: This site has a blog, vegan menu station, Q&A with a vegan chef, vegetarian cookbooks, and more.
  2. The Vegan Chef: Choose from recipes for sandwiches, appetizers, beverages, salads, side dishes, salad dressings, stews, breads and more.
  3. AllRecipes.com Vegetarian: Find decadent vegetarian recipes, get tips on cooking with veggies or tofu, and more.
  4. Vegan Recipes: Here you can find yummy vegan recipes like Potatoes Au Gratin, Rice Rolls, Mexican Pizza, Chicken Parmesan and more.
  5. VegWeb: Users review vegetarian recipes like Mock Tuna Salad and Beans and Rice for Lazies.
  6. Recipes Around the World: The International Vegetarian Union shares vegetarian recipes from Africa, the Caribbean, Mexico, Australia, Nepal, France, Greece and everywhere else.
  7. Vegan Recipes: Check out recipes like Vegetable Couscous or Tofu Jambalaya, as well as recipes that have no added oils or fats.
  8. The Veggie Table Dessert Recipes: Yummy treats that are veggie-friendly are found here.
  9. Simple Vegetarian Recipes: Here you can find "recipes for real people" for brunch, holidays, pizza night and more.
  10. Vegan Cookie Recipes: Whip up sugar-free cookies, vegan lemon poppyseed cookies and other vegan cookies.
  11. Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes: Find recipes and tips for organizing vegetarian holidays.
  12. RecipeZaar: This site has over 45,500 vegetarian recipes, including condiments, breads, and quick-fix meals.
  13. Better Homes and Gardens: Find grilled veggie recipes, plus vegetarian soups, sandwiches and entire meals.
  14. Tofu Recipes: Get recipes like Basil Tofu and Braised Tofu here.
  15. Best of the Net Recipes: Vegetarian recipe categories on this site include pasta, casseroles, hummus, Japanese, breakfast, fruits, lunch, muffins, and lots more.
Websites for Kids
These sites are designed to educate kids and teens on eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.
  1. Young Veggies: This site is for kids and teens who are wondering what it means to be a vegetarian.
  2. Vegetarian Nutrition for Teenagers: Teens have special dietary needs to help them grow, and this resource will help them find meat alternatives that meet those needs.
  3. Girls Health Vegetarian Eating: GirlsHealth.gov explains the basics of vegetarian eating and nutrition in a straightforward, easy-to-understand way.
  4. Fruit and Vegetable Encyclopedia: This colorful reference from Dole educates kids about potatoes, lemons, pears, raisins, strawberries, bell peppers, and lots of other fruits and veggies.
  5. Vegetarian Diets for Kids: KeepKidsHealthy.com outlines children’s nutritional needs and how they can be satisfied through a vegetarian diet.
Lifestyle
Learn about the transition to vegetarianism or veganism, and what the lifestyle demands, from these sites.
  1. On Becoming Vegan: William Harris, M.D. explains the vegan lifestyle and shares recipes and a food guide.
  2. Vegetarian Channel: Learn about the vegetarian lifestyle on this site, which features forums, dating services, advice on going vegetarian, and more.
  3. How to Choose a Conscious Vegetarian Lifestyle: This simple guide reminds you to consider tips that will make it easier for you to transition to vegetarianism.
  4. Vegetarian Lifestyle - Is It Right For You?: Women’s Healthcare Topics helps you figure out if a vegetarian lifestyle will mesh with your nutritional needs.
  5. Living a Vegan Lifestyle: This article clearly outlines the sacrifices you need to make to become a vegan.
  6. Chill Vegan: Learn about the chill vegan movement here, a group of vegetarians that aspire to be vegans but sometimes stumble.
  7. Why Vegan?: Steve Pavlina explains the benefits of going vegan and going vegetarian.
  8. How to Go Vegan: This article on Care2 shares tips for creating a plan, transitioning to veganism, and learning about the lifestyle.
  9. How to Go Vegan: VegFamily’s interview with Rory Friedman and Kim Barnouin reveals tips for going vegan and options for getting protein.
  10. Six Tips: How to Go Vegan or Vegetarian in 2009: Tips here encourage you to try new protein foods, like almond butter, soy milk, and brown rice.
Health
These sites will help you stay healthy and well-nourished as you practice your conscious lifestyle.
  1. Fruit and Vegetable Variety: Make sure you understand why mixing up your fruit and veggie routine is important.
  2. CVS Vegetarian Health Resources: Here, questions are answered to ease your fears about finding nutrients and maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle as a vegetarian.
  3. 7 Quick Tips for Vegetarian Health: This guide reminds you to drink water, take vitamin supplements and to eat raw fruits and veggies periodically.
  4. Weight Loss Resources for Vegetarians: Get advice on losing weight and find links that will help you get healthy without giving up your diet.
  5. Vegetarian Times: This site is all about living healthy while being a vegetarian.
  6. AmericanHeart.org Vegetarian Diets: The American Heart Association explains the pros and cons of a vegetarian lifestyle.
Miscellaneous
Find even more fun and informative guides here for looking up vegetarian-friendly restaurants, famous vegetarians, and more.
  1. Eating Out: Use this website to find vegetarian-friendly restaurants.
  2. Famous Vegetarians: Check out this extensive list of famous vegetarians, including actors, supermodels, musicians, scientists and others.
  3. How healthy are your eating habits: Find out how much of a vegetarian, or at least a healthy eater, you are.
  4. A Vegetarian Diet: Get specific details on what vegetarians eat and qualities that do and do not make up a vegetarian.

Organic Vs. Conventional: Have You Been Robbed?

Eggs





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Guest post by Chelsea Green's Makenna Goodman:


It's Saturday afternoon and you're checking out at your local co-op. You're behind another member of your community, lining up your organic eggs, organic pork chops, organic milk, organic lamb shank, and organic cheese. You feel pretty content. You're eating right, in a world full of chaos. Your body loves you.
And probably best of all, your act of buying organic is part of a political movement; you're supporting a population of small farmers, the precious few who have decided that animals are more than merely walking meat slabs, and that vegetables should be birthed from sunshine and good soil, not created in a lab.
But organic may not mean the food is better for you. Organic may not mean the animal was treated right. Organic may, in fact, be little more than a sweet notion and marketing campaign that rests easy the hearts of the eco-conscious consumer. Organic, in other words, is not always the right choice. Sorry, but it's true.
In fact, if all of us knew exactly what "organic" means and the other available alternatives (fast corporate food never being one of them), it is possible we could actually save money and be better informed about the food we're putting into our bodies. Joel Salatin, farmer and author of You Can Farm; Pastured Poultry Profits; and Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal—whom the New York Times refers to as the "high priest of the pasture" and is referred to at length in Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma—has a lot of good points when it comes to the question of organic vs. conventional. First and foremost: it's not that simple.
According to Salatin, "a broiler [meat chicken] can be fed certified organic feed in a confinement house, without fresh air and sunshine, without green salads, trucked for hours to a processing plant that electrocutes the bird and spills feces all over the carcass during evisceration, and be labeled 'certified organic.' In animal production, organic describes primarily diet, and everything else is either not mentioned at all or is secondary."
I'd like to take this moment and say: Hello. My name is Makenna, and I farm non-organic eggs. Don't stop reading! At first I was ashamed; I'm someone who spent years being obsessive about only buying organic, no matter what. If I didn't have an extra buck, I went without eggs that week. I'm serious. My money, in copious amounts, was channeled into the sustainability of small farmers all across the country, or so I thought.
But recently, since moving to a Vermont farm, I've been confronted with the cold, hard reality of what organic really means. Not much. Sounds sweet. Feels nice. Connotes ideas of good.
Story continues below
Suffice it to say, for all these years...I've been robbed.
I have laying hens, and believe me when I tell you they have a good life. They're free range to the point of too free, and spend warm days by the pond, eating bugs. They lay eggs with neon orange yolks, a sign they're low in cholesterol and high in good protein. I feed them food scraps, and along with their "salad greens" of grass and plants, this cuts down on their grain consumption substantially. I'm considering getting scraps from the local elementary school, too. Use waste, be sustainable, cut down on fossil fuels, that kind of thing. I am 100% against hormones, large-scale corporate food production, caged livestock, and mistreatment of animals of any kind. But I don't use organic grain, because it's twice as expensive, and since the hens are so free-range they get most of their diet through food scraps and plants, and eat very little grain anyway (which, although not certified organic, is all-natural, hormone and antibiotic free.)
When I went to my local co-op and proposed I become one of their egg suppliers however, the grocery buyer asked me first off: "Are they organic?" "Well," I told her, "they're free-range! Almost to the point of too free!" But the buyer shook her head, and offered to pay me a dollar less per dozen. A hen with a good life doesn't qualify as organic if the minimal grain they eat per day is not. Doesn't matter if it's one kernel of grain per day. "So," I asked her, "if my birds were locked in cages but I stuffed them until they popped with organic grain, they'd be worth more?" She nodded. "Even though my hens have a better life, get sun and exercise, eat plants, roam free, and the eggs are lower in cholesterol and saturated fat as a result?" She nodded. Insane.
On the subject of "organic," Salatin says:
Too often, especially in organic agriculture, we focus all the attention on the animal's diet and miss the bigger picture... I am constantly amazed that people in Virginia pay exorbitant prices for certified organic broilers flown in refrigerated air freight from California, birds that do not receive green material and are raised basically in a conventional confinement factory house. From a world-view standpoint, it would probably be better for the environment to buy locally produced conventional chicken than to encourage the use of jet fuel and heavy metal to transport that chicken across the country. In the name of one cause, we sacrifice another equally worthy cause... the point is that organic feed is only a fraction of what is necessary to produce a truly dynamic bird. Certainly truly organic chickens are not necessarily bad. But neither are they necessarily good.
So, what do you -- the consumer -- do now? Most important is to keep in mind that organic certification is a label, and not a guarantee your meat had a good life, or is healthier than "conventional" brands. This is not a plug for corporate food. Of course you'll still want all natural, hormone and antibiotic free meat, but...Organic? It's so much more expensive, and who has extra cash for false promises these days? It's in times like these when it's especially good to know what's behind the label. Which, in the worst cases, is nothing more than a big, fat, unhappy lie.
To read more of Joel Salatin, check out his books: You Can Farm, Pastured Poultry Profit$, Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal, Salad Bar Beef,, Family Friendly Farming, and Holy Cows and Hog Heaven.