Non Vegetarian Diet: A Statistical outlook

Ten Thousand year back, Human beings started living in groups. They knew that in group there was more security. Then, they started hunting in groups. They would have a leader under whose command they preyed on a wild animal. These people also belonged very much to nature. They did not kill more than necessary. Although they were not as advanced as we are, but still they knew that there is something called an ecosystem. Human greed or the never ending wants can trip the whole system in turn effecting their existence! They were also an observant lot. They soon found out that in every season, the plants around them underwent a seasonal transformation. In Autumn, leaves fall. In Winter, it's cold. In Spring, new foliage blooms. They also observed that the seeds sprout, giving birth to a new plant. That's how plantation started. So turning vegetarian was the coolest thing to do at that time. It was more of a sensible fad! But now when I look around me, I see people have taken up a flair to turn back into primitive apes! Actually, they are aping the ancient apes who preferred a carnivorous diet. There is no harm in living a vegetarian life style. But, the problem lies in how humans continue to procure meat to eat. In ancient days, those intelligent people used to "hunt". I Emphasize the word HUNT. They did not do animal farming. They did not breed the animals. The Breeding of animals, of course, started long back in human history. But not the way it was today. The shepherds took the animals to graze and there was enough land mass with verdant vegetation to feed those animals. But in today's world, area of the size of 5 football fields are cleared of natural forests for the sake of animal grazing. Livestock production uses about a third of the world’s arable land, and as land becomes scarce, expansion of livestock production encroaches into forest land and is causing mass deforestation. Here, I am still not considering the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are generated by the livestock. The title of the post is Vegetarian Economy. So lets take a look from the world economics angle! For that first lets do some math. F.Y.I. (For your information) A hen eats around 30 Kg of food grains in its life time! That hen is murdered by dipping it in boiling water head down and a recipe is planned out to turn it into a dish! If you make a chicken curry, it may serve 4 two times in a day; effectively serves 8. Lets say you make a soup, then it will serve12 to 16 servings! (assuming generous proportions of water has been used!). So 30 Kilos of food grains are effectively used to raise a chicken and it serves only 15. Let's say you skillfully make it twenty. For a vegetarian person who consumes legumes and food grains, the diet will be around 200 to 250 grams of food grains. Like 150 grams of rice, 50 grams wheat, 50 grams legumes. For ease of calculation we take 250 If we divide 30 Kilos i.e. 30,000 grams by 250 grams we get 120 hungry stomachs. So 30,000 grams of food grains feed 120 vegetarian people while it can effectively feed only 20. Let me take the liberty to exaggerate. Even if 1 chicken is turned in to a dish that serves 30 people, it is far less compared to vegetarian menu! It directly means that 30 Non Vegetarian people eat the food that could have made 120 vegetarians burp! That's absolute indecency. And people talk about uprooting the hunger crisis from this planet? That's crap. Or rather chicken crap!!! In terms of consumption, the non-vegetarian diet required 2.9 times more water, 2.5 more energy, 13 times more fertilizer and 1.4 times more pesticides than the vegetarian one. People in India, struggle for water at the public water taps. Water tankers are booked to supply water as municipal pipelines run dry! What do you think is the reason. Non Veg gang may blame the industries, but if the non vegetarians would just take up the vegan life. They may suddenly find their neighbourhood tanks filing up! Also, government like ours, believe in granting subsidy on the animal meat! The subsidy does not come free of cost. Somebody is taxed to give subsidy to others. Guess who pays for it? No prizes for guessing it right!!! I have heard/read people defend their carnivorous life style by stating that we humans are on the top of the food chain. But my question is; Does that give us license to exploit the planet and its resources with our insatiable greed? I believe that since we are on the top of food chain, it becomes our responsibility to take care of the planet and our down lines in the food chain, instead of blatant exploitation. Don't you think so?!? Source: http://astrology.yahoo.com/channel/health/is-a-vegetarian-diet-better-for-the-planet-455834/ http://www.jewishveg.com/schwartz/diplanet.html http://www.vegforlife.com

Stones and straw: Macroni & Soy Chunks recipe

I prefer calling this dish Stones and Straw because that is what it looks like. Especially when you do it with macaronis. You will require 1 Packet Macaroni 250gm Soy Chunks Ginger Garlic paste 2 Finely chopped Carrots a cupful of Finely chopped Beans 4 Finely chopped Spring Onions Hot Chilly Sauce A dash of Soy Sauce 5 tbsp. Tomato Ketchup Olive oil or sunflower oil. Salt to taste A little Sugar Lots of Water How to make it: Take half liter water and bring it to boil. Take the boiling water off the flame and pour the Soy Chunks in it. Let the chunks be in the hot water for 20 min. Take a frying pan; pour 6 cups water, some olive oil and little salt. Boil it. Then put the macaroni in to it. Let it boil for some time. Once the macaroni looks like its boiled, drain the water. Sieve the macaroni under the running water. This helps the macaroni become non sticky! If you want to use noodles instead of macaroni then the process of cooking noodles is the same as macaroni. Now take cooking pan. Pour 3 tbsp. olive oil. Add ginger garlic paste. Finely chopped Spring Onions and its leaves. Stir fry till the aroma becomes strong, then add carrots beans. Cook the vegetables well. By now the soy chunks that were kept soaked in the hot water should be ready. Squeeze out the water and cut the chunks into smaller pieces. Some of them are too big. Add the chunks to the cooking vessel. Stir occasionally. Now add the Hot chilly sauce in generous proportions, a tsp of soy sauce and tomato ketchup. You can vary the proportion as per the requirement. The hot chilly sauce is also a little sweet and the soy chunks soak up all the sauces very well. Add salt to taste. Stir occasionally. At last add the macaroni or noodles. They are already boiled & cooked so it shouldn't take much time to become a part of the delicious dish. Within 5 min. of adding macaroni your dish should be ready. Stir only once or twice after adding noodles or macaroni. Else it will become too messy or sticky. It takes approx 35 to 40 min to prepare the dish and serves 4-5. Let me know when you do it. More interesting recipes are on the way! Heartfelt thanks to Sonali and Vishal C. for prompting me to get some of my recipes on the blog. O.A.K.

Old is GOLD !!!

I recently read an article in the newspaper covering health issues. The whole discussion was on the lipids in our body. Ever heard of LDL and HDL? Well they are carry cholesterol inside our body. The LDL carries and deposits cholesterol in inner parts of arteries and the other fellow HDL carries those deposits to liver for recycling and burn down. Nowadays, clinics are flooded with patients with a lot of heart related complaints, BP Attacks and other life jeopardizing ailments. People blame it on the lifestyle they choose; Eating synthetically prepared food, preferring foods that are stored for months together on the grocery shelves, living a sedated lifestyle. Humans cannot live without oxygen. Nowadays some people cannot live without Air conditioners! Fans seem to blow their life away! Duhhh... Well, if people live life with so many tantrums then lifestyle diseases are going to pop up in the society. People hardly get the fact that the way they choose to live affects their mental and physical health. So to counter this problem doctors prescribe drugs that decrease the LDL or the bad cholesterol. Does this solve the root of the problem? NO, a big NO. Unless there is some increase in the metabolic activities in the body, the HDL will not rise! If you reduce the LDL only the cholesterol depositors will decrease, but what about the HDL that carries the fats to bio-furnace? Now technology seems to have an answer to this situation. Gold Nano-particles are being invented that will be covered in all sorts of fat molecules covered with proteins. This robotic intruder in our body will act like HDL. The non toxic gold Nano particles are also water soluble. So the near future holds a key in nanometers to reduce the cholesterol. But isn’t this a roundabout way of solving a problem. People first have wrong kind of food at wrong hours of the day and in wrong amounts and end up on clinical bed. They are then diagnosed with hearth problem and are given some pills which they carry wherever they go. Instead, an hour of exercise and proper diet can not only do wonders but also can save a lot in medical bills. “Mysterious are the ways of urbanites” O.A.K.

4 year old French Fries!

Most people devour McDonald's Food. So proudly they say - "I'm Loving it" It's so tasty and delicious! But do you know the reality of the McDonald's Food? I am amazed at the technology used in preparing McDonald's Food. I am not against McDonald's but the food they serve is claimed to stay fresh for 4 years. It's not typo error! The food stays intact for 4 grand years. Generally a potato fingers breaks down. Mold and powdery mildew gathers on the "organic" food. But the super food from McDonald's stays afresh or at least it seems to for 4 years! That's what Julia Havey has to say about McDonald's Foodstuff (Watch the video in the link below). Copy this link and paste it in your browser>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IGtDPG4UfI After watching the video do ask you self - "Am I loving it?"

Delicious Kothimbir Wadi

Kothimbir as it is called in Marathi, (Coriander in English) is a wonderful herb. Did you know...???

• The herb has great success in treating loss of appetite and other dyspeptic complaints. When used in laxatives, it eases griping.

• The roots, leaves and leafstalks can be used to flavor soups, salads, beans and curries.

• Chewing the seeds after eating garlic is used to freshen the breath after eating garlic.

• Coriander is included in lotions and ointment to treat piles (hemorrhoids), rheumatism, menstrual disorders and painful joints.

• Historically, the fruits have been used to treat wounds and burns and the herb has antimicrobial properties.

Here is a dish that most maharashtrians prepare and eat: Kothimbir wadi... This lovely, tasty dish is very easy to prepare. This is how it is prepared... Take 4 cups fresh coriander leaves. Clean, wash and finely chop fresh them. Reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish. Wash, remove stems and finely chop 4 green chillies. Mix freshly chopped coriander leaves, green chillies, a small amount of jaggery, say, 2 tsp., salt, cooking soda, 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder, a cup of Besan (gram flour) and 2 tablespoons oil. Add enough water to make a thick batter. Now, Pour the batter in a greased plate or a tray. For those with creative inclination may use Idli Mould plates!!! Place the tray or plate in the cooker and steam on high heat for 15-20 minutes or till firm and cooked. Remove, cool and cut into cubes of equal size. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry the wadis till they are light golden brown in colour and crisp. Drain the oil using an absorbent kitchen towel. It is ready to be served. You may garnish it liberally with chopped coriander leaves. Generally, Tomato sauce goes good with it. I have eaten kothimbir wadis many times, but one that Shalmali's mom prepared... they were heavenly! Sorry folks, I do not have any pics of the dish prepared. So, do prepare it , take a pic and mail me a copy. Happy Eating! JGD -- OAK Tree

Ragi - A Wonder-grain

It is really amazing how the nature cares for us. It has provided us with a super grain...Ragi ... also known as Finger Millet, Nachni, Sollu, or Sattemavu. This super-grain called ragi...

• well without irrigation, pesticides or fertilizers.
• Is rich in calcium iron, protein and some rare nutrients such as methionine.
• Digests easily from infancy through old age, and its nutrients are highly absorbed.
• Costs much less than wheat, rice, or dairy milk, while delivering superior nutrition to all from infants to aged folks.
• Is very adaptable to higher elevations and is grown in the Himalaya up to 2300 meters altitude.
• Once harvested, the ragi seeds keep extremely well and are seldom attacked by insects or moulds.
• Is very good for diabetic patients.

Finger millet is especially valuable as it contains the amino acid methionine, which is lacking in the diets of hundreds of millions of the poor who live on starchy staples such as cassava, plantain, polished rice, or maize meal. Finger millet can be ground and cooked into cakes, puddings or porridge. The grain is made into a fermented drink (or beer) in many parts of Africa. The straw from finger millet is used as animal fodder. Nutritive value of Ragi per 100 g Protein 7.3 g Fat 1.3 g Carbohydrate 72 g Minerals 2.7 g Calcium 3.44 g Fiber 3.6 g Phosphorous 2.83 g Iron 0.039 g Energy 328 KCal Sprouting ragi increases the bioavailability of its iron to 88%, comparable only to mother’s milk (and 8 times higher than cow’s milk). While ragi is an ideal first food after an infant reaches at least 6 months of age. But the impact of advertising is such that many people, not recognizing the value of their traditional homegrown, homemade food are choosing packaged infant foods made from refined wheat or rice, and even earlier than 6 months. Without always knowing the numbers, villagers and city-folks have sprouted grains and beans for variety. When we lose these healthy habits, our traditional homegrown, homemade food needs a make-over. I pity that such super grain is losing its popularity when people should have demanded it more. In fact, Deccan Herald reports that ragi: “Has lost 31 per cent of its cropping area...Unless the government policy changes drastically, dry land farming will die and so will dry land farmers.” For centuries, ragi was synonymous with health for people in the southern parts of the state, especially the rural kannadiga communities. They cherished ragi rotis and muddes (ragi balls that are meant to be gobbled without chewing). But the magic did not last long, thanks to the much sought after rice and wheat. The public distribution system added fuel to the fire — it sold rice for Rs. 2 per kilogramme (kg) but ragi at Rs 6-7 per kg. Consequently, the working class — ragi’s main consumers — also disowned it. Did you know...? If you were to buy a kilo of ragi in Mumbai city it would cost around Rs.100/- where as they can be made available at Rs.5/- a kilo which includes a hefty margin for the retailers and distributors!!! The "Baby foods" companies are wiping out markets for such healthy food products. The "Baby food" not only cost more, but do not deliver equivalent nutrition. They may contain added sugar, preservatives, and chemical residues. Moreover, poorer families may use these inferior but expensive substitutes sparingly, whereas if they were to eat ragi, the whole family, including the women, especially lactating mothers, could have their fill. Nature also cares for its Animals: Jowar is another crop that is not only nutritious, but provides fodder for cows. While the government has touted its "Cow Program" to relieve struggling farmers in Vidarbha, the farmers struggle even more to provide fodder for these cows. One farmer noted that government support for jowar as a food grain would also provide fodder for the cows. Unfortunately neither ragi nor jowar are currently supported by the Public Distribution System (except in a few regions). Times of India noted on Feb 28, 2007: “In many states, jowar, bajra and ragi are staple foods of the poor, but these coarse cereals are not covered by PDS. Poor people in these states end up eating wheat and rice. There is no export market for these coarse cereals either. So, prices of these cereals keep falling. The worst part is that these crops are grown by the very poor — marginal farmers on non-irrigated land. The very poor keep getting poorer as there are no takers for the food grains they grow — not even the poor." Rediscover traditional foods and sustain these for all! Data and Facts collected from AIDIndia and wikipedia websites.