Jane and I went to see Food, Inc. this weekend.  It has a limited release, so if you are interested in seeing this film here is a list of its scheduled showings.  (If you are in the Los Angeles area, it is playing at the NuArt in Santa Monica through Thursday, and will be at the Landmark in West LA starting the 19^th.)

Since we went vegan, we've been doing a lot of reading about food.  Sometimes it feels like all we do is talk about food: the way we eat, what we eat, why we changed our diet, where we get our protein, etc.  So much of the information presented in this film was familiar to us, but still, it was a worthwhile experience.  And some of the things we learned were truly shocking to us.  For instance, there are laws in place in 13 states which protect food manufacturers from people making "disparaging comments" about their food products.  Manufacturers are allowed to sue under libel laws.  Colorado takes things even further by making veggie libel a criminal rather than civil offense.  Frightening!  I guess I'm just a little naïve here, but I would expect my government to protect me against the big corporations.

Robert Kennar does a good job touching on most aspects of the food industry.  For example, the movie starts out by pointing out that the average supermarket sells 47,000 items but this is truly an illusion of diversity since 90% of the items contain corn and/or soy products, and there are only a few companies at the top level that manage agri-business in the United States.  One farmer comments that the farmer's decision making process has been outsourced to the corporate boardroom.  It's all about the bottom line, as opposed to good stewardship of the earth or animals.

Kennar takes you through a tour of what farming means today in America.  And here we were feeling all good about ourselves for being vegan.  What this movie says Monsanto does to the soy farmers makes me want to give up tofu entirely. Monsanto, the manufacturers of Round-Up, have modified and patented "Round-Up" ready soybeans.  As of 2006 90% of the soybeans produced in the US carry that gene.  Monsanto aggressively protects their patent going so far as to prosecute farmer's who's crops have been cross-pollinated by neighboring farms.  The people who were interviewed claim to have been persecuted by Monsanto, these include "seed cleaners" - Seed cleaners allow farmers to clean and store the seed from their fields to be replanted.  The reason is that, according to patent laws, Monsanto owns the seeds since they own the genetically modified gene.  Yikes!  If you're interested in learning more about Monsanto, check out this video:  The World According to Monsanto.  (Here's a link if you'd like to buy The World According to Monsanto.)

The CEO of Stonyfield Farm, Gary Hirshberg, talks about how many of the eco-conscious companies are now owned by mega conglomerates.  Tom's toothpaste is now owned by Colgate.  Stonyfield is now owned by Groupe-Danone (that's Dannon to you and me). He also defends Stonyfield's decision to sell their organic yogurt to Wal Mart by pointing out that the positive pesticide impact can be measured in tons rather than pounds. So while many people decry Wal Mart as the evil empire, Hirshberg points to the environmental impact, and the fact that this allows more people access to organic foods at a lower price.

Although we don't expect this movie to be as successful as Super Size Me," Morgan Spurlock's McDonald's expose, we hope it will get some additional exposure.  This message really needs to get out to the general population.

The movie doesn't touch on veganism at all, which was kind of surprising to me.  I guess they were concerned their movie might be played in one of the 13 states with veggie libel laws.  There is some exposure to CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations).  However, the "natural" farmer's method of slaughtering chickens didn't appear all that humane to me or Jane.

We give the movie two thumbs up.  See it if you have any interest in food.

For Further Information:

• You can read more on the Veggie Libel Laws here:
• If you'd like to read more about Monsanto, Vanity Fair had a great article in February, 2008, called Monsanto's Harvest of Fear.

And there are plenty of interesting videos on YouTube.

• Bad Seed: The Truth About Our Food
• How To Monopolize Food - Monsanto Style Part 1
• How To Monopolize Food - Monsanto Style Part 2

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The American Institute for Cancer Research states:

Scientists estimate that if everyone ate a healthy diet, was physically active every day and maintained a healthy weight, the number of cancer cases would be reduced by about one-third.

Their recommendations for the prevention of cancer include the following:

• Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes such as beans.
• Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats.

Recently the National Cancer Institute published a study in the Public Library of Science showing a link between eating red meat and a statistically higher risk of certain cancers at multiple sites including: lung, liver, esophogus. The researchers in the study stated "Statistically significant elevated risks (ranging from 20 percent to 60 percent) were evident for esophageal, colorectal, liver, and lung cancer, comparing individuals in the highest with those in the lowest quintile of red meat intake."  (See Public Library of Science - Study of Meat Intake in Relation to Cancer Risk)

For further reading:

• AICR Recommendations for Cancer Prevention
• Foods That Fight Cancer

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You've probably heard that eating fish, especially oily fish (Salmon, etc.) helps improve your brain function and decreases the risk of dementia.  This is one of the things that gets pointed out to us frequently when we tell people we are vegan.  Our doctor, as a practice, recommends an overall vitamin supplement, baby aspirin, and fish oil for all his patients over 40.  Since we're vegans, we skip the fish oil and take a flaxseed supplement instead.  (You should consult your nutritionist for advice on what supplements may be right for you.)

Data from a trial of more than 800 older people initially showed that those who eat plenty of oily fish seem to have better cognitive function.  But factors such as education and mood explained most of the link.

Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "One of the best ways to reduce your risk of dementia is by eating a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables, grains, fish and poultry.  "However, we still do not know which components of this sort of diet help the most.

~ Source:  BBC News

So, the jury is still out on fish oil.  We'll be watching to see what the data shows in the next round of testing.  Until then, there is no reason to consider looking to fish to improve your brain power in your later years.

Thanks to Gary at Compassion4Animals.org for pointing us to this study.

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I'm attending the Milken Conference this week.  Much of it is very interesting, some of it not so much.  Eating there is always a bit of a challenge.  Steak and chicken tend to be the usual offerings.  The snack bars they put out have milk in (no pun intended) them.  But I come prepared.  I bring my own food and ask for a simple salad at lunch.  I've learned to always be prepared.  But that isn't what I'd planned on writing about tonight.

One of the panels I attended today was called "Living Longer and Better Through Science, Nutrition and Lifestyle Choices'  The speakers were:

• Scott Berns, Co-Founder, Progeria Research Foundation Inc.; Senior Vice President of Chapter Programs, March of Dimes
• Pinchas Cohen, Pediatric Endocrinology Specialist, UCLA Children's Health Center
• Luigi Fontana, Research Associate Professor of Medicine and Associate Director of the Longevity Research Program, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine

Dr. Fontana's portion of the panel was most interesting to me.  He  spoke about calorie restriction and longevity.  He is currently leading a study which is testing the effects of calorie restriction to find the optimal nutrition for human lifespan. The diet his patients follow consists primarily of a plant-based,  low-fat dairy, whole grains, vegetables and other energy-intensive foods.  According to Dr. Fontana, the calorie-restricted diet improves all biomarkers for cardiovascular disease compared to a typical American diet. Fontana stressed that calorie-restricted diets must be carefully administered to assure that they are nutritious and meet daily requirements for vitamins and minerals.  By this he means that all the refined and processed foods like soft drinks, and sugar, candies, white bread and foods that are packed with partially hydrogenated fat should be avoided.

This to me is the key for anyone.  It is important to eat well.  Eat the best food you can afford to eat.  Eat foods that are nutritionally beneficial.  Avoid junk food.  And of course, we advocate eating vegan.

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