forks for thought

What's at the end of your fork? My hope is that Forks for Thought will encourage people to think more about their food and lifestyle choices, and how those choices effect the health of themselves, the planet, and all of the inhabitants we share it with.

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Some interesting scientific facts to let simmer in your brain (borrowed from the above link!)

Six good points that prove human beings are herbivores. See which dietary class you associate with.

Carnivores have claws for shredding flesh. Herbivores do not.

Carnivores perspire through their tongues. Herbivores perspire through sudoriferous glands (skin pores).

Carnivores have sharp front teeth for tearing and no rear molars for grinding. Herbivores have the molars accompanied by flat front teeth.

Carnivores have an intestinal tract that is only 3 times their body length so rapidly decaying food can pass through quickly. Both herbivores and humans have a tract of about 10-12 times the size of their body length.

The stomach acid of herbivores and humans is 20 times weaker than the hydrochloric acid of a meat eater.

Herbivores and humans have well-developed salivary glands carrying alkaline and ptyalin in the mouth for the pre-digestion of plants. Carnivores do not.

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"...but like... where do you get your protein????"

If you're vegan like me, you may find the need to strongly resist from punching someone in the face or stomping on their foot when asked this question (for the 999th time).  Take a deep breath, remind yourself that once-upon-a-time you were in their shoes, and then share this link with them.  If you aren't vegan or vegetarian, well then save someone else the headache and get educated!

10 Protein Packed Plants!

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a personal request

I know I've been slacking when it comes to updating this blog lately.  The fact is that I've been working really hard to not slack in the other areas of my life, and this just got bumped down on my priority list.  I'm currently taking a summer class, and going full-time in the fall at the local community college.  I also just started a new part-time job.  My plate is getting rather full (of things other than vegetables). 

One of the things occupying my time is an essay contest I recently entered.

Please take a minute to watch this short video I made.

Currently my essay is hovering around 120 votes.  I am in the top 3, and I must stay in the top 10 to be eligible for the $500 scholarship.  You can vote once every 24hours. 

To vote just go to http://apps.facebook.com/what-is-your-story/contests/127300/voteable_entries/25400027

I have also made a Facebook event page so that this can be shared with others.

Thank you so much.  I don't get very personal on this blog, but this is extremely important to me, because right now getting through school is my #1 priority. 

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Check out this great article, Ten Things You Should Know About Losing Weight The Right Way, over at Best Self Magazine.  It includes a remarkable success story about a couple who lost a total of 185lbs in one year after participating in a GEICO's intervention study with Dr. Neal Barnard.

Here's a highlight of the top 10 list

1) Forget the Diet, Change Your Lifestyle

2) Make Exercise a Priority

3) Keep a Food Journal

4) Ask for Help When Needed

5) Set Reasonable Goals

6) Allow Yourself to Cheat

8) Know Your Medical History

9) Fill Up on Smart Foods

10) Don’t Give Up

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Important article.   

"The single state of North Carolina uses more antibiotics for livestock than the entire United States uses for humans."

"Every year in the United States,325,000 people are hospitalized because of food-borne illnesses and 5,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s right: food kills one person every two hours."

Even the vegetables aren't safe anymore...

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Sidetracked

I apologize for the lack of posts lately.  You know how life gets in the way.  I'm going back to school soon (for Nutrition!) so I've really been trying to focus on preparing myself to succeed in that regard.  Don't fret, I really like this blog and don't plan on abandoning it at any point, but as is with my personality, it goes in spurts.  

In the meantime, if you get bored, check out my friend Seth (thebikenerd.com) who is about to embark on a journey of 14 cities in 14 days.  A few months back while I was in Austin, TX, I somehow managed to get through to him that he was eating crap.  So whilst documenting his journey he often mentions his attempts to now eat healthy while on the road.  Definitely worth the read and all of your support!

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Functional Medicine vs. Dysfunctional Medicine

Pay attention.

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thebikenerd:

FROM: suzannaseyes:

We will realize, he predicts, that the consumer-driven growth model is broken and we have to move to a more happiness-driven growth model, based on people working less and owning less. “How many people,” Gilding asks, “lie on their death bed and say, ‘I wish I had worked harder or built more shareholder value,’ and how many say, ‘I wish I had gone to more ballgames, read more books to my kids, taken more walks?’ To do that, you need a growth model based on giving people more time to enjoy life, but with less stuff.”

[electriclightopera]

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wtlossfoodblog:

Wanna redesign the US nutrition facts food label?

You know this thing you see on food in stores… Well there’s an open contest being run to submit your own ideas. Keep in mind as Marion Nestle observes:

This [complexity] is understandable.  The Nutrition Facts label is the result of regulations in response to the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990.  When the FDA started writing regulations to implement the Act, it tested consumer understanding of a bunch of potential designs.

The result?  Nobody understood any of them.  The FDA, under pressure to complete the regulations by the congressional deadline, chose the option that was least poorly understood–the best of a bad lot.

(Hat tip to Marion Nestle for pointing this out on her blog.)

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Rethinking the Nutrition Label!

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Help out my friend Seth so that he can afford to eat yummy plant-based foods on his journey!

thebikenerd:

Hey, Tumblr friends. I’ve launched my own fund raising post for my ‘14 Cities in 14 days’ bike nerd adventure. Watch my dorky video! On June 15th, 2011 I’ll be making my way from Miami FL to Portland ME. Just me and my bike, taking mass transit between each city, and then hanging out with cool people, eating good food and searching out tasty coffee. Why? For the challenge! Have you ever visited 14 major cities in 14 days? No? Me neither! I’m going to do it then write an ebook about it. I’ll take lots of photos, shoot some video and share the whole experience with you, and hopefully inspire you to embark on your own adventures. If you’d like to help out, click here to support this adventure! I still need a few couches to crash on - let me know if you can help! These are the transit hub stops (bus stations, Amtrak stations), so even if you live within 10-20 miles of these cities, I can totally ride my bike and meet you! THANKS! Deland, FL June 16 Selma, NC June 20 Washington, DC June 22 Bridgeport, CT June 25 Providence, RI June 26 THANK YOU!!!

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Steve-O (made famous by the MTV show Jackass), recently walked out of a charity event for the American Diabetes Association. 

"I came here because I thought this was about promoting a plant-based diet as diabetes prevention and they're serving MEAT in there ... so I'm outta here.... It's like serving alcohol at an AA meeting." 

Agreed.  Thanks Steve-O!

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FastFoodFree.org

This amazing 10 year old boy did a research project in school about fast food restaurants.  From that he began his own non-profit, FastFoodFree.org.  I'm inspired.  

From his website:

"What Can One Little Person Do?"  If just one person stopped eating fast food for just 2 weeks they would: Save 3,222 gallons of water that would be used for livestock Save 9.4 pounds of grain used for livestock feed Protect 285.4 square feet of rain forest from being cut down to graze cattle Prevent 15.4pounds of manure from being created

Here's Our Goal: Reduce the consumption of fast food through education and community awareness resulting in healthier people and a better worl

[vegansaurus]

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vegansaurus:

I love Mercy for Animals. So much so, that I volunteered to table for them once, while I was living in Chicago. Man, it’s great having bros get in your face about WHY??!! and HOW??!! COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE VEGAN?!* Not to mention being told “YOU ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN”. To which I would reply back, “Do I LOOK sickly? Do I LOOK malnourished?” The answers were always “no”. Though you cannot see me right now, let me tell you, I am neither of those things. I did happen to be on a raw food diet at the time, which made me even MORE VIBRANT and getting a shit ton of protein from all the nuts I was eating (and beans when I was cheating. Raw food diets are hard). Completely famished after dealing with bros at a street festival in Lincoln Park, I ate a sandwich after tabling. Not raw. Cheating again. 

But this post is about something else entirely! I know with all the videos about the mistreatment of pigs, elephants, cows and monkey-dog rodeos as of late, your weepy eyes and broken hearts (gawd, I listen to too much indie rock) CANNOT TAKE MUCH MORE! So I am presenting to you, on behalf of Mercy for Animals, a video about rescued calves! These calves apparently cost only $10 each, as they were of NO ECONOMIC VALUE to E6 Cattle Company in Hart, TX. We can all buy calves to rescue! (Totally illegal unless you have a farm, right? RIGHT? Cause I do I a very nice backyard.)

These four survivors, now known as Roy, Ari, Mercy and Bob, are in recovery, loved and cared for at The Gentle Barn Sanctuary in Santa Clarita, California.

*It’s also great tabling for a non-profit vegan company you love, standing up for animals and showing the world what a healthy, happy (when not crying to Indie/Emo rock) vegan looks like!

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100th Post!

Woohoo! This is my 100th post since beginning this blog.  I'd like this to be a welcome to all of the people who have started following in the past week.  I encourage you to check out the archive.  In the first few weeks of it's existence I posted a lot of pretty awesome things that not many people got to see!

Also, I appreciate feedback (good or bad), but I haven't figured out how to enable comments/replies... I only see an option for a photo reply. hmmmmm?