Reader LETTERS

By Anonymous

Pet Peeves I’m a vet in California, and I want to share a different perspective on the legislation outlined in Alert (May/ June, p. 52). Tony Farrell writes, “Responsible owners may not be able to comply with spaying and neutering rules for financial or logistical reasons.” I would argue that if owners cannot afford to spay or neuter their pet, then they’re certainly not prepared to handle a liner of puppies or kittens, nor the expense of bite wounds that result from an unaltered male’s aggression. Prevention of these problems is much cheaper than the cure, and any responsible owner would know that if he or she cannot afford to prevent these problems, then it’s best to hold off on owning a pet.

Margo Reid

Sacramento, Calif.

I support the new laws that make pet owners more responsible. I was offended by the May/June Alert, which stated that new laws would harm animals. If you force pet owners to follow these simple rules, animal welfare will improve. You will have fewer unwanted litters. If laws can be created to end backyard breeders, anyone who loves and cares about animals should support those laws.

Thea Daniels

Via email

Health Notes

In “Soy: How Safe Is It?” (Dilemmas, April, p. 24), the authors failed to point out that while many benefits from eating soy have been seen in Asian cultures, we just can’t point to the same benefits in the U.S. Most Americans eat more soy than they realize, and its form is different from what Asians eat. Since my daughter is sensitive to soy, I started reading labels and found that most of our convenience foods are loaded with soy flour, soy lecithin or soybean oil. Given that the verdict is still out on whether soy can affect certain kinds of breast cancer tumors, I think we need to take a closer look at whether Americans are getting too much soy.

Robyn Mercuric

San Anselmo, Calif.

As enlightened and guilt ameliorated as we wellmeaning vegetarians feel, there are still some problems. Like corn, soy is monocropped, an industrial farming practice that jeopardizes the biodiversity that used to protect against blight and bugs. Many crops, including soy, are also shipped long distances to grocery stores, a process that uses huge amounts of fossil fuels, not to mention the petroleum-based fertilizers used on nonorganic farms. Also, soy products are by no means guilt-free foods, especially packaged treats that are full of preservatives. 1 strongly believe that eating local, sustainably grown food is the best practice. Organic or not, you will be leaving ,1 lighter step on the earth.

Marloh A. MacGregor

Via email

In “Out with the Old, In with the Green” (Planet Home, April, p. 54), the author mentions using custom shades as a way to save energy. Although these shades will help, they may also contain PVC [polyvinyl chloride] and flame retardants that can be harmful to humans. There are better alternatives, such as Earthshade, which has a low toxicity, is fire retardant, and has no PVC. Check out carthshade.com.

Anna Hackman

Via email

I was beside myself to find “Slim, Trim + Vegan” in the May/June issue (p. 72). I’m a registered dietitian and trends forecaster for the food industry. V7″states, “This revolutionary plan reverses diabetes.” There is no way to reverse diabetes through diet. Your best hope is to ease the symptoms and regulate blood sugar, but you will always be diabetic.

Suzy Badaracco, MS, RD

Via email

Dr. Neal Barnard, VTs Ask the Doc columnist and author of Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes^ responds:

Thank you for raising an important point, Let me quote from the What Does It Mean to Reverse Diabetes? section of my book: “Most people with diabetes find themselves on the road to gradually increasing weight, slowly rising blood sugars, higher doses of medications, and worsening complications. Reversing diabetes means reversing this trend. If weight is an issue, it can come down- gradually, but decisively. Blood glucose levels that have come up can also come down. Doses of medications that have risen again and again can come down, too. Symptoms such as neuropathy-nerve pains in the feet and legs-can improve and even disappear. Heart disease can reverse.

“Will the disease go away completely? Some people would argue that once a person has diabetes, he or she will always have diabetes, even if blood tests improve so much that the condition is no longer diagnosable. What they mean is that the genetic traits that made type 2 diabetes possible do not go away. And type 1 diabetes requires continued insulin treatments, regardless of how well you adjust your diet.”

Kudos

We are a family of two vegans, one vegetarian, one occasional vegetarian, and a meat eater. Eating meals we all can enjoy is a daily challenge. Your great recipes have taken us beyond stirfries and vegetarian pasta.

Genny Kelly

Via email

The VT reader letters always reflect a wide range of opinions- more shortcuts, fewer shortcuts, don’t let VT become a gadget ad! Wow, it must be hard to satisfy alt these people. Personally, 1 love the mix, and 1 think for those who want to roast a pepper, a basic recipe would be nice. But most of us work long hours, so the shortcuts are gratefully appreciated!

RIk Lapham

Via email

VTs not just a cookbook, it’s an ethical tenor-and 80 percent of those who go vegan do so on ethical grounds. We are a small band of readers keeping up the library subscription in a provincial town in New Zealand where the very air is practically saturated with meat and dairy products.

Jean Goldsmith

Via email

For the first time in four years, I picked up a copy of VTat our local co-op in Minnetonka, Minn. The content of the magazine has greatly improved. As a (mostly) veg who is allergic to onions, thank you for all the onion-less recipes.

Ruth Oremland

Minnetonka, Minn.

I picked up your magazine for the first time yesterdayI’m in love! VT encapsulates so many of my interests: health, cooking, animal rights, traveling, and the environment. In the last few years, IVe been trying to go veg, but grew frustrated with the seemingly harsh diet restrictions. Now I’m finally ready for a lifestyle change, and VT was the catalyst.

Lenka Podhrazsky

Via email

I am not a vegetarian, but I recently subscribed to VT. Let me just say that / love it. Who else but vegetarians would know how to make such wonderful vegetable side dishes? Thanks!

Ginnie Nuckles

Via email

It was heart-stopping to read about the loss of millions of acres of wetlands, but so encouraging to read about the efforts of the Lundberg Family Farms (Exhale, April, p. 60) both in sustainabillty and in keeping the farm’s energy environmentally sound. Their efforts made me realize that if we look outside the box, we can protect our wildlife and feed the rest of us!

Colleen Conwoy

Via email

send your letters to :

editor@vegetariantimes.com

fab 5

We don’t print any recipes we don’t think are terrific, but each month we always have a few faves. These are our top five from this issue:

1. Mushroom Ravioli with Green Pea Puree, p. 85

2. Braised Lebanese Eggplant with Chickpeas, p. 72

3. Pressed Waffle Panin’i, p. 37

4. Chocolate Apricot Rugalach, p. 48

5. Sweet Ending Scrbet Floats, p. 67

share READER RECIPES

SMOKY STUFFED PEPPERS

Serves 6

Scth Heller says this dish is the perfect way to use leftover rice. He drew upon his Hawaiian and Culitornian background to design a recipe that satisfies both him and his veg wife.

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 stalks celery, minced (Vi cup)

1 medium onion, minced (1 cup)

2 Tbs. poultry seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced ( 1 tsp.)

1 canned chipoHe pepper in adobo sauce, drained and minced

2 cups cooked brown rice or wild rice medley

1/2 cup yellow raisins

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

5 oz. smoked Gouda cheese, grated

3 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise

1. Preheat oven 10 4OD0F.

2. Heat oil in pun over medium heat. Add celery, onion, poultry seasoning, and garlic, and saute 7 minutes, or until soft. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir in chipotle pepper, and same 2 minutes. Add rice, raisins, and broth 10 pan, and cook 5 minutes more, or until consistency ot stuffing, stirring constantly. Set aside.

4. Divide cheese among pepper halves, then top with rice mixture. Place peppers in 9- ? 12-iiuh casserole dish. Add water until it comes 1S* inch up sides of peppers. Bake 30 minutes, or until peppers are soli and 111 I ing is hot.

PER SERVING: 277 CAL; 9 G PROT; 12 G TOTAL FAT (5 G SAT FATI; 35 G CARB. 27 MG CHOL; 430 MG SOD 4 G FIBER; U G SUGARS

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Copyright Active Interest Media Sep 2007

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