THE VEGAN NEWS THE VEGAN NEWS
The Vegan News is written and edited by P M Lloyd. Please e-mail your contributions to the editor at: pauline@bury-rd.demon.co.uk or fill in the form provided.
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Recipe of the MonthServe with crusty bread or pitta breads. Very quick and easy!
February
Product Review Honesty Sun Lotion (High Protection)
Made from aloe vera gel, carrot oil and vegetable glycerin, this high protection sun lotion protects against both UVA and UVB and has an SPF of 15. I must confess that last summer I became quite hooked on its smell which reminds me of coconuts - although I can't see any coconut oil mentioned in the list of ingredients. Honesty High Protection Sun Lotion is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. A 200ml bottle costs £6.20 (plus £2.50 postage) and can be purchased by mail order from Animal Aid, The Old Chapel, Bradford Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1AW. You can also order this product from Animal Aid's website. Stock up now, especially if you're planning a skiing holiday or are off to the sun soon!
Mountains of the Moon
Produced by Taylors of Harrogate, this relaxing, organic green tea is produced in Darjeeling, India, on an estate where only natural fertilisers are used. Here, the tea bushes are grown alongside plants such as citronella which discourage insect pests naturally. Mountains of the Moon Green Tea contains four added organically grown herbs - chamomile, lemon balm, lime flower and strawberry leaf. It's low in caffeine and is a rich source of the antioxidants needed to protect the body from damage by free radicals. By purchasing this brand of tea you can also help to support sustainable agriculture and aid tree planting projects abroad. Mountains of the Moon green tea is on sale in Sainsbury's for £1.89. Each pack contains 40 unbleached tea bags. Delicious with freshly squeezed lemon juice! Other green teas in this range include: 'Wild Mountain' and 'Crystal Mountain'. Keep an eye out for them in your local health shop.
Vitamin A (Retinol) Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin which is found in certain animal foods. Good sources of vitamin A include liver, kidney, dairy products and egg yolk, but by far the best animal source of vitamin A is cod liver oil. Why is it that despite not obtaining any vitamin A from these animal products, vegans rarely seem to suffer from vitamin A deficiency? Well vitamin A can also be made in the human body from beta-carotene (provitamin A) which is found in green leafy vegetables and is also present in many orange-coloured vegetables and fruits. Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A mainly in the intestinal mucosal cells and any vitamin A which is not required for immediate use is stored in the body, for example in the liver. According to Dr Gill Langley in her book Vegan Nutrition (Vegan Society, 1995) there have been no reports of vitamin A deficiency in British vegans who can usually obtain plenty of beta-carotene from the plant foods in their diet.
Why Do We Need Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is involved in many processes in the human body including the immune response, foetal development, spermatogenesis, hearing and physical growth. It is also needed for a healthy skin and plays a very important role in vision, being especially important for night vision. Deficiency of vitamin A can thus lead to a condition known as 'night blindness' and also to another form of blindness known as xerophthalmia which is particularly prevalent in parts of Africa, Latin America, the Near East and in south and east Asia. Globally vitamin A deficiency causes many problems. About 3 million children under ten are blind because of vitamin A deficiency and a further 20-40 million suffer a milder form of deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of childhood death in many developing countries. This is because normally vitamin A acts as a shield against disease, but malnourished people, deficient in vitamin A, soon fall victim to many common diseases - often with fatal consequences. So as you can see, although lack of vitamin A does not seem to cause any problems for vegans living in the UK, it can have a pretty devasting effect in other areas of the world.
Some of you may have noticed that I included a link to the drumstick tree in the December issue. I did this because the leaves of the drumstick tree are an excellent source of provitamin A and also provide many other important nutrients including potassium, calcium, vitamin C and protein. The drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera) is a very important tree because it can be grown in many developing countries and can therefore help to alleviate much of the suffering caused by vitamin A deficiency. The organisation 'Trees for Life' is carrying out valuable work in poor rural villages in Orissa (India) where many people suffer from vitamin A deficiency. Here they educate the local people about the life-saving health benefits of the drumstick tree, provide them with seeds from which they can grow new drumstick trees and teach them how to include drumstick leaves in their cooking - for example by teaching them how to make drumstick bread! If you would like to find out more about their work, or how you can help, then visit The Trees For Life website. A lot of vitamin A deficiency is simply 'poverty in the midst of plenty'. And the solution to the problem is often to educate people about the vegetable sources of beta-carotene available to them in their environment and to help them to grow and incorporate these souces into their diet.
Some Good Vegan Sources of Beta-Carotene:
What's
Happening in the Veganic Garden This Month?The lengthening days always makes me want to rush out into the garden and start sowing. However, it is important not to be too impatient, as anything can happen weatherwise at this time of year! If you do want to start making some sowings, then 'Feltham First' is a reliable winter-hardy, dwarf variety of pea which can be sown from about mid-February onwards. However, I usually cover any February pea sowings with fleece protection just to be on the safe side. You will also find that early peas and beans germinate faster, if you warm up the ground in the area where you intend to sow, by covering it with plastic (preferably black plastic) for a few weeks before sowing. Broad bean varieties such as 'Aquadulce claudia' and 'The Sutton' are also quite hardy and can be sown either towards the end of the month, or in early March. And don't forget that it's your last chance to plant out garlic cloves this month - plant them in a warm sunny position.
Shallots, Jerusalem artichokes and new rhubarb sets can also be planted in February. And if it's mild, I sometimes plant out my onion sets at the end of February- under a fleece of course. But on the whole I think that it's probably better to leave onion sets unplanted until early next month, unless the weather is unusually good. Early sowings of parsnips can also be made this month and if you are impatient for some rhubarb, then force established rhubarb crowns by first of all covering them with compost and then place an old upturned bucket or barrel over the top of them. Young sticks of rhubarb should be ready for pulling by April.
If your seed potatoes have arrived from the suppliers, then place them in shallow wooden boxes (or old seed trays) to sprout - the best eyes should be uppermost. Seed potatoes need to be kept in a frost-free and fairly light place.
Indoor Sowings: Peppers, Welsh onion, Brussels sprouts and lettuces can all be sown indoors in a propagator or trays this month.
Brussels sprouts, celery, corn salad, kale, Jerusalem artichokes, landcress, leeks, parsnips, sprouting broccoli, winter cabbage and winter cauliflower.
The Dr Hadwen Trust Fibrosing Lung Disease Appeal
Fibrosing lung disease is a devastating disease. The lungs stop functioning properly and become scarred (or fibrotic), making normal breathing virtually impossible and leaving the sufferer constantly struggling for air. Ordinary daily activities such as eating or climbing stairs become increasingly difficult and in the advanced stages of the disease oxygen may need to given all the time. Fibrosing lung disease is not caused by smoking or unhealthy living. It is a disease which can affect anybody. Sometimes it is caused by occupational and environmental exposure to harmful substances, but in over two thirds of cases the cause is unknown. In the UK it causes between 3,000 and 4,000 deaths each year.
Research is essential, but much of the research being carried out involves purposely damaging the lungs of countless animals in order to induce fibrosis. Such research causes considerable unnecessary suffering to animals. The Dr Hadwen Trust is raising money to fund a humane three year research project into Fibrosing Lung Disease. This project will use newly devised technology to compare the DNA obtained from healthy individuals with DNA samples taken from patients with the disease. The aim of the project is to identify and examine specific genes associated with this disease and to reveal more about the disease's underlying mechanisms. It is envisaged that the study will eventually lead to new and better treatments.
If you would like to support this project please send your donatation to: Dr Hadwen Trust, FREEPOST SG 335, Hitchin, Herts, SG5 2BR, making your cheque payable to 'Dr Hadwen Trust'. For more information ring: 01462 436819.
In the Wildlife Garden - Butterflies'Some Butterflies Face Extinction As Flowers Vanish'
According to a recent article in The Times (Tuesday January 4 2000) many of Britain's butterflies are in danger of becoming extinct in the first few years of the new millennium! Why? Because changes in agriculture and forestry are forcing them out of their natural habitats. Ninety-seven percent of our flower-rich grasslands have been lost and our fens, lowland heaths, meadows, peat bogs and ancient woodlands are also in decline. Some species appear to have been affected much more than others, the biggest losers being the black-veined white and the high-brown fritillary. But the large blue, large tortoiseshell, silver-spotted skipper, heath fritillary, marsh fritillary, chequered skipper, adonis blue and the silver-studded blue have also suffered great losses. It's not all bad news though - some species seem to have adapted well to changing conditions and are thriving and expanding their ranges. These include the Essex skipper, speckled wood, orange tip, brown argus, white admiral, small skipper, gatekeeper, ringlet, marbled white and the comma which all appear to be on the increase.
If you would like more information on this topic, then consult the original article in The Times, or visit Butterfly Conservation's website.
Other
Interesting WebsitesAn excellent site and a particularly good starting point for obtaining information for the new or intending vegan. You can now visit their online shop or become a member.
Here you can find out all about Redwood's quality, animal-free alternatives to meat. The ideal website for any vegan who likes to cheat a little!
Hempfood Industries Association
All things hemp: Hemp facts, hemp foods, recipes, hempy links and details of hemp product distributors, both here in the UK and abroad.
At this website you will find a list of tour operators offering tours, holidays and courses suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
A vegetarian and vegan guesthouse, situated in North Wales only three miles from Snowdon. Ideal for walking and other outdoor activities.
The Freshfood Company offers a wide range of organic food products plus fruit and vegetable boxes, all delivered straight to your door. Not all of the products offered are vegan, although many are. Here you can order Plamil chocolate, a wide range of Suma, Meridian and Clearspring products and many other well known brands that are suitable for vegans.
Sweet Temptations by Frances Kendall (Avery 1988)
A nice collection of over 120 sugar-free desserts that need no cooking whatsoever. These delicious recipes are quick to make and use only natural, healthy and readily available ingredients such as fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds and spices. So why not whizz up a healthy nectar, or shake, in minutes in your blender? Or try out a fresh fruit ambrosia, fruit freeze or sherbet on a hot summer's evening? There are also many more substantial nut-based recipes for winter and plenty of recipes for cookies, candies, cakes, pies and tarts - ideal for treats, parties and other special occasions. And dehydrator owners will be delighted with the section of recipes for breads, dried fruit treats and chews.
Please note: you will need a blender and/or champion juicer to make most of the recipes in this book. All ingredients are measured in cups.
Sweet Temptations can be purchased by mail order from: The FRESH Network, PO Box 71, ELY, CB7 4GU. Price £6.00 (plus £0.80 postage).
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February
Book Review