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| eLifelines September 2009 - The Countdown to Food, Fun and Good Health Begins |
| Monday, 10 August 2009 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Welcome to the September edition of eLifelines. Summer may be winding down, but at the Toronto Vegetarian Association that's nothing to frown upon! The end of summer means the start of new celebrations and events - the Annual Vegetarian Food Fair, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off. The first signs of fall have also brought us good news, including new directory updates, a decline in the slaughter of animals in the US and a new online program from Brendan Brazier that can help even more people go vegetarian and save the lives of more animals. If you're still feeling sad and sluggish thinking about the end of summer, there's no better time to keep up with good nutrition habits so be sure to read about the nutrient of the month, Omega Fatty Acids. And if all else fails, let's face it - everybody loves to save a little money and eat great food! So read about the whopping 15% discount being offered by Sadie's Diner in the discount profile column. Don't Miss These Upcoming Events!The 25th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair is less than two weeks away, the weekend of September 11 to 13th. Get your apron on and join us one month later at the 2nd Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off where you can participate as either a baker or a taster, or both! Find out more in the TVA in Action section or on facebook.
This Month... TVA in Action - Get your tastebuds ready! The 25th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair is just around the corner, where you'll find over 100 exhibitors and an enormous selection of cooking demonstrators and speakers scheduled all throughout the weekend. Then just around the corner it's the 2nd Annual Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off, where a small donation will give you the opportunity to sample entries in numerous categories of cruelty-free and delectable baked goods. To work off all that sugar, join the Toronto Vegetarian Team at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, sponsored by Live Organic Food Bar. Plus, we've got the report on the first Durham Vegetarian Festival, which was a huge success! In the News - This month continues to be one of powerful news that vegetarians can be proud of. More studies are revealing the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. But it's not just us humans who are benefiting, a study from the USDA reports there has actually been a decline in meat production! Nutrient of the Month - The Fabulous Fats: Omega Fatty Acids Recipe - Flax Crackers Can You Thrive in Thirty? - Are you a fan of Thrive Diet? How about Thrive Fitness? You won't want to miss Brendan Brazier's new online program, Thrive in 30, offering weekly fitness and nutrition advice on a plant-based diet. Discount Profile - Sadie's Diner offers 15% off with the TVA Discount Card.
TVA In Action Upcoming Events
Don't miss the celebration of this special anniversary at this year's Annual Vegetarian Food Fair. Have you planned out your weekend yet? There's an abundance of speakers, cooking demonstrators, entertainers and special events to choose from, so you might want to make yourself an itenerary so you don't forget something! And make sure to leave time for browsing the vendors and having a meal at the World Cafe. Brenda Davis (registered Dieitician and nutritionist), Colleen Patrick-Gouderau (vegan cookbook author), Gene Baur (co-founder of Farm Sanctuary), Terry Hope Romero (vegan cookbook author), jae steele (vegan cookbook author and holistic nutritionist) and many more! See the full event schedule to date here. Important Schedule Correction: Please note that Brendan Brazier will be speaking at the Food Fair on Friday, September 11th at 5 pm, and Saturday, September 12th at 7:30 pm. Aaron Richards will be speaking on Friday, September 11th at 6:30 pm. When? Friday, September 11th to Sunday, September 13th Where? Harbourfront Centre How much? This event is FREE! For more information visit our website or check out the Food Fair Blog. The Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off
To celebrate World Vegetarian Day you are invited to the 2nd Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off. With a small donation ($5) you can participate in sampling the entries and voting for the fan favourite. Or, if you bring your own container and utensils you can receive your sampling passport for a $2 donation. Or perhaps you'd like to show off your prowess in the kitchen by tantalizing the judges and your fellow Toronto Vegetarian Association supporters with your creative concoctions. This is your chance to break out the fancy apron and your veganized family recipe. Come down and compete for the chance to walk away with a big prize and a huge blue ribbon. When? Saturday, October 3rd from 4 to 7 pm Where? Harbourfront Community Centre at Bathurst and Lakeshore (NOT to be confused with the Harbourfront Centre) More information? You can read about last year's bakeoff here, which will soon be updated with all the information regarding this year's event, so check back regularily! In the meantime, contact Lisa if you'd like more information about registering as a contestant. Find other veg-related event listings at veg.ca/events. Get Outside with TVA at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Do you like running? Or walking? AND do you love TVA? If the answer to any of those questions is YES, then don't miss the chance to join the Toronto Vegetarian Team at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon! There's no need to fear joining the team, as this race, which can be completed as a 5k, 1/2 marathon or full marathon, is commonly described as flat, fast and festive. Plus, thanks to a generous sponsorship from Live Organic Food Bar, all team members who fundraise for TVA will be invited to a private post-run dinner with Brendan Brazier in early October. Joining the team is simple. Contact Barbi Lazarus at 416-544-9800 or blazarus@veg.ca to receive your special pincode for a discounted registration rate and full information on signing up. Are you already registered with another charity at the race? Really not interested in running? You can still support the Toronto Vegetarian Team in one of two simple and easy ways! All donations of $20 or more are tax deductible. 1. You can sponsor a runner on the Toronto Vegetarian Team: To sponsor someone already registered on the Toronto Vegetarian Team, visit our official charity page and click the link below that says "Sponsor a Participant" and search for Toronto Vegetarian Association for a list of team members. 2. You can sponsor the entire Toronto Vegetarian Team: To sponsor the Toronto Vegetarian Team rather than a specific runner, visit our official charity page and click the link below that says "Sponsor a Team" and search for Toronto Vegetarian Team. We hope you'll consider supporting the Toronto Vegetarian Team!TVA Group EventsThe York Region/North York Vegetarian Group will hold their next meeting at Fressen (478 Queen Street West, west of Spadina) on Sunday, September 13th at noon. Please RSVP to yorkregion@veg.ca. The TVA Dinner Social Group will hold their next meeting at Rancho Relaxo (300 College Street, west of Spadina) on Thursday, September 17th at 7 pm. Please RSVP at 416-544-9800 or tvadinner@veg.ca. The Vegetarian Family Group is looking for new members! This group seeks to support vegetarian and vegan families of all types and ethnicities. They gather once a month for potlucks, picnics and playdates, to support each other as parents and vegetarians and share recipies and ideas. Children also meet other veg children and see how there are others just like them! Please contact Claire for more information. TVA Donations at Work
The Toronto Vegetarian Association was one of 35 exhibitors at Durham's first vegetarian festival. Situated on the picturesque Whitby lakeshore, the event was a huge success, drawing unexpected thousands of residents and visitors...even in the rain! Kudos are due to all of the volunteers who worked around the clock to make this event look and feel almost as professional as its "older cousin", TVA's annual Vegetarian Food Fair. The festival's chief organizer and troubleshooter, Steve Dunk, galvanized over 35 sponsors, with even more on a waiting list for next year. It was a year ago that Steve approached Food Fair veteran and long-time TVA volunteer Sally Grande, who transpoanted herself in Durham more than a decade ago. Over the years, Sally nurtured a small, informal group, the Durham Lakeside Vegetarians as one of the TVA groups. While the group has held monthly dinners, lectures and social events, they did not envision themsevles as being able to manage such a large and highly visible event. No doubt Steve, Sally and a team of other dedicated volunteers made it happen, and the Toronto Vegetarian Association funded the endeavour. Visitors, vendors and speakers from west of Toronto to as far east as Clarington and Port Hope beamed as they sampled food, bought fresh veggies, books, t-shirts and accessories, and acquiried information about an earth-friendly diet. The DLVers are now pumped for the 25th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair and hope for a bigger, better festival in Durham next year. Directory UpdatesA brand new cafe has opened in the Beach. Wild Earth (at 2142 Queen Street East) offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free baked goods and light lunches. Another new business in Toronto is an eco-friendly store that opened on the Danforth called Do Bamboo (698 Coxwell Avenue). Here you can shop for quick-growing, pesticide-free bamboo clothing and other home products. TVA Discount Card holders receive 10% off regularily prices items too! The Sahayoga retreat close to Belleville has increased their discount they give to discount card holders up to 10%. Accommodation, all vegan meals and use of facility are included in the weekend package. In the MediaDid you pick up the summer issue of VegNews back in July? If so, you might have stumbled across mention of TVA in an article about travelling to Toronto. What did they have to say about us? Why of course - that the first thing any vegetarian travelling to Toronto should do is visit veg.ca and pick up a copy of the Vegetarian Directory to make sure they don't miss out on any especially good and compassionate eats in the city!And, word is starting to get around about the 25th Vegetarian Food Fair, with a writeup in Toronto Life in August. See the writeup here!
In the NewsVegans Weigh In Lower Than Meat EatersIt's becoming more and more common to find mainstream newspapers reporting the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. On July 31st, the Toronto Star reported that vegans rate the thinnest when compared to meat eaters, fish eaters and vegetarians, and this is related to the higher amounts of fibre they consume. That's because foods with fibre make you feel full longer. The article also recommended plant-based sources for keeping your heart health in check, such as leafy greens for vitamin K and peaches for potassium - both of which help to fend off problems of high blood pressure. Read the full article here. More Research Prooves Effectiveness of a Vegetarian Diet for Sustaining Good HealthPCRM continues to report new research pointing to the benefits of a vegetarian diet. A recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that people who ate red meat five or more times per week were more than four times likely to develop cancer of the kidney. Another report published by the American Diabetes Association also showed that meat eaters are heavier than vegetarians, and have higher rates of diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer, translating into huge medical costs.
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The 25th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair
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- 3 cups golden flax seeds soaked in 3 cups of water for 4 - 6 hours, or overnight (they absorb water quickly, but won't matter if they soak longer)
- 4 - 5 ripe medium to large tomatoes
- 2 jalepeno or other hot peppers (more if you want them really spicy)
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 clove fresh garlic (optional)
- 2 limes, juiced (or 2-1/2 to 3 if you want them really tangy)
- 1 tsp Celtic, Himalayan or other high mineral content salt
- 2 - 3 tsp salt-free Mexican seasoning (Frontier makes a good organic one) or chili powder
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, washed, tough stems removed, and chopped
Put all the veggies & seasonings in blender and blend until smooth.
Add the soaked flax seeds and blend until smooth - you may have to do this in batches, and you may have to add an extra cup or two of water. Mix everything until the batter looks homogenized/even. It should be thick, not runny, but still be able to spread easily. (If it's thick, then you'll just have thicker crackers, and they will take longer to dehydrate).
Note: Your flax cracker life will be a lot easier if you have a high-power blender such as a Vita-Mix or K-Tec - otherwise, have lots of patience - the flax seeds need to be broken down to give you the benefit of the Omega-3 fatty acids.
Spread about 1-1/4 cups thinly and evenly on each teflex sheet, and dehydrate on 115 F for 24 hrs. This yields 9 trays. If using a 4 or 5-tray, then cut the recipe in half. To speed up dehydrating time by a couple of hours, you can remove the teflex sheet after about 8 - 10 hours, and continue drying on the mesh tray. When the crackers are nice and crispy, they're done. Break them up (they won't be even - all jagged and various shape - but that's okay - they'll taste GREAT!)
Find links to more recipes at veg.ca/recipes.
Can You Thrive in 30?
Brendan Brazier's New Online Fitness and Nutrition Program
Professional triathlete and bestselling author on performance nutrition, Brendan Brazier, has introduced Thrive in 30, a free 30-day online program designed to increase knowledge about plant-based nutrition, optimize physical and mental performance, and offer a fresh approach to total body health.
The month-long journey based on Brazier’s book, Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life is made accessible in an easy-to-follow and engaging program guiding health enthusiasts to make life enhancing change. In Thrive in 30, participants receive 12 emails over a month, each touching on a different health-enhancing topic. In addition to written content, each lesson includes a brief and intimate video segment where Brazier reviews key principles and provides suggestions on how the ideas can be seamlessly applied by anyone.
Thrive in 30 is a simple yet informative way to learn about plant-based health.
**Don't miss Brendan's two talks at the 25th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair! Friday at 5 pm, and Saturday at 6:30 pm.
Discount Profile
Sadie's Diner: 15% off with TVA Discount Card
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Delicious brunch at Sadie's Source: Blogto |
Sadie's Diner serves up traditional diner fare veggie-style, with a great selection of juices and smoothies, ranging from super-healthy (think beet juice with a shot of veggie greens) to wonderfully indulgent (our favourite is the chocolate, peanut butter and banana smoothie). Vegan french toast with a side of veggie bacon is another menu highlight, but whatever you choose at Sadie's, the ingredients are always top-quality.
They also score big for using biodegradable take-out containers, and donating table scraps to feed animals on a no-kill farm. To top it off, the kitschy cool decor, complete with a wall of Pez and work by local artists makes it just plain fun to sit and sip on your cup of perfectly brewed, organic and fair-trade coffee.
In addition to the fact that you can save 15% off the cost of your meal when you present your TVA discount card, the warm, unpretentionious service and atmosphere make Sadie's a perfect spot for a weekend brunch with friends or a fun dinner date.
Where? 504 Adelaide Street West (at Portland Street)
Veg Status? Entirely vegetarian. Many vegan options.
Savings with TVA Discount Card: 15%
The TVA Discount Card is available to members of the Toronto Vegetarian Association. Find a full listing of participating locations here. To join TVA and/or purchase a discount card, make a tax-deductible, online donation or phone the TVA office at 416-544-9800.
Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today!
Founded in 1945, the Toronto Vegetarian Association is a volunteer-driven charitable organization devoted to providing information and support to people who are interested in making healthier, greener, more peaceful food choices. By becoming a member of TVA, you'll support vital programs such as the largest annual vegetarian food fair in North America, the vegetarian directory, a volunteer-run vegetarian resource centre and the Veggie Challenge. You'll also receive our quarterly print newsletter Lifelines, and have the option to purchase our Discount Card, offering savings at over 70 veg-friendly businesses in the GTA. All donations of $20 or more are tax-deductible. Join the Toronto Vegetarian Association today, and help us inspire people to choose a healthier, greener, more peaceful lifestyle.