Vegetarian Star

Michelle Obama recently spoke about her initiative  to reduce obesity rates in children.

The administration is requesting $10 million dollars over the next decade to improve the school lunch program, which includes making more fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products available.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine advocates a vegan diet, and two of its representatives, nutritionist Kathryn Strong and public affairs director Elizabeth Kucinich, the wife of representative Dennis Kucinich, have offered their insights.

Strong suggested that subsidies to the meat and dairy industries be cut. If these higher fat meat and cheese items aren’t as cheap, they may be less likely to be included as a regular option in schools.

Kucinich emphasized the value of healthy foods as preventative medicine for obesity related illnesses like diabetes.

“What is the cost to the nation if we don’t [consider it]?” she said, according to the Epoch Times.

Kucinich also emphasized that for some low-income children, the school meal might be the only meal they eat.

Dairy sensitivities and/or lactose intolerance is common in minority groups that are often over- represented in low income school districts.

A carton of soy milk replacing 2% on the lunch tray may give schools a better report card in future semesters.

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As mentioned before, The Record reported that a man named Andrew Hunt will be writing weekly letters to Sarah Palin, sharing the benefits of a vegan lifestyle and recipes.

A writer at Slashfood heard this news and unfortunately, doesn’t agree with Hunt’s vegetarian agenda and suggests Sarah use her entrepreneurial spirit to profit from a lifestyle of loving meat.

Specifically, moose meat.

In his “letter” to Palin, he writes:

“I am writing to you, because I think a chain of patriotic restaurants inspired by your persona is exactly what this country needs, featuring an underrated ingredient that you have actually hunted. Delicious, lean, gamey moose”

“Imagine: a franchise of affordable restaurants with you as their spokes-governor — Sarah’s Moose Hut! Or International House of Moose! TGIMoose?”

“That’s right. Moose burgers. Moose stew. Moose cakes. Moose dumplings. Moose loaf. Moose kabobs. Moose casserole. Moose and potatoes. Moose lo mein. Moose tacos. The mind boggles.”

While The Veg Star can’t agree with ethics of the aforementioned business plan, in the true spirit of capitalism, International House of Moose would be Palin’s right to pursue.

One would hope she would at least meet a vegan halfway and offer faux breaded moose wings (deep fried in vegetable oil separately from the real thing) on the TGIMoose menu.

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Sarah Palin has a new pen pal, but it’s not one she might not write back to.

According to The Record, Andrew Hunt, a history professor at the University of Waterloo, has written the former Republican vice presidential candidate a letter, urging her to consider the benefits of veganism–both for people and animals. He even plans to throw in a few recipes.

But he’s not stopping at one note.

Hunt plans to write a letter every week, for the next year. Or at least until the restraining order is issued.

“I intend to send them to her very religiously,” Hunt said. “I intend to persuade her that this is a much better. I tend to write them as if I’m sitting at the dinner table with her.”

Of course, no vegan would ever voluntarily sit at the dinner table with Palin, given her attitudes about animals as food, as evident in her book, Going Rogue, when she wrote, “I always remind people from outside our state that there’s plenty of room for all Alaska’s animals — right next to the mashed potatoes.”

Still Hunt insists he will play the nice guy.

“I understand why (Palin) loves meat. I ate it most of my life,” he said. “I’m trying to set a very respectful tone toward meat eaters.”

“All my life I have loved animals, but I was living in ignorance and not really aware of the suffering caused by my choices,” Hunt  added. “I’m not saying people should stop drinking milk or eating meat. All I’m asking is they think about the consequences of those decisions.”

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Michelle Obama gave a speech to the U.S. Conference of Mayors at the Capital Hilton this week which highlighted the need to combat childhood obesity.

The First Lady has taken a leadership role in encouraging healthier habits in children and adults.

Appearing on Sesame Street, she and Elmo urged children to eat more fruits and vegetables.

She showed up to support local and fresh produce at the nearby Farmers Market in D.C.

And according to Jocelyn Frye, the first lady’s domestic policy adviser, good habits start in the home–or at least in the yard of the home.

“We didn’t want to have a garden just to have a garden,” said Frye of the White House garden, according to the Washington Post. “It was a vehicle for talking about children’s health.”

Mrs. Obama’s ideas to reduce the childhood obesity epidemic include ensuring healthier options are in school lunches, encouraging more physical activity, increasing the availability of healthy food in every neighborhood and giving parents and kids better nutrition education.

Would a meat-free Monday be too much to ask for as well?

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Could Michelle Obama‘s desire to return to healthy eating and eat local inspire African Americans to do the same?

According to Dr. Shemuel Israel, President of the North Lawndale Greening Committee on Chicago’s West Side, the answer is yes.

Dr. Israel thinks the First Family’s garden is partially responsible for the increased interest and hopes the trend continues.

“We do a lot, but there’s more work to be done to teach people to grow their own food,” he said, according to Chicago Now.

With Mrs. Obama’s influence and African Americans like John Salley and Forest Whitaker encouraging African Americans to improve their diets by eating vegetarian, Dr. Israel might see the fruits of his labor sooner than later.

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DC Fur Free Metro PETA Ad

First lady Michelle Obama may look stunning in PETA’s fur free ads that lined the walls of DC Metro Stations, but did she even want to appear in them?

It has been discovered that the animal rights organization did not get Mrs. Obama’s permission to use her photo in the ad, according to the Washington Post and the White House is calling for the posters to be removed.

“We got a call from the White House counsel’s office,” Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA said. “We said to them, we’re not selling a coat, only an idea that glamorous beautiful women who you look up to don’t wear fur. . . . We’re honoring her. Lawyers are lawyers, but PETA is honoring her fashion sense.”

“We didn’t expect them to fund it or endorse it. But “she is in the public domain. . . . This is reporting a statement of fact: She doesn’t wear fur. And our opinion: We think that’s fabulous.”

PETA also did not obtain permission to use Carrie Underwood, Oprah Winfrey or Tyra Banks for the ads, although these celebrities have prior connections to the group.

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After discovering conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh was hospitalized for chest pains, Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine, decided to write Limbaugh a letter suggesting changes to his diet might prevent such medical problems.

A letter urging someone to go veg? That’s right. PCRM must be playing PETA now.

“In our grandparents’ day, people knew the value of humble beans, vegetables, and fruits, often growing them in their own family gardens. These foods have essentially no cholesterol and very little saturated fat. Nowadays, many Americans are very liberal with meat, dairy products, and end up needing to rely on medications to counteract the effects of their diets.”

According to a  news release, PCRM also delivered a care packet of fruits, vegetables and other vegan foods, courtesy of Down to Earth, an organic vegetarian store in Oahu.

PCRM says that heart attacks increase during December and January because of eating patterns that occur during the holiday season.

If Rush’s hospital room comes with Internet access, he’ll be able to go online and sign up for the PCRM 21 Day Vegan Kickstart program.

Wishing Rush a speedy recovery because Punkin the cat must really be missing him.

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If you’re wondering what the top veggie stories of 2009 will be, have patience!

The big newsbreaker may come on December 31.

In the meantime, take a look at the top green stories of the decade provide by grist.org, which practically names Al Gore as a green savior of the decade.

“After a short, bearded, self-imposed exile, he made a simple decision: if climate change is the greatest danger to humanity, something he’d been discouraged from saying for most of his electoral career, then he would say so. He set about spreading the word in characteristic nerdy, earnest fashion, with a slide show, a patient explanation, and four gazillion frequent flier miles.”

What’s even greater than his Inconvenient Truths or big green balls, however, is the fact that good ol’ Al is going in the veg direction.

After being chided for not bringing up the effects of meat on the environment, Gore finally said it straight.

“It’s absolutely correct that the growing meat intensity of diets around the world is one of the issues connected to this global crisis – not only because of the CO2 involved, but also because of the water consumed in the process,” Gore told ABC television.

“I’m not a vegetarian, but I have cut back sharply on the meat that I eat,” he added.

Crossing the fingers Gore goes all the way in 2010!

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