Cookaholics Bulletin Board

is on Oprah, today. Worth looking at.

I really wanted to see that but all we had was blizzard updates - almost constantly.
Fitzie

I did get a chance to watch it....I really like him and his sincere and sensible approach to eating meat. Most of the show was about Veganism and he of course eats meat. He discussed the need for all carnivors to understand where their meat/poultry comes from and make an informed decision. He is right when he talked about how "sanitized" meat has become. Kids see it packaged and mostly without even a bone. He feels that everyone who choses to eat meat be aware tht it came from a living animal. The program showed a tour of a feed lot and slaughterhouse (in Ft Morgan, CO) operated by Cargill and designed by Temple Grandin to minimize stress and pain.
It was fascinating to see (what I could actualy watch). Pollan essentailly said that if you are a meat eater, you should know where it comes from and how the animal was treated...that will be the only way, we as consumers, can make an impact on the treatment of animals produced for our consumption. Temple Grandin has yet to design anything for poultry.
Oprah's HARPO staff went Vegan for a week and some of them vowed to continue on the program because they lost weight and had more energy. Some will just limit the amount of meat they ingest.
ilene

Excellent synopsis, Ilene. I'm sure they'll show it again.

Thanks for posting, Ilene. I love Michael Pollan. He changed more about my eating/buying than any one else, probably ever... weird that they put him of all people on a show about veganism ??? Being conscientious about your sources of meat is worlds away from giving it up entirely.

I've probably followed almost all "healthy" diet advice since I was a teenager and it means that I change my way of eating entirely every year or two. This summer I cut out grains, refined sugar, milk products, refined oils and legumes while trying a crazy diet for one month - all pastured meat, fish, veggies, eggs and fruit. For the first time pretty much ever in my life (except one year when I was on a anti-seizure drug to try to control my migraines) I lost a whole bunch of weight, and discovered I am very sensitive, if not allergic, to gluten I've added back in milk products, oatmeal, quinoa and some beans cause I love them too much to give them up....

Weirdest part is that one of my dad's very close friends works under T. Colin Campbell at Cornell and has been steering him towards a vegan diet. I am close with my parents and we talk almost every night, especially about what we're having for dinner. Lately the conversations have been:
Me: So what's for dinner?
Dad: Pasta with pesto and garlic bread
Me: Wow, sounds good *thinking omg that is so unhealthy*
Dad: How about you, what are you having for dinner?
Me: Pot roast with root veggies, spinach with bacon and onions
Dad: Wow, sounds good *thinking omg that is so unhealthy*

And the truth is we're probably both right!! I think we're just supposed to eat seaweed....

I'm a great fan of Pollan. He makes a whole lot of sense to me.
Fitzie

Ms (perhaps Dr.) Grandin has not mentioned feeling any special sympathy for poultry. I know that it was her discovery that being in a contraption much like a squeeze box for livestock was very soothing to her that lead (at least partly) to her work with cattle.

Temple Grandin is autistic. High functioning for sure, but her condition allowed her to supposedly think like the cattle.

I know she's autistic. I just can't remember if she has a PHD.

She has a PhD and is a full professor at Colorado State University which has a huge Ag Department.
ilene