6. Peta announces their 2008’s sexiest vegetarians:

The sexiest vegetarians according to PETA crowned here, are Alyssa Milano of the TV show Charmed and rocker Frankie Iero. Coming in a close second are the Hush Sound’s easy-on-the-eyes Greta Salpeter and a TV star-turned-rocker, Jared Leto (30 Seconds To Mars).

5.  Heather Mills donates $1M USD of vegan food to Bronx children

While I’ve heard some remember her less favorably as the evil witch who broke up with Paul McCartney, it seems hard for me not to admire this Brit’s do-gooder streak.  Ms. Mills earned some vegan brownie points when she donated $1M USD in vegan food to children in the Bronx section of New York City. Officials say she donated to the region as it had “the city’s highest child obesity and asthma rates”.  Ms. Mills was honored by Congress for her achievements.

4.  Researchers step closer to growing cruelty-free meat

While it might not be for some vegetarians, for some former carnivores who went vegetarian, the opportunity to bite into a chicken wing with cruelty or murder might seem an attractive dream.  Those dreams inched closer to reality as vegetarian doctoral student Jason Matheny from the University of Maryland, developed a new way to grow animal cells in a nutrient bath to create cruelty-free synthetic meat.  The scientist is currently working on perfecting his process, something he hopes will allow the entire world to go vegetarian without as much as a diet change.

3.  Oprah Winfrey goes vegan for 21 days.

Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey made waves when she went vegan in May.  She blogged about her experience, stating, “How can you say you’re trying to spiritually evolve, without even a thought about what happens to the animals whose lives are sacrificed in the name of gluttony?”

She reports finding the vegan diet very satisfying.  While there’s no news on whether she stuck to the diet, it seems unlikely that she’ll be eating quite as many hamburgers in the near future.

2.  UN official calls on world’s citizens to stop eating meat to fight global warming

Rajendra Pachauri, head of the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has won a Nobel prize for his work on global warming.  He caused a stir this year by calling on citizens in the U.S. and abroad to eat less meat, saying it is the most effective way to combat global warming.

1. Vegetarian Athletes Score Big In 2008

Kansas City Chiefs Tony Gonzalez, was afraid his red-meat laden diet might be literally the death of him, so he went public with a decision that shocked many — he was going vegan.  The top paid NFL tight-end, who continues to set records showed that meat is by no means necessary to athletic performance, delivering 9 touchdowns and 1000 yards.

There are fatty foods which are better for you than others. Below we outline some you should be eating instead of the more common variety. Remember i’m not a dietician, just your friendly (and groovy) vegetarian, so always consult with a pro on any diet choice. ♥

Instead of Butter - Choose Smart Balance Omega Plus Spread

Instead of Whole Milk - Choose Organic Soy Milk

Instead of 1 Large Egg - Choose 1 omega 3 enriched egg

Instead of Olive Oil - Choose Canola Oil

Instead of Croutons - Choose English Walnuts

Instead of Fast Food Burger - Choose Black bean Burger

I really liked the fact that this brochure is not aimed at vegetarians in any way shape or form, yet it contained hearty and healthy vegetarian substitutions in their calculations. I don’t think we would have seen this years ago.

Essentially in the article they point out that mono fats and omega 3 fats are better for you than trans fats, and that you should avoid or reduce your intake of foods that contain trans fat.

To view more articles on living well head on over monthly magazine from GLMC.

I did some research and asked around, and it appears to have been an issue with my server, in other words my webhost. I sent off a ticket to them and they advised me that the blog had search bots blocked, because of something called htaccess. I don’t want to get too technical about it (and between you and me), it’s all techy gibberish to me. I have no idea what htaccess is, where it’s at, or how to kill it. lol.

I do understand what HTTP errors are and i do know how to fix some of the more common one’s like the 404. But that is not the type i had.

But as i said above, i think the issues are resolved, and hopefully all is good and right with the master Google dudes and dudettes. We shall see.

Please do come on out to the blog and let me know what you want to see more of and read more of. I will tell you that i have BIG plans for 2009 for this blog. My next post will have more details on this.

Cheers, Missy.

In order to get a rough idea of how to approach getting the right amount of protein, look first at your body weight. The Recommended Dietary Allowance is 0.37 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and rises to about 0.50 gram per pound if you are moderately active.

Using this formula if you weigh…

• 130 lb, you need 65 grams of protein a day
• 140 lb, you need 70 grams of protein a day
• 150 lb, you need 75 grams of protein a day
• 160 lb, you need 80 grams of protein a day
• 170 lb, you need 85 grams of protein a day
• 180 lb, you need 90 grams of protein a day
• 190 lb, you need 95 grams of protein a day
• 200 lb, you need 100 grams of protein a day
• 210 lb, you need 105 grams of protein a day

…And so on. As you can see the protein requirements are pretty high, especially if you weigh more.  So now one should consider how to get their necessary allotment.

Some foods such as hard cheeses, nuts, and eggs are typically thought of as protein-rich, but really aren’t as rich in protein as some. While these can be good secondary sources, try these instead:

1. Cottage Cheese 29g/ serving, serving size: 1 cup (pros: calcium, cons: lactose intolerance)
2. Ricotta Cheese 28g/ serving, serving size: 1 cup (pros: calcium, cons: lactose intolerance)
3. Seitan 26g/ serving, serving size: 1/2 cup (pros: low calorie, cons: high in sodium)
4. Soybeans 26g/ serving, serving size: 1 cup (pros: lignans, cons: goitrogens, may interfere with thyroid)
5. Lentils 18g/ serving, serving size: 1 cup (pros: high in minerals, cons: may cause gas)
6. Tempeh 16g/ serving, serving size: 1 cup (pros: fiber, minerals, B vitamins, heart-healthy soy cons: goitrogens)
7. Split Peas 16g/ serving, serving size: 1 cup (pros: B vitamins, cons: may cause gas)
8. Navy Beans 16g/ serving, serving size: 1 cup (pros: B vitamins, fiber, cons: has purines, which can cause kidney stones)

(Thanks Vegetarian Times for this list! (PDF))

A final topic of interest is how good is vegetarian protein versus meat-based protein. Up until the 90’s soy protein was thought to be inferior to meat protein. Then it was found that the rats that the early protein research was done on needed more sulfur-containing amino acids than humans, skewing the score.

Once the score was adjusted, both meat and soybeans scores about a 0.92 protein efficiency ratio (PER) on average (1.0 or higher is considered ideal). Eggs, while containing less protein are more efficient with a PER of 1.12, frequently stated as 1.0. Milk and whey also earn 1.0 or highers scores, and soy protein isolate also scores a 1.0. So in effect, soy is a better protein than meat, according to modern nutritional research.

READER QUESTION

What are some of your fave sources of protein? And where do you go for research on the topic? Do you even think about it, is it at all a concern? Share below.

EDITOR”S NOTE: I’m more concerned about getting enough fiber and iron, than i am with protein. But all are important nutrients. As is calcium, potassium, anti-oxidants, vitamins, etc.

Monday comic relief at Groovy Vegetarian is brought to you by Comics.com

Next week we will serve up another. Hope you get a laugh out of these. If so, let me know. Cheers!

I am grateful for my health, my family, my pets, my blogs, my laptop, my friends, my readers, chocolate, Coldplay, and so much more. Hope you too have lots of things to be grateful for. Don’t eat too much!

Black Friday Deals

And if this year you won’t be braving the flip flop weather, the crowds, and general Black Friday madness, i have a few *hot* online deals for you. I prefer to do my shopping online, as i’m not a fan of crowds and mayhem. ~Woot~ Hope you find something you like. Enjoy and stay safe!

*the deals below last from 11/27 to 12/01

I Am A Peacekeeper (Vegan Cosmetics) - 35% off any purchase

Aeropostale - Guys Accessories from $2.99

Aeropostale - Girls Accessories from $2.99

Nimli - 25% off any purchase at green and eco friendly shop Nimli

Amazon - Black Friday Deals at Amazon

eBay - When in doubt, hit online supercenter eBay

I consistently keep finding better prices on eBay than most major retailers when it comes to shoes, electronics, books, and PC equipment. I recently found a nice four hub USB port for my laptop for $5 and it works perfectly. I easily saved about $15 by shopping at eBay as opposed to Best Buy, or even Walmart.

Speaking of Walmart, they have the item i so want this Christmas, the Flip Video Cam.

Well that wraps up this post, have a safe and fun Thanksgiving. Cheers!

It’s Monday, who needs a little comic relief? Show of hands please. I see loads of hands up, so without further ado. Here is a new feature on Groovy Vegetarian that hopefully you (and especially bloggers) will appreciate: Monday Comic Relief.

I will post comics, videos, funny pics, cute t shirts, clever quotes, whatever i can find that adds some joy to your dull and dreary Monday.

Let me know what you think of this weeks entry?

*shout out to matt from blog about your blog for the inspiration. (comic via comics.com)

tofurky coupon below

So I thought I’d share a short list of how to maintain your healthy eating without breaking your budget. Whether you’re a vegetarian college student, searching for a job, or down on the dumps, the 8 tips below are for you. Share how you’re coping in the comments?

1. Grow a garden

It sounds cheesy, but one of the biggest ways to save money is to simply grow a garden. Organic produce doesn’t come cheap, but its relatively easy to grow. If you can’t handle an outdoor garden, grow a couple tomato plants indoors. If you’re willing to grow an outdoor garden consider beans, hot peppers, lettuce, basil, and cucumbers as just a few potential crops.

2. Look for health food brands and chain grocery stores

Kroger, Meijer and others have started to carry organic produce and some familiar health food brands, such Morningstar and Annie’s. Regional availability is still an issue, but you can find a lot of good deals at these places.

3. Shop Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s (if you’re lucky enough to have one by you) is an awesome asset to vegetarians. While the selection can be somewhat lacking, the prices are unbeatable. I often find the EXACT same item for 2-3 dollars cheaper than at Whole Paycheck… er I mean Whole Foods Market, the other health food chain by me (DISCLOSURE: I have several friends at WFM, and I definitely support what they’re doing, despite the high prices.)

4. Shop local health food joints

Many areas have local health food stores that can be very competitive in pricing with retail chains like Whole Foods Market. While not as cheap as some places (Trader Joe’s), these places often have a broad selection, such as a variety of organic cheeses or entrees, which a place like Trader Joe’s does not.

5. Eat in

Eating in — it’s romantic, it’s tasty, and it’s affordable. If your cash is tight eat in, it’s just common sense. Besides, there’s a shortage of good vegetarian restaurants and they typically charge a premium. Even if you are willing to make due with less-than-health food like Italian joints, you can still cook a premium organic vegetarian meal for the price that it would take to buy a run-of-the-mill dinner.

6. Check out the co-ops

Afraid to garden on your own? Want to meet other vegetarians? Do some research on co-ops in your area. Most parts of the country have these groups and they can be great and provide a lot of savings over the course of the year. Besides being part of a co-op makes you feel pretty darn groovy.

7. Clip coupons

This is another seemingly common sense tip, but many don’t know how many coupons there are out there for health food. Check out Whole Foods Market if there’s one by you — they put out really nice books of coupons, which can often be used at competitors. Vegetarian magazines also are another good source, and sometimes you can go directly to retailers website or try writing your favorite retailer to receive more special offers. Visit a frugal forum or get some tofurky coupons?

8. Buy in bulk

The last tip of the day is to buy in bulk. Sounds obvious, right? Well actually a lot of organic and vegetarian food items aren’t available in bulk or are just becoming available. Case and point — my favorite smoothy maker Sambazon just recently released a jumbo bottle of the Acai drink, which delivers about 3 little bottles worth for 2/3’s of the price. Keep your eyes peeled and take advantage of these opportunities when you find them!

As with all the other freebies, simply fill out your name and address and the free sample will be mailed to you in a few weeks.

There isn’t a Dunkin Donuts anywhere in sight in the South, but i do love a hot cup of DD java when i visit my stomping grounds in Chicago. No need to bring five bucks either, you can walk away with a large for like less than $1.50

Nice!

The hunky dude you see in the video above is vegan NFL player Tony Gonzalez. He runs down a quick all natural shake recipe for you.

Watch the video for all the ingredients. I will give you a clue though, loads and loads of fruits are used. Enjoy!