Up North Mommy

When veganism is forced upon children

Veganism is all the rage in Hollywood and among the new age crowd. They think they are saving animals by cutting out all meat and dairy from their diets, but in reality, they are killing themselves in the process. Take this 12 year old girl, for example, whose parents put her on a strict Vegan diet. She now has severe rickets and the spine of an 80 year old. This is irresponsible parenting at its worst:

A 12-YEAR-OLD girl in Scotland brought up by her parents on a strict vegan diet has been admitted to hospital with a degenerative bone condition said to have left her with the spine of an 80-year-old woman. 

Doctors are under pressure to report the couple to police and social workers amid concerns that her health and welfare may have been neglected in pursuit of their dietary beliefs.

The girl, who has been fed on a strict meat and dairy-free diet from birth, is said to have a severe form of rickets and to have suffered a number of fractured bones. 

The condition is caused by a lack of vitamin D, which is needed to absorb calcium and is found in liver, oily fish and dairy produce. Decalcification leads to the bones becoming brittle and can cause curvature of the spine.

Dr Faisal Ahmed, the consultant paediatrician treating the child at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow, declined to discuss the specific case. He said, however, that he believed the dangers of forcing children to follow a strict vegan diet needed to be highlighted.

One leading nutritionist, who asked not to be named, said: “In most instances, the parents who are imposing this very restrictive and potentially hazardous diet are not themselves brought up as vegans. They are imposing on their children something . . . which we do not know enough about to know it is safe.”

These parents are idiots. I don't think this little girl can recover from this. Sickening. I hope this little girl is saved from the ignorance of her parents.

Human beings are omnivores, meaning we eat both plants and animals. That's what our bodies require because that's how we evolved; it's what our various systems need to function.  Trying deny what our bodies need because we don't like it, and forcing our bodies to adapt to a diet of our own choosing is ignorant beyond belief.

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Tags: Veganism, parenting, starvation

Got red wine?

Recent studies have shown that having a glass of red wine once in a while is good for your heart. Now there's even more good news for those mommies who love to partake in a glass of red wine in the evening. A recent study has shown that an ingredient in red wine slows the aging process in mice. 

A small amount of resveratrol, an ingredient in red wine, slowed signs of bone and heart muscle aging in the genes of mice, researchers said.    

The study, published today in the online Journal of the Public Library of Science, showed that the compound slowed signs of aging in mice as effectively as a calorie-restricted diet, proven to retard aging in animals.    

High daily doses of resveratrol, equivalent to what is in 1,000 or more bottles of wine, previously have been shown to prolong the lives of laboratory animals. Drugmakers are investigating the substance for uses against diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Scientists at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc., which London-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc is buying for about $720 million, are working on a compound similar to resveratrol.    

``The discovery of compounds could have profound public health impact by reducing disease incidence and possibly extending the quality and length of the human lifespan,'' said senior author Tomas Prolla, of the University of Wisconsin's medical genetics department in Madison, and other researchers, in the study. ``Because cardiac disease is a major contributor to age-related mortality, positive findings could lead to a novel and important approach to improve the quality of human life.''   

So as I relish my glass of pinot noir tonight, I just may be extending my life at the same time.    I can live with that.             

My special pasta sauce recipe

I have a pasta sauce recipe that I created myself and I made it tonight. My husband likes it so much he said that he'd pay to eat it. So I thought I'd share it with all of you. It's really simple but oh so tasty and low fat.  You can use it with any kind of pasta you like. I like angel hair pasta the best.

6 ounces angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup portobello mushrooms, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes - I use the kind with basil, garlic, and oregano added.
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Cook pasta as directed and drain. In large skillet  over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil until the garlic is fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook through, stirring regularly. Add the Italian seasoning and mix until the ingredients are coated.  Add in diced tomatoes and stir.  Simmer for 15 minutes stirring periodically.  Serve with pasta and Parmesan cheese.  Serves four.

New coffee this morning

I'm trying Sam's Choice French Roast ground coffee for the first time this morning.  It's Fair Trade Certified, which is not a necessity for me but was a plus.  I was quite pleased with the aroma when I first opened the bag. The color was  a rich dark brown. Nicely ground. I like a finer grind to my already ground coffee.  I have a grinder so if I feel ambitious, I'll buy the whole bean and grind it myself.  I really enjoy my french press, but it takes an extra step that I usually don't want to mess with early in the morning.  If I have to brew hot water anyway, I might as well brew the coffee with it.

Now the taste test....

Oooh. I like it.  It's got a deep, rich flavor that's not too bitter.  Yes, I really like it.

Anyway, I can't record any other impressions right now because I have to run. Little Miss Throwsafit has PT at 9:30 and it's 30 minutes away.