If anyone ever told me that eating healthy meant not being able to have dessert, I just wouldn’t do it!  It’s important to enjoy life, and we can do that in part by including better quality foods in our diet!  This is a tofu and chocolate “cheesecake” that I baked this weekend. Cheers!

In the documentary Forks Over Knives, the doctors say “Erectile Dysfunction is the canary in the coal mine.” If you have ED, then you have cardiovascular disease. Vascular problems in one place means you have them all over. Men who change to plant based diets are able to “raise the flag” again. Check out the brief YouTube video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ECnqXQpDA&feature=relmfu

Are you a manly man (or a woman living with a manly man)? In Forks Over Knives, firemen, MMA fighters and triathletes advocate a whole foods plant based diet. Come learn how to prepare several recipes in the Power Foods cooking class on May 6th. Tastings always included!

Its 12:05. We’ve got 5 hours. But I come to you with hope.

I attended the 9am conference committee hearing with a hui of folks ready to stand up and speak out about the proposed changes to the bill made by Rep. Tsuji.

Luckily, Senator Nishihara was equally alarmed by the new draft and postponed the committee until tomorrow at 11:30am.

Conference committee hearings are mostly for show. The decisions that get made in the committee happen behind closed doors. We need to find our way in. We have 5 hours to do it.

We need to convince Representative Tsuji and Representative Say that we will NOT accept the language of HB2703-CD1 and that we want the HB2703-SD2 passed through conference and ready for a floor vote.

Action items:

1) Call Tsuji’s office and request that he support SD2. If his office expresses concern regarding the implementation date – remind him/her that such changes are merely technical and that the changes he proposed in HB2703CD1 are dramatic and problematic.

2) Call you friends, family, and colleagues in Hilo/Puna area and ask them to call and email Tsuji. At the end of the day – its his constituents who pay his salary and he should be answering to them.

I’ve been told so many times in this legislative session that this bill is dead. Its too fluffy. who cares? Its not worth fighting for. Critiques from the left and the right…But as I’ve said from the beginning, I know this bill is not perfect. Policy can’t be – its not possible in this game. I feel strongly that our government should be doing something and in effect, this small effort is something worth fighting for. So far, our efforts have worked.

Lets show our elected officials just how powerful we can be.

These are some of the players wielding their pens and axes:

Representative
Say ,  Calvin K.Y. (D)
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 431
Phone 808-586-6100
Fax 808-586-6101
E-Mail: repsay@capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative
Tsuji ,  Clift (D)
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 402
Phone 808-586-8480
Fax 808-586-8484
E-Mail: reptsuji@capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative
Har ,  Sharon E. (D)
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 438
Phone 808-586-8500
Fax 808-586-8504
E-Mail: rephar@capitol.hawaii.gov

What does Tsuji want to do?  

To start with, he wants it explicitly stated in the bill that the food self-sufficiency goal shall be non-binding – of course!  And if the Department of Ag doesn’t like the goal they should be allowed to cut it nearly in half – of course!

Then, as if these aren’t bad enough he wants our food and farming bill to be tied to “other goals of equal priority”

Like what?  Well like:

§  Building as many new homes as the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation deems necessary by 2020. (What’s a housing issue doing in an ag bill?)

§  Meeting our renewable energy portfolio standard in 2020 “partly with biofuels and biomass crops at the volume estimated by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.”

§  Requiring that “the community growth boundary of a county’s long-term general, development, or community plan shall be respected,” which appears to be an effort to kill the Honolulu City Council’s recent decision to consider designating as Important Agricultural Lands the farmlands of billionaire developer Donald Horton and billionaire developer David Murdock at Ho‘opili and Koa Ridge (which between them grow 40% of the food currently grown in the state).

What else? Let’s Protect GMOs!

Yep: he wants to legislate that there shall be ”no state or county prohibition on the growing, raising, possession, or consumption by people of genetically engineered agricultural products within the state if the products are grown or raised in compliance with federal law.”

That’s because this brave representative of the people probably receives more money from GMO corporations than any other member of the Hawaii state legislature, indeed he may be one of the top recipients of GMO funding in the nation.

Let’s Steal Your Water

Oh and then he inserts language that contradicts and nullifies public trust protections of water resources, by making commercial agricultural diversions a “public trust purpose” – something that big monied interests have tried and failed to promulgate for years.

No One’s Responsible

Here’s another beauty: “No person may bring an action against the state or any state officer or employee for an act or omission alleged to be contrary to attainment of the food sustainability benchmark.”

He wants to stink-up this bill so badly that we’ll be forced to lobby against our own measure.

OK so you get the idea.

The Legislature has received literally thousands of pieces of written testimony and phone calls from supporters of this bill.  Dozens of people have come to the Capitol to testify in person.  Just today a group of farmers published an editorial in the Star-Advertiser calling for passage of this bill.

It’s Undemocratic

In other words, what Tsuji did was not just a dirty political trick that flouts the wishes of the hundreds of people who have lobbied for this bill, it’s probably unconstitutional.

Call Tsuji NOW! 808-586-8480

I urge you to call and email Clifton Tsuji’s office and tell him what you think of his shenanigans.

Ask him to drop his giveaway to the rich and powerful landowners, developers, and GMO corporations.

Urge him to pass the Senate version of the bill known as SD2

Mr Tsuji’s phone number is: 808-586-8480

And his email address is: reptsuji@capitol.hawaii.gov

Let’s flood his phone lines and his mailbox. We cannot stand by and have our hardwork used to support the very forces this bill was originally intended to work against.

Version #1 of the bill ( the version we would like to see re-instated) states the following:

Department of agriculture responsibilities.  (a)  The department shall be responsible for measuring and analyzing the amount of food livestock, dairy, and edible crop commodities grown and sold in the State on an annual basis.  This information shall be made publicly available in accordance with chapter 92F.
(b)  The department shall, on an annual basis and in conjunction with the department of business, economic development, and tourism, identify key food commodities to be targeted for assistance in developing an increased local market share.
(c)  The department shall be responsible for planning and adopting the necessary incentives to ensure that the food sustainability standard established under this chapter is met or exceeded.
(d)  The department shall submit an annual report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session on the status and progress of the department’s efforts to effectuate this chapter and any recommended policy changes or necessary legislation.
(e)  The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
§   -3  Food sustainability standard.  (a)  A statewide food sustainability standard to be achieved by the year 2020 is hereby established that requires the State to increase the amount of food grown in the State for local consumption by at least double the amount grown in 2014; provided that the department shall measure this amount by the farm cash receipts for livestock, dairy, and crops without regard to inflation adjustments, or by a comparable measurement as determined by the department.
(b)  The department shall submit a report and recommendations to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2020 regular session on how to raise the food sustainability standard over the following decade.”
SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2030.

The version that will be presented tomorrow says this:

SECTION 2: Food sustainability benchmark for 2020. There is established a non-binding food sustainability benchmark of thirty percent by 2020. the “food sustainability benchmark of thirty percent” means that thirty percent of the food consumed by people within the state is grown or raised within the state. Direct sales receipts of farmers shall be the measurement unit for the benchmark.

SECTION 3 other goals of equal priority. The following goals shall be equal in priority to attaining the food sustainability benchmark:

(1) the goal of meeting the renewable energy protfolio standard in 2020, partly with biofuels and biomass crops at the volume estimated by the department of business, economic development, and tourism;
(2) the goal of increasing agricultural products for export and livestock feed at a rate determined by the department of agriculture to be realistic and based on available studies.
(3) The goal of constructing the total new housing unity needed in each county shall be the sum of the following:
(a) the total new houses units needed in each county from 2012 to 2016 as projected in the Hawaii Housing and Planning study, 2011, by the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation; and
(b) the total new housing units need in each county from 2017 to 2020, as estimated by the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation and using data in the Hawaii Housing and Planning study

For the purpose of this goal, the community growth boundary of a county’s long-term general, development, or community plan shall be respected.

SECTION 4 Food Sustainability benchmark study.
(a) subject to the availability of sufficient funds, the department of agriculture shall conduct a study of the practical requirements to attain in the state food sustainability benchmark established under section 2.
(b) the department of agriculture shall include findings and recommendations on the following in the study:

(1) the land, water, workforce, education, promotion and marketing, public infrastructure investment, private investment, and other pertinent requirements to attain the food sustainability;
(2) the net economic and employment effect of attaining the food sustainability benchmark; and
(3) the feasibility of attaining the food sustainability benchmark of thirty per cent in 2020 and whether a lower benchmark, such as sixteen per cent, is more practical.

SECTION 5. Guidelines for study. The department of agriculture shall use the following guidelines in the conduct of the study:
(1) The use of water for agriculture is a public trust purpose equal to all others under state water code;
(2) Agricultural products grown or raised within the state and sold by retail stores, restaurants, and hotels to people for consumption are grown or raised in conformance with good agricultural management practices and food safety certification standards; provided that this guideline shall not apply agricultural products sold directly to consumers the farmer who grew or raised the agricultural products; and
(3) there is no state or county prohibition on the growing, raising, possession, or consumption by people of genetically engineered agricultural products within the state if the products are grown or raised in compliance with federal law.

SECTION 6. Advice. During the conduct of the study, the deparment of agriculture shall solict the advice of the Hawaii Green Growth Initiative, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, University of Hawaii college of tropical agriculture and human resources, and other organizations as the department deems appropriate.

SECTION 7. Deadline for study. the department of agriculture shall submit the study to the govenor and legilsature no later than twnty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2013.

SECTION 8. Appropriation
(a) There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of  ______________ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012 – 2013 for the conduct of the food sustainability benchmark study required by this Act.

SECTION 9. No Liability for the state of state officer or employee. There shall be no civil or criminal liability for or cause of action against the state or any state officer or employee for failure to attain the food sustainability benchmark. No person may bring an action against the state or any state officer or employee for an act or omission alleged to be contrary to attainment of the food sustainability bechmark.

SECTION 10. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2012.

Tips for Spring Cooking

• Add fresh greens to your meals (e.g., kale, collards, watercress, parsley, and other hardy greens)
• Use lighter cooking methods, such as short-time boiling, steaming, and quick sautéing
• Reduce the amount of salt and other seasonings slightly
• Use foods and pickles fermented for a shorter period of time
• Include wild grasses, sprouts, and varieties of grain that have matured over the winter.   (Wheat and barley have lighter energy than other grains.)
• Add green onions and chives to your soups and other dishes

1. Eat lower on the food chain
Grains, beans, sea vegetables, and other plant foods are lower on the food chain and take less energy and resources to produce.  This reduces use of fossil fuels and eases the pollution burden entering your body and the environment.

2. Eat foods from your climatic zone
With our global economy, we can purchase things in the store from any region and during any growing season.  However, a tremendous amount of energy is required to supply places with foods that are not grown in that climate.  The foods that grow right here in Hawaii require less use of fossil fuels to deliver them, are fresher, and when purchase organically, are also more nutritious.

3. Vary your diet with the seasons
By eating foods that are naturally available in season, we take advantage of the cycles of nature.  When you naturally adjust your diet (e.g. more cooked foods in winter to keep you warm vs. more raw foods in summer to keep you cool) you stay in touch with nature and it’s easier for you to adapt to climatic changes.

4. Select organically grown foods
Not only are pesticides harmful to personal health and the environment, they are highly inefficient.  Only 0.1% of pesticides sprayed by airplane reach their intended target.  The rest damage plants, animals, and people. Moreover, a great deal of fossil fuels are used in the production, transport, and storage of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and other artificial substances used in modern agriculture.  Nitrous oxide, produced by nitrogen-based fertilizers, is a major green-house gas.

5. Start a backyard garden
If you can’t start your own, join one of the several community gardens on Oahu.

6. Eat foods that can be stored naturally
Whole grains, beans, sea veggies, and other complex carbohydrate foods normally don’t require refrigeration.  They can be kept airtight in your pantry or cupboards.  On the other hand, meat, eggs, cheese, chicken, and other animal foods rapidly decompose into toxic bacteria and therefore require artificial preservation.

7. Eat whole foods
Eating foods in their whole form saves energy and makes use of nutrients that are naturally available.  Milling brown rice to white, for example, wastes energy and vital nutrients.  Even the green tops of daikon, carrots, turnips, and the roots of scallions can be cooked and eaten rather than discarded.

8. Restore home cooking
A great deal of waste is generated in restaurants (like styrofoam, paper, and plastic utensils). Cooking and eating at home helps reduce the use of fossil fuels that go into producing them in addition to the buildup and leakage into the environment after they have been discarded.

9. Make your own snacks and specialty foods
This avoids the processing, packaging, and transportation of processed foods.

10. Practice an ecological lifestyle
Use natural, chemical-free fabrics, body-care products, and cleaning products in your home.  Buy compact flourescent light bulbs.   Buy in bulk.  Buy less of everything.  Compost.  Recycle.  Keep physically active.  Walk, bike, carpool, or take the bus more and drive less.  Carry canvas bags for your groceries. Develop gratitude and appreciation for the earth, water, air, and ocean.  See your foods as the condensed essence of nature, and offer thanks before each meal.

1. Be gentle and compassionate with yourself. Every day we begin anew!
2. Recommit to yourself, your life, and healthy living.
3. Clear out the junk food.  If you see it staring at you, it’s very likely you’ll eat it!
4. Stock your kitchen with healthy foods (for the same reason – if you see it, you’ll likely eat it!)
5. Figure out strategies that will help you. Do you need a cooking class, a new cookbook, a plan to pack your lunch the night before you go to work? Figure out what triggers you and develop a strategy to trouble shoot that.
6. Get support, such as setting goals with a friend where you can cook and/or exercise together. Even if you don’t do it together, it’s great to have an accountability buddy to keep you motivated.

You’re worth it!

If you need additional help, I’m happy to coach you and help provide solutions.

• Strong peaceful energy
• Strong intellect
• Spirituality
• Deep sleep
• Sense of calm
• Quick reflexes
• Long memory
• Clear thinking
• Flexibility, strength, and endurance
• B vitamins
• Complex carbs and fiber
• High quality protein
• Calcium, iron, and other minerals
• Satiety

Eating grains prevents:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Other chronic illnesses

Grains do not require a lot of energy to grow, and they additionally store easily.  For example, they have been found in tombs thousands of years later and still sprout.  They have been looked down upon because they have been used to feed animals instead of people.

The energy that grains provide is the opposite of the rush followed by depression from highly refined nutrient deficient grains and sugars.

Brown rice nourishes all organs and functions, especially the brain, spine, lungs, intestines, kidneys, bladder, and reproductive organs.  It provides energy, a tranquil mind, and sound judgment.  It has traditionally been eaten to provide feelings of unity with others.

Barley nourishes the liver and gall bladder

Millet provides strong and harmonious energy and contributes to practical, creative thinking, inventiveness, and sympathy with others. It nourishes the spleen, pancreas, and stomach and is especially recommended for diabetes, hypoglycemia, lymphoma, and other disorders associated with these organs.

Whole wheat gives strength, courage, and vision, especially when in its whole form. (Flour contributes to individualized and analytical thinking.)

Oats are hearty and warming, but may need to be limited for people with lung and intestinal issues.

Corn is good for the heart and small intestine

Buckwheat is the strongest of the cereal grasses.  It provides strong, warming energy and is excellent for hard physical labor or housework.  (May be too warming for Hawaii unless eaten in cold weather times, or as cold soba noodles.)

Sources:

Kushi, Michio and Alex Jack. (2003) The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health: A Complete Guide to Preventing and Relieving More Than 200 Chronic Conditions and Disorders Naturally.  Ballantine Books, NY

Pitchford, Paul. (2002) Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA.