International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition

Discovered today that there was a huge International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition held at Loma Linda University in California, March 4-6 of this year. Loma Linda Univ. is affiliated with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church which adheres to vegetarianism as one of its tenets. The university's nutrition department, part of the School of Public Health, is apparently vegetarian-focused.

The Congress was attended by 400+ scientists (doctors, Ph.D's, nutritionists, etc) from around the world. It is held every five years and this was the fifth Congress -- a pretty amazing track record.

Here is a video of Dr. Juan Sabaté (MD, DrPh), chairman of the LLU department of nutrition, talking about the Congress. While the Seventh-Day Adventists have been advocating vegetarianism for a long time (the "Kellogg" who found the Kellogg cereal brand/company was an SDA vegetarian), it's great to see scientists gather from all over the world to share updates on the health benefits of a plant-based diet. (As always with YouTube videos, click in the video itself to be taken to YouTube for a larger format version.)

Survivor

A few weeks ago I discovered one avocado tree that made it through the winter outdoors with no damage. Indeed, it looks very healthy. It was growing in a sheltered place -- a space between the base of the bird bath and the house. I don't know how that provided protection from the freezing cold but apparently it did. I can't leave it growing there since it's too close to the house so will transplant it soon to a pot.

From inside, looking out the dining room windows:



Outside:

Nice Looking Garden

The apparent plan for the vegetable garden to be planted on the south lawn of the White House. (Click on the image to see a larger, readable version.) Mostly lettuce, spinach, and herbs -- but it's a start.

Want to See the Future?

I read a big article about this concept in Wired magazine a year or so ago -- looks like it has found traction. This segment was on the CBS Sunday Morning show this past Sunday. (Hint: It's about what your children will mean someday when they say "car" and "fuel.") You can read a longer article with much more detail about the concept here.)

Fighting Mad

Dr. Ralph Winter, founder of the U. S. Center for World Mission in Pasadena, (and who has successfully battled cancer in recent years) is one of the smartest people I've ever seen and one of the few evangelical Christian leaders I have ever heard use militant terms to describe the evil of disease in the human body. Instead of believing that God gives diseases (as I heard an elder in my church say not long before he died of cancer), Dr. Winter is biblical in labeling diseases as a tool of Satan who uses them to afflict and mar the glorious creation of God. The church should learn a healthy lesson in militancy from Dr. Winter.

Here's a short video of some cancer patients who are fighting mad about having cancer, from Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation: