I have mentioned to Erica Weirich MD, Director, Global Health Research Foundation www.ghrf.org and Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine, that she will win a Nobel Prize someday.
In this video, you will see her recent visit to Bhutan and Nepal sharing the 'Patient Outcomes and Environmental Monitoring System', a community-based program bringing straightforward and culturally appropriate mobile technology tools to Ranger and Health partners in Nepal and Bhutan. This project is a collaborative effort - Global Health Research Foundation is providing tools, World Wildlife Fund and the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, as well as the community providers, are providing infrastructure and oversight. There is a description of how pesticides affect mosquitos, frogs, small animals, and the few remaining tigers as well as cost-saving examples of using these mobile technologies.
In Nepal, even though there is significant deforestation, the villages are committed to keeping their Valley Poacher-Free. There are only 3,200 Tigers left in the wild (there are more Tigers in captivity then in the wild today). The Government has taken a creative measure by paying Poachers more as a Tour Guide using their tracking skills, then what they would be making as Poachers. Mobile devices are also being used to alert people if there are Poachers in the area.
There's a Women's Foot Patrol Group whose sole purpose is to keep their sacred wildlife alive. Per the Video: " It's so important for people to see how interconnected Health and the Environment really are: that's what our purpose here was. In Nepal we saw not only the best of Nature, but of Human Nature as well. When people take care of Nature, Nature takes care of them."
I was lucky to visit Nepal in 1999, including Chitwan National Forest where we saw protected Rhinos and learned more about the Tigers' plight due to poaching.
Enjoy this Powerful Video produced by 19-year old Madeleine Traver.
 Great News! Thank you to our Gratitude Gourmet Readers for entering our Veggie Broccoli Recipe Contest!!
Here are the Entries in Order of Submission:
1. Dragon Rice Bowl with Marinated Tofu by Leanne Vogel
2. Baked Broccoli and Tomato with Garlic Oil Sauce by Hidemi Walsh
3. Wilted Broccoli with Fig- Apple Vinaigrette by Donna-Marie Ryan
4. Noodle Stir Fry by Amy Clouser
5. Malaysian Tofu and Broccoli Curry Paula Fernandez6. Roasted Broccoli & Raisins by Mary Marlowe Leverette
7. Super Easy and Great Tasting Recipe by MB Food-Creations
8. Mushroom Stroganoff by Laura Francis
9. Dreamy Broccoli Risotto by Kay Kuebler
10. Oven Roasted Broccoli by Sherri Logan Williams
11. Broccoli & Cranberry Slaw by Robert PriddyNow:
Vote (Like) Your Favorite Recipes on this Facebook Page by April 30 - Just click on each picture and 'Like' your favorites! The Recipe with the most likes by April 30th wins!!
(Note: some folks didn't have a food picture so their Facebook picture was uploaded instead.)
Good Luck to Everyone and Share with your friends and have them vote on this Gratitude Gourmet Facebook Page by April 30th!
You can Like as many as you want and if you try some recipes, comment on them on Facebook and let us know your thoughts on flavors, taste, creativity etc! Have Fun and Happy Cooking!
 The WorldWatch Institute released a new Report stating the global population of farm animals increased 23 percent between 1980 and 2010, from 3.5 billion to 4.3 billion. They say these figures continue a trend of rising farm animal populations, with harmful effects on the environment, public health, and global development.
Here are the Details of the Report:
Both production and consumption of animal products are increasingly concentrated in developing countries. In contrast, due in part to a growing awareness of the health consequences of high meat consumption, the appetite for animal products is stagnating or declining in many industrial countries."The demand for meat, eggs, and dairy products in developing countries has increased at a staggering rate in recent decades," says report co-author Danielle Nierenberg, director of Worldwatch's Nourishing the Planet project. "While industrialized countries still consume the most animal products, urbanization and rising incomes in developing countries are spurring shifts to more meat-heavy diets."
"Farm-animal production provides a safety net for millions of the world's most vulnerable people," says Nierenberg. "But given the industry's rapid and often poorly regulated growth, the biggest challenge in the coming decades will be to produce meat and other animal products in environmentally and socially sustainable ways."
Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), or factory farms, are the most rapidly growing system of farm animal production. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 80 percent of growth in the livestock sector now comes from these industrial production systems. CAFOs now account for 72 percent of poultry production, 43 percent of egg production, and 55 percent of pork production worldwide.
But CAFOs produce high levels of waste, use huge amounts of water and land for feed production, contribute to the spread of human and animal diseases, and play a role in biodiversity loss. Farm animal production also contributes to climate change: the industry accounts for an estimated 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, including 9 percent of the carbon dioxide, nearly 40 percent of the methane (a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide), and 65 percent of the nitrous oxide (300 times more potent as carbon dioxide).
The environment is not all that is at stake with this rapidly shifting means of food production; factory farms pose a serious threat to public health as well. Diets high in animal fat and meat----particularly red meat and processed meats, such as hot dogs, bacon, and sausage----have been linked to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.
Although CAFOs originated in Europe and North America, they are becoming increasingly prevalent in developing regions like East and Southeast Asia, where environmental, animal-welfare, public health, and labor standards are often not as well-established as in industrialized regions. The report stresses that to prevent serious human and environmental costs, policymakers will need to strengthen production regulations around the world.
Further highlights from the report:
- Between 1980 and 2005, per capita milk consumption in developing countries almost doubled, meat consumption more than tripled, and egg consumption increased fivefold.
- Approximately 75 percent of the new diseases that affected humans from 1999 to 2009 originated in animals or animal products.
- Because CAFOs rely on a narrow range of commercial breeds selected for their high productivity and low input needs, less-popular indigenous livestock breeds are rapidly falling out of use: in 2010, the FAO reported that at least 21 percent of the world's livestock breeds are at risk of extinction.
- Livestock production is a major driver of deforestation: cattle enterprises have been responsible for 65-80 percent of the deforestation of the Amazon, and countries in South America are clearing large swaths of forest and other land to grow animal feed crops like maize and soybean.
 Hi Gratitude Gourmet Readers!We'll be four years-old in May!! Has Gratitude Gourmet impacted your life in some way through the information we provide on health, food and drink news, science, etc?Please share your thoughts on this blog post or on our Facebook Page.Thanks very much!! :)
 The Healthy Eating Plate, created by experts at Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, points consumers to the healthiest choices in the major food groups. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate, they say, fails to give people some of the basic nutrition advice they need to choose a healthy diet. They also state The Healthy Eating Plate is based exclusively on the best available science and was not subjected to political and commercial pressures from food industry lobbyists. More vegetables are needed, since Americans are deficient in vegetable consumption and drinking water is best. Some Vegetable Recipes are on the Harvard website. If you're looking for weekly or monthly Healthy Food Deliveries in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Gratitude Gourmet. What are your thoughts on the Healthy Eating Plate?
 California Walnut Orchard Visit 2011 Here's our group picture during our 2011 California Walnut Harvest Event.
Below you'll also find videos of the Orchard Owners describing the Walnut Harvest and Walnut Shaker Vehicle, along with more photos from the event.
After this Tour I appreciate even more both the Walnuts and the hard work the Orchard Farmers do. Also note the heart-shaped Walnut. (It's an interesting coincidence that Walnuts are also heart-healthy).
During this Visit, I asked Dr. Roizen why there are more folks allergic to Peanuts vs Walnuts, and he mentioned that when people are exposed to hydrogenated oils such as in many peanut butters, more people seem to have allergies to peanuts.
Basically eat closer to the whole food - Good Lesson.
Enjoy the California Walnut Orchard Visit Article!
 Dr Roizen and Mary Vincent - Napa, CA Dr. Roizen, Institute Chair, Chief Wellness Officer
Wellness Institute Cleveland Clinic, founder of eleven companies, co-inventer of a drug recently approved by the FDA, and author of a series of highly popular #1 New York Times bestsellers, recently visited Napa, California to celebrate the California Walnut Harvest Festival and spoke on a variety of topics including US Health, Disease Reversal, Genes, and how the increase in chronic US Disease is affecting US Economic Competitiveness/ Jobs.
I videotaped Dr Roizen's complete presentation, and a portion of it is below for reference. Please note that since the presentation took place in the evening at a winery, the video is dark, but you can hear Dr. Roizen's important insights.
I've covered Dr Oz and Dr Roizen's great work before with Rocco the Cowboy Story and Video. Dr. Roizen was the 'Enforcer' and ensured Rocco ate healthfully and exercised regularly, and as a result, Rocco's heart disease was reversed by going Vegan.
Dr Roizen also states in the video that you affect genes and cancer by your food choices and the importance of meditation.
He also mentions the importance of Lifestyle Treatment for Breast and Prostate Cancer, and Studies show that Food Changes, Walking, Tobacco Avoidance, and Mediation reduced tumor size.
I also spoke with Dr Roizen and shared Gratitude Gourmet's mission, and he responded by saying that at the Cleveland Clinic it's impossible to find a piece of red meat.
Stay tuned for more videos and news from this event.
 Becky Foust Becky Foust is a popular Pilates Instructor in Lake Tahoe California and to Tourists from all around the World, and I think she is one of the best Pilates Instructors.
Becky's Pilates Class is now on Amazon Instant Video! See her Website for more details.
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