The Northwest Health and Nutrition Conference, presented by Northwest VEG, is happening this Friday, This issue also addresses where our dwindling water resources are going, highlights a soy-free diet when needed, and features a soy-free recipe.

The earth's surface is about 1/3 land and 2/3 water. Of that land, about 3/4 is considered habitable, and of that, half is used for agriculture. Of that half, over 3/4 is dedicated to raising livestock for meat and dairy, meaning all land used for grazing and for growing animal feed.

The amount of planetary freshwater which comes to land by way of collected rain has remained fairly consistent for thousands of years. However, since the rise of agriculture and human population, we are using an ever increasing volume. According to the UN, in the past century water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase. Within this decade, two thirds of our world population will be plagued by water scarcity, living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change.

"Can you be vegan without soy?"

When the vegetarian diet began to gain lots of popularity in the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s, there was a significant emphasis on soy products such as soy milk, tofu and tempeh.  Nearly suspicious “meat” substitutes were birthed with the additional processing of soy into things like soy protein, soy curls, soy burgers, etc. Gluten was also becoming a popular protein to make “meatable.” I remember buying a meat slicer from a garage sale so we could slice our home-made seitan. I also remember my toddler getting a runny nose and eyes, sneezing and coughing within 20 minutes after eating tofu. These were red flag signs of a sensitivity to soy.

It was hard to believe that a health food could be something one is sensitive to, but soy allergy is estimated to affect 0.4% of all children. Most grow out of it by age 10.

 Luckily, an allergy to soy is rarely serious and the side effects can include ,,,