Register for the Tour d'Organics Sebastopol during the month of June and July and be entered to win a stay at the West County Getaway for the weekend of the ride.

Just a few miles up the road from Sebastopol and located next to one of the new farms on the route, West County Getaway is the perfect place to stay for the event.  When you register for the event during the months of June and July, you will be entered to win a 2 nights' stay for free.

It's almost summer, and OrganicAthlete is gearing up for a season full of fun events, community, and inspiration.  To celebrate, when you join OrganicAthlete during the month of June, you also recieve a full box (12 bars) of Clif Nectar Bars (Good for new members only).

OA Victoria leader Dave Noisy has been representing the green and orange on the velodrome in style this year.

Click here to read his blog and updates.

Let us know what you're up to!  Send your member news to membership@organicathlete.org.

Anthony is an ex professional road cyclist with 20+ years racing experience, including competing Internationally in North America/Europe for 10 years in more than 1000 events.  Anthony recently gave OrganicAthlete a brief interview about being a vegetarian athlete.

Click here to read the complete interview...

Duncan Seko, an elite runner and former pro cyclist, has joined OrganicAthlete's Pro-Activist team.  A vegan since his youth, Duncan joined the team because "it champions, promotes and stands up for the wellness and healthy standards and educational values that that I believe in." Duncan has a personal best marathon of 2 hours 18 minutes, and he has also raced bikes professionally in the European peloton.  OrganicAthlete's Cycling Team is now proud to call Duncan a team member.  Duncan will be joining the team during their summer trip at the Tour of Ohio.

Click here to read Duncan's pro-activist profile...

America is reliant on supplements

Certain behaviors are synonymous with successful weight management. We may think of regular exercise, frequent feedings, plenty of fruits/vegetables/whole grains, adequate sleep….and supplements? Many people get swayed by advertisers and feel they need to use dietary supplements to manage body weight. A survey of nearly 10,000 adults revealed that 15% have used weight loss supplements! Highest use was among females aged 18 to 34 years. Dietary supplement use should always be discussed with a professional.

 

Blanck HM., et al. J Am Dietetic Assoc. 2007;107:441-447.

Soy for the prostate

Incidence of prostate cancer is lower among Asians than those in Western society. We know that diet influences cancer development and progression – but what about soy and prostate cancer? A questionnaire was administered and analyzed. The intake of soy foods was associated with a lower risk of localized prostate cancer. However, if someone already had prostate cancer (advanced), soy had no protective effects.

Kurahashi N., et al. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007;16:538–545.

Exercise, diet and non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) describes a group of cancers arising from white blood cells. The cause(s) of NHL have yet to be determined. Studies indicate that carrying extra body fat increases the risk of developing NHL. So does consuming high amounts of meat, dairy, and fat. Regular moderate exercise and cruciferous vegetable intake (e.g., cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts) seem to reduce the risk.

Skibola CF. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007;16:392–395.

Spirituality and alcoholism recovery

Is change in spirituality associated with better alcohol cessation outcomes? Patients were studied over the course of six months. Spirituality/religiousness significantly increased during that time period in those trying to recover (based on questionnaires). There was also a significant decrease in alcohol use over that time! Daily spiritual experiences were associated with increased odds of no heavy drinking after six months.

Robinson EAR., et al. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2007;68:282-290.

 

Thanks to OA's health editor, Ryan Andrews, for this month's news.

OrganicAthlete founder and director Bradley Saul is a guest on this week's edition of "Vegetarian Stew," a Grand Junction, CO radio show.
The show will be broadcast on this Thursday, June 14, at
12:30 PM (Mountain), 11:30 AM (Pacific).  You can listen via
www.kafmradio.org.  

As meat recalls and other tainted food reports have grabbed the headlines in recent days, one athletic movement may be gaining steam and power from an unlikely source - plants.

Bradley Saul, a Sonoma County man who identifies himself as a "professional organic athlete," will present how he sustains himself on a plant-based diet while riding on the OrganicAthlete Cycling Team. Saul runs the nonprofit company, which keeps itself going through grants, donations and dues from 450 members.

Click here to read the full article...

Boxer Maureen Shea says in a recent interview:

"I’ve been a vegetarian for seven months. My body went this way after I had my gallbladder out. It just doesn’t want red meat. I ate fish, chicken, and eggs. Slowly, I began steering away from turkey and chicken; and incorporated soy proteins. My digestion is better, my thinking is better, and I’m calmer, stronger, and lighter. It’s also easier to make weight. I’m not cutting calories though. Last month I went completely vegan, I don’t eat anything with a heartbeat."

Click here to read the complete interview...

Here is a report from Melissa Moser:

On June 1st and 2nd, Ciudad Guzman (aka Zapotlan el Grande), located in Jalisco, Mexico, sits in a valley surrounded by beautiful mountains, the Colima volcano, and a lovely lake. On June 1^st and 2^nd, its citizens saw groups of local junior high and high school students competing to be the champions of an ecological rally. Organized by ICTC, an independent English school, the teams competed in various events with an ecological theme including rappelling, kayak racing, inventing “eco” plays, answering environmental questions, and creating sculptures out of collected trash. The groups of ten raced between the various activity sites (some 6km apart) on foot, bikes, or emissions-free buses. The entire group of 100 students worked together on Saturday morning to reforest a public area. Over twenty Mexican companies and government institutions supported the rally; they were joined by two U.S.-based organizations, Clif Bar and OrganicAthlete, both of whom promote ecological responsibility. The coordinators hope the rally will become an annual event in Jalisco, and that the students will carefully consider the environment when making future choices about transportation, food, water, energy, and disposal of garbage.

 

Melissa has translated OrganicAthlete's nutrition guidelines into Spanish, which is now available on our website.

OrganicAthlete NYC is at it again!

We're rolling out tomorrw.  Be sure to sign up for our Team Vegan newsletter to stay up to date on our travels and adventures.

We arrived today.  After 4 days of driving, Ben and I rolled in Columbus, OH this morning.  Akira flew in this evening.  Duncan drove in from Quebec this afternoon.  Molly is flying in tomorrow morning.  Good times. 

Here are some highlights from Ben and I's travels...

Wednesday 6/13


Ben and I departed about 1pm from San Francisco.   We drove through the hottest part of the day through the hottest part  of Northern California.  My eyes were glued to the temperature gauge.  The only part that overheated was my butt. 

Esta Lewin and the South Lake Tahoe AWARE group organized a great speaking engagement for the team.  About 75 people turned out.

Thursday 6/14




Today we drove across Nevada, through Utah, and into Wyoming.  We didn't ride.

Friday 6/15


The highlight today was stopping at Wal-Mart.  Ben had never been inside a Wally World.  I asked him if he wanted to maintain his purity before entering.  He said no.  I wonder if he regrets that.

The other highlight was listening to Andrew Bird's "A Nervous Tick of the Head to the Left"  while passing through North Platte.  We stopped to ride there too.  I can think of better places to ride.


Saturday 6/16
I've been reading Michael Pollen's The Omnivore's Dilemma on the trip, so I was interested to pass through Iowa after reading:

"Iowa begins to look a little different when you think of its sprawling fields as cities of corn, the land, in its own way, settled as densely as Manhattan for the very same purpose: to maximize real estate values.  There may be little pavement out here, but this is no middle landscape.  Though by any reasonable definition Iowa is a rural state, it is more thoroughly developed than many cities: A mere 2 percent of the state's land remains what it used be (tall-grass prairie), every square foot of the rest having been completely remade by man.  The only thing missing from this man-made landscape...man.

I did see a 100oz soda mug in an Iowa convenience store.  At least people are buying local.



Saturday 6/17
We did manage to get a ride in this afternoon to scope out Thursday's course.  I was surprised to find that I've done this course before!  I remember this from the Wendy's Tour they used to have.  That was in 2001, when John Greene, Eddy Hilger, and I did that race.  All I remember is Mercury just pummelling us everyday.  I hope this year will be different.

Posted by Bradley.

Just a quick update from the past two days of racing.  Molly finished in the top 20 yesterday and 6th today at the Tour of Ohio.  Akira's rear derailleur broke today.  Hopefully I'll have time and internet access for a more detailed report tomorrow.

Posted by Bradley.

Today the OrganicAthlete cycling team finished up stage 3, the longest race of the Tour of Ohio.  Everyone is hanging on well, though Molly is just flying right now.  Akira was active in a good move today, but was caught in the closing miles.  I completely blew up on one of the  final climbs today.  Ben is riding stronger and stronger everyday, and unfortunately today hit some gravel at the bottom of a nasty descent and said hello to the pavement.  Duncan is also riding stronger, and given that he only just started training due to a running injury earlier this season, he's going to need a few races to get his legs back.

My bamboo bike and the fact that the entire team is vegan has grabbed quite a bit of attention among the racers.  It's pretty cool.  We've gotten several thumbs up from racers who are vegetarian and are into what we represent.

Here's a few photos from the past 3 days...



Yes.  He really has a mohawk now.  Punk-ass vegans...




posted by Bradley.

From Surfer Magazine:

"Brian Conley is a pretty quirky character. Aside from riding funky boards and sporting out-of-date hairdos, he's been known to travel with two board bags, one for boards, and the other stuffed with whole foods, this because he's a fanatical vegan. "

Click here for the full article...

Molly is just flyin' right now.  With an 11th place finish yesterday and a 2nd place today, Molly clearly has good form.  Though the pace was high from the gun, both Stage 4 and 5 finished in field sprints. 

Stage 4 was a fast 1.2 mile curcuit race through the neighborhood streets of Worthington, OH.  The Abercromie and Fitch team controlled the front the entire race, except when Duane Dickey tried to power up the hill.  But his yellow jersey was too easy to spot.  My old teammate Eddy Hilger was also active off the front, but A&F never let anything get more than a few seconds up the road.

The only excitement for the team came when Molly broke several spokes in his front wheel and had to get a free lap.  Lucky for Molly, Duncan had just pulled out of the race and was able to give Molly his front wheel.   In the jockeying for position on the final lap, Akira made a solid move to assist Molly in moving up a few spots. 

In today's race, which was held on country road in and around Yellow Springs, OH (a very cool little spot I have to say), A&F again controlled the race from the gun.  After regaining the yellow jersey yesterday, they had no interest in losing it.  I felt like I had good legs today, but on the 2nd of 4 laps my chain fell off on the climb.  I went from the front of the field to off the back rather quickly and never caught back on.  Molly and Akira hung in there just fine.  \

As I sat on the edge of the road watching the finish I couldn't believe Molly was punching for the line in 2nd position.  That made my day.


Tomorrow we have the final criterium and hopefully we'll have Molly in the top 5 overall!

Someone saw the OA van the other day and sends OA an email about  starting a chapter.

"I saw the mini van and what were probably cyclists in Wildoats last night and am completely excited about the existence of your organization."

Why wait for the OA van to roll into your town?  Email us about starting a chapter today!

Video of the stage 4 finish in Worthington.

Part 1 of the OrganicAthlete Cycling Team's summer trip has ended with a successful run at the Tour of Ohio.  After 6 stages, Molly Cameron finished 5th overall with 2nd, 6th, and 11th place stage finishes.  Go Molly! 

While Molly headed back to Portland this morning, Ben, Akira, and I are headed to Tallmadge, OH for a speaking engagement tonight.  Then we're on to Boston for a talk Wednesday night, followed by the start of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic on Thursday.

Be sure to sign up for our Team Vegan email updates!

Posted by Bradley.

Last night the OA team gave a presentation in Tallmadge, OH.  We had a good, receptive group of about 10 people.  Thanks to OA member David Rodenbucher for organizing this!  I met Dave in 2003 at Health and Fitness Week when OrganicAthlete was just starting. 

We're staying with Dave today, so we were able to explore the area a bit.  This morning Dave and I picked raspberries in the farm behind his house.  We ate fresh asparagus from his garden.  Then we rode our bikes down to his wife's cousin's farm to pick strawberries.  Then we went for a swim.  Then we came back and had strawberry/banana smoothies.  This is the good life.






Posted by Bradley.

Hometown: Fredericton, New Brunswick (the drive through province) Canada
Current residence: Huntington Beach, California
Age: 28
Vocation: PhD Candidate - Philosophy/Lecturer
Dream vacation: My life is a vacation.
Relationship status: I relate well to others.
Staple plant fare: Au Lac Raw Rice (yum!).
Sports you do: Cycling, climbing, squash, tennis (I used to row).
Hardest race/event you've ever done: In 2000, I was entered into 5 different events at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. On the bike it would be this year's Devil's Punchbowl Road Race where the starting temp at 10am was 95 degrees.
Why vegan/veggie in 5 words or less: Read my dissertation.

About Yourself in 3-4 sentences: I guess you could say that I, like most endurance athletes, am somewhat obsessive: I like to train really hard for a really long time. Of course, since I'm (allegedly) finishing up a PhD I tell people that I ride so much so I can think about things; I'm not sure how much thinking I do when I'm suffering up a hill, but it's a good story. I want to open peoples' eyes to the dangers of dogmatism in all areas and beliefs-I question everything, but I'm nice about it (I am Canadian after all).

Thanks to Dan for being our monthly member profile volunteer!

Melons are sweetly confusing. They hail from Africa, the Middle East and/or India, depending on whom you ask, and the cantaloupe we eat in North America is not cantaloupe. Huh? Let me briefly explain.

Some cultivatingly-inclined, Renaissance-era monks residing at a Papal summer residence called ‘Cantalupe’ teased the sugar content out of some decidedly unsweet varieties of melon. But don’t go to Europe and expect cantaloupe to look or taste like the lacy-netted melons we eat here in the U.S. Technically speaking, what Americans call ‘cantaloupes’ are actually ‘muskmelons’ (named for the slightly musky, flowery fragrance) and the ‘true’ cantaloupe is another type of melon, probably closer to what the monks were tinkering with. So why do we call them cantaloupes in the U.S.? Depends on whom you ask... Hmmm. In any case, one thing is certain: American cantaloupes are seasonally farm fresh and meltingly sweet right now!

Perfectly ripe, juicy cantaloupes have a slightly golden-hued splotch on the skin just beneath the lacy netting, a firm rind with an ever-so-slightly soft give when squeezed, a mold-free, fragrant belly button (stem scar), and a uniformly oval shape. The sweetness does not increase after picking, so choose your melons ripe n’ ready, and eat rapidly! Firm melons sitting at room temperature for a day or two will soften up. If perfectly ripe, store in the fridge. Slightly chilled melon is tasty, but ‘straight-out-the-fridge’ melon will have a paralyzed flavor. Melons perk-up nicely with a squeeze of fresh lime too. Just be sure to wash the rind well with soapy water and a vegetable brush before slicing your melon to remove any bacteria it may have picked up from the soil while growing on the vine.

Some healthcare practitioners recommend that melons be eaten solo because their exceptionally high water content slows down the digestion of other foods, leading to fermentation in the gut. Perhaps this is why some people get “burpy” after eating them. But there’s no need to get overly fussy with your food combining if you don’t experience any indigestion. A one-cup serving contains over 100% of the recommended daily value (DV) of vitamins C, B6 and beta carotene, about 15%DV of potassium, and fewer than 60 calories. So buy those cantaloupes now, and never in the middle of winter or spring, lest you be punished with tasteless, immature, anemic-looking, muskless melons.

About X-tine
When not busy concocting creations in the kitchen, Christine Goodreau (aka x-tine) is passionately researching vegan food and nutrition-related topics or catering. She's an art school grad and graphic designer by trade, but would rather spend her time outdoors, at the gym, or pureeing things in her early 70s model VitaMix. Her favorite activities include teaching t'ai chi, lifting weights, afro-brazillian dancing, hiking, mountain biking, and deep breathing in yoga. In her native L.A., she lives with her boyfriend and menagerie of rescued companion animals.

 

Power salad

Makes 2 main-dish salads

• 2 ears corn, kernels cut from cob
• 6 radishes, sliced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 avocado, ripe, diced
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 12 slices cucumber
• 2 Tablespoons hempseeds
• 4 cups lettuce or baby spinach

Dressing

• juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ - ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper

To assemble

1. Place 2 cups lettuce on each plate.

2. Top with corn, radishes, onion, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber.

3. Sprinkle with hemp seeds and drizzle over with the dressing.

4. Sprinkle salads with sea salt, fresh black pepper and drizzle with olive oil and lemonjuice

Spring Miso Soup

Makes 2- 2 cup servings

• 4 cups water
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 3 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 12 snow peas, sliced on an angle
• 4 Tablespoons white miso
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Pour the water into a medium stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the radishes, musthrooms and simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered.

2. Add the snow peas and simmer 2 minutes more.

3. Pour ¼ cup of the warm broth into a small bowl, and add the miso. Stir to dissolve.

Return the miso mixture to the stockpot and add the green onions and reduce heat to low and simmer 1 minute more.

4. Ladle soup into bowls.

Thanks to OA member Angela Lucarelli for this month's recipes.

San Diego
from Chris Graber: A group of us are training for the America's Finest half marathon in mid August.  Find out more at the San Diego Chapter's Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/OrganicAthlete-San-Diego.

 

Victoria
from Dave Shishkoff: The Victoria Chapters next meeting is Wednesday, July 11th at 6:30pm at Green Cuisine.  OrganicAthlete Victoria is also organizing a "Track and Trail" duathlon in late August.

Chapter Directory

Atlanta - Chapter in Formation
Contact: Eric Campbell - eric at escampbell dot com

 

Boston - Chapter in Formation
Contact: Mathew Miller - organicathleteboston at gmail dot com

Colorado - Official Chapter
Contact: Colin McKernan - colinm at vlcinc dot com

New York - Official Chapter
Contact: Jack Baranski - jackbaranski at yahoo dot com
Website: www.teamorganicnyc.org

Ontario, Canada - Official Chapter
Contact: Minna Mettinen - organicathlete.north@gmail.com

Portland - Official Chapter
Contact: Jim Stuck - Jim Stuck - portlandorganicathlete at earthlink dot net
Website: groups.google.com/group/organicathlete-portland

San Diego - Official Chapter
Contact: Kathy Law - kathrynlaw at gmail dot com
Website: groups.google.com/group/OrganicAthlete-San-Diego

San Francisco Bay Area - Chapter in Formation
Website: groups.google.com/group/oabayarea

Sonoma County - Chapter in Formation
Contact: Bradley Saul - bradley@organicathlete.org
Website: groups.google.com/group/OASonoma

Victoria, British Columbia - Chapter Forming
Contact: Dave Shishkoff - dave at earthfuture dot com
Website: groups.google.com/group/oa-victoria

 

Get Involved!

Email info@organicathlete.org or call 866-258-6179 to inquire about joining or starting a local chapter.

Jennifer Argenti, a professional violinist and West Coast Surfing Champion, recently joined OrganicAthlete's Pro-Activist Team of elite and professional vegan athletes.  She joined the team because "OrganicAthlete represents everything that I am about: a healthy, compassionate, environmentally friendly, cruelty-free diet and lifestyle!"

Click here to read her complete profile...