Share and Voice: Duluth Restaurants

Hey guys, for this Share and Voice I just thought I'd compile a list of restaurants in Duluth that serve vegetarian, vegan, locally grown or organic foods. This idea came to me when I was eating out the other day at a restaurant (not on this list...) and I started to wonder where the food I just ordered came from. Here's for future reference:

Pizza Luce:
11 East Superior Street
218-727-7400
Vegan and vegetarian friendly food options (includes pizza toppings like soy cheese, etc)

Duluth Grill:
118 South 27th Avenue West
218-726-1150
Lots of vegetarian, gluten-free and organic food options. Recently featured on Food Network!

Amazing Grace Bakery and Cafe:
394 South Lake Avenue
218-723-0075
Vegetarian food options. Serves mostly breakfast food. Awesome bakery where baked goods are made fresh daily.

I would personally recommend these 3 dining establishments for those in search of more eco-friendly food options. Enjoy!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change: Week 5 Final Weekly Review and Overall Project Reflection

 It looks like this is the last week I’ll be keeping you all updated on my SMART goal of reducing my dairy consumption to no more than 1 serving (2 oz cheese, 1 cup milk, 1 yogurt, etc.) of dairy twice weekly. This last week went fairly smooth in terms of maintaining my efforts not to eat dairy (especially cheese!). The biggest challenges I’ve faced lately is simply being mindful of which foods have dairy in them. Lately I’ve been so busy that I’ve actually forgotten that I’m limiting my dairy consumption and I’ve had to remind myself just in the nick of time (especially when I go out to eat- dairy is in SO many of the best foods). 

Also, I’m still feeling a bit sad about cutting out such a large chunk of my normal diet, but I’ve been feeling a lot better and more confident about this lifestyle change now that I know I can stick with it for a while. Also, since I’ve been mostly dairy-less for a while now, I’ve noticed I feel a lot better and more healthy. It’s a great motivation to keep going, and I plan on continuing with this lifestyle change. 

Overall I think I would definitely recommend this lifestyle change to others. I won’t lie, I found this change to be pretty difficult simply because eating dairy was such a big part of my diet and I had a lot of eating habits to break in the process of cutting out dairy. As with any change though, I found it just took a bit of time and consistent effort, and with the support of a few friends I learned it was much easier to make progress towards my goal. I feel pretty good about the changes I’ve made, not only because I feel healthier now, but because I feel like I’m making less of an environmental impact by cutting down on my consumption of mass-produced dairy products. 

For those of you out there who might be interested in incorporating this lifestyle change into your own daily lives, here’s some tips and some info on what to expect/what I went through:

• Try to get someone to make the change with you- this helps you stay strong in the face of peer pressure (not eating dairy can be difficult when everyone around you makes dairyfull foods and eats them in front of you). 
• Pack a lunch/snacks before going to school/work- this ensures that you will be prepared with dairy-free food so you will be less tempted to buy or share foods that contain dairy (it can be difficult to make rational food choices when you’re STARVING at school, I’ve noticed). 
• Try to keep a steady supply of snacks (veggies, fruit, etc) and other dairy-free food at home- especially condiments. I found that using or trying out different condiments helped keep me from adding cheese to sandwiches, crackers, pasta, and other foods. 

Advocacy project: Letter and Fact Sheet

Letter:

December 6, 2010

Senator Amy Klobuchar

U.S. Senate

302 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Klobuchar,

I am writing to encourage you to vote YES to bill H.R 1927: Assuring and Improving Cancer Treatment Education and Cancer Symptom Management Act 2009. Over 1,529, 560 new cancer cases are projected to be diagnosed in 2010 alone according to the American Cancer Society. As the second leading cause of death in the United States, cancer has become a threat to our national health and we need to make every effort to prevent cancer related deaths for future generations. 

This year alone, 1,500 people are expected to die each day because of cancer according to the American Cancer Society. Many of us believe this number doesn’t affect us, but in reality,  cancer can affect anybody, whether it be physically, emotionally or financially. According to the National Institute of Health, the overall cost of cancer in the United States in 2010 is 263.8 billion, including medical expenses and loss of productivity due to illness or death. 

Fortunately, cancer can largely be prevented by behavior change and education to encourage healthy behavior. According to the American Cancer Society, those particularly at risk of developing cancer include: smokers, heavy drinkers, people who are obese, those with poor diet or nutrition, and those who receive excessive sun exposure. The proposed bill H.R. 1927: Assuring and Improving Cancer Treatment Education and Cancer Symptom Management Act 2009, will provide education not only for those already suffering from the disease, but for those who have not yet acquired it but wish to learn how to prevent it. By showing your support for this bill, you will help our communities learn how to protect themselves against this devastating disease. 

My sincerest thanks to you for taking the time to listen to my concerns regarding this issue. I truly believe this bill will give our community the education it needs to start making healthy behavior changes to prevent this disease. I hope you will vote YES to help those in our community protect themselves against the unnecessary threat of cancer. 

Fact Sheet:

Cancer- We are all at risk

What is Cancer? 

Cancer is a group of diseases marked by excessive growth and spread of abnormal cells in the human body. If the spread of these abnormal cells is not controlled, it can result in death. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease. In the year 2010 alone over 569,490 Americans are expected to die of cancer.  

What are the known causes of cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society, causes of cancer include: Cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor nutrition, obesity, physical inactivity, and excessive sun exposure. It can also be caused by Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Human papillomavirus (HPV), or Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 

How can cancer be treated and prevented?

Cancer can be prevented through behavioral change, early screening by health professionals the use of vaccines, and the use of antibiotics. Behavior changes that are effective in preventing cancer include improved diet and exercise, quitting smoking, drinking alcohol only in moderation, and limiting sun exposure. 

Where can I learn more about cancer and how to help prevent it?

More information can be found at this American Cancer Society webpage, or their website

Share and Voice: Holiday Lights

The holiday season is upon us! Winter break is just around the corner and with all the free time we'll soon have, what better way to celebrate the season than by checking out some of the way awesome holiday lights around town.

I'm sure most of us have seen the sprawling Bentleyville light display in Bayfront. I went last year and I highly recommend going with friends or family to enjoy this display. There's free hot chocolate, cookies, popcorn, and other treats and it's a fun and inexpensive activity for just about everyone. It's also an official collection site for the Salvation Army and you can bring non-perishable food items or new un-wrapped toys to make a donation that will be distributed locally to those in need.

Still, there's another awesome site for holiday lights that's been overshadowed by Bentleyville in recent years. Located on Park Point (3739 S. Lake Avenue), a local Duluthian Marcia Hales has decorated her house with thousands of lights for years now, and it is definitely worth checking out. This light display is truly spectacular and I highly recommend going for a quick walk around.

Just thought I'd let you all know about these awesome light displays!

But on a more environmentally friendly note: If you have old holiday lights that don't work anymore, or if you're upgrading to LED lights instead, the Recycling Association of Minnesota has provided a place for everyone to recycle their old lights.

You can take your holiday lights to be recycled at:
Denny's Ace hardware: 7 Calvary Road
Materials Recovery Center: 4857 Ridgeview Road
DRCC: 728 Garfield Ave

Happy holidays and happy recycling!