Tuesday, September 22, 2009

contest :: win a free half-gallon of silk heart health


Time for another contest, kids.
I'm giving away 2 coupons for a free half-gallon of Silk Heart Health Soy Milk. According to Silk, this formulation is rich in phytosterols. So as a result, it's clinically proven to reduce cholesterol by up to 12%.

Part of my "day job" includes medical writing, which makes me skeptical by nature of any such claims. So I took a peek at the studies' abstracts to see if they were simply wishy-washy marketing spin. The studies were super-relevant: all were either review articles and meta-analyses, which simply put, means they were the synopsized results of loads and loads of other studies. All pointed to a reduction in cholesterol. Bottom line in a nutshell: drink your soy milk.

I usually just pick names from a hat. This time, you'll have to work for your soy milk.
In the comment section, write a haiku poem (5/7/5 syllables) about your favorite vegan food. I'll announce the 2 lucky winners in the next few days. Good luck!

31 comments:

buffalodick said...

Whoa! I didn't know about that break-up.. Hope you are OK..E-mail if you wish to talk, as I think you are pretty neat, and wish to make sure you are doing well...

bazu said...

ode to salad:

mosaic colors
scents, tastes, and textures galore
what more could you want?

ode to mango salsa:

oh delicious thing
full of that plumply sweet zing
I raise chips to you

Anonymous said...

Unlike other milks,
soymilk is cruelty-free and
tastes yummy to boot!

karaxcupcake said...

phytosterols kick
cholesterol butt. see ya
later heart attacks!

Embee Breedlove said...

My haiku, with a message:

I choose almond milk.
I do not buy Silk soy milk;
They sold out, like jerks.

Ta da! OK, so maybe they didn't exactly "sell out" since they've always been part of a mega-multi-national. What they did do is sneakily stop being organic. Not to mention that they're owned by Dean Foods, the largest milk producer in the U.S. (world?). Anyway, I don't want to win the contest; I just like writing haiku. :)

Oh, and about the reduced cholesterol levels - is it possible that soy milk drinkers have lower cholesterol levels not because soy milk is doing anything special about it, but simply because they're *not* drinking cow's milk?

p.s. - Hey bazu! Nice double entry!

Dr. Bae said...

morning star riblets
I will never forsake you
heaven in my mouth

-this is the vegan food I feed to my meaty friends, and they rave how good they are; but then stare while I chew and chew.

kibbles said...

tender, blissful love
a tang and luscious pucker
red raspberry smiles

Oh, I love how whole, fresh, wild foods aren't contaminated with animals. Mmmm fruit :)

Eating Consciously said...

@melissa

I agree about Silk, but it doesn't mean all soy milk is evil. Also, the scientific relationship is between the phytoestrogen consumption and cholesterol levels, not just based on soy milk. So, while omitting cow's milk would likely lower your cholesterol in general, eating soy products enhances the effect :)

Embee Breedlove said...

Hi Eating Consciously. Oh, I'm not against soy milk. I should have been more clear on that. It just aggravates me when studies don't take total diet choices into account. (Of course, I haven't read the study, so maybe I'm making assumptions and being a jerk. But that does seem to be the trend.) And I just personally much prefer the flavor of almond milk. If you like soy, go for it!

urban vegan said...

Melissa: You're right, but like Ed said, the way the study was designed focused on the presence of phytosterols, and not the absence of dairy and meat. Some of the participants, in fact, were consuming meat. Simply put, studies need to be very specific...or else the results can too easily be dismissed as bogus.

I also hear you on the big food conglomerates...but since this one is actually very successfully promoting a tasty, animal-free food, I am more than happy to promote it.

Sarah Haldeman said...

Spicy chili yum
seitan, coffee, and cashews
make my heart sing, sing!

Keri Hope said...

edamame salt
i lick it off my fingers
my nutty delight

Anonymous said...

I thought I might try,
Soy Milk tickles my senses,
Makes me want to cry.

Who says haiku's can't rhyme?

Anonymous said...

A green orb of fruit
the succulent pimento
mouthwatering brine

Carrie said...

i love vegetables
so nutritious and yummy
they are fun to eat

Susan G said...

I was so excited when I saw in someone's comment that your book is available at Amazon! I rushed right over and bought it. And today, I saw it in the bookstore. Yay!

Unknown said...

olives make me oh
so ravenous for their sharp
bite, their briny sting

Anonymous said...

Fuji apples make
my day. Thank you for keeping
the doctor away.

(I guess that's a couplet turned-haiku. Shhh.)

Anonymous said...

Haha I love this one!

Bazu:
ode to mango salsa:
oh delicious thing
full of that plumply sweet zing
I raise chips to you

jvegegirl said...

almond butter is grinding
away, happily.
from blade to mouth, no spoon here.

Christo Gonzales said...

I drank the soy milk
that you were saving
it was cool and refreshing

ode to the plum poem by william carlos williams

Jen said...

perfect lil gnocchi,
yum! chewy and delicious,
just a bit of sauce.

Gem said...

Fried Garlic Tofu
Golden, spicy, crunchy, yum
I might kill for you

vanessa said...

i like fruity pie.
blueberry, peach, apple, oh my.
i love vegan pie.

buffalodick said...

Haiku-
Animals with soul?
Plants could have one too, you know.
What is for dinner?

Anonymous said...

perfect garbanzo
firm roundness that yields hummus
so quick for a snack

katie

urban vegan said...

Buff: Although plants may well have souls, they do not have central nervous systems.

So if I touch your dog with a hot poker, he will cry, but if I touch broccoli...no pain.

Laura said...

the garbanzo bean
ground; with tahini, oil
hummus is yummus

celyn said...

o focaccia
rosemary garlic tomat
olives make you sing

Millette Jones said...

Doesn't Dean Foods also own a string of factory farms...not 100% but I'm staying away from Silk anyhow.

Heather said...

Tempeh fajitas:
lime, garlic, heat and texture --
thanks, lovely boyfriend.