The Stanford Inn by the Sea - Resort and Spa

It is one our coldest nights this year, it’s late and two raccoons, a mother and her baby, who visit every night, are watching us - or that is our dogs, Gypsy and Murphy who are intently watching them. The stare-off reminds us of our love for animals. We contribute to their wellbeing by not in anyway supporting feed lots, piggeries, over fishing and so on. We eat a whole foods, plant based diet.

It occurs to us this winter solstice that “keeping Christmas” is perhaps easier for us because each day we have to think about what we eat – particularly if we are traveling. Thinking about what we eat reminds us of our commitment to other species; our commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture and it reminds us of our hypocrisy - we wear leather on our feet and leather around our waists. We are not offering you righteousness: Jeff is often angry, blundering into the others’ feelings. But we are offering our experience – that eating kindly benefits us in ways we never imagined. We have more energy than others much younger, we feel energy moving through us, we feel connected to this wonderful earth and we have taken it for granted. We simply have had no need to announce these experiences. Until now.

Now we know that our way of eating has unanticipated benefits from reducing global warming and pollution to averting chronic diseases. With regard to chronic disease, check out http://drmcdougall.com/. John McDougall is a leader in treating a variety of chronic diseases with diet. If you know someone with MS, you might check out Dr. Roy Swank's site at http://www.swankmsdiet.org/ and for specific recommendations regarding heat disease, check out Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's site http://www.heartattackproof.com/. All three doctors share a passion for healing and found that the methods they had learned often failed to treat more than symptoms. They sought to reverse disease and increase vitality. Although the Dr. Swank and Dr. Esselstyn are now retired, Dr. McDougall continues his practice in Santa Rosa, California.

Follow this blog for additional information regarding the reduction of carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide equivalents by adoption of a vegan, whole foods diet.

We are traveling – first to a wedding in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and exploring vegan restaurants.

Halifax is a wonderful city: youthful, yet graced with stone or brick century old buildings. More than vegan friendly, the city offers several vegan restaurants. Not entirely vegan, but “friendly” Mezza on Quinpool Road is Lebanese/Mediterranean. Our daughter and son were to arrive later in the evening and we decided to try their appetizers. We had a three including Foul Mudammas – a tangy dish of fava beans tossed with garlic, mint and fresh lemon with tomatoes and onions; Vegetable Kebbe - samosa-like with a fried dumpling made with potato and cracked wheat and stuffed with spinach, chickpeas, onion and lemon; and, Eggplant created with roasted eggplant, green pepper, red pepper, onion, garlic, tomato, parsley, lemon and olive oil. Not one of these can be claimed our favorite –each excellent, with wonderful flavors – complementing one another. We chose well. - Joan and Jeff Stanford

We advertise in VegNews Magazine which advocates a vegan lifestyle. Sometimes our association with VegNews is a source of problems for some of their readers. Our guests and potential guests should know that the Inn reflects that we have not been vegan our entire lives.

Last week, spurred by one of their readers, a staff member of VegNews called to ask if we could remove down products for those readers who are vegan. “Of course!” we answered. But this brings us to an essential issue: what to do with existing animal products once we decided to not buy such products.

We believe it is irresponsible to not completely use the products we already have. It is difficult and unethical to just trash clean and still useful down pillows, comforters and feather beds. (We wash and dry them in our equipment.)

Destroying feather beds and down products does not enhance the life of any animal. In fact it denigrates their lives even more. We have chosen to continue to use these products until replacing them due to wear or until we give them to staff to use them in their homes.

Adhering to a philosophy to the extent that it trivializes the gifts of animals to our lives is just wrong.

This spring, master gardener Kate Frey took a six week leave of absence from the Inn to create Fetzer Winery’s sustainable wildflower garden at London’s annual Chelsea Garden Show. She was awarded gold!

Until last year when Fetzer Winery’s owners closed it, Kate ran Fetzer’s Valley Oak Gardens. Kate is also a superior garden designer and lectures on gardening throughout Northern California.

Kate emailed from England: “People, said over and over, ‘now this is the people’s garden- not like those fancy things across the road.’ ‘It is so uplifting’ and ‘it invites one in to supper.’ ‘I feel like crying,’ ‘This is my favorite, and your last garden was my favorite also.' ‘So different than those depressing blues and purples' and ‘I saw it on the telly (TV) last night and I rushed in to see it.’"

She continued, “Natures bright colors, the artlessness of the flowers, the naturalistic aspect, the fact all the plants were weeds or wildflowers, but perhaps most of all, the spirit that the team created manifested itself as a place that peoples hearts could enter and walk the path, and participate in the glorious atmosphere.”

This morning, some of our staff turned on VH1 for background music. I walked in when Criss Angel was introducing Ozzy Osbourne during the Rock Honors Awards show. He carried a small terrarium with a white mouse exploring his plastic house. Angel reached in grabbed the mouse, put it to his mouth and bit the mouse’s head off. He spit the head across the stage. The audience roared. What was left of the mouse hung lifelessly in Angel’s hand.

We checked the internet and there were different people’s reaction to this act – some believe it had to be an illusion. We believe it should not have been aired at all – if it is a joke, no one seems to be in on it.

We were appalled. We called Direct TV who provides TV for the Inn and had VH1 and its parent station MTV removed from the stations the Inn provides its guests, replacing them with National Geographic and a Discovery Channel.

We believe that there is enough violence in the world and we don’t want to encourage it and sacrificing a helpless and totally dependent creature is encouraging violence. Specifically, we all should be grossed-out by a mouse’s decapitation – a mouse totally dependent on it handler – on one of us.

Mendocino Firsts – GMO’s; Organics, and Sustainable Practices

Mendocino County Firsts Mendocino County was the first county within the United States to ban growing genetically modified organisms (GMO’s). Mendocino County also boasts the oldest organic winery in the United States, Lolonis Winery in Redwood Valley - http://www.lolonis.com/. The County is home to the Stanford Inn by the Sea which embraced sustainable practices bringing organic farming to the Inn’s grounds in 1985. The farm has expanded and is a major focus of activity for both staff and guests.

Furthermore, not satisfied with just organic farming, the Inn added The Ravens' Restaurant the areas first vegetarian restaurant serving a menu which is 99% organic. The Ravens' seeks to bring vegan and vegetarian dining into the mainstream by serving excellent food in the context of fine dining. The Wine List won an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator and features primarily organic wines or those produced from organic or sustainably produced grapes. There is a full bar in the Inn's lobby.

In addition, The Stanford Inn works with John Jeavons of Ecology Action to develop a sustainable standard based on the health of the soil. http://www.growbiointensive.org/

Catch A Canoe & Bicycles, too! In concert with the emphasis on sustainable lifestyles, the Stanfords provide activities that do not require fuels. Catch A Canoe provides canoes, kayaks and outriggers to explore Big River Estuary which flows through a canyon forming one of the State’s newest parks. The Estuary is undeveloped and uncluttered. There is no development along its shores and except for an abandoned quarry, and remnant of 150 year old logging operations, the canyon and estuary are pristine. At & Bicycles, too! the Stanfords provide mountain bikes for exploring Mendocino Coast’s back road and abandoned logging roads. Taken together Catch A Canoe & Bicylces, too! is the center for sustainable tourism in Northern California. http://catchacanoe.com/innlight/adventure.html

Introduction: The Mendocino Lifestyle is predominately "green." We define it as an effort to bring thoughtfulness, mindfulness, to the small decisions we make every day. This blog concerns chronic diseases. It is also the story of the former owner of this lodge. We are vegan and adopting a vegan lifestyle is the single most important change one can make toward sustainability. This blog is provides another reason for adopting a vegan lifestyle. In addition, many of our guests have wanted copies of the orginal article written in our newsletter. It is here for them.

Diet and Disease
A close friend died as a result of contracting histoplasmosis a disease endemic to the eastern and central U.S. There, as many as 80% of the people test positive for exposure.

Suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, our friend was treated with infusions of two drugs that suppress the immune system. One of the drugs, Remicade, is known to lower resistance to fungal infections. Reviews of the drug include a warning that where histoplasmosis is common, patients and their doctors must consider the benefits and risks before using it. Coastal California is not known for this disease;however, she went to Mexico where the disease is common.

We wondered if a safer product might have been available to prevent such a catastrophic outcome. We read about aspirin, Vitamin D, and more. But most stunning was the role of diet. First, we learned that most autoimmune diseases can be attributed to diet or at best are exacerbated by diet. Second, the most common culprits are proteins found in foods and their interactions with the human immune system. Clues to the role of diet in a variety of diseases include:

1. Lupus is rare in rural Africa, yet African-Americans have the highest incidence of lupus.

2. Albania, Europe’s poorest country with a poor diet by Western standards, has the longest life expectancy in eastern and central Europe.

3. Further, Albanians living in the southwest who subsist primarily on a diet of fruits and vegetables are half as likely to die from heart attack as their countrymen who live in the northeast and subsist on a dairy based diet.

4. People in Asia and Africa subsisting on traditional diets have a very low incidence of the various forms of arthritis afflicting those on a western diet.

5. Multiple Sclerosis is rare in Asia and Africa; however Asians and Africans who have adopted a western diet are as susceptible as are European

6. Atherosclerosis is rare in populations eating traditional diets in Asia and Africa and, again, Asians and Africans on a western diet are as afflicted as Europeans. Other diseases may very well be the result of atherosclerosis.

7. Finally, long ago Jeff was struck by the diets of various indigenous people he studied as an anthropologist. With the exception of Inuit and some northern peoples, most traditional diets were based on seeds, grains and fruit. For example, the Pomo who once occupied Mendocino County subsisted primarily on acorns supplementing their diet with dried salmon, seaweed (for salt), berries and collected shell fish during their seasonal forays to the coast. For many people, meat was for festivals.

Third, we were impressed by the fact that dietary changes can effectively reduce or eliminate the symptoms of these and other chronic diseases. The implications are enormous. A low fat, whole foods vegan diet will often reverse the effects of Multiple Sclerosis according to Dr. Roy Swank formerly the head of the Division of Neurology of the University of Oregon Medical School. Dr. John McDougal and Dr. Dean Ornish recommend low fat vegan diets for treatment of variety modern afflictions including prostrate problems, heart disease, arthritis, and MS.
The process of how diet contributes to allergies is complex. For those who want to know more we suggest that you check out Dr. John McDougal’s web site – http://www.drmcdougall.com. McDougall provides a thorough documented description of the inflammatory process as well as well documented dietary guidelines.

At the Ravens we are challenging ourselves to develop recipes which enhance the immune system at the same time they satisfy our western tastes.

All material -Copyright - Stanford Inn

We are members of the Slow Food Movement which is dedicated to enjoying "the pleasure which this world can give." This is not a simple concept — for pleasure is found in balance, in working with nature, respecting bio-diversity, local cultural heritage and practice. Beyond this the Slow Food Movement respects distant cultures and heritage. For example, many of us drink coffee, which has long been a part of Western culture, but does not grow in Northern California. In respect of the traditional cultures where coffee is grown, we specify fair trade, organic coffees for our blends.

When we first opened the Ravens, we created a "trademark," - Inspired by our Certified Organic Gardens -. We were also inspired by locally crafted and harvested foods including sea palm, wild mushrooms, and foraged foods such as miner's lettuce, huckleberries, and blackberries.

What we have learned over the years is that what matters are the small decisions in the purchasing and preparing food: which oils to use, what produce, spices and herbs. We carefully select only the finest, healthful organic ingredients. We are dedicated to creating cuisine based on seasonal regional ingredients and basing our flavors on organic herbs grown here. THis is an important aspect of Slow Food.

But this concept cannot end in the kitchen, but must be represented in every aspect of what we do. We continue to reexamine all that we do including all the products we use in order to present to our guests and Inn experience based on a series of small decisions, each in line with what is best for guests and for the environment. Long ago we discovered that these are mutually inclusive goals.

We thank you for respecting this work.