Just click on the link to see how the Power Plate works.
http://pcrm.org/health/powerplate
Monday, July 5, 2010
Vegan Alternative to the Food Pyramid - The Power Plate !
I was motivated by Dr. Weil and started looking for an alternative Food Pyramid and thought you might enjoy this alternative.
Just click on the link to see how the Power Plate works.
http://pcrm.org/health/powerplate
Just click on the link to see how the Power Plate works.
http://pcrm.org/health/powerplate
Dr.Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid
Dr. Weil while not supporting a total Vegan diet, offers us a a very practical guide to living and eating healthy. For those trying to transition or at least limit your animal protein intake, this is a very good alternative. As you can see that there is very little need for meat to have a healthy lifestyle. I would hope that by making this shift, the next steps would be a full non-animal protein based diet.
In our family we have chosen to not be fanatics about outr Vegan lifestyle but rather adjust to the situation and people we are visitying or dining with. An example is yesterday on the 4th, we attended a barbeque with family and friends that had steak, chicken, sausage and burgers on the menu. I had a taste and enjoyed the steak very much. My feeling is that if we only consume a bit of animal protein our bodies have an amazing ability to handle it. I will not deny though that my body is dealing with the change this morning.
Enjoy the food pyramid and if you want some help in understanding it please write.
In our family we have chosen to not be fanatics about outr Vegan lifestyle but rather adjust to the situation and people we are visitying or dining with. An example is yesterday on the 4th, we attended a barbeque with family and friends that had steak, chicken, sausage and burgers on the menu. I had a taste and enjoyed the steak very much. My feeling is that if we only consume a bit of animal protein our bodies have an amazing ability to handle it. I will not deny though that my body is dealing with the change this morning.Enjoy the food pyramid and if you want some help in understanding it please write.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
New Recipe Site ! Yummly.com
Image via WikipediaYou can simply key into the recipe box and the system checks multiple sites at once and delivers you a result.
One thing I especially love is the ability to edit a recipe.
You can adjust the quantities to be served and it makes the necessary calculations for you and also if you sub an ingredient it also stores that in your favorites.
You can also import existing recipes you have on other sites like Food Network, Big Oven etc to name a few.
Try it out and let me know what you think.
www.yummly.com
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Farmer's Markets
Image by Ed Yourdon via FlickrYou know the person that grows it, whether it is pesticide free or not and when it was picked, to ensure that you get ripe vegetables and fruit and that they have all the nutrition and vitamins you are looking for.
If you would like to meet some farmers in this area I go to 3 or 4 markets a week and can be available to help you get started.
Contact me and let's get you started on stocking up that refrigerator and pantry !
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Do We Get Enough Protein In Our Vegan Diet ?
Except from the Foreward to "The China Study" by Dr. T. Colin Campbell Ph.D and Thomas M. Campbell II
© 2005-2009 The China Study and BenBella Books, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Intro by Allan Bird
One of the biggest pieces of misinformation about switching to a Vegan Diet is in the area of protein. Not only do Americans consume way too much protein but the type of animal proteins we eat cause all kinds of health issues. I will be writing more in the future on plant based protein but just read the following excerpt from "The China Study" to get your attention.
"For ten years our primary goal in the Philippines was to improve childhood malnutrition among
the poor, a project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Eventually, we
established about 110 nutrition “self-help” education centers around the country.
The aim of these efforts in the Philippines was simple: make sure that children were getting as
much protein as possible. It was widely thought that much of the childhood malnutrition in
the world was caused by a lack of protein, especially from animal-based foods. Universities
and governments around the world were working to alleviate a perceived “protein gap” in the
developing world.
In this project, however, I uncovered a dark secret. Children who ate the highest-protein diets were
the ones most likely to get liver cancer! They were the children of the wealthiest families.
W W W . B E N B E L L A B O O K S . C O M
T C S - B B B
5
I then noticed a research report from India that had some very provocative, relevant findings.
Indian researchers had studied two groups of rats. In one group, they administered the cancercausing
aflatoxin, then fed a diet that was composed of 20% protein, a level near what many of
us consume in the West. In the other group, they administered the same amount of aflatoxin,
but then fed a diet that was only composed of 5% protein. Incredibly, every single animal that
consumed the 20% protein diet had evidence of liver cancer, and every single animal that
consumed a 5% protein diet avoided liver cancer. It was a 100 to 0 score, leaving no doubt that
nutrition trumped chemical carcinogens, even very potent carcinogens, in controlling cancer.
This information countered everything I had been taught. It was heretical to say that protein
wasn’t healthy, let alone say it promoted cancer. It was a defining moment in my career.
Investigating such a provocative question so early in my career was not a very wise choice.
Questioning protein and animal-based foods in general ran the risk of my being labeled a
heretic, even if it passed the test of “good science.”
But I never was much for following directions just for the sake of following directions. When I
first learned to drive a team of horses or herd cattle, to hunt animals, to fish our creek or to
work in the fields, I came to accept that independent thinking was part of the deal. It had to
be. Encountering problems in the field meant that I had to figure out what to do next. It was a
great classroom, as any farm boy can tell you. That sense of independence has stayed with me
until today.
So, faced with a difficult decision, I decided to start an in-depth laboratory program that
would investigate the role of nutrition, especially protein, in the development of cancer. My
colleagues and I were cautious in framing our hypotheses, rigorous in our methodology and
conservative in interpreting our findings. I chose to do this research at a very basic science
level, studying the biochemical details of cancer formation. It was important to understand not
only whether but also how protein might promote cancer. It was the best of all worlds. By
carefully following the rules of good science, I was able to study a provocative topic without
provoking knee-jerk responses that arise with radical ideas. Eventually, this research became
handsomely funded for twenty-seven years by the bestreviewed and most competitive funding
sources [mostly the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Cancer Society and the
American Institute for Cancer Research]. Then our results were reviewed (a second time) for
publication in many of the best scientific journals.
What we found was shocking. Low-protein diets inhibited the initiation of cancer by aflatoxin,
regardless of how much of this carcinogen was administered to these animals. After cancer
initiation was completed, low-protein diets also dramatically blocked subsequent cancer
growth. In other words, the cancer-producing effects of this highly carcinogenic chemical were
rendered insignificant by a low-protein diet. In fact, dietary protein proved to be so powerful in its
effect that we could turn on and turn off cancer growth simply by changing the level consumed.
Furthermore, the amounts of protein being fed were those that we humans routinely consume.
We didn’t use extraordinary levels, as is so often the case in carcinogen studies.
But that’s not all. We found that not all proteins had this effect. What protein consistently and
strongly promoted cancer? Casein, which makes up 87% of cow’s milk protein, promoted all
stages of the cancer process. What type of protein did not promote cancer, even at high levels
of intake? The safe proteins were from plants, including wheat and soy. As this picture came
into view, it began to challenge and then to shatter some of my most cherished assumptions.
These experimental animal studies didn’t end there. I went on to direct the most
comprehensive study of diet, lifestyle and disease ever done with humans in the history of
biomedical research. It was a massive undertaking jointly arranged through Cornell
University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. The New York
Times called it the “Grand Prix of Epidemiology.” This project surveyed a vast range of
diseases and diet and lifestyle factors in rural China and, more recently, in Taiwan. More
commonly known as the China Study, this project eventually produced more than 8,000
statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease!
What made this project especially remarkable is that, among the many associations that are
relevant to diet and disease, so many pointed to the same finding: people who ate the most
animal-based foods got the most chronic disease. Even relatively small intakes of animal-based
food were associated with adverse effects. People who ate the most plant-based foods were the
healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. These results could not be ignored. From the
initial experimental animal studies on animal protein effects to this massive human study on
dietary patterns, the findings proved to be consistent. The health implications of consuming
either animal or plant-based nutrients were remarkably different."
© 2005-2009 The China Study and BenBella Books, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Intro by Allan Bird
One of the biggest pieces of misinformation about switching to a Vegan Diet is in the area of protein. Not only do Americans consume way too much protein but the type of animal proteins we eat cause all kinds of health issues. I will be writing more in the future on plant based protein but just read the following excerpt from "The China Study" to get your attention.
"For ten years our primary goal in the Philippines was to improve childhood malnutrition among
the poor, a project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Eventually, we
established about 110 nutrition “self-help” education centers around the country.
The aim of these efforts in the Philippines was simple: make sure that children were getting as
much protein as possible. It was widely thought that much of the childhood malnutrition in
the world was caused by a lack of protein, especially from animal-based foods. Universities
and governments around the world were working to alleviate a perceived “protein gap” in the
developing world.
In this project, however, I uncovered a dark secret. Children who ate the highest-protein diets were
the ones most likely to get liver cancer! They were the children of the wealthiest families.
W W W . B E N B E L L A B O O K S . C O M
T C S - B B B
5
I then noticed a research report from India that had some very provocative, relevant findings.
Indian researchers had studied two groups of rats. In one group, they administered the cancercausing
aflatoxin, then fed a diet that was composed of 20% protein, a level near what many of
us consume in the West. In the other group, they administered the same amount of aflatoxin,
but then fed a diet that was only composed of 5% protein. Incredibly, every single animal that
consumed the 20% protein diet had evidence of liver cancer, and every single animal that
consumed a 5% protein diet avoided liver cancer. It was a 100 to 0 score, leaving no doubt that
nutrition trumped chemical carcinogens, even very potent carcinogens, in controlling cancer.
This information countered everything I had been taught. It was heretical to say that protein
wasn’t healthy, let alone say it promoted cancer. It was a defining moment in my career.
Investigating such a provocative question so early in my career was not a very wise choice.
Questioning protein and animal-based foods in general ran the risk of my being labeled a
heretic, even if it passed the test of “good science.”
But I never was much for following directions just for the sake of following directions. When I
first learned to drive a team of horses or herd cattle, to hunt animals, to fish our creek or to
work in the fields, I came to accept that independent thinking was part of the deal. It had to
be. Encountering problems in the field meant that I had to figure out what to do next. It was a
great classroom, as any farm boy can tell you. That sense of independence has stayed with me
until today.
So, faced with a difficult decision, I decided to start an in-depth laboratory program that
would investigate the role of nutrition, especially protein, in the development of cancer. My
colleagues and I were cautious in framing our hypotheses, rigorous in our methodology and
conservative in interpreting our findings. I chose to do this research at a very basic science
level, studying the biochemical details of cancer formation. It was important to understand not
only whether but also how protein might promote cancer. It was the best of all worlds. By
carefully following the rules of good science, I was able to study a provocative topic without
provoking knee-jerk responses that arise with radical ideas. Eventually, this research became
handsomely funded for twenty-seven years by the bestreviewed and most competitive funding
sources [mostly the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Cancer Society and the
American Institute for Cancer Research]. Then our results were reviewed (a second time) for
publication in many of the best scientific journals.
What we found was shocking. Low-protein diets inhibited the initiation of cancer by aflatoxin,
regardless of how much of this carcinogen was administered to these animals. After cancer
initiation was completed, low-protein diets also dramatically blocked subsequent cancer
growth. In other words, the cancer-producing effects of this highly carcinogenic chemical were
rendered insignificant by a low-protein diet. In fact, dietary protein proved to be so powerful in its
effect that we could turn on and turn off cancer growth simply by changing the level consumed.
Furthermore, the amounts of protein being fed were those that we humans routinely consume.
We didn’t use extraordinary levels, as is so often the case in carcinogen studies.
But that’s not all. We found that not all proteins had this effect. What protein consistently and
strongly promoted cancer? Casein, which makes up 87% of cow’s milk protein, promoted all
stages of the cancer process. What type of protein did not promote cancer, even at high levels
of intake? The safe proteins were from plants, including wheat and soy. As this picture came
into view, it began to challenge and then to shatter some of my most cherished assumptions.
These experimental animal studies didn’t end there. I went on to direct the most
comprehensive study of diet, lifestyle and disease ever done with humans in the history of
biomedical research. It was a massive undertaking jointly arranged through Cornell
University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. The New York
Times called it the “Grand Prix of Epidemiology.” This project surveyed a vast range of
diseases and diet and lifestyle factors in rural China and, more recently, in Taiwan. More
commonly known as the China Study, this project eventually produced more than 8,000
statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease!
What made this project especially remarkable is that, among the many associations that are
relevant to diet and disease, so many pointed to the same finding: people who ate the most
animal-based foods got the most chronic disease. Even relatively small intakes of animal-based
food were associated with adverse effects. People who ate the most plant-based foods were the
healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. These results could not be ignored. From the
initial experimental animal studies on animal protein effects to this massive human study on
dietary patterns, the findings proved to be consistent. The health implications of consuming
either animal or plant-based nutrients were remarkably different."
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Weight Issues ??
Image via WikipediaSavor The Book
“The Buddha did not foresee many of the modern-day problems that we face, but his teachings are timeless.”
We invite you to embark on this mindfulness journey, just as others have over many generations, to help you end your struggle with weight and improve your health, the health of those around you, and the well-being of the world in which we live.Common sense tells us that to lose weight, we must eat less and exercise more. But somehow we get stalled. We start on a weight-loss program with good intentions but cannot stay on track. Neither the countless fad diets, nor the annual spending of $50 billion on weight loss in the U.S. helps us feel better or lose weight. Too many of us are trapped in a cycle of shame and guilt. We spend countless hours worrying about what we ate or if we exercised enough, blaming ourselves for actions that we cant undo. We are stuck in the past and unable to live in the present -- that moment in which we do have the power to make changes in our lives.
With Savor, world-renowned Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and Harvard nutritionist Dr. Lilian Cheung show us how to end our struggles with weight once and for all. Offering practical tools, including personalized goal setting, a detailed nutrition guide, and a mindful living plan, the authors help us uncover the roots of our habits and then guide us as we transform our actions. Savor teaches us how to easily adopt the practice of mindfulness and integrate it into eating, exercise, and all facets of our daily life, so that being conscious and present becomes a core part of our being. It is the awareness of the present moment, the realization of why we do what we do, that enables us to stop feeling bad and start changing our behavior. Savor not only helps us achieve the healthy weight and well-being we seek, but it also brings to the surface the rich abundance of life available to us in every moment.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Overcoming Diabetes Naturally with Raw Fruits and Vegetables
Image via Wikipedia
Eating a raw fruit and vegetable diet has been proven to reverse diabetes. So why is this healing diet been overlooked by main stream medicine?
The raw food diet has been overlooked by main stream American medicine as a potential avenue to reverse diabetes. Yet many have claimed that by following this diet they have healed their bodies of this devastating disease. Diabetes leads to heart and kidney disease, hypertension, strokes, loss of hearing, blindness and even death. It is on the rise in the United States due to obesity and our poor nutritional states. Many have taken control of their health and reversed diabetes by simply eating raw foods. Many have written books and articles attributing their new raw diet to reversing obesity and advancing health. However, others in the medical community think all these claims stream from a plethora of people trying to make money on newly published books and raw food companies.
Scientific Studies are Absent in Diabetic Reversal with a Raw Diet
The main reason medical science does not propose a raw diet for reversal of diabetes is a lack of scientific experimentation in this area. Most medical doctors will not step out on a limb and advise a patient on a new and unproven method of science. Malpractice is at an all time high and it would be risky to advise against the current standard of practice. Medical doctors do not study an abundance of nutrition in medical school. The medical focus of practice is not cure but drugs and how to use them to mediate symptoms or further surgical interventions. Nutrition is left to the dietary department. Raw dieting has not been investigated by dietary professionals because it goes against main stream dietetic theories for health. Again, the standard of practice has been developed and the robots are in motion.The American Diabetic Association uses financing for research to support main stream pharmaceuticals and the current medical model. Without top research performed by an outside source diabetics have no hope of being offered a real cure as billions of dollars go to mainstream pharmaceuticals for the current treatment program. Our current medical system has no incentive to change. Pharmaceuticals run our medical system. The few pioneers who have stepped out have been shunned by the system and sued by their colleagues backed by big pharmaceutical companies. These few usually step out of main stream medicine and produce great healing for the patients who are lucky enough to receive their simple dietary suggestions and treatments. A good book to read in this area is The China Study by Colin Campbell. Campbell is a pioneer who stepped out of main stream science. His study is a giant leap in the dietary realm as it shows how diet does produce disease.
Raw Dieting a Radical Leap Toward Health and the Healing of Diabetes
In the raw diet realm, many stories of those who have completed self-experimentation on themselves and their families over several years are available. A few medical people have ventured into this area and the remarkable stories leave one with hope for a cure for not only diabetes but arthritis, hypertension, heart disease and many other so called incurable diseases of aging. The simple cure involves no supplements, no fasting, no special combinations of foods, no special exercises and no special procedures. Just start eating a diet of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. If one keeps a lot of greens such as lettuces, kale, celery in the diet, they seem to heal faster. Victoria Boutenko's family was devastated by disease. Her youngest boy was diagnosed as a diabetic. She put her entire family on a raw diet. In less than a month they were all healed. Her journey over the last ten years on a raw diet is worth reading. Many in medical science think the average American is too lazy to take control of their situation and eat right to heal disease. At least they should be given the option to make their own choice. If given the choice, would one want to be a diabetic, take insulin for the rest of their lives and die from one of many devastating complications or eat naturally and have abundant health? The choice should be investigated and the public awakened to options others have investigated with great success.
Resources
Campbell, T and Thomas Campbell II, The China Study, Benbella, 2006
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