Nutrition

[~**KeTrA**~]

I'm a new Vegetarian, 3 months or so. I absolutely love it. But I have been so sluggish and tired lately and have gained 15 lbs! I know I need to start taking a multivitamin, but does anyone know where I can get some good info on what the proper nutrients I should be eating or somewhere I can set up some meal plans?

[Nidia]

I work in a weight loss center and im VEGAN my recomendation is................ add fruit-veggies and soy to your DIET ... iif you need a menu plan ask me... take care

AND EASY with THE STARCHES and SODIUM .. (potatoes,rice etc.)

[~**KeTrA**~]

I have been doing much better. Thank you so much for all the advice, i'm trying a little bit from everyone! It's a work in progress. Much Love

[~**KeTrA**~]

UPDATE: Well I have improved greatly and I haven't gained any weight. I haven't lost any either. I'm super pumped because my work is having a biggest loser game of their own and I want to win! I was wandering if you might be able to help me make a menu plan. I have no idea where to start, also the local grocery store doesn't even have soyburger! I liked to plan some meals that can be made in large batches and frozen. Any Advice would be great.

[Yvonne]

Potatoes will not make you fat. Neither will rice. (Just look at the Asian cultures who eat rice three times a day and Peruvians who eat potatoes three times a day.) (Proof of this concept is here.) The difference is that they eat no processed foods, very little fat, sugar, etc. Cut out the processed foods and the dairy and you will definitely lose weight. Instead of butter or even vegan margarine on that potato, try non-fat salsa! Yummy.

A great book to read on weight loss and nutrition is Skinny Bitch. I also love anything by Dr. John McDougall, who proves that a low-protein, high starch diet is nutritious, easy to stick to and will help you drop the pounds easily.

And yes, if you eat pasta, remember that it's a processed food and you should stick to the whole grains ones. I eat pasta once every two weeks or so.

Whole foods, whole foods, whole foods. Can't stress it enough! And of course you need exercise. It will make you feel a lot better if you get up and move a bit every day.

Rainbow Light makes great supplements that are food based, so you won't just pee them away. I don't take them every day, but I can feel a difference when I do. Lots of energy!

Hope that helps!

[Yvonne]

Oh, and I didn't mean to start an argument about starches. I didn't even see the post above mine before I commented. I just get frustrated by the high-protein, low carb thing because I believe it's an unhealthy way to live. We only need 5% of our calories to come from protein and I've lost plenty of weight eating lots of starches.

We all have to find our own balance and what works for us. I've found mine and I'm excited about it, especially because I love my whole grain rice!

[Brett]

Skinny bitch was an alright book. It's good to see Vegans gain mainstream acceptance. But I found "What to eat" by Marion Nestle to be a more complete book on nutrition. She's pro Veggie, but there are chapters about meat eating. I find it more factual and less sensationalist for those those who want the hard facts about nutrition.

[vegan gaz]

en Delicious Dishes to Help Defeat Diabetes

by The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

The food you eat plays a crucial role in your health. Certain foods can even help in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. In diabetes, the cells of the body cannot get the sugar they need. Glucose, a simple sugar, is the body’s main fuel. It is present in the blood even if you don’t eat any sugary foods, because the foods we eat are broken down into glucose. A hormone called insulin signals the body’s cells to let glucose in. In people with diabetes, glucose cannot get into the cells where it is needed.

People with type 1 diabetes do not have enough insulin to signal the cells to let in glucose, so it builds up in the blood stream. People with type 2 diabetes or who are at high risk for diabetes are said to be insulin resistant, meaning that while there is enough insulin present, the cells aren’t paying very close attention to the signal. Being above one’s healthy weight and choosing a fatty diet increase the likelihood of insulin resistance. Both types of diabetes are reaching epidemic proportions: An average American born in 2000 has a one in three chance of developing diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Low-fat, fiber-rich diets built from legumes, vegetables, whole grains, and fruits help individuals avoid diabetes and control blood sugar levels. Such diets can also prevent complications in people who already have diabetes.

Choosing the right foods can make a world of difference to your health. Look for delicious, minimally processed foods from plant sources. Here are ten tasty choices for the prevention and management of diabetes:



1.Mixed Greens with Apples and Walnuts — This low glycemic index fruit is a great choice, along with fresh apricots, peaches, and pears. The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly a food releases its sugars. Foods with low GI raise blood sugar levels more slowly than high-GI foods. It’s helpful to raise blood sugar slowly so that your body can properly remove them from the blood. Walnuts are high in important omega-3 fatty acids, which do not adversely affect glycemic control, unlike the saturated fats found in meats and cheeses. Omega-3 fatty acids also help keep your heart healthy by decreasing triglyceride levels in the blood and reducing the risk of fatal cardiac events.


2. Steamed Artichokes — Serve this beautiful vegetable upright on a plate with rice wine vinegar as a dipping sauce. Artichokes are low in calories, nearly fat free, and delicious. They’re also rich in fiber, which slows down the absorption of natural sugars from the starchy foods we eat and has been shown to reduce insulin resistance.


3. Hummus Dip with Baby Carrots — Hummus is a hearty dip made from chickpeas, sesame seed paste, garlic, and lemon. Chickpeas provide protein and fiber, while sesame seeds are a great source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help protect and improve circulation in the eyes. Use carrots to dip with and get double the eye- and anti-oxidant protection from the beta-carotene in the carrots. People with diabetes frequently develop eye problems, particularly diabetic retinopathy, or damage to the retina. This can lead to a gradual loss of vision.


4. Old-Fashioned or Irish Oats with Fresh Strawberries — Here’s a breakfast that fills you up without filling you out. It’s also a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and soluble fiber. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and a potent eye protector, while vitamin B6 may help prevent diabetic retinopathy (retina damage). Soluble fiber, in addition to helping keep blood sugar under control, can help lower blood cholesterol levels. People at risk for diabetes—and those already coping with it—have a high risk for heart disease. Therefore, it’s important to choose meals that decrease cholesterol levels.


5. Quinoa Tabouli — This protein-rich whole grain can help head off those carbohydrate cravings with a healthy choice. Some individuals crave muffins, cookies, cakes, and white bread—all foods that raise blood sugar levels unnecessarily. Tasty and healthier whole-grain foods can satisfy the need for carbohydrates.


6. Mushroom Barley Soup — Barley has the lowest glycemic index of any grain, and mushrooms are tasty and magnesium-rich. Magnesium helps maintain nerve cells and may also play a role in preventing diabetic retinopathy (retina damage).


7. Edamame (boiled fresh soybeans in the pod) — A delicious, hearty, protein- and fiber-rich snack that is fun to eat and chock-full of disease-fighting phytosterols (a plant compound that can lower cholesterol, among other things). Look for fresh edamame at your local farmer’s market, or check the frozen vegetable case in the supermarket. Most kids love them.


8. Fruity Spinach Salad — An attractive salad decorated with sunflower seeds, oranges, sweet red pepper, and cucumbers and flavored with raspberry vinaigrette fat-free dressing makes a delicious first course or side dish. Spinach is great for magnesium; sunflower seeds provide vitamin E, selenium, and magnesium; and oranges and red peppers are good sources of vitamin C. Selenium is an important antioxidant. This mineral protects the cells of the heart and blood vessels from damage, which is important because of diabetes’ strong association with heart disease.


9. Curried Cauliflower and Peas — This dish is low in fat, high in potassium (which lowers blood pressure), rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals, and high in flavor. Serve it as a main dish with brown rice and a side salad for a simple but delicious meal.


10. Basmati and Wild Rice Pilaf — Whole grains and nuts are good sources of chromium. Chromium works with the hormone insulin to get glucose into the cells, where we can use it for energy. A deficiency in chromium can lead to high blood glucose levels. Chronically high blood sugar levels damage the body, especially the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

PS. I do not know much about diabetes but I thought this is helpful for those who have family member or they themselves have diabetes.



thanks to

compassion in action

[Terek]

What a great article. Thanks for the resource!

[vegan gaz]

Irradiation damages the quality of food.
· Irradiation damages food by breaking up molecules and creating free radicals. The free radicals kill some bacteria, but they also bounce around in the food, damage vitamins and enzymes, and combine with existing chemicals (like pesticides) in the food to form new chemicals, called unique radiolytic products (URPs).
· Some of these URPs are known toxins (benzene, formaldehyde, lipid peroxides) and some are unique to irradiated foods. Scientists have not studied the long-term effect of these new chemicals in our diet. Therefore, we cannot assume they are safe.
· Irradiated foods can lose 5%-80% of many vitamins (A, C, E, K and B complex). The amount of loss depends on the dose of irradiation and the length of storage time.
· Most of the food in the American diet is already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for irradiation: beef, pork, lamb, poultry, wheat, wheat flour, vegetables, fruits, shell eggs, seeds for sprouting, spices, herb teas. (Dairy is already pasteurized). A food industry petition currently before the FDA asks for approval for luncheon meats, salad bar items, sprouts, fresh juices and frozen foods. Another petition before the USDA asks for approval for imported fruits and vegetables.
· Irradiation damages the natural digestive enzymes found in raw foods. This means the body has to work harder to digest them.
· If unlabeled, raw foods that have been irradiated look like fresh foods, but nutritionally they are like cooked foods, with decreased vitamins and enzymes. The FDA allows these foods to be labeled "fresh."
· Irradiated fats tend to become rancid.
· When high-energy electron beams are used, trace amounts of radioactivity may be created in the food.

Science has not proved that a long-term diet of irradiated foods is safe for human health.
· The longest human feeding study was 15 weeks. No one knows the long-term effects of a life-long diet that includes foods which will be frequently irradiated, such as meat, chicken, vegetables, fruits, salads, sprouts and juices.
· There are no studies on the effects of feeding babies or children diets containing irradiated foods, except a very small and controversial study from India that showed health effects.
· Studies on animals fed irradiated foods have shown increased tumors, reproductive failures and kidney damage. Some possible causes are: irradiation-induced vitamin deficiencies, the inactivity of enzymes in the food, DNA damage, and toxic radiolytic products in the food.
· The FDA based its approval of irradiation for poultry on only 5 of 441 animal-feeding studies. Marcia van Gemert, Ph.D., the toxicologist who chaired the FDA committee that approved irradiation, later said, "These studies reviewed in the 1982 literature from the FDA were not adequate by 1982 standards, and are even less accurate by 1993 standards to evaluate the safety of any product, especially a food product such as irradiated food." The 5 studies are not a good basis for approval of irradiation for humans, because they showed health effects on the animals or were conducted using irradiation at lower energies than those the FDA eventually approved.
· The FDA based its approval of irradiation for fruits and vegetables on a theoretical calculation of the amount of URPs in the diet from one 7.5 oz. serving/day of irradiated food. Considering the different kinds of foods approved for irradiation, this quantity is too small and the calculation is irrelevant.
· Even with current labeling requirements, people cannot avoid eating irradiated food. That means there is no control group, and epidemiologists will never be able to determine if irradiated food has any health effects.
· Science is always changing. The science of today is not the science of tomorrow. The science we have today is not adequate to prove the long-term safety of food irradiation.

Irradiation covers up problems that the meat and poultry industry should solve
· Irradiation covers up the increased fecal contamination that results from speeded up slaughter and decreased federal inspection, both of which allow meat and poultry to be produced more cheaply. Prodded by the industry, the USDA has allowed a transfer of inspection to company inspectors. Where government inspectors remain, they are not allowed to condemn meat and poultry now that they condemned 20 years ago.
· Because of this deregulation (continued under President Clinton, a protégé of Tyson Foods), the meat and poultry industry has recently lost money and suffered bad publicity from food-poisoning lawsuits and expensive product recalls. Irradiation is a "magic bullet" that will enable them to say that the product was "clean" when it left the packing plant. (Irradiation, however, does not sterilize food, and any bacteria that remain can grow to toxic proportions if the food is not properly stored and handled.)
· In 2000, seven meat industry associations submitted a petition to USDA to redefine key regulations relating to contamination. If accepted by USDA, this petition would permit unlimited fecal contamination during production, as long as irradiation was used afterwards.

Labeling is necessary to inform people so they can choose to avoid irradiated foods.
· Because irradiated foods have not been proven safe for human health in the long term, prominent, conspicuous and truthful labels are necessary for all irradiated foods. Consumers should be able to easily determine if their food has been irradiated. Labels should also be required for irradiated ingredients of compound foods, and for restaurant and institutional foods.
· Because irradiation can deplete vitamins, labels should state the amount of vitamin loss after irradiation, especially for fresh foods that are usually eaten fresh. Consumers have the right to know if they are buying nutritionally impaired foods.
· Current US labels are not sufficient to enable consumers to avoid irradiated food. Foods are labeled only to the first purchaser. Irradiated spices, herb teas and supplement ingredients, foods that are served in restaurants, schools, etc., or receive further processing, do not bear consumer labels. Consumer labels are required only for foods sold whole (like a piece of fruit) or irradiated in the package (like chicken breasts). The text with the declaration of irradiation can be as small as the type face on the ingredient label. The US Department of Agriculture requirements have one difference: irradiated meat or poultry that is part of another food (like a tv dinner) must be disclosed on the label.
· The US Food and Drug Administration is currently rewriting the regulation for minimum labeling, and will release it for public comment by early 2002. They may eliminate all required text labels. If they do retain the labels, Congress has told them to use a "friendly" euphemism instead of "irradiation."

Electron-beam irradiation today means nuclear irradiation tomorrow.
· The source of the irradiation is not listed on the label.
· The original sponsor of food irradiation in the US was the Department of Energy, which wanted to create a favorable image of nuclear power as well as dispose of radioactive waste. These goals have not changed. Cobalt-60, which is used for irradiation, must be manufaactured in a nuclear reactor.
· Many foods cannot be irradiated using electron beams. E-beams only penetrate 1-1.5 inches on each side, and are suitable only for flat, evenly sized foods like patties. Large fruits, foods in boxes, and irregularly shaped foods must be irradiated using x-rays or gamma rays from nuclear materials.
· Countries that lack a cheap and reliable source of electricity for e-beams use nuclear materials. Opening U.S. markets to irradiated food encourages the spread of nuclear irradiation worldwide.

Irradiation using radioactive materials is an environmental hazard.
· The more nuclear irradiators, the more likelihood of a serious accident in transport, operation or disposal of the nuclear materials.
· Food irradiation facilities have already contaminated the environment. For example, in the state of Georgia in 1988, radioactive water escaped from an irradiation facility. The taxpayers were stuck with $47 million in cleanup costs. Radioactivity was tracked into cars and homes. In Hawaii in 1967 and New Jersey in 1982, radioactive water was flushed into the public sewer system.
· Numerous worker exposures have occurred in food irradiation facilities worldwide.

Irradiation doesn't provide clean food.
· Because irradiation doesn't kill all the bacteria in a food, the ones that survive are by definition radiation-resistant. These bacteria will multiply and eventually work their way back to the 'animal factories'. Soon thereafter, the bacteria that contaminate the meat will no longer be killed by currently approved doses of irradiation. The technology will no longer be usable, while stronger bacteria contaminate our food supply.
· People may become more careless about sanitation if irradiation is widely used. Irradiation doesn't kill all the bacteria in a food. In a few hours at room temperature, the bacteria remaining in meat or poultry after irradiation can multiply to the level existing before irradiation.
· Some bacteria, like the one that causes botulism, as well as viruses and prions (which are believed to cause Mad Cow Disease) are not killed by current doses of irradiation.
· Irradiation encourages food producers to cut corners on sanitation, because they can 'clean up' the food just before it is shipped.

Irradiation does nothing to change the way food is grown and produced.
· Irradiated foods can have longer shelf lives than nonirradiated foods, which means they can be shipped further while appearing 'fresh.' Food grown by giant farms far away may last longer than nonirradiated, locally grown food, even if it is inferior in nutrition and taste. Thus, irradiation encourages centralization and hurts small farmers.
· The use of pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and other agrichemicals, as well as pollution and energy use, are not affected. Irradiation is applied by the packer after harvest or slaughter.
· Free-market economists say irradiation is 'efficient': it provides the cheapest possible food for the least possible risk. But these economists are not concerned about the impaired nutritional quality of the food. They are not considering the environmental effects of large-scale corporate farming, the social costs of centralization of agriculture and loss of family farms, the replacement of unionized, impartial government inspectors with company inspectors , the potential long-term damage to human health, and the possibility of irradiation-resistant super-bacteria. All of these developments should be (but are not) considered when regulators and public health officials evaluate the benefits of food irradiation.

Organic Consumers Association, Contact Irradiation Coordinator: [e-mail]
Office: 6101 Cliff Estate Rd, Little Marais, MN 55614 218/226-4164, fax [phone]

[vegan gaz]

By: Michael Greger, M.D. http://www.drgreger.org/



In search of some of the most nutrient-dense foods in existence, chemists at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania started looking at dried fruit. Since 90% of a fruit's weight is water, they figured that dried fruit might be ten times more nutritious by weight than fresh. Well, it didn't quite work out that way. The drying process destroyed about 80% of the chief antioxidant compounds, but, given that the nutrition in dried fruit is ten times more concentrated, dried fruits did still come out ahead, finishing out with about 10% more antioxidant content than fresh (by weight). And with all the fiber and minerals intact, dried fruit tested out to be little nutrition powerhouses.



A new study out of Korea just found that the antioxidant boost provided by fruit consumption only seems to last about 2 hours.[1] So carrying around some trail mix is a convenient way to make sure your body is constantly flooded with antioxidants throughout the day. Which dried fruits are the best? Of the six fruits tested--apricots, cranberries, dates, figs, raisins and plums--shooting to a surprise finish at number one was... figs! (OK, OK, the study was paid for in part by the California Fig Advisory Board, but still...).



Aren't dried fruits packed with concentrated sugars though? And isn't sugar a pro-oxidant? Well, yes, but dried (and fresh) fruits are so packed with antioxidants that not only do they successfully counter the potential detriment of their own sugar, they are powerful enough to take on a can of Coke, too. When you drink a dozen spoonfuls of sugar in a soft drink (aka "liquid candy"), the antioxidant capacity of your blood drops dramatically as your body starts using up its antioxidant stores to deal with the oxidant stress caused by all that sugar. Well what if you doubled the amount of sugar you ingested by drinking a cup of soda with a serving of dried figs on top? Even the high fructose corn syrup in the soda is no match for the antioxidant power of fruit. Despite the double sugar load, subjects washing down their figs with soda still experienced an overall rise in antioxidant levels in their bloodstream.[2] No, that doesn't mean you can eat or drink all the candy you want as long as you pop a few raisins. Stick with the fruit.



In addition to having the highest antioxidant content among the six fruits tested, of the thousands of whole foods in the USDA nutrient database, figs make the top ten for fiber content.



(For the curious, the top five are #1. Cloud ear mushrooms (the number one fiber-containing whole food on the planet and I've never even heard of it?), #2. Flax seeds (I've heard of those), #3. Sesame seeds, #4. Dried unsweetened coconut, and #5. Air-popped popcorn).



And fiber consumption, according a new review, may help boost energy levels.[3] Half the fiber we swallow is eaten by the good bacteria in our colon. Our colonic comrades ferment the fiber we eat into short-chain fatty acids, which our body then absorbs and sends straight to our muscles to be used as a ready fuel source. Of course, another byproduct of this fermentation product is gas, some of which is absorbed by other bacteria to produce even more fuel for us, but the rest of which is indeed excreted. Maybe a more appropriate title would be Fight Fatigue with Fig Farts.

[cbrads]

LOL, the 4 Fs? That seems to be a chronic problem for me. (Vegan, organic, unprocessed foods)

[Mr. Yellow Sunshine Pants]

Cloud ear mushrooms are at Oriental groceries (usually dried and you rehydrate them), usually just called "fungus," great in soups, good in stir-fries.