Here's a copy of a message I posted on the Raw Food Meetup Group Discussion Board. Please feel free to comment:
I got an email from a friend with this very dramatic warning:
YOUR HELP IS STILL NEEDED
We need to put a lot more pressure on the USDA, demanding they re-open the public comment period on this issue. Industry was given two years, and the public was only given 7 days. Through that process, it appears the organic standards will be significantly weakened unless we can generate enough comments to force the USDA to reconsider its proposal to weaken organic standards.
Please inform all interested friends and colleagues and send a letter to the USDA here: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5225.cfm
___________________________________________________________
Looks pretty serious, right?
I went to the website to check it out and the subtitle there is: USDA & INDUSTRY TRY TO SNEAK BANNED CONVENTIONAL INGREDIENTS INTO ORGANIC BEER, SAUSAGE, & PROCESSED FOODS
And I laughed. And when I stopped, I thought this might make an interesting debate.
So here's a question for you - would you join in this protest, thinking maybe someday soon they will attempt to change the requirements for organic produce, or would you let it happen in hopes that it might actually help people stop eating those unhealthful things?
What's your opinion?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Is there still a question about Protein?
A recent post to the forum on the New York City Raw Food Meetup Website had the title, "Can we talk about protein?" and the body of the message was, "I'm lazy in the kitchen and I find myself depending on tahini much of the time. Anyone have protein ideas for a raw enthusiast stuck in a rut?"
Now, I was surprised, as I believe the question came from a person who's been on the raw-path for some time now. And I thought, maybe other people are still concerned about this issue. So I posted a response. To see the full version and other people's responses, you can go to the Meetup website message board. Here is a slightly edited version:
OK. There’s two really big misconceptions here that I’d like to address. First, calling Tahini a “protein” food and second, the idea that we’re in danger of not getting enough protein so we need to spend a lot of time and energy focused on getting it (more than any other nutrient).
How would you like to clear up these protein myths once and for all? Great! I’ll start with the second myth first (just for fun!) Here we go…
De-Myth-tifying Protein
What can happen to the body when it is subjected to excessive amounts of protein? Health expert Dr. Douglas Graham gives this perspective in his amazing book, The 80/10/10 Diet (italics and bold are my additions):
“The Dangers of Eating More Than 10% Protein”
“To listen to the proponents of the meat industry, one would think we are in imminent danger of disease and death if we fail to eat meat three times a day. The truth is that eating meat this often causes the very conditions we're taught to fear. This is a surprise to most people, who have been taught, incorrectly, that they need large amounts of protein to be healthy. Actually, the reverse is true: Most people suffer from an overdose of protein each day, and this accounts for a great deal of our ill health.
“Too much protein in our diets is associated with all manner of health impairments, including such symptoms as constipation and other digestive disorders that often lead to toxemia (toxic blood and tissues) and, eventually, cancer. Autoimmune dysfunction, arthritis, and all other autoimmune conditions, premature aging, impaired liver function, kidney failure, osteoporosis, and many other degenerative and pathogenic conditions result from eating more protein than we need.
“In general, protein-based foods are highly acid forming in the human body (even the high-protein plants, such as legumes). This is because their predominant minerals are the acidic minerals - chlorine, phosphorus, and sulfur. To maintain homeostasis, the body must counterbalance the acidity caused by excess protein consumption. Unfortunately, it does so in part by taking a precious alkaline mineral - calcium - from our bloodstream. The body replaces calcium into the bloodstream, where calcium levels must remain relatively constant, by removing it from our bones and teeth, setting the stage from osteoporosis and tooth decay.
“It is no coincidence that fruits and vegetables contain just the right amounts of protein to build and maintain the human body. Nor is it a coincidence that the minerals they supply are predominantly the alkaline ones: calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium.”
You’ll find these facts are easily confirmed by other experts. Here’s one:
“The recent Western obsession with protein diets is turning out to have potentially fatal results, namely osteoporosis and kidney failure. During protein metabolism… the kidneys neutralize the acids by binding them to calcium, which in turn, depletes your body's store of this essential mineral.
“The rate in the U.S. of osteoporosis is strikingly higher than China, where almost everyone eats a lower protein vegetarian diet. Evidence has also been found that excess protein weakens the kidney function.”
-Dr. Maoshing Ni (Doctor of Chinese Medicine, and author of Secrets of Longevity, and The Tao of Nutrition)
Now of course, if we remember the Goldilocks story – first it was too hot, then too cold, then too hard then too soft. What did she want? “Just right.” She found that too much or too little in either direction were both undesirable. But in this case, getting too little is actually a real challenge and in fact protein deficiencies simply don’t exist in our western culture – or anywhere else where a person is eating a sufficient number of calories overall. Plus, our protein needs may be a lot lower than we've been lead to believe. Let’s go back to Dr. Graham:
“Despite the advertising hype of the meat and dairy industries, humans require an extraordinarily low amount of protein in their diets. Many official groups, including the World Health Organization, the U.S. National Academies’ Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council suggest that eating a mere 10% of our total calories as protein is sufficient.
“In his book The China Study, renowned Cornell University professor emeritus of nutritional biochemistry T. Colin Campbell states that we require only 5-6% of our total calories to come from protein in order to replace the protein we routinely lose, and that “About 9-10% protein has been recommended for the past fifty years to be assured that most people at least get their 5-6% ‘requirement.’”
“In addition to the safety margin, this recommendation assumes that people eat their protein cooked. Given that cooking substantially deranges protein and other nutrients, we can safely consume far less raw plant protein and still be assured of sufficient nourishment. Thus, you can see that 10% protein (maximum) is both sufficient and reasonable.“
Here’s a portion of a chart from Dr. Graham’s book:
Protein Content of Common Foods (percentage of calories)
Apricots 10%
Bananas 4%
Cherries 6%
Cucumbers 11%
Dates 2%
Oranges, Valencia 7%
Peaches 8%
Strawberries 7%
Tomatoes, red 12%
Watermelon 7%
Cabbage 15%
Lettuce, green leaf 22%
Spinach 30%
Avocado 4%
Coconut (mature) 3%
Sesame seed 11%
“You will see that fruits generally contain 4-8% protein, and a few contain more. Surprisingly, the vegetables we commonly eat raw range from about 10 to 30% protein. (Vegetables are so low in calories, however, that even huge quantities add very little overall to one’s daily protein percentage.) Nonetheless, when I calculate the caloronutrient ratio of a day’s worth of food consisting strictly of a variety of raw fruits and vegetables without the addition of concentrated proteins, they generally weigh in at approximately 5 to 8% of calories as protein – an adequate and healthful amount of top-quality protein.
And here’s where it gets exciting. Take a look at the number for Sesame seed. Only 11%! As it turns out, Sesame seed, like most seeds and nuts, is mostly Fat (73% Fat). And based on its percentage of calories, not very much higher in protein at all!
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average U.S. protein consumption was 15.5% for men and 15.1% for women in 2000. In 1970 they were 16.5% and 16.9%.
“How can it be that as a nation we gorge on “high-protein” foods, yet we end up with less than 20% of our calories from protein? The answer is that the vast majority of our commonly consumed “protein” foods – meat, egg, and dairy products, as well as all nuts and seeds, contain such an overwhelming amount of fat that the protein numbers go way down as a percentage of total calories consumed.”
So, the tahini is actually a Fatty food, and from that perspective, most nuts or seeds have similar Carb/Protein/Fat percentages so if you're looking for a different type of fat, you can certainly just choose a different nut or seed. However, you can easily maintain your protein at a healthy level (10% or less), with the bulk of your calories coming from fruits and vegetables, not nuts and seeds. And then you can choose from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables indeed!
Do you know how much protein you eat on a daily basis? You can calculate it at www.Fitday.com.
To learn more about Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat in fruits and vegetables and to get tasty recipes and menu plans to help you attain superior health – with the confidence to know that you are getting the nutrients you need in an amount that’s “Just Right,” check out The 80/10/10 Diet. You’ll be glad you did.
Now, I was surprised, as I believe the question came from a person who's been on the raw-path for some time now. And I thought, maybe other people are still concerned about this issue. So I posted a response. To see the full version and other people's responses, you can go to the Meetup website message board. Here is a slightly edited version:
OK. There’s two really big misconceptions here that I’d like to address. First, calling Tahini a “protein” food and second, the idea that we’re in danger of not getting enough protein so we need to spend a lot of time and energy focused on getting it (more than any other nutrient).
How would you like to clear up these protein myths once and for all? Great! I’ll start with the second myth first (just for fun!) Here we go…
De-Myth-tifying Protein
What can happen to the body when it is subjected to excessive amounts of protein? Health expert Dr. Douglas Graham gives this perspective in his amazing book, The 80/10/10 Diet (italics and bold are my additions):
“The Dangers of Eating More Than 10% Protein”
“To listen to the proponents of the meat industry, one would think we are in imminent danger of disease and death if we fail to eat meat three times a day. The truth is that eating meat this often causes the very conditions we're taught to fear. This is a surprise to most people, who have been taught, incorrectly, that they need large amounts of protein to be healthy. Actually, the reverse is true: Most people suffer from an overdose of protein each day, and this accounts for a great deal of our ill health.
“Too much protein in our diets is associated with all manner of health impairments, including such symptoms as constipation and other digestive disorders that often lead to toxemia (toxic blood and tissues) and, eventually, cancer. Autoimmune dysfunction, arthritis, and all other autoimmune conditions, premature aging, impaired liver function, kidney failure, osteoporosis, and many other degenerative and pathogenic conditions result from eating more protein than we need.
“In general, protein-based foods are highly acid forming in the human body (even the high-protein plants, such as legumes). This is because their predominant minerals are the acidic minerals - chlorine, phosphorus, and sulfur. To maintain homeostasis, the body must counterbalance the acidity caused by excess protein consumption. Unfortunately, it does so in part by taking a precious alkaline mineral - calcium - from our bloodstream. The body replaces calcium into the bloodstream, where calcium levels must remain relatively constant, by removing it from our bones and teeth, setting the stage from osteoporosis and tooth decay.
“It is no coincidence that fruits and vegetables contain just the right amounts of protein to build and maintain the human body. Nor is it a coincidence that the minerals they supply are predominantly the alkaline ones: calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium.”
You’ll find these facts are easily confirmed by other experts. Here’s one:
“The recent Western obsession with protein diets is turning out to have potentially fatal results, namely osteoporosis and kidney failure. During protein metabolism… the kidneys neutralize the acids by binding them to calcium, which in turn, depletes your body's store of this essential mineral.
“The rate in the U.S. of osteoporosis is strikingly higher than China, where almost everyone eats a lower protein vegetarian diet. Evidence has also been found that excess protein weakens the kidney function.”
-Dr. Maoshing Ni (Doctor of Chinese Medicine, and author of Secrets of Longevity, and The Tao of Nutrition)
Now of course, if we remember the Goldilocks story – first it was too hot, then too cold, then too hard then too soft. What did she want? “Just right.” She found that too much or too little in either direction were both undesirable. But in this case, getting too little is actually a real challenge and in fact protein deficiencies simply don’t exist in our western culture – or anywhere else where a person is eating a sufficient number of calories overall. Plus, our protein needs may be a lot lower than we've been lead to believe. Let’s go back to Dr. Graham:
“Despite the advertising hype of the meat and dairy industries, humans require an extraordinarily low amount of protein in their diets. Many official groups, including the World Health Organization, the U.S. National Academies’ Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council suggest that eating a mere 10% of our total calories as protein is sufficient.
“In his book The China Study, renowned Cornell University professor emeritus of nutritional biochemistry T. Colin Campbell states that we require only 5-6% of our total calories to come from protein in order to replace the protein we routinely lose, and that “About 9-10% protein has been recommended for the past fifty years to be assured that most people at least get their 5-6% ‘requirement.’”
“In addition to the safety margin, this recommendation assumes that people eat their protein cooked. Given that cooking substantially deranges protein and other nutrients, we can safely consume far less raw plant protein and still be assured of sufficient nourishment. Thus, you can see that 10% protein (maximum) is both sufficient and reasonable.“
Here’s a portion of a chart from Dr. Graham’s book:
Protein Content of Common Foods (percentage of calories)
Apricots 10%
Bananas 4%
Cherries 6%
Cucumbers 11%
Dates 2%
Oranges, Valencia 7%
Peaches 8%
Strawberries 7%
Tomatoes, red 12%
Watermelon 7%
Cabbage 15%
Lettuce, green leaf 22%
Spinach 30%
Avocado 4%
Coconut (mature) 3%
Sesame seed 11%
“You will see that fruits generally contain 4-8% protein, and a few contain more. Surprisingly, the vegetables we commonly eat raw range from about 10 to 30% protein. (Vegetables are so low in calories, however, that even huge quantities add very little overall to one’s daily protein percentage.) Nonetheless, when I calculate the caloronutrient ratio of a day’s worth of food consisting strictly of a variety of raw fruits and vegetables without the addition of concentrated proteins, they generally weigh in at approximately 5 to 8% of calories as protein – an adequate and healthful amount of top-quality protein.
And here’s where it gets exciting. Take a look at the number for Sesame seed. Only 11%! As it turns out, Sesame seed, like most seeds and nuts, is mostly Fat (73% Fat). And based on its percentage of calories, not very much higher in protein at all!
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average U.S. protein consumption was 15.5% for men and 15.1% for women in 2000. In 1970 they were 16.5% and 16.9%.
“How can it be that as a nation we gorge on “high-protein” foods, yet we end up with less than 20% of our calories from protein? The answer is that the vast majority of our commonly consumed “protein” foods – meat, egg, and dairy products, as well as all nuts and seeds, contain such an overwhelming amount of fat that the protein numbers go way down as a percentage of total calories consumed.”
So, the tahini is actually a Fatty food, and from that perspective, most nuts or seeds have similar Carb/Protein/Fat percentages so if you're looking for a different type of fat, you can certainly just choose a different nut or seed. However, you can easily maintain your protein at a healthy level (10% or less), with the bulk of your calories coming from fruits and vegetables, not nuts and seeds. And then you can choose from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables indeed!
Do you know how much protein you eat on a daily basis? You can calculate it at www.Fitday.com.
To learn more about Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat in fruits and vegetables and to get tasty recipes and menu plans to help you attain superior health – with the confidence to know that you are getting the nutrients you need in an amount that’s “Just Right,” check out The 80/10/10 Diet. You’ll be glad you did.
Monday, June 25, 2007
The Summer Heats up with Fun!
Summer Fun in NYC is HOT! Over the last few weeks, I've enjoyed several of the city's 'funnest'. Central Park offers lots of cool events and on Friday night I went to SummerStage sponsored by Comedy Central which was a free event featuring 4 up and coming comedians and hosted by Dave Attell.
Hysterical! I can't recall another evening of stand-up comedy where every performer had such great material. I laughed myself silly. Plus it was outdoors and on a beautiful night.
Last week I was also in Central Park for another outdoor performance - Shakespeare in the Park. This NYC institution is still going strong and boy, do they have a great offering!
The classic (and tragic) love story of Romeo & Juliet is retold with power and grace by a strong cast of performers with excellent direction. Although there were a few hiccups (a Friar Lawrence who forgot lines and a unit set that looked cool, but didn't quite work for the entire show) overall the evening was fantastic.
In fact, one performer, Michael Cristofer, was so fantastic as Lord Capulet that he received a spontaneous round of applause as he made an exit after his scene with Juliet. He brought such clarity to the role. It was a revelation and very inspiring. His performance alone is worth all the time it takes to wait on line for tickets.
The show runs until the 8th of July. Definitely check it out.
I also kicked off my shoes and did some "Barefoot Boogie"-ing on Saturday night. The motto is "No shoes, no booze." Apparently this group has locations in a couple of cities where they host substance-free dance parties twice a month.
A number of folks from the Raw Food and vegetarian communities came together there and we danced the night away (on our bare feet). The music was good and the company even better!
Today's wisdom: Is there something you've been putting off? Do it today.
Hysterical! I can't recall another evening of stand-up comedy where every performer had such great material. I laughed myself silly. Plus it was outdoors and on a beautiful night.
Last week I was also in Central Park for another outdoor performance - Shakespeare in the Park. This NYC institution is still going strong and boy, do they have a great offering!
The classic (and tragic) love story of Romeo & Juliet is retold with power and grace by a strong cast of performers with excellent direction. Although there were a few hiccups (a Friar Lawrence who forgot lines and a unit set that looked cool, but didn't quite work for the entire show) overall the evening was fantastic.
In fact, one performer, Michael Cristofer, was so fantastic as Lord Capulet that he received a spontaneous round of applause as he made an exit after his scene with Juliet. He brought such clarity to the role. It was a revelation and very inspiring. His performance alone is worth all the time it takes to wait on line for tickets.
The show runs until the 8th of July. Definitely check it out.
I also kicked off my shoes and did some "Barefoot Boogie"-ing on Saturday night. The motto is "No shoes, no booze." Apparently this group has locations in a couple of cities where they host substance-free dance parties twice a month.
A number of folks from the Raw Food and vegetarian communities came together there and we danced the night away (on our bare feet). The music was good and the company even better!
Today's wisdom: Is there something you've been putting off? Do it today.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Boycott California Almonds
It is clear that the Almond Board of California has only its own financial interests in mind regarding its decision to pasteurize all California almonds. No consideration is being shown for the health of its customers as they continue to ignore the public outcry.
It is also clear that the Almond Board of California (with the help of the FDA) intends to move forward deceptively by mislabeling these pasteurized almonds as raw – a fraud that can only be described as criminal.
We must send a message they cannot ignore. Words alone are not enough. Action is required.
Therefore, I call for an immediate Boycott of all California almonds and California almond products.
Since money is all they are concerned with, a Boycott is the most effective way to send a message that we will not stick our heads in the sand while they proceed with this atrocity and deception. We will not accept an inferior product. We must show them now what the future holds for them should they choose to go ahead with their plan.
Moreover, we will not allow the FDA to look the other way while any company blatantly lies to its consumers.
Act now! Take a stand and Keep Raw Almonds Truly Raw.
This Boycott – effective immediately – affects all California almonds and products made with California almonds and will only be lifted when the Almond Board of California repeals its decision to go forward with its misguided plan.
Please forward this message to as many people as you can and spread the word:
Do NOT buy any more California almonds or almond products until you hear the Almond Board of California has changed its decision.
Together we can save ourselves from this attack on our health and attempted violation of our rights.
Be bold. Be resolute.
Be well.
Today's wisdom: Summer time is a great time to vector your diet away from dependence on nuts. With all the beautiful summer fruits and veggies available, what a fantastic opportunity to begin discovering delicious and healthy alternatives! Check out The 80/10/10 Diet for lots of great (non-almond) recipes.
It is also clear that the Almond Board of California (with the help of the FDA) intends to move forward deceptively by mislabeling these pasteurized almonds as raw – a fraud that can only be described as criminal.
We must send a message they cannot ignore. Words alone are not enough. Action is required.
Therefore, I call for an immediate Boycott of all California almonds and California almond products.
Since money is all they are concerned with, a Boycott is the most effective way to send a message that we will not stick our heads in the sand while they proceed with this atrocity and deception. We will not accept an inferior product. We must show them now what the future holds for them should they choose to go ahead with their plan.
Moreover, we will not allow the FDA to look the other way while any company blatantly lies to its consumers.
Act now! Take a stand and Keep Raw Almonds Truly Raw.
This Boycott – effective immediately – affects all California almonds and products made with California almonds and will only be lifted when the Almond Board of California repeals its decision to go forward with its misguided plan.
Please forward this message to as many people as you can and spread the word:
Do NOT buy any more California almonds or almond products until you hear the Almond Board of California has changed its decision.
Together we can save ourselves from this attack on our health and attempted violation of our rights.
Be bold. Be resolute.
Be well.
Today's wisdom: Summer time is a great time to vector your diet away from dependence on nuts. With all the beautiful summer fruits and veggies available, what a fantastic opportunity to begin discovering delicious and healthy alternatives! Check out The 80/10/10 Diet for lots of great (non-almond) recipes.
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