Common questions and topics about Food, Nutrition and Plant-Based Diets

FROM THE PLANTS! ALL protein, which is made up of the building blocks amino acids, at its most basic level come from plants. Oatmeal, ham and tomatoes have the same protein per calorie ratio. Broccoli has one of the highest protein per calorie ratios, higher than beef. ALL plants contain protein. In fact, the lowest percentage of protein any plant is 14%. On a 2000 Calorie per day diet, the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance – suggested by the government) of protein is ~ 0.8 gram/kg, about 55 gm for the average male and 45 gram for the average female (both much more than the average person really needs which is closer to 30 grams a day). 2000 Calories of broccoli or lentils provides 150-160 gm of protein. Now, no one is going to eat 2000 calories of broccoli or lentils a day but the point is that if you eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts … you don’t need to worry about protein! If you did eat that much broccoli however, you would get ALL of the required macro-nutrients (protein, carbs and fat) and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) you need, except for Vitamin B12 which is made by microbes living in the soil which get washed away when you clean produce. It takes a few weeks for B12 stores to become depleted so it would not be a big deal in the short run. Eating 2000 calories of chicken on the other hand would give you way too much protein (more than 400 grams) and you would be deficient in many other nutrients, including B12. In fact, most people who are B12 deficient are meat eaters anyway. Obviously, not all calories are created equal as some people believe.

Calorie for calorie, there is more protein in broccoli than beef.

Other significant sources of protein (expressed as % calories from protein) from plants include:

• Watercress 84%,
• Mushrooms 56%,
• Spinach 50%,
• Sprouts 35% and up
• Beans in general 20-25%
• Wheat Germ 26%,
• Rye 18%,
• Oatmeal 17%,
• Peanuts 18%
• Pumpkin Seeds 18%,
• Sunflower Seeds 16%,
• Cantaloupes 10%,
• Peaches 9%,
• Oranges 8%

Another way of looking at it is grams of protein per calorie, a more valid value. Compared with Beef, which has 9.2 gm of protein per 100vKcal, here is a list of some of the protein in decreasing order:

• Watercress 21.0 gm
• Spirulina 20.0
• Seitan 17.5
• Broccoli Raab 15.0
• Mushrooms 14.4
• Spinach 12.3
• Nutritional Yeast 11.7
• Tofu 11.4
• Asparagus 10.9
• Broccoli Florets 10.6
• Broccoli Stem 10.6
• Edamame 10.5
• Arugula 10.3
• Mung Bean Sprouts 10.2
• Mustard Greens 10.1
• Tempeh   9.2
• BEEF   9.2

Protein itself does not get absorbed by the body. Protein is made up of strings molecules called amino acids (AAs) which come apart when digested in the digestive tract. These AAs (there are 20 of them) then get absorbed and the body uses them as building blocks to make whatever it needs. There are essential amino acids (9 of them), ones which the body can’t make and we must consume, and non-essential amino acids which our bodies can synthesize. Although meat and dairy are usually touted as “complete” protein sources, containing all the essential and non-essential amino acids, all plants are also complete. Some, like beans, soy and certain grains like quinoa and hemp have higher amounts of the essential AAs but all plants contain both essential and non-essential AAs. If you eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables, you do not have to be concerned about getting enough essential amino acids.

Although the amounts and proportions might vary somewhat, amino acids are identical whether they come from plants or animal sources. When broken down, the AA profile is quite similar for: rice and chicken, milk and peas as well as grass-fed beef and beans. However, plant protein is better absorbed, more easily metabolized and has fewer waste products than protein from animal sources. The amino acid proportions are also better from plants having less sulfur containing amino acids which are more acidifying in the body. When people eat a lot of animal protein, their CRP (a measure of inflammation) goes up and their urine calcium (not often measured) also goes up, a sign of the body’s increased use of calcium to buffer the acidity from the animal proteins. Also, the blood CO₂ level, a sign of acidic pH, rises. The body is continuously trying to keep a neutral pH. In order to balance the acidifying effect of animal protein, it uses its own minerals (like calcium from bone and muscle) to achieve this. This difference in AA proportions is partly responsible for why eating more animal protein, including dairy, leads to more osteoporosis.  The countries and cultures which consume the most dairy also have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Plant protein is also much less taxing on the kidneys than animal protein is. Plant proteins are higher in glutamic acid, which is converted into glutatione which is a potent antioxidant and vasodilator (opens blood vessels) lowering blood pressure.

Animal protein, again because of higher amounts of sulfur containing AAs, also increases urine acidity which results in more kidney stone formation. This is magnified with excessive salt in the diet. Plant protein actually makes urine more alkaline and reduces the risks of kidney stones. In fact, one of the medications given to help with decreasing stone formation contains the same minerals found in oranges and vegetables. Skip the meds and eat the plants instead!

AAs with sulfur are more methylated and are more likely to damage DNA. Meat and dairy contain much higher concentrations of these types of AAs and as a result, are more likely to cause cancer. People who consume animal products regularly have an 800x increased risk of developing cancer.

Plant protein comes packed with various other healthful substances like vitamins, micronutrients and fiber which is essential for good gut health and slows blood sugar and insulin spikes. Animal protein comes packaged with fat, hormones, salt, bacteria, antibiotics and chemicals. In addition, we need much less protein than what we think or is even recommended. Protein deficiency doesn’t exist in this country (0%) unless you’ve had most of your small intestine removed or have a serious eating disorder. Our bodies can only metabolize ~25 grams of protein at a time. The rest has to be excreted which is very stressful on the liver and kidneys or gets converted into fat. The average American consumes at least 2x the USDA recommended amount of protein and 5x the amount recommended by the World Health Organization. People who consume a high percentage of their calories from protein (>20%) have a 75x greater risk of developing and dying from diabetes. Medium protein consumption (10-19%), which is what than average American consumes, raises the risk of a diabetes-related mortality by 23%. A 2016 Harvard study of over 200,000 people followed for 30 years revealed that just replacing 5% of your calories from of animal protein with plant protein resulted in a 25% reduced risk of developing diabetes. Such a small change can have such a huge impact.

Human breast milk, designed over tens of thousands of years to be the perfect food for growing infants, is only 6-7% protein. The healthiest and longest-lived human populations consume a mostly plant based diet consisting of only 7% protein and almost all of it comes from plants. Human protein requirements are actually quite low and range from 3-10%. DO YOU SEE THE SIMILARITIES? Mother Nature provides what we need! We need MUCH less protein than we think or certainly consume.

The protein in milk, particularly casein, while perfect for baby cows, is too large and difficult for us to digest. Calves have a particular enzyme, rennin, not present in humans, that coagulates and helps breaks down casein. According to renowned nutrition researcher T. Colin Campbell, “Cows’ milk protein may be the single most significant chemical carcinogen to which humans are exposed.”

After the age of 65, you do lose muscle mass 6x faster and protein requirements do go up a bit, but not by much, and even this is debated. Plant protein still remains a better choice if you do choose to consume more protein. At any age, the best way to build muscle mass is to do resistance exercises.

The largest, most powerful mammals on the planet like gorillas, horses, elephants, giraffes, rhinos and hippos don’t eat any animal protein. They are vegan. They do just fine.

Animal protein sources contain many harmful compounds not seen in plant proteins. Some include:

• saturated fat and cholesterol (some plants like coconut oil do have a lot of saturated fat and are not that great for you either but MOST plants don’t have saturated fats).
• IgF1 – a potent growth hormone which stimulates cancer cell growth.
• Heme iron, which causes inflammation. The iron in plants is non-heme iron and is great for you.
• TMAO. Tri Methyl Amine Oxide is a portent inflammatory mediator and causes platelets to become stickier leading to clots.
• Neu 5GC, a molecule only found in mammalian meat, causes an inflammatory allergic reaction in humans.
• AGEs. Advanced Glycation End Products are inflammatory compounds found in meat cooked at high heat, like frying or BBQing.
• Added hormones like Zeranol, banned in most of the rest of the world except Canada.

Insulin is well known as the hormone which lowers blood sugar by assisting in transporting it from the blood into the cells. It’s also a transport hormone for fat as well as amino acids, which come from protein. Protein alone raises insulin levels, independent of sugar (carbohydrate) consumption. In fact, beef raises insulin levels as much as brown rice does. This occurs with protein from animal sources and not from plant sources however.

Studies have shown that, as compared with low fat meals (4 grams of total fat), high fat meals (containing 44 grams) lead to 33% increased insulin needs in type 1 diabetics. Another study showed that adding animal protein to a meal resulted in a 65% increase in insulin requirements. The increase was seen in both low fat meals but was seen to the greatest degree in the higher fat group. Both groups were matched with respect to their carbohydrate (sugar) intake.

Growth hormone production is also stimulated to a much greater degree by animal protein as opposed to plant protein. This is true to an even greater degree in women. More growth hormone is good when you are young and growing, and some is important for proper muscle stability in adulthood, but excessive amounts only trigger more cancer cell growth when you are older.

One last comparison between plant and animal-based protein: it takes 14 times more resources to make 1 lb. of animal protein compared with 1 lb. of plant protein. It takes 9x more calories and 18x more land to feed a meat-eating human than a plant-eating one.

As you will see below, some of the largest, strongest animals on the planet are vegan. This includes gorillas, rhinos, elephants, giraffes and ox.

DAIRY and CALCIUM. Don’t you need dairy for calcium to keep bones healthy?

Yes, you need calcium, and for a lot of other reasons other than just bone health, but you get plenty of it from plants. The amounts of calcium recommended by the dietary guidelines, influenced by the Dairy Council, is about 1000 mg a day. Most countries in the world consume a fraction of that and have better bones than Americans do. We consume way too much calcium. In fact, the two countries who consume the most dairy, The US and Sweden, have the highest rates of osteoporosis as well as hip fractures, an indicator of bone health.

Cows don’t make calcium; they get it from the grass which absorb it from the Earth. Calcium is the 5th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. Calcium from plant sources is better absorbed than from dairy (as much as 64% from plants vs less than 30% from dairy). Lots of plants contain even higher density of calcium than cow’s milk. Some of these calcium dense plant foods include:

• Herbs like basil, parsley and thyme
• Sesame seeds and Tahini (made from sesame seeds and an ingredient in hummus)
• Beans, all kinds
• Flax and Chia seeds 
• Almonds and Brazil nuts
• Tofu
• Garlic 
• Greens, especially broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

Calcium bio-availability, how much actually gets absorbed and is usable by the body, is affected by many factors such as the source (type of plant vs dairy), fat content as well as things like contents of oxalate and phytate, two naturally occurring compounds in plants which interfere with the absorption of calcium.  Only about 30% of the calcium from dairy products are absorbed. That’s a higher rate than from beans, spinach, and sweet potatoes, but lower than from broccoli, kale, and bok choy. In general, the higher the oxalic acid content of a food, the lower the rate of calcium absorption. So calcium bio-availability is low from both American and Chinese varieties of spinach and rhubarb, intermediate from sweet potatoes, and high from low-oxalate vegetables such as kale, broccoli, and bok choy. Dried beans, on the other hand, have a substantially lower calcium bio-availability because they’re rich in phytate. An exception to this generalization is soybeans, which are rich in both oxalate and phytate, yet have a relatively high calcium bio-availability.

But what also matters is the calcium content of the food. Most dairy products have approximately 300 mg of calcium per cup. Spinach has the most calcium per cup (about 240 mg/cup) but other vegetables are also great sources. For example, broccoli contains 180 mg/cup and arugula contains 125 mg/cup but keep in mind, that most people eat much more than a cup of greens or veggies, if they are inclined to eat those things anyway.

Excess animal protein consumption, including dairy, is actually linked to greater calcium depletion and osteoporosis however the exact mechanism is not clear. There was, and still is, a view that this depletion is a result of animal products’ acidifying effect in the blood. Animal proteins do contain higher concentrations of sulfur containing amino acids and these do cause the pH of the blood to rise, but the body buffers this excess acid quite well. Some proponents suggest that one way it does os is by leaching calcium from the bones and muscles to neutralize it, but this concept lacks significant scientific support. However, plant proteins do not have this acidifying effect anyway, so why not stick to the these healthier proteins?

It is estimated that only only 11% of calcium intake impacts on calcium balance in the body. Only another 15% has to do with absorption. The majority, 74%, of what impacts on calcium balance has to do with excretion, either through the kidneys (52%) or GI tract, 23%.

The calcium from dairy also impacts on proper vitamin D concentration and function. In addition to many other important functions, vitamin D plays a major role in osteoporosis prevention. Low vitamin D levels are strongly linked to various cancers. It’s a downward spiral. More dairy leads to poor vitamin D function and less vitamin D impairs calcium metabolism.

Humans are the only species which drink the breast milk of another species. We are also the only species which consume milk after the weaning stage. Children raised without dairy from birth have the same bone strength and growth as those raised consuming dairy. Studies show that women who consume dairy actually have higher rates of osteoporosis and fractures than those who don’t. Dairy raises breast and prostate cancer risk and is linked to male infertility. A woman with breast cancer has a 49% greater chance of dying from her breast cancer by consuming 1 or more servings of dairy a day. Men with prostate cancer have a 78% greater risk of recurrence if they consume only 4 or more servings of dairy per week. Childhood dairy consumption is linked to type 1 diabetes and iron deficiency anemia. We just don’t need it.

Many fruits and vegetables contain calcium. The best sources are greens like kale, Bok Choi and other Oriental greens. These have low levels of oxalic acid which binds calcium making it harder to extract. Although greens like spinach, chard and beet greens also have a lot of calcium, because of their high oxalic acid content, the calcium is harder to extract. They are still a better source than dairy though. Soy products like tofu and soy milk have lots of calcium. In fact a glass of soy milk has as much calcium as cow’s milk and as I mentioned above, it’s much better absorbed. Good fruit sources include citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit as well as figs.

If you are taking calcium because you think it’s helping your bones, it’s not. Osteoporosis is not a calcium deficiency. It’s a result of disuse atrophy, meaning that you don’t exercise enough! Calcium supplements are actually linked to more osteoporosis. Countries with the highest dairy consumption also have the highest rates of osteoporosis. They include Finland, Sweden, Britain and the US. The lowest osteoporosis rates are in the lowest dairy-consuming populations like in China.

As far as calcium metabolism is concerned, other compounds such as Vitamin D, magnesium and phosphorus are also quite important. For more information about calcium metabolism as well as the best places to get it from, click here: CALCIUM METABOLISM

Some argue that dairy is a good source of iodine. It is if you are OK with the iodine being a contaminant from the iodoform cleaning agents used to clean the cow’s udders! Iodine is also put in the cow’s feed. There is no iodine which naturally occurs in dairy.

For more information about dairy and cheese, read this summary: Cheese and Dairy

LACTOSE-FREE or LOW-FAT Dairy. Are they better?

NO they’re not. Lactose, the main sugar in dairy, is difficult to digest because it’s a complex sugar (disaccharide) and most humans stop producing the enzyme lactase after infancy, which is why 70% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. The way milk is rendered “lactose-free” is by breaking down the lactose into its simpler (monosaccharide) constituents glucose and galactose. To break down lactose, enzymes, like artificially produced lactase, or bacteria, like in yogurt, are added to dairy products which then break down the lactose. The problem is that galactose has been shown to impact on ovarian function and has been linked to infertility issues as well as ovarian cancer. In addition, lactose-free products are more enticing since they are sweeter than regular dairy. Lactose tastes less sweet because its complexity doesn’t let it bind to the taste buds on the tongue which identify sweetness as easily as glucose and galactose. The ability to continue to consume dairy (i.e. break down lactose) is actually a genetic mutation, introduced either through Europe or the Middle East. There is no galactose or lactose in dairy-free milks like almond, soy or oat. There is a lot more on the health benefits of plant milks below. Galactose does occur naturally in some plants including: dates, papayas, bell peppers, tomatoes and watermelon. The amounts are much smaller than in dairy though and fruits contain fiber as well as many other nutrients. These foods have not been linked with ovarian issues.

To reduce the fat content in dairy, it is either simply left to settle or spun down with the top, fattier layer removed. The amount removed depends on what percentage of fat you are shooting for. All the sugars, hormones and other unhealthy components of dairy are still left behind however. It may have less fat, which is better, but it’s still unhealthy to consume. Although reduced fat dairy may have less fat, it’s not as little as you might think.

• Whole milk is 3.5% fat. Per 8 oz. glass, that’s 8 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of which is saturated.
• Reduced fat has:
  • 2% = 5 grams of fat per 8 oz. (2 grams saturated)
  • 1% = 2.5 grams
  • “Fat-Free” still has fat but it must be 0.15% or less. There is nothing “free” in this life!

All forms of milk have about 8 grams of protein as well as all the other hormones and chemicals.

Estrogen, found naturally in cows milk since it is the breast milk of a cow which she produces for her infant cow, is fat soluble. As a result, skim milk has about 50% of the estrogen as whole fat milk. Despite that, it is still a significant amount. Humans are able to regulate their own estrogen to some degree and get rid of all the excess (except if you are overweight or obese since fat actually makes estrogen which is why increased weight increases breast cancer risks. Estrogens from outside sources like dairy and meat (yes, chicken meat has estrogen which is almost identical to human estrogen, are not subject to this regulation and just add to the estrogen stimulation load on the body.

YOGURT. Isn’t yogurt healthy for the gut?

NO it’s not. Even the “Greek” yogurt which is all marketing hype. First of all, yogurt is a dairy product, made from milk which is full of hormones and chemicals. One serving of dairy a day, which includes 1 yogurt, contributes to infertility and increases breast cancer and prostate cancer risks by 30%. As an animal product, it has all the associated disadvantages like increasing TMAO, which is associated with inflammation and heart disease. It is usually full of saturated fat with all its associated downsides. Secondly, as mentioned above, the bacteria added to yogurt, promoted as being healthy for your gut, break down lactose into galactose contributing to ovarian issues. Although there may be some benefit to that bacteria, most yogurts are not made that way anyway. Rather than using traditional fermenting techniques which take time, yogurts are made and “probiotic” bacteria are simply added at the very end. Lastly, many yogurts have all kinds of added sugars, coloring agents and artificial flavors which are unhealthy. There are plenty of healthier nut based yogurt alternatives which taste great.

CHEESE. I can’t give up cheese!

There are reasons that cheese is addictive. 1) It tastes good because it is loaded with fat and salt, things we crave. Cheese is the #1 highest source of saturated fat and salt in the American diet. 2) It’s  a concentrated source of the protein casein which is broken down in the body into a compound called casomorphin. This is an opioid and has about 10% of the activity of heroin and morphine on the brain. When people try to give up cheese, it can take 2-3 weeks to get past the cravings. If you are having trouble, there are plenty of great cheese alternatives using nuts and legumes. Most of them are not particularly healthy either because they often have vegetable oils and themselves are fatty, but they are better options than dairy cheese. Human breast milk also contains casein but cow’s milk has 10x the concentration.

If dairy is unhealthy, does that include yogurt, eggs and almond milk?

Although these sound like stupid questions, since all dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, whey and casein) come from lactating cows, eggs come from chickens and almonds grow on trees, you’d be surprised how often I get asked these types of questions. I’ve had Ivy League educated people ask me these questions. They are not uneducated, they just exemplify how little most people think about the foods they put into their mouths or where their foods come from. If you start to pay attention to what you eat and how food impact on how you feel, you would be much better off.

SOY. Don’t Soy products cause breast cancer or infertility?

Quite simply, it does not. Soy is actually protective against breast cancer and is linked with less occurrence and re-occurrence. It decreases estrogen levels in the body and estrogen is fuel for breast cancer cells. Consuming soy products regularly also protects against estrogen receptor negative forms of breast cancer. It’s what is called a selective estrogen receptor modulator. It binds preferentially to the E2 (beta) receptor rather than the E1 (alpha) receptor by 1600% greater affinity. The E1 receptor is the one which stimulates breast cancer cells to grow. The E2 receptor downregulates breast cancer cell growth. The studies which showed a link between soy and breast cancer were all done on mice, using massive doses of soy. Such large doses overwhelmed all the receptors so their results were not surprising. No human studies have shown any link and as mentioned above, studies show only a protective effect. One need only look at what happened in Japan and China. In those countries, where soy has been consumed for thousands of years, there was virtually no breast or prostate cancer. As soon as the American diet, consisting of more processed foods as well as dairy and meat, was introduced, those cancer rates started to climb and now are similar to what we see in the West. The prostate epithelial cells actually have estrogen receptors, mostly E2, which down-regulate prostate cell growth.

The preferential binding of estrogen receptors actually helps with many peri-menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. Soy also increases bone density and lowers cancer risks.

It also helps to prevent heart disease, osteoporosis, and improves cognitive function. ALL plants contain various isoflavones known as phytoestrogens, plant compounds similar to the human hormone estrogen, found in all animals and dairy, which is what causes all the confusion. Soy, happens to contain a higher concentration of them, one in particular is Ginestein. The animal version of estrogen binds to receptors (alpha receptors) which do support bone health but they also stimulate breast tissue and lead to breast cancer. Phytoestrogens (the plant version) bind to these receptors as well but are 1000x less potent than human estrogens. Mostly, phytoestrogens bind to a different receptor (beta receptors or B2) which are beneficial to bone health as well but are protective when it comes to breast cancer. Their affinity for the beta receptors is 1600% greater than for the E1 receptors. As compared with women who did not consume any soy products, regular soy consumers had 30-40% less breast cancer. Only 1 cup of soy milk or 1/2 cup of tofu led to a 30% decreased risk of breast cancer. By blocking the animal estrogen receptor, soy acts like a “natural Tamoxifen”, the most commonly prescribed chemotherapy agent used as a maintenance drug in breast cancer patients. Tamoxifen’s principal mechanism of action is  by its binding to the estrogen receptor and the blocking of the proliferative actions of estrogen on mammary epithelium. Studies have shown that regular consumption of soy products results in a 60% drop in occurrence and recurrence of breast cancer and a 29% drop in death from breast cancer which is the SAME as the results from taking tamoxifen, without all the side effects.. This also includes estrogen negative breast cancers. Soy, bound to the E2 receptor also inhibits the enzyme aromatase. This enzyme, which is found in fat cells, converts various other hormones like testosterone and estradiol, made in the adrenal glands, into estrogen. So, not only do soy isoflavones block the harmful estrogen receptor site but the actually help to decrease the amount of estrogen your body produces. Mammalian estrogen has a slew of side effects but soy does not! For more about soy and breast cancer, and breast health in general, look up breast surgeon Dr. Kristi Funk’s book “Breasts: The Owner’s Manual“. Consuming soy products is particularly important for adolescents, especially girls, with respect to minimizing the risks for developing breast cancer as adults. Studies clearly show that there is a decreased risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer in adults who consumed soy products when they were much younger.

Phytoestrogens are also found in clover, sweet potato and soy. Sheep feeding on clover became infertile because of it’s high concentration of the phytoestrogen formonenin. The phytoestrogen disogenin in the Mexican yam was used to synthesize the first contraceptive pill in 1951.

By the way hops, a plant used to brew beer, has a much higher concentration of phytoestrogens than soy products which partly explains the “man-boobs” heavy beer drinkers get. The studies which showed a hormonal effect from soy were done on animals which had metabolisms that could not process the soy phytoestrogens. This processing occurs in the liver and Humans all have this enzyme so it’s not a relevant issue.

Soy products also lower LDL cholesterol and improve blood pressure. The highest soy consumers had the lower all-cause mortality risk by 21% as compared with non say consumers in one study.

Soy also contains a naturally anti-angiogenic compound called genisteine. This helps reduce the formation of new blood vessels by cancerous tumors, leading to shrinkage and even disappearance of tumors.

As far as soy and fertility are concerned, all you have to do is look at a country like China. Their population has gradually risen for thousands of years and their diet is based on soy. There is no evidence that soy causes fertility problems.

Some people are allergic to soy, although this is pretty uncommon only affecting 1 in 2000 people. This is 40x less frequent than dairy allergy which affects 1 in 50 (lactose intolerance affects 1 in 3 people in the US and 70% of the population worldwide). Soy allergy is also 10x less common than the other common food allergies like fish, soy, eggs, shellfish, nuts, wheat and peanuts.  NOTE: You should always buy organic, non-GMO soy. 80% of the soy grown in the US is genetically modified (GMO), not organic and is heavily sprayed with chemicals. It is primarily used for animal feed. In addition, processed foods that contain soy usually contain non-organic and genetically modified soy so READ LABELS! If it doesn’t day it’s organic, assume it is laden with chemicals. Non-GMO alone is not enough. 

NOT ALL ALLERGY IS TRUELY ALLERGY. Another reason to avoid non-organic products, especially soy, is that the chemicals used to grow them, can cause allergy-like reactions. It’s the chemicals.

Soy contains lectins known as soybean agglutinins (SBAs) which have been shown to cause inflammation and increase gut permeability (much more on lectins in a section below). Furthermore, the phytic acid and other protein inhibitors in soy inhibit nutrient absorption. But just like other beans, proper cooking, fermentation and sprouting eliminates up to 95% of the lectins and acids, leaving just enough to actually be beneficial. Again that which does not kill you, makes you stronger.

Soy comes in many forms. The healthiest are edamame (the actual soy bean pods) and fermented forms such as miso, tempeh and natto. Tofu and soy milk are also good but a little more processed. Regardless of the form you consume, again, make sure it is organic and non-GMO. It is better to stay away from hyper-processed forms of soy such as soy isolates, often found in processed foods and plant protein powders.

Soy is also a complete protein meaning that it contains all essential and non-essential amino acids. Other plant sources of complete protein include quinoa, hemp, buckwheat, mycoprotein (quorn, a type of mushroom grain), rice and beans, humus and pita bread and even a peanut butter sandwich with whole grain bread.

Just as an aside, many other foods contain phytoestrogens. Particularly high levels are found in:

• Hops, used to brew beer, which, in addition to all the calories, contributes to “man boobs” in heavy male beer drinkers.
• Flax seeds and sesame seeds
• Dried fruit, especially Dates, prunes, and dried apricots are a few of 
• the dried food sources highest in phytoestrogens
• Sesame seeds
• Garlic
• Peaches
• Berries
• Wheat bran
• Cruciferous vegetables
• Beans

In a nutshell, the phytoestrogens preferentially (1600% more) bind to the beta estrogen receptors. This accomplishes 3 things when it comes to decreasing breast cancer risk:

1. When beta receptors are bound, the more carcinogenic alpha receptors are down-regulated and their number is reduced.
2. When phytoestrogens are bound to the alpha receptors, their activity is 10-100x lower than when actual estrogen binds which in effect, blocks the alpha receptor.
3. The enzyme aromatase is downregulated. This enzyme converts adrenal hormones into estrogen by fat cells. Less estrogen = less cancer cell stimulation.

SOY, HORMONES, CANCER and MALE BREAST DEVELOPMENT

Soy is a legume but is unique in that it is very high in protein and polyunsaturated fats than most other beans. 

It is quite versatile and can be made into various products like tofu, tempeh, soy sauce, milk… It also has a very high concentration of beneficial isoflavones or phytoestrogens. These are beneficial compounds which have estrogen-mimicking activity. As an aside, hops, used to make beer, also have a high concentration of such compounds.

Soy was first domesticated as a crop ~ 3000 years ago in the far east but has been cultivated and consumed in N. America since the 1700’s. It’s been consumed for a long time.

The highest consumers of soy in the US rank among the lowest consumers in Asia. In fact, the highest soy consumers in the US consume only 20% of the lowest consumers in Asia.

The main isoflavones in soy are daidzein and genistein. Although they do bind to the same receptors as mammalian estrogens, they bind at 100-1000x less strongly and preferentially bind to the E beta receptor. The E alpha receptor is the one primarily involved in breast cancer development.

Isoflavones modulate how the receptor works, downregulating it in breast tissue and thus lowering breast cancer risks and upregulating those receptors in bone, increasing bone density.

Equol is an isoflavandiol estrogen metabolized from daidzein. This conversion happens by bacteria in the gut so a healthy microbiome is important in its production. Equol has particularly beneficial protective effects when it comes to hormonal health issues, including cancer. Asians produce more equol than westerners do, probably a result of differences in microbiome but there may some genetics involved as well. This may account for the lower cancer rates in Asian countries where traditional diets are still followed. Other reasons Asians may have lower cancer rates is because they simply consume more soy in general and they also start consuming it at a much earlier age, so the protective effects start much earlier.

The false narrative about soy causing hormonal cancers, male breast development and erectile dysfunction came from studies looking at men who consumed very large quantities of soy, in the order of 20 servings a day! Those men did develop some ED and breast enlargement, but as soon as they stopped consuming such large amounts, their symptoms reversed. At that level of soy consumption, you are also starting to crowd out other healthy foods. In another early study involved rats who were consuming 10x what a human, even an Asian, typically consumes. There was an increased risk of breast cancer, but they were rats and again, were consuming massive amounts of soy.

A meta-analysis of over 40 studies showed that 3-4 servings a day of soy products had no impact on ED or male breast development and certainly did not increase cancer risks. Furthermore, risks of prostate cancer were 29% lower. In addition, those who did develop prostate cancer had much lower grades (severity) of the disease. Fermented products like tempeh and tofu are particularly good with tofu alone lowering prostate cancer risks by 27%.

Prostate tissue has a high concentration of E2 receptors which, when activated, decrease prostatic cell growth and division. This is one of the mechanisms thought to contribute to lower prostate cancer rates in soy-consumers.

As far as breast cancer is concerned, although the beneficial impact on cancer rates was the most significant in women whose cancers were estrogen receptor positive, in particular in post-menopausal women, all forms of breast cancer at all ages were positively impacted by soy consumption. Rates were lower for getting cancer, having a recurrence and dying from breast cancer overall. In addition, more recent studies show that overall all all-cause death rates are lower in women who consume the most soy products. Estrogen or testosterone levels were not impacted by soy products in pre-menopausal women, but levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), hormones produced by the pituitary gland in the brain, were much lower. These hormones are responsible for stimulating the ovaries to produce more estrogen so the overall effect is the same.

Only ½ a cup of soy milk or ½ serving of tofu, provides enough phytoestrogens to lower breast cancer risks by up to 10%. The higher the “dose”, the greater the benefit.

In addition to having a beneficial impact on hormonal cancer rates, other cancers were also reduced, including: esophageal, stomach, colon and even lung cancers, not to mention the improvement in the cardiovascular system.

OTHER BENEFITS OF SOY

Proven benefits of consuming soy products include:

• Rising HDL (the good kind) cholesterol.
• Lowering LDL (the bad kind) cholesterol.

It is thought to do this in part, not only by replacing cholesterol impairing animal protein with a healthier plant food, but by also reducing the amount of LDL and APO-B (another type of damaging cholesterol) the liver makes as well as increasing the number of LDL receptors in liver cells, removing LDL from circulation.

Soy also:

• Lowers stroke and heart attack risk.
• Reverses type 2 diabetes as well as decreasing the risk of getting it in the first place by as much as 30%.
• Increases bone density, and not in the unhealthy way that drugs do. Soy improves turnover of unhealthy bone and deposit of new, healthier bone. This is what is supposed to happen, unlike with most drugs which increase bone density by simply preventing removal of bone, leading over time to unhealthier bones which are actually at greater risk of fracture.

SOY and Thyroid Function.

This topic is debated in the nutrition world and is worth exploring if you have an thyroid disease. Although soy has many very healthful effects, in some people, it may affect thyroid function, especially in people with an under-active thyroid or those with autoimmune thyroid diseases like Hashimoto’s Disease, the most common cause of hypothyroidism or Grave’s Disease, which initially causes hyperthyroidism but eventually, as the gland burns out, also leading to hypothyroidism. Upwards of 25% of patients with a variety of autoimmune conditions, including as many as 60% of autoimmune thyroiditis, have been noted to have flare ups when consuming high amounts of soy products. It’s not clear however if these soy products were organic or not. The vast majority of soy grown in the US is grown conventionally, meaning it is full of pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals alone can cause autoimmune flare-ups. On the other hand, some studies show a definite link between consuming dairy products and elevated rates of all thyroid disease.

Consuming soybeans might inhibit thyroid function in some people by blocking iodide uptake and preventing zinc from functioning. Both zinc and iodide are important nutrients necessary for T3 and T4 production. Soy can also block the activity of the Thyroperoxidase (TPO) enzyme which helps with iodine metabolism and thyroid hormone production and has also been linked to the development of autoimmune thyroiditis. Additionally, studies have shown that soy can affect the function of thyroid medications, but so can any food, whether it is a plant or an animal source. All thyroid medication should be taken on an empty stomach.

Isoflavones are the main active component of soybeans that produces both hormonal and non-hormonal effects. As mentioned in the section above, the chemical structure of isoflavones is similar to the hormone estrogen. Thus, they’re able to partially replace some of estrogen’s functions in various organs including the skin, spleen, pancreas, kidney, thymus, adrenal gland, brain, pituitary, ovaries, and testes. The bind mostly to a different receptor than estrogens from animal sources though and are actually protective against certain hormonal cancers like breast and prostate. 

I mentioned above that soy is one of the most pesticide-laden food crops (cotton is actually the most contaminated crop in general) and you should look for organic soy to consume. Some people accuse soy of being very environmentally unfriendly because of the the land use required to grow it. It is true that soy crops destroy a huge amount of land however, 77% of that soy goes to feed animals. Most of the soy which humans consume is in the form of unhealthy soy oil and only 4% goes towards foods like tofu, seitan, soy milk and other soy products. Soy is very healthy and switching from animal protein sources to plant protein sources, including soy, is healthier for you, as well as very positively impactful on the planet. Not to mention, animals don’t die in the production of soy!

CHICKEN and FISH. Aren’t they healthy alternatives to red meat?

NO. Chicken is NOT as healthy as we have been led to believe. It is actually the highest meat source of cholesterol, fat and salt in the American diet (second overall after cheese). Chicken actually has the same amount of cholesterol as red meat and more than pork chops. Although it has less fat than red meat, it’s not by much. The leanest red meat is 29% fat and the leanest chicken is 23% fat. Chicken is the second highest source of saturated fat, after cheese, in the American diet. Not red meat. The way chickens are processed, virtually all are contaminated with Salmonella, E. Coli and many viruses (even bleach-resistant viruses), some of which are known carcinogens. Half of conventionally raised and 1/3^rd of “organic” chicken breasts are contaminated with an antibiotic resistant bacterium known as enterococcus. A sampling of hundreds of packaged chicken breasts from almost 100 different stores showed equal amounts of drug resistant e. coli contamination from organic and conventionally raised chickens. Kosher chicken is not better, actually having twice the bacterial contamination. There is an organic “loophole” when it comes to chickens. The USDA considers chicken to be organic as long as producers do not use any drugs after the second day of life. That means that they can still inject eggs and one-day old chicks with antibiotics, which they do, and still label the meat as “USDA Organic”. In addition, what “organic, free-range” actually means is that they are not fed GMO soy or corn (although those unnatural grain products are still allowed) and that the chicken has access to the outdoors, not that it is encouraged to go out at all. The door just has to be open.

Chicken also has the exact same, very poor omega 3/6 profile and ratio as red meat. Both chicken and red meat have a 10:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3. It should be closer to 1:1 or 2:1. Because of processed foods, the average American consumes omega 6 and omega 3’s in a ratio closer to 20:1 overall!

Chicken meat (breasts, drumsticks, wings…) come from both male and female chickens. The “breast” simply refers to the meat which comes from the chest (like the pectoral muscles in humans). Since half the meat comes from females, half the meat contains naturally occurring hormones like estrogen. Every little bit of extra estrogen from external sources increases the risks for various hormone-driven cancers like breast, ovarian and prostate. Dairy, chicken, plastics… It all adds up.

Americans eat 1 million chickens an hour. In addition, chickens raised in the United States have 10x more chemical contaminants than in Europe. After rice, chicken is the second highest source of arsenic poisoning. That’s because chicken are fed arsenic-contaminated rice and the animal food additive Roxarsone (an arsenic compound) was commonly used in their feed as a growth stimulant. This chemical was also used in pig feed for many years. A Johns Hopkins study identified residues of a number of drugs in chicken flesh including Antibiotics, Benadryl, Aspirin and Prozac.

Chickens of today are significantly different than chickens from even 100 years ago. They grow twice as fast, are twice as heavy at slaughter (which is usually only at 42 days old) and are fed an unnatural diet of GMO soy and corn, laced with antibiotics. Chicken is also the second highest source of arsenic poisoning in the American diet.

Fish is also not as healthy as you think either. Although some fish like salmon have higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids which are healthy, 70% of the calories from salmon is fat, 40% of which is saturated fat (the bad kind). In addition, it has a lot of cholesterol. Essentially ALL fish are contaminated with heavy metals like mercury and cadmium and other environmental pollutants like PCBs and dioxin. Even though the water may have acceptably “safe” levels of contaminants, the fat in the fish concentrate the contaminants as much as 1 million times! Farmed fish (which account for 90% of the fish sold and consumed) are worse, treated with antibiotics and raised in unsanitary and stressful conditions. Antibiotics have been identified in farm raised salmon, tilapia and trout. Even in salmon labeled as “organic”, the antibiotic virginiamicin, also used as an additive in fuel to minimize microbial growth, was identified. Antibiotics are used to decrease the risk of fish getting sick but also as a growth enhancer. Eating fish is linked to many chronic diseases. Just like with cows who don’t make calcium but get it from the grass they eat, fish do not make omega 3 fatty acids. They get it from the algae and other sea vegetables they consume. There are much healthier sources of omega 3s.

Fish are also “bio-accumulators” which means they concentrate chemicals, pollutants, heavy metals and other toxins in their flesh. The bigger the fish and the higher on the feeding chain, the more toxic their tissues are. Smaller fish like sardines, anchovies and herring are the least toxic. Salmon are fairly high on the food chain and can be quite contaminated, in fact, on e of the most contaminated of all fish that people eat! The Environmental Working Group (EWG) sampled salmon from grocery stores. 70% had PCB levels so high that they exceeded the EPA levels thought to cause cancer. In 2009, a review of 500 freshwater lakes in the US revealed 100% contamination of the fish which live in those bodies of water. A 2016 global analysis of seafood showed that 100% of samples were contaminated with POPs, persistent organic pollutants. In addition, raw fish are often contaminated with tapeworms and parasites.

Farm raised salmon is fed fish meal (basically dead, ground up fish flesh) so they concentrate PCBs 5-10x even more than in the wild. A recent study looking at fish in the Great Lakes revealed that 100% of the fish tested were contaminated with micro-plastics, the tiny particles of plastic pollution in the environment. More recent studies basically have identified microplastics in 100% of ALL seafood tested. Seafood also concentrates radioactive waste. A study looking at levels of the isotope polonium showed a 300% increase in concentrations of it in human body fluids after consumption of only one serving of mussels. Also, when buying or ordering fish in restaurants, be aware of the fact that upwards of 80% of fish are either mislabeled or fraudulently substituted for cheaper species.

The Eskimo diet is centered around eating fish (since there is not much else in the environments they live in). There is a popular notion that they are healthy. This is a myth. They have one of the highest rates of cardiovascular disease and their life expectancy is quite low actually. There is a reason pregnant women are told to limit fish consumption. The mercury is damaging to the fetus. Well, if small amounts are damaging to human fetal tissue, regardless of its development stage, continuous exposure in kids and adults can’t be good either.

The estimates are that, at the rate of aquatic life we are harvesting out of the oceans (as many as 3 trillion a year), that there will be no more sea life in the oceans by 2048. 40% of all the fish caught are by-kill, caught by accident in the huge nets and long lines we use to scour the oceans. Some of the by-kill includes dolphins, porpoises, sharks, sea turtles, sponges, starfish, whales and even millions of sea birds. Some areas have already completely whipped out populations. We fished the walleye population into extinction from the Great Lakes. All gone. Forever. Declines in fish populations have ripple effects affecting non aquatic animals. For example, the decline in pollack in Alaskan waters led to a 90% decline in sea lions who eat those fish and they are now endangered. As a result of the sea lion decline, sea otters have decreased significantly in numbers because orcas primarily hunt sea lions and have started to target the otters. One last side effect of swindling sea life is conflict between humans including increased piracy and even territorial gun battles between fishing trawlers. The good news is that left alone, fish populations replenish quickly. A perfect example is how the anchovy population was almost completely decimated in South America. A moratorium was put on fishing them and their numbers rebounded very quickly. In fact, in 40 protected ocean areas, all kinds of species bounced back in only 5-10 years.

Please refer to the Important things to remember about FOOD, EATING and HEALTH page for more information.

EGGS. Aren’t they the “perfect protein”?

Touted as “protein packed”, eggs are actually not that great a source of protein. One egg has 6 grams, 3 in the yolk and 3 in the white, whereas a cup of lentils has 17 grams, along with healthy fiber and other nutrients, lacking in eggs. Although eggs do contain all the essential amino acids (AA) along with many vitamins and minerals, the AA proportions are much less nutritious than the proportions you get from plants, which contain every AA you need, both essential and non-essential. Egg proteins, as do all other animal proteins, have higher concentrations of acidifying AAs leading to more bone loss than plant proteins from which this effect is not seen. In addition, eggs come loaded with a huge amount of cholesterol. Two large whole eggs (100 grams) contain about 422 mg of cholesterol. By contrast, 100 grams of 30% fat ground beef (a little less than a Burger King Quarter Pounder patty) has only about 88 mg of cholesterol. One egg has as much cholesterol as an average sized piece of steak. It’s a myth that dietary cholesterol has no impact on blood cholesterol levels. It simply does. The studies which led to these assertions looked at people who ate a few eggs a day and then added more eggs to their diet. The problem with this strategy is that once the cholesterol is maxed out, any elevation is not necessarily seen on blood measurements. Now if you looked at someone who ate no eggs and then fed them eggs, there would most certainly be a difference.

One of the arguments egg-promoters use regarding their nutrition is their higher concentration of lutein, a compound which is important for good vision. In the same wat that cow’s don’t make calcium and salmon don’t make omega-3s, chickens do not make more lutein. They get it from the foods they eat which, in the case of chickens, is grass and grains. It’s healthier to get your lutein like green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables.

The same goes for eggs sold with labels claiming higher levels or enriched with Omega-3s. The chickens don’t make it. They get it from the flax meal they are fed. Rather than get your omega-2s from eggs, along with the saturated fat an excessive amounts of animal protein, get it from the flax seeds directly.

Eggs also contain a lot of fat. A serving of eggs contains 10-15 mg of fat. In addition, egg consumption has been linked to diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Some of the cancers linked to egg consumption include prostate, ovarian, breast and colon cancers. Only 25 grams (½ of an egg) a day increases the risk of fatal prostate cancer by 14%. The cancer risk is dose dependent as well. For example, 5 eggs a week increase the fatal prostate cancer risk by 40%.

It is important to say that the cholesterol from eggs doesn’t get completely absorbed and some of it does pass right through us without causing harm. About 50% of the cholesterol  from an egg does not make it to our arteries. With respect to serum cholesterol, an egg, all by itself, here and there is not a big deal but a couple of eggs 2-3 times a week, along with the butter it’s fried in, the cheese on top and the strips of bacon with all the saturated fat IS a problem. Saturated fat in general, again coming primarily from animal products, is the biggest problem. It triggers the liver to retain and to make more cholesterol. On the other hand, eggs have other unhealthy compounds like creatine which gets converted into TMAO, a know atherosclerosis stimulating compound. The animal protein is also acidifying, contributing to osteoporosis.

Although there is a small amount of the healthy fat omega 3 in eggs, most of it is added via supplements the chickens are fed. Just like the salmon which also don’t make omega 3, chicken get it from their diet. In the case of fish, from the algae they eat and in the case of chicken, the grass they naturally feed on. This is why farm raised fish and chicken contain lower levels of omega 3 and need to be given it as a supplement.

Eggs are almost 100% contaminated with bacteria like salmonella and because their shells have become more porous due to factory farming, these dangerous bacteria do get into the eggs themselves and get passed along to us. In addition to salmonella poisoning, there is a strong link between E. Coli in eggs and urinary tract infections in women. In fact, a study linked childhood urinary tract infections with a higher risk of adult breast cancer. Chickens have a common opening (a cloaca) for eggs as well as all excretory products so it’s impossible for them not to be contaminated with feces.

Eliminating eggs over concern about the way they’re produced is reason enough for many to never eat an egg. It’s a cruel and dirty industry. Check out the documentary Vegucated for more info about the concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which house 280 million hens in filthy conditions. The environmental impact of raising so many hens on air, water and soil quality is also alarming.

If you choose to eat eggs, buy them from local farmers who raise their chickens humanely. Hens who are truly free-range produce much healthier eggs than do the hens raised on factory farms. However, there is no such thing as a “happy chicken”. Naturally, chickens lay about 12-15 eggs (a clutch) at which point they stop laying eggs and sit on the ones they just laid to hatch them into baby chicks. Some people debate this “maternal instinct” however wherever you are in this debate, chickens in industrial farms lay 250-300 eggs a year, as opposed to the 12-15 chickens in the wild lay. Producing eggs is very energy and resource intensive. It takes about 24 hours to produce an eggs, fertilized or not. The most time, about 20 hours, is spent making the shell. The materials used to make the shell consist of a variety of minerals but calcium is the most abundant and each egg uses up about 10% of the chickens calcium reserves. This calcium is obtained from their muscles but mostly their bones. This is why osteoporosis and bone fractures are so common in factory chickens. These problems are also worsened by their lack of physical activity. Most factory chickens are kept in small, “battery” cages in which numerous chickens are kept in tight quarters.

WHAT WILL I EAT if can’t have meat, fish or dairy?

There is PLENTY to eat. You will find considerable variety in the produce sections of the grocery store. It just takes some effort to explore. Once you start, you will realize how many different plant-based foods there are. Varieties of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains… Taking a cooking class also helps with learning how to eat plant-based. Forks Over Knives is a great resource for this. They have a great recipe and phone app. A great online cooking school is Rouxbe. Another excellent way to start is to follow a program like the 21 Day Kickstart Program by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine,  www.21daykickstart.org. Another great resource is the Plant Power Way Meal Planner program:  www.meals.richroll.com

With any diet out there, most people have a few standard things they cook and eat on a regular basis. They might look up a recipe once in a while however most people eat the same standard 10 or so meals. A survey revealed that 30% of Americans eat exactly the same thing for lunch everyday at work. The same goes for plant-based diets except that eating the same 10 or so plant based meals are healthier.

Variety however IS important. Start with just adding a salad to every meal. Eat more fruit. Add in some legumes, tofu or other vegetables. Try some different grains like quinoa which is super easy to cook. Try exploring with some new spices. Try out some rice or bean-based pastas. Keep trying out new things while continuing with some staples. Eventually, it won’t seem so daunting or foreign. Chinese philosopher Laozi (not Confucius) said ~ 500 BC that “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step”.

“The Vegan Starter Kit” Dr. Neal Barnard’s concise starter book about going plant-based.

Veganbootcamp.org – Don’t know how to start? Check out this site for information about how to start applying vegan principles to diet and lifestyle.

Plant Based Starter Guide – Dr. Belardo

But I feel better when I eat meat, fish or dairy! My body needs these products!

You might feel better if you re-introduce products like meat within a few days or even weeks of eliminating them, but NO YOU DON’T NEED THEM, you just didn’t give these compounds enough time to clear your system and you need to allow the healthy bacteria which break down fruits and vegetables to build up.

The microbes in your gut flourish based on what you eat. If you eat a lot of dairy, sugar or meat, you will have a preponderance of bacteria that thrive on those substances. When you switch to a healthier, plant-based diet, it takes time for the bacteria which thrive on those foods to build up. For some people, that change is pretty quick. For some it can take a few weeks. While that change is occurring, you may actually feel withdrawal symptoms, which are not pleasant. If you reward those microbes with the foods you (and your gut microbes) crave, their reward to you is more serotonin and dopamine production. Remember that the gut microbes actually make 90% of the serotonin and 70% of the dopamine in your body. Dairy in particular takes time because you are literally addicted to it. As mentioned above, casein, the main protein in dairy products, breaks down in the body into Casomorphin, an opioid compound similar to heroine and morphine, which binds to the same pleasure receptors in the brain, making you feel good. It’s the main reason vegetarians who want to go vegan complain that the hardest thing to do is give up cheese. Be patient. You don’t need the meat and dairy; you are just craving it and withdrawing from it. You’ll be better off in the end without them.

Also keep in mind that some toxins are fat soluble, bind to proteins in various organs and take a long time to clear the body. Heavy metals such as mercury, often stored in the thyroid and brain tissue or lead in bone, take months to clear. This is actually a protective mechanism to get them out of the circulation where they can do more damage. As these toxins are clearing your body, you may temporarily feel badly but you will slowly start to feel better as time passes.

Some people who have been vegetarian or vegan for a long time make similar claims about feeling better when meat, fish or dairy are re-introduced into their diets. The explanation for this has to do with probable deficiencies in vitamins or minerals because they lack enough quality or variety of fruits and vegetables in their diet. In some cases, you just have to supplement. 3 good examples are B12, Vitamin D and omega 3s. All are crucial for optimal health.

B12 is made by a microbe in the soil. These microbes have become depleted after decades of chemical destruction and improper growing practices leading to poor soil health. Animals who still graze on grass do take in these microbes and eating their meat can provide B12. You can get B12 from fruits and vegetables but only if grown in healthy soil and you don’t wash them too much. The majority of people who are B12 deficient, by the way, are meat eaters!

Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common in both plant based and omnivorous eaters and foods are a poor source of Vitamin D. The sun is our main source and we are chronically cooped up inside and not getting enough sun. Dairy is often supplemented with Vitamin D so that explains that.

Although you can get plenty of omega 3 fatty acids from plant-based foods like walnuts and flax seeds, often the amounts are not enough unless you consume them daily. Fish, specifically cold-water fish like salmon and herring, are great sources of omega 3 fatty acids but they don’t make it but get it from the algae they eat. Skip the middle man and get your omega 3 fatty acids from seaweed, nuts and seeds and algae or algae-based supplements directly. That way, you also avoid the toxins. Fish, whether farm raised or wild caught, are extremely contaminated with plastics and heavy metals like mercury 100% of the time.

See the next section about how people feel and why when they eat meat.

CARBOHYDRATES.  Aren’t they bad for diabetics and don’t they make you fat?

YES and NO. Processed “simple” carbohydrates (sugars and refined carbohydrates like processed and packaged foods, pastries, chips, snacks, white bread, refined flower and pasta…) are not healthy, will contribute to weight gain and should be avoided. Good carbohydrates (also known as “complex carbohydrates”) like whole fruit, whole grains, sprouted breads, beans, legumes and all other vegetables are healthy. For those with diabetes and obesity, healthy carbohydrates are not the enemy, fat and animal protein are since they contribute to insulin resistance. In fact, the more of the healthy carbohydrates you eat, the lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For example, simply by adding berries to a meal, blood sugar and insulin levels actually decrease. In other words, it’s not the potato that makes you fat, it’s the added butter, cheese and accompanying meat that does. Refined sugars also cause your blood sugar level to rise rapidly. This leads to a rapid rise in a lot of insulin to deal with that sugar leading to a rapid drop and resultant hypoglycemia. The bodies protective response is to have the liver release glucose and if this occurs often enough, produce new triglycerides. More triglycerides cause more atherosclerotic disease, hypertension and also weight gain.

Despite 80% of their calories coming from sweet potatoes, the Okinowans (at least those still eating a traditional diet) have one of the longest lived and healthiest populations with the lowest Diabetes rates. Despite living on an island, their fat and animal product consumption is extremely small accounting for less than 10% of their calories. This is typical of the “Blue Zones” populations. Another example of this was the Irish population before the potato famine. In 1900, a typical Irishman consumed almost 4000 calories a day from white potatoes! Despite that, the death rate from diabetes or its complications was less than 2 per million people. Again, meat consumption was a rarity and delicacy. Lastly, diabetes did not exist in most Asian and East Indian countries, which ate huge amounts of carbohydrates like rice and very little meat. As they started to adopt a more traditional Western diet with more fat and animal products, their diabetes rates started to rise steeply. Carbs are clearly not the problem.

Do not be fooled by “low-carb” diets. Although you should eliminate unhealthy carbs like pastries, processed foods, white bread and sugars, do not shy away from fruits and vegetables. Plant based low carbohydrates diets are healthy but the animal and fat based low carbohydrate diets have a much higher rate of all-cause mortality and a 22% increase of cardiovascular events like heart attacks. If you have had a heart attack already, following an animal based low carbohydrate diet increases your risks of dying prematurely by 53%.

So, in a nutshell:

• Small amounts of consumed carbohydrates are burned off (used as energy).
• Moderate amounts of consumed carbohydrates start by getting burned off, and the extra carbs are stored as glycogen in the liver.
• Large amounts of carbs are burned off as energy, some is stored as glycogen and all the extra is converted into lipid (fat), also in the liver.

IRON. I was told to eat meat to get more iron.

Iron is vital for proper DNA function and is key for oxygen transport (hemoglobin) and storage in muscle (myoglobin), but you do not need it from meat. This is flat out wrong. In the same way that dairy cows don’t make calcium, they get it from the grass they eat, the same applies to iron. It comes from the grass they eat (assuming they are feed on grass. The ones fed soy and corn, which is more than 98% of them, get iron supplements). The majority of people with iron deficiency anemia, the most common form of anemia, are meat eaters. Plant eaters do have smaller stores of iron than omnivores but as long as you are consuming foods with iron, you’ll be fine. In addition, the type of iron you get from meat is called heme iron, which is very inflammatory. The iron you get from vegetables like spinach is non-heme iron, it is better absorbed and much healthier for you. Meat does contain non-heme iron (~60%), produced from the plants those animals eat but the heme iron is absorbed more quickly since non-heme iron is usually bound to other compounds and gets absorbed more slowly. In addition, if you consume dairy, it impairs iron absorption form meat. Our bodies are able to regulate how much non-heme iron we absorb but not heme-iron. The extra iron from animal protein is converted into ferritin, it’s storage form. When their “storage tank” is full, the iron and ferritin essentially rust, forming hemosiderin, which penetrates and builds up in all of our organs. The excess iron causes oxidative stress leading to tissue damage leading to things like arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and metabolic syndrome. In addition to having non-heme iron, the compounds known as phytates in plants help to suppress the free radicals that heme iron creates, mitigating the damage.

Plants which contain a lot of iron include:

• dark greens like spinach and collard greens
• pumpkin seeds
• raisins
• potatoes
• tomatoes
• beans, especially lentils and chickpeas
• chlorella, a very healthy blue-green algae

Adding some vitamin C, by adding some citrus like lemon juice for example, will increase the absorption of non-heme iron. Certain compounds like coffee and tea (both the caffeine and tannins) will inhibit iron absorption.

I know a vegan who is overweight and does not look healthy.

Focus on nutrient density (fruits and vegetables) rather than caloric density (oils and animal products).

Coke, Oreos, Doritos, many “nutritional” bars and Potato Chips are technically vegan. You can eat a lot of processed “vegan” junk foods and be very unhealthy and overweight. In fact, if you eat an omnivorous diet which includes lots of fruits and vegetables and “cleaner” animal product sources, you are probably going to he healthier than a processed food eating vegan. You kill more animals and cause more climate change, but you’d be healthier. Being plant-based or vegan is not by definition healthy. You still have to be mindful of the sugars, fats, salt and processed foods that are out there. Even veggie burgers can be quite unhealthy since they contain a lot of plant oils. Stick to whole, unprocessed food especially lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and I guarantee you will lose weight, feel better and be healthier. You do have to be mindful of calorie density. Although avocados, nuts and seeds are healthy, they still contain ~ 19 grams of fat per ounce (for most nuts) so the calories do add up. The same goes for all oils, including olive, avocado and coconut oil. All oils contain 14 grams of fat per tablespoon. A great rule of thumb is “don’t eat anything your grandmother would not recognize as real food”.

Aren’t vegan and vegetarian diets deficient in vitamins and minerals?

You are no more likely to be deficient in anything on a restricted vegan diet than you would be on a Standard American Diet. In fact, there are a greater percentage of deficiencies in people eating standard, omnivorous diets than vegetarian or vegan diets. Restrictive, limited diets of any kind can lead to various deficiencies. Common deficiencies include Vitamin B12 (which is actually more common in those who eat meat), Vitamin D, Omega 3 fatty acids, Zinc, Iron, Iodine, Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin A and Vitamin E. Any nutritional approach must include variety to get all the nutrients one needs and yes, this can be achieved on a vegan or plant-based diet. You are always much better off getting your nutrition from a variety of whole, unprocessed foods but on occasion, supplements are necessary.

All that having been said, 2000 calories (approximate daily requirements for the average man) of broccoli or asparagus provides ALL the macro-nutrients (protein, both essential and non-essential, fat, and the healthier ones at that and carbohydrates, unrefined and therefore healthier) and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) our bodies need in a day. 2000 calories of chicken however provide much more protein and fat (at least 4x more) than is necessary, not enough carbohydrate, NO fiber and is deficient in many micro-nutrients.

ATHLETICS. Don’t I need meat and dairy to build muscle and perform better?

No you don’t. Just watch this trailer of upcoming James Cameron movie “Gamechangers” coming out in the fall of 2019. There has never been a study showing that meat-eating athletes outperform their vegetarian or vegan competition. The opposite is actually true. In addition, plant-based athletes, including an ever-growing number of NFL players whose bodies take a real beating, consistently report much faster recovery from workouts and competitions. Some of the top athletes in the world are doing just fine and even excelling on plant-based, vegan diets. These include the strongest man in the world Patrik Baboumian, the best female tennis player of all time, Serena Williams, the most acclaimed ultra-distance runner Scott Jurek, champion bodybuilder Nimai Delgado and ultra-endurance tri-athlete Rich Roll. Here is a list of some other world-class vegan athletes. Maintenance of muscle mass and bone health is important but adding more bulk is purely cosmetic. If you REALLY want to put on more muscle, just eat more calories, not necessarily focusing on more protein. Calories from fruits and vegetables are much healthier than those from animal sources. However, you don’t much more. The body is very efficient of using what it is given. Consistent exercise is the most important thing when trying to gain muscle.

All-Star pro basketball player Chris Paul attributes his improved performance and recovery to going plant-based. In fact, when asked about it, he said that he did not like to promote his diet not because he would get harassed for it by but because he considered it a competitive advantage. A short list of other pro ballers who are now vegan includes Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Wilson Chandler, Al Jefferson, Garrett Temple, Enes Kanter, JaVale McGee, and Jahlil Okafor. Many professional teams in a variety of sports, especially football where recovery is key, now offer and even promote plant based diets for their athletes. Unfortunately, because of stadium and arena concession contracts as well as advertising deals (like Gatorade), the teams do not like to speak about plant-based diets in public.

The Spartans and Gladiators of Ancient Rome were also known as the “Barley Men” because their diet was known to consist almost exclusively of grains, like barley, and vegetables. They didn’t seem to need meat to be strong and fierce warriors. Modern day Indians known as the Tarahumara in the Copper Canyons of Mexico are plant-based and are known for their extreme endurance running abilities, often running for even hundreds of miles in a day. They seem to do just fine without much meat.

KETOGENIC, PALEO and CARNIVORE diets (low carb, high protein and fat). Are they OK?

In the short-term, they are certainly better than the standard Western diet, but in the long-term, they are unhealthy, especially if followed continuously. Unlike plant-based populations who have the least chronic disease and live as much as 10 years longer on average than most other populations, there is no society or group of people following such carbohydrate-restricted diets long-term that have been shown be any healthier or live longer.  A meta-analysis of 9 studies with over a million patients cumulatively, consistently show that low carbohydrate and higher fat diets, typical of ketogenic, Atkins and Paleo-like diets, significantly increases premature all-cause mortality, by 23%.

These dietary patterns really impact on the gut microbiome in a negative way. They have a much higher meat content than is good, result in higher TMAO levels. This inflammatory molecule is quite potent in contributing to heart disease. These diets result in reduced levels of healthy microbes like Roseburia, which protects against inflammatory bowel disease, reduced Bifidobacterium, which protects against irritable bowel and obesity and increased Hungatella, which also produces TMAO. Ketogenic diets (low carb and high fat) result in dramatic microbiome changes even within 24 hours. There was a clear shift away from healthier bacteria and towards unhealthy ones.

The Ketogenic (Keto) diet was developed in 1920’s as a treatment for epilepsy and other brain disorders. Ketone bodies are water-soluble molecules like acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and their spontaneous breakdown product, acetone which is the main component in nail polish remover! They are produced by the liver from fatty acids during periods of low food intake (fasting), carbohydrate restricted diets, starvation or intense endurance exercise. Ketones are an emergency form of energy and are much easier for the body to metabolize than glucose. This is what accounts for the common observation of increased energy when starting such a diet. This diet was, and remains, an effective, short-term ONLY treatment for various neurologic and brain conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease, MS and certain brain tumors, however it is not meant as a long-term solution for most healthy people. All long-term studies (and there are very few) of such diets show various problems especially when it comes to cardiovascular disease. It is estimated that up to 98% of people who are trying to follow a true ketogenic diet are actually not doing it correctly. So, they are basically depriving themselves of various healthful carbohydrates, adding fat and not getting any real physiologic benefit. This is dangerous. In the short-term, the body uses ketones and preferentially burns fats. Long term however, ketones cause inflammation and cellular degradation. The real weight loss benefit of these diets has to do with elimination of sugars, processed foods and dairy. Also, most people starting such a diet consume fewer calories overall which will always result in weight loss. In addition, when sugar and glycogen stores are depleted, there is a rapid water loss so a lot of the early weight loss is simply water. Ketones themselves help usher water out of cells leading to water loss. The resulting dehydrated state also contributes to the early “keto flu” people experience.

For many, following a ketogenic diet leads to significant elevation in LDL, the bad cholesterol. On a keto diet, the body uses fat as an energy source, which is much less efficient than using sugar. With increased fat demands, the liver starts to produce more VLDL (very low density lipoprotein), which gets broken down into LDL. In addition, there is a downregulation of LDL receptors, used to take up and process LDL. As a result of both of these, in addition to simply consuming much more cholesterol, LDL levels skyrocket.

Sleep is significantly impacted by low carbohydrate diets. The reason has to do with the fact that serotonin and melatonin, both hormones important for proper sleep function, are made from carbohydrates.

One of the ketones formed is acetone, the same compound found in nail polish remover. Acetone is responsible for the foul, “rotten apple breath” seen in those following ketogenic diets. It also can cause false positive alcohol breathalyzer tests. It also oxidizes in the blood into acetol, a precursor to the formation of methylglioxin (MG), a toxin responsible for nerve and blood vessel damage and is seen in diabetics whose blood sugars are out of control. It is the most potent creator of AGEs (Advabced Glycation Endproducts) which are liked also with Alzheimer’s Disease, cataract formation, kidney stones and many other medical issues. AGEs are usually associated with cooking proteins and fats, moist often from animal products, at high heat.

There are some plant-based ketogenic diets which may have some benefits when followed intermittently. This is a site which describes such a protocol: DrAxe.com.

The Paleolithic (Paleo) diet is based on the concept of the “ancestral diet” which focuses on eating how our ancestors ate for tens of thousands of years before we started cultivating grains (~10,000 years ago) and before the industrialization of farming practices (~200 years ago). It was popularized by Dr. Boyd Eaton, a Harvard-trained radiologist who published a paper in 1985 titled “Paleolithic Nutrition” in the New England Journal of Medicine. It evolved from the false notion that our ancestors ate primarily meat however we were more “gatherer, hunters” than “hunter, gatherers”. We always ate some meat, but the bulk of our diet came from fruits and vegetables. Our meat was also significantly healthier and much lower in fat (5% back then vs 20-35% today), not factory farmed. Our ancestors also consumed significantly more fiber, estimated at more than 100 gm a day! Even raw vegans usually only get 50-60 grams, which s still a far cry from the typical American’s 10-20 grams a day. In addition, our Paleolithic ancestors lived only 20-30 years. In fact, half of them never made it past 15! This diet was not meant for a population that now lives 70-80 years. If everyone followed a modern Paleolithic diet, we would only be able to feed 10% of the population. Interestingly, Dr. Eaton publicly stated in 2015 that he thought anyone eating a paleo diet should stop because how bad such a dietary approach is on the environment and the planet.

Both of these diets focus on limiting carbohydrates and primarily consuming animal protein and fats. There are some things that are good about these diets initially like weight loss, although this is felt to be at least partly a result of fewer calories consumed overall. You can also see improved blood sugars and some cholesterol parameters (although LDL, the bad one, often goes up significantly). However, long-term studies reveal gradually worsening health measures including significant heart disease and insulin resistance leading to diabetes in most people following such diets. Long-term studies show that people on these types of diets have a 53% increase in all-cause mortality and 20% increase in cardiac-specific mortality over diets that promote fruits, vegetables and limited animal protein and fat consumption. At least 7 studies from such institutions as Harvard and Oxford, following over 100,000 people following a ketogenic diet identified significant increases in overall death rate (23%) over even standard diets. Ketogenic diets have been shown to impair both endothelial function (how your arteries respond) as well as cardiac blood flow.

Some people report much improved “brain fog” on these diets. If your diet is poor (too much processed food, animal products, fat… and not enough fruits and vegetables), your body becomes very inefficient at using glucose because insulin function is impaired. This is known as insulin resistance. In that state, using ketones/fat as a fuel source is an alternative so of course you will feel better. All of a sudden, you go from inefficient fuel usage and consumption, to a new system which is more efficient. But not because it’s better, but because your body is not working properly to begin with. Fix the body, ie reverse insulin resistance (see my “Diseases” section) and you’ll also feel better and eliminate brain fog in a long-term healthy manner.

Diets, especially “crash” diets, put our bodies into a state of starvation and the body responds by going into a protective, preservative mode. Metabolism slows. Sugar and fat utilization decreases. We burn fewer calories. When this sort of unsustainable diet ends, the body has to re adapt but in the meantime, you gain back the weight. Often overshooting where you were before.

Although both KETO and PALEO diets are low carbohydrate diets, Keto is much more restrictive. On a true ketogenic diet, only 5% of calories come from carbs. This equals ~ 20 gm. To put this in perspective, one apple has 30 grams of carbs so basically, fruits and many vegetables are off the menu. 75-80% of calories come from fat and 15-20% from protein. The original ketogenic diet, formulated to treat unresponsive epilepsy in kids in the 1930’s was 90% fat, 2-5% carbs and 6-8% protein. This diet worked in those patients because their brains were unable for a genetic or physical reason to use glucose and using fat was less likely to trigger seizures.

Plant food contains 60-92% of its calories as carbohydrate (CHO) except for nuts and seeds which have around 12% and leafy greens which are only about 1 gm of CHO per cup. The greens are often the only CHO permitted on ketogenic diets.

PALEO is less extreme with respect to carbohydrate restriction and limits consumption to 20% of calories consumed (~100 grams). The TRUE Paleolithic diet our ancestors followed was different however from what is preached today. The true original Paleolithic diet consisted of 35-65% carbs, 20-30% fat and 30% protein. In addition, the true Paleolithic diet had 75-150 grams of fiber. Today, 97% of Americans get less than 20 grams of fiber a day, on average only 14 grams.

All the added fats in these low carb diets are dangerous because of the inevitable effects the fats have on vascular disease, fatty liver as well as exposure to all the fat-soluble chemicals and pollutants. Processed meat is a class 1 carcinogen (same risk category as smoking, plutonium and by the way alcohol as well). Red med is a class 2a food meaning it “probably causes cancer”.

Low carb, keto and paleo diets put you at significantly greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer as well as a slew of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Studies have shown that low carb diets decrease peripheral blood vessel reactivity as well as lead to increased levels of the inflammatory and harmful molecule TMAO. This results in hypertension, heart disease and even stroke and dementia. Whole Food Plant-Based diets (high but healthy carbohydrate on other words) do the opposite and actually reverse or at least stabilize arterial plaques. A whole food, plant based diet decreases the risks of many diseases by significant percentages:

• Heart disease – 32% lower risk
• Diabetes – 62%
• Cancer – 16-19%
• Diverticulitis – 72%
• Hypertension – 75%
• Cataracts – 40%

Ketogenic diets on the other hand increase the risks of:

• Arrhythmias
• Cardiomyopathy (enlargement and weakening of heart muscle)
• Cancer, specifically breast cancer which has been shown to feed on ketones. Prostate cancer has also been linked to ketones.
• Kidney stones
• Pancreatitis
• Gout
• Bone fracture
• Hypothyroidism
• Cholesterol elevation and heart disease
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies

A recent study looking at the impact of low carb diets, specifically an animal-based ketogenic diet, on the gut microbiome, showed significant changes after only 5 days. The following was found:

• anti-inflammatory bacteria decreased
• pro-inflammatory bacteria increased
• beneficial short chain fatty acids (SCFA) were reduced
• bacteria associated with Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) were increased
• there was an increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria
• there was an increase in bacteria involved in secondary bile salt production associated with colon cancer

Some other unpleasant side effects of low carb, high protein and fat diets include:

• Bad breath, usually caused by ketones (a compound produced while in the state of ketosis). This is often referred to as “rotten apple breath” and is caused by acetone, the same chemical found in nail polish.
• Foul smelling urine, again because of excessive ketones and ammonia which are byproducts of this type of diet.
• Vaginosis (alterations in vaginal pH) leading to malodorous discharge, itch and increased risks of infection. This condition has a nickname: “Keto Crotch”.
• Menstrual irregularities including infertility and changes in amenorrhea (not having periods at all).
• Congenital abnormalities if mother follows such a diet while pregnant.
• Steatorrhea (fatty, foul smelling stools).
• Loose stools and constipation, depending on how your gut responds. Diarrhea is more common early on because the increased fluids retained or drawn into the bowels because of the excessive amounts of fat in the diet. Constipation occurs overall more often because of the lack of fiber.
• “Keto Flu” as mentioned above. This results in:
  • Headaches.
  • Insomnia. Increased cortisol production because if the ketones leads to increased blood sugar. Both impact on sleep quality.
  • GI issues as mentioned above.
  • Muscle and joint aches.
  • Muscle cramps.
  • Fatigue.
  • Dehydration because of diuretic effect of all the fat.

With most diets, you get hungry because of overproduction of the appetite hormone ghrelin. In ketogenic diets, this hormone does not get produced to the same degree which explains why keto diets suppress appetite, leading to the obvious decreased caloric intake because you simply don’t eat as much. The first few weeks of a ketogenic diets, people often don’t feel well, known as the “keto flu” which also contributed to poor appetite and fewer consumed calories. Ketones also pull water out of tissues which you pee out, further leading to weight loss.

Excess fat intake, which both of these diets promote, leads to lipotoxicity. Fat starts to get stored in organs it was not meant for like the liver, pancreas, heart and muscle. It causes those organs to malfunction. Even a 0.5% increase in fat in the pancreas causes beta cells to die. The liver becomes less sensitive to insulin and fat stores further increase. In muscle, it impacts on cell walls and how the receptor for insulin functions leading to insulin resistance and increased sugar levels in the blood which is toxic.

On the carnivore diet, also called “zero carb”, you can eat animal products only. Vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, or starches are discouraged. Dairy products are allowed, but some carnivore dieters avoid them because lactose is a sugar. This philosophy uses the Masai tribe in Africa as an example of a society that eats that way. The only point that needs to be made is that the life expectancy of the Masai is on 67 years. The 7th Day Adventist, who are vegan or strict vegetarian have a life expectancy of 89 for men and 92 for women! Even people following the horrible Standard American Diet have better life expectancy.

The Good: These diets get people at least thinking about what they eat. Controlling food quality and portion sizes go a long way. They promote limiting sugar, processed foods and unhealthy carbs; known sources of inflammation. They encourage consuming some but extremely limited amounts of whole fruits and vegetables which is the source of most of our antioxidants. The amounts of fruits and vegetables they recommend, although limited, is still more than what most Americans consume.

The Bad: They encourage too much fat and protein consumption from animal sources. We simply don’t need so much protein or fat. Our bodies can only process 25 mg of protein at a time as it is. The excess gets excreted by the kidney, taxing them significantly, or turned into fat. Animal protein is also loaded with fat, salt, medications and environmental pollutants. They are also associated with an increased death rate as mentioned above. In addition, low carb diets can contribute to birth defects (30% increased risk) so these are not for pregnant women or anyone trying to get pregnant. Although animal products provide some antioxidants, the pale in comparison to plants. Overall, plant-based diets have 64x the amount of antioxidants than omnivorous diets. Berries alone contain 90x more antioxidants than fish for example.

These diets also limit consumption of lots of other healthy grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. They give the false impression of better insulin sensitivity and diabetes control because the blood work values look better but this is not reality. If you don’t eat any carbs, of course blood sugar numbers will improve and fasting insulin will be low but that is not natural or sustainable long-term and is absolutely not an indicator of better insulin sensitivity. Your brain runs on sugar from carbs, not on fat.

Click HERE to learn even more about ketogenic diets.

Ketosis and the Ketogenic Diet – 7 Misleading Statements

In this video, Dr. Lim, Director at the McDougall Health & Medical Center, discusses his personal experience with a Paleo diet he was on and why he stopped. 

GAS. I make a lot when I eat too many vegetables, especially beans!

Let’s be clear about gas; we ALL make it. The average person normally toots 15-25 times a day. Although it’s a normal, natural by-product of the digestion process, 80% of gas, both from above and below, actually comes from the air we swallow. The rest is a byproduct of fermentation of food in the large intestine (colon) by bacteria and is important to good GI health. The excess swallowed air can easily be reduced by eating more slowly and chewing food much better which eliminates the tiny air molecules in our food. Aside from that, what differentiates the amount and the kind of gas one produces is a function of the health of their gut microbiome which is directly impacted by their diet and the medications they take. In a nut shell, eat as many different kinds of fruits and vegetables as you can and avoid animal products AND avoid medications, especially antibiotics and antacids (both of which really impact on gut health the most given how much of both of these we are prescribed, consume or take on our own). Although gas and flatulence may seem like just a socially embarrassing habit, it can sometimes be a sign of gut abnormalities.

Fruits and vegetables are made up mostly of carbohydrates (CHOs). It is the preferred fuel source for most of the cells in the human body. There are some CHOs which we can digest in the small intestine. There are some CHOs however that humans can’t digest in the small intestine and these make their way into the large intestine (colon) where there are gut bacteria which can break them down. Whereas the human genome codes for 17 different CHO-digesting enzymes, there are over 7000 CHO-digesting enzymes that our gut microbiota code for. The gut bacteria breakdown fiber resistant starch, pectin and a variety of non-starch polysaccharides and one of the byproducts of this bacterial digestion (essentially fermentation) is gas, primarily hydrogen gas, which is bulky and is primarily responsible for the bloating sensation we feel. An ancient microbe known as archaea traps the hydrogen and combines it with carbon, producing methane gas. Archaea are thought to have been around for over 3.8 billion years, making them one of the oldest species on the planet. They are very hearty and have been found surviving in volcanoes, deep sea sulfur gas and lava vents and deep in the ice. The healthy gut microbes in the colon also form very important and healthy short chain fatty acids, the main ones being butyrate, acetate and propionate. 

Both Methane and Hydrogen gas are actually odorless. What produces the powerful “rotten egg” or “dead fish” odor with offensive flatulence (farts) is Hydrogen Sulfide (HS) which is produced by bacteria which trap hydrogen. Small amounts of  HS production is normal. It’s actually a signaling molecule in the gut but too much is problematic. It damages the colon and is linked to inflammatory bowel disorders like Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis and also colon cancer.  HS also stimulates gut hypersensitivity, seen in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The main source of HS gas are bile-eating bacteria whose overgrowth is favored when you eat a high fat diet which stimulates the gallbladder to form excessive amounts of bile. Most of the fat leading to this overgrowth comes from animal sources.

With the re-introduction of fruits and vegetables, initially people feel much more bloated because of the gut microbial imbalance. The healthy bacteria are outnumbered by the unhealthy ones. Symptoms will improve over time as the balance of the healthy gut bacteria improve but most people are not patient and assume that they feel better because of whatever low carb diet they were on. It’s like saying that a heroin addict feels better when they use heroin. When they stop, they have withdrawal symptoms which are unpleasant so they continue to use drugs to continue to feel better. A classic example of this is a ketogenic diet. These are low carbohydrate, and by definition high fat diets, which favor the overgrowth of these bile-eating bacteria which generate HS gas. With most ketogenic diet followers, when they start to eat fruits and vegetables again, they temporarily feel worse. In addition to being unable to digest CHOs, their ability to process sugar in their blood is also impaired (called Insulin Resistance) but in most non-diabetic people, this resistance is reversed once they start to eat CHOs more regularly, usually within 3 days or so.

Cooked foods are easier to digest than ones which are raw. Cooking breaks down some of the complex fiber. So when you start ramping up the plants in your diet, focus on cooked rather than raw vegetables.

BEANS AND LEGUMES. The Blue Zones are areas in the world where populations live the longest, disease-free lives. Although some do consume some animal products, they compose a tiny fraction of their diet which consists mostly of whole, plant foods. One common food they ALL consume are some kind of beans, daily. At least a cup a day. If you don’t eat beans, you have to start. You WILL initially get gassy but that’s because your gut bacteria is not cultivated to break down the complex, extremely beneficial carbohydrates. Start slowly, essentially starting with smaller beans and legumes like lentils and gradually increase. The gas will settle down. Fava beans tend to generate the most gas of all beans but that’s OK!

One of the common carbohydrates in legumes, raffinose, is particularly problematic for some people. It can be reduced by soaking beans over night or simply rinsing dry beans a few times before cooking. With canned beans, they should also be rinsed. Another trick is to add seaweed while cooking beans. It inactivates the raffinose.

CONSTIPATION and GAS. When you are constipated, the gut mobility sows down. This allows bacteria to increase fermentation of foods, leading to more methane and other gas formation. Methane itself slows gut mobility which results in constipation so this creates a vicious cycle. Even if you have a bowel movement every day, you may still be constipated. meaning, there may still be a considerable amount of left over stool in your colon. There may some stool passing around but there may still be a lot let. One of the keys is consuming enough water.

MOVE AFTER MEALS. The simple trick of goig for a short walk immediately after you meals can do wonders for the digestion. It essentially moves things around. In addition movement after meals helps with blood sugar regulation. Don’t do all-out heavy exercise, just focus on gentle movement.

AEOROPHAGIA is the term which describes swallowing excess amounts of air. Increased swallowing of air is caused by:

• chewing gum
• using straws
• eating too quickly and gulping
• carbonated beverages
• lozenges

FAT. Isn’t fat necessary to be healthy? Where do you get your fat from?

Again, the answer is: THE PLANTS. Even a leaf of spinach has fat in it! (spinach, by the way, is 60% protein). However, just like with protein, we eat more fat than we need and we can get enough good fats from plants like nuts, seeds, grains and avocados. Some specific examples of fat (the healthier polyunsaturated kind) content in plant foods include:

• Green leafy vegetables – 10% fat
• Oatmeal – 16% fat
• Strawberries – 7% fat
• Tofu – 40% fat
• Nuts and seeds – 80% fat
• Herbs. Even herbs have healthy fats.

We need to cut down on oils. Even the “healthy” oils like olive, coconut and avocado oil have little nutritional value and they contain 14 grams of fat (125 calories) per tbsp! It’s a myth that we need these oils for healthy brain function. They contribute to dementia, not prevent it. Eating the whole food version like olives and avocado is healthful and good for the brain, just not their processed oil equivalents. Also, as mentioned in other places, a lot of vegetable and seed oils like canola, sesame, grape seed, sunflower and safflower are extremely pro inflammatory containing trans fats, omega 6 fatty acids and aldehyde compounds, all things you do not want to consume. Avoid these fats as much as possible.

From a caloric perspective, the math is simple and clear. Fat has 9 calories per gram (125 cal/tbsp) while protein (found in ALL foods) and carbohydrates (only found in fruits, vegetables, legumes…) have only 4 calories per gram.

Fat is necessary for proper absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins and minerals but we don’t need much. Only 5 walnut halves provide enough fat to accomplish this job adequately. Also keep in mind that if a meal does not contain enough fat for nutrient transport, those nutrients are stored in the gut lining cells and then are absorbed when a subsequent meal with fat arrives.

Fat is ultimately the most significant contributor to diabetes by affecting how insulin works. This is described in detail on other parts of my site. Studies have shown that, as compared with low fat meals (4 grams of total fat), high fat meals (containing 44 grams) lead to 33% increased insulin needs in type 1 diabetics. Another study showed that adding animal protein to a meal resulted in a 65% increase in insulin requirements. The increase was seen in both low fat meals but was seen to the greatest degree in the higher fat group. Both groups were matched with respect to their carbohydrate (sugar) intake.

As far as the essential omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are concerned, they are called essential because our bodies don’t make them and we need to get them from the foods we eat. Omega 3 can be thought of as the anti-inflammatory fat and omega 6 as the pro-inflammatory fat. We do need both but what is more important than absolute numbers is the ratio of 3 to 6. If there is too much omega 6 in the body, it blocks the beneficial actions of omega 3.  Beneficial omega 3 actions include:

• Lower all-cause mortality.
• Prevent telomere shortening (a biological measure of aging). Telomeres protect DNA from damage.
• Improve learning and memory.
• Delay brain aging by repairing damage and preventing atrophy (shrinkage).
• Reduce inflammation.
• Improve cholesterol by increasing HDL (the good kind) and lowering Triglycerides (one of the bad kinds).
• Increase cell membrane fluidity including in neurons which helps with focus and attention.

Traditionally, before processed foods and excess meat consumption were the norm, our omega 3:6 ratio was closer to 1:1. Now, it’s more like 1:20, very heavily weighted on the side of pro vs anti-inflammatory. Consuming more omega 3s will improve the ratio but what is healthier and faster is to cut out the omega 6s you get from meat, dairy and processed food. Although you can get Omega 3s from cold water fish like salmon and herring, they don’t make it but get it from algae which is a safer and a more animal-friendly source. Other foods that have omega 3s include walnuts, flax seeds and avocados.

CHOLESTEROL. I read that dietary cholesterol does not impact blood levels!

This is absolutely not true. Consuming foods with cholesterol will definitely impact negatively on your health. The problem with the studies which show no impact is the design of the studies and who funded them. We have receptors on our cells which bind and eliminate cholesterol. The number of receptors varies but even a modest amount of cholesterol consumption, almost exclusively found in animal products, will saturate these receptors so adding or removing a little bit in your diet won’t actually show up in blood work making it seem like there is no effect. But there is! If you feed animal products to someone who consumes very little cholesterol regularly you will definitely see a significant bump. If you go from 2 eggs to 3 or 4 eggs a day, you won’t. In addition, almost every cholesterol study published in the last 25 years has been sponsored by the Egg Board. They obviously have a bias and won’t publish anything which makes their claims look bad.

Although it is true that the majority of the cholesterol measured in blood is endogenous, meaning, it is made by our own bodies, primarily by the liver, the saturated fat we eat stimulates the liver to make more cholesterol than we need. In addition saturated fat causes the liver not to process the cholesterol floating around in our blood, adding even more to cholesterol load.

The livers ability to monitor cholesterol levels in the blood is impaired when there is too much fat in the body. Especially when that fat deposits in the liver itself. As a result, it continues to make cholesterol, even though our bodies don’t actually need it.

Vegan/Vegetarians have on average 35% lower cholesterol levels than non-vegetarians.

CHOLESTEROL. Can cholesterol levels be too low?

Simply put, NO. Our cells make all the cholesterol we need; about 1 gram a day. All cells make cholesterol however the liver makes the most. Although exceptionally rare, cholesterol levels can be too low but this only happens when one takes medications (statins) which artificially lower cholesterol. Cholesterol is a crucial component of many compounds in the body including all of our hormones. Our bodies make cholesterol, mostly in the liver, but it only does so when it senses that we need more. If you follow a plant-based diet, even one that is extremely low in dietary fat and cholesterol, it is virtually impossible for you to be cholesterol deficient since your liver senses low levels and produces just the right amount for proper function. On the other hand, when you a follow standard Western diet with lots of meat, dairy and eggs, it is very easy for cholesterol levels to be too high. Again, chicken has as much cholesterol as red meat and more than pork chops and salmon has a lot of cholesterol as well.

There was a notion that low cholesterol levels can cause cancer. Not only is this not true, the opposite is actually reality. Cancer causes low cholesterol levels. Cancer cells use 18x more glucose than normal cells do but only once they have built up their micro-vascular network (blood supply). In the early stages of the disease, cancer cells use cholesterol as their primary fuel to build this network which is why cancer patients often have a low cholesterol level.

In the 35 years of the famous Framingham Heart Study, which has been following over 14,000 people from three generations, who has a cholesterol under 150 ever had a heart attack. How is that for evidence?

My TRIGLYCERIDES went up and HDL went down on a plant-based diet?

Cholesterol numbers improve significantly when you remove the animal products, the main source of dietary cholesterol and fat, from your diet and start consuming more plants. However, in some people who are vegan, Triglycerides (one of the bad cholesterols) can go up and HDL (the good cholesterol) can decrease. In addition to getting TG from meat and animal products, our livers make fat and cholesterol in a process known as de novo lipogenesis. This is a normal process. Our livers make all the cholesterol we need to be healthy. The liver creates cholesterol from the carbohydrates (sugars) in our diet, primarily from highly refined carbohydrates. This is why diets high in refined carbohydrates (sugars, pastries, white bread…) contribute to weight gain as well. If you are on a vegan diet but consume a lot of processed carbohydrates, that may explain the elevation in triglycerides. This effect goes away as soon as you remove the processed foods from your diet.

Alcohol also has a significant impact on TG, even after one drink. And the effect can persist for days. So if you are a regular drinker, even the 1glass a day for women and 2 for men, this can have a significant impact on TG levels.

HDL is also produced by the liver and its main function is to clean up the bad cholesterol particles floating around in your blood. If your diet is low in cholesterol and added fats (primarily from animal products), your body responds by producing less HDL since you don’t need as much of it since there is less bad cholesterol around. In this situation, a low HDL is not a concern.

THYROID FUNCTION and GOITROGENS. Don’t GREENS and SOY affect the thyroid?

Goitrogens are plant compounds which can impact on thyroid function and can lead to thyroid enlargement, known as a goiter. Although many compounds are known to impair thyroid function in the lab and even in animal studies, unless you are eating unreasonable massive amounts, this issue is extremely overblown. Not only is this not true, the exact opposite is the case. Greens and cruciferous vegetables improve thyroid function and are protective against thyroid cancer. Some leafy greens like Russian kale, Brussels sprouts and collards do contain thyroid stimulating compounds called thicyanates which can impair conversion of T4 to the active hormone T3, but you have to eat a wheelbarrow-full of it for there to be any measurable effect. In addition, those compounds are destroyed by cooking anyway so if you’re worried, don’t overdo it and lightly cook or boil them. Overall, greens are extremely healthy. Other foods that help with thyroid function include sea vegetables like nori, dulse and seaweed, strawberries, navy beans, potatoes, cranberries and Brazil nuts. 

Now you do need to be concerned about low iodine levels which negatively affect thyroid function. All the foods mentioned above, along with using iodized salt (common table salt) or seas salt, will help boost iodine levels. But if you are still low, you may need to supplement.

Soy products can impact on thyroid function through a variety of mechanisms by affecting how iodine is absorbed and metabolized and how the thyroid hormones actually are formed and function. The impact of soy on the thyroid is independent of whether it is Non-GMO or organic as well. Although for the vast majority of people soy is health promoting, if you struggle with thyroid function or autoimmune thyroid disease, you may want to consider limiting or eliminating soy products and seeing how you do.

ALL food impacts on how you absorb medications, particularly thyroid hormone replacements medications. These should always be taken on an empty stomach. Whether you eat spinach, potato chips or a steak. All food will impact on drug absorption.

GREENS and KIDNEY STONES

Some people are prone to forming kidney stones, The majority of which are calcium-oxalate stones. Oxalates are minerals which our bodies actually produce but they are also found in many foods.  They are particularly high in some greens, including spinach, beet greens and Swiss chard. Just like with greens and thyroid function, you have to eat a lot of raw greens to significantly increase your kidney stone risk and often, there are other confounding factors like gastrointestinal conditions like Crohn’s Disease or gastric bypass surgery or excessive vitamin c consumption. Some people are also genetically high absorbers. If you are eating normal amounts of greens and are otherwise healthy, you don’t need to worry. If you are already prone to kidney stone formation, you may want to learn more and stick to greens like kale and dandelion which have significantly lower oxalate levels. It is also important to maintian a healthy gut microbiome. Normally, in a healthy gut, one of the thousand of varieties of microbes is on called oxalobacter formigenes. It’s an oxalate-degrading anaerobic bacterium that lives the large intestines. Antibiotics kill off this microbe, increasing your risks for stones. For more on oxalates, check out this document: Greens, Oxalates and Stones.

What about the “MEDITERRANEAN DIET” and the “FRENCH PARADOX”?

These two diets promote the false notion that people in France and Mediterranean countries, where they consume meat, fish, butter, red wine and olive oil, somehow are healthier and have less heart disease than Americans eating a Standard American Diet. Although these populations may be healthier overall, it is not for the reasons we would like to believe.

First of all, the data used by the studies that first came to these conclusions was gathered many years ago during wartime (when there were many scarcities) and in areas where lifestyle was much different from what Americans are used to. The Mediterranean diet specifically was based on ONE paper written in 1954 by Dr. Ancel Keys, PhD, who later published the “7 Countries Study” where it was first proposed that heart disease was linked to diet, especially a fatty one, and a sedentary lifestyle. He described the diet of the inhabitants of a small, remote municipality of Nicotera, Italy. Although their diet did contain some fish and olive oil, what they ate was principally composed of fresh fruits and vegetables with an overall fat content of 23% or less. He described the diet as “largely vegetarian, low in animal saturated fats with an abundance of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes and unsaturated fats (presumable this is where the olive oil came into play)”. Secondly, factors like activity, social interactions, volume of food consumed and routines like getting fresh fruits and vegetables daily at local markets were not taken into account. Lastly, when time and adoption of the Western, or Standard American Diet is considered, any benefit from their previous, healthier diets disappears and their rate of heart disease, and every other chronic disease, approaches that of Americans’.

The amount of meat and fish in their diets was originally extremely small and the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables was significantly higher than what Americans eat. Portion sizes were significantly smaller. There was limited sugar and there were no processed foods (other than olive oil) in their diets. The bottom line is that it was the significant amount of whole fresh food and limited processed food they ate in conjunction with other positive lifestyle activities that make their “diets” healthier.

Later studies looking at the Mediterranean diet with higher levels of olive oil and fish saw some benefit with respect to lowering strokes but NOT heart attacks or other causes of death. The benefits again were felt to be mostly from the fruits and vegetables. Those eating high amounts of fish had a lower stroke rate, felt to be associated with a thinning effect on the blood but the overall benefits were still felt to be from the fresh fruits and vegetables.

With respect to cancer, those following a Mediterranean diet, as compared with a standard Western diet, had lower rates for all cancers except for breast cancer. This one particular cancer is particularly sensitive to alcohol consumption and wine is part of this dietary tradition. If you choose to drink, stick to no more than 1-2 glasses of wine a day although none is always better.

The Mediterranean Diet that Americans follow, focusing on meats like lamb, feta cheese and fish, is NOT the true Mediterranean Diet, focusing on fresh fruits and vegetables with only a small amount of animal products.

LOW HISTAMINE DIET 101: What to Eat, What to Avoid, and Why.

Histamine is a compound that is produced by immune cells known as basophils and mast cells but is also naturally occurring, found in some foods. Although it is most well known as the main culprit causing allergic and non-allergic reactions to environmental antigens as well as classic food allergies, it also plays a role in several of the body’s major systems, including the immune, digestive, and neurological systems. The body makes all the histamine it needs from its own cells but we can consume excess amounts from foods and this can cause all kinds of problems, including worsening allergy symptoms.

Histamine In Food. Histamine forms when certain bacteria or yeasts transform the amino acid histidine into histamine. Since ALL foods, whether from an animal or a plant, contain protein and ALL the amino acids in varying proportions, ANY food can form histamine under the right conditions. Generally speaking, aged and fermented foods or beverages contain the highest levels of histamine, while fresh foods contain almost none.

High-Histamine Foods. The longer a food has been aged, the more amino acids have been converted to histamine. Fermented foods have the highest levels. Keep in mind that histamine levels in a food can vary significantly depending on aging, storage time, and how it is processed. In general, aged and fermented items are much higher in histamine than fresh foods. Some common foods that are generally high in histamine include:

• Aged cheeses
• Alcohol of any kind
• Dried fruits
• Eggplant
• Aged meats including salami, sausage, pepperoni, lunch meat and hot dogs
• Canned meats/fish such as tuna or sardines.
• Fermented foods or beverages of any kind including kombucha and pickles
• Seafood, especially if leftover, smoked, salted or canned
• Ketchup
• Soy sauce, tamari, coconut aminos, liquid aminos
• Spoiled food
• Leftovers, unless very recent and cooled and rewarmed quickly.
  • Refrigerate or freeze foods quickly, without letting them cool so that histamine producing bacteria don’t reproduce.
  • Defrost and cook quickly, which will also not allow these bacteria to reproduce.
• Tomatoes
• Vinegar
• Fermented grains, such as sourdough bread

For a full list and for more information about a low histamine diet, check out this PDF.

Low Histamine Diet 101

LECTINS and other “ANTI-NUTRIENTS”. Should we avoid these foods?

Absolutely not. The recent publicity surrounding the damaging effects of lectins are way overblown and misleading. And guess what, the physician responsible for this craze (Dr. Gundry) also happens to sell a supplement which deals with lectins! What a surprise.

Lectins, also known as hemagglutinins, are a very large family of protein molecules which bind carbohydrates. At least 200 different types have been identified and the reality is that, just like fiber, each type of plant has a unique form. Their main function in humans and animals is to facilitate cell to cell contact; lectins on one cell recognize and bind to surface carbohydrates on another cell. In doing so, they protect the host plant from microbial infection. Lectins are defined as proteins that bind to carbohydrates. The same features that lectins use to defend plants in nature may cause problems during human digestion. They resist being broken down in the gut and are stable in acidic environments, features that protect lectin-containing plants in nature. Lectins are ubiquitous in nature. They are present in plants, animals, and microorganisms. In plants, they are part of their defense mechanism. The main lectin containing foods that are discussed include legumes like beans and lentils, certain grains like quinoa and vegetables like tomatoes and mushrooms. When not properly prepared, the lectins in beans and grains can cause gastrointestinal issues but when properly cooked, the lectins are inactivated. In addition, lectins are labeled as “anti-nutrients” because they can impact on nutrient absorption. Small amounts of lectins play an important role in immune function and cell growth but large amounts can damage cell walls, especially if not properly cooked. No food is good when consumed in excess or when not properly prepared. Heck, even apples have arsenic in the seeds. So, does that mean you should never eat apples? No because you could never eat enough apples to get sick since you’d fill up and vomit long before you get arsenic poisoning! Just like the greens and thyroid function example in the paragraph above. Even the most healthful food on the planet, broccoli, contains a toxic compound glucosinolate which is a potent pesticide that the plant uses to defend itself. Too much of that will kill a human but you’ll never eat enough broccoli for that to happen. In fact, small amounts of any toxin actually stimulates our bodies to protect itself. This phenomenon is known as hormeses.  There is truth in the saying “That which does not kill you makes you stronger”.

Lectins are toxic if foods containing high concentrations of them are improperly prepared. Oxygen is also toxic when you breathe in concentrations higher than ambient air for too long. Both are necessary for life however. In fact, lectins have been shown to have a protective effect against cancer cell formation. All the hubub about lectins started after an incident in 1988 in Japan. The government organized a “Healthy Eating Day” and were promoting eating more vegetables, including legumes and beans. At one site where food was made for the public, a batch of red beans was under cooked and a number of people developed some gastric issues including bloating, cramping and diarrhea. Red beans contain a particularly irritating lectin known as phytohaemagglutinin. White kidney beans contain a third as much of the toxin while broad bean varieties contain only 10% as much hemagglutinin as red kidney beans. Despite reports of hospitalizations and serious illness, there were no actual documented cases of such events and everyone recovered without complications. The answer is not to eat beans but to cook them properly!

Soy contains lectins known as soybean agglutinins (SBAs) which have been shown to cause inflammation and increase gut permeability. Furthermore, the phytic acid and other protein inhibitors in soy inhibit nutrient absorption. But just like other beans, proper cooking, fermentation and sprouting eliminates up to 95% of the lectins and acids, leaving just enough to actually be beneficial. Again that which does not kill you, makes you stronger.

The bottom line is that these foods are extremely healthy and should not be avoided. Just cook or prepare them appropriately and eat reasonable amounts.

Other “Anti-Nutrients”.

The most widely studied anti-nutrients include:

1. Phytates. Mainly found in seeds, grains and legumes, phytates are formed when phytic acid binds with minerals, including iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium, in the intestines, reducing their absorption.
2. Tannins. Associated mostly with wine, tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. These compounds are widely distributed in many species of plants, where they play a role in protection from predation (also acting as pesticides) and might help in regulating plant growth.
3. Protease inhibitors. Widely distributed among plants, especially in seeds, grains and legumes, they interfere with protein digestion by inhibiting digestive enzymes.
4. Oxalates. Oxalates are compounds which bind minerals. We make them and infact, 50% of circulating oxalates are endogenous (produced by us). The primary form of calcium in many vegetables, such as spinach, is calcium oxalate. The calcium bound to oxalate is poorly absorbed. That is the issue however, there is tremendous variation in how oxalates impact on absorbtion of minerals. Most people don’t need to worry abput it but if you are prone to kidney stones, don’t consume massive ampunts of beet greens ans Swiss Chard, known to have alot of oxalates.

Some simple measures can be taken to minimize exposure to these compounds, rendering them only beneficial. These include:

• COOKING. Boiling or pressure cooking are the best. Be aware that beans should be cooked at high heat. Slow cooking most beans (except lentils) can actually lead to more lectins.
• SOAKING.
• SPROUTING
• FERMENTING

For more information about Anti-Nutrients and how to make them safe, click here: How to Reduce Anti-Nutrients in Foods

NIGHTSHADES. Are they bad for you?

Just like all foods, the vast majority of whole fruits, vegetables are perfectly healthy for the vast majority of people. The best predictor for a healthy gut is the variety of fruits and vegetables you consume since this leads to a healthy, varied gut microflora. With any food however, some people have allergies and sensitivities. This includes foods known as nightshades.  They are a family of over 2000 plants  including some vegetables referred to as Solanaceae. They include common vegetables (which are the edible part of the flowering plant) like peppers, white potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, tomatillos, goji berries and okra. They also include belladonna, a poison, and tobacco, another poison. Several common herbs and spices, such as chili pepper, paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes, also fall into the nightshade family. Black and white pepper are from peppercorns (technically a fruit), which are not nightshades.

Nightshades contain numerous beneficial nutrients, like vitamin C, antioxidants, B vitamins, and minerals and for most people, they are very healthful to eat. They also contain other nutrients however known as Alkaloids, which contain nitrogen. In nature, these compounds serve as a natural insect repellent to prevent the plant from being destroyed. ALL plants have some sort of defense mechanism so the presence of this compound is not unusual. For example, garlic and onions produce Anacin which also has an insect repellent activity but in humans they are protective and quite beneficial. Greens are bitter because they contain compounds which also act as a defense mechanism against predators.

For some people, the alkaloids in nightshades are thought to also cause generalized inflammation and problems with the digestive system, leading to inflammatory problems, intestinal disorders, and digestive upset. Leaky gut, a problem in which the barrier function of the small intestine stops working effectively, is also thought to be worsened by the presence of nightshades, thus worsening chronic conditions. HOWEVER, to be clear, NO study has ever been done to definitive show that nightshades cause inflammation or worsen leaky gut itself. People can be sensitive to individual fruits or vegetables but to be sensitive to ALL nightshades is very uncommon.

Gluten is a well know compound which can also break down the gut barrier. In some cases, eating nightshades can also worsen existing symptoms of conditions like arthritis, thanks to alterations in the body’s gut bacteria. They can also play a role in the intestinal problems that are associated with Celiac Disease.

Beyond digestive and inflammatory problems, people can develop allergies to certain nightshades that can involve itching, swelling, hives, and even difficulty breathing. As mentioned above, these are usually reactions to individual plants and not the whole class of nightshades.

While not every symptom of problems with nightshades will be obvious, some are more common than others.

• Irritable bowels and diarrhea
• Nerve problems
• Joint pain and swelling
• Arthritis
• Heartburn and acid reflux
• Itching
• Leaky gut
• Autoimmunity or chronic health conditions
• Trouble breathing (rare, but serious)
• Mouth swelling (rare, but serious)

Allergy and food testing will not help to determine your degree of sensitivity. Eliminating these foods, sometimes for as long as 30 days, may be the only way to tell. Adding them back in, one at a time, can help to identify if one nightshade is a problem, or if the whole category causes symptoms to return.

ORGANIC FOOD. I can’t afford to buy organic.

In a nutshell, if you can buy organic, then do so. It’s healthier and more nutritious. But that having been said, it’s better to et a fruit or vegetable than not, organic or not. These days, the vast majority of our food, even organic food, has some degree of contamination from our overuse of chemicals. Even if food is grown organically, because of such significant chemical overuse, there is contamination in the rainwater and ground water so organics are even affected. It is still better to buy organic if you can. At least stick to the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists (there are links at the bottom of the page). These lists identify the most chemically contaminated foods you should buy organically (for example apples, tomatoes and strawberries) and the foods which are much less contaminated and do not need to be organic (like broccoli, bananas and oranges). Most towns have farmers markets where there is locally grown, often clean and organic produce. It may not be USDA Organic because it is quite expensive to be granted that label, but they often do not use any chemicals. Prices are dropping so it is becoming more affordable. Wal-Mart sells 25% of all the produce sold in the US. It’s also now the largest seller of organic produce. Cosco is a close second. There are also inexpensive online sources. A great one is Thrive Market. Other stores like Marshall’s, Home Goods and T.J.Maxx actually sell a significant amount of organic oils, herbs, pastas, snacks and other organic products at discount prices. You can also get great fresh, local, organic produce from farmer’s markets. To find a market near you, you can use the website www.LocalHarvest.org. You can also join a local CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture). These are local farms which sell “shares” to the farm and provide weekly basket of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables.

There are many links online for how to buy healthy plant foods inexpensively. Here is a link to a YouTube video Here is a link to a YouTube video.

NITRATES. Is there a difference between nitrates from meat and vegetables?

Both meat and vegetables contain nitrates. The difference lies in what they are packaged in and what accompanies them. In meat, they are not packaged in anything but they are accompanies by heme iron and amines. When meat is cooked, the amines and nitrates are converted into nitrosamines, compounds which are known to cause cancer and inflammation. In vegetables, nitrates are packaged with polyphenols and antioxidants like vitamin C. These protect the nitrates and allow them to be converted into nitrites and eventually nitric oxide (NO) which is extremely beneficial for arterial relaxation and function. This process starts in the mouth with the beneficial oral bacteria starting the process.

Spinach contains 12x more nitrates than a hot dog but the nitrates from the spinach is healthy and gets converted into Nitric Oxide, a beneficial gas relaxing arteries, whereas the nitrates in a hot dog is converted into dangerous compounds which cause cancer!

Unhealthy nitrates come from processed meats, especially ham, hot dogs, deli meats and bacon. Nitrates are actually added to them as preservatives and coloring agents. When they are cooked, they convert into even more dangerous compounds. Healthy nitrates are naturally found in plants, particularly beets, greens such as spinach, bok choy, kale and even lettuce as well as carrots.

NO relaxes arterial walls, lowering blood pressure and improving delivery of blood and nutrients to tissues. Healthy nitrates leading to NO production ultimately reduce the amount of O₂ the muscles need to work. As a result, you can do more work for longer using the same muscular output or a greater muscular output in the same amount of time when nitrates are consumed, assuming they are actually converted into NO.

For maximal muscle effect, you need to consume ~ 300-550mg of nitrates (~ 3 beets worth) 2.5-3 hours before the physical activity.

A word of warning about mouthwashes and fluoride-containing toothpaste which have been shown to kill off the beneficial bacteria in your mouth, not allowing the healthy nitrates to be converted into nitrite which is eventually converted into nitric oxide in the stomach. “Antimicrobial” mouthwashes (with alcohol or chlorhexidine) kill off the bacteria on the tongue which make that first conversion, even after 1-2 days of use.

An additional word of warning about acid reducing medications. In lowering acid production in the  stomach, the conversion of nitrite into nitric acid doesn’t take place because the enzyme which makes the conversion is activated by acid. The bottom line: floss and brush but don’t use damaging mouthwashes and don’t take unnecessary medications!

For a lot more about nitrates and NO, look at this article: NITRATES and NITRIC ACID.

SEA VEGETABLES. Are they good for you?

They are GREAT for you. Edible seaweed, or sea vegetables, are seaweeds that can be eaten and used in the preparation of food. They typically contain high amounts of fiber. They may belong to one of several groups of multi-cellular algae: the red, green, and brown algae. These hearty plants have been around for millions of years and have been consumed by many cultures for thousands. For over 2,000 years, seaweed or sea vegetables have been used in the Japanese diet. As far back as 300 BC in China, writer Chi Han documented the benefits and wrote a book about the importance of sea vegetables. In Europe, Mediterranean seaweeds were used as medicine during the times of the Greek and Roman empires. In places like Hawaii and the islands of the South Pacific like Tonga, 60-70 species of seaweeds have been used for food, medicines, and even in ceremonies and celebrations.

ALL life evolved from the sea. Although we think of trees and plants as the main producers of oxygen in our atmosphere, 70-80% of it actually comes from the oceans, specifically the sea vegetable that grow in them, especially the phytoplankton.

Algae could be both unicellular and multi-cellular, whereas seaweeds are always multi-cellular. All the seaweed species are autotrophic, capable of synthesizing their own food from inorganic substances using light or chemical energy, whereas some algal species rely on other external food materials. Algae inhabit both freshwater and marine waters, while seaweeds inhabit only sea waters. Both are even more concentrated in antioxidants and micro-nutrients than land plants.

The seaweed compound fucoxanthin, has been shown to significantly reduce hemoglobin A1C, the most general marker for monitoring diabetes.  

Here are a few common varieties of sea vegetables available in the west:

KELP is a large brown seaweed that grows in shallow, nutrient-rich saltwater, near coastal fronts around the world. It can be consumed as dried whole leaves or flakes. Granulated and powdered kelp can be sprinkled on your food. It’s one of the best sources of natural iodine, the building block of thyroid hormone, T3 and T4. 40% of the world’s population is chronically deficient in iodine. Kelp has more calcium than just about all other vegetables. Gram for gram, kelp can contain over 5x more calcium than milk. It’s also more bio-available calcium than the calcium in dairy. It contains notable amounts of iron, B vitamins, vitamin A. The phytonutrient fucoidan, has been shown to have anti-cancer effects against breast and colon cancer. An extremely interesting fact is that cows fed kelp had increased milk production but more importantly, had decrease methane production by up to 90%. When you consider that 14% of methane emissions worldwide are from cows, this is a significant fact.

DULSE  is a red algae (one of the oldest forms of algae). It grows on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It’s one of the highest potassium rich foods, more than even banana and avocado. It’s a good source of vitamin A, which is well-known to have powerful antioxidant properties which help to protect your eyes from cellular damage and reduce the risk of macular degeneration.

PHYTOPLANKTON are microscopic marine algae. Phytoplankton are the base of several aquatic food chains. In a balanced ecosystem, they provide food for a wide range of sea creatures including whales, shrimp, snails, and jellyfish. 80% of the oxygen in our environment comes from these tiny plants in the ocean, not the trees. Marine phytoplankton were found to enhance the function of the immune system improving markers of T cells, which are responsible for eliminating viruses, bacteria and various other pathogens in our tissues. People taking marine phytoplankton reported more energy and experienced a greater sense of calm. It’s a rich source of essential fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA. They also contain minerals like selenium, zinc, magnesium, chromium, and iodine.  Vitamin A, several forms of B vitamins, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and other elements that are important for human health are found in phytoplankton.

WAKAME. Compounds found in wakame were effective at selectively killing lung cancer cells. Fucoidan, mentioned earlier, and a similar compound fucoxanthin, help optimize hemoglobin A1C levels. It’s also a valuable dense source of minerals and trace minerals, vitamins, and iodine should go without saying, selenium, magnesium.

NORI is what you find in sushi. It’s a great source of iodine and antioxidants.

SEA LETTUCE. It’s a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, which is pretty remarkable when we’re talking about plant sources of amino acids. And being a complete protein, it’s upwards of 26% protein by weight. It’s also a rich source of magnesium, sodium, potassium, B vitamins, copper, zinc, calcium, and has as much as 15x higher amount of iron than any other plant. It’s also a great source of antioxidants, like beta carotene.

KOMBU. It’s another of the favorites in Okinawa, and it’s hailing in popularity from Japan where it’s most historically used as one of the three main ingredients in a very popular noodle dish.

CHLORELLA. It’s named for the fact that it’s the number one source of chlorophyll that is found in a food. Chlorophyll is a potential blood builder and contains a lot of antioxidant. It’s 50% to 60% protein by weight, one of the top three protein dense foods that we know about in the world. It’s a complete protein. It contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids extremely protective of your vision and significantly lowering the risk of macular degeneration. It’s a good source of Omega-3s. It is a natural chelator. Chelation is a chemical process in which a substance is used to bind molecules such as heavy metals or minerals and hold them tightly, and enabling your body to eliminate them safely. Chelation is used in conventional medicine for treating things like lead poisoning or iron overload. It also helps with blood sugar control, weight loss, anti-cancer benefits, heart and cardiovascular benefits.

SPIRULINA. Also and algae, it grows in both freshwater and saltwater, and this is the world’s highest protein food gram for gram. It’s about 70% protein by weight.  It’s a complete protein as well, and it contains all nine essential amino acids. Phycocyanin is an ancient compound found in spirulina which gives it its blue/green color. An NIH (National Institutes of Health) study revealed that this compound promoted stem cell genesis. It’s also a rich source of B vitamins, copper, iron. Chlorophyll can help to reduce that urge to eat hyper palatable foods. HOWEVER, because of how its grown, it is often contaminated, can contain a neurotoxin and is prone to DNA breaks making it less effective and potentially dangerous so I would limit this product or really make sure you know where it comes from and that it is clean. Another reason to avoid it is that it can actually blocks B12 from functioning properly.

BLENDING vs JUICING. Which is better?

Both blending and juicing can be part of a healthy, plant-based diet however there are some pitfalls as well. As a beverage or meal replacement, compared with sugar sweetened beverages like sodas and energy drinks or eating processed food, both are clearly healthier. As far as packing as much additional fruit nutrition from fruits and vegetables into your body as you can, both are also good. In both cases however, you are packing more calories and sugar into a smaller, faster to consume package than when you chew and eat the food whole. Blending in particular can possibly even derail your weight loss attempts because of how many calories you can consume in a short period of time. In addition, the fiber from whole fruit is either broken down into much smaller pieces, as is the case with blending, or removed all together with juicing. Bacteria in the colon like unbroken down fiber. The more broken down, the faster it moves through the gut.

Both blending and juicing are forms of processing, meaning that both alter the natural, whole state of food. With blending, you still maintain all the fiber and the nutrients in the skins and flesh whereas with juicing, you remove this and are left with the sugar, water and phytonutrients in the juice alone. Both result in faster absorption of nutrients along with a more rapid rise in blood sugar but juicing does the latter to a greater degree so diabetics need to be mindful of that. The general rule of thumb is that juices have about 25% higher glycemic index (the rush of sugar into the blood) that the whole food. The faster you absorb sugar, the faster the rise in blood sugar and the greater the degree of production of insulin to deal with the sugar. Higher production of insulin often “overshoots” the mark leading to a hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) afterwards. Certain foods do this to a greater degree however. For example, the blood sugar rise from juiced apples is much higher than what you see when juicing mangoes because mangoes contain a plant nutrient which has a blunting effect on the sugar rise in the blood. Most fruits however, get absorbed much faster when juiced than when blended or eaten whole and have a higher insulin response.  Drinking the juice more slowly does not change the rapid spike in blood sugar, subsequent rise in insulin and inevitable crash either.

Fiber doesn’t just provide nourishment for our healthy bacteria and bulk to our stool. It also binds many vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (plant nutrients). Up to 80% of them. The healthy bacteria breakdown the fiber and release those healthful compounds.  When you juice fruits and vegetables, you remove the fiber and in doing so, remove almost 80% of the phytonutrients. Blending is better than juicing since the fiber is not removed but you can consume a lot of calories quickly in a liquid form. EAT YOUR PLANTS WHOLE.

Nothing beats eating whole food. First of all, chewing slows things down. It takes significantly longer to chew and swallow all the food you can pack into a food processor. The stomach has stretch and calorie receptors which send signals to the brain resulting in hormone production telling us we are full. If you consume foods too quickly, you can easily overfill both on volume and calories before the brain has a chance to respond.  By putting things like avocados, nuts and seeds, cacao and various unhealthy oils like coconut and MCT, you can also really add on a lot of fat. Secondly, chewing actually starts the digestive process. Bacteria in your mouth break down many foods releasing compounds and enzymes which are then further processed in the stomach and intestines. In addition saliva contains the digestive enzyme amylase, again supporting the digestive aspect of chewing. Also, although not a substitute for exercise, chewing does burn some calories since it takes energy to chew rather than just swallow a liquid.

As far as oxidation (introducing oxygen into foods which occurs with blending and also to a lesser degree with juicing) is concerned, the longer it sits, the more oxidation occurs so the faster you can consume it, the better. That having been said, think about the fact the juices and smoothies you buy at the store has been sitting for weeks if not months so don’t get too bent out of shape about oxidation. I have a juicer (Omega 8600) and a blender (Vitamix) at home and will use both periodically. One of my favorite new kitchen gadgets is something that makes creating your own plant-based milks very easy. It’s called the Almond Cow and it’s easy, fast and most importantly, quick and simple to clean up (a key characteristic of a useful gadget).

Just to be clear, it’s always better to eat and chew the whole food rather than blending or juicing it. If you do choose to blend, a good rule of thumb is not to add more fruit than you think you can eat in one sitting.

MILKS – Which is the best?

Although soy milk seems to have the best nutritional profile, with the added protective anti-estrogen effects, and hemp milk has the smallest environmental impact, the simple answer to which one is best is, whichever one you like. All are better than dairy from a nutrition as well as environmental standpoint and all clearly are better for the animals. The dairy industry is panicking. 2018 sales of cows milk dropped by 6% while plant-based milk sales increased by 9%. That’s a 15% gain for plant milks. Projected plant-based milk sales are estimated to reach $38 billion by 2024. Cheese stockpiles are rising and cow’s milk is a shrinking part of the “milk” isle. More and more people are turning their backs on dairy and cow’s milk, and for good reason: 

• It isn’t a sustainable product for the environment.
  • It takes a whopping 1950 gallons of water to create one gallon of milk. 
  • The excrement produced by all the dairy cows is staggering.
  • What it takes to feed the cows is more than what the entire planet’s population could live on.
• It has been linked to many health problems including skin diseases like eczema and acne, vascular disease and cancer, especially hormonal cancers like breast, uterine, prostate and testicular.
• The treatment of animals in the dairy industry is horrible. 
• Dairy, in particular cheese is the highest source of saturated fat and salt in the American diet.
• Animal fats are bio-accumulators so dairy products are full of environmental chemicals not to mention naturally occurring estrogens and growth hormones. 

There is an ever-growing range of plant-based milk alternatives to cow’s milk, including: almond, cashew, macadamia, coconut, hemp, oat, rice or soy milk. Most of them are fortified with various vitamins and minerals and many contain even more calcium than cow’s milk. Unfortunately, many have added sugars, especially the flavored ones. Limit the sugars. Which one is nutritionally superior? The following nutritional data is for 1 cup of the beverage. Keep in mind that there are varieties of all types, some with less fat or more sugar, depending on additives. First, let’s look at cow’s milk. 

COW’S MILK. One cup of cow’s milk contains approximately:

• 150 calories.
• 2 grams of carbohydrates, the bulk of which are from lactose, or milk sugar, which is hard to digest for anyone lacking sufficient milk-digesting enzymes or lactase (about 70% of people worldwide).
• 8 grams of fat. Half of that is saturated fat.
• 8 grams of protein. These consists primarily of whey and casein. Whey protein is an additive in many foods especially in the bodybuilding industry. Casein is a common allergen for many babies, children and some adults. Research shows that children who are allergic to milk also have a higher predisposition to asthma and diabetes. Casein breaks down into casomorphin, an opioid compound about 10% as potent as heroin or morphine in the brain. That’s why it’s addictive.
• While it is a source of calcium, it is not easily digestible for many people, which means it may not be absorbed. After all, you can only absorb what you have first digested. The cultures that consume the most dairy actually have the most osteoporosis.

SOY MILK. It is naturally lactose-free and a good source of vitamins A and B12, calcium, potassium and isoflavones. Soy is also a source of the nutrient co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Low levels of this critical nutrient have been linked with lung conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It contains around the same amount of protein as cow’s milk. Soy products including soy milk, has been linked to lower cancer rates, especially hormonal cancers like breast and prostate. It even lowers risks for estrogen-negative breast cancers. It also lowers the risk of recurrence, even if you have already had cancer. In Japanese women who regularly consumed soy products, the dampening effect on blood estrogen levels persisted, even a few months after stopping all soy products so you don’t need to consume them every day to benefit from their consumption.

Soy is frequently genetically-modified so it is best to choose soy milk that is certified GMO-free if you’re drinking it. It can contribute to worsening allergy symptoms. It is also one of the most chemically sprayed crops, even if Non-GMO so stick to USDA Organic brands.

You also should choose unsweetened soy. The added sugar isn’t good for you.

One cup of soy milk contains approximately (again, there may be variations between brands):

• 90 calories
• 4 grams of carbohydrates (sweetened options have higher amounts)
• 4 grams fat
• 7 grams protein

ALMOND MILK. Because most of the almonds produced in the US come from the central part of California, water needs to be tanked in and to pollinate the almond trees, bees are imported through commercial companies. So, strict ethical vegans might not consume almonds or almond milk and environmentally, it’s not the best. It takes 130 pints of water to make 1 cup of milk but this is still less than half of the water needed to make one cup of cow’s milk. It is a source of calcium, magnesium, vitamins A and E, and many other nutrients. Of course, you should avoid drinking almond milk if you have a nut allergy. Additionally, avoid brands that include the food additive carrageenan as it is highly inflammatory and can cause pain, inflammation or digestive problems in some people. One concern however is the issue of the environment. It is a crop that is heavily sprayed with chemicals, uses a lot of water (it takes 1 gallon of water to grow 1 almond) and for ethical vegans, growing almonds requires bees for pollination and they are not treated very well. One cup of almond milk contains approximately:

• 45 calories
• 1 gram of carbohydrates (sweetened varieties have higher amounts)
• 3 grams fat
• 1 gram protein

MACADAMIA MILK. A relatively new player on the market, it is a great option. What is great about macadamia is that the trees they grow on require very little water and are essentially self-regenerating.

• 50 calories.
• 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of which is saturated.
• 1 gram of carbohydrate
• 1 gram of protein

COCONUT MILK. Coconut milk doesn’t typically have a lot of nutrients naturally present, but some may be added to beverages during their manufacture. Coconut contains a lot of fat and 90% of it is saturate, the bad kind. It does contains medium-chain triglycerides which have been linked to weight loss. Few people have allergies to coconut milk, making it a good option for those with allergies. Some manufacturers add carrageenan, a thickener, along with other products like emulsifiers and these products are best avoided. There are also human rights issues with respect to how the workers who harvest coconuts are treated so choose “fair trade” brands.

The “milk” is not the same as the coconut cream and coconut water found in cans. Coconut milk is usually more diluted than the canned coconut cream often referred to as coconut milk.

• 50 calories
• 2 grams carbohydrates (sweetened varieties have more)
• 5 grams fat (95% of coconut oil is saturated fat).
• 0 grams protein

HEMP MILK. As the name suggests, hemp milk is made from hemp and is therefore vegan and lactose-free. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t make people “high.” Hemp in general is a great source of a complete protein. It is a good source of iron and often contains added calcium. It is naturally high in protein, making it a good choice for those who want muscle-building and blood-sugar-balancing protein in their milk substitute. Few people have allergies to hemp milk.

• 110 calories
• 6 grams carbohydrates (sweetened varieties have more).
• 7 grams fat (only 1 gram of saturated fat).
• 5 grams protein.

OAT MILK. It is frequently fortified with vitamins A, B2, B12, D, calcium, potassium. Oats naturally contain beta glucans which have been found to boost heart health. While oats don’t contain gluten, they are frequently contaminated with wheat, so if you’re allergic or sensitive to gluten, you’ll want to ensure the oat milk you select is certified gluten-free. It takes 1/6th the amount of water to produce oat milk as compared with almond. Naturally vegan and lactose-free, one cup of oat milk contains:

• 120 calories
• 16 grams carbohydrates
• 5 grams fat
• 3 grams protein
  

Another point about oat milk is that it tends to raise blood sugar the most of all the plant milks. So if you have issues with diabetes or insulin resistance, pick another one.

Some other alternatives include:

RICE MILK. It also takes a considerable amount of water to produce, although not as much as almonds. Rice is also very contaminated with arsenic. Although organic rice milk is better, it depends on where the rice came from. Even organic rice from south eastern US and Texas are quite contaminated because of how contaminated the soil is.

OTHER NUT MILKS. These include hazelnut, cashew, peanut and even flax seed milk.

SO, WHICH ONE IS HEALTHIEST?

It differs from person to person. If you have many allergies or sensitivities? Almond or soy milk may be best avoided. Are you worried about GMOs? Then, you’ll want to skip the soy unless specifically labelled as Non-GMO or USDA Organic. Are you dealing with blood sugar-related health issues? You’ll want to avoid the sweetened varieties of any milk alternative, and may find oat milk too high in carbs for you. If you’re celiac or gluten-intolerant then you’ll probably want to stay clear of oat milk unless it is certified gluten-free. Hemp is probably the one that is best tolerated by the most people, but you’ll want to try it for yourself. Ultimately, you may want to pick the one that tastes best since that is the one you’ll drink the most.

It is so easy to make your own plant-based  milk either using a high-speed blender and a cheesecloth to filter out the pulp but a fantastic and easy device is the Almond Cow. It’s a high-speed blender, specifically for milk. It’s quick and simple to clean up. Best of all, YOU control all the ingredients. Another more expensive but robust and multi-functional milk maker is from Nutramilk.

Eating Out. What do I do?

Eating out can but doesn’t have to be challenging. Assume that whatever you are getting is full of salt, sugar and fat. Also, you can assume that unless specifically marked, all meat and dairy in restaurants and fast food establishments is not organic and conventionally grown with herbicides, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics… There are more and more restaurants offering vegetarian and vegan options. Most restaurants will gladly alter meals to make them meat or dairy free. Don’t be afraid to ask. An app called “Happy Cow” is great at finding vegan and vegetarian restaurants in your area.

The bottom line is that the less you eat out and cook your food at home, the healthier you will be. You have full control over what kind of food you buy and what  goes into the food you prepare and cook. A standard American restaurant meal contains over 400 chemicals you can avoid by cooking at home.

How do I get my children to eat more fruits and vegetables?

The only food babies are born instinctively liking is breast milk. Human breast milk, not cow’s. All other foods are an acquired taste. It’s a cop-out to use excuses like: “My child is a picky eater” or “I can only get them to eat Chick-fil-A” or “If I don’t make them chicken nuggets, they won’t eat anything”. Kids model their behavior after their parents, especially their dietary and nutritional habits. Teach them by example and they will adapt. Kids don’t do what you tell them to do. They do what YOU do. There is a saying “If it’s important enough to you, you will find a way. If it’s not, you will find an excuse”. Ultimately, if all else fails, children are mammals and all mammals eventually eat what they can find in order to survive. If they are not offered anything to eat other than vegetables and fruit, eventually, when hungry enough, they’ll eat it! If you stop giving them soda and chips, they’ll stop eating soda and chips. Kids have 15% more taste buds than adults so it can take them a little longer for them to get used to new tastes so be patient and keep encouraging them. On average, you must introduce and reintroduce foods 10 times before they start to acquire a taste for them. The same by the way occurs in adults.

This is a great tip sheet about how to get your kids to eat healthier Tips to get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables. I have more information about raising healthy children on my Kids Health page. Another great resource is 57 Tips To Get Kids to Eat Vegetables.