Why love one but eat the other?

Why love one but eat the other?
Especially because we do not need to eat animals, and because we actually do better when we do not eat them.
All nutrients found in animal products are found in plants, but packaged better...alongside with disease-fighting, health-promoting fiber and phytochemicals, which are exclusive to plants.

The exception, of course, is vitamin B12, which is not native to animals, but made in the soil by microorganisms. Since we wash our produce and therefore do not access it directly, supplementing with vitamin B12 is cheap, effective, and simple and helps avoid a need to eat animals and their accompanying saturated fat, cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics, heme iron, carnitine, Neu5Gc, environmental destruction, and horrific, inane breeding and torture of billions of animals per year.
Eat plants. For your health. For the animals. For the planet.
*In the news:
--->One Green Planet's What Would it Look if We Treated Our Pets Like Animals in a Factory Farm? (PHOTOS): http://bit.ly/1z10mJK
--->Mercy For Animals' 7 Factory Farming Practices Straight Out Of A Horror Film: http://bit.ly/1vSIGO7
*Resources:
--->To B12 or Not To B12: http://bit.ly/1f9ebMP
--->Notable Nutrient Sources: http://bit.ly/1pmm0xZ
--->Melanie Joy's Carnism: The Psychology of Eating Meat: http://bit.ly/1zmKGSc
--->6 Reasons Plant-Based Nutrition Is The Solution to The Healthcare Crisis: http://bit.ly/1C1TmLH
--->6 Steps Towards a Plant-Based Diet: http://bit.ly/1slIIcV
--->5 Non-Nutritional Reasons to Go Meatless: http://bit.ly/1m5lkvL

Veganism: Be the change. Go vegan.

Grocery list: Top 50 staples for a meat-free diet

A well-stocked vegan kitchen can make the difference between ho-hum and hubba hubba when it comes to plant-based cooking and eating.
By: Melissa Breyer

Just because someone doesn’t want to eat things that once roamed about doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice the pleasures or cooking and eating. On the contrary, with the right ingredients, a vegan diet can be as sumptuous as any other.

The items listed here fall into three basic categories:

• ingredients that can stand in for their animal-based counterparts; 
• ingredients to enhance plant-based dishes; and 
• ingredients to add nutrients that a vegan diet may be lacking. 

This list is in no way complete — but it’s a fantastic place to start.
A word to the wise: When first transitioning to a vegan diet, you may feel the need to add fake animal products to your meal plan. That’s fine if it helps you step away from the cows; but in general many of these items are highly processed — glorified vegan junk food –—and you may be better off without them. We’ve listed some of the better products here; just be aware and take a look at the ingredients list when shopping.

DAIRY
Alternative milks: Almond, soy, rice or hemp milk.
Buttery spread: Look for non-hydrogenated versions, like Earth Balance.
Dairy-free cheese: Daiya melts and doesn’t taste like plastic.
Cream cheese: Tofutti makes a reasonable mock cream cheese.
Sour cream: Again, Tofutti.
Soy yogurt: Good for probiotics.

PROTEIN
Tofurkey: If you can’t live without a “roast.”
Field Roast products: Grain-based faux meat products, not too processed and unusually tasty.
Tofu: Silken for smoothies and puddings; medium or firm for cooking.
Tempeh: Soybean-based meat substitute.
Seitan: Meat substitute made from wheat gluten; great texture, great protein.
Frozen vegetable burgers: Making your own is better, but these are convenient in a pinch.
Edamame: Fresh (frozen) soy beans are a great high-protein snack or side.
Beans: Dried and home-cooked are cheap and the healthiest.
Chickpeas: In addition to beans, because they’re so versatile.
Seeds: Sesame, sunflower, poppy, pumpkin, chia … all high in protein and healthy fats.
Nuts: Because, protein.
Nut butters: Because, peanut butter!
Cashews: In addition to nuts, because they can be soaked and used in so many ways.

GRAINS
Brown rice: Ditch the white for more-nutritious brown.
Quinoa: One of the few plant-based perfect proteins.
Steel-cut oats: Good for breakfast.
Whole grain grits: Because they’re filling and delicious.
Whole-wheat couscous: More nutritious than regular.
Multigrain pasta: Whole-wheat or legume mixes offer more nutrients and don't all taste like cardboard.
Sprouted bread and tortillas: Food for Life products are nutrient-rich and altogether lovely.

COOKING
Agar agar: Vegan substitute for gelatin.
Nutritional yeast: A must for B12 and very palatable; use like Parmesan cheese.
Miso paste: Excellent for adding umami to vegetables; great anchovy substitute.
Vegetable broth: Go for organic, and watch the sodium.
Vegetable bouillon: Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base works well.
Tomato paste: Great (surprising) source of iron.
Dried mushrooms: Like porcini, to add a meaty component to soups and stews.
Sun-dried tomatoes: Fantastic for adding texture and flavor.
Capers: Great for adding a punch of flavor.

BAKING
Ener-G Egg Replacer
Flax seeds: To make a viable egg substitute for baking.
Chia seeds: For nutritious puddings and egg substitute.
Vital wheat gluten: A great binder that also adds protein.
Coconut oil: Great for replacing butter in some recipes.
Vegetable shortening: Non-hydrogenated, like Spectrum.
Agave syrup: Instead of honey.
Maple syrup: Instead of honey.
Blackstrap molasses: Fantastic source of iron.

CONDIMENTS
Mayonnaise: Vegenaise tastes most like traditional mayo, Spectrum is a bit sweeter.
Bragg Liquid Aminos: Liquid protein concentrate, delicious soy-sauce taste.
Sriracha: Or other favorite hot sauces.
Harissa: Tunisian hot pepper paste makes anything taste good.
Tahini: Sesame paste can be used as a condiment or in preparing Middle Eastern recipes.
Kimchi: Great source of probiotics if you don’t like soy yogurt.
Sauerkraut: A surprising source of health benefits.

The Last Heart Attack by Dr. Sanjay Gupta CNN

Egg consumption increasing risk for colorectal cancer and bladder cancer

While egg consumption and cancer risk have not been studied as thoroughly as the consumption of meat and dairy products as they relate to cancer risk, there is still enough evidence to encourage dietary alternatives to both egg whites and egg yolks. The most convincing evidence points to egg consumption as increasing risk for colorectal cancer and bladder cancer.

A case-control study done in Argentina found that people consuming approximately 1 1/2 eggs per week had nearly 5 times the colorectal cancer risk compared with individuals consuming less than 11 eggs per year. And, the World Health Organization analyzed data from 34 countries and determined that egg consumption was significantly and positively correlated with mortality from colon and rectal cancers in both men and women. Moderate egg consumption also tripled the risk of developing bladder cancer as determined by a case-control study of 130 newly diagnosed bladder cancer patients published in the journal International Urology and Nephrology.

Eggs have zero dietary fibre, are devoid of cancer-fighting antioxidants, and about 60 percent of the calories in eggs are from fat—a big portion of which is saturated fat. They are also loaded with cholesterol—about 213 milligrams for an average-sized egg. Because egg shells are fragile and porous and conditions on egg farms are crowded, eggs are the perfect host for salmonella—the bacteria that is the leading cause of food poisoning

Iscovich JM, L'Abbe KA, Castelleto R, Calzona A, Bernedo A, Chopita NA, Jmelnitzsky AC, Kaldor J. Colon cancer in Argentina. I: Risk from intake of dietary items. Int J Cancer. 1992;51(6):851-857.

Zhang J, Zhao Z, Berkel HJ. Egg consumption and mortality from colon and rectal cancers: an ecological study. Nutr Cancer. 2003;46(2):158-165.

Radosavljevic V, Jankovic S, Marinkovic J, Dokic M. Diet and bladder cancer: a case-control study. Int Urol Nephrol. 2005;37(2):283-289.

lentils and beans?

A question asked on a blog was "What vegetarian route can a person take who reacts badly to lentils and beans?"

And the answer from Dr. Kerrie Saunders aka Dr. Food.

As part of the plan protein powerhouses (beans, peas, lentils, and sprouts), we usually need to find a way to incorporate them, or the person gets blood sugar imbalance symptoms in my experience. Nuts and seeds also have nice amounts of protein, but packaged in more fat, which just doesn’t ‘feel’ the same way to people.

I have found sufficient beans, peas, lentils or sprouts is the foundation for a well-planned baseline food intake. The goal is typically 2 cups per day for men, 1.5 cups for women, and 1 cup for kids. Legumes average 26% calories from protein.

If the concern is a true allergy or hypersensitivity, consider serum IgG food testing.

The least allergenic bean to typically try first, is adzuki/adzuki beans. With 18,000 varieties of beans, peas and lentils to choose from, it is hard to get bored, and I have never had a patient allergic to all 18,000. Sprouts, hummus, lentils, pea soup, etc. can round out their attempt, usually. Eating beans WITH cheese is the worst combination I have heard of, because (cow) cheese is so toxic in a human.

Gas during the first 3 days of including sufficient and daily legumes is normal. It is because there are chemical components IN the legumes that attach themselves to toxins existing in the gut, and convert them to air. It is actually a normal detox process, and the cleaner the gut, the less gas is produced. The more toxic the gut, the more gas is produced. It usually only takes about 3 days for the average person to simmer down, typically. We say don’t blame the beans, blame the waste that was present before.

Rinsing the dry beans, cans or jars of beans, peas and lentils helps a great deal. The ‘gelatinous goo’ that surrounds them can be a cause of extra gas, and some companies ship their dry beans, peas and lentils in a fine layer of soap. Rinse all until the water is clear.

Plant-Based Nutrition Support Group Drives Health

BY JOEL KAHN, MD

Although we see daily signs that plant-based eating is on the rise, in the 25 years I have been counseling my cardiology patients to adopt such a diet, it has been challenging to convince them long term. Undoubtedly a neighbour, family member, coworker, or some other pundit would try to derail their efforts. It seems everyone is a nutritionist when you announce that you are embracing a vegan lifestyle. What can be done to improve the odds of long-term success?

In the past few years, I have come to appreciate the power of support groups in strengthening our will to succeed and persevere when we make a decision as momentous as eschewing all animal products. I saw this firsthand in my visit to Pastor Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in Southern California where, beginning in 2011, the “Daniel Plan” spread a plant-based health message through this massive church. The result? Some 15,000 parishioners collectively shed more than 250,000 pounds in one year. This success was built on small groups of people sharing, celebrating, and comparing notes regularly, as they made major changes in their routines.

Hoping for the same impact for heart patients, I cofounded a program in Detroit earlier this year, teaching plant-based nutrition using group activities. When I was asked to do this, I figured I could round up a dozen or two dedicated heart warriors to meet with once a month. A small article appeared in a local paper, and I also invited all the patients I knew who were seeking to eliminate meat, eggs, and dairy.

On a cold night in February of this year (2014), in a room at my hospital designed to hold 60, people kept streaming in, until more than 130 souls packed the auditorium. To this day, I have no idea where they all came from. I spoke on the scientific basis for preventing heart disease with a whole food, plant-based no-added-oil diet, and several people shared their stories.

Over the following months, our dedicated all-volunteer “PBN” (Plant-Based Nutrition) Support Group scheduled monthly lectures, organised a walking club, and visited restaurants that were willing to prepare a special vegan menu for 20 to 50 people. We also created a website (www.PlantBasedNutritionSupportGroup.org). Our lecture meetings have drawn over 100 attendees every month, often with many new faces, and we quickly generated a list of well over 300 email addresses.

Recently, we stepped up the excitement by having our first out-of-town speaker, Rip Esselstyn, talk to our PBNers. With the help of a bit of advertising by a national grocer, we filled a high school auditorium with over 475 faces, all eager to learn the secrets of thriving with plants in a world dominated by meat eaters. The energy, excitement, and appreciation were amazing.

In less than seven months, many dedicated participants have lost 20 to 40 pounds, reduced or eliminated medications, and developed new eating habits … largely because they shared their journey with like-minded companions. Our group has inspired more people to commit to a vegan lifestyle during this time frame than I had in my entire previous 25 years of practice!

We plan to continue meeting in large groups, to host small-group study sessions, and to celebrate the holidays together.

Orange is the New Pink!

From the Plant-Based Dietitian

Orange is the New Pink!

"Breast Cancer Awareness Month" should be renamed "Breast Cancer Prevention Month" every October!

Here are 2 great articles:

1. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (where the graphic comes from) talking about how carotenoid-rich foods (veggies and fruits pigmented with deep oranges, reds, and yellows) have been found to reduce breast cancer risk: http://bit.ly/1uYJBNw

2. Joel Fuhrman, M.D.'s fantastic argument as to why supporting the pink campaigns (including KFC's epic offering of pink buckets of fried chicken) will not provide protection against breast cancer the way a health-promoting, disease-fighting diet can: http://bit.ly/1yLdHXy

Ways to Reduce Cancer Risk:

--->Maintain a healthy body weight by eating a nutrient-dense, calorie-poor diet and exercising regularly.

--->Make at least half of your plate/diet/day be filled with colorful fruits and vegetables. Eat a minimum of 7 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

--->Eat a whole food, plant-based diet to get a continuous flow of cancer-fighting phytochemicals and fiber running through your GI tract and promoting immune health.

--->Avoid meats, fish, dairy, and eggs to decrease toxin load.

--->Limit alcohol intake to no more than one serving a day for women and 2 servings a day for men.

--->Clean up your environment as best as possible by reducing use of chemicals in your home, in your laundry, on your body, and with the tools, equipment, and cookware you use to cook and prepare food in.

--->Practice stress reduction and mindfulness.

--->Quit smoking.

*More Resources:
--->Cancer and Lifestyle: http://bit.ly/1sbCTBT
--->New Dietary Guidelines For Cancer Prevention: http://bit.ly/SuZI4g andhttp://bit.ly/1BOWV5V
--->NutritionFacts.org Videos on Breast Cancer: http://bit.ly/1t1P06D
--->Linus Pauling Institute's Carotenoids: http://bit.ly/1uyWgFF
--->Yahoo Screen "Foods that Make You Look Younger" for more on carotenoids: http://yhoo.it/1uYMvBX

Like

Chronic diseases are largely preventable diseases

Lifestyle and diet transformation over the last century coincides with the evolution of diseases from mostly infectious to mostly noncommunicable (chronic) in origin.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic diseases will be responsible for almost 3/4 of deaths around the world by 2020.

They also say, "Chronic diseases are largely preventable diseases....Diet has been known for many years to play a key role as a risk factor for chronic diseases. What is apparent at the global level is that great changes have swept the entire world since the second half of the twentieth century, inducing major modifications in diet, first in industrial regions and more recently in developing countries. Traditional, largely plantbased diets have been swiftly replaced by high-fat, energy-dense diets with a substantial content of animal-based foods." http://bit.ly/1nW4Pda

*More Resources:
--->Dr. Neal Barnard of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's Trends in Food Availability: http://bit.ly/1qgXVx5
--->U.S. Department of Agriculture's Tracking a Century of American Eating: http://1.usa.gov/1BHkzBr
--->6 Reasons Plant-Based Nutrition Is The Solution to The Healthcare Crisis: http://bit.ly/1C1TmLH
--->6 Steps Towards a Plant-Based Diet: http://bit.ly/1slIIcV
--->Rouxbe's Online Plant-Based Professional Certification Course:http://bit.ly/1a8FEg9
--->Dr. Joel Kahn - America's Holistic Heart Doc's Heart Healthy? It is as easy as 1-2-3 (4-5): http://bit.ly/1xU6V00

What To Expect When Adopting A Vegan Diet

by Eve Nguyen of Renew Vitality

We know that a vegan diet is a healthy choice. The internationally recognised American Dietetic
Association has stated that appropriately planned vegan diets are healthy, nutritionally adequate,
and can provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Closer to home
and the Victorian government's Better Health Channel has also said: "A well-balanced vegetarian or
vegan diet can provide many health benefits, such as a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including:
~ Obesity
~ Coronary artery disease
~ Hypertension (high blood pressure)
~ Diabetes
~ Some types of cancer."

So what can you expect when making the transition to a vegan diet?

In short, the answer is that it depends what sort of diet you are switching from and what sort of vegan
diet you are adopting. It will be an individual experience for everyone. There are healthy vegan diets
and there are junk-food vegan diets. Let me explain further.

A healthy vegan diet contains ample portions of fruits, vegetables, legumes and pulses (lentils,
chickpeas, kidney beans, red lentils, green split peas etc.) and wholegrains (oats, barley, and gluten-
free grains including brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat etc.) with a smaller amount of nuts and seeds.
When people adopt a healthy vegan diet they often report many changes in their body in the first
week or so of adopting the diet. Changes can include more regular bowel movements because
the intestinal tract is cleaner and more efficient on a vegan diet, high blood pressure can start to
normalise, high blood sugar levels can start to normalise, pain from various conditions (arthritis, gout
etc.) can lessen, people may start losing weight, skin conditions/rashes may start to clear up or lessen
in intensity and digestive symptoms such as heart burn may improve.

Simply speaking, adopting a vegan diet eliminates nasty meat-derived substances from the body that
can aggravate inflammation, pain and other conditions in the body such as arachidonic acid and uric
acid for example. Eliminating dairy products from the diet may assist in clearing up the sinuses and
may lessen joint pain (in addition to other health benefits!). Also, the vegan diet eliminates all forms of
cholesterol from the diet as cholesterol is only found in animal-derived ingredients.

If your diet regularly consists of meat products, processed meats, fried foods and dairy products such
as butter, milk and ice-cream and you move to a healthy vegan diet then you may experience some
detoxification symptoms. This may occur when the body is moving from an acidic and overburdened
state to a more alkaline and healthy state, and can be a sign that the body is rebalancing and trying to
regain health.

These signs may include headaches, sinus congestion or a running nose, discomfort in the digestive
system, perhaps some pimples on the skin and feeling tired and irritable or not quite optimal for a few
days to a week. If your body has been highly acidic and undernourished by your previous diet you
may experience cold-like symptoms as the body tries to cleanse itself by eliminating mucous from the
body. Bowel movements will probably increase. Urination may increase as you take in more fluid from
the fruits and vegetables.

Remember these symptoms can be due to a previous diet that burdened the body and digestive
system. As a new, healthy vegan diet is adopted with an abundance of plant nutrients, vitamins and
minerals, the body may put more energy into clearing old waste and trying to bring health and vitality
to parts of the body that have been stressed.

Vegan Dairy choices

Cheese:

Notzarella

Vegusto
Botanical Cuisine
Cheezly
Kingland
Sheese
Tofutti  (The salmon cream cheese is not vegan)
Peace Love and Vegetables
Kinda Cheese
Biolife - Available at delis. I have listed a good blog with stockist lists.
Daiya - Available at Prahran Convenience and The Cruelty Free Shop (in store and online)

Butter:
Halfpint Vegan Dairy - Butter Me Up  
Melrose Omega Spreads
Nuttelex

Yoghurt:
Coyo  

Babushka Almond Yoghurt 

Kingland  

Alpine Coconut Yoghurt (These guys also do a goat yoghurt so be careful)
 Pura Veda 

Cream:
Soyatoo  

Isola  

Alpine Thickened Coconut Cream  

Mayonnaise:

Plamil
Kingland
Praise 99% Fat Free
Masterfoods Tartare Sauce


Chocolate: (just my favourites as there are too many to list!)

Pana Chocolate
Loving Earth 

Lindt (Dark 70% +. Check ingredients as flavoured dark varieties contain milk solids)

Golden Crunch Honeycomb 

Koko Black 

Condensed Milk:
Olvebra 

Ice cream:
Halfpint Vegan Dairy 
CocoLuscious
Coyo 
Zebra Dream

So Delicious

Weis Sorbets

There are also vegan soft serve flavours at Frolic, Crave, Ilya and many others, with vegan toppings. Most ice cream shops like Trampoline, Gelato Messina, Fritz Gelato, Davey Mac's, and other gelato/sorbet places have vegan sorbet.

Alzheimer's Senility, Dementia: Caused by Meat, Fish, Alcohol, Aluminum, Mercury

Homocysteine, uric acid, animal fat or cholesterol, mercury, lead, and many other metals are some of the many compounds present in meat and fish which harm the brain. Aluminum compounds and alcohol consumption as well cause loss of brain function.

William Shakespeare in "Twelfth Night": "He is a heavy eater of beef. Methinks it doth harm to his wit."

DIET

1. The prime cause of Alzheimer's (senility, dementia) is the homocysteine protein in meat and fish, a protein breaking down the amyloid plaque which lines the arteries of the brain and other parts of the body causing hypoxia or deprivation of oxygen to the brain and other organs.
 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12849121 reprinted from Lancet

2. The animal fat, cholesterol, found in animal flesh (meat), fish flesh, eggs, and dairy... also lines the brain and other arteries. Brain and cardiac surgeons must often cut through this white gluey substance to do their operations. Hypoxia, lethal stroke are some results.

3. The uric acid (trioxypurine or pre-urine) in the muscle cells of animals is stronger than caffeine or dioxypurine. Besides its addictive qualities, it crystallizes in needle formation around the joints causing arthritic pain and rigidity. Its crystals line the brain arteries as well.

4. The mercury present in all ocean fishes is a toxin which destroys memory. Some other toxic metal present in ocean fishes include zinc, nickel, chromium, copper, cobalt, cadmium, lead,
magnesium, tin. Arsenic, a poisonous element, is also present in fish. All of these harm brain function as well as do thousands of poisonous chemicals discharged into the ocean from fertilizers, petroleum products, oil spills, medications excreted in urine, etc.
 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924796312000905 "Some metals, such as lead and mercury, easily cross the placenta and damage the fetal brain. Childhood exposure to some metals can result in learning difficulties, memory impairment, damage to the nervous system, and behavioral problems such as aggressiveness and hyperactivity.
At higher doses, heavy metals can cause irreversible brain damage."
 http://www.psr.org/environment-and-health/confronting-toxics/heavy-metal/
The link is from Physicians For Social Responsibility.

5. Heavy eaters of meat and fish have less fiber and less vitamin C in their diet.  Vitamin C is a bouncer of brain and other toxins. It also speeds the flow of signals across brain synapses. It is absent in meat, fish and dairy products.

6. The insecticides in nonorganic meat and fish have thousands of toxic side effects harming brain function.

7. Meat takes 3 to 4 hours to digest in the stomach, longer than any other food, while most fruits take the least time to digest. After a lion has sprinted to kill another animal, he lies around for 3 days digesting his food. Meat diverts blood from the brain to the stomach.

8. Thiamin Mononitrate (called B1) is often derived from pig flesh and organ meats,
foods which cause diseases including those of brain function.
 http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Thiamine+mononitrate Companies
such as General Mills include it in flours such as Bisquick.

9. Many medications can destroy the myelin sheath, the protection around nerve cells.
Many cause tardive-dyskinesia, an uncontrollable shaking.
 http://www.brainandspinalcord.org/legal/tardive-dyskinesia/medications.h

10.Many other medications cause brain seizures.
 http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/newsletter/jul09_AEDs

11. Many vaccines contain mercury.

12. Now more than ever the radioactive spills from Fukushima, which accumulate more
daily, as well as those from Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, atom bombs dropped on
Nagasaki and Hiroshima, atom and hydrogen bomb testing by the US in Nevada, by
the French in Bikini, by the 9 nuclear weapon nations harm brain function. This
radiation is concentrated in fish flesh in many times the concentration in seawater.

13. Monosodium glutamate MSG is not intrinsic to meat but is put into the muscle flesh of meat to tenderize it. It also breaks down the brain's and other muscle and nerve tissue of humans eating the MSG meat.. it is called the Chinese restaurant headache cause. The FDA allows it in tens of thousands of varieties of canned food and meats under the deceptive label 'natural flavors'.  http://msgtruth.org
 
14. . Prions: the work of Nobel laureate Dr Stanley Prusiner was put on a back burner at Harvard, which is invested in the meat industry. He left and continued his prion research at Stanford. Prions are a cause of Mad Cow or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, cervine spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Deer) etc. The USDA has been involved in censoring incidents of Mad Cow in the US. Songiform encephalopathy diseases affect the brain and spinal cord.  http://www.mad-cow.org 7000 articles  http://www.madcowboy.com For many years the US unlike the UK has censored news of Mad Cow,
Mad Pig, Mad Deer, Mad Chicken, Mad Turkey, Mad Fish, Mad Milk etc. in US animals.

15. Stearates are added to some vitamin pills and break down brain and other cell walls
 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/23/whole-food
 http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/FAQs/FAQs-on-Magnesium-Stearate.htm

16. It is not just the flesh of fishes but fish oil supplements in polluted vitamin D and other supplements which harm the brain from mercury and other heavy metals.

17. Gelatin and gelcaps are made from the powder of mammal bones and can contain many poisons from Mad Cow and other spongiform encephalopathy diseases to radiation, hormone residue etc.

18. Tryptophan is an amino acid in meat and fish which makes people sleepy, interfering with brain function.
Recapping, vitamin pills can contain magnesium stearate, gelatin, fish oil, and thiamin mononitrate, all of which come from the cadavers of animals or fishes. It is time for all corporations, grocery stores and chains, and restaurants selling food to be required to label items which are vegan or vegetarian

ALCOHOL

1. Even a small amount of alcohol destroys brain cells. A few drinks can cause
slurred speech, falls. Alcoholism causes delirium tremens.

ALUMINUM AND OTHER METALS DESTROY BRAIN CELLS

1. Aluminum compounds in baking powder and as an additive in some flours. Some of these are
sodium aluminium sulfate, sodium aluminum phosphate, and sodium acid pyrophosphate.
2. Aluminum in cookware
3. Aluminum in aluminum foil often used in baking.
4. Aluminum in chemtrails
 http://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/neurologist-warns-aluminum-in-chemtra/
5. Aluminum in deodorants
 http://www.naturalnews.com/027624_deodorant_aluminum.html
6. Workers making the new compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFL's) as well as many other workers are exposed to heavy metals, mercury, radiation.

Despite what fish corporations' puppets say, Fish is not brain food. It's brain destroying food.

Elimination of meat, fish, dairy, alcohol, aluminum sources can gradually heal the brain. Again, Vitamin C is excellent for speeding the flow of nerve signals across brain synapses.

Links amplifying this article are from Physicians For Social Responsibility, GeoengineeringWatch, BrainSpinalCord Dot Org Natural News, Science Direct, Epilepsy etc. MedicalDictionary, etc

Don’t Take the Bait-Fish is Not a Health Food

Here are four facts you may not know about fish:

1. Fish is high in cholesterol.

Touted as a health food, fish has a reputation for being heart-healthy. People who opt for fish to try to protect their hearts might not realize that fish is often high in cholesterol.
While a 3-ounce T-bone steak contains 70 milligrams of cholesterol, three ounces of shrimp contain 161 milligrams. Numerous studies have shown that dietary cholesterol consumption corresponds with an increased risk for artery blockage.
The good news is that by eliminating foods that contain cholesterol, like fish, and opting for naturally cholesterol-free plant foods, people can reduce both their cholesterol levels and their risk of heart disease. Research has shown that every 1 percent reduction in cholesterol can reduce heart disease risk by 2 percent.

2. Most of the fat in fish is not heart-healthy fat.

While fish does contain omega-3 fats, most of the fat in fish is not heart healthy. Between 15 and 30 percent of the fat in fish is actually saturated fat, which stimulates the liver to produce more cholesterol. High-fat foods are associated with poor heart health outcomes.
Fish is often celebrated for being low in fat, but this is often not the case: 52 percent of the calories in Chinook salmon come from fat. Plant foods, on the other hand, are often naturally low in fat. Only 2 percent of the calories in rice and 4 percent of the calories in beans come from fat. Research has shown that diets low in fat are best for preventing heart disease.
In 1990, Dean Ornish, M.D., demonstrated that a low-fat vegetarian diet is capable of reversing heart disease. He put patients with heart disease on a low-fat, plant-based diet, and in one year, 82 percent showed a measurable reversal of their coronary artery blockages.

3. Supplementing with fish oil may do more harm than good.

In recent years, fish oil has been hailed as a miracle cure for everything from heart disease to dementia. Many people supplement with fish oil to increase their intake of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for maintaining cellular function. Unfortunately, studies have shown that most of the health claims associated with fish oil may be unfounded.
A comprehensive Journal of the American Medical Association analysis involving 20 studies and more than 68,000 patients showed no link between fish oil and heart health. Similarly, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that patients who supplemented with fish oil did not reduce their risk of heart disease.
Additionally, recent reports indicate no association between fish oil supplementation and the prevention or improvement of dementia symptoms. Research has even shown that omega-3 supplements may increase diabetes and prostate cancer risk. Fortunately, many plant foods contain alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, which is the only essential omega-3 fatty acid. Excellent sources of ALA include walnuts, soybeans, leafy greens, flaxseed, avocado, and broccoli.
By eating a diet rich in these foods, people can reap all the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids without any of the side effects associated with fish consumption. Research has even shown that women who follow vegan diets have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood than those who consume diets rich in fish, meat, and dairy.

4. Fish are full of pollutants.

Because fish and shellfish live in increasingly polluted environments, toxins from the water accumulate in their bodies. Studies have shown that most of the fish throughout the world contain dangerously high levels of mercury.
Exposure to mercury, which is a toxic metal, has serious health consequences, including increased risk for cancer, heart disease, and even death. A recent study revealed a link between mercury exposure and diabetes. Among nearly 3,000 participants, those who consumed the most mercury over an 18-year period had a 65 percent greater risk for developing diabetes.
Fish also contain unsafe levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, which are dangerous chemicals that have been linked to neurological problems and birth defects in babies who have been exposed. A plant-based diet automatically reduces exposure to these toxins.

Can We End Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease is the fastest growing health threat in the United States, according to a new landmark report from researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The numbers are staggering. A 2013 study in the journal Neurology found that the number of people with Alzheimer’s disease will jump from 4.7 million to 13.8 million by 2050. Associated health care costs will skyrocket from $200 billion to more than $1 trillion by 2050, increasing the cost of Medicaid and Medicare by 500 percent.
The disease is incurable. But research is at a critical turning point and shows that diet and exercise can play crucial roles in reducing the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Fighting Debilitating Memory Loss

The latest scientific findings show that diet and lifestyle changes can create a barrier against cognitive decline.
Researchers from the Chicago Health and Aging Project analyzed the diets of thousands of people over years. The findings are groundbreaking: Saturated “bad” fat—found in milk, cheese, and meat—is strongly linked to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, increasing risk more than threefold. Trans fats increase risk fivefold. Avoiding these fats can cut risk dramatically.
Foods rich in vitamin E, such as broccoli, walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds, also reduced dementia risk by as much as 70 percent. Other studies show that foods overly rich in iron or copper can promote cognitive loss, while folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 may help protect the memory.
This brain-healthy diet is almost identical to the diet that helps prevent stroke, heart disease, obesity, and other chronic diseases: a low-fat diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Combining this with physical and mental exercise, and avoiding harmful toxins such as aluminum in supplements or cookware, can maximize protection for the brain.

Power Foods for the Brain’s Brain-Boosting Diet

Power Foods for the Brain, the latest book by Physicians Committee president and nutrition researcher Neal Barnard, M.D., presents this latest, compelling research on nutrition’s surprising effects on the brain. Dr. Barnard lays out a three-step plan to protect the mind and strengthen the memory: Put power foods to work, strengthen your brain, and defeat memory threats. The book also includes 75 power-food recipes, sample mental stimulation exercises, guides to choosing aluminum-free foods and medicines, and a guide to physical exercise.
Learn more about brain health and purchase Power Foods for the Brain at PCRM.org/Brain.

Brain Threats

• Saturated fats, found in meats, dairy products, and eggs appear to encourage the production of beta-amyloid plaques within the brain. The Chicago Health and Aging Study reported in the Archives of Neurology in 2003 that people consuming the most saturated fat had more than triple the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, compared with people who generally avoided these foods.
• Trans fats, found in doughnuts and snack pastries, have been shown to increase Alzheimer’s risk more than fivefold. These “bad fats” raise cholesterol levels and apparently increase production of the beta-amyloid protein that collects in plaques in the brain as Alzheimer’s disease begins.
• Excess iron can build up in the brain, sparking the production of damaging free radicals. Sources of excess iron include cast-iron cookware, meats, and iron supplements.
• Excess copper impairs cognition—even in mid-adulthood—and ends up in the plaques of Alzheimer’s disease. It comes from copper pipes and nutritional supplements.
• Aluminum has been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, so it pays to err on the side of caution. Avoid uncoated aluminum cookware and read labels when buying baking powder, antacids, and processed foods.

Brain-Protecting Foods

• Nuts and seeds are rich in vitamin E, which has been shown to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Especially good sources are almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pecans, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and flaxseed. Just 1 ounce—a small handful—each day is plenty.
• Blueberries and grapes get their deep colors from anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants shown to improve learning and recall in studies at the University of Cincinnati.
• Sweet potatoes are the dietary staple of Okinawans, the longest-lived people on Earth, who are also known for maintaining mental clarity into old age. Sweet potatoes are extremely rich in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant.
• Green leafy vegetables provide iron in a form that is more absorbable when the body needs more and less absorbable when you already have plenty, protecting you from iron overload which can harm the brain. Green vegetables are also loaded with folate, an important brain-protecting B-vitamin.
•  Beans and chickpeas have vitamin B6 and folate, as well as protein and calcium, with no saturated fat or trans fat.
• Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy nerves and brain cells. While many people have trouble absorbing vitamin B12 from foods, B12 in supplements is highly absorbable. Together, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 eliminate homocysteine, which can build up in the bloodstream—rather like factory waste—and damage the brain.

But, Isn't Olive Oil Healthy?

But, Isn't Olive Oil Healthy?

By Matthew Lederman and Alona Pulde

The debate over olive oil is a popular one, and considering the mass advertising for the health benefits of olive oil and the Mediterranean Diet, it is no wonder that this is so. But is olive oil a health food? Doesn't it provide us with our essential fatty acids? Isn't it loaded with polyphenols? Does it really protect us against Heart Disease? Let us examine the evidence and decide for ourselves.

In order to understand the claim that the Mediterranean Diet is healthy, we must understand what that assertion is based on. The data for this claim was collected over 50 years ago and based on observations made of the people living on the island of Crete. What were these observations? That these people were eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and were supplementing their diet with olive oil and occasional animal products (particularly fish). In addition, they were physically active (lots of walking and working in the fields).

So, is it any wonder that they were reported to be healthier than the average sedentary American living on the Standard American Diet? No, not really. But, what did we take from this study? Certainly not that we should get off the couch and start moving or that the basis of our diet needed to change, and that we needed to incorporate more of these whole foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains). Instead, we decided that of all the good things in this lifestlye, we would hone in on the one part of the Mediterranean Diet that is 100% fat and devoid of virtually all nutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber, protein, etc) -- olive oil.

So, we began to add olive oil to everything because if a little is "good," then a lot must be better. Why is this a problem? Because, on many levels it is misinformation. First, even if a little of something was good, that in no way correlates to a lot of that something being better. Take as an example exposure to sunlight. Getting a little bit of sun helps our skin activate Vitamin D (a vital component in many processes occurring in our bodies); getting a lot of sun gives us a sunburn; and getting a whole lot of sun can give us cancer.

But even more important is the fact that the addition of olive oil to our already saturated-with-fat diet is in fact detrimental to our health. The American Heart Association recommends limiting our fat intake to 25-35% of our total caloric intake. (AHA Website "Know your fats.") The average American diet is 45% fat. If we do the math, we can see that what we really need to be doing is cutting out fat, NOT adding more!

How do we do this? One, by greatly limiting or altogether eliminating oil from our diet. Oil is THE most calorie dense food available to us. To get a better idea, let us look at some foods and their calories per pound:

FOOD CALORIES PER POUND

Food	Calories Per Pound
Lettuce	100
Apples	200
Sweet Potato	400
Brown Rice	500
Black Beans	600
Olives (in water)	600
Avocado	750
Chocolate	2200
Nuts	2800
Oil	4000

We can see in the above table that pound for pound oil has more calories than ANY of the other foods. Why is this? Because oil is processed to strip away almost all of the vitamins (except some Vitamin E and Vitamin K), minerals, and other nutrients from the whole food (e.g. olives for olive oil, soybeans for soybean oil, flax for flax oil) leaving us with 100% fat. And fat, has the most calories per gram of any other food component. Compare one gram of fat at 9 calories to one gram of protein or carbohydrate each at 4 calories per gram.

What does this mean? It means that fat has two times more calories than the same amount of either protein or carbohydrates. Not to mention, that fat is much more easily stored as fat than either protein or carbohydrates. So, by adding oil to our diets we not only greatly increase the number of calories we consume BUT any of these extra fat calories will go directly to our waists, hips, thighs, or butts. To drive this point home, let us use a few examples:

1. Vegetables sautéed in soy sauce (1 tablespoon) = 189 calories, 1% fat, BUT the same vegetables sautéed in olive oil (1 tablespoon) = 308 calories, 21% fat. Adding oil here almost doubles the total calories, not to mention increases your total percentage of fat from calories.
2. A baked potato has 161 calories, 0% fat while the same amount of French Fries (fried in oil) has 550 calories, 43% fat. In this case, frying with oil has over 3 times the calories and 43 times the percentage of fat!

The examples are endless, but the message in each case is the same - adding oil significantly increases the caloric make-up of our food as well as the total percentage of fat in our food.

What if we were able to reduce our oil intake to meet the 25 to 35% recommendation? That would certainly be a start, but the percentage of fat is not the only thing wrong with oil. We already mentioned that oil, being liquid fat, is devoid of practically all nutrients (except Vitamin E and Vitamin K). In addition, ALL oils promote heart disease. A study reported in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) looked at the effect of oils on atherosclerotic (plaque build-up) lesions in the arteries of the heart. They found that ALL OILS - saturated, monounsaturated (olive oil) and polyunsaturated (flax oil) - were associated with an INCREASE in the plaque build up that clogs our arteries and leads to heart attacks. (JAMA 263:1646, 1990) Of note, the study found that these lesions DID NOT stop growing when monounsaturated fats (olive oil) were substituted for saturated fats (butter, lard, coconut oil).

Oil also causes our red blood cells to clump together, limiting their ability to absorb and deliver oxygen to our cells. This clumping then leads to a slowing down of our blood flow. As a matter of fact, studies have shown that our blood flow decreases by over 30% for the four hours following a fatty meal. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2000;36:1455-60;Vogel RA, et.al. American Journal of Cardiology. 1997;79:350-354. ) With this decrease in perfusion, is it any wonder that so many of us "crash" after a meal? Finally, oil suppresses our immune system, thus promoting the growth of cancer cells and making us vulnerable to infections.

But, doesn't olive oil provides us with our essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6)? Actually, olive oil is composed mostly of monounsaturated fats that are not essential. In fact, to get enough omega-3 from olive oil, you would need to drink 8 ounces, or one cup, that contains 1900 calories and 30g of saturated fat! A healthier way to obtain your essentially fatty acids would be to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds (not the oil) daily.

What about the polyphenols in olive oil, isn't that healthy? Polyphenols are antioxidants found in plant foods with many reported heath benefits. The key here is that these substances are found in plants, meaning they can be found in fruits and vegetables, foods with more nutrients, less calories, and less fat compared to oil. As a matter of fact, in 12 calories of leaf lettuce (about 4 lettuce leaves) there are as many polyphenols (30mg) as in 120 calories (1 tablespoon) of olive oil.

The take home message is that NO oil is good oil, and olive oil is no exception. As a final analogy, think of a pipe through which water should run. Imagine the fluidity of the water as it flows through the pipe. Now, imagine pouring oil into that same pipe. The oil is much thicker, much more viscous than the water. Finally, imagine those pipes are your blood vessels (arteries, veins, etc) where the blood should run much like water - smooth and flowing, but instead, for so many of us that incorporate oil into our diets, it flows more like that oil -- slow and sluggish. Considering that these "pipes" not only deliver your entire body with nutrients from your food, but also supply you with the oxygen you need to thrive and survive. What would you prefer to have running through them?

The problem with "diets"

The problem with "diets" is that they are designed to be a temporary adjustment in eating pattern with a goal of changing the number on the scale. What gets lost along the way are long-term implications (health, sustainability, lifestyle) and willpower because of so-called "failed attempts," frustration, and disappointment. With the media flipping around on which macronutrient to remove next (e.g. carbs or fat), it confuses the masses and leads to spinning in circles, chasing the proverbial tail.
Low carb diets are not healthful, sustainable, or effective in the long-term, regardless of the new hype...yet again.
Here are 3 reasons the theory is ridiculous:
1. Carbohydrates are a macronutrient, not a food group. There are carbs in all whole plant foods as well as in refined processed junk foods. Comparing quinoa to a candy bar is destructive, dangerous, and nonsensical.
2. Carbohydrates in whole foods come packaged with the most important nutrients necessary to survive and thrive....phyochemicals and fibers. Our brains can only use carbs as fuel and carb-rich foods provide immediate and lasting energy for the body.
3. Avoiding fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains to minimize carb consumption leaves animal foods and highly processed low carb junk food in the pool as a foundation for the diet. These foods are unquestionably known to promote disease, whereas whole plant foods are known to protect against disease.
The key to permanent weight loss AND long-term health is a *lifestyle* filled with wholesome, intact plant foods, and the avoidance of animal products and processed foods.
*Resources:
--->Dr. David Katz's Diet Research, Stuck in the Stone Age: http://linkd.in/1qfVkEq
--->Marion Nestle's The Diet Wars: Same Old, Same Old: http://bit.ly/1lKCiGd
--->Andy Bellatti's Small Bites Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb: The Winner is Neither: http://bit.ly/YhfEuz
--->Carbs: http://bit.ly/1u3k8Rf
--->JAMA's A Call for The End of The Diet Debates: http://bit.ly/WgFflJ
--->Comparison of Named Diet Programs Finds Little Difference in Weight Loss Outcomes: http://bit.ly/1rObFCG
--->The Truth About Weight Loss From a Weight Loss Researcher: http://bit.ly/1jUz8YB
--->NutritionFacts.org's From Table to Able: http://bit.ly/1unz6Ri and on low-carb diets: http://bit.ly/1rwih6r
--->The Multiple Variables of Weight Loss: http://on.fb.me/1nycKaL
--->Losing Weight On A Vegan Diet: http://bit.ly/1kxibtl
The problem with "diets" is that they are designed to be a temporary adjustment in eating pattern with a goal of changing the number on the scale. What gets lost along the way are long-term implications (health, sustainability, lifestyle) and willpower because of so-called "failed attempts," frustration, and disappointment. With the media flipping around on which macronutrient to remove next (e.g. carbs or fat), it confuses the masses and leads to spinning in circles, chasing the proverbial tail.

Low carb diets are not healthful, sustainable, or effective in the long-term, regardless of the new hype...yet again.

Here are 3 reasons the theory is ridiculous:

1. Carbohydrates are a macronutrient, not a food group. There are carbs in all whole plant foods as well as in refined processed junk foods. Comparing quinoa to a candy bar is destructive, dangerous, and nonsensical.
2. Carbohydrates in whole foods come packaged with the most important nutrients necessary to survive and thrive....phyochemicals and fibers. Our brains can only use carbs as fuel and carb-rich foods provide immediate and lasting energy for the body.
3. Avoiding fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains to minimize carb consumption leaves animal foods and highly processed low carb junk food in the pool as a foundation for the diet. These foods are unquestionably known to promote disease, whereas whole plant foods are known to protect against disease.

The key to permanent weight loss AND long-term health is a *lifestyle* filled with wholesome, intact plant foods, and the avoidance of animal products and processed foods.

*Resources:
--->Dr. David Katz's Diet Research, Stuck in the Stone Age: http://linkd.in/1qfVkEq
--->Marion Nestle's The Diet Wars: Same Old, Same Old: http://bit.ly/1lKCiGd
--->Andy Bellatti's Small Bites Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb: The Winner is Neither: http://bit.ly/YhfEuz
--->Carbs: http://bit.ly/1u3k8Rf
--->JAMA's A Call for The End of The Diet Debates: http://bit.ly/WgFflJ
--->Comparison of Named Diet Programs Finds Little Difference in Weight Loss Outcomes: http://bit.ly/1rObFCG
--->The Truth About Weight Loss From a Weight Loss Researcher: http://bit.ly/1jUz8YB
--->NutritionFacts.org's From Table to Able: http://bit.ly/1unz6Ri and on low-carb diets: http://bit.ly/1rwih6r
--->The Multiple Variables of Weight Loss: http://on.fb.me/1nycKaL
--->Losing Weight On A Vegan Diet: http://bit.ly/1kxibtl