November 2013
Volume 1 Issue 4
Plant-Based
Nutrition and Lifestyle Newsletter is a
newsletter devoted to improving your nutrition and
your health.
By making small changes in your
lifestyle, you can make big improvements in your
health.
“Let food be thy medicine
and medicine thy food” ~
Hippocrates.
To
Your Health,
Jerry Casados, NTP, Founder of Plant-Based Nutrition and
Lifestyle
Topic:
Diet and Nutrition Myths
Debunked
1:
Plant Food Does Not Have Enough Protein or
Complete
Proteins
I
get asked this question all time when people find
out I eat a plant-based diet just like the gorilla
in the cartoon:
Where do get your
protein?
Percent of Calories from Protein
All plant foods contain all the essential amino
acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.
The essential amino acids are called ‘complete
proteins’ and called essential because the body
does not produce them and must be obtained from
our diet. For example, broccoli contains 45%
protein from its calories and beans contain 23% to
54% depending on the variety.
As
long as one is eating a variety of plant foods in
sufficient quantity to maintain one’s weight
(enough calories), the body gets plenty of
protein. Plants are the only foods eaten by
elephants, horses, and hippos, and all three have
no trouble growing all the muscle, bone, and
tissue they need.
Humans
Require Very Little
Protein
Without
sufficient protein from your diet, your body would
be in trouble – but, aside from starvation, this
never happens. Yes, a little protein
is good, but more is not better. Protein consumed
beyond our needs is a health hazard that can be as
devastating as excess dietary fat and
cholesterol.
The World Health
Organization (WHO) recommends that men and women
obtain 5% of their calories as protein. This
would mean 38 grams of protein for a man burning
3000 calories a day and 29 grams for a woman using
2300 calories a day. This quantity of
protein is impossible to avoid when daily calorie
needs are met by unrefined starches and
vegetables. For example, rice alone would provide
71 grams of highly useable protein and white
potatoes would provide 64 grams of protein. The
body only needs approximately 30-60
grams/day.
Our
greatest time of growth—thus, the time of our
greatest need for protein—is during our first 2
years of life—we double in size. At this vigorous
developmental stage our ideal food is human milk,
which is 5% protein. Compare this need to
food choices that should be made as adults—when we
are not growing. Rice is 8% protein, corn 11%,
oatmeal 15%, and beans 27%.8
Unlike
fat, protein cannot be stored. Consumption
in excess of our needs overworks the liver and
kidneys, and can cause accumulation of toxic
protein byproducts. Once the body’s needs are met,
then the excess must be removed. The liver
converts the excess protein into urea and other
nitrogen-containing breakdown products, which are
finally eliminated through the kidneys as part of
the urine. These unneeded amino acid wastes
(proteins) can injure the structures of the
kidneys, and over time diets high in protein may
promote the development of kidney stones and other
health issues such as bone loss, osteoporosis,
kidney damage, immune dysfunction, arthritis,
cancer promotion, and low-energy. In fact, the
recommended diet by the medical community for
chronic kidney diseases is a low-protein diet
which can be met with whole food, plant-based
diet.
Unfortunately, almost everyone on
the typical Western diet is overburdened with
protein. The public has almost no awareness of
problems of protein overload, but scientists have
known about the damaging effects of excess protein
for more than a century.
Proteins
Intake Varies Worldwide
The
healthy active lives of hundreds of millions of
people laboring in Asia, Africa, and Central and
South America on diets with less than half the
amount of protein eaten by Americans and Europeans
prove that the popular understanding of our
protein needs is seriously flawed.
|
|
Protein
(grams/day) |
*Protein
%
of Calories |
|
Western
Diet |
100
– 160
grams |
15%
- 35% |
|
Rural
Asia |
40
– 60
grams |
8%
- 14% |
|
**McDougall
Diet |
30
– 80
grams |
7%
- 15% |
|
Low-Carb
Diet |
200
– 400
grams |
30%
- 70% |
|
*Calculations
based on 2000 calories consumed for
adults. |
**
The McDougall Program is the protocol I
follow in my nutrition
practice
References:
1) J Pennington. Bowes & Church’s Food
Values of Portions Commonly Used. 17th Ed.
Lippincott. Philadelphia- New York.
1998.
2) The December 2003 McDougall
Newsletter: A Brief History of Protein:
Passion, Social Bigotry, and
Enlightenment.
3) The January 2004 McDougall
Newsletter: Protein
Overload.
2:
When Friends Ask: Where Do You Get Your
Calcium?
All
plant foods contain generous amounts of calcium.
The most healthful calcium sources are green leafy
vegetables and legumes (beans). Broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, collards, kale, mustard greens, Swiss
chard, and other greens are loaded with highly
absorbable calcium and a host of other healthful
nutrients. The exception is spinach, which
contains a large amount of calcium but tends to
hold onto it very tenaciously, so that you will
absorb less of it.
Calcium is the
most plentiful mineral found in the human body.
The teeth and bones contain the most calcium
(about 99%). Nerve cells, body tissues, blood, and
other body fluids contain the remaining calcium.
Calcium is one of the most important minerals for
the growth, maintenance, and reproduction of the
human body. Calcium helps form and maintain
healthy teeth and bones. Proper levels of calcium
over a lifetime can help prevent osteoporosis.
Calcium is a mineral that comes from the ground
it originates
in the soil and enter into living systems through
the roots of plants. How do animals get their
calcium? They eat the plant parts to obtain
calcium and all other essential minerals.
Acting as the sole conduit, plants are loaded with
minerals, in amounts sufficient to grow the
skeletons of the largest animals that walk the
earth, like the elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe,
horse, and cow.
Calcium
Absorption
The primary
justification for promoting cow's milk is the
abundance of calcium it contains. But cow's milk
does not have a corner on the calcium market.
There are a multitude of plant-based foods from
which we can derive the calcium our bodies need.
For example, people few people are aware that
humans can absorb a greater portion of the calcium
found in a cup of kale, broccoli, or fortified
orange juice than that in a cup of cow's milk. As
you can see in the following table, humans absorb
only 32 percent of the calcium in glass of
milk.
Calcium Absorption of Selected
Foods
|
One
Cup |
Brussels
Sprouts |
Kale |
Broccoli |
Mustard
Greens |
Orange
Juice |
Whole
Milk |
Skim
Milk |
|
Gross
Calcium |
19
mg |
94
mg |
83
mg |
128
mg |
350
mg |
291
mg |
302
mg |
|
Calcium
Absorption |
64.8
% |
40.9
% |
52.6
% |
57.8
% |
37
% |
32.1
% |
32.1
% |
|
Calories |
60 |
42 |
48 |
25 |
120 |
150 |
86 |
Furthermore, neither kale
nor broccoli contains the cholesterol or saturated
fat found in cow's milk. Both saturated fat and
cholesterol are recognized as promoters of heart
disease, high blood pressure, and increased risk
of stroke. And unlike cow's milk, kale and
broccoli are not treated with potentially
dangerous hormones such as the infamous rBGH
(recombinant bovine growth hormone), a
genetically-engineered hormone chemical injected
into cows to boost their milk
yields.
Some other examples
of calcium in
plants:
Brown rice (1 cup) has 20 mg of
calcium
Kidney beans (1 cup, cooked) 50 mg
Sweet potato
(1 cup) 70 mg
Collard greens contains about 360 mg of
calcium
As
you can see you can get plenty of calcium
from plant sources and better quality without
the toxins found in dairy
products.
Calcium
and Bone
Health
Contrary to the dairy
industries marketing campaign, reviews of the
scientific literature have concluded extra dietary
calcium during childhood does not build strong
bones. A review published in the March 2005 issue
of the Journal of Pediatrics focused on the
benefits of dairy products on bone health and
concluded, “Scant evidence supports nutrition
guidelines focused specifically on increasing milk
or other dairy product intake for promoting child
and adolescent bone mineralization.”
A recent
meta analysis published in the October 2006 issue
of the British Medical Journal found, “The small
effect of calcium supplementation on bone mineral
density in the upper limb is unlikely to reduce
the risk of fracture, either in childhood or later
life, to a degree of major public health
importance.” The authors state, “Our results do
not support the premise that any type of
supplementation is more effective than
another.” Their findings mean dairy products
are of no real-life bone-strengthening benefits.
Even studies that used intakes of 1400 mg per day
of calcium showed no benefit.
An editorial
accompanying this meta analysis pointed out,
“Populations that consume the most cow's milk and
other dairy products have among the highest rates
of osteoporosis and hip fracture in later
life.” So does this mean consuming dairy
products will hurt your bones? Consistently, when
populations of people who eat different diets are
compared, rates of hip fractures increase with
increasing animal protein consumption (including
dairy products). For example, people from
the USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Australia, and
New Zealand have the highest rates of
osteoporosis. The lowest rates are among
people who eat the fewest animal-derived foods
(these people are also on lower calcium
diets)—like the people from rural Asia and rural
Africa. Dietary protein correlates directly
with the dietary acids
consumed.
Conclusion
Remember, the source of all calcium is the soils
of the earth. Plants absorb this basic element,
present in watery solutions, through their roots,
and then incorporate it into their various
tissues—roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and
fruits. Animals then eat the plant parts to
obtain calcium and all other essential
minerals. Acting as the sole conduit, plants
are loaded with minerals, in amounts sufficient to
grow the skeletons of the largest animals that
walk the earth, like the elephant, hippopotamus,
giraffe, horse, and cow. Since these massive
bones can be formed from the raw materials of
plants, you can assume there is sufficient calcium
in vegetable foods to grow the relatively small
bones of a human being. Current observations
and human history prove this: Most people who have
ever walked this earth have grown their
normal-sized adult skeletons without the aid of
milk (other than mother’s milk during the first
two years of life) and without concentrated
calcium pill supplements.
Like your
mother said, "Eat your vegetables!". They are
loaded with calcium and don't let any tell you
they're not.
References:
- The Starch
Solution. John A. McDougall, MD and Mary
McDougall. 2013;103-115.
- Whitewash;
The Disturbing Truth About Cow's Milk and Your
Health. 2010;27,28
- Abelow
B. Cross-cultural association between
dietary animal protein and hip fracture: a
hypothesis. Calcific Tissue Int 50:14-8,
1992.
- Frassetto LA
. Worldwide incidence of hip fracture in
elderly women: relation to consumption of animal
and vegetable foods. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med
Sci. 2000 Oct;55(10):M585-92.
- Lanou AJ.
Bone health in children. BMJ. 2006 Oct
14;333(7572):763-4.
.Nutrition in the
News
Whole:
Rethinking the Science of Nutrition, T. Colin
Campbell, PhD
New York Times
Bestseller
"Whole makes a convincing case
that modern nutrition's focus on single nutrients
has led to mass confusion with tragic health
consequences. Dr. Campbell's new paradigm will
change the way we think about food and, in doing
so, could improve the lives of millions of people
and save billions of dollars in health care
costs." --- Brian Wendel, Creator and Executive
Producer of Forks Over Knives
For
more than 40 years, Dr. T. Colin Campbell has been
at the forefront of nutrition research. His
legacy, The China Study, is the most
comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever
conducted. Dr. Campbell is the author of the
bestselling book, The China Study, and
the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of
Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He
has received more than 70 grant-years of
peer-reviewed research funding and authored more
than 300 research papers. The China Study was the
culmination of a 20-year partnership of Cornell
University, Oxford University, and the Chinese
Academy of Preventive Medicine.
Whole is
an eye-opening, paradigm-changing journey through
cutting-edge thinking on nutrition, a scientific
tour de force with powerful implications for our
health and for our
world.
Featured Recipes -
Starch-Based
Asian
Stir Fry with Apricot Terakihi
Sauce
Serve
this sweet and savory stir-fry over a bed of brown
rice or quinoa for a wholesome lunch or dinner!
Low-fat and low-calorie with lots of
fiber!
1/4 cup
low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup
all-fruit apricot preserves
1
tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce or
Tamari
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup
onion, sliced into half-moons |
2 cloves
garlic, minced
4 cups button
mushrooms, halved
1 cup carrots, cut
into matchsticks
1 cup green cabbage,
shredded
2 cups broccoli spears
1 yellow summer squash, sliced into
half-moons |
|
|
Procedure
1 - In a small bowl,
whisk together the vegetable broth, preserves, soy
sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch. Set aside.
2
- In a wok or large skillet, heat 2
tablespoons water over medium-high heat. Add the
onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5
minutes.
3 - Add the
mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the
carrots and cabbage and cook for another 2
minutes.
4- Add the broccoli and squash and
cook just until they are
crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over
the vegetables and gently stir; cook until the
sauce thickens slightly.
Serve
immediately.
Servings: 4
Preparation
Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15
minutes
Source:
Recipe by Christine Waltermyer from Power Foods
for the Brain by Neal D. Barnard,
M.D.
Tomato
Soup with White
Beans
This
version of tomato soup is heartier, chunkier, and
lower in sodium than commercial varieties. It also
contains over five grams of fiber per serving.
Navy, cannellini, and great Northern beans all
work equally well in this recipe. Serve this
creamy soup with Braised Kale and crusty
bread.
1 ½ cups water
or vegetable broth
2 cups Basic White
Sauce (see recipe below)
5 - 6
tablespoons apple juice concentrate
1
15-ounce can white beans, undrained, or 1 1/2
cups cooked white beans and ½ cup water or
vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can
chopped tomatoes, or 1 1/2 cups crushed fresh
tomatoes
¼ teaspoon ground
black pepper |
½
teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon
dried basil
½ teaspoon
paprika
1 cup chopped celery
1 small onion, chopped
¼ - ½
teaspoon
salt |
|
 |
Procedure
1 - Combine 1/2 cup of the water with the onion,
celery, paprika, basil, thyme, and pepper in a
large pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring
often, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is
soft.
2 - Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in
the tomatoes, beans and their liquid, apple juice
concentrate, and remaining 1 cup of water. Cover
and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
3 - Add the Basic White Sauce
and heat gently, stirring frequently, until the
soup is very hot and steamy. Season with salt to
taste.
4 - Stored in a covered container in
the refrigerator, leftover Tomato with White Bean
Soup will keep for up to 3 days.
Note: If you
prefer a smooth soup, process it in a blender
before adding the Basic White Sauce.
Servings:
6
Basic
White Sauce
This creamy
sauce is low in fat and cholesterol-free. Use it
for making creamed soups, sauces, and gravies. Be
sure to continue blending the ingredients until
they are completely smooth; this can take up to 2
minutes on the highest speed. The first few times
you make this sauce give it a taste test to make
certain it is smooth and creamy before
proceeding.
1/3 cup dry millet
2 1/3
cups water
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2
teaspoon salt
Combine
millet with 1 1/3 cups water in a saucepan. Bring
to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 55 minutes,
stirring occasionally, until millet is tender and
all the water has been absorbed. Transfer to a
blender. Add cashews, salt, and remaining 1 cup
water. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until completely
smooth.
Source: The Survivor’s Handbook:
Eating Right for Cancer Survival by Neal D.
Barnard, M.D. and Jennifer Reilly,
R.D.
See these recipes
and videos on Kelley's Recipe
Blog: http://www.plantbasedkitchen-recipes.com/
