Veggie PLUS

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[glow=red,2,300]PROTEIN FOR PLANT-BASED DIETS[/glow]

Protein. Not long ago, the word would likely have conjured an image of a thick steak. But in these fat-and cholesterol-conscious times, informed eaters are learning that protein comes in varied forms, many deriving from the plant world: Aromatic grain and nut pilafs, grilled tofu and vegetable kebabs, whole-grain pancakes, and black bean enchiladas are just a few examples. The coming of age of vegetarian cookery, coupled with the ongoing passion for ethnic cuisines, has stretched the definition of protein sources.

As more Americans cut back on their intake of meat and high-fat dairy products, incorporating alternative protein sources into the diet is of paramount importance. The ideal to strive for is a diet rich in plant-based foods, with those being the primary protein sources as well. Many nutritionists recommend that at least two-thirds of dietary protein be derived from plant-based foods.

Whole grains, legumes, soy products, and nuts and seeds are primary protein sources in a plant-based diet. And nearly all vegetables contribute to daily protein needs. Dairy products can also be great sources of non-plant-based proteins for those who choose to use them, with the best choices being low-fat versions of milk, yogurt and cottage cheese. Hard cheeses, butter and other full-fat dairy products pose health risks similar as meats. Those and all animal proteins, including eggs, should be used with care and moderation.

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[glow=red,2,300]Antioxidants[/glow]

Antioxidants boost the immune system and can help prevent cancer, heart disease and many other forms of major illness. They also slow down the effects of ageing and can fend off conditions like Alzheimer's.

There are various types of antioxidants. So it is important to balance all the following foods to reap the healthy rewards as part of your eating habbits

www.veggieglobal.com/nutrition/index.htmeryday

[glow=red,2,300]A Glycaemic Index for Veggies [/glow]

This is a short GI list to help you plan meals and to get you through the day without your all-important blood sugar levels dropping.

For a full description of what the Glycaemic Index is and how it works CLICK HERE:
www.veggieglobal.com/nutrition/notalot.htm#gi-para

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[glow=red,2,300]Calcium Without the Cow[/glow]
by
Charles R. Attwood, M.D., F.A.A.P.

note from the school dietitian was handed to me by a young mother of a 7 year old boy. "Billy's diet has come to our attention," it read, "because he no longer selects milk in the cafeteria." He had recently given up milk at my suggestion because it worsened his asthma and eczema. The note went on to conclude, "Milk is absolutely necessary for for protein and calcium!" This last sentence was heavily underlined. I quickly realized how concerned Billy's mother was, because there was also a history of osteoporosis among several elderly members of her family.

This dilemma is encountered most frequently by families who are trying to reduce saturated fat and animal proteins in their diets. They've read that both may increase the risk of heart disease and certain cancers, but worry about calcium balance and bone density if milk, the chief source of saturated fat for children, is discontinued. I often reassure concerned parents that some bowing of their child's legs is normal up to the age of 3, and is not due to a calcium deficiency or rickets. Dental decay in early childhood, causes the same concern, but ironically it is partially due to the frequent bathing of the teeth with milk, rather than a calcium deficiency.

Why is this paranoia so common among Americans? The milk-calcium-bone density myth has been created and perpetuated by the intense lobbying of the dairy industry throughout the lifetimes of most adults living today.

Throughout kindergarten and grade school, most of the nutrition teaching aids were supplied by the American Dairy Council. As a result, most parents, teachers, doctors, lawyers, judges, and significantly, members of congress grew up with the not unbiased view that milk is a necessary and wholesome food for both children and adults. The council's most effective campaign tool has been to link milk, calcium, and bone density.

To further confuse the consumer, milk and infant formulas have been fortified with vitamin D, which is necessary for proper calcium absorption. It may also be obtained by eating sardines, herring, salmon, tuna, egg yolk, and fish oils. However, none of these are necessary, because it's manufactured in adequate amounts by exposure to as little as 10-15 minutes of sunlight about three times a week. Rickets may be prevented

Rickets may be prevented in children getting no sunlight--such as the totally disabled, by a vitamin D supplement, if the parents do not wish to feed them fortified milk.

The true connection between milk and strong bones isn't exactly what the dairy industry has been telling us all these years. Calcium balance, the relationship between the intake and loss of the mineral determines bone density, mostly during childhood and adolescence. Good bone density attained by the age of 18 usually lasts a lifetime for people consuming a balanced plant-based diet and remaining physically active. Milk and other dairy products, although rich in calcium, are high in animal protein, which has been shown to create calcium loss through the urinary tract. A 1994 National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference concluded that calcium balance and bone density depended at least 3O percent on the ratio of intake to loss, not on calcium intake alone. According to a report in Science magazine in 1986, evidence is accumulating that calcium intake (considered alone) is not related to bone density

This may explain why countries consuming the most milk countries consuming the most milk also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis. Exceptions exist, but a common determining factor seems to be the high protein consumption in populations who require very high levels of calcium intake. For instance, the RDA of calcium in the United States is up to 1,200 mg daily. This is much higher than the World Health Organization's recommendation of 500 mg. for children and 800 mg for adults. Areas of the world where dietary protein is very low have low national recommendations. In Thailand, for example, the recommended daily intake of calcium is only 400 mg. for all ages. Elderly South African Bantu women, who consume a very low protein diet (5O grams daily, compared with 91 grams for Americans) and only 450 mg. calcium daily, have no osteoporosis despite the calcium drain of nursing an average of 10 children. On the other hand, Eskimos, consuming a very high protein diet (250-400 grams) of fish, and a calcium intake of over 2,000 mg daily, have the highest rate of osteoporosis in the world!

Now, let's take a new look at milk and dairy products as a calcium source, regardless of their protein content. Calcium expressed as mg. per 100 calories instead of per gram show milk and cheese at the bottom of the list and green vegetables at the top (see chart).

Calcium in Milligrams per 100 Calories
-------------------------------------------
Arugula..........................1,300
Watercress...................... 800
Turnip greens.................. .650
Collard greens................. 548
Mustard greens.................490
Spinach........................... 450
Broccoli.......................... 387
Swiss cheese................... 250
Milk (2-percent).............. 245
Green onions................... 240
Okra............................... 213
Cabbage......................... 196
Whole milk..................... 190
Cheddar cheese.............. 179
American cheese............. 160
--------------------------------------------

At first glance, one may conclude, "but I would have to eat so much more spinach or kale to get adequate calcium." Not so, individuals on a plant-based diet generally eat as many total calories as meat and dairy-eaters. In other words, adequate amounts of vegetables are BETTER SOURCES OF CALCIUM THAN MILK AND CHEESE. Also, consider that a cup of broccoli contains about the same amount of calcium as a cup of milk. But wait! Haven't we been told that many green vegetables contain oxalic acid, which reduces the absorption of their calcium. This too, has been exaggerated by the dairy lobby. A 1990 report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that greens such as broccoli and kale have high levels of calcium which is absorbed at least as well as that in milk. Excellent calcium balance on a non-dairy diet is easily attained because ALL vegetables and legumes contain calcium, and collectively it's more than adequate. This calcium stays in the bones, unlike much of that from the high protein-containing dairy products.

Now it begins to make sense. In cultures where the most protein is consumed, the calcium requirement for good bone density and protection against osteoporosis may be UNATTAINABLY high, without supplements -- it's a Catch-22. But for the majority of the world population, and among those consuming a plant-based diet in Western countries, calcium requirements for normal bone density are easily obtained without milk or other dairy products. Milk, it now seems clear, is not the solution to the malady of poor bone density. It may be a part of the problem, and you can have your calcium without the cow.

www.vegsource.com/attwood/milk.htm

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[glow=red,2,300]CompleteProteinSource plus Omega 3,6,9,GLA & more [/glow]

I learn this from my favorite VEGETARIAN CHEF’s cooking show on TV. Here is the ample information how you can receive the great benefit on your health and pets! It’s a long and contains all the necessary information you are looking for.



[glow=red,2,300]FATTY ACID PROFILE of HEMPSEED OIL[/glow]

Omega 3 (Alpha Linolenic (ALA) 21%


Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid (LA) 57%


Omega 9 (Oleic Acid) 12%


GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid) 1.6%


GLA is a rare, valuable nutrient otherwise found in significant quantities only in Evening Primrose, Borage (Starflower) & Blackcurrant Oils & in Mothers milk.


There are two main EFA's. Both are present in Hempseed:


ALA - parent of the Omega 3 family


LA - parent of the Omega 6's


ALA & LA: ~ Are precursors to the 'prostaglandins':


Hormone-like substances involved in many of the body's essential processes


[glow=red,2,300]HOW TO USE HEMPSEED OIL[/glow]

Hemp oil can be included as a regular part of your diet. It has a pleasant nutty flavour ideal for use in mayonnaise, salad dressing & dips, or drizzled liberally onto steamed vegetables, baked, or boiled potatoes, pasta & rice. Some people choose to take it daily by the tablesthingy, as a nutritional supplement, or as directed by a nutritionist The oil will keep for up to 12 months in a freezer. Once opened it should be kept refrigerated & used within six months

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A major study has found fresh evidence of a link between red and processed meat and bowel cancer, scientists say.
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) looked at the dietary habits of over 500,000 people across Europe over 10 years.

Bowel cancer risk was a third higher for those who regularly ate over two 80g portions of red or processed meat a day, compared to less than one a week.

EPIC's study is reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Since it began, 1,330 people have developed bowel cancer.

The study also found a low fibre diet increased the risk of bowel cancer.

Eating poultry had no impact but the risk for people who ate one portion or more of fish every other day was nearly a third lower than those who ate fish less than once a week.

Strong evidence

Lead researcher Professor Sheila Bingham, of the MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit in Cambridge, said: "People have suspected for some time that high levels of red and processed meat increase risk of bowel cancer, but this is one of the largest studies worldwide and the first from Europe of this type to show a strong relationship."

Professor Bingham said there were several theories about why red meat should increase the risk of bowel cancer.

She believes the most likely explanation is that compounds called haemoglobin and myoglobin, which are found in red meat, trigger a process called nitrosation in the gut, which leads to the formation of carcinogenic compounds.

Alternatively, the problem might be caused by compounds called heterocyclic amines, carcinogenic compounds created in the cooking process.

However, these compounds are also found in poultry, which has not been linked to an increased cancer risk.

Professor Tim Key, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: "This study strengthens evidence that bowel cancer risk can be cut by increasing fibre in the diet and reducing consumption of red and processed meat."

The researchers defined red meat as beef, lamb, pork and veal.

Processed meat was mostly pork and beef that were preserved by methods other than freezing. They include ham, bacon, sausages, liver pate, salami, tinned meat, luncheon meat and corned beef.

The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) said people in Britain ate well below the 160g per day consumption levels that were used to class high intake in the study.

Mike Attenborough, MLC technical director, said: "Once again this points towards the need for moderation and balance in what we eat."

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

BOWEL CANCER RISK
There are 17 cases per 10,000 50-year-olds a year among the group eating more than two portions of red meat a day
There are 12 cases per 10,000 50-year-olds a year among the group eating less than one portion of red meat a week
On average, people eat 95g of red meat a day
A sausage for breakfast, a ham sandwich for lunch and a steak in the evening would add up to 205g of meat
BOWEL CANCER
In England and Wales the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with bowel cancer is 1 in 18 for men and 1 in 20 for women
18,500 cases in men and over 16,000 cases in women are newly diagnosed each year
If the cancer is caught at an early stage, eight out of 10 cases can be treated
U can leave you comment here>
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4088824.stm

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There's a health story today on Yahoo about seniors and vegetarians needing B-12. The story is misleading in more than one way, but there's one line in particular that several omnivores have jumped on in the discussion boards to say, "See there? I knew being veg wasn't healthy!" Actually, most of them are being nastier and less articulate than that... but they're not my concern. My concern is the folks who might be receptive to the idea of veg*nism but don't know any better and might think this means we need animal products in our diets! So I posted the following and encourage anyone else who would like to share links and/or info to do it, though it will result in getting flamed BIG TIME (I've never run across more mean-spirited, nasty, ignorant people than I have on these Yahoo message boards, and while I know this may have been an utter waste of my time, like the "Carrot-Feeling" board, I thought it begged for clarifying information)....

B-12 comes from microorganisms
by: foxy_magpie (F/The Mountains) 08/10/05 12:43 pm
Msg: 15 of 15

This statement is not just misleading, the use of the word "only" makes it patently untrue:

"Unlike most vitamins, B12 occurs naturally only in animal products, including meat, poultry, fish and -- in lesser amounts -- eggs and dairy."

All vitamin B12 comes from bacteria and is found in the soil as well as in the intestines of animals. At one time vitamin B12 was readily available in our soil and water supplies, and the minute amount that humans require (less than 3 mcg/day) was easy to get. Today our land and waterways are polluted, making it is essential that our produce is thoroughly cleaned before we eat it and our water is purified before we drink it, thus eliminating any available B12.

The B12 that is produced in the intestines of animals gets incorporated into their tissue; hence it is found in meat and other animal products such as cow's milk and eggs. Humans also produce vitamin B12 from bacteria found in the large intestine (colon). However, vitamin B12 is absorbed in the small intestine much higher up, rendering the B12 from the colon unusable.

Source: www.vegsource.com/jo/qa/qavitb.htm

Information about B-12 and reliable non-animal derived sources of it is also available in the books "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and "Becoming Vegan" by Brenda Davis, R.D. & Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D. among many others, and from many other sources on the web. In case anyone here would actually like to learn something instead of just rant and attack and do anything but have the courage and open-mindedness to examine the effects of their diet on their health, the environment, the animals and the world's hungry. I'm just sayin'....

This is the link to my post, from which you can read the story and the other posts (but for most of those you'll need to bring a barf bag!)

news.messages.yahoo.com/bbs?action=m&board=37138530&tid=nmelderlyvitmansdc&sid=37138530&mid=15

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www.guardian.co.uk/genes/article/0,2763,1548451,00.html

When meat is not murder

Would you eat steak if it had been grown in a petri dish?

Ian Sample, science correspondent
Saturday August 13, 2005
The Guardian

It is the ultimate conundrum for vegetarians who think that meat is murder: a revolution in processed food that will see fresh meat grown from animal cells without a single cow, sheep or pig being killed.

Researchers have published details in a biotechnology journal describing a new technique which they hailed as the answer to the world's food shortage. Lumps of meat would be cultured in laboratory vats rather than carved from livestock reared on a farm.

more>

www.guardian.co.uk/genes/article/0,2763,1548451,00.html