Nutritional Fridays

FOOD COMBINING

 What is it? Food combining is the use of vegetable proteins, grains, and nuts in combination to allow for the body to digest nutrients that will make a complete protein.

Our human bodies need complete proteins, and nitrogen.  There are 22 Amino Acids that make proteins, 8 of them are essential for good health.  Meat and dairy are not necessarily the only source of proteins!  Although, the dairy and beef industry would like to convince you that these are necessary!  They advertise this and donate to politicians inn order to have the backing they need to "push" the idea of their necessity.

But, not that we know that the beef and dairy industry has been using hormones in the cow's feed, and genetically modified grains are also used, lets now take another look! Is meat the main source to look to for protein? NO.

Did you know that grains, vegetables, nuts, and legumes (beans) have proteins?  They also contain many vitamins our bodies need, as well! Do we need to supplement these in our diet, in order to get the 8 essential Amino Acids? No.

Ancient cultures knew instinctively what foods to eat to have inexpensive and yet tasty, nutritious diets.  The Mayan meal of beans, rice, tomatoes, and bits of chili contains everything necessary for all 8 essential Amino Acids and vitamins from the vegetables. 

I will discuss next Friday how this all works....

Nutrition Fridays

Food Combining for Protein: Part 1, Introduction

The author that laid the groundwork for food-combining, was Francis Moore Lappe, in her book: Diet for a Small Planet. She begins by discussion on the production of food, the illogical manner in which Americans use edible plant proteins to grow beef for the American table. For example: the grains fed to beef, and what it produces. “For every 16 pounds of grain and soy fed to beef cattle…we only get 1 pound back in meat (69)”. The grain mentioned here, is edible!

This section of the book continues on to discuss the costs of producing meat, including water consumption, packing plant use of fuels (fossil) and the depletion and erosion of soil for grain production (not for humans, but beef!). Meat is costly to produce!

The production of and consumption of meat has been considered a symbol of wealth and health in the United States.  But, is this an illusion? With a large percentage of the nation below the poverty line, Americans still have hungry and malnourished people. With recent economic problems, the numbers are slated to rise.

The two groups at the highest risk for starvation are the elderly and children.  Lappe states “Most Americans believe that since the late 1960s we’ve made steady progress in eliminating hunger and poverty…(104)” because of the fact that the United States has created programs of assistance for the poor such as the food stamp program, lunch and breakfast programs, and WIC. Yes these programs have helped in feeding America’s poor, but does not completely alleviate the issue of good health.  

First of all, the amount of food assistance available is low, secondly inflation diminishes the value of the assistance given. Then, let’s not forget that most states are cutting assistance to the poor as a means to budget their coffers.

The food purchased by those under the poverty line also may not be a high-quality diet. To stretch food stamp dollars, many will use highly processed/refined foods, meats with high fat quantities, and very few vegetables and fruits. The idea is to make the stomach feel full, and stay full for a longer time-frame.

Another reason may be due to incorrect concepts of costs per serving for better quality foods. I hear people tell me “it costs too much for fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grain rice”. No it does not!! 

Why doesn’t it? Unprocessed, packaging-free foods cost less, especially bulk foods. The processing and packaging can be a large portion of the cost!

Another issue is the preparation of quality foods. Are they able to prepare the food that is healthy for consumption? Many Americans do not know HOW to prepare their food from bulk grains for optimum health!  We are used to packaged items, partially or fully prepared. We buy mac and cheese that all you add is some milk and a bit of butter or margarine.  Pizzas with meat and cheese on them, the cheap brands usually have little to no vegetables! 

What has happened? We have allowed the beef industry, dairy industry and other pre-packaged food companies to brain wash us and lull us into a lazy complacency regarding what actually is good for us to consume. Then, we wonder why we are sick. 

Next week: Combining Foods will continue...

Nutrition Fridays

STUDIES HAVE SHOWN:

The best diet for healing is Veganism. 

The next best is Vegetarianism [in which there are numerous types]

The worst diet for good health is what the average American eats.

 Spirit of Place: If Nothing Ever Changed...
Collage Painting. Copr. Donna Duncan, 2012

Unlike what you hear from the beef industry, beef is the worst meat produced! Unlike what was grown 30 to 40 years ago, the beef produced today has been given feed that is GMO, unless labeled as “free-range” and “Grass-fed”, although I did find a site where concerns were expressed about GMO in alfalfa seed[i] . It is a well-known fact that chemicals are sprayed on crops grown for cattle feed, and that growth hormones are given via feed to cattle slated for the market.  Also, keep in mind that beef is a $74 billion industry as of 2010[ii]. 

If you have not seen the video “Fast Food Nation”, I advise that you go rent a copy.  You will never wish to go to Burger King or McDonald’s again! The new “healthier” menus are very interesting.  Processed yogurt, fruits that do not taste right (after eating organic for a year, you will understand what I am saying here), but definitely better than the old menus.

I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to take the risk that what I eat may harm me.  Much less spoon or fork that food onto your children’s dinner plate!

It’s all about choices, EDUCATED choices. We can chose to be spoon-fed a bunch of hype from a billion-dollar industry. Nor should you allow the FDA to assist in your decisions, who do not require labeling of GMO food sources, but DOES require everything else to be labeled and has a former Monsanto CEO large and in charge.

The American public needs to understand how food affects health.  Remember that old adage “You are what you eat”? There is truth to that saying! If we stuff ourselves with empty calories, fats, low-vitamin and mineral (and “enriched” with only a few vitamins) content, possibly GMO fed meats, and sugar than what can we expect? 

High percentages of people diagnosed with Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Acid-Reflux, numerous digestive disorders, Chronic and Morbid Obesity, female and male hormonal imbalances, etc.

Are you ready to try something different?

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[i] http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/

[ii] http://www.ers.usda.gov/news/BSECoverage.htm