FOOD COMBINING

Last Friday and the Friday before, I discussed the use of combinations of foods to obtain protein. All of which was usable proteins! 

Lappe points to a scientist by the name of R.J. Williams, who stated that “…if beef were the only source of protein, on person’s minimum protein needs could be met with two ounces of meat; yet another individual might require eight ounces (165).” The ADA lists averages, not what would fulfill individual needs. 

If an individual has health issues, or is aging their needs are different than a 28 year-old healthy individual.  Lappe recommends we learn to observe our own needs by using what “Williams calls ‘body wisdom’…(which) is aware  of how you feel- - (167).” 

Signs to look for, Lappe points out, would be the slowing down of wound healing, lack of energy, loss or deterioration of hair, nails, and skin (168).  Irritability is another sign of nutritional deficiency, and lack of well-being.  

The body needs to have certain reactions from protein that assists in our well-being. These reactions are what we would call the metabolism.  “Proteins such as insulin, which regulates metabolic processors, we call ‘hormones’; …(168)” Proteins also are important for the metabolic reactions of enzymes. In order to oxygenate the blood, in what is called hemoglobin, we need proteins from which hemoglobin is built.  This blood protein helps prevent excessive alkalinity or acidity (more on this aspect in another set of blogs). (Lappe,169)

I would also add to this list: bowel irregularity, diarrhea, GERD, low immunity (such as frequent colds and allergies), Poor digestion is a really good indication that you are not eating right for your body.  

Do all the protein complementary foods have to be eaten in the same meal? No it is not necessary to do this at each meal. But, if not done within a short time-frame, the partial Amino Acid of the is not utilized by the body, and less of each of the other Amino Acids are used, as well. (Lappe, 180)

So, if a person does not eat all the complete proteins (combined) at a meal, what can they do? Eat more frequently, and eat foods that fulfill the requirements within a few hours of each meal. (Lappe,182) 

more on next Friday...

REFERENCE:

Lappe, Frances Moore.  Diet for a Small Planet, 20^th anniversary edition. Ballantine Books, 1991

Nutrition Fridays

FOOD COMBINING

Last Friday I began the discussion on food combining. I used the Mayan diet as one example. Another example would be the diet found in the Middle East.  They combine bulgur wheat and chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), or humus and pita bread (humus is the combination of chickpeas / garbanzo beans with sesame seed…which is creamed like peanut butter). (Lappe, 161)

In India you find chapaties with dal (lentils).  You find in Asia the food combination would be soy foods with rice (China, Japan, and Indonesia), or soy with barley (Korea and Southern China). (Lappe, Ibid.)

In all of the examples the combination is 70-80% whole grains and 20-30% legumes (beans).  Ironically, this ratio has been proven by nutritionists to contain complete Amino Acids and allows for “maximum protein useability (Lappe,Ibid.)

Yes, you do have to learn how to cook each of these types of food.  It is not really difficult to learn how to cook them.  No, they are not as simple as microwaving a meal for 5 minutes that is purchased pre-made / pre-packaged.  But, definitely more healthy!

Lappe states “with three important exceptions, there is little danger of protein deficiency in a plant food diet (162)” These exceptions are: diets that depend upon fruits as the main source, or diets that use mostly sweet potatoes or cassava, and lastly Lappe points to junk food.  I would include with “junk food” any diet that mostly uses refined sugar and refined flour.

Continued on next Friday…

 

REFERENCE:

Lappe, Frances Moore.  Diet for a Small Planet, 20^th anniversary edition. Ballantine Books, 1991

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

In the Lyon Study (France) not only were the results remarkable, but the follow-up studies demonstrated that the diet was palatable enough to keep the patients using the diet! Not only that, but its ease of use was another factor in patients continuing the diet.

One of the keys to this diet is that many of the recipes from the Mediterranean diet do not use any meat.  Personally, I would suggest for avid meat-eating folks to gradually taper the use of meat.  Start with tapering off the size of the portions. Then, eliminate beef first. It is the hardest of all the meat products to digest and causes the most problems to digestive health.

My second recommendation is to purchase the freshest, best appearing, in-season fruits and vegetables. Buy in small quantities, frequently, so that your fruits and vegetables are remaining fresh until depleted. Shopping for food should be an activity that you enjoy, and you should take your time.  In Europe, the market is a social venue, just like the promenade (evening walks). 

Stock up on whole grains, legumes (beans), lentils, pasta, olive oil, seeds & nuts, and dried fruits. I will be posting a “must-have” pantry list with everything to start a healthy life-style diet.  It will also have the most-important kitchen items added to the list. 

As far as recipes, I am posting some on my Metamorphis Arts site as the “Nutrition Fridays” blog.  you can also find recipes on my daughter's blog: Vegan Iowa as well as other information regarding Vegan diets. The Mediterranean diet does not just cover Italy and Greece, there are diets from other countries as well! Such as: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, and Turkey.  I will be including recipes from all over the Mediterranean.  

Q: What is a “Serving Size”?  To be answered in next Wednesday's blog!

Nutrition Fridays

Last week, I asked you the question: “Are you ready to try something different?"

The image above is the current Food Pyramid, from the FDA site. It is much more balanced than the former food pyramid.  You will soon begin to see the difference between it, and the one I will be discussing next week!

Now, I’m not going to advocate that you throw in the garbage all the food in your fridge and in your cupboards.  Most of us could not afford to toss-out food and replace it.  Besides, you need more information!

There are two very well-known studies: The Seven Countries Study (which resulted in the well-known Mediterranean Diet) and The China Study...

We will begin with what was gleaned from the Seven Countries Study:

The countries studied were Greece, Italy, Croatia and Serbia (then both were a part of Yugoslavia), Japan, Finland, the Netherlands and the United States. The methodology was not through surveys, but by observation in the homes of those studied; through careful measurement of portions eaten and tests. The countries with the highest saturated fats in the diet were the United States, the Netherlands and Finland. Correlated to this information, they also had the highest rate of heart disease. The lowest rates out of all-causes, age-specific death rates were the lowest in the Mediterranean regions (Cloutier and Adamson, 25)”.

It is not just diet, of course, that stands-out in this study. It is the age of the person, blood pressure, and cigarette smoking. It is these and blood cholesterol that came to be known as “risk factors”. While a high-saturated fat diet was a clearly indicated factor, so did the life-style of the persons studied.

The life-style has to do with state of mind. A person can eat extremely healthy, but without lowering stress, living actively (exercise), having close family and community relationships, connection to nature, slower pace of life, enjoying the preparation of and eating food and the zest for living/loving a person may still have health problems.  

Just sit with this information and ponder it. 

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