The Facts About: Food and Drink
If you are serious about your health,
if you are seriously interested in finding out what on the earth is healthy, and what is not,
if you are interested in achieving your ideal body weight the fastest and healthiest way humanly possible,
please read on.
There is SO much misinformation out there. Here is the truth, from Joel Fuhrman, MD, John McDougall, MD, and many others.
For one, there is one healthiest, fastest way to arrive at your ideal body weight.
Granted, there are MANY ways to lose weight, but all but one are impractical and unsustainable. Let's debunk:
Nutrisystem/Marie Osmond: No.
Jenny Craig/Valeri Bertinelli: No.
Weight Watchers: No.
The New Atkins: No.
South Beach: No.
Gastric or Lap Band/weight loss surgery: No.
Over exercise/burn the calories off: No.
I won't bore you. There are dozens more, and new ones added all the time. All others but one, wrong.
You can lose weight with the above methods, they're just not sustainable/healthy. Why have to deal with portion control when you can turn to a healthy weight loss method that allows you to eat as much healthy food as you want- and enable you to achieve your ideal body weight at the same time?
My outlook for the future health of Americans is realistic and bleak: Most will die before their time because of diseases related to unhealthy food and drink addiction. If I have learned anything, it's that people have to decide for themselves whether or not to make positive changes/give up unhealthy lifestyle choices. I am about to spell out what is healthy, and what is not. My intent is education only, and sent with only the best intentions. I want to share with you what I have learned through personal experience and research from doctors. It's up to you what you do with this information.
If you read this information, at the least you will be informed, from the best nutrition doctors in the world.
I had a golf partner who has the mentality that he can eat whatever he wants, just so he exercises the calories away, he thinks he will be healthy. This is unhealthy thinking, and life shortening. Not only is he wearing out his body from over exercise, he is taxing his organs by putting unhealthy food and drink through his body. True, he did look trim during this time of his life, but even he admitted he could not keep up with the exercise regime, and is now back to being obese. By the way, any extra weight you carry on your body promotes major diseases: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, many more.
An exercise program only to remain at one's ideal body weight is not sustainable, and not healthy, unless..
... one turns to a lifestyle of healthy food and drink combined with practical, regular exercise.
This is not easy, especially in this day and age, with all the bad influences staring you in the face. In fact, to eat and drink healthy will be very hard- you will have to give up unhealthy food and drink addictions. Mealtime will become more challenging at family get-togethers, going out to eat with friends. But it's your choice. You can become a good influence.
What's worth it? The temporary satisfaction of the tastes you love now, or living a longer life?
What's your priority?
I look at each food and drink this way: Do they contain substances that promote disease?, or do they contain only health promoting nutrients?
The healthiest drinks for people are:
1) Good, clean water (Steam distilled water is healthiest. )
2) Freshly squeezed juice, from a juicer (I'm not talking about the juice in grocery stores in cartons or bottles that's been pasteurized/boiled- it's concentrated sweetener- compared almost to pop/soda- not nearly as healthy as freshly squeezed/juiced.
Or if you're thirsty, eat the apple, orange, or piece of melon- get the liquid with the fiber, vitamins and minerals- a very healthy way to quench your thirst.)
The healthiest foods on the earth, organic and raw when possible, are fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans), whole grains, and raw/unroasted/unsalted right from the tree or plant: seeds and nuts.
Here's a simple rule: If it comes right out of the garden to your plate, or right off the tree, that's as healthy as it gets.
Superabundant in animal foods are 5 poisons that promote disease- excess protein, saturated fat, cholesterol, methionine
(a sulfur-containing amino acid), and dietary acids. http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/jan/poison.htm
There is saturated fat in some plant foods, and granted they should be eaten sparingly, but plant fat is a much healthier fat.
Unless it's wild game or free range, most meat also contains growth hormones and cancer promoting preservatives: sulfites.
All food from plants promote pure health, if eaten raw or cooked in a healthy way- which means either steamed or boiled in a soup.
You've heard about how healthy fiber is- nature's colon scrub brush- is only in plants.
There is no fiber in animal foods.
Eat some of the following disease promoting foods?
All food from a cow/dairy food: Unhealthy. Promotes disease.
All milk from a cow, from low fat to whole cow's milk: unhealthy
Butter: unhealthy
Cheese: unhealthy (Butter and cheese are the most dangerous of all animal foods. They have the highest amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol.)
Yogurt, Kefir: unhealthy
I have a favor to ask you: When you think about all food, think about its natural intention.
We've been duped.
Think about the natural intention of a mother cow's milk.
It's intended for a calf, not a person.
A calf grows in 1 year from 80 pounds to 800 pounds. How much does a human baby grow in 1 year? Other countries think it's silly that Americans drink the lactation from an animal- milk from a cow, or goat.
Would you drink the milk from a dog, cat, or some other mammal?
So it's no wonder that food intended for a cow promotes disease in a human!
Researchers are finding out that it's the milk proteins that are promoting disease even more than the animal fat.
Many of the major human diseases are being attributed to a high intake of dairy products.
In pioneer times settlers survived winters by having a milk cow. Now, it's not necessary.
In days gone by, mankind survived by eating animal flesh.
Now it's not necessary.
A by-product of all the meat eating over time- most of mankind is now addicted to food from animals, because of the taste, and because of the addictive chemicals that food from animals contain.
Eggs: Unhealthy
Again, think about what an egg is naturally intended for- to hatch a baby bird, not to feed a human. There is unhealthy cholesterol and way too much protein in eggs, which taxes your kidneys and liver.
So it's no surprise that something that's intended to hatch a bird, promotes human disease.
All Meat: Unhealthy
All meat from animals to fish is cholesterol filled muscle.
Of course the more lean the animal flesh the better, but is a half pack of cigarettes that much better than a full pack?
Cattle- burgers, steaks, etc.- all unhealthy
Pigs- ham, pork chops, bacon, etc.- all unhealthy
Birds: chickens, turkeys, ducks, etc.- all unhealthy
All Fish- all unhealthy
You hear about how healthy fish oil is because of the omega 3. Omega 3 can be derived from some plants. You've heard that chocolate has healthy antioxidants. It also contains caffeine, processed sugar, and fat. Better to get your antioxidants from plant foods. Animal foods do have some healthy substances like iron and protein (albeit too much protein), but isn't it better to consume only foods that totally promote your health? Why ingest foods that contain unhealthy substances, even though they contain healthy substances as well? For taste?
Is the taste worth the consequences? There are more than enough great tastes in completely healthy foods.
The healthiest part of your meals should include a variety of raw veggies in a salad. Instead of meat, center your meals around the starchy vegetables: corn, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or brown rice. Starches, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and raw seeds and nuts will promote a trim fit body and lifetime of excellent health.
Substances in food from animals promote major diseases such as cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, high cholesterol, and many others.
It's time to consider consuming healthy, longevity promoting plants. It's time to give animals a break. Many people believe that the purpose of an animal is to feed humans. That is misinformed. The purpose of an animal is to be an animal, to live an animal's life. Brings to mind the horrific living conditions for animals in factory farms. If you do eat animals, please consider eating only ones raised respectfully- called free range, or wild game.
You've heard about how important it is to get calcium from a cow's milk and protein from meat.
They're myths. We've been duped folks from those industries. Calcium that's intended for a calf and excess animal protein actually taxes your kidneys/other organs- promotes human disease.
Cow's milk actually weakens bones promoting bone loss. In fact, the countries with the highest dairy consumption have the highest incidence of bone loss and hip fracture!
Talk about a world turned upside down.
Regarding meat, the truth is, any protein you consume, you need the protein that's already in your body to help break it down, so that's wasted energy, and again, it taxes your organs. What you actually need to produce protein in your body are amino acids from plant foods. Take a lesson from gorillas, who eat 99% plants. All the amino acids in the plants they eat produce protein in their bodies, making them one of the strongest animals on earth.
You get all you need from a well rounded diet of plant foods.
You do need a small amount of vitamin B12, so for insurance sake Dr. Fuhrman does suggest taking a B12 sublingual vitamin.
White flour products: white bread, white flour tortillas, “regular” yellow/white spaghetti or pasta- all unhealthy
White rice: minute rice, etc.- all unhealthy
These products have all been processed- most of the nutrients have been removed. They are digested quickly and have been compared to sugar consumption/causes pancreatic insulin spike.
Instead choose less processed whole grain products that are digested more slowly, like whole wheat/whole grain breads, whole wheat/whole grain tortillas, whole wheat/whole grain/vegetable pastas, gluten free whole grain products- we really like corn pasta!
Many people are allergic to gluten and need to choose gluten free products. There is gluten in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut.
Gluten free: quinoa, millet, rice, buckwheat, corn, tapioca, potato, beans
The jury is still out on oats. There is a small amount of gluten in oats, but those affected by gluten don’t seem to be affected by oats.
Choose brown rice rather than white as it is much healthier. Brown rice is a staple of the macrobiotic diet- a very strict, plant based diet.
For a HUGE list on all grains and flours including gluten free go to
http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_grains.php
All salt and processed sugar promotes disease. The more you stay away from these harmful substances the healthier your taste buds will become. If you take a break from salt and processed sugar you will be amazed your sensitivity to the natural sweetness/more intense flavors in fruit and vegetables!
Coffee is unhealthy because of the addictive caffeine which promotes high blood pressure/increased heart rate.
1 cup of coffee leaches 5 mg of calcium from your body.
Choose caffeine free coffee or tea instead when possible.
Even caffeine free coffee has a small amount of caffeine.
This is one of those addictions that is very hard to stop.
Can you turn into a “juicer”, or fruit smoothie junkie instead?
I will include simple, wonderful tasting smoothie recipes in a future entry.
Don't think short term, think long term. At the least, consider eating less food from animals.
At the most, be a nutritarian- one who seeks healthy nutrition in all food and drink.
I have been off all animal foods for 9 months. It has not been easy. After being an animal food lover/addict for over 50 years, what do I expect. It's tough to smell fried chicken, to remember the smell and taste of fried bacon in the morning. Like someone from AA, it will be a life long challenge to remain on the plant food wagon. The thing is, the longer one is able to remain a nutritarian, the easy it will get, and I tell you what, after being off of animal foods, and being off most processed sugar and salt- healthy food has never tasted so great. We absolutely love our healthy food and drink. :)
-----------------------
References: Dr. Joel Fuhrman's 2 book set Eat For Health, his book aimed at parents Disease-Proof Your Child- Feeding Kids Right, and his groundbreaking nutritional primer
Eat To Live.
He is in the process of updating Eat To Live. You can find used copies of these books on Amazon.com, or go to his website to purchase the books new at drfuhrman.com.
Dr. John McDougall's books were also used as references.
You can sign up for John's fantastic, free monthly e-newsletter on his website drmcdougall.com.
if you are seriously interested in finding out what on the earth is healthy, and what is not,
if you are interested in achieving your ideal body weight the fastest and healthiest way humanly possible,
please read on.
There is SO much misinformation out there. Here is the truth, from Joel Fuhrman, MD, John McDougall, MD, and many others.
For one, there is one healthiest, fastest way to arrive at your ideal body weight.
Granted, there are MANY ways to lose weight, but all but one are impractical and unsustainable. Let's debunk:
Nutrisystem/Marie Osmond: No.
Jenny Craig/Valeri Bertinelli: No.
Weight Watchers: No.
The New Atkins: No.
South Beach: No.
Gastric or Lap Band/weight loss surgery: No.
Over exercise/burn the calories off: No.
I won't bore you. There are dozens more, and new ones added all the time. All others but one, wrong.
You can lose weight with the above methods, they're just not sustainable/healthy. Why have to deal with portion control when you can turn to a healthy weight loss method that allows you to eat as much healthy food as you want- and enable you to achieve your ideal body weight at the same time?
My outlook for the future health of Americans is realistic and bleak: Most will die before their time because of diseases related to unhealthy food and drink addiction. If I have learned anything, it's that people have to decide for themselves whether or not to make positive changes/give up unhealthy lifestyle choices. I am about to spell out what is healthy, and what is not. My intent is education only, and sent with only the best intentions. I want to share with you what I have learned through personal experience and research from doctors. It's up to you what you do with this information.
If you read this information, at the least you will be informed, from the best nutrition doctors in the world.
I had a golf partner who has the mentality that he can eat whatever he wants, just so he exercises the calories away, he thinks he will be healthy. This is unhealthy thinking, and life shortening. Not only is he wearing out his body from over exercise, he is taxing his organs by putting unhealthy food and drink through his body. True, he did look trim during this time of his life, but even he admitted he could not keep up with the exercise regime, and is now back to being obese. By the way, any extra weight you carry on your body promotes major diseases: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, many more.
An exercise program only to remain at one's ideal body weight is not sustainable, and not healthy, unless..
... one turns to a lifestyle of healthy food and drink combined with practical, regular exercise.
This is not easy, especially in this day and age, with all the bad influences staring you in the face. In fact, to eat and drink healthy will be very hard- you will have to give up unhealthy food and drink addictions. Mealtime will become more challenging at family get-togethers, going out to eat with friends. But it's your choice. You can become a good influence.
What's worth it? The temporary satisfaction of the tastes you love now, or living a longer life?
What's your priority?
I look at each food and drink this way: Do they contain substances that promote disease?, or do they contain only health promoting nutrients?
The healthiest drinks for people are:
1) Good, clean water (Steam distilled water is healthiest. )
2) Freshly squeezed juice, from a juicer (I'm not talking about the juice in grocery stores in cartons or bottles that's been pasteurized/boiled- it's concentrated sweetener- compared almost to pop/soda- not nearly as healthy as freshly squeezed/juiced.
Or if you're thirsty, eat the apple, orange, or piece of melon- get the liquid with the fiber, vitamins and minerals- a very healthy way to quench your thirst.)
The healthiest foods on the earth, organic and raw when possible, are fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans), whole grains, and raw/unroasted/unsalted right from the tree or plant: seeds and nuts.
Here's a simple rule: If it comes right out of the garden to your plate, or right off the tree, that's as healthy as it gets.
Superabundant in animal foods are 5 poisons that promote disease- excess protein, saturated fat, cholesterol, methionine
(a sulfur-containing amino acid), and dietary acids. http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/jan/poison.htm
There is saturated fat in some plant foods, and granted they should be eaten sparingly, but plant fat is a much healthier fat.
Unless it's wild game or free range, most meat also contains growth hormones and cancer promoting preservatives: sulfites.
All food from plants promote pure health, if eaten raw or cooked in a healthy way- which means either steamed or boiled in a soup.
You've heard about how healthy fiber is- nature's colon scrub brush- is only in plants.
There is no fiber in animal foods.
Eat some of the following disease promoting foods?
All food from a cow/dairy food: Unhealthy. Promotes disease.
All milk from a cow, from low fat to whole cow's milk: unhealthy
Butter: unhealthy
Cheese: unhealthy (Butter and cheese are the most dangerous of all animal foods. They have the highest amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol.)
Yogurt, Kefir: unhealthy
I have a favor to ask you: When you think about all food, think about its natural intention.
We've been duped.
Think about the natural intention of a mother cow's milk.
It's intended for a calf, not a person.
A calf grows in 1 year from 80 pounds to 800 pounds. How much does a human baby grow in 1 year? Other countries think it's silly that Americans drink the lactation from an animal- milk from a cow, or goat.
Would you drink the milk from a dog, cat, or some other mammal?
So it's no wonder that food intended for a cow promotes disease in a human!
Researchers are finding out that it's the milk proteins that are promoting disease even more than the animal fat.
Many of the major human diseases are being attributed to a high intake of dairy products.
In pioneer times settlers survived winters by having a milk cow. Now, it's not necessary.
In days gone by, mankind survived by eating animal flesh.
Now it's not necessary.
A by-product of all the meat eating over time- most of mankind is now addicted to food from animals, because of the taste, and because of the addictive chemicals that food from animals contain.
Eggs: Unhealthy
Again, think about what an egg is naturally intended for- to hatch a baby bird, not to feed a human. There is unhealthy cholesterol and way too much protein in eggs, which taxes your kidneys and liver.
So it's no surprise that something that's intended to hatch a bird, promotes human disease.
All Meat: Unhealthy
All meat from animals to fish is cholesterol filled muscle.
Of course the more lean the animal flesh the better, but is a half pack of cigarettes that much better than a full pack?
Cattle- burgers, steaks, etc.- all unhealthy
Pigs- ham, pork chops, bacon, etc.- all unhealthy
Birds: chickens, turkeys, ducks, etc.- all unhealthy
All Fish- all unhealthy
You hear about how healthy fish oil is because of the omega 3. Omega 3 can be derived from some plants. You've heard that chocolate has healthy antioxidants. It also contains caffeine, processed sugar, and fat. Better to get your antioxidants from plant foods. Animal foods do have some healthy substances like iron and protein (albeit too much protein), but isn't it better to consume only foods that totally promote your health? Why ingest foods that contain unhealthy substances, even though they contain healthy substances as well? For taste?
Is the taste worth the consequences? There are more than enough great tastes in completely healthy foods.
The healthiest part of your meals should include a variety of raw veggies in a salad. Instead of meat, center your meals around the starchy vegetables: corn, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or brown rice. Starches, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and raw seeds and nuts will promote a trim fit body and lifetime of excellent health.
Substances in food from animals promote major diseases such as cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, high cholesterol, and many others.
It's time to consider consuming healthy, longevity promoting plants. It's time to give animals a break. Many people believe that the purpose of an animal is to feed humans. That is misinformed. The purpose of an animal is to be an animal, to live an animal's life. Brings to mind the horrific living conditions for animals in factory farms. If you do eat animals, please consider eating only ones raised respectfully- called free range, or wild game.
You've heard about how important it is to get calcium from a cow's milk and protein from meat.
They're myths. We've been duped folks from those industries. Calcium that's intended for a calf and excess animal protein actually taxes your kidneys/other organs- promotes human disease.
Cow's milk actually weakens bones promoting bone loss. In fact, the countries with the highest dairy consumption have the highest incidence of bone loss and hip fracture!
Talk about a world turned upside down.
Regarding meat, the truth is, any protein you consume, you need the protein that's already in your body to help break it down, so that's wasted energy, and again, it taxes your organs. What you actually need to produce protein in your body are amino acids from plant foods. Take a lesson from gorillas, who eat 99% plants. All the amino acids in the plants they eat produce protein in their bodies, making them one of the strongest animals on earth.
You get all you need from a well rounded diet of plant foods.
You do need a small amount of vitamin B12, so for insurance sake Dr. Fuhrman does suggest taking a B12 sublingual vitamin.
White flour products: white bread, white flour tortillas, “regular” yellow/white spaghetti or pasta- all unhealthy
White rice: minute rice, etc.- all unhealthy
These products have all been processed- most of the nutrients have been removed. They are digested quickly and have been compared to sugar consumption/causes pancreatic insulin spike.
Instead choose less processed whole grain products that are digested more slowly, like whole wheat/whole grain breads, whole wheat/whole grain tortillas, whole wheat/whole grain/vegetable pastas, gluten free whole grain products- we really like corn pasta!
Many people are allergic to gluten and need to choose gluten free products. There is gluten in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut.
Gluten free: quinoa, millet, rice, buckwheat, corn, tapioca, potato, beans
The jury is still out on oats. There is a small amount of gluten in oats, but those affected by gluten don’t seem to be affected by oats.
Choose brown rice rather than white as it is much healthier. Brown rice is a staple of the macrobiotic diet- a very strict, plant based diet.
For a HUGE list on all grains and flours including gluten free go to
http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_grains.php
All salt and processed sugar promotes disease. The more you stay away from these harmful substances the healthier your taste buds will become. If you take a break from salt and processed sugar you will be amazed your sensitivity to the natural sweetness/more intense flavors in fruit and vegetables!
Coffee is unhealthy because of the addictive caffeine which promotes high blood pressure/increased heart rate.
1 cup of coffee leaches 5 mg of calcium from your body.
Choose caffeine free coffee or tea instead when possible.
Even caffeine free coffee has a small amount of caffeine.
This is one of those addictions that is very hard to stop.
Can you turn into a “juicer”, or fruit smoothie junkie instead?
I will include simple, wonderful tasting smoothie recipes in a future entry.
Don't think short term, think long term. At the least, consider eating less food from animals.
At the most, be a nutritarian- one who seeks healthy nutrition in all food and drink.
I have been off all animal foods for 9 months. It has not been easy. After being an animal food lover/addict for over 50 years, what do I expect. It's tough to smell fried chicken, to remember the smell and taste of fried bacon in the morning. Like someone from AA, it will be a life long challenge to remain on the plant food wagon. The thing is, the longer one is able to remain a nutritarian, the easy it will get, and I tell you what, after being off of animal foods, and being off most processed sugar and salt- healthy food has never tasted so great. We absolutely love our healthy food and drink. :)
-----------------------
References: Dr. Joel Fuhrman's 2 book set Eat For Health, his book aimed at parents Disease-Proof Your Child- Feeding Kids Right, and his groundbreaking nutritional primer
Eat To Live.
He is in the process of updating Eat To Live. You can find used copies of these books on Amazon.com, or go to his website to purchase the books new at drfuhrman.com.
Dr. John McDougall's books were also used as references.
You can sign up for John's fantastic, free monthly e-newsletter on his website drmcdougall.com.
