%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Nutrition by Linne Bailey Because of their mineral-rich soil, our great- grandparents diets contained most of the minerals, proteins and other essential nutrients needed for building and maintaining a healthy body. Today, partially due to our de-mineralized, over-farmed soil, the common household diet has deteriorated to such an extent that many of our diseases have been connected with the lack of a wholesome, balanced diet. The lettuce, cucumbers and carrots in your salad are not like those your ancestors ate. Modern, chemically grown carrots are big, colorful and blemish-free, but they are somewhat hollow, containing very few vitamins and minerals. Chemically grown carrots can be woody and near tasteless. Organically-grown carrots are much more nutritious, have a much better texture and flavor. And kids are more likely to eat organic carrots because they're sweeter. Here's what Dr. Earl Mindell*** says, "We must teach our children to eat nutritious foods because once children get used to the taste of salt, sugar and fat**, it will be even harder for them to learn to eat properly." Among the foods he recommends for children includes: fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. He basically says to give them less fatty, more nutritious and healthy, foods. Educate your children on which foods are healthy and will give them lots of energy and which ones may be harmful to them. Additionally, teach them about attitude, exercise and how to embrace an overall healthy, fully functional life style. **American and English health professionals advice parents to screen their children for cholesterol. Studies suggest that one-fifth or more of 3-18 year old children have alarmingly high cholesterol levels. What to do about it? Start eating healthier foods. For now, and in the future, the most intelligent diet for people of all ages is one that is based on the best quality foods possible. If you do not pay attention to this aspect of your life already, you are encouraged to follow sound principles of sensible, natural eating. These include: * Reducing as much as possible your use of potentially harmful substances. Which are: cigarettes, alcohol** caffeine, soft drinks, refined sugar (too much of ANY sugar such as barley malt, brown rice syrup, honey molasses, turbinado - raw brown sugar, maple syrup, fructose), too much sodium, fats and hydrogenated oils - such as cottonseed and palm kernel oil. Also, reduce foods that contain these oils - including: margarine, processed peanut butter some pastries, cookies and candy bars. Also, preservatives, food colorings, additives, hydrolyzed protein (MSG), and your favorite - junk foods!... you know this list! Your body can take only so much abuse. ** According to Oriental medicine, the kidneys govern sexual energy. Therefore, overindulgence in alcohol, caffeine and fatty foods may irritate or weaken the kidneys. * Choosing the highest quality foods possible. This means less highly processed, less chemicalized. Eat organically grown food products when possible. Because they are grown in more fertile, mineral rich soil, they taste so much better than chemically grown foods. If your not much on salads, try one made with a variety of fresh, colorful organic vegetables. You may find yourself wanting a salad everyday! Even better are foods grown in soils that have been restore using mineral-richgravel dust or other natural fertilizer products. * Eating lower on the food chain. (Editor's note: algae , a green, freshwater plant, is the absolute lowest on the food chain.) Eating more whole grains, beans - which are rich in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, also eat seeds, nuts, fresh vegetables, especially leafy greens such as spinach, Swiss chard, kale, collard, turnip and beet greens. Eat as many raw greens in salads as you can. * Eat plenty of carbohydrates and fiber. Pasta has lots of of these. There's only 1 gram of fat in one cup of cooked pasta - So - eat all you want! Try vegetables over pasta or nut and vegetable-based cream sauces and gravies. Studies suggest it's best to let carbohydrates supply most of our calories. According to the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition", people who raised their carbohydrate intake and raised their lowered their fat intake to 30 percent of their total calories showed improved immune function. The simplest basic tenet to supporting your immune system is to optimize nutrients while minimizing factors which suppress the immune system. One sure way to provide yourself with the highest quality nutrients is to eat natural, unprocessed foods grown locally in rich, organic soil. Organic matter is the matrix of life and the best way of insuring that foods contain the needed vitamins and minerals. Sweet potatoes have a lot of the vitamins we need. They are an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, E and B-6 as well as potassium, copper, folic acid, fiber and are low in fat. And don't forget fruits. The best ones to eat are: cantaloupes, honeydews, casabas, cranshaws and Persian melons. They are high in potassium, Vitamins A and C are practically fat free. Dried fruits are great for low-fat, high energy snacks. They contain potassium and a lot of iron and fiber.*** ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` How Much Protein? As far as protein, get enough - but not too much. Many people eat about twice the amount of protein they need. Too much is linked to kidney disease and colon, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer. Read on for some really fascinating facts that substantiate this statement. John Robbins has graciously consented to let us quote from his latest book, "May All Be Fed". We all thank you, John! Through his vast research and personal experience, he has determined many advantages of a vegetarian diet. Many people considering a vegetarian diet are concerned about getting enough protein. John Robbins has discovered that: If we ate nothing but wheat (16 percent protein), or oatmeal (15 percent), or even pumpkin (12 percent), we would easily be getting more than enough protein. In fact, if we ate nothing but the common potato (11 percent protein) we would still be getting enough protein. There have been circumstances when people have been forced to satisfy entire nutritional needs with potatoes and water alone. Individuals who have lived for lengthy periods of time under those conditions showed no signs whatsoever of protein deficiency. This fact does not mean potatoes are a particularly high source of protein. They are not. But what it does show is the contrast between how our low our protein needs really are, and how exaggerated are the beliefs most of us have come to accept about them. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The Protein - Calcium Relationship Regardless of how much calcium we take in, the more protein in the diet, the more calcium we lose. The result is that high-protein diets in general, and meat-based diets in particular, lead to a gradual but inexorable decrease in bone density and the development of osteoporosis. Summarizing the medical research osteoporosis, one of the nation's leading medical authorities on dietary associations with disease, Dr. John McDougall says: I would like to emphasize that the calcium-losing effect of protein on the human body is not an area of controversy in scientific circles. The many studies performed during the past fifty-five years consistently show that the most important dietary change that we can make if we want to create a positive calcium balance that will keep our bones solid is to decrease the amount of proteins we eat each day. The important change is not to increase the amount of calcium we take in. Here are some statistics relating to bone loss: * Male vegetarians have an average measurable bone loss of 3 percent. * Male meat eaters have an average measurable bone loss of 7 percent. * Female vegetarians have an average measurable bone loss of 18 percent. * Female meat eaters have an average measurable bone loss of 35 percent. Incidentally, a USDA survey found that among vegetarians, the biggest protein overdose is in children aged three to eight. These youngsters, many of whom are told to "drink their three glasses of milk a day," consume an average 209 percent of their actual protein needs. I suspect that many parents of these children are afraid their children won't get enough protein. Attempting to placate the protein tyrant in their own minds, they make sure their kids eat lots of milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs, thinking they are doing them a good turn. The kids end up eating far more protein than is good for them, even with all their growth requirements taken into account. The meat and dairy industries like to question the credentials of anyone who suggest their products might not promote optimum health. But it would be hard to dispute the standing of T. Colin Campbell, a professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University and former senior science advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research. He says there is: A strong correlation between dietary protein intake and cancer of the breast, prostate, pancreas, and colon. Dr. Campbell is the director of the China-Oxford-Cornell Study, the largest and most comprehensive investigation of the connections between diet and disease in world medical history. He was a meat eater for many years, but gave meat up because, as he put it, the mounting evidence could no longer be ignored. The culprit in many of the most prevalent and deadly diseases of our time, according to the prodigious study, is none other than the very thing many of us have been taught to hold virtually sacred - animal protein. Data from the China-Oxford-Cornell Study reveals that people who derive 70 percent of their protein from animal products (as Americans typically do) have major health difficulties compared to people who derive just 5 percent of their protein from animal sources. THEY HAVE SEVENTEEN TIMES THE DEATH RATE FROM HEART DISEASE AND WOMEN ARE FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF BREAST CANCER. Summarizing the implications of this extraordinary data, Campbell leaves little doubt as to his opinion of the protein consumption patterns of our society: Excessive animal protein is at the core of many chronic diseases. ............................................................. Where Do I Begin? People everywhere can help restore animal agriculture to sustainability by changing their diets to a vegetarian one. Please join with other caring and committed people by making a shift in your thinking and diet now. To find out how you can become involved in sharing educational materials with family, friends, associates, local newspapers and radio stations and government officials, call 1-800-DNA-DO-IT. Here's their address and phone number: EarthSave Foundation 706 Frederick Street Santa Cruz, California 95062-2205 408-423-4069 ------------------------------------------------------------- Surprising Statistics * Amount of total U.S. grain production consumed by livestock: 70% * Amount of U.S. cropland producing livestock feed: 64% * Amount of U.S. cropland producing fruits and vegetables: 2% * Activity that accounts for more than half of all water consumed in the U.S.: Livestock production * Average cholesterol level of people eating a meat-centered diet: 210 mg./dl. * Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol is 210 mg./dl.: Greater than 50% * Dietary cholesterol intake needed to support human health: None, the body makes its own * Leading sources of saturated fat and cholesterol in American diets: Meat, dairy products and eggs * Cholesterol found in grains, beans, fruits, vegetables and nuts: None*** _____________________________________________________________ End of chapter.