Oral contraceptive and postmenopausal hormone usage both increase the risk of breast cancer. Oral contraceptive usage increases the risk of coronary heart disease. Postmenopausal hormone usage increases the risk of stroke.
Why You Should Never Eat Vegetable Oil or Margarine
This is better written than anything I’m likely to come up with anytime soon. Read the whole thing:
Why You Should NEVER Eat Vegetable Oil or Margarine! | Wellness Mama
Some research about margarine
According to the Nurses’ Health Study the single biggest dietary predictor of heart disease was consumption of margarine. Eating 4 teaspoons of margarine increased the risk of heart disease in women by 50% compared with those who ate margarine rarely.
Trans-fats have been linked to increased risk of coronary heart disease and cancer. Margarine is extremely high in trans-fats created during the process of hydrogenation. Though “trans-fat free” margarine is available, they are allowed to contain 5% trans-fats and still carry that label. However, an interesting research project would be to see if the relative drop in trans-fat levels in margarine is correlated with the recent drop in coronary heart disease in the US. Continue reading ‘Some research about margarine’ »
Foods I learned about this weekend
In addition to all that I learned from training and practicing this past weekend I also picked up a few tips on foods out there that are high quality and worth trying.
- Harmless Harvest 100% Raw & Organic Coconut Water – quite possibly the most delicious coconut water that is not coming straight from a coconut. Supposedly available in Portland at New Seasons and Whole Foods but I have not yet been able to find it.
- Mountain Valley Spring Water – a good choice for water when traveling as it has a good mineral profile, alkalinity, and comes in glass containers. Can be found in Portland at New Seasons and Whole Foods or can be ordered online for a comparable price.
- Garden of Life RAW Calcium – supposedly one of the best calcium supplements on the market and especially good when healing broken bones.
- Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Protein Powder – raw vegan protein powder from cranberries, peas, and hemp plus medium chain triglycerides from coconut.
Thank you Niko, Scott, Francesca, and Bianca for tips about these foods.
Sanders’ amendment regarding labeling of GE foods defeated
This amendment did not require the labeling of GE products. It merely asserted that States have the right to require such labeling. So, of course, every Republican senator save one (Murkowski), along with about half of Democratic senators, voted against it siding with the interests of corporations invested in GE products over the rights of people to know what is in the products they are buying. Interestingly it looks like the west coast (WA, OR, CA) and states farther west (AK, HI) were a solid voting block in favor of the amendment.
U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote
The Senate today rejected an amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to let states require clear labels on any food or beverage containing genetically engineered ingredients. The vote was 26 to 73…..
In the United States, Sanders said, food labels already must list more than 3,000 ingredients ranging from high-fructose corn syrup to trans-fats. Unlike 49 countries around the world, however, foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients do not have to be labeled in the U.S.
Studying the USDA’s numbers of sugar consumption
In researching some information of sugar I came across this helpful graphic of US sugar consumption:
US per capita consumption of sweeteners from 1965-2010
Continue reading ‘Studying the USDA’s numbers of sugar consumption’ »
Some thoughts on zinc supplementation
My thought over the last few weeks is that men who eat a primarily vegan/vegetarian diet almost certainly need to supplement with zinc. People who eat a vegan/vegetarian diet often do not get nearly as much zinc in their diets as people who eat meat. Men need more zinc than women as it has an essential role in the male reproductive system in addition to the multitude of other functions in the body. Therefore, at the intersection of those populations zinc supplementation seems likely to be indicated.
As for myself, I took an aqueous zinc test a few weeks ago and it indicated a significant deficiency in zinc. At first I wanted to investigate getting more zinc through dietary changes and I was surprised to learn just how difficult that would be. The DRI for adult men is 11mg/day (8mg/day for adult women when not pregnant or lactating). And there are many medical professionals who suggest higher levels. In fact the US RDA has been 15mg since 1974. Here’s what Dr. Elson M. Haas, MD recommends:
Best to avoid “Agave Nectar” aka High Fructose Agave Syrup
One seemingly endless market is for “healthy sugar”. There is a lot of money in the marketing of various products as “healthy sugar” and “Agave” is certainly one of the success stories. The most important thing to understand about High Fructose Agave Syrup is that it is made in an almost identical way to High Fructose Corn Syrup. The root bulb of the Agave plant is chemically broken into fructose, producing a syrup that may be as high as 97% fructose (though often in the 60%-70% range). High Fructose Corn Syrup, by comparison, is generally added to products in forms that are 42% or 55% fructose (with the bulk the remainder being glucose). Many of the concerns people have over High Fructose Corn Syrup are shared by High Fructose Agave Syrup. So if you’re someone that understands the dangers posed by High Fructose Corn Syrup it’s best to avoid products with “Agave” and “Agave Nectar” as well. If you want a lot more information on the dangers of High Fructose Agave Syrup here’s some substantial reading:
- Shocking! This ‘Tequila’ Sweetener is Far Worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Can Agave Syrup Spike Uric Acid into the Danger Zone?
- Debunking the Agave Myth – That’s Fit
- Agave Nectar: Worse Than We Thought – Weston A Price Foundation
The healthiest way to ingest fructose is by eating whole fruit and the best way to sweeten foods is by adding whole fruit. That way you’ll get the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and a lower dose of fructose than you would with a concentrated, refined, denatured sweetener.
One reason to avoid commercial sports protein drinks
In July 2010 Consumer Reports found heavy metal contamination in several protein drinks. They tested for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury and found at least 1 in each drink tested:
For athletes looking for a protein drink I would recommend using whole foods where possible and only supplementing with a high quality protein powder. My protein drink recipe:
- 8 oz unsweetened nut milk (preferably home made)
- 2 raw eggs from pasture raised chickens
- 2 scoops of Standard Process SP Complete
To this I sometimes add coconut milk or coconut water and those inclined could add a little fruit.
Link Between Vitamin D and Type 1 Diabetes
Here’s Dr. Jonathan Wright, MD speaking about some studies linking Vitamin D supplementation with decreases in Type 1 Diabetes. I was completely unaware of this research until watching this video:
Vitamin D Deficiency – Dr. Jonathan Wright, MD – YouTube
Continue reading ‘Link Between Vitamin D and Type 1 Diabetes’ »