Lately I have had a few patients tell me they are giving up dairy, saying "we are the only species that drinks another species' milk." They committed to this idea after seeing the documentary "Forks over Knives." I finally had a chance to watch it, and here are my thoughts.
The movie recommends a plant-based diet and claims this diet will reverse disease, improve health and help the environment. Hard to argue with that! We should all be eating more plants, more fiber, less saturated fat, and less processed foods.
But, is all animal protein evil, including fish and 1% milk? It is true we are the only species that drinks another's milk--we are also the only species to build jets, space shuttles, cars, iphones (thank goodness), and cook our food. If people can afford it, organic and especially grass-fed sources of animal protein are a worthwhile choice for the environment and your health (not due to the nutrient content but the lack of hormones and antibiotics). But not everyone can afford to shop at Whole Foods Market, which is prominently featured in "Forks over Knives."
What's the problem with eating fish? Especially wild-caught varieties, if you can happen to afford them? What's the problem with a piece of string cheese, Greek yogurt, or an egg?
The movie seems to constantly muddle CORRELATION with CAUSATION. Any student who took any epidemiology class can tell you there is a HUGE difference. Just because heart disease happened to drop in Norway while meat intake dropped does not mean that animal protein (a very broad category) causes heart disease. It was wartime. There were so many other factors changing at the exact same time between 1940-1945, how can you pin something on just a decreased intake of animal protein?
And why oh why does the movie group fatty hot dogs and bacon EQUALLY with lean turkey breast or salmon? These are not the same! One group is high in saturated fat and sodium....fatty processed meats (which are indeed correlated with increased risk of many diseases). But wild-caught salmon increasing your risk? Boneless skinless chicken or turkey?
I was at a conference on diabetes last week, and the main nutrition speaker recommended switching patients to a diet with 50 grams of fiber a day, entirely plant -based, and the speaker herself was a vegan. I think that is a fine goal, but one that most people I meet with are not able to follow. Most people aren't even able to get to 10 grams a day! (We should be eating at least 25-30 grams a day, by the way).
The points the movie makes about the corrupt politics that formed the "Dietary Guidelines of America" are accurate according to reputable authors like Marion Nestle, whose book "Food Politics" explains how these guidelines were also shaped by the money of big food corporations that hired powerful lobbyists. Hence, you will not see something like "Eat less butter" in the guidelines...rather they will talk about something obscure like "limit your saturated fat" which is useful to hardly anyone.
For me, the movie was great in pointing out rates between the Western diet and disease rates. But you know what they say about statistics, right. After all, "Forks over Knives" is a movie, not a 100% unbiased or balanced portrayal. The Western diet is associated with many lifestyle diseases. But for someone who isn't ready to become vegan or give up dairy, I think that person can still find plenty of ways to improve their diet. Like, the Meditteranean diet!
It's not so black and white...Western Diet vs Vegan Diet. There are thousands of variations in between the 2 extremes of eating complete processed crap and eschewing all animal products 100%.
I had the same criticism after seeing "Supersize Me." One could also go to McDonald's three times a day and get oatmeal, water, fruit smoothies and salads...but that wouldn't have had the exciting results Morgan Spurlock experienced after eating huge amounts of fatty meats, salt and sugar thrice daily.
I loved seeing people get off their multiple meds. But, you can do this without becoming 100% vegan. People on the "Biggest Loser" do it in a very short time every season as they radically change their lifestyle.
I remember I was a vegan for 3 days about 12 years ago, but I just couldn't keep it up. I really admire people who are able to maintain a vegan diet!
In all, I think the message of the movie was great--almost all of us should be trying to eat a more plant-based diet. But some of the "facts" reminded me of swiss cheese.
Let me know your thoughts if you saw "Forks over Knives!"
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
School Daze
A special post for those of you with kids...
School hasn't even started yet, but you may already be overwhelmed thinking of the craziness ahead. Besides getting homework done, there may be soccer practice/track/dance/gymnastics/religious school/karate/tennis/insert-your-time-and-money-consuming-activity-here. Many of these fall into the 4 to 7 pm hours, inconveniently pushing dinner aside.
Many of us will resort to fast food, delivery or going out on these crazy nights. If it were only once a week, no problem--but it's often almost every day of the week.
Sit-down family dinners encourage healthy eating, help facilitate conversation with the kids, and are generally a relaxing little "island" in an otherwise crazy day.
I encourage you to think of your dinner schedule, too, as you start planning for Fall. How can you give your family a nutritious meal with your crazy schedule? Here are 5 ideas, hopefully 1 or 2 will resonate with you:
1--A few days a week, condense activities or at least schedule some to end by 6 pm so you're home in time to make a meal. If this seems impossible to you, try to clear just 1 weeknight to be home in time to cook.
2--Here is a prep-ahead meal you can start the night before, then just throw into the oven
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/one-pan-sage-and-onion-chicken-and-sausage-recipe/index.html
You can sub turkey sausage if you like. Super easy and tasty, just throw the chicken and marinade into a resealable bag the night before. While it's cooking, you can get the rest of dinner prepped and help the kids with homework.
3--5 minute meal: precooked rotisserie chicken + a starch like bread/pasta/rice + steam-in-bag veggies + cut fruit. Here's a quick and delicious veggie recipe:
Buy a bag of prewashed sugar snap peas, and a bag of Haricot Verts from Trader Joe's. Take out the amount you want to cook. Quickly cut the green beans in half. Chop a shallot finely. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and a teaspoon or two of butter. Melt. Add shallot to pan and stir, cooking about 3 minutes (do not burn). Add the snap peas and green beans to pan and stir, about 1-2 minutes until coated. Add 3 Tbsp water to pan and COVER the pan. Let cook about 3 minutes. Remove cover, salt and pepper to taste, and let cook a few more minutes till most of the liquid is evaporated and you have the texture you want. Note: for those who want plain veggies, just leave some aside and steam separately.
4--Try a crockpot meal 1 day a week, start in morning.
5--Leftovers! Cook a Sunday dinner, then Monday transform your leftovers. For example, make a chicken dish for Sunday, then shred the leftover chicken and use to make tacos. This is truly a 5 minute meal if you're using leftover chicken, premade taco shells or tortillas, and you can even get the pre-shredded pre-washed veggies to go in the tacos or burritos. Throw in some canned vegetarian refried beans as a high-fiber addition.
I love the new cookbook "THE MOM 100" by Katie Workman. Check it out if cooking has become an unwelcome chore.
Let the craziness begin!
School hasn't even started yet, but you may already be overwhelmed thinking of the craziness ahead. Besides getting homework done, there may be soccer practice/track/dance/gymnastics/religious school/karate/tennis/insert-your-time-and-money-consuming-activity-here. Many of these fall into the 4 to 7 pm hours, inconveniently pushing dinner aside.
Many of us will resort to fast food, delivery or going out on these crazy nights. If it were only once a week, no problem--but it's often almost every day of the week.
Sit-down family dinners encourage healthy eating, help facilitate conversation with the kids, and are generally a relaxing little "island" in an otherwise crazy day.
I encourage you to think of your dinner schedule, too, as you start planning for Fall. How can you give your family a nutritious meal with your crazy schedule? Here are 5 ideas, hopefully 1 or 2 will resonate with you:
1--A few days a week, condense activities or at least schedule some to end by 6 pm so you're home in time to make a meal. If this seems impossible to you, try to clear just 1 weeknight to be home in time to cook.
2--Here is a prep-ahead meal you can start the night before, then just throw into the oven
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/one-pan-sage-and-onion-chicken-and-sausage-recipe/index.html
You can sub turkey sausage if you like. Super easy and tasty, just throw the chicken and marinade into a resealable bag the night before. While it's cooking, you can get the rest of dinner prepped and help the kids with homework.
3--5 minute meal: precooked rotisserie chicken + a starch like bread/pasta/rice + steam-in-bag veggies + cut fruit. Here's a quick and delicious veggie recipe:
Buy a bag of prewashed sugar snap peas, and a bag of Haricot Verts from Trader Joe's. Take out the amount you want to cook. Quickly cut the green beans in half. Chop a shallot finely. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and a teaspoon or two of butter. Melt. Add shallot to pan and stir, cooking about 3 minutes (do not burn). Add the snap peas and green beans to pan and stir, about 1-2 minutes until coated. Add 3 Tbsp water to pan and COVER the pan. Let cook about 3 minutes. Remove cover, salt and pepper to taste, and let cook a few more minutes till most of the liquid is evaporated and you have the texture you want. Note: for those who want plain veggies, just leave some aside and steam separately.
4--Try a crockpot meal 1 day a week, start in morning.
5--Leftovers! Cook a Sunday dinner, then Monday transform your leftovers. For example, make a chicken dish for Sunday, then shred the leftover chicken and use to make tacos. This is truly a 5 minute meal if you're using leftover chicken, premade taco shells or tortillas, and you can even get the pre-shredded pre-washed veggies to go in the tacos or burritos. Throw in some canned vegetarian refried beans as a high-fiber addition.
I love the new cookbook "THE MOM 100" by Katie Workman. Check it out if cooking has become an unwelcome chore.
Let the craziness begin!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Eco Eating
What you eat not only impacts your weight and health, it can also impact our planet's resources. When you buy out-of-season produce (I'm thinking of grapes and cherries at the moment) imported from Chile, for example, think of the massive resources required to bring this food to your market. Fuel use and cost comes to mind immediately. Also, think of how fresh this food can be coming from so far away, versus locally grown produce.
Besides produce, there are many trail mixes, nuts, and processed snacks made overseas...so take a second to read the package carefully to ensure your product was made in the US.
While there may not be many choices when it comes to buying US-made clothes and toys, we do have a choice about food. A Farmer's Market is the obvious source for locally-grown foods. Many markets are also promoting "locally sourced" items, and there's always the option of a CSA box dropped directly at your door.
For more on this topic, check out the great authors Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman and Marion Nestle.
Here's a list of in-season produce to look for now:
http://www.sfma.net/consumer/inseason.shtml
Who's going to the Farmer's Market this weekend?
Beth
Besides produce, there are many trail mixes, nuts, and processed snacks made overseas...so take a second to read the package carefully to ensure your product was made in the US.
While there may not be many choices when it comes to buying US-made clothes and toys, we do have a choice about food. A Farmer's Market is the obvious source for locally-grown foods. Many markets are also promoting "locally sourced" items, and there's always the option of a CSA box dropped directly at your door.
For more on this topic, check out the great authors Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman and Marion Nestle.
Here's a list of in-season produce to look for now:
http://www.sfma.net/consumer/inseason.shtml
Who's going to the Farmer's Market this weekend?
Beth
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Put Yourself First--Go Last
The next 5 weeks are challenging for many, whether you're trying to lose weight or just striving to avoid weight gain. My suggestion is, put yourself first by going last this year--be the last to fill up your plate on Thanksgiving. Many studies (by Brian Wansink and others) show that
a--we eat more when we are around other people
b--we eat more when there is a greater variety of foods to choose from
c--we eat more out of bigger containers
By the time you get to the table to eat, you'll likely notice some others are already finishing the first plate and heading for seconds. When it comes to dessert, have whatever you want that will fit into your palm (even a designated hitter's palm is okay). Really, at Thanksgiving you can ingest thousands of calories in mere minutes.
This year, I am thankful we have food to feed our family, thankful for the men and women working for our freedom and safety, and thankful to be with amazing family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
a--we eat more when we are around other people
b--we eat more when there is a greater variety of foods to choose from
c--we eat more out of bigger containers
By the time you get to the table to eat, you'll likely notice some others are already finishing the first plate and heading for seconds. When it comes to dessert, have whatever you want that will fit into your palm (even a designated hitter's palm is okay). Really, at Thanksgiving you can ingest thousands of calories in mere minutes.
This year, I am thankful we have food to feed our family, thankful for the men and women working for our freedom and safety, and thankful to be with amazing family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
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