In "The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn (the vegan firefighter) I noted the following quote today:
Sugar is yet another mess. Cancer cells swarm to sugar like bees to honey, because it is an important source of food for them. So the farther you stay away from packaged candies, sugary cereals, sodas, juice drinks, refined grains, and alcohol, the better. Instead, swarm to the good sugars found in fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains." (p. 53)
Sure, I've been wailing to the Gods and gnashing my teeth a lot recently on this blog about the impact on inviting heart disease added oil has, but not nearly as much regarding the cancer issues. Imagine my surprise when, a few hours later, I read a post about a vegan recipe for "Goodbye Winter" Mint Cocoa Cookies, the ingredients of which are essentially: a bunch of white flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 4 tbs syrup, 1 cup candied walnuts, 2 tbs added oil, and 1/4 cup vegan butter (4 tbs of pure fat).... oh, and chocolate chips, misc. flavorings. Devoid of any significant nutritional value (aside from some Omega-3 from the walnuts).
Of course I did the math: around 10 grams of fat PER COOKIE (for newbies: that's 2/3 to 1/2 of the recommended TOTAL fat per day by Drs. Esselstyn, Ornish, Barnard, and McDougall).
Now, one of the first "defensive" comments I get about my concerns about these things is "well, in moderation it's okay." Says who? McDougall claims, "Moderation kills." My thinking, from reading the guys above, is that over time, the insults to the cardiovascular system (and overall biological system) add up, and most people who consume added fat (regardless of exercise or being vegan and vegetarian), hit the wall in their 50s and 60s via a heart attack or stroke. But, the damage starts in your earlier years, kiddos. And there's no way to measure it (it's related to cholesterol, but low cholesterol isn't proof that you aren't damaged or approaching that point). So, the sooner you get over the addiction to added fat the better.
I've called it "Russian Roulette" to add oil to your diet, but recently, I've been thinking about avalanches. I mean, if the avalanche is the plaque that forms that causes 90% of the strokes/attacks that kill us (whether we are plant-based in diet or not), which "snowflake" (or tablespoon of added oil) ultimately causes the avalanche (cancer, heart attack, or stroke)?
Refined grains, 10 grams of fat per serving from nuts and oil, and a ridiculous amount of sugar and syrup. Maybe those cookies should be called "Hello Cancer" or "Hello Heart Disease" instead of "Goodbye Winter."
IMHO, that's much more accurate.
Wow. I never knew that about sugar.
[Yeah, Rip also points out that refined sugar, flour, and synthetic goo (oil) are "3rd class" foods whereas plants are 1st class. More on this when I publish the interview.
Thanks for your comment! Best, Mark]
Posted by: Theresa | 2009.04.16 at 15:51
That's a lot of oil/sugar/white flour....
[Yup... that particular vegan chef calls herself a "health guru" and I think that might be false advertising judging from the general fat/sugar/flour content of some of her recipes.
Not all are bad, but when she's bad.... Tks for the comment! Mark]
Posted by: Sarah | 2009.04.14 at 15:59