False Energizing (Day One)

A "vegan" blogger has been writing a series on "energizing meals and foods" and I thought it would be interesting to do a fat analysis of the recipes for DAY ONE.  I can't give you a direct link (she's so proud of her work she blocks me from linking to her from here), but here's the address:

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/09/foods-for-your-mood-series-part-two.html

Now, IGNORING dessert and sugar or salt content, here's the nutritional breakdown (all per one serving and approximate):

"Upon Rising: Handful of raw cashews and glass of tea or fresh juice:  2 oz (quarter cup): 

24 grams of fat

Breakfast: Super Enzyme Banana Pineapple Smoothie with protein powder added or 1-2 vegan sausage patties for protein:  assume ONE patty (Morningstar): 

3 grams of fat

Mid-Morning Snack: Pop Quiz Toast-Ups (any nut butter and fruit combo)  (all the spreads are high in fat:  assume 1 T): 

12 grams of fat

Lunch: Fennel Arugula Citrus Salad with 1 cup of edamame soy beans and sunflower seeds added (slice of sprouted grain bread optional) --- didn't add up soy beans and sunflower seeds:

8 grams of fat (for avocado)
12 grams of fat (olive oil)
4.5 gram of fat (1/2 T of vegannaise)

Afternoon Snack: "My Glass is Greener" Green Juice (add some ambrosia-style trail mix if extra hungry)  --- I'm ignoring the trail mix, might be fried in oil, the nuts are fatty, but overall, this is insignificant with what will clearly be an amazing amount of fat per person.

Dinner: Sweet Potato Mash with Lemon Pepper Tempeh Cubes side of Crunchy Cool Jicama Slaw

12 grams of fat (olive oil, one serving)
18 grams of fat (1/2 tempeh block, assume a cup)

3 grams of fat (olive oil, one serving)
4 grams of fat (vegannaise)

Bedtime Munchie: One Nutty Peanut Butter Brown Cookie

Ignoring "bedtime munchie," my ad hoc analysis shows that in DAY ONE, the recommended "ENERGIZING" menu of recipes easily exceeds 100 GRAMS OF FAT for one person.

The Feds recommend no more than 60 grams of fat per day on a 2,000 calorie diet, Esselstyn and Ornish recommend 14 to 26 grams of fat per day.

This vegan menu, under the delusion that it's "energizing," for one person, has almost 2 times the daily recommended fat from the Feds, and roughly FIVE times recommended by the guys who demonstratively reversed heart disease.

Energizing?  It's a fat-ladden monstronsity, and, imho, ill-advised. Certainly NOT "healthy and happy" unless you want "happy healthy" heart disease, obesity, and a host of other physical ailments.

From the menu creator:

"Foods for Your Mood: Energizing Menus.
*Note that this is an example diet of how I eat for energy, your dietary needs may vary so always consult with your own doctor or dietitian."

Nuts... you don't need to consult anyone.  Just do a basic nutritional breakdown using Google's Search engine.  The fat facts don't lie.  "Dietary needs might vary?" Sure, someone out there needs twice the daily fat the Feds recommend, so it's okay.

Can't wait to check out "Day Two" if I've the stomach for it.  Probably not.

Comments

[J]

I don't think you should be criticizing a handful of nuts as harmful to heart health. Seriously, nuts are a whole food. Naturally in their whole state, they definitely beat eating a processed Morningstar "patty"... I really want to know what YOUR diet looks like. Can you give us a sample menu from one of your days? I think it's great to criticize her blog, but a handful of cashews is healthy and wholesome.

[It's not just a "handful of nuts." It's the aggregation of added FAT during the whole day to a degree that's unhealthy by any definition of recommended daily fat.

Claiming that this AGGREGATE of meals is healthy and/or energizing is challenged directly by the facts of how much fat is in the total. That's the problem. Nutritionally myopic.

Yesterday? Mixed homegrown watermelon, local apple and raisins for breakfast. Salad (mixed greens and veggies from garden, no-oil homemade dressing). Dinner: millet, no-salt corn, grilled broccoli (no oil), mushroom enchiladas with a LITE Mori tofu/homemade salsa/etc. (not ready to release recipe, no nuts) blended topping, and Chardonney. Total fat for the day? A quick guess would be around 10 grams of fat (tofu and tortillas). ONE TENTH of her Day One "energizing menu" fat content.

I practice what I "preach." (using that term very loosely, I hope).

I do, however, appreciate your feedback and comment. Thanks, sincerely, for taking the time to voice your opinion. It's respected.

Also, I'm not criticizing her blog, per se... at times it is very good. What concerns me is the often apparent willingness to believe in what anyone says about nutrition, promote unhealthy products/programs, blindly recommending things without doing a little research, and a sloppiness in recognizing nutritional consequences.

It's unfortunate in that she obviously means well, has great energy and enthusiasm, but I do worry about people believing too much in what she writes. I can live with the ridiculous expense ("famous for $40 wine in homemade sangria" --- a direct quote) of most of her recommendations from a financial standpoint, but the continued focus on the "additive du jour" and unsubstantiated health claims ("coconut water is GOD" --- my words, not hers) does bug me.

She'll focus on "micro" nutrients and separate ingredients in her "health toting" but ignore the fundamental problems with fat (oil), salt, and sugar ingredients.

I do try to focus mostly on the numbers and facts, hopefully most of the time successfully.

Anyway, thanks again... Best regards, Mark]

[vgpedlr]

Disease risk aside, how can 100 grams of fat be energizing? As I made the transition to trult low fat eating a la McDougal, Esselstyn, et al, I realized very quickly that the added fat in some meals where I didn't pay attention made me very lethargic. Even a little "healthy omega-3 flax oil" on a lunch salad could completely derail my afternoon workout. Well done on digging this one up. I too am tired of the "detoxers" "energizers" and veganizers.

[I agree with you entirely! Thanks for the positive fedback... Best regards, Mark]

[Peter]

It seems as you often say that as long as something is vegan 'it must be healthy'. Whenever the words 'energising' or 'detox' are used in my opinion this raises red flags.

[I agree entirely... calling foods energzing or detoxing is generally "bull$hit and not subtantiated by scientific fact. Just promulgates useless nutritional myths.
]

Instead as you suggest look at the facts as they don't lie. The same as the need to read labels on foods in spite of the quite outrageous claims that are frequently made.

[Exactly! It's amazing that so many vegans who care about animal products in their food products don't check into what else that might be in them that isn't healthy.]

Actually I don't think you can pin down what 'energising' or 'detoxing' means but these terms are often used to promote and sell various diets or foods. I think most people would just benefit by eating whole foods and ignoring foods or diets with such vacuous claims. By just sticking to whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and avoiding the processed stuff especially all free oils you are a long way to a healthy basis for a diet.

[IMHO, "vacous" terms is spot on... those kinds of terms keep people from embracing the fundamentals of nutrition and instead, focus on some aggregate claim that can't be proven.

As you indicate, just stick with whole foods, no processed foods, no added oils, and (my point) you maxmize our chances for a long and healthy life.

Thanks for your feedback! Mark]

I'm still stratching my head as to how olive oil can be 'energising'.

[I'm still marveling that people actually call it a "real food!"]