SoulVeggie

Video Review: "Chow Down," Heart Disease, & Blockage Bob

"Chow Down" is the story of three people, who when faced with heart disease, decide to follow Dr. Esselstyn's advice and follow a no-added fat vegan diet.  Uplifting, with insightful commentaries from Dr. Esselstyn and Dr. T. Colin Campbell (among other experts), this DVD also includes some clever explanatory animations. 

"...CHOW DOWN exposes the three factors that fatally impact our country’s health: the medical community’s allegiance to the status quo, the government’s allegiance to the food industry, and Americans’ allegiance to cheap, convenient food." [from the "Chow Down" website with a trailer]

Emotionally and intellectually convincing, with a lot of disturbing statistics, the authors and producers of "Chow Down" should be praised for taking on a hard topic and pulling few punches.  The medical establishment has been inept in ignoring the solution to what they have not been able to do:  reverse heart disease via a no-added fat vegan diet, as Drs. Ornish and Esselstyn have proven through, collectively, 40+ years of peer-reviewed research.

The problem is a serious one:

"Estimates for the year 2006 are that 81,100,000 people in the United States have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD)"  [Source:  American Heart Association]

Here's a fun embedded animation from the DVD (also available at the website here) on "Blockage Bill" and what really causes most strokes, dispelling a common myth.

It's also worth noting that Dr. Esselstyn believes that it is added [not a real food anyway] oil or fat, that fuels development of these smaller plaques and the potentially devastating consequences:

"...Every forkful [or spoonful] of fat [or oil], he [Esselstyn] says, causes an immediate biochemical assault on the endothelium, the lining of the arteries. White blood cells collect there, gobbling up bad cholesterol and creating fatty deposits over time. For many people, especially those who smoke or have other risk factors, accumulation of plaque is a time bomb for a coronary event..." [Excerpt Source]

Everyone needs to be aware of the truth, not only why we are dying in epidemic numbers by various degenerative diseases, but how we can prevent, stop, and reverse that process. This fine DVD is a very big step forward in getting the word out.  Kudos to "Peanut Butter Productions" for all their hard work.  Lives will be saved by your efforts, and you have every right to be proud.

Update: "Milk in 2009 Contained Less Pus Than 2008 Milk"

It was realizing the amount of pus cells allowed in milk (concentrated in cheese) that was the foundation of my vegan tipping point.  Once again, Robert Cohen has written about this issue in current context.  Here's his latest post, with a link to the full post here.  Vegetarians who consume dairy products may ignore the animal cruelty and environmental issues, but the health issue herein is somewhat inarguable.  You WILL be consuming cow pus cells if you drink milk or eat cheese.  That's a fact.  Thank you, Robert.

"Milk in 2009 Contained Less Pus Than 2008 Milk

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently released the dairy industry's latest national pus figures. This has got to be great news for those milk drinkers who recoil at the mention of pus in milk.

In 2008, the average liter of milk sold in America contained 247 million pus cells.

In 2009, the average liter of milk sold in America contained only 227 million pus cells.

Rejoice!

Since there are 33.8 ounces of milk in one liter, the average ounce contains just 7,307,692 pus cells. That translates into 87,692,397 pus cells in an average 12-ounce glass of milk. Yummm.

Ten pounds of milk are required to produce one pound of hard cheese. Twelve pounds of milk are required to manufacture one pound of ice cream. Pus can be rather tasty when either sugar or various bacterial cultures are added to fermenting milk. As for the number of pus cells in cheese or ice cream treats, you do the math. I've got to go take a vomit break....

Milk clearly has become less disgusting. Please wake me when the pus cell count gets to zero.

Question for milk drinkers: If you were told that your next glass of ice cold pure white milk contains 88 disgusting pus cells, would you go ahead and drink it anyway? The truth is that the actual amount of pus in that glass is one-million times greater! Bon appetit!"

Patterns: Added Sugar & High Blood Pressure

"A new study suggests that foods high in added sugar may increase the risk of high blood pressure.

Researchers analyzed data for 4,528 adults with no history of hypertension who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2003-6. Those who consumed at least 2.6 ounces a day of fructose in the form of table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup were found to have almost double the risk for systolic blood pressure higher than 160. (The top number of the two, a measure of blood pressure while the heart is beating, it should normally be no higher than 120.)

“Systolic pressure is really what physicians are interested in, because it’s related to outcomes, and the increase is pretty dramatic,” said Dr. Michel Chonchol, an associate professor of medicine at University of Colorado Denver Health Sciences Center and the senior author of the paper, which appeared in The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

But Dr. Chonchol cautioned that more research was needed to prove that added fructose played a causal role in hypertension. “This needs to be proven with the next step, which is a randomized controlled trial,” he said.  The American Heart Association recommends limiting food and beverages with added sugars. In a statement last year, the association said an “emerging but inconclusive body of evidence” suggested “that increased intake of added sugars might raise blood pressure.” [From July 05, 2010, here]

Vegans and vegetarians need to be reminded that just 'cause we eat a plant-based diet, doesn't mean we are immune to the negative impact of too much sugar.  The next time you add 1 cup of sugar to a recipe, be conscious of the fact that this is equivalent to 16 tablespoons of sugar.  In the study above, 2.6 ounces of sugar or HFS is a little over 5 tablespoons of sugar.  The American Heart Association recommends no more than 9 teaspoons (roughly 3 tablespoons) of sugar a day, max, for an adult male, less for a woman.

Something to consider the next time someone offers you the vegan equivalent of "Death by Chocolate."

New Study: "How Diet [and added fat] Affects Cancer"

"Diet affects cancer both directly and indirectly. Nutrients directly impact the mechanisms by which cancer cells grow and spread. They indirectly help control the cancer by changing the surrounding biochemical conditions that either encourage or discourage the progression of malignant disease. The bottom line is that what you eat can spell the difference between conquering your disease and having it rage out of control.

Here are some examples of findings from recent studies that support the importance of diet in fighting cancer:

    * Diets high in fat and refined carbohydrates make you more likely to become overweight, which in turn increases your risk of tumor recurrences. (8) Obese men are at significantly greater risk of developing more aggressive prostate cancer. (9)

    * Dietary fats can impair the body's anti-cancer defenses by depressing the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, while a low-fat diet markedly increases NK activity. (10,11,12) Natural killer cells play a key role in preventing metastasis.

    * Obese breast cancer patients are two to four times more likely to experience a recurrence than women of normal weight. (13)

For every additional 10 percentage points of calories derived from fat in the diet of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients -- by going from 25 percent to 35 percent of calories from fat -- the risk of recurrence approximately doubles. (14) An increase of 10 percentage points is alarmingly easy: just add four ounces of beef, four ounces of mozzarella cheese (about the size of three nine-volt batteries) [or a HALF CUP OF DAIYA VEGAN CHEESE... same fat grams amount], a cup of ice cream, or four pats of butter [OR EARTH BALANCE... same fat grams amount] to your daily intake and you're there.

You don't need the added fat, oil is not a real food, and the sooner vegans understand that so many faux vegan cheeses and "margarines" are very fatty, and not good for you, the better.

The above excerpts from the well-documented article here.  Go low-fat vegan.  The evidence that this is the healthiest diet keeps mounting.  Learn how to re-calibrate your taste buds and stop with the added non-food oils and faux cheeses.  You had the determination and discipline to give up meat and dairy, now give up the fat.

Video: Colbert, Salt Insitute, & CSPI

The President of the "Salt Institute" sits down with Stephen Colbert, and Michael Jacobson (Center for Science in the Public Interest) to discuss the government's warnings on salt consumption.  Quite amusing introduction to the topic as well. 

"Obama's after our taste buds."  "The Feds wanna destroy the flavor of my 'Fatty Salty Crispies" and my "Crispy Salty Fatties." (some of Colbert's initial rant!).

Runs around 7 minutes.  Enjoy!

From Jacobson's recent column about salt in our food:

"Limiting salt in packaged and restaurant foods is perhaps the single most important dietary improvement that the Food and Drug Administration could bring about. Cutting sodium levels in packaged and restaurant foods in half is predicted to save 100,000 lives and tens of billions of dollars in health-care expenses each year."

"10 Reasons Why GMOs are not Compatible with Organic Ag"

"Despite fundamental differences in what they represent, there are occasional calls to allow the use of genetic engineering  (which produces genetically modified organisms, known as GMOs) within the USDA National Organic Program. GMO varieties are currently most widespread in corn, soybean, canola and cotton crops, in dairy production, and in minor ingredients, such as dairy cultures, used in food processing, but new products are being introduced and commercialized. Here are 10 essential points that I believe show why GMOs are incompatible with organic production:

1. Basic science...
2. Ecological impact...
3. Control vs harmony...
4. Unpredictable consequences...
5. Transparency...
6. Accountability....
7. Unnecessary....
8. Genetic diversity. ..
9. Not profitable...
10. No consumer demand..."

Edited from the excellent and much more detailed article from Rodale, here

"The Myth of Agave as a "Healthy" Sugar Substitute"

This article is well researched, footnoted, long, detailed, and makes many excellent points about agave and your health.  I've been reluctant to use it, not only from the cost, but I got rid of my craving for "sweet" a long time ago.  Then there's my natural skepticism over anything so hyped.  Still, many people use agave thinking it's a "health food" when, in fact, it apparently isn't.

Below are some quick edits from the much longer article (and a highly recommended read) here.

"...Many people interested in staying healthy have switched to agave as a safer "natural" sweetener. They want to avoid well documented dangerous sweeteners like HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) but are unaware that most agave is actually WORSE than HFCS.  This expose will offend many hard core natural health advocates because they have been convinced of the agave hype by companies that are promoting it... My only purpose for sharing this information is to help people understand the truth about health. In case you haven't noticed, we have an epidemic of obesity in the US and it wasn't until recently that my eyes opened up to the primary cause - - fructose.

... Most agave syrup has a higher fructose content than any commercial sweetener -- ranging from 55 to 97 percent, depending on the brand, which is FAR HIGHER than high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which averages 55 percent. This makes agave actually WORSE than HFCS.

... In addition to insulin resistance, your risk of liver damage increases, along with triglycerides and a whole host of other health problems, as discussed in this CBC News video about the newly discovered dangers of high fructose corn syrup. The study discussed in this news report is about HFCS, however, it's well worth remembering that agave contains MORE fructose than HFCS, and in all likelihood, it's the FRUCTOSE that is causing these severe liver problems.

... though processing methods can differ among manufacturers, most commercially available agave is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals...

...In case you doubt the influence of marketing in setting trends and consumer buying habits, look at these statistics... New agave products more than tripled in number between 2003 and 2007, from 56 to 176. Agave syrup is now appearing in products such as energy bars, cereals and organic ice creams.  Revenues for the category "other liquid sweeteners," which includes agave, rose to more than $10.3 million in 2007, which was a 50 percent jump from 2006.

...It's important for you and your family's health to remember that agave syrup is neither healthy nor natural.  As reported by Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health:

"Agave is almost all fructose, a highly processed sugar with great marketing..."

Addendum: Hexane and Soy Burgers

It's not clear whether the information from the article I posted about previously is correct or not.  There's a debate about this going on here.  The following article suggests that the hexane isn't a problem.  The following comment from the aforementioned discussion is intriguing:

""The FDA does not set a maximum residue level in soy foods for hexane, and does not require that food manufacturers test for hexane residues."

But FDA's Food Additives Webpage (http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/FoodAdditives/ucm191033.htm) gives a 25 ppm limit on residual hexane when it's used as a solvent in food processing. So while all foods are covered by this regulation, there's nothing *specific* to soy foods. And while the FDA doesn't say you have to test, they do say your food product has to meet the regulation or your product will be declared adulterated and illegal for sale.

Cornucopia had samples of soy bean oil, meal and grits tested for the report and got levels of 10, 21 and 14 ppm respectively. To put these figures into perspective, that's less than 1 ounce of residue per US ton of product."

My general take on the matter, without having the time for further research, is that in modest amounts, the veggie burgers are okay.  In general, limiting your intake of "faux meat" is, imho, advisable.  Too easy to exclude legumes and favor highly processed food-like products.

"Which Veggie Burgers Were Made With a Neurotoxin?"

"... [a] recent investigation by the Cornucopia Institute... found that most non-organic veggie burgers currently on the market are made with the chemical hexane, an EPA-registered air pollutant and neurotoxin.  In order to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers, manufacturers of soy-based fake meat like to make their products have as little fat as possible. The cheapest way to do this is by submerging soybeans in a bath of hexane to separate the oil from the protein. Says Cornucopia Institute senior researcher Charlotte Vallaeys, "If a non-organic product contains a soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, or texturized vegetable protein, you can be pretty sure it was made using soy beans that were made with hexane."

If you've heard about hexane before, it was likely in the context of gasoline—the air pollutant is also a byproduct of gas refining. But in 2007, grain processors were responsible for two-thirds of our national hexane emissions. Hexane is hazardous in the factory, too: Workers who have been exposed to it have developed both skin and nervous system disorders. Troubling, then, that the FDA does not monitor or regulate hexane residue in foods. More worrisome still: According to the report, "Nearly every major ingredient in conventional soy-based infant formula is hexane extracted."  The Cornucopia Institute found that a number of popular veggie burgers were made with hexane. ... [full list available here]... :

Amy's Kitchen
Boca Burger, conventional
Franklin Farms
Garden Burger
It’s All Good Lightlife
Morningstar Farms
President’s Choice
Taste Above
Trader Joe's
Yves Veggie Cuisine

Hexane-free products:

Boca Burgers "Made with organic soy"
Helen's Kitchen
Morningstar "Made with organic"
Superburgers by Turtle Island
Tofurky
Wildwood..."

Original article here.  It's difficult to know how serious this actually is from a health standpoint (potentially), but it is something I hope is researched.  I believe this kind of issue (the hexane) exists with other products.  Non-homemade peeled tomatoes are often peeled in the factory using lye or hot steam (be nice to know which... cheaper ones probably use lye).  Anyway, the study also rates soy products with a variety of social, informational, and other criteria, and provides an Executive Summary and other parts as PDFs.

Latest "Mad Cowboy Newsletter" Is Available Online

Intro & T.O.C. and direct link to the latest issue:
 ----
"Howdy!  Welcome to the 69th issue of the Mad Cowboy Newsletter.

In this edition of the Newsletter we're pleased to provide two great recipes from the new cookbook by Tamasin Noye, "American Vegan Kitchen."  It's a real winner.  Reading down farther you'll note that Mad Cow Disease has "returned" to Canada, issues with hormones in pigs, and information about the various food recalls that keep showing up.  There's also some articles on how reducing salt can drastically reduce health expenditures and save lives, current stats on obesity (hint:  we're not winning), how the FDA came down on several "natural food" producing companies, and detailed reasons for no GM food and why you should have a vegetable garden.

Moving on, among other articles, there's encouragment in noting that "The Cove" won an Academy award, and it's makers were instrumental in shutting down a restaurant in Santa Monica serving whale sushi.  Momentum is growing to give Dolphin's "non-person" legal rights, and outside of our Vegan Media Theater (with many offerings this issue, including a funny SNL parody and a conversation between Bill Moyers and Jane Goodall), you can see the First Lady's Garden as it is now in Spring via video. 

Finally, on a sad note, we end with some closing thoughts from Howard Zinn, who died recently.  He was an inspiration to many, and will be missed.

... as always, a tip of the hat to our new subscribers:  y'all can browse past issues at the Mad Cowboy Newsletter Archives (and see the "Quick Bytes" section, omitted from this edition of the Newsletter) at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mad_Cowboy/

Best wishes to everyone for a Great Spring and hopes that your own garden's grow well and plentiful this season!

Mark, MC editor/webmaster
***********************************************
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

00: Quote(s) of Note
01: The Vegan Mind-Bender Contest Winner/Challenge!
02: Recipes from "American Vegan Kitchen" by Tamasin Noye
03: Mad Cow Info Round-Up
04: Less Salt-Save Lives, Fat Plateau? Mktg. to Kids, Bad Labels
05: Whales Win 2X, Dolphin Legal Rights, Dirty Shrimp Secrets
06: Vegan Digital Media Theater
07: Reasons for no GM food, World Water, Michelle's Garden & Yours
08: Howard's Schedule
09: Closing Thoughts