Health note: Red kidney beans contain a toxin called Phytohaemagglutinin (Kidney Bean Lectin) that causes severe gastric distress, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Under-cooked beans can be more toxic than raw and it only takes 4 to 6 beans to bring on symptoms. Cannellini and Fava beans also contain this toxin but in much smaller amounts.
Kidney Beans are perfectly safe if properly prepared. First, soak Red Kidney beans for a minimum of 5 hours and then drain and discard the soaking water. For stovetop cooking, add fresh water or broth to a level about 2" higher than the beans, bring beans to a boil and boil briskly for at least 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until thoroughly cooked, about 2 hours.
To pressure cook, follow the directions for your pressure cooker and cook soaked and drained kidney beans in fresh water until done, about 18–30 minutes. Note: Pressure cooking temperatures are adequate to destroy the toxins.
Do not cook dry red kidney beans in a crockpot or slow cooker.
I don't know if this recipe would be quite what some of you are looking for (maple syrup or other ingredients may disqualify it?), but all the talk of healthy "treats" made me think of it. It's really tasty, for a special sweet thing now and then.
Peanut Butter and Chococlate Mousse
12 oz. tofu, firm or extra firm
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp soy milk
pinch of salt
Blend all together in a food processor or blender. Chill for 2 hours. Serves 4-6.
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
How much protein do we really need?
There seems to be a fair amount of confusion around how much protein we really need. If you dash around the web on Google, you can find very wide ranging estimates. In Eat to Live (page 139 if you're interested in reading it for yourself), Fuhrman says that 0.8gm/kg of body weight is recommended (which works out to your body weight in pounds divided by 2.75 = grams of protein). For my body weight, that says I need 64g of protein. In reading other sources on the web, I can find numbers that are quite a bit higher than this on many sites (as high as 80-90g for my weight). Then, Fuhrman continues to say that maybe only 0.5gm/kg is needed and the 0.8 comes from a large safety factor added into the RDA.
The World Health Organization recommends 5 percent of calories from protein. Then Fuhrman says that maybe as little as 2.5 percent of calories from protein may be all that is necessary for normal people.
So, how much is it really? This is a lot of confusion. Anyone have any ideas how to sort out how much one really needs?
The one thing that I just read in Fuhrman's book that is maybe comforting (I'm still trying to decide) is that most plant foods (except fruit) provide at least 10 percent of calories from protein. So, if you only need 2.5-5 percent of your calories from protein and you eat mostly plant foods, you should have no problem as long as you aren't eating a ton of fruit and as long as a lot of your diet is fairly natural plant foods (not highly processed stuff that has lost it's goodness).
Near the end of this passage in the book, Fuhrman says that he has tried to compose a natural-foods diet that is deficient in any required amino acid and it was impossible. Almost any assortment of plant foods contained about 30-40 grams of protein per 1,000 calories which is plenty. When your calorie needs are met, your protein needs are met automatically if you eat a healthy plant-based diet. Forget trying to get enough protein.
Maybe in the end, that's what I should do. Just eat healthy stuff and forget about it. But, my brain tells me I want to "know" the numbers (I can't help it - it's the kind of person I am). Then, maybe I can examine my own diet, get comfortable that I have a safety factor in my own diet and stop worrying about it.
Anyone else with any worthwhile sources on how much protein we really need?
Hmmm, very good to know, David. I had a whole week of (mild compared to your noted symptoms) gastric distress from my first pot of chili using dried beans. Glad it wasn't as bad as it could have been (bean?)
Hmmm, very good to know, David. I had a whole week of (mild compared to your noted symptoms) gastric distress from my first pot of chili using dried beans. Glad it wasn't as bad as it could have been (bean?)
Yah, I'll not be cooking them. They are actually towards the bottom of my list, bean-wise, anyway!
Speaking of races, here's one for you Baldy!!!
I know guys that have done this, and cannot wait to do so again. It's kind of in my neighborhood too.
Ooooo, tempting! But you might be too late. I'm kinda jonesing for this one. My finger has been twitching on the sign-up button and I keep trying to gain control of my senses, but I feel them slipping away...
There seems to be a fair amount of confusion around how much protein we really need.
I've thought about this a lot over the last few years. I do a lot of triathlons so I spend a lot of days with sore muscles. Conventional wisdom has it that athletes need a lot of protein.
But I read Chris Carmichael's book on sports nutrition (he's Lance's coach, among many elite athletes, including pro football players). He said he's had great luck with all his athletes reducing protein intake because it makes them sluggish.
Human mother's milk varies as the infant ages, but 5% protein isn't a bad estimate. Cow's milk is 4 times that.
And the term protein is really broad. Cow's milk is low in the amino acid taurine, but mother's milk is very high in it. It has been established that the concentration of taurine is very high in developing human infant brains but falls sharply later on.
Michael Pollen claims that we didn't start talking food components until Senator McGovern had to capitulate on his Senate Select Committee on Nutrition's recommendation to eat less meat and dairy. The ensuing firestorm from the $150 billion beef industry made them change the language to talk about protein, fat and carbs instead of mentioning any foods by name. Which caused the beef industry to spend billions telling us all we needed protein, doncha know, and how it's a high-protein food and you just can't get it from plants.
So nobody knows facts like these:
I think Fuhrman has it right: if it's a two-mile race, veggies win the race by a mile over the next food group (fruit). You have to find a way to get veggie consumption up.
And then there's daily experience. How many people do you know with protein deficiency disease? We're all dying from an overdose of animal protein and the fat that comes with it. You've probably never met the person or heard of the case of protein deficiency disease, unless you've seen starving African children.
My own experience is this is what happens to people who focus on actual foods, not components like protein:
There seems to be a fair amount of confusion around how much protein we really need. If you dash around the web on Google, you can find very wide ranging estimates. In Eat to Live (page 139 if you're interested in reading it for yourself), Fuhrman says that 0.8gm/kg of body weight is recommended (which works out to your body weight in pounds divided by 2.75 = grams of protein). For my body weight, that says I need 64g of protein. In reading other sources on the web, I can find numbers that are quite a bit higher than this on many sites (as high as 80-90g for my weight). Then, Fuhrman continues to say that maybe only 0.5gm/kg is needed and the 0.8 comes from a large safety factor added into the RDA.
The World Health Organization recommends 5 percent of calories from protein. Then Fuhrman says that maybe as little as 2.5 percent of calories from protein may be all that is necessary for normal people.
So, how much is it really? This is a lot of confusion. Anyone have any ideas how to sort out how much one really needs?
The one thing that I just read in Fuhrman's book that is maybe comforting (I'm still trying to decide) is that most plant foods (except fruit) provide at least 10 percent of calories from protein. So, if you only need 2.5-5 percent of your calories from protein and you eat mostly plant foods, you should have no problem as long as you aren't eating a ton of fruit and as long as a lot of your diet is fairly natural plant foods (not highly processed stuff that has lost it's goodness).
Near the end of this passage in the book, Fuhrman says that he has tried to compose a natural-foods diet that is deficient in any required amino acid and it was impossible. Almost any assortment of plant foods contained about 30-40 grams of protein per 1,000 calories which is plenty. When your calorie needs are met, your protein needs are met automatically if you eat a healthy plant-based diet. Forget trying to get enough protein.
Maybe in the end, that's what I should do. Just eat healthy stuff and forget about it. But, my brain tells me I want to "know" the numbers (I can't help it - it's the kind of person I am). Then, maybe I can examine my own diet, get comfortable that I have a safety factor in my own diet and stop worrying about it.
Anyone else with any worthwhile sources on how much protein we really need?
Hey John,
Here is what the World Health Organization has to say about what you should be eating (pdf - page 56):
Total fat - 15 to 30%
Saturated fatty acids - <10%
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) - 6 to 10%
Omega-6 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) - 5 to 8%
Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) - 1 to 2%
Trans fatty acids - <1%
Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) - By difference
Total carbohydrate - 55 to 75%
Free sugars - <10%
Protein - 10 to 15%
Cholesterol - <300 mg per day
Sodium chloride (sodium) - <5 g per day
Fruits and vegetables - 5400 g per day
Total dietary fibre - From foods
Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) - From foods
They suggest to limit your consumption of meat and to get most of your calories from plant-based foods. Of course, the number of grams this amounts to depends on how many calories you need to consume in a day.
That pdf I linked gets into the technical details which will probably be right up your alley. <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/mwink.gif" border="0" alt="" > But I think you're right when you say you should just eat healthfully and not worry about it ... if you can. I tracked my caloric intake for a long, long time. First in a spreadsheet (ugh) and then with the help of sites like http://www.fitday.com/ and http://caloriecount.about.com/. This was prior to me reading TCS and ETL so I was still definitely eating meat. I spent all my time thinking about how many calories were probably in something, researching the number of calories and other numbers, and recording them. Eating became this robot task of measuring, researching, recording, and just plain thinking about portion limits and other nonsense.
Since I read TCS and ETL I haven't tracked a single nutrient or calorie. And you know what? I've lost more weight faster and I feel much healthier than I ever did when I was spending 50% of my waking hours tracking all my digits.
That said, maybe that's just me. The WHO recommendation I just gave stands up to every test you throw at it. Bodybuilders will tell you that you need 1.8g of protein per kg of body weight if you're throwing around iron all the time. That tells you a fraction of the whole story doesn't it? Protien isn't mystical, magical super food. It's one macronutrient that is absolutely plentiful in our society. But if you run the numbers, a 200lb (90kg) person that is a bodybuilder would need 162g of protein per day (even by the most manly bodybuilder standards). That means that bodybuilder needs 162 * 4 = 648 calories from protein per day. That is 15% of 4320 calories which, if you're exercising a lot (which is what the 1.8g per kg number is directed towards), is a very reasonable caloric intake target.
So the numbers work out perfectly for everyone from joe bagadonuts to super mcweightlifter. What the weightlifters aren't telling you is that your body craves carbohydrates and fats too. More importantly, you need other very important vitamins and minerals just as much as you need protein. Those guidelines above take the mystique out of protein and give you the big picture. So if you want to track, I recommend reading the WHO pdf and using a site like http://caloriecount.about.com/ to go about it.
HTH!
Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.
There seems to be a fair amount of confusion around how much protein we really need. If you dash around the web on Google, you can find very wide ranging estimates.
The China Study seems pretty-well researched. All evidence seems to be what they said above: Eat the right foods and it doesn't matter how much you are told you need. You'll have what you need.
Always consider the source of the info, and what they stand to gain.
So the numbers work out perfectly for everyone from joe bagadonuts to super mcweightlifter. What the weightlifters aren't telling you is that your body craves carbohydrates and fats too. More importantly, you need other very important vitamins and minerals just as much as you need protein. Those guidelines above take the mystique out of protein and give you the big picture. So if you want to track, I recommend reading the WHO pdf and using a site like http://caloriecount.about.com/ to go about it.
HTH!
Thanks Mike and Baldy for your thoughts on this. I have no intention of being a regular "counter" of anything here. That would drive me nuts too. One of the things I love about eating this way is that when I'm hungry, I can just eat something and not worry about it as long as I eat the right things. No counting of calories, carbs, fat grams, etc... And, I lost 25 pounds while doing tihs.
On the other hand, I do think there's a lot left to the reader's interpretation in what a balanced diet of lots of fruits and vegetables really means and I like to take a look at what I really eat every once in a while and see if it seems to be covering the appropriate bases for protein and several other categories. Plus, I've got a pick-eater daughter who makes "balanced" pretty challenging. So, I'm just trying to check up on our diet.
If we doubled our veggie intake (to get it where I wish it was), I wouldn't give it another thought. I guess I'll have to figure out how to do that.
BaldyRegistered Users, Super ModeratorsPosts: 2,853moderator
edited February 8, 2008
A few months ago I said I ate fish two or three times per week for two reasons: (a) there doesn't seem to be any difference in mortality between people who eat a little fish and those who don't; and (b) I was hedging my bets on protein.
But in the last three months I got focused on how to move up the nutrient density scale and I sorta forgot about the fish. Don't think I've had any for a couple of months, but thanks to new recipes my intake of fruit and veggies has gone way up and intake of grains has gone down.
Since I swim, run and bike regularly, I know all my numbers for speed and watts on the bike, and I watch them like a hawk as almost all triathletes do. In the last few months the numbers have all gotten better, so it seems that so far I'm not missing the fish.
But in the last three months I got focused on how to move up the nutrient density scale and I sorta forgot about the fish. Don't think I've had any for a couple of months, but thanks to new recipes my intake of fruit and veggies has gone way up and intake of grains has gone down.
Yeah, I need to focus on finding more veggie rich recipes that the family will eat. I think we're too reliant on nuts and grains. We do, at least, endeavor to make them whole grains so there's some nutrient goodness there.
Hopefully I'll have more time soon and I can contribute more to the recipe-finding, shopping and cooking to get some new meals started.
Yeah, I need to focus on finding more veggie rich recipes that the family will eat. I think we're too reliant on nuts and grains. We do, at least, endeavor to make them whole grains so there's some nutrient goodness there.
Hopefully I'll have more time soon and I can contribute more to the recipe-finding, shopping and cooking to get some new meals started.
Start with Dr. Fuhrman's Anti Cancer Soup. Chock full of vegetable goodness, and my kids, especially my daughter, can't get enough. When I'm cooking it, she's hovering, waiting for it to be done. It's a bowlful of happiness.
Start with Dr. Fuhrman's Anti Cancer Soup. Chock full of vegetable goodness, and my kids, especially my daughter, can't get enough. When I'm cooking it, she's hovering, waiting for it to be done. It's a bowlful of happiness.
Do you order his Vegizest to use in that soup (like his recipe calls for) or just use your own spices? If I don't need the Vegizest, I might try it this weekend because everything else just comes from the market.
Doubt it. You should receive the DVDs I sent you today and some of those talks are so fascinating you're gonna be busy watchin' 'em, Mr. Herbivore.
One of them is about how to make Dr. Fuhrman's anti-cancer soup that DavidTO loves so much. That and veggie/fruit smoothies are the two breakthroughs that are getting more nutrients in my gut.
I don't make the soup like him, though. I take a couple of cups of split peas, two of lentils, and get 'em soaking in carrot juice for a long time.
Later I cook the beans and add lots 'o yummy spices. Then I puree stuff in the vitamix like kale, spinach, onions, brussel sprouts, garlic, red peppers, etc., and pour it into the lentils and peas. I don't cook it long, just get it hot enough to eat.
None of this throwing zucchini and whole onions and laying kale leaves over the top of the pot and then using the tongs to fish it out for me.
Do you order his Vegizest to use in that soup (like his recipe calls for) or just use your own spices? If I don't need the Vegizest, I might try it this weekend because everything else just comes from the market.
No, I don't use the vegizest.
My version of his recipe is up on the tastebook that schmoo is putting together. There it's called Green Veggie Soup, or something. I use Gayelord Hauser's Vegetable Broth. It's a green, salt-free powder, which I pick up at Whole Foods. Really, you probably don't need anything in that category, the soup would be fine without, but that one works well for me!
Later I cook the beans and add lots 'o yummy spices.
One thing about this soup is that it's tasty as is, but it's also a great base for other flavors. I often put some curry in it as I reheat it for a meal. It's flavorful on it's own, but adaptable to many flavors.
What's for supper tonight?
This is one of those nights, freezing cold outside, hubby working late so he won't be cooking, I'm feeling all stressed and upset by work (totally ridiculous), last night I played the pasta and homemade veggie sauce card, and the old me would just order pizza.
Any inspiration before I reach for the phone?
What's for supper tonight?
This is one of those nights, freezing cold outside, hubby working late so he won't be cooking, I'm feeling all stressed and upset by work (totally ridiculous), last night I played the pasta and homemade veggie sauce card, and the old me would just order pizza.
Any inspiration before I reach for the phone?
Really, you probably don't need anything in that category, the soup would be fine without, but that one works well for me!
I don't have any fancy zest or powder and when I made the soup it was so good all on it's own. The carrots make it sweet, the nuts give it body and everything else is just yum. I might have added a TB of curry, but in a pot as huge as the one the recipe calls for, it was barely noticeable.
I make it a point, actually, to not buy any of Fuhrman's stuff online. I dunno why exactly, I just prefer to buy it local, even if from a nationwide chain like WF. I sure buy enough stuff online, but veggie powder? Nah!
What's for supper tonight?
This is one of those nights, freezing cold outside, hubby working late so he won't be cooking, I'm feeling all stressed and upset by work (totally ridiculous), last night I played the pasta and homemade veggie sauce card, and the old me would just order pizza.
Any inspiration before I reach for the phone?
ann
I'm sitting at home last night whining about the 40 degrees it got down to (freezing cold to ME) and then I feel like a right sissy reading about your winter weather woes :skippy. I know those long days, though ... what did you end up eating for dinner?
Sports season is especially rough for us - long hectic days, four active kids plus a tagalong toddler, and no husband at home to help out (he is currently on assignment out of state). We do order cheeseless veggie pizza from time to time but I've learned to pre-make a few dishes that will keep well and heat quickly and nicely with a minimum of effort or time on my part.
I know you're probably tired of chili right now, but what about some bean burgers? I can get a recipe for you but generally I mash a few cups/cans of beans (I like black but any will work), add in some uncooked oats, some diced onion and celery for crunch, throw in some minced garlic or other assorted seasonings, and a dash of tamari/soy/amino/teriyaki/whatever you have on hand and mix it all in like a meatloaf. Then form the patties, grill or pan-fry, and refrigerate or freeze.
You end up with the obvious hamburger patty (serve with usual accompaniments), but the patty is also a good base for a variety of other quick meals: taco salad, veggie wraps, fajitas, lasagna, even a stirfry ... anything you would normally make with meat, really, and all you'd need to do is add some fresh, pan-fried, or steamed veggies to make the meal complete. Takes just a few minutes to warm the stuff up, tops.
I typically start my week with ~5 patties on hand, and a giganto container of pre-cooked rice. Having these two "staples" on hand and already prepared really keeps me from ordering out as much as I normally might. It also cuts down prep time considerably. I can use either staple separately or mixed together, and while the meals aren't gourmet they are quick, easy, and edible when those are the three most pressing factors. Perhaps more importantly, they are healthier than the alternative of ordering out and just as easy.
And OT but I've always gotten such a kick out of your signature I recently shared it with my mom and she just sighed with empathetic recognition lol.
Ann, too late to help you on dinner last night now, but beans/brown rice and veggies I find to be a good comfort food that may be not ideal most-calories-from-huge-quantities-of-veggies-wise, but is still really good for you and can keep you on track. Or whole-wheat couscous (I know, more pasta, but you don't need much) with a nice Moroccan-style vegetable tagine on it. Or if you decide you must have pizza (which happens) order very thin crust with no cheese and lots of veggies, which is actually quite delicious.
Interesting article, the "chicken" breast they found in the grocery store had more steroids than they'd ever expect, enough to make the athletes test positively for steroid use.
I I know those long days, though ... what did you end up eating for dinner?
At the end of it all, one kid needed a quick meal and so I served the kids some really awful preprepared food, made falafel for myself and then joined the dh after he finished work and had onion soup while he had bacon double cheeseburger pizza!!!!
Sports season is especially rough for us
was/is on us. Pretty used to it now though. Especially since it doesn't end!
what about some bean burgers?
These sound really yummy - I'll tuck that aside for sure! Thanks!
a giganto container of pre-cooked rice.
I had heard that cooked rice should only be kept 24 hours, as it can be a source of food poisoning!
And OT but I've always gotten such a kick out of your signature
Hahaha - thanks, wish it were original, but I got it from a bumper sticker!. Sad, but true, (the saying that is....)
Bethy:
Ann, too late to help you on dinner last night now, but beans/brown rice and veggies I find to be a good comfort food that may be not ideal most-calories-from-huge-quantities-of-veggies-wise, but is still really good for you and can keep you on track. Or whole-wheat couscous (I know, more pasta, but you don't need much) with a nice Moroccan-style vegetable tagine on it. Or if you decide you must have pizza (which happens) order very thin crust with no cheese and lots of veggies, which is actually quite delicious.
Thanks - I do love rice and beans, or curry chickpeas - are chick peas a bean or a pea(legume) or are both peas and beans legumes? Oh, my biology is slipping away from me - for shame. And, fwiw, we put rice and water and a can of kidney beans all together and cook in the microwave as we would plain rice - works really well, is fast and only takes one serving dish and no pots!
Interesting article, the "chicken" breast they found in the grocery store had more steroids than they'd ever expect, enough to make the athletes test positively for steroid use.
So is the chapter of The Omnivores Dilema that I read last night. Now, I am not a fast or dedicated reader, so I am still reading the corn section. Last night was the description of life on a feed lot. Made me want to never eat supermarket beef again, ever. (where's the shudder smilie?)
Comments
Anyway, through Google, I found this bit on the Whole Foods site:
Here's the link to the quoted page.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Peanut Butter and Chococlate Mousse
12 oz. tofu, firm or extra firm
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp soy milk
pinch of salt
Blend all together in a food processor or blender. Chill for 2 hours. Serves 4-6.
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
There seems to be a fair amount of confusion around how much protein we really need. If you dash around the web on Google, you can find very wide ranging estimates. In Eat to Live (page 139 if you're interested in reading it for yourself), Fuhrman says that 0.8gm/kg of body weight is recommended (which works out to your body weight in pounds divided by 2.75 = grams of protein). For my body weight, that says I need 64g of protein. In reading other sources on the web, I can find numbers that are quite a bit higher than this on many sites (as high as 80-90g for my weight). Then, Fuhrman continues to say that maybe only 0.5gm/kg is needed and the 0.8 comes from a large safety factor added into the RDA.
The World Health Organization recommends 5 percent of calories from protein. Then Fuhrman says that maybe as little as 2.5 percent of calories from protein may be all that is necessary for normal people.
So, how much is it really? This is a lot of confusion. Anyone have any ideas how to sort out how much one really needs?
The one thing that I just read in Fuhrman's book that is maybe comforting (I'm still trying to decide) is that most plant foods (except fruit) provide at least 10 percent of calories from protein. So, if you only need 2.5-5 percent of your calories from protein and you eat mostly plant foods, you should have no problem as long as you aren't eating a ton of fruit and as long as a lot of your diet is fairly natural plant foods (not highly processed stuff that has lost it's goodness).
Near the end of this passage in the book, Fuhrman says that he has tried to compose a natural-foods diet that is deficient in any required amino acid and it was impossible. Almost any assortment of plant foods contained about 30-40 grams of protein per 1,000 calories which is plenty. When your calorie needs are met, your protein needs are met automatically if you eat a healthy plant-based diet. Forget trying to get enough protein.
Maybe in the end, that's what I should do. Just eat healthy stuff and forget about it. But, my brain tells me I want to "know" the numbers (I can't help it - it's the kind of person I am). Then, maybe I can examine my own diet, get comfortable that I have a safety factor in my own diet and stop worrying about it.
Anyone else with any worthwhile sources on how much protein we really need?
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Hmmm, very good to know, David. I had a whole week of (mild compared to your noted symptoms) gastric distress from my first pot of chili using dried beans. Glad it wasn't as bad as it could have been (bean?)
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Yah, I'll not be cooking them. They are actually towards the bottom of my list, bean-wise, anyway!
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But I read Chris Carmichael's book on sports nutrition (he's Lance's coach, among many elite athletes, including pro football players). He said he's had great luck with all his athletes reducing protein intake because it makes them sluggish.
Human mother's milk varies as the infant ages, but 5% protein isn't a bad estimate. Cow's milk is 4 times that.
And the term protein is really broad. Cow's milk is low in the amino acid taurine, but mother's milk is very high in it. It has been established that the concentration of taurine is very high in developing human infant brains but falls sharply later on.
Michael Pollen claims that we didn't start talking food components until Senator McGovern had to capitulate on his Senate Select Committee on Nutrition's recommendation to eat less meat and dairy. The ensuing firestorm from the $150 billion beef industry made them change the language to talk about protein, fat and carbs instead of mentioning any foods by name. Which caused the beef industry to spend billions telling us all we needed protein, doncha know, and how it's a high-protein food and you just can't get it from plants.
So nobody knows facts like these:
I think Fuhrman has it right: if it's a two-mile race, veggies win the race by a mile over the next food group (fruit). You have to find a way to get veggie consumption up.
And then there's daily experience. How many people do you know with protein deficiency disease? We're all dying from an overdose of animal protein and the fat that comes with it. You've probably never met the person or heard of the case of protein deficiency disease, unless you've seen starving African children.
My own experience is this is what happens to people who focus on actual foods, not components like protein:
<object width="425" height="353"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iUvjXQHt6QQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iUvjXQHt6QQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="353"></embed></object>
Here is what the World Health Organization has to say about what you should be eating (pdf - page 56):
- Total fat - 15 to 30%
- Saturated fatty acids - <10%
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) - 6 to 10%
- Omega-6 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) - 5 to 8%
- Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) - 1 to 2%
- Trans fatty acids - <1%
- Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) - By difference
- Total carbohydrate - 55 to 75%
- Free sugars - <10%
- Protein - 10 to 15%
- Cholesterol - <300 mg per day
- Sodium chloride (sodium) - <5 g per day
- Fruits and vegetables - 5400 g per day
- Total dietary fibre - From foods
- Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) - From foods
They suggest to limit your consumption of meat and to get most of your calories from plant-based foods. Of course, the number of grams this amounts to depends on how many calories you need to consume in a day.That pdf I linked gets into the technical details which will probably be right up your alley. <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/mwink.gif" border="0" alt="" > But I think you're right when you say you should just eat healthfully and not worry about it ... if you can. I tracked my caloric intake for a long, long time. First in a spreadsheet (ugh) and then with the help of sites like http://www.fitday.com/ and http://caloriecount.about.com/. This was prior to me reading TCS and ETL so I was still definitely eating meat. I spent all my time thinking about how many calories were probably in something, researching the number of calories and other numbers, and recording them. Eating became this robot task of measuring, researching, recording, and just plain thinking about portion limits and other nonsense.
Since I read TCS and ETL I haven't tracked a single nutrient or calorie. And you know what? I've lost more weight faster and I feel much healthier than I ever did when I was spending 50% of my waking hours tracking all my digits.
That said, maybe that's just me. The WHO recommendation I just gave stands up to every test you throw at it. Bodybuilders will tell you that you need 1.8g of protein per kg of body weight if you're throwing around iron all the time. That tells you a fraction of the whole story doesn't it? Protien isn't mystical, magical super food. It's one macronutrient that is absolutely plentiful in our society. But if you run the numbers, a 200lb (90kg) person that is a bodybuilder would need 162g of protein per day (even by the most manly bodybuilder standards). That means that bodybuilder needs 162 * 4 = 648 calories from protein per day. That is 15% of 4320 calories which, if you're exercising a lot (which is what the 1.8g per kg number is directed towards), is a very reasonable caloric intake target.
So the numbers work out perfectly for everyone from joe bagadonuts to super mcweightlifter. What the weightlifters aren't telling you is that your body craves carbohydrates and fats too. More importantly, you need other very important vitamins and minerals just as much as you need protein. Those guidelines above take the mystique out of protein and give you the big picture. So if you want to track, I recommend reading the WHO pdf and using a site like http://caloriecount.about.com/ to go about it.
HTH!
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Editing the TB! I had absolutely never heard of this before.
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The China Study seems pretty-well researched. All evidence seems to be what they said above: Eat the right foods and it doesn't matter how much you are told you need. You'll have what you need.
Always consider the source of the info, and what they stand to gain.
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Thanks Mike and Baldy for your thoughts on this. I have no intention of being a regular "counter" of anything here. That would drive me nuts too. One of the things I love about eating this way is that when I'm hungry, I can just eat something and not worry about it as long as I eat the right things. No counting of calories, carbs, fat grams, etc... And, I lost 25 pounds while doing tihs.
On the other hand, I do think there's a lot left to the reader's interpretation in what a balanced diet of lots of fruits and vegetables really means and I like to take a look at what I really eat every once in a while and see if it seems to be covering the appropriate bases for protein and several other categories. Plus, I've got a pick-eater daughter who makes "balanced" pretty challenging. So, I'm just trying to check up on our diet.
If we doubled our veggie intake (to get it where I wish it was), I wouldn't give it another thought. I guess I'll have to figure out how to do that.
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But in the last three months I got focused on how to move up the nutrient density scale and I sorta forgot about the fish. Don't think I've had any for a couple of months, but thanks to new recipes my intake of fruit and veggies has gone way up and intake of grains has gone down.
Since I swim, run and bike regularly, I know all my numbers for speed and watts on the bike, and I watch them like a hawk as almost all triathletes do. In the last few months the numbers have all gotten better, so it seems that so far I'm not missing the fish.
Yeah, I need to focus on finding more veggie rich recipes that the family will eat. I think we're too reliant on nuts and grains. We do, at least, endeavor to make them whole grains so there's some nutrient goodness there.
Hopefully I'll have more time soon and I can contribute more to the recipe-finding, shopping and cooking to get some new meals started.
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Start with Dr. Fuhrman's Anti Cancer Soup. Chock full of vegetable goodness, and my kids, especially my daughter, can't get enough. When I'm cooking it, she's hovering, waiting for it to be done. It's a bowlful of happiness.
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Do you order his Vegizest to use in that soup (like his recipe calls for) or just use your own spices? If I don't need the Vegizest, I might try it this weekend because everything else just comes from the market.
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One of them is about how to make Dr. Fuhrman's anti-cancer soup that DavidTO loves so much. That and veggie/fruit smoothies are the two breakthroughs that are getting more nutrients in my gut.
I don't make the soup like him, though. I take a couple of cups of split peas, two of lentils, and get 'em soaking in carrot juice for a long time.
Later I cook the beans and add lots 'o yummy spices. Then I puree stuff in the vitamix like kale, spinach, onions, brussel sprouts, garlic, red peppers, etc., and pour it into the lentils and peas. I don't cook it long, just get it hot enough to eat.
None of this throwing zucchini and whole onions and laying kale leaves over the top of the pot and then using the tongs to fish it out for me.
Each to their own, I guess.
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20mh.html
No, I don't use the vegizest.
My version of his recipe is up on the tastebook that schmoo is putting together. There it's called Green Veggie Soup, or something. I use Gayelord Hauser's Vegetable Broth. It's a green, salt-free powder, which I pick up at Whole Foods. Really, you probably don't need anything in that category, the soup would be fine without, but that one works well for me!
Lemme know if you have any questions.
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One thing about this soup is that it's tasty as is, but it's also a great base for other flavors. I often put some curry in it as I reheat it for a meal. It's flavorful on it's own, but adaptable to many flavors.
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This is one of those nights, freezing cold outside, hubby working late so he won't be cooking, I'm feeling all stressed and upset by work
Any inspiration before I reach for the phone?
ann
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All that soup talk had me warming up some.
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I'm sitting at home last night whining about the 40 degrees it got down to (freezing cold to ME) and then I feel like a right sissy reading about your winter weather woes :skippy. I know those long days, though ... what did you end up eating for dinner?
Sports season is especially rough for us - long hectic days, four active kids plus a tagalong toddler, and no husband at home to help out (he is currently on assignment out of state). We do order cheeseless veggie pizza from time to time
I know you're probably tired of chili right now, but what about some bean burgers? I can get a recipe for you but generally I mash a few cups/cans of beans (I like black but any will work), add in some uncooked oats, some diced onion and celery for crunch, throw in some minced garlic or other assorted seasonings, and a dash of tamari/soy/amino/teriyaki/whatever you have on hand and mix it all in like a meatloaf. Then form the patties, grill or pan-fry, and refrigerate or freeze.
You end up with the obvious hamburger patty (serve with usual accompaniments), but the patty is also a good base for a variety of other quick meals: taco salad, veggie wraps, fajitas, lasagna, even a stirfry ... anything you would normally make with meat, really, and all you'd need to do is add some fresh, pan-fried, or steamed veggies to make the meal complete. Takes just a few minutes to warm the stuff up, tops.
I typically start my week with ~5 patties on hand, and a giganto container of pre-cooked rice. Having these two "staples" on hand and already prepared really keeps me from ordering out as much as I normally might. It also cuts down prep time considerably. I can use either staple separately or mixed together, and while the meals aren't gourmet
And OT but I've always gotten such a kick out of your signature
Interesting article, the "chicken" breast they found in the grocery store had more steroids than they'd ever expect, enough to make the athletes test positively for steroid use.
:uhoh
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I got the Tastebook in the mail!
It's very nice. Tomorrow I take pictures of it, unpacking pictures, and give a little mini-review.
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Yes it is!
So is the chapter of The Omnivores Dilema that I read last night. Now, I am not a fast or dedicated reader, so I am still reading the corn section. Last night was the description of life on a feed lot. Made me want to never eat supermarket beef again, ever. (where's the shudder smilie?)
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