This is a fun little video I made in the ocean with friends. The underwater world is beautiful, but at the rate we are overfishing, I am not sure that it will be the same in future generations. We can make a difference by either not eating fish entirely, which is preferable, or at least not supporting destructive fishing practices such as these:
Bottom Trawling: A bottom trawl is a type of fishing net which is pulled along the seafloor, usually to catch shrimp and bottom-dwelling fish like halibut and sole. Unfortunately, the nets also catch a variety of ocean life that’s usually thrown back dead or dying. Dragging heavy gear across the seabed also damages the seafloor habitat.
Dredging: Dredges are large, metal-framed baskets which are dragged across the seafloor to collect shellfish. Metal teeth dig into the seafloor, which damages the seafloor habitat and bottom-dwelling species. Dredging also has high levels of bycatch.
Gillnetting: This uses curtains of netting suspended by a system of floats and weights, anchored to the seafloor floating at the surface. The netting is nearly invisible, so fish swim right into it. Gill nets are used to catch sardines, salmon and cod, but accidentally entangle and kill animals, such as sharks and sea turtles.
Long lining: A central fishing line (ranging from one to 50 miles long) is strung with smaller lines of baited hooks, dangling at evenly spaced intervals. The lines are near the surface to catch pelagic fish (like tuna and swordfish) or on the seafloor to catch deep-dwelling fish (like cod and halibut.) Many lines unfortunately hook sea turtles, sharks and seabirds that are attracted to the bait.
Purse Seining: This uses a large wall of netting to encircle schools of fish. Fishermen pull the bottom of the netting closed, herding fish into the center. This method is used to catch schooling fish (like sardines) or species that gather to spawn (like squid). These can catch other animals, such as dolphins (tuna seines).
To make sure you are not supporting these fishing methods with a large by catch, check out: seafoodwatch.org
References:
“Fishing and Farming Methods: Fishing Methods” Retrieved 16 September 2016 from : http://www.seafoodwatch.org/ocean-issues/fishing-and-farming-methods.
The beauty of pineapples, is that you can eat the bottom and recycle the top by planting it to make a new pineapple! It is a very renewable resource. They also need little water and are more drought resistant than other tropical fruits. The tops take about 2 years to fruit. (That is how long my plant took to fruit). Once it fruits, it takes about six more months to mature. Therefore, you must be patient with your plant. If you take better care of it, it will probably fruit sooner. Good luck planting!
You can never have too much of a good thing, right? Unfortunately, in regards to protein, specifically animal protein, there is increasing evidence to show that too much animal protein can be harmful. This is a follow up to my last article regarding protein supplementation. Protein supplementation is often sourced from whey protein, found in dairy products. Recent fad diets, such as the Atkins or other similar low carbohydrate diets, also have placed a heavy emphasis on animal protein.
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that Americans get as much as 46% of their protein from animal products and 16% of their protein from dairy products. Plant protein made up about 30% of intake. ( 8% of protein was not classified). Chicken and beef were the primary sources of animal protein; while cheese, milk , and dairy desserts were the main sources of dairy protein intake. Plant protein sources included mostly bread, nuts, and seeds.(1)
One adverse effect of high animal protein intake is an increased risk of kidney stones. The connection between high protein intake and kidney stone onset or recurrence has been demonstrated in a large epidemiologic study carried out in male healthy male subjects, published in the New England Journal of Medicine . (2) A reduction in animal protein intake is very effective in preventing kidney stone relapse combined with a reduction in salt intake and an increase in fruit and vegetable intake, whereas a high protein low carbohydrate diet can contribute to the formation of kidney stones.(3)
In addition, high protein intake is associated with renal insufficiency since the kidney filters the protein in the body. In those with renal insufficiency, lower protein intake may slow the progression of advanced renal disease.(4) There is also an increased risk of diabetes type 2 with a diet higher in animal protein and a modestly reduced risk with a higher intake of vegetable protein.(5)
Therefore, if you are concerned about getting enough protein for building muscle, I recommend getting vegetable protein instead of animal protein. In the International Study of Macro-/micronutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP), patients who have lower risk for cardiovascular disease had a higher intake of vegetable protein and lower intake of animal protein.(6) A diet with a higher proportion of protein from plant sources is associated with lower mortality in those with chronic kidney disease as well.(7) As I mentioned from my last article though, it is unlikely you really need the extra protein supplement at all.
(1) Pasiakos, Stefan M. et al. “Sources and Amounts of Animal, Dairy, and Plant Protein Intake of US Adults in 2007–2010.” Nutrients 7.8 (2015): 7058–7069. PMC. Web. 24 July 2016.
(2) Curhan, Gary C. et al. “A Prospective Study of Dietary Calcium and Other Nutrients and the Risk of Symptomatic Kidney Stones.” N Engl J Med 328 (1993): 833-838. Web. 24 July 2016.
(3) Nouvenne, Antonio et al. “Fad Diets and Their Effect on Urinary Stone Formation.” Translational Andrology and Urology 3.3 (2014): 303–312. PMC. Web. 24 July 2016.
(4) Levey, AS et al. “Dietary protein restriction and the progression of chronic renal disease: what have all of the results of the MDRD study shown? Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study group.” J Am Soc Nephrol. 1999 Nov;10(11):2426-39. Web. 24 July 2016.
(5) Malik, VS et al. “Dietary Protein Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women.” Am J Epidemiol. 2016 Apr 15;183(8):715-28. Web. 24 July 2016.
(6) Elliot, P et al. “Association between protein intake and blood pressure: the INTERMAP Study.” Arch Intern Med. 2006 Jan 9;166(1):79-87. Web. 24 July 2016.
(7) Chen, X et al. “The Associations of Plant Protein Intake With All-Cause Mortality in CKD.” Am J Kidney Dis. 2016 Mar;67(3):423-30. Web. 24 July 2016.
“No Poo” is short for “No Shampoo”. I have almost been avoiding shampoo for about a year now. It has actually been surprisingly good for my hair. It all started when I noticed that my hair was getting very knotted and dry after using shampoo, and then I would need a lot of conditioner to pull a brush through it which would weigh down my hair. I did some searching on the internet, and I saw that some people were using this “no poo” method to wash their hair without commercial shampoos. I am about 90% “no poo” now.
On days I do not go to work, sometimes I just wash my hair with water. When I do go to work, I use baking soda (1 tbsp) in water (1 cup) for my shampoo and 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water in a spray bottle for my conditioner. I find avoiding shampoo has been really good for me. My scalp is able to release natural oils to hydrate my hair, and it is no longer as dry as it was. My hair is much healthier appearing and has natural body. The commercial shampoo was drying out my hair, and the conditioner was weighing it down. There is an adjustment period where my hair was a little oily, but now my hair is much better. It rarely ever gets tangled.
I still use shampoo after getting into a chlorine pool. I find it is exceedingly difficult to get chlorine completely out of my hair unless I use shampoo. I try to use shampoos with natural ingredients (and not man-made chemicals) when I can to decrease exposure to toxic ingredients found in beauty products. In general, I wash my hair a lot less, which is good for my hair. Plus, it saves me a lot of money on shampoo and conditioner! People ask me if my hair smells because I don’t use shampoo. It does not really smell like anything. It is odorless. There is not a bad smell.
If you find that the commercial beauty products are drying out your hair like I did, maybe give “no poo” a go!
Karmi of Hawaiian Hydroponics shows us how to start a hydroponic garden by planting seeds in rock wool in this episode! Stay tuned for more episodes with Karmi about gardening!
This week I am posting a video swimming with dolphins! I wanted to show how enjoyable it is to swim with dolphins in their natural environment. I think these creatures are beautiful, and I would like to point out some things we can do as individuals to make sure the next generation can enjoy them as well:
Do not buy tickets to a dolphin show or any event where you can touch the dolphins where they are kept in a small enclosure. Some of you have probably seen the movie “THE COVE” which shows us how the slaughter of 20,000 dolphins, porpoises, and small whales occurs in Japan each year. Fishermen herd whole families of dolphins into shallow bays and mercilessly stab and drown them to death. If you have not seen this movie, I highly recommend it. There is a link above to the movie.
There are many accidental deaths caused by fishing nets, specially those deployed by tuna ships. If you can avoid eating fish, or at least buy tuna that is “dolphin-safe”, that will help decrease this needless slaughter.
Speak out to your legislature against sound pollution that occurs in the seas and other environmental issues that affect marine life.
Decrease use of plastic which often ends up in the ocean and gets eaten by dolphins and other marine life.
Use phosphate free detergent and soaps.
Try not to use insecticides as these chemicals drain into the ocean.
Happy viewing!
References:
What can you do. [Web post]. Retrieved from http://wilddolphin.org/you.html.
In this episode, Jorden talks about how she made her transformation from the standard american diet to a healthy plant-based diet ! This is for all those people who think that Jackie Jackson was an exception! Jorden also lost 50 pounds on a plant-based diet. It is common to lose a lot of weight by eating healthy food that nourishes your body. When we eat “junk food”, it often is empty calories and does not nourish our body. Because it leaves our bodies hungry for nourishment, we end up overeating in an effort to get the nutrients we need!
Jorden told me that she also became more active (like Jackie) after losing weight. She was able to get rid of her arthritis and clear up her skin as well! In a study in Arthritis in 2015, participants were randomized to a whole food plant based diet and a group that continued their current diet. The whole food plant based diet group reported a significantly greater improvement of their osteoarthritis symptoms than the group that continued their current diet. In regards to acne, dairy products are notorious for worsening acne. This is where the belief that (milk) chocolate consumption increases acne! It is thought that the hormones in milk worsen acne. In the Nurses Healthy Study II, there was a positive association of acne with total intake of milk.
I often hear from college students that they have a hard time sticking to a plant-based diet due to budget limitations and the limited food options on the campus. Jorden shows that it is not difficult to make health a priority and she is able to get relatively inexpensive produce at the farmer’s markets, if not on campus. I have enclosed before and after pictures that Jorden is sharing with us below. Thank you Jorden for inspiring others!
References:
Adebamowo CA, et al. High school dietary dairy intake and teenage acne. J Am Acad Dermatol. February 2005;52:207–14.
Clinton CM, O’Brien S, Law J, Renier CM, Wendt MR. Whole-foods, plant-based diet alleviates the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Arthritis. 2015;2015:708152.
This is a follow-up to my blog post last week regarding protein requirements. Despite the common practice of consuming greater amounts of protein in strength training athletes, there is little data suggesting there is any benefit to doing this. The U.S. dietary supplement industry, which includes the protein supplementation industry, generates more than $30 billion annually.
Regarding protein requirements, the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) is 4-5% total calories per day for adults. The EAR is expected to satisfy the needs of 50% of people in that age group. To figure out this threshold, scientists measured the protein consumption of different people and tracked them to see if they displayed any symptoms of protein deficiency and correlated these symptoms with the different amounts of protein people were consuming.
The U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is calculated based on the EAR, usually 20% higher than the EAR. The RDA meets the requirements of 97.5% of individuals in each life stage and sex group, implying that the intake level would cause a nutrient deficiency in just 2.5%. For protein, the RDA is 8-10% of calories or 0.8/mg/kg of body weight. For a 70 kg male, this would equate to 56 g/day.
To determine protein requirements for athletes, nitrogen balance studies have been used. This technique involves calculating the protein that enters the body and measuring the nitrogen excreted. Proteins are 16% nitrogen, and the body excretes nitrogenous compounds rather than whole protein. These studies have found that low to moderate intensity recreational endurance exercise does not require dietary protein in excess of the current RDA.
Studies have even shown that more intense resistance exercise can even improve nitrogen economy. In other words, exercising improves dietary protein retention. Unaccustomed endurance exercise may initially induce a negative nitrogen balance, but in one study, this improved within 12 days of exercise.
For the strength training athlete, a level of 1.33g/kg/day of protein is likely sufficient. Most people are already consuming enough protein to meet these needs. Dietary protein intake should generally not be a concern for athletes consuming 10-15% protein and getting adequate calories to meet the needs of their activity. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (from data from 1999-2000), adults consumed an average of 15 percent of calories from protein. Since most people already get enough protein, there is no need for supplementation. From a Consumer Reports review from July 2010:
“Our Investigation, including tests at an outside laboratory of 15 protein drinks, a review of government documents, and interviews with health and fitness experts and consumers, found most people already get enough protein, and there are far better and cheaper ways to add more if it’s needed. Some protein drinks can even pose health risks, including exposure to potentially harmful heavy metals, if consumed frequently. All drinks in our tests had at least one sample containing one or more of the following contaminants: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury…”
References
“Alert: Protein drinks: You don’t need the extra protein or the heavy metals our tests found.” Consumer Reports Magazine, 2010.
S.M. Pasiakos, S.J. Mountain, A.J. Young, “Protein Supplementation in U.S. Military Personnel.” The Journal of Nutrition, vol. 148, no. 11, pp.18155-18195, 2013.
In this book, Dr. Davis talks about how he was once obsessed with protein and it was actually damaging his health. He was once an advocate of a high protein diet and consumed a lot of meat, dairy, and eggs (in addition to recommending it to his patients). He began to make changes after his wife was pregnant with his first child, and he found out that he had high cholesterol and elevated liver function tests. He also did not feel well. He was suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, overweight, and fatigued.
Dr. Davis started researching how he could improve his health. This book is a summary of the research that he found in journal articles and books which convinced him to change his diet. These days he feels much better. His cholesterol is normal, and his irritable bowel syndrome is gone. He is in phenomenal shape and competes in marathons and iron man triathlons, so he obviously no longer experiences the fatigue he was experiencing on the high protein diet.
I found some of the insights he had about gastric bypass surgeries and patients who seek out gastric bypass interesting. He writes about how some of the patients who have bariatric surgery done lose weight and then become obese again. For the first year or two, people lose weight as they are forced to cut calories since their stomachs are so much smaller. However, two to three years later, some patients gain back weight (since their stomachs begin stretching again) and have nutritional deficiencies because they are still not eating a healthy diet well and part of their digestive system has been “bypassed”.
Now, he continues to conduct gastric bypass surgery but encourages his patients to try eating a plant-based diet first. Many of the patients ask how they can get enough protein on this type of diet. He checks the labs of all his patients and says that the meat eaters actually have very poor nutritional results, deficient in vitamin D, folate, thiamine, vitamin A, and B12. He does not have much information about vegetarian patients because vegetarians do not usually end up in a weight loss clinic. He could only think of one patient in over ten years, who was vegan and addicted to vegan baked goods. This vegan patient had a wonderful cholesterol profile and no vitamin deficiencies, as well as no heart disease or diabetes.
Many of the patients he sees in his clinics continue to be fixated on getting enough protein. In fact, he states that he wrote this book partly so he could stop having the same conversation with his weight-loss patients. To paraphrase his conversation, the patient states that they are trying (high protein) diets and cannot lose weight. The patient tries to avoid carbohydrates and makes sure s/he gets enough protein. When he tells his patient that the carbohydrates are not the problem and they are actually getting too much protein, the patient does not believe it. The patient states that what is Dr. Davis is saying is contrary to what they have heard all their life and fixate on the fact that they are eating too many carbohydrates. I completely related to this situation, as I have had many similar conversations with patients that I have advised dietary changes for improved health!
Dr. Davis provides us an in depth history of how our country’s obsession with protein began from the earliest high protein diets to the more recent “paleo” diet. Patients often lose weight initially because they are eating less calories but gain the weight back within a year (in multiple studies referenced in this book). Side effects of the “Atkins diet” include nausea, headache, fatigue, bad breath, and constipation (since it is basically devoid of fiber). Other undesired side effects include heart disease (from a high fat diet), evidenced by the fact that Dr. Atkins himself suffered a heart attack from his high protein diet. When Dr. Atkins passed away, he was an obese 258 pounds (for his height of 6 feet). Another high protein advocate, Stephen Byrnes of the Weston Price Foundation (who called himself a “recovering vegetarian”) died of a stroke at the age of 42.
Dr. Davis then gives a summary of evidence based studies about the ill effects of a high protein diet including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, obesity and cancer. He begins with telling us that meat (and not carbohydrates) is the major cause of diabetes. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) and Nutrition study followed 521,000 people from ten european countries for 12 years. EPIC researches found that meat is significantly associated with development of type 2 diabetes, whereas fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a decrease in diabetes. Similar research findings exist for the Adventist Health Study of Loma Linda, the Nurses’ Health Study, and the Women’s Health Initiative. The Adventist Health Study and EPIC also found a lower rate of hypertension of vegetarians than meat eaters. He cites the research of Dr. Dean Ornish (refer to my previous blog) and Dr. Caldwell Essylstein reversing heart disease with a plant-based diet. In his chapter on how protein causes weight gain, he talks about how easy it is to lose weight on a low fat, low protein and high carbohydrate diet. The high fiber in a whole foods diet causes satiety and prevents overeating. He lists Terry Shintani’s Waianae Diet study in Hawaii as an example. The chapter about cancer risks of a high protein diet delineates the risks of carcinogens found in high quantities in animal products such as heterocyclic amines, heme iron, N-nitroso compounds and the protective effects of antioxidants found in a plants.
Americans consume on average around 130 grams of protein daily according to the World Health Organization. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein is just 45-55 grams daily or 0.8g/k of lean body mass (not total body weight). Lean body mass is total body weight minus fat. Many Americans still live in fear of developing protein deficiency or Kwashiorkor, which is actually a disease of combined protein and caloric deficiency. This is so rare that I have never seen this before. Dr. Davis addresses the concerns of special populations, such as athletes, coming to the conclusion (from multiple studies) that most fit people will obtain enough protein by getting the U.S. RDA requirement. Some athletes that concentrate instead on getting high carbohydrates actually have flourished, such as Michael Arnstein, a fruitarian and one of the top ultra runners in the world, who lives in Hawaii.
Near the end of the book, Dr. Garth Davis addresses some of the common concerns of people who might want to transition to a plant based diet. He debunks some common myths about vegan diets. People are very concerned about nutrient deficiencies, and vegans can develop B12 deficiency; but B12 is very easily supplemented. People are also concerned about osteoporosis because vegans do not eat dairy products. He tells us about a review of 34 studies showed that people who consumed animal products actually had more risk of hip fractures than vegetarians. The problem with obtaining calcium from animal products is that calcium is used to buffer acid and is leached from the bone when one consumes an acidic high protein diet. People are afraid to become anemic from a vegan diet, but in fact vegans are not any more prone to anemia than meat-eaters and actually avoid some of the ill-effects of heme-iron. There is another myth that vegetarians are more likely to be hypothyroid. Actually vegans are much less likely to be hypothyroid than meat-eaters. Another myth people believe is that a plant based diet will decrease HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Actually I can dispel this myth because my HDL cholesterol is really high. It has been over 100 for many years, since I have been vegetarian for over 20 years!
I high recommend this book. Dr. Garth Davis dispels many of the myths that the general public believes. I deal with these misconceptions everyday when I try to explain to people how eating a plant-based diet can improve their health. This book inspired me to create the video below. Brian Heithaus used to be addicted to protein like so many Americans today, and he started getting some of the ill effects of the high protein diet (such as headaches, weight gain, and fatigue). Brian talks about how he was able to change his diet to a high carbohydrate diet and his problems went away!
I combine all ingredients in a food processor and then you can spread it on bread or combine it with pasta! The possibilities are endless.
Nutritional Information:
Nutritional Yeast:
Nutritional yeast is grown on whey, blackstrap molasses or wood pulp. When the yeast is harvested, it is washed and dried with heat (so that it stops growing); and then, crumbled and packaged for the consumer.(1)
Nutritional yeast is a complete protein. It contains nine amino acids that that your body cannot produce. Nutritional yeast also contains compounds associated with improved immunity, reduced cholesterol, and antioxidants. It provides minerals like as iron, selenium and zinc and is a great source of fiber. B vitamins in nutritional yeast include thiamine, folate, B-6 and niacin. B vitamins help you convert food into energy and produce red blood cells. Many types of nutritional yeast are also fortified with vitamin B-12 as well.(1)
Basil:
Basil, also known as St. John’s Wort, is an herb belonging to the mint family. Basil extract was found to be effective at killing off harmful molecules and preventing damage caused by some free radicals in the liver, brain, and heart. It is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.(2) It is a wonderful source of iron. Eating it during your period can replenish some of the iron lost when you menstruate. Basil has also been found to have anti-anxiety effects. Its phyto-chemicals may lower cortisol, a stress hormone.(3)
It has been found to reduce inflammation and swelling. Basil may help clear your breakouts! Basil oil helps combat the bacteria that causes pimples. You can try to boil basil leaves in water and then when the liquid cools, dip a cotton ball in the liquid and pat it on your breakout areas and then wait ten minutes before washing it off.(3)
Macadamia Nuts:
Macadamias are a wonderful source of Vitamin A, iron, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folates. They have a high flavonoid content. Flavonoids are help to prevent cell damage from environmental toxins and convert into antioxidants in our body by destroying free radicals!(4)
Macadamia nuts are cholesterol free and actually have been found to reduce cholesterol level and help lower triglyceride levels.. They have healthy monounsaturated fat, which helps promote weight loss! They are rich in palmitoleic and omega 7 fatty acids that are the building blocks for the enzymes which control the burning of fat, curb the appetite, and reduce fat storage. They also contain around 7% of fiber, which also promotes satiety, provides roughage, and aids digestion.(4)
Macadamias also contain significant level of protein which is an essential component of our diet and forms muscles and connective tissues in our bodies Proteins help maintain the health of hair, nails and skin.(4)
Macadamias are a good source of minerals. The phosphorus in macadamia aids bone and teeth mineralization, metabolism, absorption and transportation of nutrients. The calcium aids in the formation of teeth and bones. Manganese in macadamias helps the body to deposit new bone, and Omega 3s prevent osteoporosis and reduces arthritis severity. Copper in macadamias helps to make neurotransmitters, which our brain cells use to send chemical signals.(4)
Garlic:
To find out more about garlic, please see episode “Thanksgiving Alternatives to Eating Turkey”.
Pine nuts:
Pine nuts are actually seeds of the pine cone. They have numerous health promoting phyto-chemicals, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals.(5)
Pine nuts are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid that helps to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases HDL (good-cholesterol). They contain omega 6 fatty acid pinolenic acid, which curbs appetite by triggering the release of hunger-suppressant enzymes. Pinolenic acid also enhances hepatic LDL uptake. Pine nuts are a great source of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant required for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucus membranes and skin. They are also an excellent source of B-complex group of vitamins and essential minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium. Pine nuts are one of the best sources of manganese a co-factor for antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. (5)
References:
(1) Lauretta, Ashley. “What are the Benefits of Nutritional Yeast Flakes?” Livestrong. Demand Media, 1 February 2016. Web. Accessed 11 May 2016. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/263528-what-are-the-benefits-of-nutritional-yeast-flakes/>.
(2) Nordqvist, John. “Basil: Health Benefits and Nutritional Information.” Medicalnewstoday. Medilexicon International, Ltd., 9 February 2016. Web. Accessed 11 May 2016. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266425.php>
(3) Barrie, Leslie. “Sweet Benefits of Basil.” Health. Health Media Ventures, Inc. Web. Accessed 11 May 2016. <http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20500778,00.html>.
(4) Ahmed, Arshi. “7 Amazing Health Benefits of Macadamia Nuts.” Stylecraze. Style craze. 30 June 2015. Web. Accessed 11 May 2016. <http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/amazing-health-benefits-of-macadamia-nuts/>.
