Food Notes

Overviews

"The RAVE Diet & Lifestyle" and "Eating" DVD by Mike Anderson. Promotes a diverse plant-based diet as both cure and prevention of the main western diseases. (cardiovascular, cancer, ...) The key diet premise is that our modern western diet correlates highly with western diseases. (cardiovascular, cancer, etc.) It's not about specific niche foods. It's about the big shift in our diets over the last 100 years, from 5% animal products plus 95 % whole-plant foods, to our current diet of 42% animal products plus 51% refined foods plus only 7% whole plant foods. I think it would be prudent to see this, and study the studies mentioned. (RAVE acronym: R: no refined foods; A: no animal products; V: no vegetable oils' E: no exceptions and exercise.) (ravediet.com/whatsinbook.htm) I have a couple extra copies to loan out locally. Video preview (8:00):
"Processed People" Consider watching the trailers and excerpts:
http://www.processedpeople.com
"Healing Cancer From Inside Out" by Mike Anderson. DVD. Hard-hitting documentary. Raises powerful questions about the effectiveness of, and damage done by, conventional treatments. (5-minute Preview of it: "Healing Cancer Preview" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfnIzYE4L8Y&feature=related) Promotes a diverse plant-based diet as both cure and prevention. I think it would be prudent to see this, and study the studies mentioned. While it's presented as more black & white than many would prefer, there are many useful facts and cautions in there. The key premise is that our immune system is the most effective cancer killer, and that strengthening the immune system should be the priority. The key diet premise is that our modern western diet correlates highly with western diseases. (cardiovascular, cancer, etc.) It's not about specific niche foods. It's about the big shift in our diets over the last 100 years, from 5% animal products plus 95% whole-plant foods, to our current diet of 42% animal products plus 51% refined foods plus only 7% whole plant foods. Lots to chew on ... (ravediet.com/caHealingcancer.htm) I have a couple extra copies to loan out locally. Video preview (4:43):
"What's the Healthiest Diet?" Panel discussion involving John McDougall, M.D. arguing for a starch-based diet, and Joel Fuhrman, M.D. arguing for nutrient-dense diet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdxVfi632Xw&feature=related
"The Starch Solution", John McDougall, M.D. arguing for a starch-based diet http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2009nl/feb/starch.htm

Heart Attack Proof and Reversing Heart Disease

Caldwell B. Esselstyn, MD, Cleveland Clinic -
"Make Yourself Heart Attack Proof"

Video - 8-minute snippet here (The preview promotes other videos at the end. Ignore as you please.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNeWCvLZaFM
Video - 1 hr version: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5215695644951404318#
Book: "Dr. Esselstyn shows you how by changing your diet you can prevent and
reverse heart disease. A low-fat plant-based (vegetarian) diet is the key."
"...book can be summed up very
quickly - no meat, no fish, no oil" Here's one of many articles:
http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2008/06/exsurgeon_caldwell_esselstyn_e.html

Milk

Milk problems and cancer connection:

General: www.notmilk.com and www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html

Breast Cancer: www.notmilk.com/deb/062198.html

Protein in human milk: 0.8% to 0.9% protein (3% to 5% fat, 6.9% to 7.2% carbohydrates and 0.2% ash (minerals)) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_milk)

Health

The leading causes of death in US women are heart disease, followed by cancer, followed by stroke.) http://www.cdc.gov/Women/lcod.htm
"Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease", Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. See video: http://www.heartattackproof.com/
Diabetes (Type II): Getting off insulin in two weeks. Video: "Raw for Thirthy Days" http://www.rawfor30days.com/index.php?p=Trailer
"High fat diet means high breast cancer risk" By Ben Wasserman Oct 13, 2008, http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/C_ancer_31/101310282008_Fat_diet_linked_to_increased_breast_cancer_risk.shtml
"more women die of cardiovascular disease than the next five causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer. It's the No. 1 killer of women." (http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/05/commentary.jennie.garth.heart/index.html)

Economics and Politics

Farm Subsidy Database www.farm.ewg.org/farm/ s

Raw Vegan Food

William Harris, M.D, "Raw vs Cooked" (suprise ending) "... Raw foods are not healthiest because they're "live food" or because of "life force", "living enzymes", "nerve energy", or "chi", but because the foods that can be eaten raw (mostly vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds) coincidentally have enormously higher nutrient values than the foods that either have to be, or usually are, cooked. ... Summary: The Raw Fooders are probably right but maybe not for their stated reasons."
http://www.vegsource.com/harris/raw_vs_cooked.htm
William Harris, M.D. "Less Grains, More Greens" (interesting nutrient density charts) http://www.vegsource.com/harris/ten_categories.htm
Joel Fuhrman, M.D. "The Cold Truth About Raw Food Diets" (cautions about raw food, but ends upbeat) http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-food-the-cold-truth-about-raw-food-diets.html
Joel Fuhrman, M.D. "Raw vs. Cooked?" (Recommends lots of raw veggies and fruit, plus steamed and boiled veggies.)
http://www.drfuhrman.com/faq/question.aspx?sid=16&qindex=4
Andrew Weil, M.D., "Ready for Raw Foods?" http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA357082
Dr. Doug Graham - Interview (2002) (re 80/10/10 diet before it was called that) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrWihaTBSAI&feature=related
80/10/10: Raw Marathoner and his wife Testimonial (Michael Arnstein does marathons, ultras, and triathlon, ran a 2:32 marathon) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEJLoQRIVx4&feature=related
Eating 80/10/10 Diet Part 1 per Michael Arnstein (athlete. Visual tour of his food choices in fruits and veggies) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKOLIJTOCCo&feature=related
Dr. Doug Graham: Nutrition and Physical Performance p1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lp65DC0I68&feature=related
"Recipes" I like:

Oranges and bananas blended
1lb mango chunks. 1 lb bananas. Blend with some water.
1lb sweet corn kernels; 1 oz fresh cilantro; three tomatoes; eat in the sun, with two cats

Oils (olive oil, etc.)

"I'm Going to Miss My Olive Oil - Who Knew It Wasn't So Healthy After All? Drs. Esselstyn, Ornish, Vogel & Rudel Did" http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2008/07/im-going-to-miss-my-olive-oil---who-knew-it-wasnt-so-healthy-after-all-drs-esselstyn-ornish-vogel-rudel-did.html

Inspiring Stories

"Maya nut changes lives while aiding the rain forest " http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/04/16/cnnheroes.erika.vohman/index.html

Base of Diet and Calories? Starch? Fat? or Fruit?

I'm starting to see why grains are such a big part of the world's food, especially for the poor, and for relief agencies. It looks like grains supply approx 10X the calories of veggies and fruit, and they store much much longer. It looks like the macronutrient caloric density is about the same for grains, veggies, and fruit. But by weight, Grains have 10X the calories. Looking around at prices for grains, fruit, and veggies, it looks like they are all close to $1/lb. (Maybe due to transportation costs?) So if 1.5 billion people live on $1/day, they are going to buy grain, to get maximum calories per dollar. Or if they have to carry it some distance, or if they have no refrigeration, etc. So I can see why civilizations gravitated towards grains. But it's still an open question if one can afford to buy (or grow) and
refrigerate veggies and fruit, do they represent a better package to get the calories, plus micronutrients and phytonutrients. Etc.

Sports Performance and General Energy Foods

Pinole (Roasted corn ground up) Used by Tarahumara Indians, and many other people. Sources: El Mexicano brand, Pinole De Maiz, Pinole of Toasted Corn. Nothing else added. $1.69 for 17.6 oz, 500 g. Store: El Chapala Market, Goleta, CA.

Misc

T. Colin Campbell's Response to Questions Raised About the Book, "The China Study. Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health"

Article (Includes response to criticisms from the Weston A. Price Foundation.) http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/campbell_china_response.htm#storyContinued
Video response: Q & A with T. Colin Campbell, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxb7XPm_SxU