A Conundrum, Plus Two Great Vegetarian Recipes

Hello again, family and friends,

Have you ever had the feeling that the more you look into a subject, the more confused you become?  My quest to seek information regarding the relationship between lifestyle and chronic illness has been very much like that.  A recent addition to our knowledge base was the DVD "Forks Over Knives" which was loaned to us by our long-time friend, Don Koenigs.  This is a film that I highly recommend that everyone see!!  We watched it twice and took notes to make certain that we didn't miss anything.  You might not totally buy into the recommendations, but the evidence is so overwhelming that, at the very least, it will make you think twice about what you put into your mouth.  I won't give everything away because I believe it is important for each of you to take the time to watch the film.  Don't miss the bonus features.  They are short, but very powerful.  We've ordered a copy for ourselves and are happy to share with the "locals".

There were three points in the film that were new to me and really caught my attention.  The first is that dairy products were highly implicated as a major problem in the western diet, and not only from fat or cholesterol.  Cheese has had a bad rap, but I'd not heard much concern over low-fat or non-fat milk or milk products.  In fact, we have always heard how important calcium is in our diet, and when we think of calcium in food, we have been trained (brainwashed?) into thinking dairy.  On the other hand, we have one of the highest rates of dietary calcium consumption in the world, yet at the same time we have one of the highest rates of hip fractures.  The film claims that osteoporosis is not caused by a lack of dietary calcium, but rather caused by a chronic state of metabolic acidosis which is a direct result of our high intake of sugar and so much highly-processed foods in our diet.  This condition pulls calcium, a lot of calcium, from our bones to neutralize the acid, leading directly to osteoporosis.  There are other causes for loss in bone density and this condition should be monitored routinely through bone scans as we age and/or as we undergo certain medical treatments.  However, if changing our diet can reduce the odds of developing this potentially debilitating condition, isn't it worth a try?  

The second area of interest also concerns dairy products.  Cows' milk has about twice the level of casein, one of several milk proteins, than human milk.  Studies conducted by T. Colin Campbell, one of the doctors featured in the film, showed a direct correlation between the amount of casein consumed in our diet and the promotion of cancerous cell growth. Casein is also implicated in other human health problems. As stated in the film, cows' milk is good for calves, but perhaps not so good for humans. 

The third interesting point is something I probably should have known, but either overlooked or forgot.  Plants do not contain cholesterol and all dietary cholesterol comes from consuming animal products - meat, dairy products, and eggs.  High cholesterol has become a major indicator of deteriorating health and is a precursor to coronary heart disease.  An alarming number of American adults take statin drugs to control their cholesterol levels.  While no one should quit taking prescribed drugs without the advise of their physician, the film shows that dramatic reductions in cholesterol levels are possible by changing to and adhering to a strict vegetarian diet.

The other doctor featured in the film, Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., claims that Americans could prevent 75-80% of all lifestyle diseases - coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer by changing our diet.  His concern is that western medicine has become very accomplished at treating disease once it occurs, but is terrible at preventing disease.  Further, he clearly demonstrates how disease prevention and even disease reversal are both possible through diet alone.  It is very exciting to watch how he does this and to see the positive results on his patients.  If it were possible to prevent disease by convincing the majority of Americans to change their diet, many of the concerns regarding the high costs of healthcare to our nation would simply disappear. 

So, what should we eat?   The film presents a compelling argument for converting entirely to a whole foods plant-based diet.  And therein lies the conundrum.  I thought we had been doing very well modifying our eating habits.  We have cut way back on red meat with only occasional small amounts of grass-fed beef.  The little bit of chicken and few eggs we eat are organic.  We use almost exclusively organic low-fat or no-fat dairy products and have cut way back on our consumption of cheese.  Our main source of animal protein is seafood, and we still have a lot of fish, and some other seafood, in our freezer.  Should we or, better yet, could we go the rest of the way?  I think, after watching the film, we were leaning heavily in that direction. 

As they say on the TV infomercials, "but wait, there's more".  As I was researching Dr. Campbell's work, I came across another study. It is called the "Nurses Health Study" which was started in 1976 with nearly 122,000 registered nurses to study how nutrition relates to heart disease and, at that time, primarily breast cancer.  Nurses were chosen because it was felt they would be more honest with their nutritional and other lifestyle information.  In 1999, the project enrolled 116,000 more nurses plus 52,000 men in a Health Professionals Follow-Up study.  The study was expanded to look at risk factors for other common diseases.  I recently read an interview with Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the Dept. of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, professor of  medicine at Harvard Medical School, and co-author of "Eat, Drink, & Weigh Less", who was instrumental in the Nurses Health Study.  He claims that adult weight gain turned out to be a major risk factor in many cancers.  In fact, he concludes, "In the U.S. (being) overweight is about equal to smoking in terms of its contribution to cancer rates". That totally blew me away!  The interview goes on to say that, besides the big four diet-related epidemics we have discussed previously, effects of diet were related to almost every condition studied, including cataracts, gallstones, infertility, kidney stones, and macular degeneration.  Wow!!!! 

According to the study, the type of fat and the quality of carbohydrates in the modern Western diet are the main culprits.  Dr. Willett's recommendation from this study is that we eat a low-glycemic diet centered on complex carbohydrates.  More specifically, "healthy whole-grain, high-fiber sources of carbohydrates, healthy vegetable oil, less red meat, more protein from nuts, beans and a modest amount of poultry and fish, plus plenty of fruits and vegetables.  While dairy is not essential, one or two servings per day are OK".  This contradicts the no-dairy position of the film, but still urges very low levels of dairy consumption.  Although not specifically stated, I seriously doubt that Dr. Willett would consider ice cream to be one of the acceptable daily servings.  Another reliable diet reference strongly suggests that all foods, whether plant or animal-based should be "as unaltered and unprocessed as possible".   Whew, this sounds a lot more like how we have been trying to eat.  I think I can live with that, at least until our fish supply is gone.  

Just in case, after seeing the film, you do decide to become a strict vegetarian, here are two recipes we really enjoy.  What the heck, they are both very good whether you are a vegetarian or not. 

Szechuan Noodle Toss  (thanks to Susan Holmes)

8 oz thin spaghetti (we use organic whole wheat)

2 large red bell peppers, julienned

4 green onions, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces

1 medium clove garlic, crushed or very finely chopped

1 lb spinach leaves, washed, drained and cut or broken into 1-inch pieces

1 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained

3/4 lb firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (we often use the whole pound)

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 

2 Tbs dark sesame oil

2 Tbs rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp minced ginger root

1) Cook pasta according to package label.  Drain; rinse with cold water.  Drain again. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

2) In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbs salad (olive) oil. Add red bell peppers, green onions and garlic; saute' two minutes or until tender-crisp.  Stir in spinach.  Cover; cook 1 minute, or until spinach wilts.  Add pepper mixture to pasta.  Stir in water chestnuts and tofu.  Set aside.  

3) In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients with 3 Tbs salad (olive) oil.  Add to pasta mixture; toss to coat.  Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled.  Makes 6 servings.  

This recipe can easily be halved, but when the flavors combine, the leftovers are great.  We have served it alone, in bowls, as a complete meal. 

Vegetable Pulao (rice with vegetables; adapted from a recipe given to us by Paul Bless)

1-2 Tbs Olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 cinnamon sticks or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 whole cloves or 1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 cardamom pods or 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

2 bay leaves broken in half  

1/2 tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp curry

1 cup Basmoti rice (we have used organic brown Basmoti rice with mixed results)

1 2/3 cup water

1/2 to 1 tsp salt

1/2 to 1 tsp brown or raw sugar

2 cups vegetables (1 cup frozen peas and 1 cup chopped or thinly sliced carrots works well)

Saute' onions in oil over medium heat.

While cooking add spices.

When onion is soft, about 5 minutes, stir in 1 cup of Basmoti rice.  Stir and heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add water.  Stir in salt and sugar.  Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Fluff rice and add vegetables.  Cover and heat on low 5 more minutes before serving. 

(When preparing this, we've found that it works better to saute' the onions with the spices in the larger amount of oil in a saute' or fry pan, then transfer to a pot with a tight-fitting lid when it's time to add the rice & water.)

We love the smell of this recipe while it is cooking and the house smells great for several hours afterward.  It is more of a side dish that goes very well with almost any preparation of poultry or fish.

Shalom,

    Barry and Kathy

A View From the South End of Our Island Looking East