VEGETARIAN FOOD

   Really Healthy People Eat Their Veggies
   Heart Disease
   Cancer Connection
   Protein Myth
   Calcium Controversy
   Steak and Hormones
   Fish and Pesticides
   Breast or Bottle?
   Waste Not Want Not
   Our Natural Resources Down the Drain
   The Age of Vegetarianism!
   More Information & links

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS

Vitamine F
Chiropractic Adjustments

SUGAR

Why Sugar Ruins Your Family's Health
Natural Sweeteners

REALLY HEALTHY PEOPLE EAT THEIR VEGGIES

The meat, dairy and egg industries would like you to think that their products are necessary for good health. It is their business and in their best interest for you to believe them when they say you need meat for protein and milk for calcium. They create smoke screens by funding studies which say their products are good for you and your family. It is not good for their business when people with no financial interest whatsoever tell you that meat and dairy are damaging your health. So they send teaching materials to schools so that they can brainwash the next generation....
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HEART DISEASE - #1 KILLER

The #1 cause of death in the United states is heart disease (38.3%). Cancer is #2 at 17.2% and stroke is #3 at 10.8%. These and other diseases are not simply misfortunes that we have to accept. They can be prevented, and in many cases reversed, with a change to a plant-based diet.

Meat, dairy, and eggs are the chief source of dietary saturated fat. They, along with fish, are the only sources of dietary cholesterol. It has been found that there is a direct correlation between the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat in people's diet and the death rate from heart disease.

A large study found that the heart disease mortality rates for lacto-ovo vegetarians (those who consume dairy and eggs) to be 1/3 less than meat eaters. Pure vegetarians, or vegans (those who don't eat any animal products including dairy and eggs and sometimes honey), had 1/10 the heart disease rate of meat eaters. Out of 100 meat eating friends and family, 40 are likely to die of heart disease. In 100 vegan loved ones, only 4 will be lost to heart disease.

Heart disease doesn't occur overnight in middle age. It is a childhood disease, beginning as early as the age of 2. It develops insidiously as meat and dairy are consumed and atherosclerotic plaques are laid down until the arteries to the heart are blocked. Failure to exercise the heart muscle aerobically, not learning how to manage stress, and smoking just facilitate the process. Strokes are similar to heart attacks, except that the atherosclerotic plaques block the arteries going to the brain.
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CANCER CONNECTION

Cancer is a profitable business and it really isn't in the best interest of the pharmaceutical and medical industries to find a cure. Otherwise, it would be common knowledge that a plant-based diet prevents cancer! Our intestines are too long to process meat, which then putrefies and creates toxins. The cancers most associated with a high meat intake are colon, breast, cervical, uterine, ovarian, prostate, and lung cancers. Coincidentally, these also account for most cancer deaths in the US.

IRON IRONY

Overconsumption of dairy products will create an iron deficiency. (Milk fed veal is white because they are anemic!) Calorie for calorie, the best sources of iron come from spinach (11.3 mg iron/100 cals), cucumber (6 mg/100 cals), lettuce (3.8mg/100 cals), bell pepper (3.3 mg/100 cals), strawberries (2.7 mg/100 cals), cabbage (2.4 mg/100 cals), and lima beans (2.3 mg/100 cals). Meat and chicken average between .6-1.9 mg iron/100 cals and dairy contains < .1 mg/100 cals. Popeye had the right idea!
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PROTEIN MYTH

Our teachers used educational materials provided by the National Dairy Council and the Meat Board to teach us that we need eggs, dairy, and meat for protein. Some of your classmates have gone on to become teachers and doctors, continuing to spread this misinformation. And no further education is ususally pursued.... (Medical doctors MIGHT get one elective class in nutrition)

There is no consensus on how much protein is required. The range is from 2 1/2% to 8% of our total daily calories. Human mother's milk contains 5% of its calories from protein. Most meat-eating Americans get too much protein. Legumes and vegetables contain more than adequate amounts of protein. If you ate nothing else besides potatoes (11% protein) you would still get enough protein!

The best plant sources of protein come from beans, nuts, tofu, and greens. It is actually a fallacy that you need more protein to build muscle- you actually need more carbohydrates to burn as fuel! Athletes such as the world record setting triathlete Dave Scott and the swimmer Sixto Lenares are vegetarians who know this.
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CALCIUM CONTROVERSY

Our bones are a storehouse for calcium; a certain blood level of calcium must be maintained at all costs so that our muscles function properly -especially our heart. High protein foods like meat and dairy, cause less calcium to be absorbed; dairy is actually a poor source of calcium because 30% of the calcium is used to metabolize the protein. Meat, chicken, fish (and soda) are high in phosphorus content, causing less calcium to be absorbed and used.

When blood levels of calcium go down, the body withdraws calcium from the bones. Meats and dairy are acid forming, upsetting the delicate balance; calcium is withdrawn from the bones to maintain the proper pH of the blood. When too much calcium is leached from the bone, osteoporosis develops.

The calcium in vegetables (especially leafy greens), fruits, and seeds (sesame) is much more available, absorbable and easily utilized.

Osteoporosis is primarily thought of as a problem of post menopausal women, however, it really is a problem that begins in early in life. It is during the preteen years when the store house of calcium is being created. This is the time when the diet is most important, - and when many girls go on diets or junk food binges. The average meat & dairy eating woman has a 35% bone loss every year. The typical vegan woman has only an 18% yearly bone loss. Just by eliminating animal products, women can cut their bone loss in half!
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STEAK AND HORMONES

After WWII, it became common practice to use DES, a steroid hormone, to increase fat and weight in livestock to increase profit. Side effects of DES contamination, even in minute quantities, include impotence, infertility, breast enlargement, and a high-pitched voice. Numerous cases of precocious sexual development was noted in young children from consuming meat and milk contaminated with DES. The secondary sex characteristics resolved after consumption of animal products was ceased. DES was banned from use after it was discovered it causes cancer. Many factories, however, continue to use DES or other sex hormones with similar effects as DES.

Hormone use also causes a lowered resistance in livestock. As a result, they are often given antibiotics in their feed to prevent infection. Overuse of antibiotics causes bacteria to adapt and become resistant to antibiotics. It has been proven that this resistance is passed on to humans who consume meat.
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FISH AND PESTICIDES

With the advent of factory farming came an increase in pesticide use. Today we produce pesticides at a rate which is 13,000 times faster than 35 years ago. Even in 1966, the government admitted that there was no milk available the market which was free of pesticides. The government has very lenient guidelines for toxicity testing; only one in a quarter million animals is tested for toxic levels of chemicals. And they only test 10% of the toxic chemicals known!

Phosgene was responsible for most of the deaths due to poison gas in WWI. Today we use it as an herbicide (weedkiller) and pesticide. Zycor-B, a modern pesticide, was utilized by the Nazis to produce the deadly hydrogen cyanide gas used in gas chambers. Other pesticides, such as Malathion and Parathion, are also members of the nerve gas family.

Dioxin, or Agent Orange as it was called during the Vietnam War, is the most toxic chemical known to mankind. The beef and dairy industry commonly use Dioxin as a pesticide despite the fact that it is known to cause birth defects. It causes miscarriage, cancer, and death in lab animals at the infinitesimal dose of 1 part per trillion.

Scientists have made a link between pesticide ingestion and the increase of cancer and spread of AIDS. Dioxin and other chemicals damage the immune system and make the body more susceptible to illness - including AIDS. Cancer in kids was a rarity 40 years ago. Today, more children die of cancer than from any other causes. Children with learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and lowered IQs may have suffered neurological damage from pesticide poisoning, in utero. Often, birth defects are subtle and may go unnoticed, but the child who has been poisoned by pesticides may get sick all the time, have a compromised immune system, damaged livers and kidneys, and emotional problems.

Chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides like DDT, Kepone, Toxaphene, and PCBs are stable compounds. This means they don't break down for decades or even centuries. DDT, 12 years after being banned, has been found in dolphins, and in animals of the remote areas of Antarctica and high altitudes of the Sierra mountains. Dieldrin, 5 times more toxic than DDT, was banned in 1974. The FDA found it in 96% of all meat, fish, and poultry and 85% of dairy. It continues to remain in the soil to which it was once applied and contaminates the livestock feed grown there.

PCBs cause the most widespread contamination with a million tons produced per year in the US - that's 5 lbs for every person. PCBs are extremely stable and highly toxic; almost all the PBCs ever produced still exist and have contaminated all corners of the earth, causing birth defects and cancer. It is highly likely that there isn't a single human on the planet who doesn't carry any PCBs in their flesh. PCBs were found in 100% of the human sperm samples tested! Perhaps this is why American men have only 70% the sperm count they did 300 years ago.

Fish and shellfish have the highest concentration of PCBs because they are able to absorb and concentrate toxins; the EPA estimated that fish can accumulate 9 million times the levels of PCBs in the water in which they live. These same fish are fed to livestock in huge quantities - without testing the toxicity of the fish meal.

Modern factory farms are crowded and unsanitary. Cattle, pigs, and sheep are routinely doused with Toxaphrene to kill parasites. Toxaphene is absorbed through the animals' flesh and contaminated the meat. It also causes bones to dissolve, miscarriages and death. Dichlorvos, a very toxic fly killer, has an accepted daily intake of .004 mg/kg - an amount exceeded by someone who stays in the same room with a small "No Pest" strip for 9 hours. Dichlorvos products, as well as larvicides, are regularly given to livestock in today's animal factories to keep the fly population down. Larvicides produce chemically toxic manure and residues also show up i meat and milk causing damage to the nervous system. as well
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BREAST OR BOTTLE?

In 1976, the EPA found significant concentrations of DDT and PCBs in over 99% of the mothers breast milk tested from different populations. They also found that vegetarian women had much lower concentrations of pesticides. Breast milk of the average vegetarian American woman contains only 1-2% pesticide contamination. The benefits of breastfeeding are many and formulas are also contaminated as they are usually made from milk products. Young girls should become vegetarians now in order to have low concentrations of toxins in their breast milk when they become mothers.

Reduce pesticide intake by:
1) Eliminating intake of fish, meat, dairy, chicken, and eggs.
2) Eating fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes which have been grown organically. Organically raised animals will still have high pesticide concentrations in their fat.
3) Don't consume imported foods, including friuts, vegetables, grains, meat, tea, coffee, and sugar. They may use pesticides which have been banned in the US.
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WASTE NOT WANT NOT

It is such a shame that there are people dying of starvation in this world just because 80-95% of the food grown is used for feed. The livestock population consumes enough grain and soy to feed 5 times the human population; 16 pounds of feed is needed to produce 1 pound of meat. Yes, that means 15 pounds ends up as manure. What a waste! One meat eating person needs 3 1/4 acres of land per year to support his habit. An ovo-lacto vegetarian (eats eggs and dairy) needs 1/2 acre. A vegan (no animal products are consumed) requires only 1/6 acre!
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OUR NATURAL RESOURCES DOWN THE DRAIN

Factory farming is causing us to lose our natural resources at an alarming rate. Soil erosion has been known to cause the decline of many civilizations - and we may be next. Topsoil is needed for plants to grow. We are losing 4 million acres of cropland every year due to topsoil erosion and 85% of this loss is directly associated with livestock raising.

In the time it took you to read this, an acre of forest was destroyed in order to make land available for meat production. Forests are the one place that topsoil erosion isn't occurring, however we will lose our forests in 10 years if we continue to cut them down for meat. By switching to a vegetarian diet, you have the power to spare one acre of forest per year.

Rainforests contain 80% of the earth's vegetation and are home to half of all species on earth. In 1960 there was 130,000 square miles of rainforest; now there is less than 80,000 remaining and will be gone in 40 years as it is leveled to create grazing land for cattle. Irreplaceable rainforests are being leveled to create grazing ground for cattle just so we can have a Big Mac (Most rainforest beef is sold to fast food chains because it is cheaper. That's right, Burger King and all the rest of the hamburger producing chains save all of 5 cents per burger when they buy meat from cattle raised on our irreplaceable rainforest!) When the rainforest goes, so does our oxygen supply. Without air to breathe we won't have to care about whether we should eat meat or not.

The supply of water is decreasing at an alarming rate due to our meat habit. At our current rate of water consumption, our major water supplier will be exhausted in 35 years. Over one half of the water consumed in the US is used for livestock feed and more is needed to wash away the 20 billion pounds of waste produced every day . Newsweek stated, The water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float a destroyer. 25,000 gallons of water go into just 1 pound of meat. One meat eater needs 4,00 gallons of water per day. An ovo-lacto vegetarian uses 1,200 gallons. And a vegan consumes just 300 gallons of water per day.
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THE AGE OF VEGETARIANISM!

The beef and dairy industries have been allowed to thrive at our expense. Coverups of toxic situations weren't report it to the public because they didn't want to scare them! It's time to put that fear into action for the sake of our planet and the lives of our children. As long as people continue to buy their products, these industries have the power and resources to fight reforms and pump money into the schools with educational propaganda. Let's help the next generation just say NO to meat!
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For more information:
John Robbins has written extensively on the health, environmental, and moral aspects of vegetarianism in Diet For A New America and more recently, "The Food Revolution." He is also the founder of EarthSave International. For more info go to http://www.conari.com

Veg Source Interactive: http://www.VegSource.com
Centers for Science in the Public Interest: http://www.cspinet.org
PETAs GoVeg Campaign: http://www.goveg.com
Mothers and Others for a Livable Planet: http://www.mothers.org
Rainforest Action Network: http://www.ran.org
Food First: http://www.foodfirst.org
Food Not Bombs: http://www.foodnotbombs.net
Organic Consumers Association: http://www.purefood.org
Pesticide Action Network: http://www.panna.org
International Vegetarian Union: http://www.ivu.org
North American Vegetarian Society: http://www.navs-online.org
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VITAMIN F: THE ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS

Fats have been getting a lot of press lately - mostly negative. After all, we are a nation of overweight people who DO consume far too much fat. Adults and children over 2 years old should keep their fat intake to approximately 10%-25% of their total daily caloric intake. Infants have a higher fat requirement of about 50% of total calories for proper development of their nervous systems. Because fat consumption must be restricted, the type of fat consumed becomes crucial, especially in developing infants and children. What your child eats is exactly what his cells become. It can also be very important for adults, especially if they have chronic inflammatory or immune problems.

There are 2 types of dietary fats - saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are the ones usually associated with heart disease. They are not considered essential because the body can make what it needs.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, and therefore less stable than saturated fats. Our bodies can make most of the unsaturated fat it needs, except linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid. These two fatty acids are considered essential because we must obtain them from our diets in order to survive.

There are two main families of essential fatty acids (EFA's), omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-6 fatty acids include linoleic acid (LA) and arachadonic acid (AA). Linoleic acid is found in sunflower, safflower, sesame, and corn oils.

Under normal circumstances, LA converts to Gammalinoleic Acid (GLA). If this is blocked, however, GLA must be obtained from the diet; sources are evening primrose oil, borage seed oil, black current seed oil, and grape seeds. Breast milk also contains GLA, which is essential in infants under 1 years of age as they lack the necessary enzymes to convert LA to GLA.

Arachadonic acid is found in animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs. AA can also be synthesized from LA. Arachadonic Acid will be produced if excess amount of omega-6 fatty acids are consumed; this is not desirable as AA causes inflammation and reduced immunity.

The omega-3 Fatty Acids consist primarily of Alpha-Linolenic Acid (LNA). Flax oil is the best source, but it is also found in pumpkin seeds, soybean oil, and walnuts. Under normal circumstances, LNA is converted to Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). If enzymes are impaired, however, EPA and DHA must be obtained from the diet by consuming mackerel, salmon, and sardines. Vegetarians can take a supplement called Nueromins in which the DHA is derived from algae.

The main reason the essential fatty acids are so important are that they are ultimately converted into a family of compounds called prostaglandins (PG's). Prostaglandins are hormone-like chemicals which perform numerous functions - including immune system enhancement and inflammation regulation.

There are 3 main families of prostaglandins, called PG1, PG2, and PG3. Linoleic acid is converted to PG1, arachadonic acid to PG2, and alpha-linolenic acid to PG3. PG1 and PG3 enhance immunity and control inflammation. PG2, however, produces inflammation and is immune-suppressing.

Many substances can block the normal enzymatic reactions from LA to PG1 and LNA to PG3. These include ingestion of saturated fats, trans fatty acids (hydrogenated oils, margarine, fried foods) and sugar, cortisone, environmental chemicals, heavy metals, and viruses, such as Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) . When PG1 and PG3 are prohibited from being synthesized, the immune system becomes depressed and any inflammatory process is allowed to proceed unchecked.

Nutrients which enhance the conversion processes include Vitamins A, B6, C, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, and copper. If these co-factors are not present in sufficient amounts, enzymes will not be able to convert the EFAs into prostaglandins.
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CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS

will ensure that the body is functioning at optimal capacity in order to enhance absorption and assimilation of the necessary nutrients responsible for the conversion processes of the EFAs.

The average American diet has undergone a tremendous change in the past 100 years due to current food processing practices. Omega-6 consumption has gone relatively unchanged - we consume large amounts of sunflower, safflower, and corn oils, however omega-3 intake has decreased by 80%. Hydrogenation and refining processes cause omega-3 fatty acids to be lost. And, because omega-3 oils are easily destroyed by light, heat, and air, manufacturers do not use them in their products.

Everyone can benefit by ensuring that their diet contains the essential fatty acids. It is crucial for infants and children to obtain sufficient EFA's because of the rapid growth that occurs, especially in the nervous system. Children suffering from eczema or other skin problems, chronic ear aches, asthma, or allergies usually are deficient in the EFA's.

Other conditions which may be helped by EFA supplementation include arthritis (and other chronic inflammatory diseases for which corticosteroids are prescribed), menopause, PMS, candida, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic illness, and diabetes. Make sure Vitamin F is part of your diet today!!
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WHY SUGAR RUINS YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH

Being healthy doesn't just mean you and your family are free from disease. Optimal health means that you are functioning your best throughout the day. You should wake refreshed and renewed each day, ready and able to handle all the tasks that must be done. Your children should be able to play hard, concentrate easily, have good stamina, a pleasant demeanor, and sleep well.

Nationally, we have very poor eating habits. The average American consumes 120 pounds of sugar per year! This poor approach to eating weakens our systems and undermines the health of our growing children. Eating sugar can eventually lead to many disorders and diseases. When refined sugar is consumed, the pancreas must produce insulin to metabolize it and normalize the blood sugar levels. Eating sugar over a long period of time can overstimulate the pancreas and essentially wear it out so that it no longer produces insulin. This results in diabetes, or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).

Most people are familiar with the sugar buzz which occurs when sugar is eaten and blood sugar levels rise. Sugar causes hyperactivity in children and can lead to anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness. A dip in blood sugar normally occurs after eating sugar, causing fatigue, dizziness, confusion, headache, and/ or restlessness. Eating foods which contain simple carbohydrates, such as sugar, make you feel tired and lessen your ability to think because your body's tissues cannot receive enough oxygen. Sugar can become addictive, as more sugar is consumed in order to maintain the Buzz.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a condition which can develop from ingestion of sugar; the pancreas oversecretes insulin in order to remove the excess sugar from the blood. This will ultimately lead to a collapse of the adrenal glands, the organs needed to help combat stress. Sugar can also raise levels of adrenaline (an adrenal hormone) in children. Your immune system becomes weakened five hours after consuming sugar! This makes you and your children more susceptible to infection and to the development of allergies and asthma.

Sugar can decrease growth hormone and stunt your child's growth. It can contribute to eczema in children. And it can cause toxemia during pregnancy. Sugar can cause heart disease. Cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and blood pressure increase as a result of eating sugar. High density lipoproteins (HDLs), the good components of cholesterol decrease.

A lowered blood sugar level causes a deficiency of zinc, chromium, manganese and B-complex vitamins; they are used up as our bodies struggle to metabolize the excess sugar. Sugar can also lead to copper deficiency, interfere with the absorption of calcium, magnesium, and protein, and upset the balance of minerals in the body.

Sugar can also cause: kidney damage, cancer of the breast, ovaries, intestines, prostate and rectum, weak eyesight, aging, alcoholism, tooth decay, obesity, acidity in the stomach, arthritis, Candida albicans (a yeast infection), gallstones, appendicitis, multiple sclerosis, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, osteoporosis, and migraines.

Our naturally sweet tooth can be satisfied with whole, ripe, organic fruits. Dilute fruit juices as they are also sources of concentrated sugar. You can have your cake and occasionally eat it, too! Treats can be made with unrefined sweeteners and eaten in moderation. Many natural sugars retain vitamins, minerals, and other components essential for their digestion that are stripped from common white sugar during processing.

People who function their best are usually those who eat the right foods. They eat alot of unprocessed whole foods such as grains, vegetables, legumes (dried peas and beans) and fruit, while avoiding fats, processed foods, and refined sugar. Check the labels and you will be surprised to find how many products you buy and regularly consume contain sugar (even toothpaste!). When you see high fructose corn syrup, glucose or fructose (anything anding with OSE, means it is a sugar) on a label, read "sugar". Ingredients are listed in the order of amount, with the greatest amounts listed first. Often I will see sugar as the first ingredient, followed by high fructose corn syrup and maybe fructose!
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NATURAL SWEETENERS

1 cup of sugar is equal to:

2/3 - 3/4 cup maple syrup	Baked goods, cakes.
1 cup maple sugar	Baked goods.
1 1/3 cup brown rice syrup	Use in combination with other sweeteners. Spice cakes, baked beans.
1 1/3 cup brown rice syrup	Cookies, crisps, granola, pies, puddings. Combine with other sweetener for cakes.
2/3 - 3/4 cup fruit juice concentrate	Baked goods and desserts. Reduce oven 25 F and adjust baking time.
1 cup dried cane juice (Sucanat)	Cookies, crisps, granola, pies, puddings, and cakes.
2/3 - 3/4 cup honey	Baked goods. Reduce oven 25 F and adjust baking time.
1 - 1 1/4 cup date sugar	Crisps, crunches, toppings. Dissolve in hot water before using in batters.
1 1/4 cups granular fruit concentrate.	Cookies, crisps, granola, pies, pudding, and cakes. Reduce salt 30-50%.
For liquid sweeteners: reduce the liquid content by 1/4 cup per cup sweetener. If no liquid is called for, add 3-5 Tbles. flour per each cup sweetener. For all sweeteners: add 1/4 tsp. baking soda per 1 cup sweetener.

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