Healthy Eating #6

[EnergyFlux2012]

How about MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) to add to salads? One website says it can be harmful to your neurons.

[Urgelt]

I consider MSG to be a neurotoxin. Most hydrolyzed proteins are.

[AbsoluteMonarchist]

@Urgelt - In light of the fact that humans are omnivores requiring a macro ratio of 40% protein to maintain muscle mass amongst other things, how is vegetarianism 'healthy'? How does a 200 lbs vegetarian get his/her daily protein requirements without eating 3.3 lbs of cottage cheese a day, and if s/he is stupid enough to do so, how do they then get in their carbs, nutrients? Let me give you a tip: when you get on the scales and see you've lost weight don't cheer. You've just lost mostly muscle.

[Urgelt]

First: you aren't distinguishing vegans from vegetarians. The former avoids eggs, milk products, and even fish. This dietary style doesn't have a protein-acquisition problem *if* they are careful. (Legumes and rice together cover all needed amino acids.) Lacto-ovarian vegetarians who eat fish are less strict and hardly have to think at all about amino acid intake.

[Urgelt]

Second: any weight loss tends to follow this pattern. Water loss. Then muscle mass depletion. Then fat cell depletion.

It's hard to lose fat mass. Not impossible, but how difficult it is varies from person to person. Stephen Guyenet explains it as the individual's "body fat set point" which the body struggles to maintain. When the set point is unhealthily high, the body fights to hold onto fat and will sacrifice even brain tissue before giving up its stores of fat.

[Urgelt]

So the question isn't just how to lose weight, really. The question is how to move your body fat set point downward.

This is why I emphasize, not caloric restriction, but nutritious, healthy foods. I think a diet full of sugar and unhealthy chemicals and temperate crop grain oils may push the body fat set point higher; a healthy diet may reduce it.

It's an opinion, though. Science has a long way to go before all of this gets nailed down tight; and "your mileage may vary." Humans vary, too.

[AbsoluteMonarchist]

@Urgelt - Legumes do not have enough methionine(one of the essential aminos) and rice does not have enough lysine(another essential amino). Animal proteins are superior to vegetable/grain based because they have all the essential aminos and fatty acids and in the correct ratios. They are also gluten free and have non-significant levels of lectins. Also, I think you're confused about what a lacto-ovo is. They don't eat fish but they do eat diary/eggs. If you eat fish you are not vegetarian.

[Urgelt]

Legumes OR rice alone would be insufficient for a vegan. That's why a vegan must be careful to either include both foods in their diet, or choose other foods which cover all eight essential amino acids. It's not hard, but does require planning.

I'm an ovo-lactarian vegetarian who consumes fish.

Some people object to the word "vegetarian" being applied to this or that dietary strategy. I say, ease up. Let people be what they want to be; don't try to fit them into narrow slots.

[sjjdiienno1]

i think its awesome that you have put these videos together...i (thanks to weight lifting) have been learning all these things that i need to do for my body. and ijust wanted to say how i really like how you present your information...you do exactly what you say...theres no choosing of sides no telling us one way or another...just information for us to do with what we want. thanks urgelt!!

[Urgelt]

The only thing I know for certain is this:

Dietary gurus who claim they have all the answers are either self-deluded or lying.

No-one has all the answers. Science isn't that far along yet. But there are *some* answers. They come from science itself, and that's where I think we should be looking.

The rest is a matter of guesswork. I've made some guesses that I hope are not too far off the mark. You should be free to make your own.

Thank you for your comment, sjjdiienno1.

[reedeema]

hi urgelt . well over the last weeks i made me fruit jogurht everyday with joguhrt with 0,01 % fatt , apples , bannana and pineapple . the result is me having alot of gas ^^ what do you think ?

[Urgelt]

Is that *all* you've eaten for weeks? If so, it's not a balanced diet.

A healthy digestive tract has happy, active bacteria colonies in it. There will be some gas produced by those bacteria. Only if it causes pain or excessive social discomfort does it become a concern, I think.

[reedeema]

@Urgelt hehe no no ive eaten normal around that . ivw just noticed becouse i stopt eating that fruit joguhrt and the gas went away . a few weeks later i tryd eating it againg , then tha gas came back lol im damed not to eat healthy hehe , but i eat a apple or something like that every other day =)

[DeathJr2006]

I know you are a vegetarian, but what is your impact on eating organic fish and organic poultry. and I don't mean every meal, I mean twice or so a week? I love fish and I couldn't give that up and chicken turkey or duck are really low in fat and have healthy fats in them(from what I hear). Beef and pork and other "huge" consumers are extremely harmful to the environment and that's the reason I don't eat red meat.

[Urgelt]

We evolved as omnivores. Meat and fish have been in the human diet for hundreds of thousands of years. Animal flesh is dense with nutrients, and it tastes good to most of us. What's not to like?

Hormones. The more meat you eat, the more your own hormonal balance can be upset, and that's especially true if meat animals have been injected with extra hormones at the farm.

And cancer. Meat has to be cooked. Cooking (especially grilling and charring) can add carcinogens to food.

[Urgelt]

As for fish: heavy metals and other toxins. Mercury contamination especially has gotten so widespread, it's not safe to eat much seafood.

Finally, eaters of meat use a lot more resources, and that's getting to be a concern, with so many of us on the Earth now, and the ecosphere under stress from global warming.

So I recommend minimizing meat and fish, and taking a fish oil supplement that has been industrially processed to remove contaminants. 4 grams per day of fish oil should do the trick.

[Urgelt]

"Twice or so a week" is, by American standards, very light meat consumption. I think that qualifies as "minimization." You're going organic, too, so the meat animals you consume have not been raised in unsanitary conditions or pumped full of hormones or drugs.

In short, I don't think you can do better, short of becoming a vegetarian.

Your meat decisions seem very solid to me, but I do think you should take a hard look at the risks of fish consumption, and consider taking fish oil instead.

[laallaal75]

Urgelt i found this super duper helpful, now i rip the turnips out of my garden, shake some of the dirt off and eat the whole.

I fell SO much better.

Now, i dont have to destroy my chance at immortality by eating a body destroying heart raping hamburger, and just nibble delicately on flower petals!

[Urgelt]

If you stick your tongue into your cheek any harder, laallaal75, you'll poke a hole in it! :P

[omoshiroii]

just one reminder that UNFERMENTED SOY PRODUCT IS NOT A HEALTH FOOD. Soy milk, tofu, and other unfermented soy do more harm than good. Tumor,brain damage, thyroid impair, sexual maturation disturbance,etc. Tempeh, soy sauce, miso, natto are ok. But make sure it is organic. Almost all soy products are GMOs.

[Urgelt]

Agreed, with reservations.

My reservations have to do with the lack of abundance of peer-reviewed, double-blind studies of fermented soy products and their health impacts.

Soy in general is on my "watch" list. I'm always interested in new studies about it.

[omoshiroii]

it's way better to eat only vegetable than to eat only meat. Because meat doesn't have many essential nutrients contained in veges, while some veges contain protein such as legumes(beans,peas,lentils), nuts,seeds, soy.

While vit B12 may need to be taken by supplement and vit D from sunlight. Nevertheless, vegetarian diet is inappropriate for a protein type person who needs plenty of meat of high purine and fat and small amount of vege.

[Urgelt]

Acquiring necessary amino acids from lean meat is actually easier than obtaining them from vegetable sources - a little easier, anyway.

No single vegetable source has all eight, and I've read of incautious vegans who drove themselves over a cliff by failing to include the right vegetable sources to cover them all. That's not a problem for even moderate meat-eaters.

[Urgelt]

I'm skeptical of the notion that there is a "type" of human who must consume high quantities of meat and animal fat and few vegetables to be healthy. That idea is unproven in science.

We arrive at the same conclusion, though - vegetable nutrition sources are generally healthier.

[Urgelt]

The food industry is aggressively marketing mono- and polyunsaturated oils. These are the same oils I spoke about in HE#1.

There are populations in the world where these industrially-processed oils are not consumed at all, such as the rural Phillipines, where obesity is almost unheard-of. These oils are not a nutritional requirement.

[Ratergray]

I was a staunch omnivore-for-life until about a month ago I had a "buddhist" insight into the nature of universal compassion and realized I couldn't eat animals without good reason (no needless suffering). So overnight I became a practicing vegetarian. This has actually brought me tremendous side benefits in terms of becoming interested in nutrition and cooking and I just love that it's more environmentally friendly. Also I was really becoming sick of the supermarket meat - that stuffs just bad.

[Urgelt]

Supermarket meat bears little resemblance to the meat consumed by primitive humans, that's for sure. I think that's an attraction for deer hunters - obtaining a source of meat that is wild, fresh, lean, and unsullied by industrial processing methods.

If I were still interested in consuming meat, I'd want to buy free-range, organically-produced meat. That stuff in the supermarket nauseates me.

[biggolferj]

I have found that vegetables more expensive that what i useually eat, what do i do about this?

[Urgelt]

That's a common problem. Industrially processed food is cheap; real food is more expensive.

I suppose the reasonable options are: start a vegetable garden; allocate more of your income to healthy foods; or seek to improve your income.

Some people establish relationships with local organic farmers for regular deliveries. I think that's a good idea.

[hottpinkgun0016]

well despite alot of the negative comments, i thought this was awesome!

[Urgelt]

Merely talking about vegetarianism provokes a defensive reaction in some people, it seems. But not everyone, thankfully. Glad you liked it, Hottpinkgun0016.

[aikheel]

I really liked your video. I'm not a vegetarian myself, but I know a few. I try to eat less meat and more vegetables for health and enviromental reasons. (My favorita salad is greek salad) I don't have any references, but I have heard that the most healthy point on the meat-vegetable-ratio scale is to eat just a very very small amout of meat. My tip is to eat vegetable rich tacos or salads with a small amount of meat to "meaten" up the meal. (Sorry, my english is not to good)

[Urgelt]

You may be right. And it seems a reasonable strategy until better scientific data settles the question of the healthiest diet.

Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Aikheel.

[Tormekia]

When I started cooking for myself, I realized that I don't really like meat. My dad is a total carnivore, he's definately of the "meat and potatoes" type, and thought I would get sick. I've lost my gut, I sleep better, and I spend less on food too. :D

[Urgelt]

That would fit in with the general trend, I think. Thank you for contributing your story, Tormekia.

[guardrailgirl]

I was wondering what minerals, vitamins you miss by being vegan? Do you use soy products? Do you use a dehydrator? I get more protein on a daily basis than the person(who is a meat eater) I live with. I fight off more colds and illnesses as well!

[Urgelt]

You don't have to miss any essential minerals or vitamins by being vegan - if you are careful to balance your food sources.

I wish I could say "do this and you'll have fewer colds," but it would be silly of me. But you might want to look into emphasizing foods that boost immune system functioning. Try Googling for information.

[cutter14]

All meat is my favorite, but vegetables are good too...

[raybloke]

raw food is good. but i also like to eat some meat. organic and grassfed where possible. same applies to eggs and dairy.

[Urgelt]

We evolved as omnivorous opportunists, so it's no surprise that many of us do like to consume animal products. I haven't given up eggs or dairy, myself.

For meat-eaters, I do recommend exercising moderation, choosing lean meats, and giving predominance to a wide variety of raw vegetable foods.

[claushah]

Have you tried Braggs Liquid Aminos? Very yummy indeed, kind of like soy sauce. I like your research. I actually went raw for about 4 months...felt so good. It's a hard one though. I think that we all have some different chemistries, some of us are better veggies and others I think really need meat. I do fully agree with you and the pollution of beef. Have you read "Diet For a New America"? I am at this point really working on lowering my consumption(sp?) of red meat.

[myminotaur]

I agree with you here. People have different chemistries and raw food isn't good for everyone, because it's harder to digest. It can help to cook the "raw" food for a minute or two.

[celestialsam]

I'm a vegetarian too!:)

[Urgelt]

There's a few of us around. :-)

Be sure you're fully informed about how to obtain the essential amino acids. You don't need a lot, but you do need some of all 8. It requires a little planning if meat isn't in your diet.

[celestialsam]

Thanks for the tip!:) I'll do some shopping;)

[koalman]

The only animal protein I eat is fish. No dairy, no eggs. The cruciferous vegetables eaten raw are statistically linked with hypothyroidism, a chronic disease I am inflicted with. I am not saying don't eat these vegetables raw just moderate consumption.

[Urgelt]

I'd never heard that. Thank you very much for sharing it, koalman.

[koalman]

Sure, food is fun to research. It hits so many fascinating areas of study-botany, biology, chemistry, history, poli-sci, economics, psychology etc.

Peanuts and soy in raw form are also considered goitegens and should be limited as to mitigate their impact on one's thyroid.

[Urgelt]

*nods* makes sense.

Variety is essential. Choosing too narrow a range of food choices usually ends badly.

[koalman]

I agree and that is one of the few good things to come from the unfortunate corporate suspension of democracy we call GATT. The variety of fresh foods available to the American consumer now is amazing.

[R0773N]

Nonsense. Pure nonsense. Grass fed beef is much better for the environment than soy, most of which is grown on huge farms in South America. Animals are going to suffer, do you wear any leather?

I'm not watching any more of your videos, sir.

[Urgelt]

I didn't make this up. There are a lot of sources supporting my assertion. They are easy to find, just do the Googling I suggested.

The number of people you can feed per acre is higher with vegetables. Fact.

I do use leather. I also avoid unnecessary harm.

[R0773N]

Grass fed beef is grown on land that is unsuitable for any other type of farming. Fact. Organic animal protein is just as healthy as organic vegetable foods. Fact.

[Urgelt]

Point taken, some land is unsuitable for anything else. Optimum land use will always include some meat production.

I'm *not* on a crusade to end meat-eating. No PETA radicals here! A healthy lifestyle can include meat.

I have personal preferences, and I mentioned them. Yours are just as valid.

[Zapkin]

Rotten, to each his own. Do yourself a favor and watch some more, you just might find a bit of wisdom that you can use to improve your life. Just a thought.

[angabel]

I prefer romaine lettuce to iceberg. My roommate is vegetarian (at one point, most of my best friends were) so we're going to be seeing what kind of fun vegetarian meals we can whip up that we'll both be able to eat. She was vegan at one point in time, but even with supplements it made her very sick. There's a mother who is raising her kid to be vegan-- what do you think of that?

[Urgelt]

I think if the food sources are balanced, it's possible to do it. Vegan is pretty tough. I'm an ovo-lactarian vegetarian, meaning I use eggs and milk products (and actually, fish once in a while) to make sure I don't have nutritional deficiencies leading to cravings.

[insaneshayne]

Very informative and very entertaining. Thank you for sharing. I will be watching the rest soon!

[Gigolo8]

I love vegetarian meals, but I love a nice roast meal too. I eat both! Hmmm, vegie foods keep your bowel regular too!

[PrinceZeris]

Vegetarianism is something I plan to stay away from...

I eat both meat and lots of vegetables, so I figure I'm in the gray. Going pure vegetarian would be terrible to me. Nice info, anyways.