With all of the variety of nutrition books I have read and have been reading lately (i.e. The Paleo Diet, The China Study, Devil in the Milk, Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, Diabetes Solution, etc...), I've gained a much broader knowledge of nutritional concepts and controversies out there.
The one bit of nutrition advice it seems like most everyone can agree on, though, is that it is best to make a majority of your diet organic, local fruits and vegetables.
From my limited experience and understanding, if a person can do this then they are 90% of the way to a healthy diet.
After this we all need to make a decision about consuming animal products (meat, dairy, eggs), grains, and legumes. My story so far points to the Paleo Diet working very well for me. But I'm in the process of re-examining my intake of animal products. I have a deep respect for those who go vegetarian or vegan for the sake of peace, the environment, and/or social justice.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Why you haven't heard about the A1/A2 milk issue
This quote from the book "Devil in the Milk" by Keith Woodford, wonderfully summarizes why most people have not heard about the A1/A2 milk issue...
"One question that people often ask me is why should Fonterra [New Zealand's largest dairy co-operative that markets over 95% of New Zealand's dairy production and about 45% of the world's internationally traded dairy products: they produce/sell mostly A2 milk] oppose A2 milk? The reasons are complex but they are encapsulated in a quote from Warren Larsen on the Four Corners programme:
'There's one thing in marketing you always need to understand. You never do anything that destroys the category. Nothing. And in this case, that's precisely what the A2 Corporation, in my view, has done.'
Stripping aside the marketing jargon, what Larsen meant was that promoting A2 milk would have to be done in a way that did not destroy the overall market for milk. A2 milk would therefore need to be marketed in a way that did not cast doubts on A1 milk! Clearly that would be a challenge!
The reason Warren Larsen argued this way is that although it is not particularly difficult for farmers to change their herds over to being A2 milk producers, it does take time. In fact it takes about two cow generations of breeding, and this means about 10 years. The important point here in relation to 'destroying the category' is that while such a change in the herds is occurring, dairy companies such as Fonterra still have to sell a huge amount of A1 milk. So from a dairy company's perspective it would be much easier if A1 milk was a non-issue. And once A2 Corporation started arguing that A1 milk was a health issue, rather than just saying that A2 milk had special positive attributes, then the knives were out on both sides."
"One question that people often ask me is why should Fonterra [New Zealand's largest dairy co-operative that markets over 95% of New Zealand's dairy production and about 45% of the world's internationally traded dairy products: they produce/sell mostly A2 milk] oppose A2 milk? The reasons are complex but they are encapsulated in a quote from Warren Larsen on the Four Corners programme:
'There's one thing in marketing you always need to understand. You never do anything that destroys the category. Nothing. And in this case, that's precisely what the A2 Corporation, in my view, has done.'
Stripping aside the marketing jargon, what Larsen meant was that promoting A2 milk would have to be done in a way that did not destroy the overall market for milk. A2 milk would therefore need to be marketed in a way that did not cast doubts on A1 milk! Clearly that would be a challenge!
The reason Warren Larsen argued this way is that although it is not particularly difficult for farmers to change their herds over to being A2 milk producers, it does take time. In fact it takes about two cow generations of breeding, and this means about 10 years. The important point here in relation to 'destroying the category' is that while such a change in the herds is occurring, dairy companies such as Fonterra still have to sell a huge amount of A1 milk. So from a dairy company's perspective it would be much easier if A1 milk was a non-issue. And once A2 Corporation started arguing that A1 milk was a health issue, rather than just saying that A2 milk had special positive attributes, then the knives were out on both sides."
Monday, October 18, 2010
Type 1 diabetes caused by A1 milk?!?!
A few days ago I typed in "type 1 diabetes and dairy" into a Google search, just to see what might come up.
Since I've discovered my body feels SOOOOOOO much better when I don't drink/eat dairy products, I was lactose intolerant as a kid, and I've heard rumblings of clinical studies on cows milk causing type 1 diabetes, I've had a nagging suspicion for a couple years now that dairy is related to my endocrine plight.
Well, here's an article that came up that has me fired up!!!!: Why some dairy causes heart disease and diabetes and some doesn't
This article explains how dairy with the A1 beta-casein protein (as opposed to dairy with the A2 beta-casein protein) is linked to causing type 1 diabetes! ...as well as heart disease, autism, and schizophrenia.
I wanted to know more about this, so I ordered the book "Devil in the Milk: Illness, Health, and the Politics of A1 and A2 Milk" from Amazon.com and started reading it today (click on the link or pic below to learn more).
The more I learn about the wicked web of health and politics and money, the more I am discouraged. And I have started writing songs about this - my first song being about the dairy industry. People need to know about how the truth gets swept under the rug when money and powerful corporations get involved. It breaks my heart.
So... a huge passion of mine is figuring out ways to align incentives with doing good. How can we align incentives such that dairy farmers make their cows into A2 cows that produce A2 milk?
Since I've discovered my body feels SOOOOOOO much better when I don't drink/eat dairy products, I was lactose intolerant as a kid, and I've heard rumblings of clinical studies on cows milk causing type 1 diabetes, I've had a nagging suspicion for a couple years now that dairy is related to my endocrine plight.
Well, here's an article that came up that has me fired up!!!!: Why some dairy causes heart disease and diabetes and some doesn't
This article explains how dairy with the A1 beta-casein protein (as opposed to dairy with the A2 beta-casein protein) is linked to causing type 1 diabetes! ...as well as heart disease, autism, and schizophrenia.
I wanted to know more about this, so I ordered the book "Devil in the Milk: Illness, Health, and the Politics of A1 and A2 Milk" from Amazon.com and started reading it today (click on the link or pic below to learn more).
The more I learn about the wicked web of health and politics and money, the more I am discouraged. And I have started writing songs about this - my first song being about the dairy industry. People need to know about how the truth gets swept under the rug when money and powerful corporations get involved. It breaks my heart.
So... a huge passion of mine is figuring out ways to align incentives with doing good. How can we align incentives such that dairy farmers make their cows into A2 cows that produce A2 milk?
Thursday, October 14, 2010
New Paleo Cookbook by Loren Cordain!
Great news! Loren Cordain, the guy who wrote "The Paleo Diet" is coming out with a cookbook! This is great news because the only cookbooks I've been able to find are online ones that I had to print out myself (which is super expensive!).
You can pre-order Dr. Cordain's book on Amazon. (click on that link to do so! I just did!) And it only costs $13!
Thursday, October 07, 2010
No cavities!!!
For the past few years I have had cavities every single time I went into the dentist. Well, good news: I went to the dentist this week and no cavities since going Paleo!!!
The Paleo Diet 101
I made a "cheat sheet" for some friends who were interested in trying the Paleo Diet. Here are the basics and some helpful hints from my own journey.
-Andi
The Paleo Diet 101
NO:
- dairy (i.e. milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt)
- grains (i.e. wheat, corn, rice)
- legumes (i.e. beans, soy, peanuts, chick peas)
- salt or sugar
YES:
- veggies
- fruits
- lean protein (i.e. meat, eggs, seafood)
- nuts
- seeds
OK OCCASIONALLY (from my experience, not technically Paleo):
- fermented foods (i.e. pickles, tofu, beer)
- potatoes (sweet potatoes are better than regular potatoes)
- ezekiel 4:9 tortillas/bread (try to limit to no more than 1-2 per week)
GOOD SUBSTITUTES:
- dairy: almond milk, coconut ice cream
- grains: zucchini spaghetti, spaghetti squash, almond meal
- legumes: almond butter (instead of PB), nuts
- salt: spices (i.e. onion powder, garlic powder)
- sugar: honey, agave nectar
HELPFUL HINTS:
- TREND your eating toward Paleo. Keep in mind it is pretty much impossible to go all Paleo this day in age. Don't beat yourself up if you slip up and eat something you're not supposed to. Try to limit non-Paleo meals to 3 or less per week, though, to get the full benefits.
- find good substitutes for foods you like to eat. This will help you stick to the diet.
-Andi
The Paleo Diet 101
NO:
- dairy (i.e. milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt)
- grains (i.e. wheat, corn, rice)
- legumes (i.e. beans, soy, peanuts, chick peas)
- salt or sugar
YES:
- veggies
- fruits
- lean protein (i.e. meat, eggs, seafood)
- nuts
- seeds
OK OCCASIONALLY (from my experience, not technically Paleo):
- fermented foods (i.e. pickles, tofu, beer)
- potatoes (sweet potatoes are better than regular potatoes)
- ezekiel 4:9 tortillas/bread (try to limit to no more than 1-2 per week)
GOOD SUBSTITUTES:
- dairy: almond milk, coconut ice cream
- grains: zucchini spaghetti, spaghetti squash, almond meal
- legumes: almond butter (instead of PB), nuts
- salt: spices (i.e. onion powder, garlic powder)
- sugar: honey, agave nectar
HELPFUL HINTS:
- TREND your eating toward Paleo. Keep in mind it is pretty much impossible to go all Paleo this day in age. Don't beat yourself up if you slip up and eat something you're not supposed to. Try to limit non-Paleo meals to 3 or less per week, though, to get the full benefits.
- find good substitutes for foods you like to eat. This will help you stick to the diet.
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