Almond Milk
Monica Aggarwal and Marta Ferraz Valles walk through two easy ways to make your own almond milk.
8th Annual Tampa Bay Veg Fest
Tampa Bay Veg Fest has been named 1 of 10 must-attend veg fests in the entire country, and I had a great time discussing diet and heart disease. The crowd was amazing and engaged. Bravo!
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Food Nutrition Myth 4: Fiber One Bars
Fiber one bars: marketed as 20% daily fiber and randomly the word “protein” sits on the front cover. Gives perception that these bars are really healthy! So what is in this box of goodness? Second ingredient is sugar. Third is palm kernal oil and palm oil. Later, we see soybean oil, canola oil and peanut oil. FIVE OILS! There is whey concentrate and milk (so milk in these–not a fan!). There is corn syrup (triggers leptin resistance and we dont feel satiated) because the sugar was not enough. There is maldodextrin which recall from previous food myths and has questionable health hazards. If the sugar and corn syrup were not enough, there is fructose–another trigger for leptin resistance. Then there are natural and artificial colors-more food additives. And caramel color so it looks pretty to eat. So where is the fiber? There is chicory root extract and soy protein and whey protein isolate and somewhere in there is listed whole grain oats. There is also partially defatted peanut flour. This was a new one for me, I have to admit. I had to go back to the chemistry journal to figure out what this was. Check this out:
“Defatted peanut flour produced by direct solvent extraction and partially defatted peanut flours produced by mechanical pressing have many potential uses in foods. The defatted peanut flour has a high protein solubility and is light colored, practically tasteless, and odor free. The defatted peanut flour has been evaluated as: an additive to increase the protein content of foods such as bread and other baked goods, macaroni, pancakes, and puddings; an extender in meats such as meat loaf and frankfurters; and an aid in preparing skim and full-fat (fat added) milk-like drinks and ice creams. The characteristics of this flour also make it useful in the preparation of protein concentrates (by air classification) and protein isolates. The partially defatted flour, with about 55% oil removed, is ideal for preparing full-fat, milk like drinks and can also be used in baked goods, ice cream, meats, and so forth.” So it is a food additive that adds protein content and is a thickener that gives the peanut taste. So that is how they are able to write PROTEIN on the box.
Americans dont suffer from protein deficiency. We suffer from eating too much sugar and oil. The sugar is what gives us highs and lows and makes us feel tired. It is NOT the lack of protein in our diets that makes us feel tired. Dont be fooled.
There are over 30 ingredients in this fiber one bar. We should never eat food with so many ingredients!
, Volume 56, Issue 3, pp 474-475
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Food Nutrition Myth 3: Popcorners
Popcorners. Marketed as “gluten free” and “wholesome in a chip.” Ingredients: second ingredient oil which is because they are fried. Then there is whey which is effectively cow’s milk–not a fan. Maltodextrin is a food additive which is plant based. It is like a simple sugar and has a high glycemic index. There is some data that maltodextrin is INFLAMMATORY. It changes gut bacteria and triggers inflammatory disease. Remember inflammatory diseases present to different people in different ways: some get ulcerative colitis or Crohns, others get type I diabetes, others get lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
What do we know about disodium phosphate. Not a whole lot. It is considered “generally safe” by the FDA. It is a food additive. It used to come from animal bones but now comes from rocks. It is an food “enhancer.” Inorganic phosphates are possibly unsafe–often used in pesticides. There has been data that it accumulates in the body and binds to calcium>>ultimately triggering kidney failure. Loads of foods that dont have this! Foods commonly that do are canned sauces, chips, packaged meats and cheeses to prevent spoilage. All of these additives…
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Food Nutrition Myth 2: “Premium Natural”
So this is Cabot whipped cream. Says that the product is “Premium Natural.” There is even a dairy farm at the top as part of the marketing logo. First three ingredients: milk, cream and sugar which you would expect because it is after all whipped cream. Then there is mono and diglycerides again. And Carrageenan. It is extracted from a type of seaweed. It is a food additive that is used as a thickener in lots of milk, ice cream and other creamed product. There has been some recent data that links it to causing cancer. Hard to know what to do with it. Not enough data. This is what wedMD says about it “Carrageenan is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth in food amounts. There is a chemically altered form of carrageenan that is available in France to treat peptic ulcers. This form is POSSIBLY UNSAFE because there’s some evidence that it might cause cancer.”
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Food Nutrition Myth 1: Bread
Arnold’s Farmhouse Bread. Bread needs only 3 vital ingredients: flour, water and yeast. That is all that is needed. The more hardy breads have seeds and multiple types of grains. What is in this bread?
First tip: there are a lot more than 3 ingredients on this list. Second: what are monoglycerides? They are fats that are used as food additives to combine things that don’t easily blend together. They may have trans fats in them. What is sodium steroyl lactylate? That is another food additive to make oil and water stay in an emulsion and not separate. It is used to make bread more durable so it doesn’t break in travel. Third ingredient is SUGAR. Fifth ingredient is soybean oil. Seventh ingredient is molasses (sugar). So why do we need all this stuff: it is to keep the bread soft but hardy enough to travel and to prevent spoilage. Lots of additives to get soft bread to travel far distances? Buy your bread at a bakery. Watch out though. Even Whole Foods has bakery bread with unnecessary ingredients. Ask the bakery to print out the ingredients prior to purchase. Roots makes a fabulous multigrain bread. Bread alone makes a great bread. There are breaderies around that are fabulous and fresh. Find one in your area.
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I can eat McDonald’s today. I am still young.
Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women. In fact, heart disease will kill more women than men. While we are getting better at decreasing heart disease deaths with improved medical care, prevention is the key to the improvements.
People often believe that they can eat whatever they want when they are young because heart disease is not something they have to worry about. NOT TRUE. Heart disease is not a disease of the elderly. It is a spectrum disease that starts in the young. If you look at Korean and Vietnam war soldiers autopsies, there were notable fatty streaks and cholesterol plaque in their heart arteries.
A study was done in JAMA in 1999 that looked at 2876 autopsies of men and women, ages 15-34, who died of external causes. Plaque was noted in ALL of the aortas (pipe that exists the heart and gives the body blood). More than 1/2 of the right coronary arteries (arteries that give blood to the heart so it can pump) in the 15-19 year old age group had plaque and more as the group aged. Fatty streaks were more notable in the black patients, than the white patients.
This is a compelling picture that shows the plaque in the heart arteries. The darker the colors, the more the plaque. Notice the plaque in the youngest group.
What you eat matters. What you feed your children matters. If you think you can feed your children McDonald’s or eat it yourself, think again. You likely already have plaque in your heart arteries. What can you do to change this? Change your diet, decrease the triggers for plaque and prevent inflammation. A moment on the lips, truly is a lifetime in the body.
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Great Question about Elimination diet
Somebody sent me this great question and I thought I would post it:
Question: Hi Monica! My name is XX and I am on a plant-based diet for treating my RA. I am on Plaquinel and Sulfasalazine and don’t want to be forever. I have limited range of motion of my fingers. I struggle severely with elimination diet. I’m kind of a foodie. Being Vegan is easy, it’s giving up coffee and sometimes the sweet stuff that I struggle with. But I know RA is a bigger struggle. I think I have a mental/emotional block. Anyway I’m also concerned about my overall nutrition because I’m Vitamin D deficient and anemic (not the inflammatory kind). My CRP and ESR have been normal since day 1. All my labs look great in fact besides the above mentioned. I’m just looking for a Doctor who can kind me accordingly. Do you ever do skype consultations or recommend anyone. I live in Colorado but I’m from Baltimore! I appreciate you and the work you’re doing!
Dr. A response: Great question! The acidity of coffee in triggering a leaky gut is debatable. Coffee is considered an anti-inflammatory and in some studies there is suggestion benefit. in overall mortality. Specifically, chronic coffee consumption may bring down blood pressure, improve blood sugar and decrease plaque in the heart. I drink green tea daily and never gave it up. There is data on tea (both black and green) to show dilation of blood vessels and possible mortality benefit. I am okay with you drinking your coffee unless you think that it is triggering a reaction. Just don’t ruin the coffee with milk and sugar. I also think unprocessed sweets are okay once and a while. I for instance eat a nice dark chocolate periodically and enjoy it. Be creative. When food calls for sugar: add dates, maple syrup or banana. The things to be strict about in your diet are the “no meat and no milk.” Fish may be okay for some people and has a high omega 3 fatty acid content. But so many issues with pollutants in fish these days. Egg should be eliminated because increases cardiovascular risk and RA patients are at higher risk for heart disease. Most vegans are not anemic from low iron. You just need to eat lots of greens. B12 deficiency is possible and B12 has to be supplemented. Vitamin D is interesting. Lots of new data saying how important it is. But most people who live in the north are vitamin D deficient most of the year. Plus we use so much sun block–hard to avoid with the amount of ozone breakdown. Many people need to supplement with vitamin D tabs–not just vegans. Remember Vitamin D is not easy to get for anyone. It is just that in the US, we fortify our OJ and milk with vitamin D. Most almond milks are fortified as well. But if you are significantly low, you may have to supplement. Does that help?
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Am I Spending More to Eat Well?
Costs of being on a WHOLE grain PLANT based diet.
People often talk about the costs of eating healthy. The discussion about how fast food is cheaper than healthy food comes up a lot in conversation. Is that really true though?
Recall my previous posting on calorie density. Bite per bite, the number of calories we take in with a burger will be so much more than with a veggie stew or a salad. But we feel full based on the amount of food we eat and therefore, often after eating that burger we still feel hungry. The volume of a burger is less than with a salad or stew and so we don’t often feel satiated despite getting in plenty of calories. That makes us eat more food than we need. Plus, with all of sugar and processed foods, we create leptin resistance so our body is unable to feel satiated. Leptin is the hormone responsible for creating the feeling of satiety.
Then, let’s look at the actual foods. The average price for a Big Mac, medium French fries and soda is $ 5.99. 1 pound of lentils (while you would never be able to finish) is $1.29. If you add rice, a 20 pound bag is $8.00. If you add a bunch of kale: that would add another $1-2 per whole bunch. Then, what about tomatoes or slices of pepper: add another 1$. Water: Free. So the rice and lentil dish with a salad on the side is cheaper than Big mac and fries plus you have plenty more for meals to come.
People often say that the burger tastes better. Is that really true? Our taste buds get used to and love what they see. The first time I ate Thai food, I hated it. Now I crave it. Your body needs time to adjust to a new palate. Your gut needs a chance to recover and restore. We can’t fall back on the fact that fast food is cheaper because it isn’t. It impacts both your wallet and more importantly your long-term health.
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Its not all about Kale. Or maybe it is…ODE TO GREENS OF ALL TYPES
I have been considering my obsession with kale. I love kale: lacinato kale, green curly kale, red kale. Yum. I talk about it all the time and the importance in our diets. I wear clothes with kale written on it. But, I feel I have neglected so many other greens. No one thing can provide everything that we need—not even kale. We must consider all of these other greens: butterhead lettuce, romaine, arugala, collard greens, Brussel sprouts, turnip greens, spinach, chard, cabbage and more. They all have different proportions of phytonutrients, nitrate concentration and fiber.
Things to remember: Vegetables give us an abundance of fiber, vitamins A and C, iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium. They even have protein. They are rich in phytonutrients and plant sterols. They have alpha linoleic acid which is a precursor to omega 3 fatty acids.
You can look at vegetables by their ANDI score (theirAggregate Nutrient Density Index) which basically is the amount of nutrients per calorie. The more phytonutrients a vegetable has, the higher the index. The ANDI score is one way to look at vegetables. It was created by Dr. Joel Furhman. While I don’t always agree with Dr. Furhman, I do like this score.
Another way to look at vegetables is to look at their anti-oxidant concentration. This is called the ORAC score or the oxygen radical absorption capacity. Free radicals are toxins that can cause damage in our bodies and are believed to increase our risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Foods with a high ORAC score decrease the free radical formation and have been found in rat models to improve memory and improve the stability of blood vessels in that same model. This concept was developed by Dr. Jean Mayer at Tufts University and an ORAC test was created at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, Maryland. It is believed that foods with an ORAC score in the 3000-5000 unit range have the most benefit. See below for chart.
You can also look at the nitrate concentration of foods. This comes under debate because nitrites and nitrates at high levels are toxic to the bodies but in smaller doses are of benefit. Nitrates are known to cause blood vessels to dilate and improve blood flow to end organs. This is a good thing but in high concentrations as are seen in cured meats, they are known to be toxic. The amount in our vegetables is felt to be balanced and not in a toxic amount. However, the direct correlation between nitrate/nitrite concentration on our vegetables and how much is needed to be supportive is unclear.
Here is my ode to the greens that I have neglected. Kale always starts the list but is NOT the only fabulous green vegetable.
- Kale: great source of vitamins A, C, and vitamin K. I like it most because it is an excellent source of nondairy calcium. It contains an abundance of potassium and magnesium. It also has iron, protein and a bounty of B vitamins, including folate which helps in brain development. Kale also contains fiber, which is good for lowering cholesterol levels, as well as alpha linoleic acid (ALA), a precursor to omega-3 fatty acids. ALA also has been shown to decrease the risk of heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are important in decreasing inflammation and should be part of the daily diet. Kale also has lutein which helps to prevent macular degeneration. In the Nurses’ Health Study, researchers actually found an increase in fracture risk in women who consumed dairy sources for calcium versus those who consumed non-dairy sources of calcium. ANDI score: 100
- Collard greens: have many of the same benefits as kale, good source of calcium. ANDI score: 100
- Bok choy: rich in calcium, ANDI score: 824
- Turnip greens: get the turnip and the greens and have two separate things to eat. Good source of calcium
- Mustard greens: spicy, rich in calcium
- Broccoli: rich in calcium, ANDI score 376
- Cabbage: has lots of vitamin K. Also full of antioxidants. Cook slightly, don’t overcook. I use cabbage with mustard greens, turmeric, and chilies. Can make sauerkraut and coleslaw as well. ANDI score 481
- Arugula: high in nitrates which are believed to have in lowering blood pressure. We use medications called nitrates which dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow (a good thing. ANDI score 559
- Spinach: has oxalates which can bind calcium. Oxalates decrease with cooking the spinach. High in iron. ANDI score: 739
Top-Scoring Fruits & Vegetables
ORAC units per 100 grams (about 3 ½ ounces)
| Fruits | Vegetables | ||
| Prunes | 5770 | Kale | 1770 |
| Raisins | 2830 | Spinach | 1260 |
| Blueberries | 2400 | Brussels sprouts | 980 |
| Blackberries | 2036 | Alfalfa sprouts | 930 |
| Strawberries | 1540 | Broccoli flowers | 890 |
| Raspberries | 1220 | Beets | 840 |
| Plums | 949 | Red bell pepper | 710 |
| Oranges | 750 | Onion | 450 |
| Red grapes | 739 | Corn | 400 |
| Cherries | 670 | Eggplant | 390 |
| Kiwi fruit | 602 | ||
| Grapefruit, pink | 483 |
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb99/aging0299.htm
Classification of vegetables according to nitrate content
| Nitrate content (mg/100 g fresh weight) | Vegetable varieties |
| Very low, <20 | Artichoke, asparagus, broad bean, eggplant, garlic, onion, green bean, mushroom, pea, pepper, potato, summer squash, sweet potato, tomato, watermelon |
|
Low, 20 to <50 |
Broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber, pumpkin, chicory |
|
Middle, 50 to <100 |
Cabbage, dill, turnip, savoy cabbage |
| High, 100 to <250 |
Celeriac, Chinese cabbage, endive, fennel, kohlrabi, leek, parsley |
| Very high, >250 |
Celery, cress, chervil, lettuce, red beetroot, spinach, rocket (rucola) |
Adapted from: Food sources of nitrates and nitrites: the physiologic context for potential health benefits, Am J Clin Nutr, July 1, 2009, vol. 90 no. 1, 1-10
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