INDULGENCES reader’s response
IN DEFENSE OF PLANTS... Readers of The Rage Monthly have recently been subjected to erroneous and harmful
nutrition information in Martin Alonzo’s attacks on vegan diets and soy. Plant foods in re- ality are health-promoting—whereas animal products are ones found to be deleterious. If there’s a real food conspiracy, it is between massive factory farms that produce cheap animal products using government-subsidized grains, water and petroleum-based fertilizer—as well as the similarly subsidized pharmaceutical industry that sells drugs to lessen the health impact. The top three killers in the U.S. are heart disease, cancer and stroke–claiming over 1.3
million lives and hundreds of billions of dollars in health care costs per year. Doctors such as Joel Fuhrman, MD, Dean Ornish, MD and John McDougall, MD are actually preventing and reversing heart disease and cancer in their patients with vegan diets—and they have published best-selling books on the topic. Dietary cholesterol (which is totally absent from plant foods) and saturated fat (which causes the body to produce more cholesterol than it should) lead to clogged arteries. Impotence is often an indicator of heart disease, and there is now an epidemic of men be- ing prescribed Viagra, which cures a symptom, but then they run the risk of dying of heart disease—something that should have been diagnosed and treated in the first place. The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, published in 2005, chronicles the results
of the largest study ever undertaken to uncover the links between diet and disease. The clear conclusion is that the closer one gets to an entirely plant-based (or vegan) diet, the healthier one will be. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) is the largest organization of nutrition profes- sionals in the U.S. and last year issued their most recent statement that “appropriately planned vegetarian diets—including total vegetarian or vegan diets—are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adoles- cence—as well as for athletes.” Vegetarians who still eat dairy products and eggs are not going to see all the same health benefits of a vegan diet and may even see their health deteriorate if their dairy consumption increases. The same goes for hydrogenated oils, which are completely artificial and should be avoided like the plague that they are.
by bryan pease Milk is only meant to be consumed by baby mammals from their mother. Whether or
not artificial hormones are used, cow’s milk is naturally loaded with powerful hormones designed to double a calf’s weight in 180 days, and it is also great at growing tumors in humans. Babies should drink breast milk, and adults should not be drinking milk from any animal. The hormonal problems described by Alonzo stem from hormones and chemicals in animal products. The phytoestrogen in soy, on the other hand, is much weaker than the human form of estrogen and has a protective effect, binding to some estrogen recep- tor cells and preventing the stronger estrogen in the body from fueling cancer in both women and men. There is no soy lobby to tell you that, because the soy industry mostly exists to provide feed for animals. One thing all vegans must do is supplement B12, which comes from bacteria and is es-
sential to avoid serious health consequences. Meat is contaminated with feces, which is a great source of B12, but it is thankfully rinsed off our vegetables these days. Nutritional yeast is a tasty food garnishment, but it does not contain true B12 as some people claim. Neither does seaweed. Many soymilks are B12 fortified, or take a supplement. Everyone should also eat flax or hemp seeds, or take a microalgae omega-3 supple-
ment (try
veganessentials.com) every day. Low levels can lead to depression and health problems. Do not take fish oil supplements, which are rancid inside. Fish is also not a health food; it is loaded with mercury and other toxins. Also be aware that a significant number of people have food allergies, especially to
wheat or gluten, which is a major component of many tasty mock meats on the market. If you go vegan and still do not feel optimal, you may be in this category. Experiment by cutting things out. In order to show people how easy, fun and tasty a plant based diet can be, several or-
ganizations and businesses are sponsoring a Veg Week from October 2 to 9 with cooking demonstrations, social events, nutrition lectures and more. You can find out more, sign up and also find great restaurants at
VegSanDiego.com!
Bryan Pease is a solo-practice attorney in San Diego, handling all types of legal matters. He was a nutrition major and varsity pentathlete at Cornell University and has been a strict vegan for 16 years. He can be reached at
bryanpease@gmail.com.
62
RAGE monthly | SEPTEMBER 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92