Food and diet industry fascinations and contradictions

I am fascinated by the food industry. All that I know about nutrition is roughly the same as a thimbleful of the ocean's waters. The more I read and hear what people, particularly the experts have to say, the more I think the sum of all the knowledge we humans have on the subject would be the equivalent of a barrel-full of the oceans waters.

What I do know is when someone says they have the 'truth' on anything nutrition/diet related, I am immediately skeptical. I mean "Really? The whole truth?" Given all that we don't know, it hardly seems possible.

I receive a number of blog posts delivered to my email. Yesterday, I received one from The Food Revolution Network. It intrigued me. It is a long article. It was written to rebut a paper written suggesting that soy and soy products are not only not healthy for you, but are in fact dangerous. I encourage you to read it with an open mind, follow through to the comment section, where additional details, pro and con are added to the discussion.

I have one major critique of the article. OK two. First, it claims to provide the 'truth' about soy, which immediately throws a red flag in my mind. Given that no two human bodies are identical nor react to foods the same way, I cannot believe that there is an absolute truth on how the body reacts to any stimuli. Secondly, it is short on footnotes and references. If one is going to write about the 'facts' on anything, quoting papers and studies is not enough. One should provide the reader with the opportunity to pursue their own inquiries. Failing to do this is telling your reader, "I've interpreted this for you, you don't need to look any further." 

The more I know, the more I know I don't know anything.

Soy has undergone some incredible changes over the last 15-20 years. Once only found as tofu as part of a Chinese stir-fry, soy has become one of the fastest growing crop products. As 90% of soybeans are grown from genetically modified seed, so as to be resistant to harm from extensive pesticide spraying using Round-up, it has also become highly controversial.

An abundance of research that indicates soy in the diet can be a good thing. Is there some truth to the age old expression 'too much of good thing?' I think there is. I don't know for certain. As I said earlier, what I know, isn't much.

There is a line of argument that says much of the rise in peanut allergies was a result of the liberal use of peanut byproducts used in all forms of processed foods. A similar argument is panned regarding the omnipresence of corn byproducts in processed foods, particularly corn syrup, having a causal affect on the rise of diabetes and general ill health of the average North American. Are we to expect the same thing 5-10 years from now from the pervasiveness of soy products?

The gist of what I do read is the more what you eat is a derived from extensive processing, the less one should eat of it. Eating a wide variety of foods, in my case specifically plant-based foods, that are prepared from their natural state works best for me. I feel healthier than I have ever been before. I think this applies no matter what diet, vegan, vegetarian or omni, you are following.

The selling - and buying - of stuff so you can eat veggies

I think my father would agree with my assertion that I have always tended towards 'less stuff' in my life. If I don't think I really need it, I'm not likely to buy it. That's not to say I don't splurge from time to time on stuff that, after a while I realize was a complete waste of money. Because I do. I can be impulsive in many areas of life.

More than a few friends and family members probably thought my 'going vegan' would be one of those 'phases' I'd go through, diving deep and then surfacing to discover I really wasn't that interested in that. Prior to changing my diet I didn't really talk about it at all, but for several years it was in the back of my mind. I knew it was going to happen. I just didn't know when.

Anyway, back to the topic.

Anyone who spends any time with their nose in vegan cookbooks, magazines and on the internet looking for advice on how to prepare meals for a plant-based diet will quickly get the idea that there are a few 'essential' pieces of equipment everyone needs. Essential. Needs. You are not going to make it without them. This is the message.

Indeed, I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about this very thing. Kelly is a well traveled tri-athelete who has recently adjusted her diet from vegetarian to raw vegan. While prepping dinner of a salad and a raw lassagne, (which were delicious, btw) we discussed kitchen 'needs'.

She has all the mod cons recommended by experts in their cookbooks, magazines and web articles; the Vitamix, the juicer (well we both have the same model Breville), the dehydrator, and the food processor.

Me? I have the juicer mentioned above, a Cuisinart Smart Stick hand blender, and a Magic Bullet Blender (no link for this one, the TV ad style web site I find obnoxious). Obviously we both have chopping boards and knives. I do have a 35+ year old Braun blender/mixer combo, but I've not had the need to use it.

My diet is fairly simple. For the summer I've been tending towards raw, but come fall and winter, I'll probably move towards more cooked meals (ratatouille, soups, and stir-fry variations being the core). So what do I really use in the kitchen?

I know some people swear by food processors. Yes, they dice, they slice, they puree and whole load more things, I'm sure and as quick as you can press a button - it's done! But I have a knife! I mean we are talking veggies here people! OK, perhaps I am a little different (some say "uh huh"). I have been playing in the kitchen since before I was ten, which was a long time ago. Slicing, dicing and the like with a knife is second nature. I don't have - or want a food processor. Besides, food processors don't core, de-pit, or de-seed. And then you have more stuff to wash. I'm happy with my knife. Simple to use, flexible and super easy to clean!

A dehydrator. Hmmm.... not having played with one, so I can't say whether or not one is needed. I have yet to run into a situation where a menu item demands that, but then again, I don't make cheesecakes, pies or pizzas that use those dehydrated ingredients to make crusts. If I were to dry my own fruits, (they are more portable that way) then I could see myself with one.... for now, let's say no.

Juicer. By golly yes! I have a fresh green juice/smoothie every day. My standard juice contains, two bunches of kale, three carrots, four stalks of celery, and a large lemon. Variations include adding peppers, chard, beet, spinach, ginger, and granny smith apples. Breville makes a good unit, easy to clean and operate. I picked mine up off Craigslist for half off retail from a couple that bought one and used it 3-4 times over a year and decided to make some room in their downtown condo.

The Magic Bullet is also a hand down from a friend who wasn't using it. Daily plant based shakes (see my previous post) are a breeze with this thing. Super easy to use and clean. Quick and simple - the way I like it. It also has the advantage of being a relatively small package which makes it easy to travel with.

The Smart Stick Hand Blender from Cuisinart was a give from my parents this past Christmas. Wow! What a handy little thing! Makes quick work of pureeing almost anything. Hummus is a staple for me, as are soups, particularly in the winter. So much easier than using a blender. And again, so much easier to clean. And it takes up so little space!

I think I see a pattern here. Easy to use. Easy to clean. Small and compact. Simple. Like me!

Goodbye Dairy. Farewell Phlegm

Ok folks this may be a bit of over-sharing but, ya know, it's my telling of my journey and my discoveries of how a plant-based diet seems to have benefited me.

Once apon a time, not too long ago I used to struggle with sputum, hacking up chunks in the morning, some days more than others. Yeah somewhat disgusting, but part of life right?

From Wikipedia: Phlegm (Greek: φλέγμα "inflammation, humour caused by heat") is a liquid secreted by the mucous membranes of mammalians. Its definition is limited to the mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that from the nasal passages, and particularly that which is expelled by coughing (sputum). Phlegm is in essence a water-based gel consisting of glycoproteins, immunoglobulins, lipids and other substances. Its composition varies depending on climate, genetics, and state of the immune system. Its color can vary from transparent to pale or dark yellow and green, from light to dark brown, and even to dark grey depending on the constituents

There is a difference between Phlegm and Mucus. Something I did not know until I read a little further. Again Wikipedia provides a simple explanation: 

Mucus is a normal protective layering around the airway, eye, nasal turbinate, and urogenital tract. Mucus is an adhesive viscoelastic gel produced in the airway by submucosal glands and goblet cells and is principally water. It also contains high-molecular weight mucous glycoproteins that form linear polymers.

Phlegm is more related to disease than is mucus. Phlegm is a secretion in the airway during disease and inflammation. Phlegm usually contains mucus with bacteria, debris, and sloughed-off inflammatory cells. Once phlegm has been expectorated by a cough it becomes sputum.

As a matter of course, I learned to adjust my intake of certain foods when I felt more congested than usual. So, no latte, black coffee; no cheese or yogurt. It seemed to control the outbreaks. This logic followed the lines of much of the common tales told over generation, to stay away from dairy products when experiencing a cold.

Some time spent Googling around and reading what different medical journals have to say, there is no direct correlation of any of that logic. None. Some say dairy contributes to the 'thickening' of the mucus. Some say it has no effect whatsoever.  That said, it is common among vocal artists to refrain from eating or drinking dairy products before performing, this, presumably, to keep the vocal chords clean of a dairy coating.

So having dropped dairy altogether from my diet two years ago, what does my experience tell me? First of all, I no longer have any issues with mucus or phlegm. My sinuses are completely clean. Byeeee to the morning hack and cough in the shower!

Now some might point to my being lactose intolerant and not knowing it. Possible, I suppose. Though I have to say I ate a lot of cheese in my omnivorous day.

Quite simply, if you experience phlegm on a regular basis, not necessarily only when you have a cold, drop the dairy. Really. Drop it for two or three weeks and then pay attention to yourself. See how you feel. How is your breathing? Your throat and more or less 'chunky'?

You may find that dairy is not for you. It's OK. There are lots of alternatives to milk to whiten your coffee. There are also cheese alternatives. These are some people out there who make a mighty fine cream 'cheese' from cashews.

There it is in a nutshell. This is why I no longer eat dairy.

Others will preach of the ethics of milk production, or the drinking of cows milk designed for making calves grow faster, or the casien content's role in advancing disease. For me. My life is better - full stop.

Whether or not you have the same positive result is up to you. You have to give it try, and like I said, pay attention to what your body is telling you.