Be Your Own Nutritionist
A presentation by William Harris, M.D..
In this presentation, Dr. Harris cuts through the maze of contradictory diet recommendations to show how a few simple food rules and a little exercise will insure your best chances for good health.
A vegetarian since 1950, vegan since 1964, William Harris, M.D. is a founding and current director of the Vegetarian Society of Hawaii. Prior to his retirement he was an emergency physician and director of the Kaiser Permanente Vegetarian Lifestyle Clinic. He received his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco in 1963 and is the author of The Scientific Basis of Vegetarianism, now online free athttp://www.vegsource.com/harris/book_contents.htm
Chia seeds are not only good for your “pet”, but you as well!
Chia is an ancient superfood that is very similar to flax, but without the estrogen and phytoestrogen element. It is a just as good, if not better source of EFA, so will do wonders to your health and to your skin.
Here’s a bit of trivia for you – the chia seeds were originally used by the Mayans as an energy supplement. The running messengers used to carry a little pouch of the seeds around with them. So, chia has been called the “Indian running food”.
And here are some facts for those into food. Chia seeds contain –
- 2 times the protein of any other seed or grain
- 5 times the calcium of milk
- 2 times the amount of potassium as bananas
- 3 times more iron than spinach
- and of course, copious amounts of omega-3 and omega-6
How to use Chia in your diet
If you’re currently taking a flax supplement then you can just replace it with a chia supplement if you want. Or you can choose to use raw chia in your cooking. Chia has a very mild, bland taste so you can easily add it to your cooking without it changing the taste. Try adding the seeds to your salad dressing or sprinkling it onto your cereal or oatmeal.
For more extensive information about the benefits of Chia, have a read of this article – The Chia Cheat Sheet
With the vegan trend only gaining steam, a growing crop of freshly converted plant eaters are figuring out the nutritional ins and outs of their diet. MegaFood to the rescue: The whole-foods supplement pioneer just launched a certified vegan line that’s formulated to meet vegans’ needs—and bolster a few common nutrient weak spots. For instance, Vegan Daily multivitamin provides plant-based support for bones, nails, and hair, as well as extra vitamin B12 (found most commonly in meats), iron (ditto) and chromium for energy. Other products include Vegan B12, detoxifying Vegan Protect and digestion helper Vegan-Ease.
Read more about this new collection at www.megafood.com/vegan
Sugar: The Bitter Truth
Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin.
