Vegan Nutrition

Although fish oil from reputable companies is regarded as safe, long term exposure through supplementation is often feared since trace pollutants from ocean ecosystems contaminate both fresh caught and farm-raised fish that feed on or are fed marine organisms. But now, golden microalgae oil is ready to replace medical fish oil for heart and brain health supplement needs.Some types of fish contain relatively high levels of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], dioxins and other environmental contaminants. In general, older, larger predatory fish contain the highest level of contaminants. Fish can also contain significant levels of methyl mercury, considered one of the more dangerous food contaminants today. PCBs and methyl mercury are believed to have long half-lives in the body and can accumulate in people who consume fish on a frequent basis. Recommendations currently suggest limiting intake of fish to twice per week.Can docosahexaenoic acid omega-3 (DHA)-rich microalgae oil function as a universal fish oil alternative? Based on the effects and benefits of fish oil, it will be important to know how well DHA-rich oil compares in clinical efficacy. Early clinical indications strongly support equal or greater efficacy of microalgae oil compared to fish oil for many treatments, particularly those related to cardio-protection, Alzheimer’s prevention, and lowering triglycerides.The DHA-rich omega-3 oil produced from microalgae has undergone extensive analysis, showing that the individual components of the extracted oils are all present elsewhere in normal foods consumed by communities. Thus, DHA-rich oil is inherently safe in its fatty acid and sterol components, a fact known since 1997.The oil’s safety is further supported by historically safe use of this oil and fish oils of similar active ingredient compositions. In addition, microalgae oil safety is guaranteed. The knowledge of human metabolism for each individual component in microalgae oil and a lack of adverse reactions are conclusive. There have been no reports in the literature of allergic or toxic responses to microalgae oil, plus it is approved for infant formula, pregnant and nursing mothers, the elderly and people of all ages.It has been shown that its individual ratios of polyunsaturated fatty acids vary according to food source. For DHA-rich microalgae oil from, the key points to note are how this golden colored microalgae oil matches the human body’s direct needs. For example, 9 out of 10 of the omega-3s in the human body are a DHA molecule. Notably the Chromista strain has very high levels of DHA (C22 DHA n-3) for help building up the total omega-3s in the body. For naming purposes, C22 refers to the chain length of 22 carbons and the n-3 refers to the omega-3.C22 chains are abundant in the brain. Also noted is the moderate content of docosapentaenoic acid (C22 DPA n-6) in the concentrated nutritional oil. The n-6 refers to omega-6 form. Brain beneficial C22 DPA n-6 is an important building block, present in a wide variety of foods and it does not have the negative properties of other omega-6 forms. It is also relatively abundant in eggs and breast milk. The ratio of C22 DPA n-6 to C22 DHA n-3 in human breast milk is reported to range normally from 1:1 to 1:6. The ratio of the C22 DPA n-6 (DPA) to C22 DHA n-3 (DHA) in the Chromista oil is 1:3, the median range of breast milk. Still, DPA and DHA are some of the hardest ‘good’ fats to get in the diet without supplementation. Golden microalgae oil provides both of these from one source.C20 chains are abundant in the cardiovascular system. The golden colored oil also has appropriate levels of the ‘good’ anti-inflammatory EPA (C20 EPA n-3) to neutralize inflammatory arachidonic acid (C20 ARA n-6) in the system, which may be elevated in dislipidemic individuals and those with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).Microalgae oil strains have been developed by conventional techniques and no Genetic Modifications were used or needed. An independent panel of experts in the US has concluded that DHA-rich oil from microalgae can be ‘Generally Regarded as Safe’ as a nutritional food ingredient or supplement.

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Do you need a lot of meat in your diet to get enough protein? Vegetarians and vegans have known for decades that the answer is no.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein for an adult male is 56 grams. This is equal to the protein in 2 cups of skim milk, 3/4 cup of Cheerios, 2 eggs, 2 slices of whole wheat bread, and a 2-oz chicken breast. So, a breakfast of Cheerios and milk, lunch of an egg sandwich and a glass of milk, and a tiny 2-oz chicken patty at supper would meet the full requirement.

Compare this with an egg breakfast, a meat-and-cheese sandwich at midday, and a 4- to 6-oz. portion of beef at supper. We haven’t even mentioned the protein content of any vegetables or starches. It’s easy to see that we typically enjoy far more than the minimum RDA. With a mindset change about how much protein we really need for good health, our food budgets would shrink significantly.

In addition, by combining grains, dairy products, and legumes, we can create complete proteins with the same nutritional value as meat for even more savings.

I’ve listed some combinations with examples beneath them below:

Milk + Grains

Legumes + Grains

Notice how complete protein combinations are already a staple in meals from many areas of the world? Doctors have known for decades that eating too much meat is bad for your health. Meat increases the carbon footprint and balloons your food budget. When times are tough, use these protein combinations and stretch your pennies guilt free.

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Have you ever heard of Acai (ah-sigh-ee), the dietary superfood?  Just what is it anyway?  It is a fruit, a berry that is harvested in the rain forests of Brazil, Central and South America.  Itâ??s inch long reddish, purple fruit is a relative of the cranberry, blueberry, and other dark purple fruits.

There has been a lot of false hype promoted by unscrupulous marketers of Acai berry products.  The truth is, it doesnâ??t cure cancer, male baldness, or even guarantee you a flat tummy.  But donâ??t let the preponderance of false claims diminish the value of this amazing superfood.

Acai berries have five outstanding features that are genuine.  Lets take a look at them.

Much of our grocery food these days is depleted of much of the vitamins they once had.  These days we really do need to supplement our diets with, well, dietary supplements if we want to feed our body with all that it needs to be healthy.

The information listed above is not medical advice.  Rather, it is meant to increase the readerâ??s awareness of potential health care alternatives.  For medical attention, advice, diagnosis and treatments, see your qualified health-care professional.

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Cabbage is a strong and easy to grow vegetable. It inexpensive, and is found in almost all parts of the world.

Cabbage has been known throughout the ages, both for its nutritional values, and for its medicinal values. It has recently become recognized that it can reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer (such as colon cancer and breast cancer).

Nutritional Facts:

Following is a short listing of the nutritional facts of cabbage:

- Cabbage helps to promote weight loss in some people. This is because of its content of Vitamin C, which helps burn fat, as well as of Vitamin B, which increases metabolism and thereby helps the body burn off fat.

- If one is looking for ingredients of a low calorie diet, cabbage is at the top of the list. One cup of cabbage only holds about 15 calories. It is definitely a weight-loss food.

- Vitamin A Content: Cabbage is a source of Vitamin A which your body needs for healthy skin and eyes.

- Vitamin C Content: Due to its relatively high amount of Vitamin C, cabbage helps boost the Immune System, as well as assisting in removing toxics from the body, and playing a role in burning fat.

- Vitamin E Content: Vitamin E is known for keeping the skin healthy, as well as for assisting oxygen uptake of the blood cells. Having sufficient amounts of Vitamin E in one’s body helps to reduce acne.

- Vitamin B: An essential vitamin for your nerve system, also known to assist in reducing stress and in boosting metabolism.

- Drinking juiced cabbage is known to assist in curing stomach and intestinal ulcers.

- Cabbage is even known to help keep your skin in a healthy condition, due to its vitamin E content.

- It contains quantities of fiber and iron, which help to keep the digestive tract and colon in a healthy condition.

This is by no means a complete list of all the benefits of cabbage. It serves to give you a general outline.

In earlier times, the ashes of burnt cabbage leaves were a key ingredient in disinfectant ointments. These days, commercial disinfectants are widely available, so one need not go through motions of burning cabbage in order to disinfect a small cut. The primary benefit of cabbage in modern times comes when it is simply made part of one’s diet. Special diets exist which are based on cabbage.

There are many different varieties of cabbage. Green Cabbage and Red Cabbage are the most common, and are the types we are most familiar with.

Other types include Savoy Cabbage, Bok Choy cabbage, and Nappa cabbage (which are used in many Asian dishes, but are equally useful within other recipes).

Does this mean one should switch to a diet of eating only cabbage? Of course not. There are many more vegetables with equally important nutritional ingredients.

But it including cabbage in one’s diet on a regular basis can be beneficial health, weight loss, and well-being.

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In 1971, a friend of mine invited me to supper. He fixed brown rice with vegetables that were sauteed in a wok using soy sauce. All of this was pretty exotic to me because I had grown up in a working class family in Illinois. During the meal my friend mentioned there were people who ate like this all the time. In fact, there were people who did not eat any meat at all, they were vegetarians. That sounded pretty cool to me and I decided to live that way.
I really do not know why the idea of being a vegetarian resonated with me. I was certainly attracted to anything that, at the time, was labeled “counter-culture.” But really changing something as basic as what and how you eat is pretty drastic. My mother was aghast and figured I would probably die of malnutrition. Looking back at how hard it was to purchase foods that were whole grain and sufficiently nourishing, it is a wonder I was not malnourished, perhaps I was.
To obtain something as simple as whole wheat flour or brown rice we had to drive into St. Louis. There were a couple of places that were then called “Health Food Stores” where you could buy these and other products. I do not recall seeing anything like Tofu, Tempeh, or the array of products that one can find in a Whole Foods Store or the small locally owned food store where we now purchase nearly all of our food. It was several years before a commercially produced whole wheat bread began to be sold in the regular supermarkets in the area.
I did some traveling during the early 1970’s and spent some time in Colorado and California. In Colorado there was a store that sold all the stuff we wanted at the time plus a lot more. They even had a bakery and made the most wonderful little pies. We thought we were in heaven. You could just go in an buy what ever you wanted. Our wants were fairly simple at the time. Mostly we purchased brown rice, some beans, flour, maybe some nuts and seeds, yogurt, cold pressed oil, soy sauce to put on everything.
Whole wheat flour sold for 5 cents a pound. I think brown rice was around 10 or 11 cents a pound. Medium grain brown rice now costs us $1.29 per pound. Beans of various types are about $1.25 a pound. So we bought the raw materials and made meals out of it. For a while I made bread that was just whole wheat flour, water, and sea salt. You had to knead it for a long time, bake it, and slice it. It was substantial and very chewy.
Slowly, over the past 36 years, good simple food has become more readily available. I have spent the last 30 years in a rural area of Illinois. We have done most all of our grocery shopping at a food co-op and then, for the last 10 years or more, at a locally owned store that sells a wide array of products the I would have never dreamed of in 1971. Also, during that same time period, I have become a Vegan, thus no longer eating eggs or cheese or any type of animal products. But, now, if I wanted to, I could go into the local grocery store and purchase a package of Tofu, some organically grown whole wheat flour, and organically grown fruits and vegetables.
Today it is easy to find good food to eat. Lots of restaurants in large metro areas offer some type of vegetarian dishes. But, these dishes may often times not be vegan. I generally seek out ethnic restaurants. Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern fare always includes some type of vegetarian choices. The major metro areas have not just little health food stores but medium sized super markets offering products of all types. There are a lot of people who may not be vegetarians but see no need to consume meat at every meal.
Being a vegetarian was quite weird 30 years ago. There were lots of people who simply did not understand what the term even meant. Today the idea of a vegetarian diet is not so exotic or misunderstood and it is a lifestyle that is easy to practice.

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