From Amanda's very early writing (1990s to early 2000s), shared as it was originally written.
Osteoporosis
I really believe that people have a right to knowledge upon which they can make informed decisions. So many times I have either been in a position myself or seen others in a position where if we had known more facts or details about a situation, we would have made very different decisions.
I also believe that people are all doing the best they can given the knowledge and experience they have had to date. And I think flexibility of thinking and openness to new ideas is a foundation stone for wellness.
Well, having said all that.... now I'm going to talk about a potentially controversial subject. Some of you will strongly object, others ignore and a few may choose to investigate this further.
I am not claiming I have the 'Truth'. But I have found a video tape that I consider to be required viewing for all those on a path to wellness. You may or may not choose to follow the recommendations of this video. (Phew, it's starting to sound like something out of the X files!)
This video is called "A Diet For All Reasons" by Dr Michael Klaper, a well known American Doctor who was an anaesthetist in the States. (This video is available from The Vegetarian Society in each state.) Tired of putting people to sleep so that surgeons could yank great strips of fat out of their arteries, he opted to return to general practice and help people stay awake and alive, by teaching them how to eat their way to health!
He not only opened his practice in the traditional way but also included a kitchen to show people how to cook to enhance life , and restore energy and vitality. He has furthered his knowledge by studies in nutrition and diet. His video is one of the clearest and most comprehensive, yet balanced approach to our eating habits I have seen. And he's funny!
It was a big eye opener for me and has triggered my investigations into the field of nutrition and wellness. Not for one second am I suggesting to be an expert in this area - but I am a lay person who is interested in making sure what fuel I put in my body is the correct type. And it's made me question the validity of some of the facts we have been given in the past. Perhaps they were rules that were appropriate for the lifestyle we lead years ago, and I wonder if they apply in today's polluted, processed world.
The other well known American expert that has come to my attention is Dr Neil Barnard who has written a book called ' Food For Life' ( Crown trade Paperbacks) and heads up the Physicians Committee for Responsible medicine in the USA and serves on the faculty on the George Washington University School of Medicine. His book presents evidence, arguments and references that lead us to his conclusion that we need to look at the four basic food groups originally defined in 1956 - when the world was a very different place.
Now, without being a radical , this makes sense to me. We now live in a world that is full of pollutants - both land/ air and water ; far less agricultural; much more sedentary;full of chemicals, antibiotics and toxins; moving towards a full diet of fast food and vastly more fast, urgent and stressful. So it makes sense that the dietary regulations , recommendations and the way we eat may need reviewing.
New (and some not so new, but not really considered) research in recognized scientific literature would lead these experts (and me, who's doing her best to follow what seems to feel right for me) to redefine our four main food groups. From meat/fish/chicken, dairy products, grains and fruits and vegetables to grains, fruit , vegetables, and legumes.
What about protein and how important it is? I hear you cry! Well, I thought the same thing . It seems that a) there are more than adequate amounts of human friendly protein in vegetables, grains and fruit and b) the human body is not really spectacularly geared to digesting animal protein. Apparently, animal protein is broken into amino acids that are a) hard for the body to digest (because we need lots more acid in our stomachs than we have and our intestines are long and the animal protein stays much longer in our bodies than in a lion for example....and Dr Klapper suggests that carcinogenic compounds are released because of this extended time in the body) and b) move into the blood and drift through our bones leaching (medical term meaning sucking out) them of calcium. Which we then wee out.
He shows slides of the very low incidence of osteoporosis in countries where they eat little meat and almost no dairy products. And of the high incidence in people like Eskimos who live mostly on fish - an animal protein. He suggests we reduce the things that steal our calcium rather than take in more calcium if we want to reduce osteoporosis.
Whoa.....am I being controversial or what? Well, maybe not. Maybe I'm just giving an alternative view that I believe you ought to know about so you can then assess what you think about this information; be self responsible and do some research yourself and afterwards make an informed decision about your own wellness diet.
It would appear that no matter what camp you are in - vegetarian, vegan or meat eaters - there are arguments to support that approach. I suppose the best way for us to make sense out of the confusing morass of information out there is to explore for ourselves and experiment and work out what suits our bodies the best.
But it does make sense to me that we re -think our approach to eating. We all know we have to eat less fat. And more fibre. So why do people still eat very refined foods? Because we don't learn enough about the specifics of fat and fibre. In fact some fats are essential to our diets. Essential fatty acids like Omega 3 and 6 are critical for wellbeing. A potent source of these, for example, is flax oil and chia seeds.
Apart from concepts like that, our world has changed so much in the last few decades that we are now no longer living as we did in the days of those original dietary guidelines. Once upon a time, we had a little meat and three large helpings of vegies as well as a very active, physical lifestyle. Then , as we grew richer, we started having bucket loads of meat/fish and chicken and a few vegies. Then time became the most precious commodity and now many of us live largely on 'fast food'. This is not good, team! No matter how you look at it, fast foods will not supply all the nutrients we need.
We need loads of fresh fruit and vegies that have not been impregnated with chemicals, antibiotics or other nasties. (ie organic) We need to sit down and enjoy our food as we eat it. And chew each mouthful at least 30 times before we swallow. (Try this today and see how hard this is! And it's really important).
Protein and iron abound in a vegetarian diet - iron, especially if eaten with Vitamin C rich foods. The only caution I could discover was a recommendation to supplement a vegan diet with B12 tablets or B12 reinforced soy products.
The Vegetarian Society also sells a great little booklet called "Go Vegetarian' that gives a good summary including references; as well as another called "Our Food Our World" which has even more information and references.
So, maybe I'm right or maybe I'm wrong but my gut tells me that this is right for me, right now! Explore the options for yourself and be certain to make an informed decision based on accurate information.
Oh, silly me! I forgot to mention some of the benefits these Doctors and Dr Dean Ornish ( a very famous physician at the preventive Medicine Research Insitiute at the University of California) attribute to a vegan diet (no meat,chicken fish or dairy products). These include dramatic reduction in: heart disease and other blood vessel diseases, breast, colon, and prostate cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and a variety of chronic degenerative diseases. Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick!
