This is an excellent speech given by Collen Patrick-Goudreau at the San Francisco VegFest this past October.  Some of the highlights include the following points:

-For people who think they don’t eat a lot of animal foods- the truth is you don’t know how much of any food you are eating until you stop.

-We don’t crave animal flesh, we are not obligate carnivores. If we were we would hunt and kill animals with our bare hands and eat them raw.

-We crave fat and protein which we can very easily get from avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, lentils and beans.

-Your palate changes over time.  The more often you eat a given plant food or beverage, the more you enjoy it.

-For those who say they don’t have time to chop vegetables and cook- if you have time to drive to a restaurant and wait for food to be prepared for you and then drive back home, you have time to chop vegetables and cook!

-As a Vegan we should not be concerned with making others uncomfortable by letting them know our truth.  Raise the bar and have expectations that people will change.

-Being Vegan is about living life with integrity, compassion, joy and meaning.

-The mindset of believing that animals are here for us to control and exploit can be traced back thousands of years ago.  We can change our mindset

Watch the entire video!

-

The PCRM 21 Day Vegan Kickstart is starting again on September 5th!  Go to the 21 Day Kickstart website to view the next three weeks of recipes.  If you have tried the program and had success with health improvement that has caused you to change your diet to vegan or vegetarian, I want to hear about it!  Please post in the comments

]]> http://totalwellnessmentor.com/2011/09/pcrm-21-day-vegan-kickstart-starting-again-soon/feed/ 0 http://totalwellnessmentor.com/2011/08/food-inc-on-pbs-tomorrow-night/ http://totalwellnessmentor.com/2011/08/food-inc-on-pbs-tomorrow-night/#comments Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:10:21 +0000 Gretchen http://totalwellnessmentor.com/?p=382 Food, Inc. will be airing on PBS tomorrow night, August 9th.  Even if you have seen the movie before, it is worth watching it at least one more time.  It is a lot of information and it’s worth reabsorbing more than once so that you can either continue making the right choices or start making the right choices for the animals, for your health and for the planet.
Here’s a great summary of what the movie is about from the documentary’s website:

“Not a day goes by that I don’t get at least a few emails from people who have suffered negative health effects from veganism: vitamin deficiencies, exhaustion, constant sickness, unwanted weight change, depression, insomnia, anxiety, hair loss, fertility problems, loss of muscle tone, etc. They all want to know one thing: how do you recover from veganism?”

My response to this is:

1. If someone is consuming a Vegan diet and having health issues, perhaps they would benefit from talking to a Vegan Dietician or Plant Based Nutrition Educator like myself who is EXPERIENCED in helping people with eating a nutrient dense vegan diet.  Really, why are they contacting Tasha at Voracious Eats?  Does she have the educational background to counsel people on nutrition, specifically for “Recovering Vegans”?

2. Vegan does not equate to healthy, there are plenty of well intentioned people out there who don’t want to harm animals but are consuming a diet that lacking in nutrients because they eat a lot of fake meats and vegan processed foods and very little of high nutrient foods like kale, bok choy, papaya, broccoli, etc.  Dieticians and Doctors are not educated on Vegan diets in school.  You will find that the handful of dieticians and doctors out there who recommend Vegan Diets are self educated or got educated through organizations outside of their degree program.  As it is clear from Tasha’s original post on leaving Veganism, she went to see a conventional MD who of course discouraged her Vegan diet.

3. There are WAY more people who are consuming the Standard American Diet and suffering with REAL DISEASES that could benefit from a Nutrient Dense Vegan Diet.  Let’s not undermine this fact by making people believe that Vegan Diets in general are not healthy and there are so many Ex Vegans or “Recovering Vegans” out there who are in need of a 12 step recovery program similar to AA.

4. I challenge Voracious to stop putting a focus on “Recovering Vegans” and write something about the benefits of eating a Nutrient Dense Plant Based Diet.  Fine if she wants to consume animal foods, that is her preference, but let’s not make readers think that animal foods NEED to be in their diet on a daily basis for health.  The research points heavily in the other direction and she is doing her readers a great disservice by promoting animal food consumption almost daily on her blog.

If you took the time to read her article and have something against what she is saying, please post your feedback here on my blog because I guarantee that she will not allow your comments on her blog…

My first training was with Wellcoaches.  I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to coach individuals or groups from a Wellness and Whole Health perspective.   The focus is on telephonic coaching, which is perfect for the coach who wants to work from home and have minimal travel.  The training gives you a very in depth understanding about “change psychology” which is imperative for any coach to understand.  There are many tools that I gained from this program to help me help my clients to clearly define their goals and stay realistic about what they were willing to do on a weekly basis toward reaching their goals.

My second certification is in Plant Based Nutrition through eCornell and the T. Colin Campbell Foundation.  The program is an innovative online certificate program set up as a series of three courses designed to help you understand the role of diet in healing and managing disease. It expands upon the ground-breaking book, The China Study, and each course provides approximately six hours of learning based lectures and research of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Professor Emeritus at Cornell University in Nutritional Biochemistry, and a variety of other experts in the field of lifestyle medicine.  If you are interested in becoming certified in Plant Based Nutrition, go to the eCornell website for more information.

I have been asked if Wellness Coaching is a lucrative job. I will tell you that it takes time, in fact several years to gain enough clients to make it part time.  So if you are thinking about quitting your full time job or have recently graduated from college and think that this is what you want to do for a living, I suggest that you make it a “side job” until you are confident you can keep up a steady enough clientele that will support your lifestyle.

I do this work VERY PART TIME, and I am only willing to take on one to two clients at a time.  I also teach nutrition classes at the Florida School for Holistic Living, homeschool my kids, prepare healthy food, take care of many household duties, and take care of myself with exercise (running, dancing and strength training) and stress relief (meditation).   Eventually I would like to work 20 hours/per week, when both of my kids are middle school age and then maybe increase my time as they reach high school.

I love what I do, I cannot see myself doing anything else!  It is rewarding to be in those “aha” moments with a client who suddenly sees something about their habits in a new light and because of that decides to make a change that will better their health.  It is also wonderful to talk to them months later and find out that they have continued to make changes toward health improvement.

Got a question about what I do that isn’t answered here?  Ask in the comments section below!

10 Strategies for Preventing Prostate Cancer

1. Eat lots of cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, bok choy, arugula, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, radish to name a few) contain phytochemicals that stimulates the body to detoxify carcinogens. Men who consumed three or more half-cup servings of cruciferous vegetables per week were 41 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer.¹

2. Reduce consumption of animal protein.It is widely recognized that a high consumption of animal protein has been linked to a greater risk of prostate cancer.² Greater consumption of meat, poultry and fish is associated with higher blood level of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), which is positively correlated with an increased risk of prostate cancer.³ For prostate health, limit or avoid animal products to less than two servings per week. Plant protein, however is protective – legumes, and specifically minimally processed soy products, are associated with decreased risk of prostate cancer.⁴

3. Eat lots of tomatoes. A study of over 40,000 men revealed that those who consumed the most tomato-based foods (including cooked tomatoes and tomato sauce) reduced their total risk of prostate cancer by 35 percent and their risk of advanced prostate cancer by 50 percent.⁵ Lycopene, which is abundant especially in cooked tomato products is believed to be primarily responsible for this benefit. Tomatoes are extremely nutrient dense, containing lycopene as well as a variety of other protective phytochemicals.

4. Eat plenty of Allium and yellow/orange vegetables. Allium vegetables – onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, scallions, and chives – have organosulfur compounds with anti-cancer effects, and are associated with reduced prostate cancer risk.⁶ Consumption of orange vegetables including carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squash and corn was also found to be inversely related to prostate cancer.⁷

5. Confirm adequate vitamin D levels with a blood test. Accumulating research shows that insufficient vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of several cancers, including prostate cancer.⁸ While sun exposure is one of the best sources of vitamin D, it is unlikely to get adequate vitamin D from a sun exposure, throughout life, without increasing risk of skin cancer. The safest way to obtain vitamin D is through supplements.

6. Do not rely on PSA screening as a method of “early detection” to prevent prostate cancer. About 70% of men with elevated PSA do not actually have cancer, and many scientists believe that PSA screening does not reduce prostate cancer-related deaths.⁹ In fact, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the American College of Preventive Medicine and the American Cancer Society do not recommend routine PSA screening.¹⁰

7. Avoid supplemental folic acid.  Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate, one of the B vitamins. Similar to breast cancer, folic acid supplementation has been associated with increased risk of prostate cancer, whereas food folate is associated with decreased risk.¹² Get natural folate from green vegetables and beans instead of synthetic folic acid from supplements.

8. Avoid dairy consumption. There is substantial evidence indicating that men who avoid dairy products are at a lower risk for prostate cancer. One study that spanned 41 countries reported a strong correlation between per capita milk consumption and prostate cancer deaths.¹³

9. Exercise at least 3 hours a week. Exercise, particularly endurance-type exercise such as walking, running, cycling and swimming, are effective forms of disease protection. In one study, men who reported vigorous activity for at least three hours per week had a 61% lower risk of prostate cancer-specific death. Not only does exercise prevent prostate cancer, but it can also slow the progression of cancer.¹⁴

10. Supplement with zinc. In one study of 525 men with prostate cancer, those who consumed the most zinc (15.7 mg daily) were shown to have 74% reduction in risk of death as compared to men who consumed less than 12.8 mg zinc daily.¹⁶ The power of zinc lies in its ability to cause prostate cancer cell death. It is important to note that zinc from plant foods is not always efficiently absorbed by the body.¹⁵ To ensure adequate zinc levels, (and B12, D and iodine) I recommend supplementation with a multivitamin and mineral supplement that does NOT contain folic acid.

References

¹Kirsh V, Ulrike P, Mayne S, et al. Prospective Study of Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Risk of Prostate Cancer. J Nat Cancer Inst 2007 Aug 1;99(15):1200-9.
²Wolk A. Diet, lifestyle and risk of prostate cancer. Acta Oncol 2004; 44(3):277-81.
³Key TJ. Diet, insulin-like growth factor-1 and cancer risk. Proc Nutr Soc 2011 May 3:1-4.
⁴Kolonel L, Hankin J Whittemore AS, et al: Vegetables, Fruits, Legumes and Prostate Cancer: A Multiethnic Case-Control Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000; 9:795.
Hwang YW, Kim SY, Jee SH, et al. Soy food consumption and risk of prostate cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(5):598-606.
⁵Giovannucci E: A review of epidemiologic studies of tomatoes, lycopene and prostate cancer. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2002.227(10):852-9.
⁶Galeone C, Pelucchi C, Levi F, et al. Onion and garlic use and human cancer. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Nov;84(5):1027-32.
Hsing AW, Chokkalingam AP, Gao YT, et al. Allium vegetables and risk of prostate cancer: a population-based study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2002 Nov 6;94(21):1648-51.
⁷Kolonel L, Hankin J et al: Vegetables, Fruits, Legumes and Prostate Cancer: A Multiethnic Case-Control Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000; 9:795.
⁸Holick MF, Chen TC. Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr;87(4):1080S-6S.
⁹Esserman, L., Y. Shieh, and I. Thompson. Rethinking Screening for Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2009. 302(15): p. 1685-1692.
Coldman, A.J., N. Phillips, and T.A. Pickles: Trends in prostate cancer incidence and mortality: an analysis of mortality change by screening intensity. CMAJ, 2003. 168(1): p. 31-5.
Andriole, G.L., et al.: Mortality results from a randomized prostate-cancer screening trial. N Engl J Med, 2009. 360(13): p. 1310-9.
¹⁰Ablin, R.J: The Great Prostate Mistake, in New York Times. 2010. p. 27. Available from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/opinion/10Ablin.html?_r=2
¹²Figueiredo JC, Grau MV, Haile RW, et al. Folic acid and risk of prostate cancer: results from a randomized clinical trial. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009 Mar 18;101(6):432-5. ¹³Grant WB. An ecologic study of dietary links to prostate cancer. Altern Med Rev. 1999 Jun;4(3):162-9.
¹⁴Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E, Chan JM. Physical activity and survival after prostate cancer diagnosis in the health professionals follow-up study. J Clin Oncol. 2011 Feb 20;29(6):726-32.
Giovannucci E, Liu Y, Platz EA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. Risk factors for prostate cancer incidence and progression in the health professionals follow-up study. Int J Cancer. 2007 Oct 1;121(7):1571-8.
¹⁵de Bortoli MC, Cozzolino SM. Zinc and selenium nutritional status in vegetarians. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2009 Mar;127(3):228-33.

The Institute is seeking participants in a “research study for healthy men and women to determine the effects of varying amounts of high fructose corn syrup or sucrose on metabolism as part of a 10-week weight maintenance plan.  Participants will receive free chocolate or vanilla milk and $500 for time and travel.”

As if the HFCS will not do enough damage to the participants health, they will top it off with fat and sugar laden animal protein.

The Rippe Lifestyle Institute’s “Partners” who fund their research studies include the names of Pepsico, Tropicana, Quaker, and ConAgra Foods.  The products that these companies make are mostly NON nutritive processed foods.  Processed foods that are linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other degenerative disease.  The current HFCS study is most likely being funded by Pepsico.

It’s hard to believe with it’s ties to Pepsico and ConAgra, that the organization has a “Lifestyle Medicine Initiative” where they are making an effort to partner with hospitals across the United States.  Their goal for this program is “to help hospitals incorporate information about how daily habits and actions impact on both short and long term health and quality of life.”

If they have a true interest in long term health and quality of life of human beings, why are they taking money from the processed food industries?  Why are they not conducting more useful studies in the area of nutrition, such as one that shows the effects of increased whole plant foods in the diet?   The answer is clear…because they cannot get large sums of money from Pepsico and ConAgra performing such studies.

This is why it is important for consumers to verify the funding of any scientific study that is published in the mainstream media, and to take serious only those studies that are 1 year or more in length.  Short term studies tell us nothing about long term health outcomes.  We can do anything to lose weight and improve bio-markers in a short period time, such as consume HFCS in calorie controlled portions. But over a long period of time, consuming a diet that is low in nutrient dense whole plant foods and high in processed food is a recipe for poor health.

And we don’t need a Junk Research study to tell us that…it just makes total sense.

“Candida is a form of yeast, an organism that naturally occurs in human blood.  It is supposed to be there.  This microbe consumes sugar for its food. As there is always sugar in the blood, there is always food for the candida organism”

So Candida is not a bad thing, it is only becomes a problem when there is overgrowth.  But should we take the standard advice which is to eliminate all fruits for a period of time?  Where does the real problem lie?  Is it the fruit or the high fat diet that most Americans consume?  Graham goes on to say…

“If fat levels stay chronically elevated due to a fat-rich diet, sugar remains in the bloodstream and feeds the large candida colonies instead of the 18 trillion cells of the body. Starved for fuel, these cells can no longer metabolize energy. You become tired, and feel rundown.  Eliminating the fruit will not remove the cause of your problem, just the symptoms. In the presence of too much fat in the blood, even a small amount of sugar, from any source, can result in abnormally high blood-sugar levels.  Furthermore, to the extent that conscious attempts to lower blood sugar succeed, you feel tired. Trying to eliminate candida by controlling a blood sugar problem inevitably fails, which is why we see thousands of people battling candida for years without lasting success.”

So what should someone who has Candida overgrowth do about it?  Frederic Patenaude, author of “Raw Secrets” and long time follower of a low fat, high fruit, raw vegan diet says

“Advice I give to people who ask me about candida is to go on a really low-fat [vegan] diet for a while, avoiding all oil, nuts and avocado. The problem is generally solved within a few weeks, if not a few days. Often people have been battling with this for years and get instant relief from doing this low-fat diet. After that period, small quantities of fatty foods can be reintroduced”

Patenaude has a “Free Fruit Report” with more information about how a low fat, high raw, vegan diet can improve health.  His book “Raw Secrets” is also a must read for anyone embarking on a raw food diet.

This past week I was at a party and was introduced to a mom who when she heard I was vegan made the comment “Oh, yeah, I tried the vegan thing but there’s just so much hummus and pita I can eat”.    I did not know where to start with this comment and then the conversation got changed quickly…but what I was thinking later was, “Seriously? What were your reasons for wanting to go vegan? How long did you try eating vegan and did you only eat Pita and Hummus?”

This is not the first time I’ve heard about how a person found eating vegan or vegetarian to be challenging.   I suppose it can be difficult to make changes if your reason for going veg is not strong.  I’m guessing that a lot of people are trying it because Oprah did it for a week or because their neighbor or friend did it and lost weight, etc.

There are far more meaningful reasons to go veg!  Find your reason or reasons, write it down and then make a plan to make gradual changes that will help you to stick with it for more than a week or a month.

Are you doing it for your health?

• Eating a plant based diet low in animal foods decreases your risk for all degenerative diseases including cancer.  We are constantly hearing news about how plant foods are protective…when did you hear that animal foods were protective against degenerative disease?

Are you doing it for the animals?

• Love dogs and cats but still eat cows, pigs and fish?  Reading Melanie Joy’s book “Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows” will help you to understand that farm animals are no different from domesticated animals.  If you have a love for animals, your reason may one that supports animal compassion.
• Approximately 10 billion animals are slaughtered every year so that humans can eat them
• In the US, “food animals” are not adequately protected from inhumane treatment

Are you doing it for the environment?

• Are you an eco-savvy person who has found all the ways to “go green” at home but not yet addressed eating habits?  Going vegan, vegetarian or even plant based is the biggest contribution you can make to going green…so stop worrying about changing out light bulbs and start focusing on your shopping list!
• Did you know over 50% of forest worldwide have been cleared to raise or feed livestock?
• A recent study by the University of Chicago revealed that a vegetarian diet is the most energy-efficient (VegForLife.org)
• Livestock rearing produces more greenhouse gasses than all forms of transportation combined

Once you have figured out a reason for going Veg that resonates most with you, figure out the obstacles or excuses that are keeping you from being successful with a vegan, vegetarian or plant based diet.  What is your plan to move through those obstacles?  I promise you there is a solution!  Need help with it?  Post in the comments section below or give me a call for a free 30 minute consultation!