 |
Staying Healthy Today With Kirk Hamilton
April 19, 2010
Water, Food Consumption and Our Health
I love National Geographic Magazine. I "picture read" it as soon as the new issue comes. Many times I quickly glance at the insert and then discard it. But in the April 2010 Special Issue, "Water - Our Thirsty World" the insert just grabbed me! These facts were on the inserted poster entitled: "Hidden Water."
The following number are gallons of water to produce 1 pound of the following foods:
• 1857 - beef
• 1382 - sausage
• 756 - pork
• 634 - one hamburger
• 589 - processed cheese
• 469 - chicken
• 400 - eggs
• 379 - figs
• 371 - fresh cheese
• 193 - plums
• 185 - cherries
• 154 - avocados
• 138 - yogurt
• 109 - corn
• 103 - bananas
• 84 - apples
• 78 - grapes
• 55 - oranges
• 53 - one glass of milk
• 43 - beans
• 37 - one cup of coffee
• 33 - strawberries
• 32 - one glass of wine
• 31 - potatoes
• 25 - eggplant
• 20 - one glass of beer
• 9 - one cup of tea
This insert further states:
"A human diet that regularly includes meat requires 60% more water than a diet that's predominantly vegetarian. With the world's middle class expanding, meat consumption is expected to double by 2050." Then the insert shows the following "equation" for the estimate of the water needed to bring a cow to market from birth in 3 years with an average yield of 440 pounds of boneless beef: "808,400 gallons of water for 18,700 pounds of pasture, feed and hay + 6,300 gallons for drinking +1,900 gallons for cleaning stables and farmyards = 816,600 gallons used during the life of the animal."
The whole National Geographic issue deals with world-wide water issues. Some seem almost insurmountable. But we can easily control what we put into our mouth, and therefore change the water needed to produce the food we eat.
My point is obvious. If you have read my newsletters and have followed my Staying Healthy Today Interviews it is very clear that I think the world would be much healthier if we ate unprocessed plant foods from 5 groups - vegetables, beans, fruit, whole grains and nuts & seeds (and get some exercise). And our environment would be much better off by saving water, rain forests, prevent soil erosion and there would be significant reductions in the amount of green house gases. I have shown you in past interviews and current research that it is possible not just to prevent, but reverse the major chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and reduce cancer risk with "plant-strong" diets. I have shown you that that as economies grow and countries urbanize (go from rural areas to city life) that the following dietary changes occur leading to excess calories, and along with reduced exercise, the chronic diseases plaguing modern man (Staying Healthy Webinar Series):
• Increased total animal food consumption
• Increased added fats and oils
• Increased added calorie sweeteners
• Decreased total grain consumption
• Increased cheese consumption (U.S.)
These urbanizing trends leading to excess calories, especially empty calories, have happened over the last century in the U.S. and are happening as countries around the world urbanize. They are a prescription for chronic diseases. Real health care reform is reversing these trends and preventing chronic disease - not finding new medicines to treat the symptoms, or, more efficient health care coverage to cover more chronic diseases that we let happen in an ever-aging world. We have to prevent these diseases now and reverse them. At the same time we should be preserving the environment of the planet so we, and future generations, can live here on planet earth. Fortunately we can do both by eating a predominantly unrefined plant-based diet.
The current posted interview with esteemed researcher David J.A. Jenkins, MD, PhD, DSc, who is the founder of the famed Glycemic Index and the Dietary Portfolio (a collection of plant-foods shown to reduce cholesterol similar to basic statin drugs), not only addresses the issue of reversing chronic diseases and lowering cholesterol by this Dietary Portfolio approach, but more importantly recommends we have to change our way of eating so the planet can survive. We can't be wiping out species of animals and destroying the environment for the sake of our food consumption likes and dislikes. We have to eat to remain healthy, prevent chronic diseases and allow other species to thrive. This is what I really appreciate about Dr. Jenkins, not only is he a world-renown and esteemed scientist, but he has the caring and foresight to see how to apply for the good of the world-community his research. The diet Dr. Jenkins recommends is a low glycemic vegan (no animal foods) diet for health and the environment.
My initial interview with Dr. Jenkins in May of 2009 is also available in our Staying Healthy Today Archives on the role of Diet and Diabetes.
Another excerpt from the National Geographic April, 2010 Issue (page 112) was on the role of pure water and health. "One out of eight people lacks access to clean water • 3.3 million die from water-related health problems each year • washing hands with soap can reduce diarrheal disease by 45 percent • an eradication campaign that includes a simple water filter has cut the number of guinea worm cases by 99.9 percent since 1986." I am very proud to say that one of our Staying Healthy Today interviews was with Robert Metcalf, PhD, bacteriology professor at California State University, Sacramento, literally five minutes from my home. Dr. Metcalf's interview "Health Benefits of Solar Cookers, Water Pasteurization and Portable Microbiology Laboratories" provides the simple, cost-effective solution to purifying water world-wide. Not only has he promoted solar cookers (Solar Cookers International) around the world for more than two decades, but he and his students have developed the Portable Microbiology Laboratory. This miniature laboratory allows the local community after a weekend workshop to test their water for pathogens and then treat the water chemically or with a solar purification process. Dr. Metcalf has travelled world-wide sharing solar ovens and the portable microbiology laboratories and has documented success. This is truly an inspirational interview of a great scientist and humanitarian, much like Dr. Jenkins. I highly recommend you listen to this interview or read the transcripts.
Plant-Based Diets in Clinical Practice & Compassionate Science
Following along this same theme last weekend (April 10, 2010) I went to a conference on Plant-Based Diets in Clinical Practice organized by Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM). PCRM is one of the great groups using compassionate science to educate physicians, legislators and the public on how to prevent and reverse chronic disease with diet, while eliminating the needless use of animals for research. The slides shows of the presenters are available from these excellent talks on cancer prevention, diabetes reversal, the soy debate, carbohydrate or starch based diets and how powerful lifestyle changes can be in chronic disease prevention and reversal. The speakers included:
Lawrence H. Kushi, Sc.D. is associate director for etiology and prevention research, division of research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. (Food and Nutrition Recommendations for the Prevention of Cancer)
Mark Messina, Ph.D., M.S., is co-owner of Nutrition Matters Inc., a nutrition consulting company, an adjunct associate professor at Loma Linda University, and the executive director of the Soy Nutrition Institute. (Health Effects of Soyfood: Separating the Data from Misinformation)
Neal D. Barnard, M.D., is a nutrition researcher, author, and health advocate. As an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine. (A Plant-Based Diet for Diabetes Management)
John A. McDougall, M.D., is a physician and nutrition expert who teaches better health through vegetarian cuisine. He has been studying, writing, and "speaking out" about the effects of nutrition on disease for more than 30 years. (The Starch Solution)
Dean Ornish, M.D., is the founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., where he holds the Safeway Chair. (The Transformative Power of Lifestyle Changes - no slides available)
If you go to this link and watch this video produced by PCRM called Opening the Doors to Compassion I think you will be deeply moved and impressed on their nutrition advocacy and educational work.
Expert Interviews by Kirk Hamilton at Vitasearch.com
Hypertension and Hibiscus Tea, Diane L. McKay, PhD, FACN, USA, 4/2010
Cognitive Function, Memory and Concord Grape Juice, Robert Krikorian, PhD, USA, 4/2010
Staying Healthy Today Show Interviews By Kirk Hamilton
Diabetes and Lipid Management Using The Dietary Portfolio, Nuts, Prebiotics and Soy - An Interview With David J.A. Jenkins MD PhD DSc
Chronic Disease And A Century of U.S. Food Consumption Patterns - An Interview With Jean C. Buzby PhD
Nutrition for Exercise Performance and Preventive Health - An Interview With Ironman Champion Dave Scott
Memory and Cognitive Improvement With Daily Grape Juice Intake, and, Other Natural Approaches To Memory and Cognition - An Interview With Robert Krikorian PhD
Staying Healthy Webinar Series With Kirk Hamilton at EnergeticNutrition.com
Completed 6 part webinar series is available for FREE in video, audio or for download the webinar. Topics include: Staying
You can view/listen to the webinar by clicking here.
Staying Healthy Today - Current Nutrition & Prevention Research
Anxiety - Metabolic Effects Of Dark Chocolate Consumption On Energy, Gut Microbiota, And Stress-Related Metabolism In Free-Living Subjects.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - Lower Maternal Folate Status In Early Pregnancy Is Associated With Childhood Hyperactivity And Peer Problems In Offspring.
Autism - Serotonin, Pregnancy And Increased Autism Prevalence: Is There A Link?
Autism - First Preliminary Results Of An Observation Of Ginkgo Biloba Treating Patients With Autistic Disorder.
Autism Spectrum Disorders - In Utero Beta 2 Adrenergic Agonist Exposure And Adverse Neurophysiologic And Behavioral Outcomes.
Bone Loss - The Association Between Dietary Protein Intake And Bone Mass Accretion In Pubertal Girls With Low Calcium Intakes.
Diabetes Mellitus - Prevalence Of Diabetes Among Men And Women In China.
Erectile Dysfunction - Erectile Dysfunction Predicts Cardiovascular Events In High-Risk Patients Receiving Telmisartan, Ramipril, Or Both: The Ongoing Telmisartan Alone And In Combination With Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial/Telmisartan Randomized Assessment Study In ACE Intolerant Subjects With Cardiovascular Disease (ONTARGET/TRANSCEND) Trials.
Food Taxes - Food Price And Diet And Health Outcomes: 20 Years Of The CARDIA Study.
Intellectual Disability - Melatonin Decreases Daytime Challenging Behaviour In Persons With Intellectual Disability And Chronic Insomnia.
Intellectual Disability - Exogenous Melatonin For Sleep Problems In Individuals With Intellectual Disability: A Meta-Analysis.
Mental Disorders - Blood Lead Levels And Major Depressive Disorder, Panic Disorder, And Generalized Anxiety Disorder In US Young Adults.
Obesity - Association Of Monosodium Glutamate Intake With Overweight In Chinese Adults: The INTERMAP Study.
Ovarian Cancer - Prediagnosis Food Patterns Are Associated With Length Of Survival From Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.
U.S. Diet - Trends In Food Availability, 1909-2007.
Remember Until Next Time, Stay and Be Well
Kirk
P.S. Please forward this free health letter to a friend or this link for them to subscribe
Kirkhamilton@prescription2000.com
www.prescription2000.com
Staying Healthy Today With Kirk Hamilton Archives
Staying Healthy Today Interview Archives
Staying Healthy Today Interview Transcripts
Staying Healthy Today Webinars
Expert Pearls
Your Subscription:
[SUBSCRIPTIONS]
|
|
