Actress Bijou Phillips goes back to low-carb
Something you probably won’t hear much about in the press is the fact that many Hollywood actors and actresses know if they need to lose weight in preparation for a role or after portraying a heavier character in a movie, their preferred method for doing so is by cutting the carbohydrates in their diet. It’s no secret that livin’ la vida low-carb is effective and the stars know this fact despite all the bellyaching about low-carb diets such as Atkins, Protein Power, and the like being a “fad.”
But it’s nice to attach a famous name to the promotion of low-carb diets because in the eyes of many that gives legitimacy to the plan so that others may decide to give it a try for themselves. Such is the case when actresses Jennifer Aniston and Gerri Halliwell as well as former President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore hailed this way of eating for how it helped them shed the pounds and Academy Award winner Halle Barre has used low-carb to manage her Type 1 diabetes for years.
Today I have a new famous name to add to the pro-low-carb camp: Bijou Phillips. The daughter of John Phillips from the 1960’s music group The Mamas and the Papas and half sister of actress Mackenzie Phillips (”One Day At A Time”) and singer Chynna Phillips (Wilson Phillips), Bijou is an actress and singer in her own right (she released a CD in 1999 and has made several appearances on both television and in movies including roles in the CBS-TV hit “CSI” as well as the movies “Almost Famous,” “Tart,” and “Bully”). Although she may not be as well known as her siblings, she’s definitely gonna make a name for herself to all of us who support the low-carb way of life after what I’m about to share with you.
Did you see this Los Angeles Times interview with Bijou Phillips on Sunday about her current diet? Despite being on a vegan diet for the past six months, she decided to have an eggs Benedict (ham or bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce) for breakfast to effectively end her vegan streak. Obviously she was STARVING on that nutritionally-deficient vegan diet she was on.
“My body was like, ‘What happened? Did we just recover from a famine?’” Phillips said referring to the low-carb meal that she ate bidding a fond farewell to veganism.
And she revealed “I feel good” about this decision to eat low-carb again because “I’m sick” from sticking to a diet consisting of no animal foods or byproducts.
“I’ve been sick four times since I’ve been vegan and I hadn’t been sick for five years before that,” Phillips explained. “I need to eat food because this isn’t working. Every vegan I know gets sick all the time.”
Although she does admit she lost weight on her vegan diet which she describes as “the only blessing,” Phillips says it only made her “sick and thin.”
“‘Bijou Phillips: Sick and Thin,’ in theaters near you,” she joked.
Now Phillips is ready to “go back on Atkins to lose weight” she gained because she knows cutting out the carbohydrates is the key to her success.
“When I was on my no-carbs, and I was like a rail,” she said.
Although she smokes, Bijou is “eating regular food” as part of her new dietary choice and she realizes this is “a war…a battle” that must be fought.
“I’m like the only actress in Hollywood that’s honest about it,” she retorted. “Everyone else is like, ‘Oh, I just work out a lot and drink a lot of water.’ Yeah, right. Shut it.”
HA! I LOVE that! Way to go, Bijou. You tell ‘em like it is and eat healthy the low-carb way. THANK YOU for sharing your forthright answers in those questions about your vegan experience. From vegan couples starving their babies to the general wacky behavior many vegans engage in, we need a voice of sanity like yours every once in a while to remind us that up is up and down is down. Keep up the great work on your healthy low-carb lifestyle!
Comments
Now that's some good news we can use! An actress with some brains and not afraid to break out of the Hollywood stereotype and stand up for a 'real food diet'. Hoo-ray for Bijou! And for low-carbers everywhere!
The vegan couple starving their kid thing is a myth. They fed their kid nothing but soy milk instead of soy formula! Even when it says right on soy milk that it's not intended for infants. According to the US National Institute of Health, "with appropriate food choices, vegan diets can be adequate for children at all ages." The American Dietetic Association also considers well-planned vegan diets "appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy and lactation."
Bijou Phillips did it to loose wieght and probably didn't eat very well at all. Most vegans I know, myself included, get sick less than we used to. And we're happy and healthier than ever. One things for sure, we're less likely to be 1 of 80 million people in the US alone that suffer from food born illness. And even when the rare veggie gets tainted, it always originates from fecal matter.
I'm outraged. You're a moron.
Pete I think you forgot to say 1 of 80 million [per year]. I can't believe this is supposed to be worthwhile article. A vegan diet is very healthy and most people find their health increases dramatically... I sure know I rarely every get sick. I feel like a million bucks. I can find celebs that felt like crap on Atkins... maybe I'll write an article giving them a big horah. Anyone seen the site 'Atkins Exposed'? You simply can't dispute that doctors findings, and he welcomes the challenge.
You feel "like a million bucks huh? LOLOLOL
Headline 2008:
"Bijou Phillips begins Low-Carb Diet"
10 years later:
"Once Famous Actress Dies Of Heart Disease At The Age Of 38"
People can eat unhealthy diets that fall into any category - vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, Atkins, etc. I'm a healthy, happy vegan who (knock on wood) hasn't gotten sick once since I became vegan (and no, it wasn't last week). I feel better than I ever have. My skin looks better than it ever has. My blood work during my annual physical is better than it's ever been, and my doctor says I couldn't be healthier. Bijou Phillips sounds like she's either lazy or a moron. And anyone that says a vegan diet is unhealthy is either a moron as well or too lazy to go look it up on the American Dietetic Association website.
So she doesn't want to eat vegan anymore...does that somehow make the article wrong? People can make their own choices. YES, people can get sick(er) eating vegan...it is just a FACT. If you want to continue your obnoxious vegan lifestyle fine, but to call people who say veganism is unhealthy morons is just juvenile and pathetic. Get over yourself.
Comment: [...]What I don't understand is why you want to tear veganism down[...]
Are there no journalists left who actually do their research? How discriminatory of you to perpetuate rumors of veganism by cherry-picking idiots who can't feed their children, or plan their diet correctly. If you're pro low-carb diets, fine. But you forget the vegan diet is a practice of a non-violent lifestyle and has been practiced for centuries by some of the most healthy people in the world.
Moore, I am happy you lost weight on your little diet, but you've obviously offended a group of proud people by reminding us of the media's constant unfair attacks on us while at the same time turning people away from sustaining a lifestyle of non-violence.
"The medias unfair attacks on VEGANS????" Seriously! You people are obviously delusional from lack of protein. As a journalist, I think your whining is pathetic. If you want non-violence then go stop the war in Afghanistan and quit whining about news organizations not reporting kindly on your shitty, self-absorbed lifestyle choice.
I think the comments to this column I wrote prove my point about vegans exactly.
I am sorry I clicked on this article. Bijou Phillips is not the model of health. The vegan diet, next to a raw vegan diet is the healthiest choice, period. Anyone that says otherwise is misinformed. Continue eating meat if you want, but don't trash vegans for being strong enough to accept the truth about animal products. The weak will perish in their blissful ignorance.
I like cows. YUM.
Interesting. All of the vegan/vegetarians I know are unhealthy and usually have osteoporosis, many allergies, digestive woes, skin problems, and inflammation. Whenever vegans claim that this WOE has been practiced for thousands of years, I often wonder where and what did they eat? And how long did they actually live? Personally, I wouldn't feed a baby soy formula or soy anything. And adults shouldn't eat this junk either.
Katy. The opposite is true on everything your veg friends claim. It is absolutely well known that animal products cause inflammation and plant food fight it. Just google "inflammation" and look at all the medical websites. The main causes of osteoporosis are lack of load bearing activity, genes, meat, phosphorus from soft drinks, and salt. The largest consumer of animal calcium is the United States yet we have the highest rates of osteoporosis while civilizations that consume little to no milk have extremely low rates. Dairy is known to cause allergies and skin problems. Personally I wouldn't feed my baby cow milk or soy. But the point is that Vegan parents killing a baby thing is a myth.
Jimmy, I doubt your sincerity in this health mission you're allegedly on. You can't go knocking a lifestyle choice that works for many people just because one person has an anecdote about their bad experience. Where's your research? Where's the counterpoint? How much of an authority on health is this cigarette-smoking actress who seems only to care mostly about her weight? If you're going to be a writer you ought to strive for the truth and not just gesticulate for people who think the same way you do. This is just some hack writer editorializing and being weirdly proud of his lack of knowledge. Step up man! You've learned to crawl now learn to stand and walk.
I'm a teenage vegan, and I am the healthiest I've ever been. I tried atkins before, but i ended up fatter, and sick. My skin was horrible and I never had energy. Then one day the light came on and I went vegetarian, and eventually vegan. I have so much energy, my skin cleared up, and lost much weight. When I became vegan I got sick less as well. This article is poorly researched and bias. Please consider reading about nutrition before spouting off.
All of these comments are written by the same person.
Actually, studies are now proving that saturated fat, cholesterol, and meat do not cause cardiovascular disease. It is the excessive amounts of carbohydrate that stimulates excessive insulin production that raises triglyceride levels and wreaks havoc on the body. The health problems of the vegans and vegetarian that I know are not in their imaginations. One woman simply tripped and fell down a few stairs and broke both ankles. She was then months in a wheelchair as her bones were not healing speedily. A similar thing happened to another friend on a backpacking trip--he fell backward and broke a wrist and was also nearly six months on the mend with surgeries and all sorts of complications. And another young girl, age 14, has osteoporosis and shin splints. She was a gymnast and skier, but had to sit out last season because of injuries. I contrast these examples with my 89-year-old grandmother, who used to fall frequently, but never broke a bone in her life. I, too, have bones "denser than dense" according to the report from my last bone scan, and this was after years of taking prednisone, a drug know for destroying bone. Sure, eating a vegan diet, especially if it's low in sugar, can make someone feel great, but at what expense to the body in the long run. Eventually, the body succumbs to the lack of quality protein. Sure, some vegans "do it right," but they often take supplements, which, I doubt, were available for thousands of years. No doubt this country could do plenty to improve the meat and dairy industry. I fervently wish we had widespread supplies of grass-fed meats that were not so prohibitively expensive, as well as raw milk from certified herds. A good read is Nina Planck's book Real Food. Too often, the argument seems to devolve to meat-eaters vs. vegans, but I don't see too many meat-eaters eating only meat. People on low-carb diets also eat vegetables, folks. Sugar is the enemy here.
Katy I'm sure we could go all day with this hehe. I familiar with Nina Planck, Weston A. Price, Wolfgang Lutz. I have read much of their work. I am 100% with you and them that refined foods, especially wheat and sugars, isolated soy, are a health hazard.
Check out the site AtkinsExposed.com. This Doctor displays word for word the debate between himself and the Atkins Corp (after they tried to sue him over his site). I'm sure you've seen plenty of anti-atkins stuff before, but give it a gander.. it's a very well documented.
Google "reversing heart disease" and you will find a vast number of doctors who have dedicated their lives to helping and witnessing patient after patient go from one foot in the grave, to completely reversing their heart disease by switching to a plant based diet.
I must say I am quite puzzled by the vegetarians you know who have bone problems. I wonder how many of them were vegan or just vegetarian because many vegetarians consume more dairy than meat eaters. If they are in fact vegan, they are defying the evidence that societies with the lowest dairy consumption have significantly lower rates of osteoporosis. They also don't fit with the studies like The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, consisting of 77,761 women, ages 34 to 59, followed for 12 years that showed those who got more calcium from dairy actually had significantly more fractures, compared to those who consumed litte.
The quality protein that you claim is only found in animal foods is created by the cow by eating a plant based diet (well, not so much nowadays) consisting of the same amino acids that create it's muscle which you call steak. You're getting it 2nd hand, I'm getting it first hand from the veggies. If you read anything at all, please read this page:
www.vsc.org/protein.htm
It explains how protein content of veggies is perfect for the daily recommended amount and puts to rest the amino acid combining myth.
This explains why as a vegan who took up body building I have put on 20 pounds of muscle in 2 years by getting all my amino acids from plants. It explains how athletes like Scott Jurek, the number one ultra marathoner in the world, do it vegan.
The American Dietetic Association position paper on vegetarian diets states:
"Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence."
On the other hand, any _poorly_ planned diet can cause health problems - that goes for meat-eaters as well as veg*ns.
Did Bijou eat a _balanced_ vegan diet?
One of my issues with vegans/vegetarians is their heavy reliance on soy foods, faux meats made with soy, soy cheese, soy margarine, etc., which I believe is simply unhealthy. If the soy products were gone, then what? What did the vegans eat thousands of years ago to get the required amino acids? Most websites on vegetarianism list lots of flour/grain/sugar-based products as well, such as Pepperidge Farms turnovers. Great. So many teenagers, esp. girls, decide to go vegetarian to save the poor animals and wind up eating nothing but fat-free junk and believe they'll be ok. It's reprehensible to play on these kids' emotions at the expense of their health. The "if they do it right" mantra is very consoling to proponents of this way of eating, but I think the odds of young folks (or most folks) "doing it right" are slim to none. I also do not agree with the health claims, such as that saturated fat is bad, cholesterol is bad, and that they cause heart disease. These claims have absolutely not been proven! Many vegetables' vitamins and minerals are not absorbed in the absence of fat, but that's not made clear on vegetarian websites either. And the focus on carbs, and thus sugar, that most recommend are hardly healthful, especially for people with insulin issues and metabolic syndrome. So, where are the guidelines for "doing it right"?
Hey I just wanted to say that I made the shift to vegan 6 months ago and have never been happier. Cutting out meat was a gradual process for me, I don't think its a good idea to cut it out 'Cold Turkey' so to speak :-P, but ever since I've been vegan I've noticed real health benefits--my nails are stonger, my skin and hair healthier, i didn't get sick when the weather changed--like i did every year!
I just wanted to say that anyone who is "Sick and Thin" from a "vegan" diet is clearly just NOT EATING, as opposed to eating vegan. I enjoy a full and varied diet of vegetables, beans, starches and yes I am lean but hardly "sick and thin". There is plenty of resources out there for people thinking about eating vegan, but the most important thing is EDUCATION on NUTRITION because, you cant just cut out half your diet (meat eaters) and not supplement it with new foods and nutrients (eat more veggies!)
One of my issues with vegans/vegetarians is their heavy reliance on soy foods, faux meats made with soy, soy cheese, soy margarine, etc., which I believe is simply unhealthy. If the soy products were gone, then what? What did the vegans eat thousands of years ago to get the required amino acids? Most websites on vegetarianism list lots of flour/grain/sugar-based products as well, such as Pepperidge Farms turnovers. Great. So many teenagers, esp. girls, decide to go vegetarian to save the poor animals and wind up eating nothing but fat-free junk and believe they'll be ok. It's reprehensible to play on these kids' emotions at the expense of their health. The "if they do it right" mantra is very consoling to proponents of this way of eating, but I think the odds of young folks (or most folks) "doing it right" are slim to none. I also do not agree with the health claims, such as that saturated fat is bad, cholesterol is bad, and that they cause heart disease. These claims have absolutely not been proven! Many vegetables' vitamins and minerals are not absorbed in the absence of fat, but that's not made clear on vegetarian websites either. And the focus on carbs, and thus sugar, that most recommend are hardly healthful, especially for people with insulin issues and metabolic syndrome. So, where are the guidelines for "doing it right"?
If you have been eating the standard American diet (that is, lots of meat, dairy, processed food etc.), when you go vegan, your body will be in a state of detox for some time. When detoxing, people often get sick and fatigued. Moreover, if you put your body through the rigors of constantly changing your diet, coupled with cigarettes, alcohol, prescription and or street drugs, there is all the more chance you will get sick for some time before being healed. Rest assured a vegan diet can heal but it may take some time depending on how much your body has been through. Without knowing Ms. Phillips's complete history and what she was eating as a vegan, I dare say her experience is an accurate representation of what's typical. Best to have your own journey.
I'm not sure what's worse...ignorant omnivores, or ignorant pseudo-vegans.
All ill conditions spoken of can be found in omnivores in much higher numbers - this is not a 'vegan' problem. Poor diet choices (ie, junk food, processed and refined foods, not enough greens and fruit) result in ill health.
Clearly, Jimmy, you're an advocate and mouthpiece for Atkins -- that's fine. Why not stick to advocating Atkins, rather than denigrating other choices? If Atkins is so great, you should be able to proselytize it without relying on putting down others.
A whole-foods vegan diet is rich in nutrition and flavor; and while this is clearly not of interest to you, why not spare us your willful ignorance and keep a lid on it, eh?
- Dave (Victoria, BC)
Bijou Phillips most likely didn't approach veganism in the right way. What was she eating? How was her food prepared? Had she, perhaps, been on drugs? These are several questions that need to be answered here, and I feel that she has done a disserivce to many people who may be considering adopting a plant-based diet (not to mention the injustice done to all of those others who will now rest, although not in peace, on so many dinner plates). Millions of us have found delight and an enormous amount of satisfaction with our vegan lifestyle, both from a health standpoint and from living as much as possible in harmony with all of those marvelous beings who share this planet with us.
To Bijou: I turned vegan 2 yrs. ago BECAUSE of health issues.(Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Epstein Barr). My excema cleared up,my digestive tract is better b/c dairy causes inflammation, and overall I am much healthier. A well balanced diet of plant foods are proven to make one HEALTHIER, not more ill. If I can feel better being vegan, anyone without health issues and eating properly definitely can! If one is not eating the proper grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts to get the vital nutrients and minerals needed, whether vegan or not, anyone would get sick. Combining healthy foods, NOT smoking, drinking water, getting exercise, and getting the appropriate nutrients will prevent disease, NOT cause them. We truly "are" what we eat. Without a true commitment as to why you went vegan, it will not work. Animals were put on this earth for the same reason humans were, to live freely and independently; to live on their own terms, not ours. They deserve the right NOT to be enslaved or have to suffer at human's hands, and not to be tortured and be killed for their milk, their eggs, and/or meat. They need to be left alone. When a person "gets it" and turns vegan for the right reasons, than veganism becomes a way of life; it is simple and easy to follow. Please read more and educate yourself and know that if you eat the proper foods, you will regain health you never imagined possible. There are hundreds of cookbooks to choose from and thousands of easy recipes on the 'net. Please don't give up. The foods are delicious; you can still have yummy vegan desserts as well. There are even "un-cheesecake" recipes, dairy-free chocolates, etc., you don't have to deprive yourself. Food becomes even more pleasureable, knowing an animal was spared of suffering b/c of us.! Check out www.friendsofanimals.org. It is a wonderful organization with lots of information and plenty of links to guide you on the right path. Cheers!
I was hospitalized earlier this due an appendicitis and lost a lot of weight after being nil by mouth for two weeks. When I left hospital, I was anaemic, which is normal when you lose weight abruptly, and 20 pounds thinner. In a month's time I was back to my normal weight and no longer anaemic, after recovering on a vegan diet. Interestingly, my body put the weight back on really quickly, about 3 pounds a week, and simply stopped doing it when I reached my normal weight again. The point, people should not go on crash diets, they should simply eat well and a great variety of food, which a vegan way of eating provides. I almost never eat soya products or junk vegan food, I try to cook my food from scratch whenever I can, which is what everyone should do. It seems like Ms Phillips treated her veganism as a kind of fad diet and probably didn't feed herself well. But blaming whatever problems she had on the diet is a cop-out. She should simply blame herself.
The people leaving comments here are right on. We are built to digest plant foods. We *can* eat meat but that does not mean we *must* eat it. As omnivores we are obligated to pursue food choices that have the least impact on the planet, that allow us to feed the starving millions, and a vegan diet does this.
www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/veganed-to-death
www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/tough-meat-for-vegetarians-to-swallow
Katy, please spare us the anti-vegan rhetoric. Sure, there are vegans who aren't healthy: becoming vegan isn't some panacea. However, an apparent bout of confirmation bias has kept you from noticing the many vegans who are healthy and happy with their diet. Keep spouting your doom and gloom about veg*nism if you please, just don't expect it to gain any traction with rational vegans.
Rational vegans = oxymoron
Katy the arguments on these pages you link to are not rational. Yes, meat has B12. So does yeast. In the past enough B12 was supplied in plant foods (from bacteria on the surfaces), from inadvertently digesting soil, from water, from dirty hands, etc. Now we have an ultra clean food delivery and water systems, and so natural non-meat B12 is uncommon.
Many native American nations ate very little meat for thousands of years. There's also a 5000 year old tribe that still thrives today on a 100% vegan diet. And no they don't take supplements. See:
www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2005/01/07/stories/2005010700080200.htm
Bottom line is there is overwhelming evidence supporting that veganism is healthy, and national organizations which people have quoted below, say definitively it is healthy
for all states of life. Other the other hand The National Academy of Sciences, the most prestigious scientific body in the United States, agrees with the AMA and the ADA in opposing the Atkins Diet. So does the American Cancer Society; and the American Heart Association; and the Cleveland Clinic; and Johns Hopkins; and the American Kidney Fund; and the American College of Sports Medicine; and the National Institutes of Health; and President of the American College of Nutrition.
whoops, I mean stages of life, not states.
www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/tough-meat-for-vegetarians-to-swallow
I've been exploring some of the vegan links and I see a heavy reliance on soy foods, faux foods, and lots of carbs and sugar. Q: What to eat for breakfast? A: White rice soaked in soy milk with a mashed banana. If my diabetic mother ate the way these sites suggest, she'd be dead. And no one seems to recgonize that there is a proven connection between high consumption of soy products and thyroid disorders. Ironically, on one site about what vegans eat, I found an ad for AcipHex, that most expensive prescription antacid pill. I used to take them for raging acid-reflux disease (after the years of Pepcid stopped working), which simply vanished when I ditched the carbs and sugar. The health threats that vegans/vegetarians attribute meat-eating have never been proven--increases in cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes(!)--and are actually aggravated by excessive carb/sugar consumption. I also notice that many of the citations regarding the unhealthfulness of the Atkins diet are very old and outdated. Once again, the claims that meat-eating low-carbers eat nothing but greasy burgers, cheese, bacon, and eggs are cliche and tired. No one ever seems to get beyond the first chapters in Atkins' books to see what maintenance is all about. Low-carbers do eat quantities of vegetables, some nuts, and some fruit. I really am not biased against recognizing health, happy vegans. My observations have evolved over the years with encounters with vegans at work and school. Sure, most of them are happy with their choice to be vegan, but they fail to connect their ill-health with their food intake. This is called denial. A simple cut in sugar consumption and an increase of fat and the addition of a few eggs would solve most of their problems.
Katy, I don't know which websites you're refering to, but I haven't seen any that suggest a diet of sugar-based products. In my experience it's quite the opposite. Vegetarian and vegan websites offer lots of info about good nutrition.
And what makes you think vegans live on nothing but soy?
A variety of plant foods abound with natural vitamins, minerals, and healthy oils that help with absorption. Nuts and legumes have comparable or more protein than animal flesh. In an age when athletes are choosing vegan foods for health and energy, it's obvious the problem is with Bijou Phillips, not veganism.
You may not agree that cholesterol is related to heart disease, but your link to one study of vegetarians and meat-eaters proves absolutely nothing. Not only is the data insufficient, but since vegetarians consume cholesterol in dairy products, it's irrelevant. I doubt if the science community took the study seriously. Nor does Dr.Eades have a case against flax oil, which he attempted to make in his book, Protein Power.
As Pete explained, vitamin B12 depends on bacteria. Plants or animals cannot synthesize B12. There are plenty of meat-eaters who are anemic.
Soy was attributed to thyroid problems, but further study shows the culprit is iodine deficiency, if not a pre-existing thyroid condition. This is why thyroid problems are usually seen in areas that don't use iodized salt.
RE: soy and sugar consumption, for starters, from the PETA website:
www.goveg.com/vegetarian101.asp
www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp
I see soy, and soy, and soy, and soy, and starch=sugar, and legumes=sugar, and granola bars, fruit bars, corn chips, juices, and breads and bagels and crackers and so on--all of which=sugar.
As for the thyroid connection, I think the iodized salt theory is a bit simplistic.
From //thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo
"The relationship between soy and the thyroid is complicated. But there's no question -- soy can impact your thyroid, and some experts believe that overconsumption of soy can damage the thyroid and trigger autoimmune disease." Following that blurb is "In new research findings in June 2002, the nation's leading soy expert, Dr. Daniel Doerge, says that the possibility that widely consumed soy products may be dangerous to health via either or both estrogenic and goitrogenic activity is of concern and should be researched." And there are a host of other links as well. If people want to be vegans or vegetarians for "ethical" reasons, that's their choice. Just don't trot out loads of phony studies and false claims such as "Some of the leading killers in America today, including heart disease, cancer, obesity, and strokes, are directly linked to meat-based diets. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America today, and it is caused by the build-up of cholesterol and saturated fat from animal products in our arteries." These warnings are simply not true!
According to the National Research Council, an adult male requires 2700 calories and 56 grams of protein. The 56 grams of protein represent 224 calories, or about 8.3% of calories as protein. For the adult female, the figure is about the same: 2000 calories and 44 grams of protein, or about 8.8% of calories as protein.
If wheat has 17% of calories as protein, potatoes 11%, broccoli 45%, corn 15%, and so on, then all of these foods provide more than enough protein on a calorically adequate diet, even if you eat nothing but potatoes, wheat, and broccoli. In fact, of the common plant foods, almost all provide more than 10% of calories as protein. And some have very high % like beans, nuts, seeds, quinoa, amaranth.
For an easy breakfast, simply eat cereal with rice milk, hemp milk, oat milk, hazelnut milk, almond milk. You can make oat milk or almond milk at home easily, or the natural foods store has them. Oatmeal is a fantastic choice, or beans and toast. There's lots of whole grain vegan waffles in stores. I eat a little tofu and tempe here and there, like asian cultures do, but I'm not a big fan of isolated soy protein foods like boca burgers. There are non-soy meats, like the Field Roast Grain Meat Co who makes deli slices, sausages, roasts, etc. Lentil burgers, sunflower burgers, falafel are also great.
For refutation of the theory that dietary cholesterol/saturated fat raises blood cholesterol and causes heart disease, see //homodiet.netfirms.com/otherssay/chd/heart_disease1.htm
Katy, if you google "vegan nutrition", you'll find numerous educational websites about the nutrional value of plant foods. I see nothing on the websites you posted that suggest vegans or vegetarians should eat only soy or fill-up on sugar products.
Legumes, which you equate with sugar, are high in protein.
The Texas Journal of Medicine states the sugar forming content of soy is within 10%, and it actually recommends soy for diabetics.
See:www.upenn.edu/pennnews/researchatpenn/article.php?250&hlt
which explains the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine revisited a 30 year old study on the safety of soy-based infant formula.
The results, which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, confirm the safety of soy infant formula and offer evidence against the harmful effects of soy that have been presented in the popular media.
As I've said, studies on thyroid problems point to either an excess or deficiency in Iodine, if not a genetic predisposition. The User's Guide to Thyroid Disorders states "Iodine excess in genetically thyroid-sensitive people causes increased autoimmune difficulty." For that matter, the Guide also states fluoride is a known thyroid inhibitor, and that pollutants can cause thyroid problems. But there are no studies that show soy causes thyroid problems.
Thus, I conclude your focus on soy is due to some personal issue you have. If you want to believe soy is bad, and animal fat doesn't correlate with heart disease, fine -- but you'll have to come up with something that stands up to scientific scrutiny if you want to be taken seriously.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine studied the safety of soy infant formula. The results, that soy is safe for infants, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: www.upenn.edu/pennnews/researchatpenn/article.php?250&hlt
To understand whether hormone-like chemicals in soy products may influence sexual development in children, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have revisited a study on soy-based infant formula begun over thirty years ago.
Their results, published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, reaffirm the safety of soy infant formula and offer evidence against the harmful effects of soy that have been presented in the popular media. According to their findings, soy formula does not appear to lead to any more health or reproductive problems than cow milk formula.
Re: thyroid conditions, studies have shown a deficiency or excess in iodine causes problems. you'll have to come up with a solid study that passes scrutiny in the science community.
David, the link you posted refers to the Framingham study which supposedly supports the view that cholesterol is irrelevant to heart disease. But on the Framingham website: //framingham.com/heart/backgrnd.htm, it states:
"Today, managing cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and diabetes to mitigate heart and vascular disease and stroke is fundamental to good medical care. In fact, it's hard to remember a time when these and other risk factors were not considered to be significant problems by many physicians.
But, before Framingham, the role of serum cholesterol in the evolution of cardiovascular disease was not widely understood or accepted by physicians as a major contributing factor. The study established a relationship between the levels of cholesterol and risk for disease. Further, the study established a strong positive association of LDL cholesterol with coronary heart disease as well as a powerful inverse and protective effect of HDL levels."
Wow, a crash-"vegan" diet to lose weight extremely fast for movie roles in an unhealthy manner while being coupled with being a "full time smoker" made you sick, Bijou? How surprising!
It's really sad how ignorant people are. Really sad. Bijou, you let us all know how healthy you feel on a pack a day on top of steaks cooked in butter with a side of chicken periods. I'm sure you'll feel very good after that.
To the rest of you who actually want to be healthy, Atkins died of a heart attack. But, a balanced vegan diet reduces your risk of all sorts of diseases and is one of the healthiest diets in existence. A good 5 minutes of nutrition research will show anyone with a brain this.
Cholesterol IS irrelevant to heart disease. So is consumption of saturated fat. Fat is not the problem, it's the carbs. I suggest you Google cholesterol and heart disease, or even better, sugar and heart disease. A small nugget of truth: //www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27taubes.html
Re: "I see nothing on the websites you posted that suggest vegans or vegetarians should eat only soy or fill-up on sugar products."
No one suggested that the websites I provided claimed that vegans or vegetarians should consume ONLY soy or sugar-based products. But these sorts of products are certainly front and center as a lure to those condsidering the "healthy" vegetarian way of eating. Legumes can raise blood sugar just as doughnuts can. So can wheat, pasta, and potatoes. Sugar is sugar. Also, does the vegan diet have to be well-planned or not? Some of you claim yes, others claim that you can eat any vegetables and get all the protein you need without complimentary protein combining. Which is it, folks, and how far does one have to travel down the road to poor health before realizing your diet is the problem?
Answer: You can eat any vegetables and get all the protein you need without complimentary protein combining. Just eat a variety of meals just as any natural person would want to. Beans are one of the healthiest foods on the planet, I can't believe you're saying their bad.
Katy said: "Cholesterol IS irrelevant to heart disease. So is consumption of saturated fat. Fat is not the problem, it's the carbs."
Katy, you can't be serious. Carbs cause heart disease? Is that right? Then why do countries with mainly plant-based diets have low incidences of heart disease? In countries like India and parts of China, carbs make up nearly 80% of their diet. Cholesterol and saturated fat are irrelevant to heart disease? It just so happens that people with elevated cholesterol and high intakes of fats are almost always the sufferers of heart disease.
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