response 21 of 52:

Jun 21 14:21 UTC 2007

resp:20 Sindi, in my reading of Colleen's responses, she's said her Dr.
was recommending about 30 or so percent, that's not twice 20%...

response 23 of 52:

Jun 21 15:04 UTC 2007

30-33% is close to double 20%. 1.5-1.7X.  Colleen said she was trying for /13
which is 33.3%.

A bit more internet reading reveals there is now a fad high-protein
weight-loss diet which the American Heart Association warns against, partly
because of the high-fat results (usually much of it saturated). 
Recommendations are usually to keep fat under 30% of your total calories, not
1/3.  Eating more protein than you need also results in the production of
nitrogenous metabolic byproducts (ketone bodies) which may be what another
site (http://www.starbulltein.com/1999/10/13/features/health.html) refers
to as acidic products which are neutralized with calcium, which gets excreted
in the urine.  The sulfur which is found more in animal than plant protein may
be what they mean here (sulfuric acid?).  People who eat too much protein need
to also eat more calcium.  

Colleen's protein intake is probably not in the dangerous range, but is most
likely more than required, which can be measured by tests.  Since most
Americans eat too much protein (in the same range) the calcium RDA probably
reflects this increased need for calcium.  

I ran across mention of studies showing that people who ate more protein (this
was about 110 g/day) had a 20% greater likelihood of breaking a wrist, due
to calcium loss from bones.  

Colleen, have you been tested for osteoporis?  Are you making sure to eat
plenty of calcium along with all that protein?  Will your insurance cover
protein balance testing to determine if you are really eating for zero
nitrogen balance?

After all the fad diets that avoid sugar (saccharine etc), starch (carbs),
and fat, I guess it is time for a protein fad.  Are we over the oat-bran fiber
fad already?

response 27 of 52:

Jun 21 16:48 UTC 2007

If Colleen wants a monolog instead of a dialog she should not allow other
people to post (or start items).  I think it is important to warn people that
her diet is not healthy for most people.

response 29 of 52:

Jun 21 19:17 UTC 2007

Indeed, everyone's needs are very different. I dont think I would want 
to be quite as regimented as Colleen and I know I wouldnt want to eat a 
diet similar to Sindi's. 

response 31 of 52:

Jun 23 02:03 UTC 2007

Brown rice & split peas with a bit of spice or sauce for flavor.

Cooked whole wheat ("berries") needs almost no seasoning.

If you're ovo-lacto, eggs are cheap great protein, and a bit of
plain yogurt can fancy up the taste of many things.

Apples are cheap almost year-round at the Farmer's Market, ditto
bananas at the grocery store.  Carrots, cabbage, potatoes, and
other traditional veggies are often available cheap.

I've heard arguments both ways on nutrition in frozen veggies
(vs. fresh), but frozen veggies are pretty cheap if you don't
want the trendy ones, and understand can stock up when on sale.

If you can be bothered to make quick breads from scratch, use
whole grain flour, and get creative.  Fresh quick bread does
not need to be swimming in fat, sugar, sodium, etc. to taste
good.  Yeast bread's fine too, but takes more time unless you
have a machine.

response 33 of 52:

Jun 25 01:33 UTC 2007

Re 31:  The USDA does ongoing research into the nutrient composition of
foods.  Their most recently released findings say that they no longer
believe that there is a nutritional difference between fresh and frozen
vegetables and fruits.

They base their conclusion on detailed nutritional analysis, and state
that faster and better methods of freezing have improved the process to
the point that the foods do not have significantly different nutritional
profiles.  

response 35 of 52:

Jun 29 14:21 UTC 2007

Item 245 Response 27:
Jun 21 12:48 EDT 2007

"If Colleen wants a monolog instead of a dialog she should not allow
other people to post (or start items).  I think it is important to warn
people that her diet is not healthy for most people."
---------------------

It has taken me a while to figure out what bothered me about this
response.  I think it goes back to some community building skills I
learned from a world-renown organizational development consultant who
was also a personal friend.  

"Everyone has their own truth and everyone's truth is different." Kathy
Dannemiller.

I admire Sindi's ability to find and communicate food factoids that are
interesting and entertaining.  

She does, however, remind me of a mother hen who has hatched a clutch of
duck eggs, and is standing frantically on the shore trying to get her
ducklings to stop swimming.  

Any of us is free to pick and choose among scientific and folk
information in making dietary and medical decisions.  Some of us choose
to live by more of this information and others of us choose to live by
less of this information. 

However you decide to put these facts together and form your own eating
pattern is fine *for you*.  

For example, the usual goal is to meet your vitamin, mineral, and
macronutrient needs by eating a range of food that will supply them
without resorting to supplementary pills. 

Vegan diets do not supply sufficient Vitamin B12 and it must be obtained
by supplements.  

A diet that *requires* pills or shots to meet minimum standards is not
healthy for most people.    

However, it works for some people, and thus is a rational choice *for
them*.  

Just remember that you have your own body giving you feedback, along
with well-meaning friends, relatives, and the experts you choose to
consult.  
  
I believe that everyone currently reading this conference is quite
capable of making good food choices *for themselves*.  Neither current
nor future readers need protection from words and ideas expressed here. 

response 37 of 52:

Jun 29 16:09 UTC 2007

I'm a bad person.  I look down upon people who use margerine.  I'm 
such a judgmental bitch!

Please tell me the truth shall set me free!

response 39 of 52:

Jun 29 19:37 UTC 2007

re:37--butter is so much BETTER than margarine.  :-)

response 41 of 52:

Jun 29 20:19 UTC 2007

mmmm. I *love* dairy products. And I probably need to be drinking more 
vitamin D milk too or at least I should according to my aunt who seems 
to believe that vitamin D deficiencies can be related to genes and so 
far everyone in our family she's tested is vitamin D deficient. 

response 43 of 52:

Jun 30 13:22 UTC 2007

I dont use sunscreen so I end up getting plenty of sunlight in the
summer. The winter might be different. But my aunt seems to be of the
opinion that there is something about our family that makes us less able
to make vitamin D from sunlight. Or maybe everyone else is just really
good at putting on sunscreen. I am not especially worried about it
though. I just thought it was a weird thing for her to have tested other
people in my family for. 

response 45 of 52:

Jun 30 13:47 UTC 2007

She is a doctor