Susan's Nutrition Weblog

DJ Danger-Soy

RD, My roommate wants to know if there really are any benefits to eating garlic. Also, I'm a soy type of guy. Are manboobs in my future?

1. Yes, there are real benefits to garlic. While "white foods" are often shunned (white flour, baking potatoes, etc.) garlic and onion can unfortunately get lumped into this category too. But they are good. REAL good. They have cancer fighting properties among other things. If you do a lot of sauteeing, I would recommend not cooking garlic and onion first (as is often done), but rather throw them in last so you don't cook all the goodness out. Are you with me?

2. I don't think you will get manboobs from eating a lot of soy. I don't THINK. Research on soy is mixed with good and bad. But I usually turn to those cultures who eat A LOT of soy and rest assured if it was truly terrible, we would see clear evidence in those populations. No such evidence as far as I can tell. What I recommend, is doing it like they do, i.e., avoid super processed soy products as much as possible (soy sausage, soy burgers, soy ice cream, TVP products, etc.) and stick to tofu, tempeh, soybeans, even unsweetened soy milk. And get organic, not GMO-laden. That isn't to say you can never eat the crazy soy stuff, just don't make it a staple in your diet.

Also, try other alternatives like almond milk, rice cream, when possible. This is more because variety is always a good thing. Too much of one thing is not advisable in general.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

High P-rice to Pay

Q:
I also bought the Organic Brown Basmati rice from Costco. But they have discontinued it. Bummer. Where else can I buy this rice inexpensively. The local natural food store charges $1.95/lb. Costco's was half of that price.

A:
Did you factor in the cost of your Costco membership and the truly pain in the butt it is to park there? Hum? How many pounds of this stuff are you eating anyway? I don't know where else to tell you to go for the organic variety. Although I know some major grocery store chains are jumping on this organic band wagon. I noticed that here in DC Safeway has jumped on the O-train. And some of their stuff looks pretty darn good (pastas, pasta sauces, pre-washed lettuce/spinach). I'd start checking out these giants to see what's up. You could also write Costco and tell them to bring it back. Maybe it's just your local one that has stopped ordering it but with your request they could be convinced to reconsider.

Oh the options! Worst case scenario - $1.95 for a pound of bbr, sweet!

Alpha, Beta, Gamma . . . Boo!!!

What are Omega-9s? Are they important? Are they in Granola?

Posted by: David

David,

There are only two types of fat that you HAVE to consume because your body can't produce them by itself, thus aptly named Essential Fatty Acids. They are Omega-3s and Omega-6s. As Americans, we get plenty o' sixes and less of the threes. This isn't terrible because we need more sixes. Interestingly, no one really knows how much of either we actually need to survive. The recommendation is based on the average amount consumed in America where we typically have no dietary fat deficiency of 6s or 3s. So the powers that be concluded, "Just take the average and call it a day." I won't go into numerical details because I don't think pointing out that you need 17 grams of Omega-6 would mean much to the layperson.

What was your question? Ah, Omega-9, aka oleic acid. Forget about it. As far as I know, if someone is hyping an Omega-9 supplement, it's strictly to make a buck on a nutrient that you don't even need to consume. In fact, Omega-9s are synthesized in the body "and are not required in the diet." They're just trying to scare you with greek letters. Granola probably does have Omega-9 in it as this type of fat is abundant in nuts. In fact, despite not needing to consume it, oleic acid is abudant in most fatty foods.

Good, Better, Best Breakfast

Q: i eat instant oatmeal, of the natural variety, nature's path or something,
at work every day for breakfast or lunch. 2 packets, maple and brown sugar.

is that bad?

Sarah

A: It's not bad. But you could be doing so much better. wanna do better? If so,
keep reading.

Picture a helpless but vital oat plant. Chop it up (steel cut oats), roll it, smash it, cut it up (rolled oats or slow oats), cut it up again (quick oats) and cut it up again (instant oats). Instant oats are the result of a big machine chewing up your breakfast for you and spitting it out so that you can then hydrate it with water. That's why at this point it looks a lot like vomit.

Slow oats have so much more going for them. I highly recommend you try
these. This may be difficult in your work environs because you need
more time. Ideally, you cook slow oats on a stove top for a few
minutes, add some soy milk for creaminess, maybe throw in some raisins
and cinnamon. Vanilla soy makes it sweeter. But if you need it really
sweet, try adding real maple syrup or agave nectar.

Up for a bigger challenge? Try steel cut oats. Add flax meal. Add
walnuts. Apples. Make it a party.

Now, even though you are supposed to cook these on a stove, I have to
admit, I pour boiling hot water into mine at work, cover the bowl with
a plate and wait a few. It's not going to be total mush like fast
oats ('cause there is lots of unmasticated fiber!!!), so it may take getting used to. But this is a
much more wholesome thing to be eating for breakfast with only a tad
more effort that eventually becomes second nature.

Yes, I keep all these crazy things in my desk drawer or work fridge: soy
milk, flax meal, raisins, cinnamon, and steel cut oats.

Soy Be It

Hey Susan--

glad you have a forum in which to expound your wonderfully caustic observations, now that you no longer write us from China. I still think we should publish the collected susan china missives.
Anyway, I've got two questions:
What's the deal with Brummel and Brown (yogurt based, methinks) imitation butter, and how bad is that Vanilla Soy Silk Dream Stuff for you? Since I am addicted to it.
And will probably drink more no matter what you say.
Hope DC is treating you well, and that you've managed to locate one of the 18 Starbuck's coffee houses on Dupont Circle.

Goat

Dearest Goat -

Ok, first thing's first. I've found my Starbucks of choice. There are three on my walk to work, and it's fun to decide which one will have the pleasure to serve me. Of course I love to be the only one in line who orders black coffee. I get a kick out of snubbing all the skinny mochiciano latte frappy hooey drinkers. But damn that drip coffee is good.

Vanilla soy milk is not so bad. Yes, a bit sugary, but you could do worse. And if you get it enriched with all the yummy vitamins and minerals, then good on ya. Let's not forget the seasonal Silk Soy Nog. 'Tis the season to throw it back.

Brummel and Brown? Sounds like a brand of sensible shoes. I've got to say, that stuff looks weird. Never mind that it's dairy which is pretty toxic, but it's some kind of yogurty buttery thing. That's not right. Why don't you try some Earth Balance spread (note: not Smart Balance). It doesn't have any cholesterol which will make your body very happy.

A little birdy tells me you also enjoy pink snowballs. What the hell? Why don't you just shove wet toilet paper into your arteries?

Much love, Susan

Sugar Smacks of Cancer

i finally found your blog. this is where the party is at.

now susan: i have cable as of last week as you know. and primarily, i watch hbo on demand. but also, i watch the food network. and yesterday, i watched a show, about 4 friends who work in universal studios, who all went on a diet together for the camera. 3 guys and a gal, all in thier 30s.

and the guy said his favorite foods were "pretzels, cotton candy, slushees, and anything that tastes like a slushee."

susan, what do you think of that?? is he an addict? what is going to happen to him?? cancer?

susan, i miss you. why do we live so far apart?

Hey Sarah! I can't even talk about the physical distance between us -- it goes against our "plan". However, I would love to respond to the guy who loves slushees. I think that's a pretty funny comment. Yes, I would say this guy is absolutely a sugar addict. The refined white flour in pretzels is nothing but a sugar once it hits your gut plus the rest of his menu which is nothing but sugar as soon as it exists.

Interesting you would mention cancer. Who knows what will actually happen to that fella. Genetics are a mystery. But cancers do feed off sugar whether it's straight up cotton candy or white flour or alcohol. It's like a growth hormone for tumors. Scary stuff. I think that's why so many cancer patients do well with macrobiotic diets - EXTREMELY low in sugar.

Glad you found the blog again; we missed you. By "we" I mean me and the other three people who check it regularly. Which brings me to the latest factoid: Aaron can't read the blog anymore because China has put a block on all typepad blogs. Blogs are dangerous. Information is dangerous. Must stop information!

Go ahead, Cost-co

I recently visited Costco in Seattle, and they introduced organic brown basmati rice from India. Though I have seen brown rice in Whole Foods (which is California grown by a company called Lundberg), this is the first time I have seen Organic Indian Brown Basmati rice. The price was very good too. I think a 10lb bag sold for $9.99, or $0.99/lb.

http://vegan.typepad.com/weblog/2005/08/being_basmati_b.html

This is great news! Word's out. At larger Whole Foods with a bulk section, you can actually get organic brown basmati rice, not the bagged Lundberg. This is true for smaller co-ops as well. But I don't think you can beat that Cost-co price. I don't know who owns Cost-co, but it couldn't be anywhere as near as evil as Sam's. And everybody knows you can't shop at Sam's because it's owned by Wal-Mart. Right?

The Smack Down (on me)

One tablespoon of butter contains more than 7 grams of saturated fat[1]. The relationship between saturated fat intake and LDL cholesterol is direct and progressive, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)[2]. I can't quite see what recommending butter has to do with discussing "vegan eating" unless it is your way of trying to kill off non-vegans as quickly as possible. In which case, well done! Next time, try pushing red meat, preferably raw.

[1] USDA Nutrient Database, SR18.
[2] 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report

The former comment was posted in response to the following suggestion I made a few months ago to my friend Viveca:

"If you are not vegan, and I know you're not Viv, I would suggest just eating real, organic if possible, butter. Don't even think about eating margarine (full of trans-fats/hydrogenated oils). Ooo. It's a spreadable heart attack.

But for the vegans in the room, I enjoy Earth Balance because it's all veg, no trans-fats. But don't forget about things like oils (I enjoy flax oil on my toast and popcorn) and coconut butter for cooking."

Well, I don't really have a defense for recommending butter. I know the world would be a better place if people didn't eat any animal products. I know that animals who make dairy suffer just as much as animals who are slaughtered for meat. Probably more. But if someone wants to know what is actually worse for her body, hydrogenated oils or butter, the answer is hydrogenated oils. Neither are beneficial, both are bad, but one IS actually worse inside the body. Maybe I should have been more clear that both are BAD BAD BAD.

Would I eat butter before margarine? No. I've got ethical issues with it. However, I honestly believe that the body would rather deal with almost anything over man-made chemicals. And I do believe trans-fats have been shown to be worse than saturated fats for the heart .

Healthiest option: neither.

Thanks for the comment; I like your spunk.

PS- I can't believe someone I don't know (?) reads this blog.

Mexican greenery

Today, I ate a lot of guacamole and a burrito the size of my head (my head is larger than average). Yummy.

Thank you.

Treat Yourself

What's the best celebratory vegan treat I could find at my local healthy grocery store - the comparable to a pre-1996 pint of Cherry Garcia? :-) Peace.

Posted by: Kelly Saville | September 15, 2005

Kelly! Cherry Garcia was THE last dairy product prior to becoming vegan that I ate, intentionally. Good memory of our times in Key West, chica.

Well, they do make a soy version of this yummy combo: vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips and cherries. It's gooooood. I wouldn't say it's healthy because it's full of sugar and thickeners and what not. However, sometimes I just have to have it. It's the same old problem though - don't eat the whole pint! Hard to restrain.

Maybe a healthier treat is some dark chocolate (real dark chocolate without milk fillers). I once saw a doctor on Oprah say that 3 oz of dark chocolate per day is good for you. In fact, it has anti-oxidants and boosts serotonin in your brain (serotonin prevents anxiety & depression and can help you sleep better). What could be better?

Ok, sure, you could eat some fruit, but . . . pahleeeease.