Friday, December 17, 2010

About “Eating”

At any given time, most people would say they want to lose a few pounds, right? The reasons vary: wanting to look better, wanting to feel better, wanting to live longer.  eating

But, what about the quality of food that we eat, not just the amount?

I was recently sent an 88 minute DVD called, “Eating” produced by the Rave Diet.  Here are some highlights (Keep in mind, I am not saying I agree with or condone what was said, I am only reporting it back. Don’t de-pants the messenger!):

  • In the 20th century most Americans moved away from a plant based diet to an animal based diet. This switch has vastly and dangerously increased the prevalence of heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.
  • Clogged arteries from animal fats (meat, dairy) restrict the flow oxygen through our blood. That means increased risk of stroke and heart disease.
  • The only dietary source of cholesterol, which clogs our arteries, is animal foods
  • 1/3 of heart attacks occur in people whose cholesterol is between 150-200 (the AMA’s current recommended level)
  • Only having a cholesterol level of 150 or lower will guarantee a healthy heart and body
  • The cure for cancer is a heightened immune system. This can only be obtained by eating a plant based diet. Animal based diets lower our immunities.
  • We all have cancer in our bodies. It becomes widespread and problematic when our immune systems can’t fight it.
  • By age 50 almost 50% of women have breast cancer in their bodies (detected and undetected). 40% of men have prostrate cancer.
  • Cancer can be reversed by moving to a plant based diet. This means no meat, fish, dairy products or eggs.You will get plenty of protein and calcium on a plant based diet.
  • Countries around the world who eat plant based vs. animal based diets have extremely low incidences of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
  • Eating a plant based diet is better for the environment. The manner in which the animals are treated who become our food source is inhumane.
  • Switching to a plant based diet will make you a stronger endurance athlete.

I am not a vegetarian, yet we don’t eat a ton of meat around here. I cook all of our meals from scratch and we have at least two meat-free dinners per week. When I cook with meat, it is usually organic. I do have high cholesterol. It runs in my family. I always saw this as my destiny, but now I wonder with some dietary changes if I could lower my numbers. While I take issue with some of the information given and wonder what the research states, there is sense to be found in some of the statistics.

You can find lots of interesting articles and research on the above HERE.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the DVD was learning about Ruth Heidrich. At age 75, she is a six-time Ironman Triathlon finisher who has completed more than 60 marathons all over the world. And she’s still running 26.2 all over the globe!

As a runner and self-described “healthy eater,” Ruth was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 47. She was able to heal, she believes, in large part due to converting to a plant-based diet. You can read about her amazing comeback HERE. Her ten rules to save your life are:

  1. Eat a diet of fruits and vegetables, preferably organic.
  2. Eat them raw as much as possible.
  3. Eat them whole, never processed or refined.
  4. Emphasize high-antioxidant foods: berries, leafy greens, and add nuts/seeds if losing too much weight.
  5. Make your beverage water and/or green tea.
  6. No drugs including caffeine.
  7. No alcohol or cigarettes..
  8. Exercise daily, time and intensity depending on your level of fitness.
  9. Sleep should follow natural rhythm with no alarm clocks or other disturbances.
  10. Breathe air as clean and pure as possible.

What do you think? Are you a vegan or vegetarian? Do you follow a plant based diet? If so, do you do it for ethical or health reasons or both?

I would love to send this DVD on to someone to watch and review. If you are interested, leave a comment telling me why you want to know more and I’ll pick someone in the next week. If you get it, then you can send it on when you’re done…

Going to eat a 16 oz. Porterhouse wrapped in bacon with a side of meatballs,

SUAR

62 comments:

  1. Wow, those are some heavy duty claims!

    After watching Food Inc., I started to see the merits of reducing/eliminating animal foods... but I am a butcher's grand-daughter! Meat-eating is in my blood. :)

    Kidding aside, I don't actually eat much meat. Chicken 2-3 times per week, red meat once, eggs/beans/other proteins on the other days. All about balance!

    But I do love a good Porterhouse...

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  2. You know food interests me I love the topic.. I did find out that when animals are fed corn this increases the fat in their muscle which increases our fat etc. makes it bad. When they are fed grass the animal has a higher omega content in their meat and lower fat and cholesterol.. Hence it is healthier. I only buy organic chicks because they are better fed and treated better. I don't believe in veg only as I have read many, many stories of health prbs due to lack of nutrients. I would venture to say we were never meant to eat processed grains before saying we aren't supposed to eat animals.

    Sorry I have to have my coffee...I've read some bene's to this but I know some are very against it.

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  3. Interesting. I consider myself very healthy in general but struggle so much with eating the "right" kinds of foods. I love the idea of clean eating but I let the convenience of ready meals win out far too often.

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  4. I would like to watch it. I am not a vegetarian. I would love to eat less meat however I can't seem to get enough protein without it.
    With all of my ridiculous and difficult food intolerances there is not much in the variety department for protein.
    I don't have an ethical reason for thinking of being more of a vegetarian eater however I do think that buying organic and ideally locally raised organic meat is best on many levels.

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  5. I've been a vegan for a year and a half; I'm also in the best shape of my life, running my first half marathon two weeks ago. "Eating" is on my christmas shopping list for a few people in my family; I'd love for some of the people in my life to make healthier choices.

    (Incidentally, "Earthlings" was the DVD that made me make the switch, but that's because I'm more motivated by the animal cruelty issue than by the threat of heart disease and cancer. Everyone's different.)

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  6. I'm in for the DVD. my "plant" food is currently what comes on my burger.

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  7. It makes me sick to think that our diets have turned to animal based!! I am not a vegetarian or vegan but I eat meat occasionally and a ton of fruits and veggies. I do it because it is what makes me feel good and I know that it will help me in athletics. Loved the tips....I really need to work on eating my veggies raw and less processed foods. GREAT POST as always:)

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  8. Here's my take (from a former fat guy whose life used to revolve around food):

    For every study that says you shouldn't eat animal products because they raise your cholesterol you can find a study that says the food you eat doesn't affect your cholesterol levels. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

    For every study that says you shouldn't be a vegetarian because you can't get enough protein there's a study that says vegetarians can get enough protein from soy and grain based non animal sources. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

    For every study that says you shouldn't eat grains because that's not how our ancient relatives ate you can find a paleolithic skull with grains embedded in its teeth. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

    My personal beliefs are you should not eliminate any foods from your diet unless you have an ethical dilemma about eating them. If you can't bring yourself to eat or harm an animal then don't eat one, but it's probably not going to kill you.

    I eat a varied diet full of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, dairy and fish and some feathered and furry animals. I try and buy the healthiest, least processed foods available, and I stay away from processed carbs like chips, crackers, cookies, candies (usually). I also don't eat a lot of bread because I find it easier to maintain my weight when I don't.

    But I do allow for special eating excursions. I'm not a robot!

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  9. the whole "cancer can be reversed .." is bullshit. if that were really true, i would have been the first one to try it when i was diagnosed. but i whole heartily agree that eating the right foods and plenty of exercise is the only way to live a strong and healthy life.

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  10. OH and P.S. I love the tip about no caffeine, smoking, drugs etc. I totally follow this and when I quit caffeine I felt a million times better!

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  11. Food has become politicized as much as anything else these days. Anyone telling you what you "should" eat, is almost certainly pushing an agenda, namely "their" diet. I distrust it all.

    Whole raw fruits and veggies yes.
    Lots of water good.
    Exercise daily good.
    Natural sleep, 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.
    Clean air - good luck with that.

    It's easier, much much easier to get your protein requirements with a bit of animal flesh. Most people eat far too much of it, and too much is produced in a way that's bad for the environment.

    No coffee??!!!!! Eek. Moderation.
    NO WINE!!!????? There is good medical evidence wine helps digestion, and is good for you, to the tune of a glass a day or so. Natural beer has some good stuff too, not that commercially produced horse piss.

    I don't think there is an "ideal diet". Until very, very recently, humans ate what they could get and there was rarely enough of it. All that said, I try to eat lots of different foods in different combinations. Bison or lamb or chicken is our preferred meats, with some fish (I have problems with the commercial fishing industry too). Lots of grains, nuts, salad stuff. And some process stuff to, I have to admit, but not much. My wife is a good cook.

    I'll see your Ruth Heidrich and raise you Sister Madonna Buder.

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  12. I am not vegan or vegetarian and I love me some meat!

    However, since I started running this year I have been thinking I should really be better about what I put in my body. I never cared about food all that much - just ate out of need - and then I started cooking and I have so much fun in the kitchen but I need to balance the two - healthy and good for me and just plain good.

    I am in for the dvd, maybe I will learn something! Since I am a teacher, what I learn I will share with everyone and anyone who will listen!

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  13. I'm a "flexitarian"... eating mostly vegetarian but if my step-dad serves me up a steak when I go home for Christmas, I'll eat it! He cooks a mean steak. I prefer eating plant-based because a) I feel better and b) if you read anything about the factory farming techniques of animals, you'd be vegetarian too! I have been at either extremes and now I'm landing in the moderate middle: about 80% of my diet is vegetarian and I'll add fish or burgers or sometimes turkey. No chicken; chicken grosses me out for some reason.
    I will say I went on a meat eating binge when training this fall because I couldn't get enough protein. I'm going to try to supplement with protein shakes as much as possible next season to see if that helps.

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  14. I eat everything- I have scaled back my meat consumption a lot though. I rarely buy it but will order it when I'm out sometimes. I use a lot of beans or other sources of protein. I don't really worry about getting "enough" protein since most of us get too much anyhow but I think about it for a factor of how filling a meal will be.

    I know that eating raw vegetables/fruits has it's benefits because some nutrients/vitamins are better available in that state but other nutrients (like lycopene and carotenoids) are more available when they are cooked.

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  15. Thank you for this post Beth. I've been wanting to switch over to eating a plant based diet for some time but it so hard. My husband would surely go for it if I just made the decision and cooked vegetarian meals but I just have not made that leap yet. We do eat mostly organic and especially when it come to fruits, veggies and meat. I love all 10 of her points....the drugs/caffeine thing would be hard for me...I mean I love my coffee and my heroine but what can I say? No, really, I could give up coffee now that I am getting more sleep than I used to. I think it would be good for me...or at least limiting it to a couple times a week. I'd be interested in watching this video too.

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  16. I'd like to see the dvd. I would love to go vegan,but my wife is not so sure, so this might help us make a choice together. Plus I have impressionable minds I need to mold.

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  17. I don't think meatballs go well with a porterhouse. Lobster dipped in an ungodly amount of butter on the otherhand...

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  18. I also LOVE how people blame cancer on animals.. GMO, preservatives, chemicals, plastics, ingredients you can't even pronounce. Look in your pantry and you'll find cancer

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  19. Wow, these are some lengthly comments and I always thought the POO brought on your comments but food definitely takes precedence. I laughed at the comment you left me about feeling drained by the pool running. ME TOO!! I can't do it everyday now, it's just too much of NOTHING to fit into forty minutes.

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  20. I'm like you. I come from a family doomed to high cholesterol, and my 11 year old daughter's is already high. I think plant based diets can help, but for the record, my aunt is vegetarian and allergic to dairy, and hers is high. So I'm skeptical...

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  21. Wow, that's a bit sobering. I would love to watch this. My philosophy has always been to eat real food as much as possible as opposed to the manufactured versions of "food." We eat a ton of fruits and vegggies here and not much meat. My cholesterol and all markers are ridiculously low. But this makes feel like I still don't have it right.

    And don't know about that no alcohol part!

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  22. I'm happy to read stories about people winning by getting involved themselves.

    The DVD would be interesting - I'm already vegetarian one day a week and a fish eater on one day. I would like to know how it could be a universal diet though.

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  23. I just eat what tastes good :)
    Now much of these statements are accurate, but it seems (I haven't seen the dvd so I can't truly comment) that the cancer comments don't take into account immune modifiers from our environments. We are so surrounded by chemicals and radiation that even dietary changes are hard-pressed to keep our immune system fully functioning.

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  24. First, advocating drinking green tea and saying "no caffeine" is contradictory. The first thing I always look for in someone's claims is hypocrisy.

    I once was sent to a registered dietician, who gave me all the diet "rules," not knowing that I was a biochemist and could pass the tests for being a dietician myself. After all she told me, I said "but I eat 4600 calories a day - you can't come up with a diet that fits your guidelines and has that many calories!" She tried, but couldn't; I could now, but I don't eat anywhere NEAR that much any more.

    I know a woman who's allergic to all fruits (and not just sensitive, actually allergic). She'd have trouble following most diets. So, not everything is right for everyone.

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  25. My mom recently had a "conversion experience" when she watched this movie. She and my dad are now vegan, which means I am eating a lot more veggies.

    Yes, it's probably true we eat too much meat. Yes, Mom lost 15 of the 25 pounds she has been trying to lose for the last year in 10 weeks going vegan, her skin looks better, she seems happier, and she started running because it doesn't hurt without the extra pounds.

    Here's the problem: Eating all veggies makes me physically ill. I ending up going #2 about 5 times a day, and it ain't pretty. Also, I hate cooked vegetables. Hate. I never outgrew the perception that they taste like rotten plant water.

    My problem with "Eating" is that the guy makes these wild claims and backs them up with out of context conclusions from small obscure studies.

    So. I eat cheese. I eat meat a few times a week, and I try to know where it came from, but I am not a convert to the Church of Vegan.

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  26. Hi SUAR!
    First off, I love your blog - I'm a new follower. I bought my sister - an avid hiker/snowboarder/nature-lover - a GoGirl and she LOVES it!
    I've been a vegetarian for almost 18 years. In my experience, if you do it right, you can have tons of energy for your runs while still staying slim. However, you can also do it really wrong by overdoing the carbs and not getting enough protein. I cut out meat when I was pretty young, so at the time it was more about ethical reasons than for health. As I've gotten older, I stay vegetarian for both health and ethical reasons. I do it because it works for me - but I definitely think all people benefit from having more raw veggies and fruit....even if that's on the side of a porterhouse with meatballs :)

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  27. I've been on such a nutrition research kick lately - I just posted a blog about a book called "What to Eat" by Marion Nestle that kind of touches upon the same topics, although she doesn't advocate for vegetarianism, she just points out that the way our meat is being produced is somewhat dangerous and definitely unhealthy (eat organic, basically). I'd love to watch this DVD!

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  28. BTW... Highly recommend "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. Excellent look at different food systems from mass to organic to local, and the "dilemmas" that come with each. Fascinating read.

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  29. I only eat all-natural food. No artifical floavors, colors, preservatives etc. Personally, i don't eliminate any food group from my diet but when i do eat meat it's lean and when i eat eggs i never eat the yolk etc etc. I eat mostly fruits and veggies and only whole grains. Sometimes i do question people's eating habits tho. I have several vegan friends but one in particular is a vegan bc she believes meats/animal products to be unnatural and hazardous to health etc etc. but she loves oreo cookies. umm what is more unnatural than an oreo cookie?
    I def believe there is some truth to this article but i think people need balance and moderation. Is eating meat once a week going ot kill you? probably not. I think overall health in all areas is the best way to go, meaning plenty of sleep, healthy diet, exercise, no drugs etc etc. i don't think 1 cancels out another, ex if you are a vegan but you smoke or if you eat healthy but do not exercise.
    Personally, i think so many people are getting cancer because we are all being forced to evolve WAY TOO FAST. Evolution is a slow process, we are exposed to hundreds of things on a daily basis that did not exist 100 years ago, chemicals in food, cell phones, toxins, medicines, microwaves, personal hygene products, dry cleaning etc etc. Our bodies aren't use to processing these things, over time we could probably get used to them but not all at once.

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  30. I'd love to watch this! I am always fascinated about diet and am constantly striving to change mine up. I have done vegan and vegetarian, but my body has NEVER responded well to it. My usually sleepy self gets even more so and I get achy/cranky. YES I watch protein and get plenty, but my body just won't tolerate it :( I would like to see if this dvd though had a solution to my chronic fatigue. At age 20 I don't think I should be falling asleep every time I sit down ;)

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  31. Esh, those are some heavy stats. I was a vegetarian for 4 years (for health reasons) and have been a "recovering vegetarian" for the past 2. I eat chicken or turkey from time to time when I'm out to a nice restaurant or if my parents cook, but I've yet to cook meat for myself. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to eat bacon or hamburgers or hotdogs ever again, but a juicy BBQ chicken sandwich? I think I can treat myself to one every once in a while. I'm big on moderation... I feel like as long as you're eating things in moderation, you're making a health decision for your body. (now excuse me as I go eat 75 hersheys kisses...)

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  32. I am a vegetarian but mostly because I don't really like meat, never have. I think meat can definitely be done in a healthy way and I have actually seen arguments the other way (towards meat) lately which have stopped and made me think.

    My husband tried to be vegetarian earlier this year but it did NOT work for him. He wasn't getting enough protein or calories to fuel his workouts and really paid for it. So I think as an endurance athlete you have to really be careful and watch to make sure you are getting the nutrients we need. It's definitely an interesting subject and I always like seeing all the opinions on it.

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  33. I tried an all vegetarian diet for a month, and I couldn't handle it. I drank protein shakes, and would still wake up with hunger pains, and we won't even go in to what it did to my digestive system (though I bet you would!)

    I would recommend if you go from a diet that includes a lot of meat to vegetarian, to wean your body into it. I couldn't take it after so long, so I eventually gave it up. So, unlike most people who say they feel better with no meat in their diet, I felt worse.

    Though I wholeheartedly support the no tobacco policy. I recently (almost 6 months) quit smoking, and I feel so much better, it's astounding.

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  34. Lots of good comments! While I do eat meat, since running my family and I have cut way down on fast food meals, and that feels good. I have also bumped up my fruit intake. I'm still working on the veggie part, though!

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  35. oh I've heard about the RAVE diet book. As the cook in our house, I do the same. Mainly fish, veggies, plant based meals and a couple nights of meat a week. It seems to be the best on digestion, recovery, etc. But I do think its important to get som lean red meat in ever so often due to iron absorption. Great post!
    LC
    p.s.
    I am huge advocate of coconut oil and grapeseed oil when cooking. Great anti-inflammatory!

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  36. i keep going veg and then coming back to meat. I think it's just because I don't know enough and find that meat keeps me feeling full longer...which goes back to probably not knowing enough! I would prefer to move to eating more raw, but I think it's baby steps

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  37. I've been veggie for six or seven years now. I did it because I just didn't want to eat animals anymore, but the health benefits have been great. I doubt that it will keep anyone "cancer free" but plants are yummy, and being veg isn't near as tough as people think it may be. I get to eat yummy food that's healthy for me without anything having to die on purpose. Works for me :-)

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  38. I stopped reading at no caffeine. I could give pretty much everything up but that. I'm pretty sure the US was founded on "give me black coffee or give me death." Right?

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  39. Shart Brownies should be enough of a reason to have the DVD sent here.

    Barring that I will say that I just moved to a more plant based diet and in just a week I feel stronger, faster and have lost 2 pounds doing it. Is there a correlation there? I'm not sure just yet but I am beginning to think so.

    I don't drink except for the 3 beers after a race but coffee is a part of my day and that won't change because I love the taste, even decaf.

    I do eat fish, drink milk and eat eggs though b/c they have high amounts of good oil, protein and calcium. Yes I can get that through plants as well but I am not about to flip my world upside down in just a week.

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  40. I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years now and it's by far the best thing I ever did for my health, energy etc. I try and follow Ruth Heidrich's guidelines as much as possible and sure hope to be still running at her age and beyond. For people interested in the ethical argument, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer is a good read.

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  41. We eat much less meat than average, but I still don't totally buy the veggie bandwagon as a complete cure-all. And I stopped reading after the caffeine bit. Next week a report will come out with identical findings to support the Paleo Diet, so this will be moot. BTW, are you putting a good pork-based gravy over the steak and meatballs? :-))

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  42. Is the DVD going to make the rounds? I'd love to see it as well. I've seen Food, Inc., and am not much of a meat eater. Eggs and cheese more than anything. I will have steak or chicken/turkey periodically. No plan, it just works out that way.

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  43. I would love to watch that DVD! You know I'm a vegetarian (with the occasional sushi night out)! We made the switch for health reasons and have really never looked back!

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  44. no caffeine....?? i wouldnt get through grad school without coffee!
    I dont eat a lot of meat, but sometimes I really just want a burger, ya know?

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  45. Hmm, red meat is disgusting and i could probably do without the rest of it (and have) But eggs and butter and cheese. You can't have homemade wheat rolls without gobs of butter. You just can't. On the other hand I exercise like a fiend and no matter what I do can't seem to lose this last bit of "baby" (he's three) weight. At this point I'd try almost anything.

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  46. I'm not interested in reviewing the DVD but I have to tell you I'd be SO PISSED if I stopped eating/drinking all that shit and still got cancer.

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  47. You could read stats from both sides until you are left not wanting to eat anything. I've been vegetarian for over 8 years but only vegan at home. All I can say is if you try it and feel better then you are on to something which is what happened to me no matter what the reasons were to start. I'm interested in watching this.

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  48. sounds very interesting. only now in my 40's have i started to think about what i am eating. i am not a vegetarian but i have been trying to get more in and less meat. we don't eat a ton of meat really though. i don't think i could go SANS meat completely but i am very compelled to learn more.

    i have been scared to watch Food Inc b/c i feel like i will be grossed out and never eat meat again and i don't want to shut meat out just yet.

    does red meat give you gas ? b/c i have been making meatballs and seem to have more toottoots than normal. send me the dvd so i can figure that out...

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  49. The best $150 I ever spent in my life was to meet and work with a Nutritionist. I changed my diet drastically.

    Hey, can you send me an autographed 8 x 10 of that awesome bathing suit/white underwear pic?

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  50. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan but eat little meat (especially red meat) but I do follow the no alcohol/tobacco rule and would love to add caffeine to my not going to drink rule but....but....but... I'll work on it.

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  51. oh dear. I will die with out my morning cup of coffee. I've tried several times to go vegan but I I always fail. I just love meat too much, I guess.

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  52. i believe everything in moderation is fine. i eat meat- mostly chicken but red meat on occasion. i few up on a farm & its in my blood. :)

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  53. I recently became "flexitarian" but really more of a "locovore" I think. It started for health reasons but quickly became more about ethics. I now eat a primarily plant-based diet, but am not afraid to throw in a little naturally raised beef, bison, or fish from the farmer's market if the mood strikes.

    I think it's important to listen to your body and what it's craving. I also think there can be just as many ethical and health issues with fruits and vegetables. For me it's more important to know where my food came from, how it was grown, and what's been added.

    I also think it's important to know where to draw the line - once you start learning about food sources, you can find troublesome info about ANY food.

    Anyway, I'd definitely be interested in the DVD!

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  54. I would encourage them to take it one step further and look at the meat that is being provided to consumers. Because I was raised on a farm I still only eat meat that has been raised on our farm - all "organic", "free-range", grass-fed, hormone-free. However the FDA has allowed TONS of chemicals to be shoved into animals and has allowed producers to do whatever they want to make a buck.
    At my physical two weeks ago I was told I had "dangerously high" blood pressure. My friend, a holistic Dr., told me to only use raw milk & raw veggies/fruits. My top number has dropped 40 points in 2 weeks and my bottom number dropped 30 points.
    I don't believe it's a meat vs. veggie issue - but a fresh vs. 'produced' issue.

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  55. i'd totally be interested in the dvd. that lady seems really cool and obviously very successful in her racing and training

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  56. Hey SUAR,

    I'm a vegan and have been since 2005.
    This year I ran 11 marathons, one 50K and did two 70.3 triathlons... all on a completely plant based diet and yes, all in one year. I'm currently training for Ironman Louisville.
    I *really* think my ability to recover so fast has to do with my veganism but I'm not a doctor so *meh*, who knows?!? :-)
    I originally chose veganism for ethical reasons and still maintain it for such reasons. The heath benefits I've experienced from following a plant based diet do rock though. The DVD sounds awesome and I'd totally be willing to watch and review it, if I were so lucky to receive it.
    Here's to hope...

    -Robin
    www.TheAthleticPerformer.com

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  57. I've been mostly vegetarian since 1996. It started on a whim and I realized that the health issues as well as the weight problems that plagued me most of my life disappeared when I stayed plant-based. These days I'm mostly vegan and in the warm months mostly raw. I'm not a fanatic about it, I don't push it on other people and if I feel like trying something insanely rich and full of dairy or even meaty during the holidays or other special occasions I don't deprive myself. It works for me.

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  58. i eat very little meat product because i just don't like it. yet i find it hard to commit to a vegetarism. i keep thinking i might give it a shot come the new year. would love to check out the dvd.

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  59. I would be very interested in this DVD! My husband is around 100 lbs overweight, and we are both trying to lose weight by working out and eating both lower quantities and better quality of food. We have been reading a lot of dietary books and other articles, but my husband is a firm believer that meat should be a part of every dinner. I'm not a vegetarian by any means, but I don't necessarily think that there must be meat on my plate to complete my meal. This DVD may help open his eyes to that, and give me more ammo to fight him with!

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  60. Suar, this a great post. I am not a huge plant based eater and always say I need to get more veggies, but I find protein too much of a needed tool. While I think I could live without red meat, I would really miss chicken! It might be interesting to see if you could get a panel of bloggers who would try to switch for 6 months and see how the change effects their running. PS, I love your new profile "kick your ass in the pool" picture!

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