potatoes

From the time I became a vegetarian and started paying attention to food politics, there seems to be this perpetual ideaof plant based cultures. Or at least cultures that mostly rely on “plant-based foods” are healthier than meat-eating cultures. The first issue I take with this, and it was not something I clearly understood when I was vegetarian, is that there are no vegetarian cultures. None, ever, have existed in human history. Some cultures in India (among other places) are vegetarian for religious reasons, though also have the highest rate of coronary artery disease, Both overseas and resident Indians have the highest rates of CAD, although almost half of them are life-long vegetarians. When compared to Whites, Blacks, Hispanics and other Asians, CAD rates among Indians worldwide are two to four times higher at all ages and five to ten times higher in those < 40 years of age. Source The…

I hate sweet potatoes, not because they are bad for you. It’s because I think they are disgusting. I always have. I am not into savory/sweet foods. Cinnamon on a potato? What the hell is that? Gross. I’ve also heard the paleo police cry, “White potatoes aren’t paleo!” Oh really? As if our ancestors came across the white variety of this starchy tuber and shouted, “Toss that shit! It ain’t sweet!” Not likely, pal. I used the USDA’s nutrition database to compare the nutrient density of the good ol’ white potato versus the sweet potato. The values are in grams, per 100g of each. As you can see, the sweet potato wins for calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin K; though not by much when it comes to vitamins C and K. The white potato reigns supreme for phosphorous, potassium and folate by a pretty decent margin. If you use the USDA links I…

I’m just going to throw this out there: Kashi sucks. As a brand, as a product, as a health food, they suck. Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of commercials in which Kashi is touted as an acceptable replacement for an egg, with the tagline “Kashi: as much protein as an egg!” Yeah, and as many processed ingredients as an Oreo. Get it together, Kashi. Kashi uses genetically modified “foods” including soy, canola, triticale (a sketchy hybrid grain produced by crossing wheat and rye), corn and other GMO products. By buying Kashi, you are supporting giant corporations that not only destroy the environment but also put small family farms out of business. By this I mean, you’re kind of a jerk if you buy Kashi. Soy protein concentrate is the third ingredient. Soy has a whole host of issues, including a high phytic acid content which blocks mineral absorption, it…

The other night while I was cooking dinner and Scott was watching Monday night football, a commercial came on. It was for Crestor, a statin drug. In print across the screen read “Endorsed by Weight Watchers magazine.” Of course. It’s important to know that statins lower cholesterol in the blood. We know that cholesterol does not cause heart disease, but rather oxidation and resulting inflammation. While I don’t support pharmaceutical drugs at all, Crestor is particularly dangerous. From this Drug Recall website, The dangers of Crestor include the potentially fatal disease rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis can start as just minor seeming muscle aches but can eventually result in death. The disease can cause severe and total muscle degeneration, which floods the blood’s minerals with other substances that can cause kidney failure. Crestor danger can occur from the resulting side effects of the drug, which can injure or even kill people. Other dangerous side effects…