Veganism and Raw Foodies vs Meat and Healthy Fat Eaters

Veganism, low fat diets and 100% raw food are all the latest rage. I myself was personally a vegetarian (not a vegan) from the age of 5 after seeing a beast hung up on huge hooks on the farm I was living, my parents for the life of them could not get me to eat meat after this experience. I became very thin and was constantly getting sick (I was however still eating milk, cheese and butter but not the full fat, organic, pasture fed raw kinds) and I hated eggs. When I was a teenager I finally began to eat meat as long as it was "hidden" ie in bolognese, lassagne, burgers, that kind of thing. When I was 18 I was seeing a guy who thought it was ridiculous that I wouldn't eat a delicious steak or sashimi or lamb chops and made me try them every time he cooked. I actually discovered I LOVED meat and thought it was the most delicious thing in the world, especially an expensive eye fillet, cooked perfectly medium rare in a garlic and butter sauce. Delicious!

I have had serious health problems my whole life which lead me on the journey of attempting to find out how to be truly vibrantly healthy and happy. I have undertaken many, MANY years and hours of research and am now also studying naturopathy and nutrition. Before I started my degree I started getting into yoga (which is absolutely wonderful) but was constantly touted at to become a vegetarian (I thought bugger that I'm not giving up meat) which by the way I only EVER buy from the organic butcher, no added hormones, antibiotics and they take great care to treat the animals in an extremely humane manner. I even went on a 10 day detox retreat in Thailand, Iwas already severely underweight but because I had eaten junk food my whole life and was so sick I thought a good clean out was in order. We were only aloud vegetable juices and steamed vegetables for the entire 10 days. This would be fine and extremely beneficial for someone who was overweight (NOT as a lifestyle choice but as a DETOX!) but I began to rapidly lose even more weight and started blacking out and could not even get up the stairs I was so weak. By day 7 I literally thought I was going to die and my friend and I snuck away to see if we could find something to make me better, we came across a place down the road that were doing New Zealand steak with a garlic and butter sauce. I couldn't be happier and the next 3 days I cam back for lunch and dinner to supplement my diet of vegetable juice and vegetables. I instantly felt much better and had listened to my cravings and bodies needs for meat and building foods. I did notice that most of the "yogis" on the retreat who were into raw food looked old and emaciated and the ones who were vibrantly healthy admitted they still eat some meat and have a lot of eggs and fats such as butter or ghee.

My friend who has been a practitioner in the natural medicine field for well over 20 years has described to me people he has known who have had to have full bowel reconstructions as a result of 100% raw food because it is too hard on our digestive system. It is an ESPECIALLY bad idea if you suffer from leaky gut or other digestive problems. Of course it is wonderful to include juiced vegetables in the diet as well as soaked and sprouted seeds etc but our body is simply not designed to live off 100% raw food!

The studies of Dr Price (Enig & Fallon, 1999) who followed the diets of isolated traditional people showed that the butter these people consumed was exceptionally high in all fat soluble vitamins and according to him, without these we would not be able to utilise the minerals we ingest no matter how much of these we were getting in other foods. Raw butter also contains the ‘Wulzen factor’ discovered by Rosalind Wulzen, it is also known as the anti-stiffness factor which protects against calcification of joints, hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland (Enig & Fallon, 1999).
There are MANY other health benefits to be obtained from using raw butter from organic, pasture fed cows. Read http://bodyecology.com/articles/benefits_of_real_butter.php

Coconut oil is extremely high in salicylates but if you are not salicylate intolerant this is a wonderful oil to use. Coconut oil is particularly important for those suffering from candida or other fungal infections or parasites. It has amazing antifungal and antimicrobial properties and contains lauric acid which has very similar properties to that of mothers milk.  Studies actually reveal that coconut oil protects the heart from cardiovascular disease and also has anti-cancer properties. Pacific Islanders who use it as a regular staple have a very low incidence of cardiovascular disease.

For more information about which are the healthiest fats and which are toxic, free-radical producing read my post http://thehealthyjessie.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/the-truth-about-fats/
Kefir has been used for a very long time by the Turkish and is a wonderful healing drink and excellent for leaky gut and replenishing good bacteria.  Made by using kefir grains to ferment milk, the healthiest option is to use raw, organic milk from grass fed cows, read http://bodyecology.com/digestive-health-kefir-starter.html#sthash.mXM3ODDr.dpbs to learn how to make it!

Eggs are an excellent source of protein and should always be bought pastured, organic as they contain much higher levels of Vit D, A, omega-3 fatty acids, Vit E and beta- carotene then commercial eggs.
Now down to the big one, organic, grass fed MEAT!
B12 deficiency, vegans claim that Vit B 12 can be obtained from plant sources. This is a myth as our body cannot absorb and assimilate it in this form.

The only reliable and absorbable sources of vitamin B₁₂ are animal products, especially organ meats and eggs and to a lesser extent dairy. Vegans, therefore, should consider adding dairy products into their diets. If dairy cannot be tolerated, eggs, preferably from free-run hens are absolutely necessary and if eggs ALSO cannot be tolerated they should seriously reconsider being a vegan.
"That vitamin B₁₂ can only be obtained from animal foods is one of the strongest arguments against veganism being a "natural" way of human eating. Today, vegans can avoid anemia by taking supplemental vitamins or fortified foods. If those same people had lived just a few decades ago, when these products were unavailable, they would have died" (Byrnes, 2002, Weston A Price Foundation).

If you are vegetarian you will live a decade longer! INCORRECT!!!!!!
Below info taken from http://www.westonaprice.org/vegetarianism-and-plant-foods/myths-of-vegetarianism?qh=YTozOntpOjA7czo0OiJtZWF0IjtpOjE7czo1OiJtZWF0cyI7aToyO3M6NjoiJ21lYXQnIjt9
It is usually claimed that meat-eating peoples have a short life span, but the Aborigines of Australia, who traditionally eat a diet rich in animal products, are known for their longevity (at least before colonization by Europeans).

Similarly, the Russians of the Caucasus mountains live to great ages on a diet of fatty pork and whole raw milk products. The Hunzas, also known for their robust health and longevity, eat substantial portions of goat's milk which has a higher saturated fat content than cow's milk. In contrast, the largely vegetarian Hindus of southern India have the shortest life-spans in the world, partly because of a lack of food, but also because of a distinct lack of animal protein in their diets. H. Leon Abrams' comments are instructive here:

Vegetarians often maintain that a diet of meat and animal fat leads to a pre-mature death. Anthropological data from primitive societies do not support such contentions (Byrnes, 2002, Weston A Price Foundation).

I believe the healthiest diet is the one which suits a particular person's body (not ideas) best. You must listen to your body, if it is showing signs of dis-ease and ill health it is time to change your ways. If you are thin, have sunken eyes and are emaciated maybe it is time to review your way of eating. If you are anaemic obviously something has to change. If you are overweight, lethargic and don't want to get out of bed, again, SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE.

I follow the diets set out in the Body Ecology Diet and the Weston A Price guidelines adapted to the fact that I do not wish to consume any alcohol, am allergic to nuts and sulphur ripened fruit and have a salicylate intolerance http://www.westonaprice.org/basics/dietary-guidelines

Of course I consume mostly vegetables (the ones I can tolerate) but I also consume large quantities of homemade organic cultured butter, because it is delicious and healthy for me and I consume organic grass fed meat, free of antibiotics and hormones on a regular basis as well as including kefir in my diet.

The proof is in the pudding, I'd rather look like Nigella!!

For more info read http://www.westonaprice.org/vegetarianism-and-plant-foods/myths-of-vegetarianism?qh=YTozOntpOjA7czo0OiJtZWF0IjtpOjE7czo1OiJtZWF0cyI7aToyO3M6NjoiJ21lYXQnIjt9
http://www.doctor-natasha.com/feeding-versus-cleansing.php

The Truth About Fats

I have written an essay on fats/oils as I am extremely passionate about exposing the truth and uncovering the lies we have been fed on this topic.
Low fat diets are NOT better for your health, fats are absolutely essential and critical particularly in children and the elderly and most people actually benefit from a diet HIGHER in fat, it just needs to be the right kinds of fats. You will actually find that you lose weight if you consume the beneficial fats and eliminate the toxic fats.

There is much controversy surrounding whether saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are to blame for cardiovascular disease, according to Enig and Fallon (1999) they are not.  SFAs lower Lp(a), enhance the immune system, are needed to properly utilise essential fatty acids and have important antimicrobial properties. Scientific evidence does not support that SFAs cause heart disease. In fact evaluation of the fat in clogged arteries shows that only 26% of it is made of SFAs where more than half is made up of polyunsaturated fats (Enig & Fallon, 1999).

SFAs are found in butter, palm and coconut oil and animal fats (Barasi, 2007, p. 33).  Although it is widely suggested that butter should be consumed very little, if at all, there are actually many health benefits to be obtained from consuming raw organic butter from grass fed cows including its content of vitamins A, E, D and K and lauric acid, lecithin- essential for cholesterol absorption and antioxidants that protect against weakening arteries (Gates & Schatz, 2011, p. 104). The studies of Dr Price (Enig & Fallon, 1999) who followed the diets of isolated traditional people showed that the butter these people consumed was exceptionally high in all fat soluble vitamins and according to him, without these we would not be able to utilise the minerals we ingest no matter how much of these we were getting in other foods. Raw butter also contains the ‘Wulzen factor’ discovered by Rosalind Wulzen, it is also known as the anti-stiffness factor which protects against calcification of joints, hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland (Enig & Fallon, 1999).

There are MANY other health benefits to be obtained from using raw butter from organic, pasture fed cows. You can make your own butter in your own home using the Thermomix, just grab some raw cream and churn away! Alternatively you can ferment the cream with a vegetable starter kit, I like Body Ecology brand http://bodyecology.com/articles/benefits_of_real_butter.php and turn it into butter this way. Butter is PERFECTLY SAFE for those of us who are salicylate intolerant and generally even for those who have a mild problem with lactose.

Coconut oil is extremely high in salicylates but if you are not salicylate intolerant this is a wonderful oil to use. Coconut oil is particularly important for those suffering from candida or other fungal infections or parasites. It has amazing antifungal and antimicrobial properties and contains lauric acid which has very similar properties to that of mothers milk. It also received a very undeserved bad rap from America surrounding detriments in terms of cardiovascular disease. Studies actually reveal that coconut oil protects the heart from cardiovascular disease and also has anti-cancer properties. Pacific Islanders who use it as a regular staple have a very low incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Monounsaturated fatty acids tend to be liquid at room temperature and are found in olive oil, canola oil and some nuts and avocados (Enig & Fallon, 1999). They are thought to be a healthy source of fats in small amounts and are said to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, ease inflammation and play beneficial roles in many other health systems (Shulman, 2010, p. 50). However this is certainly not the case for canola oil, which is genetically modified and processed making it harmful for human consumption (Fallon & Enig, 2002). According to a 1998 report, mice fed a diet containing MUFAs were more likely to develop atherosclerosis than those that were fed SFAs (Masterjohn, 2012).

Organic extra virgin olive oil is again very high in salicylates but if salicylates are not a problem for you it is perfectly safe to be used in salads and cooking at moderate temperatures, if you wish to cook at higher temperatures coconut oil is the best for this. It is high in antioxidants and safe to use in moderation.
Again avocados are extremely high in salicylates but are a wonderful source of fatty acids if you do not have a problem with these.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are known as essential fatty acids as they are not produced by the body and are needed for the brain, nervous system and retina function (Shulman, 2010, p. 52; Barasi, 2007, p. 33). Scientific research indicates that the modern diet contains far too high levels of PUFAs, around 30% of caloric intake instead of the recommended 4% (Enig & Fallon, 1999). EFAs should be sourced from things like high quality fish oils, flax and safflower oils and some seeds and nuts (Shulman, 2010, p. 52). The problem with PUFAs is that commercially produced vegetable oils become rancid when they are subject to heating, oxygen and moisture in cooking or processing and excess consumption of these has been shown to damage cells, immunity and increase the risk of cancer. (Enig & Fallon, 1999). Clinical trials have failed to support the hypothesis that replacing SFAs with polyunsaturated vegetable oils would prevent heart disease and instead showed clear links to the PUFAs being the culprit. SFAs in the form of arachidonic animal fat were not found to be “deadly” but were necessary for the body to resolve inflammation as needed (Masterjohn, 2012). It is however important to note that studies on omega 3 EFAs have shown beneficial effects in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease but omegas 6 and 3 should be consumed in a ratio ½:1 instead of 20-30:1 as they are generally consumed these days (Simopoulos, 1999).

I use Bioceuticals UltraClean EPA/DHA Plus. There has been some suggestion that fish oil is beneficial for those who are salicylate intolerant, this may be due to the anti-inflammatory properties but this has not been properly scientifically confirmed, I believe it is a wonderful supplement to have in the diet however especially given we cannot consume the amazing coconut oil or olive oil and avocados. Fish oil and my own homemade butter and sometimes ghee are my sources of essential fats.

The RPAH Salicylate Guidebook recommends safflower oil, sunflower oil and canola oil. As previously mentioned vegetable fats when heated become toxic, the only one of these oils I would use would be safflower oil if it is organic and cold pressed and then only in salads, never heated. If you are salicylate intolerant the safest fats are animal fats, butter, ghee and fish oil.

Trans fatty acids (TFAs) should be avoided particularly in processed and packaged foods (Shulman, 2010, p. 53).  They have been linked with detrimental effects on plasma lipids, raising LDL levels and lowering HDLs, making them a huge concern in terms of cardiovascular disease (Barasi, 2007, p. 33)
In order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and maintain optimum health it is important to consume the healthy kinds of antimicrobial fats such as animal fats, raw organic butter and coconut oil that once protected us against the onset of pathogenic plaque that leads to heart disease, along with consuming the recommended amount and correct ratio of EFAs omegas 3 and 6 in their natural form and avoiding toxic substances such as free-radical containing vegetable oils, margarine, trans fats and canola oil which cause the body to need constant repair (Enig & Fallon, 1999).

If you would like more information please visit http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/skinny-on-fats