meaningofwilderness.com
Eating Right to Save Oneself, and the Planet
As I wrote on the last page of Cabeza:
“Finally, if you care about yourself, if you care about the planet, if you care about the wilderness—don't eat meat. A recent study showed middle-aged and older persons who did had death rates over a 10-year period 30% higher than those who abstained. The meat production industry is responsible for up to 20% of greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane from cows’ belching. And recently we backpacked in a spectacular canyon—“protected” wilderness—in Utah's San Rafael swell . . . which was also graced with spectacular quantities of cow dung. So I may post everything you need to know about becoming a vegetarian plus some nourishing, tasty, and simple-to-make vegetarian recipes online also.” [A more recent study suggested that it may not be necessary to cut out meat entirely, rather to just cut enough so one eats much more fruits, vegetables, and nuts, etc., but we have become almost complete vegans.]
We recently discovered Dr. Michael Greger’s book How Not to Die, and also his website: https://nutritionfacts.org/
— sign up for his daily video or blog (he provides transcripts of all his videos.) You should be able to find his book at the library — he contributes all profits to charity — but it may be worth buying. He is also working on books How Not to Die of Cancer and How Not to Age. Other books of his is How Not to Diet, and How to Survive a Pandemic.
Nutritional information is changing on a daily basis so don’t regard any of this as written in stone. I don’t have the patience to correct everything constantly. It’s more meant as a guide for your own research. Our own diets are changing regularly, particularly as we read Dr. Greger, who himself is constantly researching the latest studies and updating the information at his website.
Below are various tips I’ve picked up at various places (Consumers Report’s On Health, the New York Times, Science News, Scientific American, etc.) that the average person may be unaware of, followed by some vegetable recipes. They're not gourmet, but they are simple to make and we find them quite satisfying.
I also suggest receiving the daily newsletter from Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newsletter
additions: https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/dietary-salt-heart-attacks-risk/2023/02/24/id/1110028/
1. Don’t drink soda (any sugar can be considered a carcinogen); even diet sodas have been shown to promote weight gain, presumably because the body doesn’t like being fooled, and makes you eat more of other foods. We drink organic grape juice rather than orange juice; see Dr. Greger on why orange juice is bad), tomato juice (reconstituted from organic tomato powder), and black and green tea, all of which are high in anti-oxidants (I will use anti-oxidants as a catchall term for substances which may prevent cancer, delay aging, etc.). Black tea can be steeped at 212° but green tea is best at 180° to retain EGCG. Eating a source of capsaicin (paprika, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, etc.) along with the green tea can increase the absorption of the EGCG. Green tea also aids the absorption of zinc. Also, use purified water for green tea since the calcium in tapwater interferes with the absorption. And similarly the green tea may interfere with your absorption of calcium. Since I’m now adding it to my vegetables, I take a little extra calcium later in the day — about 300 mg sprinkled on my tofu. See:
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/sweeteners_artificial/index.html
2. We previously didn’t eat tofu because there is some evidence it may cause long-term brain degeneration — but now we do because it does seem to help prevent cancer (note that fermented soy such as miso does not; see Dr. Greger). We also generally avoid dairy products because there is some, but not convincing, concern they may cause cancer, but do drink milk in tea. [Unfortunately we just learned — from Dr. Greger — that milk may deactivate some of the antioxidants in tea, so we have switched to black tahini milk which I make in a blender (I put one half a cup black tahini in first and then fill the blender to 48 ounces, which is the size of the glass jar we use). We are also phasing out cheese and eggs because dairy fat may promote metastasis of cancer. Our main source of protein comes from a mix of hummus (chickpeas) and organic black unhulled sesame butter (contains high amounts of gamma-tocopherol; recent studies indicate gamma-tocopherol may help protect against colon and prostate cancers, while the alpha-tocopherol found in sunflower seeds may significantly reduce the risk of developing bladder cancer. This we eat on homemade whole wheat bread (I add baby spinach organic leaves, fresh). On vegetables (see the recipes below) we use the above spread mixed with 2 tablespoons of powdered garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, to which another quart of water is added. All these nut butters are high in vitamin E. Studies have shown dietary vitamin E—as opposed to supplemental vitamin E—may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and provide other benefits. Also, these plant-based oils have often been shown to reduce bad cholesterol, even more so than a strict low-fat diet.
Also, the fats in nut butters create a sense of fullness and thus diminish appetite. It seems counterintuitive, but eating these fats, studies have shown, can help one lose weight. Click the link below for this article: "Still Counting Calories? Your Weight Loss Plan May Be Outdated"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/19brody.html?pagewanted=all
Note that while these nut butters do not by themselves provide complete protein, they do when complemented by the other foods we eat. See Diet for A Small Planet, by Frances Moore Lappe.
3. Buy organic food if it seems reasonably priced. Its main advantage may be that plants that have not been protected from pests by pesticides are forced to produce more anti-oxidants to defend themselves, and these are beneficial to us. We buy a mix of organic and non-organic, depending on price. The pesticides themselves provide very little concern. Dr. Greger says that if half the population of the United States started eating one more vegetable daily — nonorganic — there would be 19,990 fewer deaths from cancer yearly… And a mere 10 more deaths from the pesticides.
4. Foods that taste better probably have more anti-oxidants.
5. Microwaving is the best way to cook most vegetables. Use minimal water, eat everything, and few nutrients are lost.
6. Frozen vegetables are frequently superior to fresh, unless they are grown locally and eaten within a day are two of being picked. [But for frozen cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts it’s necessary to add a sprinkling of mustard powder to activate the antioxidants. Again, see Dr. Greger.]
7. Generally, canned vegetables are the worst. But carrots, tomatoes, and spinach actually release more of their anti-oxidants the more they are processed. Therefore, we take lots of the latter two canned for eating in our truck on our trips. (We also take lots of organic tomato powder, which we add to our vegetables.)
8. For fresh whole wheat bread you may wish to invest in a bread maker. I stop the cycle partway and add lots of raisons. (I now add prunes at the beginning because they have more antioxidants and allow the breadmaker to chop them up.] If you plan to make a lot of bread, buy the largest bread maker you can. The Sears Kenmore I have makes a 2 1/2 pound loaf. It came with lots of recipes, not only for bread but for a variety of sweetbreads, etc. In the past I have made it by hand making 12 loaves at a time that I freeze.
9. We add the following anti-oxidant spices to our vegetables: oregano, curry mix (¼ cumin, ¾ curry, ¾ turmeric; may prevent Alzheimer’s disease; Indian women suffer from it less), sage, paprika, ginger, and Cayenne pepper. Recently added hibiscus. These may provide a wide range of benefits, from warding off cancer to improving brain function. [Dr. Greger suggests ¼ teaspoon of turmeric daily along with perhaps 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper which greatly increases its antioxidant power.]
10. I also put cinnamon (may prevent type two diabetes; but there are concerns about this type of cinnamon. There’s another type that we are now using instead. See Dr. Greger.) on the spread I put on bread. On top of this I put romaine lettuce. An article in Science News indicated there is a synergy between green leafy vegetables and fats, and by eating them together one may absorb more of each of their nutrients.
11. I recently read a very interesting book by chimpanzee researcher Richard Wrangham: Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human. Don’t think that it’s better to eat just raw foods. We get much more out of most food when it’s cooked.
12. Vegetarians and vegans should be sure they’re getting enough vitamin B12. Deficiency in this vitamin causes serious, often irreversible, neurological damage. Also, as people age they often do not absorb it as well. Since it is only found naturally in animal products, supplements may be necessary. When having your blood tested it may be a good idea to check for levels of vitamin B12 at the same time. To be on the safe side we take many times the RDA because there seems to be no danger in doing so. [Dr. Greger suggests at least 1000 µg daily for people over 65, since so little of that is actually absorbed. See his website]. Also have your blood tested for homocysteine. Mine was high recently and I had to boost my vitamin B12 dramatically, partly with the formulation from Life Extension called Homo resist.
13. We get all our spices and tomato powder (we always get organic) online. We recently switched from Frontier to Z Natural Foods for tomato powder as it has more vitamin C and has a brighter red color.
14. We are now getting Kevala black sesame tahini through Amazon.
15. Don’t try to get anti-oxidants in a pill. The only way they’ve been shown to have any benefit is when eaten in foods.
16. Omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil) may help the brain and also prevent Alzheimer’s disease. We take 1000 mg daily from fish oil capsules.
17. Generally, unless your diet is horrendous, multi-vitamins are bad. See:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/more-evidence-against-vitamin-use/?src=me&ref=health
They usually contain iron which, unless you are a menstruating woman or suffer from blood loss from some other reason, is harmful. Also, they contain the synthetic form of vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopherol) which has been shown to have a slightly detrimental effect to the circulatory system. Except for vitamin B12 and vitamin D (both of which we take; the latter may reduce cancer risk and some researchers recommend 1000-2000 units daily (we are currently taking 5000 based on Life Extension’s recommendation for the recommended blood level, which we’ve had tested, but consumer lab thinks that’s too high)—may lower risk of cancer, etc.), it’s usually best to try to get all your vitamins from foods.
18. Supplemental minerals may be necessary in some people’s diets. We currently take zinc, selenium, magnesium and a little calcium.
19. A nutritious snack food is air popped popcorn. I sprinkle it with paprika mixed with iodized salt water. See Dr. Greger for what he puts on his.
If you have a sweet tooth, blackstrap molasses on walnuts is an excellent choice.
20. Don’t go overboard trying to reduce salt from your diet. While eating less salt can reduce your blood pressure, doing so has not been shown to improve survival rates. We do need salt to live. We eat almost no processed foods which have added salt. I don’t even add it to my bread to make up for the salt I’m putting on the popcorn.
21. We just started eating green tea — about a teaspoon in our vegetables — but if you do so make sure it’s from Japan and not China (theirs is contaminated with heavy metals.) Eating it makes much more of the antioxidants available. Interestingly, organic black tea (most of which is from India or Ceylon) picks up more heavy metals such as lead and arsenic from the soil, so nonorganic is best. Our green tea is organic. We buy it in bulk. Consumer lab (subscription required; $45 a year — they test all sorts of things for quality, heavy metals, whether vitamins actually contain what they say, etc.) says for teabags organic Trader Joe’s is best. Decaffeinated Bigelow was rated the worst because is very low in the prime ingredient EGCG.
22. We planned to start making hummus — a mix of chickpeas and sesame butter, lemon, garlic and other ingredients — in the near future as another source of protein, to put in vegetables and also on bread. Dr. Greger says it’s important to eat some kind of beans daily. But we didn’t like it that much so we now eat our beans and tahini separately.
23. A 30 mg dose of saffron has been shown to be as effective for mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease as a drug that is recently been approved by Medicare at a cost of $50,000 yearly! Plus the saffron doesn’t have the side effects. See Dr. Greger. It may also ameliorate the symptoms of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. Consumer lab indicates that the best is an extract from Swanson’s health. But it’s quite concentrated so we pull the two halves of the capsule apart and put one half on one meal and the other on another.
24. Use glass containers as much as possible. Plastic that says BPA free is just as bad or worse usually. See Dr. Greger.
25. Coffee is a healthy drink as long as you don’t put milk or sugar in it. Milk inhibits the antioxidants just as it does in tea. Healthy Roast preserves more antioxidants. We buy ours from Life Extension and grind it ourselves in the blender. Seems to taste a little better that way and we put it in the refrigerator in glass jars after the grinding. You can buy it pre-ground and decaffeinated if you wish. But caffeinated coffee may help prevent Parkinson’s disease. A recent report indicates drinking more than 3 cups a day of coffee may negatively affect the kidneys of people have a certain gene.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-health-benefits-of-coffee
26. Calcium supplements have been shown to increase the chance of colon cancer. Dr. Greger thinks this is because there is a spike, and if you get it in food there is more gradual absorption. We are now getting ours from the black tahini milk we put in our tea and coffee, which has 450 mg per cup (this is the nonorganic; the organic has nothing added). Because Anne has been diagnosed with osteopenia, and I have shrunk 3 inches in height, we are taking a supplement of vitamin K2 of 45 mg from Life Extension. They also have a formulation that includes calcium and magnesium and boron that we think we are getting from our food and almond milk. But a recent bone density test showed my bones are stronger than the average young male so I discontinued. Anne will have a test in a few months and depending on the results she may discontinue also. See Dr. Greger, as he thinks vitamin K supplements are unnecessary.
27. Cocoa powder is high in antioxidants. I put it in coffee to make mocha. But you have to get the right kind. We researched it and consumer lab found this brand was low in heavy metals and was the best for other reasons.
28. Berries are the best food for the brain, with blueberries probably the best. But cranberries and lemons are the best anticancer fruit. After soaking nonorganic lemons in vinegar for 20 minutes or so to remove pesticides, I then put the whole lemon in the blender — six at a time — with some grape juice to purée it. Then we put a tablespoon or two in our grape juice. We eat about a cup of fruit daily: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cranberries — which I soak in enough grape juice to cover them. But now I’m adding the lemon puree to cookies I’m making instead of bread which also have puréed prunes, nutmeg, Ceylon cinnamon (ordinary cinnamon is bad for you), ginger, walnuts, blackstrap molasses and organic whole wheat flour.
29. If you’re going to drink alcohol, red wine is the best, with Cabernet Sauvignon the best of those.
30. I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 6 which normally does not progress. Still, I’ve made some changes to my diet to prevent that. See the links below:
https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2018/12/dietary-approaches-reduce-prostate-cancer-risk
https://nutritionfacts.org/2020/08/18/food-combining-for-prostate-cancer/
31. I just read that drinking black tea destroys 90% of the Covid virus, and if you gargle with it, 99%.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-43563-3
32. Studies show that taking the baby aspirin daily can reduce your risk of cancer by 30%. I was taking it for a while but then I began having stomach problems, even taking an enteric capsule with food. But Dr. Greger indicates that found in many foods, especially spices. Cumin alone has the amount in a baby aspirin in 1 teaspoon.
https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/the-foods-with-the-highest-aspirin-content/
33. Starting about three years ago I had seven instances of basal cell carcinoma develop on my body, often in places that were never or rarely exposed to the sun. Then I read that niacinamide can help prevent that. And I have had zero such instances since. See:
https://www.komen.org/breast-cancer/survivorship/complementary-therapies/niacinamide/
Also, what your dermatologist doesn’t want you to know: make a thick paste of vitamin C and water (I add a little green tea for good luck) and apply it to any basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer. Do this twice a day for a few months and presto — cancer is gone. Worked for me four times. The previous three times I had some left-over fluorouracil that had been prescribed for actinic keratosis, and that worked also. But it tends to cause bleeding at the site, and it itself is a carcinogen. This there’s absolutely no need for most skin cancer surgery
We had been putting nonfat organic milk in our tea and coffee but his videos/transcripts showed that milk inhibits us from absorbing all the good stuff:
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/does-adding-milk-block-the-benefits-of-coffee/
Also, we recently learned that to get all the cancer preventing benefits of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables it' s necessary to add about 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder after cooking them:
https://nutritionfacts.org/2016/02/09/how-to-cook-broccoli/
Note that the top article from Life Extension suggests adding extra virgin olive oil to tomato for absorption. The Dr. Greger considers that all processed oils are bad for us (the only oil we eat is organic flaxseed, coldpressed, from Puritan's Pride):
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/3-mcpd-in-refined-cooking-oils/
Dr. Greger also points out in various videos that extracts are frequently useless because there are dozens of different chemicals working synergistically in these foods and extracting just one just doesn't make it. Life Extension provides us with valuable information and we buy many products from them partly because we trust their quality. But they are big on extracts. You just can't get what you need in a pill.
also: I just got the latest Life Extension magazine which has an article that daily vitamin D plus fish oil plus exercise lowers one's risk of invasive cancer by 61%. The study used fish oil from
algae, which Dr. Greger says is best since it has fewer contaminants. But I believe what we get from Life Extension is just as pure.
There was also an article about a substance in mushrooms that increases telomere length. But if you eat plenty of mushrooms — which also promote immunity — you don't need the pills they're
selling. See below for the best way to cook them.
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-it-safe-to-eat-raw-mushrooms/
Also see:
https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2023/3/vitamin-d-omega-3-exercise-cancer-risk
https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2023/3/mushrooms-protect-against-aging
Vegetable recipes:
I will give basically what we eat to get you started. Note that microwaves vary in power and vegetables may vary in the amount of cooking they need depending on whether they are frozen or not, etc., so the times listed are very approximate. We use a 2 ½ quart Pyrex bowl covered with a plate. These recipes are for two; for one person half can be refrigerated until the next day. We do not eat all of these with equal frequency.
Anne cooks all the vegetables separately so they're all roughly equal in tenderness. But she says if I were doing it I'd probably throw everything in one bowl and cook it all at once. But even if you do that you should remember that the center does not cook as fast as the outside portion of the bowl, so the vegetables do need to be stirred partway through cooking.
1. 10 ounces broccoli florets—add 1/3 water, cook 6 minutes, stir, cook about 4 minutes more, check how tender, put aside on a plate. 6 ounces spinach—add 1/3 cup water, cook 4 minutes, stir, cook about 4 minutes more, put aside. 6 ounces onion—2/3 cup water, cook 20 minutes, put aside. 5 ounces carrots—1/3 cup water, 4 minutes, stir, cook 2 minutes more etc. Combine all of these, add the nut spread and spices, and rewarm 1 or 2 minutes in the microwave.
2. 9 ounces cauliflower—3/4 cup water, 5 minutes, stir, 4 minutes. 10 ounces broccoli florets—1/3 cup water, 5 minutes, stir, 4 minutes. 6 ounces carrots—1/3 cup water, 4 minutes, stir, 2 minutes.
3. 5 ounces broccoli florets—1/3 cup water, 2 minutes, 2 minutes. 6 ounces spinach—1/3 cup water, 4 minutes, 4 minutes. 4 ounces Brussels sprouts—1/2 cup water, 4 minutes, 2 minutes. 12 ounces chopped yams—¾ cup water, 7 minutes, 3 minutes
4. 9 ounces cauliflower—3/4 cup water, 5 minutes, 4 minutes. 8 ounces Brussels sprouts—1/2 cup water, 7minutes, 3 minutes. 7 ounces carrots—1/3 cup water, 4 minutes, 3 minutes.
See also:
Higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E are associated with better mental functioning in the elderly, a new study has found….The lead author, Gene L. Bowman, a researcher in neurology at Oregon Health and Science University, said that the study could not determine whether taking supplements of these nutrients would decrease the risk for dementia. But he added: “What’s the harm in eating healthier? Fish [or fish pills; omega-3 fatty acids], fruits, vegetables all have these nutrients, and staying away from trans fats is one key thing you can do.”
We buy most of our supplements from Life Extension which we trust more for quality. But they send us a magazine every month promoting their latest product. If you bought everything they sell you would quickly drain your bank account. Plus it’s better to get antioxidants in foods because, as Dr. Greger frequently points out, there is a synergy between everything and food that’s absent from a mere supplement. For instance, curcumin is touted as a great supplement (we used to spend a lot on it) and it’s an important ingredient of turmeric. But there may be as many as 230 other compounds in turmeric that are also important. So we now just put it quarter teaspoon of turmeric our food with the 1/8 teaspoons black pepper, as mentioned above.
As the saying goes, “Trust but Verify.” And keep an eye on who’s trying to make a profit (i.e. Life Extension, but not Dr. Greger (well, he is selling his books).) We have confirmed many things that Life Extension touted by means of consumer lab, but you have to pay $45 yearly for subscription and we let ours lapse. But recently resubscribed. Https://www.consumerlab.com/
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