Newspaper Page Text
10A
JUNE 1, 2000
Experts advise that vegetarianism can stave off chronic
diseases, help promote longer, healthier lives
8y Eileen Rivers :
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
, AUGUSTA
Picture this: A fancy restau
rant. The waiter brings out egg
plant parmesan, accompanied by
noodles with plain tomato sauce.
Follow up with a hearty green
salad, topped off with tofu cheese
cake for dessert.
Does it seem like somethin’s
missing?
The average person would scru
tinize a meal like this wondering,
“Where’s the beef?”
But a growing number of nutri
ticnists are steering patientsaway
from meat, turning them to more
vegetable and soy based diets for
longer, healthier lives, local nu
tritionists say.
“l compare eating calories to
spending money,” Ist Lieutenant
T'risha Stavinoha, a nutritionist
who spends most of her time coun
. eling diabetics on the effects eat
ing more vegetables can have on
controlling the disease, said. “It’s
just amatter of where you want to
spend your money. Meat has
more calories than vegetables, so
people that don’t eat meat, obvi
ously havetoincrease the amount
offood theyintake to eat the same
number of calories.”
That means, vegetarians, as a
rule, eat more fruits, vegetables,
grains, whole foods, fiber and soy
which can drastically reduce some
of the side effects seen in fattier,
more meat filled diets — namely
diabetes, heart disease, high cho
lesterol and certain types of can
cer, the dietician said.
To the African-American com
munity, which suffers from diabe
tes, prostate cancer and high cho
lesterol more than any other, the
transition to a vegetarian, soy
based diet can, in some cases,
mean the difference between life
and death, some doctors say.
The benefits of soy
More African-American men
suffer from prostate cancer than
men in any other ethnic group,
according to Dr. Marc Messina,
associate professor of nutrition at
lioba Linda University, and au
thor of The Simple Soybean and
Your Health.
But the latest research shows
that a simple product — soy, a
staple of healthy vegetarian diets
— may help lower that statistic.
“Soy has something called
isoflavones, which exhibit anti
cancer activity, and are extremely
helpfulin preventing the disease,”
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Dr. Veniva Paul, a certified naturopathologist, combines herbs
with lighter, vegetarian eating habits to “allow the body to cure
itself.” .
Messina said.
Research done by scientists at
the University of Kentucky and
the Kentucky VA Medical Center
back up his findings, indicating
that soy not only helps to prevent
prostate cancer, but may be ben
eficialin helping patients whohave
complications from diabetes.
Andin contrast to protein found
in meat, products like nuts, soy
foods, and olive oil contain what
researchers call “good protein,”
which helps to lower cholesterol
levels and may prevent coronary
heart disease, somethingthat kills
about 40 percent of all Americans,
according to an Archer Daniels
Midland Nutrition and Health
Update.
The report recommends taking
25 grams of soy protein a day to
reduce blood cholesterol levels.
However for all of its benefits,
there may be a few risks from too
much soy consumption for certain
groups of people, Stavinoha said.
“Women with breast cancer, or
that are at high risk for breast
cancer, should probably only eat a
moderate amount of soy products,”
she added.
Lowering cholesterol, control
ling diabetes and preventing
cancer
While vegetarianism alone
doesn’t guaranteedisease preven
tion, someone that eats a healthy,
well rounded vegetarian diet will
most likely have lower choles
terollevels, and lowerincidents of
adult onset diabetes (diabetes
caused by obesity), Stavinohasaid.
“Whatlrecommendisbalance,”
Dr. Veniva Paul, certified
naturopathologist, and owner of
The Jamaican Herbalist, said.
“The problem with the American
diet is that we don’t eat enough
fresh fruits, which have natural
enzymes that can flush the sys
tem and prevent disease.”
Paul hasbeen advising patients
on everything from weight loss to
using the right foods and herbs to
ease the effects of menopause, for
the past five years.
Since the beginning of her prac
tice she has noticed that in most
countries, where the diet is cen
tered around vegetables morethan
meat, there are less incidents of
high cholesterol, and “illnesses
caused by toxins in the system,
such as cancer.”
“Meat sits in your system for
daysbefore the body usesit,” Paul
said. “Asians and Indians are
some of the healthiest people on
the planet, and their diets consist
less of meat and more of soy and
vegetables.”
Something that she has noticed
as an herbalist for years, is now
being lauded by the medical com
munity.
Well balanced, high vegetable
diets usually contain lower satu
rated fats, which in the end lowers
cholesterol levels, Stavinoha ex
plained.
Certain types of vegetables and
whole grains contain a high level
of HDL (also known as good cho
lesterol), which helps dispose of
LDL — you guessed it, the bad
cholesterol.
Heart attacks are caused be
cause the bad cholesterol deposits
plaque on arteries, which blocks
blood flow to the heart. But an
increase in fruit, vegetable and
whole grain consumption can pre
vent that from happening, accord
ing to Stavinoha.
Fordiabetics the benefits of eat
ing more vegetables seems obvi
ous — lower meat consumption
plus higher vegetable consump
tion equals lower body weight,
right? Not necessarily, according
to the army dietician.
“l always encourage diabetics to
eat a more vegetarian type diet,”
Stavinoha, who works at
Eisenhower Army Medical Cen
ter, said. “But some of the non
meat protein sources can contain
high carbohydrates, which
wouldn’t be good for someone with
type two diabetes. What Ido
recommend is that they eat more
soy, nuts and olive oils to help
alter their fat intake.”
Vegetarian alternatives,
meat analogs and herbal
aids .
Complete vegetarianism is not
for everyone, Stavinoha admits.
“I never recommend that some
one with diabetes or high choles
terol go vegetarian cold turkey,”
she added. “It’s hard enough to
try to lose weight in the first
place, but I definitely encourage
them to take on a more vegetar
ian lifestyle then they have been.”
For people who simply enjoy
the texture of meat, meat analogs
(meat substitutes made from soy
based products) are the perfect
alternative, Stavinoha said.
“Their are many great products
out there that taste exactly like
meat, and can be used in anything
to add flavor,” she added.
According tothelatest ADM, 80
percent of meat analog consum
ers, are not vegetarians, but meat
eaters “looking for products that
will closely simulate their meat
counterparts,” for a healthier
lifestyles.
Thirty percent of young adults,
between the ages of 14 and 29,
describe themselves as vegetar
ians or occasional vegetarians, and
are only the second largest con
sumersof meat analogs, thehealth
report said.
But like anything, the transi
tion tovegetarianismis not some
thing you want to over-do, Paul
said.
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Living
“Some people just say, ‘That’s it
I’'m going to become a vegetarian,’
without knowing how todoit prop
erly. Most end up suffering from
some type of anemia [iron defi
ciencyl,” she added.
Paul recommends simply cut
ting out red meat, and eating fish
and chicken on occasion, instead.
It’s also a good idea to take iron
supplements and vitamin B-12,
Stavinoha said.
“Everyone should take a multi
vitamin,” the dietician explained.
“Youdon’t have tobe a vegetarian
to have an unhealthy diet. But
there are also things you can’t get
from supplements, that vegetar
ians happen to get more of.”
Paul agrees, stating that, on
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Army nutritionist Trisha Stavinoha advises a patient at Eisenhower
Army Medical Center. Stavinoha routinely prescribes patients to
cut back on their meat intake and adopt vegetarian like diets.
Photos by Eileen Rivers
average, Americans eat more
meat than people in most indus
trialized nations, and conse
quently are more overweight.
“If you compare the average
Americanto someoneinJamaica,
for example, the American will
probably be heavier,” Paul ex
plained. “We have more inci
dents of obesity than almost any
other country.”
Vegetables also pass through
the body quicker than meats and
consequently leave less toxins.
That lowers lowers incidents of
illness, like some forms of cancer
that are caused by toxins, the
naturopathologist said.
“Sometimes meat can stay in
yourbody for days at atime,” Paul
added. “That is obviously not
good for your system.”
Weekly fasting — a full day of
eating just fruits; drinking water .
and juice; and taking herbs that ~
flush the system —is the best way -
to get rid of these toxins, Paul said. -,
Categories ofvegetarianism
and the surge in organic foods .
The easiest transition from meat -
eating is “quasi” vegetarianism —
eating poultry and fish, but nored
meat. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat -
no meat at all, but still consume
diary products, while vegans eat
nothing that comes from an ani- »
mal. i
“Most vegetarians I talk to think -
it’s hard to become a vegan,” :
Messina, who’s been a vegan for .
several years, said. “But really,
with all the diary and meat substi-
tutesonthe market,itsnot hard at
all.””
But the key to healthier eating,
Paul said, is to cut down red meat,
eat more vegetables, and try to eat
more organic foods — those grown
without chemical fertilizers.
“Americans think eating organic
is something new, but most coun
tries don’t use these toxic fertiliz
ers to grow their vegetables, or
feed their animals,” Paul said.
“Even if you do consume meat, the
best thing to do is to purchase
fresh, organically grown meats.”
For more information on veg
etarianism, Stavinoha recom
mends the following web-sites:
www.soyfoods.com and
WWW.Vrg.org.
It is also a good idea to consult a
nutritionist before changing your
diet, Stavinoha said.