A couple of interesting articles about dairy...

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Dairy may cause weight gain

More misleading information that the Dairy Industry did not want you to know is now uncovered. They've been advertising that consuming dairy helps you to lose weight.

Not only have they misled the public in the past with their unscrupulous ads that it "does a body good" but now they can no longer claim that drinking it causes weight loss.

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USDA and Dairy Industry Halt Misleading Weight-Loss Ads After Physicians Group Complains to Federal Trade Commission

Cheese and Milk Actually Likely to Cause Weight Gain, Doctors Say

WASHINGTON—In a victory for consumers, two national dairy advertising campaigns overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will stop claiming that dairy products cause weight loss because such claims are not supported by existing scientific research, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced in a letter to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). The decision, which comes in response to an FTC petition filed by PCRM, will end misleading claims made in the “Milk Your Diet. Lose Weight” and “3-A-Day. Burn More Fat, Lose Weight” promotions.

In the FTC petition, PCRM charged that the dairy industry has used false and misleading advertising in its multimillion-dollar, celebrity-filled marketing campaign suggesting that consuming milk and other dairy products causes weight loss. In response, the FTC’s Division of Advertising Practices met with USDA staff and representatives of the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board and the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, who agreed to discontinue all advertising and other marketing activities involving weight-loss claims pending further research into the issue. The decision also applies to affiliated entities, including Dairy Management Inc.

“Milk and cheese are more likely to pack on pounds than help people slim down,” said Dan Kinburn, PCRM’s general counsel. “This case calls into question other advertising claims made by the industry, especially the notion that milk builds strong bones. Evidence shows it does nothing of the kind.”

The dairy industry’s weight-loss campaign was based largely on small studies conducted by Michael Zemel, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at the University of Tennessee whose funding came from dairy industry sources. Independent research, including a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has found that dairy product consumption either has little or no effect on weight loss or actually increases body weight.

A recent study in the International Journal of Cancer found a disturbing link between dairy consumption and increased prostate cancer risk, something previously identified in two Harvard studies.

For a copy of the FTC letter or an interview with Mr. Kinburn or a PCRM physician or nutritionist, please contact Patrick Sullivan at 510-834-8680.

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially good nutrition. PCRM also conducts clinical research studies, opposes unethical human experimentation, and promotes alternatives to animal research.

http://www.pcrm.org/news/release070511.html

Taking grandma's milk away

Many of my family members have been ending up with alzheimers and dementia in their older years, leading to a painful, slow death full of medication, illness and full-time care in nursing homes. This has been a big concern for some of us who are getting up in our years. We know that calcium is essential but getting it through plant foods is the safest and healthiest way to do it.

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Excess calcium in elderly 'linked to dementia'

By John von Radowitz, PA Science Correspondent
Published: 14 May 2007

Calcium and vitamin D in dairy products may be helping to cause brain damage and dementia in older men and women, new research suggests.

Scientists believe too much calcium can narrow blood vessels in the brain, leading to neural damage.

The effect may be compounded by vitamin D, which regulates calcium retention and activity.
Researchers made the discovery after scanning the brains of 79 men and 153 women aged between 60 and 86.

All had at least a number of brain lesions - areas of tissue damage.

They varied in size and included tiny ones often seen even in healthy older people. But participants consuming the most calcium and vitamin D were significantly more likely to have a higher total volume of brain lesions.

Age, high blood pressure and other medical and mental conditions, including depression, made no difference to the results.

In earlier studies, the same US team found that individuals who consumed high amounts of fatty dairy products had larger numbers of brain lesions.

However, fat intake in general was not a significant factor. The researchers wanted to find out if a factor other than fat caused the harmful effects of a high dairy diet.

The new findings, presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in Washington DC, point to calcium, which exists in abundance in dairy foods. Its regulator, vitamin D, is also found in many dairy products as well as vitamin-fortified foods such as margarine, breakfast cereal and bread.

Study leader Dr Martha Payne, from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, said: "At this point, we do not know if high calcium and vitamin D intake are involved with the causation of brain lesions, but the study provides support to the growing number of researchers who are concerned about the effects of too much calcium, particularly among older adults, given the current emphasis on promoting high intakes of calcium and vitamin D."

Her team is continuing to investigate possible ways in which high levels of calcium and vitamin D might damage the brain.

The leading theory is that when too much calcium is absorbed into blood vessel walls it produces bone-like deposits. This calcification may narrow the blood vessels and make them less flexible, reducing the blood flow through them.

In the brain, neurons could be deprived of blood and die, causing the lesions that increase the risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, depression and stroke.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2539565.ece

Got a comment or question?

There'll be a new Mailbag feature on Raw Step by Step for comments, questions and answers. No question is stupid, so please don't hesitate. Obviously I can't give medical advice, but I can give my opinion and current knowledge on practically anything, or I can find an answer for you.

Please send your questions, comments and inquiries to info@rawstepbystep.com I will only publish your first name or no name at all if you prefer.

Hope to get lots of feedback. Fire, erm I mean ask away!

Fun news!

Next Monday will mark my 40th year around the sun. It is a bittersweet moment for me. My father, as well as many relatives have had heart attacks before they reached 40. I have inheredited the same cholesterol disorder, but I feel the Lord is watching over me, and has led me down the path searching for healing through a healthier lifestyle instead of pills & procedures through doctors and hospitals.

I appreciate doctors though. They do serve us when we need it, for emergencies and urgencies, but not diseases and disorders. Those cannot be covered with bandaids in bottles. This is where we need to search and find the answers to healing our own problems.

I am excited to offer all my e-books from my site www.rawstepbystep.com for only $4.95, and to those who order all 6 e-books, they will receive the Health Journey PDF chart absolutely FREE.

I am also happy to be able to offer a raw food service by donation to those living in the area. If you are interested, or would like to have an item shipped to where you live, please send an e-mail to info@rawstepbystep.com and I will send you the monthly menu.

Almonds are our friends!

Mandatory Almond Pasteurization

This has become a hot topic in the past few weeks within the raw and living foods community. The Almond Board has issued an "Action Plan" (see - http://www.almondboard.com/Programs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=890&snItemNumber=450) that later this year all almonds (with a few exceptions) must be pasteurized, and there will be no indication on the label.

Why is this a big deal, you may ask? Because consumers will be lead to believe that they are purchasing viable almonds. Once the nut has been denatured, it cannot be sprouted. The almond is dead vs. living. This means that the nutrients and enzymes have been compromised and your body will not recognize it in the same way that it recognizes a truly raw, sproutable almond.

The reason for this plan is from 2 incidences of salmonella occuring from raw almonds. 2 incidences. If you can imagine for a moment the number of incidences of bacteria from undercooked meats, eggs, fish and the recent problems with spinach. All of these foods are still being sold in their raw, fresh forms.

Part of the problem is that almost all almonds will be pasteurized, and the other problem is that the almond packages will still indicate "raw" on them. Pasteurization is clearly a heat process, which dentures and compromises all living nutrients.

Here is a petition requesting that unpasteurized almonds should remain available, and that almonds that are pasteurized should be labled as such: http://www.gopetition.com/online/11754.html

Here is the e-mail address to the Almond Board: rule@almondboard.com

I was off my feet for a day after pulling my hip out in taekwondo the other day. I took my lap top in bed with me and got a lot of work accomplished that I had been putting off for a couple of months now. It took an amazing and relatively short amount of time to accomplish what I had been putting off for so long!

Procrastination takes a lot more time and energy than action.

Keep that in mind when you are thinking about taking action about your health. There is no better time than now to take control of things in your life and go for it. Then once you do, it is so easy, that it is hard to fathom how or why you procrastinated about it in the first place!

What are you eating?

"Sharon - I did so well today on my food intake, you are going to be so proud of me!"

"Whadya eat?" I ask with excitement.

"Well, first, on the way to work I went over to Jiffy Juice and got a smoothie - oh it was so yummy and sweet!"

"Oh really - that sounds great - what was in it?" I wonder.

"Well, there were strawberries in there, and some juice, and they put a scoop of this bright colored powder, and then I think - oh, ya, there was vanilla frozen yogurt in there. Doesn't that sound great?"

"Ummm...doesn't sound like you had much fruit in there!" I say.

**Juice from smoothie joints are often pasteurized. Frozen yogurt contains refined sugar and additives and there is a lot of sugar and artificial flavorings in the powders that are often used. Sometimes fruit in syrup is used as well. Be sure to ask what is fresh and for dairy and sugar-free smoothies**

"Anyway, whadya have for lunch?" I inquire.

"Oh, this is where I was REALLY good. I got this huge salad at the restaurant. Oh, it was so wonderful!"

"Wow, a salad!" I say "That's great! What kind of salad was it?"

"Oh it was a beautiful green salad with all kinds of veggies, but there was some chicken on it."

"Oh, chicken?" I say "What else was on there?" I start wondering suspiciously.

"That was the worst thing - just the chicken, oh there were some croutons and cheese - but that wasn't a big deal - right?"

"Um, okay. Well what about the dressing?" I ask.

"Oh, I just got ranch dressing - I figured since I got a salad, I was so good that I deserved some ranch!"

**Restaurants often offer salads that are no more than a regular unhealthy meal dumped in a bowl full of greens. Restaurant salads usually contain plenty of meat, cheese and noodles or croutons, and the dressings are full of fat, refined sugar and salt, and additives. People are fooling themselves if they believe that a standard entree sized restaurant salad is a healthier option than a meal. The best thing to order in a restaurant is an entree sized GARDEN salad, with everything on the side. This way you can be sure of getting everything you want and nothing you don't!**

"Well - what about your dinner" I am hoping my friend has redeemed herself here.

"I had a veggie burrito! Well, I know that wasn't all raw, but it was healthy, right?"

"Let me guess - the burrito had cheese and sour cream, right?" I ask

"How'd you know? It was a veggie burrito though!"

"Somehow I had a feeling!" I laugh.

"Well," My friend says "you make it sound like I didn't eat very well now," sulking.

"It's a learning process" I patiently answered.

"Well, you'll be really happy how I ended my day. I had a whole bag of baby carrots..." my friend cautiously tells me.

"Well, that was probably the healthiest thing you ate all day! Congratulations!" I pat my friend on the back.

**Some people believe that if they make a juice or have some fruit or veggies in addition to their normal standard fare they really are eating "healthy". While doing this is a step in the right direction, they are still eating their cheeseburgers, pizza, and other damaging foods which are not health-promoting.

Even though it is a process, be sure to look are your WHOLE MENU. If you are eating animal products or cooked food on a daily basis, you may need to re-think or readjust your diet. Even if you are not ready to eat 100% raw or 100% vegan, at least eliminate some of the damaging food from your diet 80% of the time, that way you are working toward your goal.

We can't get the results we want if we don't change**

Exciting news here for 2007! Just finished our Four-week Health Journey chart! You can check out the video here:

http://www.rawstepbystep.com/healthjourney.php

Also we put out a groovy gallery of recipe photos from the E-book. Here's the link for that one:

http://www.rawstepbystep.com/recipeimages.php

Our first newsletter should be out in the next day or so. If you haven't signed up for it yet, just head over to www.rawstepbystep.com.

Some thought-provoking comics...










See more at: http://www.newstarget.com/index-cartoons.html

Raw any way you like it

Note - I had written this earlier this year. I had it on my RawkyMountainHealth site. This is a good reminder of not to be too strict or too liberal when you are eating. It is so easy to go either way, that you can get frustrated or carried away with what you are doing, just a reminder that balance is the key here!

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One thing I have seen on many specific raw discussion groups is the mindset that there is one type of way to eat raw which works for every body.

You may notice that there are 2 different examples (for the most part) people going raw use who tend not to stick with it too long:

1) Eating simple and mono-mealing -

Strictly fruits and vegetables with small amounts of fats like avocados, and nuts and seeds; sometimes eating one type of food at a meal.

In this instance, it may be too extreme for some to go from a complicated cooked diet to such a simple one.

Eating too simply too fast in the beginning may leave a newbie bored or hungry for more complex foods that was eaten before starting raw.

A person can be used to eating small portions of dense foods like cooked animal products, grains and fats which are very filling, and not be used eating enough fresh plant food to fill themselves up.

However, for others, this works well IF their diet was already uncomplicated and hassle-free.

It requires almost no prep time, and can be easily adapted to most any situation away from home. This diet would enable a person to heal from disease and lose weight rapidly.

2) Wildcard diet -

Eat what you want as long as it's raw - eating heavier, richer seasoned foods, commonly using recipes as meals, not centering meals around fresh whole plant foods.

The second type of diet can really set up a person to start craving cooked food as many of these recipes mimic a favorite cooked dish, such as burgers, pizzas, cakes, etc.

The term "eat it as long as it's raw" can also be confusing to a newbie who doesn't quite grasp what raw food actually is. Some people tend to over eat "raw" things like nut butters, nuts, oils, "raw" energy bars, etc. instead of using fresh foods, thinking that they are health promoting. Many seasonings and condiments are used to appease a cooked palette.

It can be expensive between the equipment, ingredients and waste of a recipe that doesn't turn out well. Or it can keep a person's cravings alive, eventually leading them back to cooked foods.

However this can work well with those who need to be filled up if they are used to over-eating and/or eating dense or fast foods, and are actually able go through the process of moving on to simpler foods without turning back to cooked food. Detox and healing is slower and more comfortable.


In my years of raw food experience, I started off with the 2nd instance with much recipe-making and it has backfired. Moving on to simpler foods didn't happen with me, and I went through a lot of money on those recipes. The same thing has happened to most people I know trying the same route.

Now I have seen it work with a few people, so I know it is possible. But they are few and far between. There have been those who have tried the simpler way and have had problems as well. Many have stayed on the diet and had great results, but then crashed and burned in a matter of months.

Yet there have been many people who have come from a higher fat, recipe heavy "as long as it's raw" type of raw diet, gone off the diet, and then started back on raw using the simpler lower fat style with great success.

Many people I've found do not want to even try the raw food diet for two reasons:

1. They don't want to try it because they are turned off by the thought of only eating fruit and salads.

2. They are turned off or intimidated by the high cost and time of doing all those recipes.

If you are not sure which way to go, I suggest trying a balance -

eat what you want as long as it's FRESH (meaning something you find in the produce section, or has recently been picked off a plant),

and if you run into problems like cravings or wanting more or different, then try a simple recipe or two, and halve the recipe so that you don't spend too much money or time on something that you might not end up liking.

Give yourself a limit on the amounts of dense dehydrated foods like nuts and recipes. You might want to portion them out into bags so you don't get into a cycle of daily overeating non-fresh foods.

In conclusion, I don't believe that eating whatever you want as long as it's raw with wild abandon works for most people in the long term.

I believe that people who work toward a goal and incorporate some kind of control and/or discipline end up getting what they want out of any kind of dietary and lifestyle change.

"It does not matter how slowly you go, so long as you do not stop" - Confucius

Last words of advice - even though you may change the road that leads to your destination, try your best not to stop or go back the other way. Just keep charging ahead and keep your eye on the prize. You may chose to take a few extra steps along the way, or take a couple of short-cuts, or even sit down and rest, but don't let that stop you from getting there.


Sharon Oliver ©2006