. By Any Greens Necessary Need a well written quick read about transitioning to a healthy diet? If yes, then definitely consider, Tracye Lynn McQuirter’s book, “By Any Greens Necessary.” It’s a book that stands out as educational and fun. The book is well researched with plenty of insights about what it takes to make a change from artery-clogging southern traditions to a healthy diet. If you are still clinging to the Standard American Diet (SAD) then be prepared to have your beliefs challenged and your conciseness raised. In every chapter, the consequences of not following a plant-based whole food diet are in the spotlight. If this is your first encounter with a book about plant-based whole foods then be advised that some unpleasant topics about where the SAD comes from, what it contains, and the negative health consequences will be covered. After the scary reasons for abandoning the Standard American Diet (SAD) for a plant- based diet are covered, the book eases into the delicate social dilemmas that may occur during a diet transition. Tips address accommodating a reluctant family while in transition and plenty of very useful Dear Abby like advice for staying on the plan in a wide range of challenging social situations. If you have been hesitant about adopting a plant-based whole food diet the sections that debunk common myths and testimonials will help. If a celebrity testimonial or two is what you need, well, that’s also in the package along with: • What to do when your partner or children don’ t want to make the transition with you. • How to stick with plant-based whole foods at family get-togethers • Ideas for ordering plant-based whole foods when dining out • Ideas for carrying a plant-based whole food lunch for work • How to enjoy the transition to a plant-based whole food life Although the book is promoted as a guide for black women, it would serve any Southerner looking for an easy read that covers the essentials for transitioning to a healthy diet. Should you buy the book, be selective about what you underline as important or you might end up underlining the whole book. As an explanation for why many are influenced to eat unhealthy foods, we are reminded that the food industry is the largest industry in the country and spends upwards of thirty-five billion dollars per year to influence us. That’s more spent on advertising than by any other industry. As you might expect, most food advertising is for fast foods, processed foods, snacks, and sweets. Only about 2% of food advertising is for fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. The massive food industry advertising budget is over fifty times the budget for USDA’s education programs. Regrettably this barrage of industry propaganda drowns out useful information and ends up promoting many foods known to cause cancer, obesity, diabetes and a host of metabolic disorders. American’s ever-growing BMI is evidence that most have been fooled by the food industry’s barrage of half truths. If still confused about the need for protein, the book reinforces why eating a variety of whole foods assures a diet with all the protein needed. Still, the meat industry wants us to believe that somehow we will become protein deficient without meat in our diet. The dairy industry wants us to believe that milk is a great source of calcium. The reality is that food industry propaganda confuses most about the superior quality of calcium and protein from plants. Should you need a nudge toward plant- based foods, we are reminded that eating animal products is like eating second-hand protein. Why not eat plants and get the benefits of protein without it first going down the digestive tract of another animal? For more about the types of information in the book read the points below. Just know that while these selected tidbits are interesting, they don’t do justice to a very enjoyable book. • A National Institutes of Health study of over 500,000 people determined that people who eat meat were likely to die sooner from heart disease and cancer. • USDA guidelines recommend consuming three servings of milk or other dairy products each day. The problem is that milk is a relatively poor food compared with plant-based whole foods. It would seem the dairy industry has quite an influence when you consider the number of people getting this recommendation that don’t tolerate dairy products, These populations include: o 90-95% of Asian Americans o 95% of Native Americans o 65-75% of African Americans o 50-60% of Latinos o 10% of European Americans • When born, babies produce an enzyme called lactase that aids in digesting lactose, the sugar in milk. At about age 3 our body stops producing lactase unless you happen to have the genetics for continuing to produce lactase production on into adulthood. • Eating animal products makes the blood more acidic which in turn leads to calcium depletion. This is why vegetables are a better way of getting calcium the body can absorb. • Dairy foods supply about one-third of the saturated fat and sodium in the Standard American Diet (SAD). The top source is cheese, making it the unhealthiest of animal- based foods. • The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study showed that women who ate dairy doubled their risk of heart attack. Also notable were increased risk for ovarian cancer, uterine fibroids, and lupus. • Colic is often caused by mothers that drink milk and pass cow antibodies to their child through breast milk. • The American Academy of Physicians issued a report that the risk of diabetes can be reduced by not being exposed to dairy proteins early in life. • Men that eat the most dairy foods have up to four times the risk of dying from prostate cancer. • Nearly half of the calories in the Standard American Diet (SAD) come from sugar or refined grains that have been stripped of important nutrients. The result? We have become a nation that is both overfed and undernourished. • With a plant-based whole food diet that’s high in natural fiber, counting calories becomes unimportant aside from some restraint with nuts and seeds. Best of all, most can lose on average a pound a week, even without additional exercise. • Plant foods contain no cholesterol and most have low or no saturated fats. • Purple cabbage takes the crown as best all- around vegetable other than leafy greens. It has the distinction of being inexpensive and the highest level of antioxidants. • Vitamin B12 is made by certain bacteria. In our super hygienic world, neither vegans nor meat eaters get enough from their diet. A tasty natural source is nutritional yeast. While the book scores high for being fun to read, it also scores high for being succinct. In about 200 pages, the book covers the subject including food lists, menus, recipes, websites and additional resources. If you have the itch to learn more, pick a copy up at the local library or order a personal copy. I’ m betting you will enjoy the book and find it helpful as a complement to your growing knowledge. When you finish, consider passing it along to a friend or donating it to my office lending library. Nancy Neighbors, MD Huntsville, Alabama |