Where cow's milk took a wrong turn
Casein = general name for milk protein
Since mankind first milked cows, A2 has been the original milk protein i.e. casein. However, nearly all of the cow's milk sold today is not A2 but has a mutation called A1 casein which causes allergies and has been linked to autism, Type 1 diabetes, not to mention bloating, cramps and other health problems. (These A1 casein-related problems are not related to being organic or grass fed.) Apparently several hundred years ago, the problematic A1 mutation emerged in Holstein cows and worked its way into the vast majority of dairy cows through interbreeding.
The goat milk boom
Up to now, the only way for most milk drinkers to avoid A1 casein has been to switch to goat milk which is naturally A2, which I did about five years ago (unless you happen to live in an area that sells sheep, camel, or yak milk).(1) Goat milk is great except it is really expensive--at least $3.69 per quart, which averages over $14 a gallon.(2) Cow's milk goes for more like $4 or $5 per gallon, a huge difference. I literally spend about $200 a month on goat milk.
Australia leads the comeback of A2 cow milk in Guernsey cows
In response to major outcry against A1 cow's milk for years, there is now a resurgence of A2 cow milk production. It started in Australia where dairy farming is a mega-industry. They pinpointed Golden Guernsey cows that only produce A2 milk (which again is the original protein) and have begun a major exporting it. Here's their website http://www.a2milk.com.au/
US dairies now getting into the A2 trade
But now there are several dairies in the US that have started selling A2 milk, and many more are surely soon to follow given the widespread awareness of the problems with A1 milk.
In my area, I located a farm in Lancaster, PA called Yoder's that sell's A2 milk and will be driving up there for a "test run." If it works out, I may be making many trips... There is a another farm in Winchester, VA but is requires a "cow sharing" contract...
There is even a new brand of whey protein SFH which uses A2 cows. It is based in Maine.
http://www.sfh.com/education/science_wheyoverview
(1) I have always drunk a lot of milk, a half gallon a day or more, since I
was a kid. But as I got older I noticed spaciness, phlegm, and other
reactions from cow's milk.
(2) Goat milk also has more arachidonic acid (AA) that cow's milk which is inflammatory. AA is the opposite fatty acid from Omega 3s which are anti-inflammatory.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Phytonutrients and Zoonutrients
Remembering to get phytonutrients
Remembering to get phytonutrients i.e. plant nutrients can be hard precisely because they are largely left out of the typical American diet. (aka S.A.D. or Standard American Diet)
I was just watching the Joel Furman "Eat to Live" program rerun on PBS last night for the 1000th time this month. His main point is a good one: a big cause of overeating and obesity is the lack of phytonutrients (plant nutrients) in the foods we do eat. He gives the examples of a piece of white bread or chicken which have zero/nearly zero phytonutrients, whereas broccoli or kale have over 100 times more. Also, many types of cancer have been linked to a severe deficiency in phytonutrients.
Furman made a really good point, that you can eat a huge burger and fries and a soda, be totally full, but still be starving for phytonutrients.
It make me get back to making sure I get enough plant nutrients. I personally like sea plants much more than regular salad bar stuff. Many of the "superfoods" are types of seaweed/algae like spirulina and cholorella which are truly powerhouses. The new ANDI and ORAC scores are really good tools to figure out what plant foods you like are also high in phytonutrients.
Dr. Furman also mentioned the acronym GOMBBS: Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Beans, Seeds. These are the most nutrient-dense foods, he says.
I used to get a lot more phytonutrients when it was easy, I remember at some jobs in the past there was a salad bar at work and every day I threw down a big salad full of phytonutrients--and my weight was easier to control. Then in other years, while I didn't get have a salad bar I ate at Subway every day and would get a footlong with literally every possible veggie topping, from onions to olives to tomatoes, etc. so it was basically a huge salad on a sandwich (I had to stop eating at Subway when I went gluten-free).
So now I am left with no salad bar and no Subway. For a while I have been eating nearly every day at those Peruvian "Pollo" rotiserrie chicken places, which have Yuca/Cassava and cole slaw which are both good for you. I actually will drive across town just to get the yuca and the cole slaw. Cabbage has a high ANDI score of 481 out of 1000, I realized I actually crave cole slaw (which is mostly cabbage) and eat it every day.
So I'm back to finding more easy ways to get phytonutrients, like a big spoon of spirulina, a side of black beans, a few mushrooms, etc. A little salad with nutrient powerhouses is a lot better than no salad.
Don't forget about zoonutrients
There are a lot fewer people talking about "zoonutrients" per se, but they are crucial as well. Only a miniority of people should even consider being vegetarian. Milk, eggs, whey protein, meat, fish all have tons of micronutrients beyond just protein and fat. Here are a bunch:
calcium - no plant source has anywhere near the calcium of milkcarnosine and carnitine - two key muscle amino acids found only in meatglycine - a key amino acid found in giant amounts in pork skins, of all things, and also chicken breast and egg whites
COQ10 - this stuff sells for $50 a bottle but you can get it free by eating rare red meat
creatine - especially in red meat
alpha-lactalbumin and lactoferrin in whey protein
growth factors IGF-I and IIcertain essential sugars
good cholesterol - in raw or lightly-cooked egg yolksType II collagen - found in chicken cartilage - this stuff is actually sold as a supplement, definitely eat the cartilage of a chicken (end of the leg and breast bones)
Remembering to get phytonutrients i.e. plant nutrients can be hard precisely because they are largely left out of the typical American diet. (aka S.A.D. or Standard American Diet)
I was just watching the Joel Furman "Eat to Live" program rerun on PBS last night for the 1000th time this month. His main point is a good one: a big cause of overeating and obesity is the lack of phytonutrients (plant nutrients) in the foods we do eat. He gives the examples of a piece of white bread or chicken which have zero/nearly zero phytonutrients, whereas broccoli or kale have over 100 times more. Also, many types of cancer have been linked to a severe deficiency in phytonutrients.
Furman made a really good point, that you can eat a huge burger and fries and a soda, be totally full, but still be starving for phytonutrients.
It make me get back to making sure I get enough plant nutrients. I personally like sea plants much more than regular salad bar stuff. Many of the "superfoods" are types of seaweed/algae like spirulina and cholorella which are truly powerhouses. The new ANDI and ORAC scores are really good tools to figure out what plant foods you like are also high in phytonutrients.
Dr. Furman also mentioned the acronym GOMBBS: Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, Beans, Seeds. These are the most nutrient-dense foods, he says.
I used to get a lot more phytonutrients when it was easy, I remember at some jobs in the past there was a salad bar at work and every day I threw down a big salad full of phytonutrients--and my weight was easier to control. Then in other years, while I didn't get have a salad bar I ate at Subway every day and would get a footlong with literally every possible veggie topping, from onions to olives to tomatoes, etc. so it was basically a huge salad on a sandwich (I had to stop eating at Subway when I went gluten-free).
So now I am left with no salad bar and no Subway. For a while I have been eating nearly every day at those Peruvian "Pollo" rotiserrie chicken places, which have Yuca/Cassava and cole slaw which are both good for you. I actually will drive across town just to get the yuca and the cole slaw. Cabbage has a high ANDI score of 481 out of 1000, I realized I actually crave cole slaw (which is mostly cabbage) and eat it every day.
So I'm back to finding more easy ways to get phytonutrients, like a big spoon of spirulina, a side of black beans, a few mushrooms, etc. A little salad with nutrient powerhouses is a lot better than no salad.
Don't forget about zoonutrients
There are a lot fewer people talking about "zoonutrients" per se, but they are crucial as well. Only a miniority of people should even consider being vegetarian. Milk, eggs, whey protein, meat, fish all have tons of micronutrients beyond just protein and fat. Here are a bunch:
calcium - no plant source has anywhere near the calcium of milkcarnosine and carnitine - two key muscle amino acids found only in meatglycine - a key amino acid found in giant amounts in pork skins, of all things, and also chicken breast and egg whites
COQ10 - this stuff sells for $50 a bottle but you can get it free by eating rare red meat
creatine - especially in red meat
alpha-lactalbumin and lactoferrin in whey protein
growth factors IGF-I and IIcertain essential sugars
good cholesterol - in raw or lightly-cooked egg yolksType II collagen - found in chicken cartilage - this stuff is actually sold as a supplement, definitely eat the cartilage of a chicken (end of the leg and breast bones)
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