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This newsletter is about vegetarianism. An Ellen update is included.
May 22, 2011
Vegetarian?
Hi ,
I am often asked about the health benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. My answer is usually cryptic and  vague with a "It depends on your individual metabolism - how do you feel when you engage a vegetarian lifestyle?" The truth is, being a vegetarian is fantastic for some people and a disaster for others. We are all as different from each other on the inside as we are different looking on the outside.
So what makes the difference between people? The factors are numerous, but I wish to focus on just a  couple key ones today - energy production (which foods give you the most energy) and digestive capacity (what foods can you digest).
First lets clear up a few cherished myths and see what is actually known about vegetarianism. Early research demonstrated a significant decrease in ischemic heart disease in folks following a vegetarian lifestyle. This  sounded really good and prompted a strong belief that becoming a vegetarian was the best choice for your heart and health. Curiously, when many more studies were done, it was found that the incidence of heart disease in general was actually higher amongst vegetarians - just the ischemic variety of heart disease was lower. Numerous studies have shown meat eating is linked to higher rates of certain  cancers - however these studies did not differentiate between processed lunchmeats, typical red meats, and natural grass fed free range grown meats. Since the article on vegetarianism I wrote 1 year ago a large study has been completed that did differentiate between healthy meat consumption and "toxic" meat consumption. As I suspected, all the health defeating effects of eating meat were due to the preservatives, antibiotics, and other chemicals found in the meats. Eating healthy natural meat was found to have no health detriments (this study was done by the Italian government, not some beef advisory board).
Vegetarians live 5 years longer on average than typical meat eaters, but the researchers found that this was due to the fact that vegetarians tend to live a healthier lifestyle in general (non-smoking, non-drinking, healthy weight). When vegetarians are compared to meat eaters that maintain a healthy weight and don't smoke or drink then there is no longer a difference in length of life.
Ethically there is no question that eating meat from large animals uses up massive resources and contributes greatly to greenhouse gasses (primarily from cow farts - yes, actually true.) Consuming sustainably caught wild fish and free-range eggs and fowl is much kinder to the planet.
So which lifestyle is right for your health?
 We have two energy sources that run our body - fat (ketones) and sugar (glucose). Genetically some of us are predisposed to use one of these more than the other. Basically there are fat burners, sugar burners, and the mixed in-between folks. Sugar burners have very strong pancreases for processing carbohydrates and a cellular metabolism that is optimized for turning carbohydrates and sugars into energy. Fat burners have a similar set up for burning fats. Fat burners are the folks that need meat, sugar burners - carbs.
So which are you?
Simple answer is which of these food sources gives you the most and the longest sustained energy? Sustained is the key here. People who eat too many carbs that are not designed to be sugar burners will tend to crash their energy ½ to 2 hours after they eat sugars or carbs. If you do this then you are consuming too many carbs. If carbs keep you running with even energy all day then you are most likely a natural vegetarian.
Another factor to look at is weight gain. When your energy metabolism is not working correctly you tend to  put on weight. If you are a carb/sugar type and you are eating too much fatty meat you will pack on more pounds than is good for you. If you are a fat burner, then carbs will pile on the pounds.
An important point is that no one is able to process more than 15 to 25 grams of fructose per day. Any more than that and it affects your liver exactly the same way that too much alcohol does. It stops your liver from doing its job of detoxifying the body so the poisons start building up in your body (another common cause of weight gain and poor health.) White sugar is ½ fructose so 1 can of soda or 1 average  candy bar or 2-3 pieces of fruit is your maximum tolerable sugar load for the day from all sources. Even sugar burners can't handle the fructose in table sugar.
Carb/sugar burners (vegetarian types) are designed to eat starches that break down slowly. The best of these are vegetables and nuts - hence the term vegetarian (nutarian had negative connotations and so wasn't used). Processed starches (generally meaning flours and sugars) break down too quickly for the body to be able to use the food correctly.  Traditional cultures would soak grains and sprout them to remove the negative anti-nutrients and increase the protein content rather than grinding the grains down into flour. Using whole grains in this way stops the rapid digestion and bodies overwhelm problem.
The second consideration in deciding which lifestyle fits your health better is simply which food source do you digest better? Some people just don't have the  digestive capacity to digest meat (insufficient HCl and protease enzymes) while others can't handle vegetables and starches (insufficient carbohydrate and sugar splitting enzymes). Which works best for you?
The majority of people are physiologically somewhere in the middle between the two extremes of pure vegetarian and pure meat eater - but we all lean towards one side or the other. You will feel better and have fewer diseases if you eat in the way your  individual body is designed to eat. Don't just listen to the experts who will tell you the right way and wrong way to eat. Listen to your body first and then consider what they have to say to see if any of it applies to you.
So to sum up, pay attention to the feedback from your body to decide what diet lifestyle works best for you. Which foods give you sustained energy? Which foods help you keep a healthy weight? Which foods digest the best? Most food likes and dislikes are trained in culturally and by your family. They do not take into account your individual makeup. Find out what works best for you. The foods that support you are the foods that will keep you strong.
Good Journey,
David
Ellen Update:
Ellen is home! After two days of waiting to find out if there was an abscess on her liver, the culture came back negative - meaning no infection. While waiting the bile drainage from the new site stopped. No one knows where the bile is going to now.
Since it stopped, the doctor removed the drain apparatus Monday morning. She still had her first drain in place from the surgery, but it had barely been draining anything for quite some time. That being the case, her surgeon pulled that drain out Monday night and I got to take her home about 10 pm that night.
Since then she has been resting at home waiting to see if she springs a new leak somewhere else. Each day that passes without new pain or nausea is a good sign that the liver has somehow found a way to not dump bile into her abdomen. (Spontaneous healing?)
After almost a month of staying in a hospital bed, Ellen has become very weak - no stamina. She will get up for maybe a half hour then have to go lay down. Every time a pain shows up, we find the consciousness piece behind it (some failed interaction from her past that has been stuck in her system forever) and release the pain. So far we have been 100% successful at getting rid of the pain. We are very hopeful that this health adventure has reached its end.
Thanks for your many prayers, cards, and help. They have gotten through and made a difference.
Take care,
David
Experience Ellen's Life Coaching Process during her Free Health Exam
Discover your true health status
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Ouestions - if you have questions of a health or growth nature we could discuss in this newsletter, or if you have comments or ideas about a future newsletter focus please email me at:
david@fairoakshealth.com
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