Living an Exceptional Life, #89

By Rhonda Jones

Sometimes, life gets in the way, and that happened to me, so I apologize for my absence. But I am always doing research, so, as usual, I do have some tips to pass along. I know the plant-exclusive journey can be hard at times, but the results make it so worth it.

I am still concerned about some of the changes being made to the food pyramid and how it will affect the health of so many in our country. It is a fact that no long-term studies have been done on eating only animal products. On the other hand, we have literally thousands of studies, including many long-term studies (such as the Seventh-day Adventist study and the Framingham nurses study) that show great health results when a mostly plant-exclusive diet is eaten.

The Seventh-day Adventist study is especially insightful because it includes vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores, and the health differences are quite diverse, with the vegans achieving much better outcomes than both vegetarians and omnivores.

The carnivore advocates also blame seed oils and ultra-processed foods for the current epidemic of obesity and a myriad of lifestyle diseases. But are these foods really as bad as the government claims?

Let’s look at seed oils. Soybean, canola, corn, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, rice bran, and grapeseed oils have been targeted as “poisoning” us. But is that really true?

It is true that heat and chemicals are used to extract these oils, unlike olive oil, which is obtained by squeezing the fruit. But do these oils cause inflammation and obesity? These oils do contain more omega-6s than omega-3s, and these are thought to cause inflammation. However, in randomized controlled studies, the omega-6s do not show markers for inflammation.

There is also strong evidence that the Omega-6s can actually help lower levels of bad cholesterol, which may help prevent heart disease.

As far as oil is concerned, the best thing to do is not eat it. Our bodies don’t need oil for better health, so why waste so many calories on something that is not needed? I prefer to sauté with water or broth, and about the only time I use oil is when I am cooking for someone else. I never use oil to cook any of my meals or to make cookies, cakes, or other sweet treats. Chickpeas, bananas, and sweet potatoes can make baked goods great without the excess calories from fat.

But what about ultra-processed food? According to Dr. Greger, most of the meals we make at home can be considered ultra-processed. Cakes, cookies, and casseroles can all fall into that category.

So, which ultra-processed foods should be absolutely avoided? According to Dr. Neal Barnard, fortifying breakfast cereals with folate may help prevent birth defects among teen mothers, as they would otherwise take in little or no folate, which is necessary for a healthy pregnancy.

Many foods are fortified with B-12, calcium, and other nutrients that would probably not be consumed otherwise, so not all processed foods are bad. Of course, most are loaded with sugar, salt, and oil, so it is important to read the labels to find the healthiest products.

Dr. Greger addressed the biggest ultra-processed product: fake meats. According to research across several studies, fake meats, even with all their ingredients, are still healthier than animal meat, providing more nutrients and less fat and cholesterol than animal products.

I still prefer whole, unprocessed foods, but I know that some processed foods may provide health benefits. Choose wisely.