Good fats and protein sources

[GreatSpirit]

Apparently due to mankind's error, we should now be avoiding most fish due to mercury contamination. I can deal with that. Fish stinks anyway but very good for humans. I guess this is a karmic action possibly. HOWEVER, we must accept that we need fat to be healthy in these bodies. They are called essential fats. There is a reason why the word essential is included because the body cannot make Omega 3 and Omega 6 on its own from other fats. So we must get them somehow. Bare in mind you want to watch the omega 3/omega 6 ratio. If the O6 is much greater than the O3, avoid it but we do need omega 6 regardless.

Now, the vegans and vegetarians will say to get Omega 3 and 6 from nuts or flaxseeds, which I would be completely open to and probably go vegetarian (not vegan) myself if it were possible. But the ALA in plant sources convert very extremely little to DHA in humans. It is not worth eating plants for Omega 3. Accept that vegetarians. So even when you take a supplement for fatty acids, it is most likely coming from an animal source, so just take good krill oil and eat your vegetables. Problem solved. Just make sure you get protein too.

As for omnivores like me, I am going to start eating far more grass fed meat sources, wild Alaskan salmon or Omega 3 rich eggs fried with coconut oil. This will provide me with protein and omega 3s and 6s.

Also, it is not clear to me the issue of saturated fats still. I hear both bad and now good news. I am using coconut oil for frying due to its stability and it being natural. Supposedly the other major cooking oils oxidize and turn into bad free radicals. So health conscious vegans can now deep fat fry vegetables without using other common oils. As far as I'm concerned, the only oils we should be using are coconut and olive oil.

[Jade]

Everything has protein, it's almost impossible to not get enough protein if you are consuming enough calories. Hemp seeds are the best form of protein, and a good source of omegas. I've been vegan for 3.5 years now and I've never worried about my nutritional intake, and neither have I been anywhere near ill health. I wouldn't suggest that vegetarians -have- to take krill oil as a supplement. There are plenty of people who have been without animal proteins/fat for much longer than me, and are much healthier than me.

I agree about oil usage and only use coconut and olive oil. A little birdie told me last night that there's some disease that they are unable to control on the olive trees in southern Italy, so olive oil prices may increase in the near future. I've also read it's common for most of the olive oil supply in the states to be cut with other oils, so it's good to buy as high quality as you can.

[GreatSpirit]

Everything has protein, it's almost impossible to not get enough protein if you are consuming enough calories. Hemp seeds are the best form of protein, and a good source of omegas. I've been vegan for 3.5 years now and I've never worried about my nutritional intake, and neither have I been anywhere near ill health. I wouldn't suggest that vegetarians -have- to take krill oil as a supplement. There are plenty of people who have been without animal proteins/fat for much longer than me, and are much healthier than me.

I agree about oil usage and only use coconut and olive oil. A little birdie told me last night that there's some disease that they are unable to control on the olive trees in southern Italy, so olive oil prices may increase in the near future. I've also read it's common for most of the olive oil supply in the states to be cut with other oils, so it's good to buy as high quality as you can.

I do incorporate hemp into my diet for the whole protein, vitamins and minerals, good omega 3/6 ratio, but I would not do it to supplement for Omega 3 alone. As this is a plant source, you will hardly get any DHA out of it.

I realize that if it wasn't for the Omega 3 ALA conversion issue in humans, whole food veganism would be the healthiest and most ethical diet EVER and I'd sign up. The point I am trying to make is specifically regarding Omega 3s. No one can deny, not even the strictest most educated VEGAN, that we need Omega 3 fats.

And the only proper source for humans of Omega 3s is from animal sources. Taking a high quality pill would be the best option for vegetarians, but vegans will have to draw their line in the sand.

[Plenum]

I realize that if it wasn't for the Omega 3 ALA conversion issue in humans, whole food veganism would be the healthiest and most ethical diet EVER and I'd sign up.

And the only proper source for humans of Omega 3s is from animal sources. Taking a high quality pill would be the best option for vegetarians, but vegans will have to draw their line in the sand.

I had a look at this DHA issue a few months back.  And bought some plant-based supplementation.  It's not cheap though!  It's sourced from algae, and is a pure source of DHA.  

I took it for a couple of weeks, and didn't return to it.  It's still sitting on a bench inside a storage area in my room (dark area, where it's cooler, where I store grains and beans as well).

/ /

from other research, it appears that even with a meat-supplemented diet, those people can also have low DHA blood levels.

Even though the ALA conversion mechanism to EPA (and also DHA) is rather inefficient, Flax Seeds and Chia Seeds are probably the best bet if you want to go with whole-food sources.

[Monica]

Now, the vegans and vegetarians will say to get Omega 3 and 6 from nuts or flaxseeds, which I would be completely open to and probably go vegetarian (not vegan) myself if it were possible. But the ALA in plant sources convert very extremely little to DHA in humans. It is not worth eating plants for Omega 3. Accept that vegetarians. So even when you take a supplement for fatty acids, it is most likely coming from an animal source

We might accept it if it were true. But it's not. Where do the fish get their DHA/EPA? From ocean plants. We can get it the same way they do, from marine algaes.

Unfortunately, the ocean is becoming increasingly contaminated.

Fortunately, there are at least 2 plants that I know of which have DHA/EPA already converted:

Aphanizomenon Flos-Aqua, which is an edible freshwater algae that grows wild in a relatively pristine lake in Oregon, rich in volcanic ash. It's where I get my B12 too, by the way. (Full Disclosure: I've been consuming this algae for 28 years, and I am a distributor for it, so if anyone wants to know how to get the best AFA, contact me via pm.)

Purslane - This is a common weed, and is the only land plant, to my knowledge, but there might be others. Purslane grows nearly everywhere. It tastes like spinach!

There are now several plant-based EPA/DHA supplements. Here's one that I know is very good:

http://www.ovega.com/

Comparing plant-based EPA/DHA to fish oil:

http://www.ovega.com/ovega3-vs-fish-oil

Protein isn't an issue. If one eats enough calories of reasonably healthy foods, it's virtually impossible to be protein-deficient.

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[Monica]

I realize that if it wasn't for the Omega 3 ALA conversion issue in humans, whole food veganism would be the healthiest and most ethical diet EVER and I'd sign up. The point I am trying to make is specifically regarding Omega 3s. No one can deny, not even the strictest most educated VEGAN, that we need Omega 3 fats.

And the only proper source for humans of Omega 3s is from animal sources. Taking a high quality pill would be the best option for vegetarians, but vegans will have to draw their line in the sand.

I agree that we need it. I also agree that many, if not most, vegans aren't fully aware of how important it is. But then, that is also true of meat-eaters! Look at how rampant heart disease is, among meat-eaters. Look at how many meat-eaters are told by their cardiologists to supplement with fish oil. I work as a medical rep and did presentations at 5 cardiology practices in the last 2 weeks. Every single one of them had posters on the wall about things people could do to decrease their risk for heart disease. All of them mentioned taking fish oil supplements.

Point being that if meat-eaters are advised to take supplements too, then what's the big deal if vegans do also?

That isn't an argument against the vegan diet, because meat-eaters are in the same boat. The problem has nothing to do with meat and everything to do with the denaturing of our grains, nuts and seeds, due to monoculture and chemical farming. (For example, wheat bears very little resemblance to its predecessor of a century ago: They bred out the healthy oils in order for it to have a longer shelf-life. So too with nearly all the other other commercially-produced grains, nuts and seeds.)

The important point here is that if one is going to take a supplement, it needn't be animal-based. There are several good vegan EPA/DHA supplements, in addition to the AFA and purslane I already mentioned.

Lastly, it isn't true that it must be EPA/DHA already converted. Well it is true for some people, but not all. Apparently some people can convert the oils in flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts more readily than others. I personally consume flax, chia, walnuts, AFA and purslane, to cover all the bases.

Yes, it takes a bit of education. That's just the reality we're dealing with, in this increasingly f***** up world, in regards to commercially-produced foods.

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[Monica]

It's still sitting on a bench inside a storage area in my room (dark area, where it's cooler, where I store grains and beans as well).

Better to refrigerate all oil-based supplements (and most oils).

from other research, it appears that even with a meat-supplemented diet, those people can also have low DHA blood levels.

Exactly!

Even though the ALA conversion mechanism to EPA (and also DHA) is rather inefficient, Flax Seeds and Chia Seeds are probably the best bet if you want to go with whole-food sources.

Agreed! Golden flax seeds are better than the brown, due to harvesting and processing methods. Chia seeds give even more bang for your buck than flax seeds.

Oh and did I mention purslane is FREE? Thankfully, it grows prolifically. I've found that the more I harvest, the more it multiplies. This past summer, I was gone a lot and didn't harvest as much as I usually do. My purslane plants got a little hurt and didn't produce as much.    

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[The_Tired_Philosopher]

I can never tell purslane apart from other weeds in my yard :/

[Monica]

I can never tell purslane apart from other weeds in my yard :/

Whereas greens (like dandelion, thistle, etc.) look very similar, purslane is very unique. Nothing looks like it. Just do an images search. It creeps along the ground, and is succulent. It has tiny yellow flowers and little pods of seeds, all of which are edible. Some varieties have pinkish-orangish flowers, but the more common variety has yellow flowers.

[link]

Always get a positive ID before eating any weed!

I have tons of seeds and can send some to you if you like. Once you get it going, it will proliferate.

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[Diana]

I live in the desert and my property is zeroscaped. Can I grow purslane in pots?

[Monica]

I live in the desert and my property is zeroscaped. Can I grow purslane in pots?

Yes, absolutely! Purslane is so easy and happy. It's my absolute favorite weed.

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[Jade]

I'll have to keep an eye out for it next year. I'm pretty sure I saw it growing, but my yard had far to many plants throughout the year to remember for sure. For a long while our neighbor came and weed whacked everything down to the dirt for us (it was his hobby/exercise) but in the middle of the summer he had surgery on his leg so we got to retake over our yardwork. I do think I remember seeing it growing up from the cracks in the cinder blocks that form the raised beds, maybe?

[Monica]

Needless to say, make sure that the yard hasn't been sprayed with chemicals! And never gather weeds from public places or near highways. Stick to your own yard, forests, meadows and other 'wild' areas.

Greens have a lot of protein too, by the way. That's where gorillas get it. 

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