Agriculture

• Additional Reading – Updated

  Below is a list of excellent books that examine the advantages (and disadvantages - there are not any) of eating a whole-food, plant-based diet.

  Read John Robbins’s incredible story about The Pig Farmer from Iowa that is moving and transforming.

  Read more ⇒

  15 September 2022

• Comparison of Dairy Milks with Human Milk

  Milks are complex lipid emulsions in water containing protein, fat, lactose, vitamins and minerals, as well as enzymes, hormones and immunoglobulins which provide initial immunity functions.

  There is approximately 5,500 species of mammals which initially supply their young with milk. There are vast differences in milk composition among the mammal species. Of all the mammals, humans have the lowest protein content.

  Mammals have evolved over millions of years to provide nutrition for their infants in the first stage of life. There are significant difference between species depending upon factors such as rates of growth.

  Proteins in human milk provide sufficient of protein to sustain infants for the first six months without any additional food, as well as supplying the means of establishing suitable environment for the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria and providing the proteins involved in the immune system.

  Human milk is supplied to babies when the need for protein is at the greatest. Babies double in size during the first 6 months of our lives. The ideal food for a baby is mum’s milk where 5% – 6.5% is protein. This should offer reassurance that as long as we a consuming an adequate diet, we do not need a high protein diet.

  Read more ⇒

  18 March 2022

• How to Survive a Pandemic by Michael Greger

  How to Survive a Pandemic by Michael Greger is essential reading for those who wish to understand the history of pandemics and how to minimise their impact on ourselves and our society. The book describes the causes of these diseases and most importantly, how to prevent these events from occurring.

  The majority of infectious diseases (and all viral diseases) result from our interaction with animals. This book, with thousands of references, gives detailed descriptions of our greatest diseases from bubonic plague, smallpox, the deadly influenza of 1918 and the deadly viral diseases SARS, MERS and COVID-19.

  Read more ⇨

  13 January 2022

• Zinc, Selenium and the Immune System

  Zinc and selenium are important micronutrients required for the immune system to function effectively along with vitamins A, C, E, B6, B12, C, D, E and folic acid and the trace elements iron and copper.

  Both insufficient and excessive intakes of zinc and selenium can have negative consequences on the immune status.

  For the majority of people, low selenium intake is not a major issue. Whole-grains provide provide a more than adequate supply for vegans.

  A serum selenium test shows a short-term status of selenium whilst red blood cell selenium reflects a long-term status.

  Before consuming large amounts of selenium in foods or supplements, it is important to know the true status of your selenium.

  Read more ⇨

  6 August 2021

• Dr James Muecke Australian of the Year in 2020

  Dr James Muecke is the Australian of the Year in 2020 which was awarded for his work as an eye- surgeon and his work in preventing blindness.

  He is trying to convince Australians to eat more meat, eggs and dairy. Australia is ranked number 2 in meat consumption, just behind United States but in front of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and New Zealand.

  Muecke has declared that we need to “Declare war on type 2 diabetes and cut back on sugar” in order to reduce the incidence of blindness.

  He believes that it is the introduction of sugary drinks and highly processed foods are the cause of diabetes – not a high-fat, high-protein diet as shown by numerous papers dating back to 1927.

  Read more ⇨

  11 November 2020

• Rural Indian Regional Diets

  Despite India's reputation for a healthy, vegetarian cuisine, it is not justified. Only 1.6% of Indians are vegan, 24% are lacto-vegetarian. 3% add eggs to their lacto-vegetarian diet which leaves 72% consuming meat.

  The Indian population has the highest prevalence of diabetes worldwide and exhibits high-risk metabolic profiles at younger ages and lower body mass index than their Western counterparts. There are significant regional variations to this observation.

  The reasons why Asian populations exhibit diabetes at a lower threshold than western populations are not known.

  According to WHO mortality statistics, India is ranked 17 for Low Birth Rate, 37 for Diarrhoeal Diseases, 40 for Tuberculosis, 60 for Malnutrition and 62 for Influenza & Pneumonia out of 183 countries.

  Given the current increase in consumption of meat and oils and a decrease in grains, the prevalence of obesity and diabetes is likely to continue.

  Read more ⇨

  29 February 2020

• Are Healthy Diets More Harmful to the Environment

  On December 14, 2015 an article titled Vegetarian and “Healthy” Diets Could Be More Harmful to the Environment was published on the Carnegie Mellon University website.

  The article quotes Paul Fischbeck, a professor of social and decisions sciences and engineering and public policy at the institute.

  He was a co-author of a paper Energy use, blue water footprint, and greenhouse gas emissions for current food consumption patterns and dietary recommendations in the US.

  Professor Fischbeck is quoted in the website article, stating:

  “Eating lettuce is over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon. Lots of common vegetables require more resources per calorie than you would think. Eggplant, celery and cucumbers look particularly bad when compared to pork or chicken.”

  Read more ⇨

  15 September 2019

• 2040 Documentary

  2040 is a documentary by Damon Gameau that targets a young audience to convince them that they can make a difference to planet Earth’s well-being using technology that we all ready have at our disposal.

  The key areas addressed in the documentary are transport, electricity production, agriculture, marine permaculture (kelp farming) and education.

  Read more ⇨

  14 September 2019

• Too Much Fruit?

  Many popular commentators suggest that we limit fruit intake to two pieces of fruit a day due to the fructose content. However, there is a big difference between consuming fructose in fruit and consuming fructose added to foods in products such as high-fructose corn syrup.

  Read more ➱

  24 April 2019

• Wheat and the Distorted Views of William Davis

  William Davis, a cardiologist, author of Wheat Belly, claims that “modern wheat is a perfect chronic poison”. He claims that modern wheat causes diabetes, inflammation, heart disease and high blood pressure and that eliminating wheat will cure these problems.

  Davis recommends the avoidance of foods such as corn, rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, beans and potatoes, even though they do not contain wheat or gluten.

  Davis's inconsistencies would be amusing if they did not have such serious health consequences.

  Read more ⇒

  18 June 2018