Week Five: Specific Diets Flashcards
What is vegetarianism?
The practice of a diet that exclude meat, fish and poultry. Most vegetarians consume dairy products and many eat eggs.
What are some reasons for choosing to be a vegetarian?
- health
- morality/ethics
- religion/culture
- economy
Lacto-vegetarianism
includes a variety of raw and cooked vegetables, grains, fruits, seeds, nuts, soy and dairy products but excludes eggs
Ovo-vegetarianism
includes eggs but not dairy
Lacto-ovo-vegetarianism
includes both eggs and dairy products
Semi-vegetarianism
consists of a diet largely of vegetarian foods but may include fish and poultry as well as dairy and eggs
Positive qualities of vegetarianism
Introduces people to a variety of whole foods and seasonings as well as new ways to prepare food.
Negative qualities of vegetarianism
Health problems from excessive consumption of dairy products and carbs. Strong cravings for sweets leading to over consumption of flour, dairy and soy products.
Vegan
Vegan diet excludes all animal products from the diet such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs and honey. Strict veganism also excludes the use of animal products such as wool, silk, leather and fur.
Negative qualities of veganism
Vegans, especially children, suffer from nutritional deficiencies including
- B12 deficiency
- chronic yeast infections
- compulsive eating habits due to lack of nutritional satisfaction
- dependency on stimulants
- digestive distress
- fatigue
- hormone problems
- tooth decay
- hair loss
- loss of bone density
- loss of muscle tone
- weight gain
What is a raw food diet?
This is usually a vegetarian approach to diet that includes only uncooked foods with the belief that raw foods are superior because they are alive.
What are some extremist version of a raw food diet?
- Consuming only fruit
- Eating food directly from the source or soil without washing it
- Eating raw meat
What are some positive qualities of raw foodism?
It has introduced a wide variety of edible plant foods high in enzymes and vitamins and creative ways of preparing them
What are some negative qualities of a raw food diet?
Health problems similar to vegetarians and vegans as well as parasites.
Where does the word macrobiotic come from?
Greek roots, it means long life
Who developed the macrobiotic diet?
George Ohsawa
Who is responsible for popularizing the diet in North America?
Michio Kushi (Kushi Institute in Boston 1978)
Give an overview of the macrobiotic diet
It involves plant-based whole foods often selected according to season. Fish and seafood can be added on occasion.
Macrobiotic philosophy
Some people see it as a more broad based philosophy involving spiritual aspects
Positive qualities of the macrobiotic diet?
- Traditional methods of food prep
- Chewing well, whole meals, fermented foods
- Incorporates TCM principles about yin/yang and five elements
Negative qualities of the macrobiotic diet?
- Tendency toward categorizing foods as good and bad
- Tendency for followers to binge eat with sweets or overeat
- Considered to be too restrictive and lacking in certain nutrients such as protein, B12, iron, magnesium and calcium
- Coffe and stimulants are common as well
TCM Dietetics
Nutritional therapy closely related to acupuncture and medicinal plants. Follows diagnostic principles and focuses on the qualitative effects of food in the body.
What are the five main focuses of TCM dietetics?
- Food quantity
- Food quality
- Classification follows the same criteria as for TCM herbs: temperature, flavour, organ network and direction of energy flow
- Heating and preparation exert an influence on qi and thermal energy of foods
- Inner attitude and environment create excellent conditions for good regeneration of qi from food
What are the benefits of developing eating habits in tune with the seasons?
Integrate into these rhythms
Promote natural qi flow
Compensate for weather effects Prevent potential development of disorders.
What is the first step of seasonal eating?
Choosing foods that are local and in season.
What are the characteristics of spring?
Small yang, growth, movement, expansion. The body’s qi flows strongly again and seeks to expand freely.
Food during the spring should…
supplement qi, allow it to course freely, support spleen and liver function
What type of foods are recommended in the spring?
- Mildly warming foods with up bearing movement: Fennel, rice buckwheat, acrid flavours like garlic, paprika and ginger
- Sour flavours that stabilize liver yin and can regulate up bearing liver yang
- Foods from the wood phase, green, neutral, cool or warm