MSG and beyond

THIS is a mis-informative statement --- “Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein,' which is just another name for Mono sodium Glutamate.” FALSE!!!!! Why do people insist on scare tactics. I think, people love the negative.

First of all a form of MSG is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables right from the garden. (So is cyanide, I might add.)

Secondly, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein is just that, vegetable protein. And because it has vegetables, which contain MSG NATURALLY, it will have some MSG.

MSG is a trouble maker when isolated and used in massive quantities as an additive. Much like SALT or arsenic.

Too much salt causes many, many problems too. BUT salt itself is not the enemy. Over use, over eating, over doing, and over worrying is!!!

BUT, yes there is a but...

I realized I might send out the wrong message with these comments.

I do NOT think MSG is ok to eat or add to our food. I am simply frustrated with the mis-use of information to scare people into avoiding any and all processed food.

There is NO research to show naturally occurring msg is harmful. There is research that shows adding msg to foods can lead to weight gain and since obesity is a real problem, we should be avoiding msg and msg added to food.

I worry that we will delete the real warnings with all the proliferate of junk we get. Don’t be fooled, many additives are harmful, but don’t think eating all raw is ok either. God created us to digest grains cooked not sprouted. And we are encouraged by inspired writing to learn how to cook, so it not just a matter of sloping some food on a plate. Seasonings with herbs are not only tasty, but healthy.

Balance. Balance. Balance.

Nutritional Labels

As health minded vegans, we should be reading labels. When you look at a nutritional label do you know what you are reading? Or is it so confusing you just avoid it all together?

Nutritional labels are standard across North America, which means once you learn how to read them, it won't take you much time or effort to continue.

Right under the title of Nutrition Facts is the serving size. Here is where you start. Is this how much you usually eat? Some cerels only have 3/4 cup for a serving, which is certainly not how much I, nor anyone in my family eats. Double it for sure. So read the rest of the label with that in mind. Sure it may say only 3 grams of fat per serving but if that is for only 5 potato chips, how much fat are you getting in a couple handfuls of 15 chips? Yup 9 grams!.

Next we have calories and then fat. Total fat is important, but so is saturated fat and trans fats. You want to avoid too much saturated fat, and any trans fat if possible. Cholesterol should be 0 if you are vegan.

Sodium is next. Keep this under 20% of the Daily Value.

Now we get to Carbohydrates. Don't get too confused here. Sugar plus starch plus fiber is the total carbs. Just basic math. We want high fiber at least 3 to 5 grams per serving is good. You will notice there is no daily percentage for sugar, because the government doesn't have a number for this one. Sugars on the label are not just added sugars, they are also God's natural sugars, so don't be alarmed if the product is otherwise healthy. We need about 300 to 350 grams of total carbs per day. Depending on age and activity.

Protein comes after carbs. This is pretty self-explanatory.

The next section are the vitamins. There are only a few that are usually listed here. Vitamin A, C, Calcium, and Iron are the basic ones. Remember the percentage is based on a 2000 calorie diet for the average adult, unless otherwise stated on the label.

So, that's a quick run down on nutritional labels. Be sure to bring your calculator the next time you go shopping.

Water - getting enough

Getting enough water is important for everyone, not just vegans. We seems to forget how important it really is.

Here is an excerpt from: Water Info Sheet. Click here to read the whole article.

Truly the most amazing molecule of life is water. Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen bound by polar covalent bond.

With a pH of 7, it is neither acidic or alkaline, but neutral. 1 Water freezes at 0°C, boils at 100°C, and weighs 1 kg for every liter. While we can go weeks without food, months without love, years without doctors, we can only go days without water. It is second only to the air we breathe. We are about 60 to 80% water, the brain is about 85% water.

A few things water does (not a complete list):
Aids red blood cells in collecting O2. 2
It is used in every cell, every body function, every muscle, and every joint. 3
Needed to make neurotransmitters - like serotonin. 4
Needed to make hormones - like melatonin. 5
Water helps with sleep. 6
Prevents toxin & waste build up. 7
Aids in weight loss by helping with appetite control (often we interpret thirst for hunger), prevents water retention, and decreases fat deposits themselves. 8
Increases the ability of the immune system - even helping reduce some cancers. 9
Needed for memory & brain function. 10
Needed to keep blood at proper viscosity which can help reduce risk of: stroke, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.11 (Women who drink 5+ glasses of water/day are 41% less likely to die from a heart attack. 12)

So, how much do you need? Well a good rule of thumb is about half your body weight in ounces. 22 For example: If you are 120lbs that is 60oz or just under 8 cups. If you are 200lbs that is 100oz or just over 12 cups, check with your doctor as needed. For those using metric - The formula is your weight in Kg x 34 = ml needed per day.

Get your water today!

Iron for Vegans

How to get enough iron is often a question posed by new vegans and it is a valid one if one does not eat beans on a regular basis.

Beans are the most common source of iron for vegans, but there are others. Leafy greens, raisins, molasses, prune juice, potatoes, and cashews are just a few more iron rich foods.

Iron is an important blood builder, but you don't need to eat meat to get iron. Heme-iron is from the blood in meat, but the body can use non-heme iron just as well. Meat has a 10 to 35% absorption rate, while plants range from 2 to 20%. You can increase the absorption rate of plants by having vitamin C rich foods with it. Like orange slices on spinach salad with citrus dressing (an adaptation from my Italian Dressing - let me know what you think!).

Citrus Dressing
1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh best
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp Italian Herbs
1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt, to taste


Click here For lots more answers to questions on iron like a list of vegan iron rich foods and how common is it for vegan to be anemic. Scroll down list for the iron information. ENJOY!

Let's Cook on 3ABN

Hi Friends,

I am getting ready to go down to Illinois for the 3ABN "Let's Cook" program. The taping will be on Tuesday Sept 30th and the Today program will be Sept 29th (my late mother's birthday). I am getting quite excited, and nervous at the same time, about the project.

We will be offering the DVD's for sale.


We hope this to be a blessing,
Angela Poch

PS: I will try to get internet once in a while to keep this updated.

Getting started as a new vegetarian!

Just how do you get started becoming a vegetarian?

I mean how do you know if you are getting enough nutrition? What about protein, calcium, and other nutrients, aren't vegetarians deficient in those things? Doesn't a vegetarian diet omit nutrients?

Common misconceptions about the vegetarian diet for sure.

Vegetarians don't have anymore trouble getting good nutrition than meat-eaters. In fact, is it more common to see deficiencies in those eating a typical America diet. Anemia plagues more meat eaters than vegetarians. So, why the myths? Why are so many people so sure vegetarians are missing something?

Propaganda. That's right the agriculture industry has decided meat and dairy are food groups and so vegetarians are missing out on two of the four food groups. They are eating an "unnatural" diet and are unhealthy because they are leaving out recommended food groups.

The trouble with that logic is, who came up with the food groups? The agricultural industry. The science and research shows there are more than just food groups to worry about. Fat, protein, carbohydrates, and the micro-nutrients are what really is important and each of these can be found in the vegetable kingdom.

So if you want more information on getting started eating a vegetarian diet and the true food groups check out our new e-book on the Higher Path Print & Production Website and leave the worry to those who are brain washed by marketing.

Enjoy your food,
AP