Here is part II of the fascinating chat with diet guru and award winning author Susan Schenck:
The way our ancestors ate: they didn’t eat a lot of meat, and some days none. Americans go way overboard and eat it two or three times a day! Then you have vegetarians who eat NO meat, and vegans who shun even eggs, fish oil, etc. Many of them eat unnatural foods such as processed soy to get protein. My book explains the dangers of that, which include dementia! A balanced diet includes a wide, very wide variety of many natural, unprocessed foods. It can be a plant-based diet, but should include (for most people) at least some fish, meat, and eggs.
Who needs a Biologically Balanced Diet more? Is it young people or the growing senior segment of our population?
Young people appear to get away with worse diets. They have more hormones and more resilience. Their bodies are also more adaptable—so if you want to experiment with a vegan diet, starting in your 20s helps. So yes, the older you are, in general, the more you should watch what you eat.
What is the healthiest way for overweight or obese people to wean themselves onto a Biologically Balanced Diet?
Eliminate sugar, wheat, dairy, and most grains. Add green smoothies, raw salads, low glycemic fruits. Avoid factory farmed meat: pay more, but eat less! Lightly steam it or eat it raw. (I explain how to do so safely and tastefully in Beyond Broccoli.) Drink wheat grass juice. If you eat a high raw paleo diet, the weight drops off and you feel youthful and energetic!
Many believe today’s crops aren’t as nutrient-rich as they used to be. If so, do organic fruits and vegetables provide the best possible Biologically Balanced Diet?
Yes, studies show organic food is generally richer in nutrients. However, this is not always the case—it just depends on the soil food is grown in. This is why some supplements appear to be necessary regardless of what diet you are on.
What is the most common misconception about a raw food diet that you would like to debunk?
The idea that you have to be a vegan to eat raw! Or even a vegetarian: I have eaten several thousand raw eggs (usually boiling the whites about two minutes) and I love the taste!
LET FOODS HEALHypocrites once said, “Let food be thy remedy.” How close does your Biologically Balanced Diet come to fulfilling his recommendation?
It is very close. But I do believe there are times we need to take herbs or supplements for certain nutrients the body may lack, at least at the time. This is because of the lack of nutrients in the soil.
Now that we know that there are good carbohydrates (low glycemic) and bad carbohydrates (high glycemic), in addition to plenty of good raw foods, are there any bad raw foods we should avoid?
Some folks can do raw dairy, but from my observation this is rare. Dairy is simply hard to digest; it’s not a paleo food. It can lead to constipation, sinus infections, and even certain forms of cancer.
To site one surprising example of how your book separates health myth from fact, you persuasively discredit soy as a healthy vegan protein (pages 112-114). And here we all thought that soy was a breakthrough super health food! In this day and age of mass information, how do we best separate fact from fiction for the betterment of our health?
You have to be aware that the corporations will always try to promote something as “the latest health food.” You have to stay on top of things and educate yourself. It is easier if you just learn what we have been eating the past 100,000 years and more. Soy was not one of those foods! However, I point out that eating fermented soy (miso, tempeh) in moderation, such as the Asians do, is just fine.
This blog has talked about enzymes found in fruits and vegetables and raw nuts as being essential to all of our body’s metabolic functions. Since heat of 118 degrees Fahrenheit or greater destroys enzymes, how can we cook and enjoy animal foods without turning them into dead foods with no nutritional benefits?
Lightly steaming meat makes it far less toxic, whereas grilling or barbequing it creates carcinogenic heterocyclic amines. But anytime you heat it over 118 F, you kill 100% of the enzymes. To eat it raw, think of marinating it, dehydrating it, or lightly searing it so most is raw.
Finally, do you have any advice on how our readers can overcome the peer pressure and misleading marketing hype that encourage poor dietary habits so that they may finally embrace the healthy eating principals found in your book?
Don’t trust most marketing hype you see on TV or magazines or newspapers. These are all mostly corporate owned. Educate yourself by reading unbiased books by authors with no special interests. As for peer pressure, make friends with health-oriented, like-minded folks. One study shows that if you hang out with overweight friends, you will also gain weight!
Nonetheless, you have to keep in touch with some old friends and family. Before going to their potlucks and dinners, eat! That way you won’t be tempted to do much more than nibble—and you can always find something healthful to munch a bit of.
Notes:
I wish to thank Susan Schenck for sharing her exhaustive research and insights with my readers. Both of her books are a fascinating read and authoratative works for health enthusiasts as well as those of us looking to seriously improve our eating lifestyle for the long term.Interview part 1
src="https://s8.hostingkartinok.com/uploads/images/2017/08/c45b0f403006f7170d39eccef32f58da.gif">