The vegetarian cancer gene and Turmeric golden tofu

Okay, so if you have the internet, chances are you saw an article that has been all over the place which claims that a population of vegetarians in India are more prone to cancer than their meat eating counter parts. Now the story goes something like this:

A group of Indian vegetarians have a specific gene that alters the digestion of plant fats to produce arachidonic acid, and this acid can then be a risk factor in both heart disease and prostate cancer. The article also claims that generations of vegetarian eating caused this gene to be expressed this way.

Based off this, the reporter says that a vegetarian diet may change your genes and make you more susceptible to heart disease and canc… wow that is such a ridiculous statement it is not even worth typing.  The author also says that vegetarians suffer colorectal cancer as much as 40 times more than meat eaters. (Ugh)

It is apparently easy to publish absolute rubbish. I now understand why Dr. Garth Davis hates nutrition reporters and nutrition bloggers so much…

First lets simply address the fact that the study is looking at genomes not diets.

Next up, the idea that just because they are a predominantly vegetarian population, doesn't mean they are healthy eaters. Diets from this area are typically heavy in added oils and butters or ghee, dairy and on top of this, the dishes also often included fried foods. If the issue was diet related, chances are it has more to do with these items than with the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.

The claim that meat eaters have less colorectal cancer is also outrageously ridiculous. The author bases this claim off one study, which was later found to be incorrect when the data was revisited. Furthermore, not only have I previously outlined how TMAO is formed after consuming meat and dairy which increases the risk of heart disease, but the links between meat consumption and cancer are so strong that according to an article reviewed by Dr. Greger of Nutrionfacts.org the meat industry is studying the possibility of adding ingredients to meat which may help reduce the inherent cancer risks of consuming it.

Perhaps most ironic part of all this is that chicken and eggs are the two greatest sources of arachidonic acid according to the Institute of Medicines’ Dietary Reference Intakes list.

Finally, if you actually look at the study rather than the health reporters take on the study, it suggests that the massive doses of Omega-6 found in oils are most-likely the biggest part of the problem for the people with this particular genotype, but of course, we already knew oil isn’t healthy…   As Dr. Tom Brenna, one of the authors of the study said, “to say it is a vegetarian gene is quite a stretch…”

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Turmeric Gold Tofu

Okay so if you are still worried about having some bizarre gene that could increase your risk of cancer, here is a great dish that can offer some comfort. We know that turmeric has several antioxidants that can offer some buffering protection, so give this deliciously golden tofu a try. 

Since we are heading into fall here in BA, we served the tofu with massaged kale, spaghetti squash (seeds which we brought from the US and planted at her families farm) and cardamom spiced rice. However, this tofu would also be fantastic on a large dark-green salad or even as a sandwich.

Let me know what you all think.

Turmeric Gold Tofu

1 package Firm Tofu – Cubed

2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2/3 tablespoon turmeric

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

Put all of the spices together along with the mustard, the vinegar, and the soy sauce and mix well. Once well mixed, pour on top of the tofu and toss until the tofu is evenly coated.

Now put the tofu and all of the remaining dressing into a pan over medium-low heat and cover. Let cook for about 5-8 minutes and then stir the tofu. The sauce should start to simmer. Repeat this until the tofu is golden brown - roughly 15 minutes - and then serve hot or cold.

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

Maple-mustard tofu with steamed swiss-chard

It’s hard to find the words to post about the health benefits of plants given the recent events. These types of events tend to eclipse everything else that we have going on in our lives.     

But they also force us to focus on what is actually important.

For me, one of the major reasons I’m a vegan, and proud to use that word, is because it means I abhor violence.

When we consume animals, we are supporting an industry of violence. When we consume animals, we invite that violence into our lives. When we consume animals, we accept violence and even worst we make it acceptable.

When we change our habits, not just what is on our plate, but also in our soap, and in our closets, we are sending a powerful message to the world.

That message is a desire for peace.

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This is a simple but elegant dish that comes together really nicely. It doesn’t require a big introduction, but it is certainly a satisfying dish that has even won over stubborn meat-eating Argentines.

The best thing about this is how simple it is, but none of your guest need to know.

Maple-mustard tofu with steamed swiss chard

1 block of extra firm tofu

1 bunch swiss chard

1 table spoon black sesame seeds

Maple-mustard marinade for the tofu

¼ cup water

4 tbsp of Dijon or yellow mustard

2 tbsp of maple syrup

1 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp cumin

First drain the tofu. Since I still live in the 90s, I typically place the block of tofu between two plates for an hour or so, to squeeze all of the water out of it. But a tofu press is suppose to much better at this.

While the tofu is draining, place all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together. The marinade should be sticky but smooth.

Once the tofu is drained, cut it into 1x1 inch blocks and add it to the bowl of marinade.

Toss it so the tofu is evenly coated and place it in a glass pan or cookie sheet. (I normally use parchment paper)

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes on 325 flipping once halfway through to ensure it cooks evenly.

While the tofu is baking, wash and chop the swiss chard.

Place it in a steam basket and steam for 5 minutes or until bright green. Don’t over cook it as it will become very soft.

When the tofu is golden brown, remove from the oven and sprinkle it with black sesame seeds.

Serve it on top of the swiss chard. Feel free to add any left over marinade as a dressing for the dish.

Serve either hot or let cool and serve at room temperature. 

Raw Korean Cabbage Bowl

At the end of July, M and I did a raw food challenge. The idea was simple. Eat only raw fruits and veggies and some nuts and seeds (and hot tea and mate) for 10 days.

M had been talking about trying this style diet for a while, however I was skeptical. While I know a few different people who eat an all-raw, mostly fruit-based diet, the only ones I know who seem to do well on this style of eating, are all ultra-endurance athletes. In fact, a friend once called me when she was struggling with her 80-10-10 style raw food diet. While initially she had good results, after over a year of fully raw, mostly fruit, she was feeling lethargic, starting to gain weight, and was having some negative health results as well.

For those of you who don’t know, 80-10-10 referrers to the macro nutrient rations. 80% of total calories come from unrefined carbohydrates, 10% from protein, and 10% from fat. I always tell my clients never to worry about counting calories or to worry about getting specific amounts of protein or carbohydrates. In my opinion, this always makes eating way to difficult and rarely ends with positive, long lasting results.

However, after listening to Garth Davis, M.D. talk about how he was planning on trying a 21 day raw diet on the RRP a month ago, I finally agreed to try the challenge with M. As such, we ordered 1 case of bananas, 1 case of large pears, 1 case of navel oranges and a case of mangos. Because we have a small refrigerator, we decided we would buy greens as needed (essentially ever day).

Fruit is one of the healthiest food sources on the planet, with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, improved arterial function, reduced cancer risks and believe it or not, better control of blood sugar in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

According to a Harvard Health Letter about chronic hand pain, fruit is beneficial [to human health] in almost any amount. Then I found a paper published in Metabolism where they placed people a 20 servings of fruit a day diet (roughly 200g/d of fructose) with no adverse effects (and possible benefits actually) to body weight, blood pressure, insulin or lipid levels after three months. Further more there was a 38-point drop in their LDL cholesterol.

M and I agreed to start with a 10-day challenge. We did large fruit and veggie smoothies just about every day for breakfast (roughly 300-600 calories), snacked on different fruits and some raw nuts and seeds throughout the day, then had large salads for lunch and dinner with dried fruit and different dressings that we made. 

After the first few days I didn’t notice any real different in how I felt. I felt great eating a whole food, plant based, high starch diet, and I felt just as good on the mostly fruit meals. However, I did feel bored. I also missed the flavors of spiced grains and legumes. Perhaps one of the reasons I felt this way, was because we did the challenge in the middle of winter. While Buenos Aires winters are actually quite mild, on cooler rainy days, I can say with certainty, I wanted the comfort of a warm meal.

By day 6, while I still felt fine, I noticed I was starting to loose some weight. Just a pound or two, however as someone who is already very svelte, even a few pounds is noticeable and weight-loss is actually the opposite of my current goal. As such, on day 8 I ate a large serving of steamed potatoes and finished the remain two days following a Raw-till-4 plan.

M had an easier time with the challenge. She really never had any cravings during her entire challenge. In fact, she reported that she felt lighter; again she also experienced some weight-loss. But most importantly to her, she never suffered from any migraines while doing the challenge.

She has been under a tremendous amount of stress from work and has been working incredibly long shits – multiple 24 hours shifts each week. Often when her stress builds up and she has a shift where she doesn’t get enough sleep, that triggers a migraine the following day. While she says that her migraines became less frequent after going whole-food, plant based vegan two years ago, the attacks never completely disappeared until she went raw.

In fact, she was feeling so good after 10 days; she decided to continue the fully raw diet for an additional 7 days. Finally, after 17 days, she returned to eating cooked foods. She is still feeling great and hasn’t reported any migraines. I believe the primary reason she returned to cooked foods was because the weather took a turn for the worst, and after 5 straight days of cold rain, she was ready for a hot meal.

Both M and I enjoyed the challenge and we both are committing to eat more raw foods. We both already eat a lot of fruit in a normal day, but we want to increase our consumption of uncooked veggies. We have been eating a large salad before enjoying our cooked lunch and dinner.

So what did I learn? Well for starters, I don't plan on putting any patients on this style diet. While the health benefits in the short term are certainly positive, I just didn't believe it was all that practical. Food prep actually took longer. If you don't understand what I mean, think about the time consumption of tossing a few potatoes into the oven verses peeling 10 oranges. It was also significantly more expensive. I would guess we spent more than double our usual amount. 

That said, it was fun to be creative with our foods. We enjoyed the time together in the kitchen, and M especially enjoyed searching for new salads, dressings, and smoothie recipes.  

While we made a lot of different dishes, this Raw Korean Cabbage Bowl was my favorite creation during the week. One I will definitely be making again. It was inspired by the last meal M and I shared in New York before moving to Buenos Aires, which was at the beautiful vegan Korean restaurant, Hangawi. This dish was inspired by those flavors.

Raw Korean Cabbage Bowl

2.5 cups red cabbage – shredded

2 cups white cabbage – shredded

2 large carrots – shredded

½ bunch swiss chard or spinach – sliced

1 green onion – diced

1 cup mushrooms – chopped

½ avocado

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon gritty sea salt (optional)

½ lemon – juiced

½ inch lemon peel – zested

Shred both cabbages and carrots. Place them into a large bowl (I did a cast iron pan to increase the flavor) Toss spices and lemon juice and zest and massage with your hands for 2-3 minutes until the cabbage and carrots begin to soften.

Now slice the swiss chard into 1 inch ribbons. Add to the bowl with the cabbage and carrots and massage again so the swiss chard becomes a bright green color. Now add the diced onion and mushrooms.

Sweet & Sour Ginger Mustard Dressing

1 inch of ginger

2 teaspoons mustard (preferably stone ground)

1.5 lemons juiced

2.5 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 tablespoons currants or raisins

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ cup water

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Let cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

When serving, pour the dressing onto the cabbage bowl and mix well. As an additional option, toss avocado on top and serve with a side of kimichi. 

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D J Jenkins, et al. “Effect of a very-high-fiber vegetable, fruit, and nut diet on serum lipids and colonic function.” Metabolism. 2001; Apr 50: 494-503.

Top 5 ways to reduce crippling hand pain. Harvard Health Letter. 2013; 38(9):4.

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.