I felt cheated!

(This post was created on my mobile yesterday, after I left home to meet WL for shopping. Publishing the next day after the shopping trip)

Today I had a light snack before meeting WL for shopping.

Decided to have my usual Jacobs biscuit. My favorite flavor was the Less Salt one. But my dad likes the High Iron one, so when I do my grocery, I make sure to get what he likes.

This week, the biscuit finished. I didn't have time to top up and my mom got some. She got another type - High Calcium.

I ate that and found it quite salty, but it tasted like the High Iron. Usually when I do my shopping, I read the labels to compare the nutrition values. And I read labels for fun too. Just did that while enjoying my High Calcium snack.

It shows 29 something of fats, thought that was pretty high so I took the High Iron container which displayed the nutrition information I wanted. (Now I verified this 29 something of fats on the website but it did not appear? I will go back home to check the packaging to see where did that came from)

Compared the 100g version of both flavors and I felt cheated! 

No, it wasn't about the fats. (By the way, the High Calcium flavor type contains less fats) It was the level of iron in both flavors. It was the same!

Putting that aside, when everything else is being compared, the High Calcium flavor is actually more healthy!
I felt cheated because I could have gotten more iron and calcium at the same time. Nevermind the salt.

The other thing that shocked me was that the single ingredient that was different in both flavor - skimmed milk.
I was thinking, hey you used milk to get more calcium into the food?

If you read my posts on The China Study, you will know I am against eating mainly animal proteins.
Well I am in half a mind to banish Jacobs from my house.

But it will be tough because there are no other brands that offer better nutritious biscuits in Bukit Batok.
We will see.

Just realised the Jacobs Biscuit (made in Malaysia) may be different from this Jacob's (The brand name in the Republic of Ireland is owned by Jacob Fruitfield Food Group and in the United Kingdom it is owned under license by United Biscuits. ).

Do read my posts on The China Study

You may want to surf around my blog. If you like, please visit my Support page.

*Lynspirations 

Share and learn. Learn and share :)

Review - The China Study - By T Colin Campbell (6)

This is the Part 6 of my review of The China Study - By T Colin Campbell. Do a search for previous parts at my search box or click here to find them or look for The China Study label.

In case you are interested, below are the links for the paperback version and the hardcopy version.

I would like to highlight on this statement:

We found that calories were "burned" at a faster rate and transformed into body heat as more oxygen was consumed.

I like this as I understand that it means that as we exercise, the calories are worked off more. So it means if we exercise more, we can eat a lot more food without gaining more weight! Of course this means that we need to know how much exercise is required…

And this:

Generally speaking, you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight-as long you eat the right type of food.

I guess in another words, it means a balanced diet of plant-based food. This does make sense since it does not involve over indulgence and I do not need to curb my appetite. I did try this over the last few days and yes, eating more does not mean that I favor certain food groups more. It simply means more of everything! I also agree with this, since psychologically you feel better when you don’t consciously restrict yourself.

Also:

… animal protein, unlike plant protein, increases the acid load in the body.3 An increased acid load means that our blood and tissues become more acidic. The body does not like this acidic environment and begins to fight it. In order to neutralize the acid, the body uses calcium, which acts as a very effective base. This calcium, however, must come from somewhere. It ends up being pulled from the bones, and the calcium loss weakens them, putting them at greater risk for fracture. 

I suspect this is why animals savages both the meat and the bones if they can digest it. This should be able to control the calcium losses. Does it mean that we should start to eat bones? I think this is unthinkable, since in the first place, this can be avoided with a plant-based diet. However it does bring me to another point, why is this fact that calcium loss from the body’s natural reaction to counter acidity is not a well-known fact?

Then does calcium fortified coffee or another food or drink that we consumed work better?

I believe this is unanswered. But then again, why do you want to counter the problem when you can avoid it altogether?

Another point:

Vitamin A can be readily made by our bodies from beta-carotene, and vitamin D can be readily made by our bodies simply by exposing our skin to about fifteen minutes of sunshine every couple days. Both of these vitamins are toxic if they are consumed in high amounts.

I always thought that eating food like carrots (or any food with high beta-carotene) supplies our body directly with Vitamin A. Turns out it does not work that way. Instead, it require the body to manufacture Vitamin A instead. And the exposure to the sun does not give us Vitamin D but instead, it tells our body to manufacture Vitamin D (by supplying some pre-conditions).

Well and good that I have corrected my misconception. To the point that these vitamins are toxic in high amounts, I guess this is a warning about over-reliance on supplementary tablets and pills.

The point about Vitamin B12 is interesting:

It is estimated that we hold a three-year store of vitamin B12 in our bodies. 

Why do we carry on consuming the supplementary tablets if our body is able to store it?

These are the points that I find it interesting to muse over. Perhaps you should also think about the food that you eat and consciously and actively eat your way to good health.

I definitely have modified my eating habits.

I strongly encourage you to read this book.

Do read my posts on The China Study

*Lynspirations

Everyone is responsible for their health

Review - The China Study - By T Colin Campbell (5)

This is the Part 5 of my review of The China Study - By T Colin Campbell. Do a search for previous parts at my search box or click here to find them or look for The China Study label.

In case you are interested, below are the links for the paperback version and the hardcopy version.

Certain parts of the book is definitely meant to be controversial:

Can you guess what food we might eat to most efficiently provide the building blocks for our replacement proteins? The answer is human flesh. Its protein has just the right amount of the needed amino acids. But while our fellow men and women are not for dinner, we do get the next "best" protein by eating other animals.

The book states that Vitamin C primarily comes from fruit, and eating fruit was also inversely associated with esophageal cancer. However I do not see esophageal cancer as being a major disease when fruits are not eaten frequently or regularly. I am not discrediting him however. I do feel that it is important to have regular plants – based meals with less animal – based food.

I believe that if you eat more of one, you will tend to eat less of the other.

Another controversy statement is this:

Consuming diets high in protein and fat transfers calories away from their conversion into body heat to their storage form-as body fat (unless severe calorie restriction is causing weight loss). In contrast, diets low in protein and fat cause calories to be "lost" as body heat. In research, we say that storing more calories as fat and losing less as heat means being more efficient. I bet that you would rather be a little more inefficient and convert it into body heat rather than body fat, right? Well, simply consuming a diet lower in fat and protein can do this.

I do not understand why was this never broadcast? In fact, this is a well-observed fact from my friends. Personally I always eat more carbo than them but I am slimmer in build and likely to have lesser overall fat-to-bodyweight percentage than them.

Now I am thinking, what if I keep eating plants protein, does that mean that I will get fat too? The answer is no, he feels that it will only maximize the growth potential while minimizing any negative health risks.

I strongly encourage you to read this book.

Do read my posts on The China Study

*Lynspirations

Everyone is responsible for their health

Review - The China Study - By T Colin Campbell (4)

This is the Part 4 of my review of The China Study - By T Colin Campbell. Do a search for previous parts at my search box or click here to find them.

In case you are interested, below are the links for the paperback version and the hardcopy version.

My take is that there may be some mis-truths ( I am totally skeptical of everything, mind you). But I believe the author is writing out of good will and providing a truly simple-to-understand scientific explanation of what is happening to meat-eaters.

I was appalled at some of the terms that he used (based on my ability to recall, not my appall factor).

The first thing that jumped out at me was Carnivorous Nurses. And that mices were used on the experiments. 

Of course I know that mices had to be used, same as rabbits or any other animal that can substitute for human beings. It was a necessary evil. But that doesn't mean I condone it.

The references made to the Nurses were abit biased, I thought. How can he call them that and not the whole nation who are on the mostly-meat diet?

Now back to the points I highlighted before - dioxin and aflatoxin.

According to WHO (World Health Organization) on November 2007 source, "Dioxins and their effects on human health" (EXTRACTS):

... Dioxins are unwanted by products of a wide range of manufacturing processes including smelting, chlorine bleaching of paper pulp and the manufacturing of some herbicides and pesticides. In terms of dioxin release into the environment, waste incinerators (solid waste and hospital waste) are often the worst culprits, due to incomplete burning.

... More than 90% of human exposure to dioxins is through the food supply, mainly meat and dairy products, fish and shellfish. Consequently, protecting the food supply is critical. One approach includes, as mentioned above, source-directed measures to reduce dioxin emissions. Secondary contamination of the food supply needs to be avoided throughout the food-chain. Good controls and practices during primary production, processing, distribution and sale are all essential to the production of safe food.

... What should consumers do to reduce their risk of exposure?

Trimming fat from meat and consuming low fat dairy products may decrease the exposure to dioxin compounds. Also, a balanced diet (including adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables and cereals) will help to avoid excessive exposure from a single source. This is a long-term strategy to reduce body burdens and is probably most relevant for girls and young women to reduce exposure of the developing fetus and when breastfeeding infants later on in life. However, the possibility for consumers to reduce their own exposure is somewhat limited.

Now, according to AspergillusflavusOrg, Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites produced by species of Aspergillus, but Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are of most concern. 

In humans, the risks associated with aflatoxin consumption are well documented, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has designated aflatoxin as a human liver carcinogen. 

Then there is another site for AspergillusOrgUK where Aspergillus is a fungus whose spores are present in the air we breathe, but does not normally cause illness. However an individual with a weakened immune status may be susceptible to aspergillus infection.

Wikipedia says that crops which are frequently affected include cereals (maize, sorghum, pearl millet, rice, wheat), oilseeds (peanut, soybean, sunflower, cotton), spices (chilli peppers, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, ginger), and tree nuts (almond, pistachio, walnut, coconut, brazil nut).

The toxin can also be found in the milk of animals which are fed contaminated feed.

Virtually all sources of commercial peanut butter in the United States contain minute quantities of aflatoxin,[2] but it is usually far below the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recommended safe level.

Now I am getting concerned. We should not be using plastics, bleached papers, and should eat less of meat and dairy products, fish and shellfish. Also best to avoid cereals, oilseeds and  spices?

But these are the things that we use daily!

Of course I will take these with a pinch of salt and try to avoid these but will not be overly concerned if I just cannot avoid them.

I strongly encourage you to read this book.

Do read my posts on The China Study

*Lynspirations

Everyone is responsible for their health

Review - The China Study - By T Colin Campbell (3)

This is the Part 3 of my review of The China Study - By T Colin Campbell. Do a search for the Part 1 and part 2 at my search box or click here to find them.

In case you are interested, below are the links for the paperback version and the hardcopy version.

My take is that there may be some mis-truths ( I am totally skeptical of everything, mind you). But I believe the author is writing out of good will and providing a truly simple-to-understand scientific explanation of what is happening to meat-eaters.

I was appalled at some of the terms that he used (based on my ability to recall, not my appall factor).

The first thing that jumped out at me was Carnivorous Nurses. And that mices were used on the experiments. 

Of course I know that mices had to be used, same as rabbits or any other animal that can substitute for human beings. It was a necessary evil. But that doesn't mean I condone it.

The references made to the Nurses were abit biased, I thought. How can he call them that and not the whole nation who are on the mostly-meat diet?

Now back to the points I highlighted before - dioxin and aflatoxin.

According to WHO (World Health Organization) on November 2007 source, "Dioxins and their effects on human health" (EXTRACTS):

... Dioxins are unwanted by products of a wide range of manufacturing processes including smelting, chlorine bleaching of paper pulp and the manufacturing of some herbicides and pesticides. In terms of dioxin release into the environment, waste incinerators (solid waste and hospital waste) are often the worst culprits, due to incomplete burning.

... More than 90% of human exposure to dioxins is through the food supply, mainly meat and dairy products, fish and shellfish. Consequently, protecting the food supply is critical. One approach includes, as mentioned above, source-directed measures to reduce dioxin emissions. Secondary contamination of the food supply needs to be avoided throughout the food-chain. Good controls and practices during primary production, processing, distribution and sale are all essential to the production of safe food.

... What should consumers do to reduce their risk of exposure?

Trimming fat from meat and consuming low fat dairy products may decrease the exposure to dioxin compounds. Also, a balanced diet (including adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables and cereals) will help to avoid excessive exposure from a single source. This is a long-term strategy to reduce body burdens and is probably most relevant for girls and young women to reduce exposure of the developing fetus and when breastfeeding infants later on in life. However, the possibility for consumers to reduce their own exposure is somewhat limited.

Now, according to AspergillusflavusOrg, Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic metabolites produced by species of Aspergillus, but Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are of most concern. 

In humans, the risks associated with aflatoxin consumption are well documented, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has designated aflatoxin as a human liver carcinogen.


Then there is another site for AspergillusOrgUK where Aspergillus is a fungus whose spores are present in the air we breathe, but does not normally cause illness. However an individual with a weakened immune status may be susceptible to aspergillus infection.

Wikipedia says that crops which are frequently affected include cereals (maize, sorghum, pearl millet, rice, wheat), oilseeds (peanut, soybean, sunflower, cotton), spices (chilli peppers, black pepper, coriander, turmeric, ginger), and tree nuts (almond, pistachio, walnut, coconut, brazil nut).


The toxin can also be found in the milk of animals which are fed contaminated feed.
Virtually all sources of commercial peanut butter in the United States contain minute quantities of aflatoxin,[2] but it is usually far below the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recommended safe level.

Now I am getting concerned. We should not be using plastics, bleached papers, and should eat less of meat and dairy products, fish and shellfish. Also best to avoid cereals, oilseeds and  spices?

But these are the things that we use daily!

Of course I will take these with a pinch of salt and try to avoid these but will not be overly concerned if I just cannot avoid them.

I strongly encourage you to read this book.

Do read my posts on The China Study

*Lynspirations

Everyone is responsible for their health

Review - The China Study - By T Colin Campbell (2)

This is the Part 2 of my review of The China Study - By T Colin Campbell. Read part 1 here.

In case you are interested, below are the links for the paperback version and the hardcopy version.

I then did a search on Google:

Of course you can find this book on Google Books. And the reviews are surprisingly good.

246 good reviews out of a total of 487 reviews.

Something I found very good is his simple to understand chart - Eat All You Want (while getting lots of variety) of any whole, unrefined plant-based food.

I strongly encourage you to read this book.

Do read my posts on The China Study

Read my previous post here.

*Lynspirations

Everyone is responsible for their health

Review - The China Study - By T Colin Campbell (1)

I started reading The China Study a few days back. Finished it last night.


I did skimmed through the last few chapters (Appendixes, etc) but I had read enough.


In case you are interested, below are the links for the paperback version and the hardcopy version.



















While reading I copied some of the important points (or at least I found important) in the book:

We must know why misinformation dominates our society and why we are grossly mistaken in how we investigate diet and disease, how we promote health and how we treat illness.

Much of my early career was spent working with two of the most toxic chemicals ever discovered, dioxin and aflatoxin.

I then noticed a research report from India that had some very provocative, relevant findings. Indian researchers had studied two groups of rats. In one group, they administered the cancer-causing aflatoxin, then fed a diet that was composed of 20% protein, a level near what many of us consume in the West. In the other group, they administered the same amount of aflatoxin, but then fed a diet that was only composed of 5% protein. Incredibly, every Single animal that consumed the 20% protein diet had evidence of liver cancer, and every single animal that consumed a 5% protein diet avoided liver cancer. It was a 100 to 0 score, leaving no doubt that nutrition trumped chemical carcinogens, even very potent carcinogens, in controlling cancer.

We found that not all proteins had this effect. What protein conSistently and strongly promoted cancer? Casein, which makes up 87% of cow's milk protein, promoted all stages of the cancer process. What type of protein did not promote cancer, even at high levels of intake? The safe proteins were from plants, including wheat and soy. As this picture came into view, it began to challenge and then to shatter some of my most cherished assumptions.`

Early scientists like Carl Voit (1831-1908), a prominent German scientist, were staunch champions of protein. Voit found that "man" needed only 48.5 grams per day, but nonetheless he recommended a whopping 118 grams per day because of the cultural bias of the time. Protein equaled meat, and everyone aspired to have meat on his or her table, just as we aspire to have bigger houses and faster cars. Voit figured you can't get too much of a good thing.

Can you guess what food we might eat to most efficiently provide the building blocks for our replacement proteins? The answer is human flesh. Its protein has just the right amount of the needed amino acids. But while our fellow men and women are not for dinner, we do get the next "best" protein by eating other animals.

Dietary fats and cholesterol don't necessarily turn into body fat and blood cholesterol

Several studies have now shown, in both experimental animals and in humans, that consuming animal-based protein increases blood cholesterol levels.

18 Saturated fat and dietary cholesterol also raise blood cholesterol, although these nutrients are not as effective at doing this as is animal protein. In contrast, plant-based foods contain no cholesterol and, in various other ways, help to decrease the amount of cholesterol made by the body. All of this was consistent with the findings from the China Study.

Vitamin C primarily comes from fruit, and eating fruit was also inversely associated with esophageal cancer. 

Consuming diets high in protein and fat transfers calories away from their conversion into body heat to their storage form-as body fat (unless severe calorie restriction is causing weight loss). In contrast, diets low in protein and fat cause calories to be "lost" as body heat. In research, we say that storing more calories as fat and losing less as heat means being more efficient. I bet that you would rather be a little more inefficient and convert it into body heat rather than body fat, right?

Well, simply consuming a diet lower in fat and protein can do this. This is what our China Study data show. Chinese consume more calories both because they are more physically active and because their consumption of low-fat, low-protein diets shifts conversion of these calories away from body fat to body heat. This is true even for the least physically active Chinese. Remember, it takes very little, only fifty calories a day, to change our storage of body fat and thus change our body weight.

We found that calories were "burned" at a faster rate and transformed into body heat as more oxygen was consumed. 

Generally speaking, you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight-as long you eat the right type of food. 

...animal protein, unlike plant protein, increases the acid load in the body.3 An increased acid load means that our blood and tissues become more acidic. The body does not like this acidic environment and begins to fight it. In order to neutralize the acid, the body uses calcium, which acts as a very effective base. This calcium, however, must come from somewhere. It ends up being pulled from the bones, and the calcium loss weakens them, putting them at greater risk for fracture.

THE BENEFITS OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE are enormous. I want you to know that you can:

• live longer

• look and feel younger

• have more energy

• lose weight

• lower your blood cholesterol

• prevent and even reverse heart disease

• lower your risk of prostate, breast and other cancers

• preserve your eyesight in your later years

• prevent and treat diabetes

• avoid surgery in many instances

• vastly decrease the need for pharmaceutical drugs

• keep your bones strong

• avoid impotence

• avoid stroke

• prevent kidney stones

• keep your baby from getting Type 1 diabetes

• alleviate constipation

• lower your blood pressure

• avoid Alzheimer's

• beat arthritis

• and more ...

These are only some of the benefits, and all of them can be yours. The price? Simply changing your diet. I don't know that it has ever been so easy or so relatively effortless to achieve such profound benefits.

... cholesterol and vitamins A, D and B12• Three of these are nonessential nutrients. As discussed above, cholesterol is made by our bodies naturally. Vitamin A can be readily made by our bodies from beta-carotene, and vitamin D can be readily made by our bodies simply by exposing our skin to about fifteen minutes of sunshine every couple days. Both of these vitamins are toxic if they are consumed in high amounts.

It is estimated that we hold a three-year store of vitamin B12 in our bodies. If you do not eat any animal products for three years or more, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should consider taking a small B12 supplement on occasion, or going to the doctor annually to check your blood levels of B vitamins and homocysteine. Likewise, if you never get sunshine exposure, especially during the winter months, you might want to take a vitamin D supplement. I would recommend taking the smallest dose you can find and making more of an effort to get outside.

Part 2 coming up...



I strongly encourage you to read this book.



Read my very first post here.Do read my posts on The China Study

*Lynspirations

Everyone is responsible for their health