By Dr. Karin Dina, D.C.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the recently updated dietary suggestions released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the form of a dinner plate, called MyPlate. The new icon presents the five food group concept, from the former food pyramid, in a simpler and more relatable style that encourages Americans to move toward a plant based diet.
The MyPlate guidelines encourage people to make half of their plate fruits and vegetables. The vegetable group contains a variety of veggies: chlorophyll-rich dark leafy greens, antioxidant rich red and orange vegetables, starchy vegetables, beans and peas, and other types of vegetables, many of which are popular staples of raw food enthusiasts. Beans and peas also fall under the protein category, as do nuts and seeds. The fruit group contains a wide variety of fruits generally available in natural food markets and grocery stores, making them easily accessible. Many fruits that raw food enthusiasts use in green smoothies can be found on this list.
The remaining half of the plate is divided into the grain group and the protein group. The grain group contains both whole and refined grain options, with gluten free choices. Raw food cuisine favorites such as buckwheat, quinoa, wild rice, and amaranth are on the list. Given that a large number of people in the U.S. consume the standard western diet with plenty of processed grains and refined grain products, the MyPlate suggestion to consume at least half of grains as whole grains is a step in the right direction. Keeping the recommendations relatable and “doable” for the general population is important encourage people to consider healthier options. I personally would like to see more of an emphasis on whole food choices.
Although the protein portion of the plate includes the choice of fish and lean cuts of red meat or chicken, there are numerous choices for vegetarians and vegans including beans, nuts, and seeds. Raw food favorites such as almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and cashews made the list. The MyPlate guidelines encourage people to vary their protein sources by choosing plant sources of protein.
Overall, MyPlate suggests consuming less fat and more fiber rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans. MyPlate also stresses the importance of exercise and eating an appropriate number of calories. Processed foods and foods that are high in added sweeteners and fats tend to be more calorie dense than whole foods, so the probability of consuming more calories per meal is much higher when one is consuming processed foods than when one is consuming whole foods.
The biggest difference between the former recommendations and the new MyPlate is the new icon, but there are some additional notable changes. For example, the dairy group on the former pyramid only gave options from dairy products, while the new MyPlate gives the plant-based option of calcium fortified soy milk. I personally would like to see this section expanded to include more calcium-rich plant-based options. MyPlate encourages people to read food labels to identify saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and added sugar content. It also reminds people that sugar is often disguised on food labels under many names including: sucrose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, and fructose. MyPlate makes an important suggestion: drink water instead of sugary drinks, because of their empty calorie content.
Overall, I applaud the USDA for suggesting that people consume whole foods, with an emphasis on whole natural plant foods. I am also happy to see the restyled presentation of their suggestions as the MyPlate icon. I think this is a very relatable and understandable way to convey dietary information to the American public. Of course, there are many areas where I would like to see improvements, but as a basic blueprint for people eating the standard western diet, I think that this model is a step in a positive direction. For those of us already consuming a whole food plant-based diet, this model provides some confirmation that we are consuming foods with numerous health benefits.
Reference: www.choosemyplate.gov
Posted in accordance with USDA MyPlate icon usage guidelines: The USDA does not endorse any products, services, or organizations.
The history of our Science of Raw Food Nutrition series of classes
We are happy to announce two new classes in the Science of Raw Food Nutrition series! Due to popular demand, we have recently added Science of Raw Food Nutrition III and the Advanced Educator course to our curriculum. This series previously consisted of the 2-day, 12 hour Science of Raw Food Nutrition I, 5-day, 35 hour Science of Raw Food Nutrition II, and 2-day Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Educator Courses. With the two new additions, the entire series now spans 15 days and approximately 100 hours of valuable course content. These new courses have been offered just a few times so far since September of 2010 and have already received rave reviews.
Those of you interested in raw food nutrition may be interested in how this curriculum was developed. After attending the second annual Vibrant Living Expo in the summer of 2006, Dr. Karin Dina, D.C. (my wife) and I wondered if Living Light would be interested in having a regular raw food nutrition course to complement their culinary classes. A few months later at World Vegetarian Day in San Francisco, Living Light co-director Dan Ladermann approached us with the very same idea! We began with a test class in the fall of 2006, and the students really liked it. We met with directors Cherie and Dan, and it was decided that Dr. Karin and I would put together a two day, 12 hour course together called “Science of Raw Food Nutrition.” It covered (and still does, although it has been refined and improved many times since) the effects of heating on food, pH balance, blood sugar regulation, raw food sources of essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, anti-aging and longevity, etc. In short, it was a hit!
After a few of these classes, we added a level II class and educator course to the curriculum. So from the summer of 2007 until the first level II and educator course offering in December of 2007, we spent just about every moment in between our chiropractic and nutrition consulting patients, and most evenings and weekends working on our new classes. It was a very intense time, but a labor of love. The prospect of teaching a longer series of classes, where we could build upon the topics discussed in the level I class, as well as have the time to cover many other important and related topics was very exciting to us. In fact, Sundays became our favorite days, because we could sit at the computer and work on our classes all day without interruption! The bottom line is the new classes turned out great and our students were very excited! I remember one student telling us at the end of that first level II class that she was all ready to sign up for level III!
As word got out and demand increased, we offered the new level II class series (now called Benefits of Raw Food Nutrition Educator Certification™ Series) twice in 2008, then three times in 2009, and 4 times in 2010. Beginning in September of 2010, we added Science of Raw Food Nutrition III and the Advanced Educator courses mentioned above (now called the Advanced Raw Food Nutrition Educator Certification™ Series), and offer this entire comprehensive series four times per year. Additionally, the 12-hour Science of Raw Food Nutrition I course is offered by itself 11 times per year, as a regular part of the Living Light curriculum. As we tell our students in terms of implementing raw food nutrition into their lives, the culinary classes are the “how” and the nutrition classes are the “why.” Together they are a highly synergistic combination!
We feel very “lucky” to be able to have the opportunity to see those figurative light bulbs go off over so many of our students heads when various pieces of the nutrition puzzle begin to come together and solidify for them. As far as that particular form of “luck” is concerned, Seneca, a roman philosopher who lived from 5 B.C. to 65 A.D. states it so very well. “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
As far the preparation component is concerned, in addition to our personal experience implementing raw food vegan diets for 45 years collectively, we have both earned 4 year doctoral (D.C.) degrees. It’s just amazing how many pieces of the puzzle come together when going through a formalized 4 year program with heavy emphasis on all of the science that provides the framework that nutrition works as an integral part of. We’ve spent thousands of additional hours in clinical practice and in scouring the peer reviewed scientific literature, as well as putting together power point presentations, course notes, instructor training kits. etc. We do this in a way that makes science easy and fun to understand for those without any kind of science background, but still fully accurate and appreciated by those who do. In our curriculum, all of the above come together in a synergistic manner.
2016 Update: After numerous requests, we are finally offering the updated and expanded version of our Science of Raw Food Nutrition classes online! The name of this course is Mastering Raw Food Nutrition. We invite you to learn more about the class here.
In gratitude,
Dr. Rick Dina, D.C.
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You’ll receive a free copy of Our Top 12 Strategies for Long Term Success on A Raw Plant-Based Diet eBook along with regular information about raw food and plant-based diets and periodic promotions for our classes, events, and other offerings!
Growing goji berry plants – Update
Rick and I returned home from a long weekend out of town to find that our goji seeds had germinated! We are so excited! Here is a photo of two growing together.
Here is a group of very young goji plants growing together. I planted a whole berry here and it appears that many of the goji seeds germinated.
Our next task is to thin the plants so each can have more space to grow. We’ll keep you updated on their progress. 🙂
One of the best ways to keep in touch with us is to join our email list. You’ll receive a free copy of Our Top 12 Strategies for Long Term Success on A Raw Plant-Based Diet eBook along with regular information about raw food and plant-based diets and periodic promotions for our classes, events, and other offerings!
A Variation on My Favorite Green Juice
Several months ago, I was at my local farmer’s market and saw some Swiss chard starts for sale from a local garden plant vendor. I have never grown chard before, so I thought it would be fun to give it a try. Well, now Rick and I have LOTS of chard growing in our garden and have the opportunity to use it in different recipes. Yesterday, I had a couple of
chard leaves in my morning smoothie and today I thought I would try it in a green juice.
My favorite green juice recipe contains celery, cucumber, the juice of one lemon, and some type of leafy green. For the green, I like to use either kale or dandelion greens, but since I have fresh chard from the garden I used 3 leaves of it in my juice.
Here are the ingredients of the juice: four stalks of celery, one large cucumber, one peeled lemon, and 3 leaves of Swiss chard. I used our twin gear juicer to make the juice and it was really good! I really love the tart lemon taste. One can add apple or some other fruit for a sweet taste, or leave out the lemon for a “green” taste.
A nutrition note: Raw Swiss chard is NOT a rich source of calcium, due to its high oxalic acid content. I do not rely on it as a source of calcium, nor do I make juice out of it often. Swiss chard is in the goosefoot plant family, the same family as spinach and other foods that are high in oxalic acid.
Leafy greens that are lower in oxalic acid include cabbage family plants such as kale and bok choy. There are plenty of plant food sources of calcium that we cover in our course the Science of Raw Food Nutrition Level I and will cover in future blog posts.
Some non-cabbage family leafy vegetables that I enjoy in salads include dandelion greens, endive, escarole, frisée greens (curly endive), and lettuce, of course. We’ll leave my salad contents for a future post. 🙂
Growing goji berry plants
At the time, I had never before seen an actual goji plant growing in a garden, given that goji berries are native to Asia and are not popularly cultivated as a garden crop here in the United States. Not surprisingly, the berries on the plant reminded me of tiny Roma tomatoes, given that goji berries (lycium barbarum) are in the nightshade plant family (Solanaceae), the same plant family as tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, and Incan berries (a.k.a. golden berries).
I was excited to find after doing a little research that goji plants can grow in the area where Rick and I live. I am a big fan of locally grown food, so I thought it would be fun to grow some goji berry plants in my backyard garden.
Today, I looked for a suitable container in which to grow my goji seeds. I found an unused planter, filled it with soil, and made ½ inch deep holes about 2 inches apart. I opened several goji berries to find 20+ tiny seeds in each, which I carefully removed and did my best to place one seed in each of the holes. In several of the holes, I placed a single goji berry to see if multiple seeds would germinate together. I filled in the holes with soil and then watered the planted seeds and soil.
Now that the seeds are planted, I am looking forward to seeing how many, if any, actually germinate and produce plants. I’ll give you updates as the growing season progresses. 🙂
We are happy to announce….
our first blog post! We are looking forward to writing about various topics that inspire us and have helped us achieve our personal health goals.
As expected, we will be writing about fresh whole natural plant foods from a scientific/ research perspective in a relatable and fun manner. Our goal is to regularly cover topics that you find to be valuable, so our question to you is: what health and nutrition subjects would you like to read on our blog? Please let us know by writing your suggestions in the comment section below.
Yours in health,
Drs. Karin and Rick Dina, D.C.
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