My sister-in-law's diet... page 5

[Moll]

We recently moved to a very SDA area and I was really confused by how most grocery stores around here have a huge section of the canned Worthington faux meats--I'd never even seen them before. I know whole food vegans who won't touch the soy stuff, but apparently it's a staple for SDA's? I wish I could help, the only thought that I have is to encourage her to eat more whole foods--maybe taking trips together to the farmer's market? I'd also see if she would read info about the negative health impacts of soy, and then recommend "clean meat" according to biblical terms? I'm lactose intolerant and used to eat a bunch of soy dairy substitutes (2+ soy lattes a day, soy ice cream, etc.). We were having trouble conceiving and I ran across an article linking soy to menstrual cycle disturbances, so as an experiment I went off all the soy. That very month my cycles decreased by 10 days (to a normal length) and we conceived not long after that. Anecdotal, sure, but I can't help but think of it as personal proof that soy products affect our hormones. Oh, and isn't sugar supposed to be limited on a SDA diet?

There are a lot of things that theoretically would be limited on a true SDA diet, but at least in the areas I've lived, diet isn't actually a concern. I work at a Chinese restaurant that has a buffet during the lunch hour, and it makes me equally amused/repulsed that people come in and are extremely careful in making sure that they aren't eating any pork (because it's considered "unclean") but will happily munch away at the chicken and beef dishes that are "clean meats." I'm sorry, but nothing that comes off the Gordon Food Service truck is going to be a CLEAN MEAT. (Not to mention MSG, sugar, deep fried canola oil, etc.) It's like...once they have the "rules" all figured out, they can just go on autopilot and stop critical thought. As long as there's no pork or shrimp being ingested, nothing else seems to matter.

Ok, end rant. I'm not trying to use this as a blanket statement - I do know that there are people in this town and many others who do think about their diet with more regard to actual health. I just happen to run into so many more who don't seem to think at all. It didn't help that I worked at the local grocery store and experienced the campmeeting veggie meat case sales, where individuals would buy 5 or 6 cases (75ish cans) of veggie meat in one go. I think I sold 12 cases once. $500 worth of this crap.

[Belforte]

This is a great article on bible and grain, you may need it when your SIL sees your transformation.

You are doing a great thing to let her stay.

Does the Bible Say We Should Eat Grains? | Wellness Mama

[Bosnic]

The trick is to not give a shit.

[Moll]

This is a great article on bible and grain, you may need it when your SIL sees your transformation.

You are doing a great thing to let her stay.

Does the Bible Say We Should Eat Grains? | Wellness Mama

Thanks for the encouragement and thanks so much for the article!! I'll save it for future reference

[Moll]

The trick is to not give a shit.

That IS the trick...unfortunately I'm not very good at it

[jojohaligo]

Wow...Worthington Vege-Burger:

Textured wheat gluten with water for hydration, water, defatted soy flour. Contains 2% or less of oat flour, wheat flour, caramel color, salt, yeast extract, soy protein isolate, dextrose, onion powder, L-lysine monohydrochloride, hydrolized soy protein, vitamins (...), celery extract, parsley extract.


mmm, so appetizing!

[divadevilsmom]

I cannot give any advice regarding changing her eating habits but I can relate, in a sense. I started tinkering with Atkins back in 2005 and discovered that giving up grains and sugar was wonderful for me. It was atkins and general low carb that led me to discover paleo and primal. I am overweight. I have fluctuated up and down over the last 7 years crazily but always find that meats and veggies trump anything else not only in losing weight but in mood, health, and energy overall. My sister is 4 years younger than me, 5'1 and last year topped at 200 lbs. She is always starting a "diet" but never sticks to it. I, on many occasions, have tried to influence her to go lowcarb. She always says that it isn't for her. She is a nurse and she believes that eating that high of a fat diet is bad and that a healthy diet definitely contains whole grains. Regardless of that argument, her average diet consists of chips, hamburgers, hamburger helper, fried chicken, cookies, and other tragically horrific foods. Vegetables, to her, are canned green beans, corn, and baked beans. I get frustrated to no extent knowing that she has depression and anxiety issues, is lethargic allllll the time, and cannot lose weight because no diet is sustainable for her. I wish all the time that I could influence the way she eats. But there is nothing I can do to convince her. So, I just say "I guess it isn't for everyone" and go about my day. What can ya do?

[belle1954]

In the Bible people certainly ate meat. And while I don't believe in evolution, either, I do believe God made our bodies to function on real foods that people have eaten forever. People even 150 years ago did not have veggie meat, sugared cereals or chemical preservatives. Have her read the work of Weston A Price who wasn't against freshly ground naturally organic grains, but showed primitive cultures all around the world were healthiest when their diet contained meat, eggs, often raw dairy and fish. Fresh vegetables were usually also an important part of their diets. There is no traditional culture that was vegetarian.

My thoughts exactly. We were created to eat real food. That's not evolution, that's the way we were created. she should understand that perfectly.

[magnolia1973]

It's her religion. Just leave it alone and share your veggie sides and fruits.

Seriously, unless you genuinely want to help her with her health, you are just being a smug bitch. I kind of feel like you are more into mocking her. Great, you eat grass fed meat. Have you always? You've never had fast food?

I spemt MANY years with arrogant, smug Vegans. Don't go down that road.

[Jena]

I would just worry about yourself and your own diet. I have been primal for over four months now and I don't feel I am one to start pushing my way of eating on others. If they ask, I tell them. If they do not want to participate in primal eating... I am certainly not going to force it on them. I think that people seeing the weight loss I have achieved is the most convincing argument I can make anyway.