No it's not too heavy on the grains and yes it is whole grain organic. I use that ceramic green nonstick pan and can make pancakes without oil. The secrete is getting the pan to the right temp and a good wooden spatula. A salad would have rounded it out nicely but I had a lot of salad for lunch.
Farmgirl19 I know you really watch the amount of grains you eat because you also eat animal products and the excess combination would cause a weight problem. Since you know my food is plant based only, what reference are you using to say it is too heavy on the grains and how many ounces per meal or % should grains be for patients on a heart disease reversing diet? Please don't take this as sarcastic, there are lots of Doctors/Nutritionist on TBN that have more medical/nutritional education than I and I'm always looking for good recent studies to review. (If your statement was directed toward your specific diet then disregard, but then was wondering when you eat pancakes for breakfast do you not use grains?)
I don't eat pancakes. Too many carbs, and not something I enjoy. If I want the carbs, beer or wine will be where I go for them!
Your grain diet is better than most who try it. At least you are eating whole grain, instead of the stuff where the nutrition has been stripped. Most folks don't realize that the reason the flour they buy at the store is "enriched" is because they stripped all nutrition from it in processing it. Same for "fortified" milk. If you didn't destroy the nutrients, you wouldn't have to try to add them back in, in synthetic form, I might mention.
I have a couple of sources that I use for some of my studies and research. Here is a good video, done by a doctor in Denmark. It is from Jan. 2013, so pretty recent.
Uffe Ravnskov: The cholesterol campaign and its misleading dietary advices - YouTube
This paper, is a bit dated, since what I have was last revised 2002, but has some good information.
Myths of Vegetarianism - Weston A Price Foundation
Also, the book, "Stop Worrying Abiout Cholesterol" by Dr. Richard C. Tapert, is good information. I don;t know if a current edition is available for it, but it shows how the results were skewed and distorted, and why, inthe studies that began the fad of having lower cholesterol in the diet.
I'll have to look for the study linking dementia with lower cholesterol. After all, most of the brain is cholesterol, so if one lowers those levels, they are also decreasing brain capacity. Wonder why we have so much more dementia lately?
Cholesterol is an anti-oxidant. The reason the levels tend to climb as we get older, is because we need more anti-oxidants.
Cholesterol is also the important precursor molecule for important hormones, such as estrogen, testosterone, and also for Vitamin D. Most people in the US are Vitamin D deficient. Partly due to diet, and partly because we sit indoors and don't get the sunshine. When our skin is exposed to UV from sunlight, cholesterol is converted to Vitamin D.
I am not as "strict" on my diet, as you are yours. I enjoy all types of fresh foods, and even some that are not so good for me (Tex-Mex). I just know that when I do have a day of indulgence, I'll have to make up for it, on other days. For the most part, I try to enjoy all things in moderation. I know that you ate that term, but a couple of glasses of wine, a couple of evenings a week, is probably better for me, than a lot of foods that you eat, and is what I consider "moderation". I try to limit cheese to a couple of ounces a day. It is my FAVORITE food! I do not drink milk, because I can't stand it. I like yogurt, but always want more than the small container, so usually avoid it, so that I am not tempted to go over the "moderation" level there. One day, I might eat 6 ounces of lean, organically raised beef, and the next, I might not even have 2 ounces. So, I don't always follow the 4 oz rule. And before everyine thinks I really am Wonder Woman, on my diet, I do enjoy a scrambled egg, a strip of bacon, and half a piece of toast for supper, if I am looking for quick meal, after being out working all day. When it comes to flavor, the words of Emeril ring true: "Pork fat rules!"
And remember TXDon, you are the one who asked!
