Vegetarian Star

If you follow Forest Whitaker, you know he had to shed that 70 pounds of extra baggage he put on for The Last King of Scotland, a film which earned him an Oscar in 2007.

Forest has been following a vegetarian diet for years, but he found cutting back on many processed foods, especially soy, helped the cause.

In other words: Forest cut the vegan junk food!

“I cut all the soy out and it changed everything… I just wanted to take care of myself,” Forest said.

Faux meats and cheeses are no doubt delicious, but YES, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. But is soy itself to blame for the vegan Santa Clause look? Not necessarily, says Dr. Andrew Weil, healthy living expert.

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Vegan athlete Brendan Brazier has taken to CrazySexyLife to talk about us being unbalanced!

That is, the average American consumes too high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids and not enough omega-3s, as reported by a World Health Organization finding.

Some believe the shift in eating more processed foods that are rich in the omega-6 acids, but also refined oils and manufactured fats designed to protect shelf life,  may be responsible for the ratio, and recommend supplementing with omega-3 for balance.

According to nutrition guru Dr. Weil, this imbalance may be linked to depression, obesity, hyperactivity and even violence. We need to stop building prisons and provide funding for omega-3 in criminals’ diets. A British study found that violence in prison dropped by 37% after omega-3 oils and supplements were added to the prisoners’ diets.

Brazier believes supplementing is like taking vitamins without ever eating a vegetable and the best way to cure the imbalance is to eat a well rounded diet.

“Taking into account the WHO’s findings on the ideal ratio, those of us who eat a diet that does not regularly contain large amounts of high-temperature fried foods, hydrogenated fats (such as those found in some margarines) or trans fats have no reason to use supplements with a greater ratio of omega-3 to omega-6. It’s just not necessary. If, however, a large part of your diet consists of denatured fats, fried foods and manufactured oils…stop eating them!”

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Dr. Andrew Weil, author and integrative medicine pioneer, discusses the dangers of pesticides in food, especially fruits and vegetables in this clip that also shows the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen,” list of produce you should always buy organic.

Organic fruits and veggies won’t be found in the $1 aisle, so when the budget is tight, it’s a good idea to keep this list handy to know what you can away with.

We should probably be following Dr. Weil’s advice on the dirty dozen, which is if he can’t get organic versions of them, he doesn’t eat them.

“A lot of these chemicals are toxic to the nervous system. Other may disrupt endocrine function in the body. They may increase risk of cancer and other chronic diseases,” Dr. Weil explains in the video.

Dr. Weil says data exists that shows people who eat organic have lower measurable pesticide levels in their tissues.

Like other data, the “Dirty Dozen” list is updated, and the Environmental Working Group has unveiled the 2010 list.

Dirty Dozen–Always Buy Organic
1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes

Cleanest–Lowest in Pesticides, Buy Conventional When You Have To
1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangos
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantalouope
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

You can download the wallet guide and there’s an iphone application coming soon.

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