Guys...

I applied to intern with Snapchat, Domo, Yelp, Tesla, Etsy, and Dropbox today.

Sir Kitts

So this past Winter Semester I had the chance to design and implement a full stereo audio amplifier.

We did some testing for each segment of the project, including using an oscilloscope to visualize signal flow.

We worked together with lab partners to collaborate and create!

After all was said and done, the stereo works like a charm and is easy to use.

Vegetarians Eat Vegetables, but What do Humanitarians Eat?

“Calm down mother.” These were the words of G. Timothy Johnson, M.D., a doctor replying to a “Dear Abby” style column from 1977 from a mother, concerned about her college-aged son who recently adopted a vegetarian diet. “I find a lot to recommend such a diet,” Dr. Johnson says (Johnson). A diet free of meat is not as taboo as it once was. Restaurants across the country feel the need to offer alternatives to animal products. A vegetarian diet, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is defined by the food items eliminated entirely from consumption (Scientific Report). A lacto-ovo-vegetarian (hereafter referred to as simply “vegetarian”) diet includes animal eggs and dairy products, but excludes all fish and meat. But is this an ideal diet that everyone should adopt? What kind of effects can it have on our health?

Having adopted a vegetarian diet, the most common question I’m asked is “how do you get your protein?”  Word for word, this question is one that everyone associates with vegetarianism, and with good reason. It is likely that the mother writing to Doctor Johnson was told of the dangers of vegetarianism, including protein deficiency. Protein is a necessary nutrient for life because it helps build muscles, skin, and bones. For most people protein, in relation to diet, means meat, hence the confusion. It is important to note that protein is found in many places in the average American diet. In fact, in its 2015 Dietary Guidelines report, the USDA stated that “intakes of protein (as grams/day) are adequate across the population and protein is not a shortfall nutrient” (Position). The majority of the population is getting enough protein. This is likely the case for omnivores due to the central focus the American diet places on protein-rich meat. But vegetarians are included in this population. How do they measure up? As well as obtaining protein from dairy products like yogurt and milk, the vegetarian diet must include plant protein to fill this need; the American Dietetic Association confirms this. “Typical protein intakes of lacto-ovo vegetarians and of vegans,” they state, “appear to meet and exceed requirements.” A vegetarian diet is not only adequate, but “appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes” (Position). The majority of moderate diets are sufficient in protein intake, thus dispelling the all-or-nothing assumption that a vegetarian diet does not supply enough protein.

The young man’s mother previously mentioned would be happy to hear that there has been an increasing focus in the United States on personal health in recent years. Headlines rage about genetically modified foods and so-called “pink slime.” Dictionary definitions of health tend to include vigor in both mind and in body. Mental health includes perception of happiness. Bodily health includes fitness and longevity. Americans want to be healthy because a strong and attractive body gives the image of success and prosperity. Today these issues point to the impact our diets can have on how we feel, how we look, and how we think. A focus on health, therefore, means a focus on diet. We as Americans want to buy real and clean foods because we understand the effect that these foods can have on our own perceived personal health.

The USDA wisely reminds us that “all dietary practices, including non-vegetarian diets, can be deleterious for health if essential nutrients are not consumed according to an individual’s needs” (McEvoy). The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified the three primary deficient micronutrients in Americans to be vitamin B6, Iron, and vitamin D (Second). The following data is from the USDA National Nutrient Database (NDL). Vitamin B6 can be found in large amounts in pork, turkey, and beef. It is also found in similar amounts in potatoes and chickpeas. Iron, a necessary mineral, is obtained through red meat, but also beans and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin D is a bit different, mostly obtained through exposure to sunlight. It can be found, though, in mushrooms and some fish. These nutrients are essential to personal health, but can be found in meat and in vegetarian options. So those who are deficient are primarily those who are not conscious of what they consume. It is important to pay attention to what we take in, ensuring that we are getting the nutrients necessary.

Other health benefits are worthy to mention in this context. The USDA has reported a study done that concluded that a vegetarian diet is related to a “reduced incidence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) or CVD (cardiovascular disease) mortality” and “reduction in mean systolic blood pressure... and diastolic blood pressure...” The report also states that vegetarian diets, when planned correctly, are high in polyunsaturated fats and dietary fiber - both nutrients that are sparse in the average American diet (Scientific). The ADA also includes magnesium, potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals in this list of nutrients which tend to prevail in vegetarian diets and suffer in omnivorous ones (Position).

Amino Acids are compounds that make up proteins in our bodies. Of the 21 amino acids necessary for human life, nine cannot be synthesized from other compounds. In other words, we need to consume nine of them as is. Our bodies have the ability to synthesize the other 12 from other sources (Young). It had been supposed for years that the vegetarian diet required a calculated balance of grains and legumes due to the amino acid compound of each, and that vegetable proteins were not sufficient. This is simply not true. When compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended daily intake, the essential amino acid profile of black beans (per the USDA Nutritional Database) is comparable to beef or chicken. This is true for many legumes and vegetables. The more pertinent issue for a vegetarian diet is getting enough calories to ensure that the daily value is met.

Before my research, I was not aware of the harmful effects of red and processed meat. Studies across the board report that red and processed meat is positively associated with cases of cardiovascular disease (McEvoy), type 2 diabetes (Khaleova), colorectal, esophageal, lung, pancreatic, endometrial, prostate, breast, bladder, and oral cancer (Lanou). This blew me away. The WHO provides some insight into the effect of cardiovascular disease (CVD), stating that in 2012 alone, it was the number one noncommunicable disease in the world, causing over 17.5 million deaths (Mendis). The harm comes especially from processed meat, where production practices are embarrassing at best. Processed meat should be avoided at all costs due to the various contaminants and non-meat items it is comprised of. Red meat is included also because of the practices and treatment of the product itself. Other forms of animal products, including chicken and fish, aren’t far behind, as studies are showing that the antibiotics used in animal husbandry are contributing to a resistance to medical antibiotics. Though antibiotic resistance is complex, and there are many other factors to consider, it has been determined that consuming animal products increases resistance to antibiotics (Hu Y). This is concerning because of our vast reliance on medical antibiotics. Only time can tell what other effects this will have on the population.

Knowledge of the potential negative effects of animal consumption is becoming more available today, and people are responding. Your everyday megamart now carries organic “grass-fed” beef, “cage-free” chicken, and “fresh frozen” salmon. These products, though, are often only slightly better than their factory-farmed cousins (Daley)(Torde). Avoiding these negative effects, while eating healthy is paramount in any diet contributing to and ensuring lasting health.

So mother, Doctor  G. Timothy Johnson was right on when he stated that he finds “a lot to recommend such a diet.” Adopting a vegetarian diet need not be an extremist, political act. I consider it an act of understanding. When health is a concern to us, we seek out the best foods that provide the correct nutrients. Those foods are found at the bottom of the food chain, where we can get nutrients directly. We must be aware of what we are taking into our bodies, and that it won’t harm us. Animal products go through so much processing, whether tagged “processed” or not. The only way to ensure that we are getting what we want is to base our diets around whole foods, and mostly plants. Naturally, meat will be eliminated, and mother will be content knowing that all is well - healthier, in fact -  in the belly of the herbivore.

Works Cited

Daley, Cynthia A et al. “A Review of Fatty Acid Profiles and Antioxidant Content in Grass-Fed and Grain-Fed Beef.” Nutrition Journal 9 (2010): 10.PMC. Web. 6 July 2015.

Hana Kahleova MD PhD & Terezie Pelikanova MD PhD (2015): Vegetarian Diets in the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2014.976890

Hu, Yongfei et al. “The Abundance of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Human Guts Has Correlation to the Consumption of Antibiotics in Animal.” Gut Microbes 5.2 (2014): 245–249. PMC. Web. 6 July 2015.

Johnson, G. Timothy, M.D. "My Son, The Vegetarian." Warren Times Observer 2 Sept. 1977: 35. Newspaper Archive. Web. 6 July 2015.

Lanou, Amy Joy, and Barbara Svenson. “Reduced Cancer Risk in Vegetarians: An Analysis of Recent Reports.” Cancer Management and Research 3 (2011): 1–8. PMC. Web. 6 July 2015.

McEvoy C.T., Temple N., Woodside J.V. Vegetarian diets, low-meat diets and health: A review. Public Health Nutr. 2012;15:2287–2294. doi: 10.1017/S1368980012000936.

Mendis, Shanthi. "Executive Summary." Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases 2014. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Web.

"NDL/FNIC Food Composition Database Home Page." NDL/FNIC Food Composition Database Home Page. N.p., 7 Dec. 2011. Web. 06 July 2015. <http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/>.

"Position of the American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 109.7 (2009): 1266-282. Web.

Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Advisory Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture. N.p.: n.p., 2015. Web. 1 July 2015.

Second National Report on Biochemical Indicators of Diet and Nutrition in the U.S. Population. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 1 July 2015. <http://www.cdc.gov/nutritionreport/pdf/exesummary_web_032612.pdf>.

Torde, Richard G. et al. “Multiplexed Analysis of Cage and Cage Free Chicken Egg Fatty Acids Using Stable Isotope Labeling and Mass Spectrometry.”Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 18.12 (2013): 14977–14988. PMC. Web. 6 July 2015.

Young, VR Adult amino acid requirements: The case for a major revision in current recommendations. J Nutr. 1994; 124: 1517S – 1523S.

Respect.

"I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me...All I ask is that you respect me as a human being." - Jackie Robinson.

   Respect has been fought for, martyred for, and discussed for thousands of years. Christ taught it. Lincoln taught it.  Heck, Aretha Franklin taught it and owned it. Respect is something everyone wants, and few master. Respect yields trust, and trust yields influence. Influence is also something we all yearn for as human beings; to make an impact on something, someone.
 
 

Lesson of the Day

Truth will never be held back. All things will be made known eventually. An honest man is a man who enters the kingdom, so let us all be honest today.

Act now so that those who "Speak" your death will do so proudly.

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Courage

The biggest decision in my life thus far is coming dauntingly fast. The question now is do I have the courage to pick the road less traveled? Do I chase the dream, or settle for something that's just good? Do I want to be happy and busy, or content and free? When I ask myself these questions the answer seems obvious... Go for gold, but doubt always follows me where I go. Help me someone, and make the decision for me :)

Words of Love

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