Q: Last summer my friend visited a farm where they raised cattle for veal and immediately switched to a strict vegetarian diet. Then the weirdest thing happened: She gained weight! I am thinking of going all-veggie, too, but don't want that to happen to me. Any advice?-Simone W., Toronto
A: It's not uncommon for people who decide that they aren't going to eat meats-or anything that's animal-derived-to have a hard time designing a healthy diet. That's because grocery-store shelves and drive-thru menus are loaded with vegetarian choices that deliver calorie-intense, inflammation-causing, gut-biome-disrupting added sugars, processed grains, full-dairy cheeses and saturated fats from palm and coconut oil-chips, dips, sodas, pizza, macaroni and cheese, french fries, etc.
Even eating too much of good-for-you peanut butter, chia seeds, quinoa, walnuts, dark chocolate, olives or tofu can pack on the pounds over time. And there are meat substitutes like tofurkey that are highly processed and contain large amounts of sodium, preservatives and other man-made ingredients. You need to pay attention to what you eat and how much, no matter what sort of diet you adopt.
That's why we think it's important to spread the word about a recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology that found a vegetarian diet based on less-healthy foods, like sweetened beverages, refined grains, potatoes and sweets, increases your risk for heart disease by a whopping 32 percent!
On the other hand, eating a vegetarian diet that's based on fresh veggies and fruits, and 100 percent whole grains, well, that slashes your risk of heart disease by 25 percent!
So take these findings seriously as you switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet, and talk to your friend about making the right food choices.
(c) 2017 Michael Roizen, M.D.,
and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Q: I have had to tell my boys, ages 8 and 10, that they cannot go over to the house next door (those kids can come over here) because I know there are guns in the house. Am I overreacting?-Franny G., Evanston, Illinois
A: You're right to take a stand! Every year around 1,500 kids (mostly boys) younger than 18 die from a gunshot wound, and many more are seriously injured, almost always unintentionally! Younger children, the age of yours, Franny, are vulnerable: USA Today reports that in a recent two-year period, 152 children younger than 12 either shot and killed themselves or were killed accidently by another child.
In most states, including your home state of Illinois, there are Childhood Access Prevention laws. Failure to protect against and/or supervise a child's gun access can and has landed the gun owner in jail on manslaughter and weapons charges if a child is injured or killed. It's hard, we know, but don't hesitate to ask your neighbor to respect your wishes and the regulations.
There's a national campaign called ASK (Asking Saves Kids), initiated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, that encourages pediatricians to talk to parents about asking if there's a gun in a house before allowing their kids to enter. It's effective: A study found that fully 85 percent said they'd be comfortable doing so after hearing about gun risks from their doctor.
But don't YOU wait for your doc to bring up the topic. Discuss it with your friends and neighbors, and make it a routine question whenever you're dropping your kids off (or deciding not to) for a playdate. According to Dr. Nina Agrawal, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics who has studied the impact of ASK, "A simple question or short conversation about gun safety can protect children from this danger."