Re: quinoa, off topic
Plain and simple the more raw foods you eat the better off you'll be. For protein avocado and raw nuts are the best as you and Chris have both said. But all foods contain protein and it is a myth that we need 'complete' proteins as I've said in a previous post. The body simply doesn't work that way. It uses what it needs right away and stores the rest until it is needed. It doesn't store complete proteins it stores different amino acids separately and then combines them as needed for each task. That doesn't mean quinoa isn't a good food of course. For a grain it is pretty good, my only bias against it is that it isn't raw and therefore is not a 'complete' food, having had some of the nutrients stripped during processing and cooking. Not to mention the water content, so the body has to labour more to digest and clean up after it.
Vegetarians can still have crappy diets. The fact that they don't eat meat in itself is not in any way dangerous.
I also don't believe that a healthy raw diet lacks in B12. I have always avoided those products which are supposed to have the most B12 in them, ever since I became a vegetarian over 20 years ago. I believe that it is present in some foods that aren't considered to have any, such as ripe fruit. I also believe that our body can produce it's own in the small intestine and absorb it from there during times of fasting when the small intestine is not being used for it's other function. I say I believe that to be the case, it is based on recent research but not traditional medical research so all I can say is I believe it, or it's my opinion.
But a lot of vegans I know do use the yeast stuff so that's a good option if you're worried about it.
Andrew.