You Are What You Eat

We have heard of old time "You are what you eat." Recently, I read an article that actually takes this down to the gene level.  At Nanjing University in China, a study testing for the presence of microRNAs (building blocks of genetic material that prevent specific genes from giving rise to the proteins they encode) from corp plants, such as rice, wheat, potatoes and cabbage in blood samples of 21 volunteers.

The different microRNAs from commonly eaten plants were found in the subjects' bloodstream.  They also found that a rice microRNA could control of activity of receptors controlling removal of LDL ("bad" cholesterol).  The findings support co-evolution, a process in which genetic changes in one species trigger changes in another. 

This leads me to question, if genetic changes of plants show up in people's bloodstreams, then genetically modifying foods cannot be an isolated event.  These genetic changes to plants will show up in those who eat them.  Could this contribute to more genetic problems that we pass down to the next generation including allergies, diseases, cancer, you name it?  Cancer existed 50 years ago, but was just not as prevalent as it is today.

One thing to do that combats genetically modified food is to have your own garden.  And, to make sure that the seeds you use to grow your food are non GMO (not genetically modified).  The more non GMO we use, the more chance there is that these good seeds will be preserved and really bring what we need to fight disease and improve wellness of life for the people we love.


More on genetically modified foods, previous post: Someone Wants to Control Your Food
Source: Scientific American

Pom Power

If you haven't seen, right now is pomegranate season.  The pomegranates are so juicy, so sweet, ruby red, and plump.  The fruit is shiny and, in many ways, just tantalizing.  I know that many western books depict the apple as the fruit of temptation in the Garden of Eden.  But, seriously, I think it was the pomegranate.  Have you ever eaten one that is in season?  It's ruby red, jewel-like parcels contain 100% juice.  They burst in your mouth with their refreshing sweet flavor, and the seeds have fiber.

I have been eating so many of these delicious fruits, that the other fruits can't keep my attention like a perfectly ripe pomegranate.  If it were really the pomegranate in the Garden, Eve, I don't blame you.

Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants.  "Pomegranate juice contains the highest antioxidant capacity compared to other juices, red wine, and green tea," said Professor Michael Aviram at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.  There was one study presented in San Antonio at the American Urological Association Annual Meeting in which 48 men who had been treated for prostate cancer drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily.  Drinking the juice lengthened the time it took for the disease to develop.  Doesn't stop disease, but the results indicated there may be chemicals in the juice that have cancer-fighting benefits.

Pomegranate juice also has been shown to inhibit the oxidation of LDL ("bad" cholesterol).  And at least five studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of pomegranate juice on cardiovascular health.

A study published in the Journal of Urology examined the long-term intake of pomegranate juice on erectile dysfunction (in an animal model).  Results suggest that free radicals (oxidative stress) are a contribution factor in erectile dysfunction.  In response, antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals, and is an important part of the daily diet.  It may be time to get your pomegranate on!

Our collection of pomegranates:

Source: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden

Love the Fava a Lotta

Say that 100 times for a tongue twister!  Fava beans (also called broadbeans) are not as popular as other beans, but this vegetable has a distinct look and taste.  The peapod is BIG.  Take your typical green bean and magnify it a few hundred percent.  It's like they should belong to food of giants.  The bean is more like a lima bean, but has an even more solid texture and it gets filling when you eat it.  This makes sense because fava beans are loaded with fiber.  A half cup yields 4-5 grams of the 25 grams of fiber that we need daily.*

In addition to the loads of fiber, other awesome benefits of fava beans are that they are low fat, saturated fat free, cholesterol free, good source of vitamin B1, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium. Also a really good source of folate and manganese.**

When choosing fava beans, you want fresh and firm.  No markings on the pod.  There is, however, some bronzing on the outside.  You want pods that are slightly weighty and plump to the touch.

So why don't we eat this bean more often?  One downside - you have to shuck them from the pod and so they get somewhat labor-intensive.  Takes some planning rather than just wash and use.  Great as a side dish though and super yummy when sauteed.  Here is my fava bean dish.

Source of top picture: http://www.healthytimesblog.com/2011/05/welcome-these-seasonal-spring-foods-i/ and reference for *
Other sources including **: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=11589

Chocolate on the Dark Side

The national celebration of love has passed; however, maybe the chocolate shouldn't.  If you are a chocolate lover, this must be music to your ears!  A piece of dark chocolate a day, keeps the doctor away?!  Well, not sure I would go so far as saying that, but there has been talk about the health benefits of eating dark chocolate and recent studies that support some of the dark chocolate cravings.

Now, we are talking about dark chocolate here, not milk chocolate.  Milk chocolate has a TON of sugar, and anything with a lot of added refined sugar will make you tired, slow and fat.  Usually the sugar is what chocolate eaters love, but with some knowledge and a more conscious palate, I believe there is hope for renewed and re-purposed taste buds.  That is, taste buds that will desire food that gives energy rather than sap energy away and not leaving you tired or ready for nap time.

Cocoa and chocolate contain flavanols, a type of flavonoid.  These flavonoids act as a shield to protect plants from environmental toxins and help repair damage.  Our consumption of foods rich in flavonoids cause us to benefit from their “antioxidant” powers.  Antioxidants help our body resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes such as breathing and from environmental contaminants like cigarette smoke.  When the body lacks enough antioxidants, the damage from free radicals occurs, leading us to higher LDL (“bad)-cholesterol oxidation (oxidized LDL-cholesterol hurts the arteries) and plaque formation on the walls of the arteries (Source: Cleveland Clinic).  That's the scientific speak.  Sounds good to me.

Unfortunately, not all chocolate contains these flavanols because of the process chocolate goes through to become products sold on the market.  Cocoa has a bitter and pungent taste.  When cocoa is processed, makers remove the taste, thereby removing the flavanols.  The more chocolate is processed/refined (such as processes including fermentation, alkalizing, roasting, etc.), the more flavanols are lost.  Therefore, any dark chocolate is not sufficient, but overall, dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate.  Cocoa powder that has not undergone Dutch processing is also a better choice.  Dutch processed cocoa has been treated with an alkali to neutralize its natural acidity and is the familiar modern form of chocolate used in ice cream, hot cocoa and baking.

Finding least processed dark chocolate can be difficult.  Since practicality is always an issue, I still view dark chocolate sold in stores with some caution.  Perhaps it's time to get to the source--by taking a trip to West Africa!  Côte d’Ivoire is the top contributor of cocoa beans to the world, at over 35% of world's supply, and Ghana is second up, at about 20% (2006/7 season).  I'm just saying.


Sources: http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/prevention/nutrition/chocolate.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_process_chocolate
http://www.suite101.com/content/top-cocoa-chocolate-exporters-a25974

Ode to Mr. Strong and Eggs.

 

Remember Mr. Strong?  I loved the Mr. Men series by Roger Hargreaves as a kid.  I think growing up, I would try to borrow every book in the series at the library.  My most formidable memory from these books was just how Mr. Strong loved eggs and ate them all the time!  He was so strong from eating eggs.  And, my mom and grandma always said, you can eat one egg a day, it’s good for you, especially while you are young.

Awesome, gets me closer to living like Mr. Strong.

But then as I got older, there was a long period of time (and I guess it still exists) when people were saying how eggs were bad for cholesterol and not to be consumed often.  And gradually, my egg consumption declined…to virtually only times I went out for brunch, which didn’t amount to that often.

Well, times (and knowledge) are a changin’, and my understanding today is that eggs are good for one’s health.  According to multiple sources (see a few below), eggs are a highly nutritious food, probably the most nutritious that money can buy.  Each egg only contains 75 calories, and yet eggs provide all the essential amino acids and minerals required by the human body, and supply vitamins A, B, and D.  Bargain eating is what I look for – low calories for a lot of nutrients, and eggs totally qualify.  There is a belief that egg yolks lead to high cholesterol levels.  I keep reading/finding that egg yolks may actually lower total body levels of low-density lipoprotein (undesirable cholesterol), while raising levels of high-density lipoprotein (or good cholesterol).  We’ll leave it to the nutritionists to battle that out.

I often eat boiled eggs as part of my meals – it actually goes well with Asian food.  Or, put some salt and pepper and just that alone makes for a great snack. 

Source: Keeping Chickens, by Jeremy Hobson and Celia Lewis

Another source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=92