There are Many Varieties of Wheat
Wheat is an important grain in many of our daily diets and in our food storages. It contains most of the nutrients we need to live on and it can be stored for very long periods of time. What many people may not know is that there are many varieties of wheat. Each variety is used for different purposes and some have stronger flavors than others.
There are 3 major groups of wheat: Hard, soft, and durham wheat. In each of these varieties, winter and spring wheats can be grown.
Hard Wheat
Hard wheats have smaller, harder kernals and are preferred for yeast breads because of their higher protein and gluten content. A high protein/gluten content is important in bread-making because gluten is what allows the bread dough to stretch and hold itself together while rising. 14% protein is the ideal pecentage of wheat for making bread. Most hard wheats contain between 12 and 16% protein. Protein content depends on growing conditions and farming methods.
Hard wheat comes in the traditional red or the newer white wheat. Red wheat contains tannin in the bran layer, which gives it it's darker color and distinct wheat flavor. White wheat has a lighter color, flavor, and texture because it contains no tannic acid in the bran. It also produces a spongier, lighter loaf of bread, which is why some people prefer it to the red variety.
Soft Wheat
Soft wheat contains a softer kernal and between 9-11% protein. It also comes in red or white. This type of wheat is ideal for making pastries and quick breads such as waffles, pancakes, bisuits, and cakes since a high gluten content is not needed with the leavening agents used in these baked goods.
Durham Wheat
Durham wheat kernals are bigger than the hard and soft varieties of wheat. The kernals are also shaped a little differently and they contain a very hard, high protein. This is the wrong type of protein to form a good gluten, so duram wheat is great for making pastas.
Winter Wheat
Each variety of wheat discussed above can be broken down into winter or sping wheat. Winter wheat is planted in the fall and begins growing before winter sets in. When winter does come, it kills the top of the wheat, but when spring arrives, it begins growing again. This wheat can be harvested earlier in the year than spring wheat.
Spring Wheat
Spring wheat is planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. In general, it has a higher protein and lower moisture content than winter wheat.
Conclusion
In buying and using wheat, it's important to keep in mind what it will be used for and what your taste preferrences are. This will help you in your decision of what type and color to buy. If you do a lot of baking, it may be good to keep several varieties on hand. If you don't know what you like, try buying small amounts of different kinds so you can find out what you like best.
*Information in this article was taken from "Wheat, Oats, and Macaroni" LDS Cannery April 6, 2004 and Kneadfulthingsnow.com April 2009 Newsletter, Issue 1.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
What is Tara Gum?
After studying up about carrageenan and learning that it possibly causes cancer, I began trying to avoid it as much as possible. This was a very difficult task when shopping for dairy products because most of them contain it. Thank goodness for companies like Daisy who produce carrageenan-free cottage cheese and sour cream!
I also thought I'd found a better ice cream brand in Breyer's All Natural ice cream, but after getting a carton of it home, I noticed an unfamiliar ingredient - tara gum! What is this and why did they add a weird ingredient to their "all-natural" ice cream? This warranted some research.
In researching tara gum, I found that it is, in fact, a "natural" product because it comes from a plant native to South America called Cesalpinia spinosa lin. Also known as the tara tree, it can grow as a bush or a tree and is now found in Morocco and East Africa too. The tara gum is obtained by milling the endosperm of the seeds through mechanical methods. This actually does sound a little more safe than carrageenan!
Tara gum has been approved as a thickener for use in many, many products. Some of them are dairy products such as cheese, cream, and ice cream, but it also may be added to other products such as pickles, baked goods, cereals, mustard, dried fruits and vegetables, soups, and many other things (a list of which can be found at this link: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/gsfaonline/additives/details.html?id=17.)
As an extra note, tara gum may not always be listed in the ingredients on product labels. It works more efficiently as a thickener, especially when combined with another thickening agent and if each of these agents comprises less than 2% of the product, they will not be listed. Tara gum may be used much more widely than than we realize.
As much as I dislike food additives, I do feel more comfortable with tara gum than with carrageenan. I read of 2 cancer studies done on tara gum and they both had negative results, meaning that tara gum does not seem to cause cancer in rats and mice. These studies are found at http://potency.berkeley.edu/chempages/TARA%20GUM.html and http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=07063AE1-EF7A-1A17-22076056522B0DC2.
I do believe that tara gum is a safer thickener than carrageenan, therefore I feel that Breyer's All Natural ice cream is a slightly better choice than most other ice creams that are made with carrageenan. However, I also feel that ice cream is not a healthy choice of food in the first place and my intake of it should be very limited anyway.
I also thought I'd found a better ice cream brand in Breyer's All Natural ice cream, but after getting a carton of it home, I noticed an unfamiliar ingredient - tara gum! What is this and why did they add a weird ingredient to their "all-natural" ice cream? This warranted some research.
In researching tara gum, I found that it is, in fact, a "natural" product because it comes from a plant native to South America called Cesalpinia spinosa lin. Also known as the tara tree, it can grow as a bush or a tree and is now found in Morocco and East Africa too. The tara gum is obtained by milling the endosperm of the seeds through mechanical methods. This actually does sound a little more safe than carrageenan!
Tara gum has been approved as a thickener for use in many, many products. Some of them are dairy products such as cheese, cream, and ice cream, but it also may be added to other products such as pickles, baked goods, cereals, mustard, dried fruits and vegetables, soups, and many other things (a list of which can be found at this link: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/gsfaonline/additives/details.html?id=17.)
As an extra note, tara gum may not always be listed in the ingredients on product labels. It works more efficiently as a thickener, especially when combined with another thickening agent and if each of these agents comprises less than 2% of the product, they will not be listed. Tara gum may be used much more widely than than we realize.
As much as I dislike food additives, I do feel more comfortable with tara gum than with carrageenan. I read of 2 cancer studies done on tara gum and they both had negative results, meaning that tara gum does not seem to cause cancer in rats and mice. These studies are found at http://potency.berkeley.edu/chempages/TARA%20GUM.html and http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=07063AE1-EF7A-1A17-22076056522B0DC2.
I do believe that tara gum is a safer thickener than carrageenan, therefore I feel that Breyer's All Natural ice cream is a slightly better choice than most other ice creams that are made with carrageenan. However, I also feel that ice cream is not a healthy choice of food in the first place and my intake of it should be very limited anyway.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Caramel Coloring Causes Cancer?
The more I learn about food additives, the more convinced I am that food manufacturers care nothing about people's health and are only interested in selling their "food" to make money. One food additive widely used is caramel coloring. I never gave this substance much thought until I was reading the ingredients of some infant liquid vitamins recommended to us by our pediatrician for our baby. "Doesn't caramel coloring cause cancer?" my husband asked. I had never heard that it does, but if it does, what is it doing in my baby's vitamins that are supposed to help her grow healthy and strong? This warranted some research.
From this website http://members.aol.com/nosulfites/caramel.htm I found how caramel coloring began:
"In 1880, Charles Sethness, a 25 year old self-educated immigrant, started a flavor and syrup business in Chicago. Within a few years, he was heating sugar in iron kettles to produce caramel color for whiskey. Today, his grandsons and great grandsons run the Sethness Products Company, the world’s leading supplier of caramel color. Although the single largest use of caramel color is soft drinks, it is also used in an incredible number of other foods. Today, caramel color is manufactured by heating corn syrup, usually under pressure, in large stainless steel reactors."
I also learned that there are four classes of caramel color based on chemical additives:
· Class I Caramel Color (no additives low sulfites)
· Class II Caramel Color (sulfite additives very high sulfites)
· Class III Caramel Color (ammonia additives low sulfites)
· Class IV Caramel Color (sulfite and ammonia very high sulfites)
It seems that some caramel colorings are worse than others, depending on their chemical additives. Manufacturers a required to list caramel coloring when they use it, but they are not required to list the class.
From a science website (http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/fdc_colors.html), I learned that different products require differently charged atoms of caramel coloring so the color will remain stable. It states that, "caramel color can be made with either positively or negatively charged particles. This allows manufacturers to use negative colloidal caramel in acidic soft drinks, and positive in beers and soy sauces. Beer has positively charged proteins suspended in it, and soy sauce has a high salt content that requires the more salt-tolerant positive caramel color. " From this I assume that the caramel color class used depends on the type of product it is coloring.
I found 2 websites claiming caramel coloring to be cancer causing. The first website says, "Caramel coloring is burnt sugar. Ask any biologist about burnt sugar, and he will tell you that it is a carcinogen. Additionally, scientists have used caramel coloring in lab experiments on mice to interfere with leukocyte action (white cells). In other words, caramel coloring is immunosuppressive. The FDA knows this and insures that anything containing caramel coloring must note this on the label. Just luckily, this immunosuppressive property of caramel coloring drops away when you quit ingesting it." http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/misc/hidden_h.htm#Caramel%20Coloring
The other website says, "Cola drinks contain caramel coloring which, according to some researchers, has genetic effects and is a cancer-causing suspect. http://www.themuslimwoman.com/hertongue/SoftDrink.htm
I have yet to read the actual words of researchers who have found caramel coloring to cause cancer, but the claims stated above are reasonable. After all, it's basic knowledge that burned food is carcinogenic and not healthy to eat. It makes sense that burnt sugar is no exception. It also makes sense to me that sugar, and thus caramel coloring which is derived from sugar, is immunosuppressive. That explains why I almost always got sick around the holidays when I was young - they were times when I ate a lot of candy and other sweet things.
As for genetic effects, it would not surprise me if it's true, but I have no further evidence one way or the other at this time. I would love to see any research done on this subject.
I have come to the conclusion that caramel coloring may cause cancer and it may not. Perhaps it is used in small enough amounts that it doesn't cause harm. I believe it may be a better food coloring than the coal tar/petroleum based ones, but because my philosphy is to stick with more natural products, I will try to avoid those that contain caramel coloring as well as all artificial colorings.
From this website http://members.aol.com/nosulfites/caramel.htm I found how caramel coloring began:
"In 1880, Charles Sethness, a 25 year old self-educated immigrant, started a flavor and syrup business in Chicago. Within a few years, he was heating sugar in iron kettles to produce caramel color for whiskey. Today, his grandsons and great grandsons run the Sethness Products Company, the world’s leading supplier of caramel color. Although the single largest use of caramel color is soft drinks, it is also used in an incredible number of other foods. Today, caramel color is manufactured by heating corn syrup, usually under pressure, in large stainless steel reactors."
I also learned that there are four classes of caramel color based on chemical additives:
· Class I Caramel Color (no additives low sulfites)
· Class II Caramel Color (sulfite additives very high sulfites)
· Class III Caramel Color (ammonia additives low sulfites)
· Class IV Caramel Color (sulfite and ammonia very high sulfites)
It seems that some caramel colorings are worse than others, depending on their chemical additives. Manufacturers a required to list caramel coloring when they use it, but they are not required to list the class.
From a science website (http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/fdc_colors.html), I learned that different products require differently charged atoms of caramel coloring so the color will remain stable. It states that, "caramel color can be made with either positively or negatively charged particles. This allows manufacturers to use negative colloidal caramel in acidic soft drinks, and positive in beers and soy sauces. Beer has positively charged proteins suspended in it, and soy sauce has a high salt content that requires the more salt-tolerant positive caramel color. " From this I assume that the caramel color class used depends on the type of product it is coloring.
I found 2 websites claiming caramel coloring to be cancer causing. The first website says, "Caramel coloring is burnt sugar. Ask any biologist about burnt sugar, and he will tell you that it is a carcinogen. Additionally, scientists have used caramel coloring in lab experiments on mice to interfere with leukocyte action (white cells). In other words, caramel coloring is immunosuppressive. The FDA knows this and insures that anything containing caramel coloring must note this on the label. Just luckily, this immunosuppressive property of caramel coloring drops away when you quit ingesting it." http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/misc/hidden_h.htm#Caramel%20Coloring
The other website says, "Cola drinks contain caramel coloring which, according to some researchers, has genetic effects and is a cancer-causing suspect. http://www.themuslimwoman.com/hertongue/SoftDrink.htm
I have yet to read the actual words of researchers who have found caramel coloring to cause cancer, but the claims stated above are reasonable. After all, it's basic knowledge that burned food is carcinogenic and not healthy to eat. It makes sense that burnt sugar is no exception. It also makes sense to me that sugar, and thus caramel coloring which is derived from sugar, is immunosuppressive. That explains why I almost always got sick around the holidays when I was young - they were times when I ate a lot of candy and other sweet things.
As for genetic effects, it would not surprise me if it's true, but I have no further evidence one way or the other at this time. I would love to see any research done on this subject.
I have come to the conclusion that caramel coloring may cause cancer and it may not. Perhaps it is used in small enough amounts that it doesn't cause harm. I believe it may be a better food coloring than the coal tar/petroleum based ones, but because my philosphy is to stick with more natural products, I will try to avoid those that contain caramel coloring as well as all artificial colorings.
Friday, December 07, 2007
My Talk on Honesty
Honesty
Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Baptist Church ladies' group bake sale in Tuscaloosa, but she forgot to do it until the last minute. She remembered it the morning of the bake sale and after rummaging through cabinets she found an angel food cake mix and quickly made it while drying her hair, dressing and helping her son Bryan pack up for Scout camp. But when Alice took the cake from the oven, the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured.
She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake." This cake was so important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her new church, and in her new community of new friends. So, being inventive, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom -- a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and then covered it with icing. Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect!
Before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head for work, Alice woke her daughter Amanda and gave her some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened at 9:30, and to buy that cake and bring it home.
When the daughter arrived at the sale, she found that the attractive perfect cake had already been sold. Amanda grabbed her cell phone and called her Mom.
Alice was horrified. She was beside herself. Everyone would know, what would they think? Oh, my she wailed! She would be ostracized, talked about, ridiculed. All night Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people pointing their fingers at her and talking about her behind her back.
The next day, Alice promised herself that she would try not to think about the cake and she would attend the fancy luncheon/bridal shower at the home of a friend of a friend and try to have a good time. Alice did not really want to attend because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose at the fact that Alice was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa, but having already RSVP'd she could not think of a believable excuse to stay home. The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old South and to Alice's horror, the CAKE in question was presented for dessert.
Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake, she started, out of her chair to rush to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, "What a beautiful cake!"
Alice, who was still stunned, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say, Thank you. I baked it myself."Alice smiled and thought to herself, "GOD is good."( http://www.sugardoodle.net/honesty )
Alice Grayson was to bake a cake for the Baptist Church ladies' group bake sale in Tuscaloosa, but she forgot to do it until the last minute. She remembered it the morning of the bake sale and after rummaging through cabinets she found an angel food cake mix and quickly made it while drying her hair, dressing and helping her son Bryan pack up for Scout camp. But when Alice took the cake from the oven, the center had dropped flat and the cake was horribly disfigured.
She said, "Oh dear, there's no time to bake another cake." This cake was so important to Alice because she did so want to fit in at her new church, and in her new community of new friends. So, being inventive, she looked around the house for something to build up the center of the cake. Alice found it in the bathroom -- a roll of toilet paper. She plunked it in and then covered it with icing. Not only did the finished product look beautiful, it looked perfect!
Before she left the house to drop the cake by the church and head for work, Alice woke her daughter Amanda and gave her some money and specific instructions to be at the bake sale the minute it opened at 9:30, and to buy that cake and bring it home.
When the daughter arrived at the sale, she found that the attractive perfect cake had already been sold. Amanda grabbed her cell phone and called her Mom.
Alice was horrified. She was beside herself. Everyone would know, what would they think? Oh, my she wailed! She would be ostracized, talked about, ridiculed. All night Alice lay awake in bed thinking about people pointing their fingers at her and talking about her behind her back.
The next day, Alice promised herself that she would try not to think about the cake and she would attend the fancy luncheon/bridal shower at the home of a friend of a friend and try to have a good time. Alice did not really want to attend because the hostess was a snob who more than once had looked down her nose at the fact that Alice was a single parent and not from the founding families of Tuscaloosa, but having already RSVP'd she could not think of a believable excuse to stay home. The meal was elegant, the company was definitely upper crust old South and to Alice's horror, the CAKE in question was presented for dessert.
Alice felt the blood drain from her body when she saw the cake, she started, out of her chair to rush to tell her hostess all about it, but before she could get to her feet, the Mayor's wife said, "What a beautiful cake!"
Alice, who was still stunned, sat back in her chair when she heard the hostess (who was a prominent church member) say, Thank you. I baked it myself."Alice smiled and thought to herself, "GOD is good."( http://www.sugardoodle.net/honesty )
Honesty is such a lonely word. Everyone is so untrue. Honesty is hardly ever heard. And mostly what I need from you. These words were sung by Billy Joel in 1978. If these words were true then, they are even more so now.
Why do we need to be honest? First of all, it is a commandment from the Lord. As part of the 10 commandments, the Lord gave the children of Israel several involving dishonesty: Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not covet, and thou shalt not bear false witness. (Exodus 20:14, 15,17,16) I know the Lord has given us these commandments to help us be happy and live peaceable lives.
Honesty is a principle we are taught to follow from the time we are young. I remember once when I was little I hit one of my brothers, making him cry. My mom was in the bathroom fixing her hair and hadn’t seen what happened. She asked me if I hit him and, not wanting to get in trouble, I told her no. She asked me several times and I kept telling her no. Somehow she knew I was being untruthful and I knew it too. I don’t remember if I was punished for it or not, but I do remember my mom’s feelings of disappointment in me and I felt very dirty inside for having told such a lie.
Another story that illustrates how dishonesty can affect a person’s happiness was told by President Gordon B. Hinckley in the Oct. 1990 Ensign. He says, “Among many unsigned letters I have received was one of particular interest. It contained a twenty-dollar bill and a brief note which stated that the writer had come to my home many years ago. When there had been no response to the bell, he had tried the door and, finding it unlocked, had entered and walked about. On the dresser he saw a twenty-dollar bill, took it, and left. Through the years his conscience had bothered him, and he was now returning the money.
"He did not include anything for interest for the period during which he had used my money. But as I read his pathetic letter I thought of the usury to which he had subjected himself for a quarter of a century with the unceasing nagging of his conscience. For him there had been no peace until he had made restitution.”
Imagine what a different world we would live in if everyone were honest. In his same address, Pres. Hinckley said this:
"I remember when our local papers carried a similar story. The state of Utah received an unsigned note, together with two hundred dollars. The note read: “The enclosed is for materials used over the years I worked for the state—such as envelopes, paper, stamps, etc.” Imagine the flood of money that would pour into the offices of government, business, and merchants if all who have filched a little here and there were to return that which they had dishonestly taken.
The cost of every bag of groceries at the supermarket, of every tie or blouse bought at the shopping center includes for each of us the burden of shoplifting."
Some other words associated with the word honesty are dependability, integrity, sincerity, trust, true, and truth. I like these words because they are strong, firm, and immovable. I know these are important values that are diminishing in today's world, which makes them even more important to maintain in myself.
In his address in the April 1997 General Conference, Elder Sheldon F. Child said,
“Honesty and integrity are not old-fashioned principles. They are just as viable in today's world. We have been taught in the Church that:
When we say we will do something, we do it.
When we make a commitment, we honor it.
When we are given a calling, we fulfill it.
When we borrow something, we return it.
When we have a financial obligation, we pay it.
When we enter into an agreement, we keep it.”
Honesty involves every aspect of our lives.
Elder Child also said, “We are all familiar with the statement "Honesty is the best policy." For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, honesty is the only policy. We must be honest with our fellowmen. We must be honest with our God. We are honest with God when we honor the covenants we make with Him.
There’s a story in the Book of Mormon of a group of people who honored their covenants with God. These people were the Anti-Nephi-Lehies who were converted from their wicked Lamanite ways because of the good examples and preaching of Ammon and his brethren. Their conversion was complete and Alma 27:27 says, “for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.” When I read that verse it inspires me to become more like them, perfectly honest and upright and to have a firm, faith-filled testimony.
We make covenants with the Lord throughout our lives as members of His church. Some of those covenants are made in the temple, but before we even get to the temple, we are asked a question about our honesty in the temple recommend interview: Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen? To me this means that honesty is very important to the Lord and we need to be honest and true throughout our lives. If we aren’t honest with our fellowmen, how can we be honest with ourselves and with our Heavenly Father?
Any one of any age can be honest and show integrity. There’s a story in the Feb. 2006 FRIEND magazine about a little boy who was honest. He was attending parent teacher conference with his mom and was feeling very uncomfortable because his grades were not as good as they should have been. He had received several low quiz scores in English and his teacher explained to his mother why. On every quiz, he asked the students if they had read the story. If they hadn’t, he automatically took away half their points, even if they’d answered all the questions correctly. Daniel had answered all the questions correctly, but he hadn’t read any of the stories and had lost many points because of it. As Daniel and his mom drove home, Daniel was feeling very badly. He knew his mom was disappointed in him. However, as they drove, his mom told him that she was proud of him, not for his grades but for his integrity. How easy it would have been for Daniel to mark that he had read the stories, even though he hadn’t. But he was honest even though he knew he would lose half his points. His mother gave him an A in integrity and told him she hoped that would never change. What a good example Daniel was for being honest even when it was hard.
Being honest and maintaining our integrity bring great blessings in our lives, even though it may not always be evident. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin tells us: "The rewards of integrity are immeasurable. One is the indescribable inner peace that comes from knowing we are doing what is right; another is an absence of the guilt and anxiety that accompany sin. Another reward of integrity is the confidence it can give us in approaching God. . . . The consummate reward of integrity is the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. . . . Let us live true to the trust the Lord has placed in us."14
I would like to add that honesty not only brings blessings to our individual lives, it brings blessings to those around us and society as a whole. It would be a wonderful feeling to know we can trust our neighbors, people we work with, and those we come into contact with each day.
Honesty is becoming less common in our day in age, but that doesn’t make it less important. Heavenly Father has commanded us to be honest and that will never change. Dishonesty brings sorrow and guilt. If we are honest we will be blessed with inner peace, confidence in the Lord, the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and many other blessings. I would like to encourage each of you to strive for honesty and integrity every day so you can receive these blessings.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Carrageenan
An ingredient I continue to see in many dairy and other products was unfamiliar to me and I wanted to do some research to find out what it was. This ingredient was carrageenan. Where does it come from, why is it used, and is it safe, were some of the questions I had about it.
The answers I found were a little bit scary! Carrageenan is a gelatin-type substance derived from a red seaweed often called Irish Moss. Major use of it began in the 1930s and the Philippines is the largest producer of it. Carrageenan is used in products to give them more substance and texture - to make them thick and creamy. Sounds safe enough. But studies and many people's personal experiences indicate otherwise.
Carrageenan has been found to cause health problems for many people, including vomiting, ulcerative colitis, bowel inflammatory problems, colon cancer,and possibly even breast cancer. One researcher has done tests involving carrageenan on human tissues (not just animals) and found that carrageenan definitely had negative effects on breast and bowel tissues. See a blog discussing these results at: http://www.notmilk.com/carageenan.html. Another great website to check out that discusses carrageenan and research done on it is found at http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-81760722.html.
Carrageenan is added to many products people consume on a daily basis. These products include ice cream, whipping cream, sour cream, frozen yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk products, granola bars, fruit rolls, condensed milk, powdered chocolate milk, processed meats, and many others. For many of these foods, there are brands that don't include carrageenan. Check labels and choose more natural products. It's a scary thought that so many food manufacturers will put harmful additives in our food to make things more convenient or less expensive for themselves. But it is important to remember that we always have a choice and if we all choose the healthier alternatives, manufacturers will eventually catch on.
Even though I have never personally experienced any negative effects of carrageenan that I know of, evidence seems to show that carageenan is a harmful food additive. What I learned about carrageenan is enough to convince me to avoid it as much as possible!
The answers I found were a little bit scary! Carrageenan is a gelatin-type substance derived from a red seaweed often called Irish Moss. Major use of it began in the 1930s and the Philippines is the largest producer of it. Carrageenan is used in products to give them more substance and texture - to make them thick and creamy. Sounds safe enough. But studies and many people's personal experiences indicate otherwise.
Carrageenan has been found to cause health problems for many people, including vomiting, ulcerative colitis, bowel inflammatory problems, colon cancer,and possibly even breast cancer. One researcher has done tests involving carrageenan on human tissues (not just animals) and found that carrageenan definitely had negative effects on breast and bowel tissues. See a blog discussing these results at: http://www.notmilk.com/carageenan.html. Another great website to check out that discusses carrageenan and research done on it is found at http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-81760722.html.
Carrageenan is added to many products people consume on a daily basis. These products include ice cream, whipping cream, sour cream, frozen yogurt, cottage cheese, soy milk products, granola bars, fruit rolls, condensed milk, powdered chocolate milk, processed meats, and many others. For many of these foods, there are brands that don't include carrageenan. Check labels and choose more natural products. It's a scary thought that so many food manufacturers will put harmful additives in our food to make things more convenient or less expensive for themselves. But it is important to remember that we always have a choice and if we all choose the healthier alternatives, manufacturers will eventually catch on.
Even though I have never personally experienced any negative effects of carrageenan that I know of, evidence seems to show that carageenan is a harmful food additive. What I learned about carrageenan is enough to convince me to avoid it as much as possible!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Living a Healthy Lifestyle in Houston?
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Upon arriving in Houston as a newlywed, I was eager to find the nearest health food store, park, bike path, and hiking mountains so that I could continue my quest to live a healthy lifestyle. Little did I know the challenge I faced!
For such a large city, I thought for sure there would be many people with the same desires as I to exercise, eat healthy, and enjoy the great outdoors. I'm sure there are many people with these desires, but Houston seems to swallow people up in a busy working world where the daily commute takes 1/2 the day and the other 1/2 is spent at work, leaving little time to focus on taking care of oneself.
Houston is probably one of the flattest places in the whole country, with the nearest mountains being about 3 hours away in Austin (and I'm told these aren't even real mountains), so hiking on a regular basis was out. In fact, it is hard to just find a place to go walking since sidewalks are almost non-existent!
Bike paths may exist somewhere in Houston, but I have yet to find one. Not only that, but most roads are too dangerous to bike on because they don't even have shoulders! Who planned this place anyway!
Public parks were another disappointment. They don't seem to exist in Houston either. Certain subdivisions have them for their residents, but they are not for everyone. This makes me feel rather suffocated in the city without a place to "get away from it all" and get some fresh air.
Fortunately I did find several health food stores where I can run for herbs and other supplements when I need them, but they are few and far between and don't always keep in stock the products I need.
One good thing about Houston is there are gyms! At least gyms exist in Houston! At the gym I can run, jog, walk, hike uphill, ride a bike and even lift some weights. Even though it's not exactly the same as doing the real things, at least it gets my heart pumping and leaves me tired at the end!
Another life saver here in Houston is grocery stores with cheap produce. Vegetables are my favorite foods and having them readily available at affordable prices helps out our monthly food budget tremendously, as well as keeping us healthy!
Therefore, although Houston is not the most conducive place to living a healthy lifestyle, it is not impossible if you look in the right places and adjust your habits a little.
Upon arriving in Houston as a newlywed, I was eager to find the nearest health food store, park, bike path, and hiking mountains so that I could continue my quest to live a healthy lifestyle. Little did I know the challenge I faced!
For such a large city, I thought for sure there would be many people with the same desires as I to exercise, eat healthy, and enjoy the great outdoors. I'm sure there are many people with these desires, but Houston seems to swallow people up in a busy working world where the daily commute takes 1/2 the day and the other 1/2 is spent at work, leaving little time to focus on taking care of oneself.
Houston is probably one of the flattest places in the whole country, with the nearest mountains being about 3 hours away in Austin (and I'm told these aren't even real mountains), so hiking on a regular basis was out. In fact, it is hard to just find a place to go walking since sidewalks are almost non-existent!
Bike paths may exist somewhere in Houston, but I have yet to find one. Not only that, but most roads are too dangerous to bike on because they don't even have shoulders! Who planned this place anyway!
Public parks were another disappointment. They don't seem to exist in Houston either. Certain subdivisions have them for their residents, but they are not for everyone. This makes me feel rather suffocated in the city without a place to "get away from it all" and get some fresh air.
Fortunately I did find several health food stores where I can run for herbs and other supplements when I need them, but they are few and far between and don't always keep in stock the products I need.
One good thing about Houston is there are gyms! At least gyms exist in Houston! At the gym I can run, jog, walk, hike uphill, ride a bike and even lift some weights. Even though it's not exactly the same as doing the real things, at least it gets my heart pumping and leaves me tired at the end!
Another life saver here in Houston is grocery stores with cheap produce. Vegetables are my favorite foods and having them readily available at affordable prices helps out our monthly food budget tremendously, as well as keeping us healthy!
Therefore, although Houston is not the most conducive place to living a healthy lifestyle, it is not impossible if you look in the right places and adjust your habits a little.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Food Additives: Sulfites
Weekly Scripture:
"...If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book " Revelation 22:18
Weekly Quote:
"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease." Thomas A. Edison
Forms of Sulfites
I was astonished to find this out because I had no idea how rampantly they were used! I felt like producing all my own foods and never going to the grocery store again!. Sulfites are used in several different forms and their names will appear on food labels as:
Sulfur dioxide
Sodium sulfite
Sodium & Potassium bisulfite
Sodium & Potassium metabisulfites
Effects of Sulfites on the Body
In searching for the effects sulfites have on the human body, I discovered several things. First of all, sulfites destroy Vitamin B1 (thiamine). Whether this happens in the body or just in the foods they are preserving, I don't know. I do know that they have been banned from foods that are sources of this vitamin. I'm not sure exactly what foods this ban includes, but I do know that sources of B1 are meats, beans, peas, peanuts, fish, whole wheat, wheat germ, and enriched flour, so I assume sulfites have been banned in foods such as these.
Another thing I discovered is that some people may have violent, allergic reactions to sulfites, especially those who already have asthma. Sulfites may be associated with hayfever, trigger an asthma attack, anaphylactic shock, or even death. In 1985, sulfites were banned from being used on fresh fruits and vegies because of these problems. However, they may still be used on potatoes, so beware of any potatoes (especially french fries) that come from a restaurant.
Most of the information about sulfites focused on these allergic reactions to sulfites, but since I don't have those problems, I wanted to know what they do to someone without allergies? What happens in the long run? Do they build up in the body eventually causing problems or are they broken down or what? As my research continued I found out several more things. In an article on sulfites in wine, it was noted that sulfur dioxide is produced by the human body at about 1 gram/day, although nothing was said about where or how or for what purpose it produced. It was also mentioned that some people are deficient in the natural enzyme to break this down, so I assume most people can break it down in their bodies. I really need to review my biology!.(http://www.waterhouse.ucdavis.edu/winecomp/so2.htm.)
Several other interesting things this article mentioned are that all wines contain sulfites because yeasts naturally produce them in the fermenting process; sulfites can be removed, in theory, by hydrogen peroxide (although little is known about this procedure); and that sulfites do not cause headaches.
Nutritional Help for Detoxifying Sulfites
Two nutritional factors that help the body in breaking down sulfites are Vitamin B12 and a trace mineral called molybdenum. B12 seems to help detox sulfites from the body, and molybdenum is a component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which also helps detoxify sulfites from the body. Sources of B12 (which I listed in my last article) are mainly meats, dairy products, and supplemented foods like cold cereals. Sources of molybdenum include beans, whole grains, cereals, milk, and dark green leafy vegetables.
Conclusion on Sulfites
Sulfites seem to not be as great a health threat as I first thought they were, although I still do not know anything about their long-term effects and do not want to find out the hard way. I am still suspicious of them and feel it is best to avoid them as much as possible. This may be difficult because they are in so many, many foods, (especially processed foods), but by reading labels I can avoid these foods and by including in my diet as many whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegies as I can, I will be protecting my health and not leaving it in the hands of those commercial producers who don't care much about anything but my money.
Other articles you may want to read:
http://www.whfoods.com
http://www.vitalearth.org/nutrient_robbers.htm
http://www.healthychristianliving.com/asthma.htm
"...If any man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book " Revelation 22:18
Weekly Quote:
"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease." Thomas A. Edison
Sulfites
In many of the health and nutrition books I have read, they often mention that eating dried fruits is good, especially if they are soaked overnight in water first and also if they have not been preserved with sulfites. They never explained exactly why sulfites are bad and so I decided to do a little internet research on the subject. I learned a lot more about them, but my curiosity has not been completely satisfied yet.
What are Sulfites Used for?
Sulfites are used mainly as antioxidants to prevent light-colored fruits and vegetables from discoloring, such as apricots, apples, and potatoes. But they are also used in wine-making to inhibit bacterial growth, in bleaching food starches, as preventives against rust and scale in boiler water used in making steam that will come in contact with food, and some are even used in the production of cellophane for food packaging. Sulfites are found in almost everything including baked goods, dairy products, luncheon meats,concentrated fruit juices (including lemon juice), dried fruits, prepackaged foods, molasses, wine and beer. (http://www.nettally.com/prusty/foodpres.htm).Forms of Sulfites
I was astonished to find this out because I had no idea how rampantly they were used! I felt like producing all my own foods and never going to the grocery store again!. Sulfites are used in several different forms and their names will appear on food labels as:
Sulfur dioxide
Sodium sulfite
Sodium & Potassium bisulfite
Sodium & Potassium metabisulfites
Effects of Sulfites on the Body
In searching for the effects sulfites have on the human body, I discovered several things. First of all, sulfites destroy Vitamin B1 (thiamine). Whether this happens in the body or just in the foods they are preserving, I don't know. I do know that they have been banned from foods that are sources of this vitamin. I'm not sure exactly what foods this ban includes, but I do know that sources of B1 are meats, beans, peas, peanuts, fish, whole wheat, wheat germ, and enriched flour, so I assume sulfites have been banned in foods such as these.
Another thing I discovered is that some people may have violent, allergic reactions to sulfites, especially those who already have asthma. Sulfites may be associated with hayfever, trigger an asthma attack, anaphylactic shock, or even death. In 1985, sulfites were banned from being used on fresh fruits and vegies because of these problems. However, they may still be used on potatoes, so beware of any potatoes (especially french fries) that come from a restaurant.
Most of the information about sulfites focused on these allergic reactions to sulfites, but since I don't have those problems, I wanted to know what they do to someone without allergies? What happens in the long run? Do they build up in the body eventually causing problems or are they broken down or what? As my research continued I found out several more things. In an article on sulfites in wine, it was noted that sulfur dioxide is produced by the human body at about 1 gram/day, although nothing was said about where or how or for what purpose it produced. It was also mentioned that some people are deficient in the natural enzyme to break this down, so I assume most people can break it down in their bodies. I really need to review my biology!.(http://www.waterhouse.ucdavis.edu/winecomp/so2.htm.)
Several other interesting things this article mentioned are that all wines contain sulfites because yeasts naturally produce them in the fermenting process; sulfites can be removed, in theory, by hydrogen peroxide (although little is known about this procedure); and that sulfites do not cause headaches.
Nutritional Help for Detoxifying Sulfites
Two nutritional factors that help the body in breaking down sulfites are Vitamin B12 and a trace mineral called molybdenum. B12 seems to help detox sulfites from the body, and molybdenum is a component of the enzyme sulfite oxidase, which also helps detoxify sulfites from the body. Sources of B12 (which I listed in my last article) are mainly meats, dairy products, and supplemented foods like cold cereals. Sources of molybdenum include beans, whole grains, cereals, milk, and dark green leafy vegetables.
Conclusion on Sulfites
Sulfites seem to not be as great a health threat as I first thought they were, although I still do not know anything about their long-term effects and do not want to find out the hard way. I am still suspicious of them and feel it is best to avoid them as much as possible. This may be difficult because they are in so many, many foods, (especially processed foods), but by reading labels I can avoid these foods and by including in my diet as many whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegies as I can, I will be protecting my health and not leaving it in the hands of those commercial producers who don't care much about anything but my money.
Other articles you may want to read:
http://www.whfoods.com
http://www.vitalearth.org/nutrient_robbers.htm
http://www.healthychristianliving.com/asthma.htm
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