on my mind monday 12.24.12

It's never the same two weeks in a row.  A collection of what I find interesting in the world of food, nutrition, and holistic health.  Here's what's on my mind.

Wangari Gardens - Yet another great example of community gardens growing out of unused space.  I love that it was started by a student who envisioned a way to bring a garden to  an area that was previously considered a food desert.  Overcoming bureaucratic red tape and a variety of setbacks what now exists is a beautiful community space.

Farmer's worried about GMO contamination?  USDA says "get insurance." - This article is eye opening on many levels.  Even more so than the issue of GMO contamination, which is huge, is that GMO's do not work.  As the article mentions, we are now breeding superweeds which are roundup resistant, having somehow, mysteriously (read with snark) picked up the trait from the plants which were bred to be roundup resistant.  This is in spite of the fact that Monsanto in the beginning assured farmers that resistance would not be a problem.  Looks like they were wrong on that count.  And if that issue were not bad enough it turns out that we are ruining, depleting, our earth to an unsustainable point by mining minerals needed to make chemical fertilizers.  Time to wake up and stop the chemical cocktail we are pouring on and in our food.

Are your kids eating too much salt? - If you buy package, processed foods, don't read the labels, and eat out frequently chances are you and your kids are getting far too much salt.  Learning to read the label is the first step to controlling in the home sodium intake.  Thinking about where and what you eat when you eat out is next.  For young kids 1,200 mg is considered the recommended limit but some foods can provide a whopping amount of your daily intake.  One example is a two ounce serving of pretzels which could provide up to 900 mg of sodium.  But don't go no sodium either, your body needs it for metabolic function as well as to manufacture digestive fluids.  Moderation, but not avoidance, is definitely the key when it comes to salt.

The year of the liver - Apparently 2013 will be the year that liver makes it's way back into the American diet.  This could be a good thing it's a good protein source that is also high in iron, riboflavin, vitamin A, and vitamin B12.  Soaking it in milk is one way to temper the flavor for those who are not used to it.  Made into pate it's delicious, but sauteed in onions it's also tasty.  The best choice is to choose liver from pasture raised animals as there is no exposure to GMOs, pesticides, chemicals, antibiotics, or added hormones.

C. Difficile sniffer dog - Those cute little beagles (and other breeds) are everywhere.  Not just roaming the airports in their working dog jackets sniffing out contraband produce, not just detecting diabetes and various types of cancer, but now also identifying cases of a bacterial infection that can be difficult to treat and which may spread rapidly if not contained.  C. difficile can overtake the intestinal environment causing severe pain, cramping, diarrhea and even ulcerations.  With the help of Cliff (there's apparently only one sniffer dog at the moment) detection is quicker and easier.

And this video shows the Minister for Public Health and Sanitation of Kenya at a public briefing.  Kenya has just banned all GMOs while they evaluate their safety.


Don't forget to "like" The Pantry Principle to stay up to date and 
get news and information about what's really in your food.

photo: mconnors

blood pressure

This post is for my friend Sam who wonders what foods are good for lowering blood pressure.

Hypertension is a growing concern in this country.  Especially when coupled with the unfortunate reality of  restaurants that over-salt their food.  Not only restaurants, even at home, we are overexposed.  Most of us tend to over-salt our foods, then we become addicted to that level of salt flavor.  It can take some time to readjust our palates.  A diet high in fat, sugar and sodium, but also a high stress lifestyle can all contribute to high blood pressure.  It is important to note that if you have blood pressure problems you need to let both your doctor and any nutrition professional you are working with know what you are doing.  Herbal remedies, lifestyle changes and medication all taken together can cause a drop in blood pressure.  Hypotension, blood pressure that is too low, is just as bad for you as hypertension.  A typical adult blood pressure is considered to be 120/80.

Alfalfa is an herb with a reputation for lowering blood pressure.  Other herbs believed to be beneficial for lower blood pressure include parsley, ginger root, nettle, and sage. Often taken as an infusion or a tea these should be avoided if you are on any sort of blood thinners.

Celery is an easily available food that has been recognized in Chinese medicine as being effective for lowering blood pressure.  Studies done in Western medicine appear to confirm this benefit.  Containing both potassium and sodium celery is not only a vasorelaxant it is also a diuretic helping to relieve the body of excess fluid.

Garlic is also known to be very beneficial for reducing not only blood pressure but also cholesterol.  Fresh garlic is better as the beneficial allicin is fully available when chopped or minced.  Letting the garlic sit for 5-10 minutes after cutting allows the allicin to fully develop.  Cook garlic lightly for 10-15 minutes (in other words closer to the end of the cooking time) to get full benefit.

Hibiscus tea is known to be very effective for lower blood pressure.  The dried flowers can be purchased either through health food stores or even some larger chain grocery stores.  A double-blind study published in 2009 in the Journal of Human Hypertension concluded that non-medicated hypertensive diabetic patients had a positive outcome from drinking two cups of infused tea every day for one month.  The report further stated, "This study supports the of similar studies in which antihypertensive effects have been shown for [Hibiscus sabdariffa]."

Sam also wanted to know about salt.  Specifically the "fake" salt that many folks go on when they are told they can't have table salt anymore.


That "fake" salt is usually potassium chloride.  Because it's not sodium it's deemed to be better for you by some medical practitioners.  I will say that if you need to avoid excess sodium I think it's better to also avoid the potassium chlorides and look for other taste alternatives.  Adding herbals blends like no salt-seasoning mix is a great way to add flavor without the salt.

I also like using lemon juice on things like black beans or sweet potatoes where I might normally use salt.  The tangy flavor really adds a boost without the need for salt.

As to the difference between salts.  I prefer to use sea salt because table salt is typically highly processed, stripped of minerals, chemicals are added to prevent clumping, and then iodine is added back in.  Sea salt is simply dried and bottled.  No additives and all the minerals are still in there.  Sea salt does tend to have less iodine than table salt and iodine is important for our health.  Adding sea vegetables to your diet is a good way to make sure you are getting enough.  Kosher salt is a coarse salt named for the process by which it is created.  To my knowledge there are no additives and it is not stripped of minerals.  But the larger crystals limit some of the uses for it depending on the flavor profile of the dish you are making.

The average person should get from 1,500 to 2,300 mg of salt per day.  1 teaspoon has about 2,000 mg and it's important to remember that many foods already have sodium in them so we don't need to add much.

fairground food

Walking around the fairgrounds at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo all my senses are assaulted; the flashing lights, the booming pounding music, the loud chatter of the crowds, and the smells of fairground food. Fried food, smoked food, barbeque, spun sugar, all swell around me creating an almost hypnotic state.

As I look around at the food choices on offer I am amazed at what I see. Batter-dipped cheeseburgers, fried with a generous topping of powdered sugar. Blooming onions, chicken-fried bacon (you know you're in the South when you find chicken-fried anything), 2-lb jumbo smoked turkey legs, cheesecake dipped in chocolate. There was even one stand that was offering gator and pork-a-bob (not sure what that is but not sure I want to know either). The beverage choices were similarly calorie-laden, gallons of sweet tea, frozen drinks, and colas, not to mention all of the alcoholic options available.

It was a day of fun, enjoyment and enthusiasm at the Rodeo. Unfortunately it was readily apparent that for large numbers of people at the rodeo a steady diet of saturated fats, over-sugared, over-salted food is the norm. I think of fairground food as something that, while never the best choice, would be a occasional treat (and I did enjoy that cheesecake although I only ate half of it as the serving was overly generous and extremely rich). It is sad to realize that for many people, although they don't eat fairground food on a regular basis, this style of eating is their daily habit. Rich, fatty, salty, sugary foods that have dulled their palate. That appeal to the childlike habit of comfort foods. As a culture I believe we have come to a point where many of us have lost our taste for whole foods. For healthy, fresh foods that contain the nourishment our body demands.

I'm certainly not trying to be a killjoy and demand that no one ever enjoy these fairground treats. We live in the real world and an occasional indulgence is certainly not unreasonable. What is difficult is when we allow these occasional treats and this unhealthy eating habit to become the norm.

Start now; make it a point to eat whole foods, low processed, fresh and in season. Eat more fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors. Reduce the palate-numbing, non-nutritive indulgences to an occasional treat. It's time to educate yourself and your children about healthy choices, everyone will be better off for it. Remember, eat well to be well.

Chicken-fried bacon photo courtesy of Cara Fealy Choate | Wikimedia Commons