Vegetarians Unite...And Make Delicious, Economical And Nutritious Food

[Wifezilla]

Ok, so how do nutrients affect one's looks?

Carbohydrates are a known collagen destroyer (along with smoking).

"At blame is a natural process that's known as glycation, in which the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end products (or, appropriately, AGEs for short). The more sugar you eat, the more AGEs you develop. "As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion," explains Fredric Brandt, MD, a dermatologist in private practice in Miami and New York City and author of "10 Minutes 10 Years." Most vulnerable to damage: collagenand elastin, the protein fibers that keep skin firm and elastic. In fact, collagen is the most prevalent protein in the body. Once damaged, springy and resilient collagen and elastin become dry and brittle, leading to wrinkles and sagging. These aging effects start at about age 35 and increase rapidly after that, according to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21257751/

Add to this the research that eating a high carbohydrate diet increases your body's need for many vitamins including C. (Taubes - Good Calories Bad Calories)

So I guess the worst of all worlds is a smoking donut junkie who hates vegetables.

 

[FarmerChick]

Many of the chemicals in our sewage are not filtered out by biological filtration (which is typically all that we do with ours, if memory serves). Point being, these chemicals are ending up in our waterways and on our crops.

you aren't kidding Drake. The amount of "bad" out there affecting our food system is unbelievable...alot we don't know also is happening.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I know this is now OT and untouchable, but I was curious and thought others might be as well. I found a map of arable land in the world . Arable land is land that is capable and currently being used to grow crops.

Also here is one for inherent land quality . I am guessing that maybe half of US soils are excellent for growing crops, but there are other places in the world that are just as well, if not better, equipped in the soil department, which is probably good considering they have higher population densities.

 

[dragonlaurel]

Yes dragonlaurel, I have to supplement selenium here for my horses AND sheep.

That's because your soil's parent material never had much of it in the first place.

You are right about that, this little homestead is nestled within an old, old forest. I had to add dirt woops, I mean soil, to make my in-ground garden out of a forest floor.

Bigbrownhorse, ! or 2 Brazil nuts daily provides selenium. Brazil's soil is rich in it and those nuts are a very good source.
I'd love to see pics. It sounds beautiful.

Back on topic- I got a good deal on squash this week. Just had a quick soup that was so satisfying.
1 little zucchini- sliced
1 little yellow- sliced
1 green onion- chopped all but the roots
1stick of celery- sliced
1 shake of kelp granules (Maine coast container- any would work)
small handful of parsley
olive oil
curry
fine noodles
miso- dissolve in cool water and add at end.

 

[DianeB]

Ok, so how do nutrients affect one's looks?

Carbohydrates are a known collagen destroyer (along with smoking).

"At blame is a natural process that's known as glycation, in which the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end products (or, appropriately, AGEs for short). The more sugar you eat, the more AGEs you develop. "As AGEs accumulate, they damage adjacent proteins in a domino-like fashion," explains Fredric Brandt, MD, a dermatologist in private practice in Miami and New York City and author of "10 Minutes 10 Years." Most vulnerable to damage: collagenand elastin, the protein fibers that keep skin firm and elastic. In fact, collagen is the most prevalent protein in the body. Once damaged, springy and resilient collagen and elastin become dry and brittle, leading to wrinkles and sagging. These aging effects start at about age 35 and increase rapidly after that, according to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21257751/

Add to this the research that eating a high carbohydrate diet increases your body's need for many vitamins including C. (Taubes - Good Calories Bad Calories)

So I guess the worst of all worlds is a smoking donut junkie who hates vegetables.

Vitamin C that is available to us is only in plant sources. As most know we are only one of two animals that can't create its own vitamin C. Our high produce diet - not so much now, but at one time - didn't require us to do this anymore.

What you are refering to is actually caused by spikes in blood sugar not carbohydrates by themselves. It also is a much slower process than cigarette smoking.

As for arguing against eating carbohydrates, it really is not appropriate on a vegetarian thread. We will get way off topic very fast. Please, let us just stick to the main topic. I majored in both Anthropology and Geography as an undergrad. This allows me to argue all day about the evolution of human nutrition and diet. However, I really don't want to do this. The Atkins Diet and Zone Diet can be a sore spot with me. They are way off base when they claim this is a natural diet for humans. So, please, do not get me started arguing. It will not be light and educational as this thread should be.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I agree with you about Atkins.

 

[DianeB]

Thank You!!!! I was feeling alone here.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Don't feel alone.

 

[FarmerChick]

Vitamin C is NOT only available in plant sources.
[Vitamin C is most present in the liver and least present in the muscle. Since muscle provides the majority of meat consumed in the western human diet, animal products are not a reliable source of the vitamin. Vitamin C is present in mother's milk and, in lower amounts, in raw cow's milk, with pasteurized milk containing only trace amounts. All excess vitamin C is disposed of through the urinary system.

The following table shows the relative abundance of vitamin C in various foods of animal origin, given in milligram of vitamin C per 100 grams of food:

Animal Source Amount
(mg / 100g)
Calf liver (raw) 36
Beef liver (raw) 31
Oysters (raw) 30
Cod roe (fried) 26
Pork liver (raw) 23
Lamb brain (boiled) 17
Chicken liver (fried) 13
Animal Source Amount
(mg / 100g)
Lamb liver (fried) 12
Calf adrenals (raw) 11Lamb heart (roast) 11
Lamb tongue (stewed) 6
Human milk (fresh) 4
Goat milk (fresh) 2
Cow milk (fresh) 2

 

[FarmerChick]

I think Atkins diet is fine ----if done properly.

(Of course me being a meat eater and loving it, LOL, I am biased toward that menu.)