Nutrition Nuggets - Page 3

_       This is a collection of tidbits of information about nutrition which have appeared in the Alaska Vegetarian Society newsletters.  We have provided links to those articles to help you get the information you need to be a healthy vegan.   The information may surprise you, excite you or maybe even easy your mind a little.   We hope that these articles will assist you in eating a well planned low-fat, whole foods, plant-based diet, which we know can have a dramatic effect on a person's health and well-being.  Enjoy!

(When you click on the text link for the article it will take you to the Alaska Vegetarian Society (AVS) website.  Just click in the previous window or tab in your web browser to come back here or you can explore the AVS website.)

(Click on the blue text links to read the article)
_Get the Latest in Nutritional Information by Delisa Renideo
    Wouldn’t it be great if there were one place you could go to find the latest clinical research about nutrition--in plain English so we can all understand it? Well, now there is. It is called NutritionFacts.org.
_Time-Saving Tips to Healthy Eating  by Delisa Renideo
    Even though most of us are very busy, it is important to find ways to incorporate healthy food prep into our lives or we’ll have to start incorporating more trips to the doctor!
_Is There a Nutritional “Magic Bullet?”   by Delisa Renideo
    Is it Acai berries? Or goji berries? Or blueberries? Or kale? Or flax seeds? Which one is the “magic bullet” that will turn our health around and make it possible to leap over tall buildings?
_The Latest in Clinical Nutrition  by Peggy Robinson
    Have you ever wondered what is the real truth about some of those wild health claims for certain products? For example, is Mangosteen juice bad for our bank accounts but great for our bodies? Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? What is the number one anti- cancer vegetable? What about Airborne supplements? Do they actually stop a cold? How many hours of sleep is optimal? Is there really a food dye made out of crushed bugs?
_Grow Your Own Veggies    by Delisa Renideo
    Everyone knows we need to eat more vegetables -- the more the better! We also know the fresher they are, the more nutritious they are. But unless you’ve had a just-picked vegetable, you don’t know what you’re missing in terms of taste.    Unbelievable! during our long summer days in Alaska grow so fast that they are incredibly tender and sweet when they’re first picked. When something tastes that good, you’ll automatically want to eat more of them, and remember -- the more the better!_
_Incredible, Edible Wild Greens (Weeds!)   by Delisa Renideo
    Those of you who have taken my cooking classes have heard me say over and over, “Eat greens! They are the most nutritious foods there are!” And in a previous article (Greens! The Superfood for Superpowers!) I sang the praises of greens: Of all the foods we eat, greens contain the most nutrients per calorie. In other words, they are the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. At this time of year, we have a great source of the healthiest greens in the world, yet most of us are ignoring them, attacking them with hoes and tillers, or even poisoning them! These greens are often disrespectfully referred to as “weeds.”
_Turmeric: Close to a Panacea?  by Gurubandhu
    When most people think of turmeric, they think of curry powder, which is actually a masala, or a mixture of spices. Turmeric is the spice that turns it yellow. However, most people probably think mustard powder is what gives yellow mustard its amber hue.  Actually, it is the turmeric added to the mustard that colors the condiment.
_Secret Ingredients from Milk   Excerpts from Chapter 19 of The Vegan Sourcebook, by Joanne Stepaniak
It’s amazing how frequently animal products are incorporated into many packaged and processed foods.    You need to read food labels closely to find hidden animal ingredients. The following are a few of the ingredients derived from cow’s milk: