Healthy sauteed cauliflower

I would leave off the turmeric.  Just can’t develop a taste for it. But if you like it, go for it!
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=243

The World’s Healthiest Foods says:  “From all of the cooking methods we tried when cooking cauliflower, our favorite is Healthy Sauté. We think that it provides the greatest flavor, texture, and overall recipe success. Healthy Sauté—similar to Quick Boiling and Quick Steaming, our other recommended cooking methods—follows three basic cooking guidelines that are generally associated in food science research with improved nutrient retention. These three guidelines are: (1) minimal necessary heat exposure; (2) minimal necessary cooking duration; (3) minimal necessary food surface contact with cooking liquid.

Begin by cutting cauliflower florets into quarters and let sit for at least 5 minutes to enhance its health-promoting benefits. To Healthy Sauté cauliflower, heat 5 TBS of broth (vegetable or chicken) or water in a stainless steel skillet. Once bubbles begin to form add cauliflower florets (cut into quarters) and turmeric, cover, and Healthy Sauté for 5 minutes. Toss with our Mediterranean Dressing. For details see, 5-Minute Healthy Sautéed Cauliflower.”

One cup has 28.5 calories, and is very high in some important vitamins like C and B.  It’s available in white, purple, green and orange.

“While the U.S. is the world's largest producer of broccoli, when it comes to cauliflower, it is not remotely close to China or India, which produce 74% of the world's cauliflower. Given the remarkable nutritional benefits of cauliflower, we hope that this pattern will change over time and the cauliflower will become a more widely enjoyed cruciferous vegetable. "

How does vitamin B6 help your brain?

A notice from The World's Healthiest Foods Newsletter, April 19

"Vitamin B6 is one of several B vitamins required for proper production of messaging molecules in our nervous system and brain (called neurotransmitters). Three key neurotransmitters— namely GABA, dopamine, and serotonin—all require vitamin B6 for synthesis.

Just as an example of how important this nutrient can be to proper brain and nervous system, function, there is a condition called pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy where a genetic mutation interferes with normal vitamin B6 function. In people who have this mutation, the brain does not develop properly and epileptic seizures are experienced beginning in infancy. Luckily, this condition is rare.

However, we may be at risk of other more common problems that can be brain and nervous-system related if our B6 intake is poor. Depression is a good example in this area. Researchers in Japan have found that the risk of depressed mood is higher in people with lower levels of vitamin B6 in their diet (in comparison with the general population). Another research group concluded that this link between risk of depression and B6 intake becomes even stronger when dietary folic acid—a nutrient that works very closely with vitamin B6 in brain and nervous system chemistry—is deficient as well. Recent research has also begun to indicate a link between B6 deficiency and risk of development for attention deficit disorder (ADHD). So once again, we are looking at the possible widespread importance of B6 for brain and nervous system support."

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772032/

 http://www.foodforthebrain.org/alzheimers-prevention/homocysteine-and-b-vitamins.aspx

http://www.naturalhealth365.com/vitamin-b-complex-cognitive-function-1726.html

 "supplementing high dose B6 (20mg), folic acid (800mcg) and B12 (500mcg) has been shown to greatly reduce the rate of brain shrinkage[15] and memory loss[16] in those at risk of Alzheimer’s" (http://www.foodforthebrain.org/alzheimers-prevention/6-prevention-steps.aspx)

 There are 1,000 micrograms (mcg) in 1 milligram (mg).

Today's new word--Metabolomics

Metabolomics is the large-scale study of small molecules, commonly known as metabolites, within cells, biofluids, tissues or organisms. Collectively, these small molecules and their interactions within a biological system are known as the metabolome. https://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/course/introduction-metabolomics/what-metabolomics  There is a whole course at free at Creative Commons on this subject, which I looked up because it came up in an article about blood pressure and potatoes at World's Healthiest Foods. 

"UK scientists at the Institute for Food Research have identified blood pressure-lowering compounds called kukoamines in potatoes. Previously only found in Lycium chinense, an exotic herbal plant whose bark is used to make an infusion in Chinese herbal medicine, kukoamines were found in potatoes using a new type of research called metabolomics.

Until now, when analyzing a plant's composition, scientists had to know what they were seeking and could typically look for 30 or so known compounds. Now, metabolomic techniques enable researchers to find the unexpected by analyzing the 100s or even 1000s of small molecules produced by an organism.""Do potatoes have a potential for helping lower blood pressure," World's Healthiest Foods

A powerhouse of nutrition:
"One medium potato (5.3 ounces or about 1 cup) contains almost 30 milligrams of vitamin C, which is half of what you need in a day. It has more potassium (620 milligrams) than a medium banana. We should get about 4,700 milligrams of potassium each day to protect our heart,  keep our blood pressure in a good range and ensure that our muscles don’t cramp and our nerves send the right messages. Only about 1 percent of Americans meet their potassium needs.

The potato is a good source of vitamin B6, meeting almost one-third of our daily needs. This vitamin is needed to utilize protein and carbohydrates in our diet as well as to manufacture most protein-related compounds, such as hormones, in our body. A fresh potato is low in sodium, fat-free and gluten-free.

The sweet potato is promoted as much healthier than the potato. The USDA Food Database shows the sweet potato is slightly higher in calories, carbohydrates, fiber, natural sugars, calcium and vitamin A. Vitamin A is the biggest nutritional difference from the regular potato. But the regular potato is lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein, iron, potassium, vitamin C, niacin, vitamin B6 and folate. Yes, the sweet potato is healthy and so is the potato." http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/features/3776076-nutrition-humble-potato-nutrition-powerhouse

Choose romaine lettuce for your salad

"Not all lettuce is created equal, but if you start your meal with a salad made of romaine lettuce you will be sure to add not only a variety of textures and flavors to your meal but an enormous amount of nutritional value. The vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber found in romaine lettuce are especially good for the prevention or alleviation of many common health complaints.  Due to its extremely low calorie content and high water volume, romaine lettuce is often overlooked in the nutrition world as a very nutritious food. Based on its nutrient richness, our food ranking system qualified it as an excellent source of vitamin A (notably through its concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene), vitamin K, folate, and molybdenum. Romaine lettuce also emerged from our ranking system as a very good source of dietary fiber, four minerals (manganese, potassium, copper, and iron), and three vitamins (biotin, vitamin B1, and vitamin C). " From The world's healthiest foods.

Today we enjoyed bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches on our deck in Lakeside with our friend Harry Parsons from Columbus.  The lettuce was indeed, romaine. He had grown the tomatoes and also baked the zucchini bread which was so tasty.

Latex-food allergy

I don't have food allergies, nor an allergy to latex (that I'm aware of), but allergies are problems for others. I saw this in my newsletter from George Mateljan, World's Healthiest Foods website. His articles are long and detailed, and he carefully cites his sources in major, peer-reviewed journals (at the website). I personally have not studied this, but found the information interest--and didn't know trees had stress mechanisms.

"The only commercial source of latex in the marketplace is Hevea brasiliensis, the genus and species of rubber tree native to South America. When the gene stock for this tree was transported by the British to Asia, this tree began to express more of its "defense proteins" in response to the abrupt stress of a non-native environment. Included in these defense proteins were chitinase enzymes.

When rubber trees are tapped for their sap, which in turn gets processed into latex, some of these chitinase proteins get carried over into the latex. One particular 3-dimensional section of these proteins is a fairly common trigger of antibody reactions in humans. This immune system reaction to a section of the chitinase protein constitutes a latex allergy.

Certain foods have what is called a "Hevea-like" domain in their proteins. In other words, they have a 3-dimensional section of their proteins that is identical to the 3-dimensional section found in the chitinase proteins of latex. The existence of this identical spot allows for cross-reactivity between latex and certain foods. This cross-reactivity is called latex-food allergy, or latex-food syndrome. The primary foods associated with latex-food allergy are: avocado, kiwi, banana, and chestnuts and to a lesser degree, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, passion fruit, strawberry, apple, fig, grapefruit, watermelon, pineapple, cherry. Pear, peach, mango, tomato, carrot, celery, sweet pepper, tomato, spinach, coconut, and paprika have at times also been associated with latex-food allergy.

We are not aware of any genetic modifications for the above food list that increase their Hevea-like protein domains. Although genetic modifications of food do introduce new proteins into those foods, we have not seen any research suggesting that these new proteins have any connection with latex cross-reactivity."

Sliced Honey Crisp apple with walnuts--the perfect breakfast

Walnuts. I eat them everyday, and I'm sure they're good for me--omega-3 fatty acids, or something. Supposed to be brain food, I think, but I don't see any turn around in that department. However, there's way too much hype about food health benefits. It's all part of the gnosticism of the environmentalist movement. Other than scurvey and ricketts, not much is cured or reversed with good nutrition. What really works besides chosing the best genes (your parents... and their parents), are all the NO-NOs--not smoking, not drinking, not doing drugs, not being promiscuous, not eating too many "healthy" foods (good food is fattening too), and not sitting at the computer all day. The last No-No is a big weakness for me. Well, at least I got a lot of help from Mom and Dad.

I love this web site