Not surprisingly, I've been reading a lot about food this week. I was also given a few "sent from Florida" grapefruits but I don't know yet if they are the white or red variety. I prefer the red and I just found out that I'm smart to do so. Red grapefruit have 25 times the vitamin C of white grapefruit. Plus they have as much lyocpene as fresh tomatoes -- why's that good? Because it's been shown that lycopene prevents osteoporosis far more effectively than calcium -- for those post-menopausal women who are most at risk. Better to eat grapefruit or tomato salad than drink all the milk.And about dates: The date palm grows naturally in arid, sandy soil but near a source of water which in North Africa where the majority are grown, means oases. In the US we mainly see brown dried dates but they only turn brown when they're dried [preferably in the sun], they are red, yellow and shades of color in between when ripe on the trees. 90% of the dates produced in the world are produced in northern Africa, from Egypt right across to Morocco.
Olive oil usage has increased more than 50% in the last twenty years as Americans, not just those of Mediterranean background, discover that it is the healthiest cooking oil. Extra virgin olive oil [which has never been subjected to heat processing] is the only oil that can be kept at room temperature and will not go rancid.
Still in the plant world, teasel, the herb that resembles thistles, is often used in fall floral arrangements. But it's many sharp pointed bracts, when dried were long used in the woolen industry to "tease" up the nap of fabric after it was woven.
No, there can't be a week when I don't read about something negative and generally stupid: this week it was that while dentists are generally careful to shield patients when their teeth are X-rayed, and it is well known that young children are more negatively affected by radiation than older people, the majority of orthodontists use radiation that is much stronger than used in adults and use it more frequently on their young patients.
Gee, I'm sorry my daughters were subjected to orthodonture, although I'm glad they have attractive adult smiles.
2 comments:
June -- thanks for the information on lycopene. I did a quick bit of research after I read your post. It seems that lycopene could help prevent other diseases as well. -- as with all subjects there is conflicting evidence on eliminating calcium for lycopene. Overall the online stuff I read advocated for taking both -- some stating that lycopene's benefits are the same either in supplement or natural products -- some saying that cooked natural products provides the best benefits. Do you have any good online sites on this issue?-- barbara
No, I haven't researched it. It seems a bit of a hot issue right now, I read about tomatoes in one article and red grapefruit in another. I should do some research. I mistrust the research that says supplements are as good as the natural source wondering who paid for the research.
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