More than you want to know about tomatoes :>

I am a tomato fiend.
Love love love em!
I grow them, and am the only one who eats them -- all summer long.
Which is fine with me. That way I do not have to share. :>

Is the nutritional value of protein lost through cooking and storing of food just as vitamins are lost?

Proteins are not lost during cooking as easily as vitamins; however overcooking and cooking at extremely high temperatures will denature proteins found in food. When cooked or agitated (as occurs when egg whites are beaten), proteins undergo physical changes called denaturation and coagulation. Denaturation changes the shape of the protein, decreasing the solubility of the protein molecule. Coagulation causes protein molecules to clump together, as occurs when making scrambled eggs. Overcooking foods containing protein can destroy heat-sensitive amino acids (for example, lysine) or make the protein more resistant to digestive enzymes. Refrigerating cooked foods will not further denature the proteins.

whfoods.org

Know what's good for cholesterol? Hmmm?

2 apples
1 stalk celery
1 cucumber

Juice
Then suck it up

I think you could juice poo with apples, and it would taste great!

Yummers. Here we have black bean burgers on tomato with fake cheese [has macadamia nuts and stuff ground up], topped with avocado, sea salt, and lentil sprouts.

Privitization....

...the solution to most of the world's ills.

Soy crops - genetically engineered?

Twenty years ago, no genetically engineered food crops had been planted in the United States. Then, beginning in 1987, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) began to receive what has turned out to be 11,600 applications for the testing of genetically engineered food crops. By the year 2000, over 50% of all soybeans planted in the U.S. were genetically engineered. As of 2007, that number increased to 91%. Soybeans currently surpass both corn and cotton as the genetically engineered crop with the greatest planted acreage. (For a more detailed look at genetically engineered soybeans and the history of crop planting, you can visit the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) review published by its Economic Research Service, at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/biotechcrops/ExtentofAdoptionTable3.htm).

Soybeans have not been genetically modified for nutritional reasons. They've been modified for economic reasons involving the reality of present-day agribusiness. For example, growers can now purchase "Roundup Ready" soybeans that are resistant to this glycophosphate herbicide.

There is no research evidence that shows consumption of genetic engineered soybeans to be harmful to our health, but I suspect that future research will show regular consumption of genetically engineered foods, including soybeans, to carry with it certain risks. Since genetic engineering means modifications of genes, and genes are the blueprint for making proteins, GE foods are foods destined to make proteins not naturally found in their chemical structure. Many adverse reactions to food involve immune system response to proteins, and it would be logical to expect more of these adverse reactions in the case of GE foods. At present, there is also a problem with regulation of GE foods by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As long as they pass a legal test of "substantial equivalence," genetically engineered foods are allowed into the marketplace without studies testing their safety. We are concerned about this type of uncontrolled experiment with a widely consumed food crop, and it's one of the reasons we support consumption of certified organic soy products. Genetic engineering is prohibited in the production of any certified organic food, including any soy-containing, organically certified food.

whfoods.org

Grapes!

Did you know that grapes and grape products contain a health-promoting phytonutrient called resveratrol that not only acts as a powerful antioxidant but activates genes that promote our health in numerous ways, thus helping to protect against heart disease and cancer? Recent studies show that resveratrol, found in grapes, particularly purple and red grapes, has powerful health-promoting properties. Much of this research was motivated by what has come to be known as the French Paradox: the interesting phenomenon of the low incidence of heart disease among the French despite their eating a diet high in saturated fats. Increasing evidence suggests that the phytonutrients found in grapes, grape juice and red wine, particularly resveratrol, may be a key to understanding this paradox since these foods are an important part of the French diet. Like calorie restriction, resveratrol activates a gene in humans in the SIR (silent information regulator) family. This gene, called SIRT1, then increases production of seven enzymes, called the sirtuins, which trigger cell signaling that:

. mobilizes the release of stored fat and its conversion into glucose
. promotes insulin secretion, so glucose is promptly delivered to cells
. boosts the aerobic capacity of the mitochondria (the energy production factories in our cells), so the glucose is efficiently converted into energy
. inactivates p53, a gene that plays a pivotal role in cellular senescence

The net result is a much more youthful metabolism in which fats and carbohydrates are efficiently converted into energy, increasing endurance and resistance to stress, instead of stockpiling and fueling inflammation, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

whfoods.org

Is it OK to store fruits and vegetables in plastic bags in the refrigerator?

I believe that fruits and vegetables can usually be stored in plastic bags (like those you get in the market's produce section, or plastic "zip-lock" type bags) at normal refrigerator temperatures. I have yet to see research that shows significant health risks to be associated with plastic bags when used at the low refrigerator temperatures of 35-40°F (2-4°C).

On the other hand, I'd like to mention that the practice of shrink-wrapping individual foods in thin plastic wrap is not one I recommend. That's because this practice can increase the amount of food surface that comes into tight and direct contact with the plastic, potentially causing additional migration of chemicals from the plastic into the food. However slight, this added risk seems unnecessary to me and easily avoided.

I'd also like to point out that while plastic may be an acceptable storage method for produce kept in the refrigerator, the heating of plastic can be problematic in that there is a greater potential for the migration of the plastic chemicals into the food. Therefore, I would avoid all methods of cooking that involve plastics such as any type of "boil-in-a-bag" food, heating food in a plastic container in the microwave, and heating in the oven using "oven-safe" plastic containers.

whfoods.org

Does hydration enhance nutrient metabolism? Hmmm?

Being optimally hydrated is always a way to improve safety of nutrient metabolism, especially water-soluble nutrients including certain forms of minerals and proteins. Having plenty of water in your bloodstream, cells, and tissue spaces outside of the cells is one way to decrease the concentration of these nutrients as well as their metabolic breakdown products (like ammonia in the case of proteins).

whfood.org