Frequency Defined

"If you're getting heartburn at least 2 days a week, that could be frequent heartburn."¹

Why would an otherwise healthy person be experiencing heartburn multiple times a week? Maybe something is going on internally, something that increasing dependence on a pharmaceutical, one that "shuts down lots of acid pumps", isn't likely to heal ... reduce symptoms maybe, but not eradicate the problem. Nature has those acid pumps there for a reason, and my guess is it's not to play cat and mouse with the pain receptors in your esophagus.

There are lots of things an otherwise healthy person can do to reduce heartburn.² I dismay when I think that throwing $0.90/pill to a predatory and gluttonous drug company is that person's first choice.

What's really disparaging is this ad appears in an issue of Gourmet magazine.
________¹ Ad for AstraZeneca's Prilosec OTC heartburn medication. Underline and italics provided by advertiser.
² Feb 28 Update - Coincidentally, Dr. Weil posted some natural remedies for treating heartburn on his site today. They may be gone by the time you read this, but here's his heartburn link. To his tips I would add:

• Reduce intake of caffeine. Caffeine acts as a smooth muscle relaxer, allowing the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to open and stomach contents to splash through.
  
• Reduce exposure to smoke, your own or someone else's. Smoking can also relax the LES. Smokers tend to produce less acid-neutralizing saliva too.

Chicken Stock

The quality of canned chicken broth pales in comparison to what a pot of water, a used carcass, and some heat can produce. It's easy. The biggest investment is time. And nothing beats a bowl of steaming chicken soup when you're feeling run down.

Ingredients

1 chicken carcass, bones, scraps
6 quarts cold water

Seasonings (or your choice):

1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. crushed rosemary
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. mustard seed
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

~~~~~~~~~~
1   Bring water and seasonings to a slow simmer in an 8 qt. stock pot. Add chicken carcass, bones, and scraps. Simmer for 3 hours, stirring periodically. Turn heat off and allow to cool for an hour before straining.

Note: I used the frozen remains of a 3 lb. chicken that was roasted a week prior. After dinner on the night of roasting, I sit quietly and strip the bird of its meat. The FRE opts to leave the room during the stripping process. He's especially unsettled by the sound of the leg bone twisting in its joint.

You may also add vegetables with the seasonings at the beginning. Coarsely chopped onion, celery, carrot, and garlic cloves are the typical additions.

2   Remove largest pieces with a slotted spoon. Then strain stock through a fine sieve. You can remove fat now with a fat separator (my choice) or pour stock into a bowl, cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The fat will rise to the surface and harden. It's easily spooned off.

3   Divide stock into portions and freeze. Manang uses a muffin pan. I usually use 2-cup storage containers but I saw this method in Cook's Illustrated this month: Ladle stock into 1-qt. ziplock freezer bags (I propped the bag in a 2-cup measuring cup), lay bags into a baking pan, and freeze.



Enjoy!

EnovaTM Oil, I'll Pass

Here's a new oil, marketed in Japan since 1999 (as Econa^TM) and making its way into US markets. It claims to reduce body weight, stores of body fat, and circulating blood fats, when used as a replacement for traditional oil. A 20 oz. bottle sells for $5.79.

Its Mechanism?
Over 80% of its fats are diacylglycerols (DAGs), not the traditional triacylglycerols (TAGs) found in regular oils and consumed by humans for millennia. DAGs are metabolized differently than TAGs. Studies do show a reduction in blood triglycerides right after you eat a DAG-rich meal. Levels of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and VLDL do not show consistent changes for the positive, however, when a DAG meal is compared to a TAG meal. Effects on body weight and body fat do not prove consistent across studies either.

Its Source?
Enova^TM oil is made from a combination of soy and canola oils and is refined to convert the natural oil's TAGs into DAGs. It has the same amount of calories (120 cal) and fat (14 g) as any tablespoon of regular oil. It is not a fat substitute like Olestra^TM which passes through the body undigested. Enova's fat is digested and absorbed in a similar manner as regular oil.

Its Long Term Safety?
The manufacturer claims "no adverse effects from single dose or long term consumption of DAG oil." But there is no natural history of humans consuming DAGs at the levels recommended by the company (10 to 20 grams a day, about 1 to 2 tablespoons a day). Studies cited refer to 12-week (Japan) and 24-week (US) duration investigations on humans. The only longer term evaluation was conducted on mice over the course of 2 years.

Since DAGs have been implicated in colon cancer, and since there are no long-term studies on humans which eradicate the possible cancer risk of consuming DAG-rich oils ... and since the jury is still out on whether this oil (which ounce-for-ounce provides the same calories as regular oil) can reduce body fat ... I think I'll stick with my extra virgin olive oil, thank you.

What's a Meme?

I saw this on The Biomes Blog:

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don’t search around and look for the “coolest” book you can find. Use what’s actually next to you.

Neat, that. I looked:

"Many of the substances that give plants their strength and flexibility aren't broken down by the acids and enzymes in the human stomach or intestine."
- Walter C. Willett. 2001. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.

So here it lies.
________

Is it Wild, or is it Farmed?

It's both?

I just got back* from the grocery store where I'd hoped to satisfy a craving for smoked salmon. While rummaging through a pile of prepackaged Wildcatch (brand) smoked salmon, I noticed a tiny paragraph that said "this product came from a fishery". Wow. All over the package were words blatantly advertising that the salmon was "caught wild in the pristine waters of Alaska".

So I came home and tried to investigate further, but this was all I found:
Wildcatch.com

* Feb 25 Update - My error. I originally posted the name as WildCaught. In fact it is Wildcatch. URL updated. Unfortunately, I'm still looking at salmon caught wild from a fishery? I long for a bit more clarification, Wildcatch. I'm afraid your description "certified sustainable wild salmon" leaves me perplexed.

Caveat emptor?________

Groovy Loaf

Raise your hand if you know who Euell Gibbons is.

This recipe commemorates, in loaf, that 1960's naturalist, Mr. Gibbons. And it was named with you in mind, you with your pits showing, you of the hippie and granola era, because you will understand it. You might not hanker for it, but you'll appreciate its origins. It's so heavy with grains, seeds, and fruit, that any effort at leavening is totally defeated. It comes out of the oven with the same basic size and shape as it went into the oven, only cured. The first time I made it, I depanned what any discerning person would describe as a brick. I was going to throw it out, but the FRE came home, tried it, and expressed his fancy (for the brick). He liked that it wasn't overly sweet, "more adult" was his phrase. What I thought was too dense, he thought was "substantial". And I suspect somewhere beneath his credible exterior as a potato chips and Girl Scout cookies lover lurks a health food junkie who cries "Amen, Brother!" when he downs wheat germ.

So, for the FRE, who gets credit for naming it ("Hey, groovy, man. How 'bout another piece?"), and in honor of the man who constructed his breakfast from weeds and tree bark (it wasn't until later that Gibbons broke fast with bowls of Post Grape-nuts), I bring you...

Groovy Loaf

Ingredients

1 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup wheat bran
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, whole
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, whole
2 tbsp. flax seeds, ground

1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup raisins

1 cup buttermilk (or plain yogurt, low-fat or non-fat)
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp. vegetable oil (I used unrefined peanut)

1 large egg

~~~~~~~~~~
1 Preheat oven to 350°F.

2 Rub 1 tsp. vegetable oil on the insides of an 8 by 4 inch loaf pan.

3 Sift together the wheat flour, soy flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the wheat germ, wheat bran, cornmeal, oats, seeds, dates, and raisins.

4 Combine the buttermilk, maple syrup, molasses, honey, and oil. Whisk or beat vigorously until fully blended.

5 Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Add about 2 tbsp. of the liquid ingredients to the whisked egg and beat. Slowly pour the beaten egg back into the liquid batter, whisking the batter as you pour.

6 Combine dry ingredients with wet. Fold together slowly until just combined and no dry lumps remain. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350°F. for approximately 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

7 Cool thoroughly (1 to 2 hours) in the pan before removing.

I slice the whole loaf and freeze uneaten slices for future use. This loaf stales easily if left out, and a stale Groovy Loaf performs better as a building block than human nourishment.

Enjoy!

Aesthetics Aside

Salmon is chock full of omega-3 fatty acids. Offhand, I don't know of another food with a higher omega-3 density, although sardines and herring come close. (If I find that food, I'll be sure to post about it.) The benefits of omega-3 are something I've posted a little about here, and am sure to revisit. So, I want to eat salmon, Dr. Weil wants me to eat salmon, the fish industry wants me to eat salmon, and given the elevation in mood that omega-3s are known to produce, I'm sure people around me want me to eat salmon. Boy, I'm sure lucky I like salmon.

But where I live most of the fresh salmon available is farmed. You can page down to my SalmoFan to know what I think of that. Even when I find wild salmon, the cost is $16.99/lb, which is prohibitive for me to be serving 3 times a week - the going recommendation.

Last week I bought some canned salmon. It was $3.98 for a 14.75 oz can, about $4.30/lb. Bumble Bee's description read "Wild Alaska Sockeye Red Salmon", and the ingredients were just salmon and salt, no preservatives, flavorings, colorings, etc. As I peered over my glasses to inspect the label for derogatory fine print, I saw "1.0 gm omega-3 fatty acids per serving", which sealed the deal for me. The content of omega-3 in 2.2 oz of Bumble Bee canned salmon is giving my fish oil supplements a run for their money.



Witness above the aesthetics of my canned salmon, bones and skin intact. I'm still trying to figure how to serve this. It turns to mush when mixed a la tuna salad. Since it's already cooked, reheating, well, leaves something to be desired (desire). I have eaten it cold on toast with scrambled eggs, which wasn't that bad. I think I need a little help. Any ideas?

Statins, and a Not-well-publicized Side Effect

You have to love the way our bodies repackage and reuse chemicals. The efficiency of the human body, or any living system, is hardly rivaled by the efficiency of a machine or other inanimate system. It amazes me. Whenever I look inside, I just see one big recycling center.

An example of efficiency

An average internal combustion engine converts its fuel to work with about 25% efficiency. The energy the engine makes that doesn't get used to propel a car is given off as heat. Our bodies convert fuel (carbohydrates and fats) to work with about 35% efficiency. The energy our bodies make that fails to get harnessed and used to propel us is also given off as heat. But we use that heat to maintain our internal temperature, which assists lots of enzymatic processes and keeps us up and running in a range of cold weather conditions. So, in this case, not only is the living system more efficient at harnessing energy from fuel than the nonliving system, but it capitalizes on the heat loss. (Hibernation wouldn't be possible without this capitalization of heat loss.)

Let me get back to the reason I'm writing this post.

Another place our bodies capitalize on the production of a process is in the making of cholesterol.

To the right is a simplified flow chart of how cholesterol is made in our cells. You don't have to understand names or symbols, just notice that it starts with a little 2-carbon compound (Acetyl CoA) and it ends with a more complex 30-carbon compound (Cholesterol). By the way, that little Acetyl CoA can come from the breakdown of carbohydrates, which is one way overconsumption of carbs drives production of cholesterol.

Reducing the amount of cholesterol that roams the bloodstream may be a good idea for anyone whose arteries are narrowing because of cholesterol-ridden plaque. Since most of our cholesterol comes from what we make in our cells (not what we eat), it makes sense that slowing the production of that cholesterol would lessen its contribution to those plaques. Statin drugs (Lipitor, Mevachor, Crestor, Pravachol, Zocor) inhibit the production of cholesterol by halting the process where I've drawn an arrow.

Unfortunately, our bodies recycle one of the compounds further down to make a very strong antioxidant called CoQ₁₀ (other names: Coenzyme Q, ubiquinone). But since the process is halted above this in the presence of statins, quantities of not only cholesterol, but CoQ₁₀ are diminished. It would therefore behoove people taking statin medications to make sure they're getting adequate amounts of CoQ₁₀.

What does CoQ₁₀ do?

Two basic functions: It's integral in producing energy and it's a strong antioxidant. It's present in every cell in the body, affects just about every organ, and the miracle cures its touted to perform are, well, beyond the scope of your author since she's a miracle non-believer. Still, there are scientifically-based and well documented functions for CoQ₁₀, not least of which is its indispensable use in cardiac function. Paradoxically, the statin medications that are employed to protect the heart result in lower levels of CoQ₁₀. Too little CoQ₁₀ can damage the heart. (Supplementation with CoQ₁₀ has been shown to improve cardiac function in those taking statins.¹)

A number of years ago Merck considered adding CoQ₁₀ to its statin medications to prevent the muscle wasting (including that indispensable muscle: the heart) typical of low CoQ₁₀ levels. It never came to pass.

Although CoQ₁₀ is a natural substance, one we not only make in our cells but get in foods, boosting intake through supplements shows benefits even for healthy non-statin takers. CoQ₁₀ may increase performance during aerobic activity (because it generates energy), and may benefit conditions involving oxidative stress, such as respiratory illnesses from smoking or working in a polluted environment (because it scavenges free radicals). Its antioxidant properties are being shown to enhance immunity and protect against cancers. It looks like CoQ₁₀ has the potential to become the next vitamin E or C.

Why it's not more advocated has, in the opinion of Peter Langsjoen², more to do with politics and economics than it does with science. Production and distribution of CoQ₁₀ does not generate, as Mr. Langsjoen says "patent protected profit" for a revenue-minded pharmaceutical company.

Age and stress both deplete it. If I was ever obliged to take a statin, you had better believe I'd be taking CoQ₁₀ with it.
~~~~~~
¹ Silver MA, Langsjoen PH, Szabo S, Patil H, Zelinger A. Effect of atorvastatin on left ventricular diastolic function and ability of coenzyme Q10 to reverse that dysfunction. Am J Cardiol: 2004,94(10);1306-10.

² Who wrote a nice synopsis of CoQ₁₀ here.

The SalmoFanTM

How about some antibiotics, pesticides, PCB's, and artificial color with that salmon?




Above is a color fan¹ used by some salmon farmers to guide the shade of flesh they'd like to see in their salmon, post slaughter. Consumers, you see, like their salmon pink. The bright pink color of wild salmon comes from naturally occurring pigments in the krill and shrimp that constitute a wild salmon's diet. The color of farmed salmon would be a dusty grey were it not for the addition of the petrochemical-derived coloring agents canthaxanthin and astaxanthin. Thank you, Hoffmann-La Roche, for rosying up our lox.

Now, guess what food is thought to be the most PCB-contaminated protein source in the American food supply?

Yes, farmed salmon. And in case you're wondering about the history of the pink one you just ate, up to 90% of the fresh salmon in the US is farmed.

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were banned in the US in 1976 since they are believed to cause cancer. Some farmed salmon was measured to have 16 times the PCBs of its wild counterpart. (The PCBs are in the feed.) Visit the Environmental Working Group's report on PCBs in Farmed Salmon if you'd like to know more.

Farmed salmon can also have more total fat and more saturated fat than wild salmon. And its levels of omega-3 fat, the reason many people are carving out a spot on their dinner plate for this up-current swimmer, vary depending on what farmers choose to feed their lot.

My heart and gastrointestinal track will now and forever belong to the wild.
________¹ Photo by Edward Tufte. A forum on the SalmoFan including more of his wonderful pictures can be found at Edward Tufte.

No Smoking, Please

One of my few and self-described "decent" readers (which I interpreted as meaning pretty adept with all things food, as opposed to someone whose target for whipped cream was, is, and always will be ... strawberries) (not that any of my readers are indecent) (that I know of) recently asked me what constitutes a "high-heat oil". He was referring to my post on Braised Lamb Shanks where I designate use of a "high heat oil" to brown the shanks.

Only this weekend I was finding recently published recipes with instructions to heat an oil "until it starts to smoke" before browning a meat. I laid my forehead against my palm and sighed.

Why is it not a good idea to let your oil smoke?

Present in that smoke is a substance called acrolein. Acrolein is highly irritating to the eyes and throat, and can damage lung tissue. It's a suspected carcinogen. (It's also present in cigarette smoke and car exhaust.) Smoke emitted from overheated fat is an insidious contributor to indoor pollution.

Of course, the goal of browning a meat prior to braising is the development of a crisp, caramelized exterior with a largely uncooked interior. High heat is necessary to achieve that goal since it reduces the amount of time the food is in contact with the hot oil, precluding the tough, dried-out, pork-chop-as-shoe-leather quality that results from overcooking.

So, the best browning is done at high temperatures for short periods.. The best fat to use in browning is one that can be heated to high temperatures with little or no smoke shed.

What oil to buy?

The smoke point of a fat depends on two factors, its natural composition (dependant on the food from which it's derived), and the type of processing it has undergone.

Unrefined oils, those merely pressed from their source, generally smoke at lower temperatures than refined oils, and are poor choices for high-heat uses. (The "impurities" in unrefined oils which lower the smoke point also give oil its characteristic color, aroma, and flavor.)

Refined oils are exposed to higher temperatures, pressures, and chemical manipulation to extract, filter, bleach, deodorize, and stabilize their final product. I wouldn't use a refined oil, e.g. Wesson, as an all-purpose oil. In fact, I wouldn't used a refined oil for anything other than high-heat frying. Unrefined, cold-pressed oils can do most jobs, including sautéing, without vaporizing to a noxious fume.

Below is a list of oils and their average smoke points. The smoke point of any one oil can vary widely, depending on the growing medium; and harvest, extraction, and processing methods. Generally, refining an oil increases its smoke point by about 100°F. Not to plug a brand, but to plug a brand, Spectrum Naturals make some mighty fine refined oils. They minimize the use of chemicals and high temperatures in their refining process.



My kitchen, before I broke down and purchased some refined, high-smoke-point frying oil:

Seize the Day

It's the dead of winter. Short days, little sun ... cold. Cotton, wool, and Polartec from my ears to my ankles. And, Oh My God, don't bother me! Can't you see I'm not in a good mood?! It's all my parent's fault. No, it's all your fault. No, it's George W. Bush's fault! Oh, nobody loves me ...

The symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) are similar to the psychological affects of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), which are similar to symptoms of generalized depression, which all astoundingly mimic the effects of vitamin D and calcium deficiencies, regardless of your gender.

See for yourself ...

Clinical Features of Low Calcium Levels¹

• Fatigue
  
• Anxiety
  
• Depression
  
• Impaired memory
  
• Impaired intellectual capacity
  
• Personality disturbances
  
• Neuromuscular irritability
  
• Muscle cramps
  
• Paresthesias (feeling of pins and needles)
  
• Tetany (muscle spasms)

One reason light therapy is thought to improve the mood of SAD sufferers is its ability to boost vitamin D levels in the body, which in turn boost calcium levels. Certain wavelengths in broad-spectrum light (e.g. sunlight) will generate production of vitamin D when they contact our skin. And one role of vitamin D is the absorption of calcium from the food we eat. In fact, people who take too high a dose of vitamin D end up absorbing dangerously high amounts of calcium, setting them up for kidney stones and eventually kidney failure.

So, a cheap, effective, and healthy² way to boost vitamin D and calcium (assuming you're getting some calcium in your diet) is sun exposure. And it doesn't take much, 10 minutes of mid-day summer sun (a bit longer in winter) on the face and hands will give you the current Daily Value for vitamin D (400 IU).

But if the sun fails to shine and you've hidden your luscious curves behind flannel-lined khakis and down-filled parkas ... if facing the day has become an exercise in tolerance, and you think Joy is the name of a dishwashing liquid ... try the supplement approach. A minimum of 400 IU (but no more than 2000 IU) vitamin D may be the thing to reacquaint you with your optimism.

~~~~~~
¹ Thys-Jacobs S. Micronutrients and the premenstrual syndrome: the case for calcium. J Am Coll Nutr. 2000;19(2):220-7.

² Our bodies use a molecule of cholesterol to make a molecule of vitamin D. What a handy way to use up excess cholesterol.