Advance Glycation End Products

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are implicated in aging, diabetes, heart disease and inflammation in the body. One way they form is when glucose in the blood combines with a protein. They are a byproduct of carbohydrate metabolism. My local paper has a column by Dr. James Dillard, MD last week about carbohydrates and it mentions AGEs. I hadn't thought about AGEs in a while but the truth is they are forming in my body all the time. Especially Christmas day. I wish I had read Dr. Dillards column before then. Maybe I would have gone a little easier on the desserts which was his intentions for his readers but I over did it and had a terrible headache by the end of the day. Another way AGEs form is cooking foods at high temperatures. Caramelization and browning gives food the flavor we all love but it forms them too. Your body can handle a certain amount of AGEs but Diabetics with blood glucose that is not well controlled or have hyperglycemia are especially susceptible to tissue damage from the accumulation of AGEs.

If you want to reduce you expose through food limit the amount of grilled, broiled, fried meats. Steam fish and seafood, simmer chicken in a sauce. Eat lots of of fruits or vegetables. Cooked or raw they are low in AGEs. Try a water saute next time you want to cook some onion or garlic instead of in oil.

Consume carbohydrates that are truly whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa, millet for example. Most cereals are not whole grains even the organic kind. Whole wheat bread is not a whole grain. Look for bread that is sprouted whole grain berries. Limit the amount of desserts to special occasions like New Years Eve my Mom's 80th birthday so I am having dessert.

Vegetarian Chili

There is nothing better than Chili on a cold wintery day so this weekend I made some. Instead of sauteing the onions, garlic and other vegetables in olive oil like I usually do I decided to try something different and do a water saute. I think it came out just fine and I didn't get any complaints from my husband Kevin.

In a medium sauce pan combine veggies, spices and enough water to just cover
saute for about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and beans and bring to boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add a little extra water if needed.

1 small onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 celery stalks chopped
2 portobello mushroom chopped
2 carrots
1/2 green pepper chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped

1/2 tsp chili or if you like it hotter 1 Tbsp
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or 1/2 tsp
1 tsp oregano

1-8oz can organic tomato sauce
1- 15oz can of organic red kidney beans or 2 cups cooked
1- 15oz can of organic garbanzo beans or 2 cups cooked
1 -15oz can of organic diced tomatoes

Quinoa with Red Sauce and Vegetables

I just love Quinoa (Keen wah) and my husband Kevin does too. We eat it often. Tonight we had it with red sauce instead of pasta. Quinoa is an ancient grain from Andes and is becoming more popular in North America. Not just because it tastes so good but also because it is one of the higher protein grains. It reminds me of couscous in shape and color but the grain is a bit larger.

When we eat protein our body breaks them down into amino acids. We need 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential. Essential means we have to get these proteins from food and our body makes the rest of them most of the time.
Quinoa is packed full of protein containing 10 amino acids and 8 of them are essential.

Protein is needed not just for our muscles but for every cell in our body. Many people think they need to eat lots of protein or take in extra protein through supplements or protein shakes to build muscles. However, this is a misconception. To build our muscles they need physical activity plus good nutrition, not just protein. If we take in more protein than our bodies need we just eliminate it and this can make the kidneys work harder than they need too. Protein needs for most healthy people is 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you weighed 140 lbs you would need 51 grams of protein per day.
1 cup uncooked quinoa has 22 grams of protein.
1/3 cup is one serving of a carbohydrate and about 80 calories


Rinse the Quinoa in a strainer to remove the coating of saponins.
Boil 1 1/4 cup water and add 1 cup Quinoa. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
In a sauce pan
2Tbsp Olive Oil
1 small onion
garlic cloves as many as you like
2 to 3 Portobello mushrooms sliced in long strips
1 Red Pepper sliced
1 Green Pepper sliced
Toss with your favorite red sauce.
I like to add Nutritional Yeast Flakes on top in place of grated cheese for a little extra B12.


Quinoa comes in red and black but white is the most common.
It makes a great breakfast alternative too. Just add some fruit and honey or maple syrup.

Here is a Wonderful Website I want to share!

www.nutritioneducationthroughthegarden.blogspot.com

I first came across the OldWays website doing a project on Morocco and "The Mediterranean Diet" for my nutrition classes. The website is a great resource of information.

Cook once eat twice! Plus info about Phytic Acid

I love this saying because it is so true. Lasts night dinner makes a delicious lunch. When I make a meal I always try to have a little left over to enjoy the next day. Also next time you make some brown rice make some extra to prepare another way the next day too.

Brown rice is a whole grain. I soak mine the night before or at least a couple of hours before I cook it to deactivate the phytic acid.
Phytic pronounced (FYE-tick) Acid is a nonnutrient in seeds and grains that is capable of binding with some minerals zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium and copper and blocking their absorption.

Check out the link below for more info on Phytic Acid

www.nutritioneducationthroughthegarden.blogspot.com

Interesting video about how important good nutrition is to learning and behavior

www.nutritioneducationthroughthegarden.blogspot.com

Here's what was cooking for dinner tonight!

Brussels Sprouts, 1lb, Peel and cut the Brussels Sprouts in half lengthwise
Carrots, 4 medium cut in half into 1" slices
Coconut Oil, 2 Tbsp
Lemon Zest, 1 tsp
sea salt and ground pepper
lemon Juices, 3 Tbsp
Shallots
garlic cloves

Heat the Oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the brussels Sprouts, Carrots and Lemon Zest and saute for 4 minutes stirring frequently to prevent them from burning then add the shallots and garlic and cook for 4 more minutes. Add the Lemon Juice and cook for 1 more minute. Makes 4 serving

I served this vegetable dish with Brown Rice and black beans. The Shallots are so sweet. I just love them.
Brussels Sprouts are one of the cruciferous vegetables in the Brassica family. They are a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin A & C Calcium, Iron and cancer fighting properties. Carrots are also a great source of vitamin A. Good for your eyesight.

While Coconut Oil is a saturated fat, it may have some health properties. It is a medium chain triglyceride and bypasses normal fat metabolism. It doesn't need the fat digesting enzyme for the body to break it down.
If your not a fan of Coconut Oil don't worry. The flavor was very mild and nobody noticed I used it in place of Olive Oil