I read more books on nutrition & health than roses, thanks to my 3 siblings who are M.D's. Decades ago I read a book by an M.D. & diabetes specialist who treated his patients successfully with a diet high in RAW greens (smoothies).

http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20031223/magnesium-lowers-type-2-diabetes-risk

"Two new studies suggest magnesium-rich foods like these can significantly lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even in obese people who are at high risk for the disease. Earlier studies linked magnesium deficiency with an increased risk for diabetes.

Almost 170,000 People Studied

The larger of the two studies involved roughly 85,000 women and 42,000 men who completed dietary intake questionnaires every two to four years. The smaller study had a similar design and involved just under 40,000 women who were 45 or older. Both studies were conducted by researchers from Harvard University, and both are published in the January 2004 issue of the journal Diabetes Care.

Even after taking into account diabetes risk factors such as age, weight, physical activity, smoking, and family history, those with the highest dietary levels of magnesium were found to have significantly lower risk for type 2 diabetes compared with those with the lowest magnesium levels."

*** The above was from WebMD, below is another large-scale study from Taiwan entitled "Calcium and Magnesium in Drinking Water and Risk of Death From Cerebrovascular Disease"

http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/29/2/411.full

"Methods—All eligible cerebrovascular deaths (17 133 cases) of Taiwan residents from 1989 through 1993 were compared with deaths from other causes (17 133 controls), and the levels of calcium and magnesium in drinking water of these residents were determined.

Conclusions—The results of the present study show that there is a significant protective effect of magnesium intake from drinking water on the risk of cerebrovascular disease. "

Re-post from another thread to keep info. organized:

The type of fat one consumes determine if one sleeps well. Omega-3 from fresh flax-oil is fantastic, but Omega-3 from rancid fish-oil UP prostrate cancer. If I have rancid peanut-butter or ice-cream, I can't even nap !!

Freshness is the key to health. Kale or spinach smoothie is delicious if it's freshly-made. I rinsed the bits off from my blender and put in my used water bucket. And it stank like sewage within 2 days, laden with bad bacteria. I had to scrub my bucket with bleach to get that sticky-film of bacteria off. When greens are grinded into bits, more surface exposed to air, and more breeding ground for bacteria. That's why aerated composted tea has higher levels of salmonella and E.coli, due to air & water which enable bacteria to multiply.

The salmonella and E-Coli contamination often occur with BAGGED & commercially processed RAW spinach or salad. Those packaged bags sat for days at the store & even longer in one's refrigerator, allowing weeks for bacteria to multiply. Yesterday I made spinach-smoothie from a FRESH bundle spinach (open market), and it was absolutely delicious, zero tummy-ache. However, the BAGGED spinach or salad (in plastic containers) that sit for days at store gave me stomachache for the past decade, if NOT cooked.

My flu-shot reaction in Jan 2015 was a blessing ... I accidentally found the secret to curbing one's sweet-tooth: UP one's magnesium. During that flu-shot reaction, I mixed magnesium oxide powder with lemon juice to stop my throat from coughing spasm & plus induce sleep. And I completely lost my sweet tooth !! Could not stand anything sweet, and drank only lemon juice (zero sugar).

I did extensive research on line, and large-scale studies pointed to LOW magnesium in cravings & obesity which I posted last year.

Many thanks to Khalid who started the thread "Breakfast smoothies and rose petals", I started drinking kale and spinach smoothie, going through 3 bundles per week, each bundle costs only 59 cents, so less than $2 per week for health & weight loss. As I UP my magnesium (via fresh greens) ... I completely lost my sweet tooth.

Straw: It's great to hear that your Kale smoothy is doing so well for you. My multiple fruit, nuts and veges smoothie is doing great for me to and I feel so much energy in my body. I have completely stopped taking lunch because the fruits and nuts in the smoothie provide me enough for whole day. In lunch I just take a bowl of fruit / vege salad. I am nowadays only taking one meals, ie, dinner and it is working so well for me.

Thanks for sharing so many recipes and comments in this thread.

best regards

Moved info. from another thread into here:

http://www.science20.com/news_releases/how_does_salmonella_contaminate_produce

"In new research presented today at the 21st International ICFMH Symposium 'Food Micro 2008' conference in Aberdeen, a new study shows how some Salmonella bacteria use the long stringy appendages they normally use to help them 'swim' and move about to attach themselves to salad leaves and other vegetables, causing contamination and a health risk.

Food poisoning from Salmonella and E. coli is commonly associated with eating contaminated bovine or chicken products, as the pathogens live in the guts of cows and the guts and egg-ducts of chickens, and contamination of meat can occur during the slaughtering process.

However, some recent outbreaks of food poisoning have been associated with contaminated salad or vegetable products, and more specifically, pre-bagged salads. For example, in 2007 a Salmonella outbreak in the UK was traced back to imported basil, and an E. coli outbreak in the USA in 2006 was traced to contaminated pre-packed baby spinach.

In a previous study, Professor Frankel and his colleagues discovered the mechanism by which E. coli 0157 binds to salad leaves. They have shown that E. coli O157 bacteria use short needle-like filaments, which are normally used to inject bacterial proteins into human cells, to attach them to salad leaves, causing contamination and a risk of transmission via the food chain to humans.

Between 1996 – 2000, 23% of the UK's infectious intestinal disease outbreaks like salmonella and E. coli were caused by contaminated food, and of these, 4% were linked to prepared salad. "

http://www.science20.com/news_releases/how_does_salmonella_contaminate_produce

When I used to shop at Meijers, I bought fresh spinach (caked with mud) which took 4 washes to get all the dirt off .. so I had to cook that. What's worse than mud is BLACK SEWAGE biosolids (sludge), that Walmart-green-leaf lettuce is grown in. I washed that 3 times, but came down with day-long stomachache.

Whole Foods Market didn't ban sewage-sludge-produce until 2014. I shop at Woodman's where most of their produce is grown hydroponically (without soil) .. so I don't see any dirt nor black biosolids on their produce. Their kale or spinach is so clean, that after one washing, the water is completely clear.

My kid eats FRESH red peppers daily, grown hydroponically from Holland with zero problems. But one time I bought sweet peppers imported Mexico .. and it stank of chemical-spray, my kid refused to it that. I ate that and got sick. Even the guy who worked at produce section warned me about bell peppers grown from soil in Mexico.

If there's germs in the water that grow hydroponic produce, it can be easily washed off. But germs from bio-solids or sludge CANNOT be washed off.

Moved info. from another thread into here:

Lavender: Hydroponic industry uses both organic and chemical fertilizer such as: Brewer's Yeast, soy, Fish, yucca, Azomite, molasses are sold on hydroponic sites. Red lava rock and pea gravel also serve as substrates in hydroponic growing, to supply minerals. The Hydroponic peppers imported from Holland taste better than my home-grown bell peppers !!

The problem with salmonella contamination is from PLASTIC PACKAGING of produce that rots easily, such as spinach and lettuce. Plastic packaging UP the moisture level for bacteria to multiply to dangerous level, and anything with wetness such as compost tea also brews more bacteria than just dry soil.

Soil is rich in bacteria and fungi ... but sunlight zaps out the surface germs, so it's less stinky. Germs are less likely to multiply in a open-air bundle of FRESH SPINACH with sunshine.

But anything enclosed in shade, in a plastic bag will UP the moisture level for bacteria to multiply. Regardless of the soil mix that I use for indoor rooting: be it sterile cactus soil, sand/soil, or perlite/potting soil .. THEY ALL STINK MIGHTY inside plastic bag or bottle to root roses.

I took out a few roses' dropped leaves from under my plastic bottle rooting areas .. the soil reeked, just awful. In my kid's plastic lunch box, I now enclose her tangerine (pre-peeled) in a paper towel, she's more likely to eat that. Previous times I put the pre-peeled tangerine in a plastic bag, and it stank up. Bacteria needs moisture to multiply, and a plastic bag does just that.

With regard to CALM (magnesium citrate): for magnesium oxide to be soluble, it's bounded with citric acid. Unfortunately that citric acid is made from a black mold. That's why I buy magnesium oxide powder, and mix that with freshly-made lemonade or juice.

Here's the link to NOW magnesium oxide powder from Amazon, only $10 which supplies the entire year of magnesium. It's pure magnesium oxide, without the toxic binder magnesium stearate (cause rash & explosive diarrhea). Only 1/2 teaspoon is enough to sleep well & curb appetite. That's what I used during flu-shot reaction, along with RAW sour cherry juice (high in melatonin) for sleeping.

https://www.amazon.com/Foods-Magnesium-Oxide-Powder-Ounce/dp/B0010B8CBW

For info. on artificially produced citric acid from black mold, see link below:

http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/13452-a-sour-deception-citric-acid-comes-from-gmo-black-mold-not-fruit.html

Excellent, thanks Straw!

I always avoid additives when I can but I remember thinking that I needed the citrate form over the oxide for absorption. But you are saying that lemon juice solves that problem? Or that it doesn't matter and can be mixed in yogurt?

Thanks in advance for the clarification!

Lavender: Anything acidic will dissolve magnesium oxide (very alkaline, pH over 9). Magnesium oxide is so alkaline that it's SOLUBLE only in an acidic medium, be it apple cider, lemon juice, fruit juices, yogurt, or citric acid. It's best consumed IMMEDIATELY after mixing with yogurt, otherwise the yogurt turns slimy greenish after 15 min.

Magnesium oxide is so alkaline that it shuts off stomach acid, thus lessen hunger pangs. Magnesium oxide is best taken BEFORE MEALS to curb hunger, rather than after meals. After meals one needs stomach acid to digest food better.

We used to take CALM (magnesium citrate) .. that gave us awful gas & indigestion after dinner .. so husband took that in the morning, but it was a hassle to warm up the water. Other side effects of CALM (with citric acid): headache and rash. My kid had instant rash with CALM with citric acid.

Later on I bought magnesium citrate pills, but he rarely takes it. It's easier to sprinkle magnesium oxide POWDER into his juice, then he'll take it. Same with my child with her yogurt.

Wow, you might have figured this out for me, THANKS! Stopping the citrate right now and will try the oxide.

Fascinating studies, Straw!! Very interesting and important about the conception between vit. D levels and magnesium. Usually they teach about calcium and vit d. Good to know as low levels of vit d can manifest in symptoms of depression. That is why SAD is so high here...we also have that white calcium deposit on dishes/pans. ...I have elemental magnesium (chelated magnesium) tablets. Is that different? ?Thank you for the information! !

Magnesium TABLETS have magnesium stearate as the binder. That's quite toxic and found in most tablets, be it Align (probiotic) pill or supplements. For 5 years I took those cheap magnesium tablets and had perpetual hand-rash & diarrhea... then I traced my rash to magnesium stearate (binder chemical), STOPPED those tablets, and my hand-rash went away.

I'm taking magnesium oxide POWDER for 1 year daily, zero hand-rash. My kid cannot swallow pill, so I gave her magnesium citrate powder (with citric acid made from a mold) .. and her entire body broke out in rash.

I also tried liquid magnesium chloride (from sea-water) and that gave me rash. The only safe magnesium for both me and my child is pure magnesium oxide POWDER, without additives to bind it into a pill. I find pure magnesium powder to be fastest in absorption, fastest in relaxing/falling asleep, plus bland & mild. it's also milder on the stomach. My kid never know that I mix it into her yogurt !!

Dr. Carolyn Dean was the first physician to point out the link between low vitamin D and magnesium deficiency. An excerpt from below link:

"In fact, Signs of Magnesium Deficiency are SO prevalent that Dr. Carolyn Dean calls this problem an 'Epidemic' .... some uncomfortable Side Effects of Vitamin D that are actually NOT problems with taking vitamin d itself, but symptoms of an induced magnesium deficiency!

Some of the problems experienced by those taking vitamin D alone are:

InsomniaJitterinessMuscle CrampsAnxietyHeart PalpitationsConstipationHeadaches
Worsening PainBody Pain/Bone Pain

Unlike drugs, nutrients are 'synergistic' and interconnected with each other. Especially in the case of Magnesium and Vitamin D it's EXTREMELY important that you take magnesium and vitamin D TOGETHER."

Read more: http://www.easy-immune-health.com/magnesium-and-vitamin-d.html#ixzz4VJB1kJ8u

Did some checking and found why magnesium oxide is best for our bodies: IT OCCURS NATURALLY, rather than chemically or man-made. If the dosage is kept to 1/2 teaspoon per day, it's safe, no diarrhea & very effective in relaxation/inducing sleep.

The pumpkin seeds that I ate actually cause more cramping & gastric distress. Those seeds were imported from China !! So I went back to magnesium oxide powder, zero problems.

From Wikipedia: "Magnesium oxide (MgO), or magnesia, is a white hygroscopic solid mineral that occurs naturally as periclase and is a source of magnesium.

In medicine, magnesium oxide is used for relief of heartburn and sour stomach, as an antacid, magnesium supplement, and as a short-term laxative. . Side effects of magnesium oxide may include nausea and cramping.[10] In quantities sufficient to obtain a laxative effect, side effects of long-term use include enteroliths resulting in bowel obstruction.[11]

Re-post from another thread regarding brewer's yeast in sweet smoothies:

Apple cider drink by the spoon is the most disgusting thing I tried this year, and Brewer's Yeast drink, if made with milk or soy milk & honey is the most delicious. Brewer's yeast drink is like sweet caffeine for energy, versus apple cider is more like gagging one's throat with "liquid lead".

My picky child drank the Brewer's yeast shake (1 cup of milk, 1 heaping Tablespoon honey, 1/2 tablespoon BY), but she refuses my kale smoothie.

I would rather take one delicious Brewer's Yeast drink & run on the treadmill than apple cider. I used Brewer's Yeast off/on for 2 years, same with Jess from South Africa. Jess uses it daily and never catch any colds for decade.

Brewer's yeast is best ONCE a week, rather than daily, too much can cause selenium excess: thin nails, fragile teeth. Brewer's yeast is in vitamin pills and liquid vitamins like Geritol. Very nutritious, best once a week for cold prevention. Brewer's yeast is acidic and needs a sweetener like honey.

From WebMD: " Brewer's yeast is used for diarrhea, the common cold and other upper respiratory tract infections, influenza, swine flu, loss of appetite, acne, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), recurring boils on the skin (furunculosis), and type 2 diabetes. It has also been used as a source of B vitamins, chromium, and protein.

Due to the chromium content of brewer's yeast, there is interest in using it for lowering blood glucose in people with diabetes. Additionally, brewer's yeast seems to stimulate chemicals (intestinal enzymes) that could help relieve diarrhea.

It also might help fight bacteria that cause infections in the intestine, as well as improve the body’s defenses against viral lung infections such as flu and the common cold."

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-715-BREWER'S%20YEAST.aspx?activeIngredientId=715&activeIngredientName=BREWER'S%20YEAST

Just saw Khalid's comment: " I have completely stopped taking lunch because the fruits and nuts in the smoothie provide me enough for whole day. In lunch I just take a bowl of fruit / vege salad." Khalid.

Agree !! Smoothie is safe .. never give me any tummy ache. Caution on Brewer's yeast: can upset stomach if more than 1/2 tablespoon is consumed. Brewer's yeast IS MORE LAXATIVE THAN MAGNESIUM OXIDE POWDER, but it does helps with cold-prevention. B.Y. is best once a week, rather than daily.

For smoothies I like spinach & avocado (most yummy), kale & parsley, kale & apple, blueberry & pineapple. I drink smoothie with meals, or a handful of nuts. My grocery bill is reduced by $20 per week with smoothie .. I eat much less. THANK YOU, Khalid, for saving me money, plus zero weight gain this winter.

My Mom is a BIG veggies eater .. both cooked and raw. She will be 92 this March. She's skinny & active, still shoveling snow or works hard in her garden, growing her own veggies.

I UP my servings of veggies by 3 more per day, plus 1 more fruit through smoothies. Smoothies take less time than making a raw salad.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140331194030.htm

"Eating SEVEN or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day reduces your risk of death at any point in time by 42% compared to eating less than one portion, reports a new UCL study.

Researchers used the Health Survey for England to study the eating habits of 65,226 people representative of the English population between 2001 and 2013, and found that the more fruit and vegetables they ate, the less likely they were to die at any age.

Eating SEVEN or more portions reduces the specific risks of death by cancer and heart disease by 25% and 31% respectively. The research also showed that vegetables have significantly higher health benefits than fruit."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140331194030.htm

Above is a pic. of my Mom when she was 90 year-old. She's still alive at 92 this March, very active. She used to work full-time until she's 72, sent 12 children to college, plus having a 5-acre garden which enabled her to eat tons of home grown sweet corn, zucchini, squash, asparagus, bean, tomato, okra, etc. Still remember how she ate so much home-grown squash that her skin turned yellowish from beta-carotene, but no harm in that !! She definitely eats more than 7 servings of fruits/veggies a day, a role model for me.

Your mother is an inspiration to us all, lovely picture!

Lavenderlace: You are the inspiration for me to post ... you are always cheerful & supportive and full of goodness toward everyone. You are a role model for forum posting.

I'm drinking my frozen RAW blueberry smoothie with spinach, 3 Tablespoon of Cabot Greek yogurt (vanilla bean), and 1/2 tablespoon of brewer's yeast. It's absolutely delicious. Spinach is smoother than kale (gritty) .. so spinach blends in with Greek yogurt. The acidic brewer's yeast gives it a nice tart taste.

I bought this huge container of Greek yogurt since it's cheap, with 18 gram of protein per serving (that's higher than a frozen dinner !!). I thought about trashing the container since it's too sweet, but it balances out the acidity of blueberries and brewer's yeast. It's quite delicious when paired with acid. For the amount of protein, it's worth the money .. I use it instead of honey.

Straw, what a nice thing to say, thank you so much for welcoming me here! We've all learned so much from you because of your generosity in sharing your hard work with others. So THANK YOU right back!

That drink looks delicious!

I just eat plain organic yogurt because I have to battle my willpower enough as it is, can't have it too tasty, lol! I did have grassfed organic yogurt over the holidays and it might be my imagination, but it did seem to taste sweeter. So I'm going to try your recipe with the spinach and see how it goes. I do adore vanilla though!

I love that picture of your mom. You're lucky to have her! I've never tried the cabot yogurt; I'll have to get some for my DH to help up his protein intake. I eat plain fortified, that I make myself, but he likes flavored and sweet. Maybe that's a good one to mix with protein powder. Straw, did you ever find a powder that you like? He's so picky and I'm desperate to help him find one.

I decided against protein powder ... I used that when I was in my 30's. They sell whey powder and other protein powder in a HUGE can, it takes forever to finish, and by the time I'm done, it's stale & nasty tasting. I prefer Greek Yogurt for my smoothies, fresher & better-tasting.

Chobani PLAIN & NO-FAT Greek yogurt is best-tasting, but that's $1 more expensive than Cabot (organic). The Cabot Greek-vanilla bean is too sweet, one needs some acid to make it taste good. Hopefully husband and kid will finish that, since I prefer the sour taste of plain & no sugar yogurt.

Straw, I read some compelling data a few years ago about regular versus non-fat. Their argument was that important qualities were being removed with the fat.

Obviously, I would love less calories but I'm curious if you've ran across any of this in your research?

Lavender: Excellent point !! More than a decade ago I read the book "Eat, drink, and be Healthy" by Dr. Walter Wilette, M.D. Chairman of Nutrition dept. at Harvard Medical School. He worked with CDC's large-scale studies on health such as the Nurses' Health survey.

His conclusion: eat more natural vegetable fat (avocado, nuts), LESS animal fat and LESS sugar. I took notes of his book, esp. on the research that showed DAIRY FAT was worse in clogging arteries than ANIMAL FAT. The problem with dairy fat is it's coupled with sugar, which thickens the clogging of arteries even more.

However, no-fat milk still retains the artificial hormones PUMPED into cows to force their milk production. And a little bit of fat is essential for the absorption of nutrients: vitamin D, E, A, K are fat-soluble and need fat to be absorbed. My M.D. brothers use 1% or 2% fat, rather than no-fat milk (disgusting in taste).

With yogurt, I like the clean-taste of no-fat yogurt .. 2% fat yogurt feels greasy to me. Yesterday I gave my kid 2% fat Cabot yogurt smoothie with blueberry & Brewer's yeast and SHE HATES it. She prefers the clean taste of organic soy-milk with brewer's yeast.

I moved away from sugar-laden plus 2% fat yogurt. Decade ago my lipid profile shot up thanks to one yogurt per day. Then I quit that and ate sunflower seeds for breakfast .. my lipid & blood sugar went down to normal (I was 111 lbs. at that time).

https://stumptuous.com/fat-sugar-metabolic-derangement

Fat + sugar = metabolic derangement

"A recent study of interest in the International Journal of Obesity explores whether problems with glucose metabolism (aka metabolic syndrome) are related to obesity.

High-fat (HF) and high-fat/high-sugar (HFHS) diets both raised blood lipids. However: only rats on HFHS (fat plus sugar) diet developed hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, glucose intolerance and a diminished insulin response to a glucose load. The HF (high-fat) rats were corpulent, lardy-arteried little buggers too… but didn’t have all the other metabolic derangement.

Although the HS (high-sugar) rats showed elevated insulin (hyperinsulinemia) along with more body fat , their blood sugar levels and glucose tolerance were not different than the controls, suggesting that sugar alone is not responsible for the observed glucose intolerance.

Therefore, concluded the researchers, it’s not fat or sugar alone that’s the issue — it’s fat and sugar together."

https://stumptuous.com/fat-sugar-metabolic-derangement

Excellent information Straw, thanks so much for posting this! Years ago, I used to think that agave was my secret way of getting to eat more sugar, but found out that it tricks the body also so now try to stay away from both.

Has anybody else had trouble with this site today?

No problems with this site .. I do forum at 8 am, then at 5 pm before dinner (I usually get recipes off from my Pinterest).

I bought Stevia and that was YUCK !! Plain lemon and water tastes better than lemon & stevia. Since the 2% Cabot vanilla yogurt was too sweet, I used 2 spoon with 1 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries & 1/2 T. Brewer's yeast and that was much better !! I drank that with some glazed walnuts. I should had put oatmeal in to neutralize the acid. That was my lunch, and I'm not even hungry 5 hours later !!

Here's a HIGH PROTEIN smoothie that I'll do next: 1/4 cup quick oats & 1 T. ground flax seed & 1/2 cup apple juice and 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup cottage cheese or yogurt, 1/2 cup blueberries & 1/2 cup raspberries.

Sam's club sells fresh raspberries cheap .. we pay membership there just to get berries & frozen fruits & meat. Husband likes to buy stuff in large quantities .. whereas I prefer smaller quantity.

1 cup of 2% cabot vanilla yogurt has 250 calories, 29 g sugar and 18 g of protein. Cabot has twice more sugar than flavored Chobani yogurt !!

A cup of low fat cottage cheese has 160 calories, 2 g of fat, 28 g of protein.

https://www.caloriesecrets.net/ways-cottage-cheese-can-help-you-lose-weight/

Oatmeal is famous for losing weight. Found a recipe for cottage-cheese smoothie:

1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese, one banana, six strawberries, 1/2 cup of frozen pineapple or peaches, 1 teas. vanilla & 2 cups water.

Those recipes sound amazing!! There is soo much sugar in vanilla yogurt. We buy plain and my kids add brown sugar or honey and vanilla. They won't even eat it if I buy vanilla. Although they do like the activa vanilla yogurt my mom buys that I think is discus tingly sweet...

My kid likes activia yogurt in her lunch: TOO SWEET !! Now I give her Chobani Greek-yogurt for breakfast (various flavors, but 1/2 sugar compared to others).

Smoothie really helps husband with his hunger pangs. Often he comes home from work and wants dinner .. I give him a smoothie, so I can post-pone dinner until 8 pm (my kid likes to eat late).

My sister is 3 year older than me, she's the same age as my hubby. She's 58, and started getting "floaters" in her eyes, quite scary. From WebMD:

"As you age, the protein fibers that make up the vitreous shrink down to little shreds that clump together. The shadows they cast on your retina are floaters. If you see a flash, it’s because the vitreous has pulled away from the retina. If that happens, see your eye doctor ASAP.

These changes can happen at any age, but usually occur between 50 and 75. You’re more likely to have them if you’re nearsighted or have had cataract surgery."

Some foods for eyes' health from WebMD. These are the same stuff that Khalid puts in his smoothie !!

"Carrots may be the food best known for helping your eyes.

Vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids all play a role in eye health. They can help prevent cataracts, clouding of your eye lens. They may also fight the most-likely cause of vision loss when you're older: age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Spinach and Kale: Antioxidants protect against eye damage from things like sunlight, cigarette smoke, and air pollution. These leafy greens are loaded with two of the best for eyes, lutein and zeaxanthin.

"Eating a cooked 10-ounce block of frozen spinach over the course of a week will help lower your risk of age-related eye disease," Johnson says. Kale has double these nutrients. Collard greens, broccoli, and bright-colored fruits like kiwis and grapes are ways to get them, too.

Grapefruit, Strawberries, and Brussels Sprouts: These foods are among the top sources of vitamin C. Papaya, oranges, and green peppers are other good sources.

Seeds, Nuts, and Wheat Germ

Vitamins C and E work together to keep healthy tissue strong. Have a small handful of sunflower seeds, or use a tablespoon of wheat germ, almonds, pecans.

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/nutrition-world-3/foods-eye-health

Thanks Straw!

Do you cook your cruciferous (broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, etc.) vegetables so that they don't interfere with your thyroid or is that only for people with issues?

I think that there are quite compelling arguments for eating raw if you can manage it, which I hardly seem to, but I have been cooking the cruciferous veggies as a general rule nowadays.

Lavender: I spent hours researching on that topic in previous years, and I found only genetically-modified soy really mess up the thyroid, but NOT veggies that God made, unless one eat a HUGE AMOUNT of RAW cruciferous.

It's impossible to eat that much RAW cruciferous veggies unless one is a rabbit or have time for chewing. It's easier to eat COOKED cruciferous veggies, which is safe for thyroid.

Mom bought the house with 5-acre land when I was 13. She planted cabbage, broccoli, and raised chickens. For 4 years in high-school we had chicken & cabbage soup EVERYDAY, and I was really skinny, like 80 lbs.

I have been drinking RAW kale shake since Khalid started this thread in Oct. 14. My metabolism is much higher than normal & more energy. This winter I'm able to keep the heat 65 F or 18C indoor, which saves money on gas bill.

I'm more concerned with eye-problems from lack of nutrients than thyroid. There's zero human cases of thyroid problems from RAW veggies, but many known cases of thyroid problems from GM-soy.

The sad thing about GM is that it's contaminating the clean fields so not just one person's choice anymore. Friends from other countries think that our country has made a huge error in judgement...

But on a brighter note, you are so right to point out the connection between vision and nutrients, thank you!

Lavenderlace: Many thanks for informing me about harmful glycation-end-products or AGE. My Mom gave away 2 pressure-cookers decades ago, and she's still alive at 92, using her crock-pot often. Bones in the crock-pot is nutritious, with minerals in the bones leaching out slowly. The best-tasting food was with Mom's soup, in a crock-pot with bones.

Found this great tip to reduce glycation: "Reduce the cooking temperature of meats and proteins. Steam fish and seafood, simmer chicken in a sauce and braise red meat in a cooking liquid."

http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/030314p10.shtml

"According to one study, published in the July 2011 issue of Diabetes Care, in which Uribarri was the lead author, AGE consumption may contribute to insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes, and restricting AGE foods may help preserve the body’s natural defenses against insulin resistance by preventing the development of oxidative stress."

Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Uribarri and colleagues developed a guide to AGE dietary reduction. The researchers found a link between heat-processed foods and AGEs.

A Danish study published in the January issue of Diabetes Care showed that overweight women who ate foods cooked at high temperatures had much higher biological markers of insulin resistance compared with those who ate foods prepared by boiling or steaming.

Baird says using slow cookers can help ..., less oil is needed in slow cookers, more nutrients are retained compared with many other cooking methods, and recipes tend to include more vegetables.

In fact, eating more vegetables and fruits is another way to reduce AGE consumption. Baird stresses the importance of dietary phytonutrients, which are found in the pigments of various colorful fruits and vegetables.

In addition, people who are sleep deprived have higher circulating AGEs, Baird says. Sleep is the time when the body does most of its tissue growth and repair, making it better able to defend itself against AGEs."

http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/030314p10.shtml

*** Some recommendations from AGE (Advanced Glycation) foundation:

Cooking Methods
• Use a slow cooker
• Cook foods in water through boiling, steaming, or poaching
• Marinate foods in acidic or citrus-based sauces

Healthful Lifestyle Changes
• Get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night
• Exercise 150 minutes or 2.5 hours per week

Did more research on this, since my Ph.D. from MIT sister convinced me on HER pressure cooking OVER Mom's slow-cooker. Well, Mom does mainly soup & crock-pot, and she's still alive & active gardening at 92 !!

Sister was so convincing that I bought a $45 brand-new-pressure cooker, and it turned food into odd flavor mush & meat and beans stank up. Morale: never believe anyone when they sound so convincing, test it for yourself.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=162733

FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Pan-frying red meat may increase men's risk for prostate cancer by up to 40 percent, according to a new study.

Scientists explained that when red meat is cooked at high temperatures, cancer-causing chemicals are formed, possibly increasing disease risk.

Researchers from the University of Southern California and the Cancer Prevention Institute of California examined data on nearly 2,000 men involved in a study on prostate cancer. More than half of the men were diagnosed with advanced forms of the disease.

Info. from below link:

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2013/1/Are-You-Cooking-Yourself-to-Death/Page-01

This six-week study showed that eating the same food cooked at low-temperature reduced glycated-LDL by 33%, whereas diabetics consuming the same higher temperature prepared foods increased glycated-LDL by 32%.

Move forward to 2012 and a team of researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine identified a compound in over-cooked foods that plays a major role in the development of abdominal obesity and its related diseases.

The scientists found that mice with sustained exposure to this compound (methyl-glyoxal) developed significant abdominal weight gain, early insulin resistance, immune changes consistent with inflammation/oxidation and type II diabetes.14 Methyl-glyoxal is a type of advanced glycation end product that is produced when food is cooked with dry heat.

A group at the University of Minnesota reported that women who ate overcooked hamburgers had a 50% greater risk of breast cancer than women who ate rare or medium hamburgers. The famous Iowa Women's Health Study found that women who consistently eat well-done steak, hamburgers, and bacon have a 4.62-fold increased risk of breast cancer.171

Cooking foods at high temperatures causes the formation of gene-mutating heterocyclic amines, which is why deep fried foods are so dangerous to eat. Heterocyclic amines have been linked to prostate, breast, colorectal, esophageal, lung, liver, and other cancers.

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2013/1/Are-You-Cooking-Yourself-to-Death/Page-01

I've had a hard time getting DH to eat his food cooked in water like I do, lol!

Straw, my magnesium oxide arrived yesterday. I'm changing from the citrate, BIG THANK YOU! I already like it better. No additives, easier to mix, and the taste is WAY milder.

Lavender: Agree, magnesium oxide is bland and NOT bitter like that nasty liquid magnesium chloride (from seawater), and the fizzling magnesium citrate gave me headaches.

I'm updating my Pinterest Slow-cooker board with more recipes. It's harmful to cook protein FOR A LONG TIME at high heat, but veggies & onions & spices are OK if cooked for a short time in medium-heat to release the flavor. Some veggies need high heat, then water to break down its fiber, such as onions and celery.

I use 400 F oven for pork-ribs to melt off the fat & kill germs for the first 20 min (COVERED TO RETAIN MOISTURE). Then I lower oven to 250 F for 1 hour & add barbecue sauce LAST to prevent browning/burning of sugar (keep the cover on to retain water). The meat is tender & wet, rather than dry & burnt. Below is the link to my Pinterest of slow-cooking & low heat crock-pot:

https://www.pinterest.com/clonewar/slow-cooker/

I actually love my pressure cooker. We eat a lot of dried beans and I never plan ahead. They can be cooked in 90 min. I just throw in a 16 oz pk dried beans, 1 container chicken broth, a jar of salsa, a couple frozen chicken beasts and season with garlic, onion powder, cumin, chili powder and oregeno. 90 min later we have chili...one of the easiest meals. It did take time getting used to as you really can not cook food for very long like a crock pot.

I use organic salsa with my extra spices for everything. Poached salmon, vegetables, eggs, doesn't matter how bland it started out, lol!

Lavender: You'll like the recipe that won Pillsbury Million dollar contest .. saw that on Oprah Winfrey show decade ago. I memorize that recipe: Saute olive oil, minced garlic and green pepper until fragrant. Lightly cook boneless chicken thighs or breasts for 5 min (flip both sides). Pre-mix 1 jar of salsa with 1/2 tablespoon honey, 1/2 teas. cinnamon, 1 teas. cumin, 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Pour over chicken, cover and simmer on low-heat for 15 to 20 min.

Recently I used tough chicken drumsticks with above recipe in the crock-pot, and it was even better !!

Kelly: Glad to hear from you. The older pressure cooker DID NOT DESTROY FOOD like the newer ones. I had 2 pressure cookers when I was in my 20's & 30's, then bought a 3rd one recently in my mid-50 .. BIG DIFFERENCE .. the new one builds up the heat so fast that it totally destroys food.

My kid is so picky that she complained loudly about the "weird" flavor of meat and veggies with pressure-cooker. She refused to eat the steamed green beans (cooked for a long time, and lost its color), but she loves the quick-cooked green-beans in microwave & in water which retains its bright green and crispiness. Stir-frying veggies in high heat for a short time, just to destroys outer-surface germs, is my prefer way of eating veggies: still crunchy & raw inside.

All these sponsored sites that proclaim HIGH-PRESSURE cooker retains the nutrients & enhance flavor is BIASED. I cook the same recipe with both CROCK-POT vs. PRESSURE-COOKER vs. STOVE-TOP in low heat. and the STOVE-TOP is the winner in flavor.

CROCK-POT is useful for tough cuts of meat & bones, but STOVE-TOP is useful for best flavor and texture. The worst one is PRESSURE-COOKER: there's zero flavors in food and the aroma changes to odd & stinky.

This thread is getting long, so I started a NEW THREAD, entitled "Worthy roses that give, useful products & recipes for health and sleep".

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4387687/worthy-roses-that-give-useful-products-and-recipes-for-health-and-sleep

http://www.rodalewellness.com/food/10-tasty-protein-shake-recipes

Above link listed the 10 high-protein smoothie recipes: Here's one which kids like: 12 oz Orange juice, 2 scoop protein powder or Greek yogurt, 1 banana, 2 Tablespoon nut butter, 6 ice cubes.

Here's one which tastes like chocolate ice-cream: 1 cup milk, 1 Tablespoon nut butter, 1 frozen banana, 1 Tablespoon cacao powder, 1 cup spinach, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder.

Decades ago I tried the high-protein powder Spiru-tein in 5 different flavors: Mocha, banana, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla. My favorite was Mocha and chocolate.

Straw, THANK YOU for these latest recipes. They sound like something my DH would actually eat and like. Also thanks for the Spiruletein brand. I will have to look that up. I think I may give him a blender to take to his office to make these as an afternoon pick-me up.

Edit: I could only find SpiruTein protein powde and also Spriutein Whey? A review mention they changed their formula and it contains pea powder. Is this the one you said you no longer liked since they added pea powder? If so, maybe we'll try the they. I have another brand that I mixed in his hot chocolate, but he doesn't like the flavor. Maybe I should just try pure whey with no flavor and add the cocoa myself.

I made one this morning: banana, kale, walnuts, plain Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, and water. I like them a little thicker so I can chew something. Smoothies are a good way to get more veggies in one's diet or to use up things that are starting to go bad...

I am still looking for a protein powder I actually like as well...

Vaporvac and Kelly: I spelled that wrong, should be Spiru-tein powder, they raise the price to $37, made of yucky pea-protein, plus that disgusting Stevia .. lots of complaints on Amazon on the changed formula. Past decades we also used NOW 100% whey protein, and that was yucky (taste like dried egg-white & plastic smell).

For high-protein smoothie, 1 cup of ORGANIC soy milk has 7 g of protein. Add 1 cup of Chobani Greek yogurt at 19 of protein, you'll get 26 g, which is way more than 3 oz. serving of salmon at 15.5 protein.

My child tolerates soy milk & brewer's yeast & buckwheat honey .. yummy combo. Yesterday husband & I had that blueberry & Greek yogurt & Brewer's yeast smoothie at 8 pm. We skipped dinner, and that smoothie lasted me 15 hours of no eating & best sleep ever.

After 1 week, we finished the $3 HUGE container of Cabot Greek yogurt. Husband actually loves smoothie made of that Greek yogurt, versus I prefer something less sweet & more tart. NO PROTEIN POWDER CAN TASTE AS GOOD AS GREEK YOGURT (much cheaper & fresher).

I checked the price of cottage cheese: too expensive & too salty, so I bought ricotta cheese at 1/2 price to make lasagna. Folks make smoothie with ricotta cheese: 1 cup skim milk & 1⁄4 cup ricotta cheese & 1 cup strawberry & 2 ounces baking chocolate & honey.

Per 1/4 cup of part-skim Ricotta cheese, it has 90 calories, 6 g of fat, 160 mg of sodium, 2 g of sugar, 6 g. of protein.

Cottage cheese has 220 to 250 mg of sodium and 7 g of protein per 1/4 cup, that's way more salt than the 160 mg. of sodium in ricotta cheese, versus only 28 mg of sodium in 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (Cabot), and only 22 mg of sodium and 4.7 g of protein in 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (Chobani).

Pear or apple with spinach is blah, but kale & apple is quite good. Spinach goes well with avocado. Pre-washed spinach gets mushy so fast ... always give me a stomachache. The only safe smoothie-spinach was when I wash it RIGHT BEFORE using, and drink it immediately.

https://www.healthysmoothiehq.com/smoothie-weight-loss-guide

'To make chia seed gel, combine equal parts chia seeds and water in a small container and let sit for 5 – 10 minutes to gel. Stores in the fridge for a good month. I recommend Sun Warrior protein and these other clean protein powders. " Ryan Carmody.

Ryan’s Ideal Weight Loss Smoothie

• 1 cup water & 1/2 medium avocado & 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds or chia seed gel
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil & 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup or 1/2 banana)

Mango Avocado Green Tea Smoothie

• 1 cup green tea & 1 cup mango chunks
• 1/2 medium avocado & 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil & A little honey or maple syrup

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Smoothie

• 1/2 cup water & 1/2 cup blueberries
• 3/4 cup of plain, Greek yogurt & 1 T. chia seeds or chia seed gel
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon & 1/2 tablespoon honey

Berry Banana Smoothie

• 1 cup water & 1 cup berries
• 1/2 fresh or frozen banana & 1 cup spinach
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon gelatin

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/flat-belly-smoothie-recipe

Flat-Belly Smoothie

3 ounces vanilla Greek yogurt & 1 tablespoon almond butter
1/2 cup frozen blueberries & 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup kale & 3/4 cup water

Straw, I don't know how I missed your post with recipe with salsa but DH will love it, THANK YOU!

Lavenderlace: I tested the below research:

https://stumptuous.com/fat-sugar-metabolic-derangement

"High-fat (HF) and high-fat/high-sugar (HFHS) diets both raised blood lipids. However: only rats on HFHS (fat plus sugar) diet developed hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, glucose intolerance and a diminished insulin response to a glucose load. "

When I'm busy, I gulped one glass of juice for energy (100% juice with natural sugar) .. that kept my blood-sugar stabilized to finish a task for 1 hour longer. And a glass of soy milk (7 g. protein) & brewer's yeast & honey lasts me 4 hours without eating.

Recently I did something different: finish the last bar of Klondite ice-cream (230 calories, 14 g of fat, 20 g white sugar) & sweet & greasy. Right after that, my blood sugar crashed, I was unbearably hungry and had to eat a meal immediately. I checked the ingredients: it has sugar & corn syrup (high fructose corn syrup).

A little of fat plus protein is useful to keep one full. But fat plus sugar induce more hunger. I tested blueberry-smoothie made with 0% fat Greek yogurt versus 2% fat yogurt, and the 2% fat yogurt is more filling & last longer.

CONCLUSION: Fat & protein & veggies is a good combo. Fat is needed to absorb the nutrients in veggies better. We have a friend who's a vegetarian and he ALWAYS USE full-fat salad-dressing, plus full-fat cheese on his salads, and he's just as skinny as husband in their late 50's.

I used coconut oil to make banana muffin, and olive oil in my cooking. Here's what the Dean of Nutrition, Harvard Medical School said about coconut oil:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/coconut-oil

"Coconut oil is about 90% saturated fat, which is a higher percentage than butter (about 64% saturated fat), beef fat (40%), or even lard (also 40%). Too much saturated fat in the diet is unhealthy because it raises "bad" LDL cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. So it would seem that coconut oil would be bad news for our hearts.

But what's interesting about coconut oil is that it also gives "good" HDL cholesterol a boost. But, for now, I'd use coconut oil sparingly. Most of the research so far has consisted of short-term studies to examine its effect on cholesterol levels. We don't really know how coconut oil affects heart disease. And I don't think coconut oil is as healthful as vegetable oils like olive oil and soybean oil, which are mainly unsaturated fat and therefore both lower LDL and increase HDL. Coconut oil's special HDL-boosting effect may make it "less bad" than the high saturated fat content would indicate, but it's still probably not the best choice among the many available oils to reduce the risk of heart disease.

— Walter C. Willett, M.D.
Harvard School of Public Health
Department of Nutrition
Harvard Health Letter Editorial Board"

*** From Straw: Just tested Solgar Brewer's yeast (made from beets). It's less tasty than NOW brand (sold out at local health food store). Solgar BY has a "plastic" & artificial taste to it, and less acidic than NOW. So I'll use Solgar BY for my roses, and still need to buy NOW brewer's yeast when they stock up.

Kiwi fruit helps with sleep. I post the research behind that in the below thread, plus recipe for kiwi-smoothie:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4387687/worthy-roses-that-give-useful-products-and-recipes-for-health-and-sleep?n=9

Good info Straw, thanks!

I went full fat a few years ago but don't drink juice or any other concentrated forms of sugar. I think people can react differently to it. For DH, something sweet satisfies his craving, where for me, it just make me crave sweets more!

Lavender: Same here, eating delicious sweet make me want more of the same. But eating "blah" sweet like one-dried-fig ... I couldn't care less !!

My water is so alkaline that I need acidic juice to prevent kidney stones. I stop buying Orange juice after sleepless nights of acidic stomach from that. But I still drink Pomegranate/cherry juice .. I notice deeper sleep with that.

I tried Kale with other combo, but I like JUST KALE only in smoothie, it's delicious when the kale is fresh. Spinach needs avocado & other stuff to hide its taste.

RAW greens such as kale, spinach, dandelion greens are high in vitamin K .. essential for vitamin D-absorption, bone-health, and Alzheimer's prevention.

From MSN news: In addition to being loaded with vitamins C, E, magnesium, and zinc, all of which can make your brain healthier, a single cup of dandelion greens packs 535 percent of your daily vitamin K, a deficiency of which has been suggested as a potential precursor to Alzheimer’s by researchers at the University of Montreal.

This month my daughter gets braces on her teeth, she can't have nuts. Found this recipe to include nuts in smoothie for best sleep. I prefer the taste of Kale over spinach in smoothie. Kale goes better with sweet fruit (banana or apple) than with sour fruit (orange or pineapple).

http://blog.cloudb.com/10-super-smoothies-that-promote-peaceful-sleep/

Sleepy Seeds Smoothie

1 banana, sliced 1⁄4 cup blueberries

1⁄4 cup raspberries 2 cups spinach

1 tbsp pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp sunflower seed

The Sleep Doctor’s Sleep Smoothie

1 cup tart cherry juice & 1/2 banana

1/2 cup milk & 5 ice cubes

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Ultimate Pre-Sleep Smoothie

1 kiwi 1 frozen banana ½ cup uncooked oats 2 cups kale

1 tbsp honey 1 tbsp almond butter ½ cup milk (or soy milk

Sleep like a baby Smoothie

1 cup lemon balm or chamomile tea & 1/2 ripe large banana & 8 – 12 fresh or frozen, pitted, cherries & 1 teaspoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of chia seeds or flax seeds.

Night cap smoothie: 1 Banana 1 Date 1 Fig 12 Cashews

Healthy sleep smoothie: 1 banana Handful of kale 1 kiwi fruit & ½ avocado 400ml milk 1tbsp honey

Sleep tight smoothie: 2 peaches 1 banana & 2 tbsp. grounded almonds 1/2 almond milk or 1/2 cup water & fresh mint leaves

Mint leaves and lemon balm do help with sleep, so do Kiwi and tart cherries.

http://blog.cloudb.com/10-super-smoothies-that-promote-peaceful-sleep/