Some Knowledge

Here is a hilarious report on the effects of eating a diet rich in algae.  Scientists were interested in if they could supplement the diets of poor people with algae as a cheap source of nutrition and protein.  What they found is that algae is basically not edible for humans, or even for rats.  The report describes in detail what they did and what the results of this experiment were.

There are a lot of places selling algae supplements for outrageous prices.  AFA bluegreen algae flakes sell for $195 a pound.  The report above describes in detail the effects of eating 500 grams of algae a day.  It is not a pretty picture.  There are some things people just should not eat, and algae is one of them.

There are many creatures in the sea that live on a diet of algae.  These creatures are usually invertebrates.  Shrimp, as I recall, eat a lot of plankton and algae.  Some species of fish even filter algae out of the water.  In general, it is very tiny creatures that feed on this green soup.  Human beings might eat algae as a treat, sometimes, if they have nothing better.  In general, algae has a foul taste.  It upsets the gastrointestinal system because it is indigestible. I have tasted algae, as in kelp, and it is disgusting.  Nobody who wasn’t desperate would want to eat that stuff.

Of course, there are many kinds of algae in the world.  There is also genetic engineering, which works pretty good on one-celled organisms.  Perhaps, if scientists want to feed algae to people, they could create an edible strain.  They could put the gene that makes muscle tissue into the plant, so that it produces digestible meat proteins.  They could put the gene that makes gelatin in bones into the plant so that it produces a gelatin coat instead of a cellulose coat.  They could remove the gene that produces the bad taste.  Of course, they would have to leave the genes for photosynthesis.  With a lot of work they could get a plant that tastes like hamburger, and that would be digestible.  It may take a thousand years before people can do any of this.

Algae is not food.  It has been proven by experiment that people can not eat this stuff and survive.  The thing to do would be to grow algae and feed it to shrimps.  Poor people could then eat shrimp and be happy.  I think they might already do something like this with fish farming.  Then again, the whole ecosystem of the seas works on this principle.  All I can say is after reading the report of that experiment, I have no desire to try to eat algae.

Wulong is one of the Chinese words for oolong tea.  Oolong tea is a partially-oxidized tea that is between green tea and black tea in color and flavor.  Many companies are selling so-called Wu-Long tea as a diet aid and claiming it can help you lose weight.  Reading some of the literature on websites that sell this tea, I can see exactly how this works.  You drink the tea, and eat a sensible diet, and exercise.

Tea contains many different phytochemicals.  Caffeine, theophylline, tannins, theobromine, flavonoids, and many others.  For a short analysis of tea chemistry, try this site.  Some of these chemicals are stimulants, some are anti-oxidants, some have sedative properties, some are smooth muscle relaxants.  When consumed, tea has a combination of stimulant and sedative properties.  It wakes you up and calms you down all at the same time.

There have been some studies done linking consumption of green tea with weight loss.  Since green, oolong, and black tea all come from the same plant, this research could just as well apply to other varieties of tea.  There are other health benefits to drinking tea, such as boosting the immune system, positive effects for diabetes, and possible anti-cancer activity.  Tea has also been shown to boost mental alertness and promote higher levels of activity, as it is a stimulant due to the caffeine it contains.

Now, should you pay extra for special slimming teas?  Some of the Wu-Long tea products sell for ridiculous amounts of money.  I have seen 60 tea bags go for $97 on the Internet.  This is an astronomical price for oolong tea.  I don’t believe there is anything special about a tea just because the label says it will help you lose weight.  The bottom line is that tea is tea, and despite the many varieties, it all comes from the same plant.

If you want to try oolong tea for weight loss, find a Chinese market in your area.  These stores usually sell a great variety of teas, oolong tea being very popular.  Oolong tea is also available at health food stores, but the price will tend to be much higher.  You might also try Whole Foods if you can’t find an asian market in your area.  As a last resort, look for low-cost oolong tea on the Internet.  You will have to pay shipping, but the price will be reasonable.  Two low-cost brands to look for online are Foo-Joy and Sea Dyke oolong tea.  These are also the brands commonly sold at Chinese markets.  A good retail price for oolong tea is $2.99 for 100 tea bags.  You may have to pay as much as $7.99 if you buy these online.

It’s entirely possible that oolong tea may aid you in losing weight.  You will also have to watch your diet and get some exercise.  Do not be mislead by claims for expensive products you see advertised online.  Oolong tea is a common grocery item that can be purchased locally in most areas if you know where to look.  Paying exorbitant prices for some magical tea brand is not necessary.

Today is diet day.  The DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.  It is a diet that is designed to control high blood pressure.  There is a PDF document available from the government here that describes this diet plan and what it entails.

The basic premise of this diet is that sodium intake should be severely limited.  The plan states that you should maintain a healthy weight, get more physical activity, limit intake of sodium and alcohol, and take your blood pressure medication.  You should also limit your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol.

The dash diet plan gives guidelines for the different foods you should be eating, and prescribes amounts of foods for diets of various caloric intakes.  They list recipes and food preparation guidelines and give detailed information on how to work your meals.

If you are trying to lower your sodium intake it is very important to prepare your own meals from fresh ingredients.  Prepared foods such as canned soup, sauces, even canned tomatoes and pickles are often very high in sodium.  You will need to read the labels on different foods to see which have salt added to them.  Sometimes even things like meats and baked goods have high amounts of sodium because salt is added in the packaging.

If you are looking for a way to lose weight and maintain a healthy cardiovascular system it might be a good idea to check out this diet plan.  The foods you eat definitely affect your health.  With proper care and some effort you can do a lot towards maintaining a healthy body.

Modern plastic products come embossed with a recycling number.  This is a number between 1 and 7 which indicates the type of plastic used to manufacture the item.  It has generally been reported that numbers 3, 6, and 7 plastics have the potential to release toxic chemicals into any food product contained within them.

When you buy a container of some product it is a simple matter to turn the product upside down and read the number inside the triangle of arrows.  Numbers 1, 2, 4, and 5 are considered safe, as there has not been any chemical leaching detected from these materials.

Number 3 is polyvinyl chloride, or PVC.  PVC releases dioxins and can leach vinyl chloride and plasticizers in use.  These chemicals are potent carcinogens.  Number 6 is polystyrene, which can leach styrene, which has been shown to be a carcinogen and disrupts hormone levels.  Polycarbonate, which is number 7, is supposed to be the worst of these three.  It has been shown to leach bisphenol A, or BPA into hot liquids.  Most baby bottles are made out of number 7, and this could be a source of concern.  While bisphenol A has a low acute toxicity, there is concern about it because it mimics estrogen in the human body.  Studies of bisphenol A exposure in animals have shown links to breast and prostate cancer at levels very much below what the government considers safe.

To minimize any harmful effects from plastic containers, do not heat foods or liquids in plastic containers.  Look for the more inert plastics when you purchase items.  It might be advisable to purchase foods in glass, metal, or paper containers.  With most of the food sold today coming in plastic packaging it might be hard to find an alternative.  Still, with a bit of safe handling and remembering not to heat foods in these containers, any risk can be minimized.

I’ve spent the last hour reading about how drinking apple cider vinegar is supposed to help you lose weight.  Apparently, what you do is mix two tablespoons into a cup of water and drink this before meals to supress your appetite.  I have yet to see any scientific explanation for this weight loss effect.  The singer Fergie says it’s how she got such a flat stomach.  If celebrities say it works, you know people will try it.

I have read a lot of anecdotes from people who have tried this as a means to improve their health and lose weight.  Some people notice no effect or gain weight, some people lose weight.  It seems that one of the side effects of drinking apple cider vinegar is to improve your complection.  Another side effect was that the treatment cured whatever medical condition these people were suffering from.   I find this all very interesting.

I’m sure there might be some health benefits to consuming acetic acid in vinegar.  Vinegar was used as a medicine in ancient times because it supresses the growth of bacteria.  While they did not know the cause of disease in ancient times, they knew what worked as far as treatment goes with their limited supply of materials.

I don’t know if there is any real evidence that consuming apple cider vinegar promotes weight loss.  Everything I read seemed to point to the fact that the people who lost weight on this diet also exercised and ate less than they had been eating.  So, if you consume vinegar and eat less, you lose weight.  A simple analysis would assign the loss of weight effect to the consumption of fewer calories.  If you like vinegar, I guess it won’t hurt you to drink it.

Drinking straight vinegar can dissolve the teeth.  It is best to dilute the vinegar with water and drink it through a straw.  Many of these people whose stories I was reading mixed honey with the vinegar to improve the taste.  Some of them mixed it with V-8 vegetable juice.  Some suggested using the vinegar with some oil as a salad dressing.  While there might be some health benefits to vinegar consumption, I think that if you want to lose weight, restricting intake of food and increasing exercise will be enough.