Why is there a butterfly in a food blog? To give you another reason to eat more organic food. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed. Weeds mostly found near corn crops. When insecticides are used on the corn to prevent insects, the butterfly could die if it has contact with the insecticides. Even if the eggs survive, when the caterpillar eats the leaves near the crops, it’ll also be contaminated with the insecticide and die. Even with the genetically modified Bt pollen, studies have seen that that it also killed the monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies are the center for many youth projects and studies. So when you’re supporting the consumption of organic food, you’re also supporting education and saving thousands of butterflies. I’m not saying to only eat organic (although that’d be lovely), but I hope that you’re more aware of what happens behind the scenes of what you’re eating. To me, that’s important.
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Why is there a butterfly in a food blog?

To give you another reason to eat more organic food.

Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed. Weeds mostly found near corn crops. When insecticides are used on the corn to prevent insects, the butterfly could die if it has contact with the insecticides. Even if the eggs survive, when the caterpillar eats the leaves near the crops, it’ll also be contaminated with the insecticide and die. Even with the genetically modified Bt pollen, studies have seen that that it also killed the monarch butterflies.

Monarch butterflies are the center for many youth projects and studies. So when you’re supporting the consumption of organic food, you’re also supporting education and saving thousands of butterflies. I’m not saying to only eat organic (although that’d be lovely), but I hope that you’re more aware of what happens behind the scenes of what you’re eating. To me, that’s important.

A photo of land subsidence in San Joaquin Valley, California After oil, it is predicted that water will be the next thing the world will fight over. The United States has one of the largest aquifers (porous rock that holds fresh water). It’s slowly declining creating land subsidence (when too much water is being taken out of land and results in land elevation decreasing).  Just a warning. Don’t take aqua for granted!
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A photo of land subsidence in San Joaquin Valley, California

After oil, it is predicted that water will be the next thing the world will fight over. The United States has one of the largest aquifers (porous rock that holds fresh water). It’s slowly declining creating land subsidence (when too much water is being taken out of land and results in land elevation decreasing). 

Just a warning. Don’t take aqua for granted!

Acne

My friend told me about his work out plan, and told me how he’s been getting more acne ever since he started to do serious work outs. Whey protein, supplements, and just bulking up!

I couldn’t find any connections between them from the top of my head, and my teacher never has heard about that. So, I did my own research.

There doesn’t seem to be anything conclusive between the two, but there has been studies that show that cutting down dairy products (which could have whey in them) did show less facial acne. Also, working out produces more testosterone, so there could be some imbalance going on there.

Acne is well known to respond to hormones, both endogenous and exogenous. Androgenic progestins in birth control pills and now in intrauterine devices can cause significant acne in women,1 and the highly androgenic progestin, medroxyprogesterone acetate, is a known acnegen whether taken orally or as an intramuscular depot injection.

In men, we used to see acne caused by anabolic steroid use in weight lifters and body builders fairly regularly. Over time, the level of sophistication in this population has increased, so that the risks of “stacking” various combinations of anabolic steroids is now recognized and steps are taken to make less acnegenic choices. Nevertheless, a new problem has begun to appear in the gym: acne onset and exacerbation in teenaged boys and in mature 40ish men who are consuming casein- and whey-containing protein powder “shakes” based on cow milk-derived proteins in an attempt to “bulk up” and “put on some muscle.” This has not occurred when soy-based protein shakes are used (author’s unpublished observations).

- Danby, 2010

Also, other studies have shown that a high glycemic meal could also lead to acne. So lean towards lower glycemic foods such as whole grain, unprocessed food, most veggies, and some fruits.

Other than that though, the key thing to preventing acne is a healthy diet. Topicals are great, but honestly, it’s better to start in your body. Junk food is not healthy, but fruits and vegetables that contain vitamins and minerals will help your system a lot. Drink  PLENTY of water because it’ll help clear all those toxins as waste.

Kwashiorkor vs. Marasmus

Kwashiorkor definition: One that has enough calories, but lacking in protein.

Marasmus definition: One that is lacking in calories and protein

These pictures make me sad, and unfortunately we have kids in our world that suffer from these diseases. When there’s not enough nutritious food around, this can happen. Protein is so important in our diet because they’re the building blocks for our muscles, helps with our immunity, producing enzymes, a second way of energy, and etc.

Notice that the difference between these two is that the first one looks like the child is bloated with some swelling. Typically, one with kwashiorkor has orangey hair. The one on the bottom is the typical starving child you would see. The head is bigger and gives a wiser and older look.

Diabetes

Definition of Diabetes type I -  When not enough insulin is produced so that means your glucose level increases. Insulin is important in balancing glucose level. More glucose, more insulin produced. Not enough insulin, too much glucose

Definition of Diabetes type II - When there is production of insulin but the insulin is malfunctioning so it doesn’t do a good job of balancing glucose level.

So, it is a misconception that diabetes is by eating too much sugar. Sugar doesn’t directly give someone diabetes. It indirectly does by being stored as fat. Some studies think that fat has a way of affecting insulin resistance. This goes for consuming way too much calories. When someone isn’t exercising enough and their fat cells are already full with fat, the extra calories start being stored as fat elsewhere. This can be turned into visceral fat, muscle fat, and etc. Visceral fat is shown to be most affected towards diabetes.

Keep in mind that smoking, lack of exercising, and genes can play a role in having diabetes as well.

I don’t know if you have tried splenda or any of those diabetic sugar, but those things do not taste very good. They have 0 calories but are suppose to be sweeter than the basic sugar.

Surprisingly, some studies have shown that coffee, vitamin D, and whole grains could decrease risks of diabetes. Fish may increase.

Keep in mind though, these are studies and nothing is final yet.

So, there’s your 101 on diabetes. I just want you to understand it’s not all about sugar. It’s more on your insulin production and function.

Drupe: The Coconut

Definition: any fruit, as a peach, cherry, plum, etc., consisting of an outer skin, a usually pulpy and succulent middle layer, and a hard and woody inner shell usually enclosing a single seed. (dictionary.com)

A coconut is a little bit of a fruit, a nut, and a seed. It’s a drupe. It has all the layers.

The typical brown round coconut people think of is actually not the whole coconut. A fresh coconut picked off from a tree is actually green. You have to crack that part open to get to the brown part. The green part is the most outer layer known as the exocarp. The mesocarp is between the typical coconut and the exocarp. Exocarp and mesocarp are usually removed, and what is sold at the markets is usually the endocarp (the brown circular coconut). 

The seed is pretty much the coconut that people imagine to be. So by definition, of a drupe, the above should’ve explained why it’s an example of a drupe.

1. Exoderm

2. mesoderm

3. Endoderm

4. EndoSPERM

5. Embryo.

The content of 4 and 5 make up the seed function of the coconut. The layers make the coconut a drupe.


This was our coconut during the summer.

Here are some videos on our personal coconut experience. Picking a coco | Retrieving liquid from a coco These were also from my coconut post during the summertime, but to those who just met me, enjoys :]
&& Sorry, I forgot to do definition Fridays :D


Pasteurization - Ultra High Temperature

DefinitionUltra High Temperature is a little different from the other two. Same idea, but it makes the products more shelf stable. It’s perfect for under developed countries because they won’t have to rely on refrigeration. It’s done by heating it 138 degrees celsius for 2 seconds and stored in a sterile container. Most definitely, shelf stable. I love how we could use technology for good.

I was pouring my milk into my cereal bowl, and then I saw this. Use BY date and Sell BY date do not mean expiration date. No one can predict the future and say that that food is going to expire on a certain date. It’s merely just a prediction. But anyhow, those two terms mean as it is written. Sell date is for the markets to pull it out off the shelf by the date indicated. Customers should be aware of the sell date. You want more fresh items right? So good tip. Use by date is for safety of the customers to use it by the date. It’s just for reassurance, other than that, most of the time you can still eat something a couple of days after the dates. For instance, milk can still be good a couple of days after the date. But the trick to this is, “when in doubt, throw it out!” But honestly, don’t get the terms mixed up, and it’s still okay to drink it after, just use your judgement! And if you’re seriously paranoid about it, then just throw it out or rush in finishing whatever you’re eating before the date comes. Notice the pasteurization text too. Remember that! A way of preserving things, but I’ll save that for another time :D
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I was pouring my milk into my cereal bowl, and then I saw this.

Use BY date and Sell BY date

do not mean expiration date. No one can predict the future and say that that food is going to expire on a certain date. It’s merely just a prediction. But anyhow, those two terms mean as it is written.

Sell date is for the markets to pull it out off the shelf by the date indicated. Customers should be aware of the sell date. You want more fresh items right? So good tip.

Use by date is for safety of the customers to use it by the date. It’s just for reassurance, other than that, most of the time you can still eat something a couple of days after the dates.

For instance, milk can still be good a couple of days after the date. But the trick to this is, “when in doubt, throw it out!” But honestly, don’t get the terms mixed up, and it’s still okay to drink it after, just use your judgement! And if you’re seriously paranoid about it, then just throw it out or rush in finishing whatever you’re eating before the date comes.

Notice the pasteurization text too. Remember that! A way of preserving things, but I’ll save that for another time :D

Fermentation

Definition: One of the oldest forms of food preservation/biotechnology in the world. Used in foods to increase growth of microorganisms whose enzymes hydrolyze the polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids to nontoxic products with flavors, aromas and textures pleasant and attractive to human consumer.

So, I still think it’s interesting that miso is fermented food. Beer and liquor are fermented beverages. Dairy products like yogurt and cheese are fermented. Fermentation also can be nutritional beneficial because it can decrease the amount of toxins naturally found in food. During fermentation, the microbes could also increase the amount of vitamins and minerals.

It’s quite interesting how bacteria can be so good to our food :]

Because if this didn’t work out so well, I wouldn’t be able to eat Kim chee (or other delicious fermented food):[