Dec
3
Take a minute to reflect back… Remember when you were kid? Now, try to conjure up this specific childhood memory - your wonderful lunchbox! You were cool, fun, and felt confident sporting this brand new piece of gear. This box and what it was filled with often reflected who you were. It was your first independent introduction into society. After all, didn’t your very own lunchbox mean you were finally a big kid!
Boys often carried western or space themed lunchboxes, girls went with Barbie, and younger children with a wide variety of Disney characters. All I remember is that I was stuck carrying the plaid design and the girl across the street, Cheryl Shelmadine, had a Lassie the Wonder Dog lunch box. I didn’t. What were my parents thinking? Regardless of the style, lunchboxes have represented, as well as reflected, a major part of American cultural history.
Luckily for our children, we live in a dynamic area. We can gain access to the wonderful traditions of so many cultures. Once incorporated with our fresh local foods, and given a twist on presentation… POOF! The new American lunch box – the bento box.
Bento boxes surfaced in Japan about 900 years ago with the creation of hoshi-ii. Hoshi-ii means “dried meal” – it is rice that has been cooked and then dried. Bento boxes were once simple containers housing individually packaged portions of rice, meat or fish, and pickled or cooked vegetables. Through the ages, they have progressed from oak or bamboo leaf wrapped portions into lacquered wooden boxes, shiny aluminum, and modern day plastics.
There are contests held where people compete to win prizes and prestige for designing the most elaborate bento boxes. This type of artistic bento is called a kyaraben. They aesthetically arrange the foods to resemble people, flowers, plants, or animals. Some are so beautiful they look too good to eat… well almost!
Of course, bento boxes are still available today in many locations throughout Japan, but now bento boxes are taking America by storm! Traditional Japanese bento boxes are quickly becoming the must have lunchbox for otherwise brown paper baggers. A visit to today’s school cafeterias might have some parents thinking they’ve stepped into a new culture when they see these trendy new lunch containers. It’s not all about appearances though - bento boxes are fun to fill, pleasing to the palette, prevent foods from getting smashed, and make packing a lunch both cost and time effective.
Lunch boxes today are still the ultimate in personal style and expression. Even not carrying one is often for the sake of fashion. Whatever your taste, lunchboxes continue to be a reflection of American culture. The bento box is simply a plastic container housing other various shaped containers for your foods stuffs. Sometimes they are stacked, square round, flat, or whatever your desire. There are designer bento boxes are available featuring popular cartoon characters and fun designs – hopefully not plaid. You can even accessorize your bento with fun flatware to match, and miniature bottles no larger than your thumb for salad dressings, soy sauces or other flavorings of your choice.
I recently purchased a “laptop bento” for my daughter, Danielle. It came in a thermal cooled case that resembles a notebook computer – and of course, it was almost the same price. It is a typical bento for a “Middle Schooler” - not too flashy. Once opened, the case reveals spaces for all different kinds of goodies. Each space has its own lid and they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. She absolutely loves it!
Packing A Bento
No matter how old my kids get, they still love helping to pack their lunches with fun foods. When we go hunting for bento box fun we frequent the Japanese dollar store in downtown in San Mateo. They have a great variety of kid friendly lunch packing items. One of my favorites are the food molds. With absolutely no major artistic kitchen skills you can shape foods into simple animals, cars, trucks, trains, plants, or people shapes. Try them out with brown rice and veggies for an Asian flair, tuna or chicken salad, eggs, or even make must-have-meatballs with them!
Just like the use of the Japanese containers – use fusion when packing them. California nouvelle cuisine is a blend of cultures, using fresh local ingredients and new fun presentation style on any classic meal. These tiny treasure chests are great for serving up leftovers in a fresh new way that will have your children eager to see last night’s meal again. Remember to be creative and artistic when packing a bento and to involve your child. Use cookie cutters to make uniquely shaped “tea sandwiches”, layer foods for presentation, and include little containers of their favorite dips. The better it looks and the more input they have the more likely they are to eat it!
Use these fun lunch packs and fuse some of your own cultural sensations inside. Here are some ideas to get you going. Incorporating a variety of foods your child enjoys will make them much less likely to succumb when they hear “I’ll trade you!” in the cafeteria.
Mac ‘n Cheese – Left over macaroni and cheese, fresh sliced tomatoes, steamed veggies, and fresh finger fruits (grapes, berries, cherries, cubed melons, sliced kiwi, etc.). They’ll be sure to devour this child friendly favorite. All housed in the separate containers or pressed into fun shapes.
Snack Attack – Diced fresh finger fruits and veggies, sliced cheeses, cubed turkey breast or ham, and multi-grain crackers make for a delightful blend of flavors and nutrition. Don’t forget to add crackers and your favorite vinaigrette in a small fun sized bento squeeze bottle.
Dinner for lunch- –Your favorite shaped meatballs, brown rice, sliced fresh veggies, and low-fat yogurt to dip. This bento is also great with leftover spaghetti!
Pot Roast Personified – Diced left over pot roast, roasted root veggies, fresh finger fruits, and a garden salad. Served cold, with a piece of buttered whole grained pita bread.
Super Salads – Molded tuna, chicken, or seafood salad, whole grain crackers, fresh fruits and veggies, and cute baby cheese. Don’t forget to add sliced red bell peppers. They are really sweet to eat - especially with cream cheese to dip them in.
Now, with some bento experience under my belt I can honestly say that not only do kids love these crafty containers – but I do too. They are also great for picnics, travel lunches, or any time you’ll be away from home. They just make sense! One more important thing… bento boxes do require some washing after the box arrives home. This is another great opportunity though to get the kids involved and teach some early childhood responsibility as they help wash up their lunch box and get it ready for the next day.
Looking for some more creative lunch suggestions or ways to fuel your child’s passion for cooking? Check out the fun filled classes and summer camps at Kids Culinary Adventures. We’ll even teach them about the importance of clean up! Chef Gigi is founder and owner of Kids Culinary Adventures. A professional cooking school for children and teens in the San Francisco bay Area. Check them out on line at
www.kidsculinaryadventures.com
By: Gigi Andreini Gaggero
About the Author:
Boys often carried western or space themed lunchboxes, girls went with Barbie, and younger children with a wide variety of Disney characters. All I remember is that I was stuck carrying the plaid design and the girl across the street, Cheryl Shelmadine, had a Lassie the Wonder Dog lunch box. I didn’t. What were my parents thinking? Regardless of the style, lunchboxes have represented, as well as reflected, a major part of American cultural history.
Luckily for our children, we live in a dynamic area. We can gain access to the wonderful traditions of so many cultures. Once incorporated with our fresh local foods, and given a twist on presentation… POOF! The new American lunch box – the bento box.
Bento boxes surfaced in Japan about 900 years ago with the creation of hoshi-ii. Hoshi-ii means “dried meal” – it is rice that has been cooked and then dried. Bento boxes were once simple containers housing individually packaged portions of rice, meat or fish, and pickled or cooked vegetables. Through the ages, they have progressed from oak or bamboo leaf wrapped portions into lacquered wooden boxes, shiny aluminum, and modern day plastics.
There are contests held where people compete to win prizes and prestige for designing the most elaborate bento boxes. This type of artistic bento is called a kyaraben. They aesthetically arrange the foods to resemble people, flowers, plants, or animals. Some are so beautiful they look too good to eat… well almost!
Of course, bento boxes are still available today in many locations throughout Japan, but now bento boxes are taking America by storm! Traditional Japanese bento boxes are quickly becoming the must have lunchbox for otherwise brown paper baggers. A visit to today’s school cafeterias might have some parents thinking they’ve stepped into a new culture when they see these trendy new lunch containers. It’s not all about appearances though - bento boxes are fun to fill, pleasing to the palette, prevent foods from getting smashed, and make packing a lunch both cost and time effective.
Lunch boxes today are still the ultimate in personal style and expression. Even not carrying one is often for the sake of fashion. Whatever your taste, lunchboxes continue to be a reflection of American culture. The bento box is simply a plastic container housing other various shaped containers for your foods stuffs. Sometimes they are stacked, square round, flat, or whatever your desire. There are designer bento boxes are available featuring popular cartoon characters and fun designs – hopefully not plaid. You can even accessorize your bento with fun flatware to match, and miniature bottles no larger than your thumb for salad dressings, soy sauces or other flavorings of your choice.
I recently purchased a “laptop bento” for my daughter, Danielle. It came in a thermal cooled case that resembles a notebook computer – and of course, it was almost the same price. It is a typical bento for a “Middle Schooler” - not too flashy. Once opened, the case reveals spaces for all different kinds of goodies. Each space has its own lid and they fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. She absolutely loves it!
Packing A Bento
No matter how old my kids get, they still love helping to pack their lunches with fun foods. When we go hunting for bento box fun we frequent the Japanese dollar store in downtown in San Mateo. They have a great variety of kid friendly lunch packing items. One of my favorites are the food molds. With absolutely no major artistic kitchen skills you can shape foods into simple animals, cars, trucks, trains, plants, or people shapes. Try them out with brown rice and veggies for an Asian flair, tuna or chicken salad, eggs, or even make must-have-meatballs with them!
Just like the use of the Japanese containers – use fusion when packing them. California nouvelle cuisine is a blend of cultures, using fresh local ingredients and new fun presentation style on any classic meal. These tiny treasure chests are great for serving up leftovers in a fresh new way that will have your children eager to see last night’s meal again. Remember to be creative and artistic when packing a bento and to involve your child. Use cookie cutters to make uniquely shaped “tea sandwiches”, layer foods for presentation, and include little containers of their favorite dips. The better it looks and the more input they have the more likely they are to eat it!
Use these fun lunch packs and fuse some of your own cultural sensations inside. Here are some ideas to get you going. Incorporating a variety of foods your child enjoys will make them much less likely to succumb when they hear “I’ll trade you!” in the cafeteria.
Mac ‘n Cheese – Left over macaroni and cheese, fresh sliced tomatoes, steamed veggies, and fresh finger fruits (grapes, berries, cherries, cubed melons, sliced kiwi, etc.). They’ll be sure to devour this child friendly favorite. All housed in the separate containers or pressed into fun shapes.
Snack Attack – Diced fresh finger fruits and veggies, sliced cheeses, cubed turkey breast or ham, and multi-grain crackers make for a delightful blend of flavors and nutrition. Don’t forget to add crackers and your favorite vinaigrette in a small fun sized bento squeeze bottle.
Dinner for lunch- –Your favorite shaped meatballs, brown rice, sliced fresh veggies, and low-fat yogurt to dip. This bento is also great with leftover spaghetti!
Pot Roast Personified – Diced left over pot roast, roasted root veggies, fresh finger fruits, and a garden salad. Served cold, with a piece of buttered whole grained pita bread.
Super Salads – Molded tuna, chicken, or seafood salad, whole grain crackers, fresh fruits and veggies, and cute baby cheese. Don’t forget to add sliced red bell peppers. They are really sweet to eat - especially with cream cheese to dip them in.
Now, with some bento experience under my belt I can honestly say that not only do kids love these crafty containers – but I do too. They are also great for picnics, travel lunches, or any time you’ll be away from home. They just make sense! One more important thing… bento boxes do require some washing after the box arrives home. This is another great opportunity though to get the kids involved and teach some early childhood responsibility as they help wash up their lunch box and get it ready for the next day.
Looking for some more creative lunch suggestions or ways to fuel your child’s passion for cooking? Check out the fun filled classes and summer camps at Kids Culinary Adventures. We’ll even teach them about the importance of clean up! Chef Gigi is founder and owner of Kids Culinary Adventures. A professional cooking school for children and teens in the San Francisco bay Area. Check them out on line at
www.kidsculinaryadventures.com
By: Gigi Andreini Gaggero
About the Author:
Chef Gigi began her adventure in the kitchen as a child; then went on to mesh her passion for the culinary arts with her innate business savvy and entrepreneurial drive.
Utilizing both her acclaimed skills as a chef and her business expertise, Chef Gigi has assisted in the openings of restaurants, food divisions, as well as worked at several top hotels throughout the greater Bay Area, including launching her own full- scale event planning and catering business for a high profile client list. As a proprietor, she was profiled as one of the Top 25 Bay Area Chefs by 18 Media.
Chef Gigi later returned to her alma mater, the California Culinary Academy, where she graduated with honors, soon after she received a certificate from pastry instruction in Europe.
Returning to the United States Chef Gigi worked to hone her skills. After many years in the industry, Chef Gigi then went full circle returning to the California Culinary Academy as Dean of students; while launching the famed Le Cordon Bleu’s Hospitality Management program. In addition to acting as an instructor for the academy, she also trained staff for corporate hotel chains nationwide.
Chef Gigi graduated Cum Laude from the American Intercontinental University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and continues to hone professional culinary skills with continuing education classes. She is the mother of two young school age daughters; who assisted in the concept and launch of KCA and continue to be active to this day.
Oct
4
One of the biggest problems for stay-at-home moms, is how to stay on a diet. The refrigerator and the goodies cabinet are right there. How do you keep from snacking? The first thing the stay-at-home mom has to do is read all of the labels on the “convenience food” that is in the freezer and the cabinet. Kids love macaroni and cheese. If you are preparing typical, boxed macaroni and cheese, one serving is going to provide 26% of your recommended daily fat intake for the day. How do you cut that down? It’s easy. Use whole-grain pasta, low-fat shredded cheese, and one- or two-percent skim milk. Making it yourself will take just about the same time and it will taste better.
Stock the refrigerator with fruits and fresh vegetables. Low-fat meat, which includes chicken, fish and well-trimmed pork, provide all of the protein that you will need. Stock the dry-goods cabinet with whole-grain cereals and pasta. Use a whole-grain bread, whole wheat, rye or pumpernickel. When you buy snack food, read the label. Bananas are good, right? If you are talking about fresh bananas the answer is yes. However, if you look at the label of the fried banana chips, there is as much fat in them as there are in potato chips.
The stay-at-home mom has far more advantages for a healthy diet than her go-to-work counterpart. The stay-at-home mom can pick and choose what she eats and when she eats it. Five or six small meals are far better for you than three large ones. Smaller meals will allow your body to process the food more efficiently and increase your metabolism. Lean meats, leafy vegetables, and fresh fruits are as close as the refrigerator. Wholesome snacks are as available in your pantry. The stay-at-home mom has far more opportunities to pick and choose what she eats since almost everything that is available is what she has purchased at the grocery store. Careful planning and intelligent choices allow the stay-at-home mom to carefully plan her weight-loss program.
One thing that cannot be stressed highly enough is to drink six to eight glasses of water per day. Providing your body with enough water encourages your body to shed all of the water that it stores as a natural process. Yes you will be “running to the bathroom” for a period of time, but it’s your body shedding the stored water it has accumulated, not the water you are drinking.
The best weight-loss program for the stay-at-home mom is simply reading the nutritional values of what she is buying and making intelligent choices. Eating smaller meals more often without resorting to convenience foods will increase her metabolism. Drinking enough water allows the body to shed all the water it has stored. The best nutritional program for weight loss for the stay-at-home mom is simply making intelligent choices and then sticking with them.
If you’re a stay-at-home mom who would like more information on healthy weight loss, click here to learn about the best kept Weight Loss Secret
If you want to lose weight the right way, fast and easily, visit our blog at http://www.loseweightresources.com and learn how you can start losing weight right away!
By: Sue Baker
About the Author:
Stock the refrigerator with fruits and fresh vegetables. Low-fat meat, which includes chicken, fish and well-trimmed pork, provide all of the protein that you will need. Stock the dry-goods cabinet with whole-grain cereals and pasta. Use a whole-grain bread, whole wheat, rye or pumpernickel. When you buy snack food, read the label. Bananas are good, right? If you are talking about fresh bananas the answer is yes. However, if you look at the label of the fried banana chips, there is as much fat in them as there are in potato chips.
The stay-at-home mom has far more advantages for a healthy diet than her go-to-work counterpart. The stay-at-home mom can pick and choose what she eats and when she eats it. Five or six small meals are far better for you than three large ones. Smaller meals will allow your body to process the food more efficiently and increase your metabolism. Lean meats, leafy vegetables, and fresh fruits are as close as the refrigerator. Wholesome snacks are as available in your pantry. The stay-at-home mom has far more opportunities to pick and choose what she eats since almost everything that is available is what she has purchased at the grocery store. Careful planning and intelligent choices allow the stay-at-home mom to carefully plan her weight-loss program.
One thing that cannot be stressed highly enough is to drink six to eight glasses of water per day. Providing your body with enough water encourages your body to shed all of the water that it stores as a natural process. Yes you will be “running to the bathroom” for a period of time, but it’s your body shedding the stored water it has accumulated, not the water you are drinking.
The best weight-loss program for the stay-at-home mom is simply reading the nutritional values of what she is buying and making intelligent choices. Eating smaller meals more often without resorting to convenience foods will increase her metabolism. Drinking enough water allows the body to shed all the water it has stored. The best nutritional program for weight loss for the stay-at-home mom is simply making intelligent choices and then sticking with them.
If you’re a stay-at-home mom who would like more information on healthy weight loss, click here to learn about the best kept Weight Loss Secret
If you want to lose weight the right way, fast and easily, visit our blog at http://www.loseweightresources.com and learn how you can start losing weight right away!
By: Sue Baker
About the Author:
There’s no reason why you should be embarrased about your weight any longer. If you are ready to learn more about losing weight effectively visit http://www.loseweightresources.com and join the thousands we have already helped and visit us now.
Oct
1
Okay, so you think you are doing pretty well with your diet. You prepare most of your meals at home, don’t eat much junk food and aren’t a fast food eater only rarely. You think vitamins are pretty much nonsense—particularly since you are eating so well—and besides, you feel pretty healthy.
Well let me rain on that parade a little.
Consider this. In order for nutritional researchers to determine the required levels of nutrients, diets must be designed of known nutrient content with a specific deficiency in the nutrient being studied. Then varying doses of the nutrient can be added to the diet to determine at what level symptoms of deficiency disappear.
In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a vitamin C-depleted real meal menu is described. The diet consists of the following choices:
Breakfast: Apple Juice, Applesauce, Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat, Unprocessed bran, Hominy grits, Cream of Wheat, Eggs (scrambled or hard poached), Cheddar cheese, French toast, Syrup, Yogurt (plain or strawberry), Bran muffin, Glazed doughnut, Mini bagel, Cream cheese, White toast or bread, Wheat toast, Margarine, butter, Honey, Peanut butter, Sugar substitutes, Low-fat cream cheese, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Tea (regular or decaffeinated), Cream, White milk (whole, 2%, or skim), Chocolate milk, Buttermilk.
Lunch: Chicken noodle soup, Cream of chicken soup, Croutons, Escalloped chicken, Pork chops, Brown gravy, Garlic herb pizza, Grilled cheese sandwich, Tuna chunks, Yogurt (plain, vanilla or blueberry), Rice royale, Black beans, Rice, Pretzels, Applesauce, Diet Jell-O™, Cookies (chocolate chip or sugar), Ice cream (vanilla or chocolate), Bread (white or wheat), Saltines, Margarine, Butter, Sour cream, Peanut butter, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Sugar substitute, Relish, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Tea (regular, decaffeinated or iced), Cream
Dinner: Chicken and rice soup, Cottage cheese, Croutons, Fried shrimp, Roast beef, Brown gravy, Macaroni and cheese, Cheeseburger, Chicken salad, Yogurt (plain or peach), Pinto beans, Rice, Diet Jell-O™, Vanilla ice cream, Angel food cake, Bread (white or wheat), Margarine, Butter, Peanut butter, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Cream, Tea (regular, decaffeinated or iced)
Evening Snacks: Peanut butter crackers, Graham crackers, Chocolate chip cookie, Popcorn, Ginger ale, Diet cola
If you review these choices you should note something familiar. They are the very foods that the majority of people now consume! By eating these foods a person will restrict vitamin C intake to less than 5 mg per day. The bare minimum RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) so far established for vitamin C is 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women — and this is highly contested as being far too low. There is a huge body of research now demonstrating that humans need several hundred milligrams (some believe more than a thousand) per day to achieve optimal health.
Vitamin C is a critically important nutrient for humans since our bodies are unable to synthesize it. In the wild, fruits and vegetables would be the main source. Vitamin C bolsters the immune system and is critical to connective tissue integrity and health. In its absence, the nutritional disease scurvy occurs resulting in a sort of meltdown of the basic structure of the body. Teeth fall out, internal bleeding occurs and it can cause a miserable death. In days gone by, ancient mariners feared the disease more than capsizing. But left out to sea long enough with only bread and salted meat they were almost sure to suffer it to one degree or another.
Heart disease is a leading killer in modern society. Dental disease is epidemic. Both of these conditions can be initiated or fostered by vitamin C deficiency. There presence may in fact be the very marker that vitamin C deficiency is widespread. Coronary and cerebral vessels lose their integrity leading to heart attacks and strokes, and periodontitis (gum recession, bleeding and oral infection) leads to loss of teeth, foul breath and seeding of the body’s organs with pathogens.
Vitamin C is not a silly nutrient to be ignored or played with. Don’t assume that because you seem healthy at the moment that chronic degenerative disease is not incubating within. In fact, if you are eating exclusively processed modern fare, you can count on it.
Convert the diet to more fresh and raw foods (See authors The Thinking Person’s Master Key to Health (CD). Note that there were no fresh foods in the test diet. And certainly taking daily vitamin C supplements (500-1000 mg per day) is prudent insurance given that normal dietary fare is clearly vitamin C deficient.
Am J Clin Nutr, 1997; 65(5):1434-40
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9129473
For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit www.cerealwysong.com.
By: Dr. Randy Wysong
About the Author:
Well let me rain on that parade a little.
Consider this. In order for nutritional researchers to determine the required levels of nutrients, diets must be designed of known nutrient content with a specific deficiency in the nutrient being studied. Then varying doses of the nutrient can be added to the diet to determine at what level symptoms of deficiency disappear.
In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a vitamin C-depleted real meal menu is described. The diet consists of the following choices:
Breakfast: Apple Juice, Applesauce, Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat, Unprocessed bran, Hominy grits, Cream of Wheat, Eggs (scrambled or hard poached), Cheddar cheese, French toast, Syrup, Yogurt (plain or strawberry), Bran muffin, Glazed doughnut, Mini bagel, Cream cheese, White toast or bread, Wheat toast, Margarine, butter, Honey, Peanut butter, Sugar substitutes, Low-fat cream cheese, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Tea (regular or decaffeinated), Cream, White milk (whole, 2%, or skim), Chocolate milk, Buttermilk.
Lunch: Chicken noodle soup, Cream of chicken soup, Croutons, Escalloped chicken, Pork chops, Brown gravy, Garlic herb pizza, Grilled cheese sandwich, Tuna chunks, Yogurt (plain, vanilla or blueberry), Rice royale, Black beans, Rice, Pretzels, Applesauce, Diet Jell-O™, Cookies (chocolate chip or sugar), Ice cream (vanilla or chocolate), Bread (white or wheat), Saltines, Margarine, Butter, Sour cream, Peanut butter, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Sugar substitute, Relish, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Tea (regular, decaffeinated or iced), Cream
Dinner: Chicken and rice soup, Cottage cheese, Croutons, Fried shrimp, Roast beef, Brown gravy, Macaroni and cheese, Cheeseburger, Chicken salad, Yogurt (plain or peach), Pinto beans, Rice, Diet Jell-O™, Vanilla ice cream, Angel food cake, Bread (white or wheat), Margarine, Butter, Peanut butter, Coffee (regular or decaffeinated), Cream, Tea (regular, decaffeinated or iced)
Evening Snacks: Peanut butter crackers, Graham crackers, Chocolate chip cookie, Popcorn, Ginger ale, Diet cola
If you review these choices you should note something familiar. They are the very foods that the majority of people now consume! By eating these foods a person will restrict vitamin C intake to less than 5 mg per day. The bare minimum RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) so far established for vitamin C is 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women — and this is highly contested as being far too low. There is a huge body of research now demonstrating that humans need several hundred milligrams (some believe more than a thousand) per day to achieve optimal health.
Vitamin C is a critically important nutrient for humans since our bodies are unable to synthesize it. In the wild, fruits and vegetables would be the main source. Vitamin C bolsters the immune system and is critical to connective tissue integrity and health. In its absence, the nutritional disease scurvy occurs resulting in a sort of meltdown of the basic structure of the body. Teeth fall out, internal bleeding occurs and it can cause a miserable death. In days gone by, ancient mariners feared the disease more than capsizing. But left out to sea long enough with only bread and salted meat they were almost sure to suffer it to one degree or another.
Heart disease is a leading killer in modern society. Dental disease is epidemic. Both of these conditions can be initiated or fostered by vitamin C deficiency. There presence may in fact be the very marker that vitamin C deficiency is widespread. Coronary and cerebral vessels lose their integrity leading to heart attacks and strokes, and periodontitis (gum recession, bleeding and oral infection) leads to loss of teeth, foul breath and seeding of the body’s organs with pathogens.
Vitamin C is not a silly nutrient to be ignored or played with. Don’t assume that because you seem healthy at the moment that chronic degenerative disease is not incubating within. In fact, if you are eating exclusively processed modern fare, you can count on it.
Convert the diet to more fresh and raw foods (See authors The Thinking Person’s Master Key to Health (CD). Note that there were no fresh foods in the test diet. And certainly taking daily vitamin C supplements (500-1000 mg per day) is prudent insurance given that normal dietary fare is clearly vitamin C deficient.
Am J Clin Nutr, 1997; 65(5):1434-40
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=9129473
For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit www.cerealwysong.com.
By: Dr. Randy Wysong
About the Author:
Dr. Wysong: A former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. http://www.wysong.net. Also check out http://www.cerealwysong.com.