This is a great thread Straw and Merry Christmas to everybody! Thanks for that recipe, sure my DH will appreciate it also!

I order all of my organic spices online and will look up the names later and post. I have been concerned about the heavy metals in some of the sources though since the USDA Organic symbol doesn't mean tested for that.

There is a company that tests turmeric but it's a liquid designed for supplementation so I haven't tried it in food yet. Tastes quite sweet though.

Merry Christmas

I am just discovering the health benefits of turmeric, Like that it reduces inflammation.

https://youtu.be/_cZ5Ik9CMJA

Back to Eden film.com

Paul Gautschi

Thanks to this thread, I just found out that they now have the powder also that's tested for heavy metals in addition to being organic.

They have added tons of new products so that's a good sign that the market is asking for them as people become more informed about all of the polluted products out there.

https://www.healthrangerstore.com/pages/search-results?q=turmeric&page_num=2

VV, just noticed that the little symbols beside our names look almost exactly the same, so sorry! Mine is Francis Meilland, the only decent picture that I had!

You're funny LL. My avatar is, of course, New Dawn! Yours is beautiful and only looks similar from afar.

Yours is beautiful too and you'll never know how happy I am to hear that yours is New Dawn!

But I'll need to show your picture to my tangled mess of thorny canes to get them inspired, LOL!

Khalid, I think, giving the poster the benefit of the doubt, that the pictures were posted because of the "wise quotes" that were attached to them. Which to be fair, were requested at the top of the thread.

If there are ever any "wise" quotes attached to Hillary, Bernie, Winston Churchhill, etc., photos, I would hope that all sides could appreciate them also. Tidbits of wisdom can be found all over, even if we don't all agree!

Anything else said in an ugly manner is unnecessary and hopefully was regretted. This is such a great, capable group of people here with so much knowledge that it would be a shame to let this forum fade away.

SO HAPPY to see you back this morning Straw!

I feel we have SO MUCH MORE in common with our love of organic roses and healthy living that it would be a shame to let that be lost.. I've come to accept sometimes it's best just to agree to disagree and let it go. Easy to say, hard to do.

I don't know where I'd be as this forum helps me so much in my life to forget the sometimes heavy-duty realities and lets me communicate with other like-minded people. While I've generally found the other rose forums to be great for the support, I'm really interested in the nitty-gritty of growing and doing it without Bayer, etc is a challenge I welcome.

I can't say which approach is better, but I'm willing to give most things a try and see if it helps. Of course, being science oriented I like at least some basis in reality! : ) So long as it doesn't involve nasty chemicals, I'm game.

Me too, great post VV!

Straw, I like that internet photo of the spices that you posted. There is just something so "homey" about it, makes me want to cook something. Very effective advertising on their part too!

To answer the question, "what are your favorite roses", I have to say that the one that I can't wait to bloom is Twice in a Blue Moon. Not because it was the most beautiful or productive (first year bands), but because there was just something about the scent that grabbed me and I wish that I could bottle it.

I know scents change as they get older so I hope that I'm not disappointed next year. On the other hand, I have dozens next year that will hopefully be coming into their own so something else could step up and make me forget about "Twice"!

I have some like Madame IP (too big) that are probably totally unsuited for where I put them but the descriptions of her scent made me lose all common sense, LOL! Planted in October so no blooms yet so we'll see if she's worth it.

If I only had room in my garden for one rose bush it would be Mrs. BR Cant. In my climate no other rose bush is more healthy, or can out bloom or out grow her.

Happy Holidays to all.

Vaporvac wrote: "I feel we have SO MUCH MORE in common with our love of organic roses and healthy living that it would be a shame to let that be lost.. I've come to accept sometimes it's best just to agree to disagree and let it go. Easy to say, hard to do.

I don't know where I'd be as this forum helps me so much in my life to forget the sometimes heavy-duty realities and lets me communicate with other like-minded people. While I've generally found the other rose forums to be great for the support, I'm really interested in the nitty-gritty of growing and doing it without Bayer, etc is a challenge I welcome.

I can't say which approach is better, but I'm willing to give most things a try and see if it helps. Of course, being science oriented I like at least some basis in reality! : ) So long as it doesn't involve nasty chemicals, I'm game."

Very good post Vaporvac..... I absolutely agree that there is so much more in common on this forum. We can gain much more by pursuing our common interests instead of pursuing our view point on a certain issue beyond a limit.

It will be extremely disappointing for me if there is a break in the learning and enjoyment that I get on this forum just because there exists a difference of opinion on an issue. My humble request to all would be to respect other persons point of view and NOT to force own point of view on the other person if he/she is not willing to take it. A congenial atmosphere on the forum, regulated by mutual respect of each other, is a prerequisite for learning and enjoyment in my humble view.

best regards

Khalid, another excellent post, thank you!

Valrose, I can't find Mrs. BR Cant on HMF. Is that name short for something else! I loved your rave review of her!

I hope that everybody has a very happy holiday season! I'll catch up with everybody after the new year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I'll miss your posts until then, LL! Merry Xmas to you as well. P.S. You need the space between B and R. Mrs. B. R. Cant

Mary Xmas to every one and a very happy new year. Incidentally, 25th of Dec is my birthday too. I am leaving for Himalayan Ibex hunt...... I tried it January this year too but was unable to get a big trophy. I will make another attempt now..... lets see.

It wont just be hunting. I will be traveling to one of the highest places in the world.....

I am in love with Karakoram Ranges..... they are beautiful, unique, very high but unforgiving.

Traveling on highways like these....

And passing along half frozen lakes like these...

A crossing foot bridges like these...

I will reach this land of very high glaciers. The one you see in this photo is Passu Glacier.

And I am looking for these....

The majestic Himalayan Ibex. You see two juveniles in this photo. I hope I get one but shooting an Ibex is not the only thing.... it is the traveling and spending few days at this unique place with its unique people that is more important....

BTW, how may Ibex you can spot in this photo.... this photo has been taken from I think over 200 m.

Wish me luck...

best regards

Just saw your post. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Khalid, whom I respect greatly for his humbleness, honesty, true love for roses & esp. his politeness & consideration to everyone, regardless of differences in gardening.

Thank you for those gorgeous views. WOW !! God is so generous and shows His beauty to us via nature, that reminds me to be grand/kind/generous/beautiful to others as well. Yes, I pray that you'll get your Ibex, and I pray daily for your success in quitting smoking as well.

Below recipe is for Carol .. I wish you daily good night sleep for the New Year. I remind myself that God can take care for people/pets better than I can. Happiness is giving up my control of the universe, and let go & let God.

Really like my kale & parsley shake BEFORE dinner, vivid dream. (THANK YOU, KHALID for starting me on smoothies). There's a study which I posted last year that showed low-magnesium contribute to higher-hunger-level & obesity. When I get hungry, I mix magnesium-oxide with a bit of yogurt, or drink my high-magnesium-kale shake. Works well in neutralizing the stomach acid which causes excessive appetite.

Walnut-crunchies (high in Omega-3 and vitamin E) is much better than stinky-fish oil for good sleep. I use 3 cups of RAW walnut. Heat 1/3 cup honey with 1/3 cup brown sugar in a sauce-pan on medium-heat, stirring constantly until it melt.

Then I pour that over RAW walnuts (spread out on a baking sheet), put that in convection/toaster oven, and bake at 275 for 7 min, then turn the oven down to 250 and bake for 8 min. Total baking time: 15 min. Take that out from oven, stir in dried cranberries to prevent walnut from sticking together when it cools down. Put on a plate so it doesn't stick to the baking tray. LOW-HEAT is a must or walnut, high-heat will destroy its Omega-3. Walnut burns easily, thus one need to heat up honey & brown sugar in a saucepan first.

The walnut-crunchies is great to top cereal & milk, or I put inside my frozen blueberry or pumpkin smoothie. I use Kale & parsley smoothie to eat less before meals, and munch on walnuts right before bed-time helps with deep sleep with its Omega-3.

This is the first time in 2 decades that I don't gain weight during the holidays, except for last-Christmas' flu-shot reaction. I eat 1/4 cup of walnut before bed-time, and my weight stays the same. Going out to shop for an exercise machine: I can't decide between a rowing machine vs. a new treadmill. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE !!

Straw wrote: "Just saw your post. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Khalid, whom I respect greatly for his humbleness, honesty, true love for roses & esp. his politeness & consideration to everyone, regardless of differences in gardening.

Thank you for those gorgeous views. WOW !! God is so generous and shows His beauty to us via nature, that reminds me to be grand/kind/generous/beautiful to others as well. Yes, I pray that you'll get your Ibex, and I pray daily for your success in quitting smoking as well."

Thanks for the kind words Straw. I am humbled.

Reached back after the Ibex shoot last night.

Spent 3 days and 2 nights deep inside the Batura Glacier..... the seventh longest glacier in the world (57 km). It's hard to describe this place in words and I am not sure if the photos convey even the aorta of grandeur of the place...... to say the least, Batura Glacier is just an amazing place.

Please note the brown patches. In this season usually (end of December), this whole area is usually white with just a few brown patches along the peaks. But this year, there has hardly been any snowfall so far....this is very alarming.

The area you see in photos is the natural habitat of Rosa webbiana and there were millions of them growing wild in the area. However, no webbiana here. I will open a new thread talking about webbiana and the other plants along Batura Glacier.

And yes....though I couldn't succeed in shooting a reasonable trophy this time too, my son was able to shoot a monster. He chased this beast for two days and climbed the top of the mountain, stayed there for quite some time without any cover (which worried me a lot because I was with a different guide on a different mountain in the same area) but he succeeded in shooting a monster Himalayan Ibex. He is a very proud young man today.....

My son Haider (left) with his hunting guide and the monster Himalayan Ibex with 49" horns.

More to come as I finish editing more pics. Right now...... my whole body and muscles seem cramped.

best regards

Happy Birthday to Khalid and Happy New Year to all!

VV, thanks so much for the kind words and the info on the spelling.

Khalid, those pictures are magical. I can't stop looking at the frozen lakes, wow!

Straw, that recipe sounds like something my DH would like, THANKS! I think that cherries are supposed to be good for sleep also but I always eat too many so can't keep them around!

Lavender: My husband bought a HUGE bottle of 24 oz. Barlean's liquid-fish-oil cheap at Sam's club for $4. Even with the orange flavoring, it's mighty stinky !! Then I saw the news that fish-oil UP the risk of prostate cancer in men, so I'll going to trash that bottle.

Walnut is high in vitamin E, Omega-3, melatonin, plus magnesium, plus so delicious with honey-coating & sour-dried cranberries.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=171244

"Moreover, marine sources of omega-3 fatty acids may also raise the risk for aggressive prostate cancer, according to the study by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

"These anti-inflammatory omega-3s were associated with a 43 percent increased risk for prostate cancer overall, and a 71 percent increased risk in aggressive prostate cancer," said study lead author Theodore Brasky, a research assistant professor at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, who was at Hutchinson at the time of the study.

Although omega-3 fatty acids have been touted as beneficial to heart patients, results of a study published May 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine found they didn't live up to the claims.

In that study, Italian researchers reported that omega-3 fatty acid supplements did not reduce death from heart disease, heart attacks or strokes in people with risk factors for heart disease."

From Straw: I'm using the rancid-fish-oil to deter rabbits and deer from eating my roses. Works well. Anything rancid & rotten & stinky is great to induce cancer. Freshness is the key to health. Weeks-old-kale or spinach is mighty stinky, but fresh kale & spinach are delicious in smoothie.

Happy New Year!! And happy birthday, Khalid! What beautiful pictures and gorgeous views! Is ibex similar to goat meat? What a majestic animal and handsome son.

Very interesting study regarding omega 3 fish oils, Straw. I wonder if there was a rise in prostate cancer after they started advertising the heart benefits of this supplement. It is helpful for arthritis. I feel like with the food pyramid and advertising heart healthy whole grains-that was part of the problem with the obesity epidemic. Everyone was eating too much sugar and carbs...Balance is key!

One of my favorite quotes, "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. " Albert Einstein

I bore my DH by endlessly reciting that Einstein quote, lol!

Just saw Khalid's pictures of majestic mountains and picture of his son, Haider, and the HUGE Ibex with 49" horns. Agree with Kelly that your son Haider is quite handsome, and thank God for answering my prayers that your team gets an Ibex. The picture of pristine snow-capped mountains are priceless.

I love Kelly's quote: ""insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. " Albert Einstein.

That's why I test different things over the years. What's worse than doing the same thing over, and over again is to impose one's method on others, and preventing others from experimentation. And even bigger waste of time to argue or push one's way, rather than doing something new.

Straw, what was the name of that rose that you said smelled so delicious that your kid wanted to eat it? That sounds like my kind of rose but that's a hard quality to google for, lol!

It's Sonia Rykiel (raspberry floral). For myself, if I have to eat a rose, it would be Golden Celebration (cupcakes) or Tchaikovsky (candy), or Evelyn (Jude with a peach-touch). Just received my invoice from Roses Unlimited for $176 for 7 roses (5 of them died on my harsh winter years ago).

Lavenderlace: Without your posting and smart questions, I would not had realized the secrets for strong root & winter-survival. THANK YOU.

Question for everyone: Does lowering pH via acidic rain help your blue roses to be more blue? Thanks

Thank YOU Straw! So I now have one out of four of the tasty ones! Need them all I think...

Will pay more attention on the rain but not sure if mine is that acidic according your chart.

Did you ever grow old port? How does it compare to other roses?

I bought Old Port in 2012, it's still alive as of this winter 2017. It needs moisture through the winter, and it's almost thornless. It likes alkaline clay WAY better than other blue (Kordes Deep Purple died in 2nd winter). The bloom has many petals & pretty, but not much scent. Also it's prone to BS & dropping all its leaves if the drainage is poor. It's a tiny plant. It blooms well if the soil is alkaline & loamy.

Found this recipe from my previous posts, re-post here so I can make it again. It was fantastic the last time I made it with Red Eden apple cider (more acidic than Heinz).

Spinach salad with bacon

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1/2 cup minced onion & 1 pinch salt & 2 cloves garlic, minced

1/6 cup apple cider vinegar (more if you use Heinz)

1/4 cup water & 1/6 cup white sugar & 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup bacon drippings & salt plus black pepper

1 pound baby spinach leaves

1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

Quartered boil eggs, thinly sliced & 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes

Brown bacon until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup of bacon drippings. Cook and stir until onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 minute.

Stir 1/6 cup apple cider, 1/4 cup water, 1/6 cup sugar, and 1 T. Dijon mustard into onion mixture. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer. Drizzle reserved 1/3 cup bacon drippings into onion mixture. Add cooked bacon and stir to combine. Combine spinach, black-eyed peas, boiled eggs, and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl; toss to combine. Drizzle hot bacon dressing over spinach mixture.

Oh, I think my DH is going to love this one, thanks! He loves everything with bacon. I can get away with turkey bacon but so far, he catches me when I slip in salmon bacon.

I like the addition of black-eyed peas. I'll have to give it a go now that the weather is warming up. It's been soup city when it's so cold!

Lavender: I broke out laughing over the "salmon bacon". When I was pregnant, I made "salmon flakes" in the oven with canned salmon .. that stank up the house ... DH was so glad my pregnancy cravings was over. He hates salmon, same with my kid.

LOL! I travel with some canned salmon that we both refer to as "cat food" as it really stinks up the whole room when you open it! I cover it with salsa and all kinds of spices and mix it into organic salad or vegetables.

At home, I try to sneak in salmon sausage in all kinds of things for him and get caught about three quarters of the time. I'm sure my DH would sympathize with yours!

I have never heard of salmon bacon or sausage...Is it any good? Every time I open a can of salmon or tuna my cats come running. They think it's for them... I need to come up with ways to sneak in good things. I like the mag oxide powder idea. My husband is very picky. Likes everything bland. Grew up on Ramen noodles. Now that's all he wants. I like spicy, flavorful food. Hard to find compromise. ...

The salmon bacon is from Vital Choice with added sugar so I've actually never tried it and DH didn't like it.

Their sausage comes in three different versions, all without added sugar, and I think that they're currently pretty tasty. But they've changed their recipes a few times and for a while it was so bland that DH referred to it as cadaver meat!

He thinks that sausage and bacon should all be pork. But I point out to him that if the pork bacon is so great tasting, why do they have to add sugar to it? I feed him the turkey version from Organic Prairie instead, which he finds acceptable.

DH and I have a very hard time compromising too. I'm way too strict and rigid, organic or nothing, and he's a major sugar and fast food lover!

Husband likes it spicy, and my kid likes it bland. I give them healthy stuff when they are most hungry or thirsty. My kid will drink soymilk & Brewer's yeast & buckwheat honey right after school. And I have a "blueberry smoothie & BY" for husband right after work. Yesterday I gave him "kale and parsley" smoothie with his pizza, and he loves it.

After resuming Brewer's yeast: I notice more energy from the B-vitamins, less hunger, and more vivid dreams. It's like taking a vitamin pill. But I still need my "green-shake" & magnesium to zap out my sweet-tooth. For the first time in 10 months, I didn't buy chocolate-coated ice-cream bars, and for the first time in 2 years, I didn't care to snack on the blueberry muffins I made for my kid. Sugar doesn't appeal to me like tartness.

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."

I'll post foods which are good for one's eyes in the "smoothie thread".

Just saw this on Google News today: ",Italian food giant Ferrero is fighting back against claims that palm oil, which is used its Nutella spread, may cause cancer. In May, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) warned that contaminants in palm oil raise potential health concerns across the board. The EFSA panel found that the major cancer concern is over glycidyl fatty acid esters or GE, which form during food processing, or when palm oil is refined at temperatures over 393 Fahrenheit."

393 F is 200 C. Any oil heated at that temp. isn't healthy. One evening I made egg-rolls (with turkey & kale) fried in light-olive oil .. and my family had lousy sleep !! That was my worst night of sleep. The next dinner, I made slow-roast turkey with mashed potato, with best sleep !!

I stop giving my kid Nutella since late fall 2015 .. that's when she caught a cold and refused to eat her Nutella & graham crackers in her lunch.

What do you think about coconut oil instead of olive? I switched a few years ago because I thought that it held up better in heat. Olive oil only in DH's salads. I cook my vegetables in water but he insists on oil!

Coconut oil doesn't get rancid fast like safflower oil, or vegetable oil. But it's still saturated fat and will clog arteries if used in excess. 1 cup of coconut oil has 179.8 g of saturated fat, so I use very little, like 1 tablespoon is enough for flavor in one-dozen banana muffins.

I have a jar of cold-pressed coconut oil which smells good for months. I use that for banana muffins. A friend gave me shea-butter for hand's lotion. After a few months, it STANK. Same with avocado oil that I used to de-tangle my child's curly hair.

Coconut oil is too strong with meals, unless it's a curry dish. Saute veggies in olive oil for a short time & medium heat is safe .. some fat is needed to absorb the vitamins in cooked veggies, esp. vitamins D, E, A, K.

A friend has bi-polar and her depression got worst when she went on a vegan diet & took out fat. The brain is composed of fat, so fatty acids is essential for mental health. "The human brain is nearly 60 percent fat. We've learned in recent years that fatty acids are among the most crucial molecules that determine your brain's integrity and ability to perform ...Most of the brain growth is completed by 5-6 years of age. The EFAs, particularly the omega-3 fatty acids, are important for brain development Dietary decosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is needed for the optimum functional maturation of the retina and visual cortex, with visual acuity and mental development seemingly improved by extra DHA."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20329590

I once read a book by a registered dietician on why Omega-3 is better for our health than Omega-6. Too bad that farmed salmon has very little Omega-3, and wild-salmon is so expensive. The cheapest & most healthy source of Omega-3 is walnut or cold-pressed flax oil.

Omega-3 stimulates "brown fat" which burns more calories. My child used to have eczema as an infant, so I started her on 2 Tablespoon of Barlean's flax oil per day .. she's always warm & skinny. That also landed her in the gifted-program, with the highest PSAT score in national testing.

Ever since I started "honey-glazed" walnut snack, I'm much warmer than normal before bedtime. I have to open my windows to get the temp. down to 62 F or 16 C before I can sleep. Omega-3 fatty acids is found in Deep & COLD-WATER FISH, and COLD-CLIMATE plants like flax.

The best fat to keep one's body warm is Omega-3, in COLD-PRESSED flax-oil, and lightly-roasted or RAW walnuts. Omega-3 stimulates brown-fat in the body, which burns calories at a higher rate. I put less fat in cooking, but drizzle cold-flax-oil on top for my child. Barlean's refrigerated flax-oil is best-tasting, it's mild like olive oil.

I tried to sneak Barlean's into smoothies for DH and usually got away with it. But now have to go with the capsules as he's not in the mood for smoothies in the winter.

Now he likes hemp seed on his salad so it makes my job easier! I give him a couple of walnuts and one Brazil nut every morning. (too much selenium if too many on a daily basis)

Do you roast the hemp seeds before putting on the salad? Or can that be eaten raw on salad? How does that taste like? Thanks !!

Khalid puts RAW walnut into his smoothies for Omega-3, and I drink my green-smoothie with honey-glazed walnut.

My kid refuses to eat school's lunch. I nuke a no-fat frozen dinner like Lean Cuisine or Healthy Choice until it's steaming hot, drizzle flax-oil on top, then put in a pre-heated thermos for her lunch. Her grade shot up to straight A's with that thermos.

For years I put flax-seed meal and oatmeal inside brownie & muffins for my family .. they never complain when they are hungry for sweets.

Husband doesn't like flax oil, so I put Honey-glazed walnuts & cranberries in his lunch box, and he loves that crunchy & sweet snack. Walnut and flax oil DO NOT MAKE ONE FAT. I was under 100 lbs. when I ate my kid's greasy flax-oil left-overs & walnut snack daily. That's when I drizzled flax-oil on top of peanut-butter sandwich for lunch .. that's super-greasy, but good fatty-acids.

That's just about my daily breakfast in winter: flax seed meal, oat bran, wheat bran and whatever other grain I fancy, sometimes buckwheat, wheat germ or craked wheat. I let it sit with boiling water to expand and then nuke for a few seconds. Then I add milk. Keeps me going practically all day. I also use pumpkin and walnut seed oils. Both are delicious, but must be kept refrigerated.

Hemp seeds taste great raw but it might be an acquired tasted, lol! But DH likes them now and he's super picky.

I try not to roast anything because of glycation and threw away the microwave around twenty years ago after using it for just about everything. So I'm pretty sure that I fall into the "health nut" category!

Thank you, lavender for that term "glycation". I looked up, and Wikipedia wrote: "Glycation may also contribute to the formation of acrylamide,[2] a potential carcinogen, during cooking.

Exogenous, meaning outside the body, may also be referred to as dietary or pre-formed. Exogenous glycations and advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) are formed when sugars are cooked with proteins or fats. Temperatures over 120 °C (~248 °F) greatly accelerate the reactions.

Browning reactions (usually Maillard type reactions) are evidence of pre-formed glycations. Indeed, sugar is often added to products such as french fries and baked goods to enhance browning.

Food manufacturers have added AGEs to foods, especially in the last 50 years, as flavor enhancers and colorants to improve appearance.[4] Foods with significant browning, caramelization, or directly added preformed AGEs can be high in these compounds.[5] A very partial listing of foods with very high exogenous AGEs includes donuts, barbecued meats, cake, and dark colored soda pop.[6]

Endogenous glycations occur mainly in the bloodstream to a small proportion of the absorbed simple sugars: glucose, fructose, and galactose. It appears that fructose and galactose have approximately ten times the glycation activity of glucose, the primary body fuel.

Long-lived cells (such as nerves and different types of brain cell), long-lasting proteins (such as crystallins of the lens and cornea), and DNA may accumulate substantial damage over time. Cells such as the retina cells in the eyes, and beta cells (insulin-producing) in the pancreas are also at high risk of damage., Damage by glycation results in stiffening of the collagen in the blood vessel walls."

*** From Straw: The above explains why HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP is so dangerous via endogenous glycation. A decade ago, I ate one Yoplait yogurt a day (high fructose corn syrup) and my cholesterol shot up.

The exogenous-glycation via high-temp burning of sugar is just as bad. Slow-cooker & soup are my best dinners for sleep, and fried foods are worst.

In my 1st batch of honeyed-walnut, I put sugar & honey on the walnut and cranked the oven to 300 F for 20 min. That burnt to a stinky crisp, had to throw the entire batch away. Then I changed my method: melt sugar & honey on low heat in a saucepan & pour that over walnut, and toast at low-temp at 250 for 15 min .. just enough heat to "dry out" the glaze. It was perfect, I didn't need to drink juice to chase away the "burnt-ness".

THANK YOU, LAVENDER, for alerting me to the danger of glycation. My best dinners were made in a slow-cooker (low heat with plenty of liquid), rather than fried !! Here's the link to my Pinterest slow-cooker recipes:

THANK YOU, VAPORVAC, for setting a good example of hot whole-grained cereals for breakfast. I used to do the same, but neglected that, thanks to eating my kid's pickiness.

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

My sister convinced me to buy a pressure-cooker, and it WAS HORRIBLE IN TASTE. The temp. was so high that it ALTERED FOODS and made everything stinky, be it cooked beans, meat, or soup. I used that a few times, and never again !!

I boiled chick-peas in that pressure-cooker, and it stank so bad my kid complained loudly & I trashed the whole mushy pot. Compare that to aromatic chick-peas boiled with low-heat over the stove top, which retained its firmness & flavor.

I use the microwave to quickly heat up food (with liquid) to zap out germs, rather than long cooking high temp. like pressure cooker which destroys food. Cooking food to death is not a good idea.

The high-heat destroys proteins 1st, but microwaving vegetables with water for a short time to kill germs .. that still retains nutrients and beans & peas are still bright green. I checked on the nutrients retained with microwaving veggies vs. steaming veggies, and microwaving FOR A SHORT TIME IN WATER retained more nutrients, with less loss in water.

My personal measure stick for AGE (advanced glycation end-products) is HOW MUCH JUICE I NEED TO DRINK to chase away the "stinkiness" or "rancidness" of high-temp. cooking or over-processed foods. More juice = more calories.

http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2014/11-nov/foods-high-in-ages.html

Which foods are high and which are low in AGEs.

• Protein-rich foods: Red meat and cheese tend to have the most. In descending order, chicken, fish, eggs, and legumes have less.
• Grains: Boiled grains, such as rice and oatmeal, and sandwich breads are low in AGEs. When grains are processed into crispy brown crackers or fatty cookies and sweetened with sugars, however, their AGE content can soar.
• Dairy: Milk and yogurt are low in AGEs, but when moisture is removed and fat is concentrated (as in cream, butter, and cheese), the AGE content rises dramatically.
• Fats: Vegetable fats tend to have fewer AGEs than animal fats. Animal fats are also more likely to be high in unhealthy saturated fats.

To further reduce AGEs, cook foods at low temperatures and with lots of water-based moisture by steaming, stewing, poaching, and braising. Stay away from fried foods. deep-fried chicken has more than six times the amount of AGEs than steamed chicken.

When you grill meats, marinating your food in an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar before cooking it will reduce AGEs by up to half.

http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2014/11-nov/foods-high-in-ages.html

I used to cook spare ribs in a sauce with vinegar, which I now know has other benefits. Thanks for that tip! At the time it was mainly to extract the calcium from the bones. That sauce was super high in calcium. I have a Chambers stove and cook almost everything in the Thermowell. Since it's so convenient, I hardly use my PC at all. It's hard to get PCing correct, especially for delicate veggies, but it's possible, I just like the flavor of the Twell and the ease of cooking when I'm not even home. : ) The only issue for me with super slow cooking is it can kill some vitamins. Oh well. Nothing is perfect it seems. I figure it's better to eat vegetable that have slightly fewer nutrients that no vegetables because they lack flavor. I guess I'm like your Mom, Straw. I love veggies. She's an inspiration in how she raised all of you and tended such a wonderful garden as well. I only grow tomatoes and peppers with a few herbs, but hope to expand this coming summer if fate allows. OT, I also use my micro to sterilize my sponges.

Yes, thanks SO MUCH for the tip of marinating in something acid like vinegar or lemon. I did that for flavor but it was sheer luck!