Nutrition, Diet and Food

Special Sites on Nutrition and Diet

Health Insite Federal Government entry point into Mens Health issues covering information on men's health issues such as diet and being overweight

Natural News is a non profit collection of public education websites covering topics that empower individuals to make positive changes in their health, environmental sensitivity, consumer choices and informed skepticism. See their Honest Food Guide which can be downloaded for free

World's Healthiest Foods This is a non profit organisation "The George Mateljan Foundation for the World's Healthiest Foods" that was established by George Mateljan to discover, develop and share scientifically proven information about the benefits of healthy eating, and to provide the personalized support individuals need to make eating The World's Healthiest Foods enjoyable, easy, quick and affordable

Food Politics Interesting blog by Marion Nestle on various political issues surrounding food. GM foods, salt in food, etc

Special Information about Diet and Food

There is a range of information available for those who wish to consider improving their diet and nutrition including:

Diabetes Australia on Eating Well Covers various issues including glycemic index and various foods for a healthy diet

Nutrition value of food can be found on this as well as numerous items of advice and tools (it uses data from the USDA)

Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets Information from the US Government's Office of Dietary Supplements

ORAC Values The Internet Antioxidant database about ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units

The Glycemic Index Nutrition Data's description about the glycemic index, its usefulness and its limitations

The Official Website of the Glycemic Index and GI Database

Shaking Salt from your Diet. If you wish to cut back on salt and sugar have a look at this site. You should be able to drink tea and coffee without any sugar

Healing Food Reference was created by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as a free public service to promote health freedom and empower consumers with information about the healing power of foods. Check out chia and quinoa from his list of foods to see how they can help with health issues

The 29 Healthiest Foods on the Planet from BellyBytes

All Sorts of Facts about Food from BellyBytes

FITDAY is free online account and software and an online journal to allow you to track and manage your diet program

Ecolon coatings for non-stick cookware are highly resistant to scratches caused by utensils, metallic cleaning pads and abrasives, and withstand high temperatures. We should be using this technology rather than the older cheap non-stick pans. More reading. See also DVE Good Health Newsletter

Various Special Foods and Supplments with emphasis on Chia, Quinoa, Acai, Nopal, Spirulina and Purple Carrots

Plants for a Future is an interesting site that has insites into rare plants that may help feed and improve the health of people. For instance it includes data on sage (Salvia officinalis - L.), and chia (Salvia columbariae - Benth), mexican chia (Salvia hispanica - L.) and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa - Willd). Chia and sage are part of the same family Labiatae. This also includes basil and marjoram. You can search their database using the common names. This site defines the plant sub family, Salvioideae, for chia and sage

Spirulina. Another fairly new health food supplement. Spirulina contains about 60% (51–71%) protein. It is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids, though with reduced amounts of methionine, cysteine and lysine when compared to the proteins of meat, eggs and milk. It is, however, superior to typical plant protein, such as that from legumes. Spirulina is not considered to be a reliable source of Vitamin B12 as claimed by some. Because Spirulina is a dietary supplement, the United States Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the production and quality of the product. Currently, no standard exists to regulate the safety of spirulina in the U.S. This Australian site has some excellent information, FAQs and can supply it from Australian sources. They also have a downloadable ebook on Spirulina. The USDA site has a breakdown of the nutritional value of Seaweed/Spirulina (Dried and raw)

Chia Seeds (the New Super Food). Chia Seeds are a product that has oil which contains essential fatty acids with the highest natural percentage of alpha-linolenic acid or omega 3. The seeds are rich in triglycerides, protein, high in fibre and calcium and full of antioxidants. Chia and Sage are both from the Mint (Lamiaceae) family.Chia seeds are now grown in the Ord River area of WA. Some 1,700 hectares are grown which is about 65% of the world's production.. More information on chia seeds. Another good site. They are available for around $27 for a 1 Kg bag. I also found some in the health food shop at Jamison, ie Go Vita, Shop 2, Tel 6251 2670. Its called Chia Power 1Kg, $29.95. Its a product of Aust but packaged in Murwillumbah. Also Discount Vitamin below sells it. Terry White Chemists at Belconnen also now sell it. The nutritional value of chia can be seen here. Dr Wayne Coates on Chia as well as its history

Discount Vitamins for Prostate Eze and Chia Seeds (the New Super Food) This link is to Discount Vitamins who can supply through the web Prostate Eze, Prostate Eze Max tablets and Chia Seeds and Acai Berries. This is a reliable company as I have bought Prostate Eze from them for several years.

Quinoa Seeds are an amino acid-rich (protein) seed. Quinoa is an old food source from the Andes. It is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. I bought some in May 2010 at the local Woolies. They have Red, Black and Royal variety and were labelled as organic. Price was around $7 for 500g and were a product of Bolivia. I also found Quinoa Flakes in Coles at. $4.95 for 250g. You can use them in soups or easily sprinkled over cereal, porridge or muesli. Nutrition value of uncooked quinoa here. Has some value but clearly is not as good as chia, but is high in protein and Vitamin E. Refer to this AFR article from 29th April 2011 which outlines growing of Australian quinoa in Tasmania

Flaxseed Meal (Linseed Meal). (History of Flax/Flaxseeds) A 500g pack in Coles for $4.78. This is an alternative to Chia seeds and similarly provides a rich source of Omega 3, Omega 6, protein and dietary fibre. It can be used to make biscuits or sprinkled on porridge or muesli. The flax seed, while it’s not technically a grain, it has a similar vitamin and mineral profile to grains, but is much richer in its amount of fibre, antioxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)) an essential fatty acid. Additionally, flax seed is very low in carbohydrates, making it ideal for people who limit their intake of starches and sugars. And its combination of healthy fat and high fiber content make it a great food for weight loss and maintenance. Flaxseeds and health. Benefits of Flax in Heart Disease and Cholesterol Lowering

Black Rice (another New Super Food).When SMH's Lifestyle section takes up the cause you know there is something going on! Supposedly black rice has more anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar, and more fibre and vitamin E antioxidants. Its also rich in iron and not gluttonous like other rice. Wikepedia's take on black rice. Zhi min Xu, Associate Professor at the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge, La. has reported on black rice here You can find black rice in Asian supermarkets and cook as you would other varieties of rice. Well found a source in Belconnen. Its the Oriental Grocery Shop in Weedon Close, Tel 6251 4556. They sell 1 kg black rice for $5 (25Kg for $90). The wife doesn't like it as its non glutinous and has limited taste. Obviously it needs to be mixed with other things and spiced up as required.

The Acai berry (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee), is one of nature’s superfoods, with an astonishing array of health benefits.  The berry comes from an Amazon palm tree that is harvested in the rainforests of Brazil.  For a superfood, it has a great taste, tasting like a blend of berries and chocolate.  The Acai berry is full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids, all of which are a vital part of a healthy diet. There are numerous claims it stops the craving for food and helps with weight loss. Read More. These can be purchased from Discount Vitamins and local HealthyLife and Go Vita health food stores. A 140g container of Organic Acai Berries from Amazonia "The Purpleberry" costs $44.95. It can be mixed with water to create a nice drink or sprinkled on your cereal. You can also buy a liquid puree form, a capsule form or a health bar form. Purpleberry also offer a free download of a 6 page American Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry article in pdf format on Acai.

Nopal Powder. Nopal Cactus (Opunita Ficus Indica), also called the prickly pear cactus, has been used as a medicinal food for thousands of years by the Indigenous people of Mexico. It can help to regulate blood sugar levels in diabetics. It has also been used as a supplement to assist in slimming and it reduces Cholesterol levels. Nopal contains both soluble and insoluble dietary fibres and assist in cleansing the colon. I think the word derives from Nopales which is the Mexican term for the vegetable made from the young pad segments of prickly pear, carefully peeled to remove the spines. You can check Nopales on the Nutrition Data site above.

Purple carrots: a nutritional powerhouse. Purple carrots are making a comeback as people discover their nutritional values. Carrots were apparently originally purple in colour and largely grown for medicinal purposes. A group of Dutch breeders used a mutant seed in the 16th century that created the now familiar orange variety. Purple carrots have double the level of beta-carotene and 28 times more anthocyanins than the orange variety. Dr Red's site has some information and products available. Local stockist's might be Terry White Chemists and local HealthyLife and GoVita health food stores.

Quercetin. This one is knew to me. Quercetin belongs to the flavonoids family. It is a phytochemical that is part of the colouring found in the skins of apples and red onions. It has been isolated and is sold as a dietary supplement. This site defines its chemical structure and some of the foods it is found in. It's a strong anti-oxidant and some say it has been shown to be hepful in fighting cancer including prostate cancer. So how do you get it. Well you get it eating red apples, red onions, nuts, berries, drinking tea, etc. The Wikipedia article seems well balanced and possibly provides a more sober analysis of the compound.

Miscellaneous Issues such as cosmetics and skin care

There are several excellent reports outlining how Mens Sheds can greatly assist in improving the overall state of mens health

Olive Oil Skin Products. Got to admit a conflict of interest here! The farm is actually owned by my cousins. However they do grow olives and produce olive based natural cosmetics at the farm and distribute from there. Have a look at their real hand made cosmetics

Truly Organics Cosmetics. Planet Eve Organics offers real organic body and hand creams

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