It's amateur hour & I need a little help 😅

[Charlottechocolat]

Tu peux privilégier les légumineuses sous plein de formes, tartinades, houmous, falafels, dahl... nourrissant et bon marché

 

[Emma JC]

Interesting about "resistant starch". I think about carbs a lot, because my diet is so carb-heavy and there's type 2 Diabetes in my Dad's family. I often make a point of exercising after a carb-heavy meal so that I won't get a huge blood-glucose spike- not hard to do, since I get around by walking. I also try not to eat too much right before bedtime, but sometimes that's hard to do because a big meal often makes me want to doze off, and sometimes a big before-bed "snack" sounds tempting.

I'm definitely a starchivore.

Dr Greger's follow up video yesterday is also very timely...

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[Tom L.]

here's the thing... it isn't the starch that increases Type II diabetes, it is the fat in the cells that prohibit the insulin from doing its job - so starch on its own isn't the issue it's what you put on the starch... ie butter, lots of olive oil, etc

sugar levels in the blood can elevate too much when eating sugars/starches and that is because those sugars are not being converted into glucose as they should be cause of the fatty cells

Here is my fav doctor discussing it better than I can.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

I think I knew that dietary fat can be a factor in the development of diabetes- but i thought it was more indirect. Fat has more than twice as many calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, and obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, no matter what someone has been eating.

I know there are "essential fatty acids"- components of fats which are essential nutrients. Flax seed and canola oil are relatively rich in the fatty acids vegetarians and vegans may not be getting enough of. (AARRRRGH! I swear my memory is getting poor in my old age: I knew the general, umbrella term for the group of fatty acids I'm thinking of, and I think alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) was one of them- but it might be docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The thing is, there are other EFAs we need too, and an excess of those can make it difficult for the body to process the others- some of which veg*ns can be short on. Maybe we could use an Essential Fatty Acid thread...)

 

[Lou]

I think I knew that dietary fat can be a factor in the development of diabetes- but i thought it was more indirect. Fat has more than twice as many calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, and obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, no matter what someone has been eating.

I know there are "essential fatty acids"- components of fats which are essential nutrients. Flax seed and canola oil are relatively rich in the fatty acids vegetarians and vegans may not be getting enough of. (AARRRRGH! I swear my memory is getting poor in my old age: I knew the general, umbrella term for the group of fatty acids I'm thinking of, and I think alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) was one of them- but it might be docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The thing is, there are other EFAs we need too, and an excess of those can make it difficult for the body to process the others- some of which veg*ns can be short on. Maybe we could use an Essential Fatty Acid thread...)

You are thinking of Omegas.

or maybe just the Omega 3s. There are lots of Omegas but we mostly are concerned with Omega 3s, 6s, and 9s.

and there are a lot of Omega 3s. but we are mostly concerned with the ALA, DHA, and EPA.

And we have an Omega thread. Actually we have several. Just use the search function.

Speaking for myself its maybe the hardest to understand topic in nutrition.

In a nutshell, you can get ALA naturally from seeds and nuts. Personally I find a little ground flax seed is both cheap and easy. But I'm a belt and suspenders guy and also take an ALA ( flax seed ) supplement.

but you might need a DHA and EPA supplement. especially us seniors.

I like this thread a lot but that might be because I started it.

Omega 3 supplements

Google News keeps finding good stuff for my News Feed. I have been eating so good lately that I am not re-purchasing some of the supplements I have been taking. But I still want to take an Omega 3. then this article pops up and it recommends a different brand than the one that I am taking. (...

www.veganforum.org

 

[Emma JC]

I think I knew that dietary fat can be a factor in the development of diabetes- but i thought it was more indirect. Fat has more than twice as many calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, and obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, no matter what someone has been eating.

I know there are "essential fatty acids"- components of fats which are essential nutrients. Flax seed and canola oil are relatively rich in the fatty acids vegetarians and vegans may not be getting enough of. (AARRRRGH! I swear my memory is getting poor in my old age: I knew the general, umbrella term for the group of fatty acids I'm thinking of, and I think alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) was one of them- but it might be docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The thing is, there are other EFAs we need too, and an excess of those can make it difficult for the body to process the others- some of which veg*ns can be short on. Maybe we could use an Essential Fatty Acid thread...)

oils are a double whammy - calories and inflammation, okay triple whammy, fat in the muscle cells

it is far better to eat the item the fat you need comes from - nuts, seeds, flax, even nut butters, tahini etc as the food still contain the nutrition and the fibre - for anyone with Type II Diabetes or on the edge, it is likely best to cut fats way back until the muscle cells drain out the fat/repair themselves so that the insulin can once again properly access the cells and convert the sugars to glucose instead of the sugars staying in the blood stream

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[Tom L.]

@Emma JC @Lou YES. Now I remember: vegetarians can sometimes wind up being short on Omega-3 fatty acids, partly because an excess of 6s and 9s are thought to interfere with our metabolism of 3s, and many plant-derived oils are overly rich in 6s and 9s- flax seed being one of the major exceptions. Omega fatty acids are known to be a necessary nutrient, but I don't think dietary researchers have figured out an RDA for them yet.

I agree it's better to eat a whole food rather than the extracted oil; there's more of the original assortment of nutrients in the relatively-unprocessed food. I confess I sometimes enjoy foods made from "refined" grains, but I make sure that at least half of my grain consumption is whole. Refined foods can have other drawbacks, as well. For example: the flaxseed oil I mentioned just above quickly goes rancid once it's extracted from the seed, but whole flaxseed keeps much better. Even ground flax meal is more perishable than the whole seed- but on the downside, whole flaxseed is harder to digest. So I usually buy whole flaxseed and grind relatively small portions of it (~ 1 cup) in my blender, keeping this in the refrigerator. I find the taste very mild and hard to describe, but to me it's not bad. If it's mixed into oatmeal or rice, the way I usually have it, I can't taste it at all.

 

[Lou]

@Emma JC @Lou YES. Now I remember: vegetarians can sometimes wind up being short on Omega-3 fatty acids, partly because an excess of 6s and 9s are thought to interfere with our metabolism of 3s, and many plant-derived oils are overly rich in 6s and 9s- flax seed being one of the major exceptions.

Although its an issue with the plant-based diet, I think its even a more important issue with Carnists. There is some proper ratio of 3:6. I can't remember what it is - maybe 1:2 or 2:1. Meat eaters are not even close with something like a 1:16.

If I remember right, plant based dieters only have to worry about getting more 3s. We don't get too much 6s or 9s because those are mostly in animal based foods.

Omega fatty acids are known to be a necessary nutrient, but I don't think dietary researchers have figured out an RDA for them yet.

You're right about that. I'm not even sure they have determined How Necessary it is. However they have done numberous studies that link an increase in 3s to an increase in health.

So I usually buy whole flaxseed and grind relatively small portions of it (~ 1 cup) in my blender, keeping this in the refrigerator. I find the taste very mild and hard to describe, but to me it's not bad. If it's mixed into oatmeal or rice, the way I usually have it, I can't taste it at all.

That is probably the best strategy. I keep the whole seeds and the ground seeds in the frig. I use a coffee grinder for the seeds.

Omega 3 capsules have expiration dates on the bottle and I sometimes check but haven't ever had any last longer than the expiration date. You can also buy flaxseed oil and keep it in the frig. I'm pretty sure that buying flax seeds and grinding them yourself is the most cost effective.

I do take an ALA daily. only becuase I don't Always get it in my diet. I also take a DHA/EPA supplement because I'm pretty sure I don't get much in my diet even on the good days. Plus I'm old.

 

[Emma JC]

yes, ground flax is best and I am lucky enough to have a bulk warehouse nearby that grinds it and keeps it refrigerated and then I buy it and refrigerate it also - I do keep seeds in the fridge for grinding in case I run out, it is just to inexpensive to buy it already ground that I find that easiest - I have some almost every day in my oatmeal along with a few hemp hearts/seeds which are much more expensive although cheaper at the bulk store than anywhere else and they keep them refrigerated also, as do I

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[Tom L.]

I forgot to mention something about ground flax seed: it can form an indigestible lump in your stomach if you eat too much of it at once without enough liquid. I've never had a problem with it when I eat it mixed in with other foods, as I mentioned above.

 

[Lou]

I forgot to mention something about ground flax seed: it can form an indigestible lump in your stomach if you eat too much of it at once without enough liquid. I've never had a problem with it when I eat it mixed in with other foods, as I mentioned above.

I went to the store yesterday and they had no flax seed. but they did have already ground flax seed. (Bob's Red Mill). Its a pretty big bag, too. I'm keeping it in the frig. but the store just had it on a shelf.

We will see how well it does. For now I'm thinking I'll appreciate not having to grind it 1/2 cup at a time.

 

[Tom L.]

@Lou Did the bag have an expiration date? There's one "health food store" in my area which has many vegan staples my local Price Chopper doesn't stock, but it looks to me like their merchandise sits on the shelf for quite some time. I might be wrong; maybe I just tend to visit it at their "slow" times.

I tend to worry about such things more than many because my nose isn't very sensitive.

 

[Lou]

@Lou Did the bag have an expiration date?

Yes, and I checked it. It said "Best By Dec 2022"

Besides already being ground this could also be good for me. It should encourage me to eat it more often.

 

[Emma JC]

The other answer is to grind lots at a time and keep it in the fridge. I normally eat about 1 tablespoon a day, max, and so a decent size container last a couple of weeks or more. I do have flax seeds that I bought as a pandemic supply and I have been keeping them in a bag in the freezer.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

 

[silva]

I forgot to mention something about ground flax seed: it can form an indigestible lump in your stomach if you eat too much of it at once without enough liquid. I've never had a problem with it when I eat it mixed in with other foods, as I mentioned above.

I never have it dry, only in smoothies, soups, or cooked grains! Same with chia seeds. I'll read about sprinklin on a salad--no, just no!
I so hate those seedy breads that have the whole flax seeds.

 

[silva]

and more about flax seeds....
I was used to buying the whole golden flax seeds at Aldi and grinding them. They changed to the brown flax seeds, and I didn't think anything of it, but I got such bad stomach aches! I switched to Bobs Redmill golden seeds and all was well again!
I don't know if it's just me, but it definitely was the brown seeds that did it--they obviously had a harder shell too
I've been meaning to try and sprout them

 

[Tom L.]

I've heard of golden flax seed, but I've only ever gotten the plain brown.

 

[PTree15]

The other answer is to grind lots at a time and keep it in the fridge. I normally eat about 1 tablespoon a day, max, and so a decent size container last a couple of weeks or more. I do have flax seeds that I bought as a pandemic supply and I have been keeping them in a bag in the freezer.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

I keep a bag of whole flax seeds in the freezer, too. I grind them when needed. I add some to smoothies and use ground flax in a lot of baking recipes.