Contemporary Concerns: Diet and Health

As modernity takes hold, traditions are falling to one side. Spirituality as a guide for conduct in everyday life is something of the past; now we turn to Science for answers. Ironically as Mac Donalds and Pizza Huts are popping up everywhere, the traditional way of eating is also making a come-back. What our grandmothers knew all the time is now being confirmed by modern science: a diet which is fundamentally based on grains, vegetables and fruits with meat and dairy products used sparingly and as flavoring, is a healthy one. Furthermore, some combinations are better than others, because they complement each other for perfect nutrition. The Turkish Cuisine sets an example in these respects. The recent “food-pyramid” endorsed by the United States Department of Agriculture resembles age-old practices in ordinary households. Even the well-known menus of boarding schools or army kitchens, hardly known for their gourmet characteristics, provide excellent nutrition that can be justified with the best of today’s scientific knowledge. One such combination, jokingly referred to as “our national food,” is beans and pilaf, accompanied by pickles and quince compote—a perfectly nourishing combination which provides the essential proteins, carbohydrates and minerals. Another curious practice is combining spinach with yogurt. Now we know that the body needs calcium found in the yogurt to assimilate the iron found in the spinach.

Yogurt, a contribution from the Turks to the world, has also become a popular health food. A staple in the Turkish diet, it has been known all along for its detoxifying properties. Other such beliefs, not yet supported by modern science, include the role of onion, used liberally in all dishes in strengthening the immune system; garlic for high blood pressure and olive oil as a remedy for forty-one ailments. The complicated debace concerning mono- and polyunsaturated fats and the good and bad cholesterol is ridiculously inadequate to evaluate olive oil. Given what we know about health food today one could even envy the typical lunch fare of the proverbial construction worker who, like all his kind, shouts “endearing”” words to the passing-by females, while eating bread, feta cheese and fresh grapes in the summer and bread and tahini helva in the winter.
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Vegetarianism in China
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vegetarianism has been practised for almost two thousand years in China for both religious and philosophical reasons, and its practitioners have included famous historical figures such as Cao Cao, a warlord of the Three Kingdoms, and the 6th Century emperor Wu, the founder of the Liang Dynasty of southern China.

Vegetarian cooking takes at least three recognized forms:

* Plain vegetable dishes, commonly served at home or in ordinary restaurants.
* Imitation meat dishes derived from Qing court cuisine, which use gluten, beancurd, and taro to mimic the natural attributes of meat, fowl, and fish.
* Buddhist cooking, which often avoids onions, ginger, garlic and other spices considered stimulating.

Options for vegetarians in China today

Options for strict vegetarians in Chinese restaurants today are still rather limited, despite a growing interest in vegetarian cuisine.

Vegetables are considered intrinsically healthy, but the Chinese have also traditionally believed that they lack any physically fortifying properties, and strict vegetarian diets are unusual except for religious reasons. There is also, generally speaking, a stigma attached to not eating meat.

Vegetable-only dishes are widely available, though cooking fat and stocks are usually of animal origin.
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Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism is not uncommon or unusual in China, though, as is the case in the West, it is only practiced by a relatively small proportion of the population. Most Chinese vegetarians are Buddhists, following the Buddhist teachings about minimizing suffering. Chinese vegetarian dishes often contain large varieties of vegetables (e.g. bok choy, shiitake mushroom, sprouts, corn) and some imitation meat. Such imitation meat is created mostly with soy protein and/or wheat gluten to imitate the texture, taste, and appearance of duck, chicken, or pork. Imitation seafood items, made from other vegetable substances such as konjac, are also available.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_cuisine

Alcohol added to a recipe may cook off, but it depends on how long you cook it. Persons with alcoholism should be concerned with how much alcohol is left which will be inconsistent with a sober lifestyle. Rena Cultrufelli of the USDA prepared the following table of alcohol content in cooked foods. You can compare your recipe directions to the table to determine how much alcohol is left.

http://www.dietitian.com/alcohol.html#1

Persons with diabetes should only drink alcohol if their diabetes is in good control which means an A1C less than 6.5. Men should limit their alcohol intake to less than 2 drinks per week, women 1 drink per week. One drink is measured as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1 1/2 ounces of distilled liquors. Each alcohol serving contributes 100 calories which should be deducted from your calorie total for that day. Avoid sweet liqueurs or mixes like carbonated beverages containing sugar.

The symptoms of hypoglycemia and intoxication are similar (thick tongue speech, shaking, staggering walk, mental confusion etc.). People may confuse these symptoms and ignore or delay treatment of diabetic insulin reactions. I recommend persons with diabetes carry or wear something that indicates they have diabetes and the name and dosage of the medication they currently take (insulin or pills).

Persons with Type II diabetes produce insulin though it may be insufficient or ineffective due to problems with cell insulin receptors. Whereas, persons with Type I diabetes do not make any insulin and are dependent on injected insulin.

http://www.dietitian.com/alcohol.html#1