TOFU NUTRITION
WHAT IS TOFU?
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TOFU NUTRITION comes originally from China. What is Tofu? It's made from the Soya bean; it's a very high protein food but it's not from an animal source. That makes it ideal for vegetarians, but can be enjoyed by anybody obviously who wants to know how to cook with Tofu. And a big plus: Unlike animal protein Tofu has zero cholesterol . That's unusual for protein. Meat, eggs, cheese, milk - they are laden with cholesterol. Better still, Tofu is loaded with "cholesterol-like" substances called Phytosterols. They compete directly with cholesterol at absorption sites in the small intestine, inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol from other foods that you have eaten at the same sitting. Eating only two grams of phytosterols a day will reduce the bad cholesterol in your bloodstream, called LDL, by a massive 10%. That's a lot. For many it means the difference between having to take those nasty cholesterol lowering meds called statins, and not taking them. Only two grams.
What are PHYTOSTEROLS ?
"Some studies suggest taking 1.5 to 3 grams of phytosterols/-stanols in frequent small doses daily may reduce total cholesterol levels by up to 17%. There are also suggestions that in addition it may protect against cancer."
Dr Jenny Jamieson
Essential Amino Acids
So, what is Tofu? It's a protein food is made of building blocks called Amino Acids. There are many of them, and they are divided into two groups:- Essential Amino Acids.
- Non-essential Amino Acids.
Certain of these Amino Acids are "essential" for building healthy tissues in the body. If your diet is deficient in them, you will develop a serious disease called Kwashiokor. These essential amino Acids can only be obtained from your food. Non-essential Amino Acids are also healthy but, if they are not in your diet, your body can manufacture them from other Amino Acids. Not so with the essential Amino Acids. They are a must.
Animal products
Animal foods like meat, milk, cheese, fish have all the essential Amino Acids. They also contain an important vitamin, B12 that may be deficient in a Vegan's diets. It's difficult to obtain B12 from non-animal sources.So, if you are a meat eater, you need not be concerned with Amino Acid deficiency. And our mutton stew is a great favourite.
MUTTON STEW ...
Legumes
Beans / legumes / peas / chickpeas make up the staple protein source for most of the people on our planet. Ultimately, we will probably all be forced to become bean-eaters. There's less and less space for meat production, and if the population continues to explode the way it is, meat will become prohibitively expensive. The bean family, called Legumes, are a great food, and a great protein source, but they have one important deficiency - they do not contain all the Essential Amino Acids. In particular, L-lysine. Fortunately L-lysine is found in abundance in grains. So, over the centuries, vegetarians have combines legumes and grains to make up the perfect protein cocktail - the mixture contains all the Amino Acids your body needs. Soya beans in flower...

What is Tofu? Content:
A typical serving of Tofu (80g) contains roughly the following:- Energy 400 kJ
- Protein 10 g
- Carbohydrate 1 g
- Fat 5 g
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 essential fatty acids. GROWING BUTTERNUT SQUASH and our Butternut soup recipe ...
Omega-3 essential fatty acids are known to reduce the bad fraction of blood cholesterol (LDL), whilst not lowering the good fraction (HDL). These fatty acids are found in fatty fish, walnuts, butternut squash and, yes, soyabean products - tofu nutrition.
Dieting
Weight loss is a hugely controversial, yet vitally important subject in our increasingly obese, heart-attack ridden Western society. In our opinion, the most effective weight-loss diets are those that are very low, perhaps very, very low in carbohydrate like bread, pasta, sugar, potato, rice. This makes tofu an ideal food for you if you need to lose weight.
Read more about FREE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS ...
It is also our opinion that dieting should not include extreme low fat diets. Nerves are covered in a fatty layer called a myelin sheath. Some extremely serious neurological diseases have been associated with a high carb / low fat diet. Tofu is rich in protein, but also in the healthy unsaturated fats.
Read more: TINGLING IN ARMS AND HANDS ...
TOFU NUTRITION : How to cook with Tofu
One of the joys of Tofu nutrition is that it fits in beautifully with our Slow-food-prepared-fast philosophy. Personally I'm not crazy about soya beans, but tofu, the protein extract of soya beans is marvellous. It comes precooked and a Tofu dish can literally be prepared in 5 minutes. Yes, 5! Chop and fry an onion in a little olive oil. Add a chopped clove of garlic and a slither to two of fresh ginger, and any other herbs you like. Perhaps some fresh chili. Open a container of Tofu, drain, chop into blocks, and add to the mix.In another two minutes your Tofu is ready to eat. The brown rice will take a little longer!
TIP
The moment you get home, turn on the kettle, place a few handfuls of brown rice and one handful of lentils in a pot. Bring it hard to the boil for ten minutes, then turn it off. Then when you are nearly ready for dinner, you will only need to heat the rice for ten minutes more. Grains like rice, lentils and of course your Tofu are all loaded with phytosterols, that's how to keep your cholesterol down, and yet still be able to enjoy cooking with butter. And some icecream for dessert! How to cook with tofu isn't rocket science! Add a few blocks to virtually any dish you are making.
Always add a handful of lentil protein when cooking your rice.
At around 40 cents per helping, with very little energy required for preparation, Tofu nutrition is a cheap and an ideal food for the busy family.
In all honest, I hate soya beans. But Tofu nutrition I love! What is tofu? Just a beautiful food. We're having it tonight, true's Bob! Time to get the brown rice and lentils on. Oh, whole grains, fruits, legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils), and vegetables are the great sources of Phytosterols. The golden rule is eat a minimum of FIVE of these per day. I aim for ten - not enthusiastic about cancer and heart attacks! If five is the minimum, ten must be better, right? Indeed.
TOFU NUTRITION ... Hot flushes, or Opvliegers, as we call them in Holland.
Because phytosterols are a plant hormone, I read many reports claiming that women who eat Tofu regularly don't get post-menopausal discomfort. If it's true (I haven't seen any research confirming it), then you will also be less likely to suffer from the major cause of osteoporosis - a drop in hormones levels in the blood. Apparently phytosterols inhibit the secretion of a substance called IL-6 in the body which causes bone to release its calcium making bone osteopaenic and brittle. "Did she fall and break her hip, or did her hip break and so she fell?"
CAUSES OF OSTEOPOROSIS ..
INTERESTING LINKS @ TOFU NUTRITION
Apple Salad Recipe ... apples too are loaded with phytosterols.
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Tofu nutrition Did you find this page useful? Then perhaps forward Tofu nutrition to friends suffering from high cholesterol, menopause and osteoporosis.
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