Fruit juice targeted in the war on obesity

Posted on May 27, 2012 by bilrob

Fruit juice targeted in the war on obesity

Over the last decade, the nations war on obesity has targeted some fairly obvious culprits, including fast food, pastries, fried foods and soda./pp But recent scientific studies and a new government-sponsored documentary that aired last week on HBO have identified a new, less obvious enemy: fruit juice.

This might surprise the many parents and school districts that in recent years have proudly ditched soda in favor of 100 percent juice. But health experts increasingly agree that it is not a better alternative./pp Juice is just like soda, and Im saying it right here on camera, pediatric obesity specialist Robert Lustig said in the documentary Weight of the Nation, produced in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is no difference. When you take fruit and squeeze it, you throw the fiber in the garbage. That was the good part of the fruit. The juice is natures way of getting you to eat your fiber.

Since 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics has advised limiting daily juice consumption to 4 to 6 ounces for children 6 and younger and 8 to 12 ounces (the size of a soda can) for children 7 to 18. The academys head of environmental health, Jerome Paulson, took it even further when he said that children do not need to drink any juice at all./pp Dont drink an apple, he said. Eat an apple.

An important difference between fruit juice and fruit, researchers point out, is that calories and sugar delivered in liquid form dont trigger feelings of fullness and can lead to excess consumption./pp Beverage-makers dispute claims that fruit juice and obesity are linked. The Juice Products Association said it supports the pediatrics groups recommendations on juice but added that current scientific evidence does not support a relationship between being overweight and juice consumption.

Scientific evidence strongly maintains the nutritional benefits of 100 percent juice, the association said. In fact, studies show that drinking 100 percent fruit juice is associated with a more nutritious diet overall, including reduced intake of dietary fat, saturated fat and added sugars./pp As proof, the association cited a cross-sectional study a snapshot in time funded by the juice industry that found a correlation between consumption of 100 percent fruit juice and higher nutrient intake in children.

In response, University of North Carolina global nutrition professor Barry Popkin cited six other studies that show correlations between increased fruit juice consumption and increased risk of obesity and diabetes./pp There are no studies that show the opposite that drinking a glass or two of fruit juice each day will have positive long-term health benefits on weight or diabetes, added Popkin, author of The World Is Fat: The Fads, Trends, Policies, and Products That Are Fattening the Human Race.

In recent months, so-called sugar sweetened beverages (often sweetened not with sugar but with high-fructose corn syrup) have come under increasing attack for their contribution to the obesity epidemic. Whether this label should be applied to fruit juice is subject to debate, with some organizations counting only those juices with sugar added.

But even 100 percent juice beverages can contain as much sugar as soda. In addition, most commercial fruit juice is derived from concentrates, which often results in a higher sugar content than if the product were, say, simply squeezed from oranges./pp Current USDA guidelines suggest eating about two cups of fruit a day, with the majority consisting of whole fruit rather than juice. That would cap consumption for even the most active adults and children to 1 cup or 8 ounces of juice a day.

In schools, current guidelines allow juice to be substituted for fruit in no more than half of the planned meals because it lacks dietary fiber and when consumed in excess can contribute extra calories, according to the USDA./pp With holdings that include Minute Maid and Odwalla, Coca-Cola ranks as the No. 1 fruit juice maker in the world and is a member of the Juice Products Association. Rhona Applebaum, vice president and chief scientific and regulatory officer for the company, said shes aware of the pediatric academys recommendation on fruit juice but might still give her son triple that amount.

I respect what they have to say, Applebaum said. But as a mom, if my 16-year-old can handle the calories and wants a nutritious beverage, I dont think theres anything wrong with him having a glass of orange juice in the morning and then later with his lunch and dinner. But I want to make sure its calcium fortified because I want him to build strong bones./pp Applebaum said she saw most of the Weight of the Nation documentary and is generally pleased with its messages on diet and exercise. But she said equating juice with soda is an over-exaggeration.

While juice delivers calories and sugar on par with soda, she said orange juice also provides your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C and folic acid and more potassium than a banana. Its all about the how, how much and how often./pp Tropicana, owned by PepsiCo, produces the best-selling orange juice in the U.S. and contends that its working hard to provide healthier options. One such product is Trop50, a less sweet drink that contains a days supply of vitamin C in a 50-calorie, 8-ounce serving./pp While USDA recommends a majority of fruit servings come from whole fruit, the fact is most Americans are falling short, a Tropicana spokeswoman said in a statement. It further noted that USDA guidelines allow for up to 8 ounces of juice a day because it can play a role in helping people meet their daily goals and get vital nutrients.

While the public health community is coming to increasing agreement on fruit juice, some believe it could take years to persuade parents and school districts to act on the findings./pp Elsie Taveras, a pediatrician who serves as co-director of the Obesity Prevention Program at Harvard Medical School, said the message on juice has come as a surprise to her patients.

Its not so difficult to convince a family that soda really has no nutritional benefits, Taveras said in the documentary. Its harder to convince families that juice can have almost exactly the same sugar content as a glass of soda./pp Popkin admits that he couldnt have imagined warning people off fruit juice 10 years ago.

But it has taken us about a decade to truly understand the role of fruit juice, he said. In many countries, soft drink companies have fought hard to replace soft drinks with fruit juice (made by juice companies they bought), but the research has shown fruit juice has the same effect as soft drinks on our health all adverse, negative and fairly severe./pp span class=”tagline_contrib” Tribune correspondent Emily Bryson York contributed to this report./span

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Acid in fruit drinks harms teeth enamel

Posted on May 23, 2012 by bilrob

Acid in fruit drinks harms teeth enamel

Many fruit drinks contain a high level of acid that could decompose teeth enamel, a new study has revealed.

A warning was issued about popular fruit drinks and smoothies by the dentists after it emerged that some of it can be as acidic as vinegar.

Fruit drinks are commonly given by well-meaning parents to their children to ensure that they get their ‘five a day’.

While parents mean well giving their children seemingly healthy fruit drinks, the dentists warned that they can contain acid levels which are damaging to teeth.

The warning came after official figures revealed that dental problems were the third most common reason for child hospital admissions last year behind viral infections and disorders related to premature birth.

Innocent’s ‘This Water’ drink with limes and lemons had a pH level of 2.7 – more acidic than vinegar, at 2.9. This is at the upper end of the acidity scale in which 7 is considered neutral and 1 extremely high. ‘This Water’ said that their products were ‘not meant for children’, adding that ‘The recipe in question is made with fresh lemon and lime juice so it is going to have a natural acidity.’

The tooth enamel begins to be destroyed at level higher than 5.5 on the scale.

Other drinks tested included Tropicana orange juice, Copella apple juice and Innocent smoothies, all of which had acid levels ranging from 3.3 to 3.8. The most acidic among them was Coca-Cola, with a pH level of 2.5.

Kathy Harley, dean of the dental faculty at the Royal College of Surgeons that many parents are unaware that the combination of high acid and sugar can destroy young teeth, the Daily Mail reported.

Dentists have warned that it is better for children to eat fruit with their meals or to have cheese or some alkaline food to combat the effects of acidic drinks.

Dr Harley warned last year that 50 per cent of five-year-olds have signs of damage to their tooth enamel caused by excess acid in their diet.

It is not required for the manufacturers to publish the acid levels in drinks.

The government advice states that everyone should have five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, with one portion comprising 150ml of fruit juice.

Dr Harley said it would be better if children met the target by eating fruit with meals and juice to be a ‘once a week treat’ for them.

Dentists also advised to drink water after having juice to wash away some of the acid and said Children should be encouraged to drink water afterwards to wash away some of the acid, but not to brush their teeth until at least an hour afterwards, as teeth are weakened by exposure to acid.

Dentists said that rather than consuming fruit juices or fruit as snack, it is better if they were consumed at meal times or accompanied with something containing calcium, such as cheese, which neutralises acid.

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Passion behind perfect farm produce

Posted on May 16, 2012 by bilrob

Passion behind perfect farm produce

THERE’S no shortage of passion at Daylesford Organic Farm. From Richard Smith in the fields to John Longman in the creamery, Eric Duhamel in the bakery and Jez Taylor in the market garden; the abiding desire to produce real food is at the heart of everything they do.

Over at the farm‘s cookery school, head tutor Vladimir Niza shares the love.

“We all have the same passion for food and the same vision,” he said.

“I am incredibly privileged: no other cookery school in the world is located in the middle of a working farm, surrounded by artisan food producers.

“When I’m cooking I know about the effort and love that has been put into all the ingredients that I’m using.”

This is high praise indeed from a man who has cooked at The Ritz in Lisbon and Paris and worked as a developmental chef for Raymond Blanc at Les Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons.

And he’s not alone in admiring the work of those around him. Over the past three years the farm has won more than 60 national and international accolades for its food, while its farmshop cafe has been mentioned in the Michelin Bib Gourmand two years running.

But at the same time there are some who regard Daylesford as being almost too good to be true, with commentators referring to its farmshop as the ‘Harvey Nicks of the Cotswolds’ and drawing attention to the high levels of investment from its owner, the industrialist Sir Anthony Bamford and his wife Carole.

Daylesford’s answer to the detractors is to be open and transparent about the food produced on its 2,250 acres on the Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire border and to actively invite people on to the farm to judge for themselves.

In the meantime, those who work there get on with producing food naturally and sustainably, without artificial additives, fertilisers, growth promoters or herbicides.

Richard has been at the farm seven years and is especially proud of the progress that’s being made in breeding British Friesian cows capable of producing satisfactory yields of milk, solely from Daylesford’s organic pastureland, without the need for high-protein supplements and cereals.

“Cows are ruminant animals,” said the senior farm manager. “Our ultimate aim is to breed a cow that will do well from forage-based diets. We are seven years into our breeding programme – in another two or three years we hope to be self-sufficient.”

He’s also excited at the prospect of introducing sainfoin, known in France as holy hay, to the crops grown at Daylesford.

“I’ve discovered that at the beginning of the 19th century, 25 per cent of the Cotswolds was covered in sainfoin. The reason for this was to produce energy for the heavy horses. I think the potential for this crop is very exciting,” he said.

Richard hopes this new innovation will be as successful as the farm’s famous turquoise-coloured eggs, produced by Daylesford’s blue leg bar chickens. The many years of work spent developing this hybrid hen were rewarded in 2011 with two gold stars in the Great Taste Awards.

Milk from the cows goes to Daylesford’s creamery, where it is pasteurised and used for a variety of products, including its multi award-winning cheeses.

For head cheese-maker John, who comes from a long line of Somerset farmers, one of the joys of his job is the way in which he is encouraged to experiment to find delicious new products.

“I love to try different things,” said John, whose range includes traditional English cheeses such as Cheddars and double Gloucesters, blue cheeses and a few varieties unique to Daylesford such as Adelstrop, a rind-washed cheese named after the nearby village.

“I have been making cheese for most of my life but there’s always something new.”

John’s passion for cheese is matched by Eric’s enthusiasm for bread.

The Paris-born baker studied his craft at the Ecole Francaise de Boulangerie et de Patisserie d’Aurillac and believes the secret of good loaves lies with good ingredients and plenty of time.

“Baking is an art, an ancient craft,” he says.

“We make sourdough bread from leaven that’s produced in the mid-afternoon and ferments until around 10am the next day.”

Other products include croissants, which again are given a long fermentation time.

“We make our croissants with butter using a special recipe we designed here,” he said. “They ferment for more than 24 hours and this develops the quality and flavour.”

Over in the 20-acre market garden, Jez says producing sufficient organic fruit and vegetables for farm shop customers, its café and for The Plough at Kingham is his “dream job”.

“We grow everything but we don’t try and satisfy an all year round requirement,” said Jez, who comes from Evesham.

“We grow seasonal crops, although we are able to grow salad leaves all year around using polytunnels.

“Essentially, what we are about is freshness – what we grow is harvested and with our customers within a few hours and this is one of the prime reasons how we can make the enterprise profitable.”

Some 14 people currently work on Daylesford Organic Farm and more are employed in its shops, including two in London. In addition the company successfully sells its products through the online supermarket Ocado.

While acknowledging the huge investment that has gone into the farm, spokeswoman Camilla Wilson said each site is profitable in its own right.

“Daylesford Farms is one of the most sustainable farms in the UK,” she says.

“We are passionate about organic farming: we believe that it is better for us, our animals, the environment and, of course, always tastes better and we welcome people here to judge this for themselves.”

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Local tree fruit hit hard by strange spring

Posted on May 15, 2012 by bilrob

Local tree fruit hit hard by strange spring

After March brought us a miraculous string of 80-degree days, Midwestern fruit farmers were praying for an equally miraculous April — one warm enough to protect all the vulnerable fruit blossoms coaxed into early bloom.

But a punishing frost in the last days of April dashed those hopes along with most of the Midwest tree fruit harvest, experts and farmers say.

“Our tree fruit and stone fruit took a bad hit with about a 70 percent crop loss and 100 percent on some of our peach trees,” said Mick Klug, whose orchards in southwest Michigan supply several restaurants and farmers markets in the Chicago area. “It’s right next to a disaster on tree fruit.”

Chicago-area farmers markets, many of which have already opened, are likely to watch this disaster play out in coming months, with scant and expensive supplies of peaches, cherries, apricots, plums and apples.

Mark Longstroth, a fruit educator with the Michigan State University extension, has been touring local farms in recent weeks to assess the damage. He says the picture is grim.

“We’ll be lucky to see a third of the crop this year,” Longstroth said.

He noted that although trees saw some damage from cold nights in early and mid-April, it was the very late April frosts that dealt the worst blow.

“We were all very depressed with those widespread freezes” on April 27 and 29, he said. “They caused a lot of damage, and now we are just waiting to see the extent.”

At Nichols Farm and Orchard in Marengo, Ill., the picture is not much better.

“It affected us a lot,” said Doreen Nichols of Nichols Farm, which grows fruits and vegetables for more than a dozen Chicago-area farmers markets and several restaurants. “We had such an early spring and it looked like it was going to be a great year, but then we had that cold snap when it went down to 28 degrees. Now I think we’ve lost about 90 percent of the apple crop.”

Seedling Enterprises’ Adam Houseman echoes her sentiments.

“It looks bad for tree fruit,” Houseman said of the crops at Seedling Orchard, located in South Haven, Mich. “It definitely looks bad for the whole state, but we won’t know the full extent of the damage for a couple of weeks.”

If there is a bright side to this year’s Midwestern fruit season, it may be in the berries. These plants, which bloom later and are easier to protect than fruit trees, appear to have survived fairly well.

In fact, Klug said he may have local strawberries to bring to Chicago farmers markets as early as this week’s Green City Market, to accompany all the early rhubarb. Longstroth reported that the Michigan blueberry harvest may be just as big as last year’s (which is to say about 70 million pounds, slightly down from 2010′s 90 million), and Nichols said her family’s blackberries “look better than they’ve ever looked.”

Summer table grapes took a hit, but later-blooming grapes may do much better, each added.

“Grapes are starting to come back, but it’s a little early to estimate,” Longstroth said. “We are looking at a third of a crop for table grapes, but for wine grapes I am hearing only about 25 to 50 percent losses.”

Local vegetables are also still on track, most say, with a flood of asparagus that arrived as early as a month ago and should be out in abundance as long as temperatures stay moderately cool.

Despite the damaged trees, farmers expect to have at least some tree fruit to bring to local markets this summer, albeit at higher prices.

“We will have a little bit of everything to put on the table, but probably no wholesale fruit business this year,” Klug said with resignation. “When you have summer in March, this is going to happen.”

[email protected]

Twitter @monicaeng

Early farmers markets

A few Chicago-area farmers markets have already opened, including those in Evanston and Palos Heights and the Green City Market in Chicago, but the next week will see several additional area markets launch for the season. Here’s a list of markets that will open in the next week or so:

•La Grange, Thursday

Glenwood, Friday

•Eden Place (Chicago), Saturday

•Homewood, Saturday

•Oak Park, Saturday

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Erratic weather devastating Mich. fruit

Posted on May 5, 2012 by bilrob

Erratic weather devastating Mich. fruit

We thought we had it bad in Spain with the late frosts killing the fruit flowers in our area of Valencia. But in various parts of the USA, they are having much bigger problems.

A disaster is unfolding in Michigan orchards as erratic spring weather causes some of the biggest losses in decades of cherries, apples and other fruits, growers said Thursday.

A rare extended period of summerlike temperatures in March caused trees to blossom early, only to be zapped by an unrelenting series of April frosts and freezes. The one-two punch killed many buds, while recent cold snaps and rainstorms have discouraged honeybees from pollinating those that survived.

Farmers and agricultural extension agents said the tart cherry crop is all but wiped out in most places, while sweet cherries, apples, pears and other fruits are heavily damaged. Juice grapes are another casualty. Many growers probably won’t bother harvesting their meager yields, focusing instead on keeping trees healthy for next year, said Ken Nye, commodity specialist for the Michigan Farm Bureau.

“This is the worst that Michigan has experienced in the past 50 years at least,” Nye said. “I don’t know how far you’d have to go back to find something similar.”

Michigan produces three-fourths of the nation’s tart cherries, used primarily in pies and other food products, and 20 percent of its sweet cherries, a popular table fruit. It ranks third nationally in apple production, behind Washington and New York.

The state is no stranger to spring cold snaps, and experts say orchards remain vulnerable throughout May. The tart cherry crop was a near-total loss a decade ago. What sets this year apart is not just the severity of the damage but the variety of fruits affected.

“We’ve had freezes before, but you’d always have something come through OK,” said David Rabe, who grows apples, tart cherries, peaches and asparagus in Oceana County. “This year, just about everything’s devastated. Asparagus might be the only crop we can harvest.”

Pat McGuire, who grows fruits and vegetables on his 850-acre farm in Antrim County, said he’s given up on tart cherries but is finding some live peach and apple buds.

“If we can get them pollinated, we’ll still have fruit,” he said. “But we’re not going to have a bumper crop by any means.”

Daytime high temperatures reached the 70s and 80s for nearly two weeks in mid-March, a time when much of the state is typically covered with snow. It tricked fruit trees into emerging from dormancy far too soon. In the northwestern Lower Peninsula, the first tart cherry blossoms were spotted April 9 — more than a month earlier than usual.

Since late March, temperatures have fallen below freezing more than a dozen times. With each dip, more flower buds were killed, said Nikki Rothwell, coordinator of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station in Leelanau County. The full extent of the losses won’t be known for weeks but they’ll be heavy, she said.

It comes as the cherry industry has boosted demand by marketing the fruit as a health food rich in antioxidants.

“It’s disappointing when we can’t produce a crop to meet that new, exciting consumer demand,” said Ben LaCross, a second-generation grower in Leelanau County.

Smaller yields likely will result in shortages, higher prices and fewer jobs for farm laborers, said Mark Longstroth, a Michigan State University small fruit educator.

There’s usually a surplus of cherries from previous seasons in cold storage, but inventories are low because the past couple of year’s crops have been down, LaCross said.

Bob Sutherland, president of the Glen Arbor fruit products company Cherry Republic, usually has plenty of local cherries for his jams, jellies and other treats. This year, he’s ordered 150,000 pounds from Poland.

“It’s a temporary necessity to keep our plants running and our employees working,” Sutherland said.

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New Sensor detects when fruit is ripe

Posted on May 3, 2012 by bilrob

704px-Some_Ripe_Bananas

New Sensor detects when fruit is ripe

Bananas are obvious. A nice, firm yellow peel equals ripe; brown spots equals overripe. But what of other fruits and vegetables? An inexpensive sensor developed by researchers at MIT could let you (and your grocer) know when produce is ready to eat. And it could help supermarket managers push fresh fruit before they spoil, avoiding waste.

The fruit sensor, developed by MIT chemistry professor Timothy Swager and his students, picks up ethylene, a chemical that fruits give off as they mature. The riper the item, the more ethylene produced.

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Ethylene is already monitored in the food industry, but the equipment used is expensive, on the order of $1,200 for a single unit. The detectors use gas chromatography or mass spectroscopy, which separate gases to analyze their composition.

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Swager came up with a different idea: carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes allow electron flow, as they are conductive. Adding copper atoms slows the electrons down. When ethylene is present, it binds to the copper atoms and slows the electrons further, increasing the nanotubes’ resistance. The amount of resistance reveals how much ethylene there is – how ripe the fruit is.

To boost the sensitivity of the device, the researchers added tiny beads of polystyrene, which absorbs the ethylene and concentrates it. The system can pick up ethylene concentrations down to 0.5 parts per million. The concentration required for fruit to ripen is usually 0.1 to 1 part per million. That means a gram of ethylene for the amount of air that would fill a room about 30 feet on a side. Swager told Disovery News that he can make the device small — about the size of a small computer chip. The only limit, he said, is that it has to be easy to handle for the user.

Swager and his students tested the device on bananas, avocados, apples, pears and oranges. In all five cases the amount of ethylene accurately measured ripeness of the fruit.

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Swager’s previous work in the field was building sensors to detect chemical and biological warfare agents. In that sense this research is an extension of that.

A big advantage for this technology, Swager said, is cost. The carbon nanotube sensor would be about 25 cents. He plans to add an radio-frequency identification chip so the sensor can communicate wirelessly with a handheld device. That would add another 75 cents. (And yes, he has filed for a patent and hopes to commercialize the sensors).

via MIT

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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Fruit, veggies tied to lower diabetes risk

Posted on April 28, 2012 by bilrob

Fruit, veggies tied to lower diabetes risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People who get a range of fruit and vegetables in their diets may have a somewhat decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.

The findings, reported in the journal Diabetes Care, do not prove that eating your fruit and veggies will ward off type 2 diabetes — a disease closely associated with obesity and old age.

But researchers say the findings should give people yet more incentive to eat the way our mothers always told us.

The study of over 3,700 UK adults found that those who downed the most servings of fruit and vegetables in a week had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over 11 years, versus people who ate the fewest.

Diabetes risk was also lower among people who ate a wider variety of fruit and vegetables — regardless of the actual quantity they ate.

That suggests people should not only focus on how many servings they get each day, according to senior researcher Nita G. Forouhi, of the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge, UK.

“The finding on variety of intake is new and exciting,” she said in an email, “because it demonstrates that independent of the quantity consumed, we have the potential to gain additional and important benefits from choosing a mixture of different fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced diet.”

For the study, Forouhi’s team looked at data from 3,704 adults ages 40 to 79 that were part of a larger study on nutrition and chronic diseases.

Of those people, 653 developed type 2 diabetes over 11 years.

All of the study participants had kept a week-long food diary at the study’s start. And Forouhi’s team found that those who’d reported the highest combined fruit and vegetable intake were less likely to develop diabetes over the coming years.

Of the one-third with the highest intake — typically about six servings of fruit and vegetables per day — 16 percent were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

That compared with 21 percent of the one-third of participants with the lowest fruit and vegetable intake (about two servings per day).

That low-intake group closely matches the average American’s diet. U.S. studies suggest that adults typically get two to three servings of fruit and vegetables combined each day.

Of course, fruit and veggie lovers may be different from non-lovers in a number of ways, Forouhi acknowledged — including weight, exercise levels, smoking habits and education.

But when her team accounted for those factors, a high intake of fruit and vegetables was still linked to a 21 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found a similar pattern when it came to variety. People who averaged 16 different types of fruit and vegetables per week were about 40 percent less likely to develop diabetes than people who averaged eight types.

The findings do not prove that fruit and veggies deserve the credit. It’s possible some other, unmeasured difference between study participants is at work, Forouhi said.

Still, the results underscore the standard diet advice for overall health: Eat your fruits and vegetables.

Variety may be key, Forouhi said, because that helps ensure you get a range of nutrients. That includes not only vitamins and minerals, but also fiber and plant compounds called phytochemicals, which are thought to help protect cells from damage that can lead to chronic disease.

People differ in how many servings of fruit and vegetables they need based on their weight or activity levels, for instance. But one common guideline is to go for four to five daily servings each of fruit and vegetables.

One serving is equal to a half-cup of cooked vegetables or a medium-sized piece of fresh fruit.

To get a good variety, Forouhi suggested incorporating a range of colors into your fruit-and-vegetable repertoire.

But, she added, that all needs to be part of a generally healthy lifestyle.

One of the biggest factors in type 2 diabetes risk is obesity. So experts generally advise maintaining a healthy weight by exercising regularly and watching calories.

SOURCE: bit.ly/Hcmynw Diabetes Care, online April 3, 2012.

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Citrus Fruit - Valencian Farmers Online

Posted on April 20, 2012 by bilrob

Citrus fruit -Valencian Farmers Online

The Internet has been hailed as a solution to the ailing citrus fruit trade in the province of Valencia, Spain. The Valencian citrus fruit trade is said to be on the verge of collapse. Ever-increasing costs and dwindling profits are resulting in more plots being abandoned and long-standing family traditions being lost.

However, there is a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos, namely the internet. Websites dedicated to the sale of fruit – oranges and lemons – are thriving throughout the region shifting millions of kilos of produce.

Hundreds of farmers and related tradesmen are managing to scrape a living thanks to the new technologies and via various self-employment systems. For a start, the direct sale of fruit to consumers eliminates the middleman and thus increases the slice of the profit pie for the producer, who obtains a higher price than selling though supermarket chains and cooperatives.

Meanwhile, buyers are offered the chance to have a box of fruit on their table in just 24 hours at an average cost of two euros a kilo. The main problem seems to be lack of organisation and the fact that the offer is very disperse, as business falls to individual farmers and there is no central regulating body.

It also makes it very difficult to ascertain the exact level of trade and profit statistics. The online sale of citrus fruit was reportedly pioneered by a landowner named Federico Aparici in 1998, who tired of selling his produce for next to nothing set up the website naranjasola.com

He now sells his entire crop of 200,000 kilos collected from his plot in Cullera (Valencia) over the site. His customers are said to include star chefs such as Catalan ace Ferran Adria and Martin Berasategui plus some of the top hotels in Spain.

He employs six members of his family and occasionally takes on extra staff to cope with orders from France, Germany and the UK. By selling directly online, customers pay the proper price that the product is worth, according to Sr Aparici.

Other farmers now using the internet as the backbone of their business back up this claim by revealing that the fruit they sold via regular stores was paid to them at between four and 21 cents per kilo when it costs 20 cents to produce.

Unsustainable

Farming trades union AVA-Asaja has called a ‘progressive’ protest march against the ‘unsustainable situation’ of the Valencian agricultural trade. The demo will take place over April and May through various districts of the region culminating in two massive protests in Madrid and Valencia.

“Valencian farmers are at the very limit of our possibilities of subsistence,” declared AVA president Cristobal Aguado, adding that falling fruit prices and profitability will lead to losses of 112 million euros this year.

Fruit with Bill & Sheila

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How Healthy Is Juicing?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by bilrob

How Healthy Is Juicing?

I’ve spoken before about healthy and convenient snack options while on the grind, but one of the absolute easiest ways to infuse your body with a huge amount of nutrients is in liquid form. In a world where processed “fast foods” are rampant, it’s too easy to go an entire day without putting a single fresh fruit or vegetable in your body.

The widespread burst of juice bars popping up around the world is testament to the popularity of juices. The disappointing part is, very few people actually take the time to prepare freshly squeezed vegetable juices at home. By making your own, they are a lot cheaper and more accessible, allowing you to up your daily intake of vitamins and antioxidants, for which your body, and your game, will thank you later.

How long would it take you to chew two carrots, a couple of celery sticks and an entire head of greens? You would probably fill up before you finished them. By juicing to capture all the goodness, you can take all the benefits in a great-tasting drink on the go.

Claims have been made that drinking vegetable juices is better for your body than eating the whole vegetable because your body can absorb the nutrients easier, giving your digestive system a rest. However, while juicing provides the body with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in an amount that you wouldn’t usually intake, it does eliminate the fiber that’s found in the bulk of the fruit or vegetable. Fiber is important for your digestive system and controlling cholesterol and blood sugar levels. While many suggest using juicing as a detox, don’t replace all of your meals with juices, at least not in the long term. Instead, turn to a juice as a healthier replacement for your can of soda, cup of coffee or afternoon snack.

Before you start, you need to have the right equipment. The Best of Raw Food offers an excellent breakdown of the various types of raw food juicers and other kitchen appliances available.

Start with a Base

An important consideration is to not overload your juices with fruits because they come with a high sugar content. Carrots are one of the sweetest vegetables and are high in vitamin A, so they work as a great base for your juice and will help deter you from using too many fruits.

Green is Good

The good rule of thumb is, any vegetable that is green, is amazing for you.

Spinach is rich in calcium and iron, containing a large amount of Lutein, an antioxidant that helps prevent the breakdown of tissues relating to age-related macular degeneration. That is, vision impairment. With all those hours we spend staring at computer screens, we want to keep our eyes strong!

Broccoli is probably the last thing you would think about juicing, but one of the best to include. A few stems of broccoli will stimulate the production of enzymes, helping to detoxify the body and guard against toxic chemicals.

The best green ingredient for any juice would have to be wheatgrass. It’s a powerful “super food” that contains over 90 minerals. Wheatgrass is an alkaline food high in chlorophyll, which cleanses the body, neutralizes toxins, and is said to slow the aging process and prevent cancer. (Source: Health Wellness Magazine) You can actually have a small shot of wheatgrass on its own, perhaps followed with a bite of orange, tequila style.

Another leafy green that is high in chlorophyll is kale, which is also a great source of calcium and iron.

Juicing Book provides an incredibly handy reference for almost any vegetable (64 to be exact) that you can think of juicing.

Give it a Kick

I love to add ginger to my juices to give them a bite. I’ve read that adding a spicy pepper can also give a unique kick to your juice, while adding some vitamin C. I’ll definitely be trying that next time.

Fill Up for Breakfast

In the mornings, combine your favorite fruit juice with milk or yogurt, and turn it into a filling smoothie. It’s a much more nutritious start to the day than a bowl of sugar-loaded cereal.

Suggested Combinations

The Internet is your oyster when it comes to recipes for vegetable juices, and so is your creativity and local market. The fun part is finding things out for yourself, so start off with some basic combinations, and once you get used to those, start to get experimental.

Fellow PokerNews hostess, Kristy Arnett, is the home-juicing queen. Arnett says, “It’s all about trial and error. Don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t taste good right away!”

My favorite combo:
1 red apple
4 medium sized carrots
2 celery stalks
1 chunk of Ginger

Kristy Arnett’s favorite combos:
1 orange
4-6 carrots
1 sweet potato

3-4 handfuls of spinach
1 grapefruit
1 green apple
6-8 medium sized carrots
6 kale leafs

One vital point to remember is that you must drink your juice as quickly as possible after making it. Arnett explains, “Because it’s fresh, the juice oxidizes, loses nutrients and goes bad quickly just like a cut-open apple would when it turns brown.”

Juicing in Action

You may be wondering why Ryan D’Angelo is staring so proudly at you in the lead picture. That’s because he’s probably one of the most dedicated juicers in the poker world. So much so that he started a blog all about his juicing adventures. Check out this video of D’Angelo making a “Green Ginger Blast.”

Check out more of the Stay Stacked series for a variety or articles on fitness and health.

Recipes for juicing with Bill & Sheila

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Dietary fibre – where do we get it from?

Posted on April 14, 2012 by bilrob

Dietary fibre – where do we get it from?

Fresh vegetables and fruit play a vitally important part in a high fibre diet. They are particularly wholesome if eaten raw and unpeeled, where this is possible. Wholemeal bread and bakes are also excellent sources of fibre, as well as wholemeal pastas and rice.

Fresh beans and other legumes

There are many varieties of fresh beans and legumes available, including peas, broad beans and runner beans and more unusual ones such as fresh flageolet beans and butter beans. Fresh corn on the cob and baby sweetcorn are also popular. All are good sources of dietary fibre and contain other nutrients including vitamins and minerals. Beans and legumes (known as pulses when dried) are very versatile and can be used in many dishes including salads, stir-fries, casseroles, pasta sauces, soups and curries. Some varieties, such as sugar-snap peas and mangetouts, can be eaten either raw or cooked.

Fresh fruit

Fresh fruit plays an important part in a healthy, balanced, high fibre diet. Choose fruits that contain useful amounts of fibre such as apples, pears, bananas, oranges and peaches, or berries such as raspberries, blackberries and gooseberries, not forgetting some more exotic fruits, including guavas and mangoes.

Fruits are very versatile and can be enjoyed raw or cooked, on their own or as part of a recipe. They are also good sources of vitamins and minerals. Avoid peeling them, where possible, for maximum goodness.

Fresh herbs

In cookery, herbs are used mainly for their flavouring and seasoning properties, as well as for adding colour and texture. Simply adding a single herb or a combination of herbs can transform everyday dishes into delicious meals. Herbs are also very low in fat and calories and some, such as parsley, provide a useful balance of vitamins and minerals.

Fresh vegetables

Fresh vegetables, like fresh fruit, play an important part in a healthy, balanced diet. We are advised to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day Vegetables are nutritious and are valuable sources of vitamins and minerals, some being especially rich in vitamins A, C and E.

Vegetables also contain some dietary fibre and those that are particularly good sources include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, fennel, okra, parsnips, spinach and sweetcorn.

Potatoes

Potatoes are among the most commonly eaten vegetables in the world and are valuable in terms of nutrition. They are high in carbohydrate, low in fat and contain some vitamin C and dietary fibre. Potatoes contain more dietary fibre when eaten unpeeled. Wash old and new potatoes thoroughly and cook them with their skins on — baked, boiled or roasted. Try mashed potatoes (with their skins left on, of course!) as a topping on pies and bakes. Use skimmed milk, fromage frais, reduced-fat hard cheese or herbs to add flavour. For roast potatoes use only a small amount of oil, and if you must make chips, leave the skins on and cut the chips thickly, using a knife.

Wholemeal bakes and breads

Bakes such as wholemeal pitta breads, scones, muffins and teacakes make good, high fibre snacks or treats. Choose wholemeal or wholegrain varieties whenever possible. Bread is available in many varieties and is a good source of carbohydrate well as being low in fat. It also contains some calcium, iron and B vitamins and wholemeal varieties are high in fibre.

Look out for the high fibre recipes that accompany these articles

Diet and Weight loss with Bill & Sheila

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