Number Fourteen ©December, 2000 ••••••• Don Harthcock, Editor OpinionSoup may contain language and topics unsuitable for children.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." ~(James 1:27)
IN THIS ISSUE:
IN PRAISE OF TEACHERS - Personal from Donny
VITAMIN A - Eat your carrots, sweet potatoes and turnip greens!
VITAMIN C - You're not getting enough!
CORIANDER - Fresh smells fetid; dried is delightful.
MACE - gentle on your mind
THE RED ASS - a condition that has many different, unrelated contributing factors
SHELLFISH - high-protein brain food
SOBA NOODLES - Japanese Soul Food
SODIUM NITRITE - prevents botulism, contributes to cancer
SWEET POTATO - Once and for all: Sweet Potatoes are NOT Yams!
The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated any of the statements made in this publication, nor is that likely ever to happen. This publication is not meant to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Since this publication is not intended to be diagnostic or prescriptive, the authors assume no responsibility for any adverse reactions resulting from the use of any information contained in it.
Personal from Donny
artwork by TeachersGiftBox
In a radical departure from my scathing criticism of poor teachers (Public Education, OS#13), here is praise for the good ones. The following was not written by me, but I support it and concur with it. This was sent to me as one of those "round-robin" emails we all get so often.
//begin email//
Let me see if I've got this right.
You want me to go into that room with all those kids and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. Not only that, I'm to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, behaviorally modify disruptive behavior and observe them for signs of abuse, drugs and T-shirt messages.
I am to fight the war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for guns and raise their self-esteem. I'm to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, how and where to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook and how to apply for a job, but I am never to ask if they are in this country illegally.
I am to check their heads occasionally for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of potential antisocial behavior, offer advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment and scholarships, encourage respect for the cultural diversity of others, and oh yeah, teach, always making sure I give the girls in my class fifty percent of my attention.
I'm required by my contract to be working on my own time, summer and evenings, and at my own expense towards additional certification, advance certification and a master's degree, to sponsor the cheerleaders or the sophomore class and after school I am to attend committee and faculty meetings and participate in staff development training to maintain my current certification and employment status.
I am to collect data and maintain all records to support and document our building's progress in the selected state mandated program to "assess and upgrade educational excellence in the public schools."
I am to be a paragon of virtue larger than life such that my very presence will awe my students into being obedient and respectful of authority. I am to pledge allegiance to supporting family values, a return to the basics, and my current administration.
I am to incorporate technology into the learning but monitor all web sites for appropriateness while providing a personal one-on-one relationship with each student. I am to decide who might be potentially dangerous and/or liable to commit crimes in school or who is possibly being abused, and I can be sent to jail for not mentioning these suspicions to those in authority.
I am to make sure ALL students pass the state and federally mandated testing and all classes, whether or not they attend school on a regular basis or complete any of the work assigned. I am to communicate frequently with each student's parent by letter, phone, newsletter and grade card.
I'm to do all of this with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a 45-minute or less plan time and a big smile, on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps in many states.
Is that all? You want me to do all this, and you expect me to do it without praying?
//end email//
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- You need to know more about it!
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble mixture of Vitamins A1 and A2. Deficiency in this Vitamin causes roughening of the skin, night blindness, and degeneration of mucous membranes. Vitamin A is also called Retinol.
There are numerous reports from researchers throughout the world that Vitamin A is an important preventative and treatment for cancer. Sadly, however, deficiency in Vitamin A is common, both in the United States and in Canada.
Vitamin A is necessary for peak functioning of the nervous system and immune system in adults, and it is essential for the development of the nervous systems of human fetuses. Recent research at the Salk Institute indicates that Vitamin A plays a significant role in the development of IQ, learning ability and memory.
At least one report claims that Retinoic Acid is useful in combating emphysema.
Necessary to new cell growth, Vitamin A helps fight infections and is essential for healthy skin and hair, good blood, strong bones and teeth, and essential for your Kidneys, Bladder, Lungs and Membranes. Vitamin A helps maintain good eyesight.
It is found especially in apricots, beet greens, cantaloupes, carrots, Swiss chard, chicory,
dandelion greens, egg yolk, endive, fish-liver oils, kale, liver, liverwurst, peaches, prunes, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes/tomato juice, turnip greens...in most green, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables.
Vitamin A is an antioxidant, a scavenger of free radicals. This action may help protect your body from pollution, colds and infection. Free radicals age your skin, and Vitamin A will help stave off those lines and wrinkles.
Vitamin A is a proven treatment for acne, and it has been used in Canada to treat cancer. It is destroyed in your body by mineral oil laxatives, estrogens, and many drugs. Vitamin A is more effective with B-Complex, Calcium, Choline, Vitamins C, D, and E, and Zinc.
CAUTION: You can take too much Vitamin A, which is stored in the body. Vitamin A toxicity, which can damage your liver, CAN OCCUR IF YOU TAKE VERY LARGE AMOUNTS OVER LONG PERIODS OF TIME. Its onset is signalled by your nose and palms turning yellow. Toxic symptoms disappear in adults when Vitamin A is withdrawn, but may linger in children or infants. Your body daily requires about 5,000 IU of Vitamin A, which is thought to be safe in amounts up to 50,000 IU daily.
Let Donny make a comment, here. I warn about the possibility of Vitamin A toxicity because everybody does, and it really is possible. But if you check it out for yourself, as I have, you will discover that there are many more warnings than there are actual cases of people being poisoned by Vitamin A. So listen to me: REPORTED CASES OF OVERDOSAGE OF THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT CANCER-FIGHTING VITAMIN ARE VERY RARE, and that's a fact.
Public Radio International reports that The University of California Berkely Wellness Letter continues to advise avoiding Vitamin A supplements altogether because of possible toxicity, and I just can't understand that. Talk to your doctor, who may tell you of some instances where astonishing mega-doses of Vitamin A have been given for astonishingly long periods of time. But don't mega-dose yourself. Never self-diagnose or self-treat serious illnesses.
••••••• | ••••••• UPDATE, January, 2001: From HealthMall.com, in part: Donny has learned that dark-colored fruits and vegetables rich in carotene provide less than half as much Vitamin A as previously thought!
These fruits and vegetables "are still good sources of Vitamin A, but new evidence shows that it takes twice as much of them to yield the same amount of Vitamin A in the body as we previously understood," declared Robert Russell, a professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts, and author of this report for the National Academies' Institute of Medicine, according to a recent issue of China Daily.
Russell expanded: "People who rely on vegetables as their only source of Vitamin A (also found in meat, fish, eggs and milk), need to make doubly sure they consume enough carotene-rich food to get their daily dose of Vitamin A, which is crucial for growth and immune function.
"The three carotenoids that are present in vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes can be converted in the body to Retinol, the active form of Vitamin A," Russell said.
Researchers have modified NIH recommendations first issued in 1989, since determining that people need to consume twice as much carotene-rich food to achieve their daily dose of Vitamin A, calculated at 900 micrograms for men and 700 micrograms for women.
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VITAMIN C (Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Ascorbate)
- Linus Pauling was not a quack.
A powerful antioxidant, water-soluble Vitamin C is needed every day by everyone, regardless of age. Hundreds of books and hundreds of thousands of words have been written about the wonder of Vitamin C and your need of it, so I will be brief.
C is important for absorbing Iron, regulating cholesterol, building a strong circulatory system, healing wounds, fighting cancer and bacterial infections, producing red blood cells, preventing hemorrhaging, and neutralizing free radicals. The Adrenal glands, tissues and gums, immune system and bloodstream all depend upon Vitamin C. It helps the body fight colds, infections, allergies and disease. C protects your skin from sun damage and bruising, and its scavenging of free radicals helps protect you from lines and wrinkles.
Your liver uses Vitamin C as a helpmate in detoxifying drugs and other chemicals.
Vitamin C is vital to collagen formation; it is essential for the formation of strong bones, healthy teeth and connective tissues. Deficiency in Vitamin C often leads to excess blood in the joints, which can then lead to arthritis.
Recent studies suggest the benefits of Vitamin C in the treatment of heart disease and high blood pressure, and it is further suggested that Vitamin C can help prevent colon cancer.
Since human eyes contain high concentrations of Vitamin C, studies were conducted to determine the incidence of C deficiency in cataract patients. The majority of those with cataracts, it was found, lacked adequate levels of Vitamin C.
Due to an ancient genetic mishap of some kind (a missing enzyme), the human body neither produces nor stores Vitamin C. We must replenish our supply daily through diet or supplementation. One orange provides 30 mg of Vitamin C, more or less, which is half your RDI (60 mg, says the USFNB; ridiculously low, says Donny). Smoking one cigarette negates about 30 mg of C, so if you are a smoker, you should take at least 1,000 mg of Vitamin C supplements per day (you really can't eat that many oranges). Many naturopaths recommend 2,000 to 3,000 mg/day, and Dr. A. J. Verlangler of the University of Mississippi recommends 4,000 mg/day.
Physical stress increases your need for Vitamin C.
Excellent sources of Vitamin C include asparagus, beet greens, blackberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, chives, collards, currants, gooseberries, grapefruit, guava, horseradish, kale, kiwi, kohlrabi, lemons, lima beans, limes, loganberries, mango, melons, mustard greens, okra, oranges, papaya, parsley, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, rose hips, spinach, strawberries, Swiss chard, tangerines, tomatoes, and turnip greens. Vitamin C works well with all the other Vitamins (especially Vitamins B and E), with all the Minerals (especially Calcium and Magnesium), and with Bioflavonoids.
See? I was brief.
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- Fresh Coriander smells like dead bugs, mice and dirty children.
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an aromatic, annual plant of the Parsley Family. Some say it is native to the Mediterranean region, and others claim that it was used in China thousands of years ago. It was recorded in 1552 BCE in medical papyri in Thebes. In the Bible, Moses compared manna with Coriander seed (Exodus 16:31, Numbers 11:7).
The ancient Greeks and Romans used it in love potions. Conversely, the Inquisition Tribunal of Toledo, Spain, declared in 1632 that Coriander was used (along with salt and sardines) to cast evil spells. Ironically, Monica Lewinsky is said to be fond of Coriander, the entire Republican Party smells of sardines, and I take their findings with a grain of salt.
Young Coriander plantlets are used in salads or as garnish. This plant is also called Chinese Parsley and Cilantro. "Cilantro" is generally regarded as the leaf of this herb...Coriander, the seed, is delightfully aromatic, slightly soporific, and has a sweet yet pungent taste similar to a combination of Sage and Lemon Peel. It is used extensively for flavoring cookies, candies, liqueurs, and in the manufacture of sausages and franks.
Stimulant, aromatic and carminative, Coriander (or Cilantro) tea will ease indigestion, is mildly laxative, and along with a good smack on the head, will prevent farting under the covers, which is disgusting. Coriander is also excellent for masking the flavor of other, unpleasant-tasting herbs, for which purpose it is widely used.
An olfactory conundrum, Coriander/Cilantro STINKS until the plant goes to seed and dies. Once harvested and dried, the leaves and seeds develop a pleasing aroma.
Plant Coriander in full sun but not near your Fennel, which doesn't like Coriander. See Cilantro.
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- more delicate than nutmeg
Mace, Myristica fragrans, is native to the Moluccas and is today imported from Indonesia and the West Indies. Mace is a part of the fruit of the Nutmeg tree, a bushy evergreen with scented leaves and small, yellow flowers. Mace and Nutmeg are the only two spices found naturally on the same tree. Used in baking, Mace has the flavor of Nutmeg, only more delicate.
The seed of this tree becomes Nutmeg...the seed's aril, a red, lacy shell coating, becomes Mace. Both these culinary spices are used in the sweet and savory recipes of many different cuisines.
Through the years, Mace has been used for magical purposes...burning Mace is said to increase psychic power and creativity. Carried on one's person, Mace is said to improve the intellect. The first claim has some validity if you inhale the fumes...the second is horse doo-doo, except as a placebo for those who "believe in" Magic but have no real knowledge.
Mace is used in Aromatherapy for several rheumatic maladies and joint pain...also to increase circulation. Donny is skeptical...not of Aromatherapy, but of these uses. See Nutmeg.
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- a common malady of dealers in Mississippi casinos
Sometimes called THE Red Ass, this is a condition common to dealers in Mississippi casinos, and I'll tell you why. The Red Ass is often caused by:
(1) not getting any tips;
(2) a player losing all his money, then blaming his losses on the dealer;
(3) players complaining for no good reason to Pit Bosses, who often exacerbate the condition by taking the player's side, or pretending to.
"Now don't get The Red Ass, Don," my old boss Billy would say. "Just be professional and keep on smiling. He'll be gone in an hour, and tomorrow is another day."
"Thanks, Scarlett," I'd reply. "That's what bothers me."
"What?"
"Another day of THIS shit."
After a short time working as a dealer, I became a Boss, myself. After five years of near-daily Red Ass, I started saying things to complainers like, "Is your ass nailed to that stool? Nobody's making you stay here. Go home. We are open 24/7. Have a drink. Go away."
After a while, I had my own chair in the Shift Manager's office, I was in there explaining myself so often.
I just had to let it go, even though the pay was great.
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- Moses must have been dozing when God told him about seafood.
Shellfish (except shrimp) will lower serum cholesterol, although you may have heard just the opposite. They also contain Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Calcium, and Zinc. What they don't have, and you don't need, is a lot of extra calories from fat. Shellfish do contain more Sodium than fresh meat, which is not good...the good news is, they're almost pure protein.
Shellfish is even better brain food than Fish-fish. The high protein count is responsible for big spurts of Tyrosine to your brain. Tyrosine is an amino acid that converts to several chemicals including Dopamine and Epinephrine, neurotransmitters which will put you at your mental best. Shellfish will energize you and increase your attention span, so have some Oysters for lunch when you've got a big afternoon coming up. The effect is better if you have no side dishes. See Tyrosine. See Oysters.
Flawed testing by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture in years past gave all Shellfish an erroneous high-cholesterol reputation. That's not a slam at the USDA (a wonderful bunch of folks, especially Dr. Jim Duke, the plant wizard)...it just happens to be the truth, sad to say.
Crabs, Mussels, Oysters and Scallops are actually low in cholesterol. Clams contain just a little more cholesterol than these, but less than beef or chicken. Crawfish (Crayfish, Crawdads) and Shrimp have a great deal more cholesterol than the Shellfish just named (more than three times as much), and Squid is off the chart. That's just one more good reason not to eat Squid, which to me is like eating rubber bands, anyway.
For my Jewish and Moslem friends I must admit, sadly, that Shellfish do not have fins or scales.
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- Slurping noodles or slurping soup is not impolite in Japan...one must slurp when eating noodles and soup with chopsticks.
These Japanese noodles are made of buckwheat. They are the major ingredient of Yakusoba (Yaki Soba, Japanese fried noodles), which I used to have every Saturday night at the home of Eichi Miwa in Misawa, Japan (I was Miwa's children's English tutor). Misawa is in Aomori Prefecture in northern Honshu.
This dish is very easy to make. You will need Yakisoba Noodles (Chinese egg noodles may be substituted), cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions, thinly-sliced meat, seafood or vegetables, Yakisoba sauce or a combination of soy sauce and Worcestershire, and a little vegetable oil. Heat a skillet and fry your meat, seafood or vegetables in about a tablespoon of vegetable oil, stirring occasionally. Add Yakisoba Noodles and continue frying, stirring occasionally. Add chopped cabbage, chopped green onions and bean sprouts and continue cooking until cabbage is limp and tender (you may need to add a little water). Add sauce and mix. Remove from heat and serve with finely chopped seaweed.
Noodles are very popular in Japan, and Noodle Restaurants are everywhere...serving Soba, Udon, and Chinese noodles, as well. Soba Noodles are eaten all the time, but it is a special tradition to eat them on New Year's Eve. I don't remember this story completely, but it is approximately this: one year many years ago in a certain Japanese prefecture, crops produced little and the common people were very poor. A certain nobleman, taking pity on them (because New Year's Eve is a day of feasting in Japan), served them mountains of Soba Noodles. In remembrance of his kindness, it became a tradition with the people to eat Soba Noodles every New Year's Eve from then on, even in more affluent times, and continuing to this very day. The tradition has evolved, however, now being a leaving-poverty-behind and looking-forward-to-affluence kind of thing. But it started with one random act of kindness (let that be a lesson to us all, your mother might say).
Donny won't be having Soba Noodles New Year's Eve, but on New Year's Day you can be sure I will have a big pot of Hoppin' John, a black-eyed pea and ham dish traditional in the South for good luck in the coming year. What do black-eyed peas have to do with luck? Search me! I don't know how this got started, but now you HAVE to do it or you'll be nervous for months. Happy New Year to everyone, and Happy New Millennium!
Soba Noodles contain albumin and several Vitamins...all the nutrients of Buckwheat. See Buckwheat.
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- My grandfather used a smokehouse and salt.
This preservative food additive prevents the growth of bacteria that cause botulism poisoning. It keeps cured meats red and flavors them. You find it in bacon, corned beef, frankfurters, ham, lunchmeat and smoked fish.
Sodium Nitrite also causes the formation of small amounts of Nitrosamines, potent cancer-causing chemicals, particularly in fried bacon. Shouldn't something safer be found to prevent botulism? The trade-off hardly makes sense to me!
Sodium Nitrate is used in dry-cured meats, and slowly breaks down into Sodium Nitrite..
The information on Food Additives contained in this work comes from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. You may obtain this "Chemical Cuisine" chart by writing them at 1501 16th St. NW, Washington DC 20036 (I didn't make it up).
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- My father called them "Pootin' Roots."
The Sweet Potato is unrelated to and totally unlike the ordinary spud, except that both grow underground (the edible part, that is). The ordinary Potato is a member of the Nightshade Family, along with eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas), however, belong to the Morning Glory Family.
Most people think of Sweet Potatoes and Yams as being the same thing; Donny maintains that they are not. The mix-up is both cultural and mercenary. Many people who are not from the South (and some who are) don't know the difference, and have been mis-educated by merchants. Merchants know that overall, except in the rural South, "Yams" sell better than "Sweet Potatoes," so they're all Yams. It's also a government (tax) issue; see Yams.
The Sweet Potato is native to tropical America, and the much larger Yam originated in West Africa. Of course, South America and West Africa were once joined (this was way back before Donny was born), so there you are. Sweet Potatoes are oval tubers larger than ordinary Potatoes, to be sure; Yams, however, can be huge. Yams are not nearly as moist as Sweet Potatoes.
Spanish "explorers" brought Sweet Potatoes northward from South America, and Yams were brought here from Africa as "food for slaves," along with okra and black-eyed peas. African foods found their way onto White tables with little difficulty and are now common throughout the South and elsewhere. I have heard midwestern epicures refer to black-eyed peas as "food for hogs," but there's no accounting for taste.
As this entry is being written it is nearing Christmas, and I'm thinking, "Time for your yearly dose of Sweet Potato Pie." That's about as often as most of us eat them, but better more often. Sweet Potatoes can be baked, fried or candied (baked in the skin is best for you), and are a very good source of Beta-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Minerals. One ordinary-size Sweet Potato, if you have selected the brightest-colored ones in your produce section, will give you more than 20,000 IU of Vitamin A! Sweet Potatoes are a delicious way not only to protect yourself from cancer, but also to keep your night vision strong (remember Bilberry and the British Pilots?).
Sweet Potato Pie and Pumpkin Pie look alike, and that's the end of it. If you are fortunate enough this year to experience southern Sweet Potato Pie, you will never eat Pumpkin Pie again.
Which reminds me of one of my father's favorite jokes: In a restaurant one day, a "good ole boy" who rarely frequented such establishments was asked by his server what kind of pie he wanted with his meal.
"What KIND?" he asked, incredulous. "Why, Tater Pie, gal; what the hell do you think pie's made OUT of?"
My father, whose family baked Sweet Potatoes in the hot ashes of their fireplace, called them "Pootin' Roots," as they can cause mild flatulence.
My sister read the above paragraph and said, "I can't believe you put that in your book," and then she said, "Oh, now I'm going to cry," and she did, remembering.
My parents were good people (far from perfect, of course, but GOOD), and their children remember them with love. Your parents will never be Dead and Gone, if you remember the good things about them from time to time and forgive them for their mistakes (as you hope your children will forgive you). Pass family stories on to your children...it's so good for Love and for family continuity when your children hear "Your Grandfather said this," or "Your Grandmother always did that."
OpinionSoup is published by Don Harthcock. OS#14 ©December, 2000, Don Harthcock & Brian McLeod. Reproduction of any part of this copyrighted publication for commercial purposes is prohibited. Taping to refrigerators, posting on bulletin boards & emailing to friends is cool.
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