[turkey]

Who is this Sandy Swarc that writes the junkfoodscience blog?




I also found an interesting article on macrobiotics at quackwatch.

http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/kushi.html

[macrojack]

Turkey -That quackwatch article was a walk down memory lane. I spent 1984 in Brookline living with Ed and Wendy Esko and attending classes at the Kushi Institute on Station St. I knew about half of the people in the article and have fond memories of some of them.

I used to run almost every morning around Fresh Pond and was often joined by Lilly Kushi, Michio's daughter. She was in her twenties, sweet and energetic, and a piano prodigy. After I left town in Nov, 1984, I never saw her again but within about 10 years I got word that Lilly had died of cancer. That was enough for me.

[Big Red Machine]

My comments on Quackwatch:  can be very "medical industry" driven and many of the topics tend to piss off doctors since they don;t typically deal in causes but spend their time with symptom treatments.  So there are two sides to the story in case you find yourself being swayed too far one way in that site.

[macrojack]

I was just wondering if anyone else approaches culinary appreciation from any direction other than gourmet.

I approach it like Homer Simpson does.

Thanks for the explanation.

[BobM]

Notice the similarities?

[turkey]

My comments on Quackwatch:  can be very "medical industry" driven and many of the topics tend to piss off doctors since they don;t typically deal in causes but spend their time with symptom treatments.  So there are two sides to the story in case you find yourself being swayed too far one way in that site.

From what I've seen, Barrett requires proof. If you make claims about medical products or procedures, but don't have any proof - you're a quack.

A lot of high-end audio is quackery too.

[TheChairGuy]

Does anyone know if corn is popularly consumed in the Far East?

I don't remember seeing corn offhand in any meal eaten in China or Hong Kong.

I think corn is a new world crop that the Europeans discovered upon setting foot in North and South America.  I didn't take the time to check this for accuracy, tho

I know that the #1 eaten vegetable in the US is the potato...french fries, mostly.  Given the proliferation of fast food restaurants I see throughout Europe, and Asia now...my vote for #1 eaten veggie would be the potato.  Again, I didn't take the time to check this for accuracy.

John

[woodsyi]

Does anyone know if corn is popularly consumed in the Far East?

I don't remember seeing corn offhand in any meal eaten in China or Hong Kong.

John

They eat them as babies. 

[turkey]

I think corn is a new world crop that the Europeans discovered upon setting foot in North and South America.  I didn't take the time to check this for accuracy, tho

Yes, maize is native to the Americas, as are tomatoes, peppers (sweet or chile), and potatoes. However, we can't really tell from where something originated how common it is in a given region today. Just look at how common chiles or tomatoes are all over the world.

I know a guy who was from Hong Kong, and he just loved chicken and corn soup. It was evidently very common in Hong Kong.

I'm not sure if corn is used much as a grain in China, or if corn is grown for animal feed or anything. I had the impression that rice and wheat were the common grains in China.

[TheChairGuy]

I think corn is a new world crop that the Europeans discovered upon setting foot in North and South America.  I didn't take the time to check this for accuracy, tho

I know a guy who was from Hong Kong, and he just loved chicken and corn soup. It was evidently very common in Hong Kong.

I'm not sure if corn is used much as a grain in China, or if corn is grown for animal feed or anything. I had the impression that rice and wheat were the common grains in China.

There are loads of KFC's in China...probably Taco Bells, too.  So, I suspect there is corn used there in the taco's, etc. 

There probably are more instances of corn in food in East Asia than I am aware of

Wheat more prevalent in the south and rice towards the north in China.  As well, lamb is rarely found in the south of Zhejiang Province (and when it is, it's pretty awful I've found) on the coast.....but, can be found north of this.

Transportation systems in China are not what we have grown accustomed to in the US (and Canada) so they tend to have more regionally grown foods.

Anyhow, back to the topic - large amounts of soy, such as in a macrobiotic diet, tend to suppress thyroid function (as do uncooked broccoli and cauliflower).  It's also high in phyto-estrogens.

So, unless a man would want saggy breasts and slower metabolism....I'd avoid it and just eat 'sensibly' (which might include modest amounts of soy for other healthy benefits it provides:)

John

[macrojack]

I can't address the impact of soy on thyroid function but I can assure everyone that the macrobiotic diet as espoused by Herman Aihara and Michio Kushi does not utilize large amounts of soy. It is used incidentally however, primarily in fermented products such as Shoyu, Tempeh, and Tofu. Generally it is not used in traditional macrobiotic cooking because it is considered indigestible if not fermented.

Beans are a big part of the macro diet and aduki beans are probably most favored. In the U.S. we found ourselves enjoying Mexican food a lot of the time despite the use of tomatoes and peppers, which are considered t be nightshades. This thought came to me because of the bean topic. Pintos and black turtle beans were used a lot too.

Ultimately I found that I liked nightshades too much to forego them forever. Just imagine no tomatoes, peppers or potatoes.