In this new study, published in Nature Microbiology, Professor Anders Rosengren and colleagues have instead looked at prediabetes. This condition is a precursor to type 2 diabetes, with slowly rising blood sugar levels due to impaired insulin production.
The study encompassed 89 people with elevated fasting blood sugar, an indicator of prediabetes. Other criteria included the participants being overweight or obese and 35-75 years old.
The participants were randomly assigned sulforaphane or a placebo for twelve weeks. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew who was assigned which. A total of 74 participants completed all stages of the study.
The results show that participants taking the sulforaphane compound had a higher average reduction in fasting blood sugar than those taking the placebo. The difference between the two groups in the study was considerable.
University of Gothenburg. “Reduced prediabetes in people who ate broccoli compound.” ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/02/250214003212.htm (accessed February 21, 2025).
Eat More Broccoli. Sauteed in extra virgin olive oil and garlic. Lots of garlic.
Lessons Learned From a Lifetime of Cooking #9
Celery leaves. I always tossed them out until The Boss informed me she doesn’t like big chunks of celery in dishes I make that use celery for an ingredient. I recently discovered you can use celery leaves like a fresh herb, finely chopped and added to your creation in lieu of big chunks of celery. So far I haven’t gotten any complaints about the tiny green stuff floating in the soup.
10 Ways To Use Celery Leaves In The Kitchen.
Read More: https://www.tastingtable.com/1572645/uses-celery-leaves/
Memo to Self – instead of buying celery with less leaves buy celery with more leaves, especially bunches with dark green leaves which have a more intense flavor than the stalks.
Eat More Beans, Peas and Lentils
The scientific report has some positive recommendations. It recommends that Americans eat more beans, peas, and lentils and eat less red and processed meat. It recommends that Beans, Peas, and Lentils move from a subgroup of the Vegetables Food Group to a subgroup of the Protein Food Group. When listing foods in the Protein Food Group, Beans/Peas/Lentils should be listed first, followed by Nuts/Seeds/Soy products, then Seafood, and lastly Meats/Poultry/Eggs. – 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Scientific Report Recommends Eating More Beans, Peas, and Lentils and Eating Less Red and Processed Meat – http://www.vrg.org/blog/2025/01/31/2025-dietary-guidelines-advisory-committees-scientific-report-recommends-eating-more-beans-peas-and-lentils-and-eating-less-red-and-processed-meat/
If you want to geek out on the full report here’s the download link – https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/2025-advisory-committee-report
U.S. rates of nutrition-related chronic health conditions are high, and data show significant differences in prevalence across socio-demographic groups. For example, the prevalence of obesity is lower among non-Hispanic Asian children compared to all other race and/or ethnicity groups examined, and the prevalence is lower in non-Hispanic White children compared to non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic and/or Latino children. Obesity is significantly lower among children with higher family income compared to those with lower family income. Among adults, the prevalence of obesity is lower among non-Hispanic Asian adults and higher in non-Hispanic Black adults. Prevalence of hypertension is higher in non-Hispanic Black adults than adults of all other race and/or ethnicity groups examined. Diabetes is lower in non-Hispanic White adults compared to all other race and/or ethnicity groups examined, while gestational diabetes is highest among non-Hispanic Asian adults and lowest among non-Hispanic Black adults. Income data show that among adults, the prevalence of obesity, of hypertension, and of diabetes are higher among families with lower incomes compared to higher incomes.
I’ve not read the entire report but judging from what I’ve read so far it is definitely Geek Paradise.
Health Benefits of Winter Squash
Just another Electronic Sticky Note to remind myself to eat more winter squashes besides my favorite Butternut. The Health Benefits of Winter Squash (Plus, 7 Types to Try) – https://vegnews.com/health-benefits-winter-squash-types-to-try
And as a reminder about my previous Electronic Sticky Note 42 Vegetarian Butternut Squash Recipes- Vegetarian Times to try some different preparations besides a simple roast or Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole.
Lasagne? I’ve totally forgotten about Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagne.
The Best Replacements for Meat and Milk (no, it’s not plant milks, veggie burgers or tofu)
Beans and peas are the best meat and milk replacement from nutritional, health, environmental, and cost perspectives.
Our findings suggest that suitable alternatives to meat and milk exist and are available and affordable without necessarily requiring new technologies or product development. This contrasts with discussions in high-income countries on the needs to develop novel replacement foods, especially those that would completely mimic meat and dairy (18). Our nutritional, health, environmental, and cost analyses suggest that if one is prepared to consider foods for their properties instead of whether they are completely mimicking meat or dairy—and surveys suggest that consumers are (49)—then unprocessed legumes are, for the most part, superior to processed alternatives. This is also relevant for low and middle-income countries where legumes are readily available, but discussions on processed meat and milk alternatives are at an earlier stage, despite diets rapidly becoming similarly imbalanced as in high-income countries (1, 50). M. Springmann, A multicriteria analysis of meat and milk alternatives from nutritional, health, environmental, and cost perspectives, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 121 (50) e2319010121, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2319010121 (2024).
Keep it simple.
Revenge of The Vegetables!
4Earth Farms, LLC. Recalls Organic and Conventional Vegetable Medleys and Organic Whole Carrots, Containing Grimmway Farms Carrots, Because of Possible Health Risk – https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/4earth-farms-llc-recalls-organic-and-conventional-vegetable-medleys-and-organic-whole-carrots
The Benefits of Mushrooms
Mushrooms are having their 15 minutes of fame. Here’s the article link
I’m having a mushroom morning. See https://lifeunderwriter.net/2024/10/19/youre-gonna-see-god/
Cooking for One (again)
Cooking for one again. Yeah, I know. That’s a lot of food for one person.
Papa’s Corn Salad
Remember Corn Salad – Lessons From a Lifetime of Cooking #5 ?
Well, I’ve already doctored up the recipe and made a batch to go along with a grilled burger. You’ll need:
- One 10 ounce package of frozen organic corn
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/ 4 cup red onion, finely minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded cut into small cubes
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- about 1 tsp honey
- 1 handful fresh rinsed and minced parsley,
- 1 handful fresh rinsed and minced basil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Do this:
- Put the bag of corn in the microwave and do not follow the instructions on the bag
- Cook for four minutes, carefully remove the bag from the microwave, open while not trying to burn yourself, dump into a colander and rinse with cold water. Allow to drain and dry.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the dressing ingredients lime juice, vinegar, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the garlic and red onion. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Add the corn, tomatoes, cucumber, basil, parsley. Toss.
- Cover and refrigerate. Serve lightly chilled or at room temperature.
You’ll have enough for four healthy servings. Don’t forget the Feta cheese or forget the Feta cheese if you want to keep the salad vegan.
Took a taste. Nailed it.
(again, this is not an actual picture of the salad but an AI generated picture of the salad which looks awfully close to the real thing)
Corn Salad – Lessons From a Lifetime of Cooking #5
I have never made nor eaten corn salad. Until today. Time to make a short story long.
The Two Tiny Tornadoes and Their Mom came to the house this past weekend. Along with the toys, stuffies and other assorted things Tiny Humans pack on trips our favorite Okie DIL brought a bag full of fresh cucumbers from her parents’ backyard garden. So what do you do with a bunch of fresh cucumbers?
The Boss was reading The Oklahoman and came across a recipe for corn salad by blogger Chula King in an article in the Tallahassee Democrat. I couldn’t find a link to the article in my local digital newspaper so I went to the source.
https://pudgefactor.com/easy-fresh-corn-salad-summer-in-a-bowl/#recipe
This salad is so super simple and tasty we have immediately decided to include it in our regular summer salad rotation.
Check it out. We added feta cheese and used organic frozen corn instead of fresh. Otherwise we followed the recipe to a T.
And that’s how you eat up a bunch of fresh cucumbers.
(this is not an actual picture of the salad I made but an AI generated picture)
garyskitchen.net 