Polymeal Recipes

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A recent Canadian study determined that the more fast-food joints there are in a neighbourhood, the higher the rate of heart disease in the area.

For more information, check out this article from the Globe and Mail: Live Near These & They’ll Get You

If you’re looking for a technical overview of the chemistry of hearth healthy compounds in garlic, look no further.

Garlic Festival Foods has a great interview with Dr. Eric Block, an expert in garlic chemistry.

You can read the interview here: http://www.garlicfestival.com/Rx/garlicchemistry.html

There are a few tricks to getting the smell of garlic off your hands.

• Run your hands over some stainless steel. Nearly everyone has stainless steel faucets in their kitchens.
• Mix a little salt and dish detergent in your palm, then rub them together. The salt absorbs the odor!
• Stir two level tablespoons of baking soda into a glass of water, then soak your hands for 30 seconds to a minute.
• Rub a cut lime or lemon on your hands. Check to make sure you don’t have any scratches first!

Enjoy this delicious baked tomato recipe. Not only do you get the heart friendly effects of garlic, you also get a hit of lycopene and good-for-you olive oil.

Don’t forget to let the garlic sit for 10 minutes before cooking it to allow the heart-healthy compounds to develop!

It seems that a dram of whiskey a day could help prevent cancer.

Dr. Jim Swan claims that single malt whisky contains an antioxidant, ellagic acid, that kills cancer cells.

There was no mention of any benefits to cardiovascular health.

Dr. Swan will present the findings of his study tomorrow at a medical conference in Glasgow.

Reference: Daily Record - Whisky Can Halt Cancer

Raw garlic cloves contain a sulphur compound called alliin that, when combined with an enzyme also found in garlic, starts a cascade of chemical reactions that produce heart healthy compounds.

Alliin is very unstable, and it is kept separate from the enzyme in the garlic clove. To start the chemical reaction, the garlic needs to be crushed or chopped and then left to sit for a few minutes to allow the beneficial compounds to fully develop.

So you’ll see a lot of waiting times in the garlic recipes on this site. Don’t skip the waiting time unless you want to skip out on the health benefits of garlic!

References:

• http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc98/5_23_98/food.htm
• http://sheknows.com/about/look/3648.htm

You can find the full text of the Polymeal Study at:

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/329/7480/1447

It was published in the Dec. 18th, 2004 issue of the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

If you’re concerned about mercury contamination in your fish, you might like to check out the FDA Consumer Report on Mercury in Fish.

There is a chart comparing domestic and imported fish near the bottom of the FDA report that you might find helpful in making decisions about what kind of fish to eat.

The FDA currently sets the acceptable level of mercury in fish at 1 part per million (ppm). Most fish are well below that, but there are a few larger fish (such as shark and swordfish) that may be over or come close to the limit. Pollock, salmon and flounder are great choices, as they have very low levels of mercury.

There’s an interesting article on eDiets.com about why almonds are such a great food.

Read it here: http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm/cmi_1108873

Switzerland’s Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest producer of chocolate, is developing a line of chocolates that include polyphenol-rich “good-for-you” chocolates.

Some products have already been launched in Europe. North American release dates are currently unknown.