Quentin, cutting and pasting is very difficult for me so I cant post it
here.  I will find one and email it to you.

This thread is a wonderful wonderful idea.

You have helped so many since you came here.

Loretta

--
In tribute to the United States of America and the State
of Israel, two bastions of strength in a world filled with strife and
terrorism.

This post not CC'd by email
On 4 Mar 2006 19:15:24 -0800, "Kurt" <kurtwheeling1965@hotmail.com>
wrote:

G'day G'day Kurt,

Every so often people say, "That's a keeper"

For people who have been here a while I imagine it really is a
difficult assignment.  For newbies I thought it might be easy to find
something that inspired them.  Remember my favourite motto for such
occasions "If something it worth doing badly."  It takes courage to
say, "Well how about this?" knowing that someone else will come up
with an improvement.  The point is the "improvement" will never happen
until someone has the courage to give it a go.  That is the nature of
a support group like ASD.

Best wishes and thanks for braving the deep water.

 

This is indeed a tough one. Where to begin?

For me personally, you have helped me innumerable times to find
nutritional workarounds due to my inability to eat certain allergic
items. However, that's probably not relevant to what you are looking
for, so I'll go for more broad-based items.

Your posts on Zeaxanthin were very, very important to me. Prior to
your mention of it, I'd never heard of it, and I was utterly unaware
of the need for it, and the importance of orange peppers and orange
colors. Likewise, your posts on Omega-3's.

Your biggest impact on me, though, was to wake me up to the importance
of nutrition. I'd always been skeptical of advice to eat this or that,
as so often it never included the why or the how. Your posts, however,
changed that for me, because you explained HOW the various items
worked. You thereby ignited my interest in the details of nutrition.

Choosing one specific post, though, that's hard. Very hard. For me, I
suppose it would have to be your posts in the carotenoids thread, but
one above all, as it taught me a great deal about some foods I'd been
avoiding since Dx, especially apricots.
I've got a lot more posts to read through, so I may return to this
thread and add others, but for now, this one below is my pick.
 
This post not CC'd by email
On Sat, 07 Jan 2006 14:57:08 -0700, Chris J. <chris@noadress.com>
wrote:

G'day G'day Chris J,

It gets better.  Apricots are good source of alpha-carotene which
might well be ten times more effective than natural beta-carotene in
protecting lung tissue.

Don't get to fussed. The trick is optimal fussing.  Zeaxanthin is a
bit on the rare side in modern diets. However it must have been
possible to get sufficient in areas that never saw an orange capsicum
or any other capsicum for that matter.  How could this be.  Well
zeaxanthin lurks in intense green "vegetables"  I've used speech marks
because some of the best sources are often not thought of as
vegetables, rather green herbs eg cilantro, mint, basil, dill,
parsley. As I understand it humans before established agriculture
people ate in excess of one hundred different plants. Through the
seasons they ate a succession of plants perhaps escaping some
poisoning by moving on to the next plant before accumulating a
damaging dose of some antinutrient.  This has little to do with where
they got most of their calories. Greens are notorious for being low
calorie.  

Here is some data from Austria.  These were from a dietary survey to
assess the intake of these specific carotenoids by Austrians.
The implication is, if it ain't listed it didn't make a notable
contribution.  

I have attempted to find my original source which had the serving
size.  Sorry, after the better part of half an hour I gave up. For all
I know it might have been from average consumption figures though this
seems unlikely.

(They use , where we use a decimal point.)
                       Lut.   Zea.
Basil                   7,05   0,81
Broccoli                0,78   0,21
Cabbage Lettuce         2,49   0,73
Carrot                  0,49   0,11
Cucumber                0,84   0,64
Curled Lettuce          1,87   0,42
Dill                   13,82   3,81
Egg plant               0,17   0,08
French beans            0,76   0,13
Leek                    3,68   0,59
Lettuce, mixed          1,61   0,31
Lettuce, Grazer Krauth  0,36   0,09
Lettuce, Lollo Rosso    3,10   0,76
Lettuce, Radiccio       0,62   0,23
Parsley                 6,40   0,71
Pea                     1,91   0,85
Pepper, green           0,54   0,41
Pepper, hot             0,78   0,41
Pepper, violet          0,08
Pumpkin *               0,07   0,015
Pumpkin, Connecticut    0,55
Pumpkin, Hokkaido       5,99
Pumpkin, Mammut Gold    1,72
Sage                    6,35   1,21
Spinach                 5,93   2,07
Summer Squash           2,26   0,65
Tomato                  0,21   0,05
White Cabbage           0,45   0,091

First up notice

1. The sources are vegetables not bread, pasta etc

2. How the culinary herbs are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin.

                       Lut.   Zea.
Basil                   7,05   0,81
Dill                   13,82   3,81
Sage                    6,35   1,21
Parsley                 6,40   0,71

In a recent study, reported in the December 2004 issue of the Journal
of Nutrition, human eye cells were treated with several concentrations
of lutein, zeaxanthin or vitamin E, and exposed to ten seconds of
ultraviolet-beta radiation (UVB). UVB radiation is a wavelength of
sunlight that is believed to be responsible for cataract formation.
Pre-treatment of the eye cells with lutein and zeaxanthin inhibited
markers of UVB damage by 50-60%. Although vitamin E had a protective
effect in this study, lutein and zeaxanthin were nearly ten times more
powerful.

Spinach is a variable feast.  Some seems to have next to no zeaxanthin
according to some tables. The one below suggests a cup will near as
matters supply the 0.6 mg/day requirement EVEN IN THE WORST CASE. In
the best case it could provide more than a weeks supply.  To me it
makes sense to eat quiche.

Good Food Sources of Lutein and Zeaxanthin (mg/1 cup serving)
   
                 Lut. + Zea.     Lutein    Zeaxanthin
Kale              20.5 to 26.5                  1.1 to 2.2
Collard greens    15.3                          5.1
Spinach             3.8 to 12.6      2 to 13      0.5 to 6
Turnip greens     12                       0.4
Broccoli     2.1 to 3.5       1.4 to 1.6   
Corn, yellow      1.4 to 3.0       0.6    0.9
Peas, green       2.3              2.2
Orange pepper                                   1.7
Persimmons        1.4                           0.8
Tangerine         0.5                           0.2

Corn is a bit of a mystery.  It's polyphenol content is now thought to
have been wildly underestimated.  Polyphenols are the "lost" nutrients
that magically seem to recycle Vit C and Vit E naturally. I'm
wondering if the carb content calculated for corn meal is somehow way
too high.  There have been several reports he of T2s finding it OK to
eat.  

Best wishes,

<snip>

<snip>

Hi Quentin - and all.

Found it. I remember reminding you that you wrote this one a
year or two back - but it was definitely a "keeper" for me.
So I thought it deserved it's own thread under the original
title, which was chosen by Annette. As I said - I've been
eating onions and capsicums (peppers) ever since. And also
berries in season.

To give the context, I've included the two opening posts,
from Annette (T2, Australia) and Fester (Patrick, T1,
England).

It may be long to read in full, but I recommend this to all
who wish to maximise their chances for healthy eyes.

http://tinyurl.com/ftkhv or
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.support.diabetes/browse_frm/thread/c5eed0f3f9
90b965/65c41694402a8819?lnk=st&q=white+%22G'day+G'day%22+eye+group%3Aalt.support
.diabetes&rnum=1&hl=en#65c41694402a8819
Once again - thank you for not using x-no archive.

"From:        Annette
Date:        Tues, Nov 25 2003 9:51 pm

Hi there,

I saw the opthomologist yesterday for my yearly check up on
the condition of my eyes.

Just 18 mths ago there was considerable concern regarding
the condition of the maculata; - degeneration was
progressing to a dangerous degree, and the doctor was very
concerned.  It could have been either diabetic related or
aged related, but it was serious.

So I went looking for all I could find on anything that
might help slow the progression.  Firstly I found this
article:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2001/nei-12.htm

Which is a report on a research program which aimed to slow
the progress of Aged-related Macular Degeneration,  which
is;
"A breakdown of light-sensitive cells and supporting tissue
in the central retinal area (advanced dry form); or
Abnormal and fragile blood vessels under the retina that can
leak fluid or bleed (wet form).
These two forms of advanced AMD can cause serious vision
loss.

"Scientists found that people at high risk of developing
advanced stages of AMD, a leading cause of vision loss,
lowered their risk by about 25 percent when treated with a
high-dose combination of vitamin C, vitamin E,
beta-carotene, and zinc."

So that was a start.  I was in danger of loss of vision, and
increasing my intake of Vit E, Vit C, beta-carotene and zinc
might help.

Then I took notice of the importance of bioflavinoids in
protecting the eyes from damage - and many of those are
found in abundance in berries and other strongly coloured
vegetables.  I got really interested in bioflavinoids.

I didn't want to take a lot of supps, so instead started
including as many of those things that contain those
antioxidents and the bioflavinoids in my diet, OFTEN,  and
only took the zinc as a supplement.  I no longer take that
either, but instead eat quite a lot of almonds, which are
high in zinc.

OK, so I returned after 6 mths to the optho, fearing the
worst, and hoping that *maybe* the degeneration had slowed.
To my great surprise, it had not only stopped, but was
actually improving, so much so that I was told I should not
need to return for 12 mths, since there was no longer any
urgency.  My sight was no longer at risk.
The condition had not just stopped or slowed but seemed to
be in reversal.

Now it's another 12 mths later, 18mths since that first
scary dx, and the optho said the amount of degeneration was
so minute, it was trivial!  I could hardly believe it, and
had to ask him to repeat what he just said. He said with
emphasis "It's TRIVIAL!  I can barely see ANY degeneration!"

I wish to offer my profound thanks to Quentin, who first
drew my attention to the importance of the bioflavioids with
his posts to this group, and then guided me in my search for
the best sources of helpful nutriments in ordinary foods,
and offered many helpful ideas.  The results have been far
more than either of us even hoped.

So here's to Quentin, that patient and generous man who
offers this group so much, so quietly and unobtrusively, and
in easy to understand ways.  Keep your eyes in a healthy
"look out" for his posts.  Blink, and you might miss
something important.

Annette
"The best combination seems to be an open mind to new
possibilities backed by massive testing to ensure safety. I
care more about my life than giving some possible cure a
chance.
Frankly I like the Western approach of spending millions on
testing efficacy and safety.  Whether the cure is found in
sea cucumber or Amazonian rain forests is immaterial."
Quentin Grady

From:        Fester
Date:        Tues, Nov 25 2003 10:43 pm

Snippered ;)

Annette ... don't suppose you could be a love and post some
of the food items you've found that contain these
biothingies could you? I don't see any reason why i can't
include these things in my diet as a precursor to problems
that i might  have later on, if eating more of the right
stuff will help then i'm happy to give it a go.

Do things like carrots and stuff carry them, or do you need
stronger colourings such as beetroot?

Patrick.

From:        Quentin Grady
Date:        Wed, Nov 26 2003 5:53 am
<snip>

G'day G'day Fester, Annette et al,

Avoiding macular degeneration is multifactorial.  
It pays to tackle the issue as many ways as possible.
Not many team sports are won with a single defender.

1.  Control blood glucose tightly.  The eyes don't have
insulin receptors so don't require insulin to transfer
glucose into the eyes in the way muscles do.  What this
means if blood glucose is high then glucose rushes into the
eye just as the sea rushes into inlets when the tide is
high.

2.  Glucose in the eye can be converted to sorbitol by an
enzyme called aldose reductase.  Picture sorbitol like the
bloke with a black hat in a Western.  When the bloke on the
horse with a black hat rides into town something bad is
going to happen.  The sombre music tells you so.  You can't
be sure of which plot the Western will follow ...
there are only a few but something real bad is going to
happen when the black hatted guy rides in to the theme of
"Sorbitol, Sorbitol, Sorbitol who you gunna bowl?"  

Fortunately in Westerns worthy of the name there are blokes
who wear white hats, aldose reductase inhibitors, Ari for
short.   All good Westerns have a bit of tear jerking but it
better be brief so we can get on an enjoy the action.  In
the shoot out between Sorbitol and Ari, the tear jerking
element is onion.  Onion is an excellent source of
biologically available Quercetin. (Any resemblance to my own
name is entirely coincidental.)  Quercetin is an excellent
antioxidant great for curing hay fever ... told you this was
a tear jerker.  It doesn't matter if you fry up the onion in
a pan on a camp fire, Quercetin can take it just don't pour
it down the drain.  Whatever, Quercetin saves the day and
stops aldose reductase from converting glucose to Sorbitol
and your eyes are saved from numerous fates worse than
death.

3.  If you can't stop Sorbitol from riding around shooting
up things the next best thing is having him corralled in a
box canyon.  Enter stage left to great applause ... Taurine.
Taurine keeps sorbitol boxed up with osmotic pressure.
Taurine is an amino acid found in fish especially shellfish
and fish hearts etc, meat that hasn't been over cooked.  Eat
some green lipped mussels or sardines.  Steak that gallops
onto your plate has more taurine than one grilled to death.

4.  OK, Westerns were black and white but the audience
demanded more. They wanted colour.  Now at first the colours
weren't very good. People got a bit confused with their
colours and thought beta carotene from carrots were good for
eyes.  Bugs Bunny got a lot of good press when the real hero
was Olive Oil who no doubt nagged Popeye just a little bit
to eat his spinach.  Spinach looks green but it hides some
good yellow stuff called lutein (yellow) that protects the
peripheral regions of the eye from the ravages of blue and
ultraviolet light. Lutein does a wonderful job in providing
sunglasses INSIDE the eye. Young people need the sunglasses
effect of lutein because their eyes are clear. Older people
need the antioxidant effects of lutein because ... they are
old.  The clock of ages gallops for T2 diabetics who don't
take care.  Wait don't send money.  There is more.  Spinach
has a special bonus offer ... orange centres.  The central
foveal regions of the eyes NEED ORANGE ... a very special
orange.  Nah, not beta carotene.  Beta carotene is a
wannabe.  THE orange is zeaxanthin.  Now it is kind of
special. While lutein is in most things green or yellow
zeaxanthin is less widely distributed.  Spinach is often a
good source though it varies. So is open leaf cabbage ie
collards.

Orange capsicums are the ultimate source.  Persimmons are
excellent. In some countries the likely sources are going to
be the green culinary herbs eg dill, coriander, parsley. The
Mexicans have it nailed with marigold petals.

4.  Some general antioxidants help; bilberries, blue
berries, Vit E, astaxanthin (the pink stuff in salmon and
prawns.)  Lowering oxidative stress is smart thinking.

BUT remember there are no substitutes for lutein and
zeaxanthin for the sunscreen effects. Other bioflavanoids
will not do.

Carrots are great for lungs, its mostly the alpha carotene.
Beetroot has its benefits elsewhere but the post is already
long.

Adios Amigo.

By the way I have a gig on Thursday giving a speech to the
local
Rotary Club.  Twenty minutes on "Hilarious Nutrition."
Twenty minutes is a tough slot to say something meaningful
and be funny.

I'm thinking of nutrition for blokes.

This post not CC'd by email
On Sun, 05 Mar 2006 16:39:14 +1100, Alan S
<loralweightandcarbs@optusnet.com.au> wrote:

G'day G'day Alan,

I know the one you mean. That was one of my better ones.  While I was
in Cranford Hospice IIRC, Annette posted it. When I saw it I was
impressed. We all have our days when we are in a flow state and other
days when we aren't.   I reckon a lot of marriages would work better
if people's memories were eclectic for the best people can be.  There
ain't a word for it that I know, but self-inspiration comes close.

Best wishes,

Us too. In our household it has long been the case that when I serve
something with lots of onions and peppers, the Other Half will say,
"Quentin would approve!"

--Jenny

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes  Diabetes Info

http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/newlydiagnosed.htm Get Your Blood
Sugar Under Control

Will, what time is it where you are? Is it two or three in the morning?
I know you're in Virginia Beach, but dunno if you're 2 hours or 3 hours
ahead of us in CA. Here it is midnight, I'm drinking coffee with a shot
of Korbel Brandy, and listening to the Coyote song, since the CD came
today. :-)

--
Cheri

W.M.McKee wrote in message ...

This is the glory of the web. Yes, most people are content to get their
news from Fox and their "knowledge" from mass market publications
carefully edited to omit all words that won't spell check out at a 5th
grade reading level (I actually worked in a company where we had to run
all documentation through just such a spell checker to eliminate all
words that tested above the 5th grade reading level though our product
was sold to corporate managers!)

But when you put something more complex on the web, and give it to
Google to index, the people who can handle complex ideas and a mental
challenge do find it--which eliminates the need to address oneself to
the ignorant mass.

I find it extremely cheering that a bright person of any age, race, or
gender, anywhere in the world where they have web access, even one who
doesn't speak English, can find Quentin's posts, follow his arguments,
and track down his references.

And maybe even, someday, it will no longer be fashionable to be dumb in
public the way it is now. Fashions do change, and one can always hope.
I'm so old, I remember when teenaged boys used to brag about reading
intellectually complex books to impress girls!

--Jenny

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes  Diabetes Info

http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/newlydiagnosed.htm Get Your Blood
Sugar Under Control