What is Tofu?
Diet Nutrition
Tofu is soybean curd. Tofu has a high protein content, is rich in iron, calcium and B vitamins. Tofu is available in various forms. Silken tofu is the softest and is best for mashing, blending for dips, dressings and sauces.

Firm tofu is a heavily pressed version with a dense texture like firm cheese. Firm tofu can be cubed, sliced and marinated. Tofu is a great low-calorie replacement for meat in stir-fries, stews and casseroles.

You can buy tofu smoked, marinated or braised. Tofu has no flavor of its own but absorbs the flavor of sauces in which it is cooked or marinated.

Calories in Tofu:
Raw (firm) 1/2 cup = 185 calories.
Raw (regular) 1/2 cup = 94 calories.
Hinoichi Chinese 40z/100g = 70 calories.

What are seaweeds?

In Europe and North America, many claims have been made for the effectiveness of seaweeds on human health. It has been suggested, amongst other things, that seaweeds have curative powers for tuberculosis, arthritis, colds and influenza, worm infestations, and may even improve one's attractiveness to the opposite sex. Digenea (Ceramiales; Rhodophycota) produces an effective vermifugal agent (kainic acid). Recently, aqueous extracts from two red algae belonging to the family Dumontiaceae have been found to inhibit the herpes simplex virus but no tests have been carried out on humans. Carrageenans have been patented as anti-viral agents. Many of the reported medicinal effects of marine algae have not been substantiated. Corallina is being used used in bone-replacement therapy. Stein & Borden (1984) provide a more extensive review.

Some kelps may have polysaccharides that apparently reduce the incidence of breast cancer.

Four seaweeds are commonly used in Chinese medicine:

  • The kelps Saccharina japonica and Ecklonia kurome as sources of kunbu (Saccharina (formerly Laminaria is sometimes called haidai, to distinguish it from Ecklonia and other sources)

  • Sargassum, a brown algae, as the source of haizao; Sargassum is a large genus and several species seem to be in use.

  • Porphyra, a red algae, as the source of zicai

Saccharina and Sargassum have been used in China for the treatment of cancer. Inhibition of cancerous tumours in animals seems to be caused by long-chained polysaccharides. Dry Saccharina stipes have long been used in obstetrics to dilate the cervix and were known as "Laminaria tents" (Stein & Borden, 1984); the dry stipe slowly takes up water and expands; such stipes are also used in China for the insertion of intrauterine devices.

According to Chinese medicine, seaweeds have a salty taste that is an indication that the material can disperse phlegm accumulation, particularly as it forms soft masses, include goitre, the thyroid swelling that indicates severe iodine deficiency. The following are descriptions of seaweeds from Oriental Materia Medica:

  • Kunbu (Saccharina and Ecklonia) (Kombu in Japan)

    • Essence and Flavor: Salty, Cold

    • Channel Entered: Liver, Stomach, Kidney

    • Actions: Softens hardness, disperses accumulation, resolves phlegm, cleanses heat

    • Applications: Scrofula, goiter, tumor, edema, accumulation, testicular pain and swelling

  • Haizao (Sargassum) (Hiziki in Japan; generally Sargassum fusiforme, but other sargassi are used in China)

    • Essence and Flavor: Bitter, Salty, Cold

    • Channel Entered: Liver, Stomach, Kidney

    • Actions: Disperses accumulated phlegm, disperses goiter and tumor, delivers water, cleanses heat

    • Applications: Scrofula, goitre, tumor, edema, testicular pain and swelling

  • Zicai (Porphyra) (Nori in Japan)

    • Essence and Flavor: Sweet, Salty, Cold

    • Channel Entered: Lung

    • Actions: Resolves phlegm, softens hardness, dispels heat, promotes diuresis

    • Applications: Goiter, beriberi (leg swelling), edema, urinary infection, sore throat

The descriptions for kunbu and haizao are quite similar. Yang Yifan wrote about the differences between these commonly used seaweeds: Haizao and Kunbu are salty and cold, and enter the liver, lung, and kidney meridians. Both can clear heat, transform phlegm, soften hardness, and dissipate nodules. They can also promote urination and reduce edema. In clinical practice, they are often used together to treat nodules such as goiter and scrofula. There are some differences between the two seaweeds. Haizao is stronger in transforming phlegm and dissipating nodules, and it is more suitable for treating goiter and scrofula. Kunbu is stronger in softening hardness and reducing congealed blood; it is more suitable for treating liver-spleen enlargement, liver cirrhosis, and tumors. One of the best known formulas with the seaweeds is Haizao Yuhu Tang, or the Sargassum Decoction for the Jade Flask. This formula of 12 ingredients includes Sargassum, Ecklonia, and Saccharina. It was used to treat a condition of goitre which was so severe it made the throat look like a large flask. However, these seaweeds have been adopted into formulas for treating other soft swellings, including ovarian cysts, breast lumps, lymph node swellings, lipomas, and fat accumulation from simple obesity (modified from http://www.itmonline.org/arts/seaweed.htm).

Do you enjoy eating green seaweed salad when you dine at your favorite sushi restaurant?  I certainly do!  Request a seaweed salad next time & you may find a new delightful addition to your dining experience!

 

 
What does Organic mean?
 

Organic foods are produced according to certain production standards. For crops, it means they were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human waste, or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without ionizing radiation or food additives. For animals, it means they were reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified.

Increasingly, organic food production is legally regulated. Currently, the United States, the European Union, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain organic certification in order to market food as organic.

Historically, organic farms have been relatively small family-run farms – which is why organic food was once only available in small stores or farmers' markets. Now, organic foods are becoming much more widely available — organic food sales within the United States have grown by 17 to 20 percent a year for the past few years while sales of conventional food have grown at only about 2 to 3 percent a year. This large growth is predicted to continue, and many companies are jumping into the market.

Modern developments

The prices for organic food have been, and continue to be, higher than their conventional counterparts. This is because farmers who grow organic food have to meet stricter quality standards to have their products certified organic. More labor is required to achieve this, bringing up the cost.

Since the 1980's there has been a growth trend in supermarkets that carry large volumes of organic food. This includes Whole Foods Market in the US, and Waitrose in the UK. With large volume sales, these retailers have been bringing the price of organic food down.

In the United States the pressure to bring the cost down will vastly increase soon because in 2006, Wal-Mart, the largest grocery retailer, announced plans to increase the amount of organic food available in its stores. Both conventionally grown and organic versions of certain products will be available, but Wal-Mart intends to keep the price of the organic versions to no more than 10% over the price of the conventionally grown counterparts.

Because of Wal-Mart's size and business practices, their move into selling organic food has some people worried.  Specifically, the increase in demand for organic food will require that more organic produce be imported. Secondly, the push to lower prices might "virtually guarantee that Wal-Mart's version of cheap organic food is not sustainable".

 


 
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