Sauerkraut was TVP plus an un-related non-recipe TVP chunks Maida/Isos

[Guest guest]

On 1/25/06, Maidawg <maidawg wrote:

>

> Yes, it is high in salt. Like I said, definitely not health food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, I have another opinion on that. It is definitely on the rise in health

food. I found various types of it in the local health food stores here

<Santa Cruz, CA>. Has to be raw sauerkraut, not the processed variety.

Great stuff. Here's a good link......Lynn

 

http://www.midvalleyvu.com/Raw_Sauerkraut.html

 

Sauerkraut originated in China, where it is known as " kimchi " , about 2,000

years ago, about the same time the Great Wall of China was being built. The

laborers who built the Wall got their nourishment from rice and a type of

cabbage pickled in wine.

 

It wasn't until 1,000 years later that Genghis Khan brought back the recipe

for pickled cabbage, which his hordes then transported to Europe. The

Austrians coined this word, from sauer (sour) and kraut (greens or plants).

" ) then learned to omit the wine in the recipe, replacing it with salt.

Which gave us sauerkraut as we know it today. But we call them raw cultured

vegetables, because we don't want you to mistake them for the pasteurized

sauerkraut sold in supermarkets and even some health food stores. That kind

of sauerkraut is pasteurized. The pasteurization (heating) process destroys

precious enzymes, and the added processed salt eliminates any health

benefits.

 

Food preservation was done by the process of lacto-fermentation, rather than

canning or freezing. Lactic acid is a natural preservative that inhibits

pathogenic bacteria. Sugars and starches in vegetables and fruits are

converted into lactic acid by lactobacilli, which include many species of

bacteria, like acidophilus. The living lactobacilli in fermented foods

enhance digestibility and increase vitamin content. They produce many

helpful enzymes, antibiotics and anti-carcinogens. Lactic acid, their

by-product, promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine as

well as preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.

 

Lactobacilli and lactic acid contribute to the digestive process in two

ways: by supplying digestive juices that help break down the foods we eat

and by activating the metabolic events that transform them into new usable

substances for the body. Lactobacilli and lactic acid also provide benefits

such as stimulating the pancreas, reducing blood pressure, promoting healthy

sleep and helping alleviate constipation, just to name a few.

 

Our modern diets in which everything has been pasteurized, our heavy

reliance on antibiotics, and our consumption of commercial (non-organic)

animal products that are high in antibiotics have compromised the health of

our intestines. Recent increases in viruses, pathogenic yeasts and

intestinal parasites are telling us something: it's time for a return to the

health-promoting foods of generations past that restore our intestinal flora

and boost our immune systems.

 

Since they are an excellent source of Vitamin C, Dutch seamen used to carry

them to prevent scurvy. For centuries, the Chinese have cultured cabbage

each fall to ensure a source of greens through the winter (if they have no

refrigeration). Cultured vegetables are a favorite food of the long-lived

Hunzas. Yogurt ads lead us to believe that eating yogurt ensures a long

life, but it's really the active cultures of friendly bacteria

(lactobacilli) in the yogurt that are responsible for the health of these

people. Similarly, the friendly bacteria, the enzymes, and the high lactic

acid in raw cultured vegetables add to health and longevity.

 

Rsearchers found that the process of fermenting cabbage produces

isothiocyanates, a class of compounds that have been identified in previous

studies as potential cancer-fighting agents. In animal studies, the

compounds appear to prevent the growth of cancer, particularly in the

breast, colon, lung and liver, they say. No one knows yet whether the

compounds, which are not found in raw cabbage, have a similar effect in

humans. Further studies are needed.

 

" We are finding that fermented cabbage could be healthier than raw or cooked

cabbage, especially for fighting cancer, " says Eeva-Liisa Ryhanen, Ph.D.,

research manager of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, located in Jokioinen,

Finland. " We are now working on ways of optimizing the fermentation process

to make it even healthier so that consumers will eat more [sauerkraut]. "

 

In the current study, the researchers analyzed a variety of biologically

active compounds in sauerkraut. Their samples were derived from white

cabbage that was fermented.

 

Although raw cabbage is normally rich in a compound called glucosinolate,

the researchers found that during the fermentation process enzymes are

released that completely decompose the compound into several breakdown

products. The majority of these products are cancer-fighting

isothiocyanates.

 

Evidence for sauerkraut's anticancer effect is growing. Previous

epidemiological studies have reported that Polish women who move to the

United States have a higher incidence of breast cancer than those who remain

in Poland, a statistic that some scientists attribute to a higher

consumption of cabbage among the Polish women compared to their American

counterparts.

 

At least one study found evidence that compounds in sauerkraut could inhibit

estrogen, a hormone that can trigger the spread of breast cancer. The

specific compounds have not been identified, however.

 

Currently, the researchers are investigating the effect of different starter

cultures on the breakdown of glucosinolate. They hope the research may lead

to sauerkraut with a greater abundance of healthy compounds, boosting its

status as a functional (nutritious) food.

 

Besides anticancer compounds, the fermentation process also produces other

healthy compounds not found in raw cabbage. These include organic acids such

as lactic acid, which makes cabbage easier to digest. Although some loss in

nutrients may occur during fermentation, sauerkraut is still a good source

for vitamin C, certain minerals and dietary fiber, the researchers say.

 

Their work also adds to a growing number of studies demonstrating that

similar cruciferous vegetables (including broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels

sprouts) contain anticancer compounds.

 

 

*The Benefits of Cultured Vegetables*

 

- Raw cultured vegetables help reestablish your inner ecosystem.

 

 

- The friendly bacteria in raw cultured vegetables are a less

expensive alternative to probiotics....

 

 

- They improve digestion.

 

 

- Knowing the benefits of raw foods, you may have decided to include

raw vegetables with each meal. Cultured vegetables eliminate this concern,

since they are already pre-digested. This means that even before they enter

your mouth, the friendly bacteria have already converted the natural sugars

and starches in the vegetables into lactic acid, a job your own saliva and

digestive enzymes would do anyway.

 

 

- The enzymes in the cultured vegetables also help digest other foods

eaten with them.

 

 

- They increase longevity.

 

 

- You could think of the friendly bacteria in raw cultured vegetables

as little enzyme powerhouses. By eating the vegetables, you will maintain

your own enzyme reserve and use it to eliminate toxins, rejuvenate your

cells, and strengthen your immune system—which all adds up to a longer,

healthier life.

 

 

- They control cravings.

 

 

- Homemade cultured vegetables are ideal for appetite control and thus

weight control. The veggies help take away cravings for the sweet taste in

pastries, colas, bread, pasta, dairy, fruit, and other expansive foods not

on the Diet.

 

 

- They are ideal for pregnant and nursing women.

 

 

- Pregnant women should eat cultured vegetables to ensure their

ecosystems will be rich in friendly bacteria. The vegetables also help

alleviate morning sickness during the early part of the pregnancy. Once the

baby is born, the mother should continue eating the vegetables and drinking

the juice. And the liquid from the cultured vegetables can be fed to the

baby in tiny spoonfuls to relieve colic.

 

 

- Raw cultured vegetables are alkaline and very cleansing.

 

 

- They help restore balance if your body is in a toxic, acidic

condition. Because they do trigger cleansing, you may have an increase in

intestinal gas initially as the vegetables stir up waste and toxins in the

intestinal tract. Soon, however, you will notice an improvement in your

stools. To ease the discomfort of the gas, colonics and enemas are very

useful during this period.

 

 

- Babies love the juice or liquid found in salt-free cultured

vegetables....A child who is fed in this manner never has digestive

problems.

 

 

- One way to combat your sweet tooth [is to eat] lots of cultured

vegetables. Besides providing an abundance of friendly bacteria, these

enzyme-rich foods are a high-quality, alkaline, expansive food, which

balances out the more contracting animal proteins and salty foods that make

us crave acid-forming sugars.

 

 

- If you find yourself craving sweets, try the following before giving

in to the demands of your yeast: ... Eat one-half cup cultured vegetables.

 

 

- Vitamin and mineral supplements also can be mucus forming. It's

better to spend your money instead on raw cultured vegetables.

 

 

- Pregnant women would do well to...eat lots of cultured

vegetables....Nursing mothers of colicky babies have gotten relief from many

sleepless nights just by eating raw cultured vegetables....All babies

(especially necessary for bottle-fed babies) can be fed finy spoonfuls of

the juice of cultured vegetabes.

 

 

- Raw cultured vegetables are excellent because they are cleansing and

easily digested.

 

 

- Raw cultured vegetables [are] an excellent expansive food....These

enzyme-rich vegetables greatly enhance digestion of protein.

 

 

- Unsalted raw cultured vetetables...provide these important plant

enzymes. Remember, foods properly used balance our bodies.

 

 

- Menu Tip: Try oil-free, blue corn chips with...cultured vegetables

to reduce the drying, contracting effect of the chips.

 

 

- If you're constipated...eat...raw cultured vegetables.

 

 

- Include at least 1/4 cup of cultured vegetables with your morning

meals. Animal protein foods and grain dishes always digest better when eaten

with these enzyme-rich vegetables. No medicine can replace the benefit of

the friendly bacteria they create.

 

 

 

 

 

 

>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

It is definitely on the rise in health

> food. I found various types of it in the local health food stores

here

> <Santa Cruz, CA>. Has to be raw sauerkraut, not the processed

variety.

> Great stuff.

 

 

We found a brand called Rejuvenative Foods and tried the caraway

kimchi that was amazing!! $10 for a jar though...Yikes!

 

www.rejuvenative.com

 

Shelly

[Guest guest]

I second the Rejuvenative Foods!! Not sure the caraway is salt-free

(mine is; caraway and cabbage are friends), but they are one of the

few companies offering salt-free kimchi and sauerkraut.

 

Delicious!

-Erin

 

 

, " Shelly " <anislandgirl@c...> wrote:

>

> It is definitely on the rise in health

> > food. I found various types of it in the local health food stores

> here

> > <Santa Cruz, CA>. Has to be raw sauerkraut, not the processed

> variety.

> > Great stuff.

>

>

> We found a brand called Rejuvenative Foods and tried the caraway

> kimchi that was amazing!! $10 for a jar though...Yikes!

>

> www.rejuvenative.com

>

> Shelly

>

[Guest guest]

, " cronzen " <truepatriot@m...>

wrote:

>

> I second the Rejuvenative Foods!! Not sure the caraway is salt-free

 

Erin,

You are right. Rejuvenative foods Caraway kimchi is not salt free. I

just checked as I ate the last of my $10 jar

 

Shelly