What is in your cup?

[dreams]

desertblues

I love reading your traveling posts. You give us a little picture of what it is like in other countries. I hope it is not too suffocating in the veil. Stay safe, have fun, and buy lots of stuff.

@ Stitchawl - I love that cute little pic of all the little backpacks in a line. They are all matching except for each child's special little thermos.

[GeoffC]

Black Coffee ....

[astra]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

The magazines also say that Green tea helps prevent cancer... Japan is now leading the world in the rate of stomach cancer, and the local governments provide FREE stomach cancer checkups (complete with barium cocktails and x-rays) for everyone EVERY YEAR. I guess they don't believe the magazines.

I have been thinking about it.
I think there is a problem in Japan that is related either to food, environment, life style, genes or something else.
Maybe if Japanese didn't drink so much green tea the situation would be worse.
Maybe Japanese style of making green tea (which is different from Chinese) reduces beneficial properties of green tea as it was originally invented by Chinese.
Maybe Japanese green tea is the cause of the problem in the first place?
Maybe all of the above is a load of BS, pardon my French
It is just unusual that a specific, very isolated in many aspects, country has the highest stomach cancer rate. There must be a source/reason for this.

What I am trying to say is that scientists who claim that green tea might help to prevent cancer could be right. Japanese's stomach cancer rate is not a good enough factor to disregard the researches about green tea.

Originally Posted by desertblues

Travelling in Iran is turning the clock some decades back. Like travel behind.

I love your reports



White yogurt, water so far in the office.
By the way, I loved the mug of Lapacho I had in the office yesterday. Maybe because it is a tisane it is less sensitive to water quality.

[beppe]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Ahmad tea. English tea nr 1. In my cup. I put a teabag in a porcelain teapot, half filled with boiling water and let it steep for a few minutes, until it was goldbrown. Taste: mellow. I like it.

Travelling in Iran is turning the clock some decades back. ...
Tomorrow we' ll be leaving for Astara, near the border with Azerbeidjan. The weather is nice today.

wonderful travelling letter.

[beppe]

Originally Posted by astra

It is just unusual that a specific, very isolated in many aspects, country has the highest stomach cancer rate. There must be a source/reason for this.

Never been to Japan, I eat very seldom Japanese food, although every time I went to a Japanese eatery I enjoyed the experience no end. Less so when it was me fronting the bill ...

Nevertheless. I think that they eat very salty food. And much much soy related food.
Isn't that so?

[astra]

Originally Posted by beppe

Never been to Japan, I eat very seldom Japanese food, although every time I went to a Japanese eatery I enjoyed the experience no end. Less so when it was me fronting the bill ...

Nevertheless. I think that they eat very salty food. And much much soy related food.
Isn't that so?

I honestly don't know. To my shame, I am pretty much ignorant.



A cup of Twinings English Breakfast.

[beppe]

Originally Posted by astra

By the way, I loved the mug of Lapacho I had in the office yesterday. Maybe because it is a tisane it is less sensitive to water quality.

A drink that is definitely less sensitive to water quality is Pastis. The anis based French apero. Not good for work, unless you are in Holland or some places in Belgium where at 5 pm they used to let people have a drink at work. I mean all of them had, someone a few. There exists alcohol free variants that are not that bad.
You might be induced to try an anis cordial, what Iridal calls teisseire.

Some time I put in the flat water few drops of vinegar, with the dismay of our self proclaimed side watcher. An aromatic vinegar, like elderberry. That's the best I found up to now.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by dreams

@ Stitchawl - I love that cute little pic of all the little backpacks in a line. They are all matching except for each child's special little thermos.

Everyone matches in Japan. Every woman wears the same company uniform in EVERY company, (almost) every school child wears the same uniform... Jr.High girls all wear sailor suits, etc. High school girls all wear the same plaid skirt and sport jacket, etc... The have a saying here;
"The nail that sticks up must be hammered down." No one is an individual.

Originally Posted by astra

I have been thinking about it.
I think there is a problem in Japan that is related either to food, environment, life style, genes or something else.

Personally... I think it's the frantic lifestyle.

Maybe if Japanese didn't drink so much green tea the situation would be worse.

Most likely. There is no doubt that green (and black teas too) contain anti-oxidants, and those have been indicated (though not proven) to help prevent cancer.

What I am trying to say is that scientists who claim that green tea might help to prevent cancer could be right.

They are! Green tea is high in 'anti-oxidants.' Anti-oxidants are important in cancer prevention. But... ALL GREEN PLANTS AND VEGETABLES are high in anti-oxidants. Roasted peanuts are 5x higher in anti-oxidants than tea, as are strawberries and blackberries.

Green Tea is no higher than;
Kale, chili pepper, red cabbage, peppers, parsley, artichoke, Brussels sprouts, spinach, lemon, ginger, red beets.
Berries (Cherry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, crowberry, blueberry, bilberry/wild blueberry, black currant), pomegranate, grape, orange, plum, pineapple, kiwi fruit, grapefruit. Apricots, prunes, dates.
Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, ground nut or peanuts, sunflower seeds.
etc., etc., etc....

So it's not that the scientists are 'wrong.' It's that people are led to believe that green tea is some miracle cancer preventative. It's not. It just contains the anti-oxidants that are helpful in preventing cancer. Green tea helps. So does an apple or a potato.

If you REALLY want to try to prevent cancer via anti-oxidants, eat more red beans and some berries! Look at the list below.

List of 20 Best Foods High in Antioxidants

In the table below, the foods antioxidant power is given as per their serving sizes.
1 Beans/Legumes Red Beans (dried) Half cup 13727
2 Fruit, Berry Wild blueberry 1 cup 13427
3 Beans/Legumes Red kidney beans (dried) Half cup 13259
4 Beans/Legumes Pinto beans Half cup 11864
5 Fruit, Berry Blueberry 1 cup 9019
6 Fruit, Berry Cranberry 1 cup (whole) 8983
7 Vegetable Artichoke (cooked) 1 cup (hearts) 7904
8 Fruit, Berry Blackberry 1 cup 7701
9 Fruit Prune Half cup 7291
10 Fruit, Berry Raspberry 1 cup 6058
11 Fruit, Bery Strawberry 1 cup 5938
12 Fruit Red Delicious apple One 5900
13 Fruit Granny Smith apple One 5381
14 Nut Pecan 1 ounce 5095
15 Fruit, Bery Sweet cherry 1 cup 4873
16 Fruit Black plum One 4844
17 Vegetable Russet potato (cooked) One 4649
18 Beans/Legumes Black beans (dried) Half cup 4181
19 Fruit Plum One 4118
20 Fruit Gala apple One 3903

Green tea One cup 350


Stitchawl

[beppe]

Originally Posted by astra

I honestly don't know. To my shame, I am pretty much ignorant.

Sure. Very nicely though.

I am just baiting our Japanese correspondent.

Ooops. no need.

[beppe]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

In the table below, the foods antioxidant power is given as per their serving sizes.
1 Beans/Legumes Red Beans (dried) Half cup 13727
2 Fruit, Berry Wild blueberry 1 cup 13427
3 Beans/Legumes Red kidney beans (dried) Half cup 13259
4 Beans/Legumes Pinto beans Half cup 11864
5 Fruit, Berry Blueberry 1 cup 9019
6 Fruit, Berry Cranberry 1 cup (whole) 8983
7 Vegetable Artichoke (cooked) 1 cup (hearts) 7904
8 Fruit, Berry Blackberry 1 cup 7701
9 Fruit Prune Half cup 7291
10 Fruit, Berry Raspberry 1 cup 6058
11 Fruit, Bery Strawberry 1 cup 5938
12 Fruit Red Delicious apple One 5900
13 Fruit Granny Smith apple One 5381
14 Nut Pecan 1 ounce 5095
15 Fruit, Bery Sweet cherry 1 cup 4873
16 Fruit Black plum One 4844
17 Vegetable Russet potato (cooked) One 4649
18 Beans/Legumes Black beans (dried) Half cup 4181
19 Fruit Plum One 4118
20 Fruit Gala apple One 3903

Green tea One cup 350

I put all of these on the table, well maybe not the Gala apples, so I score 19/20.
Thank you. K for you

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by beppe

Never been to Japan, I eat very seldom Japanese food, although every time I went to a Japanese eatery I enjoyed the experience no end. Less so when it was me fronting the bill ...

Nevertheless. I think that they eat very salty food. And much much soy related food.
Isn't that so?

Salty foods, lots and lots of deep fried foods, plenty of soy products...

'Shio-yaki' - a small fish coated in salt and broiled. Eaten several times a week.
'Tsukemono' - salty pickled veggies, eaten several times a day

'Tempura' - need I say more?

Deep fried shrimp, pork cutlets, chicken, fish, mashed potato patties mixed with shrimp, or pork, chicken, fish, corn, etc. Eaten daily

Tofu - soy bean curd, eaten daily.
Soy milk, Natto - fermented soy beans

Sugar is added to almost every cooked dish.

Salt, grease, and sugar! That's why I've stayed so long! I love it!

After 20+ years here, I'm still waiting to see the healthy food... Japan must have the greatest PR man in history. People believe that Japanese food is so healthy, that Japanese are so skinny, and Japanese women are all trained like Geisha. I believed it too... until I moved here.

It took me a while to get the women trained...

Stitchawl

[rhadin]

For those of you who like to drink tea and have the water at the correct temperature, I recommend the Cuisinart Variable Temperature Kettle (the link is to a review of the kettle). For tis past holiday season, I bought one for myself and one for my daughter.

I had read in numerous articles that the ideal water temperature for tea was generally less than boiling so that the leaves weren't "burnt" by the water. Having used this kettle now for the past 4 months, I agree that steeping at the correct temperature does make a difference in taste.

The list price is high, but I found it on sale and paid less than $100 for each kettle I bought.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

List of 20 Best Foods High in Antioxidants

In the table below, the foods antioxidant power is given as per their serving sizes.
1 Beans/Legumes Red Beans (dried) Half cup 13727

{SNIP}

20 Fruit Gala apple One 3903

Green tea One cup 350

Could it be...mind you, speaking somebody who has no clue what he is talking about, could it be that the ways antioxidants are absorbed are different and it depends on the source?
I am going to attempt to explain myself. You are prescribed a medicine. Even the same medicine might be administered differently. For example, swallowing a tablet, putting a tablet behind your upper lip and let it dissolve there, dissolving a tablet in a glass of water, drinking syrup, injection, etc.

Maybe, some people concentrate on green tea benefits because that way antioxidants are better digested or digested in the more appropriate places?

Sorry if it sounds silly

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by rhadin

For those of you who like to drink tea and have the water at the correct temperature, I recommend the Cuisinart Variable Temperature Kettle (the link is to a review of the kettle). For tis past holiday season, I bought one for myself and one for my daughter.

That's a nice looking kettle! Shame they don't make it in a four liter size. I like the idea of having six different presets. The kettle I use only has three. I like the fact that I don't have to lift it to dispense the water, just push a button. I also NEED it to be four liters or I'd be refilling it after just about every mug! But I do wish it had more presets.

Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by astra

Could it be...mind you, speaking somebody who has no clue what he is talking about, could it be that the ways antioxidants are absorbed are different and it depends on the source?
I am going to attempt to explain myself. You are prescribed a medicine. Even the same medicine might be administered differently. For example, swallowing a tablet, putting a tablet behind your upper lip and let it dissolve there, dissolving a tablet in a glass of water, drinking syrup, injection, etc.

Maybe, some people concentrate on green tea benefits because that way antioxidants are better digested or digested in the more appropriate places?

Sorry if it sounds silly

Doesn't sound silly at all! You've raised a very valid point. I don't think I've ever seen anything written that addresses the way anti-oxidants are absorb in the body. All I know is that they latch on to the free radicals in the blood stream so they can't affect the body in a negative manner. You could be on to something important. It's a shame we don't have a good physiologist here to help us out!

But just to play safe, I'm going to have another cup of tea right now! And as my reading has led me to believe that black teas have almost as much anti-oxidants as green, I'm going to make myself a cup of Assam from the East India Company!

Stitchawl