Importance of Zinc in the Diet and other Updates

Zinc is an essential nutrient very important in many aspects of human metabolism. Adults males need 13 mg of zinc per day and adult females need 8 mg per day. Zinc deficiency can result in stunted growth and / or delayed sexual maturity.

Nuts, potatoes, and beans are all high in zinc, however, most fruits and vegetables contain some zinc and a varied daily diet will most likely ensure that the RDA is achieved. The standard daily vitamin contains around 7.5 mg, so if you're on a one-a-day, it won't take much at all to achieve your daily goal.

World Cup Animal Sacrifice Update

I posted yesterday about the breaking news regarding South Africa's decision to potentially have animal sacrifice rituals at each of the ten stadiums that will host the 2010 World Cup of soccer. As I expected, the issue has exploded fast. I have found one petition site that is trying to put pressure on the World Cup officials to deny this request for such a barbaric and immoral act. Click here to go to that site.

New Recipe In Progress

I started meddling with a new guacamole recipe today and though it is not perfect, I thought I'd share it with you and if anyone can add the perfecting touch to it, let me know. Basically, it's a mix of raw, mashed avocados, a small tin of tomato paste, and a tiny jar of marinated artichoke hearts.
I only used two avocados because despite the fact I have a tray full of avocados in the fridge, only two were ripe enough to be mashed with ease. I didn't add the juice from the marinated artichokes but did save the juice for another cooking venture. I added my garlic powder, black pepper and celery salt in unmeasured doses.
So basically, I ate it all and my stomach had no complaints. I spread it on crackers and it certainly made the staleness of the open package of crackers much more bearable. It could use about two more avocados to weaken the tin of tomato paste. The addition of lemon juice would probably add to the final product. I also think next time, very thinly diced mushrooms will be involved.
Guacamole is one of the vegan highlights of the world. There are literally thousands of variations to be found on the internet and with the magical taste and versatility of the avocado, it is very hard to find a variation that doesn't work.

For A Great Read...

Check out this website. http://tynan.net/ . Tynan is a very interesting cat living a nomad or vagabond lifestyle. He lives out of an RV when in North America and out of a backpack when anywhere else in the world. And yes, he is a vegan. He has produced an e-book that can be downloaded from his site for a donation you deem appropriate. The book covers how to be a nomad. Even if that is not your plan, there is great advice on how to travel cheaply and efficiently and how to embrace a minimalist lifestyle.

Essential Nutrients - Part I

essential nutrients
This is the first in a series of post discovering the essential nutrients that the body needs. I am not a nutritionist and everything I post on nutrition is something I've researched and learned about quite recently. If anyone spots something that is not correct or can add anything to the discussion, please do so.
Today, we'll take a look at vitamin A, C, D, E and K. We'll look at why each is essential to our good health and what foods can provide us with a substantial amount of these vitamins. For my list of power foods, high in essential nutrients, see this post.

Vitamin A

Is essential for:

• maintaining the immune system
• maintains vision
• differentiation of cells

Plant based foods providing Vitamin A:

• carrots
• apricots
• pumpkin
• sweet potatoes
• red pepper
• melons

Vitamin C

Is essential for:

• the formation and maintenance of connective tissue
• essential for amino acid metabolism
• protects the system from chemicals

Plant based foods providing vitamin C:

• red pepper
• broccoli
• brussels sprouts
• cauliflower
• kale

Vitamin D

Is essential for:

• helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus

Plant based foods providing vitamin D:

• no plant based foods naturally contain vitamin D, however, we can absorb plenty enough from sunlight, even on a cloudy day to meat our requirements

Vitamin E

Is essential for:

• having an anti-oxidant effect and clearing free radicals from the body
• improves blood glucose metabolism - great for diabetics
• keeps arteries from clogging by not allowing bad cholesterol to oxidize
• helps speed up the healing process for cuts

Plant based foods containing vitamin E:

• sunflower seeds
• almonds
• broccoli
• soybean
• kiwi
• mango
• spinach

Vitamin K

Is essential for:

• helping blood to clot
• helps regulate flow of calcium to tissue and to bones
• keeps calcium out of the arteries

Plant based foods containing vitamin K:

• beet greens
• swiss chard
• collards
• romaine lettuce
• kale