Tag: pumpkin

Tryptophan

Today’s post is about Tryptophan.

In our last post about Depression, Scott mentioned that the nutrients we need for good mental health include vitamin B6, tryptophan, zinc, iron and folate. So, today we are going to focus on tryptophan.

So, what is it?

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning that it cannot be produced in the body and so must come from food.

It plays a fundamental role in human nutrition and health and is required for normal growth. The body uses it to create several bioactive compounds including vitamin B6, serotonin and melatonin. It is required for the production and maintenance of the body’s proteins, muscles, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. The liver can also use tryptophan to produce niacin (vitamin B3), which is needed for energy metabolism and DNA production.

Its role in animal and human health can therefore impact on many diseases and conditions.

What is the connection to mental health?

Being one of the main building blocks for serotonin it is quite important to have a plentiful supply. It is a natural sedative and is one reason that you feel sleepy after a big meal of protein like turkey at Christmas. Research has also shown that if you have a low-tryptophan diet, brain serotonin levels drop.

Tryptophan can potentially be used by the body for a lot of different things but most of them lead back to serotonin, so lets have a look.

Because tryptophan helps make serotonin, which is responsible for things like arousal, perception, pain and mood, anything in those areas can be altered by tryptophan. For example, if you are trying to give up smoking, taking tryptophan supplements may help to reduce the cravings by changing your perception. In addition, low amounts of tryptophan in the body may contribute to depression and sleep disorders.

Serotonin also mixes with something called Sam-e to make melatonin that is a big player in the sleep wake cycle. Theoretically it can even be used to help with ADHD as low serotonin can show as poor impulse control.

Can diet make a difference ?

Tryptophan is commonly found in foods that contain protein. Although meat is often a key source of protein for many people, there are also many vegetarian and vegan sources as well as a supplement in powder form.

Interestingly if you suffer from fructose mal-absorption then this can reduce the levels of tryptophan that is available for use.

The following foods are good sources of tryptophan:

Salmon, Poultry, Eggs, Spinach, Seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame & sunflower), Milk, Nuts and Soy products.

So ensuring that your diet contains a variety of these foods can assist in maintaining your body’s levels of this essential amino acid.

 

It is easy to see that within the human body one little thing leads to another and then another. The body is a tangled web of neurotransmitters, enzymes, proteins and things that all interact with each other.

Tryptophan can react with a large number of other substances including herbal remedies so as always consult a professional before taking. Side effects can include tiredness, heartburn, GIT upset and headaches.

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper

Pumpkin, Melons and Squash

Todays post is about Pumpkin, Melons and Squash. My friend told me an interesting fact about these guys, so I decided to research further. What I found out is that the Latin name for all these food items collectively is the Cucurbitaceae family. It is also called the gourd family and they are all categorised as fruits. This plant family includes roughly 975 species of food and ornamental plants.
About the family
Interestingly, all Curcurbitaceae plants are vines, usually with rather rough, hairy, toothed leaves with the fruit developing on a short stem. Some species are recorded as being among the earliest cultivated plants. This group also has one of the highest percentages of species used as human food. These include cucumbers, melons, watermelons, pumpkins, squash, and many others. There are also some fruits grown for use as ornaments and containers, and some are used for medicinal applications and other purposes.
Pumpkin and Squash
These are some of the most common members of this family. Though the word ‘pumpkin’ is confusing as any hard-skinned squash could be called a pumpkin. It seems that there’s no botanical distinction that makes a pumpkin a pumpkin. Both are fruits that grow on a vine and belong to the same family. They just belong to different groups within that family. Although the differences between a pumpkin and squash are not obvious, there are several differences between them if you look closely.
What are the differences?
One difference between pumpkin and squash is the stems. Pumpkin has a stem that is hard and jagged. The stem of a squash is light and hollow. Squash grows in various shapes and sizes, however pumpkin has generally a more round shape. Both are high-nutrient foods, however there are some notable differences between the two.
  • A cup of unprocessed, cooked squash has:
82 calories 8 grams of protein 18 grams of fat 50 grams of carbohydrates Contains high levels of vitamin A, B6 and magnesium
  • A cup of unprocessed, cooked pumpkin has:
49 calories 76 grams of protein 17 grams of fat 1 gram of carbohydrates Contains high levels of vitamin A, E and potassium
Where do melons fit in?
So melons aren’t squash or pumpkin however they are still part of the very large Cucurbitaceae plant family. Squash and pumpkin are just part of a different group, which also includes gourds. The word melon refers to both the fruit and the plant that it comes from. The most defining feature of a melon comes from its sweet and fleshy fruit. Some common melons in this group include cantaloupe, honeydew and sugar melons. On a side note, watermelon, one of the most popular varieties of melon, is in even another group. Many of the fruits of this family look very similar when young, but the differences show as they mature. As they mature the melons have a dramatic decrease in starch content, develop higher moisture content, and more sugars. So, as you can see, the watermelon, squash, pumpkin and melon are all part of the same big family. However, each has it’s own genus or group. I hope you found this information interesting. Till the next post, Live clean n prosper (Sources – Ask any Difference, Science Direct, Wikipedia, Britannica, The Cookful )  

Moroccan style Lamb Shanks with Pumpkin

Today I’m sharing a slow cooker recipe using lamb shanks.
After my last post on slow cooking, I have had a request for an easy, healthy recipe.
So I thought I would share this one for Moroccan style Lamb Shanks with Mashed Pumpkin.

I found this recipe in a Coles magazine and it is really tasty. I made very few changes to it.

Usually I adapt it to feed 2 and that is how I will share it today.

Moroccan Style Lamb Shanks with Mashed Pumpkin

Serves 2 – Cooking time is 8 hours

Ingredients

2 Lamb Shanks
1 400g tin diced tomatoes
½ red onion – sliced
2 garlic cloves – crushed
1 red chilli – sliced or whole (we left the chilli whole and removed it on serving)
2 bay leaves
1 tbs cumin seeds (or ground)
1 tbs coriander seeds (or ground)
juice & zest of 1 lemon

approx. 400g pumpkin – peeled and diced
1 tbs butter
Mint & parsley leaves – chopped to serve

Method

* If you have a large enough pan, you may choose to brown the shanks first, which we didn’t.

Brown the onion in a fry pan, and then add it to the slow cooker.
Place the cumin & coriander seeds in a mortar & pestle and break down into a powder.
Add to the slow cooker, along with the garlic, chilli, lemon, bay leaves and tomatoes.

Stir to combine, and then add the lamb shanks, ensuring to spoon some of the tomato mixture over them.
Cover and cook on low or auto (depending on your cooker) till the meat is starting to fall off the bone.
If the tomato sauce is too thin, leave the lid off your cooker and turn it up to high for approx. 30 minutes till it thickens.

Bake or steam the pumpkin till soft.
Mash well, mixing in butter and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Place the pumpkin mash into bowls and top with lamb mixture.
Sprinkle a mix of chopped parsley and mint to serve.

I hope you enjoy eating this tasty, healthy meal perfect for a cold evening.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper