• Build tissue proteins (collagen, elastin, etc.)
• Build plasma proteins (albumin, prealbumin)
• Make hormones
• Make digestive enzymes
• Make nitrogen-containing compounds such as neurotransmitters

The above are just a few of the functional uses of amino acids. It has been suggested that the origin of the word Protein is from the ancient Greek word, proteos, meaning “first,” or “of first quality.” This is fitting, judging by how many biochemical processes protein takes part in.

If you’re having trouble remembering and categorizing these amino acids, here are some mnemonic devices to help jog your memory. Check out the iPhone application below as well:

Essential Amino Acids

• I.L.L.-ness May Permeate Throughout The Veteran Hospital
• Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine, Histidine

Non-essential Amino Acids

• Amino Acids Are Absolutely Great. Go, Sexy Proteins, Go.
• Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic acid, Asparagine, Glutamic acid, Glutamine, Serine, Proline, Glycine

Conditionally Essential Amino Acids

• Cold Turkey
• Cysteine, Tyrosine

iPhone Application

Hopefully this will help you remember them. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, check out the iAmino application by Banana Glue. It will set you back $1.99, but it’s well worth the price. The application gives you the option to sort the amino acids by Name, Polarity, Acidity, and more. If you want to delve deeper into a specific amino acid, there is a link to its Wikipedia entry. Some screenshots of the application are below:

What are you doing to learn these? Share your strategies in the comments below.

It’s no secret that the world is getting fatter. What used to be a thought of as a growing problem for Americans, obesity is quickly becoming a concern for the entire world. People spend hundreds of dollars each year on products that are supposed to help them lose weight. Along with this, they are also spending hundreds of dollars on products that may be contributing to their weight gain.

Recent media attention has been placed on high fructose corn syrup. Some people say that it is responsible for making us fat. While scientists have yet to pinpoint a single cause for weight gain, several studies have shown a relationship between fructose and an increased risk for weight gain. Fructose is a natural sugar, which is present in most fruits. In light of the negative attention given to high fructose corn syrup, one has to wonder if an apple-a-day really can keep the doctor away.

What is high fructose corn syrup?

Fructose by itself is naturally found in many fruits. High fructose corn syrup is a type of sugar that is used in many foods. Because it is inexpensive, lots of companies are using high fructose corn syrup instead of sugar in many of their products. Just like sugar, it can be added to foods and drinks to make them taste sweeter. It is found in everything from soda to ketchup to hard candy. Let’s first take a look at how these two sweeteners are the same.

Fructose and Glucose make Sucrose

Sugar and high fructose corn syrup are made up of the same two ingredients. These are called glucose and fructose. When these two ingredients are stuck together, they can either make a liquid or a tiny white crystal. When it makes a crystal, this is called “table sugar.” This is the stuff you sprinkle on your cereal and add to your coffee. It probably got this name because it is found on so many kitchen tables. High fructose corn syrup is different than table sugar.

How are they different?

Although they are both made from the same ingredients, the difference has to do with the amount of each ingredient. Table sugar has the same amount of glucose and fructose. High fructose corn syrup has more fructose than glucose. It’s not much more, but it’s enough to turn it from a crystal into thick syrup.

Sucrose has less Fructose than High Fructose Corn Syrup

Where does it go when I eat it?

Fructose and Glucose are absorbed differently

Whenever you eat something, it has to be broken down into tiny pieces before your body can use it for energy. This starts in the mouth as you begin to chew your food. From your mouth, your food travels to your stomach. Once it gets to the stomach, your food breaks down more as it mixes with special liquids, sometimes called “stomach juices.” The stomach then pushes your food into the intestines. The intestines break down this liquid food even more (it has to be really small!) so that you can use it in your body. Once everything is small enough, it is absorbed into the intestines.

As you have already learned, table sugar and high fructose corn syrup are made up of two ingredients: glucose and fructose. Even though these ingredients are both very small, they must be separated from each other before they can be absorbed. This means that glucose is absorbed into the intestines by itself, and fructose also is absorbed into the intestines by itself. From here, your broken-down food enters your blood where it is sent around your body, depending on where it is needed.

It’s in my blood, now what?

Glycogen is multiple Glucose molecules bound together

Glucose | After glucose is absorbed into the body, it can be broken down even more. These pieces of glucose can be used to make energy for your cells. If the body doesn’t need energy right away, glucose can be stored for later. When this happens, it gets a new name. The storage form of glucose is called glycogen. It is a tightly packed chain of glucose. This is kept in your muscle tissue and in your liver. When your body needs energy, this long chain of glucose can be broken apart. If you go for a long time without eating, or if you need a sudden burst of energy, your body will probably break down some glycogen in order to keep things running properly. This is important, especially for someone who skips breakfast, or for someone who exercises a lot. In both of these examples, your body is using up its stored energy until it can get more food. Scientists have also found that your brain needs glucose in order to work properly, so it’s not a good idea to go for a long time without eating.

Insulin | One way your body can regulate the amount of glucose in the blood is by using something called insulin. Insulin is made in an organ called the pancreas (‘pan • cree • us). When glucose enters the blood stream, the pancreas releases insulin. Insulin attaches to the cells in your body, which then sends a message inside those cells. This message is to open up their doors, and let glucose in. There are some diseases that can occur that will disrupt this process. One of these diseases is called diabetes. There are two major types of this disease. If someone has type 1 diabetes, this means that his or her pancreas is not producing enough insulin. If someone has type 2 diabetes, they may be producing insulin, but it is not attaching properly to the cells. In both case, the cells are not receiving the message to let glucose into the cell.

Insulin also plays an important role in telling the body that it is full. After you eat a meal and insulin is released, the body will send a signal to your brain and to your stomach to let you know when you’re full. If insulin is not being released into the blood, this can cause you to eat more than your body needs.

Remember how the body can store up glucose when it doesn’t need it? This was called glycogen. Another way it can store the extra energy is by turning extra energy from food into fat. If you have a habit of eating more food than your body needs, this can eventually cause you to gain weight.

Fructose molecule

Fructose | This was the other ingredient found in table sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Just like glucose, it is absorbed into the intestines and then sent through the blood stream. The liver is one place fructose will travel. Here, it will be absorbed and broken up into pieces that can be used for energy. (The liver is also a place where glucose is broken up into pieces that can be used for energy.) We learned before that if the body has enough energy, it would not need to break up glucose. Scientists think that this may not be the case with fructose. It’s almost as if the body can’t recognize when it has too much fructose.

Studies have shown that someone who takes in a lot of fructose with a meal will not feel as full when compared to someone who takes in the same amount of glucose with a meal. This has been shown to be true for women and men, as well as mice. Unlike glucose, fructose does not seem to cause insulin to be released from the pancreas. This is probably because fructose cannot be absorbed into the pancreas like glucose can. This means that people will not get the signal in their brain and stomach that they are full. When the body takes in too much fructose, it has been shown that this extra energy is turned into fat.

So should I stop eating fructose?

The media has a way of gripping our attention and scaring us to death. This is especially true when it comes to stories about what we should be eating. Unlike physics, chemistry, and biology, nutrition has not been studied for hundreds of years. Nutritional science is an exciting field of study. New discoveries are happening constantly as researchers try to figure out how our bodies use the food that we eat.

Although there are studies that have shown a relationship between fructose and weight gain, there has also been research that shows no relationship. Until larger, more long-term studies can be performed, there is no official recommendation to avoid fructose. That being said, the source of fructose is worth considering. The natural fructose found in an apple is probably still better for you than the high fructose corn syrup in a bottle of soda.

If you would like to view the research paper upon which this consumer article is based, please download the PDF. All references are included.

Keep checking back on this post for additional recipes. We’ll be updating it as they are sent in to us.

Julie’s Salsa Sensation (print)
by Caitlyn Crosby

• 3 cans (15oz) Tomato sauce
• 1 (yellow can) el pato sauce
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 bunch green onions
• 6 tomatoes
• 1/4 t. garlic salt
• 1/4 t. crushed red pepper
• 1/4 t. chili powder

Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir.  The last three ingredients can be added to taste or left out altogether.

Restaurant-style Guacamole (print)
by Kaylan Olds

Holy Guacamole (print)
by Megan Olson

• 2 fresh avocados
• 1.5 Tbs fresh diced onion
• 1 tsp salt*
• 1 tsp pepper*
• 1 tsp garlic powder*
• 1 tsp Tex Mex seasoning*
• Lemon juice

*Measurements are just suggestions, season to preference.

Mash avocado to preference. Mix in onion and seasonings to taste. Add lemon juice to prevent browning. Serve.

Annette’s Fresh with a Kick Salsa (print)
by Annette Bunjovac

• 5 plump medium beefsteak/slicing tomatoes, cubed (you can use roma tomatoes, just double the amount of tomatoes)
• 1 stalk of green onions (sliced to your liking)
• 3/4 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 3-4 jalapeno’s (depends on the amount of “kick” you want)
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
• Sea salt
• Lemon pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cleaned and cubed tomatoes, the cleaned and sliced green onions, the cleaned and chopped cilantro, and the can of tomato sauce.

In a food processor, place the cleaned and de-seeded jalapenos and the peeled garlic cloves. Chop to a desired consistency. (I chop mine to a puree consistency) Add to the mixing bowl.

Mix together ingredients in the mixing bowl. Squeeze lemon into mixture.

As for the sea salt and lemon pepper, I never do exact measurements. I just add a few cranks from my sea salt grinder and a few shakes from my lemon pepper.

Stir all ingredients together, place in fridge and allow it to chill for a few hours, grab some chips and enjoy!

Dianne’s D’vine Salsa (print)
by Heather Mathews

1. Mix in non-metallic bowl
   • 1 14.5 oz can Hunt’s Petite Diced Tomatoes
   • 4 to 5 green onions, sliced
2. In a food processor (or mince finely), then add to bowl
   • 1 C. fresh cilantro leaves
   • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed
   • 2-3 cloves garlic
3. Add to bowl
   • 1 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice
   • 1 Tbsp. canola oil
   • 1 tsp (or more to taste) Lawry’s Garlic Salt (it’s got to be Lawry’s)
   • freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Cover and chill in refrigerator
Enjoy!

Details

When: Feb 28th, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Where: Tempe Beach Park. (map for directions)
Cost: FREE

To sign up, make donations, or get more info, visit our SNC Team Page or contact Karli Jensen, Sharon Thompson, or Megan Olson.

One more thing: if any of you actually owned a pair of Reebok Pumps, we need to hear about it in the comments.

The F.I.T.T. principle

Frequency: How many times per week the exercise should be done.
Intensity: Basically, to what level the exercise affects the cardiovascular system.
Time: The amount of time spent performing the exercise.
Type: The type of exercise to be done.

Now what am I doing talking about exercise in the gear and gadgets section of the ASU Nutrition Council website? Trying to share information on exercise AND a nutrition topic! (Something I hope to shamelessly continue to accomplish…therefore justifying my being here). Here is the twist: I am going to use the FITT principle to rate the worth of various kitchen gadgets! To do so, FITT will have to be changed into TIFT:

Type: Type of kitchen gadget, and how good of an idea it is.
Intensity: Ease of use and effectiveness the gadget has in saving kitchen effort.
Frequency: The estimated frequency of use the gadget will receive.
Time: Approximate time saved by using and/or cleaning the gadget.

Here are our first gadgets to be submitted to the TIFT test:

The Snot-An-Mug Egg Separator

Look twice…it’s not a mug! Use this nasty contraption to conveniently separate yolks and whites AND gross out your friends and family!

Type - Facilitating Gadget

Intensity - 7 – The nausea the Snot-A-Mug may offset the ease of its use.

Frequency - 3 – Those looking to decrease their cholesterol intake, those who bake cakes with egg whites only, or those who eat meringue incessantly might find this gadget more useful.

Time - 4 – Using a spoon with a coffee mug is just as effective, just not as foolproof.

Total Score: 14/30 F

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The Zojirushi 5-1/2-Cup Premium Fuzzy Logic Rice Cooker and Warmer

One of the most versatile rice cookers available! The cooker automatically adjusts for temperature and cook time, depending on the amount and type of rice. It has settings for white, sushi, mixed, porridge, sweet, semi-brown, brown, rinse-free, and quick cooking. It is unique from many other cookers because of it’s reheat cycle which allows you to reheat leftover rice making it taste freshly cooked. It has an easy to read LCD display, retractable power cord which gives you more counter space, and comes with a one year warranty.
Type - Specialized Cooking Gadget

Intensity - 10 - Set it and don’t sweat it. Other than measuring the rice and water, the job is done.

Frequency - 8 - Our household eats rice at least twice per week. This gadget has the potential to add variety to our rice repertoire.

Time - 7 - Easy to clean, takes away some guesswork, but not as economical as a pot and a timer.

Total Score: 25/30 B

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Pizza Shears

Slice and serve at the same time!

Type - Facilitating Gadget

Intensity - 3 - Shears appear to add stability to the horribly difficult task of slicing pizza, but the lower “slice holder” actually gets in the way. Who wants to be locked into one size slice?

Frequency - 3 - Can you think of another use other than pizza?

Time - 3 - Your great grandpa would take one look and say, “What’s wrong with a pizza slicer?” Plus, most delivery pizzas come pre-sliced.

Total Score: 9/30 F-

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Sauce Dispensing Chopsticks

Type – Condiment Gadget

Intensity – 2 – Don’t want to stop eating in order to add more flavor? Here’s the gadget for you! For everyone else, they’re just kinda fun.

Frequency – 1 – A household that eats Asian food often might find these useful.

Time – 0 – For those who don’t already know how to use chopsticks these would be maddening.

Total Score: 3/30 F— (But on the fun factor they’re a solid B).

We already know that the ASU Nutrition program is highly regarded, let’s show the world exactly why we’re so good. Together we can create the most reliable, up-to-date Nutrition resource in the county.

Are you an aspiring food critic or do you love to review restaurants? Do you have some tips for fellow students on how to stretch their dollars at the grocery store? Have you become a dorm-room gourmet cook? If this sounds like you, then we need your skills in the Good Eats section.

Are you bursting at the seams to share your knowledge of vitamin absorption? Are you a senior who knows the ropes of how to survive the Dietetics degree? Do you have a solid grasp of cellular function, osmosis, and diffusion? If this sounds like you, then we need your skills in the Nutrition 101 section.

Or maybe you fancy yourself kind of a geek. Are you up-to-speed with the latest in kitchen gadgetry? Are you constantly on the lookout for a new electronic device to improve your nutritional life? If this sounds like you, then we need your skills in the Gear and Gadgets section.

We know you have it in you; this is your chance to share it with the world.

As of this post, a Google search for “trans fats” yields about 5.6 million results. For anyone who is trying to understand why these pesky macronutrients have such a bad reputation, this can be daunting. This is my attempt to provide a simple explanation. Please help me improve on it by leaving a comment below.

Vocabulary Lesson

Before we get to the nitty-gritty, there are a few words that you will need to know. Take a few minutes to soak these in:

1. Saturated: Full; unable to hold or contain any more. (source)
2. Unsaturated: The term given to an organic compound containing multiple bonds. (source)
3. Double Bond: The sharing of two electron pairs. (source)
4. Fatty Acid: An [organic] molecule consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms bonded in a chain like structure; combined through its acid group (-COOH) with the alcohol glycerol to form triglycerides. (source)
5. Cis Configuration: Has the hydrogen atoms on the same side of the double bond. (source)
6. Trans Configuration: The hydrogen atoms are on opposite sides of the double bond. (source)

Lions and Tigers and Fats, Oh My!

A fat is a fat is a fat, right? Wrong. There are two major classifications of fats. Making sense of each type can help you understand and explain the nature of a trans fat. The first of these classifications is Saturated Fat, and the second is Unsaturated Fat (which can be further broken down into Monounsaturated Fat and Polyunsaturated Fat, depending on the extent of unsaturation). Both types are made up of the same building blocks: hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. One end of the fat contains a carboxylic acid. Attached to this acid group is a branched hydrocarbon chain or “tail” (carbons bonded to hydrogens).

Saturated Fat | If something is “saturated,” this means it is full. As it relates to the structure of fat, this word refers to the hydrocarbon tail. Each carbon atom in this tail would like to make four bonds. Two of these bonds are made to its neighboring carbon atoms. This leaves a maximum of two bonds that can be made with hydrogen atoms. In a “saturated fat,” each carbon atom is “saturated” with these hydrogen-carbon bonds.

One method of drawing a fatty acid molecule

A different method of drawing a fatty acid molecule.

Unsaturated Fat | There are some instances where the carbon atoms in this hydrocarbon tail do not make the maximum number of bonds with hydrogen atoms. Instead of making a single bond with a neighboring carbon atom, a carbon can form a double bond with its neighboring carbon. Since carbon can still only make a maximum of four bonds, this only leaves room for one bond with a hydrogen atom. When this happens, the carbon atom is no longer “saturated” with hydrogen atoms.

When a double bond is formed between two carbon atoms, the subsequent addition of hydrogen atoms is limited to two different configurations: “Cis” or “Trans.” Two hydrogen atoms will attach across the double bonded carbons. If they attach in the “Cis” configuration, this means that they are attaching on the same side of this double bond. If they attach in the “Trans” configuration, this means they are attaching on opposite sides of the double bond. Typically, hydrogen atoms attach in the “Cis” configuration.

Cis = "Same side", Trans = "Opposite side"

So What is a Trans Fat?

A trans fat is an unsaturated fat that has been chemically altered to act as a saturated fat. Through a process called hydrogenation, hydrogen atoms are combined with unsaturated fats in a manner that alters double bonded carbons. This has the potential to change an unsaturated fat from its “cis” configuration to the “trans” configuration. The picture below shows how this might look:

Why Trans Fat May Be Bad For Us

I want to know what you all think. Help me explain why trans fats should be avoided. There are a lot of media reports and flashy advertisements out there. Fast food restaurants claim to be eliminating it from their products. Regulations have been passed that require trans fat content to be listed in the Nutrition Facts labels of our foods.

But why?

Share your knowledge in the comments below.

Looking for an internship opportunity that allows you to get involved with community nutrition? Take advantage of this unique opportunity today! This is an excellent opportunity to get food-related experience for your resumes! The following internship course is now available:

Internship Opportunity with Agritopia: Spring 2009
Course Name and Number: AGB 484:  27376

View Larger Map

The Agritopia Project is an effort to design and build a neighborly community around an urban farm. The project is under construction and is being built in the Town of Gilbert on a farm owned by the Johnston family. Driven by principle rather than economics alone, the project attempts to solve several problems common in current development neighborhoods lacking character and livability and the complete elimination of Arizona’s agricultural heritage.

The project primarily grows vegetables, grapes, blackberries, herbs, and some orchard areas with dates, olives, citrus, apples and peaches.  We grow for Joe’s Farm Grill (next to garden), the Coffee plus a few more local restaurants.  There is a self-serve produce stand and a farm stand on Saturday.

The responsibilities for the Internship would include:

Monday, Thursday and Friday: Mostly vegetable harvesting, washing, weighing and packaging days to fill orders for the following day.
Tuesday:  Direct seeding and transplanting in the garden.
Wednesday: Weeding, pruning, and general maintenance.

The hours and number of interns we could use would be:
Monday, Thursday, and Friday: 9:00am – 2:30pm (2 interns each day)
Tuesday: 9:00am – 2:30pm (2 interns)
Wednesday: 9:00am – 1:00pm or 1:00pm – 4:00pm (1 intern in the morning and 1 in the afternoon or 1 all day)

If you are interested in participating, submit your resume and one page cover letter to:

Paul Johnston
Johnston Farms
PO Box 820
Higley, AZ  85236

You can also fax your resume and cover letter to:  480-988-2238

For more information, call 480-988-1238 and ask to speak with Gayle.

Jake is a recent graduate of ASU Polytechnic, where he received his degree in Exercise and Wellness. A transplant from southern California, Jake has made Arizona his home for the past 10 years. He enjoys sports, photography, and cooking – especially trying new things he sees on the Food Network.

While working full-time for the Leisure World Fitness Center in Mesa, Arizona, Jake is also busy applying for Grad schools to be an Occupational Therapist. He is married and has a bouncing baby boy. The Bishop family is expecting their second child this year.

Look for Jake’s posts to show up in the Resources and Good Eats sections of the site. We are excited to bring the perspective of an Exercise and Wellness major to this site. Because nutrition goes hand-in-hand with physical activity, we believe this will add significant depth to this site. It is also a wonderful opportunity to showcase some of the talent that ASU produces throughout its School of Applied Arts and Sciences.

Welcome aboard, Jake!

My feelings while reading this very well published “Medical Report” bordered on outrage.  I decided to make it my personal duty to inform the owner of the magazine, a frequent buyer of the snake-oil vendor’s wares, of the mistake they were making.

Before I said anything I decided to research the “doctor”.  His website gave virtually no information on his education, training, or past.  It only commented that he studied under the greatest natural healers of the last century, and used their names.  (There is also virtually no information on these “greatest natural healers” to be found on the internet.)  It did mention he graduated from these healer’s “schools”, but listed no medical degree.  So he is not a doctor, but he plays one on the internet.

His website further led me to believe that he was a tad egomaniacal as, just as his magazine had, his picture was on every page at least twice!  His narcissism was also apparent from his using phrases such as “his healing mission” and “being loved worldwide” in his bio. Putting aside the quacks quirks, I decided to attack his methods of informing the public (when I say informing the public I really mean selling his products). I will borrow a few of my points from Stephan Barrett, M.D. and Victor Herbert M.D.’s brilliant article called Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers. As an aside, their site, QuackWatch.com is an excellent source for peer reviewed and scientifically proven information on nutritional supplements and much more.

Here is how I know this physician is a phony:

1. He claimed it was almost impossible to get a balanced diet (without his supplements).
2. He claims most Americans are obese but poorly nourished.
3. He claimed that all diseases are caused by a faulty diet and can be cured and treated with “Nutritional” methods.
4. He claimed that flu vaccinations are not only unhealthy, but filled with dangerous poisons. (This point can be debated, but I found it malicious to exploit the issue to sell merchandise).
5. He claimed that ordinary foods contained poisonous food additives and preservatives.
6. He claimed that Recommended Daily Allowances have been set too low.
7. He claimed that stress and certain diseases called for an increase of some nutrients.
8. He claimed that his “wild-grown,” “natural” vitamins were more effective than synthetic ones.
9. He claimed that his products produced “easy” weight loss.
10. He claimed his products provided quick, dramatic, miraculous results.
11. He used countless forms of Pseudomedical Jargon. Quoting from Barrett and Herbert: “detoxify,” “purify,” or “revitalize” your body; “balance” its chemistry or “electromagnetic energy”; bring it in harmony with nature; “stimulate” or “strengthen” your immune system; “support” or “rejuvenate” various organs in your body; “unlock your body’s healing ability”; or stimulate your body’s power to heal itself.
12. He used testimonial evidence…and only testimonial evidence of his product’s reliability.
13. He treats nutrition as a religion you must believe in, not a science you must prove.
14. He claimed he is persecuted by orthodox medicine and his work is being suppressed because it is controversial.
15. Lastly, as mentioned before, he provided credentials not recognized by responsible scientists or educators.

This devious doctor did not fulfill all 25 of the article’s quack facts, but there were still other issues I had with his magazine. The way his “articles” railed on conventional medicine was astounding. The fear instilled by his claims was frightening. He claimed his remedy to bird flu (which was going to kill everyone ANY DAY NOW…even the director of the CDC said so) was already in the works for the next issue.

My well founded arguments went unheard by the owner of the magazine. I am sure the individual will continue to be duped into wasting hard earned money on “Air Detox”, a spray that smells like lemon pledge on steroids, which claims to rid the air of those annoying deadly chemicals and airborne viruses. They continue to deem this doctor one of the most knowledgeable and trustworthy icon in medicine alive today. And my sense of injustice grows. How can an individual like this be growing richer by their evil genius when I am spending thousands on a proper education? How am I supposed to help others medically when they trust deceivers more than doctors? Maybe I should go into the supplement business?