Is mixing coffee with milk directly unhealthy?

Question

Scientifically speaking, is there a reason not to mix coffee with milk directly?

I remember reading once, that milk is like the anti-dode to coffee and there is a bio-chemical reason why this makes an unhealthy mixture.

Reference would be appreciated.

Answer

Not really, but there haven't been that many studies in to the issue. An abstract of the most significant one can be found here.

To summarise, the study tested people who had drunk black coffee, coffee with milk, and coffee with non-dairy creamer to see how much of the phenolic acid (one constituent of coffee that is supposed to have health benefits) entered the bloodstream in each case.

The study found that adding milk had no effect, but adding creamer affected the maximum concentration of the phenols in blood plasma, and the time it took to achieve that concentration.

This kind of toing and froing over the health of certain foods is rife today. One minute coffee is bad for you, the next it's good for you, and so on. For example, the study above assumes that the phenolic acids involved, being antioxidants, are good for you because they reduce free radicals in the body.

Free radicals in too high a concentration can indeed be harmful. However, they are also an essential part of the immune system - when a harmful bacteria is found in the body, phagocyte cells will surround it and destroy it with free radicals, for example. Things like this mean that there is rarely a simple answer to questions of food health.

Likewise, it has been suggested that people with a certain set of genes may be adversely affected by drinking too much caffeine, which may cause bone loss, unless they also have a source of calcium, like milk, in their diet as well, which would rather suggest that milk is definitely a good thing to have with your coffee!

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Low cost, healthy meals created at a desk [closed]

Question

I am a Canadian who is currently on a coop placement working a typical desk job. I don't have time in my mornings to pack myself a lunch and since, despite my lecturing, the extent my roommates clean up after themselves by piling all dishes in the sink or on the counters and stove, I find it's impossible (and unsanitary) to make food in my house. I find it is considerably more efficient, and definitely safer, to create meals at my desk or in the kitchen of my work.

Goal:

To create low-cost, healthy, balanced meals at my desk or in my work kitchen.

Constraints:

1. I need the ingredients to be stored in my desk or in the one public fridge. My desk is quite spacious but is obviously at a constant room temperature (perhaps the largest drawer can be turned into a makeshift fridge?). The public fridge is of average size and comes with an attached freezer. People mostly use it for lunch so the entire door and the drawers are usually open.
2. I need to be healthy. I don't eat any GMOs (genetically modified organisms) so any canned or frozen meals are out. Any non-organic corn or soybean products are also out as these are GMOs 99.9% of the time. All junk and processed food is obviously out. Deli meat is out as it is filled with nitrates. Milk is out as it is filled with hormones, I drink Almond Milk. I limit my intake of white bread to less than once a week. Also, I don't microwave anything as it is does absolutely disgusting things to food. I don't want to sound pretentious or anything, this is just my diet!
3. I have access to knives, forks, spoons. I don't have access to a stove unfortunately. I do own a magic bullet though!
4. I'd like to keep the cost down to a minimum! Who wouldn't? I am a student though so I'm pretty low on cash.
5. I generally eat at 10:00am when I get to work, 12:00pm for lunch, and at 6:00pm for dinner just before I leave work. I also have a 10:00pm snack before I go to sleep at 12:00am.

Current Attempts to Solve the Problem:

Right now I'm maintaining a constant supply of organic pure peanut butter, whole wheat bread, and bananas in my drawer. I buy a week's supply of everything so that they will last in my drawer without spoiling.

Additional Thoughts:

-Due to the lack of milk products I eat I need to watch my calcium level. I have tried to combat this by keeping a stock of super-healthy yogurt in my home fridge and bringing one of those to work for breakfast. I also have Almond milk in my nightly bran cereal which has some amount of Calcium in it. -I was thinking that fish could be added to my diet in some way because I know that fish are healthy. The only way I would be able to have fish is if I either ate it raw somehow or if I brought it in canned. I'm always sketchy of canned food though, I would need some sort of guarantee that it's healthy.

Answer

1. Peanut butter & jelly, or other sweeteners besides jelly. You're already using bananas, but you could use other fruit, raisins, honey, etc.
2. There are plenty of non-GMO soy products. There are lots of soy products that are healthy. Baked tofu and marinated tempeh make good sandwiches and will add protein to salads.
3. Canned beans. There are many varieties and all can be eaten cold, since they're already cooked. You can find organic ones, but they cost more. Throw some beans and veggies together with some oil & vinegar or storebought dressing. You could mix some canned tomatoes and beans with spices (chili, cumin) and make chili.
4. You can get precooked rice in a bag now. It can be eaten cold in a salad, though it probably tastes better heated.
5. Seitan
6. Will you boil water in the microwave? If so, you can make broth with organic bouillon, steam vegetables, miso soup, etc.

This is a pretty good catalog full of vegetarian proteins and stuff like that: http://www.healthy-eating.com/

Lastly, reconsider home cooking and microwaving. No matter how dirty your kitchen is at home, you can get a pot and boil things. Keep your cooking equipment in your room. Wash it in the bathroom if you have to, the shower will work. Boiling will sterilize whatever you're cooking. Then you can make eggs, pasta, soups, etc.

There's no scientific evidence that reheating food in the microwave has any negative health affects. Just don't stand right in front of it for hours. You could make parboiled brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and make many meals taste better if you eliminate that constraint. You should do some more research on it, because it sounds like you have a gut aversion to it that is not based on real facts, and you could be doing your health a disservice by not using the microwave, if you're going to live with all those other constraints. If it's a phobia or something it's not a cooking issue.

Good luck.

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Nutrient replacement for celery?

Question

I asked this question over at http://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/3558/nutrient-replacement-for-celery, but have been told that that is not the correct site to ask questions about health, fitness, and nutrition... Kind of confusing. Anyhow:

I want to start drinking a "green drink" as part of my healthy life style. The green drink I have chosen is this:

2 celery sticks
1 cucumber (large)
2 large handfuls of spinach leaves
1 large handful of lettuce (dark)
1/2 freshly squeezed lemon

The problem I have with this are the celery sticks. I don't like the "aroma" of celery. So was wondering if anyone knows of a good replacement which I can used instead of the celery sticks? The replacement should have similar nutritional values to celery.

The best replacement I have come up with is 2 tomatos.

Answer

Iceberg Lettuce, as it is also very low in vitamins and minerals like celery and has a good crunch. According to the USDA's "MyPlate", 1 cup of iceberg is 1/2 serving vegetables, and 1 stalk of celery is 1/2 serving vegetables, so to get equivalent nutritional value for 2 stalks would take 2 cups shredded.

You could add more vitamins and minerals by replacing the celery with something more nutrient dense.

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Advantages of grapeseed oil?

Question

I recently spotted grapeseed oil at costco.

Made me start wondering: are there any positive health benefits or cooking advantages of using grapeseed oil?

I was thinking of switching over from canola oil to grapeseed oil.

Answer

Cooking benefits: Grapeseed oil has fairly high smoke point (and thus works at higher temperatures), and minimal flavor. It works at higher temperatures than corn, sunflower, or canola oil, and impacts the flavor of the underlying dish less than olive oil or walnut oil. Grapeseed oil has been pushed for these reasons by several famous chefs, including Charlie Trotter.

Health benefits: we specifically don't discuss those here, per spec.

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