My life has been to seek the Absolute Truth of God; to help others find the real purpose of their lives... Attempt to make this or where ever I am; better for my having been there! Amen!
Advocates of a hypothesis that there is global warming that humans are causing ridicule those who won’t join their club. Yet the problem is that our schools have spread lack of understanding throughout our once-great society. Every institution run by people has been diminished. So let this be a primer if readers want to understand the hypothesis of global warming or try to free a believer from their fever:
I. Failing Freshman Statistics
The vast majority of the Earth is not being measured by weather stations. As we try to compare temperatures earlier in time, the poor coverage grows radically worse the farther back in time we go toward 1880.
The Earth’s surface measures 196.9 million square miles. Today, there are an estimated 10,100 weather stations world-wide, in addition to 1,000 free-floating buoys completely useless for measuring climate change.
That means that if the temperature measurements were spread evenly across the Earth’s surface (they aren’t), there would be 1 weather station for every 19,495 square miles of the Earth’s surface. That’s almost the size of the State of Maryland (12,407 square miles).
Can today’s pseudo-scientists measure trends in the planet’s temperature?
No. Here’s why:
First, the vast majority of the Earth’s surface is not being measured.
Second, a statistically valid sample, must be a random sample. You must take 196.9 million temperature measurements and average 196.9 million temperature measurements to come up with a single global average.
We can only resort to a smaller sample if the sample is random. But it is not. Any first-year student in undergraduate science would get an “F” if he tried to use a non-random sample to extrapolate the Earth’s overall global temperature.
But it gets worse. Third, the temperature as a serious instrument of scientific measurement – as opposed to a toy or novelty — dates only to 1880. That’s 139 years of temperature records. A standardized, calibrated instrument of consistent manufacture using temperature scales started providing useful records only from 1880.
But in 1880, careful, historical, temperature records only started in a few large cities in Western Europe and the Northeast United States. I don’t mean that someone was using a thermometer. I mean carefully keeping precise, historical records to be maintained for posterity.
Fourth, how can we compare temperature records from 1970 to 1910 when the locations being measured were not the same in 1910 as in 1970?
The number and locations being measured were concentrated in Western Europe and Northeastern North America.
This is why free-floating buoys are useless (for this purpose). We cannot compare the temperature records from one year to the next, because they are not measuring the same place year to year. The 1,000 buoys, 7,000 ships, and various airplanes may be good for monitoring “weather” — the movement of air masses and changes in pressure driving weather systems — but useless for measuring the planet’s temperature over the long haul. (And that is not “random.” Letting buoys drift does not constitute a truly random sample, starting from scratch for each measurement.)
Measurements from satellites systematically disagree with measurements at the Earth’s surface. Pseudo-scientists “adjust” (a.k.a. falsify) satellite data to hide this problem.
Fifth, temperature measurements of planet Earth would get an “F” grade in Freshman statistics. And that’s before we get into missing measurements when stations malfunction, temperature stations at airports in the exhaust of jet engines of airplanes taking off, next to fire department barbecues, next to industrial air conditioning exhaust, near asphalt or brick heat sinks, or in heat islands. And then there are the 80%+ weather stations that don’t meet the required standards, especially for site locations. And then there is the outright fraud in the temperature measurements that have been exposed.
Sixth, since most weather stations are at airports, we are measuring the transition in aviation from small propeller planes, to large propeller planes, to small jet engine airplanes, to massive jumbo jets. There are weather stations actually in the line of jet exhaust at the end of runways being blasted with super-heated jet exhaust. But notice that airplanes have changed over the decades. So the temperature of the heat from aviation operations is much hotter now with jumbo jets than in 1930 with small propeller planes. And the quantity of take-offs and landings is dramatically larger. The Earth is not getting warmer. The airplanes blowing exhaust into the airport weather stations are getting bigger and more frequent per day
So has the Earth warmed since 1880?
We haven’t the slightest clue. And before 1880, “proxy” measurements are completely unscientific. No, you can’t use tree rings or sediment layers, because you can’t measure things with a margin of error vastly wider than the small changes you are trying to discern. Consistent levels of precision with your instruments of measure is a fundamental precept of science. Where tree rings are imprecise, you cannot use them to calculate precise analysis. No one knows if the Earth has warmed or cooled, and anyone who tries to say they do either doesn’t know science or hopes you don’t know science.
II. The Fatal Flaw: Air Travels
The real issue is that air does not stay still. One of the defining characteristics of the atmosphere is that it is constantly in motion. Air masses (weather) travel around. So a weather station in Los Angeles may show an unusually high temperature because the colder air up and moved somewhere else. But there is no net change for the planet as a whole.
III. The Ever-Churning Atmosphere Cools the Earth
When heated, “hot air rises.” Technically, the gases in a particular air mass expand when heated. When gases expand, that air mass becomes less dense than the air on either side or above it. The pocket of warm air rises — driven by denser, heavier air forcing its way down underneath.
This is what cools the Earth. This is the process that drives thunderstorms and hurricanes.
Convection operates as an air conditioner for the planet. Air heated near the surface rises. Warmth at the Earth’s surface is carried upward, where it is released. Heat is transported up towards space. This conveyor belt will cycle faster if free-floating CO2 absorbs more heat.
But the higher we go in altitude, the thinner the air is. At 30,000 feet, the air is only 30% of the air pressure at the Earth’s surface. So when gas molecules radiate heat in the form of electromagnetic energy, the probability that the energy will exit the atmosphere, leave planet Earth entirely, and radiate out into space increases with altitude.
The chance the heat will travel down is the same as the chance it will travel out into space. But the atmosphere is thinner above than below, so a significant fraction of the heat energy will leave the planet instead of hitting other air molecules.
IV. There is no Greenhouse Effect in the Open Atmosphere
The “greenhouse” metaphor is a fatally flawed idea. A greenhouse works by trapping air in an enclosed container. The air inside is warmed by sunshine. But the trapped air cannot move So the air heated by sunlight grows hotter inside than outside.
Now, imagine hooligans steal the glass panels out of a greenhouse. They carry glass panels around randomly. Will there be a greenhouse effect? No. The air inside is no longer trapped. There is no “green house effect” in the open atmosphere, where gases are free to circulate.
V. Carbon Dioxide is Not a Blanket
A blanket works by trapping warmth generated by your body. If you put a blanket out in the forest in the Winter snow, the blanket will be just as cold as the snow. If a blanket floated up from your bed and floated around the room it would never trap warmth.
So carbon dioxide does not have a ‘blanket’ effect. It does not stay at the Earth’s surface. Cooler air drops down from above as the hotter air at the surface changes places. This circulation is called convection by junior high school science teachers.
VI. That’s Why Global Warming Is Not Scientific
Therefore, we cannot perform any experimentation of how carbon dioxide may play a role in global temperature. We can observe CO2 trapped in a container in a laboratory. But that tells us nothing about what happens when CO2 is floating freely in a complex planet-wide atmospheric system.
There has never been a single experiment testing the hypothesis of human-caused climate change. But such an experiment would be an impossibility. Remember that all other variables would have to be controlled and kept constant, when they are not constant.
Scientists would literally need to compare Earth A to Earth B to see the planet-wide effects of increasing carbon dioxide in only Earth A but not Earth B. Is there a greenhouse effect on Venus? We would actually have to run a comparison between Venus A and Venus B to do real science.
(What advocates are trying to do is compare an earlier time period with a current time period on the same Earth. This fails, however, because all other variables are not the same. the Earth’s orbit changes over time, causing the ice ages and inter-glacial warm periods. So a 1,000 year period on Earth in the past is different from a recent 1,000 year period even on the same Earth.)
Mk. 1:31, "And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them."
MT. 8:14-17; MK. 1:29-34; LK. 4:38-41
How did Peter's mother-in-law minister unto Jesus and His disciples?
Did she sit them down and preach to them? Certainly not. Yet sometimes people think the only way we can minister to another is to admonish them with the scriptures.
Peter's mother-in-law apparently ministered to them by serving them. The word translated "minister" is the same word that was translated "deacon" twice in the New Testament, and "serve, served or serveth" eight times.
** verb
verb: minister; 3rd person present: ministers; past tense: ministered; past participle: ministered; gerund or present participle: ministering
1.
attend to the needs of (someone).
We can minister for the Lord by doing some of the menial tasks that many consider to be unimportant. Jesus said that even a cup of cold water given in His name would not go unrewarded (Matthew 10:42).
Many people are waiting for the important jobs to come along where they can make a big impact or receive a lot of recognition, while they pass by many lesser opportunities every day. But in the kingdom of God, we won't be given any great opportunities until we are proven faithful in the small things (Luke 16:10).
Today, ask the Lord to show you ways you can minister to others by serving them.
** Learning to service and help to others is key in a ministering relationship - this does not mean that you must have recognition or acclaim to serve. In fact much of what is done in secret or seclusion is part of the gospel plan to build your kingdom of rightiousness and service to others .
We should all try to show all of the children in our sphere of influence the best way to do things. It is not a political thing, or a race thing, or a religious thing, it is the prime directive of the Lord God that we come to love our neighbors! Whenever wherever and however we can in this life!
One of the main responsibilities of this earthly existence is to show and share our experience and talents.
Life is about sharing and caring with those God places on our pathway of life! It may be in your neighborhood, or the school, or job, or any other place they may be! Association is key to human interaction and should be controlled in a positive vain with an attitude of selfless sharing and concern! Love is the key!
1 Corinthians 13:4-5: “Love is patient, love
is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does
not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs." ...
1 John 4:16: “And so we know and rely
on the love God has for us.
Let's be honest this morning, after all, God commands that we tell the truth! The devil has created a world mentality that shuns the truth and in many cases even condones lying. This mentality has crept into society, even our churches leaving us with a lot to be desired, even questioned.
When Jesus instructed us to spread His gospel to all the world, He did not mean that all true Christians had to travel the world spreading the Gospel, He meant for Christians wherever to spread, to share His Words, His Gospel, making The Gospel available to everyone, everywhere.
This being said, the obvious elephant in the room is the question, when was the last time you were obedient to Jesus? If you have declared Jesus as your Savior, your Messiah, then you must also know that The Bible instructs you to "believe ON" Jesus which means to believe not only that He is your Savior, but in everything He said, including His instructions to you as a believer.. This is where the average Christians relationship with Jesus ends, comes to a halt, Christians believe that Jesus, for some unknown reason owes them something for claiming Him as their Savior, however most of these relationships are one way and thus not a "relationship" at all. Relationships are like relationships, nope I didn't stutter, a relationships requires more that one participant! Participating, hmmm another pesky word, a relationship with God and Jesus requires that we participate, and our participation comes in the form of instruction from Jesus.
So that being said, where does that leave you in all of this, remember that God demands honesty, the truth, so, don't go searching for an answer, your service to Jesus should be on the tip of your tongue just like The Gospel. Please don't use the excuse that Salvation is by Grace and Grace alone, that your salvation is not based on "WORKS". Obedience to God and to Jesus is not works, it is the instruction to every Born Again believer, just like the instruction you receive from your boss to do your job!
Yep, Salvation is by Grace and grace is a gift of God, that being said, you must remember that a gift is given by the giver, and in the case of Salvation, it's God's decision who will and who will not receive His Grace!. If you choose to ignore Jesus instruction, that's your decision, if God decides to overlook you for His gift of Grace, that's His decision! So, what have you been waiting on, will you be obedient and spread The Gospel of Jesus Christ or be like so many so-called Christians and ignore His command!
This is a reply received on a blog I write: It shows how the Word of God can and will help change your circumstances! From: Betty, I understand the Jews back then. They had known Jesus all of His life. Knew his carpenter father. They just couldn't grasp the fact that the little boy next door was God. They should have when they saw all the miracles he performed. As well as by the Words He spoke to them. Of course, the 12 did. Then in our modern churches of today, even the preachers don't always understand much of the Bible. They go by the seminary teaching which is not always correct. To become a Christian we have to have Faith to believe that Jesus is God and our Lord and Savior, then must ask Him for the forgiveness of all of our sins and accept His gift of Salvation and when we do that from our Hearts He does what we have prayed for by coming in. That is the Spiritual act of becoming Born Again which is the one and only way a person can be a true Christian. We become a member of God's family the same way we became a member of our human family, we are BORN into it. Only one is physical birth and the other a Spiritual birth. After that we begin to actually learn, only then do we have the ability to understand God's Words to us. The people who knew us before we became Christians know all our faults and don't even understand that we have become "a new creation". They may see we have put off old habits and doing wrong things, but they might just think we made New Year's Resolutions. So, why would they listen to us? Too many people go to church all the time but have "never" been told they had to be born again. That is what I went through. I didn't hear it until I was in my early 40's and then it was from watching The 700 Club, not a pastor from a church. After I accepted Jesus, I SUDDENLY had a desire to read the Bible and couldn't even go from one room to another that the Bible didn't go with me. It is a lot to tell by typing but it is so very simple to do. Amen!
People who recognize their own inabilities are more dependent upon God.
Mark 1:16, "Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers."
MT. 4:13-22; MK. 1:16-20; LK. 5:27; JN. 5:38
Jesus never chose an apostle from among the religious system. Every one of his twelve disciples were men that He chose from the secular world. It wasn't because God didn't have faith in those who were religious. It's just that most of those who were part of the religious system didn't have any faith in God.
One of the most common mistakes religious people make is to put faith in themselves. They think God will use them because of their great holiness or special abilities.
Paul said, "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are" (1 Cor. 1:27-28).
People who recognize their own inabilities are of necessity more dependent on God. That is the way God wants it. The Lord is constantly searching for someone who recognizes they are nothing so He can do something through them (2 Ch. 16:9).
Instead of thinking of your responsibilities, just respond to His ability. God has provided each of us with God given intelligence - which should allow us to seek and find the truth! Do you relay upon The Lord God?
Luke 4:24, "And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country."
LUKE 4:16-30
A modern day equivalent of this verse is
"familiarity breeds contempt." Those who know the most about us also
know more of our faults than anyone else. As a general rule, our
weaknesses will tend to blind most people as to our strengths. However, in
the case of Jesus, there were no faults or failures to bias these
people. In this instance, the problem stemmed from the people's lack of
perception. They knew Jesus better than most in the flesh, but they had
failed to see who He was in the Spirit. i.e. The complete person and spirit of Christ! Jesus was God in all His
power and majesty, yet He was clothed in flesh - -a human in every
respect (1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:3). These people looked on Jesus' outward
appearance and failed to see God within (1 Sam. 16:7). Likewise,
we fail to see the potential in others and even in ourselves because of
our preoccupation with the outward appearance and actions. But within
every born again person is a new creation which is waiting to be
released (2 Cor. 5:17).
All it takes is someone who believes. Today look beyond the exterior in yourself and others and help bring into reality what we can or should be in Christ. It is a developing experience which must be lived daily! One can not just accomplish something of importance in life, then just stop, sit back and think {OKAY now I have it made!}. Because failing to experience and develop your life's talents is a total waste of your God given abilities! May you come to desire the prime need to seek the Will of God in your existence! Otherwise your time here on earth has been for nothing!
The growing popularity of quinoa among U.S. consumers has led to greater availability of different quinoa varieties in many supermarkets. In addition to white varieties (sometimes called ivory quinoa) that are most common, both red and black quinoa varieties are becoming more widely available. Recent studies have shown these colorful varieties to provide some added amounts of phytonutrients called betaxanthins and betacyanins. These phytonutrients are likely to provide added antioxidant benefits from quinoa. Yellow quinoa - not yet commonly available to U.S. consumers - is yet another colorful variety that provides additional betaxanthins. We encourage you to incorporate the full rainbow of colors when enjoying quinoa in your meal plan!
If you are not yet familiar with this unique and health-supportive food, you are not alone: average consumption of quinoa in the U.S. is just over 1 ounce per year. But in countries like Bolivia and Peru where quinoa has been regularly enjoyed for several thousand years, the average yearly intake of quinoa is 4-5 pounds. This intake range corresponds almost exactly to intake of oats in the U.S. Just as with oats, there are many different ways to incorporate quinoa into your meal plan, including use in salads, pilafs, and soups. Quinoa sprouts are also becoming a popular choice for taking full advantage of quinoa's versatility.
At WHFoods, we include quinoa in our grain food group, since the seeds of this plant are most commonly used in a way that is very similar to grains. In terms of its composition, however, quinoa is not a grain since it is not a member of the grass family (Poaceae/Gramineae). But for a food that is used so similarly to grains, quinoa is one of the few foods in this broad grain-like category whose seeds are routinely enjoyed in whole food form without removal of the bran or germ. (For example, within the U.S., the vast majority of wheat and rice are consumed have been processed for removal of the bran and germ.) Since these parts of the seed are especially nutrient-rich, it's great to come across a grain-like food that is routinely available on supermarket shelves in a minimally processed form.
While quinoa has long been recognized for its outstanding protein content, recent studies have helped to clarify some key strengths of this food from a protein standpoint. 3/4th cup of quinoa provide 8 grams of protein - very similar to 1 cup of yogurt, and about double the amount of protein in an equivalent amount of wheat or brown rice. Equally important, within these 8 grams of protein are plentiful amounts of many amino acids (the building blocks of protein). In fact, for all amino acid requirements set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO), quinoa provides between 70-360% of each required amino acid (using the milligrams/gram standard put forth by the WHO). When combined together, the high total protein content of quinoa and its outstanding amino acid composition make it a fantastic source of plant protein in any meal plan.
This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Quinoa provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Quinoa can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Quinoa, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.
At WHFoods, we think about nutrient richness as including many different categories of nutrients. Among conventional nutrients, our most important categories are macronutrients (including protein, fiber, and high-quality fats like omega-3s), vitamins, and minerals. Among phytonutrients, we look especially closely at carotenoids and flavonoids, as well as other phytonutrients especially well-known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Quinoa is a food whose nutrient richness spans all of the categories above! Earlier in this profile, we noted the nearly doubled total protein quantity in quinoa versus wheat or brown rice when measured in equivalent cooked amounts. We also pointed out the outstanding amino acid composition within quinoa proteins - something that plant proteins don't always achieve. But protein is not the only macronutrient provided by this amazing plant food. The fiber content of quinoa is just over 5 grams per 3/4 cooked cup, and include substantial amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber. The fact that quinoa is typically consumed in whole form helps increase the fiber-like components that it provides, including insoluble fibers and nonstarch polysaccharides found in the seed coat. Quinoa also provides us with 180 milligrams of omega-3s (in the form of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA) in 3/4th of a cooked cup.
Quinoa ranks as a good source of many minerals including zinc, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus. At WHFoods, quinoa actually ranks in our Top 10 foods for magnesium. It also provides nearly 3 milligrams of iron per 3/4th cooked cup, which actually puts it slightly above a 4-ounce serving of either lamb or beef. Among antioxidant-related minerals, quinoa is richest in manganese, and it ranks among our Top 25 WHFoods for this mineral. Folate qualifies as one of the key vitamins provided by quinoa, and you'll get about 20% of the Daily Value for this B-vitamin from a single 3/4th cup serving (cooked). Cooked quinoa also provides about 10-15% of most other B-complex vitamins in this same serving size.
Over 20 different phenolic phytonutrients have been identified in quinoa, including many phenolic acids and polyphenols. Virtually all of these phytonutrients have been shown to provide antioxidant benefits, and many provide anti-inflammatory benefits as well. The list of phenolic phytonutrients in quinoa includes: chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, hesperidin, isoquercetin, quercetin, kaempferol, neohesperidin, rosmarinic acid, rutin, and vanillic acid.
Betalains are a group of phytonutrients that provide red and yellow quinoa varieties with their unique colors. Betalains can actually be found varying degrees in most varieties of quinoa members and have been shown to increase the antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging benefits provided by this food. So it makes sense to enjoy the full spectrum of quinoa color varieties in your meal plan!
One of the most unusual categories of phytonutrients in quinoa are its phytoecdysteroids. (One particular phytoecdysteroid - called 20-hydroxyecdysone (20HE) - has been shown to be especially concentrated in quinoa.) While purified ecdysterone supplements are sold as body building aids to help with development of muscle tissue, few studies exist on consumption of ecdysteroids as naturally contained within common plant foods, including quinoa. Research interest in these compounds includes speculation about their potential role in blood sugar regulation.
Potential Health Benefits from Quinoa
As might be expected from a food that serves as a good source of protein and fiber, as well as a low glycemic index (GI) value, quinoa has raised the interest of researchers with respect to better blood sugar regulation, decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, and other aspects of metabolism related to blood sugar. Unfortunately, most of the studies in this area have been conducted on animals and we have yet to see a large scale study on humans enjoying quinoa as part of their regular food intake. We would be surprised, however, if quinoa did not turn out to show benefits for blood sugar regulation given its chemistry and nutrient-richness.
Like blood sugar benefits, cardiovascular benefits fall into another area of health support that we would expect to be provided by quinoa. However, the research we've reviewed in this area is not extensive and comes primarily from animal studies. In these studies, the equivalent of roughly 1/2-1 cup of cooked quinoa in a person's diet per day over a period of approximately 1-2 months has been associated with decreases in blood triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, and total cholesterol. In addition, risk of lipid peroxidation (oxygen-based damaged to blood fats) has been shown to decrease in some of these studies. The well-documented antioxidant capacity of quinoa - provided in large part by its impressive array of phenols and polyphenols - makes these animal study findings on lipid peroxidation very likely to apply to humans, and we expect this health benefit to eventually be demonstrated in human dietary studies as well.
As a non-grass grain, quinoa can provide a great grain-like addition to "gluten-free" meal plans, and quinoa has been shown to be well-tolerated by persons who are required to avoid wheat, including persons diagnosed with celiac disease. In addition, there are some studies showing potentially greater digestibility of quinoa in comparison to cereal grains. In short: quinoa is a food that can be incorporated into your meal plan like a grain, but which doesn't raise the same concerns that cereal grains sometimes raise.
When the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) declared that 2013 to be recognized as "The International Year of the Quinoa," it made mention of many health benefits described above. But it also focused on the relatively low cost of this plant food and its great adaptability to climate, allowing it to play a helpful role in food security worldwide. Even if food security is not a personal concern, however, it would be correct to think about quinoa as a very helpful and potentially stabilizing factor in your meal plan that can provide you with outstanding overall benefits.
Description
Many popular descriptions of quinoa describe it as a "pseudocereal." That's because grains are often referred to as "cereal grains" and cereal grains all belong to the grass family of plants (Poaceae/Gramineae). At WHFoods, we include quinoa as one of our 8 grains, even though it is not a member of the grass family like wheat, oats, barley, rye, rice, and millet. (We include one other non-grass among our 8 grains, and that is buckwheat.) Our reason for including quinoa among our grains is simple: the seeds of this plant are widely used and enjoyed in the same way as true cereal grains. Not only is quinoa often substituted for rice or used it in a side dish in much the same way as wheat is used in couscous; it is also often ground into flour and used to make noodles and baked goods. In fact, like malted barley and other grains, quinoa is used in some parts of the world for the brewing of beer.
The part of the quinoa plant that you will find in your local grocery is its seed. In fact, use of the word "quinoa" is so common that many people do not even stop to think about the fact that the very small, roundish, bits they are seeing before them are actually plant seeds. Similarly, it is possible to have enjoyed quinoa for a long period of time without ever having set eyes on the quinoa plant itself. The flowers of these gorgeous plants are startling beautiful in color, and the leaves are reminiscent of many different types of salad greens. Not only are quinoa leaves edible - they are used in many cuisines in much the same way as spinach, which belongs to the same plant family as quinoa (the Amaranthaceae family). Along with quinoa and spinach, this plant family also includes beets and Swiss chard. It's worth noting here that quinoa was originally classified within the Chenopodiaceae or goosefoot family of plants, but this entire family was eventually subsumed within the Amaranthaceae.
Quinoa varieties are typically defined in terms of color. These varieties include white, yellow, red and black, although the exact shades can vary and are often softer than these names sometimes imply. White quinoa (sometimes called ivory quinoa) is the most common variety in U.S. supermarkets and is the mildest in taste and the least crunchy after being cooked. It also tends to cook a bit faster than the other color varieties. Red and black quinoa varieties are usually described as stronger and more earthy in flavor, but we think of all quinoa varieties as having a somewhat nut-like taste and delicate as opposed to harsh. Because of their unique betaxanthin and betacyanin combinations, quinoa varieties of all colors deserve a place in healthy meal plans.
One final note in this description section about pronunciation of the word "quinoa": the most often used version here is "KEEN-wah." The word "quinoa" originated in one of the native languages (Quechua) spoken by people in the Andes Mountains region along the Western coast of South America. The word for quinoa in Quechua was "kinuwa."
History
Quinoa has a rich, wonderful, and long history in the cuisines of South America, and its basic genetic types can still be divided up according to basic geographical regions on this continent. Included here are the sea level regions of Chile; the highland regions of Peru and Bolivia; and the Inter-Andean valleys in Columbia, Ecuador and Peru. Quinoa thrived in the arid and semi-arid regions provided by parts of the Andes Mountains, and while it grew wild in those regions, it was cultivated as early as 5000-3000 B.C. and has remained a staple part of "Andean" cuisines from that time all the way up until today. In fact, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador (in that order) remain the top quinoa producing countries in the world, with a combined production of nearly 250,000 metric tons each year.
Within the U.S., one special spot - the San Luis Valley in the Colorado Rockies - has seen successful large-scale production of quinoa beginning in the 1980's. Since that time, U.S. commercial production of quinoa has grown to include acreage in both Southern and Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Still, quinoa imports from South America presently account for most of the quinoa that is enjoyed within the U.S.
How to Select and Store
Quinoa is generally available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Just as with any other food that you may purchase in the bulk section, make sure that the bins containing the quinoa are covered and that the store has a good product turnover so as to ensure its maximal freshness. Whether purchasing quinoa in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure that there is no evidence of moisture. When deciding upon the amount to purchase, remember that quinoa expands during the cooking process to several times (usually triple) its original size. You are very likely to find quinoa in your local supermarket, but if you don't, check for it at a grocery that includes a natural foods section, because it's usually on the shelf.
White quinoa is most common type that you will find in most stores, although red and black quinoa are becoming more widely available. We have even seen tri-color mixtures of quinoa being sold in both pre-packaged form and in bulk bins.
Store quinoa in an airtight container. It will keep for a longer period of time, approximately three to six months, if stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
Tips for Preparing and Cooking
Tips for Preparing Quinoa
If you are trying to prepare quinoa in a way that sweetens its natural taste, you can rinse the seeds, rub them gently together, and then re-rinse them to remove some of the components that bring a partly bitter taste to this food. A fine-meshed strainer makes the process easy to carry out - so much so that you will find strainers being advertised as "quinoa strainers." Included among these components are phytonutrients called saponins, which play an important role in protection of the quinoa plant, but which have also been shown to provide us with potential health benefits. For this reason, thorough rinsing of quinoa is something of a judgment call: if you find the taste of unrinsed quinoa to be objectionable, it makes good sense to use the rinsing process above and prepare a quinoa dish that will be fully delicious and enjoyable to eat. If you don't mind or even prefer the taste of unrinsed quinoa, you can very lightly rinse or even forego the rinsing process. In this context, we would also add that some pre-packaged quinoa has been pre-rinsed during production, and that the seeds of some quinoa varieties (especially white varieties) can be relatively sweet in their natural form.
The Healthiest Way of Cooking Quinoa
To cook the quinoa, add one part of the grain to two parts liquid in a saucepan. After the mixture is brought to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover. One cup of quinoa cooked in this method usually takes 15 minutes to prepare. When cooking is complete, you will notice that the grains have become translucent, and the white germ has partially detached itself, appearing like a white-spiraled tail. If you desire the quinoa to have a nuttier flavor, you can dry roast it before cooking; to dry roast, place it in a skillet over medium-low heat and stir constantly for five minutes. Recent studies on the cooking of quinoa have compared boiling versus steaming methods to evaluate the impact of cooking on the B vitamin folate. The good news is that folate in quinoa appears to be well-preserved using either cooking method.
Quinoa flour is another form of quinoa that is becoming more widely available in supermarkets. While it is possible to make baked goods and pastas out of 100% quinoa flour, many companies making products from quinoa flour combine this flour with other types (for example tapioca flour or rice flour) or even with oatmeal to produce a lighter texture. If you are making baked products at home, you can simply experiment to determine the approach to quinoa flour that you like best.
How to Enjoy
Combine cooked chilled quinoa with pinto beans, pumpkin seeds, scallions and coriander. Season to taste and enjoy this south-of-the-border inspired salad.
Add nuts and fruits to cooked quinoa and serve as breakfast porridge.
For a twist on your favorite pasta recipe, use noodles made from quinoa.
Sprouted quinoa can be used in salads and sandwiches just like alfalfa sprouts.
Add quinoa to your favorite vegetable soups.
Ground quinoa flour can be added to cookie or muffin recipes.
Quinoa is great to use in tabouli, serving as a delicious (and wheat-free) substitute for the bulgur wheat with which this Middle Eastern dish is usually made.
The outstanding overall nutrient richness of quinoa is reflected in its high-quality proteins, its healthy mix of soluble and insoluble fibers, and its wealth of mineral nutrients, including zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus. This food is also a good source of folate, and contains many other B vitamins in substantial amounts. Phenols head the list of quinoa phytonutrients. Included here are chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, hesperidin, isoquercetin, quercetin, kaempferol, neohesperidin, rosmarinic acid, rutin, and vanillic acid.
Introduction to Food Rating System Chart
In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this food's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to glance up in the top left corner where you will find the name of the food and the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition. This serving size will tell you how much of the food you need to eat to obtain the amount of nutrients found in the chart. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.
In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, here is an in-depth nutritional profile for Quinoa. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.
Quinoa, cooked
(Note: "--" indicates data unavailable)
The nutrient profiles provided in this website are derived from The Food Processor, Version 10.12.0, ESHA Research, Salem, Oregon, USA. Among the 50,000+ food items in the master database and 163 nutritional components per item, specific nutrient values were frequently missing from any particular food item. We chose the designation "--" to represent those nutrients for which no value was included in this version of the database.
References
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