Mussel Facts

Mussel facts questions why shellfish get a lot of bad-press and just what is the truth about them?

Of course if you are allergic, that is another matter; what about a trip to the Netherlands to experience them fresh from the Wadden-Zee for yourself?

If you want to have the inexpensive holiday of your lifetime, then fly to Schiphol airport, near Amsterdam, and take the train to Zeeland in the South-West. It costs about 30 dollars and the duration is a little over two hours.

Ahead of time join an organisation called "Vrienden op de Fiets" on-line. It costs about ten dollars per year. Look for a Bed and Breakfast in Middelburg and book in for two nights; it costs around 21 euros, including a huge meal.

Ask your hosts if they could either lend you, or buy two old granny-bikes. You do not need gears in Holland. You can expect to pay about 20 to 50 euros each. Most folk have a couple stored away in a shed, unused for ten years. Tell them you will pay for a service, and they can have them back when you are done.

Once you are there, they will help you plan a little tour of Zeeland; a week to ten days would be nice. Make sure you get to see the mussel-banks.

Find a little restaurant around the corner where you can enjoy a huge-pot of mussel facts.

For cockles and mussels, you will have to cross the Irish Sea though.

The light in Holland is often given the credit for their great-masters. Can you see the saltwater mussels being farmed?

Protein in saltwater mussels

Seafood in general, including mussels is an excellent source of protein; around 10pc of each portion.

Each mussel has about 2g of protein; you could easily eat a dozen at a sitting. Depending on who you believe, that is about a half of your RDA; required daily-allowance. New research suggests that a little extra will help prevent you in your dotage from losing your marbles.

Carbohydrate in sea mussels

Fish generally has little or no carbohydrate but your mussels do have a moderate amount; about 7 percent complex-starch. It is good food.

With all the protein and excellent omega-3 fat in sea mussels it means that shell fish have a very low glycemic index; even if you are following one of the ketogenic diets, this would be considered an excellent carbohydrate.

Incidentally treat all diets as you would a dirty four-letter word. Strong weight loss research confirms what we really do know; none of them work because they are not sustainable. Could you really give up the staff of life for ever? Fortunately you don't need to if you know about sourdough bread.

There's about 1g of carb per mussel, so a meal might contain twelve grams. On a cycling holiday 150 would not be excessive unless you are obese and wanting to get it off; then you need to be under a third of that per day.

Steamed mussels recipes are cooked with leeks, carrots and perhaps a shot of white wine. It makes for a very nutritious meal, if you avoid the temptation to have a side plate of french fries; they have an extremely high GI. Read, they will elicit an immediate response from the fat-storage hormone called insulin.  

If the paleo and banting diets have you all confused look up our meaning of starch page; you are certainly not alone.

The Longevity Diet does have many sound ideas about losing weight; always ask yourself whether this is sustainable for the rest of your life.

Frankly I do not believe in any diets; the research shows not one of them works. They are just money-spinning gimmicks that make you miserable. The only sane way to lose weight and better still not put it on in the first place, is to fully grasp the meaning of the term "glycemic index." There is oodles written on the subject at this site.

• Glycemic Index and Carbohydrate Count Chart
  

But anyway mussels despite their high good-fat content, certainly will not make you obese; it's those french fries and that roll.

Fat in saltwater mussels

You are in for a surprise; your mussels contain less than half the fat of beef trimmed of all visible lard; 5 versus 11 percent.

What is more the saturated fat, your cholesterol is less than one percent.

So why all the bad press that, if you have high cholesterol, you should avoid shellfish? It is bunkum; just eat less corn-fed beef and especially the refined starches.

The fat in saltwater-mussels is fairly equally divided between saturated, polys and MUFAs.

On average a mussel has about 5mg of cholesterol; they also have quite a lot of omega-3 fatty acids.

One of the beauties of a meal of mussel facts is that because of its high fat and protein content, it is very satisfying; you will feel satiated rather than famished and certainly will not need that white roll or plate of french-fries to fill the gaps.

One slice of artisan bread would be lovely to mop up the juices; it has a much lower GI but don't indulge in a second. With all that fibre it may cause indigestion.

For most of us, it is the refined-carbohydrate, not the fat that makes us obese.

In any case by the time you have made that cycling tour of Zeeland, you will have burned the calories off. Twenty to thirty kilometres per day is very easy. Enjoy some of the smoked-eels too; they are absolutely scrumptious.

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"A good oyster cannot please the palate as acutely as a bad one can revolt it.

And a good-oyster cannot make him who eats it live for ever; though a bad one can cause him to be very dead."

Rebecca West

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Omega-3

Mussel facts indicate that they are reasonably high in omega-3, though not as good as salmon and mackerel. But still an excellent source of these essential fatty acids that are known to be intimately involved in Alzheimer's disease, premature aging of the hyaline cartilage in the joints (arthritis) and nerve conduction.

Omega-3 also has an important role in preventing the serious neurodegenerative illnesses like Lou Gehrig's disease. It is also known as Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis.

Mussel Facts

Mussel facts are interesting but what the heck, they are delicious and hey, can be cooked in a jiffy.

Antioxidants prevent neoplasms

Where your mussel facts really come into their own is how rich they are in zinc, magnesium and selenium; and folate and vitamin C too. These are the anti-tumour substances.

They are anti-oxidants. When did you last enjoy RECIPES FOR MUSSELS?

Vitamin B12

A vitamin B12 deficiency causes a terminal illness called Pernicious Anemia.

For more about these very nasty nerve diseases see the link below; it is a fairly high-brow page, I'm afraid. When it gets to neurology the going becomes more difficult.

Your mussels are extremely rich in vitamin B12.

• TINGLING IN ARMS, HANDS AND LEGS
  

Calories in mussels

According to the USDA, one mussel has about 15 cals of energy. It is not difficult to eat a dozen at a sitting. So that adds up to about 200.

Unlike other shellfish, quite a lot of it comes from the carbohydrate.

Our recommendations are as follows.

If you want to avoid the nasty, serious illnesses like Motor Neuron disease and probably its first cousin Multiple Sclerosis, though that remains unproved as of now start enjoying fatty-seafood regularly. That means more salmon, mackerel and herring; and of course, our mussel facts. What could be more delicious?

Remember it's refined carbs not the good fats in food like mussels that make us obese; it is that white-roll on the side that will please for a moment on the lips and be one massive job to get off the hips in the years to come. Artisan bread is another story.

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Add to that the protection against heart conditions, Alzheimer's and premature aging of your hyaline cartilage, and you can see how the foods rich in omega 3 are winners; these are the lifestyle degenerative diseases that rob us of our hard-earned retirement.

There is now solid research, published in Neurology, February 2011, that sunshine and vitamin D are also necessary to prevent MS. The best source, again, is your fatty fish such a herring, mackerel and salmon; steamed-mussels recipe have some, but it is not adequate.

For the sunshine, all you need is a good pair of shoes and a decent hat. Mind you, I get plenty growing my veggies; but what about you?

• What's potting in the garden?
  

Now just add the mussels, and turn the heat up; in five minutes you can enjoy this exquisite steamed-shellfish recipe, bursting with good nutrition.

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