WHO IS A BIOCHEMIST

To all those pursuing a degree in Bsc. Biochemistry 

Biochemistry is not a new field in science. In fact it has been around since the late 19th Century. Well this is not a history lesson so I will not get into the details. The field has grown into its own prominence and colour and has become intertwined with other major disciplines as evidenced by the fact that Biochemistry is an essential contributor to modern medicine.    

"Who is a Biochemist?" This is a question that is frequently posed to all biochemists. People seem not to understand the definition. I did not do biology and chemistry. No!! Its not that simple. What I did for the past 3 years in university was study the living aspect of chemistry.

A biochemist is someone who studies the chemistry of life. Biochemistry is the study of the chemical composition of the living matter and the biochemical processes that underlie life activities during growth and maintenance.

Biochemist study the basic unit of life: the cell. All the chemical processes that take place in the cell are under the domain of Biochemistry. This involves chemical energy conversions (metabolism), formation and integration of biomolecules and chemical signalling pathways.

Another aspect which evolved quite recently is the integration of molecular biology with biochemistry. Molecular biology involves the study of nucleic acid which is central to the knowledge of life. Inevitably, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology integrated and this field holds the keys to unlocking the mysteries of DNA and of life as a whole.

Kenya is developing into an industrialized nation, Industries need scientist and so Biochemist will be needed. This may happen tomorrow or in 50 years, I have no way of predicting. But one thing is for sure, there is a wide field waiting in Kenya for the biochemists to conquer.

Finally,

To the graduating class (2014) Bsc Biochemistry.

Congratulations!!

The big day is here. GRADUATION DAY.

Let us not forget the past 3 long years of hard work, stress, early mornings, late nights, fun at times, meeting new friends and so much more. We have generally grown in both stature, emotion and knowledge.

Some of us lost our afros and baggy jeans. Others became talkative even though it was during the last year. We made permanent friends who we will keep for the rest of our lives and our kids will know them as auntie and uncles. The stories are endless and am limited by my memory.

It was tough and we need to take a day off from all the worries and celebrate. On the 5th December live in the moment. Enjoy the showers of praise from family and friends. You deserve it. It is only for a day so take it easy.

For people like me, all we have known to do all our lives is to go to school, read and pass exams. Am confused by all the change that is happening around me and in my life. As it is said "change is the only constant in life." I am now willing to embrace the future no matter how uncertain it looks.

After all, we have been equipped with knowledge and surrounded with people who support us and above all our God is great. He has taken care of us before so let us continue to trust in Him.

For those who have found their footing in this mucky and turbulent world of our, you are the lucky ones. We will be with you shortly.

Above all, am hoping that EVERYONE  will find something to do that they love. It doesn't have to be Biochemistry but at least let it be legal. May you all find joy in working and making money and in changing our world for the better. Notice that I did not say Kenya but the world. Do not be limited by your environment and pursue to change the world.

One of the greatest life lessons I have learnt came from a Japanese cartoon called Hunter x Hunter episode 148. As we strive to achieve what we want, do not forget to enjoy the journey. Form relationships everywhere you go. You should enjoy the little detours to the fullest because that is where you will find the things that are more important than what you want.

Personally I want to say this to all of you. "I see something in all of you, but I don't know what it is" 

In conclusion,

LET US ALL MEET IN THE HIGHEST ECHELON OF BUSINESS, SCIENCE AND POWER!!


Regards
Brian Kibue
The Kenyan Food Biochemist.

SOY SAUCE

Soy sauce is one of the world's oldest condiment and was initially developed in China but development into the modern soy sauce that is used world wide took place in Japan. (History of Soy sauce)

As a condiment, soy sauce is a flavour enhancer and is used extensively in Asian cuisines. Its use is not limited to Asian cuisines as soy sauce has found wide use in Western cuisines and is requested in dishes like pasta, soups and stews.It is the reason that the condiment is stacked in shelves of shops all over the world.

Personally, I use it when making tomato sauce based pasta, stews such as ndengu (green grams), kidney beans, soya chunks and in meat such as fish, chicken and beef. I use dark soy sauce, it is strong so a little goes a long way.

Of importance to note is that soy sauce contains a lot of salt in form of sodium. This is because soy sauce is made from fermentation of soy beans (soya beans) and wheat in brine, and using microorganisms such as Aspergillus soyae, Lactobacillus and yeast that aid in fermentation. (Making soy sauce).

Nutritional information of the soy sauce I use

From the nutritional information obtained, 1 tbsp (15 ml) has 1301 mg of sodium in this particular product. The upper safe limit of  daily sodium intake is at less than 2300 mg. Special groups such as those with hypertension may require less sodium intake. (less than 1500 mg per day)

As a rule, when using soy sauce to enhance flavour in dishes, reduce the table salt content that one normally use by half to compensate for the excess sodium. Over salting food is a common problem when using soy sauce so watch out when using soy sauce.

Enjoy the richness that soy sauce impacts in dishes from the rich colour, flavour and aroma.

KIENYEJI CHICKEN

Kienyeji (from mwenyeji) translates to local or native. Kienyeji chicken is the local breed of chicken found in Kenya. It is also known as road runner chicken and there are various breeds of the kienyeji chicken.

 As expected this bird is very sweet but has very tough meat. The meat is so tough that the only way I would recommended cooking this bird is by boiling and nothing less. Do not roast in the oven and certainly do not grill over charcoal. I have tried both methods with disastrous results.

When boiling there is a trick to it, do not stop boiling until part of the meat has come off the bone. The drumstick is the marker I use to check if this chicken is ready. The lower end will come off the bone and the bone will be left bare as the meat peels away and shrinks. By this time the meat will be tender enough for the urban young ones.

There are two ways of achieving the perfect kienyeji chicken; if you have time then slow-cooking will do but if you are impatient then boiling under the highest heat available also works.

A common mistake is to reduce the heat and stop boiling early because of fear that the chicken will disintegrate. The kienyeji chicken is not as tender as the exotic breeds so it will not disintegrate under high heat. In fact, it remains intact and  I have managed to boil the chicken for about 2 hours. This also means that the chicken requires little supervision as boiling takes hours.

Recipe: Easy road runner

Ingredients

• 1 road runner chicken
• 2 red onions
• 1 stalk of leek
• 3 spring onions
• Black pepper and salt (seasoning)
• Chili peppers (optional) 

Method

1. Prepare the chicken, leek, red onions and spring onions by chopping and dicing.
2. In a big saucepan put the diced chicken, onions and leek. There is no need for oil/fat.
3. (Optional) Add 1 or 2 whole chili peppers depending on the heat level preference. Cut open the chili to infuse more heat.
4. Add a little cold water and boil under medium to high heat until the meat comes off the bone. Adjust the water level to obtain the preferred thickness and quantity of soup.
5. Season.
6. Serve and enjoy.

HUMANS DID NOT EVOLVE FROM MONKEYS

One of the most popular points used to discredit the theory of evolution is that humans evolved from monkeys. However, that is not true. Humans and monkeys shared a common ancestor before they diverged into their different lineages and into their present form observed in modern day.

Previously used methods of determining evolutionary relationships were based on morphology (physical), behavioral and palaeontological data but biochemical methods have gained prominence in recent times and biochemistry is being used to study evolutionary relationships.

Based on evidences from these 4 sources, it is has been shown that chimpanzees, gorillas and humans share common ancestry, and that the Asiatic apes (gibbons and orangutans) diverged much earlier from our common ancestor. The man-chimpanzee-gorilla lineage separation may have taken place at around 4-6 million years ago.

Abbreviations: CC=Common Chimpanzee; PC=Pygmy chimpanzee; 
GO=Gorilla; HO=man; OR=Orangutan; GB=Gibbon;
 OWM=Old World Monkeys

From the table above, humans are a "pure line." and so are gorillas and chimpanzees. Humans did not evolve from monkeys but humans do share a common ancestor with the monkeys i.e chimpanzees and gorillas. As a result, humans have a lot in common with chimpanzees and gorillas who are our closest relatives.

REFERENCES

Hixson, E. J., & Brown , M. W. (1986). A comparison of small ribosomal RNA genes from the mitochondrial DNA of the great apes and humans: Sequence, structure, evolution and phylogenetic implications. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 3(1), 1-18.

Zihlman, A. L., Cronin, J. E., Cramer , D. L., & Sarich, V. M. (1978). Pygmy chimpanzee as a possible prototype for the common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees and gorillas. Nature, 275(5682), 744-746.

9gag.com

THE ART OF DIETING

There is a simple way of doing things. The internet would not agree. The internet prescribes a myriad of  ways towards dieting and each one of them promising the magic bullet to instant weight loss. Those with a knack for exploiting others for money always pounce on the chance to especially when weight loss is involved. It is not rare to see posters and bill boards advertising about instant weight lose by using creams and pills.

The truth always hurts. There is no such thing as instant weight loss. You have to work hard for it.

The art of dieting is simple but requires extreme discipline. Want to lose weight? It involves reduction in intake of calories and an increase in caloric expenditure. Eat less and workout some more. It is better to eat a good breakfast as the day begins and taper off the calories as the day progresses and if possible have a salad for dinner.

For instance, if you have been used to taking 4 chapatis for supper, reduce it to just 1. Cut back on the sugar. Cut back on the calories and watch out for snacks especially when you are hungry. Binge eating is your worst nightmare. The cumulative calories from a bag of crisps or a bar of chocolate taken in between meals adds a lot of weight. On that note, have regular meals. Eat breakfast at 8 am, lunch at 1 pm and supper at 6 pm or 8 pm. If you have to snack then go the healthy way; have a fruit or some nuts.

Exercise is a MUST. 15 minutes of workout every day or  for 45 minutes for 3 days a week is enough to transform your body. Increased exercise also reduces your susceptibility to coronary artery disease as it increases the good cholesterol carrier called HDL (High Density Lipoprotein).

I have been dieting for the past 1 month and I have lost 6 Kgs in that month. It has not been easy since am a foodie. I love to eat and so it is a trial. I give myself 2 days break when I can indulge and enjoy all the good things. My dieting style involves reduction in calories and increase in exercise. Nothing extreme. Just a cut back on all the calories

With all that said, do not do anything extreme. There is a reason why dietitians go for 4 years in University to study about nutrition. Consult them before taking any major drastic steps. Your body requires essential nutrients and different individuals require different amounts. Get a personalized diet option from a dietitians if you want to go extreme.

FOOD IS LIFE, FOOD IS ALIVE

"Food is life, Food is alive" - The Kenyan Food Biochemist

Food is life. It is fact. All organisms need food.

Plants are able to make food by utilizing the energy from the sun. E.coli can live on glucose only. This amazing bacteria is able to meet all its energy requirements and synthesize all molecules it needs for life from glucose. Homo sapiens sapiens lack the cellular processes to synthesize all life molecules from glucose so we depend heavily on our environment for food. We must eat adequate and balanced amounts of both carbohydrates (glucose), proteins (amino acids) and vegetables (minerals and vitamins).

Food is alive. This is also a fact but it may not be obvious to everyone though.

There are two levels in which food is alive: intrinsic,  which denotes that the source is inside the food and where enzymes are involved; and extrinsic, which denotes that the source is coming from an outside factor and usually involves bacteria.

The intrinsic source of life can be seen clearly when a potato after being peeled is left out in the open. A set of enzymes called monooxygenases are able to use atmospheric oxygen  and via an oxidation reaction convert pigments in potatoes to the darker pigment melanin, the pigment that is found in the human skin. To prevent this from happening, potatoes are kept under water after being peeled to eliminate oxygen. It is a practice that has been done for so long in all kitchens.

The extrinsic source of life is easier to define. It is the reason that most households have refrigerators. The low temperatures prevent, but do not kill bacteria, thereby slowing food from going bad.
Yought is good for you because it contains live bacteria called Lactobacillus that helps to lower the population of other harmful bacteria in the gut.

In conclusion, food is important and a necessity for life.

KENYAN EPIC SANDWICH

Its good to let go and go crazy once in a while. This is what this sandwich is all about. It is pure madness and bliss. Its the Kenyan manwich!!

I know what your thinking....you want to make it. You need to make it

Its six slices of bread. Wholemeal family bread so that its healthy!? Its as pointless as diet coke but all good. Its time to build the manwich. (Note...this is a cheap sandwich and improvements can be made to it)

• At the bottom there  is a fried egg with my own twist. I fried it and sprinkled  dry oregano, dry basil, black pepper in addition to salt while cooking it. Its layered on the bottom bread and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
• Next comes another slice of bread and on top there is beef brawn and sliced tomatoes. The alternative to the brawn would be to use pastrami (I love this meat) or polony. I hate vegetables so tomatoes is as far as I go. A lettuce can be added.
• Next slice of bread and on top we use either hot sauce, garlic tomato sauce or jam to vary the degree of sweetness. Top it off with crisps. Blue label from Nakumatt are excellent. Go for the steak flavour. (Disclaimer: Crisps contain a lot of sodium so watch your intake. Leave the crisps to reduce the sodium intake for the health conscious)
• Do the same for the other side then combine to build the Kenyan manwich. Enjoy!!